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Nearly half of Canadians feel 'marriage is simply not necessary': poll
Arti Patel GlobalNews.ca
A new poll suggests nearly half of Canadians aren't interested in getting married. Wedding planner Rebecca Chan explains why.
It’s a billion-dollar industry and for many, a milestone, but a new poll suggests when it comes to saying “I do,” many Canadians are just not interested.
A recent poll by Angus Reid Institute found 53 per cent of Canadian adults felt marriage wasn’t necessary, while 47 per cent thought it was important for couples in long-term relationships to have legal marriages.
The poll, which surveyed 1,520 Canadians, found four in 10 adults were never married and were unsure if they wanted to.
“In general, Canadians favour treating marriages and common-law relationships identically when it comes to taxation and assets, with majorities saying those who legally marry should not get extra tax benefits (59 per cent say this) and that those in common-law relationships should divide assets equally when the relationship ends,” researchers said in a statement.
READ MORE: ‘Indian packages’ let more South Asians opt for destination weddings
How age plays a factor
And while these findings aren’t so surprising, it does give insight on how young Canadians, in particular, feel about marriage, says Toronto wedding planner Rebecca Chan.
Statistics Canada notes Canadians, in general, are waiting longer to get married, and in 2016, the census revealed 28.2 per cent of Canadians were living alone (the highest number in 150 years).
WATCH: Wedding trends of 2018
Chan says with the younger population in particular, many of their values around marriage comes down to how they view traditions.
“Millennials are pretty open-minded and aren’t tied to traditions,” Chan tells Global News. “Even older Canadians who have been married and are now in a new relationship… some don’t think it is worth it to do it again.”
The poll noted age also dictated if a marriage should be a civil ceremony or a religious one. “As Canadians adopt less traditional views on marriage, they also place less value on the institution’s historically religious component,” the researchers noted.
Common-law relationships
The poll also looked at how Canadians viewed married couples and common-law relationships. Statistics Canada notes married couples still represented the majority of couples in 2016, but common-law relationships were becoming more common in every province and territory. Data showed 21.1 per cent of Canadians were in common-law relationships, a number that has increased from 6.3 per cent in 1981.
READ MORE: These couples had $15,000, $35,000 and $85,000 weddings. What their big days looked like
The poll found 59 per cent of Canadians said couples who legally marry should not receive extra tax benefits unavailable to common-law couples, while another 58 per cent believed common-law relationships should be treated the same as marriages when it came to dividing assets.
In B.C., for example, common-law spouses are able to claim half of their partner’s assets if the relationship ends.
Avoiding the pressure of marriage
Chan says some of these ideas around not getting married are also rooted in finances. The poll suggests women, in particular, are more able to be financially independent and don’t need to rely on a dual income, while young people may not have the funds to have a ceremony in the first place.
“You don’t need to feel pressure to hold the same kind of wedding everyone else is holding,” she says. “Weddings are meant to be special and personalized.”
An Ipsos poll for Global News found Canadians were spending an average of $8,937 on their wedding in 2017, but it is well-documented others on average spend anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle won’t have a maid of honour, and more juicy royal wedding details
Chan says along with the cost (which really doesn’t have to be this high), people also feel pressured via social media to have an extravagant wedding. She says to work around costs, she is seeing a lot more trends in intimate weddings, destination weddings, and even eloping.
“A new trend is pop-up weddings where venues allow a number of couples to come and get married,” she adds. “I don’t think anyone needs to have a giant wedding… there are just expectations as well as people who don’t abide by it.”
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Javier Bardem in talks to play Triton in 'The Little Mermaid'
Gilmore Girls Star added to Unionville FanFest event.
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KAKAROUDIS, KOSTAS
PAOK Thessaloniki 8 Forward
Height: 2.04 Born: 2 May, 1983 Nationality: Greece
EuroCup 2014-15 STATISTICS
Totals 14 2 207:35 84 20/46 10/24 14/21 4 20 24 11 3 11 1 4 34 28 55
Averages 14 2 14:49 6 43.5% 41.7% 66.7% 0.3 1.4 1.7 0.8 0.2 0.8 0.1 0.3 2.4 2 3.9
11 at Limoges CSP 6:29 1 0/2 0/1 1/2 1 1 1 2 1
12 vs FoxTown Cantu 24:46 11 1/1 3/4 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 2 15
13 vs Khimki Moscow Region 14:42 8 4/5 0/2 1 1 1 4 1 2
14 at Khimki Moscow Region 10:47 4 1/3 0/1 2/2 1 1 3 2
4 Totals 56:44 24 6/11 3/8 3/4 2 3 5 3 0 3 1 0 7 8 20
Average 14:11 6 54.5% 37.5% 75% 0.5 0.8 1.3 0.8 0 0.8 0.3 0 1.8 2 5
1 at Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 9:45 2 1/1 0/1 1 3 1 -2
2 vs Stelmet Zielona Gora 15:03 6 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 3 4 2 1 10
3 at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 19:41 11 2/10 2/3 1/1 2 2 1 1 2 3 2 1
4 * at Ventspils 20:42 8 3/7 0/1 2/4 3 3 1 1 2 5 9
5 * vs Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 15:18 4 1/3 1/2 3 4 2 -4
6 vs Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 12:45 8 1/3 2/2 1 1 1 2 2 1 3
7 at Stelmet Zielona Gora 6:06 0/1 1 1 1 2 -3
8 vs Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 20:42 5 2/5 0/2 1/2 3 3 1 1 3 1
9 vs Ventspils 14:59 10 2/4 1/1 3/4 1 2 3 2 1 3 4 14
10 at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 15:50 6 2/2 0/1 2/2 2 2 2 5 3 7
10 Totals 150:51 60 14/35 7/16 11/17 2 17 19 8 3 8 0 4 27 20 35
Average 15:05 6 40% 43.8% 64.7% 0.2 1.7 1.9 0.8 0.3 0.8 0 0.4 2.7 2 3.5
EuroCup 2014-15 individual rankings
Index rating 15 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Pallacanestro Cantu 1/14/2015
Points 11 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Pallacanestro Cantu 1/14/2015
Offensive rebounds 1 Limoges CSP vs. PAOK Thessaloniki 2/10/2016
Defensive rebounds 3 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 12/3/2014
Total rebounds 4 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Stelmet Zielona Gora 10/22/2014
Assists 2 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Pallacanestro Cantu 1/14/2015
Steals 1 Limoges CSP vs. PAOK Thessaloniki 2/10/2016
Blocks 1 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Valencia Basket 2/3/2016
Minutes 24 PAOK Thessaloniki vs. Pallacanestro Cantu 1/14/2015
Made his debut with Aris Thessaloniki (Greece) during the 2000-01 season.
Signed for the 2004-05 season by KAO Dramas, A2.
Signed for the 2006-07 season by Ionikos Lamias, A2.
Signed for the 2007-08 season by Panoarama GS, A2.
Signed for the 2008-09 season by AGO Rethymno.
Signed for the 2009-10 season by AEP Olimpias Patron, A2.
Signed for the 2010-11 season by Ikaroi Serron, A2.
Signed for the 2011-12 season by KAO Dramas.
Played there also the 2012-1 championship.
Moved to Romani for the 2013-14 season, signed by CS Energia Rovinari Targu Jiu.
On March'14 back to Greece, signed by Kolossos Rodou.
Signed for the 2014-15 season by PAOK Thessaloniki.
Won the 2003 FIBA Champions Cup with Aris Thessaloniki.
Has been member of the Greek University National Team.
Played at the 2007 World University Games.
2014-15 PAOK Thessaloniki 14 84 6 20/46 43.5 10/24 41.7 14/21 66.7 24 3 11 1
2015-16 PAOK Thessaloniki 15 42 2.8 11/24 45.8 6/18 33.3 2/4 50 14 2 8 2
Totals 29 126 4.3 31/70 44.3 16/42 38.1 16/25 64 38 5 19 3
Averages 29 126 4.3 31/70 44.3 16/42 38.1 16/25 64 1.3 0.2 0.7 0.1
2000/01 Aris 2 0 0.0 0/0 0.0 0/0 0.0 0/2 0.0 1 0 0 0
2001/02 Aris 1 2 2.0 1/1 100.0 0/0 0.0 0/0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2002/03 Aris 5 6 1.2 3/7 42.8 0/0 0.0 0/0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2005/06 KAO Dramas 28 429 15.3 144/238 60.5 23/53 43.4 72/98 73.4 125 13 26 8
2006/07 Ionikos Lamias 27 308 11.4 82/173 47.4 30/81 37.0 54/81 66.7 143 9 12 3
2007/08 Panorama 30 363 12.1 106/215 49.3 27/71 38.0 70/92 76.1 136 12 50 12
2008/09 AGO Rethymno 30 372 12.4 114/209 54.5 25/75 33.3 69/91 75.8 126 22 49 17
2009/10 AEP Patron 29 381 13.1 110/207 53.1 33/83 39.8 62/80 77.5 139 20 56 12
2010/11 Ikaron Serroi 30 455 15.2 152/286 53.1 30/81 37.0 61/88 69.3 178 15 57 16
2011/12 KAO Dramas 22 159 7.2 47/98 48.0 16/28 57.1 17/22 77.3 46 8 19 4
2012/13 KAO Dramas 25 296 11.8 68/165 41.2 31/85 36.5 65/87 74.7 80 13 44 5
2013/14 Rovinari 20 197 9.9 66/122 54.1 11/44 25.0 36/54 66.7 71 14 28 7
Kolossos Rodou 6 80 13.3 25/50 50.0 4/13 30.8 18/24 75.0 17 5 5 0
2014/15 PAOK 13 56 4.3 18/41 43.9 4/23 17.4 8/12 66.7 29 7 10 1
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Azovmash Mariupol 64
Local time: 19:00 SIEMENS ARENA
Lietuvos Rytas took a major step forwards to reach the Last 16 in regular season Group E by downing Azovmash Mariupol 83-64 in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday. Both teams tie in Group E with a 2-2 record but L. Rytas left the court with the tie-break advantage if both teams remain tied at the end of this round, as Azovmash registered a 10-point win against the Lithuanian powerhouse last week. Branko Milisavljevic paced the winners with 24 points and 6 assists. Chuck Eidson posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, Milko Bjelica had 13 points, Steponas Babrauskas added 12, Marijonas Petravicius got 11 while Donatas Zavackas pulled down 12 boards for L. Rytas. Khalid El-Amin and Simonas Serapinas each had 12 points for Azovmash while Marc Salyers added 10. El-Amin helped Azovmash to get an early 11-17 lead, but a game-breaking 25-5 run in which Milisavljevic, Bjelica and Babrauskas each struck twice from downtown allowed L. Rytas to break the game open, 51-28, at halftime. Nothing changed after the break, as L. Rytas kept a safe margin and cruised to a well-deserved, crucial win.
El-Amin got Azovmash going with a layup but Petravicius soon answered with a three-point play while Milisavljevic added a fast break layup for a 5-2 L. Rytas lead. Tomas Van den Spiegel dunked it while back-to-back baskets by Serhiy Lishchuk and Uche Nsonwu tied it at 8-8. El-Amin and a power layup by Serapinas put the guests back ahead, 9-14. El-Amin kept pacing Azovmash but a 6-0 L. Rytas run that Babrauskas capped with free throws tied it at 17-17. Babrauskas struck from downtown while Eidson dunked it for a 22-19 L. Rytas edge after 10 minutes. Milisavljevic buried a triple early in the second quarter and even when Dijon Thompson answered from downtown, he insisted with another one from beyond the arc. Mindaugas Lukauskis and Bjelica joined the three-point shootout for a 36-22 L. Rytas margin, after a 25-5 run. Serapinas stepped up with free throws but Babrauskas and Bjelica struck from downtown in a 9-0 run that broke the game open, 45-26. Milisavljevic followed a jumper with a triple to make it a 23-point game, 51-28, at halftime.
Van den Spiegel tried to ignit the guests' comeback with a put-back layup right after the break but Milisavljevic and Petravicius answered to keep L. Rytas way ahead, 56-30. Azovmash tried to get Van den Spiegel involved while a layup by Serapinas and a triple by Thompson got the guests within 56-39. Eidson stepped up with a layup and fed Donatas Zavackas for an easy basket, as L. Rytas improved its defense late in the third quarter. Bjelica followed a three-pointer with a put-back dunk with Eidson allowed the hosts to seal the outcome, 69-47, after 30 minutes. Azovmash now fought for points differential, a critical issue in such a balanced Eurocup regular season group. El-Amin sank a triple, igniting a 0-7 run that Van den Spiegel capped with a put-back layup for a 71-54 deficit. L. Rytas did not panic, as Milisavljevic and Bjelica stepped up for a 75-56 margin. Salyers kept trying to change things for Azovmash but he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, Milisavljevic and Eidson made sure to keep L. Rytas way ahead until the final buzzer.
Referees: CMIKIEWICZ, MAREK; OBRADOVIC, PETAR; RUTESIC, ZDRAVKO
Lietuvos Rytas 22 29 18 14
Azovmash Mariupol 19 9 19 17
Azovmash Mariupol 19 28 47 64
Lietuvos Rytas
5 BABRAUSKAS, STEPONAS 15:24 12 2/3 2/2 2/2 1 1 3 2 11
8 LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS 27:44 7 1/3 1/4 2/2 1 1 2 5 2 1 -1
9 PREKEVICIUS, MARIUS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
11 BJELICA, MILKO 31:29 13 2/3 3/3 1 2 3 1 5 2 13
12 ANISIMOV, MICHAILIS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13 EIDSON, CHUCK 36:08 14 5/8 0/3 4/6 1 9 10 4 5 1 4 1 5 32
14 ZAVACKAS, DONATAS 23:47 2 1/3 0/2 4 8 12 1 4 7
15 PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS 24:44 11 4/9 3/5 1 6 7 1 1 2 4 4 4 7
21 JOMANTAS, ARTURAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 SINICA, JUSTAS 2:41 0/1 1 1 -3
31 GECEVICIUS, MARTYNAS 2:46 0/2 1 -3
33 MILISAVLJEVIC, BRANKO 35:17 24 6/7 4/6 6 5 4 4 22
Totals 200:00 83 21/37 10/22 11/15 8 27 35 14 7 14 4 5 24 18 86
Head coach: KURTINAITIS, RIMAS
Azovmash Mariupol
5 JARUTIS, ROLANDAS 22:48 4 2/2 0/1 1 1 2 2
7 SERAPINAS, SIMONAS 26:13 12 4/5 0/3 4/5 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 12
8 SKUTYELNIK, OLEKSANDR 9:06 2 0/1 0/1 2/2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 -1
11 BAIDA, BOGDAN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12 LISHCHUK, SERHIY 17:59 2 1/5 0/4 4 4 1 1 3 3 3 1
14 VAN DEN SPIEGEL, TOMAS 13:17 8 4/7 3 2 5 3 1 1 3 3 7
22 SALYERS, MARC 24:40 10 4/6 0/2 2/2 1 1 1 1 4 9
23 THOMPSON, DIJON 34:33 8 1/6 2/4 7 7 3 3 1 2 5
42 EL-AMIN, KHALID 29:35 12 3/6 1/3 3/4 2 2 1 2 3 5 9
50 NSONWU, UCHE 21:49 6 3/4 0/1 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 3 11
Totals 200:00 64 22/42 3/14 11/18 7 21 28 7 3 16 5 4 18 24 55
Head coach: GIRSKIS, RIMAS
KURTINAITIS, RIMAS
"I am glad we've won. I am satisfied with our defense. We almost neutralized El-Amin. My players worked hard. I would like to emphasize Chuck Eidson's very hard work on defense, where he gave out all his efforts. Lukauskis and Babrauskas had a good game too, but I promote team-oriented basketball and individual performance is not so important. The most important thing is that we reduced number of mistakes and played better on the boards."
GIRSKIS, RIMAS
"Lietuvos Rytas tried harder and deserved this victory. My big players got into foul trouble in five minutes. The hosts played hard on defense and that paid off with more rebounds and more opportunities on offense. We let them feel their shooting touch and they didn't miss in the most important moments. We couldn't stop their threes and couldn't grab the rebounds. My players tried to win the game playing individually, but basketball is team game."
"I have only been working one month with the team and that is not a lot of time. We have also had to fly long trips lately, and then of course there are the games. We faced a hard game tonight againt Lietuvos Rytas. They needed the win and had some good shooting percentages. We were also anxious to get this win tonight and that is not always going to help you."
MILISAVLJEVIC, BRANKO
"We played great defense and showed character and team spirit, especially on defense. We won the game by 20 points and that was the goal before the match. We changed our approach and attitude on defense. We analyzed the previous game against Azovmas and I think we managed to avoid the mistakes we did in that game."
SERAPINAS, SIMONAS
"It was a very bad game for us. We were awful on defense while on offense we played individually. We were egotistic and didn't play team-oriented basketball. Lietuvos Rytas ran a very aggressive defense, stole many balls and grabbed a lot of rebounds. I think they wanted to win more than we did. Our team cannot find its rhythm for the second road game in a row. Maybe we have some psychological issues that we have to solve."
REGULAR SEASON LAST 16 QUARTERFINALS SEMIFINALS FINALS
Maroussi Costa Coffee 82
ASK Riga 77
Zadar 82
Chorale Roanne 70
Dynamo Moscow 77
Unics 87
Barons Riga 84
Lukoil Academic 88
Besiktas Cola Turka 65
STB Le Havre 76
Bnei Hasharon 78
Panellinios Athens 76
Turk Telekom 78
Gran Canaria 81
PGE Turow 76
Crvena Zvezda 86
Brose Baskets 65
Spirou Basket 84
Artland Dragons 79
Pamesa Valencia 89
Fortitudo Bologna 88
FMP Zeleznik 61
Hemofarm Stada 89
Buducnost 85
iurbentia Bilbao 93
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Burial Alternatives Going Mainstream
The Science Channel on MSNBC.com recently ran an interesting story on eight burial alternatives that are becoming more common. LiveScience Senior Writer Stephanie Pappas wrote this great piece that covered alkaline hydrolysis (also called resomation), natural burial (a.k.a. green burial), eternal reefs, cryonics, space burial, mummification, plastination (preserving bodies for education or exhibitions), and freeze drying.
I’ve written quite a bit about alkaline hydrolysis, cryonics, and green burial. Here are some bits from the story about the other alternatives.
Eternal Reefs
For those who prefer to nourish a more aquatic environment after death, there’s also the Eternal Reef option. Georgia-based Eternal Reefs creates artificial reef material out of a mixture of concrete and human cremains (the crushed bone left over from cremations). These heavy concrete orbs are then placed in areas where reefs need restoration, attracting fish and other organisms that turn the remains into an undersea habitat.
Cremation isn’t as green as natural burial due to the combustion process, Harris said, but he is a fan of Eternal Reef burials.
“It’s a terrific opportunity not just to return to an aquatic environment, but to produce new life under the sea,” he said.
Space Burial
If cryonics sounds too expensive, but you’d still like the afterlife to smack of sci-fi, you can always get some of your ashes shot into space. Your cremated remains will hitch a ride on a rocket already headed for the stars, a journey that is more symbolic than practical: Because of the high cost of spaceflight, only 1 to 7 grams (0.04 to 0.25 ounces) of remains are launched.
According to Celetis Memorial Spaceflights, a company that offers the postmortem flights, a low-orbit journey that lets your cremains experience zero gravity before returning to Earth starts at $995. A chance to orbit Earth and eventually burn up in the atmosphere runs around $3,000. Dedicated space-lovers can have themselves launched to the moon or into deep space for $10,000 and $12,500, respectively.
It’s not just for ancient Egyptians anymore. A religious organization called Summum, founded in 1975, offers mummification services to both people and pets. Before his death in 2008, Summum’s founder Corky Ra told CBS News that at least 1,400 people had signed up for eventual mummification.
Summum’s representatives are currently not granting media requests, but Ra told CBS that the price of human mummificationstarts at $63,000. Like believers in cryonics, Ra and those like him hope that their preserved DNA will enable future scientists to clone them and give them (or at least their genes) a second shot at life. Ra put his money where his mouth was: After he died, he was mummified and is now encased in bronze in Summum’s pyramid in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Plastination
Much like mummification, plastination involves preserving the body in a semi-recognizable form. Invented by anatomist Gunther von Hagens, plastination is used in medical schools and anatomy labs to preserve organ specimens for education. But von Hagens has taken the process one step further, creatingexhibits of plastinated bodies posed as if frozen in the midst of their everyday activities. According to the Institute for Plastination, thousands have signed up to donate their bodies for education and display.
Freeze-drying
The newest comer on the eco-burial stage is a process called Promession, or put more plainly, freeze-drying. Invented by Swedish marine biologist Susanne Wiigh-Masak, the process involves immersing the corpse in liquid nitrogen, which makes it very brittle. Vibrations shake the body apart and the water is evaporated away in a special vacuum chamber. Next, a separator filters out any mercury fillings or surgical implants, and the powdered remains are laid to rest in a shallow grave.
With a shallow burial, oxygen and water can mix with the powdered remains, turning them into compost.
No one has yet been sent off into the afterlife the Promession way, but Promessa, the company developing the service, now has a licensed branch in the United Kingdom. There’s no hint of when the option might land on American shores.
Categories Trends in Death Care
Don’t hold your breath. It hasn’t left the drawing board in Sweden yet.
Gail Rubin says:
Yeah, that seems quite “out there” and not ready for prime time.
« Memorial Stone Joke
Living and Dying, Setbacks and Advances »
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SriLankan Airlines posts loss of $135m
posted on 25th January 2019 by Justin Burns
SriLankan Airlines has reported it recorded a net loss for the nine months ending 31 December 2018 of $135 million (LKR 40 billion) against a loss for the corresponding period of the previous year of $66 million (LKR 11 billion).
Despite the loss, the airline said it improved its performance across all sectors in spite of rising fuel prices, high interest expenses and currency depreciation as capacity, passenger and cargo revenue, market yield and unit cost all improved.
However it said that improvement in topline was overshadowed drastically by the increase in operating cost base owing to high fuel prices.
At $902 million (LKR 147 billion), the total operating cost recorded an increase of 15 per cent against the previous year. Impact due to rise in aviation fuel prices was $66 million. Further, increase in aircraft maintenance cost and aircraft lease cost due to the addition of one A321neo aircraft was reported during this period.
During this period, SriLankan’s net traffic revenue from core airline operations increased to $746 Million with a year-on-year growth of eight per cent. Overall seat capacity or available seat kilometres (ASKs) improved by 6.5 per cent through “effective deployment” of the aircraft fleet to profitable markets by way of frequency optimisation and utilising right aircraft types.
The airline said effective and timely management of aircraft deployment and flight frequencies on the basis of market dynamics allowed it to optimises revenue amidst the increased competitive climate.
Flight frequencies to markets such as London, Melbourne, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Delhi were increased to meet the seasonal demand and it proved to be an effective strategy as the performance of these routes improved significantly.
Although a marginal reduction in total number of passengers carried (0.3 per cent) was reported for the nine-month period, overall seat factor remained at 82 per cent.
The overall passenger yield which is measured as yield per revenue passenger kilometer improved by nearly 1.6 per cent from previous year.
The airline said: “Improvement of market yield without deteriorating overall seat factor, considered as a challenging proposition in airline industry, was achieved by SriLankan through implementation of effective pricing initiatives which included timely imposition of fuel surcharges to minimize the impact of rising fuel cost.”
SriLankan Airlines management has presented a restructuring plan to the GoSL which focuses on progressive consolidation to bring the airline to a break-even position in three years.
This plan specifies the action required from the GoSL to reduce finance cost, high fuel processing charges and various initiatives identified by the management to reduce the costs and improve revenue.
Chief executive officer, Vipula Gunatilleka said that 2019 will be the “year of consolidation” for the airline and the management initiatives undertaken during the 2nd half of 2018 are expected to show positive results.
He added management would continue to focus on revenue enhancement though effective capacity deployment to enhance revenue and expenditure reduction strategies to direct the airline towards sustainable financial viability.
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OPINION: BA GDPR fine should be a tipping point event for airlines and GHs
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‘SNL’ Webs Andrew Garfield and Five-Timer Coldplay for First May Installment
Anthony Harvey, Getty Images
Three-time 'SNL' host Seth Rogen mostly scored beneath our seasonal rankings with the latest installment -- though it might have been cameo-heavy between James Franco, Zooey Deschanel and Taylor Swift -- but what of the final episodes of the year? 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' star Andrew Garfield signed on to make his hosting debut in May, but who will accompany Spidey in one of the final 'SNL' outings of the 39th season?
As announced during Seth Rogen's third 'SNL' hosting turn, 'The Social Network' and 'Amazing Spider-Man' star Andrew Garfield will make his hosting debut on May 3, alongside the fifth 'SNL' performance of musical guest Coldplay. Oddly enough, Coldplay last appeared in 2011 alongside 'The Amazing Spider-Man' franchise star (and Garfield's girlfriend) Emma Stone, during which Garfield also made an appearance.
Garfield at least seems like the type to be game for a first 'SNL' appearance, however the current crop of writers and stars shakes out, but what do you think? Will Spidey electrify in his first appearance or end up tangled in the 'SNL' web? Tell us what you thought of the most recent installments, as well as what you might like to see from Andrew Garfield's May 3 hosting turn in the comments!
Source: ‘SNL’ Webs Andrew Garfield and Five-Timer Coldplay for First May Installment
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Does the HomePod offer hifi audio quality? Here are the early verdicts …
Ben Lovejoy
- Jun. 6th 2017 4:50 am PT
@benlovejoy
When Apple finally confirmed HomePod, the long-rumored Siri speaker, Tim Cook said that before anything else, a home speaker had to deliver great audio.
Apple is a company that deeply cares about music and wants to deliver a great audio experience in the home. We feel like we re-invented it in the portable player area and we feel we can re-invent it in the home area as well.
At $349 – against $130 for Google Home and $180 for Amazon Echo – the HomePod will need to live up to that promise in order to justify its price. Apple provided a number of journalists with the chance to compare the sound quality with both the Echo and the Sonos Play 3, and we’ve got a roundup of the early verdicts …
It should be said that the Echo isn’t exactly stiff competition – it may be a smart device, but it’s a pretty crude speaker. The Sonos Play 3, however, could be considered a serious competitor. It may be not be the most impressive speaker in the Sonos line-up (and many people including folks here think it is their worst and worse than the Play:1), but for a relatively small device, it delivers impressive sound quality and volume. It also automatically adjusts its sound output to match the characteristics of the room in which it’s used, a feature shared by the HomePod.
To me, the fact that Apple put the HomePod up against the Sonos suggests confidence. A couple of writers did query whether the Sonos had been tuned to the room – which is a manual process – but What HiFi checked and confirmed that it had.
I’m no audio expert, so I won’t even pretend I can go into all the reasons why the HomePod sounds so good. But I did notice the HomePod was able fill a large room very well and sounded great no matter what angle I was listening from, which Apple says is possible because the HomePod is smart enough to intelligently tune itself and balance the audio to match any room or position you put it in. It sounded even better when playing in stereo while synced with another HomePod.
Still, it was tough to evaluate the HomePod on its own, and I didn’t realize just how good it sounded until I heard a nearby Sonos 3 speaker playing the same songs. The Sonos sounded OK, but the sound wasn’t nearly as rich as the HomePod [and] the Echo sounded like someone was singing through a tin can a mile away. It isn’t even in the same league as the HomePod or Sonos.
HomePod puts vocals in a direct center channel, and beams ambient sounds around for what Apple says is a more omnidirectional music experience. I walked around, and it sounded good from multiple parts of the room. Apple said HomePod can separate vocals and other parts of the music via Apple Music, but that more recent recordings will perform the separation better […]
HomePod came off as bolder and more vivid than Sonos Play:3 in the experience I tried, and a lot better than Amazon Echo. I’d also say the music sounded consistently vivid and crisp in a quiet space, more so than the Sonos and Amazon comparisons on-hand.
The HomePod however, sounded crisp and bright no matter the musical genre fed through it — it rendered The Eagles as well it did Kendrick Lamar. As a reminder, there’s a huge woofer and seven tweeters inside, all meant to make audio sound as vivid as possible no matter where you are in a room. It works. The PLAY:3 was generally very good, but audio felt remarkably closed off when I wasn’t sitting right in front of it. If listening to the HomePod was like listening to a CD, then audio through the Echo sounded like AM radio.
The main thing to know is that Apple has done a remarkably good job finding ways to get its speaker to feel like it’s filling a room with sound. It starts with the subwoofer, which delivers bass that doesn’t quite hit you in the chest but does manage to put other smart speakers like the Echo or Google Home to shame. It’s obviously no standalone subwoofer, but it outperforms what you’d expect from a speaker of this size. […]
Apple is claiming that, using the microphones, the speaker can work out the shape of the room and then beam different parts of the song to different areas. So the vocals get pumped straight out into the center of the room while the “ambient” bits get bounced off the wall. I can’t speak to the proper audiophile terms for what they’re talking about, but I can say that it sounded pretty immersive and impressive in person.
What HiFi?
As Sia’s The Greatest played out, the HomePod sounded impressive: strong bass rang out – which was perhaps the overriding audio takeaway for the speaker – but the vocals still seemed sharp and crisp.
In comparison, the Sonos Play:3 appeared uncharacteristically flat, while the Amazon Echo felt almost pedestrian.
We listened to Superstition by Stevie Wonder and DNA by Kendrick Lamar. Both sounded good on the Sonos but appeared punchier and louder on the HomePod. As we moved around the room, the HomePod managed to project in every direction, with no discernible sweet spot.
We also heard a pair of HomePods playing a live recording of Hotel California by The Eagles. The attention to detail was striking, with different instruments sounding discretely realised. Did we feel like we were at the concert? Maybe not, but it did sound powerful.
The take-out, then, seems to be that the HomePod certainly leaves the Echo for dust, and competes well with the Sonos Play 3 – though it seems fair to conclude that this is partly because Apple’s speaker throws out more bass. But it appears to deliver the kind of audio quality you’d expect of a speaker at this price level. I’m looking forward to hearing it for myself.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news!
HomePod is Apple’s effort to “reinvent home music" and features a 7 tweeter array, a 4-inch woofer and is powered by Apple’s A8 chip. The device acts as a standalone way for users to interact with Siri, Apple Music, and more.
Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
Ben Lovejoy's favorite gear
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Austin bomber's failed package could set suspect off, ex-FBI agent says
By Steven Romo
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Even with top federal investigators on the case, the Austin bombings continue. In a lot of ways, it seems like a chess match.
Dennis Franks is a former FBI agent who says the bomber is acting on ego.
"He's calculating things and he's always thinking about his next two moves ahead," Franks said.
He's also hoping for maximum attention.
"They're more than likely a sociopath, for someone to do this without remorse, without regard to life," Franks said.
Ex-FBI agent: Austin bomber's profile may surprise investigators
EMBED More News Videos
A former FBI agent says the identity of the Austin bombing suspect or suspects may surprise investigators.
If the package that exploded at the FedEx facility accidentally went off while in transit, Franks says that could cause the bomber to act out.
"If there's some question about their competency, they're going to increase what they're doing probably," Franks said.
FedEx officials say the same person responsible for sending the exploding package also sent a second package that was safely handed over to law enforcement.
Franks says that could be key for investigators.
There are plenty of theories from the public. He warns the person may not be who you suspect.
"Look at the Unabomber," Franks said. "Whoever would have thought a college professor would have been the culprit behind all of those?"
With the frequency of the explosions, many think the bomber could mess up soon.
"I tend to think at some point there's going to be a slip up or someone is going to have sufficient information to provide to lead us to the culprit," Franks said.
Follow Steven Romo on Twitter and Facebook.
austinbombingfedexexplosiontexas newsterrorismsuspicious package
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Home Religion/Ethnicity Ethnic and inter-religious relations A birthday celebration with a twist in the new Malaysia
Ethnic and inter-religious relations
A birthday celebration with a twist in the new Malaysia
Cute video above. I don’t think such a warm clip would have been possible – it wouldn’t have been so relaxed and natural – in the old Malaysia. But you can see what we have missed all these years just by watching the above clip.
The most interesting part for me is when the young interviewer, Kashika (she’s a natural at the job, isn’t she), asks Mahathir: “Do you think I can be a prime minister?”
“Certainly! Certainly,” Mahathir replied without hesitation. And then he goes on to give her some poignant sagely advice on what it takes to become a prime minister in a democracy. “But you must work hard. You must be nice to people… to win their support. You must always keep your promises. You must do the right things. You mustn’t cheat. All those things, if you have, people will like you, and in a democracy, you can become a prime minister.”
It is almost as if he is passing on advice some of which he had to learn himself, sometimes the hard way, and perhaps only later in life; other bits from observing what his predecessor found out too late.”
On a related note, I would like to ask you, have you noticed anything on the ground, on the streets, among friends and strangers in the new Malaysia that is different. What are people like now? Do they feel less constrained, freer, friendlier perhaps, happier and more relaxed and hopeful about the future?
I have found that people are more willing to smile and talk to you than they were before. The burdens of life remain, but at least there is hope in the air. Speaking of which, brilliant news about the cave rescue from Thailand – all 12 boys and their coach out – just in time in not for the World Cup semi-finals, at least the final.
READ MORE: Live - Mahathir speaks to the nation
Siti Hasmah
Previous article Penang transport masterplan: Need for a relook
Next article Alert: They are trying to push through that RM8bn six-lane highway
Ho Wan Lai
Rare to see young Malaysians speaking good English like this Astro interviewer.
Anil should start making light hearted interview video s of this nature.
Anil can start interview CM Chow if possible under the shady tree at Esplanade Speakers Corner? Or may be less serious matter with many heritage maestros like that famous Uncle Tan of Siam Road?
11 Jul 2018 9.39am
Ah Hua
That is why it’s very, very important to have a good wife, especially when one is holding an office of high power. We have now witnessed some fine examples with so much contrasts in our country alone.
KhunPana
Many of us would like to have the chance to wish Mahathir a Very Happy Birthday in person.
And for sure many of us would like Mahathir to keep his words & promises. Example- follow the law.
Therefore,it is best for “New Malaysia” to consider deporting Zakir Naik as he too is wanted for money laundering.
It was Mahathir who said that Malaysia welcomes professional expatriates and would be given PR if qualified.
Zakir Naik is NOT but was issued a PR.
Happy Birthday and Thank You for helping kicking out the previous thief.
11 Jul 2018 1.33pm
Was Zakir offered an island in Tasik Kenyir? Pls take it back otherwise that island could be a haven for extremist-terrorists.
Can use Zakir to trade for Jho Low if Jho escapes to India. One to one exchange.
There are many happy occasions for a New Malaysia like this birthday celebration of Tun Mahathir with his wife.
But there are still remnants of Old Repressive & Corrupt Malaysia which we ought to clean out the soonest possible like this one:
Time To Clear Out The Police Force To Create The New Malaysia
http://www.sarawakreport.org/2018/07/time-to-clear-out-the-police-force-to-create-the-new-malaysia/
Take for example the horrifying experience of online activist Jason Lim, who dared to report a KL massage parlour for hiring an abusive illegal foreign worker to the police. Read on.
Ma jiji
All I want to say now is – Happy Birthday, Tun !
In less than half a day, all of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s stamps were sold out at the General Post Office in Downing Street, Penang.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/11/mahathir-stamps-sold-out-in-downing-street/#yJfOqXX76kAJPbU5.99
You got buy or not?
Overpriced. But bought it anyway.
Cygnus Knight
There are only SIX out of 179 nations that have not signed or ratified the ICERD. These are Myanmar, North Korea , Angola , Nauru, Palau and Malaysia. So looks like PAS and UMNO are no different from [some of the ruling parties in these countries]. The world has changed but the mindset of these racist bigots is stuck in the Dark Ages.
https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/450441
Mat Skodeng will be out if job in Malaysia Baru.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/06/putting-compassion-into-practice-mujahid-aims-to-change-mindset-of-conservative-religious-civil-serv/
6 Oct 2018 11.45am
BBC HardTalk: Imam, Oxford Islamic Congregation – Dr. Taj Hargey
A tiny proportion of Muslim women in Britain wear the burqa or niqab; forms of dress which keep the face partially of fully covered. Nonetheless, those women find themselves at the heart of a sometimes bitter argument about religion, values and tolerance in Western society. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the Islamic scholar and imam- Taj Hargey, who has long stirred controversy amongst fellow Muslims by condemning the burqa and demanding a new form of Islam. Will his ideas ever gain traction in the Muslim community?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswj49
18 Aug 2018 1.20pm
MIC has got a new Indian chief.
Any chance for reform, or leaving BN?
Possibly MIC merge with PSM since they are both fighting for Indians?
Things will be pricier when SST comes into play, says Najib.
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/76089
Do you think so, Mr Anil, based on your accounting knowledge? If so, we should buy things before the end of tax holiday after Aug 31?
A more limited range of goods and services will be affected.
12 Jul 2018 10.35pm
Can be more specific?
How about mobile smartphones?
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LESLIE BURNETT (Memories) BURNETT LESLIE (Les) 8th Anniversary Died 28th April 2011 "Looking back with memories, upon the
GARY ORR (Memories) ORR Gary, David 15th Anniversary, 11th April 2004 "Hi wee man, it's now fifteen years, We still
MARY JANE TAYLOR (Memories) TAYLOR In loving memory of our mother Mary Jane, who died 27th February 2008. "We think of you
BEATRICE ROBINSON ROBINSON Beatrice (nee Watters), (formerly of Rossdowney), peacefully, in Edinburgh on 14 February
VERA SAXTON SAXTON Vera Pollock, nee Eaton, of Derbyshire, England, formerly of Clooney Road, Londonderry,
WILLIAM JOHN BRAITHWAITE (Memories) BRAITHWAITE William, John 20th Anniversary 29th April 1998 In loving memory of a dear father,
GARY ORR (Memories) ORR Gary, David 14th Anniversary, 11th April 2004 "Hi wee man, it's now fourteen years, We still
Joseph A. Gormley (Maghera) The Co-operative Funeralcare Coleraine
BURNETT, LESLIE (Memories)
ORR, GARY (Memories)
LOUGHLIN, WILLIAM (Acknowledgement)
TAYLOR, MARY JANE (Memories)
ROBINSON, BEATRICE
REILLY, ANNIE (Acknowledgement)
SAXTON, VERA
BRAITHWAITE, WILLIAM JOHN (Memories)
CUNNINGHAM, PEARL (Memories)
RUTHERFORD, WILMA (Memories)
COOKE, ERIC (Memories)
RIDDLES, SARAH KATHLEEN (Memories)
PARKHILL, BETTY (Memories)
GARDINER, RACHEL (Memories)
KING, KATHLEEN (Memories)
ARBUCKLE, JAMES (Memories)
COLHOUN, JO SPENCE (Memories)
COOKE, ALEC (Memories)
COATES, JAMES (Memories)
COLHOUN, KATHLEEN (Acknowledgement)
CRAIG, JOE (Memories)
McARTHUR, SAMUEL (Memories)
CAMPBELL, NOEL WILLIAM JOHN (Acknowledgement)
RIDDLES, SARAH (Memories)
WHITE, ROBERT (Acknowledgement)
ORR, GLORIA (Memories)
FERGUSON, VIOLET
MAGEE, KATHLEEN (Memories)
DOCHERTY, JOHN (Memories)
FORBES, ANNETTE (Acknowledgement)
McCLAY, ISABELLA (Memories)
McGINNIS, MABEL (Memories)
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Antique Radio Forums Index » Category » Antique Television Discussions
New Line Cinema drama on the Farnsworth/RCA dispute
David Kulka
Post subject: New Line Cinema drama on the Farnsworth/RCA dispute
Posted: Apr Fri 30, 2004 7:20 pm
Location: Burbank, CA and Thailand
From Variety Magazine...<P>" 'Wing" duo fathers of 'Invention'<P>New Line pic to spotlight battle over tube credit<BR> <BR>In their first project since exiting "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme will join forces at New Line on "The Farnsworth Invention," a drama about how Philo Farnsworth invented TV technology and was robbed of the glory by broadcast pioneer David Sarnoff.<P>Project was sold as a spec package. After entering into exclusive negotiations early this week, New Line agreed to pay $2.5 million against 2% of gross for Sorkin to write and produce, with Schlamme receiving just north of $1 million to direct the film and produce.<P>Script is set in the late 1920s, when the 22-year-old genius from Utah became the first to capture a moving image in a box. That led to a skirmish with rival scientist Vladimir Zworykin, who years earlier had filed a patent for the technology even though he hadn't made it work until Farnsworth's invention.<P>Since Zworykin was under the employ of radio giant RCA and Sarnoff, the young mogul who ran the broadcasting giant engaged in a take-no-prisoners battle for control of the invention that would change the world.<P>New Line president Toby Emmerich made the buy and will oversee the project. "The way (Sorkin) portrayed Philo and Sarnoff on the page, I'd say (they were) two of the best characters I'd read in a movie script over the last 10 years. They are adversaries, but it is subtle and sophisticated. It is a compelling drama that will have the feel of 'Seabiscuit' in that it covers one of those periods in the country where everything changed."<P>Sorkin and Schlamme met while working on the Sorkin-created series "Sports Night," and then became exec producers on "The West Wing."<P>By Michael Fleming"
Mark A. Gulbrandsen
Posted: Apr Fri 30, 2004 11:32 pm
Location: Salt Lake City, UT. USA
This is a welcome thing as long as they hold it true to Alma Farnsworths book "Distant Vision". I would say it is THE only really accurate account of the development of TV and of Farnsworths life. All else written about Farnsworth is merely speculation gathered from other written history of Farnsworth which in itself is mostly inaccurate. Probably the best part and certainly the most interesting part of Farnsworths life and the least known was his development of the Atomic Fusor. I wonder if they'll put that part of his life in the film?? I hope so!!<P>Mark Gulbrandsen<BR>Salt Lake City, UT<P>------------------<BR>
CT-100Guy
Posted: May Sat 01, 2004 1:33 am
Location: Hollywood Hills, Ca.
Hey David,<P>I think Scott Marshal's presentation "The Case Against Philo Farnsworth" at the recent ETF convention might be at odds with this film. I'm not sure the truth about who invented electronic tv will ever be known. Should be an interesting film in any case.<BR>Steve D.<P>------------------<BR><BR>Check out my web page at:http://community.webtv.net/stevetek/StevesCT100
Posted: May Sun 02, 2004 9:40 pm
Hello Steve,<P>Yes, reading this article reminded me of Scott's presentation at the television convention. And I agree, there will probably never be a final conclusion about who "invented" television.<P>I guess I'm in the "Farnsworthian" camp, my understanding is that he was the first to demonstrate a working video camera / CRT combination, crude as it may have been. That said, it's clear that many inventors had a part in TV becoming reality, and the credit cannot go to just one individual.<P>I hope to see the film someday. Regardless of who you think should be credited, the development of early TV is a fascinating story, and all those involved deserve recognition.<P>P.S. I enjoyed looking at your website, and hope to see your collection one of these days!
Posted: May Mon 03, 2004 12:02 am
I think that only certain people really do deserve certain credit for television as we have it today. There are those that invented it(Farnsworth) and those that perfected it and made it practical(Zworykin). Although I believe there is no doubt that Farnsworth designed electronic Tv as we know it others along with Zworykin do deserve at least some credit for making it practical...something the image dissector even in its improved form was really not. The only place it could function well was in bright sunlight or indoors with way more foot candles of incandescant light than anyone could stand for more than a few minutes at a time. To me Farnsworth is truely the only individual that had a complete working electronic system long before any one else did. Don't forget that Zworykin made image dissectors several years before he ever produced working Iconoscopes!! But I believe that the Dissector Tube and Sarnoff were the fuel that led him to produce a working iconoscope. <P> If you have not seen the "I've Got A Secret" episode you should go see it at farnovision.com and make note of Philo's revelation at the end where he talkes about HDTV(albeit 2000 lines) and storing it all in memory. Something that we have both of today!! Pretty amazing revelation for 1957 if you ask me......<P>Mark<P>------------------<BR>
wvsaz
Posted: May Tue 04, 2004 2:56 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona
While I agree with what you said about the camera tubes, don't forget that many other inventions were needed for a working TV system. <P>A review of Farnsworth's many patents tells it all. Just a few of his patents were for such fundamental processes as sawtooth scanning, DC restoration, the flyback high voltage supply, and electron multipliers. <P>The famous RCA Image Orthicon, which reigned supreme for more than 20 years as THE camera tube of choice, could not function without its electron multiplier section invented by Farnsworth. Special versions of that tube are still being used today by the military for night vision.<P>Also don't forget that Allen B. DuMont's refinements of the cathode ray tube made practical and reliable picture tubes possible for all companies (Zworykin did not invent the "kinescope" - only the name). DuMont manufactured the first mass produced all electronic receiver in the U.S. in 1938. It had a 14" picture tube, bigger than anyone else had at the time.<P>------------------<BR>Bill S.
OZ132HOME
Posted: May Mon 17, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: La Porte, IN, USA
Sounds like an interesting project. As a fan of "West Wing", I have come to expect a lot from Sorkin and Schlamme. Will it be a single hour, or a miniseries?<BR>As an (unacknowledged) inventor of the "boombox" (with tubes, in 1957) I can relate to those like Farnsworth, Tesla and others, who were more interested in inventing than in patenting and so were screwed out of fortunes and fame by the capitalistic "legal" system. <P>------------------<BR>OZ
Location: Greenville, SC USA
And then there's always Armstrong!<P>------------------<BR>
Posted: May Mon 17, 2004 10:05 pm
Ah, yes, Armstrong! He was the other one I was trying to remember. Bucks over brains again!<P>------------------<BR>OZ
Posted: May Wed 19, 2004 7:09 am
Iain Logie Baird is the grandson of John Logie Baird, a name that most of us are well familiar with. He is Collection Curator of the MZTV Museum of Television in Toronto.<P>Iain, thank you for contributing to the discussion!<P>------------------
Ian, Thanks for joining us here!!!<P> One thing I always found interesting is that Baird licensed the Farnsworth system during the "competition of TV systems" for Britan. In the end, both men only to see the BBC system win which I believe was mainly based on RCA equipment that was British built. I also think this film will have as the center piece the Sarnoff-Farnsworth battle and that will make a great film in its own right. Both men are very fascinating and someting like this is long overdue. I don't think the film is going to be centered on who did the first TV broadcast or who was second or what ever. <P> Personally I think a film about JLB would be deserving of an entirely seperate work and in this case it would be interesting how Farnsworth and Sarnoff among others fit in from the JLB perspective.<P>Mark<P>------------------<BR>
Posted: May Wed 19, 2004 5:29 pm
Hello all,<P>After hearing about this film I was a little concerned as to the potential for revisionist history, so I sent this email to New Line via their website;<P>Dear Sir,<P>I am writing to you regarding your forthcoming production "The Farnsworth Invention" to hopefully draw your attention to the history of the invention of television, as the press release quotes the following;<P>"(The) script is set in the late 1920s, when the 22-year-old genius from Utah became the first to capture a moving image in a box." <P>This is not true, as the moving image in a box had been achieved before by John Logie Baird in the UK. Philo T. Farnsworth developed television based on CRT's as opposed to the previous electro-mechanical approach, but it was a progression and not an invention (The use of CRT's had been previously detailed with diagrams by A.A. Cambell Swinton in 1911 in the journal 'Nature'). I hope that the film makes this distinction as there are many television technologies now available, with CRT being just one player. Also, I hope the film mentions Baird 's involvement with Farnsworth as at one time Baird was the only licensee of the image dissector in the later years of Baird Television, the first TV studio in the world.<P>The story of Philo T. Farnsworth is compelling and will make gritty drama, as he did take on the might of corporate America. However, (for historical accuracy) television had already been demonstrated before by John Logie Baird in the UK in January 1926, and this is widely known to be the first public demonstration of the first true television image using reflected light on live, moving (human) subjects, achieving true halftones and transmitted to another room. <P>Also in May 1927, Baird transmitted live, moving television images 438 miles between London and Glasgow. This is 4 months before Philo T. Farnsworth achieved his first demonstration of a simple geometric shape using projected backlighting (i.e. not reflected light) in September of the same year. <P>Philo T. Farnsworth did pioneer the 3rd generation of televisions that used CRT as its medium. For that he should be remembered. However, he did not achieve the first television image. Indeed, if this film is shown in a digital projection cinema perhaps using Digital Light Processing or Grating Light Valve technology, these are electromechanical systems closer to the Baird invention than the Farnsworth CRT approach.<P>I am writing to request that the film be a true and accurate representation of the television timeline, and that it puts Baird and Farnsworth in their proper places in that history. As a footnote, perhaps a film on the life of John Logie Baird could be considered.<P>Yours Faithfully,<P>Jason Mitchell.<P>I hope they take note of the points and that we get a great and accurate film.<P>Also, I can't believe Iain Logie Baird is posting here. You are the grandson of a truly great man whose achievements have shaped the world!<BR>
jhalphen
Dear Mr Baird,<P>I am also a great admirer of your grandfather, having tried to read more or less everything published on the history of television in the last 60 years or so. One of my personal favorites is R.W. Burns book, "Television, an international history of the formative years" (IEE History of Technology series 22) which renders proper justice to his work in the development of television. I also went to visit the British Science Museum, delocated at Bradford in the north of the UK where the 1928 scanner & dummy are exhibited. <P>Have you managed to save some of his personal research archives from the 1940s, specifically concerning the development of the Telechrome tri-color tube. All i have is a colour brochure from Quantel "Seeing by Wireless" showing an off-screen picture of a man with a pipe & another of a young woman taken by Paddy Naismith in December 1940.<P>I'm sure that all the members of this forum would be fascinated by any data concerning the development of electronic color picture reproduction prior to the Law 1949 shadow mask CRT.<P>Best Regards<P>Jerome Halphen<P>jhalphen at dial dot oleane dot com<P>Paris/France<P><P>------------------<BR>
Hello Iain,<P>Many thanks for your reply. I had to write to New Line because I feel very strongly about this issue. This has probably come across on the Farnovision website as well. I cannot believe how people can be so easily duped by this type of revisionist history. As you said, this film may be the crowning achievement of a TV history cult. My opinion is that this message cannot be allowed to stand. I really wish that a film could be made to redress the balance of this, but perhaps it can be said that he who holds the chequebook in Hollywood holds the power to change the perceptions of history....<P>Or does he? I actually don't think so. As you said, the belief that Farnsworth invented television is based around the use of CRT's. These are most definitely on their way out. I think what will happen (as you say) is that John Logie Baird will be reinstated as the man who not only invented television, but was so far ahead of his time that the world is only just catching up now. We hear all these stories about how J.L. Baird's system was 'usurped' by 'electronic' television, but it is now being shown that Baird had the right idea all along. The sheer elegance of Baird's solution is amazing. He saw at the time that television needed to be practical and flexible. What better method to create television than to use light as the source, light that is the fastest entity known to man and that can be reflected and manipulated so effectively. Farnsworth created a system that in my view held television back for too long. Baird created in the first instance a television that required no tube! This means that it didn't have the problems associated with tube technology, - fragile glass, dangerous chemicals, use of a vacuum, high voltages, size restrictions etc. The new Digital Light Processing and Grating Light Valve technologies are vindications of Baird’s superior vision of television. This will not be lost in the coming years.<P>Also, the invention of television to me goes beyond the creation of the technology. Baird pioneered so many aspects of the television industry as we see it today. Anyone who has enjoyed any television picture at all, who has enjoyed any television drama, who has watched any outside broadcasts of sporting events, who have watched these events on large public screens in bars or in football stadiums or rock venues, who have also watched these events in colour, who have watched international television broadcast over vast tracts of ocean, who turns on their cable box to watch cable television, who enjoyed the moon landing, who enjoys wildlife programmes showing the habitats of animals in low or zero light conditions, who has ever furthered their career by presenting information at the office on a projector, who has watched films in a digital theatre, who has ever enjoyed televised broadcasts of material shot on film, who have put their disk of recorded video material into their video player, and who enjoys television on the BBC, having pioneered its entire abilities in television and therefore all the studios around the world that emulate it, that person owes a debt of gratitude to John Logie Baird. And we're still waiting for 3D television!<P>As to the segment on the British Alexandra Palace television trials, this is blown out of all proportion. What must be remembered at this time was that the BBC had been conducting television broadcasts for many years. I see these trials as nothing more than an 'Invitation To Tender' for a new system to meet certain needs at that time. This is much like the American Department of Defence tendering for a new military aircraft and asking Boeing and MacDonnell Douglas to compete. Only one designed system will win, but that doesn't negate in its entirety the qualities behind the other system. It also doesn't have any bearing on the fact that the Wright Brothers invented the aeroplane! The television trials should be placed into their proper context. Indeed, these trials could only take place because the BBC had embraced television as a viable concept and had built up a knowledge of television and its requirements based on the Baird invention. And it is somehow ironic that the supporters of Farnsworth use these trials as evidence of Farnsworth's invention of television when he and Baird were in these trials together, on the same side!<P>I think history will eventually revert to its proper course when all the hype surrounding this film recedes and when no-one has CRT's in their houses anymore. I look forward to this happening and that J.L. Bairds position as the inventor of television is once again undisputed. <BR>
Posted: May Wed 26, 2004 10:35 pm
The discussion/debate here is ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING, indeed. But, when/where will I be able to see the FILM for myself, however inaccurate it may turn out to be???<P>------------------<BR>OZ
[ 157 posts ] Moderators: 7jp4-guy, Mr. Detrola Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 8 Next
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A Mass Delay
July 13, 2011 July 13, 2011 Alyssa2 Comments
If you’ve noticed, there’s been a distinct lack of posts on this blog.
My reasons are simple and predictable.
I’ve been playing too much Mass Effect.
Last week was pretty much dedicated to the first person action shooter. I got a ‘bee in my bonnet’ and wanted to finish the main quest of the game purely because I wanted to play the DLC Lair of the Shadow Broker so that I could reconcile with my lover from the first game Liara. Unlike most, I didn’t fall into the temptation of other lovers for this game purely because I couldn’t help but feel that the choice of partners for Female Shepard was somewhat limited in Mass Effect 2 (A reptile and a toad – and I dare anybody to describe them otherwise). The Male Shepard clearly had all the fun in this game (Miranda, hello…) so I decided to stick with my old love and be done with it.
It doesn’t often happen that I find myself so engrossed in a game which has lead me to realize that I’ve mentally moved this one up to that bar of greats in my mind, those games that I use to measure every other game that I play against. And, I have to admit that I like it a lot more than I did Fallout 3. I won’t lie and say that Fallout still holds a very dear place in my heart but Mass Effect is so good. Graphics aside, the storyline, the dialogue, the interpersonal relations with your crew and the magnitude of the world that Bioware created has blown me out of the sky in a very big Normandy 1 kind of way. The suicide mission was engrossing and the potential for how it played out almost endless.
I played a smart game, gaining the loyalty of all the key members of my crew first. I favoured Samara, Miranda Lawson, Dr. Mordin Solus, Tali and occasionally Legion and Garrus in my squad. Jack irritated the hell out of me (she has a terrible history I know but unfortunately that terrible history also made her INCREDIBLY rude). For my suicide squad I used mainly Miranda and Mordin Solus (purely because he thought that I was hitting on him in conversation and politely blew me off, what other person in the galaxy had the guts to do that to Commander Shepard?!). I knew the value of loyalty in Mass Effect and made a point of choosing only members whose loyalty I had. In my first play through, I managed to get the ‘no one left behind’ medal. Easy as pie. The galaxy was saved from the Collectors, I killed a Reaper and Miranda Lawson saved my life, something I’m sure gave her one hell of a kick.
I was so enraptured by the game that when I wasn’t playing it, I was writing Fan Fiction (a story named Three focused on my Shepard’s past) to get rid of the brain itch this story line gave me. It was invigorating, not just the game playing but writing as well. I’ve had a bit of a slump in my creativity of late so big was my surprise when I managed to dish out more than 8000 words in less than four days.
I’ve completed the suicide mission and Lair of the Shadow Broker (all in one night). Kissed and made up with Liara T’soni and had the satisfaction of seeing another Spectre of the Council fall from grace. Not bad for a day’s work!
The new Mass Effect will be released in March 2012. It feels like an INCREDIBLY long wait. This is really one of the best games that I’ve played in my life.
Hopefully life on the blog will return to normal now…
Game Reviews, Writingmass effect 2 ps3, mass effect 2 review, mass effect 3, mass effect 3 trailer
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July 3, 2016 / dangernixon / 2 Comments
Jacob Levy recently wrote an essay airing his teary-eyed dismay that so many of his libertarian friends are cheering on Britain’s bow down from EU membership. This comes to no surprise, since BHL seems to be bent on presenting us with the “libertarian case” for anything from a swollen welfare apparatus to mandatory sex-reassignment surgery. There are a few basic theses in this article, for instance, that the EU is not a regulatory monster and that all the all other EU member states are economically freer than Britain (an assertion that not even his own citation really backs up). One point I would like to extract from Levy’s article and complain about in length, though, is his idea of secession. Namely, Levy claims that secession obviously cannot be a libertarian position, because, uh, like, what if the new country isn’t as libertarian as the parent nation, dude? From the article:
“There’s no reason for us to start with some enthusiastic assumption that secession is always better and that more-local, more-homogenous levels of government are friendlier to freedom than larger and more pluralistic ones. Nor is there any reason to assume that removing a level of government just makes its whole system of regulation stably disappear; we need to think about what’s likely to replace those regulations at the nation-state level.”
July 20, 2015 July 21, 2015 / dangernixon / Leave a comment
Disclaimer: If we’ve been away for almost two months, it’s because our dear leader, Comrade Dylan, was grounded for shooting up some church in South Carolina, during which period he couldn’t hang out with his friends or go on the Internet.
It’s been about 20 or so years since books like The Sovereign Individual predicted the calculated economic starvation of the state by entrepreneurial supermen trading in digital, encrypted currencies. In the jazzy world of Clintonomics, starry-eyed Silicon Valley madmen like John Perry Barlow saw in the dawn of an Internet Age a future familiar and palatable to the average Rothbardian:
The Internet is too widespread to be easily dominated by any single government. By creating a seamless global economic zone, anti-sovereign and unregulatable, the Internet calls into the question the very idea of a nation-state.
As of writing this, the Internet has toppled a total of zero national governments and has proven totally regulatable. That’s all about to not change. The trouble with Bitcoin – that messiah of ’90s cypherpunks and inevitable writing topic of fledgling amateur libertarian bloggers – is that the countries that need it the most for its intended purpose are also the countries with the least reliable Internet service.
A countereconomy that exists explicitly to circumvent regulationism is by its nature an informal “gray” market. That being said, it must at least be a profitable alternative to the formal sector. The Anarcho-Capitalist Club of Cuba, whose members are regularly harassed and beaten by police (co-founder Joisy García was given a citation for being interviewed by the PanAm Post) and barred from legal employment, began accepting Bitcoin donations in February of this year. The rest of 2015 has brought about changes in Cuba’s Internet bureaucracy and its relations with the US that have streamlined the process in their favor. Namely, a recent push by Cuban government to lower Internet costs both by simply charging less for access, and installing more Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces around the island. Another silver lining: on the very day that I write this, July 20th, Cuba and the United States have re-established formal diplomatic relations with each other. It seems the 50+ year embargo may also be on its way out.
Don’t let this good news give off the impression that Internet is flowing over in the streets of Havana. Access to it is a hot issue with the political machine and general public alike. As the Castro regime hacks its aching lungs out, that general public will have more and more political capital to depend on. What I want to bring attention to, however, is that it isn’t Bitcoin that is ending decades of totalitarian communism. Rather, the continued liberalization of Cuban politics and economics will make Bitcoin more accessible.
In nearby Venezuela, crypto-anarchists have had better luck. The monstrous costs of computing power and bandwidth that Bitcoin mining demand are offset by that country’s subsidies. What happens when the government can longer afford to pretend those subsidies aren’t an economic drain, especially when people are exploiting them more regularly to subvert the state economy?
Enthusiasm about the untamed nature of the Internet belongs in the ’90s. The World Wide Web that you and I use has become a more domestic, gentrified place now that it’s taken its place as a vital social platform for cultural and creative elites as well as major corporations. That will invite greater and greater government fetters over the years. The net neutrality non-issue of news cycles past is the most glaring example; Its loudest proponent the EFF was on the front lines demanding greater freedom by, ironically, asking the government (you know, that thing that keeps killing and imprisoning people for most of its history) to reign in the pricing of Web traffic imposed by scary corporate ISPs, monsters it created with subsidies in the first place. It’s all very reminiscent of the railroad boom of the late 19th century. The mainstream Internet provided by Comcast and Verizon in the States relies on the old phone lines, a fact that opened the door to the establishment of natural monopolies from the very start. It was only a matter of time before the state stepped in to brush its own mess under the bed and doom our cyber-posterity.
The fact that Bitcoin, which in the First World is famous for being a 21st Century “tulip fever”, is a more stable currency than the Cuban peso is a testament to the incompetence of Latin American tin-pot socialism. The fact that it is being adopted in droves is testament to the itching desperation of the average Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian, Brazilian, et al. Should citizens of these countries use Bitcoin? Yes. Cuba’s ancaps have no other currency to turn to at this juncture. It is a life raft for political dissidents in socialist states. That number of political dissidents can only grow from here, and as it does, Bitcoin may be there until de jure regime change is possible.
TL;DR: Bitcoin use is the symptom, not a cause, of the erosion of political power structures in Latin America. Increased Internet access will depend on trade liberalization, and this fact limits Bitcoin’s ability to do its job in second-world nations. Regardless, its adoption is a signal of positive growth in these problem areas.
Club Anarcocapitalista de Cuba takes BTC donations at the following address,
19AfRwtrebmR4kSy1wwpRHY7Smj9rmKkYF
The money goes to conducting lectures on anarcho-capitalist theory
Okay I’m done shilling.
May 21, 2015 May 21, 2015 / dangernixon / 1 Comment
Half a month later, the dust has settled, and Baltimore is rebuilding. The Internet fights have died down, and we can talk about things calmly and without pointing fingers. That is why now is the opportune time to let everyone know that people who defend rioting on this scale are fucking subhuman garbage and should kill themselves.
May 7, 2015 May 11, 2015 / inachodladh / Leave a comment
The other day I was listening to my favorite center-leftist radio station on NPR (Conservatards don’t actually have a monopoly on asinine political commentary on the radio – the leftist version just gets gubmint money fo’ dem programs and is on FM). Having developed a rather thick skin from a misspent youth talking to horrible people of various stripes online, I usually quite enjoy all the exasperated guises of neutrality, the roundabout demographic pandering, and the generous use of the word “problematic” that NPR has to offer. Sometimes though it gets better than that, and I endanger myself and other motorists by succumbing to the urge to furiously tip my fedora out of the sheer euphoria that overcomes me when I hear some of the shit they say on there completely blind to the implications. The other day I mentioned was one such episode. The program begins with a female Hispanic journalist talking about noticing a lot of homeless people in the Back Of the Yards neighborhood where she works, a renowned shithole in my very own native Chiraq. Her journalistic curiosity taking over, she began asking them where they were coming from (maybe to plug the hole; it gets awful drafty in the Windy City). The nature of their answers though, is where this gets interesting. Almost all of the people she talked to told her stories with a few common themes:
They were from Puerto Rico
2. They were addicted to hard drugs of some kind
3. They were promised by someone in Puerto Rico (Usually a government healthcare worker) that there were miracle rehab facilities in America that could help them
4. Someone in Puerto Rico (Usually a government official) paid for their plane ticket to Chicago
5. Someone in Puerto Rico (Often the cops) drove them to the airport
6. There were not miracle rehab facilities in America that could help them Continue reading →
Liberland is Literally No Big Deal
April 30, 2015 April 30, 2015 / dangernixon / Leave a comment
Libertarian and mainstream circles alike have been buzzing incessantly about an unclaimed, teardrop shaped parcel of land between Croatia and Serbia called Siga. Czech politician Vít Jedlička calls it Liberland, and has the flag to prove it. The media reaction has been the usual cabinet-of-curiosities approach it applies to anything whacky a political outsider does in his spare time. If you’re the kind of person who has his middle name on Facebook set to “Voluntaryist”, you’re probably hyped about this. I mean, they put Murray Rothbard’s face on the money, for crying out loud. And I don’t blame you; Liberland has received (and this estimate is theirs) millions of citizenship requests, many from places like Saudi Arabia, one nation among many in dire need of a regime change.
Dear American Right: Vladimir Putin Will Never Fuck You
April 12, 2015 April 12, 2015 / dangernixon / 1 Comment
You bought his poster from Hot Topic and hung it lovingly opposite your bed so his smiling face could be the first you see every morning. You watch all his speeches, and pause to unzip your skinny jeans, but only when your parents won’t be home for a while. You’ve been lured in by the bad boy image he’s built for himself, but let’s face it, conservatives: Vladimir Putin will never fuck you.
Now I understand that consistency in their support of foreign politicians may be too much to ask of America’s populist center-right. That being said, I implore you to reconsider your involvement in the Putin fandom. I get why you like him: he’s a strong leader who demands results and gets them. He doesn’t like queers or Islamic terrorists, and is willing to send out the big guns to chase them off. Look, here’s a picture of him riding a bear! Epic meme!
I wish Putin was my dad!
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KanHan Technologies Limited
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kanhan launches HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway - the ultimate Chinese Language Interface for Internet Publishing
[27th Sep, 2000 - HONG KONG] - kanhan.com, the world's leader in server based Asian language communication software development, is launching the "HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway - kanhan.com" during the Asian IT EXPO 2000 held in Hong Kong from 27th to 30th September.
The HanWEB Gateway is planned and built to fulfill Hong Kong SAR Government's vision of positioning Hong Kong to be the global Internet hub for Chinese content and to facilitate the communication among global Chinese communities.
Built on kanhan's patented HanWEB technology, the Gateway serves as an Internet resource center for Chinese information scattered in different Chinese speaking regions, including, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore covering Government, Academic, Newspapers & Magazines, Traveling and major Information Portals in its beginning.
Depending on location of the Internet users, Chinese websites are to be converted into their own favorite Chinese characters, e.g. a Hong Kong user is able to view a simplified Chinese website from China in traditional Chinese by using the real-time online translation engine provided on HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway.
HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway also enables Internet users to view non-standard Chinese characters defined as the Hong Kong Supplementary Character Set (HKSCS) by Hong Kong SAR Government without having to download any font software. HKSCS comprises 4700 non-frequently used characters not defined in traditional Chinese computer systems such as Microsoft Windows.
For users without Chinese language capability in their Internet devices, HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway even converts the websites into a GIF version for guaranteed viewing on any web-enabled device, anywhere in the world.
In addition, HanWEB Gateway is a communication platform that global Chinese can benefit from its web-based email and chat room services. HanWEB email provides users' access to their own Chinese, Japanese and Korean messages from any web-enabled device anywhere in the world. HanWEB chat room allows simplified Chinese users to chat with traditional Chinese users as if the are using the same Chinese character.
When HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway is being used as a viewing pedestal to Internet, it will bring to users the convenience of online dictionary and search function without having to leave the web page currently viewed. Simply high-lighting a word in English, Chinese, Japanese or Korean websites and clicking the HanWEB Online Dictionary icon, the Gateway will automatically bring you the most popular online dictionaries and search engines to find out the meaning and related topics of the word. No fussy of software download is required and view-able from any web enabled device anywhere in the world.
HanWEB Chinese Information Gateway is the first of its kind breaking down the communication barriers created by the different kinds of Chinese characters and technologies among global Chinese communities. It is an exemplary site to the power of HanWEB technologies as well as to demonstrate how Hong Kong can evolve into a global Chinese Internet hub using HanWEB technologies.
Copyright ©2009-2015 Kanhan Technologies Limited. All right reserved.
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Growing pains —
Borderlands 3, other games temporarily removed from Epic Games Store sale [Updated]
"Mega Sale" also sees brief pricing confusion on certain titles.
Kyle Orland - May 18, 2019 12:28 pm UTC
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 took itself off of the Epic Games Store temporarily rather than take part in the recent "Mega Sale"
235 with 108 posters participating
[Update, May 18, 12:03pm ET: Ars received the following response via a representative of publisher 2K Games: "We are working closely with Epic and have temporarily removed Borderlands 3 from their storefront. We look forward to the game being back on the Epic Games store soon. Games bought during their Mega Sale will be honored at that price."]
[Update, May 18, 8:28am ET: Gearbox's Borderlands 3 is no longer available for pre-order on the Epic Games Store. The game was previously available for as low as $49.99 during the sale (before Epic's additional $10 off for all games over $14.99), down from its initial starting price of $59.99.
The Epic Games Store page for the game now simply lists a "Coming Soon" message where the pre-order links used to be. The "PC Digital" platform option has also been removed from the pre-order page on the official Borderlands webpage.
Epic and Gearbox representatives were not immediately available to comment on the pre-order pause for the Epic Games Store exclusive. But Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford appears to have deleted a recent tweet that read "Save $10 on Borderlands 3! Also works if you have already pre-ordered, I'm told. Epic sure wants to earn your trust."]
Original Story (May 17)
Epic discounts entire Game Store library in storewide “Mega Sale“ [Updated]
Epic's first "Mega Sale," launched yesterday, is causing some pricing and availability hiccups for a few publishers. As Kotaku lays out, a couple of games in the store's small catalog seem to have removed themselves from the platform rather than participate in the temporary price reductions.
Paradox Interactive's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and Klei Entertainment's Oxygen Not Included are no longer available on the Epic Games Store as of this writing. Bloodlines 2 was actually removed shortly after being listed at a reduced sale price, a state of affairs that Epic's Sergei Galyonkin said happened because Paradox was unaware of the "sale mechanism."
"If a developer or publisher chooses to not participate in our sales, we will honor that decision," an Epic representative told Kotaku. "Paradox Interactive has chosen to not participate in the Epic Mega Sale and the game has been temporarily removed from sale. If you’ve purchased Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 during the period when the discount did apply at the time of check out, Epic will honor that price."
Paradox also noted in a statement that the game will "return to the store soon," presumably after the sale is complete.
Should PC games cost less on Epic’s Games Store?
Epic's Mega Sale, which offers a reduced price for every game currently available on the platform, also includes an additional $10 discount for games prices $14.99 and over, covered by Epic itself. But those steep discounts can cause an awkward price discrepancy for publishers that also offer their games on Steam, where Valve's larger revenue cut can create a different value proposition. Some publishers also might be wary of effectively devaluing a new release by offering such a large price reduction so soon after launch.
Meanwhile, the Epic Mega Sale also caused some brief pricing confusion for Supergiant's hack-and-slash title Hades. After the game was briefly listed at $6.99, its sale price was reset to $14.99. The game's base price, however, was listed at $24.99, up from its original listing of $19.99. Supergiant later reset both the base and sale prices to $19.99 and apologized for raising the base price without advance warning.
Kyle Orland Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in the Washington, DC area.
Email kyle.orland@arstechnica.com // Twitter @KyleOrl
Saikaici Ars Scholae Palatinae
reply Fri May 17, 2019 10:47 am
Involuntary sales of games are in poor taste on Epic's part. Managing your selling price and customer expectations is something the developer or publisher needs to be able to control.
Steam has a history where underselling your game can negatively impact future sales, Steam sales have been much more tame in the past couple of years. As far as I can tell, they've always been voluntary to participate in...
Saikaici wrote:
I think the ability of retailers to set their own prices is generally to the benefit of consumers, though.
The agency model and tightly controlled lack of competition through wholesaler price control almost exclusively gouges the end customers. Competition is really important.
50me12 Ars Scholae Palatinae
Sergei Galyonkin said happened because Paradox was unaware of the "sale mechanism."
Shouldn't have to remove a game because of a sale ... that sounds like a wonky "sale mechanism".
Mk.II Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor
What a shitshow.
the_frakker Ars Tribunus Militum
Epic really shouldn’t have forced every game to participate. Epic could still take off $10 from the price at checkout, but forcing a sale seems unrealistic for all games.
The developer/publisher must agree to a sale price and then Epic can do whatever they want to help reduce the cost to customers, but make it clear the perceived value of the game remains in tact.
scrimbul Ars Centurion
Poor communication is a real reason (aside from no moderated review platform) not to buy from Epic, not review bombing pissing matches to try to twist arms with leverage consumers don't have.
theSeb Ars Scholae Palatinae
Ahhh, well... so that answers my question in the previous article about this. It wasn't Epic's goodwill. It was the publishers' take that was slashed.
50me12 wrote:
You would think the "sale mechanism" would be something that a store and publisher review very carefully in the contract. But I am just a simple man, so what do I know.
Tofystedeth Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor
the_frakker wrote:
That's basically what they're doing. Even if they didn't advertise the discount on the game on the store page and in tweets, the moment the internet finds out that the games are getting that $10 discount at checkout it'll get tweeted out and have articles posted and it's basically the same effect.
Epic really shouldn’t have forced every game to participate.
Honestly we need to move away from developers setting prices. Think about every other product in the world. Company sells product to store for $X. Store sells it for $X+$Y. A sale is simply a smaller $Y.
Stores are allowed to discount physical game titles without permission from the developer. Why should online sales be different?
Once again why? Wallmart right now is selling an xbox 360 package for $211. MSRP is $299. Should Wallmart not be allowed to sell a product at the price they want. Should Microsoft be allowed to force every store to sell consoles at the exact price they demand it be sold at. Thus no competition on price, maximum profit for Microsoft?
We don't accept this kind of developer/publisher controls price across all stores in physical products why should "digital" be different.
Last edited by Statistical on Fri May 17, 2019 11:04 am
FireWraith Ars Scholae Palatinae
theSeb wrote:
No, it was Epic coughing up the extra money. If a game normally went for $60, and now was on sale for $30, the publisher was still getting their normal 88% cut of $60. Epic was just throwing in the $22.80 on top of the $30.
The problem with this isn't that the publisher isn't getting their money, it's that sales notably drive the perceived value of a game down. That is, once the game has been on sale, customers are far less likely to buy it at full price, and instead are much more prone to simply wait for the next sale.
Statistical wrote:
It's actually not. Often it's a smaller $X. Maybe it's different in retail in the US, but in Europe the large supermarkets tell the company that there will be sale, such as buy one, get one free, or z amount off. Usually it's the X that is impacted by these sales and not the Y and the company has little to no recourse.
jgtg32a Ars Tribunus Militum
Ok I thought I was going crazy, I saw O2 Not Included at work then when I got home to buy it, it wasn't on the store at all. That's too bad.
Where did you get that from? The publishers didn't pull the titles because they lost money. They pulled the titles because they wanted to preserve artificially high prices (to induce other gamers in the future to pay higher prices).
Albino_Boo Ars Centurion
How dare the owners set the price. Their cost in production should be ignored and their internal finances are irrelevant
Well, obviously it was an assumption based on reading about the dispute regarding the pricing mechanism. It still makes little sense to me. Look at my post just above this one ^
"Epic's Mega Sale, which offers a reduced price for every game currently available on the platform, also includes an additional $10 discount for games prices $14.99 and over, covered by Epic itself."
This wording here makes me believe that the sale was indeed a cut of the publisher's take and the extra $10 was covered by Epic. Therefore it was all to do with publishers being forced to take part in the sale and lose a part of their take.
Last edited by theSeb on Fri May 17, 2019 11:12 am
Muon Ars Scholae Palatinae
Welcome to the age of digital game sales. You're not buying a physical good protected by the right of first sale, you're making a contract agreement with the publisher and getting a limited copyright license that allows you to install the game and play it.
vlam Ars Tribunus Militum
So much for Epic's fairy tale that their store, with it's 12% cut, would lead to cheaper games. It seems like Hades is getting a price increase once the Epic sale is over. Wonder what Sweeney has to say about this.
Last edited by vlam on Fri May 17, 2019 11:10 am
Izu3 Smack-Fu Master, in training
It's worth remarking about one of the replies Sergei gave regarding why the original UT collection was on Steam, but not on Epic's own store. Supposedly, it's because 'games need to be added by hand, and it would take away from supporting customers'.
If that isn't a sign that some behind the scenes operation within the Epic Store is badly implemented, I'm not sure what is. If the system is underdeveloped on Epic's side regarding something as fundamental as adding a game to the store as to need prioritization work within the company, the fact some related functionality is really wonky doesn't surprise me at all.
Plus side, this is definitely something they'll learn to fix for the next time, if nothing else.
cygnus1 Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor
This is something I actually think blockchain (not necessarily crypto currency) could be useful for, as a means to track digital products. This whole idea that digital customers are only getting a very revocable, non-transferable license to a product is utter non-sense and is not sustainable. When I purchase a copy of something, I should be getting property rights to go along with that, not the right to copy, but definitely the right to resell and not to have the property confiscated back by the store or publisher.
A good system would be that developers should sell N number of licenses to digital stores, with those licenses tracked in a public blockchain. They'd have the ability to make as many of those as they'd like. Then when store sells a license/copy to user, one of those digital licenses is actually transferred to the user and no longer touchable by the store or the developer. That transfer can be via a token of some kind or user has a wallet of some kind that the store transfers the license to. Then users have full possession and rights to their digital goods and can have a completely independent mechanisms to trade their digital goods amongst each other.
Developers are increasingly taking on the roles of publishers, and are generally more aware of their playerbase. Steam set a baseline for developer control, and Devs are used to being 100% in control of this.
I gotta say there are a handful of games out there that I appreciate themselves not devaluing themselves by going on sale. Factorio is $30. Foreseeably, it will be for the next decade. If you want to play it now, then buy it now.
Do you have any confirmation that Epic is still paying the 88% cut on the full price?
FireWraith wrote:
Why would Paradox worry about the future value when they would still always be getting their normal 88% of $60 according to your theory in the next sale? Does not make sense to me.
Because it's a game that hasn't even been released yet?
I mean, how often do you see games go on deep discount prior to release? That normally doesn't happen until well after a game has come out.
Soothsayer786 Ars Scholae Palatinae
Pretty ridiculous they had to totally remove it from sale. Why not just put a note on it saying we can't discount it and leave it at the original price?
And on a side note, the new Vampire game went on pre-sale very early. Like an entire year early. I'm really excited for the game having been a huge fan of the first, but I'm hoping it doesn't end up being some kind of cash grab. If they are cashing in this soon it better be worth it.
It depends on who owns inventory. If the store is outright purchasing their inventory to sell, then no, what you described can't happen. If it's a consignment type inventory where the store does not purchase the inventory in advance, then they can dictate things as you described. Both models are very common, but large chains tend to use consignment style as their physical stores give them more leverage.
ktmglen Ars Centurion
Actually we do in the US. See Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc.
marsilies Ars Tribunus Militum
Soothsayer786 wrote:
I think the publisher tried that, but the Epic $10 "coupon" still applied. That might be the misunderstanding about the "sale mechanism," in that Epic doesn't have a way to not apply their $10 discount to a $14.99+ title.
Fair enough. I didn't realise that it was all about an unreleased game - shows how much I follow latest releases. I am just used to Paradox titles being on sale pretty much 90% of the time on Steam. I've got nothing.
ArcBaltic Smack-Fu Master, in training
Probably because the EGS is so lacking in features and development, that it's impossible currently to implement a global sale with exceptions to the sale. Like it seems like they don't have a plug in play CMS working yet and do a lot by hand. The store runners probably thought since Epic was picking up the tab there wouldn't be a world where anyone would care.
32 posts | registered May 1, 2018
thegrommit Ars Legatus Legionis et Subscriptor
That is partly correct. The additional $10 discount was funded by Epic:
https://gamasutra.com/view/news/342818/ ... t_sale.php
On top of that, Epic is offering $10 off every game on the Epic Games Store priced over $14.99, and announced that it’ll be footing the entire bill for that specific discount
thegrommit wrote:
Sure, of course. I wasn't taking that extra $10 off into account in that post.
ThatFuzzyTiger Smack-Fu Master, in training
The mechanics of what Epic is actually doing is *really* skirting the boundaries of the law concerning what would be domestically "predatory pricing" or "dumping" in international terms.
Here's the issue, Epic is subsidising the sale (unlike Valve which is entirely decided by the developer/publisher) and in doing so they're dropping the price to a level which is otherwise untenable, often running at a loss if you took the subsidy out. This in part is what's causing the kerfuffle, because it's a flat subsidy that's warping the value of the discount (the John Wick pre-order being a ridiculous £3,48 is a great example).
Usually, when a sale happens it's because a publisher or developer has voluntarily signed up or decided a price point they're comfortable with. Epic has enrolled everyone into this subsidy as a form of price dumping.
That's a form of anti-competitive behaviour in and of itself since subsidising these discounts is the equivalent of dumping cheap product on the market.
Shmerl Ars Scholae Palatinae
Caution - don't buy VtM Bloodlines 2 in the Epic store, since Paradox and Hardsuit Labs will likely release it for Linux too, and Epic won't be selling that version, so don't limit your options. Buy the game through GOG for example (or Paradox store itself or Steam if you prefer) which will be providing all versions for your purchase.
Last edited by Shmerl on Fri May 17, 2019 11:23 am
Yeah this whole episode is strange.
Anyone paying attention would know that many devs wouldn't like this / the side effects in terms of perceived value and etc.
Let alone the idea that to avoid the sale the game has to be OFF THE STORE.... that's got to hit the user confidence about games being available when they want them...
What idiot at Epic made the call to go forward with this plan?
Pre-order discounts of 15-20% on third-party sites like GMG are common, but less so on steam itself. A 20% discount is roughly in-line with what Epic were offering before factoring in the second $10 discount.
That would make sense if Steam and Epic bought x amount of copies/licenses to sell all themselves. Then they can do whatever sale they want because they "own" it.
Obviously that's not how that works with non tangible assets.
OTOH Apple used to do that with their products and force everyone to be the same price, you know, to avoid customer frustrations over not knowing if they paid the best price for an iphone. Right.
efram Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
Who is covering the sale?
If it’s Epic (ie. developers get the same cut as if they sold it for full price) then this is a very anti-consumer move by these developers. Would make me never want to buy anything from them, ever.
chriskrum Ars Scholae Palatinae
Because sales aren't forever but once they occur, they set a floor historical value for a game making it difficult to sell the game at full price from then on as customers assume they can wait for the next sale. An ill-timed ill-considered sale reduces the value of a product prematurely and potentially long term revenue.
Cheshire Cat Ars Centurion
Because distributors only care about maximizing their overall long-term revenue instead of maximizing a single developer’s revenue.
But unlike physical distributors like Walmart, digital distributors have a little less grip on developers’ balls.
In this instance, Epic’s only intent is attracting customers, away from Steam.
They don’t care if this operation negatively affects a single game.
Last edited by Cheshire Cat on Fri May 17, 2019 11:29 am
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Iran, Iran so far away —
Stuxnet 2.0? Iran claims Israel launched new cyber attacks
President Rouhani's phone "bugged," attacks against network infrastructure claimed.
Sean Gallagher - Nov 5, 2018 10:10 pm UTC
Enlarge / Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's phone calls were apparently intercepted in what Iran claims was one of a number of recent cyber attacks by Israel.
Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
Last week, Iran’s chief of civil defense claimed that the Iranian government had fought off Israeli attempts to infect computer systems with what he described as a new version of Stuxnet—the malware reportedly developed jointly by the US and Israel that targeted Iran’s uranium-enrichment program. Gholamreza Jalali, chief of the National Passive Defense Organization (NPDO), told Iran's IRNA news service, “Recently, we discovered a new generation of Stuxnet which consisted of several parts... and was trying to enter our systems.”
On November 5, Iran Telecommunications Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi accused Israel of being behind the attack, and he said that the malware was intended to “harm the country’s communication infrastructures.” Jahromi praised “technical teams” for shutting down the attack, saying that the attackers “returned empty-handed.” A report from Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted Deputy Telecommunications Minister Hamid Fattahi as stating that more details of the cyber attacks would be made public soon.
Jahromi said that Iran would sue Israel over the attack through the International Court of Justice. The Iranian government has also said it would sue the US in the ICJ over the reinstatement of sanctions. Israel has remained silent regarding the accusations.
The claims come a week after the NPDO’s Jalali announced that President Hassan Rouhani’s cell phone had been "tapped" and was being replaced with a new, more secure device. This led to a statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, exhorting Iran’s security apparatus to “confront infiltration through scientific, accurate, and up-to-date action.”
While Iran protests the alleged attacks—about which the Israeli government has been silent—Iranian hackers have continued to conduct their own cyber attacks. A recent report from security tools company Carbon Black based on data from the company's incident-response partners found that Iran had been a significant source of attacks in the third quarter of this year, with one incident-response professional noting, “We’ve seen a lot of destructive actions from Iran and North Korea lately, where they’ve effectively wiped machines they suspect of being forensically analyzed.”
Sean Gallagher Sean is Ars Technica's IT and National Security Editor. A former Navy officer, systems administrator, and network systems integrator with 20 years of IT journalism experience, he lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland.
Email sean.gallagher@arstechnica.com // Twitter @thepacketrat
SymmetricChaos Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor
reply Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:16 pm
I feel like governments still think of cyber warfare as something that doesn't really count and are willing to be dangerously provocative in their use of it.
aquatabby Smack-Fu Master, in training
Anything that stops the terrorist regime of iran is AOK by me!
Ah ah Iran can dish it out but they cry when they take it.
ihatewinter Ars Praetorian
Another day in international politics. Beats lobbing bombs at each other.
Fatesrider Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor
ihatewinter wrote:
Targeted attacks on infrastructure can cause civilian casualties and social paralysis just as much as bombs can.
Yes, another day in International Politics. But at least the bombing would have a chance to end. In this kind of protracted "war", it's entirely possible to kill people in other countries (directly or indirectly), and the odds of that ending without bombs and death and destruction are exceptionally low.
corey_1967 Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
The twin pillars of Iran's foreign policy - America is evil and Wipe Israel off the map - do not appear to be serving the country very well.
corey_1967 wrote:
They played along with our nuclear deal and are actively suing to keep it so it seems like diplomacy isn't serving them well either.
dramamoose Ars Centurion
thorpe wrote:
The pro-Israel trolls out in front of this comment section...
You don't have to be pro-Israel to be anti-Iran. Far from it. I think many of Israel's actions in Palestine are reprehensible, but I also know to (rightly) fear an Islamic dictatorship who is actively funding terrorism groups and is likely a few years away from having a working nuclear bomb, should they resume research (which the US actions seem likely to cause).
The US created the Islamic Republic of Iran by holding a cruel dictator in power rather than risking a slide into communism. We should be engaging diplomatically, rather than trying sanctions which clearly don't work. But I don't think that the original Stuxnet was a bad idea, nor do I think that intense surveillance of what could be a potentially very dangerous country is a bad one either.
If the Israelis (slash US) did in fact target civilian infrastructure, that's a problem. Unless, of course, they were bugging them for espionage purposes.
They serve Iran very well, America is an easy target to gather support against, and Israel is more than willing to play the bad guy (for a bunch of reasons including Israels' policy of nuclear hegemony in the region and historical antagonism against Arab states).
revision0 Ars Praetorian
Israeli hackers?
Go on!
Israeli hackers offered Cambridge Analytica, the data collection firm that worked on U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign, material on two politicians who are heads of state, the Guardian reported Wednesday, citing witnesses.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/isr ... -1.5933977
For $20M, These Israeli Hackers Will Spy On Any Phone On The Planet
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrew ... -ulin-ss7/
While Israelis are not necessarily number one in technical skills — that award goes to Russian hackers — Israelis are probably the best at thinking on their feet and adjusting to changing situations on the fly, a trait essential for success in a wide range of areas, including cyber-security, said Forzieri. “In modern attacks, the human factor — for example, getting someone to click on a link that will install malware — constitutes as much as 85% of a successful attack,” he said.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-ha ... ty-expert/
dramamoose wrote:
Agree. While Israel is not about to win Humanitarian Nation of the year Award any time soon, I don't see it going to Iran in a close vote tally either.
It would probably be good for people to be more concerned about Israel right now.
They are getting really nice and close to someone from whom we have distanced.
First, he paid homage to Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Then, he thanked the Red Army for defeating the Nazis. He spoke of the million Russian-speaking Jews now living in Israel. And he thanked the Russian president for fighting anti-Semitism. “I have great respect for Russia,” Mr Netanyahu said. “I have respect for its contribution to civilisation and the courage of its people.”
The two leaders have met nine times since early 2016 — including when Mr Netanyahu attended a Victory Day Parade in Moscow — and speak on the phone almost monthly.
https://www.ft.com/content/ec5e2090-a7b ... 42fe5e173f
VidasDuday Ars Scholae Palatinae
And what are you exactly? Just a plain troll?
barackorama Smack-Fu Master, in training
SymmetricChaos wrote:
I am of the belief that this will continue to be true until someone uses it as an opening salvo in a full scale war against a western country. I think some informal rules will pop up after that.
revision0 wrote:
Even before Trump, Putin was running the show in the Middle East. America wanted out... careful what you wish for.
Sidru Ars Centurion
That’s because the deal was a scam, or PR stunt. It allowed them to exclude any site they declared military from inspection, defeating the point, and also Obama dismantled a years-long investigation into a Hezbollah international drug-dealing terrorism ring that led back to them, to negotiate the deal.
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/ ... tary-sites - "Nobody is allowed to visit Iran's military sites," Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters in Iran recently, calling the push for such inspections a threat to its national security. Velayati is an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran ... SKCN1B918E - The exclusion of sites they declared for military purposes from inspection is something the news definitely downplayed a lot for some reason.
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2 ... stigation/ - Obama dismantled years of investigation and evidence of Hezbollah trafficking drugs to the Americas to help fund its terrorism-spreading goals (really spreading of their brand of Islam in the form of radicals overthrowing governments, like in Yemen, but who’s counting)..
It was a sweet deal for them, and a PR win for Obama. But as far as inspecting their military sites for suspected nuclear purposing, or preventing their spread of terrorism it did nothing, and paved the way for them to make even more money towards those ends through their Hezbollah drug dealing ring as well as with oil sales..
Urist Ars Centurion
Sidru wrote:
Meanwhile Trump bends over backward to suck the dick of Saudi Arabia. So much for preventing the spread of terrorism...
Shimshon Ars Scholae Palatinae
That is a lie. Can you finish reading your citation? Especially the paragraph directly after the quote you pulled. Dishonesty is the only argument strategy your side has.
Boskone Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
While Israel certainly has the capacity and willingness, Iran would also try to blame Israel if a meteor fell and hit someone's car.
I think I'll hold judgement on the source of the attack for the moment. I wouldn't write off internal groups just yet.
Shimshon wrote:
What is the lie? I followed it very closely and Iran resisted any inspections of military sites. The IAEA specifically never asked for inspections of military sites so they could say they never refused. When Trump brought it up they adamantly declared they would not now nor ever allow inspections of military sites. What part of those two facts are you having problems reconciling? Them being able to say they complied 100%, with a deal and body that never allowed or asked them to inspect military sites is an example of wordplay used to deceive you.
Try reading for comprehension of the situation, instead of looking for the one sentence that allows you to ignore the reality. They did not allow inspections of military sites, and the IAEA played along until Trump specifically asked for inspection of military sites.
No access to military sites is debunked in the citation you posted but I need to learn reading comprehension?
Wow. The media wordplay seems to have done quite a number on you..
http://www.mei.edu/publications/iran-re ... ry-sites-0
“The deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has said that the Islamic Republic will not allow international inspectors to visit the country’s military sites, the Iranian media reported. “No one in the Islamic Republic of Iran will give access to the military sites to the [UN] Agency,” Behrouz Kavalvandi said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “There is basically no such issue in the safeguard, additional protocol and JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in 2015].” The Iranian official rejected all four conditions set by President Donald Trump about amending the nuclear accord, including a more robust and frequent inspection regime. “
The original agreement had laid out the process for requests to inspect any site including military sites. Try "reading for comprehension" in your broken English. It is right there is that citation you quoted but failed to read.
It absolutely is not, if you read the full thing for comprehension. Specifically saying they did not deny access to sites they were never asked to allow inspection of by authorities they recognized is not the same thing as saying they allowed access to military sites. They straight out said they would not at the time nor would they ever, when it was brought up. As far as they were concerned, the deal that did not force them to allow inspection of military sites was robust and comprehensive enough..
You get hung up on speeches people make and ignore the text of the agreement including the citation you thought proved your point. If I did not know better I'd say you are trolling.
I doubt anything can help you understand you’ve been hoodwinked, from the sounds of it. Rationalize all you want. I was just giving you a chance to understand something you obviously didn’t. Last chance, especially since this was a very open secret and should be damn easy to look into for anyone who cares what’s true or not.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran ... SKCN1B918E
Last edited by Sidru on Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:22 pm
If you read enough sources, maybe you’ll understand the situation better. Just look up “Iran military sites inspection” and you will learn quickly at every point they refused inspection of sites they declared for military purposes. In my opinion, that largely defeated the point of the deal. You seem to be a victim of headline style wordplay, and a severe lack of historical context.
https://www.belfercenter.org/publicatio ... inspection
“Before the deal, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei insisted that “inspection of our military sites is out of the question and is one of our red lines.” Foreigners, he elaborated, “shouldn’t be allowed at all to penetrate into the country's security and defensive boundaries under the pretext of supervision, and the country's military officials are not permitted at all to allow the foreigners to cross these boundaries or stop the country's defensive development under the pretext of supervision and inspection.”
While he has remained silent about access since the deal was signed, his proxies have not. On the day the deal was finalized, according to Iran’s Fars news service, the spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said, “In the inked roadmap, no permission has been issued for the IAEA's access to any military centers and the nuclear scientists. We have explicitly announced our positions in this regard during the [past] negotiations."”
From your citation
This issue needs to be clarified.
You are very very bad at this.
gandalfSVG Ars Scholae Palatinae
The ends don't justify the means. Having said that, I'm having a hard time playing my violin for Iran.
Random John Smith Guy Ars Scholae Palatinae
Good sum of the situation. Palestine is tough, the current Israeli government is unwilling to work on it but it is quite clear that the Palestinians (at least their leadership) have never been very interested in peace nor their Gulf-State supporters (who love dangling the carrot in front of every US president and having something to rile up Arabs about when needed).
Iran is a mess that we made. And are making worse. Deposing the Ayatollah would be a disaster. The absolute best goal to work for, I think, is convincing/subverting Artesh (regular Persian army) into deposing the Ayatollah and disbanding the IRGC, then turning over power to the democracy which nominally controls Iran anyway (it's not much, but it has sort of real elections, and is much better than Saudi Arabia). In the meantime I'd settle for getting Israel and Iran to settle down (harder than it seems) and maybe swinging towards a position where the US is pro-Iran, anti-Saudi.
sambuint Smack-Fu Master, in training
These claims are completely implausible, as it's highly unlikely Iran's civil defense actually fought off Israeli hackers. /s
Edit: I guess I should have included a sarcasm tag - fixed now.
Last edited by sambuint on Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:36 am
sambuint wrote:
These claims are completely implausible, as it's highly unlikely Iran's civil defense actually fought off Israeli hackers.
Putin might be lending a helping hand. He helped North Korea advance on missile technology and hacking.
SoldierRon Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
exhorting Iran’s security apparatus to “confront infiltration through scientific, accurate, and up-to-date action.
Too bad our government doesn't do more of this.
Big Wang Ars Scholae Palatinae
Funny how the Zionists lobby seems almost immune to criticism in public discourse. When everyone is focused on Russia spending 35K to buy some Facebook ads to post memes, the Zionist lobby routinely funnel millions into pockets of US politicians (on both side of the aisle).
Every time you criticize the Zionist lobby or the action of the Israeli government, you immediately get called an anti-Semite. It's almost as if they (the Zionists) want to stoke the hatred on Jewish people so that they have more political ammunition.
I mean the US has like thousands of nukes, but they won't let anybody else get one?
Going by records (of both actual usage and non-nuclear foreign interventions), the US is actually the one that should not get nuclear weapons.
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Sound of mystery attacks in Cuba released. It’s as obnoxious as you’d expect
Irritating high-pitched recording may or may not help with investigation.
Beth Mole - Oct 12, 2017 8:47 pm UTC
Enlarge / Personnel gather at the US Embassy in Cuba after the US State Department announced it will cut the embassy’s staff by half in the wake of mysterious health problems.
Getty | Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photo
with 139 posters participating
On Thursday, the Associated Press released the first audio recording of the sound that some diplomats say they heard during mystery attacks in Havana, Cuba. Those attacks have so far left 22 Americans with a puzzling range of symptoms, from brain injuries to hearing loss.
The sound is high-pitched and grating. You can listen to it here (but beware: it’s unpleasant).
The noise is composed of 20 or more different frequencies, all around about 7,000 Hz and 8,000 Hz. It reportedly came in abrupt pulses of varying lengths.
Not all those attacked heard the noise. Some heard nothing, and others heard variations. But several individuals involved told the AP that the recorded noise was consistent with their experience.
Diplomats in Cuba have been under attack—but the weaponry is a mystery
The recording is being examined by US Intelligence services and the US Navy, which has the capabilities to perform advanced acoustical analysis. The version released by the AP was enhanced to increase volume and reduce background noise but is otherwise unaltered.
When and where the recordings were taken are unclear, but the AP reports that the recordings have “not significantly advanced US knowledge about what is harming diplomats.”
As the AP notes, the recording may not be a full picture of what attack victims experienced. Standard recording equipment may not pick up very low or very high frequencies. And investigators may be exploring whether ultrasound or infrasound is involved.
More US diplomats called out of Cuba after attacks with mystery weapons
The recording is being used for training, however. To become aware of what to listen for in case of another attack, employees at the US embassy, where some of the attacks took place, have heard the recordings. If they hear it, officials advise them to move quickly to a new location, as the targeted attacks are unlikely to be able to follow them. In the past attacks, victims said that the noise was confined to a room or part of a room.
The most recent attack occurred in late August.
Investigators are said to be exploring a range of possibilities from malfunctioning, surreptitious recording devices, to sonic weapons, electromagnetic pulses, or some other unknown, high-tech device.
Last month, the US State Department pulled more than half the staff from the embassy over safety concerns.
Beth Mole Beth is Ars Technica’s health reporter. She’s interested in biomedical research, infectious disease, health policy and law, and has a Ph.D. in microbiology.
Email beth.mole@arstechnica.com // Twitter @BethMarieMole
Peter2k Smack-Fu Master, in training
reply Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:24 pm
Heard the noise
And got reminded of every Anime playing in Japan, hearing the noise of crickets
In evangelion I thought they were the most obnoxious
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xOjAMBXn-JA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eE-_kNWJXNw
Or maybe my speakers are too limited on my Samsung phone
teran Ars Centurion
byrningman wrote:
I'm pretty certain that whatever this is, it's not an intentional attack, for the simple reason that there's no plausible motivation for an attack of this nature. That basic question -- what would be the point? -- seems to get overlooked in a lot of the discussion about this.
Some kind of listening device malfunctioning or with unintended side effects? OK maybe, I couldn't speak to the technical plausibility, but at least there's a plausible motive. There's no reason why even the most hostile government would go to great lengths to use a mysterious (and therefore probably valuable) technology to inflict strategically useless harm on some American diplomats in the most public, attention-grabbing way.
Listening device with unattended or known but accepted consequences. It it used as a baseline reflective carrier wave.
jonfr Ars Scholae Palatinae
Darkness1231 wrote:
onkeljonas wrote:
Why refer to it as attacks when it is unknown how the people were injured, and there isn't even a (reported) theory for who did it or how?
As the article mentions, equipment malfunction could be at play, or it could be entirely unrelated to the sounds, yet it is consistently referred to as "attacks" on the embassy staff.
Essentially the Embassy is US territory. Any action that disables/dibillitates staff must be considered an attack.
One thing that isn't clear to me is how strong (db) is the strong sub-sonic signal. So WTF is happening? Don't know but they need to get to the bottom of it. The Cuban government has offered to be open re US agents looking into the problem.
Of course, (Putting on my tin-foil hat with a sprinkles of dark-humor) it might just be US Navy sonar being redirected by the whales.
This would be wrong. Embassies are part of the country they are in. Local laws might not apply because reasons.
You can find details here (footnote), https://youtu.be/ASSOQDQvVLU
phillipsdf Ars Centurion et Subscriptor
EagerEyes wrote:
I think that should be 8,000 Hz, not 8,000 kHz (which would be 8 MHz).
Most people in the field would just say 8kHz, but I suppose 8,000 Hz sounds more impressive.
Raptor Ars Legatus Legionis
Having listened to the clip, I think I'd rather be exposed to it than the "brain damaged goat" song that's been on 4x daily rotation at work for the last month straight.
angalths Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
seepark wrote:
S_T_R wrote:
jamesonista wrote:
What an incredibly odd situation. Scientists seem to be baffled by this. I'm really looking forward to someone discovering what the real cause is. Hopefully it's not some new sort of weapon that will be widespread.
Probably because whatever this sound is, it has nothing to do with whatever ailed the embassy workers. Think cheap Chinese drywall outgassing toxins.
I mean I'm skeptical that the attack was actually carried out by these sounds, but the people that suffered were almost all diplomats. These were targeted attacks, not simply a bad building.
The sounds could be a by-product of the attack tho. Not necessarily the direct cause if health issues
Curious about the equipment used. In the example, the frequencies detected may be 7-8kHz, but that may be an artifact of the microphone and associated gear. Lots of microphones start attenuating in a big way past about 15kHz, and most people older than, say, 40, can't hear much beyond 14kHz (Young'uns can usually hear up to about 22kHz, but rock concerts, earbuds, etc...).
Even if beyond someone's hearing range, that ultrasonic stuff could potentially cause some damage, but it takes a ton of power...
aleph_nought Ars Tribunus Militum
Astrohotcheese wrote:
Sounds remarkably similar to this:
http://songsofinsects.com/crickets/cuban-ground-cricket
There are tropical crickets and cicadas that make an unearthly amount of noise, especially if there's a bunch of them together. It's a constant wall of sound that has a bunch of tones mixed in.
Crickets running loose in the embassy building? Who knows.
adamrussell Ars Tribunus Militum
phillipsdf wrote:
Curious about the equipment used. In the example, the frequencies detected may be 7-8kHz, but that may be an artifact of the microphone and associated gear. Lots of microphones start attenuating in a big way past about 15kHz, ..
It would be a poor tech that couldnt find an microphone with a wider range, especially since thats all thats been talked about is how it could be ultrasound.
Assman Ars Centurion
So, am I the only one here who found it at least mildly pleasant? 😃 Almost put me to sleep. I usually play vacuum sound during night to fall asleep… yes, I'm single. 😭
star skies Wise, Aged Ars Veteran et Subscriptor
Hmm. I think there's a word for this. It's called tinnitus. After working a high stress job for multiple years, I've developed a case myself.
All kidding aside, if this is a true unsimulated recording, it does sounds remarkably akin to tinnitus. Though the ringing doesn't tend to come and go -- it just stays, and fades in or out of attention.
BeowulfSchaeffer Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
If you play it backwards you can clearly hear "Paul is dead"!
lkpentil Ars Scholae Palatinae
atechfan wrote:
siliconaddict wrote:
I suspect my work headphones are too low quality to produce it. I'm not hearing anything and I can hear the high pitched whine of when a good o CRT TV was on upstairs.
All I'm hearing is what appears to be the same white noise I play to try and get to sleep at night.
UPDATE: Pulled it down to my S8+ with my earbuds.....Christ. That has to be a weapon. After a day of this I would have run out of the building screaming....hmm can we set this up in front of the White House?
This has to be a directed attack.
But who?
The countries/agencies that can build and deploy such weapon without being detected and have some reason to do so are USA/CIA, Russia/FSB, Israel/Mossad, and the Chinese.
Given this list, and since only Canadians and Americans got hurt, I'd say Americans were trying to hurt the Canadians and got hurt in the process. There is simply no other combination.
Are we sure Kellyann Conway isn't hiding on those rooms somewhere?
xXxSqueakxXx Ars Scholae Palatinae
Sounds like a data stream, If you are old enough to have been around in the BBS & modems era, then you have probably heard something similar, if not as high pitched.
I wonder who thought it is a good idea to keep the airgap going after it has been noticed.
MechR Ars Tribunus Militum
reply Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:01 pm
"Seven days..."
MCYL Ars Scholae Palatinae
That’s prettt much like the sound we here near jungled areas in North Qld Australia. Sound of a million bugs
Nalyd Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor
Azethoth666 wrote:
Nalyd wrote:
The noise is comprised of 20 or more different frequencies, all around about 7,000 kHz and 8,000 kHz.
And since EagerEyes took my first nitpick, the second is that that the correct usage is "The noise comprises 20 or more different frequencies".
Having used that wrong myself for many years, I finally looked it up
Nobody cares and you are also wrong. The sentence in the article is valid as is.
Why are all you nit pickers wrong half the time?
My theory is it’s red barning. You have nothing to add to the topic so you talk about random other crap. Maybe you can explain how you can be so wrong about language use, especially since you claim to have “looked it up”
If you want your foolishness exposed, replace comprised with composed. They are synonyms. It may help you because it is a shorter word.
Citation please.
They are not synonyms. It has become more common recently to use it as such, however.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprise
And every other site that comes up when you google "comprise" including the Google result highlight.
And because you obviously didn't see, I posted a comment about the topic immediately afterwards, which ended up a whole 2 or 3 posts farther down. Redbarning? Yeesh.
BuenosAires Seniorius Lurkius
TheOldChevy wrote:
Black Canary maybe ?
or Banshee if are more of a Marvel type of person (although there was a Banshee in Superman IIRC)
14 posts | registered Apr 23, 2014
drlava Ars Praetorian
This sounds exactly like the lower resonant frequency artifacts from powerful ultrasound. I have worked with powerful ultrasonic cleaners in a MEMS Wafer fab and they sound like this. You only hear this as elements resonate at subharmonics of the ultrasound signal, which itself is much more powerful than what you actually hear.
I expect this will be further revealed as a directed attack from a local hidden source.
Crazy Theory:
If one could build a directed R.F. Maser that would send ultrasonic bursts of energy which cause local items or body parts (bones, H2O) to resonate while not heating due to the low duty cycle of energy delivery, it may sound like this.
Last edited by drlava on Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:25 pm
FreeDemo Ars Scholae Palatinae
Master Commander wrote:
If they got a chance to record it, they surely should also have a chance to trace the sound source with all those CIA high-tech anti-spy equipment. So why not?
The sound was a decoy to fool them. The real beef behind is food poisoning.
Not all those attacked heard the noise. Some heard nothing, and others heard variations.
Last edited by FreeDemo on Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:56 am
Stochastic wrote:
This is the work of aliens, obviously.
There was a troskist party origated in Argentina whose leader thought that as aliens are more technologically advanced they should be therefore socialist. So it makes sense that they're helping Cubans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_In ... sotericism
Hashtaggert Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor
This is just idle speculation, but I suppose it could be that covert devices were being powered by directed beam RF from outside the building (where tight beam RF was for power and maybe the opposite way for transmission back) which might be a good way to have long term powered bugs that were harder to detect. If the RF beam was strong enough it may have caused material in its path (think metal fixtures, dental fillings, earbuds, light bulb filaments, whatever) to vibrate at various multiples of its resonate frequency or due to rapid heating and cooling in a modulated beam. This could lead to sometimes hearing an audible effect. I would say that it could also be heating of parts of the inner ear, but that could not be the sole source, as there is obviously a recording. The incidents of hearing loss could be due to long term heating effects on the inner ear fluid and the brain damage in some could be due to heating in areas that were not as well shielded by the skull or other dense and less “wet” tissue. This would only occur when whatever was being effected intersected an RF beam.
Dmytry Ars Praefectus
The hell is this new nonsense... the news are getting crazier and crazier day by day.
MemberBerry Account Banned
Too me it sounds more like Japanese cicadas:
https://youtu.be/dr5YCoV5y4g
Extremely annoying. But some people find it relaxing.
BearCub Smack-Fu Master, in training
reply Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:22 am
MechR wrote:
This is Backstep...
CRIME Ars Scholae Palatinae
reply Fri Oct 13, 2017 1:11 am
The AP YouTube recording is provided in stereo, but the recording is actually mono, so when playing around with it, it's safe to drop one of the channels. Unfortunately, the AP copy of the recording is bandwidth limited at ~15kHz — whether that was by the microphone, or from subsequent processing, or…some other limitation? It'd be nice to have the original recording with pertinent meta-data: location, microphone model, recording device, etc. Once could narrow focus and rule out a lot of assumptions with that.
Pitch-shifting it down a few octaves makes for much easier listening, but the spectrogram is where you can see the audio's hidden structure.
Looking at its spectrogram, the structured part has 11 distinct steps between roughly 6500Hz and 8100Hz which repeats every 2 seconds while pitching each step down ~100Hz over each period. Higher, in the 13000 Hz range, you can make out an additional 5 steps of signal, but that portion of the audio is cutoff starting around 14500 Hz, as mentioned above. Now I'll never know whether that is actually more signal in the higher frequencies, or a harmonic resonance, or simply a processing artifact. Oh well, it was still fun to play with as-is…
$ sox Dangerous\ Sound-Nw5MLAu-kKs.m4a -n remix 1 rate 30k spectrogram -m -x 1200 -y 900 -t "Dangerous Sound Spectrogram" -c '' -o Dangerous\ Sound.png
eldakka Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor
NelaK wrote:
Actually it does vaguely remind me of a generic alien noise used in movies.. though the movies don't make it anywhere near as annoying.
That's because the actors and script usually serve that purpose.
Keve Hjelm Hockey Hjelm Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
In an exclusive release Keve Hjelm has obtained the live recording of the sound. It is of 1994 vintage and in exquisite quality. You would want to sound decorate your living space with this noise wall before the prices goes through the roof in digital currency terms.
Be warned it is an exclusive sound, only recorded once.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs
One sound decorator said:
"It starts out bitter, but the full flower of the taste goes through your entire being just a second later. It is as if Guppy McDonald * https://s1.postimg.org/8de0gwjrbz/porn_Mc_Donald.png * bloated a joke at you, just as you are about to experience the birth of your first child. It is that intense"
ryanmct Ars Centurion
CRIME wrote:
As mentioned the audible frequencies could be aliased artifacts of an ultrasonic signal (aliasing would result from nonlinearities in the transmitter, recorder or even the air itself in the case of high power transmission). I know there is no way I would be hanging around in the presence of a continuous 8kHz transmission - it's not actually that high and is eminently detectable. I do suspect that a covert signal would be much higher.
In addition, the lossy YouTube codec (is there a WAV recording?) has all kinds of reductions based on perceptual masking etc. - so it's certainly not faithful to the source. MP3 has 32 subbands and 18 further spectral divisions per subband, so zooming into a spectrogram could simply show you the spectral bin width - in short, I don't trust a spectrogram of a compressed signal, especially if the signal lies near an extreme of the Fletcher Munson curve.
A good linear mic that can record from subsonic to 50KHz is not going to be cheap or commonplace (e.g. Earthworks QTC50)
baccuss Smack-Fu Master, in training
This tech has been talked about for decades.
Guess all those folks complaining about the devastating consequences of this weapons system were not so crazy.
I'm curious if there is an ELF / infrasound component in there as well but not picked up by the standard recording devices.
Last edited by baccuss on Fri Oct 13, 2017 5:50 am
2 posts | registered Oct 13, 2017
Cheradanine Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
Dzov wrote:
This sound is actually a lot like the tinnitus that I get to enjoy 24/7 every freaking day -- just a bit lower frequency.
Welcome to my world. :-(
Falsadoom Ars Centurion
I think it's a maser pulsing. Just like we pulsed carbon lasers to punch through steel at first. It would allow for targeting. Strong enough it could create oscillating/resonating water displacement in the brain leading to tissue damage. You hear it because it vibrates your skull similar to a bone phone.
Raxiel Ars Centurion
has anyone checked for mosquitoes the size of large dogs?
Digger Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
The US gov't has released this to determine (from the comments) who isn't affected by it. Those unaffected, will then be offered jobs in Cuba....
Ed1024 Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
I’m still sceptical about the word “attack” (although it may prove to be correct) as this appears to have gone on even when the alleged effects were made public and half the CIA are down there trying to figure it out. Not exactly a covert operation?
Having worked with some high-powered electronic gear you can get very strange effects coupling into the audio band which would have gone unnoticed at lower power. I used to know someone who could hear the PRF “chirp” when close to a radar head, even though we’re talking EM radiation in the MHz/GHz ranges...
That made me think Snow Crash but getting in through the ears...
WesGordon Ars Centurion
I agree. I think the sound has nothing to do with it. I've suffered sudden hearing loss in one ear (perfect hearing replaced by total deafness and awful tinnitus) in the space of only 2 days. Doctors weren't certain of the cause, but suspected a virus. Apparently they would see a case every 2 weeks or so, but had no definite cause to pinpoint or treatment.
If this is an attack – and the targeting seems to suggest that – it's more likely some kind of poison or bio-weapon (chemical or viral). These could have other side-affects that damage the brain or nervous system too.
staskaya Ars Scholae Palatinae
Did somebody already mention Cthulhu?
uhuznaa Ars Praefectus
So either this is mass hysteria or the sound is just a side effect of some powerful directed EM weapon that got used routinely to injure diplomats.
Both options are frightening. In one case you have mass hysteria influencing politics to a huge degree (between the US and Cuba) in the other you have to ask yourself how often such things have happened elsewhere with the goal of incapacitating diplomatic staff. Or others. This will be gold for the "mind control" conspiracy theorists...
stewedgristle Smack-Fu Master, in training
Astrohotcheese is right?
*(cuban-ground)-crickets*
3 posts | registered Dec 23, 2015
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Volt Europa
Q: Since air travel is the most climate harming form of transport, what do you propose in order to make more people use trains instead of planes for trips up to 1000 km in the EU and which role should night trains play in this concern?
It is Volt policy to end subsidies to fossil fuels, as well as impose a carbon tax. In this way we want to create monetary incentives to reduce the more polluting forms of travel such as air and encourage the more sustainable forms of travel such as travelling by train which are to date less affordable and less competitive.
We want to make the sustainable choice the most convenient and the most comfortable to continue to enable Europeans to experience and work across the continent as unhindered as possible with a strong environmental focus. One that can only be achieved by having a strong focus on reducing fossil fuel usage.
Cost and booking options are big factors when it comes to encouraging people to choose trains over flights. Volt favours digital solutions and would propose to create a single EU-wide booking platform linking every country’s rail. The required framework and financing mechanism would be set by the European Commissioner for Transport and then set out for competitive creation.
Funding to finance such a platform would come from the railway companies, who would subscribe to its services.
Special Business Departures to various European Hubs. Recycling Business class seats from airplanes could be a way to create a more comfortable travel and focus should be placed on noise cancellation to improve the experience, coupled with better Wi-Fi options to enable Remote Workers and decentralized digital workers. This would enable travelers to work en route and make the commute comfortable
and preferable to flying short- to medium distances.
Q: What will you do in order to level the playing field between the different modes of longdistance travel or would you even give stronger support to the more climate friendly modes of transport – and how?
Volt supports shared mobility, and environmentally-friendly travelling. We support all measures and initiatives encouraging consumers to choose sustainable means of transportation and reduce their carbon footprint.
For non-electrified railway lines, hydrogen-powered trains as well as solar-powered trains need further research and should be tested so that they may eventually replace Diesel run trains. Furthermore Volt envisions that all trains of tomorrow could have solar panels on the roof to generate power while moving and hopes to further expand on the research into harnessing wind energy from passing trains.
To further level the playing field, Volt would challenge the hiring and firing practices of airlines. The commercialization of air travel has increased competition, but there are variables that cannot be mitigated, such as safety requirements, fuel costs and duties imposed by airports. Costs can be recovered through product placement, advertising, selling of data to third parties – but mostly through reducing the salary and social security burden.
Examples in the airline industry include hiring staff on foreign contracts, forcing staff to buy their own uniforms, removing break times, reducing rest times and enforcing a competitive working environment on time and fuel consumption. Volt wants to empower the individual to stand up for their rights and while airline pilots have often been able to negotiate with management, short-term staff, ground crew and temporary contracted staff members are less protected which can lead to exploitative practices.
Q: How do you judge the success of the hitherto existing EU-policy of liberalization of the rail market as the way to achieve good national and cross-border train connections? Do you support this policy or would do you plan to introduce an alternative?
Volt wants an interconnected Europe and is committed to expanding the European High Speed Highway. We want to enable travelers to criss-cross the continent comfortably, affordably and in a sustainable way. This is in a desire to increase the ways in which train travel can become more competitive while recognising the physical restrictions posed by the current rail infrastructure.
Volt’s desire for sustainable travel must be accompanied by affordable and flexible travel options which is why we wish to see better cooperation between the private and public sector to meet the real challenges of making train travel a viable option for Europeans. Establishing a single EU-wide booking platform funded by the EU linking every country’s rail is just the first step.
Q: There are ideas for a Europe wide interconnected day and night train cross-border network (e.g. the “LunaLiner”) as an alternative to short and mid distance flights. What do you think about these plans, and if you support them what would you do in order to implement this?
Volt supports sustainable travel and wants to see a more interconnected Europe. Night Trains should be directly linked, non-stop high speed trains that should aim for no more than 10 hours travel time with an arrival time at the destination at 07:00 to enable morning meeting attendance.
“We envision cooperative ventures bringing together industry, research and society in the development and testing of solutions for next generation sustainable public and private transport.” (Volt Mapping of Policies, p. 79)
Q: The European Court of Auditors calls the European high-speed rail network an “ineffective patchwork” that does not lead to good connections on the EU level (see report No 19 from the European Court of Auditors). What do you plan in order to improve this situation?
The same report also calls for more citizen voices to be included in the project and to infuse easier methods of ticket booking and better travel times. These are all elements that Volt supports – we are in favour of data driven policies and we would allocate funds to make this possible.
The report also observes that the EU High Speed rail is important to achieve sustainable travel across Europe and that we need to more action on national levels when it comes to cooperation. Volt is a pan-European movement with political parties in 11 European countries, so based on our shared vision for Europe, we are already discussing challenges and solutions in our respective member states. No other party would be able to table shared and achievable policies on these issues.
Q: Recently EU rail passenger rights were under debate. What is your position concerning the future of passenger rights in rail and other modes of public transport? This particularly concerns cross-border services and a journey chain involving two or more operators? Should operators be able to refuse compensation if a service is cancelled or severely delayed because of “exceptional circumstances” and, if so, how should “exceptional circumstances” be defined?
Volt favours equality and the same rights that are afforded airline passengers should be afforded train passengers. Train passengers will in all likelihood use different countries’ services, so Volt would envision a European wide passenger right fund which is compulsory for train companies. At the moment, some countries apply exemptions but these must be removed to European rail passengers are afforded the same rights across the continent.
In order to encourage more people to take trains and to push companies to remain efficient, we need to ensure that passengers are properly compensated as a result of delays which may impact future travel plans, that is why we fully support the EU Parliament’s draft to improve passenger rights. Operators may refuse to compensate for cancellations and severe delays as a result of “exceptional circumstances,” however these circumstances need to be “force majeure” events such as natural catastrophes or terrorist attacks
Q: Slightly revised first sentence: What is your position on a kerosene tax, either EU‐wide or between EU member states? And if you support it: What will you do in order to get it implemented?
Volt wants to introduce an EU-wide Carbon Tax. This would result in clear incentives for climate-friendly solutions and discourage the production and consumption of carbon-intensive products, such as kerosene. Volt also wishes to stop the subsidising of fossil-based fuels. Subsidies on kerosene, diesel and coal currently amount to as much as €200 billion per year, this needs to be phased out as efficiently and as quickly as possible.
We believe that the Energy Taxation Directive needs to include fossil fuels in transportation. Through these measures we hope to increase the price of air travel to its true social cost, while making rail travel more competitive.
Q: Would you support a general ban on short distance flight in the EU? If yes: Which should be the minimum distance to allow flights? If no: Which other measures to limit short distance flights do you plan to implement?
Replacing short-haul flights may not only be down to trains, but also Self Driving cars driving on electrically charged highways could become a way to empower transport in a more sustainable way than airline travel. The challenge is speed and comfort, but Volt favours data driven policies and encourage research to find alternative solutions for improvement rather than enforcing bans.
We hope to incentivize more people to take train, and for more investment in trains as they become more competitive, however to ban short distance flights would punish some less accessible parts of Europe and increase the inequalities between different member states.
Q: Since the new international agreement CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) and the EU-ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) are not sufficient to tackle aviation emissions, what other measures do you envisage in order to regulate aviation (e.g. a tax on kerosene, tickets, VAT; a frequent flyer levy; a moratorium on airport infrastructure expansion; a ban of certain flights, e.g. short haul flights, …)?
Volt agrees that the current ETS is insufficient and proposes to introduce an EUwide Carbon tax . We would like to provide sustainable alternatives before banning and we would like to see research being put towards improving fuel efficiency, like investing in RES integration (biofuels and electric motors).’
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Tag Archives: the avengers
Food & More Food
Gujrati Thali Rocks!!!
So by now, most of you who have been reading our blog know that we are obsessed with Bikes, Movies, Gaming & Good Food!!! This post is more or less a tribute to the good food part and is basis the awesomeness which has been eaten in the past 2 weeks 🙂
David & Goliath Papad Style 🙂
So a couple of weeks ago, Ekta & me from work went to Bhagat Tarachand where we ate some awesome Gujju style Thali. As you can see in the picture above, it was pretty damn crazy! We also ordered some masala papad and khichiya’s :-). The overall experiance was decently phenomenal!!! Another day, over the weekend we decided to go to Soul Fry Casa and ate some awesome prawns, crab, chicken & naans; this meal was the breakthrough variety as Mihir & I have been allergic to Shellfish & some other seafood, but after eating the meal here nothing happened in terms of allergies.
One fine day at home & this is post Rachita & Ritika’s shopping escapades at Crawford Market, my wife decided to make cupcakes and ice them using fondant which was like super cool! Not only did she make some awesome cupcakes but covered them with all these cool & cute designs using fondant the same was absolutely and totally exceptional :-). Another day, we decided to eat Ceaser Salad and Mushrooms on Toast; the same was accompanied by Carrot Soup with Cheese Balls! The Mushrooms on toast were made like the ones you get in Goa, sauted in butter and garlic which is totally super duper yummy. Going with the fillings on toast bit, we also made some awesome american corn in white sauce with barbecued onions and chilli sauce…
Mushrooms on Toast!!!
Crazy Tiffin!!!
Giant Puri’s
Now the part in office, where Mother in Law sent across a tiffin for lunch with a meal fit for kings. Just to give you a perspective, there was Roti, Panner veggie, Black Daal, Sliced Onion & Chilli, Papad (3 kinds, no less!) pickle! Yup! Unbelivable but true, after eating so much you just cant work! One fine day from work we (Rachita & me) went to the mall where we ate some Chole Bhatura which is basically chick peas made in a gravy and add to that 2 giant puri’s (deep fried) as you can see in the picture below. Further to the same, we revisited Soul Fry Casa with Ekta got drunk on Boondi (Self invented, our Rum Based Cocktail) & Watermelon Martini. Watched a few movies like Avengers which is hands down the bestest movie ever! Also saw The Cabin in the Woods which is one crazy-ass twisted movie. In Hindi movies, saw Jism 2 which is so seriously bad it ain’t funny; also saw Ek Tha Tiger wherein Salman Khan rocked, though the movie was only decent. Watched the entire season 4 of Fringe & started Game of Thrones which is totally unbeleivable!!! Finally, played Sleeping Dogs on the Xbox360 & did some general chilling with Vishal, Beers & Rum!!! Interesting 2 weeks if i say so myself 😉
Yummmmmmmyyyyy!!!
Tags: 2 weeks, Armour, Avengers, Avengers Movie, bajaj avenger, Barbecued Onions, Batman, Beers, Bhagat Tarachand, bikers, bikes, Black Daal, Black Widow, Blue Ray, Bombay, Bruce Banner, butter, Cabin in the woods, Captain America, Carrot Soup, Cesar Salad, Channa Bhaturra, Cheese Balls, Chick Peas, Chicken, chilling, Chitauri, Crabs, Crawford Market, cupcakes, Death, Dessert, DVD, Ek tha Tiger, Fondant, Food, Fringe, Fringe Season 4, gaming, Gamma, Garlic, Garlic Butter, Good Food, Gujrati Cuisine, Gujrati Thali, Hawkeye, Hollywood, home amp, Home Video, Hulk, Iron Man, ironman, Jism 2, Katrina Kaif, Loki, movie, movies, Mushrooms on Toast, naan, Nick Fury, Odin, Papad, Pickle, Prawns, Punjabi Cuisine, Puri's, rachita, restaurants, Ride, ritika, rum, Salman Khan, Saturday, Seafood, Shopping, Sleeping Dogs, Thanos, the avengers, Thor, Titan, Toast, Tony Stark, travel, vacation, Viking, Watermelon Mar, White Sauce & Corn, Xbox360
The Avengers Crew Part 2
Here is part 2 of the Avengers Crew, please note these are my least favorite heroes in the crew, I do believe it is related to them not having any super powers –
The Hero we all know as Captain America –
Really not interested in sharing details here, I would suggest you watch the movie(they have done a good job ), anyways here goes – Steve Rogers was born July 4, 1920, to poor Irish immigrant parents, Sarah and Joseph Rogers, and grew up a frail youth during the Great Depression in America. Rogers’ father died when he was a child and his mother died from pneumonia later, when he was in his late teens. Horrified by newsreel footage of Nazis ransacking Europe and atrocities in Asia that the Empire of Japan committed in China and Korea, Rogers tried to enlist in the Army, that rejected him as 4-F because of his frailty and sickness. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea to fight for his country, General Chester Phillips, of the US Army, offered Rogers the opportunity t o take part in a top-secret performance-enhancing experiment called Operation Rebirth. This give him extraordinary physical abilities, of course, what people missed was that the good Captain went on to receive extensive training before he was given his first assignment (Three months): to stop the Nazi agent called the Red Skull. To help him become a symbolic counterpart to the Red Skull, Rogers was given the red, white, and blue costume of Captain America
Decades later, his wartime comrade, the Sub-Mariner, stumbled across his still-frozen form, which was being worshiped by a far-flung Inuit tribe. Enraged, the Sub-Mariner threw the ice block into the ocean. While opposing Namor, the newly formed Avengers happened upon Rogers’ thawing body and soon revived the legendary hero. Do note I have cut pasted most of Captain’s data, I just did not have the inclination to write it.
The not so “Black Widow” –
Rumour has it Natasha Romanoff (Romanova) was somehow related to the last ruling Czars of Russia, but was never proven. Nazis set the building Natasha was in on fire in Stalingrad(Nazis liked doing such things), and her mother threw her out the window to a Russian soldier before dying. The soldier’s name was Ivan Petrovitch, and he watched over Natasha for her entire life, to this day remaining by her side as her chauffeur.
As Natasha grew and matured, she proved to be an amazing athlete and scholar, while gaining distinction in the USSR as a ballerina. Eventually, she married Alexi Shostakov, a distinguished Soviet test pilot.
Soviet government intelligence (KGB), poached them both and trained them, Alexi would go on to become Captain America’s counterpart in Russia, he was not called Captain Russia but went by the name the Red guardian. Eventually Natasha was told that her husband died in an experimental rocket crash, and was drafted into the KGB. She became their best operative from being trained in the infamous Red Room Academy, becoming excellent at fighting and information gathering. During this time she had some training under the Winter Soldier. It was there she was first dubbed the “Black Widow.” After a few encounters of getting shot and brainwashing she joined the Avengers, she has always had a soft spot for the next character (Hawkeye)
The strictly Bow and Arrow type Hawkeye –
Clint Barton and his brother were orphaned at a young age they made ends meet by working in a circus; Clint was trained by the original Swordsman and by Trick Shot. Like most wannabe Super Heroes Clint saw Ironman in action and wanted to emulate him, he draped a fancy outfit and decided to fight evil in the world using his bow and arrow skills.
Due to his outfit Hawkeye found himself running from cops, during this time he came in contact with the Widow, she recruited him and also became romantically involved with him. Although Hawkeye became romantically involved, he was unhappy being a criminal. When he approached the Avengers and told them of his desire to reform, Iron Man sponsored his membership on the team. There’s not much beyond this about him to write, moving on…
Nick No D&%# Fury –
The eldest of three children, Nicholas Joseph Fury grew up in Depression-era New York City with his brother Jacob and Sister Dawn. Fury’s mother died while he was very young. It wouldn’t be until Nick Fury became a solider himself overseas that he would learn of his father’s military service. Living in the tough streets of Hell’s Kitchen, Fury himself was no stranger to trouble, but more than often confined it to the boxing ring where he would bout, or in the Police Athletic League where he became one of the finest marksman.
Fury jumped from mission to mission, post the attack on Pearl Harbour he was elevated to command the “Howling Commandos,” a specially-trained band of soldiers who undertook some of the most dangerous missions of the war. As leader of the Howling Commandos, Fury struck blow after blow against the Nazis and their allies through missions that ranged from deep infiltration missions behind enemy lines to undercover work and even some home front action. It was during this time that he met Captain America, Reid Richards and confronted enemies like the Red Skull and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. This was also the period where Fury suffered to major injuries – both would impact him later in life: a grenade blast that began the slow deterioration of his sight in his left eye, and a landmine accident that led to Fury being inoculated with the Infinity Formula by Professor Berthold Sternberg in France.
The Infinity Formula substantially slowed his aging process, and Fury was thrust with a double edged sword: although his life was saved, the consequences of the Infinity Formula would haunt him throughout his life as he would see many friends age and die, as well as become the target of various villains seeking his secret. In the early 1960′s Fury was contacted by the Board of Directors of the newly organized international espionage organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division) and offered directorship by Tony Stark. (An alternate theory adds that the Deltite LMD manipulated events so that Fury would be chosen). The rest as they say is history, Nick went on to form the Avengers to defeat Loki and Hydra. We can go on about his secret wars and all but the same would not be relevant here…
So that’s my take on the Avengers, big thank you to Marvel Wiki for a ton of information – I hope this post will add to your movie watching experience and give you some details on why the Avengers are the way they are.
Do check out the Blue-Ray Clips below for extras that feature in the movie 🙂
Posted by badbikegang on September 10, 2012 in Helmets & More
Tags: Armour, Avengers, bajaj avenger, Batman, bikers, bikes, Black Widow, Blue Ray, Bombay, Bruce Banner, Captain America, Chitauri, Death, DVD, gaming, Gamma, Hawkeye, Hollywood, Home Video, Hulk, Iron Man, ironman, Loki, movie, Nick Fury, Odin, Ride, Saturday, Thanos, the avengers, Thor, Titan, Tony Stark, Viking
The Avengers Crew
Today’s post is about the Avengers. The reason for posting Avengers? The DVD is out here in India and it is one of our most favourite, if not the favourite Super Hero movie ever! The post is way too long so am breaking it into 2 parts.
I have been a super hero’s fan all my life… as a child I used to love the colour green and in turn, the Hulk became my favourite character; my brother liked blue and he chose Batman. Over the years, we have pretty much owned, lost, bought most action figures, seen both real and animated movies, put up posters at home and done all the standard things that Super Hero fans do. This morning I was thinking what to put up on our blog and the Avengers hit me. Over the last few years, Marvel has done a great job introducing us to individual movies of the heroes but very little is known about their origins, at least the normal fans don’t know much; below you will find interesting reads about your favourite Avenger characters, apologies if I missed all the generations, but currently they are inconsequential.
Starting off with The “Incredible” Hulk –
Few of us know that Doctor Banner’s full name is Robert Bruce Banner. The doctor was present in the instrumentation bunker at the test site for the first underground test detonation of the Gamma Bomb. Observing that a civilian had breached security and entered the restricted test area, Banner told his colleague Igor Starsky to delay the countdown while he tried to get the civilian to safety. Starsky, secretly a Soviet agent, did nothing, confident that Banner would die in the explosion, bringing the project to a halt. Reaching the civilian, a teenager named Rick Jones, Banner threw him into a protective trench. Before Banner could get himself to safety, the Gamma Bomb detonated, a nd intense waves of radiation reached the surface. Banner was irradiated with highly charged radioactive particles. Due to an unknown genetic factor in his body, Banner was not killed by the radiation, which instead caused him to frequently transform into the vastly powerful, humanoid monster named “the Hulk”. There are various theories on how and why Banner changes into the Hulk, the most popular being, he gets “MAD”. Hulk joining the Avengers was more accidental then planned; he became a pawn of Loki who tricked Hulk into battling his half-brother, Thor. This plot was foiled, leading to Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp joining forces to form the Avengers and defeat Loki.
The insanely flamboyant Iron Man is next –
For all the retards who have no idea, Tony Stark’s full name is Anthony Stark; he is the son of industrialist and inventor, Howard Stark, is an undergraduate electrical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with Double majors in Physics. Contrary to popular belief, Starks did not become Iron Man after the Vietnam incident; he was injured in Vietnam and worked with Ho Yinsen to design and built an electrically powered suit of armour equipped with heavy offensive weaponry. The armour also contained a pacemaker-like device that enabled Stark’s heart to keep beating after the shrapnel entered it. He used this to escape; this is not how he became Iron Man – these experiences made him realize that the suit was too dangerous to be made available to the public. Eventually once he returned home, he was forced to use the suit to thwart a terrorist bombing attempt. Wishing to retain some degree of anonymity, Stark established the fiction that Iron Man was his paid bodyguard wearing a suit of armour that he had invented. Only his most trusted aides learned that Stark and Iron Man were one and the same.
There is only one God and his name is Thor –
Thor is the blood-son of Odin, All-Father of the Asgardians, and Jord, who was also known as Gaea, the elder goddess of the Earth. Odin sought to father a son whose power would derive from Earth as well as Asgard, and hence he sought to mate with Jord. Odin created a cave in Norway where Jord gave birth to Thor. Months after the infant Thor was weaned, Odin brought him to Asgard to be raised. Odin’s wife, the goddess Frigga, acted as Thor’s mother from that time onward. Thor became Asgard’s greatest warrior before he was twenty.
In addition to being the God of Thunder, Thor is also the Norse God of Strength; as such he is physically the strongest of the Norse gods and one of the most powerful beings in the Universe. His strength has been called unlimited. People don’t realise but he always restrains and holds back his vast strength against mo rtals, he has been capable of stalemating an enraged Hulk in strength (despite the fact that the Hulk was constantly increasing in strength every moment) for hours without tiring at all and while restraining himself as always, and knocking out the Hulk eventually. Loki was the reason Thor joined the Avengers – his manipulations forced several of earth’s mightiest heroes to band together to stop the Hulk, Thor was amongst them and became a founding member of the team of superhuman champions.
Here is the Home video announcement, for the lucky few who dont live in America the DVD and Blue Ray are already available 🙂
Posted by badbikegang on September 7, 2012 in Helmets & More
Tags: Armour, Avengers, bajaj avenger, Batman, bikers, bikes, Black Widow, Blue Ray, Bombay, Bruce Banner, Captain America, Chitauri, Death, DVD, gaming, Gamma, Hollywood, Home Video, Hulk, Iron Man, ironman, Loki, movie, Nick Fury, Odin, Ride, Saturday, Thanos, the avengers, Thor, Titan, Tony Stark, Viking
The Piekers
After 8 Pie made by Rachita
Wikipedia Says – A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savory ingredients. Pies are defined by their crusts. A filled pie (also single-crust or bottom-crust), has pastry lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the pastry, but left open. A top-crust pie, which may also be called a cobbler, has the filling in the bottom of the dish and the filling covered with a pastry or other covering before baking. A two-crust pie has the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Flaky pastry is a typical kind of pastry used for pie crusts, but many things can be used, including baking powder biscuits, mashed potatoes and crumbs. Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings.Random use of a Pie – Cream filled or topped pies are favorite props for humor. Throwing a pie in a person’s face has been a staple of film comedy since Ben Turpin received one in Mr. Flip in 1909. More recently, pieing has also become a political act.
The Avengers Inspiration!
The Pie, an unassuming dish which a lot of people love to eat or make. To most people in India though, the introduction to this dish was the famous and awesome movie American Pie….. ha ha ha ha ha ha! Agreed that in the context of the movie and the use of the pie was totally skewed versus the one which people eat, but it still established interest and intrigue in this wonderful creation. Today’s article primary is with regards to our, actually more importantly, “The Mrs’” interest in baking & the lovely pies made by her.
Red Velvet Cup Cakes
The story starts off at about the same time we went and got our bike. Rachita, my wife, who is extremely fond of cooking, started to show renewed interest in baking the same was extremely evident when red velvet cupcakes which were absolutely awesome were made by her & were a super smash hit in terms of look, feel & taste. Post this she tried her hand at the Hulk cake (post us watching the Avengers and being in that zone for a long time). You can also check the details of the Red Velvet Cupcakes & the Hulk Cake in our previous posts :-).
Super Stuff!!!
Then there was the brilliant Baked Philadelphia Cheesecake, and then came in the Pies – starting off with the brilliant Peach Crumble which raised the bar to some crazy level. The crust was totally spectacular add to that the fresh peaches and stuff, absolutely unbelievable! The complete pie was devoured in about 20 minutes by all of us & some pieces which were sent to the in-laws had the same fate. Further to which discussions on the brilliance of the dish continued for multiple days… Next in line the absolutely sensational After 8 chocolate ganache pie! Yup, I know! Sounds mouth watering delicious! Trust me, it tasted even better……I mean this was hands down one of the most awesome desserts made by Rachita!!! Finally there was the breath taking Raspberry Pie which was just a sensational change from the regular taste of pies in your mind. The crust and the use of cheesecake to add just that little bit of pizzaz made this last pie a true slice of heaven!!!
Enough said…. take a moment to check the gallery which has the awesome creations made by Rachita and have a visual treat 🙂 Also below some crazy numbers & facts about the Pie.
Super Duper!!!
Approx. $700 million in pies (approx. 186 million units) are sold in grocery stores every year. This does not include restaurants, food service or price clubs, only grocery stores. If you lined up the number of pies sold at U.S. grocery stores in one year, they would circle the globe and then some.
According to a 2008 survey by Crisco® and American Pie Council:
•Nearly one out of five (19%) Americans prefer apple pie, followed by pumpkin (13%), pecan (12%), banana cream (10%) and cherry (9%)
•Pie just isn’t for after-dinner dessert. Thirty-five percent of Americans say they’ve had pies for breakfast. Pies as lunch (66%) and midnight snacks (59%) also have a popular following.
•When asked what dessert Americans would prefer a friend or family member bring to their house for a holiday dinner, pie was the winner with 29%. Cake (17%) and cookies (15%) rounded out the top-three spots.
Pumpkin pie was first introduced to the holiday table at the pilgrim’s second Thanksgiving in 1623.
Pie was not always America’s favorite dessert – in the 19th Century, fruit pies were a common breakfast food eaten before the start of a long day.
Pie By the Numbers
•36 million number of Americans who identify apple pie as their favorite
•47% Americans for whom the word “comforting” comes to mind when they think of pie
•6 million Number of American men ages 35-54 who have eaten the last slice of pie and denied it
•27% Americans who believe chocolate pie is the most romantic to share with someone special
•1 in 5 Proportion of Americans who have eaten an entire pie by themselves
•113 million Number of Americans who have eaten pie for breakfast
•75 million Number of Americans who prefer to drink milk with their pie
•32% Americans who prefer no crust on top of their pie
•90% Americans who agree that a slice of pie represents one of the simple pleasures in life
•9% Americans who prefer to eat their pie crust-first
•7% Americans who have passed off a store-bought pie as homemade
•18% Men who say their wife makes the best homemade pie
•2% Women who say their husband makes the best homemade pie
Pie Personalities
If you love… You are likely to describe yourself as…
Apple Pie – Independent, realistic and compassionate
Pecan Pie – Thoughtful and analytical
Chocolate Pie – Loving
Pumpkin Pie – Funny and independent
Pie Preferences
•More than one-third of Americans have eaten pie in bed
•Nearly one in four women believe that they make the best pie – better than Mom or Grandma
•More than one-third of Americans have craved pie in the middle of the night
The first mention of a fruit pie in print is from Robert Green’s Arcadia (1590): “thy breath is like the steame of apple-pyes.”
Posted by badbikegang on July 4, 2012 in Bikes & Builders
Tags: 4th of July, American Pie, Apple Pie, Avengers, bajaj avenger, Baking, baking powder biscuits, baking tips, ben turpin, biker, bikers, biscut, breakfast, Cheese Cake, Chocolates, Comfort Food, cooking, cooking tips, Cream, dinner, eating, Flaky Pastry, Food, Fresh Fruits, Fun, holiday, Hulk, love baking, love eating, lunch, movie, Oven, pastry shell, Philadelphia Cheese, Pie, Pie Crust, Pieing, red velvet cup cakes, restaurants, the avengers, The Hulk, Tips, vacation, wife, Wikipedia
The Avengers Shawarma Spoilers
Lately, everyone has just been talking about the Avengers. The movie has broken all records in recent times and made over a billion dollars in earnings. People all over the world seem to have their very own Avenger story – favourite character and all; the bandwagon is moving at a crazy pace and gathering unprecedented momentum. As fans of The Avengers, and super heroes in general, I thought we should also share our Avengers’ story. Also a lot of folks have been asking us about spoilers on the movie, so below is one article which talks about both:
Spoilers first: There are 2 scenes – the first is during the credits; note, this one a lot of people just did not get. After The Avengers have defeated the Chitauri army by sending a nuke into their mother ship, we see their leader talking to a mysterious figure. The Chitauri leader says that the humans are not to be underestimated and to face them would be “to court Death itself.” And then the mysterious figure turns his head and we see Thanos, The Mad Titan, smiling. Now, for people who don’t know who Thanos, the mad Titan, is – originally a member of the race of Eternals “Growing in power and infamy as he travelled the universe, Thanos once met Death itself, as it appeared to him embodied in a female form. Thanos was infatuated with the being, and endeavoured to make himself worthy in order to earn her love in return. With an army under his command, he nearly destroyed his former home of Titan, declaring himself its ruler. He then sought out the powerful Cosmic Cube [known as the “Tesseract” in the movies], and a number of Earth’s heroes assembled to confront him.” We know from Tom Hiddleston’s interviews in promoting The Avengers, that Loki and Thor return to Asgard in the Thor sequel and there’s a greater villain at play which just may force the (not by blood) brothers to work together. It’s likely that Thanos will be coming to get the Infinity Gauntlet (synonymous with him) found in Odin’s Vault (Image below). This was shown in the first Thor Film. Also recently, information was leaked that little known actor Damion Poitier will be playing Thanos in upcoming Marvel Movies.
By now non comic book geeks are trying to figure what is the Gauntlet -The Infinity Gems. There are six of these gems – each has a distinct color and power. The green soul gem grants the power over the soul, orange is time, purple is space, blue is mind, yellow is reality and red is power. Each gem, in and of themselves, has a vast amount of power and grants the user with the power to control and manipulate each one of these things. When collected and mounted in a gauntlet, the combined gems become a weapon of unimaginable power, and grant the user control over every aspect of the gems. The wearer can warp reality to their fitting, manipulate time and so on. Not even the combined powers of the cosmic gods are enough to defeat such a weapon.
Moving on. Now, if you still stayed on after all the credits got over, you will see a scene where all the Avengers are sitting down at a wrecked shawarma restaurant – probably at Tony Stark’s insistence – if you remember, he mentions the same once the Hulk saves him from his near death fall. The after-credits scene is them eating shawarma in silence with Mark Ruffalo trying to keep a straight face. I am sure most of you are now cursing yourself, friends and family because they hurried you out of the theatre. Check the image in case you missed it.
Our Story starts where the movie ends. On the mention of the word shawarma, we all (Ashay, Milind, Yooti and Rachita) had a sudden craving for the same. On finishing the movie, we were all debating about where to eat. The debate lasted exactly 1 minute. The winner? Shawarma place at phoenix. We got on to our bike, the ladies decided to drive and we got to phoenix in about 20 minutes. To our disappointment, Maroosh – the local shawarma place was closed. The manager mentioned they would take about half an hour to open – so we decided to hang around, do some window shopping and come back. The window shopping happened at Hamley’s toy store where we went on an Avengers action figure spree, but not much was available. You think when a big movie releases merchandise should be easily available…..anyways. After what seemed to be forever, we went back to Maroosh and ordered shawarmas; note we ordered the non veg variety: Chicken, Green Garlic Chicken, Chicken Hummus Salad and Lamb. After multiple rounds, finally the craving was laid to rest. If you have an interesting story that you would like to share basis the Avengers do add it to the comments below – if you like Shawarmas but really don’t know how where to get them below is a quick recipe for this Middle Eastern delicacy. Enjoy!
Our Shawarma Recipe
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 tablespoon cucumber, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion. That it, keep expirementing with different fillings, I am sure you will crack your very own shawarma recipe.
Tags: Avengers, Avengers Spoilers, bajaj avenger, bikers, bikes, Black Widow, Bombay, Captain America, Chicken Shawarma, Chitauri, Death, Food, Gourmet, High Street Phoenix, Hulk, Infinity Gauntlet, Iron Man, ironman, Lebanese, lifestyle, Loki, movie, Nick Fury, Phoenix Mills, Recipe, Ride, Saturday, Shawarma, Spicey Shawarma, Spoilers, Thanos, the avengers, Thor, Titan
The Avengers Harley Connection
I have never been a big fan of Captain America, but his motorcycle – that is a completely different story. Captain America’s most recognizable vehicle, is a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Little known comic fact – Captain America while living in Brooklyn Heights stored the motorcycle in a service garage. He often kept his motorcycle in his van and took it wherever he travelled; if you have seen some television episodes and old movies, you are sure to catch this scene.
In recent times, Harley-Davidson collaborated with Marvel Studios to create five motorcycles for Captain America: The First Avenger film, which traces Captain America’s origins as a World War II era Super Hero who rode a military motorcycle as a means of transportation. The Motor Company coordinated the modification of the current day Harley-Davidson Cross Bones model to resemble an original 1942 WLA Army motorcycle. The Motor Company also worked with Marvel Studios to recreate additional parts, such as an ammunition box and leather gun scabbard, to ensure the motorcycles looked as authentic as possible.
Personally I was totally floored by the detailing on the Bike in the First Avengers movie, meant to be a modern interpretation of Harley-Davidson’s classic WLA military motorcycle. Captain America’s custom machine started life as a stock Harley-Davidson Cross Bones model. Fitting, as the Cross Bones, with its spring-mounted solo saddle and springer fork, is arguably the most period-correct platform in Harley-Davidson’s current line from which to begin. Check the video below featuring some crazy concept work on the bike and commentary by the crew.
The Captain’s bike has also inspired another Bike which is part of movie history; this bike was featured in the iconic chopper movie, Easy Rider. The bike shown is not a replica; it i s one of two identical choppers originally built by Cliff Vaughn for use in the movie. This is the one that was wrecked at the end of the film. The other was reportedly stolen. After the filming, the wrecked bike was procured by actor Dan Haggerty, who began rebuilding it but never finished it. It was then sold, the restoration being completed by Dave Ohrt. The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has graciously loaned it to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, where it is currently on display. This example of the Captain America bike is a 1951 Harley- Davidson FL. The frame was chromed, but is otherwise virtually stock, so is the engine. Added were extended forks, extended handlebars, upswept fishtail mufflers, gas tank and tall sissy bar, all of which currently defines the chopper.
As with our profile on the Hulk and bike/gear, checkout Captain America’s gallery below. Interestingly, you only need a Brown Leather Jacket and a Bowl shaped Helmet to replicate Chris Evan’s look in the movie. We hope to see a lot more of crazy bikes in the upcoming sequel of the movie.
The Captain America Bike/Gear Gallery
Posted by badbikegang on May 11, 2012 in Bikes & Builders
Tags: accessories, Avengers, Bike, Bike Ride, bikers, bikes, chopper, Choppers, Chris Evans, chrome accessories, Custom Choppers, customization, First Avenger, Harley Davidson, Hulk, ironman, motorcycles, movie, Television, the avengers, Youtube
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Printings
English en Deutsch de Français fr Español es Italiano it Português pt 日本の jp
timeline (72 years = 72 stations)
1918-08-25 born as Louis (Leonard) Bernstein; son of Sam & Jeannie.
1928-08-25 received a piano from Aunt Clara and took lessons with Frieda Karp.
1932-10-22 started piano lessons with Helen Coates.
1932-05-22 experienced his first concert with the Boston POP's and the "BOLERO".
1934-05-14 1st appearance as a concert pianist with Grieg's "Piano Concerto"; 1st movement.
1937-11-14 made the acquaintance of Aaron Copland on his birthday.
1939-06-22 graduated from Harvard "cum laude in musica".
1941 January 1st studio recording as a pianist with Diamond's "Prelude & Fugue #3".
1941-05-03 received diploma from the Curtis Institute with the note "A" by Fritz Reiner.
1941-07-11 1st performance as a conductor with the Boston POP's and "Meistersinger".
1943-11-14 debut with the NY Phil. at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
1944-01-28 premier of his 1st symphony "Jeremiah" in Pittsburgh with J. Tourel.
1944-04-18 premiere of his ballet "Fancy Free" at the Metropolitan Opera House.
1944-12-28 "On the Town" has its premiere at the Adelphi Theater on Broadway.
1945-10-08 started a 3-year career as head of the "NYC Symphony Orchestra".
1947-04-27 1. Short tour with the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra in Israel.
1948-05-10 concerts with 17 survivors of the holocaust.
1948-11-20 concert in Beersheba for Israeli independence with the IPO.
1949-10-12 1st performance on TV with the BSO at Carnegie Hall in New York.
1951-01-08 started a tour with the IPO through the USA.
1951-09-09 he married Felicia Montealegre-Cohn in Boston.
1953-12-10 debut at the Milan Scala with M. Callas and Cherubini's "Medea".
1954-09-28 the film "On the Waterfront" by E. Kazan with music by Bernstein.
1954-11-14 start of the tv-series "Omnibus" with Beethoven's 5th symphony.
1956-12-01 premiere of his operetta "Candide" at the Martin Beck Theater in NYC.
1957-08-19 pre-premiere of his "West Side Story" in Washington (DC).
1957-10-02 opening concert with the IPO at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv.
1957-11-19 appointment as chief music director of the NY Phil.
1958-04-29 start of a big South American tour with the NY Phil.
1959-08-05 big European tour with the NY Phil. (meeting with B. Pasternak).
1959-11-24 his first book "the Joy of Music" is published by Simon & Schuster-Verlag.
1960-08-02 received a star on the "Walk of Fame" in Los Angeles.
1960-08-10 1st big USA tour with the New Yorkers and concert in West Berlin.
1961-01-19 premiere of "Fanfare for J.F.K." at the inaugural gala in Washington.
1963-11-24 memorial concert for J.F.K. with Mahler's 2. (CBS national-live).
1964-03-06 premiere at the Met with Verdi's "Falstaff"; staging by F. Zeffirelli.
1965-03-24 participated in the march of the American civil rights movement.
1966-03-14 debut at the Vienna State Opera with Verdi's "Falstaff"; Director: L. Visconti.
1967-07-09 historic concert with Isaac Stern on Mount Scopus near Jerusalem.
1968-01-21 host of "Broadway 4 peace" with B. Streisand at the Lincoln Center.
1968-06-08 conducted the memorial service for R. Kennedy in St. Patrick's Cathedral.
1969-05-17 conducted his last concert with the NY Phil .; became a Laureate Conductor.
1971-09-08 opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington (D.C.) with his "Mass".
1971-12-15 conducted his 1000th concert with the new yorker Phil.
1973-01-19 conducted a "Peace Concert" in the Washington Cathedral as a protest.
1973-10-09 lectures at Harvard University; "Music-the open question".
1974-05-16 premiere of his "Dybbuk" ballet at the State Theater in New York City.
1976-05-23 big bicentennial tour through Europe + the USA with the New Yorkers.
1977-01-19 premiere of two songs from "songfest" at the inauguration of J. Carter.
1978-01-29 worldwide tv-broadcast of "Fidelio" at the State Opera with the WPO.
1979-10-04 conducted the Berlin Philharmonic once with Mahler's 9th in Berlin.
1980-09-25 premiere of "Divertimento" in Boston with his assistant S. Ozawa.
1980-12-07 received Kennedy Center honour; lifetime of contribution to American culture.
1981-05-27 premiere of "Halil" with J.-P. Rampal (solo-flute) and the IPO in Tel Aviv.
1981-06-23 conducted his own works in the Vatican in honour of Pope John Paul II.
1983-04-30 conducted an AIDS benefit concert in Ringling Brothers Circus in Madison Square.
1983-12-31 gave a speech on nuclear disarmament at St. John the Divine in NYC.
1984-08-04 conducted the NY Phil. in Central Park in front of more than 200,000 listeners.
1984-09-07 within 4 days, a studio recording of West Side Story was made in NYC.
1985-02-26 received the "Grammy Award" for his life's work.
1985-08-01 toured with the European Youth Orchestra, among others in Hiroshima, Japan.
1986-04-10 synchronous premiere of "A Quiet Place" in Vienna, Milan and Washington.
1988-07-26 played concerts with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, among others in Moscow.
1989-04-24 premiere of the Jubilee Games (aka "Concerto for Orchestra") with the IPO.
1989-11-15 refused the national medal of arts due to cuts in AIDS aid.
1989-01-13 presented and conducted his "Candide" at the Baribican Centre in London.
1989-12-23 conducted div. orchester with Beethoven's 9th on the occasion of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
1990-08-19 his last concert (Beethoven's 7th) with the BSO in Tanglewood, MA.
1990-10-14 passed away at his apartment at Dakota-house in NYC.
1990-10-16 burial at Green Cementary in Brooklyn, New York.
2001-06-12 the US Post honours Bernstein with a 34 cent stamp.
2018-01-28 his cd-box "the composer" received a grammy (best historical album).
NY Phil. = New York Philharmonic
BSO = Boston Symphony Orchestra
IPO = Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
NYC = New York city
WPO = Vienna Philharmonic
date = yyyy-mm-dd (year-month-day)
Google Ads: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.
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Netflix throws support behind FCC proposal to increase broadband competition
By Alan Buckingham
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll state the obvious. Broadband in the US is broken. In fact, it's a complete mess. Speeds lag behind multiple smaller nations and providers were granted monopolies in many cases, thanks to complaining about the expense of laying the copper. At best, most citizens have access to two carriers -- that's one more than many, including yours truly.
Competition doesn't exist, but the oft-maligned head of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, wishes to change that. While his net neutrality initiative has been met with staunch opposition, this latest move may win him a few fans.
One of those new found friends just happens to be Netflix, which has spoken out against the net neutrality proposal. However, the streaming service is in full support of this, and with good reason, as folks need to have alternatives.
According to Netflix's Christoper Libertelli "Nearly everything we do today requires an Internet connection. Its persistent, increasing presence in our lives makes today's comments by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler all the more important. If the future of broadband competition is 'inexorably tied' to America's economic opportunity, how can we settle for a situation where nearly three-quarters of Americans lack a competitive choice for fast Internet service?"
Wheeler spoke out during an address earlier which was titled "Agenda for Broadband Competition", stating the real facts -- chiefly that there isn't enough competition in the market to protect consumers. That's certainly a fact, and one we all live with on a daily basis. We can only hope this move gains traction.
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Home / Local News / Renewed effort to clear backlog in court cases
Renewed effort to clear backlog in court cases
Concerned that just over 50 per cent of the more than 900-strong prison population is people on remand, Government is making another effort to clear the backlog in court cases.
Today the Government in association with the National Centre for State Courts and the US Department of State, introduced a special two-day workshop where members of the local judiciary will be able to get a better understanding of the Goodyear Hearings/Maximum Sentence Indications and Plea Agreements.
It is hoped that this will result in justice being administered by early and timely disposition of cases through more efficient and effective practices, while at the same time ensuring fairness and transparency.
Goodyear Hearings/Maximum Sentence Indications and Plea Agreement allows for the defendants to enter a guilty plea with the defence requesting an indication of the likely maximum sentence.
During the opening ceremony of the workshop at the Radisson Aquatica Resort this morning, Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson again lamented the backlog in criminal cases.
“One of the solutions which is being proposed is the basis of this workshop, the idea of affording the opportunity to accept a guilty plea. The problem is, of course, it is not that simple, there are rules and procedures which have to be followed to ensure that the guilty plea will withstand appellate scrutiny, and there are all sorts of areas in which one can make a mistake,” he said.
“I want to think of this as a solution-oriented two-day workshop. I think we tend to put ourselves in a bit of a bind when we are problem-solving, but I want to start on the solution end because we know what the problem is. The problem is that we have got too many people on remand and at a prison that has been constructed to hold 1,200 people,” he added.
Attorney General Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite said at the beginning of this year the late Director of Public Prosecution Charles Leacock instructed his office to urgently undertake a number of things in an effort to reduce the worrying backlog of cases in the criminal justice system.
Brathwaite described the workshop as a critical component of the measures being undertaken to assist in arresting that issue, adding that so far a number of steps have been taken and more are on the way.
“We have a situation where more than 50 per cent of the persons at [Her Majesty’s Prison] Dodds are presently on remand. If there are 900 [prisoners] there are probably about 500 of them on remand. It is not a tidy situation at all. Charles was convinced that many of those individuals on remand if afforded the opportunity, would actually accept some kind of a plea. In that regard, I have therefore set about taking a paper to Cabinet and have indeed, a draft Bill somewhere in my office. The Bill was influenced a lot by the Trinidad and Tobago legislation,” explained Braithwaite.
Pointing out that he was aware that the judges, prosecutors and lawyers would require continuous training, Brathwaite gave the assurance that Government and members of the judiciary were eager to “address this burning issue of the backlog in the criminal justice system”.
He reported that the abolishment of preliminary enquires was already accomplished, adding that work was currently being carried out to ensure the recording of interviews was mandatory.
“We are going to move ahead with the practice direction . . . and I think the other box that we need to tick is that we need to have some criminal procedure rules,” he said, pointing out that some models were currently being examined.
Brathwaite said the number of judges would also be increased soon, given that “the number of cases we have in the criminal justice system, the present number of judges just cannot get it done”.
“So, we need to have some additional resources in that regard. Even with continuous exercises, the numbers are telling you that the present number of judges, with the best will in the world, unless they are able to work 24-hours a day, that we need some additional resources in that regard,” added Brathwaite.
US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Linda Taglialatela highlighted the need for the continued strengthening of the judicial system, saying it was necessary to ensure the security of residents in the region.
She said she hoped at the end of the workshop Barbados would be able to realize a reduction in case backlogs, a reduction in trauma suffered by victims of crime, a reduction in anxiety suffered by defendants and savings in cost of valuable resources.
← LEBANON – PM Hariri resigns, saying he fears assassination plot
Crime Stoppers Barbados names new chairman →
62 thoughts on “Renewed effort to clear backlog in court cases”
Steven Layne
You’ll don’t have to do it, it’s your all civil duty to.
Real bad boys ,make you cry for mercy, need real decent people to fill void.
Wendy Knight
Say something that I have not already heard
Horace Boyce
Valarie Rock
Humm
How much o them workshops they had already?
Keith Forde
I’VE HERD THIS WARM UP SOUP OVER AND OVER.,MR. INCE YOU CAME WITH SO MUCH PROMISE TO CLEAN UP THE COURT SYSTEM,FUTHERMORE, IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE..
HE WERE HER TO CLEAN UP THE JUSTICE SYSTEM,IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE..BARBADOS WAS A BEACON FOR OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE REGION,NOW WE ARE A LAUGHING STOCK..OUR LAWS ARE TO ARCHAIC.
Sheldon Cox
Ãmen Hotep
This Renewed Effort Has for too long Now been A thing of the past time!
Mhizz Kelly P Forde
This MUMFORD the magician
he worse than mumford
All these idiots coming out the wood works …. steupse !
Since dee retired Aussie judges change duh mine bout helping out and dee High Commission leff bout hey, wunnah scrambling. Uh glad as azz!
how long, how long u have been saying so? sheep justice…what ah bunch ah sloths
you see what u did for john annel, do for the rest and they won’t be no back log all 900 plus will be out on bail for good..wicked evil demons
Tone Watts
I wish you luck. lol
Stclair Worrell
This Judge is the spitting image of Freundel Stuart…. Ah wonder if dem is family??… How many times have we heard that??… Everything seems to be in the works for the nex five or six months… Wish wunna luck..
st clair u ain’t know i was going to say the look like brothers, fa real
Pullhead Davis
Wonder if any of these cases that going me speeded up will be cases with Flo lawyers
Milli Watt
sssstttuuuppppsssseeeeeeeee
I wonder if they know or heard about former Magistrate Carlisle Greaves who has apparently done great work with court backlogs in Cayman islands and in Bermuda. And he is Bajan, you know.
Has any of those people heard of or know former Magistrate Carlisle Greaves who has apparently done plenty of work in clearing court backlogs in Cayman and in Bermuda? And he is a Bajan, you know!
From thee time man became C J this all I does hear he talking bout . Nothing else
Angus Benn
This is the same man that they change the laws for so that he could be working in Barbados. I thought that he said he is going to clean up the court system. What happened .The government will soon change and nothing ain’t happen YET. Just cheap talk
Who is better looking. The prime minister or the chief justice.
Tony Webster
Onlies’ t’ing we yet ent tried ( or talk bout) to “clear de back-log”..is croton-oil. Ol’-time vet at Wildey, Mr. Lynton, wud administer a teaspoon to any horse dat bunged-up, and den tell my dad and his folks….”STAND BACK”. A cupple a minits later, EVATING would shoot out ‘cross de pen, and hit de wall!!!
Hmmm…where do we get a gallon or two of croton oil in dese “modern” days? What….you nevah hear ’bout croton -oil? Mek dat a truck-load…cause a LOTTA uthuh folks ’bout here also need some.
Kathie Daniel
Just do it already! Enact the legislation to use electronic media, and modern technology to speed up the process and just make it happen. I thought Mr Gibson had promised to do this years ago, so why the delay? Could it be that we have set the fox to watch the henhouse? Let all the lawyers be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and quit denying/delaying justice at the taxpayers’ expense. Not only do we have people on remand for years, but we also have cases that cause people’s llives to be put on hold for years on end. Spinning top in mud is an aptly tragic description.
Whenever i hear these professionals speak.ir does make my stomach sick
Valerie Knight
Mr Sinclair Worrell- I too have always felt that the Chief Justice and the PM bear striking similarity in features and must be related; no wonder they were so keen to appoint him above someone born and living in the country.
Striking similarities? that not how I hear others put it.
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From Pawn to Player: Rethinking Sansa VIII
By brashcandy, July 19, 2012 in General (ASoIaF)
brashcandy
Purrfect
Claiming Agency through Erotic Power
This analysis is based on the concept of erotic power as defined by feminist theorist Audre Lorde in her essay, ‘Uses of the Erotic: the erotic as power.’ My aim is to use Lorde’s theory to explore how the erotic functions in Sansa’s arc throughout the series, and how tapping into this erotic power will ultimately lead to fulfilment and empowerment.
Some quotes from Lorde’s essay help to establish just what erotic power is and how it operates:
There are many kinds of power, used and unused, acknowledged or otherwise. The erotic is a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling. In order to perpetuate itself, every oppression must corrupt or distort those various sources of power within the culture of the oppressed that can provide energy for change. For women, this has meant a suppression of the erotic as a considered source of power and information within our lives.
The erotic is a measure between the beginnings of our sense of self and the chaos of our strongest feelings. It is an internal sense of satisfaction to which, once we have experienced it, we know we can aspire. For having experienced the fullness of this depth of feeling and recognizing its power, in honor and self-respect we can require no less of ourselves.
The very word erotic comes from the Greek word eros, the personification of love in all its aspects – born of Chaos, and personifying creative power and harmony. When I speak of the erotic, then, I speak of it as an assertion of the lifeforce of women; of that creative energy empowered…
We talked a lot of the tremendous compassion and empathy that Sansa demonstrates in her interaction with others, particularly Sandor Clegane. My contention is that these attributes provide evidence of Sansa’s utilising of her erotic power – an ability to feel deeply and experience an almost heightened sense of connection with another person, one that provides genuine intimacy and fulfilment, and underscores legitimate desire.
In the patriarchal society of Westeros, the erotic becomes a threat to male power and their restrictions on female agency and sexuality. As Lorde notes above, “the erotic is a measure between the beginnings of our sense of self and the chaos of our strongest feelings,” and such power, the power to recognize what it is we want and do not want and to make such a declaration is ultimately dangerous to patriarchal authority. This is why I think that Sansa will be able to defeat LF, not through political machinations as many others seem to believe, but precisely through the power of the erotic which is defined by female desire and authority.
It is Sansa’s relationship with Sandor where we see the true potential of the erotic being revealed. Erotic experiences are not limited to the sexual, but encompass all areas of life, from the psychic and emotional to the physical and intellectual according to Lorde. From the very beginning, there is a bond of trust and openness established between Sansa and Sandor which facilitates their gradual intimacy. Their final interaction during the Blackwater battle is significant:
It was not the song of Florian and Jonquil, but it was a song. Her voice sounded small and thin and tremulous in her ears…
She had forgotten the other verses. When her voice trailed off, she feared he might kill her, but after a moment the Hound took the blade from her throat, never speaking. Some instinct made her lift her hand and cup his cheek with her fingers. The room was too dark for her to see him, but she could feel the stickiness of the blood and the wetness that was not blood. “Little bird,” he said once more, his voice raw and harsh as steel on stone. Then he rose from the bed. Sansa heard cloth ripping, followed by the softer sound of retreating footsteps.
Sansa and Sandor achieve in that brief moment of her touching his face a true erotic connection of compassion and understanding. It is such a powerful moment, and I want to posit the unkiss as evidence of the creative power of the erotic. The deep experience of feeling that occurs between them results in the creation of a sensual memory that marks Sansa’s first real expression of sexual agency.
Sansa’s marriage to Tyrion is revealing in comparison. Instead of bowing to the pressure of the moment and giving in to her husband’s desires, Sansa instead relies on the truth of the erotic – her own recognition of the lack of desire for Tyrion, and in so doing exposes the lie of patriarchal conditioning which states that all men are beautiful:
Look at him, Sansa told herself, look at your husband, at all of him. Septa Mordane said all men are beautiful, find his beauty, try. She stared at the stunted legs, the swollen brutish brow, the green eye and the black one, the raw stump of his nose and crooked pink scar, the coarse tangle of black and gold hair that passed for his beard. Even his manhood was ugly, thick and veined, with a bulbous purple head. This is not right, this is not fair, how have I sinned that the gods would do this to me, how?
“On my honour as a Lannister,” the Imp said. “I will not touch you until you want me to.”
“It took all the courage that was in her to look in those mismatched eyes and say, “And if I never want you to, my lord?”
Lorde explains just why Sansa’s denial of Tyrion was so important:
When we live outside ourselves, and by that I mean on external directives only rather than from our internal knowledge and need, when we live away from those erotic guides from within ourselves, then our lives are limited by external and alien forms, and we conform to the needs of a structure that is not based on human need, let alone an individual’s. But when we begin to live from within outward, in touch with the power of the erotic within ourselves, and allowing that power to inform and illuminate our actions upon the world around us, then we begin to be responsible to our selves in the deepest sense. For as we begin to recognize our deepest feelings, we begin to give up, of necessity, being satisfied with suffering and self-negation, and with the numbness which so often seems like their only alternative in our society. Our acts against oppression become integral with self, motivated and empowered from within.
In refusing to sleep with her husband, Sansa is privileging her own desires and needs above those that originate from the “external directives” of her patriarchal society, of which Septa Mordane was the mouthpiece. Marriage represents an oppressive institution for Sansa, and the collective weight of all her betrothals which seek to use her claim - the impersonal mercenary objective - acts to further strengthen her appreciation for erotic agency which does not submit to the exploitation or abuse. Is it any wonder then that when she’s in the Vale, and hears the cries of Lysa’s pleasure in the marriage bed, that she eventually dreams of the possibility of having her own erotic encounter? Lorde writes that:
Our erotic knowledge empowers us, becomes a lens through which we scrutinize all aspects of our existence, forcing us to evaluate those aspects honestly in terms of their relative meaning within out lives. And this is a grave responsibility, projected from within each of us, not to settle for the convenient, the shoddy, the conventionally expected nor the merely safe.
I think there’s a lot of value in this statement to understanding how Martin is portraying the growth of Sansa’s agency. It’s through the erotic lens that she is beginning to question social structures of her society which contribute to women’s oppression. It’s not a coincidence that most of the women she comes into contact with are those who have taken control of their sexuality, and have found love and fulfilment outside of marriage.
This is why I think LF’s attempts to corrupt Sansa and involve her in the game will be destined to fail. Although Sansa is posing as Alayne Stone, the power associated with her real identity of Sansa Stark is still present and making itself felt:
As the boy’s lips touched her own she found herself thinking of another kiss. She could still remember how it felt, when his cruel mouth pressed down on her own. He had come to Sansa in the darkness as green fire filled the sky. He took a song and a kiss, and left me nothing but a bloody cloak.
It made no matter. That day was done, and so was Sansa.
She had not thought of Jon in ages. He was only her half-brother, but still… with Robb and Bran and Rickon dead, Jon Snow was the only brother that remained to her. I am a bastard too now, just like him. Oh it would be so sweet, to see him once again. But of course that could never be. Alayne Stone had no brothers, baseborn or otherwise.
“Lord Nestor will have no singers at the feast, only flutes and fiddles for the dancing.” What would she do when the music began to play? It was a vexing question to which her heart and head gave different answers. Sansa loved to dance, but Alayne…
Notice that all of these feelings are particularly powerful as they relate to Sansa’s desire for love, family and excitement. Added to this, during Alayne’s conversation with Randa Royce, she is much more interested in pursuing discussion about Lothor’s feelings for Mya. Whilst LF asked Sansa to become Alayne in her heart, she’s managed to actually keep that domain for Sansa, and this is where we see the true strength of her feelings and concerns remain. This is the “heart” of Sansa’s erotic power so to speak, and although she tries to deny these feelings, I think these deeply felt connections and passions will ultimately be responsible for liberating her, not the cold, calculating politics of LF’s world.
To end with Lorde:
In touch with the erotic, I become less willing to accept powerlessness, or those other supplied states of being which are not native to me, such as resignation, despair, self-effacement, depression, self-denial.
Lady Lea
Fabulous, but evil
This is truly wonderful, brashcandy! I am in awe!
Lyanna Stark
My spite was sharp as broken glass
Location:IKEA Empire
<great stuff>
Amazing analysis brashcandy. And a wonderful strong piece arguing for agency as well. I found myself nodding in agreement several times.
Regarding corseque's analysis, it's really interesting and I agree with a lot of it.
Sorry, but Sandor could never, ever in a million years win a fight with Sansa’s strange world-bending mind powers. She is too strong - remember, he’s the one who fled, ashamed and in tears, from her compassion. His nihilistic rants held up like wet tissue paper against Sansa offering him an unselfish, comforting gesture. He spends the whole next book wandering and lost, his world collapsed.
Sansa, meanwhile, continues on, perfectly intact and still dreaming, albeit a step more realistically. (There must be true knights somewhere, just not in King’s Landing. Perhaps Highgarden is the place…)
World-bending mind powers is an awesome concept! :lol:
I don't quite agree that Sansa remains perfectly intact. She's certainly more suspicious of people's motives and less trusting, and she even thinks that she agrees that there are no knights. So he may have infected her back with the cynicism virus. She does seem to strongly have rejected the whole dog-eat-dog (pun intended) nihilistic world view though. People may occasionally be bad, but they can be good too. You just need to find the right ones, and to be realistic about their limitations.
Location:Mexico
Wonderful Brash!! :thumbsup: It’s really well written and it left me with a lot of musings…
It made me question if the UnKiss moment hadn’t happened (and thus Sansa would never had had so far when her marriage to Tyrion occurred ever experienced such a powerful and deep connection with a man) Sansa would have “given in” into Tyrion? After some thought I still think she wouldn’t have because there where many other issued that would still have been present to stop this from happening, but I had never considered that Sansa refused to succumb to Tyrion because deep down she had already experienced an erotic moment (one that had been with a man she preferred however subconsciously at the moment) but “The deep experience of feeling that occurs between them results in the creation of a sensual memory that marks Sansa’s first real expression of sexual agency.”
So if things didn’t work out with Tyrion in part it had to be because they were not equals and never would be. She would have remained the pawn and even if feelings had developed, Tywin was still there, as his ambition (and even Tyrion’s) of having Winterfell after Roose & Rasmay got tired of ruling it in winter, and so no real connection ever occurred between the Imp and Sansa.
Yet with Sandor it’s a whole different thing. She was the one who “mastered” the situation in the end. Sandor’s final breakdown the night of the Blackwater was caused by the tears Sansa’s hymn brought. I am not saying Sansa would like to have Sandor as her pawn, but she can understand that he would not care if she had the power. Here the “no one will ever love me for myself” issue can be applied. Cersei uses her body to try and gain power, but I think Sansa would be quite content in just being with one man if he is the right one even if doesn’t bring her that much political benefits.
It’s wonderful that Sansa has not broken up after her ordeal in KL, and even after being bargained more than once to a marriage alliance that only came to be because of Winterfell or her name, she doesn’t give up hope where love is concerned. Sure, she thinks that no one shall ever love her for herself, but as Brash expressed,
Is it any wonder then that when she’s in the Vale, and hears the cries of Lysa’s pleasure in the marriage bed, that she eventually dreams of the possibility of having her own erotic encounter?
& I agree with bringing Sansa down LF with her erotic agency. Some strong players have succumbed to Petyr where the game is concerned, but feelings may very well be what finishes him off. And by saying that when LF wants Sansa to be Alayne even in her heart, yet Sansa doesn’t allow that, it’s a very good observation since we all think Sansa regards human heart of something of value. If she was a queen she would rule with love, and the thought of being married off yet again for her claim is too much for her.
Regarding Lysa and the wedding night in particular, I read somewhere that a lot of people seem to think Lysa was faking it! That never struck me as necessary, but then I've lived next door to some impressive screamers.'
It must also be a rather stark contrast to Sansa's own wedding night with Tyrion. :uhoh:
Eric v. Melnibonee
Wow, another great post again, Brashcandy!! I already enjoyed reading your Red Keep analysis.
Exactly this is what I highly like in these books: you can re-read them x-times and you will always discover new information or feel more depths in the characters involved.
And above all reading all your amazing thoughts is the chocolate topping.
Kittykatknits
Member of the Oppressive Matriarchy
<100% pure amazingness>
This was a great read. Thank you for putting it together. I have some thoughts on this as well as Lady Lea's post too but it will have to wait until I can sit in front of a computer for more than a couple minutes of time. But, I didn't want to wait until then to say how much I enjoyed reading your post, thank you so much for putting this together.
weaselontherun
Just a quick interruption, I keep seeing that Sansa has been betrothed five time, but I can only remember four: Joffrey, Willas, Tyrion, and now Harry. Who's the fifth betrothal?
I know I was thoughly castigated in VII, however question: How do you come up with 5 betrothals? By my count there was one Joffrey,
Willas. A manipulation by the QoT. Did he even have a clue of his gm's behind the scenes dealings?
That led to a rushed marriage to Tyrion
Sweet Robin The ravings of a mad woman, Lysa, that no one took seriously including Snasa.
HtH: Another plot by LF. There is no public knowledge of it in Vale. Only LF's machinations and his flights of fancy of a Vale/ Nothern alliance.
Am I wrong in this analysis?
Valkyrja
Hweorfing through the Forests of the North
Location:York, North Yorkshire, UK
Just because you as the reader do not take these betrothals seriously, does not mean they weren't serious to Sansa. She truly believed the Willas engagement would go through at the time, and eventually agreed to it, even though it was not her own choice really. She also believed the Sweetrobin betrothal was real enough, at least to her aunt, which is why she got up the courage to confront Lysa about it and actively protest against it. With HtH, I'm not sure that she is taking LF completely at his word, but she is being told to treat the engagement as if it were real, at least, and so must act accordingly once she meets HtH. I think these all 'count' as betrothals she has had to at least process mentally in some way, and each has had its own effect upon Sansa's views of marriage, especially in relation to her lament about no one loving her for herself, only for her claim. After each of these 'sham' engagements (and obviously the 'sham' marriage to Tyrion) she is 'smelling the lie' that so often is marriage amongst the highborn folks of Westeros.
ETA: Popped in to say how much I enjoyed brashcandy's essay -- as usual, I greatly benefit from your Sansa insights. Thank you! :)
I don't mean to hijack this thread, please bear wih me, however another question: How is Sansa's marriage to Tyrion a sham? From what I precieve on his part Tyrion has nothing but respect and observes limits which are in fact set by Sansa. He is (excuse the word) the consumate husband protecting her from all the manipulation and innuendo around them. Shucks in the end he even protects at trial after she flew the coop (couldn't resist a little bird infrence)
Hey everyone! :) I'm really glad you all liked the essay. I do think Lorde's insights work quite well with shedding light on Sansa's arc, and how important it is not to subjugate one's true desires for another person's pleasure. Whenever Sansa has gone on instinct, and followed her heart so to speak, she's been able to effect change. By involving her in more of his plots and getting her to take the approach of "having larger concerns," LF is slowly moving Sansa away from the erotic which has guided her to up to this point.
Another one of Lorde's points is particularly instructive on this:
The dichotomy between the spiritual and the political is also false, resulting from an incomplete attention to our erotic knowledge. For the bridge which connects them is formed by the erotic - the sensual - those physical, emotional, and pyschic expressions of what is deepest and strongest and richest within each of us, being shared, the passions of love in its deepest meanings.
Beyond the superficial, the considered phrase, "It feels right to me," acknowledges the strength of the erotic into a true knowledge, for what that means is the first and most powerful guiding light toward any understanding. And understanding is a handmaiden which can only wait upon, or clarify, that knowledge, deeply horn. The erotic is the nurturer or nursemaid of all our deepest knowledge.
I also noted earlier how I think notion of erotic power applies to Dany's arc as well. Dany's actions throughout ADWD are so frustrating for her personally because she's constantly being pulled in separate directions by different advisors, and is forced into reacting to the daily outrages by the Harpies. Her sexual frustration is symbolic of this disharmony, and when she's fulfilled in bed with Daario, her political life is still in shambles and she is forced to marry Hizdahr. It's not until she reconnects with her essential self - Drogon/the dragon - and experiences a kind of spiritual epiphany in the wilderness, that we see her appearing to have a confident approach to her struggles ahead. Enjoying the horsemeat with Drogon at the end is a powerful erotic moment for Dany, and it's not surprising that Daario, the man who's challenged her to embrace her fullness, and has satisfied her sexually is the one she thinks of positively:
Dany, starved, slid off his back and ate with him, ripping chunks of smoking meat from the dead horse with bare, burned hands,. In Meereen I was a queen in silk, nibbling on stuffed dates and honeyed lamb, she remembered. What would my noble husband think if he could see me now? Hizdahr would be horrified, no doubt. But Daario... Daario wold laugh, carve off a hunk of horsemeat with his arakh,and squat down to eat beside her.
Rapsie
Let us loiter, hand in hand, Hearing but the heart's command
It is seen as a sham because the marriage was set up to fuck her over and steal her claim and inheritance through a Lannister using her body to have his children and usurp her own agreed choice of husband. She knew nothing of the Wedding until a few minutes before it happened.
Had Tyrion agreed to the marriage because he wanted to protect her from being married off to someone awful then I would give him some credit. However it is clear in the text that he wants Winterfell and also very very nearly rapes her, before he finally realises how wrong his actions are. By marrying her he has forced her to become a Lannister prisoner for the rest of her life and ensured that she could never return to Winterfell ever. He could not have protected her from anyone as he cannot even protect himself from his family. By marrying her he also was aware that her brother had to die or that her brother would have no children.
By forcing her to marry him, he was not respecting her choices at all. He does nothing to comfort or help her, even when her brother and mother have been murdered. Just because he uses kindly language towards her, doesn't mean that he is respecting her. Also the marriage only lasts about a month or possibly two, before the PW and although he hasn't consummated it, at the PW it can be argued that he is warming up to the idea of demanding it. Deciding what she needs to know and doesn't need to know is not protecting her, it is infantilsing her. If you read his chapters, they are all about him and what he wants out of the marriage: he never actually truly considers what she maybe wanting or feeling.
Also while he has lofty thoughts about making her smile etc when you look at how he talks about her and thinks of her, he often refers to her in a very derogatory fashion.
Yup Caro :) This is one of the points I was going to make in the essay actually. As you noted, she may have still always rejected Tyrion because she finds his looks so repulsive, but I do find it interesting to consider that her erotic connection with Sandor helps her to subconsciously appreciate just why bedding Tyrion would be so wrong. All she can do is pity Tyrion in that moment and as Martin notes, that's death to desire.
KittensRuleBeetsDrool
Awesome essays from Arya_Nym and Brashcandy! And also thanks for the link to the Tumblr post (not on Tumblr yet because I need more social media like a hole in my head right now...).
I have much to say on both as well as my own essay on what Sansa heard before Littlefinger made Lysa fly - when I have time to post this weekend.
Raspie, It is odd I look at the Tyrion chapter that pretains to T+S marriage and see a man gallant and chivalrous to risk his father's & uncle's ire in argument against the marriage before finally succumbing to the fact he really has no choice . I see a man again chivalrous in the Sansa chapter who first calms Sansa after she has a confrontation with Cersei & Joffrey after the sudden announcment of the marriage to her I see after dinner Tyrion risks everything threatening Joffrey with gelding because Joff makes lewd commentary regarding the "bedding" of Sansa. To top it all of at the end of the chapter paraphrasing here Tyrion "Whenever your ready today, tommorrow, a month, a year"
Sansa "What if I'm never ready" Tyrion "That what whores are for". Where is a rape sentiment in that?
Summerqueen
Raspie, It is odd I look at the Tyrion chapter that pretains to T+S marriage and see a man gallant and chivalrous to risk his father's & uncle's ire in argument against the marriage before finally succumbing to the fact he really has no choice . I see a man again chivalrous in the Sansa chapter who first calms Sansa after she has a confrontation with Cersei & Joffrey after the sudden announcment of the marriage to her I see after dinner Tyrion risks everything threatening Joffrey with gelding because Joff makes lewd commentary regarding the "bedding" of Sansa. To top it all of at the end of the chapter paraphrasing here Tyrion "Whenever your ready today, tommorrow, a month, a year"
I thought your gripe was against the term "sham"? The marriage is a sham on a number of fronts.
1. Joff is not the legitimate son of Robert, so he is not the legal king, and Sansa and her family would not grant that he has the right to take her as his ward and marry her off. To anyone. Not just to Tyrion.
2. The idea that Tyrion can protect her from his family is also a lie. Tyrion admits this himself. He cannot even protect himself from them, and when it comes to standing against his father, he always , always toes the line. He may bluster, but in the end, he cannot protect her. It is Tywin reigning in Joffrey, not Tyrion.
3. Further, for all that people like to claim that Tyrion kept Sansa from being used by others in the Game, it is Sansa who transports the poison to the QoT, and Sansa is still LF's pawn, despite any of Tyrion's intentions.
4. Her marriage to Tyrion causes an unreparable rift between her and Robb. By the time he dies, he has completely turned his back on her as a suspected Lannister pawn.
She has no attachment to Tyrion, she never consented to it (despite Tyrion's intentions, Cersei has already threatened her in such a way that she knows she can't refuse), and her marriage to him would not be approved by her family, so how can she see it as anything other than a sham? It is false at not only the emotional level, but also political and economic levels.
Whatever the reader thinks of Tyrion, there is no true component to any aspect of this match. It is against her own wishes, her family's wishes, her own interest, the interest of her family. It gives her no social or political advantage to marry him. Where's the solid foundation? Because Tyrion is more decent to her than required doesn't mean that he lives up to the expectation or responsibility of a real husband.
Legal or not Joff has the Iron Throne at the time. All this takes in KL a Lannister/Tyrell power base no one there is openly disputing Joff's kingship. The Stark's have been attained as traitors thereby losing any right to dictate who Sansa may or may not marry.
I don't disagree it is Tywin reigning by proxy. Tyrion cannot openly be to defiant in public there are consequences. At least until the crossbow incident, then who walks away?
What does the hairnet have to do with anything at this point? It has nothing to do with Tyrion or their marriage. It was given to Sansa long before that Dontos.
There was nothing either Sansa nor Tyrion could do about that. It wouldn't have made difference if Tyrion didn't relent to the marriage Tywin and Kevan would have a more willing dupe and Sansa would have been worse off. There would still be a rift between Sansa and Robb.
Her family's wishes & interest are moot as noted above as are her wishes. Looking at it in a prudential light it is in Sansa's interest at least she knows what she is getting and what is expected of her. If she refused (which I think would not be possible) she could of ended up whatever dreg Tywin could come up with.
Sigh. Time for another Mrs Sansa Lannister thread?
1. When Tywin presented the idea for Tyrion, he told him that he wanted a Lannister marriage for Sansa, because she was the heir to Winterfell (that is, once he finished killing her family). And then Tywin started telling stories that no one would want to marry Tyrion (even though he's immensely rich? yeah right), but he could go for Lollys if he wanted (Tyrion refused because she was sooo disgusting). And then Tywin talked up Sansa. Tyrion was like, yeah, "sweet smelling Sansa". He thought about everything that would come along with that banging body of hers. And so he agreed. Again, he could have refused. But why refuse a chance of getting a pretty wife AND a castle, eh? I don't really see the chilvary there. Also, yeah, Sansa could have been given to another Lannister who would have consummated the marriage, but Tyrion not consummating was only a freak incident, It never even crossed his mind until he saw the revulsion in Sansa's eyes (after he had fondled her naked breasts).
2. Where does he calm her before the wedding? Cersei had already made plain that it was the king's order that Sansa would be married to Tyrion and that she'd go dragged, kicking and screaming to the altar if necessary. So Tyrion shows up 5 minutes before the wedding and says "oh not, not really, we don't really have to do this if you don't want to". Cersei had already TOLD her what Sansa had to do. Tyrion was only trying to convince himself that this was something that Sansa was ok with.
3. The rape sentiment in the wedding night was that he had every intention of consummating the marriage, he got naked and so did she, he said "we should do our duty", and then fondled her breasts, and he was very much aroused so we know he was into it. It's only when he notices that she looks completely revulsed by the whole thing that he realises what he's doing and stops. And then when she tells him she'll never want him he gets all bitter. At the PW we already see him toying with the idea of "demanding a bedding" from her.
4. As to the gelding threat, it makes it clear that Tyrion didn't really have that much power over Joffrey, not enough to stop him when he eventually did want Sansa in his bed. But, yes, it's always nice to hear someone put Joff in his place.
Basically the whole marriage was a big shit sandwich to Sansa. Not to mention it made her a Lannister (that is, part of the family that destroyed hers), ended her dreams of having a good husband and kids, and was also a really perverse notion that turned her body into the symbol of Lannister victory over the Starks. By giving Sansa to Tyrion, who was considered a "vile dwarf" by most of the realm, Tywin was effecting another of his sexualised punishments, it was the ultimate humiliation for the Starks. Even Cat and Robb thought they'd probably kill Sansa after they had an heir out of her.
Her family's wishes & interest are moot as noted above as are her wishes. Looking at it in a prudential light it is in Sansa's interest at least she knows what she is getting and what is expected of her. If she refused (which I think would not be possible) she could of ended up whatever dreg Tywin could come up with.
Regardless of these opinions (realpolitik does not determine legality or truth), there is ample evidence of why anyone would view the marriage as a sham. What makes a marriage a sham? There are number of factors, depending on who you ask. Personally, does one of the people involved lack the feelings necessary to keep a marriage going? Yes. Does one of the people involves forsake the vows taken? Yes. Is the marriage legal? Her family would argue that it is not legal. Has it been consummated? No. Has there been coercion? Yes.
Fact: Whatever the reality, Joffrey is not a Baratheon, and Lannisters have not legitimately won the war contesting their right to the throne. This factors into the question of legality of the marriage. When/if the Lannisters are deposed, few will agree that this marriage was legal.
Fact: Sansa was not protected by the marriage from the Lannisters. They used her, and LF was not prevented from doing so by her change of status. This idea of protection was your argument for why the marriage was not a sham, but it ignores the facts.
Argue until you are blue in the face about the reality of Westerosi politics, people are right to call the marriage a sham because it is based on falsity of every sort.
The arguments over Tyrion and Sansa will be neverending it seems :) However, weaselontherun, I hope the responses by Summerqueen and Lady Lea will suffice, since this thread is not designed to hash out arguments over Tyrion's culpability.
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Home Featured - AZ Nashville Predators’ season on the brink after Stars’ top line dominates Game...
Nashville Predators’ season on the brink after Stars’ top line dominates Game 5
Alex Daugherty
The Nashville Predators season is on the verge of its conclusion after the Dallas Stars won 5-3 in Game 5 on Saturday.
The Stars scored three times in the 2nd and twice in the 3rd to keep the Preds at bay despite a loud Bridgestone Arena atmosphere. The Preds had the lead early on, but they had no answer for the Stars’ top line.
“They are good players,” Filip Forsberg said of the Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov line after the game. “But at the same time we were playing a little too soft defensively. And obviously a couple of breakdowns on the goals. But yeah, they played a good game.”
“You know that they are dangerous players,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of the Stars’ top line. “The mistakes that we made were obvious and once they were made, they were in the back of our net.”
That line combined for seven points on the night and created some of the better offense for the Stars.
At the other end, the Preds just couldn’t get enough quality chances on Ben Bishop to keep up. Peter Laviolette acknowledged that the Preds’ offense was unable to get it done, but also knows where the most important breakdowns were for his team.
“There were looks, there were chances. At the end of the night, I don’t know if it’s going to be a lack of chances or a lack of shots or a lack of attempts or a lack of quality chances, all of that is going to be there. I think when we look back on this game, we’re gonna look at the mistakes we made and realize that that’s what we have to clean up.”
An Early Lead Disappears Quickly
The Stars started this game the way they wanted. They had an aggressive forecheck and forced the Preds in their zone for much of the first 10 minutes.
But the Preds broke through first after Rocco Grimaldi took a transition pass from Roman Josi and buried it past Ben Bishop.
Can’t stop this kid! @RGrimaldi23 with the opening goal in Game 5 for the #Preds.
(via @NHLGIFs) pic.twitter.com/xlZ61e2MXm
— AtoZSports Nashville (@AtoZSports) April 20, 2019
That certainly got the Bridgestone Arena crowd going, but the Stars answered on a goal by Jason Dickinson. Too much time in the Preds zone allowed Roope Hintz to make a nice pass from behind the goal line to Dickinson, who was wide open in the slot.
Pekka Rinne had to clean up more than just a few Preds defensive mistakes in order to keep the game even after 20 minutes.
The 2nd period was a virtual disaster for the Preds. Alexander Radulov scored 40 seconds into the period off a brilliant pass by Tyler Seguin. Then he scored again about six minutes later to make it 3-1 Stars.
Though Ryan Johansen made it 3-2 with a beautiful top shelf goal over Ben Bishop, the Stars responded again. Tyler Seguin took a pass from Jamie Benn and pocketed home an easy goal by Pekka Rinne to make it 4-2.
The Stars’ top line had its way with the Preds’ top line all night. They combined for seven points and were involved in three of the Stars’ five goals.
Jason Dickinson gave the Stars a three goal lead early in the 3rd period. That might have sealed it for the Stars. Though Kyle Turris got the Preds back within two scores a few minutes later, the Stars held fast for the rest of the game.
Game 6 Prediction?
Though the team we all watched on the ice on Saturday looked quite over-matched, there was a decidedly positive spin on the Preds’ current situation by two key members of the locker room.
Pekka Rinne, who didn’t play awful in the game, finishing with 21 saves on 26 shots, thinks the team still has a chance to win the series.
“It sounds like the series is already done with, which it’s not,” Rinne said after the game. “It’s far from that. We still have a lot of life left. Like I said, I feel like for us it’s a good situation, we know that we haven’t done our best, we haven’t played our best. There’s a lot of room to improve.”
#Preds goalie Pekka Rinne: “We still have a lot of life left.” pic.twitter.com/PQ9vZ78z8n
The most interesting quote of the night came from Peter Laviolette himself. He gave what can only be considered a “guarantee” of the Preds returning home next Wednesday for Game 7.
“We’ve been put in these situations and positions before. They’ve answered the bell, they’ll answer the bell in Game 6 and we’ll bring it back here.”
Did #Preds coach Peter Laviolette call a G6 victory here? Certainly seems like it. pic.twitter.com/A685cKRViW
It’s hard to see where Laviolette sees this group as capable of winning two straight against the Stars at this point. But give him and Rinne marks for confidence following the Nashville Predators worse loss on home ice since last year’s Game 7 against the Jets.
— Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports —
https://atozsportsnashville.com/nashville-predators-season-on-brink-dallas-stars-game-5/
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Alex is a Nashville Predators writer for A to Z Sports Nashville. Prior to writing for A to Z Sports, he was the co-managing editor for the SB Nation Preds blog "On The Forecheck". He is a lifelong Nashville native and has been writing about the Preds since 2014.
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“Turn Down” For Ferguson? Leaders Seek Help From Students Over Spring Break
NewsOne Staff
Demonstrators remember Michael Brown with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march from the apartment complex where he was killed to the Ferguson police station on January 19, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer August 9, 2014. His death caused months of sometimes violent protests in the St. Louis area and sparked nationwide outcry against use of excessive force by police. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that some college students like to, well, “turn up,” over spring break. But, some activists in Ferguson, Mo., are asking students to “turn down,” for civic action.
The Guardian is reporting that activist leaders in the St. Louis suburb are looking to sign up 250 young people for a week of “community service and civic engagement,” including registering new voters, running food banks and cleaning up streets.
The move comes nearly two months after a grand jury sparked ongoing demonstrations when it failed to indict then-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teen, after a brief confrontation over the summer.
SEE ALSO: UPDATED: Man Who Travels 21 Miles To Work Receives New Car, $351,000 From Donors [VIDEO]
“Maybe there were some people who had planned to go down to Miami or Acapulco, and now see that there is something bigger,” Patricia Bynes, a Democratic committeewoman for the town and a co-founder of the Ferguson alternative spring break program, told the Guardian:
Bynes said the week would not simply be a continuation of the protests that spread from the region in August to New York, California and elsewhere around the U.S. “The movement needs to be more than die-ins, more than ‘shutting it down’,” Bynes said.
Nor will it be a chance for inexpensive frat-style festivities, however. “This is not ‘come party in St Louis and take a selfie at the Mike Brown memorial’,” said Bynes. “This about giving back to the community. Should people decide not to engage, they’ll forfeit the benefits.”…
The Ferguson alternative spring break is scheduled to run for five week-long sessions in March and April. After funding their own travel to Ferguson, students would be provided with accommodation, food and transportation during the program in return for a $100 charge.
The campaign’s slogan be “Turn Down for Ferguson.” We hope there are a lot of takers for this important effort.
This Year’s Grammys Was A Mess: Kanye Was Right, Beyonce Was Wrong, And The Winners [VIDEO]
#Ferguson Cops Testing New Non-Lethal Weapon (VIDEO)
Young Ferguson Activists Take Black Celebrities To Task For Their Noninvolvement In the Protests
“Turn Down” For Ferguson? Leaders Seek Help From Students Over Spring Break was originally published on newsone.com
Darren Wilson , Ferguson , Ferguson Protests , ferguson spring break , Mike Brown
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With the looping capabilities of the ND6 formula language, you can now compute holidays that are not on a fixed day of the year. For example, in the US there are holidays like Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November), Labor Day (1st Monday in September), and Memorial Day (last Monday in May). I'll show you a reusable block of formula language that will compute any of these holidays.
First, you need some fields that define what you're looking for. The reusable code uses 3 number fields: WeekNum holds a number from 1 to 5 which lists the week number. 1 means the first week of the month, 4 means the 4th week of the month, and 5 means the last week of the month. Huh? Look at your calendar for May of 2004. The 4th Monday is May 24th, and the last Monday is May 31st. The 4th Tuesday is May 25th, and the last Tuesday is May 25th (the same day). So, sometimes the 4th "whatever" of the month is the same as the last, and sometimes it isn't. In the US, Memorial Day is the last Monday of May, so it's on the 31st in 2004.
The second field is WeekdayNum. This is the number of the day of the week, just like @Weekday returns. So Sunday is 1, Monday is 2, and so on, until Saturday which is 7.
The third field is MonthNum and is exactly what you would expect. 1 stands for January, 2 for February, and so on, through 12 for December.
This formula computes the next upcoming date according to those 3 fields. In other words, if it's June and you're looking for the first Tuesday in March, it will return the first Tuesday of March next year. But if you're looking for the third Wednesday in July, it will return the third Wednesday in July this year. If you give values for WeekNum, WeekdayNum, or MonthNum that are invalid (not numbers, or outside the bounds) then it returns an empty string (something that isn't a date).
Here's the formula for the computed for display (or computed) field:
CheckWeek := @If(!@IsNumber(WeekNum); @Return(""); WeekNum < 1; @Return(""); WeekNum > 5; @Return(""); 0);
CheckWeekday := @If(!@IsNumber(WeekdayNum); @Return(""); WeekdayNum < 1; @Return(""); WeekdayNum > 7; @Return(""); 0);
CheckMonth := @If(!@IsNumber(MonthNum); @Return(""); MonthNum < 1; @Return(""); MonthNum > 12; @Return(""); 0);
@For(Year := @Year(@Today); Year <= @Year(@Today)+1; Year := Year+1;
Holiday := @Date(Year; MonthNum; 1);
TempDate := @Adjust(@Adjust(Holiday; 0; 1; 0; 0; 0; 0); 0; 0; -1; 0; 0; 0);
DaysInMonth := @Day(TempDate);
@While(@Weekday(Holiday) != WeekdayNum;
Holiday := @Adjust(Holiday; 0; 0; 1; 0; 0; 0)
LowDay := @If(WeekNum = 1; 1; WeekNum = 2; 8; WeekNum = 3; 15; WeekNum = 4; 22; DaysInMonth-6);
HighDay := @If(WeekNum = 1; 7; WeekNum = 2; 14; WeekNum = 3; 21; WeekNum = 4; 28; DaysInMonth);
@While(@Day(Holiday) < LowDay;
@While(@Day(Holiday) > HighDay;
Holiday := @Adjust(Holiday; 0; 0; -7; 0; 0; 0)
Holiday := @If(Holiday < @Today; ""; Holiday);
Year := @If(@IsTime(Holiday); Year+9; Year)
Let's take a look at the code in detail. The first three lines make sure our variables are within bounds. If not, exit and set the field value to an empty string. Next, we're going to loop through this year and next year. This will assure that we get a date in the future. I first try this same year and compute the date. At the bottom of the @For loop, the date is compared to @Today. If it's in the past, the value is blanked out and I go on to the next year. But if it's the current date or in the future, I add 9 more to the variable Year (which will get us out of the @For loop immediately) and use the date I computed in the current year.
Inside the loop, I set a date to the first of the month to be processed. Then I adjust by one month forward and then one day backward. This gives us the last of the month to be processed, so I know how many days are in the month. Next, I adjust from the first of the month forward until we're on the right day of the week. So if the first is on a Thursday and we're looking for the "nth" Monday (no matter what "n" is) I'll adjust 4 days at the start to get the variable Holiday to be set on a Monday.
Next, the variables LowDay and HighDay are computed. These are the bounds we're working with, based on the week of the month. For example, if you want the 2nd "whatever" of the month, then the day of the month is always going to be between 8 and 14 (look at your calendar). For the last "whatever" of the month, the range is 6 before the last day of the month (25 if there are 31 days in the month) and the last day of the month.
Then a couple of @While loops adjust a week at a time (remember, earlier we set the date to the right day of the week) until we're in that range. Once I get it in the range, then check to see the date is in the future, as mentioned earlier. Finally, once the outer loop is done, I return the computed date as the field value.
Give it a try. Create a form with 3 editable number fields: WeekNum, WeekdayNum, and MonthNum. Then create a computed date field called whatever you want with the above as its formula. Test the form, put in numbers for the 3 editable fields and press F9 to compute the date.
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January 29, 2019 January 29, 2019 bloodyflicksblog
Chucky TV series coming to SyFy will continue film storyline
The Don Mancini produced Chucky TV series has found its home, with SyFy today announced an 8 episode first season.
Nick Antosca, producer of the recently cancelled Channel Zero is on board too as Executive Producer alongside long term franchise stalwart David Kirschner.
Brad Dourif will once again reprise his role as Charles Lee Ray aka Chucky, in a story that will keep to the story of the seven film series and not be linked to the upcoming Child’s Play remake.
Mancini stated in a press release,
“I’ve long wanted to bring Chucky to television and Syfy is the perfect network for us.
“The show will be a fresh take on the franchise, allowing us to explore Chucky’s character with a depth that is uniquely afforded by the television series format, while staying true to the original vision that has terrorized audiences for over three decades now.”
Chucky was last seen finally getting into human form in the finale of Cult of Chucky and escaping with Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany, leaving the possibilities for new sequels and the series wide open.
Where would you like to see the TV series pick up from? Let us know in the comments.
Child's Play TV series
SyFy channel
Previous The Ted Bundy Tapes is essential viewing for true crime fans
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Supporting girls with children’s books around International Day of the Girl
Willow Willpower by Sarah Cannata, a new picture book from eco-friendly publisher blOOturtle, is being released on 11 October 2018 to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl. The day highlights and addresses the needs and challenges girls face while promoting the empowerment of girls and fulfilment of their human rights.
“The UN’s 2018 theme for this day is ‘With Her: A Skilled GirlForce’ and revolves around today’s generation of girls preparing to enter a world of work that’s being transformed by innovation and automation. Willow Willpower promotes the message of kids having faith in themselves and their dreams. It empowers kids to believe they can achieve anything they want to,” said Sarah Cannata, founding editor of This Woman Can, an online newshub and digital magazine that helps young people and women to realise and maximise their career and life potential.
Like the book “The Meadow” by Susan Bagdach, Willow Willpower’s focus is on self-fulfilment and the courage to stand up for one’s dreams.
“You cannot encourage people to stand up for themselves enough. I love helping children by telling them stories that revolve around them being good enough, just the way they are.” said Susan Bagdach, founder of the intercultural Women and Girls Health Center IFMGZ HOLLA e.V.
For blOOturtle, the above is reason enough to support girls in different ways
Between 8 to 21 October 2018, blOOturtle will highlight female pioneers via its website and Facebook page in honour of International Day of the Girl and to motivate and inspire young children. A set of beautiful cards will be available to print for free. The publisher will also donate 1 Euro (approx. AUD $1,60) per book sold online on blOOturtle.com/books to Plan International’s project “Safer cities for girls” in India for books in English and to Federal Association of Women’s Health Centers for books in German between this period.
Learn more of Plan International’s project >>>
Learn more about the Federal Association of Women’s Health Centers >>>
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Safer Cities for girls - in India
For every English book purchased online here, 1 Euro will be donated to this project between the 8 – 21 October 2018
CREATING SAFER CITIES WITH AND FOR GIRLS
The Safer Cities for Girls programme has been developed with partner organisations UN-Habitat and Women in Cities International.
The programme goal is to build safe, accountable, and inclusive cities with and for adolescent girls (aged 13-18). The expected outcomes of the programme include increased safety and access to public spaces, increased active and meaningful participation in urban development and governance and increased autonomous mobility in the city for girls.
The programme provides girls with a platform to discuss the issues they face and the opportunity to provide input into the development of their cities. It is essential that girls are listened to so their specific needs around sanitation, education, public spaces, transport and access to city services are addressed.
Safer Cities for Girls works to tackle unequal power relations and challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate the insecurity and exclusion of girls in cities. The programme works with governments and institutions, families and communities, and girls and boys themselves so they can become active citizens and effective change-makers.
Discrimination and harmful attitudes that perpetuate abuse and harassment of girls are not limited to urban areas. Our programmes help girls learn about gender equality and their right to safety, wherever they live.
Some Examples of the programme
Deema*, 14 The programme hepls to better dealing with the daily safety challenges
Deema*, 14, lives in a slum resettlement scheme in south Delhi. She got involved with Plan International’s Safer Cities programme more than a year ago and has learnt a lot about dealing with many of the safety challenges that she and other girls face on a daily basis.
“Sexual harassment is a daily reality for girls in my neighbourhood. We feel safe nowhere. If my family could afford to relocate to a better area, we would. But most people in my community are poor. Parents can’t afford to send their children to better schools or move to safer neighbourhoods.
Our only hope to turn our lives around is by getting an education. However, we can’t even learn without fear. We are routinely harassed by boys and men on our way to school. Even at school boys throw stones at us through the windows in our classrooms.”
Rajni*, 19 Plan International's Free to Be city safety maps to pin 'good' areas
Plan International’s Free to Be city safety maps, created in collaboration with Australia’s Monash University and the online mapping provider CrowdSpot, are now live in Delhi (India). Girls and young women are encouraged to use the web-based map of their city by dropping a purple ‘good’ pin on areas where they feel safe and an orange ‘bad’ pin on the locations where
they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
The girls can then provide a description as to why they like or dislike that part of the city, including details any incidents they experienced there.
“Girls must be able to feel safe in all places, whether it is college, bus stand, school or at work. If they are safe they can achieve so much in their lives. They can become doctors, police inspectors, teachers… and fulfil their dreams.”
Aarti*, 18 Through Safer Cities programme confident of potential
Aarti*, 18, lives in a slum resettlement scheme in south Delhi with her parents and three younger brothers. She is a commerce undergraduate hopes to become an accountant.
“Every day when I go for my tuitions, I face the nightmare of walking past groups of boys standing on street corners. They call me names and try to attract my attention. I just ignore them and keep to myself. The fact that the street lights don’t function properly makes it dangerous for girls like me to move around in the evening. It’s frightening. I don’t want to be attacked, it’s my biggest fear.
I am studying hard to be an accountant and I don’t want to sacrifice my ambitions and give up my hopes for a better future because of the safety challenges I face every day. It’s very important for girls like me to complete an education and have a career if we want to better our lives. Ever since I became a part of the Safer Cities programme, I’ve become confident of my own potential.”
*Name has been changed in-line with Plan India’s policy of removing the identity of all contributors under the age of 24
For every german book purchased online here, 1 Euro will be dontated to the girls projects of the Federal Association of Women Health Centers between the 8 – 21. october 2018
Federal Association of Women Health Centers
For Girls in Germany
Although there are so many good organizations worldwide, blOOturtle has decided to help the girls also locally, regionally and nationally. That is why the donations for books in german go this year to the girls aid from the Federal Association of Women’s Health Centers e.V.
The Federal Association currently networks 16 women’s health centers. He is a member of the National Women and Health Network, the European Women’s Health Network (EWHNet) and Associate Member of the Federal Association of Patient Centers (BAGP). Representatives of the Federal Association are involved in the expert discussion on women’s health in the Federal Ministry of Health and in the Women’s Health Working Group of the Federal Center for Health Education (BzgA).
The goal is to provide girls and women with good information about the body, sexuality and health problems, to encourage them to live independently so that they can freely decide their health and their body.
In a sheltered environment, girls and women can learn, share and learn to embrace and appreciate their body and experience many opportunities to handle their health responsibly and to be empowered in their daily lives.
In September 2011, the BV for his decades of commitment with the Salomon Neumann Medal of the German Society for Social medicine and prevention e.V.
Women Pioneers
Some extraordinary women…
Willow Willpower has big dreams. Ever since she can remember, she’s dreamt of flying high in the sky. When Willow’s mum takes her daughter to the local museum, Willow gets to know the aviation legend, Amelia Earhart. It soon becomes obvious to her: she wants to become a pilot like Amelia and travel around the world.
Willow inspires children of all ages to dream big, thanks to female pioneers like Amelia who have paved the way…. Let’s honor some of the most impressive women of all time to pass the inspiration to all the little Willows out there. And to us!
Let’s have a look:
Amelia Earheart Aviation Pioneer, author, feminist
Willow Willpower’s hero Amelia Earhart:
Amelia was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Amelia-Earhart.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Amelia-Earhart.pdf
Marie Curie Physicist and Chemist
Marie Curie was the first woman who have won a nobel prize and still is the only woman who has won a Nobel prize in two different sciences (Physics and Chemie)
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Marie-Curie.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Marie-Curie.pdf
MALALA YOUSAFZAI Activist for female education
The youngest woman who has won the Peace Nobel prize after the assassination in a school bus. Chapeau for a girl with unlimited courage!
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Malala-Yousafzai.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Malala-Yousafzai.pdf
Oprah Winfrey Talk show host, actress, entrepreneur
Today she is the most known female talk show host, the first afro-american billionaire and one of the most powerful enterpreneur in US…but also one of the biggest philantropes (approx. 300 million US$ for donations, founding Leadership academy for disadvantaged girls in south africa, etc)
Rosa Parks American civil rights activist
The refusal to vacate the seat on the bus for whites is considered as the beginning of the black civil rights movement
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Rosa-Parks.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Rosa-Parks.pdf
Mother Teresa Sister and Missionary
The sister became the mother when she laid the foundation for a new religious community helping the “poorest among the poor“.
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Mother-Teresa.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Mutter-Teresa.pdf
Coco Chanel The fashion designer ahead of time
The woman that brought the pants to women and the „Little Black Dress“ – a woman ahead of its (fashion) times
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Coco-Chanel.pdf
Zainab Salbi Humanitarian, media host, author, Founder of "Women for Women"
The woman who dedicates her life for women in the aftermath of war
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Zainab-Salbi.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Zainab-Salbi.pdf
Aretha Franklin Singer, Songwriter, Civil Rights Activist, Actress, Pianist
The „Queen of Soul“ received not only numerous honors, but was involved in the struggle for civil rights and women rights as well as Native American rights.
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Aretha-Franklin.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Aretha-Franklin.pdf
Yunko Tabei Mountaineer, Everest-Pioneer
The first woman who climbed the Mount Everest and received the Seven Summits! But also environmentally involved she “cleaned up“ while climbing.
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Junko-Tabei.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Junko-Tabei.pdf
Frida Kahlo Artist
Frida Kahlo is the most famous artist in Mexico, if not in Latin America
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Frida-Kahlo.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Frida-Kahlo.pdf
Valentina Tereschkowa Cosmonaut
A trained seamstress flies into space, as the first woman in the world
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Valentina-Tereschkowa.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Valentina-Tereschkowa.pdf
Wangari Maathai Environmental Activist
In 2004, the environmental activist was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Wangari-Maathai.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Wangari-Maathai.pdf
Olympe de Gouges Revolutionary, Feminist, Writer
She is the author of the Declaration of Rights of the Woman and Citizen of 1791.
Get the set card here: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-GB_1-Olymp-de-Gouges.pdf
in german: https://blooturtle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Set-cards_A4-D_1-Olymp-de-Gouges.pdf
Children's books for the International Day for the Girl
Beautiful and motivational…
DREAM BIG!
Recommended Age: 3-8yrs
Willow inspires children of all ages to dream big, all while whisking them around the globe. Discover some of the most famous places in the world alongside Willow as she takes you high in the sky.
Buy it to donate
EVERYONE, EVERY FLOWER IS UNIQUE – BELIEVE IN YOU!
Recommended Age: 3-10yrs
The meadow is full of harmony and full of blue flowers. The grass is bright green, the flowers are blue and have approximately the same height. If once in a while a flower grows here which looks differentely, it will drink ink to be blue as the others. But one day there is a big flower which just can’t turn blue. What happens now?
An extraordinary children’s’ book with wonderful images about the abundance of life, dealing with exclusion and finding the courage to stand up for yourself. Available in German Only.
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← “The NFL has always been a dream of mine.”
A good time is had by all. →
Mark Richt has lost control over losing control.
So, I finished drinking the Kool-Aid last night – quite tasty, thank you for asking – and finally stopped pinching myself before I went to bed.
And in the cold light of day, I’m still stunned.
The speed at which this came together continues to amaze me. A week ago, we’re arguing with each other about how Richt’s wish for defensive continuity is going to play out this season. Grantham flees Athens last Sunday, leaving us to fret about the process for finding his successor, as well as who that successor will be. But we barely had time to fret! (Schlabach told 680 The Fan yesterday that Richt learned of Grantham’s move at four o’clock that day and had settled on Pruitt as the guy to go after by five.)
Mark Richt snatched victory from the jaws of malaise. He is receiving deserved acclaim for acting so decisively. In fact, I’d call it near-universal acclaim. Outside of the FSU fan base, I honestly can’t find any criticism of the move, not from the media, other coaches, even that part of the fan base that has been steadily critical of Richt (when’s the last time that happened, eh?).
I mean, consider where things have wound up now that the dust has settled. Georgia has swapped Todd Grantham for Jeremy Pruitt, literally, for the same contract terms, and gotten a defensive coordinator with a better recent track record on the field and who is a better recruiter. And in the bargain, has gotten all that without having to make a major disruption to its defensive scheme. That’s about as good as it gets.
It’s so good that it’s making me a little nervous, honestly. Since when does Georgia get this golden? This is the home of funky karma and playing it safe and slow. But I’ll put that aside for now. Let’s look at a few specifics that are worth getting excited about.
Hey, maybe Georgia isn’t such a bad place to be after all. Louisville isn’t toxic, but Bobby Petrino obviously has a tough sell to make when he hires staff. That’s why it took the most ridiculous contract in college athletics to get Todd Grantham to jump ship. Pruitt decided to leave FSU a week after winning a national title for a contract worth half of Grantham’s. Whatever you think about Richt as a head coach, you’d have to say he’s still got the ability to attract quality coaching talent. Hopefully that’s a meme we can dispose of for a while.
Recharging the program’s batteries. That being said, this had all the makings of a somewhat sober offseason. The 2013 season was a bummer, from the final record to all the injuries. There’s no question that for much of the fan base the bloom had worn off the Grantham rose. I’m not saying that Richt’s decision to keep on keeping on with the defensive staff was a fatal call – there would have been no way to know that for sure until the 2014 season got underway – but it sure wasn’t lighting much of a fire under anyone. Today, we’re in a very different place. The fan base is pumped up and united for the most part. More importantly, from what I gather, you can say the same thing about the players.
Music to my ears. Georgia’s got plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball. And Grantham, whatever faults you want to lay at his feet, wasn’t a dummy. But when you’ve got players having as much trouble getting in position in the bowl game as they did in the season opener, things clearly weren’t working right. So let me say that I flat-out love hearing stuff like this about Pruitt: “He was as good as anybody I’ve been with in the press box in the National Football League and in college ball,” said Sal Sunseri, an assistant on that 2009 Alabama team who now works as Florida State’s defensive ends coach. “He knows exactly how to put the guys in place and knew how to make adjustments. & That’s how we won.” That is some first class Dawg porn for this blogger, ladies and gentlemen. Excuse me while I wipe up this drool…
More music. Tell me, when’s the last time you heard a Georgia defender talk about his coordinator like this: “He taught us the ins and outs of everything,” Florida State safety Terrence Brooks said recently. “Just the way to pursue to the ball, the way to go get the ball, everything you can think about in football he’s taught us. He really broke the game down to us as to why we’re running this type of defense. “He makes you understand it so much better and I feel like everyone bought into it and that’s why we’re so successful.” Damn it, where did I put that towel?
If you act now, we’ll include this as a special bonus! I’m thrilled with Pruitt the teacher and schemer. Finding out that he’s one of the top recruiters in the country is icing on the cake. Is this Richt’s best staff ever from a recruiting standpoint? Time will tell, but it sure seems like you can make that argument. Given this – “Pruitt already has impressed the Georgia staff with his knowledge of the Bulldogs’ recruiting prospects.” – it may not take that much time, either.
Kirby Smart. Who cares?
Greg McGarity. A better DC, an energized fan base, all without having to spend a penny more in a market like this? Wipe that shit eating grin off your face, man. And don’t forget to take care of Bobo now that you’ve gotten to keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.
Mark Richt, winner. He made it happen and he deserves the credit he’s getting. If Ivan Maisel’s perception (“that Georgia gave him a three-year deal is a good indication that head coach Mark Richt plans to stay at least that long, a good sign for the Dawgs”) is common – and I don’t buy it, by the way – then this is as good a way to dispel the doubters as I can think of. More importantly, he proved himself to be decisive in a crisis, and by that I don’t just mean finding a new DC. I don’t believe in the conspiracy theories floating around that this whole deal was engineered by Richt from the get go, because there’s no way he could count on the good fortune of a desperate Petrino to put the wheels in motion, but I am convinced that he intended to hold Grantham’s feet to the fire this season, and that Grantham was fully aware of it.
There was obviously plenty going on behind the scenes that we’re never going to be made fully aware of, but that’s water under the bridge now. The program is in a better place today and that’s something to celebrate. At least until we want to start complaining about what’s being done to fix the problems on special teams, that is. But that can wait. Let’s savor the moment for a little while, okay?
Tagged as Mark Richt
148 responses to “Mark Richt has lost control over losing control.”
Herschel Talker
It’s been a while since I felt much excitement about Georgia football. Feels good, man…
Summed up neatly. Thanks Senator.
Question: It appears that everyone in our athletic department from ADGM to CMR was unhappy with Grantham and the direction of the defense. That being said, why didn’t our head coach make things happen by firing Grantham? Why does he have such a hard time of firing people?
Why is it such a big deal to a certain part of the fan base that Richt “make things happen”? Especially after a day when he clearly did?
IAmAGurleyMan
Richt most definitely saved the day. And for that he deserves all the kudos in the world. With that said, if we had the ability to get Jeremy Pruitt, who is clearly an upgrade, I think the question, which is a fair one, is why wouldn’t Richt make that happen without waiting for Grantham to leave? It’s as if Richt was content with the mediocrity, but when he had no choice, then he was able to make magic happen. I think it’s more than a fair question to wonder why a coach who wants to win would not make that magic happen on his own volition. This gets to the heart of his hunger and his management style. And let’s not talk about money – the reality is that if Richt wants a coach gone badly enough, McGarity would surely make it happen regardless of the financial impact.
Unless you know what was going on behind the scenes, you have no idea whether the question was fair or otherwise. Do you? Or is this just how you prefer to think things operate?
sUGArdaddy
Bingo. What we don’t know is how the conversation with Grantham and ADGM went when Richt met with both. My guess is the Senator is right and Grantham started shopping for a sweeter deal. I think Richt probably made it clear he wasn’t going to make it a fun year on the D and D staff and “You know, Todd, if you get a better offer, you might want to consider it.” I don’t mind that. I don’t think he wanted Todd to have the stigma of being fired because it hadn’t gotten THAT bad yet in his mind.
My Lord, I’m so excited about watching an exciting and attacking defense.
Your statement backs my point. Why not just fire the incompetent boob rather than hoping he gets a sweeter deal upon being suggested to look for one?
IndyDawg
So, you think our AD would have been willing to payout TG’s contract to fire him AND sign up for another 3 year $850K contract for a new DC? I suspect the answer is “No”. In this scenario, CMR was playing the hand he was dealt and TG fortunately folded. Then CMR played a new winning hand. See, there are lots of ways to interpret these events.
So you’re telling me that if Richt is insistent that he has an incompetent assistant who must be canned, then McGarity won’t listen because of dollars? I don’t buy that for a second, and I don’t think the Senator will either. If an assistant needs to go, $$$ won’t stand in the way.
I agree that if Richt wanted Grantham to be gone, he’d have been fired. Which means that Richt didn’t want Grantham gone, right?
BTW, weren’t you one of the two arguing a week ago that if Richt was okay with Grantham staying, Georgia should have matched Louisville’s offer?
No, that’s not what I was saying, but in rereading what I wrote, I understand why you read it that way.
You are the kind of guy who would get upset if someone gave you a fifty, griping that you wanted a hundred.,
Not so. It just strikes me as concerning that the same silliness goes in to watching the same mistakes made over and over again and not wanting to do anything about it. Thank God for Bobby Petrino, and thank God Richt landed Pruitt, but we need to be more aggressive in correcting our flaws.
Because you don’t know if you’re gonna land Pruitt. You can put out feelers but that doesn’t mean much if someone currently has the job. Think about it in your own world, talk is talk until something is visible. Without the opening being visible maybe Pruitt doesn’t take us seriously.
I disagree. Richt could have used a sock puppet on SeminoleVent to publish an authoritative job opening for DC and that Pruitt should apply. When Pruitt read that inside information, everything would have fallen into place. Maybe that’s exactly what happened.
Hope? Which offseason did he not shop himself? It was a solid bet (if that was their approach).
Because it’s fair to assume this given that we have seen this pattern with other coaches. Willie M, Van Halanger, and now Grantham. You act as if our supposition is so outlandish even though the history shows it to be the case.
And yet here we sit with an excellent hire made at record speed, which indicates to me that the man had a very specific plan in mind. How does that fit into your pattern?
It fits in the pattern because he didn’t fire an incompetent assistant; the assistant left on his own. If we didn’t have Bobby Petrino so stupid to want to overpay for Grantham, how exactly would that “specific plan” have played out?
Moreover, in this case, it is especially shocking given what was waiting in the wings.
Perhaps Richt doesn’t agree with your assessment of Grantham. Shocking, I know.
And if you’re suggesting that Richt knew Pruitt was available before Grantham left, please share with the class how you know that.
hailtogeorgia
But how do you not know that Richt didn’t tell Grantham to look for another job? Fire him or not, why are you so darned worried about it?
lamontsanford
This. Some clowns will bitch about the bumpy flight on their free trip to Hawaii.
Perhaps “what was waiting in the wings” only existed because Richt is a fair-minded person who doesn’t reflexively fire coordinators?
BUT HE’S AN INCOMPETENT BOOB RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE
I know, right. It’s relentless.
roterhalsdawg
Not sure how many coaches truly know who is “waiting in the wings” until there is an opening. I think it is safe to say that CMR, unlike Petrino, isn’t gonna interview candidates for a coaching vacancy until it’s actually vacant.
Interview, no…but Friend could have been in Richt’s ear about his friend before the Petrino gig happened.
The other Doug
Would you have fired Bobo a couple of years back?
Studawg
One might also say BOOM!
No we don’t know what is going on by the scenes. Isn’t that why we have journalists who are paid to ask these types of questions?
Buz
If you were a great coach, would you rather work for someone who has a reputation for firing people or someone who gives people great chances to succeed.
Not to mention that Richt is not a total dick. He’s a fair man, and any fair minded person would take all the youth and injuries on the defense into account. Georgia’s defense sucked, no doubt, but from what I could see it was mostly on the secondary. Richt was willing to give Grantham a chance to fix that.
Mr. Sanchez
It’s more curiousity to me Senator. The “we weren’t firing him, but he was free to leave” idea. If you didn’t want the man around, why keep him around? That’s what I don’t get. If Grantham was free to pursue other opportunities, why don’t you fire him so he truly can pursue them? (with the fearful answering being, well then we’d have had to pay his buyout and reduce our reserve fund).
That aside, I agree with every word you wrote above.
I’m curious about what Richt said to Grantham. But if you’ll recall, Grantham was free to pursue other opportunities after the 2012 season, too. That’s hardly news.
Does anybody really think Mark Richt would make a coach stay in Athens against his wishes?
Bingo. If you don’t want him around, then fire the loser. Don’t bank on him getting a sweeter opportunity from a greater fool.
How do you know Richt didn’t want Grantham around this season?
I don’t, but again, that’s my point. If he did, then clearly he was content with mediocrity. If he didn’t, then why not fire him?
With that said, the idea that he may have encouraged Grantham to take a sweeter deal would seem to indicate that he did not want him around.
… the idea that he may have encouraged Grantham to take a sweeter deal…
Again, pure speculation on your part that anything like that was communicated to Grantham.
I didn’t say that it was, someone else did. I don’t know that to be the case, but honestly, I don’t care. What I do care about is that if nothing was said to Grantham, then Richt clearly was content to stick with an incompetent boob.
I don’t know why this is so hard. Either Richt didn’t want Grantham gone, in which case he was content to stick with an incompetent boob, or he did want Grantham gone, in which case it’s ludicrous that Grantham wasn’t fired. To not fire him but rather prefer he would leave on his own is unacceptable, as is holding onto such an incompetent clown. The only valid course of action was to recognize the disaster on hand, and act decisively (which, as mentioned earlier, we have seen this pattern in the past with Willie M and Van Halanger). The fact that he saved the day when Grantham bolted on his own doesn’t explain why Grantham was in charge of the departure in the first place.
Maybe not everyone thinks he’s an incompetent boob? Perhaps some people are okay with the idea that he had a defense full of youngsters who could improve?
This is a legitimate question – have you ever had to fire someone?
That excuse is bunk given that in 2012 he had 9 NFL players and still massively underperformed.
Yes, I have had to fire someone. It is not easy, admittedly. But it was the right thing to do for the organization. That doesn’t mean it’s not hard, but when it has to be done, you do it.
He had the same defense in 2011 and performed extremely well. You were willing to fire him this year. Richt, it seems, wasn’t there yet. Considering Richt works with the man on a daily basis, perhaps he has a different idea as to what constitutes an incompetent boob. Who knows.
Either way, you’re taking this way too seriously when it doesn’t matter in the slightest at this point. He didn’t fire Bobo when people wanted him to and that worked out alright, didn’t it?
Darrron Rovelll
Todd Gurley just called the Senator to ask that you remove his name because it implies his tacit endorsement of your stupidity.
Your argument here about something which you obviously have no inside knowledge is ridiculous. Unlike your handle, who on the field doesn’t over-analyze the play-calling, scheme or situation – Gurley simply takes the ball and goes full bore each and every time, – you appear to want to find 18 reasons why something is wrong instead of supporting why something is right.
Meanwhile, in Snelling Hall…
Random guy: “Hey, Todd.”
Gurley: “Uh. Hey. What’s up?”
Random guy: “There’s some dingus using your name and making dumb posts on the Internet.”
Gurley: “To the Gurleycopter!”
Now THAT is funny. Well done.
The most mediocre part of our defense was our secondary, which was the victim of youth, suspensions, attrition from earlier years, and (apparent) poor coaching. The rest of our defense was solid, and at times, really good. Allowing a coach the chance to improve things is not the same thing as being “content with mediocrity.”
CCRider
Richt didn’t want him but Richt was too weak to fire him…..again that is where your Boy and his Dirty Mexican stepped in and pushed this deal along. Again….I don’t want to brag….but……You are all mighty welcome!
I said C., C. C. Rider
Oh see, what you have done
(Yea yea yea)
Oh girl, you made me love you
Now, now, now, now your loving man has gone
(C. C. Rider) Girl what’d I say (C. C. Rider)
joyridingdawg
+1 🙂
Ahhhh Thank you… Thank you very much. 😉
I heard that in audio….. Beautiful! It am an Elvis person.. You know as in , either you are an Elvis person or A Beatles person.
That was the very best Elvis concert I have ever seen, by far. If someone watches that Hawaii concert and doesn’t get what separates The King from others, they won’t ever like him. That was the best because, he sounded great, looked great, and had the best selection of music to showcase his voice. Have had that on DVD since it was first out and upgraded when they improved it (had it on Laser Disc first).
Calling Grantham a loser speaks directly to your character, IMHO.
Your entitled to your ignorant opinion.
You’re*
That reminds me of an awesome t-shirt that read, “Your retarded.”
My apolgies. YOU’RE entitled to your ignorant opinion.
Because there is a broad spectrum of options between Fire him and give him a raise. How is that difficult to understand?
Plenty of times I have gotten the letter of resignation and said “I wish you the best of luck and please let me know if I can be of any assistance or if you need a future reference.” Sometimes I say “what can we do to keep you”, and then other times I am proactively making sure that a key employee is satisfied, engaged, and happy with compensation, projects, and work life balance. And sometimes I am just thankful that the person saved me the trouble of going through the firing process.
This isnt rocket science.
Plenty of times I have gotten the letter of resignation and said “I wish you the best of luck and please let me know if I can be of any assistance or if you need a future reference.”
Was this from incompentent people whom you let hang around, or was it from a competent guy whom you would have preferred to keep and had no interest in jettisonning? I am assuming the latter, of course.
Your management experience is limited and it’s showing.
You’re using the logical fallacy of false dilemma. You’re suggesting that the only two options for Richt were to fire Grantham for incompetence, or wholeheartedly endorse him. There are other possibilities.
The idea that Richt had a Tom Hagen-Franky Five Angels conversation with Grantham is just humerous to me. I don’t see Richt operating that way. However things happened though, I am grateful.
Hogbody Spradlin
No snark intended, Kevin and GurleyMan, but you might be falling into the hindsjght trap of “why didn’t he think of this before?”
Last week Mark Richt was planning to see if Todd Grantham could rejuvenate his career, and Richt was judging that the search for an improvement was a chancy thing, and we could get worse in 2014. Please remember, that’s how it was a short few days ago.
Some fans can’t appreciate the class that MR represents for our University. Anyone with thoughts towards the lives of others like Richt has can understand what you are doing to families and others when the word “fired” is used. It reflects the failure of both parties and should never be used except when forced with your back to the wall. Firing people is a last resort situation that should never be used insensitively. It smacks of FU redneck fans.
This has nothing to do with Richt’s class. We all think Richt is classy. But you’re telling me not firing an incompetent assistant is what makes up class and that is “unclassy” to fire incompetent underlings? Absurd.
The buyout price most certainly outweighed the need to dismiss especially in this bean counting program.
To your point on the hindsight trap, I’ve heard “If Belichick knew Tom Brady was going to be such a good player why did he wait until the 6th round to draft him”. This type of Monday morning quarterbacking has become such an crutch to sports talk radio, it has seeped into the mainstream
GurleyMan (you really should change your name, it’s insulting to our best player) what is your deal? It baffles me that someone can find anything to bitch about after this hire.
I have heard from a few folks that I know who said that Grantham was told to look around and that he is the one who initiated contact with UL not the other way around (and this is from someone on the UL end not our end). How he convinced them that he was worth $1 mil is beyond me but good on him for it.
If you know anything about CMR it is that he has class and is a genuine person, he was allowing Grantham to keep his dignity while making a change that is excellent for the program at the same time. Why is this so hard to understand??
Why is it so hard to understand that it is ridiculous to want to keep a guy while at the same time encouraging him to look around? If you want your assistant to look around, then why would you want to keep him in the case that he doesn’t find a fool like Bobby Petrino to take such incompetent assistant off your hands?
The way this happened, benefited both parties…what is wrong with that? I say nothing.
I don’t remember the exact wording after the season, but it was something more like “we aren’t going to prevent anyone from exploring other opportunities” rather than “we are going to encourage some guys to look elsewhere.” You may not think that is a huge difference, but it is. The first is pretty much the unspoken rule at the end of every season of coaches who aren’t dicks. In this case, it was spoken because a reporter brought it up. Richt at no time said he wanted Grantham gone, so there is NO reason to believe that he wanted Grantham gone. What he did want is better results, and he was willing to give Grantham one more season to get those better results. This is not weakness. This is being an encouraging boss. This is not accepting mediocrity. This is weighing all of the factors of a shitty season and deciding that a guy deserves one more chance.
To put it simply, this is Mark Richt, and this is the way he works. Some of us see it as a feature rather than a bug.
Would you rather your manager at McDonalds fire you or would you rather him encourage you to go over to Arby’s and see if they are hiring? Of course I am being facetious but you get the idea. I don’t see why everything that CMR does you have to be so critical of. What would make you happy?? A public lynching? Tar and feathering him and running him out of town on a rail? Grantham may not have been what we needed as a DC but he is still a human being that deserves to be treated with a certain level of class and respect. If you truly do manage people then I pity the people who have to work for you.
Lakatos Intolerant
Give it up, brotherman.
Do you want the collective blogosphere to give you a “that’s a valid point, IAmAGurleyMan”?
Do you want something to hang onto if there is a management/coaching mistake down the road so that you can say “I told you so”?
What’s your schtick exactly?
There are 3 people who know precisely how the events transpired. Everything else is speculation and conjecture. So who gives a flying fuck at this point?
BMacDawg87
If he fires Grantham we also don’t get his 400K buyout ;). The writing was on the wall for CTG and he knew it IMO.
There’s a mention in this Weiszer article about Pruitt being ST coordinator at his HS program: http://dogbytesonline.com/with-pruitt-comes-you-get-what-you-earn-mentality-80399/
Obviously that won’t be his first (or second, or third) priority, but maybe he has something helpful to add to the conversation.
This article just took everything I was saving up for my wife tonight.
TMI friend.
ericdawg
Positive momentum FTW! Now just close on some guys and flip 1 or 2 and everyone will be foaming at the mouth.
Dawgaholic
First major post-Adams move. Thank you Jere.
Yes, don’t forget Bobo, along with a few other keeper assts.
I feel as uplifted as any fan, but talk of NC should stop now. It should not be carved as an expectation, but rather as an “If” everything we know of our program coming together without the big injury bug deciding our fate.
Pruitt fits everything we need when it comes to expertise and experience with the D-backfield, returns, ball turnover and other ST necessities. Let’s enjoy watching them work toward that and support what’s necessary to get our best players on the field. His experience with the prolific O at FSU’s practices is the best practice scenario that we could expect. He and Bobo should feed off one another.
Here’s to us, the fans, for maturing in a semicrisis atmosphere and arriving where many thought we should be over 7 yrs ago. Are you ready?: GO DAWGS! SIC”EM!
By the by, the pressure on So Ga recruiting just subsided a bit.
Perhaps we can at least talk of a return to the ATL?
@gatriguy
Seriously, South GA is great, but it’s not going to mean much if Alabama and Tennessee wipe out ATL. See the 1990s.
Who exactly are UT and Bama getting from Atlanta that we wanted? How are they “wiping out” Atlanta?
I don’t think we have done a good job in ATL the last 20 years. Richt has done better, but there is still ground to be made up. To be fair, there are a lot of kids in ATL and a lot of them don’t have ties to UGA.
This. ATL has become a city of transplants where a lot of the kids growing up have no allegiance to UGA and didn’t have parents or grandparents that attended there. I am not worried about our recruiting at all, our class last year was stellar and this year while small will be a great year too.
Cojones, do you use “by the by” in regular conversation? I’ m reading “albion’s seed” by David Hackett fisher & he singles this out as a very unique regional phrase. I had never heard it, though.
Used in place of by the way? I must be honest last time I heard it used was in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Certainly not Albion’s Seed but both involve Brits. 😉
If you like American regional history and haven’t read Albion’s Seed, I highly recommend it.
“He makes you understand it so much better and I feel like everyone bought into it and that’s why we’re so successful.”
This, more than anything else that has been said about Pruitt.
Did any of us have the feeling the defensive players at Georgia…especially behind the line of scrimmage felt this way?
Even against Coach Beelzebub, the FSU defense seemed to be headed toward the football.
Teach me, coach, that’s your job.
I’m happy. I really don’t understand all the angst about Richt not FIRING CTG. Seriously. It got done to the betterment of the program. I think Richt has shown us “how to do it right!”
Got Goosies.
I think Richt new Grantham would leave this time at the first offer and had in the back of his mind who he wanted once Grantham made the first move. That is how it happened so fast. A good manager plans ahead for all possibilities. But like you said we (I) really don’t know what was going on behind the scenes.
I don’t care how it happened……just damn excited that it did. Guess my threat to withhold GSEF is over!
Yep. Opportune time for that comment.
Debby Balcer
I just can’t believe how long it’s taking to find a new LB coach.
202dawg
The rev with a zinga…
Georgia – the home of funky karma. That belongs in the lexicon. And when was the last time you could type “Kirby Smart. Who cares?” and have everyone agree? I’m going outside to see if there are boulders falling from the sky or large cracks appearing in the face of the earth.
I’ve been called critical of Richt, but nothing to dislike about this. Absolute tape-measure, Mickey Mantle size grand slam.
As for Grantham, best of luck. If he succeeds at Louisville, I’ll be genuinely happy for him. But I have my doubts. Grantham knows football, I am sure. He strikes me as the type of person that knows everything there is to know about an engine, but can’t actually turn a wrench.
I have no doubt that he can turn the wrench. I just don’t think he’s very good at teaching others to turn it or, even more importantly, making others WANT to turn it.
IveyLeaguer
Absolute tape-measure, Mickey Mantle size grand slam.
Can’t believe I’m saying it, still pinching myself. But after watching that presser, I think you’ve come up with the perfect description.
I was in Yankee Stadium before the renovation, in 1968, and saw the spot where the Mantle monster shot hit the light pole on the way out of the stadium. Nobody has ever, before or since, hit a baseball that high or that far.
Not even on steroids.
Does not surprise me now re CMR’s schedule and etc. Remember, retains strong connections to FSU. Would he have casual conversations with Mickey Andrews and Bobby? Plus, if he watched the BCS game, I’m sure he saw what some of us saw in that game…not so much Jameis Winston, but FSU’s D.
Rocket Dawg
Pruitt was also an excellent Special Teams coach at one point as well.
Also, possibly he had more of the “sense” of where his staff was than many of us thought. But CMR was coaching more than the current play, but future plays in the game is catch the meaning. Factor in Will Friend’s association and relationship. No doubt Pruitt wanted back into the SEC, that is who he is.
Senator, when you say you don’t buy it (re: Maisel), what don’t you buy? …that Richt won’t stay for another three years, or that the three year contract is necessary to prove that he will be?
I don’t get the idea he’s looking to retire any time soon, but maybe that’s just me.
Also, as an aside, is ADGM really a thing now? The acronyms we’re getting to make me want to pull my hair out – is McGarity that hard to type? (this isn’t at you, senator, just a rant).
The perception that Richt wasn’t planning on staying in the job too much longer.
Thanks for clearing it up. We’re in agreement.
You’re not lying. It requires easily as many brain cells to figure out “ADGM” as it does to just type “McGarity.”
Agree, its over the top.
I use “McG”. Is that OK? 🙂
I’ll allow it. 😉
So…you are the Judge?
It’s a dirty job, but…
Tre Mason had almost 200 rushing yards against Pruitt’s D. But he shut down Marshall and Marshall’s passing. 2014 Dawgs D will face Clemson, Auburn, and Tech between the hedges. Pruitt game planned all 3 in 2013. Throw in Florida. UF with Roper and Driskell will be a very tough team. Think not. Well, get out of the box.
Make that 5 teams. He saw Duke and Roper.
fatman48
He said, she said, what if this, what if that, its over its a done deal. Its time to sit back and let CJP go to work, NSD is three weeks away, then in September we arm chair quarterbacks can NIT-PICK everything he’s done, good,bad or indifferent. “GO DAWGS” GATA
Let’s get Sal Sunseri to fill the LB coach position.
TEXAS DAWG
It is WONDERFUL to have someone who can TEACH. I realize last years defense was very young and inexperienced. The problem I had, was that they looked just as bad at the end the season as they did at the first of the season.
Ghost of Dawgs Past
Thank you Mark Richt, ADGM, and The University of Georgia. I NOW HAVE HOPE! Go Dawgs! GATA!
Timphd
Pass the kool aid. I want a big gulp! Great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
Let’s also hope they can teach defenders to actually CATCH interceptions instead of having numerous sure pick 6s bounce off of guys’ gloves. How many dropped INTs did we have this year? 5? 6?
I don’t believe that this all came together in a matter of days.
I think that agents were working back doors since Petrino was hired, maybe even before that.
CMR allowed CTG and the db coach to leave on their own terms, or at least appear to.
You gotta admit – he has class – maybe not enough killer instinct – but class.
I heard it went down a little something like this
I think you nailed it. The fire-eaters want drastic action because it satisfies an emotional need. Richt doesn’t want to wreck anyone’s career or do needless harm to others. I’d say the honor in that outweighs a random fan’s need for blood. Of course, to the fire-eater, that’s a sign of weakness and that we’ll never win jack because ______.
Tell me, when’s the last time you heard a Georgia defender talk about his coordinator like this….
When I heard Pollack talking about VanGorder in 2004.
The Nole Book of Lamentations
First they came for Hugh Durham and
I didn’t say anything because I was stunned.
Joe Williams? Who is Joe Williams?
Next they came for Mark Richt and
I didn’t say anything except adios because he couldn’t score a TD against BGB in the Mythical BCSCG. Besides, we got Jeff Bowden and even I could have gone undefeated against mythical ACC competition
Then they came for Jeremy Pruitt and
I didn’t say anything except to ask Jimbo how come the Dogs have so much more money than we do and Jimbo blinked, talked fast and said, “It turns out that nobody let the dogs out. They let them in and they made some music, some house music, some dog house music.”
Sometimes I don’t get your stuff, DiF, but this was right in my wheelhouse. Very funny.
“Sometimes I don’t get your stuff,”
Neither do I.
I have trouble getting stuff, especially in Columbus.
In his press conference, Pruitt is talking about fundamentals. That’s what we need! This guy is a Godsend! No more missed tackles and bonehead plays. This guy is amazing.
Moe Pritchett
very, very good read there Senator.
None of us know exactly what when down, nor what was said to CTG in his meeting with Richt, and that certainly includes me. While I don’t know, I feel CMR knew that Pruitt was unhappy at FSU, probably from Friend. It is common knowledge that Jimbo can be difficult to work with, has a large ego, and is doing his “Little Nicky Junior” act. So that was a hole card that Richt held going into his meeting with Grantham, imo. I believe Richt told CTG that his time at UGA was short, if not immediately, after the contract expired. Doesn’t take a genius to see the differences in the way CTG handles himself versus that of CMR. Grantham knowing it would be more advantageous for his future to get hired away from Georgia versus being booted put out feelers and found a sucker in Petrino.
Just my opinion, but it supports my contention that this whole 2-3 act play didn’t occur over a 41 hour span. Just too smooth for something so ragged.
These 2 recent posts about the Pruitt hire were both excellent and maybe the funniest laugh out loud material I have read on this blog, over the past 5 years. It’s tough to make optimism funny.
Go Blutarsky and Go Dawgs!!!
Devil Dog
We get Pruitt and Petrino gets Grantham. Actually, as long as he’s not in Athens any longer, I really don’t care where Grantham ends up. But there is something humorous about him joining the ole motorcycle-in-the-gravel guy. Better score a bunch, BP. And welcome aboard, Jeremy Pruitt!
W Cobb Dawg
I have four words about the remaining opening for an LB/ST assistant: Get. Warren. Belin. back.
He’s available.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/panthers-keep-finding-scapegoats-bigger-problem-remains/
We are all Beliners now!
Wait, this just in…bad news – he’s part of the Clawfense operation in Deaconville. The good news is that they’re usually asleep in the front pew
http://www.journalnow.com/sports/wfu/football/article_5d427d5d-0aa3-5c1d-95aa-5d773422f2d4.html
well damn…
We get Pruitt as DC in near record time and instead of being happy people are carping that it didn’t happen through Richt firing Grantham. This pathology tht afflicts a slice of our fanbase is both stupifyingly annoying and totally fascinating. Senator we have to come up with a name for what plagues these people and add it to the lexicon.
Billy Bennett
Mike, we already have the perfect phrase: “Dawgraders”. Har har!
Also everyone, CMR was in Indianapolis Sunday at a coaches convention and flew back Monday, in case anyone needed some extra meat in their conspiracy stew. Of course the Dawgraders will “interpret” this to mean he was actually secretly interviewing his top DC choice, one Manny Diaz!
Billy… contary to your comment that the title “Dawgraders” describes these negative nellies…I believe “Dawgraders” refers to people who are not Georgia fans at all…people in the sports media…that put a ho-hum spin on everything UGA. For instance..if Georgia beat the #1 team in the country, some ahole on ESPN would say, “Well, (#!) was without it’s third string safety so the win isn’t really impressive as it looks”, etc.
What these peope are (and are called out on this blog to be) is E-Orr Dawgs….(I’m sure I spelled it incorrectly, but it’s the whiney donkey from Winnie the Pooh if my mind is working right…which would be unusual).
Not to be contrary, but I believe these points are more accurate. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong (being a married man, I’m used to it).
Jealousy rears it’s ugly head with those media guys. Georgia is the most upstanding program in College Football and we have the most class.
True words.
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Study protocol | Open | Open Peer Review | Published: 18 November 2014
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder: protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Anne Katrin Külz1,
Sarah Landmann1,
Barbara Cludius2,
Birgit Hottenrott2,
Nina Rose1,
Thomas Heidenreich3,
Elisabeth Hertenstein1,
Ulrich Voderholzer4 &
Steffen Moritz2
BMC Psychiatryvolume 14, Article number: 314 (2014) | Download Citation
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a very disabling condition with a chronic course, if left untreated. Though cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) with or without selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) is the method of choice, up to one third of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond to treatment in terms of at least 35% improvement of symptoms. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week group program that could help OCD patients with no or only partial response to CBT to reduce OC symptoms and develop a helpful attitude towards obsessions and compulsive urges.
Methods/design
This study is a prospective, bicentric, assessor-blinded, randomized, actively-controlled clinical trial. 128 patients with primary diagnosis of OCD according to DSM-IV and no or only partial response to CBT will be recruited from in- and outpatient services as well as online forums and the media. Patients will be randomized to either an MBCT intervention group or to a psycho-educative coaching group (OCD-EP) as an active control condition. All participants will undergo eight weekly sessions with a length of 120 minutes each of a structured group program. We hypothesize that MBCT will be superior to OCD-EP in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms as measured by the Yale-Brown-Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) following the intervention and at 6- and 12-months-follow-up. Secondary outcome measures include depressive symptoms, quality of life, metacognitive beliefs, self-compassion, mindful awareness and approach-avoidance tendencies as measured by an approach avoidance task.
The results of this study will elucidate the benefits of MBCT for OCD patients who did not sufficiently benefit from CBT. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled study assessing the effects of MBCT on symptom severity and associated parameters in OCD.
Trial registration
German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004525. Registered 19 March 2013.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a very disabling condition and the fourth most common mental illness with a lifetime prevalence of 1-3% and a 12-month-prevalence of 1-2% [1]. Individuals with OCD experience recurrent intrusive thoughts or impulses (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). If left untreated, obsessive-compulsive disorder usually takes a relapsing course and becomes chronic [2],[3], associated with substantial impairment of quality of life [4],[5] and limitations in social and professional life [6]. Thus, the disorder causes high costs, not only for the affected individuals but also for their families, the health system and society (see [7] for a review).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and/or pharmacological treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) is the evidence-based treatment of choice for patients with OCD [8],[9]. For CBT with ERP, high pre-post-effect-sizes of roughly Cohen’s d = 1.5 and controlled effect sizes around 1.1 are reported [10]. The effectiveness of CBT with ERP is yet limited by substantial rates of patients who do not or only partially respond, suffer relapses or discontinue therapy. About thirty-five percent of the patients do not respond to the treatment recommended by current guidelines in terms of a reduction of symptom severity of at least 35% [11]-[13]. In addition, the probability of relapse over a 2-year period after achieving remission has been found to be 48% [14]. Especially for the subgroups of patients who do not satisfactorily benefit from CBT with ERP, complementary or alternative treatment strategies must be developed.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) [15] is a manualized intervention program in an outpatient group format consisting of eight sessions. It combines mindfulness exercises with elements of cognitive therapy and has originally been designed to prevent relapse in depression. As has been shown in randomized controlled trials of two independent research groups, MBCT as an add-on to treatment as usual (TAU) reduces the probability of relapse in patients with three or more previous depressive episodes when compared to TAU alone [16]-[18]. A recently published study [19], however, found that MBCT reduced risk of relapse compared with treatment as usual only for participants who had experienced childhood trauma. In a study using an uncontrolled design, MBCT proved to be helpful in patients with acute depressive symptoms: Significant symptom reductions with large effect sizes have been observed after the intervention [20]. In contrast, the findings of a small randomized controlled study on MBCT in seasonal affective disorder suggest that MBCT is not effective in the prevention of disorder recurrence [21]. Several research groups have adapted the original manual for patients with other psychiatric disorders. According to current reviews, medium effect sizes for MBCT in various disorders have been found [22],[23]. In randomized pilot studies, positive effects of MBCT have been demonstrated in patients with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder [24] and social phobia [25]. In patients with primary insomnia, symptom reductions have been observed after a treatment combining mindfulness with elements of cognitive-behavioral interventions in uncontrolled studies [26],[27]. So far, however, no randomized controlled study exists concerning the application of MBCT in patients with OCD. This seems amazing, since training of paying attention to the present moment in an open, friendly and non-judgemental way as cultivated through mindfulness practice might be a powerful way for OCD patients to deal with their intrusive, unwanted and often shaming thoughts and urges [28].
In line with this, several intervention studies hint at the efficacy of mindfulness-skills in reducing OC-symptoms. In a controlled study on a student sample, subclinical OC symptoms were observed to be significantly reduced after a mindfulness training [29]. In the study by Kim and colleagues [24], in patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, a significant decrease on the OC-scale of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), a self-rating instrument assessing global psychopathology, was observed. However, in this study, OC-symptoms have not been assessed with more specific instruments targeting OCD [24]. Some case studies also hint that mindfulness might be useful for patients with OCD (e.g. [30]). In a recent review, Bluett et al. [31] found that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a therapeutic approach focusing on mindfulness techniques and values, was equally effective as manualized treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy in OCD spectrum disorders.
To our best knowledge, manualized mindfulness interventions like MBCT and MBSR have not yet been investigated in controlled trials in patients with OCD at all. Besides, there are no data on the long term effects of mindfulness interventions in patients with OCD up to now, though mindfulness might be a valuable adjunct to CBT [32].
Based on these considerations, our workgroup recently conducted an open pilot study on Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [33],[34]. The intervention consisted in an 8-session MBCT program adapted to OCD [35] which closely followed the original manual by Segal, Williams, and Teasdale [15]. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, in order to both reflect the subjective experiences of the participants with the treatment program and, on the other hand, to examine objectifiable changes in clinical symptoms. Twelve patients with residual OC symptoms after CBT completed the program and were examined immediately after the intervention and 6 months later. The results showed that MBCT was feasible in patients with acute OCD and was well accepted by the participants. From baseline to post assessment, a significant reduction of the OC symptoms (p = .008) was observed for the total scale of the Y-BOCS and the compulsions subscale (p = .004) with effect sizes within the medium range. Results remained stable at follow-up. We will therefore conduct a bicentric trial on a large sample to examine, for the first time, the effectiveness of MBCT compared to a psychoeducative program (OCD-EP) in OCD patients in order to control for unspecific group effects such as validation of experiences and mutual assistance.
The study design is shown in Figure 1. In a prospective, bicentric, assessor-blinded, randomized, actively-controlled clinical trial, 128 patients with OCD according to DSM-IV-criteria will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the studied intervention consists of 8 two-hour-sessions of MBCT, the control condition consists of 8 two-hour-sessions of OCD-EP. MBCT and OCD-EP will be comparable regarding treatment setting.
Study design and measurement time points (CONSORT chart). AQ-10 = autism spectrum quotient short version; AAT = approach avoidance task; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory II; BSI = Brief Symptom Inventory; KIMS = Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills; MBCT = Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy; MCQ-30 = Metacognitions Questionnaire with 30 Items; WST = Test of Word Power; OBQ = Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire; OCD-EP = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Education Program; OCI-R = Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory; SBQ-R = Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised; M.I.N.I Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview; INEP = Inventory of negative effects of psychotherapy; WHOQOL-BREF = World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF; Y-BOCS = Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale.
In the proposed trial, we hypothesize that in patients with OCD who are still symptomatic (i.e., Y-BOCS >12 points) after CBT, MBCT produces a significant reduction of OC symptoms from baseline to post assessment compared to an OCD education program (OCD-EP). A cutoff-score of 12 points is an established criterion of remission proposed by Simpson et al. [11].
The long-term outcomes of MBCT and OCD-EP six and twelve months after the interventions will be compared in an explorative manner. Means, the rates of treatment responders, the rates of patients who achieved remission and the rates of patients who relapsed will be compared. Treatment response and remission will be defined according to the criteria by Jacobson and Truax [36]. Their method includes the calculation of a) a cutoff for the symptom severity after the treatment, and b) an index for a reliable symptom improvement (reliable change index, RCI). Patients who fulfill both criteria will be classified as remitted. Patients who fulfill criterion b) will be classified as responders, even if their post-treatment score is still above the cutoff. Relapse is defined as a return to pre-treatment severity as recommended by Simpson et al. [37]. Patients who were classified as remitted after the intervention will be eligible for the analysis of relapse rates [38].
Further exploratory research questions include the effects of MBCT on secondary outcome measures such as comorbid depressive symptoms (as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory), Quality of Life (World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF), the general psychopathology (Brief Symptom Inventory), the tendency to be mindful in everyday life (Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills), distress tolerance (Distress Tolerance Scale), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale) and dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes (Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, Metacognitions Questionnaire). The relationship between mindfulness, distress tolerance and dysfunctional attitudes on the one hand and changes of clinical symptoms on the other hand will be addressed in exploratory analyses. Possible negative effects of the MBCT and OCD-EP treatment will also be explored. Additionally the change in avoidance tendencies will be assessed using an approach avoidance task (AAT) [39] measuring avoidance tendencies to contamination and checking related words and pictures. A subgroup of the sample will also take part in an additional experience-sampling task to examine changes in positive and negative affect, distress caused by OC symptoms, insight into the unreasonableness of obsessions as well as acceptance of unpleasant feelings before and after treatment. The experience sampling method (ESM) [40] is characterised by the repeated collection of real-time data on participants’ momentary inner states in their typical environments, thereby aiming to minimize memory biases and ensuring ecological validity [41].
The interventions
Both interventions will consist of eight sessions with a length of 120 minutes each, which will be held at weekly intervals in an outpatient setting at the University Medical Center of Freiburg and the University Medical Center Hamburg. Each treatment group will consist of eight to twelve participants.
MBCT is based on mindfulness training as developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University Medical Center of Massachusetts, combined with psychoeducational elements from cognitive therapy. A detailed description of the original intervention can be found in Segal, Williams & Teasdale [15]. In the proposed trial, a modified version of the manual will be applied: The mindfulness elements are adopted from the original manual, and the cognitive elements are tailored to patients with OCD [35].
We intend to use an education program as an active control condition in order to control for unspecific effects of a group treatment. The program (OCD-EP) consists of a presentation and education about the etiology, mechanisms and maintaining factors of OC symptoms, metacognitive and neurobiological perspectives on OCD, information on existing pharmacotherapeutic and psychological treatment modalities and relapse prevention, group sharing and discussion. Behavior therapy techniques or mindfulness interventions are not part of the program.
The treatment sessions will be held by experienced behavioral therapists with longstanding experience in MBCT respective psychoeducation of OCD.
Overall, eight MBCT- and eight OCD-EP-groups will be conducted (four MBCT- und four OCD-EP-groups at each site). The baseline assessments (T0) and post-assessments (T1) will be performed directly before respectively after the interventions. The first follow-up (T2) will be six months and the second (T3) will be 12 months after the end of the intervention.
The two participating centers will be the University Medical Center Freiburg and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Both centers will recruit equal proportions of participants. Potential distortions due to the bicentric approach will be controlled by a stratification and by homogeneous study conditions (same room equipment, same training of the therapists, same measures, etc.).
The bicentric study was approved by the ethics commission of Freiburg University Medical Center. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, all participants will be informed in detail about the design and purpose of the study. Each participant will be required to sign a written consent form and will have the freedom to withdraw consent and quit the study at any point in time. Data will be documented anonymously in a case report file (CRF), which will be stored at the University Medical Center Freiburg for 10 years. All necessary personal data will be kept confidential. All sessions will be videotaped, supervised and checked for adherence. Supervision will be provided by Prof. Thomas Heidenreich, University of Esslingen.
The main inclusion criterion of our study is a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (ICD-10 F42.-). Participants should suffer from clinically relevant OC symptoms, i.e. a Y-BOCS global score >12 or subscore of ≥8 in either obsessions or compulsions at study inclusion. Participants are required to be between 18 and 70 years of age and to give informed consent. Since we aim at testing the efficacy of MBCT for patients who are still symptomatic after treatment, only patients who completed at least 20 sessions of CBT with ERP prior to study inclusion will be eligible.
The criteria are aiming at a preferably wide generalizability of the results. However, patients who require a different treatment due to comorbid conditions or whose condition gives reason to expect an inability to benefit from a group treatment will be excluded from participation. These are patients with current manic episode or manic episode within 5 years before study inclusion (ICD-10 F30.-), patients with severe depressive episodes according to ICD-10 criteria, a history of psychosis (ICD-10 F20-F29), current substance dependence (ICD-10 F1x.2), borderline personality disorder or Asperger syndrome (ICD-10 F84.5). Further exclusion criteria are suicidal tendencies according to the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), severe neurological disorders or an intelligence quotient <70 as measured by the Test of Word Power (WST). Moreover, to prevent confounding effects, patients with begun or altered psychotherapeutic treatment or medication within 12 weeks before study inclusion are also excluded. A change of dosage within the same drug, however, is tolerated.
A power analysis was performed with the program “G*Power” [42]. Based on the pilot data, on results of comparable studies [24],[43] and on theoretical considerations, we assume a between-group effect size of d = 0.5 favoring MBCT. Assuming an a priori test power of 0.8, a total sample size of n = 128 (n = 64 per intervention) will be sufficient to detect this effect by an F-test in an ANOVA at p < .05 level of significance for a group × timepoint interaction. We assume a dropout rate of approx. 15% and thus target a total sample size of n = 148.
Primary outcome
The Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is a semi-structured clinical interview which is considered the gold standard for measuring OCD severity [44],[45]. The Y-BOCS will be used as primary outcome in the proposed trial.
Secondary outcomes
The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI) is a common self-rating assessing the severity of depressive symptoms. The instrument features good characteristics for internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity [46]. The subjective quality of life will be measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life–abbreviated (WHOQOL-BREF), an interculturally valid, multidimensional questionnaire with good to excellent psychometric properties [47]. The 18-item version of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) is a short, reliable and valid self-assessment instrument for general psychopathology [48]. The 20-item-version of the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS) will be used to measure dispositional mindfulness [49]. The instrument has good discriminant and convergent validity and is sensitive to changes over the course of MBCT [50]. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Revised (OCI-R) is a self-rating scale assessing the major symptoms of OCD on six dimensions (see [51] for the German version). The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ) is a multidimensional instrument assessing dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs in the context of OCD. The questionnaire has shown a satisfactory reliability and validity (see [52] for the German version) and is sensitive to therapeutic changes [53]. In addition to the OBQ, the short form of the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) will be used. The MCQ-30 is a brief questionnaire with good indices for reliability and validity [54]. The instrument’s sensitivity to therapeutic changes has been shown for the long version [55]. The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) [56] measures the capacity to experience and withstand negative psychological states. As a German version of the instrument is not yet available, the DTS was translated by our workgroup. Moreover, the self- compassion scale (SCS) measures the capability of cultivating self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness even when things go bad instead of self-judgment, feelings of isolation and over-identification (see [57] for the German version).
Diagnoses will be made by trained staff using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). The M.I.N.I. is a structured diagnostic interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10 psychiatric disorders [58]. The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) [59] and the Test of Word Power (WST), which is a short, valid instrument assessing general intelligence [60] will be administered at baseline. Besides, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) [61] will be applied at baseline for assessment of autistic traits. In addition, sociodemographic variables and a questionnaire concerning satisfaction with the result of randomization and motivation, constructed by the workgroup will be administered. The medication status will be enquired and documented at all times of assessment. Subjective treatment satisfaction will be assessed after the program by the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (ZUF-8). Moreover, a questionnaire called “Side-Effects of Psychotherapy” scale (SEPS), based on items of the Inventory of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy (INEP) [62], a scale assessing negative effects of psychotherapy in different areas of life, as well as items constructed by the workgroup assessing negative outcomes of the intervention, will be administered post treatment and follow-up. At both follow-ups, participants will be asked about significant life events within the follow-up period.
In addition, an approach-avoidance-task (AAT) [39], a computerized neuropsychological paradigm, will be applied by comparing response times for OCD-related (checking and contamination) and neutral words and pictures, before and after treatment. In this task, patients are instructed to respond to each stimulus presented on the computer screen by pushing or pulling a joystick. When participants push the joystick away from themselves, the picture on the screen shrinks, creating the visual impression that the stimulus moves away. When they pull the joystick, the picture grows until it fills the screen, creating the impression of an approaching stimulus. Response times for pulling and pushing stimuli away can be compared in order to assess automatic avoidance tendencies. A similar version of the AAT used in the present study has already been applied in another study on OCD patients [63].
Moreover, in order to investigate the participants’ experiences in situ as an additional outcome measure of MBCT and to gain further insight into the relationship of emotions and OCD symptoms, the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) [40] will be applied to a subset of the study sample before and after treatment. Participants will be asked to record their OC symptoms, the distress caused by symptoms, affective states and acceptance of unpleasant affective states respectively on an electronic device 6 times a day on 6 consecutive days before and after the group interventions. The prompts to fill out a form will be given at random time-points between 8 am and 22 pm by the web-based experience sampling software movisensXS (movisens GmbH, Karlsruhe). Partici\pants who decide to take part in this additional paradigm will receive 50€ for compliance rates of at least 80% and a short summary of their mood profile and symptoms before and after treatment.
Between-group comparisons at baseline will be performed using analyses of variance for the continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for the categorical variables. Means and standard deviations will be calculated for descriptive purposes. The main analyses will be computed using analyses of covariance in view of statistical studies suggesting that controlling for the baseline score is superior to simple pre-post comparisons and usually leads to an increase in power. An advantage of this type of analysis over mixed models is that it accounts for baseline differences and regression to the mean (i.e. higher scores usually yield greater improvement). The rates of patients achieving response and/or remission and the relapse rates in both groups will be compared using Fisher’s exact test. The time to relapse will be estimated using Kaplan-Maier survival analyses. Survival curves will be compared using a log-rank-test. A cox-regression will be performed to analyze variables influencing the time to relapse. In order to prevent distortions, the intent-to-treat principle will be used. Multiple imputation will be adopted to estimate post-treatment and follow-up scores for non-completers (i.e. no data available at reassessment). The multiple imputation principle is considered superior to the last observation carried forward method (LOCF) [64]. When using the LOCF, follow-up data can be difficult to interpret [10].
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of MBCT in patients with OCD as a complement to CBT with ERP. Based on the results of the pilot study outlined above, the proposed project aims at systematically examining the impact of MBCT as a new treatment option for patients with OCD who do not sufficiently benefit from CBT with ERP, who suffer a relapse or who experience difficulties in partaking in this kind of treatment.
We also intend to undertake a wide range of additional analyses. Various factors have been discussed that could, individually or in their combination, mediate positive effects of mindfulness training in patients with OCD. One of them is an increased willingness to experience difficult thoughts, feelings and body sensations [32]. A study on patients with Social Phobia provided evidence that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, a therapy program that is closely linked to MBCT, improves emotion regulation skills in patients with social phobia [65]. This could be especially relevant for patients with OCD, because emotion regulation has been identified as a common function of OC symptoms [66]. We therefore will examine changes of distress tolerance and their association with therapeutic outcome. Moreover, the mindfulness approach might be helpful to question metacognitive styles and beliefs that maintain OCD such as thought-action fusion (TAF) [67],[68] and thought control [69]. Thus, we will use measures of dysfunctional metacognitions and believes in explanatory analysis in order to identify factors that mediate or moderate therapeutic effects. Besides, we will evaluate the impact of self-compassion on changes of symptom severity. Self-compassion has shown to be below average in OCD patients [70] and was a better predictor of symptom severity and quality of life than mindfulness in patients with depression and anxiety disorder [71]. Especially for patients with OCD, self-compassion could be helpful to disengage from struggling with shaming obsessions such as violent or sexual intrusions and to deal with them in an accepting, not self-judging manner. Furthermore, subgroup analyses on the influence of baseline characteristics, such as baseline severity, sociodemographic variables, comorbid mental disorders and treatment motivation are planned.
We will further examine approach avoidance tendencies as measured by the AAT, because patients struggle to change their obsessions and compulsions even though they have insight into the irrationality of their fears. According to 2-systems models, (e.g. [72]) behavior is influenced by an automatic, inflexible impulsive system and a slower and more flexible reflective system. In OCD it is assumed that in the impulsive system, strong connections between obsessive related concepts and items are associated with danger [73]. Therefore the AAT offers us a chance to detect changes in behavioral tendencies that patients may not be able to report.
There is a growing body of empirical evidence showing that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in increasing positive and/or in decreasing negative affect in a variety of clinical conditions [74]-[77]. Since there is no study exploring changes in positive and negative affect caused by MBCT in OCD patients so far, we decided to use the ESM paradigm in order to fill this gap and to provide further insight into the nature of OC symptoms and associations with affective states as they occur in the natural environments of participants.
Regarding recruitment of participants, we decided to not exclude patients who currently undergo psychopharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatment. One reason for the liberal acceptance of concomitant treatments refers to practical considerations. We assume to reduce the non-eligibility rate and to improve external validity, since the vast majority of patients with clinically relevant OCD receive some kind of treatment. Another reason is the chance to conduct subgroup analyses in order to evaluate the efficacy of MBCT in patients with OCD as a complement to current treatment. However, the acceptance of concomitant treatment may also constitute a limitation of the study, since the power to detect a difference between MBCT and OCD-EP might be reduced due to effects of other treatment modalities.
Finally, we hope that the 6-month and the 12-month follow-up data will provide important insights in longterm-effects of mindfulness-based interventions in OCD on severity of symptoms and related measures such as obsessional beliefs or quality of life.
In view of the large percentage of OCD patients who do not sufficiently benefit from conventional CBT with stimulus exposure and response prevention, there is a strong urge to find additional or complementary treatment options. The present study wants to shed light on the role of MBCT as a valuable intervention to boost the gains from cognitive-behavioral approaches in OCD by opening up new avenues of relating to OC symptoms.
AK drafted this paper which was modified and added to by all authors. AK, SM, SL, BC, BH, EH and TH contributed to the design of the study. AK and NR modified the MBCT manual for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. BC and SL wrote the manual for the psycho-educative program. SL and AK drafted the design of the ESM examination, BC and SM conceptualized the AAT paradigm. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Woodbury-Smith MR, Robinson J, Wheelwright S, Baron-Cohen S: Screening adults for asperger syndrome using the AQ: a preliminary study of its diagnostic validity in clinical practice. J Autism Dev Disord. 2005, 35: 331-335. 10.1007/s10803-005-3300-7.
Ladwig I, Rief W, Nestoriuc Y: Welche Risiken und Nebenwirkungen hat Psychotherapie? - Entwicklung des Inventars zur Erfassung Negativer Effekte von Psychotherapie (INEP).Verhaltenstherapie. in press.,
Najmi S, Amir N: The effect of attention training on a behavioral test of contamination fears in individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms. J Abnorm Psychol. 2011, 119: 136-142. 10.1037/a0017549.
Little R, Yau L: Intent-to-treat analysis for longitudinal studies with drop-outs. Biometrics. 1996, 52: 1324-1333. 10.2307/2532847.
Goldin PR, Gross JJ: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, special section: mindfulness training and emotion regulation. Clin Neurosci Perspect. 2010, 10: 83-91.
Külz AK, Lumpp A, Herbst N, Stelzer N, fürstner U, Voderholzer U: Welche Funktionen erfüllen Zwangssymptome?–Ergebnisse einer Analyse im stationären Setting. Verhaltenstherapie. 2010, 20: 101-108. 10.1159/000295428.
Rees CS, Draper M, Davis MC: The relationship between magical thinking, thought-action fusion and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Int J Cogn Ther. 2010, 3: 304-311. 10.1521/ijct.2010.3.3.304.
Altın M, Gençöz T: How does thought-action fusion relate to responsibility attitudes and thought suppression to aggravate the obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2011, 39: 99-114. 10.1017/S1352465810000524.
Neumann A, Reinecker H, Geissner E: Erfassung von Metakognitionen bei Zwangsstörungen. Diagnostica. 2010, 56: 108-118. 10.1026/0012-1924/a000013.
Wetterneck CT, Lee EB, Smith AH, Hart JM: Courage, self-compassion, and values in obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2013, 2: 68-73. 10.1016/j.jcbs.2013.09.002.
Van Dam NT, Sheppard SC, Forsyth JP, Earleywine M: Self compassion is a better predictor than mindfulness of symptom severity and quality of life in mixed anxiety and depression. J Anxiety Disord. 2011, 25: 123-130. 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.08.011.
Strack F, Deutsch R: Reflective and impulsive determinants of social behavior. Personal Soc Psychol Rev. 2004, 8: 220-247. 10.1207/s15327957pspr0803_1.
Ouimet AJ, Gawronski B, Dozois DJA: Cognitive vulnerability to anxiety: a review and an integrative model. Clin Psychol Rev. 2009, 29 (6): 459-470. 10.1016/j.cpr.2009.05.004.
Batink T, Peeters F, Geschwind N, van Os J, Wichers M: How does MBCT for depression work? Studying cognitive and affective mediation pathways. [], [http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0072778]
Geschwind N, Peeters F, Drukker M, van Os J, Wichers M: Mindfulness training increases momentary positive emotions and reward experience in adults vulnerable to depression: a randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011, 79 (5): 618-628. 10.1037/a0024595.
Spek AA, van Ham NC, Nyklíček I: Mindfulness-based therapy in adults with an autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Res Dev Disabil. 2013, 34 (1): 246-253. 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.08.009.
Schreoevers MJ, Brandsma R: Is learning mindfulness associated with improved affect after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?. Br J Psychol. 2010, 101: 95-107. 10.1348/000712609X424195.
The study is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to Dr. A.K. Külz and Prof. S. Moritz.
Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Anne Katrin Külz
, Sarah Landmann
, Nina Rose
& Elisabeth Hertenstein
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Barbara Cludius
, Birgit Hottenrott
& Steffen Moritz
Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Esslingen, Germany
Thomas Heidenreich
Schoen Clinic Roseneck, Prien, Germany
Ulrich Voderholzer
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Correspondence to Anne Katrin Külz.
Social psychiatry, therapy and provision of mental health care
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Tag Archives: monty python
The Rape of “Fantasia” — Italian Style!
Walt Disney produced one of the most daring animated feature achievements in history when his studio full of talented artists developed Fantasia (1940). From bow to stern Fantasia is a masterwork, a wondrous marriage of classical compositions and powerful animation. It’s beautiful, humorous, imaginative, and willing to surprise at every turn with each new animated technique used to interpret the gorgeous music. Several years after this celebrated film a little Italian movie was made, a sardonic response or riff on this immortal classic.
More recently I had discovered that my local library carried an old, worn-out VHS of this strange foreign artifact and, as I’d been searching for it for quite some time, I made ready use of my library card. Sadly it is not available in the United States on DVD of Blu-ray yet. With the film in my bookbag, I traveled to yet another library (my old alma mater and then-current place of employment) to utilize their free VCRs. There I was, alone with my thoughts, a headset, a 9 inch TV screen, and a scratchy, used copy of Bruno Bozzetto’s Allegro Non Troppo (1976).
An over-confident narrator informs us that we will be witnessing an unprecedented event: brilliant, original animations set to legendary classical music compositions…until Hollywood calls him mid-speech and tells him that someone named Bizney or Frisney already did that in 1940. BUT THE FILM MUST GO ON! And go on it does.
A group of embittered old ladies are harvested into a livestock truck to be escorted to the theater where their instruments await. With the geriatric band of curmudgeonly females in place, the pompous, bloated, cigar-chomping conductor enters (he reminded me of a svelter Mr. Creosote from Monty Python’s Meaning of Life). The tacit animator is brought out of the dungeon to sketch the music live as it is played. The animator’s slanted desk provides much opportunity for slapstick gags and it proves to be a constant struggle for the mousey, mustachioed artist. With the warped live-action re-imagined elements of Fantasia set, the orchestra comes to life.
Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun is first on the program. A sad, dumpy satyr lopes along through a lush garden inhabited by sleek, sultry, and noticeably nude wood nymphs. The satyr, recognizing his lack of physical appeal, attempts to beautify himself, but nothing works and he gradually shrinks away into misfortune and comical melancholy. The piece presents very human insecurities regarding self-image and unfulfilled desires for sex and love. Like many a great comedy, this short has fun at the expense of its doomed protagonist. This piece has some wonderful sight gags and clever bits of surrealism (such as tempting trees made of legs and boobs, etc.).
You couldn’t have a film like this and not have the ornery conductor beat up on the old ladies. So he does. Don’t worry. But right after his assault on granny we get Antonín Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 46. This cartoon features a man who will do anything to get away from his intolerable society. He leaves the rocks to build a hut, but everyone in the rocks copies him. He next builds a house and a tower, but the rest of the mindless population just follows suit. He can’t get away! It all culminates in a humorous game of Simon Says that doesn’t go exactly the way the little rebel hoped.
There is a slop break for the orchestra and nasty tins full of gruel are ladled out to the old ladies and the animator (who fights to keep it on his slanted drawing desk) while the conductor and the narrator enjoy a decadent candlelit meal. When all the food is gone and the woeful animator, still not having ingested a morsel, reaches for a Coke that is snatched away and glugged down by the greedy conductor. He then tosses the bottle carelessly into the audience. Taking cues from both his own anger and the image of a flying bottle, the animator proceeds to sculpt another brilliant short to the tune of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.
This is perhaps the best segment of the whole film. A nearly empty Coke bottle is tossed by a careless astronaut and left on some unknown planet. The remaining drops ooze out of its glass prison and develop eyes, then a nose, sentience, and finally locomotion. The amorphous blob evolves into more complex and surreal organisms and soon an entire food chain and ecosystem is formed and we are following a parade of boneless, squishy dinosaur-like creatures to Boléro‘s wonderful tempo. A mischievous and rather unscrupulous ape-like creature uses a club to kill random critters. As the tormented procession of evolutionary oddities marches on they are badgered by tornadoes, the cross, a spear, a tank, freeways, and are ultimately done in by a booming metropolis. An enormous statue of a man stands alone, but it too finally crumbles and the ape-like creature emerges from the wreckage and shrugs.
Back in “reality” a gorilla attacks the animator, it snows in the theater, and there is an impromptu dance sequence. Then it’s back to the drawing board for Jean Sibelius’ Valse Triste. This is the saddest piece on the program as it features the optimistic hallucinations of a starving-to-death stray cat (think Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Match Girl”). The cat lives in a ruin of an old house that sits like an island amidst a see of identical cubed buildings. The cat imagines what the house might have been like in its glory days and soon phantoms of past owners appear and fade away. Hungry and alone the cat fades along with the phantoms and what was once a glorious home full of stories, art, and character gets the wrecking ball.
Next it’s Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Major. A fastidious cartoon bee meticulously sets her table (a daffodil full of pollen). Her silverware, napkins, and television all in place and the sun just right she prepares to dine, but is disturbed by a necking couple out for an amorous tumble in the field. This delightfully amusing piece is punctuated by a very funny escalating altercation between the conductor and the animator. Will the arts never see eye to eye?
The last musical piece is Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird (which was featured in Fantasia 2000). The music ever so cleverly reinterprets the saga of Adam and Eve. The twist in this version is that the people won’t take the fruit and so the snake eats it himself…and gets thrust into a hellish world of consumerism and pornography (perhaps the same thing?). The snake is tormented by giant demons and exposed to all manner of diabolical and sexually-charged advertisements and other harvests of materialism.
When the cartoon concludes the animator runs off with the cleaning woman and the orchestra folds, leaving the narrator with no other choice but to ask the dimwitted “Frankenstini” to find a finale. The finale is a grotesque amalgam of images, violence, and what-have-you set to a disruptive cacophony of musical pieces overlapping each other until finally reaching its delirious apex in a violent explosion.
I’ve heard differing arguments for this film; some praising it, others seeing it as a trivial parody of a classic. I admire this film. It is not Fantasia nor does it wish to be. Fantasia was a beautifully imagined experiment executed with precise artistic flourishes and a languid pace. It is an undisputed classic. Allegro Non Troppo might not be as artistically complex, but it is every bit as cunning and all the more biting with its sharp, sardonic wit. Fantasia dealt with what music makes us feel and imagine and did an astounding job. Allegro Non Troppo uses music to conjure cynical but humorous ideas of society and humanity. It deals with adult themes such as urban development, isolation, modernization, death, pain, frustration, sexual longing, and societal disenfranchisement and it does so all with a wry sense of whimsy. Nothing is ever on so grand a scale as it was in Disney’s classic, but this humble film’s intimacy places it in a unique position for a more subtle social satire without distracting presumptuousness. Only a comedy could muse so sharply and eloquently about such human topics. And some segments beautifully parody Fantasia, such as the satyr bit when compared to the centaur scene or their own distinct takes on the march of evolutionary progress.
I think the films compliment each other nicely and the music is just as lovely and well utilized to convey an idea or story, although perhaps not quite as memorable. The idea of setting clever toons to classic tunes is a fun one. Heck, even Tiny Toon Adventures did an episode like that. I recommend this film (if you can find a copy of this elusive specimen) for anyone who loved Fantasia…or hated it.
Top 1o Reasons to See Allegro Non Troppo
1. Old ladies get beat up and mistreated. Comedy gold!
2. Although the animation might not be as colorful or grandiose as Fantasia, it has a great style all it’s own that Disney could never have pulled off.
3. One thing Allegro Non Troppo does that might suit today’s ADHD audiences is keep all of its musical segments very short. I love Fantasia, but as a kid I always felt like some of those things went on forever.
4. It’s not the artistic slap in Disney’s face you might be expecting, but it’s probably close.
5. The Boléro sequence is a great bit of animation that definitely rivals Disney’s portrayal of the dinosaurs. The difference being that the Fantasia sequence you might show to a biology class, the Allegro Non Troppo sequence you might show to a biology, history, philosophy, or theology class. Think the intro to the animated Dilbert TV show, but much more sly and smarmy.
6. I won’t tell you it’s more sophisticated than Monty Python’s stuff, but some of it definitely reminded me of their style of humor.
7. The animated interaction with the music is subtle but very effective.
8. You might actually laugh and cry. Maybe you won’t. Shut up and watch it.
9. How often do you get to see this much artistic talent coupled with great classical music AND a snarky sense of humor?
10. It’s cleverness and irreverence is overshadowed only by its humorousness.
Standard | Posted in Cartoons, Foreign, Oddities | Tagged 1976, adam and eve, allegro non troppo, animated movies you didn't see, animation, antonin dvorak, antonio vivaldi, bolero, bruno bozzetto, cartoon, cat, classical music, Claude Debussy, coke, cola, concerto in c major, consumerism, death, devil, disney, evolution, Fantasia, frankenstini, funny, humanity, igor stravinksy, insecurity, isolation, Italian, jean sibelius, maurice ravel, modernization, monty python, music and animation, naked, necking couple, old ladies, PARODY, pornography, prelude to the afternoon of a faun, satire, satyr, Sex, sin, slavonic dance no. 7 op. 46, social satire, soda, starvation, the firebird, valse triste | 0 comments
Koo!
So what do you think of when I say “great science-fiction comedy”? How about Georgi Daneliya’s Russian cult epic Kin-dza-dza! (1986)? Kin-dza-dza! remains fairly obscure in the west…and this bothers me. Like so many weird and wonderful foreign films, it is currently hard to come by. This just won’t do.
Here’s the setup for this oh-so-sweet movie. A humorless construction foreman (known only as Uncle Vova)—on his way to the supermarket for his wife—is accosted by a younger comrade (known only as The Fiddler). The Fiddler tells the stranger that a shoeless man, presumably drunk and insane, is lost. They offer to call a policeman for him, but the shoeless man just insists he is from another planet and continues to fiddle with his space gadget. Incredulous, the two strangers reach for the device and are suddenly transported from downtown Moscow to a barren desert wasteland. It is the planet of Pluke in the Kin-dza-dza galaxy. And so our tale begins.
At first Uncle Vova (Stanislav Lyubshin) remains staunchly skeptical that they are indeed on another planet. This denial is clearly for his own sanity. The Fiddler (Levan Gabriadze) suggests interplanetary possibilities, but Vova dismisses them all in favor of some Earth desert estimations.
Faster, Platzak!
They wander about in the parched abyss, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a large, rusty, rickety flying metal bucket riddled with dings and dents hovers right up to them and makes a sloppy landing in front of the earthlings. The hatch opens and a short, stocky gentleman in simple, uncouth togs steps out, accompanied by a similarly dressed but taller gentleman in a man-sized canary cage. They are Wef, played by Evgeni Leonov and Bee, played by Yuriy Yakovlev. Together they engage in synchronized squatting whilst reciting the fictitious word koo in unison over and over. Utterly bewildered, yet unyieldingly accepting of this peculiar performance, Vova and the Fiddler attempt communication. They attempt Russian, Georgian, English, and French and all they ever hear back from the two unkempt aeronauts are the unmistakable words, koo and kyoo.* Eventually the stranded Soviets figure out that they can bribe their new friends to take them in their craft in exchange for matches.
*Koo and kyoo comprise the bulk of the Plukanian language.
A gorgeous land.
After many minutes with the human-like “aliens” everybody starts to speak Russian. Apparently the Plukanians are telepathic and it took them some time to learn the thoughts and subsequent language of the earthlings. Once the language barrier is removed we get a lesson in interplanetary culture…also Uncle Vova and the Fiddler must wear tiny bells on their noses out of respect. Pluke has a very strict caste system.
The desert planet of Pluke is a real tough place. Everyone (like eight people) is mean and only thinks of themselves. Their resources are all but wiped out and the land is sparsely populated (like eight people) and is drying up. Promises are worth little or nothing as you will more likely be swindled and cheated than helped. There are two types of people on the planet: the Chatlanians and the Patsaks, the latter of which, although indistinguishable from the former, is considered to be of a lower caste and must perform degrading rituals—such as being in a man-sized canary cage while in the presence of Chatlanians—to avoid punishment for impudence. The class differentiation seems almost entirely arbitrary. The higher class Chatlanians get to sleep on beds without nails and they cannot be beaten in the middle of the night. The lower class Patsaks are not so lucky. Matches are apparently very valuable. Water is rare. Police are corrupt. There are about thirteen words in the Plukanian language that can be translated. All other words are koo. A popular expletive is kyoo.
Travel gets cozy.
A particularly humorous bit comes at about the halfway mark where a title screen comes up and summarizes all of the words on Pluke we have learned so far. It doesn’t take long.
I won’t go into all the elements of the plot. Kin-dza-dza! is essentially a space travel comedy about two dudes trying to get back to Moscow and learning about human nature and friendship. That’s really all you need to know. The rest is just a string of absurdity, oddity, and japery. Be it the fear of being turned into a cactus by a higher being, or singing earth songs for money, or the ludicrousness of the many bizarre rituals lower castes must perform, or the way in which the earthlings are deceived and must use their heads to get wise and make it on Pluke, it’s all for a laugh. And it’s a good laugh too. Amidst the budding friendships and backstabbing there is always room for bizarre absurdist humor.
Great hats.
One thing that is particularly striking about the film are the jabs at capitalism and some of its pro-communist themes. One of the reasons why Pluke is so backwards and dehydrated is because of class struggles and wanton spending and exhaustion of natural resources. It is a dog eat dog world and nobody trusts each other and many have been reduced to begging. Only when the stiff Uncle Vova can accept his traveling companion, the Fiddler, and the Plukanians as his comrades and equals can they return to earth. We even learn Uncle Vova and the Fiddler’s real names: Vladimir and Gedevan. There must be social equality and mutual understanding in order for progress to take shape. Although Wef and Bee may never fully understand self-sacrifice or friendship and may never fully trust the earthlings, they wind up helping them get back to earth anyway.
It’s a kooky movie all around. Kin-dza-dza! is a consistently odd and humorous space saga with interesting characters and a truly absurd sense of humor. It is an amusing journey with philosophical and social undertones which as of yet remains unavailable in the United States. Someone needs to release this on DVD or Bluray. It’s got it all: spaceships, singing, funny hats, you name it. It’s great.
Kyoo!
Top 10 Reasons to See Kin-dza-dza!
1. It’s funny!
2. The spaceships, although clunky, are just as awesome as anything in Star Wars.
3. It’s interesting to see a film from such a pro-communist perspective…the opposite of say, Krzysztof Kieślowski or Zbyněk Brynych which represent a more markedly anti-communist sentiment.
4. Did I not already mention the humorousness of the headgear (aka funny hats)?
5. Grown men wear bells on their noses.
6. It’s one of the more original outer-space movies you’re likely to find.
7. It’s obscure and kitschy and therefore tickles your anti-mainstream sensibilities.
8. Although visually sparse and minimalistic at times, the juxtapositions and mise-en-scène are wonderfully surreal (at times it feels to be a cross between Jodorowsky’s El Topo and The Bed-Sitting Room).
9. If you enjoyed reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy then you will definitely like this movie.
10. Koo!
Bonus Reason:
11. Kyoo!
Originally published for “The Alternative Chronicle” Dec. 8, 2010
Standard | Posted in Foreign, Oddities | Tagged 1986, absurd, aelita, bee, cactus, capitalism, chatlanian, cinema, comedy, Communist, cult, desert, El Topo, Film, funny, galaxy, georgi daneliya, georgia, kieslowski, kin-dza-dza, koo, matches, monty python, moscow, movie, patsak, pluke, russian, sand, science fiction, solaris, soviet, space, spaceship, surrealism, tarkovsky, the fiddler, uncle vova, USSR, wef, weird | 0 comments
Trilogy Gilliam
Terry Gilliam is a highly imaginative man with a background as a cartoonist and animator. He has a famous history with Monty Python’s Flying Circus and he makes extremely high-concept yet personal fantasy films that usually have a dark sense of humor and a wonderfully skewed (but not far off) view of the world. Here is responsible for such wonderful films as Twelve Monkeys (1995) (best Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt performances!) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) (best Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro performances!). And his Python stuff is amazing! Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Terry Gilliam has been a unique and fascinating voice in the world of film.
Metropolis meets Dali
I was meh on Jabberwocky (1977); mixed on The Fisher King (1991); disappointed by The Brothers Grimm (2005): a little iffy on Tideland (2005); and not quite sold on The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009), but he is still one of my favorite filmmakers. Gilliam always offers tantalizingly askew visuals blended with humorous surrealism. I don’t have to think hard to come to the conclusion that my all-time favorite movies from Mr. Gilliam are from his unofficial “Dreamer Trilogy”: Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985), and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). All three feature protagonists who are stuck in a bureaucratic/materialistic world and must deal with the unapologetic clash of fantasy and reality. In these worlds dreams are the only escape.
“Hello. I’m Hood.”
Time Bandits features the dreamer character as a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock). Kevin’s parents are tedious TV-heads who seem aloof at best. Kevin prefers reading about history and magic and amazing battles rather than watch nauseating game shows with his parents. When a group of time-traveling dwarfs (played by Jack Purvis, David Rappaport, Malcolm Dixon, Kenny Baker, Mike Edmonds, Tiny Ross: former Ewoks, Oompa Loompas, elves, and aliens from other science fiction and fantasy films—Kenny Baker was R2-D2!) show up in Kevin’s room on the lam from the Supreme Being (Sir Ralph Richardson), Kevin winds up on the adventure of a lifetime.
“Oh, Benson, you are so mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence.”
The Time Bandits travel through time with the only map of all the holes in the universe (the fabric of which is evidently far from perfect). They burgle people throughout history. The ragtag band meet up with an insecure Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm), a prissy Robin Hood (John Cleese), noble King Agamemnon (Sean Connery), and many other fun characters (played by Michael Palin, Shelley Duvall, Peter Vaughan, Katherine Helmond, Jim Broadbent, etc.) all whilst being pursued by the Supreme Being who wants his map back. Then there’s Evil (in a delightfully wicked performance from David Warner). Evil wants the map for himself so he can rule the world. The film is a nonstop delight of eccentricities and oddities. Warner, Cleese, and Palin steal some of the best lines.
How decisions are made.
Brazil follows the daydreams of an adult man named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) in a not-too-distant future nightmare that blends the styles of the 1940s with archaic projections of the space age alongside Gilliamesque flights of fancy. The look of this film is amazing and the story is a sort of amalgam of James Thurber, George Orwell, and Franz Kafka.
It’s only a state of mind.
Sam is a spineless cog in the creaking wheel of bureaucratic progress (although progress is pretty static in Gilliam’s take on the world). His mother (Katherine Helmond) keeps getting plastic surgery; his apartment is being trashed by disgruntled electrical technicians (Bob Hoskins and Derrick O’Connor); terrorists—or maybe it’s the government?—keep bombing places; Sam’s best friend (Michael Palin) happens to torture people for the state; and a strange underground vigilante/heating engineer (Robert DeNiro) seems to be the only one who makes any sense in this cock-eyed reality. Other members of the cast include Jim Broadbent, Peter Vaughan, Jack Purvis, and Charles McKeown. While Sam is hard at work in the relentless machine, he dreams he is a winged superhero battling samurai, rescuing the girl, and fighting obstacles that vaguely mirror the problems in his waking life. When Sam discovers that his dream girl (Kim Griest) really exists he will attempt to take on the system to save her life and save the day, because when the real world is as bleak as it is in Brazil sometimes dreams are the only things worth fighting for.
“Brazil, where hearts were entertaining June. We stood beneath an amber moon. And softly murmured ‘someday soon.'”
The humor is dark, the hallucinations deliriously captivating, the tone gritty and gray, and the solutions elusive and thought provoking. The scary message still rings true today. I still feel Brazil to be one of Gilliam’s absolute best and most significant films.
“A eunuch’s life is hard.”
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen based on Rudolph Raspe’s novel, puts us in the seat of aging fantasist, Heironymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen (John Neville). The Baron seems out of place in the Age of Reason, but seeks to set the record straight about who he is in a bombed out theater in a battered town under siege by the Turk. Everyone has been treating the Baron’s stories as fiction until young Sally Salt (Sarah Polley) believes him and the two go on a fantastic adventure to find the Baron’s extraordinary friends who can help save the town. They travel to the moon in a balloon to rescue the Baron’s amazingly fast companion, Berthold (Eric Idle), but the King and Queen of the Moon (Robin Williams and Valentina Cortese) have other plans.
“He’s not going to get far on hot air and fantasy.”
They then descend into the center of the earth via the volcano of Mt. Etna where they meet the short-tempered god, Vulcan (Oliver Reed), and lovely goddess, Venus (Uma Thurman). There they also discover the Baron’s super strong friend, Albrecht (Winston Dennis). After they pass through the center of the earth and emerge on the other side they’re swallowed up by a giant sea monster and inside they find several broken ships and two more of the Baron’s disassembled band: the hawk-eyed sharpshooter, Adolphus (Charles McKeown), and the dwarf with a mighty wind for breath, Gustavus (Jack Purvis). It’s up to Sally to believe in the Baron whenever he gets discouraged and to chase away the Grim Reaper whenever he tries to collect the Baron’s soul. Once they reunite with the Baron’s trusty steed, Bucephalus, Sally and the band of geriatric heroes return to the town to battle the Turk and silence the fantasy-hating Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson (Jonathan Pryce). Thus the old dreamer conquers all through the power of fantasy.
“The body is dead. Long live the head.”
You will notice many recurring actors in Gilliam films as well as an apparent affinity for tattered, complex garments and incessant use of extreme wide-angle and deep focus lenses. He gets compared to Tim Burton sometimes because they both have very strong visual styles that dictate a unique tone, but they are very different filmmakers indeed. Burton’s aesthetics originate from silent German Expressionist cinema. Gilliam seems more inspired by Heironymous Bosch. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Gilliam should have directed Alice in Wonderland! Terry Gilliam is a talented dream-weaver and when he is at his best, it’s sits uneasily with you. When he’s at his most off, it is still fascinating to observe. Gilliam celebrates the wonders and the horrors of the untamed imagination. I admire and am in awe of where Gilliam seeks to take us and I hope you too will take the tour.
Enter if you dare…
Originally published for the “Alternative Chronicle” December 10, 2009.
Standard | Posted in Features, Oddities | Tagged 1981, 1985, 1988, brazil, dark comedy, dreamer, dreams, eric idle, fantasy, fear and loathing in las vegas, Film, imaginarium of doctor parnassus, jabberwocky, john neville, jonathan pryce, michael palin, monty python, orwell, surreal, Terry Gilliam, the adventures of baron munchausen, time bandits, time travel, twelve monkeys | 0 comments
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Facebook May Offer Something Beyond The Like Button (But Sorry, No Dislike Button)
Cyba Tiger — December 14, 2014
For years, people on Facebook have wanted something more than the Like button to express their feelings about the posts they see on the social network. Despite the clamoring, though, all you see to click on below posts is a thumbs up.
That could change before long, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his second public town hall meeting at company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., which was also webcast live.
But the one thing Facebook likely won’t do is provide a Dislike button, he said in answer to the first question at the meeting. “We’re thinking about it,” he said, before putting the kibosh on any intention to provide a thumbs-down button.
But he said there are other emotions he knows people want to share, such as sadness about a post of a loved one who passed, for which a Like button is clearly inappropriate. “But we need to figure out a good way to do it. We don’t have anything that’s coming soon but it is an area of discussion.”
That turned out to be one of the more interesting answers Zuckerberg provided in the hourlong event. But he also defended Facebook as much more than a waste of time, explained why there are seemingly endless privacy policy updates, and revealed that he likes fried chicken on his pizza.
Here’s what else he had to say, lightly paraphrased at times:
Q 1: Advice on starting a company?
A: Don’t worry about making mistakes too much. Mistakes are how you learn. The real question is how you learn from them. You gotta keep on powering ahead and not stress too much about it.
Q 2: How can Facebook be a more productive medium, not just wasting time.
A: I’m not sure I agree with the thrust of the question. Facebook is giving people a tool to stay connected with more people that they may not be able to do. I don’t really think it’s a waste of time at all. It’s sad that it’s considered a waste of time to cultivate relationships.
Q 3: Why can’t I change my username?
A: I have the username Zuck. We limit each person to having just one username so they can be found more easily. The username is less important than the fact that on Facebook, people use their real names. Asking everyone to use their real name grounds everything in reality. There’s more accountability if you’re connected to your real name. It’s all part of building a safe community that’s tied into the world.
Q 4: What is the role of social media in bridging the divide that is now more obvious after events in Ferguson and other communities?
A: We’ve been spending a lot of time discussing this internally. We take our role in this civic debate really seriously. There are two things we want to do. The first is we want to give everyone a voice. We’re trying to make it so every single person in the world has a voice. The second thing that’s really important is diversity of opinion. If you’re a Republican or a Democrat, you probably have friends who are in the other party on Facebook. Your network of friends, or friends of friends, is going to bring you more diverse opinions than you would have gotten from any other media.
Q5: Any New Year’s resolutions?
A: It’s too early! I could use some suggestions. I’ve taken them pretty seriously the past five years. I had one resolution that led me to cooking a lot. Another led me to learn Mandarin. I’m bad at languages. My resolution this year was to write one thank-you note to someone every day.
Q 6: How can your vision on Facebook be applied effectively in the public sector?
A: It’s only at the beginning of what we hope to see happen. One example recently is we launched Safety Check, which gives people a chance to tell friends and family they’re safe when there’s a disaster. We turned it on in the Philippines this week. Another is just enabling elected officials to communicate with the people they serve. I recently went on a trip to India and Indonesia to work on Internet.org Internet access. Both countries’ leaders used Facebook in their election. We’re just at the beginning here.
Q 7: There are so many privacy updates that I can barely keep up with them. Why so many?
A: A lot of people wonder that. What we try to do is update the privacy policy about once a year to reflect the policy, technical, and business changes in the previous year. On the latest one, it used to be that Facebook was one product. Now Facebook offers a lot of different services–news feed, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and a handful more we’re building. We just need to update our policy to make it clear how all these services will tie together. Also, technology advances like being able to do video or know where friends are requires that we decide what we’re going to do with that information. We don’t want to change this very often. It’s a lot to digest.
Q 8: Have you thought of addressing challenges such as economic disparity?
A: We spend a lot of time helping especially small businesses build their business up. We have Pages people can use for free to build up their audience.
Q 9: (From a resident down the street.) Thank you for upping the price of my house. I’m loving it. What kind of community outreach do people in the company plan to do?
A: That’s the first time anyone has thanked me for raising housing prices. I taught an entrepreneurship program at a local school. There are always going to be more things we want to do. We want to make the community more healthy. We would love feedback on what else we can do. Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s VP of communications, public policy and platform marketing, adds: We take this idea of community outreach seriously not just in Menlo Park but around the world.
Q 10: Share personal habits that contributed to your success?
A: On a day to day basis, one of the most important things is focus my time proactively rather than reactively on whatever comes up. There are enough things that happen during the day that you could spend all your time on whatever comes up during the day. So I try to spend the majority of my time on things that I proactively want to be working on. The most important is to put time into things you want to see happen rather than what other folks want you to do. You do need to be open to the outside, which is why I’m doing these town halls.
Q 11: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: You’re going to make mistakes no matter what you do. A lot of people focus on avoiding mistakes. Most of what we do is mistakes. You’re successful because of only a few things you did well. Albert Einstein had this really pure idea of how the universe worked. His aesthetic view of the world led him to believe that black holes couldn’t exist. He got that wrong. But nobody remembers he got that wrong, except me, now.
Q 12: What do you like on your pizza?
A: My view on this important issue… is that as long as you’re eating pizza, you might as well have fried chicken on top of the pizza.
Q 13: How does coding fit into Facebook’s mission statement?
A: Growing up, one of the things that made me excited about coding is you can sit through and accomplish something in the end. What I do now is quite soft–seeing other people do the [coding.] It’s a very valuable outlet for young people to express their creativity. Also, you can have an impact without being high up in management. So it’s massively empowering. Understanding the discipline of coding gives you the skills you need for other work.
Q 14: Will Graph Search be released in other languages like Spanish?
A: Yes. But we want to get it right first. People always ask us for the ability to find stuff on Facebook. There’s a big opportunity here, such as recommendations on products and businesses people have tried. The ability to learn from the wisdom of all your friends is valuable, but it’s really not easy to do on Facebook. It’s a lot of work, because there are more than a trillion posts on Facebook. It’s taken a little longer than we all want to fully roll out search to everyone in the world. Please hang in there and we hope to deliver this sometime soon.
Q15: How does Facebook run experiments to improve its products while avoiding ethical concerns?
A: There was this report that a Facebook data scientist that raised a lot of questions. We tightened things up a bit after that. We think the only way we can make our services better for the world is to try out new things and get feedback from the community. We want to make sure changes have positive impacts. My wife is a doctor and there’s a philosophy in medicine that there’s a cost to running a test, so you need an internal process to ensure the service is worthwhile before you potentially do any hard. Things on privacy we’re just not going to test. Anything around emotions that we made sure our people don’t have the ability to test. On the incident last summer, we wanted to see if lots of posts by friends on things they’re doing made people sad. We don’t want to make people sad. But the way we did it, we could have done it a lot better.
Q 16: Have you thought about helping people make connections in real life too?
A: A lot of what Facebook tries to do is help people stay connected to people you know rather than help you make new friends. I wear contact lenses or glasses. Computers are the bicycle for your mind, Steve Jobs once said. What we’re trying to do with Facebook is extend this fundamental human capacity for maintaining social relationships. Through Facebook, we help people maintain relationships with many more than the 150 social scientists say we can. When I have the opportunity to see my wife or my mother in person, I’ll take that. But people don’t always have the opportunity to do that with everyone they’d like to.
Q 17: If you and I were married, how would we handle Facebook with our daughter?
A: I try to put myself in the shoes of having a child. On the one hand, I remember being real young and using technology and having a good sense of this stuff. I thought that was pretty positive. I think children are much more capable than we think. Bullying is really important and we try to make sure it doesn’t happen on the platform. Having real names helps. I would want my children to use technology because it’s one of the ways you become literate and acquire the tools of the modern world.
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Category Archives: From My Collection
Reflections on Seeing Paul McCartney in Concert
Over the years I’ve probably seen Paul McCartney live around 30-35 times. The first time was with Wings at Wembley Arena in December 1979. It was my first live sight of a Beatle, and Paul started his set with Got To Get You Into My Life – one of my all time favourite songs! I loved the show, but was surprised that the audience was quite subdued – I wasn’t.
I had a long wait for my second Macca show – but that was really special too. It was in July 1989 when Paul did a special ‘rehearsal’ concert at the Playhouse Theatre in London. Only about 3-400 people were there. It was the first time he’d done songs like ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ since the Beatles.
A few weeks later he did full ‘Dress Rehearsal’ show at Elstree Studios – and did Sgt Pepper, Hey Jude, Back in the USSR, the Abbey Road medley etc for the first time ever live! Me and my friend just stood like statues at the end, just amazed at what we’d seen.
When Paul’s world tour came to London, I saw him seven times at Wembley. I wasn’t going to go to so many, but friends visited from all over the world, and many offered me tickets, so I couldn’t refuse.
The highlight of that tour was of course Liverpool! A Beatle in Liverpool!! I thought it would never happen :>) That was the gig he did the John Lennon Medley, and every kept on singing ‘Give Peace a Change’ after Paul finished. Geoff Baker, Paul’s PR, said that was the best gig he’s seen Paul do, and I couldn’t argue.
As well as some really big shows, I’ve seen him and much smaller venues too. Two highlights being The Mean Fiddler, just after ‘Unplugged’ and the 100 Club in 2010. Both with only about 250 people with Paul in great form.
Another highlight was St Petersburg in 2004 – on my honeymoon with Irina :>) It was light for the whole concert, even though it ended at about Midnight.
So forward to 2018 – and we are taking our 11 year old daughter, Lilia, for her first Paul McCartney gig. I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed my first!
Here are some photos I took at past Macca concerts :>)
Paul McCartney at the 100 Club
December 14, 2018 Richard PorterLeave a comment
29th November – Remembering George Harrison
George Harrison passed away on this date in 2001. He will be remembered in our hearts and minds for all time.
Here are some photos I took of George.
George and Olivia Harrison at the Premiere of ‘How to Get Ahead in Advertising, London 1989
November 29, 2018 Richard PorterLeave a comment
What is Paul Signing?
From my collection: A photo I took of Paul McCartney, signing an autograph outside of AIR Studios in Oxford Street circa 1984. I’m not sure what he is signing, but he didn’t seem to like it very much!
What do you think it could be? Funny photo captions please :>) I’ll publish the best.
September 12, 2018 Richard Porter1 Comment
John Lennon at Kenwood – May 1968
Here are a series of photos, taken by my good friend Marilyn Demmen, of John Lennon, and his home Kenwood, in May 1968. Marilyn was a regular visitor, and sometimes even got invited into the house. Marilyn thinks the great photo of her and John was taken the same weekend Yoko came was invited over and they made the ‘Two Virgins’ album
John Lennon outside ‘Kenwood’
John with Marilyn
May 16, 2018 Richard Porter1 Comment
26th April 1982 – Paul McCartney Releases ‘Tug of War’
It was 36 years ago today – the release of Paul McCartney’s ‘Tug of War’ Album. I bought it on the day at Virgin in Oxford Street. On coming out I saw a blue Mercedes car passing me – and realised it was Paul’s car! He was on the way to nearby AIR Studios. Luckily there was a lot of traffic that day and I ran like hell and managed to get to AIR before Paul. On seeing me he said ‘Training for the Olympics are we!’ We had a short chat and he signed my album.
Great memories.
My copy of Tug of War – signed by Paul McCartney on its day of release
Blogger Richard Porter with Paul McCartney, during the making of Tug of War
Paul, Linda – and me, outside AIR Studios
April 26, 2018 Richard Porter2 Comments
Happy Birthday, George Harrison!
George Harrison was born on this day in 1943.
Here are some pics I took of George over the years.
February 25, 2018 Richard Porter5 Comments
Map of The Beatles’ London Drawn by John Lennon!!!
Thanks to Alan G Parker for letting me share this. A map of the Beatles’s London, drawn by John Lennon on a copy of the White Album!! An amazing find I’ve never seen before. It includes so many sites, of course Abbey Road, but also Chapel Street, where Brian Epstein lived; Mason’s Yard, the site of the Indica Art Gallery, where John met Yoko; and St Anne’s Court, the site of Trident Studios. Also included is Montagu Square, where John Lived with Yoko; Marylebone Station, where the opening scenes of A Hard Day’s Night were shot; and Green Street, where the Beatles all lived in same apartment.
I’m guessing it was done in the 1970s – as the Royal Courts of Justice are included, where Paul sued John, George and Ringo, in 1971,to bring in administrators at Apple. Enquiries are being made as to exactly when the map was drawn, and what what purpose. I will of course keep you informed!
What a find!!
Update: I thought it was too good to be true! Thanks to Simon Weitzman, who had told me the map was actually designed by artist David Atkinson, who drew it in the style of John Lennon. He was commissioned to do the maps by Q Magazine. I knew I’d see it somewhere before, but couldn’t remember where! David Atkinson will feature in Simon’s Here There And Everywhere – The Beatles Fan Film.
January 3, 2018 Richard Porter4 Comments
From My Collection – In His Own Write Signed by John and Paul
Here is a photo from my archives – my copy of John Lennon’s book ‘ In His Own Write’ – signed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
December 7, 2017 Richard PorterLeave a comment
Remembering George Harrison
Today we are remembering George Harrison, who passed away on this day in 2001. I was lucky enough to meet George on a couple of occasions – at the premiere of the ‘Handmade Films’ ‘How to Get Ahead in Advertising’ and a few years after that, at a concert by Ravi Shankar. In each case, they were very public events, and I barely got to say ‘hello’ – I would have loved to have the opportunity to sit down and have a long conversation with him, but it was not to be.
I was lucky enough to see George live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1992, his only solo UK concert. I’ve never been in a place where there was so much love. The ‘vibes’ were incredible. A brilliant moment was ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Before the song, George said, ‘ ..and I’d like to bring on a blast from all our pasts – RINGO!’ – and the roof raised! During the song George sang ‘I look at you all…’ and rather than pausing, as he does on the record, he said ‘Quite nice actually’ – in his usual understated way. I’m glad he enjoyed himself that night, something that Olivia confirmed when I met her a few years ago.
For me, George was the soul of the Beatles. Yes, a complicated character, but they all were. I love the fact that, apart from music and religion, George’s great passions were gardening, and formula one motor racing! You can’t get 2 more different hobbies than those.
RIP Mystical One
George and Olivia arriving at the Lumiere Cinema for the premiere of How to Get Ahead in Advertising
George at a Ravi Shankar Concert, Barbican, London
From the day George’s passing was announced, fans started leaving flowers at Abbey Road Studios. They were very tastefully displayed on the steps. The Studios opened their windows and played ‘All Things Must Pass’ to the fans outside.
Floral tributes to George Harrison at Abbey Road Studios
November 29, 2017 Richard Porter2 Comments
23 October 2010 – Yoko Unveils a Plaque to John at 34 Montagu Square
October 23rd 2010. Pics I took of Yoko Ono unveiling the English Heritage blue plaque to John Lennon, at their former apartment, 34 Montagu Square. The apartment was actually owned by Ringo, and he lived there for a time with wife Maureen and son Zak. He later let Paul McCartney use it as a recording studio, and after that, Jimi Hendrix lived there. It was then John and Yoko’s first place together.
We go to Montagu Square on my London Beatles Walks. For full details see http://www.beatlesinlondon.com
The full story of 34 Montagu Square is in my book ‘Guide to the Beatles London’ for full details see http://www.beatlesinlondon.com/#guideanddvd
My invite to the plaque unveiling
Yoko Ono unveiling the plaque to John Lennon at 34 Montagu Square
October 23, 2017 Richard PorterLeave a comment
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April 20, 2018 Transportation
Bringing War Games Into Transportation Planning
by Julie Lorenz
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Emerging technologies create opportunities for companies that can leverage them in both creative and practical ways. From automated vehicles to advances in materials science in infrastructure, organizations have to think of better ways to use those technologies to stay relevant in the business world — in today's smart cities. They must align technology, public policy and market forces to achieve the greatest societal benefits. All this takes some out-of-the-box thinking.
An exercise among strategic thinkers made its debut at the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) January Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. As a member of the organization’s Strategic Management Committee, we introduced a war games workshop. Response was enthusiastic, and groups showed great energy from start to finish. On the day of the competition, teams leaned in to share their big ideas.
War games originated with the military, but the construct has been used in the business world for years. It’s a fast-paced simulation to generate energy and innovative thinking to create transformation-focused solutions. This particular workshop built upon the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Foresight 750 Series, to competitively solve emerging transportation challenges. Teams were formed to represent a transportation topic such as safety or sustainability or agency such as a state department of transportation or a metropolitan planning organization. Each team was asked to select a challenge facing the industry and brainstorm a solution to present at the workshop.
Setting Up the Simulation
Using our committee’s deep background in policy and planning, we partnered with an organization specialized in gathering business intelligence and experienced in creating war game simulations. Working with four other TRB committees, we recruited volunteers and set up eight teams of eight to 10 volunteers each to begin preparing. Each team had at least one member from the public sector, private sector and academia. The team members represented a diverse range of age and experience but were generally grouped by similar interests, including safety, sustainability, freight and more.
Teams then worked in a highly interactive environment to hone their 5-minute pitches before the judges panel, made up of thought leaders from across the industry. Some teams strategized for weeks leading up to the event, and — because the rules did not prohibit it — two teams even made contact before the workshop to seek out possible alliances.
The challenge was to pair technology with policy for societal good. Teams would be scored on factors including energy outcomes (like reduced emissions), equity (such as improved jobs access), land use (like limiting sprawl) and safety. Bonus points were awarded for feasibility, consideration of urban and rural aspects, and overall effectiveness of the pitch.
As teams sat down together at the workshop to finalize their pitches, the judges threw a curve ball at them, issuing a fictitious press release declaring the federal government would step away entirely from transportation regulations, funding and revenue collection. That game-changing moment created another wave of energy throughout each team, forcing them to reshape their ideas with less than an hour before the deadline.
The war game concept is nothing new, but it’s a different way of problem solving for our industry. At first teams struggled to understand what problem they were supposed to solve, but the nature of the challenge is that there are plenty of problems facing the industry and a lot of technologies at their disposal. Once teams agreed on what challenge to tackle, they responded with great energy and focus on the competition — seeking to max out their points based on the criteria. When the rules changed, teams focused even harder to ensure they had the most innovative and feasible solution for their problem.
So, who won?
The UPS/Freight team won the challenge with a pitch to bring right-sized containers to city streets for e-commerce delivery. The idea featured an app for customers to select bicycle or pedestrian couriers for the last leg of delivery from the centrally located locker.
The crowd chose the Sustainability Team’s pitch as its favorite. The concept called for replacing most individual vehicle ownership and transit agencies with transportation subscription services, including road maintenance fees, into the subscription price.
Interested in what war games can do for your organization?
The exercise helps organizations understand the interactions among market stakeholders, clarifying its own strategic options. The range of approaches drives innovation, builds energy, rewards creativity and practicality. It’s a co-learning opportunity that expands your thinking rather than narrowing it. It may not change any single decision you make, but it helps focus and filter future decision making.
Scenario planning is helping companies prepare for the ever-changing future by thinking about future scenarios, considering signposts and tapping into the tools of Foresight.
Government, Military & Municipal
Julie Lorenz leads the strategic consulting and public engagement services for the Transportation Group at Burns & McDonnell. She has more than 20 years of experience in communications, public affairs and policy development in the transportation industry.
April 20, 2018 Environmental
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Worms Reloaded Giveaway, in aid of Oxfam! (Offer ends 28/12/2017)
28th November 2017 3rd January 2018 Marine Giveaways, Promos
We are proudly supporting charities once again, with our new giveaway of Worms Reloaded!
Tiger Worms to the rescue
This month, we are proudly supporting Oxfam. They notably fight to bring safe water and sanitation to families in poor communities and refugee camps around the world.
One way of doing this is through their Tiger Worms project. These worms don’t just save lives by helping people dodge diseases, they also turn poop into smell-free, plant-promoting fertiliser. Oxfam‘s specially designed tiger worm toilets are real life-changers in the communities where they have been put to work.
After launching the game, we show a short video about Oxfam. Users can skip this video after the first time. There will be an in-game option to donate directly to Oxfam, and we will also donate a share of any revenues generated from sales of Worms titles.
If you want to add the game to your Steam library, we’re offering a deal to buy a key for $5 (75% off) in-game. After buying it, you will then be able to transfer your progress to the Steam copy of the game.
To claim your free copy of the game, just log in to your GameSessions account and download Worms Reloaded. Play the game for 5 minutes to activate it and it will then be yours to keep forever on GameSessions!
You need to activate the game before the giveaway ends, on Thursday 28 December (10:00 UTC)!
Worms Reloaded, one of the most successful of Team 17’s Worms series, is a full-featured and highly customizable take on the classic Worms gaming experience.
Reloaded features a raft of crazy new weapons, along with some of the classics, high-definition landscapes and themes, a range of brilliant forts, landscape editor and play modes. To top it all off, there is also a highly-involving single-player experience with tutorials, races, fort games and puzzles.
The game is also packed with customisation options, and includes thousands of possibilities for your team of worms, tons of game options and custom levels, so you can play the game how you want!
GET WORMS RELOADED FREE
If you liked Worms Reloaded, why not also try Sonic Generations or Steredenn?
We have over 100 games in our catalogue. Be sure to check it out and try as many games as you like for free!
blog free game giveaway gs-home pc game strategy turn-based
7 thoughts on “Worms Reloaded Giveaway, in aid of Oxfam! (Offer ends 28/12/2017)”
Kypros Vasiliou says:
4th December 2017 at 1:00 pm
Game is not activating. I played 3 times for 7-12 minutes each time. A total of 32 minutes and still seeing the message to play for 5 minutes to activate.
Marine says:
Hi, our system shows that you did activate Worms Reloaded.
An easy way to check this is to click on “my account” on the GameSessions website. At the bottom of the page, you will see “My Games (Activated)”, and a list of your activated games. Does Worms Reloaded appear in this list?
Sven says:
Thanks for the generosity again, Gamesessions! I obliged myself to write this as I don’t think you get all the recognition you deserve, so, thanks again.
Dominik Kuharić says:
Thank you for the game .
As a worms fan , thank you for being kind and have a nice day gamesessions.
jonathan gutierrez grandio says:
22nd February 2018 at 7:39 pm
Thank you for the game
Gustavo Alcantara says:
Fuck, I missed so many giveaways…??
19th March 2019 at 9:19 am
Haha don’t worry, we have many more to come!
Spellforce 2 – Anniversary Edition Giveaway! (Offer ends 29/11/2017)
Cities in Motion Giveaway and Paradox Month! (Offer ends 19/03/18)
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This chapter contains all information related to admission to an associate’s program at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. See subsections within this chapter for specific admission policies and procedures.
Web: perimeter.gsu.edu/admissions
Email: perimetercollegeadm@gsu.edu
In-Person locations:
Alpharetta Campus
3705 Brookside Parkway
Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 Clarkston Campus
555 N. Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, Georgia 30021-2396 Decatur Campus
3251 Panthersville Road
Decatur, Georgia 30034-3897
Dunwoody Campus
NB 1111
2101 Womack Road
Dunwoody, Georgia 30338-4497 Newton Campus
2N 1301
239 Cedar Lane
Covington, Georgia 30014
Georgia State University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender, disability, national origin or immigration status. Admission is based on a number of factors, depending upon level of entry and previous educational experience. Admission and placement decisions are made by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions using criteria approved by the University Senate and developed in accordance with policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Admission decisions are based on factors such as, but not limited to, an applicant’s academic record, test scores (ACCUPLACER, SAT or ACT), circumstances, good conduct and character.
Applications received after the deadline for the term of application or received without a designated term will be processed for the next available term. The application fee is non-refundable. Completed applications submitted to the university are valid for 3 terms (the next available term plus the 2 consecutive terms that follow). To be considered during the second or third consecutive term after submitting an application, applicants need only submit a reactivation form, together with any required credentials, by the application deadline date for that particular term. An offer of admission by the university is valid only for the term specified by the university at the time of acceptance and does not constitute approval for any term not so specified.
Applicants with a criminal and/or disciplinary history who are determined to be otherwise admissible for a respective term based on their academic record and other credentials are required to complete a disciplinary/criminal review process before an admission decision is made by the university.* Instructions for completing that review process are communicated to the applicant after the university has determined that the applicant is otherwise admissible for that term.
Absent extenuating circumstances, good disciplinary standing at previously attended high schools, colleges and universities is a condition of admission for all applicants. For purposes of admission, good disciplinary standing means that the applicant has no pending disciplinary charges, outstanding disciplinary sanctions or disciplinary issues that would prevent the applicant from re-enrolling at the previously attended institution.
Omissions or misrepresentations on an application for admission are grounds for automatically invalidating consideration by, acceptance to and continuation at Perimeter College. Applicants have a duty to update their application with Perimeter College when information changes after application submission.
All materials submitted as part of an application for admission become and remain the property of the university and will not be returned to the applicant, duplicated, or transferred to another institution.
*Applicants are required to answer the following background questions on the Perimeter College admissions application:
Are you ineligible to enroll at any previously attended institution?
Are you currently on or have you even been placed on academic probation, suspension, exclusion or any other type of academic warning at any previously attended institution?
Are you currently charged with, or have been found guilty of, any violation of academic honesty, honor code, or conduct regulations of a previously attended institution?
Have you left a previous institution while there were pending charges of any violation of academic honest, honor code, or conduct regulation?
Have you been found guilty of any violation of a federal, state, or municipal law, regulation or ordinance (other than for minor traffic violations, or convictions subsequently discharged, expunged, or otherwise ordered by the court to be removed from the applicant’s criminal record, including offenses for which any type of first offender status was offered but subsequently revoked for failure to successfully complete program requirements)?
Have you ever entered a plea of guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, an Alford plea, or otherwise accepted responsibility for the commission of a crime?
Have you received any type of discharge from military service other than an honorable discharge?
Any changes in a student’s record prior to enrollment will necessitate a new review of the application. Any omissions or misrepresentations on a student’s application for admission will automatically invalidate consideration by, acceptance to and continuation at Perimeter College.
All credentials submitted with the application for admission become and remain the property of the university and will not be returned to the student, duplicated, or transferred to another institution.
Admission to Perimeter College or re-entry approval does not imply admission to a specific pathway or professional program.
Prospective applicants who are interested in Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology and Nursing should contact that department for information on additional departmental application procedures, requirements, and deadlines.
1115.05 Lawful Presence for In-State Tuition
Georgia State University’s Perimeter College admits all academically qualified undergraduate students, regardless of immigration status.
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia requires all students applying to Perimeter College to provide verification of their lawful presence in the United States to be granted the in-state tuition rate.
This requirement is detailed in the following Board of Regents policies:
Policy 4.3.4 Verification of Lawful Presence
Students may be verified through one of the following options below:
Verification through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
If you are either a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident or eligible non-citizen (does not apply to international students on a visa) that has completed and submitted a FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will verify your lawful presence. If you are not able to be confirmed as lawfully present the Office of Financial Aid will follow-up with you for additional documentation.
Submission of one of the following documents:
Current Georgia Driver’s License issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008*
Current Georgia ID Card issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008*
Current U.S. Passport *
Certified U.S. Birth certificate (must be submitted in person)
Permanent Resident Card (front and back copy)*
U.S. Certificate of Naturalization *
U.S. Certificate of Citizenship *
U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad*
Military ID (must be verified in person)
*Copies of these documents are acceptable.
Submit documents directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in person or to lawfulpresenceua@gsu.edu.
Verification through SEVIS (Student and Exchange Information System)
If you have or are applying for an F, or J visa we will verify your lawful presence through SEVIS. As this is already part of the immigration process there are no additional steps required to have your Citizenship Verification Hold removed. Simply comply with the requirements outlined by our Office of International Student and Scholar Services as you prepare to arrive at Georgia State University.
Verification through SAVE (Systematic Alien verification for Entitlements)
All nonresident alien students on some sort of visa will need to submit immigration documents verifying their lawful status to the office of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS). Such documents may include an I-94 card, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) approval notice or receipt notice, or other documentation that the student is in lawful visa status.
This includes students who have been previously enrolled at Perimeter College but are either returning (re-entry) to a degree program or applying for a new degree program. Transient students must also be verified.
An applicant born and educated in the United States.
An applicant who graduated or would have graduated from high school five (5) or fewer years ago. This includes students who earned a GED diploma.
A beginning freshman or a student who has previous college or university attendance, but fewer than 30 credit hours that Perimeter College can accept.
Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher on your official SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript. Perimeter College will recalculate the GPA based upon University System of Georgia approved Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) coursework.
Perimeter College’s Application for Admission accompanied by a $20 non-refundable fee
Perimeter College’s application is available online.
A Perimeter College’s application is valid for three (3) consecutive terms, including the term of application.
Official SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript with date of graduation
Official Transcript with date of graduation from a SACS or regionally accredited High School.
Certificates of Performance or Special Education diplomas are not acceptable.
General Educational Development (GED) applicants are required to submit official GED exam passing scores and SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript.
Official transcript from each college, university or technical college attended
This applies only to applicants with less than 30 transferable credit hours.
Speak to the registrar at your former institution(s) to send transcripts to Perimeter College’s.
Our testing and admissions guidelines allow us to place more emphasis on the evaluation of an applicant’s high school grade point average and the collegiate-ready courses they complete.
Students with a recalculated GPA of 3.2 or higher are not required to submit test scores
Students with a recalculated GPA of 2.5 – 3.19 will be placed into co-requisite English and math courses unless they submit test scores that indicate they are college-ready
Minimum test scores are required for freshmen with recalculated high school GPAs below 2.5, all dual enrollment students, all non-traditional students, and all students submitting GED scores
Minimum scores for collegiate placement are SAT (before March 2016: 430 Reading/400 Math; after March 2016: 24 Reading/22 Math), ACT (17 English and 17 Math) or ACCUPLACER (67 Elementary Algebra/61 Reading/4-8 Writeplacer).
(Recalculated) Testing Required Course Placement
≥ 3.2 NO Collegiate Level Coursework
Adequate math scores on ACT/SAT/ACCUPLACER required for placement into MATH 1111
2.5 – 3.19 NO
Co-Requisite Coursework for English & Math
UNLESS students provide adequate test scores
≤ 2.49 YES Testing REQUIRED for course placement determination
Georgia State recalculates GPA based on the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) course units. No other high school courses are included in the recalculated GPA.
English 4 Any 4 English/Language Arts
Math 4 Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry & 1 Higher-Level Math
Natural Science 4 1 Life Science/Lab, 1 Physical Science/Lab, & 2 Science Electives
Social Science 3 1 U.S. History, 1 World History & 1 Social Science Elective
Foreign Language 2 Both units must be the same language. American Sign Language is acceptable.
Homeschool Applicants
An applicant who completed high school graduation requirements under a homeschool program or graduated from a non-accredited high school.
An applicant also has completed the equivalent of each of the Required High School Curriculum areas as documented by a portfolio of work and/or other evidence that substantiates Required High School Curriculum completion.
Homeschool Student Admissions Requirements
Perimeter College Application for Admission, accompanied by a $20 non-refundable fee. A Perimeter College application is valid for three consecutive terms, including the term of application.
Official high school transcript
This requirement applies to homeschool students in non-regionally accredited home school programs who have ever enrolled in an accredited high school, as well as applicants graduating from regionally accredited home school programs.
The transcript will chiefly be used to help determine Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) completions for applicants completing non-regionally accredited home school programs.
For transcripts issued from regionally accredited home school programs, the grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or is required. The GPA will be re-calculated by Perimeter College and based upon USG-approved RHSC coursework.
High school transcript must be noted as official, and arrive in a sealed envelope from the high school or regionally accredited home school program.
GED applicants are required to submit official GED passing scores and high school transcript.
This applies only to applicants with fewer than 30 transferable credit hours.
Speak to the registrar at your former institution(s) to send transcripts to Perimeter College.
Applicants must be eligible to return to the last institution they attended.
Students from accredited homeschool programs will follow the testing criteria for regular freshmen outlined above.
Home School Portfolio. This requirement applies to homeschool students completing non-regionally accredited homeschool programs.
Homeschool applicants must submit a portfolio along with supporting documentation. The portfolio and documentation must substantiate completion of all Required High School Curriculum units. Failure to submit adequate supporting documentation will delay the processing of the application.
Official transcripts from any regionally accredited homeschool program or conventional public or private high schools attended should be submitted if applicable.
Letter of completion. A letter from the primary teacher or program administrator certifying completion of high school and date of high school graduation.
An applicant who has graduated from an accredited high school, enrolled previously in an accredited college or university and earned 30 or more semester hours of transferable college credit.
An applicant with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit who meets freshman requirements.
Perimeter College Application for Admission accompanied by a $20 non-refundable fee
A Perimeter College application is valid for three consecutive terms, including the term of application.
Applicants must be eligible to return to the institution they last attended.
Applicants with fewer than 30 hours of transferable college credit must meet freshman requirements.
Official transcripts from each college, university or technical school attended must be submitted.
Official SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript with date of graduation and diploma type listed
An official SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript is required for transfer applicants who have fewer than 30 hours of transferable credit Perimeter College can accept from SACS or regionally accredited institution(s).
High school transcripts will be evaluated for Required High School Curriculum completions regardless of the type of diploma received (for students age 23 or less).
General Educational Development (GED) applicants are required to submit official GED passing scores and SACS or regionally accredited high school transcript.
Placement Testing Requirement
Applies to transfer applicants who do not have transferable English composition and/or college algebra credit Perimeter College can accept.
Minimum ACCUPLACER placement test scores and/or SAT or ACT test scores. Do NOT pay for expedited delivery of SAT and/or ACT scores. Perimeter College requires 5 – 7 business days to process each admission document after it is received.
The ACCUPLACER test requires a $20 fee. Perimeter College has a testing center at each campus.
Information for requesting official scores or documentation may be found at the SAT and ACT websites.
1130 Postbaccalaureate (Degreed) Applicants
A postbaccalaureate applicant already holds a baccalaureate or higher degree and does not wish to complete requirements for a certificate or associate degree from Perimeter College.
Postbaccalaureate applicants may take any course offered at the college, once prerequisites have been satisfied.
Postbaccalaureate applicants are not eligible for federal or state financial aid, including student loans.
Postbaccalaureate applicants wishing to change status and become a degree-seeking transfer student at Perimeter College must apply for a change of status and meet Perimeter College transfer student admission requirements. In a VERY limited number of cases, a student also may need to provide a high school transcript showing graduation.
Perimeter College Application for Admission accompanied by a $20 non-refundable fee.
Official college transcript showing that a bachelor’s degree or higher graduate degree has been awarded
Transcript must indicate graduation date and degree awarded from the accredited college or university attended.
If the institution is located in a country, state, territory or province in which English is not the primary or official language, then additional requirements may be necessary.
An applicant who is currently enrolled in another accredited college or university and applying to Perimeter College for a specified period of time to take courses as a visiting student.
A non-degree-seeking student at Perimeter College.
A Perimeter College application is valid for three (3) consecutive terms, including the term of application.
Transient/permission letter from the applicant’s enrolled institution
A transient/permission letter signed by the registrar or academic dean at the institution recommending the applicant as a transient student.
The letter must indicate the the specific term the student plans to attend Perimeter College.
The letter may also include a list of courses to be taken at Perimeter College.
A “Letter of Good Standing” from institutions outside the state of Georgia may be acceptable.
For fastest service, transient/permission letters may be uploaded through the Admissions Status Check at https://undergradapply.gsu.edu/status.
An applicant who is either coming back to college after a long hiatus or starting college more than five years after high school graduation. This includes students who earned a GED diploma.
The Perimeter College application is available online.
An application is valid for three consecutive terms, including the term of application.
Minimum test scores on the ACCUPLACER test(s) and/or eligible Advanced Placement (AP) and/or SAT or ACT test scores.
The ACCUPLACER test requires a $20 fee.
SAT and ACT scores submitted must be official scores. Information for requesting official scores or documentation may be found at the SAT and ACT websites. Do NOT pay for expedited delivery of SAT and/or ACT scores.
1150 Dual Enrollment Program
Dual Enrollment (previously known as Move On When Ready) provides the opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to enroll part-time or full-time to earn both high school and college credits. Participation is permitted during the normal fall, spring and summer semesters of the college school year.
Student Eligibility
To be eligible for the Dual Enrollment program, a student must:
Be entering 11th or 12th grade
Be on track to graduate
Meet lawful presence requirements
Obtain approval of the high school counselor and parent(s)/legal guardian(s)
Remain in good academic standing with a 2.0 GPA or higher at Georgia State University to remain eligible for the program
Submit a completed Immunization form to Georgia State Health Services.
Admissions Process and Requirements
Students must meet all three requirements for admission. Students not meeting one or more of the requirements will not be admissible for participation in the program.
GPA Requirement: 3.0 as calculated by the university
High School Transcript
Must be official
Students must take either the ACT or SAT.
Old SAT scores were taken prior to March 2016.
The following minimum scores are required:
ACT Requirement: 20 English and 21 Math
Old SAT Requirement: 480 Verbal (Critical Reading) and 500 Math
New SAT Requirement: 26 Reading Test Score and 26.5 Math Test Score
Application Deadlines and Procedures
Application and required documents must be submitted by the appropriate deadline.
Fall Semester: May 1
Spring Semester: November 1
Summer Semester: May 1
Submit test scores electronically
Submit ACT scores through ACT (Perimeter College code: 0806)
Submit SAT scores through College Board (Perimeter College code: 5711)
Submit AP scores through College Board
Submit official high school and college transcripts
Home school students should contact the Dual Enrollment (Move On When Ready) office directly
Submit official college transcripts if you have taken college courses at another post-secondary institution prior to applying to Georgia State University Perimeter College.
Check your application status for admission decision
Early College is a program that allows students from selected high schools to enroll at Georgia State. Early College students enrolled in a participating high school may earn a high school diploma with the potential to earn an Associate’s degree or two years of college credit towards a Bachelor’s degree. Unlike Dual Enrollment (DE), Early College enrollment is open only to students enrolled at an Early College high school that has partnered with Georgia State University.
Applicants must submit the application and required documents by the appropriate deadline. Early College deadlines are set by joint agreement of the Georgia State University Office of Admissions and the Early College high school. Students should consult their Early College liaison for applicable deadlines. Early College students do not pay an application fee.
Because of the demanding nature of college-level course work at a research institution, Early College students must have a high degree of academic potential and maturity. To be considered for admission, a student must meet the following minimum requirements:
Have spent the entire year prior to enrollment at an Early College high school in Georgia.
Be currently enrolled at an Early College high school that has partnered with Georgia State University.
Be high school sophomore (to apply to be an Early College student as a second semester sophomore or as a junior) or a high school junior (to apply to be an Early College student as a senior).
College placement on the ACCUPLACER.
Obtain the recommendation of the student’s high school guidance counselor.
Obtain the approval of the student’s parents or legal guardians.
Be on track to complete all Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) requirements.
Achieve a minimum high school GPA of 2.75 in college prep (RHSC) courses.
In addition, the admission decision will also consider:
A personal essay to be reviewed by the high school guidance counselor making the recommendation.
The student’s attendance record in high school. Normally, a minimum attendance rate of 90% is required to be permitted to take classes at Georgia State.
Students must also provide a copy of their most recent high school transcript showing all grades completed to date.
Admission to Georgia State under Early College does not imply admission to any other status. Early College students who later wish to enroll at Georgia State outside the Early College program must reapply.
Early College students must follow the following academic regulations in addition to all the other academic regulations of Georgia State University.
They may not attend classes during the summer semester except by special permission from the Early College High School and Early College Liaison.
They may attend for a maximum of six semesters up to graduating from high school.
Students who take over 15 college credits must pay for additional tuition and fees.
The courses in which they are enrolled must be reflected on their high school transcript.
They must pass any placement exams required for the courses they wish to take.
They may not take any courses at any other institution of higher education while enrolled in the program.
Early College students may only enroll in Georgia State courses approved by their high school guidance counselor and Georgia State University Advisement Center.
If they earn a Georgia State cumulative GPA below 2.0, they are not eligible to attend the college.
Students must participate in the Early Alert program. Faculty who have Early College students in their courses must participate in the Early Alert program.
College credits earned while in the Early College program are transferable to other USG institutions.
Early College students should be aware that they must meet all state high school graduation testing requirements, including the Milestone test. Georgia State courses are not designed to prepare students for these tests.
Student Behavior Regulations
Early College students must follow the early college high school code of conduct and the Georgia State University code of conduct. Students are subject to consequences of any violation on the college and high school side of the program, including dismissal from the program.
Applicants who are 62 years of age or older with prior college/university attendance may enroll as a degree-seeking student and meet general admission requirements. If you are aged 62 or over and would like to resume, continue or begin a college education, you are considered a GSU-62 applicant. This program is designated to allow eligible applicants to register for college-level courses for credit or audit on a space-available basis.
Admissions Requirements for the GSU-62 Program
Step-By-Step Regular Application Process
Submit the Perimeter College Application for Admission
Submit official college or university transcripts, if applicable.
If applicant has fewer than 30 transferable college-level credits, please submit official high school transcripts. You can use our transcript request form to request transcripts from your previous schools.
Note: An applicant who has received a bachelor’s degree and wishes to take undergraduate courses without being admitted to a degree-seeking program must complete the following application steps.
Step-By-Step Non-Degree Seeking Application for Postbaccalaurate Admission
Official college or university transcript showing conferred bachelor’s degree
Verification of Lawful Presence
Applicants must provide evidence of lawful presence in the United States to qualify for in-state tuition classification. Georgia State University admits all academically qualified undergraduate students, regardless of immigration status.
Minimum Requirements for the GSU-62 Program
The following minimum requirements must be met in order for an applicant to receive a GSU-62 waiver:
Must apply and submit all required documentation by the deadline, meet ALL admissions requirements for selected program of study, and be accepted
Must be 62 of age or older at the time of registration (submit birth certificate or current passport for verification of age)
Must be classified as a Georgia resident in accordance with the Regent’s Requirements for residential status
For GSU-62 students to receive a waiver for tuition and fees, applicants are required to register during late registration on a space-available basis.
Check the online registration calendar in PAWS for the semester in which you will be registering to determine the first date of late registration.
Any classes registered for during “regular registration periods” will not be covered by the waiver and it will be the applicant’s responsibility to pay tuition/fees.
No tuition or fees will be assessed for classes registered for during late registration, except for supplies or laboratory fees.
The applicant will be responsible for all student fees associated with obtaining a Georgia State University identification card (Panther Card).
Applicants to Georgia State University are classified as international applicants if they meet any of the following criteria:
Students who will require an F-1 visa to study in the United States
Students who have been educated outside of the U.S.
Students whose native language, as reported on the admission application, is a language other than English.
For admission to a degree pathway at Perimeter College, the following items are required:
Official high school transcript(s)
Students overseas should send an original transcript directly from their high school, if possible, or a copy that is certified by their high school, the local Education USA advising center, U.S. consulate, or a credential evaluation service. Please do not submit your only original copy – bring it to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and we will make a copy from the original.
Official foreign transcript evaluation Georgia State University requires that all international academic documents (transcripts, mark sheets, certificates, leaving examination results, etc.) be formally evaluated by either an independent evaluation service or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Official transcript from each college, university or technical college attended (if appropriate)
Transfer applicants must be eligible to return to the institution they last attended.
Official transcripts from overseas colleges or universities require an external foreign credential evaluation (course-by-course).
Minimum test scores on one of the following tests:
Official SAT or ACT test scores
ACCUPLACER test(s), offered at the Georgia State University testing center. The ACCUPLACER test requires a $20 fee.
Official Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB), or College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
For non-native English speakers, proof of English proficiency must be met by one of the following minimum scores*:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 500 (paper-based) or 61 (internet-based)
International Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 5.5
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE) score of 53
SAT Critical Reading score of 380 or ACT English score of 15
Completion of a college-level English composition course with a grade of “C-“ or better at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
Graduation from a U.S. high school
Documentation that English was the official language of academic instruction in home country
Completion of a University System of Georgia approved ESL program
Verification of Lawful Presence in the United States.
Applicants must provide evidence of lawful presence in the United States to qualify for in-state tuition classification or out-of-state tuition waivers.
Students on any type of visa will be asked by International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) to upload immigration information into iStart for this purpose AFTER admission and prior to enrollment.
*Low English proficiency scores may require additional testing into possible Learning Support or ESL courses at Perimeter College.
1170 Re-entry Applicants (Former Students)
An applicant who has previously attended Perimeter College but has not been enrolled for three or more consecutive terms is considered a re-entry student. Returning students will be subject to current admissions criteria and must adhere to the graduation requirements in this catalog.
Documentation for any events or new requirements since you last attended Perimeter College. These may include:
New transcripts from any schools you’ve attended.
For former transient students, a new transient letter from your current institution.
Any new SAT, ACT, CLEP, AP or ACCUPLACER test scores.
You may be required to take the ACCUPLACER placement test prior to re-admission.
Transient students may attend for only one fall or one spring semester. However, attendance as a transient student in summer semesters is unlimited. In order to continue for an additional summer semester(s) as a transient, a student must file a re-entry form and arrange for all necessary supporting documentation to be received in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the established deadlines. To continue attending, transient students must be in good academic standing at Perimeter College. Transient students who wish to become transfer students must apply to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to be admitted as a transfer student. All scholastic discipline policies and all course prerequisites are applicable to a transient student. Transcripts for courses completed at Perimeter College as a transient must be requested from the Office of the Registrar to be sent to the home institution. Transient students are admitted to and register through the college or school selected on their application. If the applicant does not indicate a college, and if a transient approval has been received, placement will be determined from the courses indicated in the letter. Transient students who seek re-entry must complete a new re-entry form for the semester that they wish to attend.
1175.20 Online Students
Perimeter College students taking Online Only courses may receive an exemption from immunization requirements by completing Perimeter College’s Certificate of Immunization form and checking the appropriate exemption box.
Immunization requirements remain in force for students taking a combination of online and on-campus courses. A student will be unable to enroll for a campus course until immunization requirements are satisfied. Perimeter College recommends all students satisfy immunization requirements in case on-campus and online courses are necessary to complete an academic program degree.
International students with student visas are required to carry a full course load (12 semester hours). International students with student visas who wish to re-enter must complete a new re-entry form for the semester that they wish to attend.
The Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions and the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success and Vice Provost are the President’s designees for purposes of hearing Undergraduate Admissions Appeals.
Applicants for undergraduate admission who are denied due to academic ineligibility may appeal the denial to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of the denial letter. The decision of the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions is final.
Applicants for undergraduate admission who are denied for reasons related to disciplinary/criminal history or falsification of application may appeal the denial to the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success and Vice Provost within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of the denial letter. The decision of the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success and Vice Provost is final.
1040.40 Campus Tours
1040.70 Military Outreach Center
1330.38 Cross-Level Registration Policy
1332.20 Withdrawals and Drops from Satellite Courses and Cancelled Courses
1340.35 Change of Pathway
1410.60 Area F: Lower Division Major/Pathway Requirements (18)
1415 Area G and Beyond
1510 Counseling
1510.20 Student Health Promotion
1515 Academic Opportunity Programs
1515.10 Pre-Collegiate and Educational Opportunity Programs
1515.20 Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA)
1515.30 Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PSLSAMP)
1515.40 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP)
1516 Study Abroad
1519 Leadership Programs
1526 Recreation
1534 Student Life
1534.30 Student Publications
1700 Honors College at Perimeter College
9010 American Sign Language Pathway
9012 Anthropology Pathway
9015 Art Pathways
9017 Biology Pathway
9020 Business Administration Pathway
9022 Chemistry Pathway
9027 Computer Science Pathway
9030 Criminal Justice Pathway
9035 Education Pathways
9040 Engineering Pathway
9042 English Pathway
9045 Film and Media Studies Pathway
9047 General Studies Pathway
9050 Geology Pathway
9052 Health Sciences Pathways
9052.10 Health Information Administration Pathway
9052.20 Health Science Professions Pathway
9052.30 Medical Technology Pathway
9052.40 Radiologic Sciences Pathway
9052.50 Respiratory Therapy Pathway
9055 History Pathway
9057 Homeland Security and Emergency Management Pathway
9060 Journalism Pathway
9062 Kinesiology and Health Pathways
9065 Mathematics Pathway
9067 Music Pathway
9070 Philosophy Pathway
9072 Physics Pathway
9075 Political Science Pathway
9077 Psychology Pathway
9080 Social Work Pathway
9082 Sociology Pathway
9083 Speech Communication Pathway
9085 Sport Management Pathway
9087 Theatre Pathway
9088 World Languages Pathways
9090 Career Programs
9090.10 Dental Hygiene
9090.20 Nursing
9090.30 Radiologic Technology
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANG (UG)
HEBREW MODERN
HOMELAND SECURITY & EMERG MGMT
PERIMETER COLLEGE ORIENTATION
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Senator’s report reveals prior knowledge of Port Arthur incident
A Cairns News special presentation
Parry must break silence on post-massacre report
A senator has refused to comment about allegations he had prior knowledge of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 when 35 innocent people were killed in a precision shooting operation.
Another 23 men, women and children were wounded by a trained and methodical gunman with long blond hair.
Revelations by Austrian-based author and researcher, Keith Noble, that Senator Stephen Parry had prior knowledge of the shootings, have not been refuted.
Parry at the time was a qualified embalmer and a former member of Tasmania Police who led a team of embalmers which handled the bodies in 1996.
An Australian, Mr Noble is leading a campaign to free accused shooter Martin Bryant from Risdon Gaol in Tasmania.
A paper written and presented in 1997 by Stephen Parry entitled ‘Port Arthur Massacre – AFDA National Embalming Team – Detailed Report’, that appears in a little-known book entitled ‘PORT ARTHUR SEMINAR PAPERS: A record of the Port Arthur Seminar’, 11-12 March, 1997, Melbourne, Victoria (ISBN 0642271364) clearly shows the incident that rocked a nation was planned.
In his 16 page, disturbing 1997 paper, Senator Parry stated in the following passage :
“I was particularly impressed by the quick response and initiatives by some of the team members in packaging and collecting equipment.
The response time and the amount of equipment quickly relocated was fantastic. One firm in particular, Nelson Brothers, had organised for an embalming machine box and a special large equipment case to be manufactured ready for the incident. These two containers were the envy of all embalmers and worked extremely well.
I would suggest that design specifications may be available from this firm for any future considerations by other firms.” (highlighted by CN)
Parry reveals the funeral services company of Nelson Brothers in Melbourne, Victoria, had undertaken preparations prior to the shooting.
President of the senate, Liberal Party Senator Stephen Parry
“Parry was born on 31 October 1960 in Burnie, Tasmania, to William Stephen Parry and Patricia Dawn Evans. He was educated at Burnie’s Marist Regional College after which he enrolled at the Tasmanian Police Academy in Hobart.
Parry was employed as an officer with the Tasmanian Police from 1977 to 1986, and was promoted to Detective in 1983. After leaving the police force, he completed a certificate in Mortuary Science at the Australian College of Funeral Service, and was a funeral director from 1986 to 2004, becoming president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association. Parry was also president of the Burnie Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2000 to 2004, and a director of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2000 to 2005.”
In 2004, Parry was elected to the Australian Senate for the State of Tasmania as a member of the Liberal Party.
Senator Parry was eminently qualified to lead the embalming team and as such his published comments would have to be accurate.
On February 26 he was emailed a ‘Show Cause’ notice by Keith Noble who accused the Senate Leader of having prior knowledge of the tragedy.
As of going to print Mr Noble says he has had no acknowledgement or reply from senator Parry.
Cairns News emailed senator Parry’s office with a copy of the notice but he had not responded at the time of going to print.
In furthering his moves to get Bryant out of gaol, Mr Noble told Cairns News there is an abundance of available evidence that the Tasmania Police refuse to acknowledge, clearly indicating Bryant is innocent.
“There was no trial, no coronial inquest, no public enquiry, no royal commission,” Mr Noble said.
“The story pushed by authorities that a trial would have been upsetting is the way the State has kept its crimes concealed from the public.
“John Howard was the worst Prime Minister Australia has ever had, and he encouraged the Liberal Party in Tasmania not to give innocent Martin a trial.
Howard’s agenda disarmed Australia utilising patsy Martin Bryant as the scapegoat
“Howard, who is also a qualified lawyer, spoke out to have Martin denied his legal rights and he never had proper legal representation and was kept in isolation for over six months.
“His lawyer at the time John Avery, who was convicted in 2008 for misappropriating and stealing $512,000, forced Martin to change his not guilty plea.
“He is another person who played the game after the official incident at Port Arthur. This is the depth to which the legal system in Tasmania has been taken over by corrupt lawyers, which includes that other pair of mongrels who wrongly prosecuted and convicted innocent Martin, Damian Bugg and William Cox.”
Mr Noble said the incident at Port Arthur was a premeditated, planned, and professionally perpetrated act of psycho-terror undertaken by the State to coerce the public into accepting firearm legislation.
“Martin Bryant is the patsy,” he said.
Martin Bryant”The Patsy”
Posted on March 6, 2016, in corruption, Courts, Federal Politics, firearms, Gun Control Australia, media, Military, mythmanagement, People Control, Police, Politicians, Port Arthur and tagged cover up, False Evidence, Federal Government, gun control, John Howard, Liberal National Party, lies, Matin Bryant, Port Arthur Lies, unaccountable. Bookmark the permalink. 197 Comments.
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | March 6, 2016 at 4:28 am
Thank you Cairns News. Reactions – negative reactions – about Stephen Parry and Nelson Brothers Funeral Services in Melbourne, Victoria, has been coming in from around the world. In Parry’s own words in a government publication – special embalming equipment was “manufactured ready for the incident.” Your readers wanting the details can get them from me: murder.research@gmail.com & bigwormbooks@gmx.net Will keep Cairns News informed about what the Senate does. Will the senators cover up (lie) for Parry? Or, will the senators demand he reveal everything he knows to the people of Australia? Suggest you contact your senator and bore it up her/him. Enough is enough. Martin Bryant should be released from prison immediately on humanitarian grounds – and, because he is INNOCENT!
J | March 8, 2016 at 3:31 am
You’re a fucking joke to your entire family& everyone u care about if you believe he’s innocent. I lost people to his finger on that trigger. Hes going to burn in hell and so are you. Hope u both get tortured and everyone u care about brutalized & raped… then shot by a dickhead for no reason. Fuck you
David Mkinley | March 8, 2016 at 5:08 pm
With respect., someone did that crazy cruel thing that’s made so much grief. The fact that you were intimately tragically affected doesn’t mean that the right person was convicted. Sometimes the wrong person is convicted. (But of course, unlike the headline says, this article is not ‘proof’ – it is actually about suspicions and suggestions). But your grief and anger doesn’t qualify you to know they got the right bloke. Maybe you are certain for other reasons..?
Jenny hunt | June 6, 2016 at 11:51 pm
Agreed on full!!!!!!!!
seeker | June 22, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Your swearing and acting like a fool and then you go on to say such hateful things to someone who for whatever reason thinks things were wrong. I really hope YOUR the one that get all that bad shit happen to you as you really seem like u deserve it. Dickheads like you are the reason this country is turning to shit. 🙂 see you in hell cock’o ill be the one with the pitchfork
Lissa | January 16, 2017 at 9:35 am
Thats interesting, because I happen to know that the witnesses of that event said that Bryant was not the person who shot up the cafe. These are people who saw the shooter up close and survived. This is why there was never a trial because those survivors would have testified it wasnt him. Personally I think you are an astro turf agent. I highly doubt you are real and lost anyone.
Ken | January 17, 2017 at 11:26 pm
I was at Port Authur doing the tourist thing the weekend before the massacre and thanked god I decided to go when I did. In saying that I will never understand the friends and relatives reactions of those killed, with no disrespect of there was evidence of a cover up and perhaps someone or another group was actually responsible why would you not want to know?
Fair enough if it’s just a conspiracy, but if there is evidence I know I would want to know who the actual bastards were that took the life of someone I loved.
Again no disrespect intended
doreen brett | January 18, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Don’t Blame you mate. this fella held the gun and puled the trigger and people that came out alive seen his face seen him pulling the trigger. and if this paper has proof of Stephen parry like they say well parry needs to have the police on him right now, because this is slandering mr parrys name also.
shaun watson | March 10, 2017 at 7:15 am
You are full of shit and a government troll, anyone can wear a wig you thick shit!!!!! That’s why it’s staged!!!!!!! Government I’d it so they can disarm the sheeple for the NWO!!!!!! 9 years previously where I WAS BORN we had the Hungerford massacre- PORT ARTHUR is a copy cat set up!!!!!!
Ryan | July 3, 2017 at 7:20 am
I feel for you I really do but dont be blinded by anger. There is plenty of evidence to support he did not do it
Bent facts | July 6, 2017 at 8:55 pm
He can’t shoot with that precision.they killed too many with not enough bullets plus not enough misses for 45 degree recoil shooting from the hip. Interview Bryant.
cairnsnews | July 10, 2017 at 9:11 am
Evidence is overwhelming of a government coverup. The political juggernaut will defend at any taxpayer funded cost to avoid transparency to the Port Arthur massacre. Their day in the peoples court of public concern is about to open the gate. Ed
Bobby Wayne | March 14, 2018 at 10:28 pm
Big Government promotes and enjoys “our class” fighting amongst ourselves and directing attention away from them. it is natural and easy to repeat those opinions from our favorite sources of media ,but, not so easy to construct an original opinion. The honest truth has become near impossible to locate, but it can be researched you are willing take the time. You will also need an open mind.
So, innocent or guilty- and how do YOU really know? Good luck~
Helen | April 2, 2018 at 1:37 am
Your’e the fucking joke! Blind Freddy can see Martin Btyant is innocent !!
Helen | May 8, 2018 at 2:24 pm
J you’re just as evil as the rest of the moron that set Martin Bryant up !!
Richy | June 7, 2018 at 12:39 am
The guns he used were handed into Bayswater police station in Victoria. Because they were bent. And did not shoot straight.
They were possession of the Australian Government.
Do you need my uncle to tell you why they handed them in for $150 each. Cost to fix them was more.
PS. All those in comps that went up against Bryant were better shooters. Bryant had a 45/100 average.
Did they not say he shot 92/100.
The exact number our top SAS sniper has.
I sympathies with you. But you need the truth. This was a government sanctioned false flag event. At the Top.
Sorry I can’t say more on Spy Net
Sallie ♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥ | April 19, 2016 at 3:55 pm
I find Parry’s words very disturbing and of great interest taking into account all the other numerus ‘mysteries’ about this case! especially Bryant ‘multi-tasking’ firing shots while on the phone speaking calmly to the police negotiator and how ridiculous to think the public would fall for those shots being recorded as 20 COUGHS. OMG they were definitely gun shots…I also want to know why, when Bryant came out of Seascape and claimed to be one of the hostages, nobody went inside to check on the Martins? It was ‘assumed’ but not verified at the time they were already dead by words Martin used and his language? wow – what a way to die if they were alive! I believe Martin was involved in some kind of role playing but this slow speaking, slow comprehending type of personality did not do the shooting! 700 journos just happened to be in Tassie & a trauma seminar at the hospital & senior staff just happened to be picked up shortly before the massacre & taken to some ridiculous work seminar never done before ? yeah right! and what’s this with the police taking 6 hours to arrive? http://southeastasianews.org/portarthur/conspiracy_fact.html
Ed | January 20, 2017 at 6:23 am
People who cry “CONSPIRACY THEORISTS’ are terrified of answering questions or learning the truth a conspiracy theorist is one who questions the words of known liars so any one who doesn’t question the known liars are cowards or hiding the truth
tokyorose2 | January 28, 2019 at 11:52 pm
The truth always comes out, I admire you helping an innocent man. That’s what I saw in the interview, he seemed intelligent enough but simple that’s all.
18thcenturylivinghistory | March 6, 2016 at 11:22 am
Obviously there has been a huge cover-up here regardless of whether or not Bryant was involved in the shootings. People KNEW this was going down, & my biggest concern is; if the government did do this, then they can do it again.
Frank | March 6, 2016 at 8:19 pm
Who’s to say they already haven’t and continue too?
Angela ♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥ (@sallie6youtube) | April 19, 2016 at 4:21 pm
I found this comment on youtube under Wendy Scurr’s speech… “Sks-a1l1(7.62) and ar-15(5.56/223cal) were the weapon he apparently used! What is little know is the fact that a number of 308 cartridges as well as a large number of 308 projectiles were located by civilians in the months following If u listen to the footage u can hear the 308(deeper boof sound) amonst the higher pitched 223 he used initially. Also little known(hidden) was the fact one person was shot he never had a clear line of sight with! Somehow he was a military grade marksman and able to hit moving targets with over 30 accurate kill shots!”
Did ‘somebody’ forget about picking up all those cartridges fired? another mistake?
Interview Martin.
bg4gb | August 7, 2016 at 5:22 pm
…and this is why Americans will never give up their guns. They’re for protection. Not protection from burglars, rapists, or murderers…protection from the government.
John11 | September 12, 2016 at 11:10 am
cookoo…
Roger Martin | March 6, 2016 at 1:58 pm
If substantiated this will validate my thoughts.
Morgan K Haygarth | March 6, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Pigs bum and if you wanna know, just f*&^% ask, I can tell you something, I have typed it out before but to lazy and would want to omit certain info given etc etc, To all the PPL that wanna think this above, you are wrong, and I happen to know and am willing to tell any reporter or otherwise or anybody writing a book or or or.
I happened upon this mans life when I ran away from QLD police to go live in Tassie for 8 years or so, its a small place and Ive a great memory, I met alot of locals in that time and imparticularly one of the two of this blokes mates that I met and interacted with …blah blah blah. This PERSON Bryant did so do it and was planning worse. This post is full of IT, no matter how well constructed… and I happen to know. I am not guessing. If you people free this man ever it will be a mistake.
ajhollis | June 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm
What crock you contrive. You fain one character yet other statements reveal another. You are false
federalreserve | March 6, 2016 at 2:50 pm
I could see that was a dis arming tactic at the time, but was called silly names for suggesting it.
nedsby | March 6, 2016 at 7:56 pm
I’ve been called a conspirator for 20 years of my life because I believe a man is innocent and a great injustice was perpetrated at Port Arthur. But better to be called names than live with myself because I did nothing.
Peter rogers | March 7, 2017 at 8:08 am
I agree with you nedsby…..Better to have been called names then to done nothing….
clark mcclafferty | March 6, 2016 at 7:35 pm
Wonder what Jackie Lambie has to say about this???
Floda | March 19, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Whatever’s best for Jackie! What did you expect?
Tudley Smith | March 6, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Yes we knew at all times that Martin had not the ability to carry out such an act.It was the act of a very very accomplished rifleman with a very high I Q and a nerve that takes much practice to keep the COOL, The gov members including John Ho should be put in a pen that will prevent any further such acts.Also Martin should be compensated at the perpetrators cost.however “‘dream on”
Robert the Rose Horse | March 7, 2016 at 10:40 am
You don’t have to be too accomplished to kill people at point blank range. Once he moved outside and had to shoot at targets from a distance he couldn’t hit them.
Doesn’t require a high I.Q., I’d suggest that having a very low I.Q. made it easier for him due to lack of empathy for his victims.
The low I.Q. probably accounts for your, ‘Nerve that takes much practice to keep the COOL’.
Ron Doe | March 8, 2016 at 8:16 pm
Please go and read the info presented on this web page.
http://www.whale.to/b/viallspam.html
As you probably never held and even less likely fired a Colt AR15 assault rifle you cannot have any idea of the skill required to kill 20 people and injure 12 in the close confines of the Broad Arrow cafe in under 2 minutes.
J burgers | June 7, 2016 at 9:30 am
Low IQ is not the same as lacking empathy.
carles | March 6, 2016 at 9:58 pm
…you all need to get off the bong.
Darren Ross | March 7, 2016 at 3:46 pm
I agree, conspiracy theory BS. 1 man with too much automatic firepower. A child could kill more given those weapons and the right situation.
*semi-automatic.
Mike | March 6, 2016 at 10:40 pm
If there was a conspiracy, why would those responsible make those arrangements? The goal would be to have as few people involved as possible to minimise the risk of exposure. Conspiracy 101 stuff. The idea that murderous conspirators would make arrangements for the transport of the dead is pretty silly.
Far more likely is just a poorly written report
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | March 6, 2016 at 11:45 pm
MIKE, This admission by Stephen Parry is very serious. It is related to an incident in which 35 people were killed and 23 were wounded. A SHOW CAUSE NOTICE (24 FEB 2016) was directed to him and members of the Australian Senate. Parry did not reply, nor did anyone on his behalf. An INTERNATIONAL MEDIA RELEASE (26 FEB 2016) was directed to him and members of the Australian Senate. Parry did not reply, nor did anyone on his behalf. It is my understanding Cairns News emailed Parry and asked him to explain. Parry did not reply, nor did anyone on his behalf. A MASSACRE NOTICE (5 MAR 2016) was directed to him and the Australian Senate. Parry has not replied, nor has anyone on his behalf. On Sunday evening (6 MAR 2016) in Australia, Channel 7 rehashed the corrupt official narrative and attempted, I have been told, to rehabilitate that criminal and corrupt ex-lawyer John Avery who coerced innocent Martin Bryant to abandon his NOT guilty plea. Avery was Martin’s defence lawyer – yet Avery coerced Martin, who had been kept isolated for over six months, to accept Avery’s plea of guilty. This gross injustice broadcast as entertainment is unacceptable. So too is a senator who fails to act promptly to clarify a massacre-related matter so significant in Australia. It is easy to dismiss a lot of things related to the Port Arthur massacre – if you rely on your opinion or that of others. To say Stephen Parry made a mistake in his paper is not acceptable. Parry was involved with the embalming of the bodies (25) after the massacre. Parry knew his paper was going to be presented to a senior and attentive audience. Whether Parry or someone else read Parry’s paper in its entirety to those who attended that seminar is not known by me. It is doubted. Seminars are nor reading fests. Frequently, presenters just give the essence of their papers which later appears in a summary publication. Parry’s paper appears in the book titled: PORT ARTHUR SEMINAR PAPERS (1997). And on p. 112, Parry states: “One firm in particular, Nelson Brothers, had organised for an embalming machine box and a special large equipment case to be manufactured ready for the incident.” Clearly, Parry wrote about the Port Arthur Massacre incident. Parry has until 16 MAR 2016 to explain himself in full in the form of a sworn Affidavit. He has already had ample time to clarify his words to all Australians, to Cairns News, to me. But Parry has not. And until he does, we can only believe his words mean what they mean in an English dictionary. To say Parry really meant something else is apologistic. What is the most disturbing thing about all of this is that there was NO trial, NO coronial inquest, NO public enquiry, NO royal commission, etc. after the terrible incident at and near Port Arthur in 1996. An innocent mentally-handicapped boy-man with a 66IQ has been incarcerated for 20 years. The people of Australia, which includes families, relatives, and friends of the victims, have been denied truth and justice. Now, Australians are about to see whether the Australian senator Stephen Parry will tell the truth – the whole truth.
Mike | March 7, 2016 at 1:05 am
Which fails to address my point. It’s utterly ludicrous to think a conspiratorial group set on killing people in such an event would take the added risk of exposure from making such needless arrangements. It’s unwarranted design. They’re happy to kill people but want to make sure the bodies have good transport? Please. Such a conspiracy would be run by people who know better.
MIKE, Using the word conspiracy is not helpful. It is derogatory and reveals your closed mind. People I know who are investigating the Port Arthur Massacre are not set on identifying conspirators and some grand conspiracy. They start out with known undeniable facts – then say, what does this mean? For example, they say there was NO trial, NO coronial inquest, NO public enquiry, NO royal commission, etc. This is undeniable. And what it means is that mentally-handicapped Martin Bryant has been denied his legal rights, and leading up to this is the fact he was denied his human rights. Being kept in isolation for over six months without proper legal representation, a guardian (which he was supposed to have as per a 1994 guardianship order), contact with his mother and sister, etc. is appalling abuse. For anyone to describe this negatively using the word conspiracy as a noun and as an adjective is ridiculous. You clearly have opinions on parts of the incident at Port Arthur. But you do not know with certainty because you do not have all the facts. But regardless, you interpret your opinion as a certain truth: “Such a conspiracy would be run by people who know better.” You are telling us how a conspiracy – your word – would be conducted. You think you know. And in fact, you use the definitive phrase “would be” as if your opinion was the truth. Well it isn’t Mike. It could be, it might be, it may be, but you can’t and haven’t proved it is. Be careful with absolute terms. Next thing, you write about “a conspiratorial group.” But you don’t know if there was such a group, whether there was more than one group (conspiratorial or otherwise), or what the group(s) did, or what the plan(s) was/were. It has been suggested that two things were going on at the same time at Port Arthur. A planned benign exercise with all that entails, and a planned sinister exercise with all that entails. One incident in which such a reality played out is the 7/7 incident in London in 2005. (read TERROR ON THE TUBE by Nick Kollerstrom) Mike, I suggest you do three things: 1. Stop thinking and writing as if you know about all aspects of the incident at Port Arthur. Expressing your opinion as the truth is not helpful to you or your readers; 2. Start thinking why Tasmania ensured there was no proper investigation of the Port Arthur incident with a credible report being released to the public; and, 3. Start thinking about innocent Martin Bryant (66IQ) being incarcerated for 20 years without a shred of hard evidence ever being presented, tested, and proved in a sound trial. All there has been is more opinions, more assumptions, more corrupt conclusions presented as the truth. There are lots of things we do not know about the incident at Port Arthur. One of them that has been detected is the questionable role and a statement made by Stephen Parry. Now if everything he was involved with in relation to that incident is benign, and if what he stated in his seminar paper is benign, then he will have no trouble swearing a detailed Affidavit which can be presented to the people of Australia. But if Parry refuses to swear a detailed Affidavit explaining himself, then this will be a very suspicious fact. Am sure that you agree with me, the president of the Senate of Australia should be beyond suspicion. (Suggest you read LEAKED DOCUMENTS and learn what the witnesses stated. Especially the witnesses who wrote that Martin Bryant was NOT the gunman. pdf from martinbryantisinnocent@gmail.com)
rump1g | March 7, 2016 at 2:19 am
Everyone has a price to keep quiet about things just think bout that
Adam | March 10, 2016 at 11:31 am
My question is if there was no trial or anything to that effect why does it matter about a plea?
AND …Parry even says “These two containers were the envy of all embalmers and worked extremely well.
I would suggest that design specifications may be available from this firm for any future considerations by other firms.”
well…here we have Parry boasting how they were the envy of all embalmers & worked extremely well. He’s even recommending the design specifications…CHECKMATE!
Jeffrey | March 7, 2016 at 12:08 am
Conspiracy rubbish. Whether Martin was a pawn or not for the government , he is still responsible for is actions in killing 35 innocent people in cold blooded murder. I’m sure if they were one of my family members, I would not like to see him released back into the free world again and wait for the next incident to happen. After watching Sunday night I believe that he knew what he had done or what he was involved in but played the smart card stringing police along. I think releasing this man back to society would be a major mistake. You get raised on belief that your responsible for your actions and what ever actions you take you pay the consequences.
Peter L | March 7, 2016 at 9:25 am
“After watching Sunday night I believe that he knew what he had done or what he was involved in but played the smart card stringing the police along…”.
What you believe in by watching what was on Sunday night television and what reality is, well, staggering to say the least…
Angela Cadwallen | March 6, 2016 at 11:15 pm
Mike some of the people in the loop were also killed that day…..one way of getting rid of loose ends. You really should read up on the whole disgusting mess before you make such ill-informed comments.
Carryn Zed | April 4, 2017 at 1:31 am
Exactly Angela…. like top police officials told to attend a suddenly arranged convention in Hobart that weekend, the quick & easy access to transport for the high number of victims, & Martin himself supposedly admitted at first he was told to be at that place…..but that was ignored & made out it was just voices in his head… They did a very good job on a simple guy used as a scapegoat……….
Nic Faulkner | March 7, 2016 at 7:59 am
I would suggest people read and listen to what Wendy Scurr has said about this incident. After all she was at Port Arthur on the day and was THE ‘first responder’ after the event.Her presentations at the Inverell Forum are all available on line.
Davo | March 7, 2016 at 8:03 am
Mike the words your looking for is False Flag Not (conspiracy)
Mike | March 7, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Davo: Saying it’s not a conspiracy theory, it was a false flag operation is like looking at a quadrupedal mammal that barks and saying “It’s not a dog, it’s a poodle.”
John | March 7, 2016 at 8:55 am
This is an utterly ridiculous story, twisting the words of the embalmer to suit his own argument, while no attention whatsoever is paid to Martin’s actual words: his admittance of guilt.
George Drysdale | March 7, 2016 at 9:26 am
John it is great we have the ability to voice opinions as you have done here without research relying on your ability to follow the bouncing ball served by the spin doctors in power. It does raise concern you are allowed to vote and sustain the status quo.
cairnsnews | March 7, 2016 at 9:36 am
Thanks John for your decisive interpretation of direct evidence. We watched the Channel 7 story, but Cairns News had already pre-empted its script in the piece by researcher Keith Noble published several days beforehand. Did you watch the same Channel 7 psy-op that we did on Sunday? The only thing poor mentally handicapped Bryant agreed to was putting a male in the boot of a car. But he was so hyped up and still under the effect of the psychological conditioning he had been given over the preceding two years, since he attended the Tavistock Institute in the UK he had no concept or understanding what he was doing or saying during the very basic police interview. We suggest you do your homework as we have.
https://cairnsnews.org/2014/09/16/port-arthur-a-government-sponsored-attack-on-australians/
http://www.cecaust.com.au/main.asp?sub=info/mobes/atl&id=ncarticles/Martin_Bryant_Sp_Rep.html
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | March 7, 2016 at 2:11 pm
No one has twisted the words of the embalmer (Stephen Parry the senator). The are quoted verbatim. To say otherwise is plain stupidity. Secondly, Martin had an IQ of 66. (What must it have sunk to now after 20 years off wrongful imprisonment?). Intellectually, he was in the lowest 2 percent of the population. Martin was also and illegally isolated for over six months – APR to NOV 1996. During that time he was intimidated and coerced. he was told he would not see his family again if he kept pleading NOT guilty. Also during that time, Martin had no proper legal representation. So there was a mentally-handicapped boy-man, under stress and duress, without proper legal representation, and the unethical scum lawyer (John Avery) who was suppose to defend Martin was telling Martin he had to plead guilty. This is the flawed foundation for the State refusing to have a trial for Martin Bryant. Note what the barrister-author Chester Porter states in his book The Conviction of the Innocent: “If a person has an IQ of seventy, it is not very difficult for experienced detectives to persuade him of her to confess to almost anything.” p. 19 Martin was savaged by experience police interviewers, at least one psychiatrist, and that scum Avery. Quite simply, Martin was defenceless and they broke him. To say that a retarded person, in such a stressed situation involving manipulation by ill-intended people, freely admitted guilt is a statement of callous stupidity.
Donovan | June 6, 2016 at 11:31 pm
And by admittance of guilt you would be referring to the “hand written, signed” statement, (that hasn’t been seen till Sunday Night’s Exclusive), that any 6 year old could have written.
Summing it all up, we have a guy locked up that was involved in sum way, 50+ innocent people were victims or the nations LARGEST ever shooting, and there has yet to be any inquest about it.
The silence from certain individuals is the scariest part of it. Looking at recent events, the Lindt Cafe, within a week we started an inquest and commission into what and how it happened. Nearly 2yrs later we are finding out our Police were negligent, our “highly” trained Response Unit can’t shoot. (One officer unloaded 18-22 rds at a single target?!? Causing a rickoet and killing a hostage. (Side note: Martin shot 18 people, in the head, from his hip in his off-hand, within less time)).
There is more to it. Why conceal all Part Arthur evidence for 30yrs? Out of respect of the families, maybe 5 years, but 30 yrs is a great number if most of the information gets lost, destroyed or deteriorates.
Bill | March 7, 2016 at 11:35 am
Always said it was a setup by the Howard Govt to take the firearms off the legal licensed owners
Tracey | March 7, 2016 at 11:44 am
No one person can kill some people in that short time frame and someone with a mental illness could not and will have the power to shoot so many people it takes more then one person to shoot that many people in that short time frame.
Rick Johnson | March 7, 2016 at 11:52 am
You people make me sick to my stomache, you are as deranged as Bryant, what goal does the government score by killing 35 people and injuring 23 more. what thought process’ run through your head, to control guns? To scare the population? Unfortunately there are sick people in this world of varying degrees. Bryant is one of them and so are you. The only difference is you poison minds with ” personal theory ” that is abhorrent to others but makes compleate sense to you. Thank god that you are just a small minded deranged person that obviously has no reach to spread you drivel and muck raking. I have read the report you claim to get your ” facts ” from, and can see that a mind such as yours turns and twists things to suit yourself. You talk about government spin doctors, you are your own spin doctor. I suppose Joseph Gobbels was misunderstood, Himmler was misquoted and the German and Japanese pow camps were in fact holiday retreats. You kind sir are a moron and need to pull your head in.
Jen B | August 2, 2016 at 2:23 am
The primary reason for the Govt to stage this disgusting and cowardly act was to DISARM the nation. Notice how there hasn’t been another one since?please stop blindly believing the mainstream propaganda as it merely shows a lack of intelligence on your part. The second reason for a Govt to commit this heinous crime could be to “corral” the people into into falsely thinking and desiring safetyl, therefore openly welcoming The slave-master style of control in order to feel safe by way of being led to believe there is no other remedy.
Chris | August 2, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Perhaps you could stop looking for conspiracies where there are none.
Do you see any purple elephants or little green men? Maybe a dragon or two? I suppose mainstream religion can help you with their prayers. Ask them to post one to Facebook for you so Jesus can tell when it reaches the requested amount and instantly make things better. Oops, the government monitors Facebook and steals your secrets and your soul.
Come on people. Not everything bad that happens is because our corrupt government made it happen with subterfuge and to fulfill diabolic desires. If that was the case I’d have a great case to put to them for my car breaking down when I need it.
What would they accomplish by disarming us? We have no constitution that says we can rise up against a corrupt authority. They spent more money paying people for their guns than they made back from it. The amount of money taxes would have brought them each year would have been sizeable. Enough, I dare say, to make it worthwhile keeping the guns around. They already have control over us via taxes, medical services etc. Do you think they took the guns away so we didn’t rise up against them for bringing the GST in or something?
Try and use some logic before falling for ridiculous claims. Sometimes, just sometimes, a citizen is actually guilty of the crime they have been convicted of.
cairnsnews | August 6, 2016 at 8:56 am
Hi Chris we did our research, we suggest you do yours and look at the Port Arthur tags on Cairns News. Just because the media says Bryant did it doesn’t mean it is true. Fortunately the sheeple are slowly waking up. Editor
Fran mcmaster | March 7, 2016 at 11:56 am
I found it strange that one man could walk around the areas he did shooting random people where were the police how could he have that amount of time to do this just a question I’ve asked over the years since
Robert Newitt | March 7, 2016 at 1:50 pm
once again Frank McMaster, you along with a lot of other people have no idea about the geographical location of Port Arthur…..It’s an isolated place, with only one police officer located there at Nubeena, the next Police officer is at Dunalley. These are single police stations. The next largest police station is at Sorell. I suggest that you look these locations up on Google Earth, and you will get a better understanding of things, and how he could have had the time…….
How do I know this ?? My wife was working there on that day……I know more than most of you, and as I also worked there, I know about the layout of the Broad Arrow Cafe….which once again, most of you do not…..
Mark | March 7, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Obviously the writer of this column didn’t watch the Mike Wilisee Sunday Night show that was on last night. There is no doubt Bryant was the shooter however how a crazy like that was able to acquire that many weapons that is what we should be asking
Peter L | March 7, 2016 at 2:08 pm
“I saw it on TV so it must be true”.
A lot of people drink the kool-aid but populist opinion doesn’t make it factually correct. The sad thing is that some people when axiomatically challenged, shut down all rational and logical thinking. The enormity of it all simply overwhelms them so they become aggressive and even more confused. They tend to label people as conspiracy theorists (in a derogatory sense) but are unable to do any basic research themselves as it is too confronting.
ajhollis | June 5, 2016 at 12:01 am
Indeed the puppet masters pull a few strings knowing full well that not only their perverse servants will dance their dance for them, there countless weak souls that will willingly jump to the tune that has been set for them from the cradle to the crave. Those that would engineer such perversity have little concern if the wakefull see through the murderous contrivances, indeed the wise are only made more fearful of the parasite caste by exposure of the thinly valled lies. The murder of Kennedy or the attack on the USS Liberty are perfect examples of blatant proof facing willful blindness
Mark I very much doubt you are entirely aware that the ABC and corporate MSM are propaganda tools for the psychopathic banking parasites the finance happily mass murder, terrorism and even genocide for multiple paths of profit and the power that creates this world of rapidly diminishing returns for wholesome society. I believe Evil is the most concise description of these Sub human parasites that walk the corridors of power.
I am so sick and tired of all you people who think that this was a government sanctioned action……
First of all, the majority of people who have commented here know very little about what happened, except what was reported by the media…….
I lived on the Tasman Peninsula for 7 years, and worked at Port Arthur on a work for the dole scheme for 6 months from memory.
My wife started work there as a Ghost Tour Guide before gaining employment there.
She was on duty on the day of the incident, and was working at a strategic position to the Broad Arrow Cafe.
There is a lot that most people don’t know about the location of Port Arthur and the Broad Arrow Cafe.
Too many times I’ve heard people say “he couldn’t have shot that many people in that short a time”, or “a qualified person couldn’t have killed that many people”.
The Broad Arrow Cafe was a small cafe, that when tourists were there, was mostly crowded, and really not big enough for the purpose that it served.
The majority of people have never fired a high powered automatic weapon, and as such have no idea about the “kill rate” that these weapons are capable of.
What my wife did on that day has never been reported. We went to great lengths to keep her out of the media, and her story has never been told to the best of my knowledge.
She watched Martyn Bryant chase the bus driver around the bus and shoot him, before leaving the “Port”.
She was one of the first people there, and as an employee, it was her duty of care to look after the wounded and the remaining tourists alike.
What she did after he left was nothing short of heroic, and something that I would not wish on any one.
Never in any of the media reports have I ever heard anything about the young Asian lady that was sitting at the table with the fork to her mouth, dead.
Never in any media reports have I heard anything about the Victorian S.O.G officers that were on station at the time of his capture (my sister also worked as a Parliamentary Secretary at the time, and knew something about this).
The only thing I’ve ever heard is people who were not there, and didn’t know anyone there, telling me what happened. And to put it honestly….you’re all wrong.
My wife got home about midnight after the event, and we sat an talked for a few hours about what had happened, so I believe that I have a better understanding, and more knowledge about it than most people.
So when I see what most of you (including the Media) are writing or saying about this, I know for a fact that you are entirely wrong.
Stop your conspiracy theories, ans stop saying that it is something more than what it is.
Simply, it was one man, who is not all there, wanting to be recognised and accepted by people, and that’s how he went about it, end of story.
I am more than happy to tell anyone what happened on that day, but you have to be prepared to listen to the truth, not some beat up story that someone wants to tell, just to get their name “up in lights”.
I personally knew most of the people who were working there on that day, and had a lot of personal interaction with them.
So please, for the sake of those of us that have to live with this, still to this day, and probably until we end our days, stop your ridiculous load of crap.
claire latham | March 14, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Thankyou. Sick of reading their comments here and on facebook. Unfortunately Sad they will ignore your truth.
From the detractors of this article it is more than obvious there are shills and most probably part the corrupt and satanic self help group that call themselves Freemasons
Alex Reid | March 7, 2016 at 1:59 pm
They say to achieve that number of kills shooting from the hip (as wittiness statements revealed), could only be done by an expedience makesman.
margaret di giovinazzo | April 21, 2019 at 6:26 pm
Martin Bryant is left handed and the shooter was shooting righthanded.
Bedgaroo | March 7, 2016 at 3:26 pm
Biggest load of crap I’ve read. Anything big that happens in the world it must be cover up. I can’t believe the amount of people out there who think Bryant is innocent and that It was planned by the Government. I think you should all get your own IQ tests done.
Ian Gregory | March 7, 2016 at 3:40 pm
There was always doubt about Bryant guilt.If all witnesses had been called before a jury trial he could not have been convicted .John Howard and his entire cabinet should die in jail for their crimes .
doreen brett | March 7, 2016 at 3:50 pm
I agree with Rick Johnson. And I believe this being out and about now is to do damage to the liberal government and any respect the people have for Howard. I believe we will get lots of this from now till election and the Union run labor party are in full swing of manipulating the Australian people as they have done now for a few years and union has plenty of money and media help.
cairnsnews | March 7, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Doreen there are many more people than just some Liberals involved in this tragedy. We suggest you scroll back through this site and you will find much evidence previously published from several years ago. We have no partisan preference, just as long as the wrecking ball triumverate of the Liberals, Labor and the Greens are unable to form a government. Editor
Dianne | March 7, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Have just finished reading all the comments in relation to The Port Arthur Massacre and unfortunately the one thing that has always been obvious is that Mathew Bryant could never have had the intelligence to carry out these killings. Am a retired secretary of 25 years from my local firearms club and to do this massacre would require huge amounts of training and firearms knowledge. Something he never had. My heart goes out to all the people who suffered and are still suffering, but to know the knowledge of particular firearms just makes the more plausible that Mathew Bryant was a pawn in a system that was hell bent on disarming the public of Australia.
Edward | August 12, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Martin Bryant?
Jane | March 7, 2016 at 7:08 pm
“Ready for the incident” means AFTER it happened ! The incident went on for half a day and updates were broadcast live on the news. The bodes would’ve been kept in cold storage first and then embalmed later.
Alison | March 7, 2016 at 7:37 pm
Sorry Dianne, I think you mean “Martin” Not “Mathew”. I have seen the videos of Martin Bryant.. It certainly make one wonder.. I don’t think he was capable of it (murder)
Dianne | March 8, 2016 at 8:50 am
Yes Alison I often have a small problem with names but the gist of my email is spot on. Thank you for your reply.
Alison | March 11, 2016 at 8:31 am
Yes Dianne, you are spot on with the rest of your comment, some people just don’t get it do they? I saw the interview on the Sunday Night show, I think he was set up.. I feel for his mother too. My heart also goes out to the people & families of this horrific history. Why do people believe everything they see on TV as gospel?
I watched the video from another follower of this site: (quoted from the video) Wendy Scurr was the first person into the Broadarrow cafe after the Port Arthur massacre, she has a completely different story to tell from the mainstream media , the police and the federal and state governments, find out just how much disinformation and myths have been created around the pre planned pt arthur massacre ,if you watch this film with an open mind you will never be the same again period. also go to the NEXUS magazine website and download from the their archives section a brilliant 3 part series of articles in PDF format on the event time to take the red pill and wake up to what’s really going on in our world.
Certainly opens ones eyes.. Watch the video & more here:
Keith: Conspiracy is a correct and appropriate word to use. You are not just a conspiracy theorist, but a (wannabe?) professional conspiracy theorist on this and other conspiracy theories.
You are promoting a conspiracy theory – a theory that would involve several levels of government and some private actors. If we are to entertain your theory, we should ask ourselves what we should expect to find if the theory were true. We should not expect a mass murdering cabal of conspiracists to make arrangements for morgue equipment, which is plainly not the case and would be counter to the goal you claim they pursued.
The quoted text is most like a reference to equipment made quickly in the response for use in morgue proceedings. The paragraph is explicitly noting how fast equipment was made available – “The response time…” tells us they were responding to the incident. A poor wording gives the conspiratorially minded something to go on.
As for why people aren’t responding to your demands, why would they? Let’s say that Parry released the affidavit you demand. Would you then say “Oh, well that’s that then”. No, you would accuse him of lying and demand he testify under oath. If he did that, you still wouldn’t accept it. He knows that you are a crank with a history of harassing people, even the bereaved.
Your “startling new information” is nothing of the kind. It does not prove, or even support, your claim that the incident was planned by the government.
You are a troll, a ghoul, a crank, and, yes, a conspiracy theorist.
MIKE: You continue to write silliness. Either you did not read or you do not understand what I wrote. You have interpreted Stephen Parry’s words to suit your unproved assumptions about the incident at Port Arthur. You also seem to define the meaning of words differently to how they are defined in an English dictionary. Parry has been given the opportunity to explain himself. Given the seriousness of the matter it behooves him to clarify it to the people of Australia. An Affidavit is a sworn document – it is tautological to use the phrase sworn Affidavit, because that is what an Affidavit is – a sworn document. I used the adjective sworn to tell readers a significant point about what an Affidavit is, as many (most?) readers have no experience with this legal instrument. It is a serious document for serious matters, and Parry’s words are serious. Parry has until 16 MAR 2016 to provide an Affidavit explaining his words and himself. There is no conspiracy there Mike. After working for several years with good investigators trying to get to the bottom of the 1996 incident at Port Arthur, it is telling that those people who keep blathering and using the word conspiracy and the phrase conspiracy theory/theorist – as you have – are those who are convinced the official narrative is completely correct in all aspects. But it isn’t. People like me say words which upsets people like you because you think you know everything about the incident. But you don’t. Words that challenge your unproved assumptions cause dissonance in your mind. You get upset and call people silly names just as you have done to me and it is reasonable to believe you have done to others who have raised legitimate concerns and questions which have not been addressed or answered. (What embalmer Stephen Parry has stated in his embalming paper is one of these concerns.) Why did the cops not lift the fingerprints off the objects that the gunman handled in the Broad Arrow Cafe? He left those objects there. They can be seen in the police video. If Martin Bryant was the gunman, his fingerprints would have been all over them. But there is NO fingerprint evidence in the entire case. And NO DNA evidence. And no GSR evidence. In fact, NO forensic evidence of any kind. You have no certain knowledge (or do you?) about why Helene & Robert Salzmann were sitting inside a yellow Volvo with a gunman at the tollbooth at the Port Arthur Historic Site. Witnesses only a few metres away who saw them have stated this in writing – read LEAKED DOCUMENTS; copy from murder.research@gmail.com – and there is no official explanation. What happened to that red Commodore vehicle that the mysterious Thomas & Debra Buckley abandoned at the tollbooth? It just disappeared in the official narrative. Who drove it away? Who was in it? How can the same(?) gunman arrive for the massacre looking worn and rough around the edges end up looking fresh and tidy on his way to Seascape? Witnesses have stated this in writing. Was it the same gunman? How could it be? There is no conspiracy there Mike – witnesses have said it in writing. Three Tasmanian cops have written that they saw a black-haired woman running naked and screaming on the Seascape property late Sunday afternoon. It was not the grey-haired co-owner (Mrs. Martin) of Seascape because the official narrative says she was killed around midday. So people like me would like to know who exactly that black-haired woman was. And why was she running naked and screaming at Seascape? And where is she now? Is she dead, or alive? What ever happened to those handcuffs Martin Bryant was said to have used at Seascape? They were made of metal and would not have burnt in the fire. They did not appear on the list of evidence it seems. So what happened to those handcuffs? We could go on about many highly significant never-explained parts of the incident at Port Arthur. Parts by their very existence that tell thinking Australians the mentally-handicapped Martin Bryant (66IQ) is innocent and that he has been wrongfully imprisoned – for 20 years. It seems that to you Mike, the fact there was NO trial, NO coronial inquest, NO public enquiry, NO royal commission, etc. – even though 35 people were killed and 23 were wounded – is not significant. But it is very significant. You can call concerned Australians who raise concerns and/or who ask questions any silly names you like. It changes nothing. What we have noted is that you kind have contributed nothing to the understanding of the Port Arthur incident other than your blather, your unproved assumptions, and your willingness to believe the corrupt, inaccurate, and incomplete official narrative. The truth however will prevail over your silliness.
I read what Parry wrote. I read it fairly, unlike you. Read in context it is pretty clear what was meant. By an uncharitable interpretation, you feed your fantasy. I would also note that you could admit what Parry meant without compromising your need for the conspiracy. That the morgue wasn’t pre-prepared wouldn’t be fatal to the conspiracy claim. As I noted, such pre-preparedness would not be expected. It is, in fact, a comical claim. Yet you think the conspirators even bought a truck to be nice and helpful.
Parry has until 16 March? You seem to think your demands carry weight. They don’t. You are a hack, a nutball, an opportunistic parasite on the suffering of others, and, yes, a conspiracy theorist.
G.B.RUXTON | March 7, 2016 at 10:59 pm
I have never heard so much BULL in my life, lived in Richmond at the time to suss place out, his actions where so erratic (threats etc) he was basically run out of town. Just after that the killing started. Go ask the neighbours who lived near him, he had notebooks full of what they were doing, scary stuff. Who are these people who cry conspiracy. Facts don’t mean anything to them.
Mike. It is sad that you have to use insults to try to enforce your point of view. It shows that you cannot counter the points the editor has raised. It is tough when your axioms are challenged isn’t it.
Steve | March 8, 2016 at 11:03 am
I remember the news at the time showing close up footage of a table with a can of drink, a plate and a knife and fork belonging to the gunman. I’m sure these items were teaming with DNA, and all sorts of other identifiers for forensic boys. (if it was Bryants they would have had no problem with a trial) I also remember someone saying that they could not get fingerprints from the Volvo belonging to Bryant as it was left in open air for that long , the Tassie humidity made it impossible to obtain any prints ect.- sloppy work? Also what happened to his original lawyer that was put aside for a government picked lawyer
cairnsnews | March 8, 2016 at 12:54 pm
Interesting observations Steve, it is amazing when the dots are joined it paints a very different picture. We have been on this case for over a decade and all our research is coming together with a block buster to come out in a few weeks to refute Martin Bryant as the killer.
shanz | March 8, 2016 at 12:10 pm
I watched the doco the other night. I knew something didn’t add up.
Most certainly a cover up. Thanks for continuing to bring this to peoples attention. No matter how hard it is to swallow. A coronial inquiry must be had. How can they detain a mentally challenged individual for 6 months and call it legal is beyond me. I’m sure if I yelled at an 11yr old for 6 months they’d confess to anything and everything also. This needed to go before a court. Due process had to be undergone, it was not.
Mike~ A cover up is glaringly obvious and as soon as we the people get the politicians dancing to the rule being applied and an inquire set in place the better
Kevin | June 9, 2016 at 2:30 pm
Mike, Maybe you could explain why all the doors of the cafe were locked, or blocked, and who the 2 men standing outside the cafe talking, one smoking, and leaning on the railing. Surely, if a shooting was happening, they would be ducking for cover, and take it from a target shooter, if you were shot in the head, like all were, you would not be sitting at the table with a fork in your mouth. The blonde headed person seen near the bus was not running, but casually walking towards the bus. Access the government Hansards, and papers, and enlighten yourself, as you are looking, and making a complete fool of yourself.
Steve | March 8, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Would not surprise Me One Little Bit, One Way To Disarm A Country’ And With The Problem Of The Boat People And The Muslims Trying To Take Over, This Once Great Country Is In Trouble, A Similar Thing Happened Before Germany Invaded It’s Neighbour’s, Before The 2nd World War Broke Out, Ask Anyone From Poland etc
Steve~ Hitler disarmed Germany so the people had no defense against his Nazi Party dictatorship, the balls in the peoples court now
Chris | March 8, 2016 at 8:25 pm
I’m sorry, did we just manage to skip over this post some how? This is the most informative and important post of the lot. I truly hope this doesn’t reignite too much pain and suffering for you an your wife Robert. Ignorant people will never change. Thank you for opening up and sharing this with us. Irrefutable facts have clearly been ignored for the sake of a continued waste of time argument. He’s guilty and is paying for his crime.
Also, contextually, the words used by the offending mortician of the time would have been praise for those who were obviously working diligently to offer the deceased and their families some dignity. Not many facilities have room for 35 bodies to store en mass. The siege carried on for some time and emergency responders would have been furiously trying to arrange ways of dealing with the assailant and the unfortunate victims. Praise for a team who would have been rushed to the scene of a graphic crime such as the one they were faced with can not go unmentioned.
Prior warning could have been given if somebody knew what was going on in Martyn’s mind. He alone knew that. Don’t feed me any nonsense about my ignorance or how you have the facts and I am just another misinformed media drone. You have facts to support your claim. Your claim is based on the facts as you interpret them. Your interpretation is flawed. Accept it, don your tin foil hat and move on to proving/disproving the existence of aliens. This is merely making a mockery of the people who suffered that day. A nation suffered but there are those who live with the pain of wearing somebody elses brains on their clothing. Consider them before you decide to take the side of a man, IQ challenged or not, who murdered 35 and wounded 23 more.
You do remember how many eye witnesses and video tapes were shown as evidence don’t you? Facts my friend. They are the thing that will condemn or convict the person involved in this horrific crime. I believe facts convicted the right person and did justice to those left in his wake.
warren | March 8, 2016 at 9:52 pm
Have a look at the 2011 Norway attacks the shooter Anders Behring Breiuik .Read about that mass shooting on Wikipedia even he got a Trial sounds like the Howard Government had a personal axe to grind with Martin guilty or not ,sounds like a gross miss injustice by the Au government not giving him a trial ,left the door wide open here .
Jess | March 9, 2016 at 6:09 am
Keith, I just did a quick Google search of your past work on this. Found the ‘book’ you have written. It lists Wikipedia as a major author. I am almost crying with laughter, bloody crackpot.
Your hilarious!!!!
What next: should I go write an entry in wiki that details how Osama is alive because he was really on holiday in Austria at the time his safe house was overrun? you can base your next book on that?
Shame on Cairns news for doing their research on credibility and facts. Also, I am very interested to see Cairns news respond to Richard above – can you really keep up this shit when normal people are telling your their own, personal accounts of a horrible situation? Do you have the balls to tell this poor man, who’s wife went through a horrible ordeal, that she’s making it all up?
Fuck you if you do, senseless pricks.
Thanks for your comments Jess.
It’s easy to mock conspiracy theories isn’t it. In 1963, the theory that there was a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy of the United States was dismissed as absurd, in 1973 the theory that President Nixon’s henchmen broke into the Democrat headquarters in the Watergate building was dismissed as absurd, why on earth would they bother, why would they risk everything, well history has perpetually taught us that power corrupts, and the threat of the exposure of that corruption generates fear and supports such as your self unable to deduce facts from following government scripts.
Your last paragraph indicates what pigeon hole you reside as a loyal lackey.
Anon nona | March 9, 2016 at 8:41 pm
Well maybe you should do that Jess and find us some real evidence that Osama was killed. There is no proof. A bit off topic.. Anyway I find it appalling that people on here choose to attack those who are questioning what really happened and why. This sad event may or may not have been used to take away civil rights yet you blindly protect those who may be responsible for it and seek out closure by blaming a possibly guilty person. Surely that must make you feel more sick about the whole thing?….if you are not even willing to question what the tv tells you or what the media wants you to beleive then sorry you are a fool. Just take a look at the pharmaceutical industry and what it has become, yet you still beleive you are never being lied to….like a blind man that cannot see I don’t hate you, I feel sorry for you.
Chris | March 10, 2016 at 1:57 am
Very few people believe what is told to them by the media. Fewer still, however, believe the crackpot theories of individuals who, in the face of clear and concise evidence, still can’t understand why someone has been penalised for being naughty. The evidence I speak of us from eye witnesses as well as official sources.
I find it almost comical that this has come up so close to election time again. I wonder if Cairns News has their hand in a politician’s pocket for helping sway the voters their way. Maybe I could start by own theory here. Look at hire many other nedia sources only give us information that directs or thoughts towards the conclusion they wish us to draw. Why would Cairns News be any different?
cairnsnews | March 10, 2016 at 3:40 am
Gooday Chris. Have a close look at previous comments from Cairns News about Port Arthur in this column. Can we suggest you take a few hours and go back three years or more and peruse the content of the pages in this site. You will find articles about Port Arthur more than three years old. Can we suggest you keep a watch on these pages because the next round of Port Arthur evidence will have you spluttering in your heavy beer. Perhaps you should engage your brain before you put your mouth into gear.
I have no idea what you’re referring to. Are you saying I am unintelligent, under the influence of drugs and ill informed because I saw something in amongst the current information and decided to voice a theory regarding the information I have gleaned from the text in this page? How is it that I’m the one who needs to get informed, give up alcohol and keep my mouth shut when you’re trying to have a guilty man set free?
By the way, I do not drink, have read many sources of information regarding Maryin Bryant and the incident in question. Also, you didn’t obviously get the point I was trying to make so I made it a little more clear for you in this reply. Do I really think you’re in a politician’s pocket? No. It may, however, be a conclusion drawn by those who look for anything to keep themselves current and their bored minds active. Yes, my bored mind wandered and, in order to keep myself current and get noticed, I posted a comment on what could maybe possibly almost sort of kinda the truth – if you’re inclined to believe that sort of thing.
cairnsnews | March 10, 2016 at 6:03 pm
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | March 11, 2016 at 1:11 am
JESS, What possessed you to write such silliness? Offensive silliness. Please supply the link of your quick google search. To say google lists Wikipedia as a major author of the book MASS MURDER (free pdfs: murder.research@gmail.com) is nonsense – a blatant lie. Google does not make such statements. Again, if you have a link put it here for Cairns News readers. No reader here has spoken about Osama – except you. Trying to distract people with such nonsense is just more of your silliness. The name Richard does not even appear above. Normal people, witnesses who were right there at Port Arthur have written statements. They detailed what they saw, and what they think they saw. You and everyone else who reads Cairns News can study the details in LEAKED DOCUMENTS (free pdf: murder.research@gmail.com) Witnesses have clearly stated it was not Martin Bryant they saw. Some witnesses wrote they did, but check the distances they were from the action – c.150 meters away. (It is impossible to identify any of the grainy faces accurately on the highly suspect Balasko video.) One witness (Newitt) estimated the height of the gunman down to one inch – but Newitt was, in her own words, “500 yards” away. No one can estimate a height to one inch at 500 yards. Numerous witnesses detailed things never mentioned in the official narrative. Read the statements of the two Cheoks and Rabe. Read about Helene & Robert Salzmann sitting right inside a yellow Volvo at the tollboth WITH a gunman. You will never find this in the official narrative. Read the words of Debra & Thomas Buckley if you want to learn how deceptive things at the historic site tollbooth were. When you say “she’s making it all up,” we have no idea who she is. If you are talking about the wife of Chris, no one here has said the poor woman made anything up. But because some person has a bad experience, does not mean that person knows everything about that entire experience. – more specifically, the wife of Chris could not possibly know what went on everywhere at the historic site, and the tollbooth, and the local shop, and on the highway, and at Seascape. This poor woman is not the authority on the entire incident at Port Arthur. Your writing is illogical and offensive. If your intention is clear communications, think before you start writing. And ending your comment as you have, does not add anything to what you have written. It suggests to readers that you are as thick as a brick. (There is nothing wrong with swearing, but it is entirely unnecessary as you have done at the end of your comment.)
Stephen Smith | March 9, 2016 at 10:23 am
…. and then came along 911
Dave | March 10, 2016 at 6:52 am
Thanks for the lesson showing me that so many people are that twisted they can contemplate him not doing what he done. With all the eye witnesses. Yeh the government set it up hahaha funny people out there = ridiculous
Peter L | March 11, 2016 at 9:21 am
Thanks Dave for showing just how uninformed a lot of Australians are. Ridiculous? Hardly, given the magnitude and importance of that tragic event. Just keep your head buried in the sand. It must be more comfortable for you there.
murray sanders | March 11, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Lindy Chamberlin was found guilty by the people of Australia found guilty by the courts convicted by the courts and jailed , LOOK HOW THAT TURNED OUT , have a royal commission and put this to rest , one’s thing is for sure little Johnny jack boots has a lot to answer for for disarming Australia.
cairnsnews | March 12, 2016 at 11:14 am
Royal Commissions are set in place by government with the terms of reference limiting the investigation and the commissioner appointed is alway a very close friend of the government and the final result is determined all before the RC starts. The findings are only recommendations that may be delt with as the government pleases…. NOW! a Coronal Inquiry comes under a legislation that demands action from the coroners findings, still has political interference but difficult to cover up. The third option is to vote the bastards out of office and get a fairdinkum inquiry that will blow the power mongers out of the water for ever….
Peter L | March 12, 2016 at 2:58 pm
Isn’t that the truth! No government ever, ever initiates a royal commission without knowing or manipulating the result prior to these proceedings taking place.
A coronial inquest would be the preferred option but even that can be skewed.
Well said Peter you are right on the button – Harry Palmer
Tectonic Taniwha | June 3, 2016 at 12:30 pm
Lindy did kill her baby, it was a satanic sacrifice at Uluru
cairnsnews | June 3, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Hello Tectoncic we are unsure how you came to this unfounded conclusion. Former NT Police officers always blamed a dingo that was supposed to have been shot before the baby was taken because the dog had been acting savagely towards humans. It was not shot by rangers. They should be blamed because they failed to do their job. Your hypothesis is off the planet and we can only assume you are an atheist perhaps with experiences of human sacrifice.Editor
Al Ward | April 12, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Why don’t you watch Australian Story and hear the eyewitness accounts of people who were in the cafe and saw Bryant pull the trigger then maybe you will pull your collective heads in and stop sprounting these ridiculous unsubstantiated theories. http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/australian-story/NC1601Q011S00
cairnsnews | April 13, 2016 at 12:15 pm
Hi Al we have had a few comments that Bryant must be guilty because the Australian media says so. You should ask yourself why the first nurse on the café scene Wendy Scurr was not asked to provide evidence and why her statement saying the shooter did not fit the description of Bryant was refused to be accepted. Fortunately we have dug much deeper and started doing so in 1997. There is a body of competent researchers which has the evidence, some of which you have read. Much more is coming. Editor
Colin | April 22, 2016 at 2:57 pm
I have one question…. Why have none of the hundrereds of people who were there that day not come forward and say you have the wrong man? Oh and don’t tell me the government has threatened them into silence
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | April 24, 2016 at 4:54 pm
COLIN, The question you have posed implies that everyone who was at or near Port Arthur on 28 & 29 April 1996 knows with absolute certainty that the gunman/shooter was Martin Bryant. But this is nonsense as you will see if you read the witness statements. Witnesses did describe in writing a person who was not Martin Bryant. And many witnesses could not have accurately identified any person because they were too far away – hiding at the old penitentiary for example. As early as Sunday (28th) afternoon, people were being told it was Martin Bryant and they simply believed it. (This is very understandable considering what they experienced.) And come Monday, the media was broadcasting that name across Australia and around the world. Most people just accepted that story and it became fixed in their minds. What happened with all Martin Bryant’s stolen assets has not been detailed and made public. If his money was distributed to people, it was probably supplied under the condition that a recipient not initiate any legal action or make any negative statement(s) against any party associated with the incident. As we all know, most people do not speak up about anything if it is going to cause them legal problems or lead to them being ridiculed. Some people do, but most don’t. By making all those who were at or near Port Arthur the arbiter in this case, you are simply insisting the official narrative is correct because these people were told it was Martin Bryant and they support this. (Whether they genuinely believe it is another matter.) Studies in the US have confirmed that mistaken identification – there are many reasons for this tragic failing – is the primary cause of wrongful imprisonment. (see Innocence Project literature) There is nothing in the literature that says or suggests that the situation is different in Australia. If you have an inquiring mind, you will find a considerable amount of literature that explains and details facts which prove conclusively Martin Bryant was not the gunman/shooter. I suspect you are guffawing now because, as your questions suggests, you are of the belief that only the people who were at or near Port Arthur would know. Well this is wrong and documented facts prove it. There are other things you need to consider and many of them appear in the forthcoming document (50 pp.) 20 YEARS CORRUPTION, DECEPTION, LIES: Official Mass Murder Port Arthur, Tasmania. (working title was: 20 MONGRELS DOC) It will be distributed internationally this coming week. If you or any other readers of this comment would like a free copy, just email me: murder.research@gmail.com KEITH ALLAN NOBLE
Jamie | May 7, 2016 at 3:56 am
Really enjoyed reading that article. Keep up the good work!
eddy freddy | May 29, 2016 at 11:11 pm
Anyone who believes Bryant did this has never shot anything ever and has no clue about the difficulty of doing what Bryant was accused of ,so if you don’t have any idea shut your unintelligent idiotic mouth, but if they are aware of how good you would have to be as well as the known fact that there was second shooter and they still accuse martin Bryant , well those are the ones who are complicit in the worst crime and proceeding cover up ever perpetrated on the Australian people ,a crime that was given the green light by the then prime minister john Howard the coward. The real shooters who have been named publicly by senior police (now retired) have not even been questioned let alone charged but have continued this lie that has been rammed down the publics throat
What makes the Australian public look like joke is when it comes to most govt policies that come from either party ,this generation of low intelligent drones will not trust what the govt says, but when it comes to the policy of removing guns from the public so there can never be an uprising against a corrupt draconian govt , a policy that needed a false flag opp to guarantee the people be willing to give up their last line of defence against tyranny , this stupid public have just swallowed this outrageous fiction that the mass media has been complicit in calling this garbage the official story and not one of these idiot that are so sure of this impossible fictional story , none have done one shred of research on the subject and that confirms they are the dumbest of the dumb . So if anyone disagrees with this comment they have just exposed who they are
Shame nobody here in New zealand will do an in depth look into the Aramoana massacre, David Gray was a patsy too!
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | June 3, 2016 at 6:35 pm
See MASS MURDER: Official Killing in Tasmania, Australia (2nd edition; 2014; free pdf murder.research@gmail.com) for suggestive details related to the Aramoana massacre. KEITH ALLAN NOBLE
Plutonium | June 4, 2016 at 10:54 am
I’m from a place in the UK where we had the Hungerford Massacre! If you don’t think it was your government you are sadly mistaken, the similarities are all too obvious! They are staged to disarm you ready for the NWO take over! Jews are creating the police state and importing Islam! Jews own the media and are brainwashing you! Wake up FFS Australia
Matthew Parr | June 4, 2016 at 2:55 pm
This, if true needs to be rectified. A ROYAL COMMISSION needs to be held. Bryant needs to be let out, if true. This is a travesty.
I agree Matthew. How do they explain away the fact that Martin Bryant demonstrated that he shoots with his left hand whilst, by all accounts, the shooter was shooting with his right hand and from the hip, Martin Bryant was supposed to be burnt to death in the fire started by an SOG officer shooting a phosphorous flare through the upstairs window at Seascape Cottage. I imagine this threw a spanner in the works for a lot of people in the know.
Jazz | June 7, 2016 at 12:39 pm
All I know is a coronial inquest would shut us all up, a reply from the senator would shut us up, and Martin bryant in his confession video looked pretty good for a guy who was on fire and in compression bandages after his arrest….
Jazz, can you give me a link to the confession video?
ed | June 22, 2016 at 12:40 am
Look at how many sheep there are in Australia, I’m surprised but I guess its the subliminal messages that come through watching American TV , and the idiots that don’t believe our government would kill 35 people, ha , the same prime minister that ordered this killing spree using Drury and overbeete also sent our soldiers to an illegal war to die ,the war that his buddies in the US have now been convicted of war crimes over and there is calls for Howard to face the same charges. If anyone thinks Bryant did it is either retarded or complicit in the crime because none of you can answer any of the outstanding questions about the way his conviction came about ,to say he plead guilty is a definite sign of you being retarded or at the least uneducated,thousands of people have been wrongfully convicted by a coerced guilty plea and if you believe what your told on tv by prostitutes in the mainstream media then you need to check yourself into the nearest mental institution and stay there, and by the way that crook Avery just got out of prison that’s the one who worked for the prosecution on this case up until it looked like martin wasn’t going along with the plan but good ol corrupt Avery sorted that out and that’s the guilty plea all the idiots are standing by . Finally those who wish harm on others just for asking questions, they are definitely involved some how in the continuous cover up and must also be investigated as well as their family links looked into
REMEMBER A CONSPIRACY THEORIST IS SOMEONE WHO QUESTIONS THE WORDS OF KNOWN LIARS
cairnsnews | June 22, 2016 at 8:11 am
Well put Ed defines the whole conspiracy dismissal by those under challenge
Veronique | August 1, 2016 at 5:56 am
Martin Bryant was born sadistic. He lived in a fantasy world and believed he was some kind of super hero. He was always a danger to society. For the sake of the victims leave it alone.
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | August 1, 2016 at 7:24 am
VERONIQUE: “Martin Bryant was born sadistic” – you offer not one shred of hard evidence to support your allegation; “”He lived in a fantasy world” – you offer not one shred of hard evidence to support your allegation; “believed he was some kind of super hero” – you offer not one shred of hard evidence to support your allegation; “He was always a danger to society” – you offer not one shred of hard evidence to support your allegation; “For the sake of the victims leave it alone” – you offer not one shred of hard evidence to support your exaggerated words. You have provided not one shred of evidence – just stupid deceptive allegations. Since day one, victims of the official massacre (28 APR 1996) at Port Arthur in Tasmania have wanted to know the truth. Since day one, victims have wanted to give their evidence in a properly constituted court. But they have been denied this their right. There was NO trial, NO coronial inquest, NO public enquiry, NO royal commission. All there has ever been are idiots and mongrels with sick agendas- like you VERONIQUE – mouthing off deceptions trying to keep the general public from becoming awakened to the fact that the Port Arthur massacre was an inside job which was blamed on a patsy, innocent Martin Bryant (IQ of 66 which puts him at the bottom 2 percent of the Australian population). There can be no justice without truth – and the families, relatives, and friends of all the victims have been denied the truth. Read the book MASS MURDER: Official Killing in Tasmania, Australia (2nd edition; 2014) – FREE pdf copies: murder.research@gmail.com and BIGWORMBOOKS@gmx.net KEITH ALLAN NOBLE
Hi Bonniemay, we have published so much proof that Port Arthur was a false flag event that even some politicians know it was government sponsored. Unfortunately these politicians are too afraid to mention it. Sooner or later an honest politician, hard as they are to find, will drop the bundle in parliament.Editor
shaun watson | August 7, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Born sadistic? Keep taking the drugs! As soon as the media mentioned his name the shit stuck! You need to widen your thought processes! Same shit happened in the UK in 87! Suggest you research and you may find its a copy cat false flag!
shaun watson | August 6, 2016 at 9:03 am
I come from the UK and we had the Michael Ryan massacre near where I was living! All exactly the same! Happened in 87, Hungerford massacre! 96 the same in Port Arthur and I now live in Hobart, being ex military I find it very inconceivable that this guy could fire this weapon with such accuracy! All fingers point to the governments! The agenda is to disarm you all for the NWO! Import Islam to divide and conquer! Disarm you all so you cannot fight back! The governments are the real enemy
Seems the government have paid trolls on here to denounce anyone who opposes their agenda
Chris | August 7, 2016 at 9:15 am
Silly human. Your government is not in control here. We are. You will surrender all your finances and worldly possessions to the person who owns this email account or we will invade your puny world… I clearly have no problem with entertaining the delusions of crazy people.
As I said dim wit trolls! You are proof! The government are the real enemy! You must make a wonderful living shitting on your own people Chris! Bitter and twisted and bullied at school! Go get a real job, stop importing Islam! We all know what’s going on! Import, divide and conquer with Saudi dollars and the big noses NWO! Disarm us with false flags and surrender under the Agenda 30
Funnily enough, I agree with everything you just stated. I have no issue believing the government is corrupt and the Arabic population spreading as it is is no accident. The fluoride in our water is not for healthy teeth and, regardless who we vote for, the leader of our country has already been pre defined. I still will not be convinced that Martin Bryant is innocent.
Shane Rattenbury just passed a law where you get fined $7,500 for criticism of Islam in Australia! Yeh righto Chris you complete utter moron!!! I’m from the UK! I’m not brain dead like you! I fought in the Falklands war! I do know what’s going on! Do me a favour and go jump off a very high bridge! Try Sydney Harbour one! At least you can contribute to the Asutralian economy
You say you were in the Falklands war? You are trying to insult me? I have never been a governmental pawn mate. I’ve never been actively involved in taking the life of another human to help my government improve their financial situation and get themselves seen on the works stage. You seem to enjoy the notion of people dying so it’s possible that a military vocation is perfect for you. You know what’s going on. The person who had a wife who worked in a cafe that saw what happened clearly knows much less than you. People are talking about facts and then completely skipping over the facts presented to them by eye witnesses. Anyway, I hope you have a lovely and safe day where no harm befalls you. Oh yes. Stating that I see no coincidence in the mass migration of Muslims to other countries is not derogatory. I did not comment on what I believe their agenda to be. I’m actually not racist because I don’t want anybody, of any nationality doing harm to anybody else. I use my sarcasm as a weapon instead of guns and bayonets.
Defending your country isn’t being a pawn! Fighting in Syria is being a pawn! Get facts right!
The concept of fighting for peace is ridiculous and contradictory. How many politicians were out there dying in the field of battle alongside the soldiers? None. You weren’t all dying to defend your home or way of life. You were dying to keep the politicians in the lifestyle they’re used to. You were dying for them. With all due respect to you and the many others why fought in that war, that makes you a pawn. I hope you’ve been able to deal with the emotional repercussions of the tragedies and misery you witnessed. I certainly don’t mean to disrespect the soldiers or what they do. The bravery and nobility they require is beyond the limits of my own. I have zero respect for the politicians who send them off to die though. I understand facts. I also understand human suffering and misery and who is usually responsible for causing it. Men and women who sit behind desks and yell over each other and wonder why they’re not heard cause a huge percentage of human suffering and misery. Boy, are we ever going off topic here.
cairnsnews | August 7, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Well said Shaun! Ed
Eddie | September 10, 2016 at 7:57 pm
I noticed a few people here are desperately view trying to defend the official story ,some saying that they live in Tasmania and they knew someone who was there that day , hey , you can stop the bullshit you don’t have to pay any of Martin’s money back that was given to you for lying for them , but you will have to put up with your guilty conscience for being a paid troll to defend this corrupt government
Michael Fry | August 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm
Keith Allan Knoble it does appear your not so Noble and are clutching at straws the question is why, I have known Stephen Parry since the early 1970’s you characterisation on a few words which you appear to be manipulating to suit your agenda, do you have a book to sell a conspiracy theory and yes there will be many who would be interested in your BS story.
eddie grace | August 7, 2016 at 9:48 pm
The simple fact is you cant change any ones mind when it comes to port Arthur, those who defend the official story cant change their mind for a number of reasons from being intellectually impaired (retarded) all the way to being complicit in the crime of mass murder that our government at that time allowed in the pursuit of tough gun legislation being passed, and even those in the opposition government would have been in acceptance of the process to reach the end result , therefore these people will come up with any nonsense argument to try to stem the tide of those who are now waking up since 9/11 and how our governments have no problem in murdering their own people to complete their agenda . Then there are those who are not brainwashed and that have higher level of intelligence that don’t believe everything that they are told and were not in any way involved in this crime, they can never stop asking questions and its not because they wish that their government was involved in this crime its they really are holding on to a hope that the government wasn’t involved with the overwhelming evidence being they were, and all they are asking is basic questions to basic facts and protocols that should have been easily answered a long time ago but all they get is abuse and slander without one sensible answer, because these questions cant be answered by the other side without implicating themselves, so we all know ( apart from the stupid ones) that our government murdered 35 innocent people to achieve an agenda to make this country less safe and put an innocent person in jail for life to take the blame for it, and the same prime minister sent our soldiers to die in an illegal war having full knowledge that it was on false information but could not get his nose out of George bush’s arse because it is the first time anyone has showed him any attention ,since then his co conspirators have been convicted of war crimes and are restricted from freely travelling around the globe and there are calls for Howard and Blair to face the courts with the same charge so with this in mind why should we bother them with this little incident of only 35 people getting murdered they wouldn’t have given it another thought to ,and its annoying that people keep bringing it up
Very well said Eddie.Ed
John | August 19, 2016 at 3:16 pm
I too was very skeptical but the more i read i found it just raised more questions 1st thing that stood out was the premier saying “We wont have gun reform until there is a mass shooting in tasmania” out of all Australia he just happen to pin point the very state by luck?
The 2nd was the obvious custom built morgue truck for such a small population it was the biggest ever built at the time and proved a wise investment. But why sell it or try to sell it after it proved its worth?
Then there’s the famous “Jamie” recordings why were his was deliberately altered when he clearly says ” he’s going to shoot he’s tryin to shoot he’s going to shoot ya main man” while in the background you can hear what was proven to be 20 gunshots not “coughs” how did he see the sniper without the aid of night vision?
Then theres the fire at seascape so after all the shooting martin did the police held their line until morning when apparently he set fire to the cottage and fire crews were not allowed to engage even after he was captured and burnt himself in the process?
This brings us to the guns found on site the ar15 found inside seascape and the .223 found in what was described as an outhouse some distance frome the main structure. Not only were BOTH guns damaged to the point that it was impossible to carry out proper forensic testing to match bullets to said guns but were presented as full functioning weapons with “borrowed bits” from the NSW weapons library.
Now this brings us to John Howards actions afterward. 1st he orders the partial demolition of the main crime scene. Now this seems a bit strange Given the scale of the crime it just appears to hamper any & all future efforts to any possible inquiries.
2nd our Pm saw fit to indeed break an Australian law part of due process of a coronial inquest in order to spare victims familys any extra pain and suffering by placing an Embargo of 30yrs. Again seems to hinder the grieving and judicial process.
And of course there the letter received by wendy scurr stating she would not be needed to give evidence in a mass shooting with multiple crime scenes and a person who could ID the offender.
Now these are just some of the points that have stuck out to me so to speak. I do not wish to trivialize this crime and in no way am i saying that my words are Expert testimony just my observation.
I strongly believe that the only way to get closure in this matter is to have a coronial inquest and that will put and end to all speculation. But i doubt that will happen and im sure that even if it stays dormant for another 10yrs i predict martin bryant will no longer be with us.
Rose Chapman | August 7, 2016 at 7:45 pm
We were travelling home to Hobart, when a very distressed man came running across the road to stop us going any further past the Port Arthur turnoff. – He said there had been a lot of people shot and that the shooter was now further along down the road still shooting people. – We turned around and drove via. another road towards Hobart. – We passed dozens of ambulances, police and every other type of government vehicle right up to near the airport. – My questions are..1/ Were there any witnesses who said there were more than one shooter 2/ How did Martin arrive at Port Arthur 4/ How many guns was Martin supposed to be carrying 5/ How did Martin have time to reload a gun 6/ were ALL the bullets the same. I’m confused.
Damon Lee Griffiths | August 8, 2016 at 9:28 pm
I have always been a believer of this conspiracy theory, a book called ” crime scene port Arthur” should be read by anyone who believes John Howard and his corrupt accomplices before passing judgement
shaun watson | August 10, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Hungerford Massacre(UK) and the Port Arthur massacre are the same- both governments have set up false flags to disarm you all, import islam to divide and conquer! it’s certainly not rocket science and oh the government paid trolls are lurking aren’t they Chris! Its happening everywhere not JUST Australia but there again i suspect most Australians are not aware of the Hungerford massacre! The major problem within Australia is the media! Its the worst i have encountered, You are too isolated from the rest of the world and the media have most by the balls!!
Chris | August 10, 2016 at 9:12 pm
I do believe the governments are taking our countries from a democracy to a dictatorship. It’s been happening since we were disarmed. They seem to think that we will become placid and not rise up without guns. I fully believe that there is a major class/race divide about to happen and chaos is going to hit with devastating effects. As someone who believes in the chaos theory, this scares the hell out of me.
Our census data is going to be held for 99 years. This is the first time in history it won’t be “destroyed” after the data had been extracted. They are using the information for something big. I’m not sure what yet but it won’t be beneficial to us in any way.
We’re all in for a world of hurt and the Muslim radicals are going to be central to the plot. It used to be Castro, Mussolini and the like to carry the blame for international discord. The Muslims are just the next in a series of scapegoats.
I’m not blind and I’m not a payed government agent trained in brainwashing people via social media. I just don’t believe Bryant is innocent.
My beliefs may not match those you hold to be true but I do still live in fear of what is coming next. As an Atheist I don’t believe in an after life so I only have this one to live. I’ll be damned if I want to live it in subservience to anybody.
I feel no need to comment any forever on this matter to be honest. I’ll not defend myself against ignorant claims of being a government sympathiser or a brain washed sheep any more. Think what you must to help you sleep at night. Taking cheap shots at me doesn’t affect the quality of my rest in any way. Just remember that if I was to meet you in a time you needed refuge, I’d offer it to you without hesitation. None of us deserve to die for somebody else’s cause so, just so everyone knows, I “got your back” if you ever need me. I won’t kill for anybody but I would offer food, shelter, a warm welcome and the use of anything you needed to make it on your way. I’m a wonderful person but I don’t take too kindly to being falsely accused.
Hug your loved ones, never let an opportunity go by to tell them you love them and stay focused on spreading a positive message. There’s enough negativity out there already. I kind of want to hug you right now. I’m not sure if it would upset you or placate you though. It’s the not knowing that makes me want to do it the most. Vigilance and diligence will keep you safe.
shaun watson | August 11, 2016 at 12:07 pm
Believing? you believe sounds like you don’t like the truth! Believing isn’t proof of your thoughts, Negativity? its just the plain simple truth! You are in denial- paint it a different colour or wrap it up with some other fancy paper but underneath the truth is the truth. All happening over western Europe as we speak- government false flags every day but you are still in denial???? seriously get out of the office a bit more!!! Do some travelling and stop listening to the zionist jews media.
Mike Adler | January 17, 2017 at 8:12 am
There should have been a coronial inquiry, simple. It was legally required with deaths by fire and foriegn tourists. End of story. Howard should not have stepped in and stopped it. He wasn’t legally able to do it. Let’s get this inquiry underway! Australia deserves answers!
0jimbo0 | March 8, 2017 at 8:43 pm
There should have been a coronial inquiry, simple
well…they couldn’t really afford to have a CI b’cs a Coroner has a lot of ind. discretionary power…a bit like a Royal Commissioner….s/he can follow rabbits down all sorts of burrows and ask all sorts of questions…unlike a trial judge who is, usually, constrained in what they can and can’t ask/pursue…
but…here’s the kicker….no CI means no Life Insurance pay-outs….b’cs, in the case of un-natural death, almost all LI companies require a Coronial finding….
shouldn’t be that hard to discover if any LI pay-outs were done for Prt Arthur……
if there were none…wtf does that tell you, eh?
(how abt this?….. http://facebook.com/theportarthurmassacrehoax )
Phil Heaton | January 17, 2017 at 9:58 am
The only crime here is the people doing the whole ‘You are crazy – you conspirators’ routine. Conspirators are just people who question, analyse, critique, inquire, suspect. It is in their nature to do so and, obviously are very different to the sheep who just accept what governments say. Look at how many dodgy, concealed and deceptive things the government has done of late (Baird attempting to close down the greyhound industry for example, only to find out he was only doing so to secure a dodgy land deal. I find people who question to be exceedingly honest, realist in nature and grounded in common-sense and thank God they do what they do otherwise there would be no one would be accountable.
Conspirators are just people who question, analyse, critique, inquire, suspect
“conspiracy theorists” are people who question the statements of known LIARs!
T. Fingall | March 2, 2017 at 12:21 am
To ALL of those that have expressed concerns/theories that Martin Bryant was not at Port Arthur and did not pull the trigger. Please HEAR this. I was at Port Arthur with my grand parents that day and I SAW Martin Bryant with my OWN eyes. OWN EYES. There is no evidence that can be stronger, more true than that. To ANY person that has a theory that Martin Bryant was not there, your theory is INCORRECT. He was there and murdered innocent people in cold blood. PERIOD. Now stop, move on and cease this madness.
cairnsnews | March 3, 2017 at 10:13 am
Unfortunately we have direct testimony from witnesses who knew Bryant. They testified he was not the shooter. Research the evidence as we have and you will find there are so many anomalies that a commission of inquiry should begin immediately. His mother even stated he was not present at the site when the cafe shootings took place and we have substantial other testimony that he was having coffee miles away when a long haired shooter shot patrons at the cafe. If you care to read our section on the Port Arthur evidence in the RH column of Cairns News you will find your claim misleading at the least. We get government sponsored trolls making these claims every week. Ask the President of the senate Stephen Parry for his version of events in particular what he said at the Melbourne undertakers convention.Ed
T. Fingall | March 3, 2017 at 2:32 pm
Dear EDITOR. I have no need to research evidence, nor do I need to ask Stephen Parry for his version of events. As teenager I saw and heard with my EYES and ears what happened. I also saw a young man with long blond hair carrying the gun around, that man was Martin Bryant. As for claims of government sponsored trolls – are you for real? Please save that nonsense for your fellow conspiracy theorists at your AGM. Evidently you have not seen the video footage showing Martin Bryant at the scene and his Yellow Volvo. You have not heard the testimony of the MANY survivors and onlookers that have also identified Martin Bryant as the shooter. An opinion from an anonymous editor behind his desk is just that, I just hope your readers can research for themselves and form a more informed opinion.
Dear T Fingall. Unfortunately it seems you too have succumbed to the media propaganda campaign surrounding Port Arthur in 1997. The passage below was a response we sent to another reader who also has trouble with reading and understanding. “If one looks at the so-called educational curricula that the ALP in particular and with a few attempts from the Liberals, have over two generations introduced such terrible, jaundiced curricula. Adhering to United Nations dictates aided by Socialist International, we have produced two generations of factory fodder kids who have been intentionally dumbed down. Only the top 5% will be offered jobs by the corporations, parliaments and the judiciary to keep the uninformed sheeples in line. No kids have ever been taught about the Commonwealth Constitution of Australia and all law that is supposed to flow from it. Teachers are forbidden to implement discipline, kids run riot, thousands of teachers are physically attacked each year at school and many more thousands are verbally abused.
This malady affecting two generations of kids, with the dumbed-down portion now holding senior positions with emergency services, bureaucracy, politicians, education systems and across the private board, is it any wonder as a society we are in trouble. Christianity has been abolished in schools and in society by the ALP/Greens nexus, and our kids run riot without any accountability. Kids are no longer taught how to learn. They just get socialist ‘poor fella me’ aboriginal agenda driven down their necks. Until the whole system re-embraces Christianity not Islam, we are doomed as a cohesive, educated and prosperous society.” Read the Port Arthur reports properly Mr Fingall. Regards, Editor.
Aussie pub brawler | March 8, 2017 at 8:32 pm
I SAW Martin Bryant with my OWN eyes. OWN EYES
and…did you ID him in A POLICE LINE-up?
did you ID him in court, under OATH ?
Evidently you have not seen the video footage showing Martin Bryant at the scene and his Yellow Volvo. You have not heard the testimony of the MANY survivors and onlookers that have also identified Martin Bryant as the shooter
the “video footage” shown on the media?
yeh, right!
uh….but….yeh….you are right…..we have not heard “the testimony” of the survivors and onlookers…b’cs there was no Coronial Inquest or trial-by-jury where these people could be CROSS-EXAMINED on OATH….
sorry, champ!…but no-one is obliged to “tell the truth” to TV reporters and journos….and there are zero legal repercussions if you make shite up……..
only in a properly constituted court of law can you be prosecuted for perjury!
gavin | March 7, 2017 at 11:44 pm
only the most highly trained person in the world can shoot like the shooter did. i have tried and did not hit anything from the hip. time to realise the story about it being a set up is true.
Gaz | March 8, 2017 at 9:22 am
And this is more food for thought ….https://gumshoenews.com/2015/12/07/what-is-sass-mission-could-they-have-been-at-port-arthur-in-1996/
Aussie pub brawler | March 8, 2017 at 11:12 am
it was a hoax….
http://facebook.com/theportarthurmassacrehoax ;
the Mikac kids are still alive!
0jimbo0 | March 8, 2017 at 11:15 am
it was a hoax…..or…..@ least…a partial hoax!
the whole country was conned!
Port Arthur was a proto-Sandy Hook;
Aussie pub brawler | March 8, 2017 at 12:49 pm
you need to remove “moderation” on comments here b’cs the debate/discussion cannot proceed properly…you are impeding people producing evidence for/against the Port Arthur massacre actually occurring….you will not achieve any sort of exposure with blatant censor-ship!
Reon | March 9, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Always been a firm believer this was staged, let me know how i can help 🙂
Thanks Reon, we have been overwhelmed in the past six months with comments calling for a Royal Commission into Port Arthur, which we discovered 10 years ago to be a training exercise. It was one of the biggest cons since Sandy Hook school shootings in the US where many of the paid crisis actors have been identified. It is also the subject of Supreme Court action by a film maker suing the television networks for $1 trillion for broadcasting false information to upset and terrorise the public. Thanks for your offer. Ed
☞It was one of the biggest cons since Sandy Hook school shootings in the US where many of the paid crisis actors have been identified☜
i can ID one PAM “crisis actor” to you right now….”Walter Mikac”….he even followed the same ‘trajectory’ as the Sandy Hook CAs….
innumerable media appearances…dead kids….boo hoo!…set up “a trust foundation” that may well be a con job/fraud…lobby for massive gun confiscation…etc
the PAM was proto-Sandy Hook…in fact: it and Dunblane (another hoax!) were back-to-backers most likely planned and executed by the same
“crew”…..see here
it was “pulled off” by the i/national gun grabbing cabal headed up, most likely, by George Soros, to see if these sort of hoaxes would work….
they did and they have! (well….until now, least-ways! 😏 )
☞let me know how i can help☜
how serious are you?
next question: $how much$ have you got?
the best way to expose this malarkey is to track down the Mikac kids who were not killed @ the PAHS on 28/4/1996;
that would require retaining the services of a team of highly competent and experienced Private Investigators….possibly “backed up” by ex-SASR men to take care of any BS!
if the Mikac kids were found alive….then….just that, in and of itself, would blow a hole in the PAM “narrative” that you could drive a Brizzy bus through….and would, in all likelihood, scuttle the whole she-bang….thereby, pretty much FORCING the gov.au to totally repeal most if not ALL current gun laws…..
but….its gunna cost…BIG TIME….maybe even telephone n°s …..so…..like i said….
$how much$ have you got?
Lynn james | March 12, 2017 at 10:21 am
Good God what is this country coming to. Inocent lives were lost, babies or children hadnt had a chance to live a life. All for the legislation for gun laws premeditated murder and corruption really guys, this is so horrifil have no words?????
Aussie pub brawler | March 14, 2017 at 3:38 pm
uh….that’s one of the main contentions……that the Prt Arthur massacre was either a partial hoax or a total hoax…..replete with “crisis actors”;
there has been enough noise abt the PAM in the last coupla decades for some of the victims’ families to make a stink……unless, of course, there were no victims to begin with….
Fay | March 14, 2017 at 11:52 pm
I have always said Martin Bryant was innocent. All the papers and witnesses saw was a pimply faced long blond hair person who shot from the right hip with his right hand. Martin Bryant was left handed and could never have executed this catastrophe the way it was done. And he did not have a pimply face. Why didn’t the police get the tray that he was supposed to have eaten his lunch off and do it for finger prints. No nothing was done, if you read everything about that day and read the police inter view of Matin, you would realise he did not do it.
Robyne | July 4, 2017 at 12:48 am
After seeing very experienced shooters miss many targets, I realised Martin Bryant did not have the ability to do the shootings. The perpetrator was an extremely efficient shooter with skills far in excess of Martin Bryant who had hardly ever used a rifle. It was a very planned and executed job with many people involved. Maybe one day, we will learn the truth. In the meantime, Bryant will remain an innocent in prison.
Robyne~ Evidence support what you say. Government accountability is just around the corner as Martin Bryant rots in prison being the patsie to their disarming Australia agenda at any cost by John Howard….Ed
IanM | November 1, 2017 at 9:30 pm
Parrys declaration reminded me of the 5 dancing israelis on 911 who where high fiving and filming the collapse( We were their to document the event)
This boy/man needs to be released, my father who survived the King David hotel bombing in Palestine, told me this was an israeli hit, “only jews kill like this”
cairnsnews | November 2, 2017 at 1:29 am
Thank you Ian, we have received similar views in the past during the research into the Port Arthur rot. Similarly about 911 filed by our US contributors.
Unfortunately the major media is so tightly controlled in Australia that not a peep will ever be heard about these false flags. Murdoch, Fairfax and the ABC run the false media front for the elitists who own the corporate political parties. Two decades ago a Labor insider told us the Sydney office of the ABC was tightly controlled by Jews Subsequent investigations have revealed this to be correct. This is how the country’s most well known Aboriginal ‘leader’ Noel Pearson, a solicitor, got his hands on much of the extensive and rich mineral fields on Cape York. He was trained by and did his articles with Arnold, Bloch, Liebler the largest Jewish law firm in Australia based in Melbourne. The former senior partner in the firm, Isi
Liebler has strong ties to Mossad. In fact circa 1994 Liebler was accused in federal parliament of being a Colonel in Mossad. This law firm acts for the Australian Labor Party and Bob Hawke and has done for many years.Ed
Ashley | April 2, 2018 at 2:31 pm
This from a site I like and quite obviously the same applies to Australia;
http://victuruslibertas.com/2017/05/readers-and-viewers-of-vl-ask-fbi-anon-their-own-questions/
“James asked: What is the main concern (meaning what is the biggest case) going on inside the FBI at this time?
A: Israel. We are truly in danger of becoming the United States of Israel. They own 80% of our politicians. They have infiltrated our media, our tech companies, our banking systems.”
KEITH ALLAN NOBLE | November 2, 2017 at 7:20 am
If you would like the details (includes references) of Stephen Parry’s inside knowledge of the official massacre at Port Arthur in April 1996, please email me for the 50-page summary document: “20 YEARS, CORRUPTION, DECEPTION, LIES” (no copyright, distribute freely) – martinbryantisinnocent@gmail.com
This evasive embalmer from Tasmania has refused to explain his incriminating words which he presented at a government seminar in 1997. (see details in above-mentioned summary)
What does it say about the affairs of State in Australia when Stephen Parry – a person who knew preparations for the massacre (allegedly 35 killed; 23 wounded) were made in Victoria “ready for the incident” – becomes President of the Senate? But don’t just condemn the Liberal Party. A copy of the Show Cause Notice which was directed to Parry was also sent to every senator at the time. None have replied or reacted.
It seems every senator in Australia is quite content to see the torture of the poor patsy Martin Bryant continue. He has been wrongly condemned and imprisoned since 1996. Over 20 YEARS!!!!!!!!!
There was NO hard evidence proving guilt, NO motive, NO fingerprints, NO credible identification, NO public inquiry, NO legal integrity, NO proper firearm ownership, NO DNA evidence, NO coronial inquest (with 35 killed!), NO free admission of guilt , NO witness ever testified in a court, NO forensic results, NO crime re-enactment, NO jury, NO complete list of evidence, NO explanation for the naked black-haired woman police wrote they saw at Seascape (it was not the owner who officials said was already dead), NO proper legal representation, and Martin had NO trial (hearings in courtrooms are NOT trials).
All there was were official allegations all unproved and blown up to psycho-shock and unsettle the very gullible public. Just right as a prelude to the gun-control legislation which quickly followed.
Of course officials could not have had a trial. The only witness who knew Martin Bryant and who was at Port Arthur said the gunman was not Martin Bryant. Terry Hill a gunsmith was pressured to say he sold a weapon to Martin, but Mr. Hill refused to lie. (All documented in the book MASS MURDER.) And the marksmanship and coolness of the gunman was way beyond mentally handicapped Martin. (And did you know two people – ASIO or MOSSAD? – voluntarily went and sat inside the vehicle WITH the gunman at the PAHS toll booth, and there had a discussion with him. It seems those two people knew the gunman and/or why he was there. They knew the gunman had already killed people, but they just went and had a chat with him. This is documented in the statements of witnesses who were at that tollbooth. You’re not supposed to know this. It’s all in the book MASS MURDER.)
Do not believe for one minute the bullshit about him making a confession. For six months Martin Bryant clearly stated he was innocent. But to circumvent proper legal and trial procedures, that criminal lawyer Johne Avery worked Martin over and got him to accept Avery’s plea. (Even Martin’s bewildered mother was herself pressured to put pressure on Martin to get him to say he did it. And she did.) Given his mental handicap (IQ of 66; retarded), Martin should have had a protecting guardian with him at all times. But that did not happen. Three official mongrels John Avery (corrupt lawyer), Damian Bugg (corrupt prosecutor), and William Cox (corrupt judge) worked on poor Martin then locked him away forever.
Martin Bryant is INNOCENT! It is Stephen Parry who is GUILTY!
Dr. Keith Allan Noble; author
t. 43-1-9712401
murder.research@gmail.com
free pdf of the book:
MASS MURDER: Official Kiling in Tasmania, Australia
(2nd edition; 2014)
BIGWORMBOOKS@gmx.net
freedomman | November 16, 2017 at 10:17 am
keep pushing at the heels of your elected reps and hold their feet to the fire this is reaching critical mass and when enough of we the people band together and demand justice for martin and not only him but for the family’s as well then the truth will come out. No army can stop an idea whose time has come, constantly call email write all members of parliament and your elected reps and bug them all day 24/7 and get the colonial inquiry underway this is the only way this whole event can be put to bed and the truth come out we owe it to every citizen in this country, to allow the truth to set the story straight for the truth shall set you free.
Andrew Bell | August 3, 2018 at 9:24 am
Mr Noble I have some information that may be relevant to your case
Editor, cairnsnews | August 4, 2018 at 6:38 am
Thankyou Andrew we have addressed you note. Editor
Rob | February 6, 2019 at 7:38 pm
Remember, the Hoddle street massacre, with Julian Knight as the shooter? link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoddle_Street_massacre ….. It was a “warm-up” for Port Arthur. He couln’t remember anything about the shooting for many decades, but now with the opportunity of parole he’s “regretting his actions”(Think Manchurian candidate)(Sirhan Sirhan still can’t remember).
Editor, cairnsnews | February 7, 2019 at 9:26 am
Well said Robert and accurate. The Citizens Electoral Council exposed Martin Bryant’s pre-conditioning in an article which can be found on their website, http://www.cecaust.com.au/ . Bryant was sent to the Tavistock Institute in the UK for brain washing two years before Port Arthur. Although he was placed by others into the Seascape incident he was not the Broad Arrow Café shooter and there is overwhelming evidence to prove this fact. The elephant in the room overlooked by all researchers is no mention of ear protection from gunshot. Three shots from a .308 calibre rifle in the confines of the café would have left the shooter temporarily deaf and any more shots would have left the shooter with permanent deafness and probably perforated ear drums. Where are the trolls now?Editor
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Home » Resources » Further Reading
Reading List of Landmine-Related Resources
In addition to our own generated resources, we often update this website with some of the more interesting and highly educational reading materials related to international landmine history, awareness, action, and rehabilitation. This database provides a comprehensive bibliography of works related to the landmine crisis throughout the world. You can easily search the database by publication title, author, subject region, publisher/publication year, and format of the work. Please contact us if you know of a resource not currently listed on our website.
Subject Region
Andric, Ivo The Bridge on the Drina 1977 University Of Chicago Press Book Bosnia and Herzegovina
Araujo, Robert J. "Anti-Personnel Mines and Peremptory Norms of International Law: Argument and Catalyst" 1997 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Vol. 30, No. 1 Journal Article International
Becker, Elizabeth When the War Was over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rough Revolution 1998 PublicAffairs Book Cambodia
Beier, J. Marshall "Siting Indiscriminacy: India and the Global Movement to Ban Landmines" 2002 Global Governance, Vol. 8, No. 3 Journal Article India
Best, Geoffrey Humanity in Warfare: The Modern History of the International Law of Armed Conflicts 1980 Weidenfeld and Nicolson Book International
Burg, Steven L. and Paul S. Shoup The War in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Ethnic Conflict and International Intervention 1999 M.E. Sharpe Book Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burness, Donald Fire: Six Writers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde 1977 Three Continents Pr Book Mozambique
Butler, Robert Olen A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain: Stories 2001 Grove Press Book Vietnam
Butler, Robert Olen The Deep Green Sea 1999 Vintage Book Vietnam
Cahill, Kevin M. Clearing the Fields: Solutions to the Global Land Mines Crisis 1995 Basic Books Book International
Canada AP Mine Ban: Progress Report 1997 Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Government Document Canada, International
Canada Towards a Global Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines: Declaration of the Ottawa Conference 1996 Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Government Document Canada, International
Chandler, David A History of Cambodia 2007 Westview Press Book Cambodia
Chretien, Jean Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chretien on the occasion of the Treaty-Signing Conference for the Global Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines 1997 Ottawa: Office of the Prime Minister Government Document Canada, International
Ciment, James Angola and Mozambique: Postcolonial Wars in Southern Africa 1997 Facts on File Book Mozambique
Davenport, David "The New Diplomacy" 2002 Policy Review Journal Article International
Elliot, Jason Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan 2001 Picador Book Afghanistan
English, John "The Ottawa Process:
Paths Followed, Paths Ahead" 1998 Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 52, No. 2 Journal Article Canada, International
Faulkner, Frank "Anti-Personnel Landmines: A Modern Day Scourge" 1997 New Zealand International Review, Vol. 22, No. 5 Journal Article International
Finnegan, William A Complicated War: The Harrowing of Mozambique 1993 University of California Press Book Mozambique
Glenny, Misha The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War 1996 Penguin Books Book Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia
Greenaway, Norma "Stopping a Scourge" 1995 Ottawa Citizen, 29 November Newspaper Article Canada, International
Hayslip, Le Ly and Jay Wurts When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman’s Journey from War to Peace 1993 Plume Book Vietnam
Hopkirk, Peter The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia 2006 John Murray Book Afghanistan
Kamm, Henry Cambodia: Report from a Stricken Land 2011 Arcade Publishing Book Cambodia
Kaplan, Robert Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History 2005 Picador Book Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia
Lafreniere, Bree Music through the Dark: A Tale of Survival in Cambodia 2000 University of Hawaii Press Book Cambodia
Lenarcic, David Knight Errant? Canada and the Crusade to Ban Anti-Personnel Land Mines 1998 Irwin Book Canada, International
Macdonald, Jacqueline et al. Alternatives for Landmine Detection 2003 Rand Book International
MacKenzie, General (Ret'd) Lewis The Road to Sarajevo 1993 Douglas & McIntyre Book Bosnia and Herzegovina
MacMillan, Margaret Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World 2003 Random House Book Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia
Malcolm, Noel Bosnia: A Short History 1996 NYU Press Book Bosnia and Herzegovina
Maresca, Louis and Stuart Maslen The Banning of Anti-Personnel Landmines: The Legal Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross 2000 Cambridge University Press Book International
McNamara, Roberts S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam 1996 Vintage Book Vietnam
Mertus, Julie et al. The Suitcase: Refugee Voices from Bosnia and Croatia 1997 University of California Press Book Croatia
Meyer, Karl E. and Shareen Blair Brysac Tournament of Shadows: The Great Game and the Race for Empire in Central Asia 2006 Basic Books Book Afghanistan
Michler, Ian This Is Mozambique 2000 New Holland Books Book Mozambique
Myers, Steven "Why Washington Likes Land Mines" 1997 New York Times Newspaper Article United States, International
Newitt, Malyn A History of Mozambique 1994 C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Book Mozambique
O’Brien, Tim The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction 2009 Mariner Books Book Vietnam
Pham, Andrew X. Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam 2000 Picador Book Vietnam
Poole, J.B. and R. Guthrie Verification 1996: Arms Control, Peacekeeping, and the Environment 1996 Westview Press Book International
Rashid, Ahmed Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia 2010 Yale University Press Book Afghanistan
Redmond, Robert S. Clearing Land Mines 2001 Contemporary Review, Vol. 278, No. 1622 Magazine Europe; International
Roy, Olivier Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan 1990 Cambridge University Press Book Afghanistan
Rubin, Barnett R. The Fragmentation of Afghanistan: State Formation and Collapse in the International System 2002 Yale University Press Book Afghanistan
Rubin, Barnett R. The Search for Peace in Afghanistan: From Buffer State to Failed State 1995 Yale University Press Book Afghanistan
Silber, Laura and Allan Little (Contributor) Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation 1997 Penguin Books Book Croatia
Spiers, Edwards M. "The Use of the Dum Dum Bullet in Colonial Warfare" 1975 Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 4, 1 :3-14. Journal Article International
Strobel, Warren Land Mines, Cheap and Deadly, Wreak Terror in the Third World 1994 Insight on the News, Vol. 10, No. 39 Magazine International; 'Third World'
Tanner, Marcus Croatia: A Nation Forged in War 2010 Yale University Press Book Croatia
Ung, Loung First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2006 Harper Perennial Book Cambodia
Williams, Jody "David with Goliath" 2000 Harvard International Review, Vol. 22, No. 3 Journal Article International
Winslow, Philip C. Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Land Mines and the Global Legacy of War 1997 Beacon Press Book International
A Mine Free World Foundation
http://www.aminefreeworld.org/
Canadian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca/
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
http://www.international.gc.ca/international/index.aspx?lang=eng
Handicap International Canada
http://handicap-international.ca/en/
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/
Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Convention
http://www.apminebanconvention.org/
http://www.article36.org/
http://stopclustermunitions.org/
Convention on Cluster Munitions
http://www.clusterconvention.org/
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
http://www.gichd.org/
http://www.handicap-international.org/
http://www.icbl.org/en-gb/home.aspx
International Day of Mine Awareness
http://www.un.org/en/events/mineawarenessday/
Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor
http://www.the-monitor.org/
Landmine-Related Links
http://www.pitt.edu/~ginie/lm/mine_www_link.html
Minesweepers
http://landminefree.org/
United Nations Mine Action Gateway
http://www.mineaction.org/
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)
http://unmiss.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4313&language=en-US
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Tag Archives: compete
Canadian Companies Continue European Cannabis Moves
By Marguerite Arnold
There is a lot of European news afoot from the big public Canadian companies between all the headlines about Israel. Namely, established cannabis companies in the market already continue to shore up their presence across multiple member EU states.
What is at stake? Establishing some kind of European foothold in an environment where licensing and production costs will not bust the bank- and what will be the first government-set, pre-negotiated bulk price for medical cannabis flower. For all the high-flying news of even hundred million-dollar (or euro) investments, right now the biggest hunt is on for ways to trigger sales figures that continue to grow steadily in the customer column.
There is also a dawning realization that prices are going to start stabilizing if not falling after the German government finalizes its selection of bid winners.
As a result of all of this, to compete against each other and streamline distribution and supply chain costs, the larger Canadian companies in the market are clearly angling to set up efficient distribution networks- even if that means buying pieces of them one country and property at a time.
How well that will work in the longer run remains to be seen- but it is a play that is starting to show up in other European developments (from the Israeli side). That said, the latest news of the big guys in the field make sense within this context, if none other.
Canopy Growth Announces UK and Polish Moves
Spectrum Cannabis, the European-based medical brand of Canopy Growth chalked two more achievements off its Euro “to do list” in January. At the beginning of the month, Spectrum announced it was preparing to enter the UK market via the creation of a joint venture with Beckley Canopy Foundation, Spectrum Biomedical.
In Poland, the company also announced the successful shipment of its high-THC whole flower “Red No.2.” The Polish government began allowing sales late last year.
Neither development however should be a surprise to those watching the strategy of either Canopy or for that matter several other public Canadian cannabis companies. Aurora, for example, announced its first successful shipment into the country on the same day that the Polish government changed the law. On the British side, the combined forces of changing the regulatory scheduling of cannabis and allowing the drug to be dispensed by prescription have certainly changed the game on some levels. Brexit is about to play havoc with most imported products, and cannabis is no exception to this.
In this sense, the challenges facing both British and Polish patients right now are also fairly analogous. Importing is the only way to get the drug to patients, and the cost of import is also prohibitively high for most. Then of course, there is actual approval beyond that, which is also a problem everywhere cannabis has become legal.
While both developments of course, are good news for the company, this does not mean that the initial going will be easy or smooth for any company, including one as skilled at strategic market entry in core countries across the continent for the last several years as Spectrum has reliably proven to be.
Green Organic Dutchman Gets Cultivation License In Denmark
TGOD has now gone where other Canadian Euro cannabis players have gone before– namely it has joined the national trial program and several other Canadian cannabis companies before it (see Spectrum Cannabis for one) in Denmark.
Why are so many public cannabis companies attracted to the tiny country? The first is that the country, like Switzerland, in fact, is not as bound by EU rules as say, Germany and France. It can “experiment” in ways that are notably different from its neighbors.
As a result of this and a change in the law that began a multiyear trial to experiment with regulation and medical efficacy, cultivation licenses are also easier to obtain than in other places. There are also other plusses to establishing a presence in the country if not the continent including a strong social care system, and a research environment that promises to produce great results on the medical efficacy discussion continent wide.
Jefferson University Cannabis Innovation Competition Accepting Submissions
By Aaron G. Biros
Thomas Jefferson University’s Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp announced recently that it is co-sponsoring the third annual JAZ Tank Challenge: CannaVATION Edition.
Jefferson Innovation’s 2018 JAZ Tank Challenge: CannaVATION Edition is currently accepting submissions of innovative business models for a chance to compete on October 3, where finalists will each present their business ideas in a 10-minute pitch. Winning submissions could get one free provisional or utility patent application and business and clinical consulting services. The competition will be accepting submissions through August 20, 2018.
Finalists will compete for a $10,000 grand prize, legal support and business consultation services. According to the announcement, in addition to the grand prize winner, up to two other teams could win $5,000 in financial support, one free provisional or utility patent application and consulting services as well.
Zoe McKinley, director of entrepreneurship and social impact initiative at the Lambert Center
According to Zoe McKinley, director of entrepreneurship and social impact initiative at the Lambert Center, the competition is designed to have a national focus, not just on the Pennsylvania cannabis industry. “We are excited to shine a spotlight on Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University specifically, as a hub for research in medical cannabis, but like the competition, the Lambert Center has a national and even international focus,” says McKinley. She says this is also the first year that the JAZ tank is exclusively focused on cannabis.
Jefferson’s Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Rose Ritts, notes “the competition is about creating a platform for emerging concepts to get a toe-hold on the path to potential commercialization. Anything that will improve patient access or outcomes …or improve the industrial hemp market in the U.S. is definitely of interest,” says Ritts. “We welcome companies to jump into the Challenge, and we also welcome investors or anyone thinking about getting into this space to be in the audience for our event on October 3.”
Dr. Rose Ritts, Jefferson’s Chief Innovation Officer
The challenge is an annual healthcare startup competition, where new businesses with particularly innovative ideas and technology solutions for the legal cannabis space submit their business models to a panel of judges for review. “This event will bring together the most inventive minds to pitch their solutions to stakeholder problems in the still-emerging medical and medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp industries,” reads the announcement. The Lambert Center is seeking applicants in a wide variety of business areas, including patient access, product design, plant science, information management, horticultural technology, sustainability, transportation, security, workforce training, community outreach, banking and public education.
Lambert Center Director Charles Pollack, MD sees the massive growth potential of the legal cannabis industry. “At our Center we are dedicated to identifying new approaches to developing cannabinoid-based therapies that help patients with various debilitating symptoms and diseases,” says Pollack. “Our JAZ Tank Challenge may identify the next great idea in medicinal cannabis.”
Through the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp, Jefferson is the first major university in the US to provide a comprehensive academic resource for the medicinal, medical and industrial applications and business of cannabis and hemp. The Lambert Center, the first of its kind in academia, provides “expert-developed, unbiased information to clinicians and patients about medical cannabis and cannabinoid-based therapies,” according to their website. They want to “support the development of entrepreneurial and socially responsible business and clinical approaches within the emerging medical cannabis industry and explore and develop new ways to use hemp in medical, industrial, and consumer products,” reads the website.
McKinley mentions they are looking for creative approaches to solving problems in the medical cannabis and industrial hemp industry. “These could be anything from new products or supply chain innovations to patient support tools to energy management systems that lower the environmental impact of grow facilities,” says McKinley. “We are hoping to see companies that have already launched, or are ready to very quickly.” The third annual JAZ Tank Challenge: CannaVATION Edition is accepting submissions through August 20. Click here for more information.
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The Cape Cod Chronicle
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Our View: Why Care About Herring? June 13, 2018
By: Cape Cod Chronicle
In the old days, people ate herring. They’re impossibly bony and oily, but they helped make human existence possible on Cape Cod since the beginning of time. The Wampanoags and the European settlers who followed relied on them as a food source during long winters, and as a means of fertilizing crops in the springtime. But what have herring done for us lately? Plenty, it turns out. Atlantic herring and their...
Read more from Our View: Why Care About Herring?
Letters to the Editor, June 14 June 13, 2018
By: Cape Cod Chronicle Readers
'Hooked' On Parade Planning Editor: On behalf of the 2018 Chatham Independence Day Parade Committee I would like to sincerely thank the previous committee for all of their hard work and incredible organization. Brad Schiff, Danielle Jeanloz, John King, Stephanie Hamilton, and Jan Fields left us an incredibly detailed plan that made it very easy for us, as an entirely new committee, to pick up where they left ...
Read more from Letters to the Editor, June 14
Donna Tavano: Getting In The Rabbit Habit June 13, 2018
By: Donna Tavano
I was in my house, minding my own business, corralling errant dust bunnies from under the bed, when another, more critical bunny crisis descended upon me. The gran’chillun bounded in, clamoring for my presence in the backyard where their mom was on poop patrol. In the middle of the lawn, as she was about to fling a pile of you-know-what into a bucket, she thought she saw it move. It was not, in fact, a pile of yo...
Read more from Donna Tavano: Getting In The Rabbit Habit
Russ Allen: Grocery Store Etiquette June 6, 2018
By: Russ Allen
We are about to enter that time of year when the various and diverse segments of Harwich’s society attempt to live together in relative harmony. Full-time residents, second homeowners, returning snowbirds, business owners, employees, and customers, J-1 Visa holders, college sports players, vacationers and tourists; over the next three-four months all of these will interact in ways that hopefully will prove mutual...
Read more from Russ Allen: Grocery Store Etiquette
Our View: Notice To Mariners June 6, 2018
If you're planning on going out on the waters of Chatham Harbor, Pleasant Bay, Nantucket Sound or Stage Harbor in the coming weeks, do yourself a favor. Attend Saturday's harbor update session sponsored by the Monomoy Yacht Club. This winter was not kind to east-facing beaches, the outer beaches and the above-mentioned waterways. Four nor'easters ripped sand from the shores, rearranged inlets and shuffled shoa...
Read more from Our View: Notice To Mariners
Letters to the Editor, June 7 June 6, 2018
Rosanne Can Tune Up Editor: Now that ABC cancelled her show due to a deplorable racist Tweet, Rosanne Barr will have plenty of time to perfect her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Remember when she screeched out the National Anthem at a Padre's game back in July 1990? Mike Rice South Wellfleet-based Art And Film Happily Converge Editor: I wanted to take this opportunity to thank...
Read more from Letters to the Editor, June 7
Tim Wood: Down On Negativity May 30, 2018
By: Tim Wood
I'm done with negativity. It's something that's not easy to avoid these days. It's everywhere. It permeates our lives like an incubating virus, hiding inside otherwise innocent seeming words and phrases in everyday conversation, on the news and TV, in newspapers and on websites. And I'm not just talking about politics, world, national and local. Although if leaders set the standard for the rest of us, no wo...
Read more from Tim Wood: Down On Negativity
Letters to the Editor, May 31 May 30, 2018
Don't Give Up On Monomoy Bill Editor: I’ve done some research on H.R. 1157 regarding the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Here is my take on it. It’s on “death watch.” Although Congressman Keating sponsored and submitted the bill, he has not “championed” it. There are no co-sponsors. Not even Niki Tsongas, Massachusetts Third District, who sits on the Natural Resources Committee! It was disappointin...
Read more from Letters to the Editor, May 31
Our View: A Push For The Boundary Bill May 30, 2018
Chatham Selectmen are justified in being upset over the failure of Congressman William Keating to be more aggressive in pushing forward legislation on the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge boundary. The bill has been around for more than two years; in its current form it was refiled in February 2017 as H.R. 1157. It gained the endorsement of the House Committee on Natural Resources in December but has languished i...
Read more from Our View: A Push For The Boundary Bill
Sounds Like Another W. Chatham Editor: I find it concerning that it was voted to ban balloons starting after this summer. I do stop down once in a while to see the beaches. I have never seen piles of deflated balloons as claimed. I find it hard to believe that several hundred were counted in a three- or four-month time period. This is beginning to sound like the one of the reasons we needed two new rotaries...
John Whelan: 50 Years Is A Long, Long Time May 23, 2018
By: John Whelan
“Once upon a time there was a tavern Where we used to raise a glass or two Those were the days my friend We thought they’d never end We sing and dance forever and a day We’d live the life we choose We’d fight and never lose For we were young and sure to have our way” Gene Raskin wrote “Those Were the Days” and Mary Hopkin sang it. The song reached number two in 1968 on the Billboar...
Read more from John Whelan: 50 Years Is A Long, Long Time
Our View: Leaving Their Mark May 23, 2018
Every generations has leaders that leave their mark on a community. During the past several weeks, Chatham has lost two such people. A few weeks ago, cancer took Jean Young, a former board of health member and consummate volunteer whose passion for making life better for children found expression in almost every aspect of her life. From her work at both the elementary and middle schools, organizing the after-p...
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Alamos Gold Can Spring a Positive Surprise This Earnings Season
Alamos Gold’s (AGI.TO) production profile could improve in the future because higher grades, allowing the company to issue a strong second-half outlook.
Flowr Corp Cancels Public Offering
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Pure Sunfarms Greenhouse Reaches Full Annualized Run Rate
Martin Green
Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. has announced that its 50% owned facility in British Columbia has achieved its full annualized production run-rate of 75,000 kg of cannabis.
Pure Sunfarms is a joint venture with vegetable producer Village Farms and it features a 1.1 million sq. ft. greenhouse in Delta, BC. Emerald said it has now been profitable for the last two quarters and it is now operating at full capacity.
“Pure Sunfarms’ growing operation is setting the standard for large-scale low cost high quality cannabis production, which we believe serves as a strong indication of what the combined expertise of Emerald and Village Farms can accomplish,” said Emerald executive chairman and president Avtar Dhillon.
He called Pure Sunfarms “a tremendously valuable asset” and said quality, yield, and production cost per gram have exceeded his initial goals.
Pure Sunfarms has supply deals in place with the Ontario Cannabis Store, the ecommerce store run by the province, along with other provincial, territorial, and private retailers. It expects to receive direct sales approval from Health Canada in the “near future”.
The joint venture facility is also pressing ahead with in-house extraction capabilities and that is expected to be operational this year. Edibles and other concentrates will be legalized in Canada by the end of 2019, opening up another revenue stream for Pure Sunfarms.
The plan now is to double the annualized production capacity to 150,000 kg by building out another greenhouse adjacent to its existing one. It will complete its first harvest at the new facility by mid-2020, and it expects to reach the 150,000 kg by 2021.
Yesterday, Emerald, which also has a wholly-owned facility in Quebec called Verdélite, announced that it expanded distribution of its SYNC 25 CBD oil to two more provinces. In May, it sold the Emerald-branded, Indica-dominant CBD oil to the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch, and it is now selling in Alberta and Saskatchewan too.
It shipped 9,960 40-ml units to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
Martin Green is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on the cannabis, alcohol, and gambling industries. He is particularly interested in the political issues affecting the global marijuana trade, and he has a keen focus on regulation changes and legal topics. He holds a BA English Literature, MA Creative Writing and a National Qualification in Journalism diploma. He has worked in journalism since 2009 and written for a broad range of newspapers, business titles and magazines, including The Sun, The Metro, The Journal, Livestrong, Drinks Retailing News, Harpers, Sportsbook Review, Vital Football, Essex Live and Surrey Live.
Emerald Health Offers Military and First Responders a Hero Discount
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Prime Minister celebrates Carers Week
Note: The following post is from Beryl Cross, Head of Operations at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers
The Prime Minister hosted a reception for about 150 carers at 10 Downing Street yesterday to celebrate Carers’ Week. I was there with carers and staff from our Carers’ Centres. You had to be very brave to fight through the melee to get to the Prime Minister, or in Louise’s case perhaps have someone like me to push you in the back to make you do so.
Louise is a young carers who is supported by our Bromley Carers’ Centre, and she gave David Cameron a letter she had written explaining her experience and ideas for supporting young carers. Moira Fraser, our Director of Policy, was also straight in there, highlighting to David Cameron the need for government to take action on getting NHS money for carers breaks delivered to carers and raising our Give Carers a Break campaign. And it seemed to work as in his speech later in the evening the Prime Minister said the government should “follow through” on getting Primary Care Trusts to use that breaks money for carers.
He also made reference to his own experience as a carer for his son and he gave “a huge thank you” to the carers there for what they do. There were many other Ministers there including Nick Clegg MP, Paul Burstow MP (Minister for Care Services) and Steve Webb MP (Minister for Pensions), plus Tony Baldry MP co-chair the Parliamentary Group on Carers and other MPs who have supported carers in Parliament. They also recognised the massive contribution made by carers.
Jack Dromey MP also asked the Prime Minister about carers during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday to which the PM responded:
“Everyone in the House should welcome the fact that it is carers week. I will be having a reception in No. 10 tonight to celebrate carers week with many people who take part and who are carers. This Government are putting in £400 million to give carers more breaks and £800 million specifically to make sure that those looking after disabled children get regular breaks.”
June 16, 2011 Posted by beryl1 | Carers Week 2009, Relationships, Social Care, Young carers | Carers Week, carers week 2011, Give Carers a Break, MPs, Young carers | 5 Comments
Carers and Hospital Staff Discuss Greater Support for Carers
Note: Following is a blog post from our guest contributor Beryl who is the Development Manager (South East) at Princess Royal Trust for Carers
I was at the launch event of The Princess Royal Carers Out of Hospital Report yesterday afternoon and….it was really exciting! Sounds an odd thing to say about a formal do but it was exciting because everyone there was determined to take practical steps to put the report into action and to improve support in hospitals for carers.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), represented yesterday by Dr. Peter Carter, fully endorsed the report. He suggested that RCN work together with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers to make the changes that will improve support carers and families receive in hospitals and at discharge.
Carers, carers’ worker s and hospital staff were at the launch to tell us about the partnership work they are already doing to change things for the better for carers. In Swindon, for example, the hospital trust have taken a very practical step towards sorting out hospital systems so that carers can be identified and supported.
Jim, who cared for his partner, a patient in Barnet hospital, told us about the difference it had made to him having the support of a hospital based carers worker. Jim made contact with the worker after seeing a poster in the hospital lift. He even called for the better publicity of information about the support available to carers within and beyond the hospital setting: “Aeroplanes should be up there skywriting it!” he said.
Not sure if we can sort out the skywriting but The Princess Royal Trust for Carers will be continuing to work in partnership with the RCN and with hospital trusts, carers’ centres, carers, health commissioners and policy makers to get the word out on supporting carers and families in hospitals and at discharge and on getting that support in place. I’ll report back to you in a couple of months time on how we’re doing. Meanwhile please do feel free to share the Out of Hospital report key messages and statements of support with your local hospital.
July 22, 2010 Posted by beryl1 | Health | carers, Carers Strategy, carers' workers, health professionals, Hospital, hospital discharge, National Care Service | 4 Comments
“Out of Hospital” Report Calls for Carer Involvement in Discharge Planning
Note: The following blog post has been contributed by Beryl Cross who is the Development Manager (South East) for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
Today is the launch day for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers “Out of Hospital” report and we are calling for the NHS to take practical steps to work together with carers as equal partners when planning for the discharge of patients from hospital.
The “Out of Hospital” project included partnership work between carers, Carers’ Centres and hospitals in Barnet and in Swindon. This afternoon carers, carers’ workers and NHS workers from Swindon and Barnet will be at the launch to share the practical tips that they found worked to get everyone acting together to benefit patients and carers and avoid readmissions to hospital.
I’m hoping the launch will inspire those NHS workers who attend to develop their partnership with carers and in turn help them in changing hospital systems and culture. We’ve already received messages of support from the Royal College of GPs and other NHS bodies so that’s a really positive start.
Have a look at the key messages from the report and it would be great if you could share them with other carers, carers’ workers and NHS planners and staff that you know.
I will be back soon to let you know how the launch went, including what the carer presenting at the launch had to say.
July 21, 2010 Posted by beryl1 | Health | Department of Health, GP awareness of carers' issues, GPs, health professionals, Hospital, hospital discharge, Patients | 3 Comments
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Huge reception for Al Boum Photo in Leighlinbridge | Carlow Nationalist
Huge reception for Al Boum Photo in Leighlinbridge
GOLF Cup hero Al Boum Photo, his trainer Willie Mullins and winning jockey Paul Townend, along with many members of the Closutton staff were given a hero’s welcome last Monday evening in Leighlinbridge.
The horse and the winning connections paraded through the main streets of the village to the Lord Bagenal where a big crowd greeted them.
“He is so young and we have a lot to look forward to. Even if nothing happens he has done what we had never done before,” Willie Mullins told MC Dessie Scahill.
A kiss of approval for Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo from Rachel Boyd and Imran Haider during the parade in Leighlinbridge last week Photos: Thomas Nolan Photography
Paul Townend said that after he won the Racing Post Arkle Novice’s Chase on day one of the festival, he never dreamt he would be coming home from Cheltenham as a Gold Cup winner in 2019.
“By Friday I was ready for another winner but never dreamt it would be a Gold Cup,” he said.
Al Boum Photo posed for over an hour with excited fans both young and old with the horse taking it all in his stride.
David Hanley was one such enthusiast. Father of Amy and Nicole Hanley who won Leinster football championship medals with Old Leighlin in 2018, he was delighted to get a chance to see the horse up close.
“Fabulous evening. Great to see a local man the winner of the Gold Cup. The whole population is out. So many of Willie’s yard support the local community.
“All the youngsters here want to touch the horse. It is brilliant for them. It is all about the local community. Memories. Something to look back on. Even somebody like me in his early 50s, to be able to go up and touch the horse is beautiful,” the Leighlinbridge man said.
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Secrets, Lies, Betrayals
How the Body Holds the Secrets of A Life and How to Unlock Them
Scarf, Maggie
Reading Maggie Scarf's groundbreaking new book could change your life. InSecrets, Lies, Betrayals,the bestselling authorofUnfinished Business, Intimate Partners,andIntimate Worldsbrilliantly explores how the body holds on to painful episodes from the past--including secrets we may be keeping even from ourselves--and how we can release them to live freer, healthier lives. The body has a unique memory system, in which early trauma and deeply buried feelings become woven into the fabric of our physical being. Certain events can trigger these body memories, which may then manifest themselves symptomatically--as persistent anger, mood swings, headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue. These echoes from the past also cause destructive patterns in our lives and relationships. Why does a beautiful, successful woman like Claudia seek out abusive, explosively tense relationships in which she is forced to hide the truth about herself? Why does the presence of a strange woman's name in her husband's cell phone directory make Karen feel physically ill, to the point where she cannot get through her daily life? And why does the author herself experience painful physical symptoms when she wrestles with contradictory memories of her mother? Exploring these and other personal narratives, Scarf reveals how the body, through its neurobiological systems, retains some of life's most important experiences--and describes how new power therapies, such as reprocessing and psychomotor, have had immediate results where traditional therapies have had a lower success rate. Grounded in recent breakthroughs in mind/body science and drawing on Scarf's personal experiences, this book is a masterpiece of research, analysis, and insight into the human psyche, and into human life. From the Hardcover edition.
Publisher: New York : Random House, c2004.
Characteristics: xxxii, 344 p. ;,25 cm.
Read more reviews of Secrets, Lies, Betrayals at iDreamBooks.com
Mind and Body Therapies.
Mind and Body.
Symptoms.
Medicine, Psychosomatic.
Recollection (Psychology)
Recovered Memory.
Reminiscing.
Memory.
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Booklist review: Anthem for Doomed Youth
DCI Alec Fletcher receives a high-profile case with orders to solve it quickly and keep his wife, Daisy Dalrymple, away from the investigation. Since Daisy will be heading off to visit their daughter at her boarding school, this should not be a problem. Unfortuately, Daisy’s daughter, Belinda, and her friends encounter a body in the maze at the public garden, leaving Daisy and her friend Sakari Prasad to speculate about the murder and ponder whether it could be related to Alec’s case, which centers on the discovery of three bodies in Epping Forest. The victims all served in the same company during WWI, and their deaths may be related to wartime events. Dunn’s striking portrait of Daisy continues to remind readers that there were strong women with careers in England during the 1920s—and women who successfully balanced work and parenthood. As always, Dunn combines an entertaining story with fascinating historical material.
— Barbara Bibel
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Issues | About | Help | Newsletter
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Issue 66 - 05 | The Need to Remember Our Aging Veterans
By Andrew Gabriel
Published Jan. 13, 2010 10:24 p.m.
"So many of our parents and grandparents have, and unfortunately some still do, sacrifice their innocence as human beings in struggles to defend our very morals and ideals. I believe that it is safe to say that most of us, at some point in our lives, have heard a tale of a soldier fighting for his or her life in a foreign country against an unfamiliar enemy. But the question is: How many of us have actually sat down and truly, completely listened to these soldiers and to their personal accounts?"
About Andrew Gabriel | Andrew Gabriel is the author of A Diary of Hope: The True Story of an American Prisoner of War. A first time author, he has always possessed a love of history and our past, having graduated from Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Archaeology. A Diary of Hope was created as a remembrance to his grandfather, Frank Carollo, and the sacrifices that he, and so many others, were forced to make during World War II.
www.lulu.com/content/4853279
Diary of Hope
The True Story of an American Prisoner of War
Hardcover (9780557050444)
Published 02/2009 by Lulu.com
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Talk About Choices
Guest Podcasts
Tag: Wheaton Wealth Partners
What Shapes Us
Posted on December 2, 2014 May 24, 2017 by Vickie Austin
Recently I attended a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce luncheon that featured my good friend and client Rob O’Dell from Wheaton Wealth Partners. Rob shared his presentation, “Bridging the Generational Gap,” emphasizing the nuances of communicating with–and selling to–people of different generations. Using his firm’s innovative Mind-Mapping visuals, Rob shared the profile and values of the four generations: “Matures,” “Baby Boomers,” “Generation X” and “Millennials.” As a card-carrying Boomer (that’s an AARP card), I listened with keen interest, not only for hints on how I can be more effective in my own communications but because Rob’s descriptions really hit me as a guide for what shapes us.
For Baby Boomers, one of the most sentinel events of our lives was the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a milestone that shaped our generation in a way that still resonates today. Until I heard Rob’s presentation, I hadn’t thought about how as a generation, we are “optimistic and driven.” One would think that the losses we experienced, including the loss of our heroes and an unpopular war, would have soured our outlook. But instead, Rob described this generation as idealistic, hard-working and driven. We thrive on story, including credentials, performance, history and tenure in the marketplace.
The GenX folks, in contrast, are described as cynical, skeptical and distrusting. The resignation of Richard Nixon, the space shuttle disaster and the effects of divorce taught this generation that things don’t go according to plan. Many of them were brought up as latch-key kids who now, in the workplace, savor and require independence. They don’t want to be wined and dined: they want to do their work and go home. Also, this is the first generation to have access to the Internet, allowing them to research online. A GenX customer looking for a car may show up at the car lot having logged 16 hours on the Internet and knowing more about the inventory than the sales person. They crave information and transparency.
Millennials are known as the “Whatever” generation with “huge goals and no specific plans,” according to Rob. They aren’t dependent on superiors in the workplace for knowledge. And, like Boomers, they are idealistic and cause-driven. Texting is their preferred method of communication and reaching them requires a presence on social media. Millennials are being followed by the “iGeneration,” which says it all (Steve Jobs would be proud).
Rob’s presentation, which you can see in full by clicking here, gave me new insights about what shapes us. His descriptions remind me that everyone comes to the work world–and life–with his or her own perceptions of how things are and how they “should” be. The profiles of each generation give me new guidelines for connecting with the people around me. And they remind me never to assume that what shaped me, shaped them.
Masthead photo: “Jackie Frieze, 1964” silk screen on linen, by Andy Warhol, Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago
Posted in Business and Career Success, Customer service, MarketingTagged Baby Boomers, Bridging the Generational Gap, cross-generational selling, Generational Marketing, GenX, iGeneration, John F. Kennedy, Matures, Millenials, Richard Nixon, Rob O'Dell, Space shuttle disaster, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, Wheaton Wealth PartnersLeave a comment
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About Civic Hall
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DemocracyDesignOrganizing
Translation is Not Enough: Organizing for a Polyglot Democracy
Translating ballots is just the first of many steps to create an inclusive culture of civic participation.
By: Cayden Mak Sep 2, 2015
Map via Languages of the World
When it comes to languages, our country is a patchwork. Our civic infrastructure hasn’t kept up with more than one or two. There might be hundreds of languages spoken in our country, but they aren’t spoken by our government. Like the polyglot individual, who is fluent in many languages, government bodies and agencies need to become fluent in many languages in order to serve the people. To become a polyglot democracy, we need to design infrastructure that ensures certain patches aren’t left behind.
A crucial first step is to work toward including all eligible voters in the electoral process.
Translation is often framed as a technical problem that can be solved through effective bureaucracy. The assumption is that if the board of elections in a certain county is able to provide translated materials for every language spoken by eligible voters in their county, then we have perfect language access. In principle, I don’t disagree. However, the mere existence of a ballot in Lao, Hindi, or Mongolian is not a sufficient standard for measuring language access.
Language access is a technical problem, but not one that is solved simply by hiring translators and interpreters. Language access is about designing systems that include people in every step of the process. Language is often one of many barriers that voters face. That’s precisely why expert insight and the wisdom of communities are both crucial foundations for the polyglot democracy.
Tanzila Ahmed, whose organizing acumen is a constant inspiration, has applied a decade and a half of experience in Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) electoral organizing to develop a theory of change model where low voter turnout isn’t caused by “voter apathy,” but rather that AAPI voters experience severe barriers when it comes to casting a ballot. She identifies five such barriers:
a barrier to voting information;
a barrier to the mechanics of voting;
a barrier to engagement;
a barrier to in-language resources; and
a barrier to voting rights.
These five barriers also translate to five critical needs that can’t be ignored when we talk about designing for a sufficient standard of language access.
An expanded standard of access means doing more than providing a written translation of any given ballot available. We also need to:
provide voter guides to help voters understand issues;
streamline the process of voting, so they can navigate its often complex mechanics; and
match them with an actual human from their community who can help make sense of a large volume of brand new information and help troubleshoot problems as they arise.
That’s precisely what we’re trying to do with VoterVOX, the newest tool from the Asian American & Pacific Islander new media organizers 18MillionRising.org. The app, currently in development, will connect Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters with multilingual volunteers to help them understand their ballots.
Communities that include LEP voters already have the expertise needed to include those voters in the democratic process. Creating access isn’t a matter of delivering information from a central source to LEP voters, but a matter of helping communities organize themselves. VoterVOX is as much about community organizing as it is about voting, and one-to-one connections are a vital component. I don’t want to build software that languishes in app stores or online. I want to build a tool that uses the beating heart of our communities to circulate fresh blood to its furthest-flung limbs.
We’re designing VoterVOX to include input from stakeholders—from LEP elders to multilingual high school kids to organizers working at the grassroots level—in order to understand their needs and expectations when it comes to community technology. Regardless of what the outcomes of working with these folks might be, we have some core assumptions about design—and language access more broadly—that guide our efforts to engage them in the first place.
Committing ourselves to language access means committing to providing more than just translated ballots. Translated ballots are just the first of many steps toward trying to change a culture around civic participation. Through a well-designed workflow for ballot translation, we can simultaneously create conditions that foster engagement where discrimination, lack of information, and structural exclusion have previously made participation difficult, if not impossible. When we’re designing to expand access to the ballot box in a landscape of problems, we’re working to right structural wrongs.
Designing for inclusion isn’t easy. In fact, it’s very difficult—otherwise this effort wouldn’t be needed.
Good design won’t restore key provisions in the Voting Rights Act, the key law that has expanded access to the vote for millions of voters, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. We still need to fight to protect the voting rights of all citizens of this country, in the streets and in the courts. We still need to pressure county boards of elections to do the right thing and obey the law by providing translated voting materials when they’re required to.
That work starts at home, in our communities. By building opportunities for connection between people with expertise and people with need, we’re changing the language around democratic participation. In the one-to-one link between a volunteer translator and a voter, an opportunity for organizing grows. That organizing is the real meat of civic engagement—it’s fuel for the long game of language access in a polyglot democracy. True language access requires a commitment to organizing by design.
Follow the quest to design better tools for a polyglot democracy on Twitter @votervox.
Cayden Mak (@cayden) is Chief Technology Officer at 18MillionRising.org, an organization founded in 2012 to organize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders online. For the past three years, they have designed, hacked, and deployed tech to better organize people and promote popular education in the AAPI community for civic engagement, racial justice, and transformative structural change.
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December 4, 2018 / GO Brooklyn / Brooklyn Heights / Where to GO
Listen up: Oral history of Muslims in Brooklyn launches at Historical Society
Maggie Shannon
He’s listening: Historian Zaheer Ali coordinated “Muslims in Brooklyn,” a year-long oral history initiative featuring recorded conversations with 50 Muslims residents of Kings County.
By Julianne McShane
Event: From ear to year: Podcasters discuss preserving sound of the city
On Brownstoner: How the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and triple cantilever came to be
Politics: On Gay City News: Jumaane Williams misled LGBTQ club about anti-gay donations
►Video Bay Ridge: Walk his Way: Coney Islanders vote to co-name street after folk legend Woody Guthrie
Coney Island: Historical re-enactments: Coney Island students conclude Black History Month with spirited performances
Theater: Puppet show revives the heyday of New York’s working waterfront
They are making their voices heard.
Muslim residents of Brooklyn have spoken — and you can hear their words starting on Dec. 6, when the Brooklyn Historical Society launches its newest oral history project. “Muslims in Brooklyn” features interviews with 50 Muslims who discuss their lives in the borough. The recordings highlight the impact that followers of Islam have had on Kings county, and will ensure that their memories are preserved for history, said the project’s director.
“We thought it would be an important project to show Muslims have a long history in the U.S. and in Brooklyn — Muslims have played an integral role in shaping life in New York City and in Brooklyn, and they have also been shaped by life in Brooklyn,” said Zaheer Ali, the Society’s oral historian. “For our institution, we made a really important statement about the centrality and the necessity of having the history of Muslims included in our archives.”
Ali spent a year working on the project, recording the stories of aged 24 to 74. He pounded the pavement to find subjects to interview, drawing on community organizations and newspaper articles to find notable local Muslims, including activist Debbie Almontaser and scholar and activist Su-Ad Abdul Khabeer.
The borough is filled with Muslim history, said Ali: North America’s oldest functioning mosque, opened in 1931, is in Williamsburg; Bedford-Stuyvesant is home to Masjid Khalifah, a mosque founded by Malcolm X; and Atlantic Avenue became a hub for Arab business owners, who opened restaurants, bookstores, and shops there.
Many of the 90-minute to two-hour conversations did not focus on the narrators’ Muslims identities, but instead highlight the common aspects of our shared humanity, said Ali.
“[Islam] is not the box that they fit in, but the box that they stand on — it is an important foundation for many for our narrators, but it is not the complete summation of their experiences,” he said. “They talk about childhood, they talk about growing up, they talk about their experiences in school, activism, family life. What you see is that the experiences of Muslims in Brooklyn are like the experiences of many people in Brooklyn. That’s one of the amazing parts of that collection; it establishes spaces for people to connect across perceived differences.”
The Historical Society will host a “listening party” at its Brooklyn Heights branch on Dec. 6 to launch the oral histories, and plans to roll out an accompanying art exhibition, discussion series, and elementary school curriculum next year. The recordings will also be available online, said Ali, who hopes that listeners come to the collection eager to learn more about faiths and cultures different from their own.
“We hope that people come to this collection not satisfied that they have learned all they need to learn, but inspired to learn more,” he said.
“Muslims in Brooklyn” listening party at the Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, www.brooklynhistory.org/projects/muslimsinbrooklyn). Dec. 6 at 6:30 pm. Free.
Reach reporter Julianne McShane at (718) 260–2523 or by e-mail at jmcshane@cnglocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @juliannemcshane.
Updated 12:40 pm, December 4, 2018
Midge from Mill Basin says:
Good for the Brooklyn Historical Society, an organization which deserves your support. Good for there not being any comments from the bigoted scum who tend to congregate on Brooklyn Paper's website.
Dec. 4, 2018, 2:01 pm
midge , i have found that most people who call others bigots ........are actually bigots themselves
Dec. 5, 2018, 10:44 pm
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Not just the taste and smell, but food’s texture also affects whether it is eaten, liked or rejected, recent findings suggest.
As part of the study, researchers found that people are better at detecting even minor differences in consistency because their tongues can perceive particle sizes.
The research included 111 volunteer tasters who had their tongues checked for physical sensitivity and then were asked their perceptions about various textures in chocolate.
“We’ve known for a long time that individual differences in taste and smell can cause differences in liking and food intake – now it looks like the same might be true for texture,” said John Hayes, associate professor of food science.
According to the researchers, these findings, published in Scientific Report, may have implications for parents of picky eaters since the texture is often a major reason food is rejected.
The perception of food texture arises from the interaction of a food with mechanoreceptors in the mouth, Hayes noted. It depends on neural impulses carried by multiple nerves.
Despite being a key driver of the acceptance or rejection of foods, he pointed out, oral texture perception remains poorly understood relative to taste and smell, two other sensory inputs critical for flavor perception.
One argument is that texture typically is not noticed when it is within an acceptable range, but that it is a major factor in rejection if an adverse texture is present, explained Hayes.
For chocolate specifically, oral texture is a critical quality attribute, with grittiness often being used to differentiate bulk chocolate from premium chocolates.
“Chocolate manufacturers spend lots of energy grinding cocoa and sugar down to the right particle size for optimal acceptability by consumers,” he said. “This work may help them figure out when it is good enough without going overboard.”
Researchers tested whether there was a relationship between oral touch sensitivity and the perception of particle size. They used a device called Von Frey Hairs to gauge whether participants could discriminate between different amounts of force applied to their tongues.
When participants were split into groups based on pressure-point sensitivity – high and low acuity – there was a significant relationship between chocolate-texture discrimination and pressure-point sensitivity for the high-acuity group on the center tongue. However, a similar relationship was not seen for data from the lateral edge of the tongue.
Chocolate texture-detection experiments included both manipulated chocolates produced in a pilot plant in the Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building and with two commercially produced chocolates. Because chocolate is a semi-solid suspension of fine particles from cocoa and sugar dispersed in a continuous fat base, Hayes explained, it is an ideal food for the study of texture.
Researchers suggest that these findings suggest that texture-detection mechanisms, which underpin point-pressure sensitivity, likely contribute to the detection of particle size in food such as chocolate.
Rab-10 and Department of Livestock Services conducts a drive at a fish and chicken food factory
Boost fish farming to ensure food security: Liton
Asian stocks hit by trade woes while dollar rises
Factory fined Tk 2m for food adulteration
BRRI paddy varieties offer major food security prospects
Now excessive level of lead found in pasteurised milk products
Agri innovations help achieve self-sufficiency in food production
Woman electrocuted while charging cell phone
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If Leah Sharibu was Zahra Buhari, would she still be In captivity?
Home Opinion
A man, with bloodied “babariga” and with head cocked down, perched emotionlessly in the driver’s seat of a Land Cruiser jeep at Kurmin Kare village along Kaduna-Abuja express way in the searing afternoon of April 29. He was the driver of Mohammed Abubakar, chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He was nameless, and he suffered the most terrible fate. He was the first casualty of the kidnappers, who abducted his employer and daughter.
But Abubakar and his daughter regained freedom less than 24 hours after their abduction. Though they had paid a heavy ransom to secure their lives. The police had also launched a manhunt for the kidnappers immediately, arresting one suspect a day after. With that incident, I think, the daily tragedy on Kaduna-Abuja express way hit home; it became uncomfortably obvious for the elite going by the frantic efforts that followed after.
Really, with the elite, there is always a sense of urgency when their security, money or power is threatened. It is the reason the areas where they cluster are far more secure than where the proletariat inhabit. A security incident in Asokoro or Ikoyi will ordinarily receive more attention than any incident of the same magnitude in Mararaba or Iyana Ipaja. I believe, this is “apartheid”; a deep social inequity that accents the reluctance and lethargy of the authorities on matters affecting the common folk.
And I think, the plausible reason there is no sense of urgency in the rescue of Leah Sharibu is she comes from the wrong social divide. In April 2018, Leah sent out a message of despair; a desperate call for help. She said: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.”
“I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion. I am calling on the government, particularly the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation.”
This message still crucifies the man in me. And 12 months have passed, but Leah is still in the pit of vipers. How does the president sleep at night knowing that this young girl huddles in the encampment of the second most dangerous terror group in the world? How do the service chiefs even carry on in silence, without a word on the rescue effort for this Daniel?
And she specifically mentioned the president, asking him to “pity” her. I want to imagine Leah as the president’s daughter sending out this pathos-inducing message, what would the president have done? Would he not have applied his power as the commander-in-chief and deploy every contact and resources until she is rescued? I am positive she would not have spent two years in captivity.
Leah is in captivity because of her faith. This makes it more tragic. And the lack of a sense of urgency in her rescue also raises suggestions that border on her faith.
And would she still be in captivity if she was Zahra Buhari? I do not think so.
Written by — Fredrick Nwabufo
Tags: Boko HaramGovernmentLeah SharibuMuhammadu BuhariNigeria
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beginners classes
Improvers to Advanced
Monthly Parties
Dance2Gether Party
Dance2Salsa Dance Company
Basil Pinnock – Licentiate UKA
Director of Dance2Salsa Dance Company
Basil has been involved in competitive sports and dance for most of his life and has trained, taught and performed in a number of different disciplines. In particular, he has represented the UK in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do at both national and international levels. Until 2008, Basil worked as a lawyer with one of the biggest Criminal Law firms in the country but retired from the profession to start his own Dance Company.
A great deal of Basil’s early years were spent in the various Jazz Dance clubs up and down the country. This was a unique underground dance scene, where the emphasis was on solo footwork and breath-taking body movement. The ‘Latin Jazz’ music played during this period has been a strong influence on the music currently played at Dance2Salsa events and has made a major contribution to Basil’s understanding of the music and his expression of it.
Salsa became a major part of Basil’s life in 2001 and he has dedicated himself to learning and teaching all aspects of this fantastic art form. He started Dance2Salsa in the Autumn of 2006 at Bird Hills Golf Club with Melissa Lambourne who in that time has established herself as the ‘First Lady’ of Dance2Salsa. Basil now teaches a number of different dance styles and forms including Cross Body Lead salsa On1, Mambo On2 (Palladium/Classic timing), Cha Cha Cha and Bachata Tango. With his partner Melissa, he also delivers unique 3 hour workshops in areas such as Musical interpretation and application to dance, Ladies and Men’s Styling, Spins and Rotations, Footwork and Solo movement and Dancing On2.
Basil has developed a unique system of teaching and delivery built around a strong syllabus, the focus of which is the development of excellent ‘Core Technique’, matched by strong leading and following skills. Fundamental to the above is a thorough understanding of and awareness of the music as well as the development of musical expression. This can be seen in the high calibre dancers that have been through the program. Basil is UKA qualified to ‘Licentiate’ level after passing his higher level UKA exam in June 2007 with the United Kingdom Alliance.
In the last three years, Basil and Melissa have jointly choreographed a number of performances at professional and student level and have performed and taught at various venues around the country.
Melissa Lambourne
Principle member of Dance2Salsa Dance Company and Head Salsa Teacher Assistant level 1-6 and Kizomba Teacher Assistant level 1-3.
Melissa is a trained beauty therapist by profession and for the past 12 years she has run her own salon and is a fully qualified beautician, reflexologist and specialist in electrolysis. Melissa has a particular and personal interest in the healing arts.
She has been dancing now for about 9 years and has established a reputation for excellent technique and great following skills. Not one to blow her own trumpet, Melissa is quietly understated but with very stylish technique. She is regularly sought after by other female dancers for advice in relation to styling, body movement and technique. Melissa has been teaching all aspects of salsa dance from a follower’s perspective and regularly assists Basil in the delivery of the Advanced and Dance Development classes as well as the various specialist workshops.
Melissa’s knowledge and experience of dance, in particular, Salsa On1, Mambo On2, Cha Cha Cha and body movement and styling has a major impact on the look and feel of the shows produced by Dance2Salsa. She is also the founder and director of Latin Dance Society which specialises in the delivery of weekly dance classes focusing on various Latin dances including Salsa, Reggaeton, Cha Cha Cha, Bachata and Merengue. Melissa is available for one on one private lessons or workshops on a larger scale.
Makeup and photography is a developing area of interest for Melissa and she currently undertakes regular studio sessions.
Alison Hayward
Salsa Teacher’s Assistant, Levels 1-4
Alison started out as a ballroom and latin dancer and competed regularly with her university dancesport team. Several years ago she transitioned to salsa and has been addicted ever since. She has performed in Dance2Infinity’s salsa and bachata teams Fuego and Mezcla and looks forward to performing again in future teams. She recently joined the teaching team as an assistant instructor at the beginner levels.
Andy Goodall
Cross Body Salsa and Cuban Teacher, Levels 1-4
Andy discovered Latin music 25 years ago and has been obsessed with every aspect of the music and dance ever since. Andy teaches crossbody and Cuban salsa, with a real passion for la rueda, son and rumba, and all aspects of Afro-Cuban and folkloric culture. Andy is a true enthusiast and attends various weekenders etc to further his dance knowledge.
He is a fluent Spanish speaker and has also performed with Fuego. Andy has been dancing with Dance2Infinity for many years now and is currently a resident teacher on our Monday Dance2Cuban night and is an intergral part of developing this night. He currently teaches beginners and Improvers levels.
Clair Dawson
Bachata Assistant Teacher, Levels 1 and 2
Clair has been dancing salsa for about 10 years and enjoys cuban, cross body salsa, as well as Cha Cha and Bachata. Clair has been a longstanding member of Dance2Infinity Dance Academy and has joined the Bachata teaching team teaching level 1 bachata since 2016 hoping to share her love of dance with others. Clair has developed a real passion for the dance and is a dedicated and committed member of the team.
Clair can regularly be found at our cross body salsa, cuban and bachata nights.
Clair Liddiar
Salsa Assistant Teacher, Levels 1-3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim. Aliquam lorem ante, dapibus in, viverra quis, feugiat a, tellus. Phasellus viverra nulla ut metus varius laoreet. Quisque rutrum. Aenean imperdiet. Etiam ultricies nisi vel augue. Curabitur ullamcorper ultricies nisi. Nam eget dui. Etiam rhoncus. Maecenas tempus, tellus eget.
Eva Miles
Salsa Teacher, Levels 1-4
Eva is a professional Horticulturalist based in Farnham Royal in South Berkshire. Eva owns and runs her own plant nursery which specialises in Clematis, being one of the most popular and versatile type of climber grown in the UK.
Eva is fortunate enough to be able to bring a wide range of experiences to her salsa teaching as the following demonstrates. She has always been interested in dance with a background in ballet and modern dance reaching silver medal standard. Two of her most recent dance interests have become salsa and ballroom.
Eva has danced Salsa for over 4 years and has in recent times been teaching beginners level salsa. She is very interested in shines & footwork and can often be seen passing on her passion for shines to others. Not one to rest on her laurels, Eva has set her sights firmly on the ballroom dance floor and is currently in the process of learning this increasingly popular activity.
As a teacher, Eva is very patient and always willing to assist anyone having difficulty with any aspect of their salsa experience.
Franck Dakpogan
Cuban and Kizomba Teacher, Levels 1 and 2
Franck has always been interested in dance and music since his teenage years at the sound of Kassav (Zouk), Africando, Johnny Pacheco and Tito Puente (Salsa) tracks, to name just a few. Originating from Benin thus sharing the same origin as Gnonnas Pedro, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the well-known Africando Salsa group, Franck has been frequently dancing for little over 6 years now.
Franck has embraced Salsa (CBL and Cuban), Bachata and mostly Kizomba and Semba with passion. Franck has set himself the target of being able to fluently dance with anybody who loves dancing including the most advanced female dancers on this planet. He is well on his way and is not doing badly at all!
With the Kaizen approach, Franck is constantly enhancing his skill sets and enthusiastically sharing them with everyone at Dance2infinity through taxi dancing and teaching – as the saying goes: “ Every pro was once an amateur and every expert was once a beginner”
Gemma Needham
Salsa Assistant Teacher, Levels 1 and 2
Gemma was first introduced to salsa in Birmingham 6 years ago, but became involved with Dance2Salsa when she moved to the area 2 years ago. She has been one of the most passionate contributors to dance in recent years and always gives heart and soul. Her passion for dance is infectious and is felt by all who come into contact with her. She has previously performed in the Fuego student performance team in various venues around the uk and has recently become a member of the Dance2Salsa teaching team as an assistant teacher at the beginners level. She also enjoys and is a regular attendee at out Bachata Fusion nights. Gemma’s other interests include sustainability, meditation and first aid.
Heidi Turner
Bachata and Cuban Assistant Teacher, Levels 1 and 2
James Sedgbeer
Salsa and Bachata Teacher, Levels 1 – 5
Julie Butler
Julie has been a principal player in the development of Dance2Salsa and has been a teacher’s assistant and teacher almost since the beginning. Julie has great technique and is a fantastic example of what it means to dance with style and grace. Julie has previously performed with the Fuego performance team.
Klara Sedinova
Salsa Assistant Teacher, Levels 1 – 5
Ko Ko
Kizomba and Afro Beat DJ
Born in the Gambia, raised in France and England. She has grown up loving different genre of music from bashment, rnb, pop, afrobeat and many more; with her favourite childhood memories tied to Bollywood music.
Her love for music began at a young age when her dad used to teach her to dance to Bollywood songs and some 80’s funk. She first came into contact with Kizomba over 2 years ago and has truly embrace the Angolan dance as well as the music.
She considers music as her therapy. It allows her to put her daily stress and cares on the back burner for a bit and decompress. She loves getting lost in music and the joyful feelings it stirs up in her chest. Koko is resident dj at Rugby Club – Dance2Infinity, she has played in Bird Hills Golf Club – Dance2kizomba, West End Tiger Tiger – Kiz Lounge, Festac – Love2Dance and Jetset Club.
Marie Baguena
Marie has been part of Dance2Infinity for 9 years where she has learnt to dance different styles including Salsa on1, classic mambo on2, on Clave, Bachata and Kizomba. In the last few years, she has become part of the teaching team for Salsa and has assisted at all levels at D2infinity and assisted as part of D2I at other clubs. She has also been part of the student and advanced performance groups as a student but more recently has choreographed the Fuego student performance team in 2017.
Marie runs her own business as a Virtual Personal Assistant which allows her to work from home, providing a service to help businesses with their office administration. She has a particular interest in holistic therapies such as Acupuncture, Kinesiology, Energy Healing and Nutrition.
Marta Garrod-Brodka
Kizomba Assistant Teacher, Levels 1-3
Ronky Jones
Salsa, Cuban and Kizomba Assistant Teacher, Levels 1-3
I still remember the first time I stepped out on the dance floor, I went with a friend to a salsa class & was instantly hooked. hat was 12 years ago & I have been dancing (still loving it) ever since.In those 12 years I have dance cross body, on2 & kizomba, but there always be a special place in my heart for Cuban.
I have made some great friendships along the way as well as having a shoe collection that rival Imelda Marcos. More recently I’ve found myself in the privileged position of sharing my passion for dance & helping others to find theirs through teaching.
Sarah Norville
Kizomba Teacher’s Assistant, Levels 1-3
Sarah is an assistant in the Dance2Kizomba team and has quickly risen through the ranks from the beginner levels. Sarah has performed for Fuego and will be part of future Fuego performance teams. She has a particular skill in marketing and regularly advised in relation to marking activities associated with Dance2Salsa events.
Tim Wreakes
Tim has been a longstanding member of the Dance2Salsa teaching team and is developing into a fantastic teacher. He currently teachers all levels of salsa from level 1 – level 5 and is around on the dance floor until the end of the evenings proceedings. He is an expert in the martial art of Wing Chun and has previously performed for Fuego, Tiempo y Cadencia and Bailar en Clave. Tim’s style is smooth and precise and he is in high demand on the dance floor.
Val Walters
Cuban and Salsa Assistant Teacher, Levels 1-3
Val first discovered her love of dancing at 9 years old when her dad taught her how to Quickstep. Over the years, her passion for dancing has diversified from Ballroom to Disco, from Belly Dancing to Latin, and several years ago she joined the Dance2Infinity Academy to learn Salsa, Cha Cha and Bachata. She became a member of the Cuban Salsa teaching team in 2017, and more recently the Cross Body Salsa team to encourage and inspire others to feel that same passion for dance. “Dance with your heart and your feet will follow”
Vladi Tesarovicova
Vladi, who is a swimming instructor by day and dancer by night began her dance journey as something to tick off on her ‘to-do list’ and since then, has learned Cuban Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba. She is a permanent fixture at Dance2Infinity, with proven abilities in all her dances. Her main focus is Kizomba and has recently started Ballet, to add grace and beauty to her dancing.
Along with her dance partner (Alvin) Vladi is looking to develop her kizomba dance, teaching and performance skills and regularly travels around the world updating her kizomba knowledge. She is one person guaranteed to get the party going with a bang.
Tony Rudge
Maduro Salsa Teacher, Levels 1-4
Tony is a sport/leisure/facilities and events manager and sponsorship trainer. His parents were professional dance teachers, and he started on the dance floor at the age of seven when he learnt Ballroom, Latin American and Old Time Dancing. In his teens he turned to Rock ‘n’ Roll and entered competitions as well as giving exhibitions and at the age of 17 years ran a Rock ‘n’ Roll club in Berkhamsted.
He has been involved in the salsa scene for the last twelve years and became an Associate of the UKA in 2007. Currently working with Yvonne running daytime classes for the “More Mature” under the banner of Maduro Salsa, including undertaking classes for Wokingham Borough Council’s SHINE programme, Staines Community Centre and Clewer Y & C Centre near Windsor.
Yvonne Rudge
Yvonne Rudge – Associate UKA (Madura Salsa – Beginners to Improvers 1) is an administrator and book-keeper. Her work involves keeping the accounts and running the payroll for small companies and private clients. Her other achievements include distance running including the London and Dublin Marathons.
She started her dancing activities at the age of five in both Ballet and Tap, this continued for nine years during which she had become a very competent dancer. She then changed course into Ballroom
10th July - Cross Body Salsa Classes
For Beginners, Improvers & Intermediates
Music and Dancing until 11pm
14th July - Dance2Gether Party
15th July - Cuban Salsa Classes
15th July - Bachata Classes
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Business News Media
Rolling Stone delays launch of music charts
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 13 May 2019
Following a big announcement from Rolling Stone last week that it would today launch a new set of American music charts to rival those of industry trade mag Billboard, another statement followed over the weekend to say that it wouldn’t. At least, not yet. For now, the new charts will remain in testing mode, shared with a select few.
Rolling Stone parent company Penske Media Corporation plans to offer a number of charts through its music media brand, including direct rivals to the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and the Billboard 200 albums countdown. Created with data company Buzz Angle, the charts will be updated daily and will offer, PMC reckons, a deeper analysis of streaming data than Billboard and its data cruncher Nielsen.
PMC also says that the methodologies behind its charts will be fully transparent, which may account for the last minute decision not to go public just yet, as it ensures that everything stands up to scrutiny.
Saying that the Rolling Stone charts are “unprecedented for a consumer magazine”, in its new statement the company adds: “While we had initially targeted a public beta launch of 13 May, we are instead going to remain in private beta to optimise with our industry partners and fully ensure the smoothness of our presentation”.
No new launch date has yet been announced.
READ MORE ABOUT: Penske Media Corporation | Rolling Stone
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Christian TraditionsPhilosophyRoman CatholicTheology & Spirituality
The Sublime and the Sacred, Part I
Ryan Shinkel 2014-08-08
Ryan Shinkel
What the New Evangelization Can Learn from the Aesthetics of Burke, Kant, and Mallick
“Humility is the luxurious art of reducing ourselves to a point, not to a small thing or a large one, but to a thing with no size at all, so that to it all the cosmic things are what they really are–of immeasurable stature…to the spirit which has stripped off for a moment its own idle temporal standards the grass is an everlasting forest, with dragons for denizens…here, again, a sea full of monsters that Dante would not have dared to dream. These are the visions of him who, like the child in the fairy tales, is not afraid to become small.”
—G.K. Chesterton1
“Beauty,” Roger Scruton writes, “can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference: beauty demands to be noticed.”2 The sovereignty of the beautiful, to paraphrase Iris Murdoch, is a medium by which the seeker experiences, directly or indirectly, the divine life. Yet the observer requires the necessary cognitive framework by which to see beauty; this requires the right encounter. David Bentley Hart says, “the beautiful can be encountered—sometimes shatteringly.”3 This encounter I explore as a tool for the Roman Catholic Church’s New Evangelization.
The Fulton Sheen of the internet, Father Robert Barron, says that the first step in his seven keys for the New Evangelization is to “Lead with the beautiful”—it is “less threatening” since beginning with doctrine and morality “make people defensive,” and Catholic Christianity is “a beautiful religion.”4 Elsewhere, he utilizes Evelyn Waugh’s novel, Brideshead Revisited (1945), where the character Charles Ryder first visits Brideshead manor and is “overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of Brideshead’s architecture and the sumptuousness of its artistic program”—which over the years is “drawing him back again and again.”5 Charles is first enraptured by the beauty of the house, then he comes to know the goodness of the people there, and finally sees the truth behind it all: “Many years after entering that chapel as a mere aesthete, he knelt down in it as a believer.” Barron notes, “Waugh’s narrative is meant simply to highlight a rhythm that obtains, I would argue, in effective evangelization. The best evangelical strategy is one that moves from the beautiful to the good, and finally, to the true.”6
When living in an age of relativism (“Who are you to tell me how to behave or what to believe?” or “How can you be so arrogant as to think that you should impose your thought patterns on me?”), one ought to begin with
the Sistine Chapel ceiling or the Parthenon or Chartres Cathedral or Picasso’s “Guernica”; just read The Divine Comedy or Hamlet or The Wasteland; just watch Mother Teresa’s sisters working in the slums of Calcutta or Rory McIlroy’s golf swing or the movements of a ballet dancer. All of these work a sort of alchemy in the soul, and they awaken a desire to participate, to imitate, and finally, to share. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the great advocates of the aesthetic approach to religion, said that the beautiful claims the viewer, changes him, and then sends him on [a] mission.7
Waugh’s method seems to provide a plausible game plan to preach the gospel by first proclaiming the sovereignty of the Christian faith’s beauty: Barron’s own “Catholicism” series,8 with its ecstatic, haunting music and sublime scenery, offers an invitation to see that (paraphrasing Keats)9 the Gospel beauty is the Gospel truth, and that is all we know and need to know about the Church Militant (i.e. the Church on earth). Others have used aesthetic work to intrigue the observer. For example, in What is Marriage? authors Girgis, Anderson, and Prof. George begin with Edmund Spencer’s “Epithalamion” to illustrate the conjugal vision of marriage as a comprehensive union, and even end it by poetically noting the “awe-inspiring” conjugal act that “unites generation to generation as one blood, and man to woman as one flesh.”10 Beauty can have, as the author Sherif Girgis saw, persuasive efficacy by rightly channeling one’s aesthetic intuitions.
Fr. Barron is a Thomist, so he appeals to the tradition of Plato and Plotinus that influenced the Patristics, and thus, St. Aquinas. According to this view, Scruton explains, beauty is an ultimate value and end-in-itself, comparable to truth and goodness that justify the rational inclinations of our souls in the self-conscious final causality of the human intellect:
Why believe p? Because it is true. Why want x? Because it is good. Why look at y? Because it is beautiful…made explicit already in the Enneads of Plotinus, that truth, beauty, and goodness are attributes of the deity, ways in which the divine unity makes itself known to the human soul…Aquinas regarded truth, goodness and unity as ‘transcendentals’—features of reality possessed by all things, since they are aspects of being, ways in which the supreme gift of being is made manifest to the understanding.11
While beauty is a transcendental, nevertheless, the relativist’s question is only pushed back a step—what is to prevent someone from merely admiring the beauty of artifacts and nature from a subjectivist point of view, or at least one devoid of a clear Sensus Divinitatis? Even the antitheist Christopher Hitchens was apparently “quite content” merely “to marvel at their Gothic cathedrals” while refusing the conversion of Charles Ryder.12 Waugh’s method might be unintentionally preemptively prevented and seen to be anachronistic by the very postmodernist subjectivism—and its twin cult of ugliness in contemporary architecture and modern art (an oxymoron, really)—that Barron rightfully tries to refute. The very aesthetic relativism, saying all tastes are equal and thus by definition levelling all tastes into saying they are equally worthless, pervades the art world and popular culture. “When each year the Turner prize,” Scruton poses, “is awarded to yet another bundle of facetious ephemera, is this not proof that there are no standards, that fashion alone dictates who will and who will not be rewarded, and that it is pointless to look for objective principles of taste or a public conception of the beautiful?”13 Kitsch runs amuck and the once prisoners of art criticism now run the joint. The nihilism derived from Marcel Duchamp’s “signature” signatured urinal and John Cage’s near four minutes of silent profundity is the prevailing orthodoxy. And when one takes away beauty, one takes away its enrapture to truth and goodness. Balthasar even noted that since “beauty demands for itself at least as much courage and decision as do truth and goodness…she will not allow herself to be separated and banned from her two sisters without taking them along with herself in an act of mysterious vengeance.”14 It seems no coincidence that the rise of western secularism and the dictatorship of moral relativism in popular culture have arisen at the same time as modern art and the ugly architecture whereby ‘form follows function’. Art sought beauty as Jean Valjean sought Marius, yet unlike Valjean, it left beauty (thanks to Duchamp’s followers) in the pissoirs of Paris. Since mediums through which the human desire for the transcendent is expressed because “the shifting forces of material, psychological, and cultural circumstances” are endlessly variable, Hart notes, “the quest for beauty can lose its way in barren defiles of kitsch or preciosity or decadence.”15
A lesson I have found is from the recent exchange in these pages between Hart and online natural law theorists (e.g. Edward Feser) on the contemporary persuasiveness of natural law theory. Hart makes the point that, R.R. Reno summarizes, “the renovation of our moral reasoning will require the renewal of our metaphysical imaginations.”16 Likewise, the renovation of our aesthetic reasoning requires a renewal in our aesthetic imaginations, which are shaped by our aesthetic experiences. That requires knowledge about how we encounter, and ought to encounter the beautiful. Such a renewal can be found by exploring the most intense encounter with the beautiful (i.e. the sublime) in the 18th century works of Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant.
The word “beautiful” can be used in two senses: in the first sense (and what I have been using above) ‘beauty’ is meant in the Neo-Platonist description of the quality of a thing’s participation in the beautiful, while in the second sense ‘beauty’ can be used “to denote a particular kind of grace and charm by which we may be enraptured.” Edmund Burke, in his 1756 treatise, On the Sublime and Beautiful, described the second sense: an encounter between subject and object. “To understand beauty,” Scruton writes, “we must gain some sense of the variety of our responses to the things in which we discern it.” And on this point, “Burke discerned two radically distinct responses to beauty in general, and to natural beauty in particular: one originating in love, the other in fear”:17 the latter being the most intense psychological encounter with beauty possible (an encounter which Burke called the sublime).
Burke found himself one of the few philosophers writing on beauty when it was a somewhat neglected subject. Elsewhere Scruton recounts, “Edmund Burke (On the Sublime and the Beautiful, 1750), was to provide the concepts from which Kant invented the philosophical discipline of aesthetics.”18 Under the influences of Lord Shaftesbury and Locke, Burke took an empiricist approach to the understanding of our experience of beauty and sublimity. Hence Burke’s aesthetical account is largely psychological, “an enquiry into the working of the human mind when faced with an aesthetic experience.”19 This psychological account begins with inquiring into sensations of pain and pleasure, and how they are brought together in the feeling of the sublime. For example, Burke says the sublime is “an irresistible force” beyond beauty, which encompasses all and compels terror in all who behold it.20 Whatever object excites “the ideas of pain, and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible…is a source of the sublime.”21 The pains that threaten our self-preservation, the events like birth and death which focus our attention from the comforts of the mundane, or the aspects of the natural world which compel in a person the Fear of the Lord, is a source of the sublime. It is, in other words, fear and awe. The sublime is the all-encompassing and compelling terror in all who behold it, enrapturing the observer into a religious mode of being in an encounter with something completely other.
1 Chesterton, Gilbert Keith. “In Defense of Humility” in The Defendant (1901), accessed online at http://www.readbookonline.net/read/19339/55299/.
2Scruton, Roger. Beauty: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), xi.
3Hart, David Bentley. The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013), 279.
4Barron, Fr. Robert. “Fr. Barron’s 7 Keys to the New Evangelization,” Wordonfire.org, 20 March 2014. Accessed online at www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/March-2014/Fr–Barron-s-7-Keys-to-the-New-Evangelization.aspx.
5Barron, Fr. Robert. “To evangelize through beauty,” Catholic New Agency, 19 February 2013. Accessed online atwww.catholicnewsagency.com/column.php?n=2476.
6 Barron.Ibid.
7Ibid.
8 See Weigel, George. “Father Barron’s Catholicism,” First Things, 21 September, 2011, accessed online at http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2011/09/father-barrons-ldquocatholicismrdquo.
9Keats, John. “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900, ed. Arthur Quiller-Couch (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1919). Accessed online at
9www.bartleby.com/101/625.html.
10Girgis, Sherif and Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George. What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense (New York: Encounter Books, 2012), 109.
11 Scruton, Roger. Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, 2-3.
12 Hitchens, Christopher. God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (New York: Twelve Books, 2007), 14.
13 Scruton. ibid, xii.
14Balthasar, Hans Urs von. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics: I: Seeing the Form (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982), 18.
15Hart, David Bentley. The Experience of God, 285-286.
16 Reno, R.R. “2013 in Review,” First Things, 30 December 2013. Accessed online at
16www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/12/2013-in-review.
17Scruton. Ibid, 61.
18Scruton, Roger. A Short History of Modern Philosophy: From Descartes to Wittgenstein, 2nd Edition (London: Routledge Classics, 1981, 2002), 120.
19Boulton, James T. “Editor’s Introduction” (xi-cxxviii) in Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful. James T. Boulton, ed. (New York: Routledge Classics, 1958, 2008), xxiv.
20 Burke. Part II, Sect. 1, 57.
Image courtesy of Nick Kenrick
Tags:Critical ThinkingDanteDavid Bentley HartEdmund BurkeEthicsFather Robert BarronG. K. ChestertonImmanuel KantJobNew EvangelizationPlatoReflectionRoger ScrutonSacredSublimeTerence MalickTheologyTree of Life
Ryan Shinkel is a current undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, studying philosophy, creative writing, and literature. He aspires to be a philosopher and a writer. Ryan is a Christian believer. To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, 'I am a Roman Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature, and a Burkean in politics.'
Round Table: Christian Unity
The Virgin Mary in "The Lord of the Rings"
Abuse’s Perversion of the Incarnation
After Holy Communion
Theology as a Second Language
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Album Review: MØ Delivers Hooks but Little Else on Forever Neverland C+
Glastonbury reveals full 2019 lineup
New confirmed acts include Mac DeMarco, Maggie Rogers, BABYMETAL, Idris Elba, and Jeff Goldblum.
by Alex Young
on May 29, 2019, 8:57am
MØ returns with new track “Theme Song (I’m Far Away)” for cartoon about Finnish fairy tale: Stream
Her contribution to the new animated TV series Moominvalley.
by Lake Schatz
on February 22, 2019, 4:45pm
Governors Ball reveal 2019 lineup: The Strokes, Florence + the Machine, Nas, and SZA lead the way
The lineup also promises Tyler the Creator, Lil Wayne, BROCKHAMPTON, The 1975, Kacey Musgraves, and Charli XCX.
on January 07, 2019, 8:00am
Album Review: MØ Delivers Hooks but Little Else on Forever Neverland
A new collection of hummable tunes best enjoyed in moderation.
by Wren Graves
on October 22, 2018, 12:00am
MØ reveals new album Forever Neverland: Stream
Long-awaited sophomore LP features Diplo, Charli XCX, Empress Of, Two Feet, and What So Not.
MØ premieres new track “Way Down”: Stream
Plus, the Danish pop star reveals the album art and tracklist for her sophomore album, Forever Neverland.
by Ben Kaye
on September 07, 2018, 12:05pm
Top 10 Songs of the Month: Ariana Grande, The Internet, and Greta Van Fleet
Chance the Rapper, Big Red Machine, and Tyler, The Creator also made major waves this month.
by Lindsay Teske and Clara Scott
on August 03, 2018, 9:00am
MØ announces new album, Forever Neverland, shares “Sun In Our Eyes” featuring Diplo: Stream
The Danish pop star’s sophomore album is four years in the making.
by Randall Colburn
on July 12, 2018, 4:18pm
Webcast: Coachella reveals 2018 live stream schedule + video
Nearly 100 performances will be streamed, including Beyoncé, The Weeknd, SZA, David Byrne, St. Vincent, Jamiroquai, HAIM, and Migos.
by CoS Staff
on April 12, 2018, 2:15pm
Diplo and MØ recruit DC rapper Goldlink for performance of “Get It Right” on Fallon: Watch
The pair’s pop banger premiered as part of the 2017 Major Lazer documentary Give Me Future.
Here’s the Coachella 2018 lineup in all its glory
Eminem, Beyoncé, The Weekend, David Byrne, A Perfect Circle, St. Vincent, Vince Staples, SZA, Cardi B, HAIM, Fleet Foxes, Jamiroquai, and more.
on January 02, 2018, 7:23pm
Top 10 Songs of the Month: MØ, St. Vincent, Future, and Young Thug
These songs will help get you through that long, barren winter that’s just around the bend.
on October 31, 2017, 1:00am
Beastie Boys mark Paul's Boutique's 30th anniversary with digital release of rare remixes and B-Sides
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PR: Education, Cloud TV
Vewd and Kaltura to bring Sesame Street to millions of families around the world
Kaltura integrated with Vewd Snap to streamline app creation and distribution on world’s largest connected TV ecosystem.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, today launched a new Sesame Street streaming TV app for Vewd-enabled connected TV devices. The app features content from the 48 seasons of the children’s TV series and includes dedicated sections to Sesame Street characters including Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie and more. The new app is available on connected TV devices from Sony, Samsung, HiSense, Tivo, Vestel and many more.
The new app was built in partnership by Vewd, the global market leader in enabling OTT, and Kaltura, the leading video technology provider. Kaltura quickly added compatibility with Vewd Snap, the industry’s leading app creation and distribution tool. Apps created through the integration have a slick consumer experience, while further providing content owners a quick and easy way to scale their content offering.
“We’re excited to team with Kaltura and Vewd to accelerate our multi-platform distribution strategy,” said Jenny Gioia, Vice President, Multiplatform Programming, Sesame Workshop. “Working together, we can make Sesame Street content available on millions of devices helping kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”
By building in compatibility for Vewd Snap, Kaltura makes it easy for customers like Sesame Workshop to go to market quickly, cost-effectively and at scale. With only a minimal set of inputs, Vewd Snap brings to life a full HTML5 TV app complete with a turnkey user experience and light customization options. The app then gains distribution through the Vewd App Store.
“We’re excited that Sesame Workshop chose Vewd and Kaltura to further expand its digital presence,” said Gideon Gilboa, SVP Product & Marketing, Media and Telecom, Kaltura. “We’re also pleased to collaborate with Vewd – together we solve the technical and commercial challenges of creating, distributing and managing an app on a massive scale, which is critical to ensuring a successful OTT deployment.”
“Sesame Workshop is a cultural icon, having created the stories and characters that generations have grown up to love,” said Aneesh Rajaram, CEO, Vewd. “We’re proud to add them to the Vewd family and equally proud to have done this with Kaltura. Their fantastic team pulled everything together in record time. Together, we provide an easy, efficient path for content owners to add their app to the world’s largest connected TV ecosystem, fulfilling the mission of Vewd Snap – to accelerate development and distribution of OTT services everywhere.”
How to get to the new Sesame Street TV App
Sesame Street is available free in the Vewd App Store, which is found on TVs from Sony, HiSense and Vestel, set-top boxes from Tivo, and Blu-Ray players from Samsung.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.
Kaltura’s mission is to power any video experience. A recognized leader in the Cloud TV, OVP (Online Video Platform), EdVP (Education Video Platform) and EVP (Enterprise Video Platform) markets, Kaltura has emerged as the fastest growing video platform with the broadest use cases and appeal. Kaltura is deployed globally in thousands of enterprises, media companies, service providers and educational institutions and engages hundreds of millions of viewers at home, in work, and at school. The company is committed to three core values – openness, flexibility, and collaboration – and is the initiator and backer of the world’s leading open source video management project, which is home to more than 150,000 community members.
About Vewd
Vewd is the global leader in enabling entertainment, connecting consumers anywhere to the content they love. By making OTT possible on nearly 50 million connected devices each year, Vewd leads the way in defining the future of entertainment. Our suite of products and services are crafted to simplify complexity and offer solutions that unite the entire value chain, from silicon vendors to end users. Market leaders such as Samsung, Sony, Verizon, TiVo, and many more rely on Vewd products and services. Follow us, as we make OTT extraordinary. Visit Vewd.com to learn more.
Media Contact for Vewd:
Thomas Ford
Head of Communications and PR
Media Contact for Sesame Workshop:
Beatrice Chow
AVP, Strategic Communications
[email protected]+1 (646)-560-5503
Get up-to-date company information in one easy download
Download the Kaltura logo set
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CPO Outreach and Education
Committed to a programme of teaching and training young musicians
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra Outreach and Education
Cape Philharmonic Outreach and Education
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s Outreach and Education programme was started in 2003 as part of the orchestra’s Transformation Plan. The CPO’s teaching programme and schools outreach concerts started in 2003 and the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO) and Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (CPYWE) were launched in 2004. This programme has expanded over the years to include:
CPO Music Academy:
The CPO music academy started 2012 with a formal registration day on the 14th of January.
Music Staff at the CPO Music Academy
The academy has 11 ad hoc teachers and 16 CPO members that teach every Saturday. Brandon Phillips also run a conductors class every Saturday with 13 CPYO members being trained for the Len van Zyl competition in 2013. Laurika Steenkamp teaches all the different levels of theory. Each learner has a group class for their level. The Van Loggrenberg Theory books are partly sponsored All Music.
Currently this Academy is working at full capacity with each teacher teaching 6 – 8 learners. We have requests daily for new members that want to join. Each term is concluded with a concert.
Nicole Kernell performing with Michelé Williams (CPO member and teacher)
Masidlale Music Project:
Masidlale performing at Artscape
In 2009, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra started the Masidlale Music Project in the townships of Gugulethu and Nyanga to provide children with instrumental training in their area – irrespective of financial means or background. The projected has grown to include 4 satelites:
1. Hlengisa Secondary School (Nyanga)
http://plak.co.za/moreinfo.php?id=21548
Tembisa Ntshongontshi is the Violin Teacher and Project Manager at Hlengisa Secondary assisted and trained by our project manager Maria Botha. Thembisa (28) who started as a violinist in the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra a few years ago.
Tembisa was born in the Transkei in the Eastern Cape in 1985 and moved to Khayelitsha, Cape Town, in 1986. She attended Lwandle Primary and Luhlaza High school, where she matriculated.
Her life had a sad twist in that she was a victim of crime at a young age, but she has changed her life around despite this bad experience.
Tembisa was introduced to the violin in 1997 through the MTN Music Project in Kuils River under the direction of Mr Ronnie Samaai, where she received group tuition. When she successfully auditioned for the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2003, she had achieved Grade 2 level. Although still involved with the MTN Music Project, Tembisa started one-on-one violin tuition with Michele Williams, the principal second violinist of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Under Michele’s guidance, Tembisa has worked very hard and started showing her full potential and is currently at Grade 6 level and has graduated from the second violin to first violin position in the CPYO.
After matriculating, Tembisa worked at Edgars clothing store in order to support her family, but in 2009 her dream became a reality through the CPO’s community satellite teaching centres. Tembisa gave a day’s notice from Edgars to pursue her dream of becoming a trainee-teacher in the Suzuki method of violin education in the townships of Nyanga and Gugulethu. Here she teaches 40 students between the ages of 6 and 10 years to play the violin. Tembisa participated in her first Suzuki Teaching Method training course in Johannesburg in December 2009 which was sponsored by the CPO study grant. She is still receiving in-service training and will be participating in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Festival in July 2012.
Tembisa in action
Tembisa is very proud of what she has achieved. She is not bitter about her past, but motivated to improve the lives of the young talented violinists in Nyanga and Gugulethu.
Tembisa is living proof of the healing power of music to overcome the most horrid of experiences!
Learners of Hlengisa Secondary School (Photo – Daniel Thierry)
2. Sonwabo Primary School (Gugulethu)
Noluvuyo Nteta is the Violin Teacher and Project Manager at Hlengisa Secondary assisted and trained by our project manager Maria Botha. Noluvuyo started violin in 1999 with Kathy Garrity as part of the Ifidyoli Strings at Beau Soleil Music Centre. In 2008 she became a member of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has since been trained by the CPO in a skills transfer program to teach violin on the Suzuki Method. She has already qualified for the Level 1 Suzuki teaching and will be completing her next level in 2013. She will part of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Festival in 2012 and receive training from the best musicians in the country. Noluvuyo plays in the Cape Philharmonic Youth String Ensemble that regularly perform at corporate functions and concerts. She currently is co-leader of the CPYO and receives practical lessons from Michele Williams (CPO member).
Noluvuyo teaching at Sonwabo Primary
3. Siyabulela Primary (Langa)
https://plak.co.za/moreinfo.php?id=21838
Siyathemba Nteta is the Violin Teacher and Project Manager at Siyabulelo Primary. Siyathemba started violin in 1999 with his sister under Kathy Garrity as part of the Ifidyoli Strings at Beau Soleil Music Centre. In 2008 he became a member of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has since been trained by the CPO in a skills transfer program to teach violin on the Suzuki Method. Siyathemba have completed his Susuki Level 1 Course in December 2012. He is co-leader of the second violin section in the CPYO and plays in the Cape Philharmonic Youth String Ensemble.
Initially he wanted to became a soloist but soon found his calling as a violin teacher. He is a true role model to his students and is loved and respected by them all. He receives violin lessons from Camilla Driver (CPO member).
Siyathemba in action at Siyabulela Primary School
4. Atlantis
The Atlantis string project is managed by Shaheema Lackay that qualified with Suzuki level 1 in December 2012. The Cape Philharmonic has partnered with the Orion Foundation in Atlantis as they are well established within the community. Priscilla Cloete (Orion) was instrumental in the logistics of setting up this project. http://www.orion-friendship.org/
Interest had to be created before the start of the project. This was achieved by the CPO giving a free public concert in Atlantis.
CPO coming to Atlantis!
The concert, that forms part of the CPO Schools Outreach and Education Program, was well attended and the locals still talk about the visit. Many had the opportunity to see a Philharmonic Orchestra perform for the very first time. The children was introduced to the orchestra by the Cool Classic Kidz twins Milan and Lilo. Two of the local children even got the opportunity to conduct the orchestra!
The CPO concert in Atlantis
Laurika Steenkamp (Outreach and Education Manager) introduces the different instruments of the orchestra
Our Masidlale Team:
The team consists of:
Laurika Steenkamp – Outreach and Education Manager at the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
Maria Botha – Suzuki Specialist
Noluvuyo Nteta – Sonwabo Primary
Siyathemba Nteta – Siyabulale Primary
Tembisa Ntshongontshi – Hlengisa Secondary
Shaheema Lakay – Atlantis
Working within an outreach environment is difficult but very rewarding. To keep the projects momentum it is important to build a very strong team that can support each other in all facets. The team has a weekly meeting to discuss logistics and training and meet termly for a team building session under the leadership of Laurika Steenkamp.
For the past three years Maria Botha has been teaching and leading the Masidlale Project. She trains all the CPO emloyed violin teachers in the Suzuki method. Examinations and training courses are presented by SUZUKI SA.
Suzuki Training course at University of Stellenbosch
On working in the township : “It was hard initially to get parents to support what we were doing and encourage their children,” Botha says. .
The Masidlale Music Project teaches about 120 pupils ages 5 to 12. Botha trained in Lyon, France, where she followed the Suzuki method of learning. She employs the same method in the township schools.
“It doesn’t really matter what instrument they learn. What is important is to learn the self-discipline and love for an instrument… Because of historical reasons, there aren’t enough black [classical] musicians, so we hope this will start to change that.”
Maria Botha
Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO)
Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
The Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was launched in 2004 as part of the CPO’s development and transformation plan. Most of the members of the CPYO come from previously disadvantaged communities. The Orchestra now have 55 members that rehearse every Saturday in Cape Town. The members of the professional orchestra are committed to a programme of teaching and training the young musicians through regular workshops, orchestra rehearsals and one-on-one tuition.
The CPYO regularly performs a curtain raiser for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra as well as perform side-by-side concerts. They also form part of the Orchestra’s Summer Festival to which they drew a capacity audience at the Artscape Theatre in February in 2012.
Brandon Phillips (winner of the first Len van Zyl Conductors competition) has been appointed as their Artistic Director and Conductor in March 2012. Recent performances include the Stellenbosch International Chamber Festival, Hugo Hambrecht’s Music Centre Orchestra Festival, Mercedes Benz SA Fashion Week, Iziko Museum Youth Day Celebrations and the opening of the International congress of the HPCA at the Cape Town Convention Centre. The orchestra performed with many well-known soloists in the music industry including Loyiso Bala, Zwai Bala, Ivan Siegelaar, Neville D, Magdaleen Minaar and the Soweto Gospel Choir. A DVD of their performance at the “Great Hymns of Faith” concert with Loyiso, Ivan and Neville D has been produced by well-known composer Bruce Retief that arranged all the music for this production. Bruce Retief (Annie Awards Nominated in 2013 for his music to the movie Zambezia) is composing a piece especially for the orchestra’s tour in 2013.
This year the orchestra members will have the honour to be coached by members of the world-renowned Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in March. Gala performances this year includes the opening of the World Paediatric Congress at CTICC, the Fleur du Cap Awards at Artscape, two concerts in Collaboration with Artscape (Woman’s Week, Africa Day), a Heritage Day concert at the V&A Waterfront and a tour in September to Johannesburg Youth orchestra and the Limpopo Youth orchestra. The aim of this tour is to symbolically unite the Youth orchestras in South Africa to eventually share resources, conductors and sheet music.
Currently the orchestra is working with the reggae band “Trenton and the Free Radicals” on a video recording of their song, Mr Mandela. This will be the first time that reggae and a classical orchestra work together on a production in South Africa. It is in honour of Nelson Mandela who paved the way for a united country. This orchestra most certainly represents our nation. All the members agree – “we are a family, not just an orchestra”.
PLEASE LISTEN: http://youtu.be/0HUlxYgvBJc
Brandon Phillips (the winner of the first Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition) has been appointed as their Artistic Director and Resident Conductor in March 2012. This year alone they will be performing at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Festival, Hugo Hambrecht’s Music Centre Orchestra Festival, Izeko Museum Youth Day Celebrations and the opening of the International congress of the HPCA at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (CPYWE)
Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble
The Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble made their debut before a local audience on 1 May 2004 and has become a well-established group participating in many concerts with the CPO but also performing on their own.
The CPYWE is privileged to have Sean Kierman, the retired head of Brass (UCT) as its conductor. Sean Kierman started the wind band movement in South Africa in the 1960’s and brings a vast amount of experience to this programme.
Some of the CPYWE’s highlight performances in the past years have included participation in the Artscape Wind Band Festival and their international debut at the First Cape Town International Summer Music Festival. They have recently performed at the Waterfront and were part of the Greyton/Genadendal Classics for All Festival where they also presented a workshop to the local children of the Overberg. In May 2012 they participated in the Windworx Fanfare in Cape Town and was awarded a Diploma (90% and higher) for their performance. They will be performing their first curtain raiser for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Contact details for CPO Outreach and Education:
http://www.cpo.org.za/
Laurika Steenkamp
Outreach and Education Manager
P O Box 4040, Cape Town 800
Posted by Cool Classic Kidz on July 2, 2011 in Uncategorized
Tags: Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
MORE ABOUT THE CPYO
TRIBUTE TO MANDELA
As a tribute to Mandela, members of the CPYO and Trenton were on Hectic on SABC 2 on Mandela’s birthday last Thursday with the new DVD, Mr Mandela. If you haven’t seen what is being released internationally, now’s your chance to watch it, click to watch:
Congratulations to the scholarship winners at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival earlier this month for study overseas: Chad Hendricks (conducting), who joins Daniel Raiskin in Germany in January next year, Brandon Ruiters (trumpet) will be coached by Billy Ray Hunter, principal trumpet at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and Emma Ferret (bass) will study with Jeff Bradetich, director of the double bass programme at the University of North Texas. Odile Lesch, who is a former CPYO member and the daughter of board member Felicity Lesch, was also awarded a scholarship to work with Frank Stadler in Salzburg.
THE CPYO HAS NEW T-SHIRTS
These divine t-shirts in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa, and modelled here by Academy violin student Leila Niemand, are available at R100 for children and R150 for adults in S, M, L, XL, XXL and can be bought from Laurika Steenkamp on laurika@cpo.org.za
Leila Niemand
FOM and dress rehearsals
The friends continue to support our orchestra and we thank them for that.
Francisca Louw, well known to many of you, thanks to her dedication in all kinds of weather, will be there to greet those of you who like to attend the dress rehearsals. We know that some of you don’t like to go out at night, and we know that others like to come to both the dress rehearsal and the concert, because both are very different experiences. Please note that the entrance donation will increase to R30 from August 1. We ask you to please be seated by 9:45 and if you need to leave the hall please do as quietly as possible to ensure the musicians are not disturbed. Late comers should please enter through the back door.
Then, there’s the quiz on August 5th at 17h30 for 18h00 at the Glen Country Club and as usual David Buda will be the witty and clever Quiz Master. There are still a few more tickets so contact Derek Auret at 0217944148 0824502016 derek@auret.co.za
to save your place. It’s R100 a head and includes soup!
The next FOM fundraiser is on Sunday, September 29. Diarize this date now the Old Mutual House soirees are always something special., Tickets will be R300 for paid up members and R350 for non-members and FOH will start selling in August, when the musicians will be announced.
Posted by Cool Classic Kidz on July 30, 2013 in Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Tags: Mandela
News from CPO!
With the recent break almost a dream, our musicians are getting back into stride. Sunday saw two fantastic Family Symphonic Fun concerts with Aviva Pelham, and today the CPO begins rehearsing.
The season opens with a thwack, according to Rodney Trudgeon, whose entertaining programme notes accompany each concert. He is alluding to the timpani thwack in the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, the main work on the season opener’s programme. Brandon Phillips will conduct this concert on August 1, which will feature the amazing Leslie Howard in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no 2. The first piece is the Barber Adagio for Strings. This concert is generously sponsored by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation. Leslie Howard’s recital last Saturday for the Cape Town Concert Series is being followed by Beethoven, Liszt and Tchaikovsky trios with Suzanne and Peter Martens (violin and cello) at the Endler Hall on Saturday.
Our second concert, on August 8, sees the return of popular conductor Arjan Tien for three concerts. His first will feature Petronel Malan in Mozart’s Piano Concerto no 20 in D minor, K466. Other works are The Wood Dove by Dvořák, and the Symphony no 3 in F by Brahms. This concert is generously supported by Naspers. Petronel Malan can also be heard in recital at the Hugo Concert Series in Parow on August 4 at 15.30. She’ll play works by Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Liszt.
Don’t forget the Cirque de la Symphonie – there are four performances on August 23, 24 and 25 at times to suit you and the family!
Alexander Streltsov and Christine Van Loo
Congratulations to Maria and Arjan
Our principal clarinet, Maria du Toit, and guest conductor Arjan Tien, have just announced their engagement!
We wish them all the best for their future together.
Streamlined booking procedures for subscribers
We have streamlined our booking procedures for subscribers for symphony concerts, beginning with the Summer Season, for which bookings open on August 1. The concerts take place in October and November and include the CPO/Wagner/Verdi celebration with Michelle Breedt and Fikile Mvinjelwa.
First of all, subscriptions that are being renewed can only be done at Artscape Dial-a-Seat on tel 021 421 7695 and for two weeks only – from August 1 to August 14. After that, the seats will go back into the system for the general public to purchase.
While seats can be booked online at www.computicket.co.za, it is simpler to visit an outlet yourself.
Please take advantage of this early renewal, because we would hate you to lose your seats.
WHY YOU SHOULD SUBSCRIBE OR RESUBSCRIBE
Renew now for the October-November season or buy a subscription and have a chance to win bed and breakfast at the stunning Coopmanhuijs Hotel and Spa in Stellenbosch in the quiet season. There’s one night for each category!
Happy birthday to the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s Chairman
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, its board, management and musicians, would like to congratulate Ben Rabinowitz, its committed and generous chairman on achieving a great milestone – his 80th birthday. Ben is known as a great philanthropist and benefactor of the arts and we wish him a long and healthy life. Thank you, Ben, for your dedication to the CPO.
Friends of Ben’s, Jonathon and Marion Bloch, used the occasion to send a donation to the Cape Philharmonic to mark the birthday, and we thank them for this. We, of course, agree that this is a great way to mark a birthday and support the city’s only professional orchestra, especially since 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first symphony orchestra in the country, the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra.
Ben Rabinowitz turned 80 and the CPO marked it with a gift of specially labelled wine. Strategic marketing consultant Shirley de Kock Gueller gave him a sample at his celebratory luncheon in Noordhoek.
BAHI concert with CPYO on August 4
At the kick-off of Humanity Week, NueLight Productions in association with the CPYO and Borrowed Angels Healing Initiative (BAHI), presents a showcase called Healing Concert. The concert takes place on Sunday, August 4, at Artscape Theatre and features Nianell, Zanne Stapelberg, Louis Britz, Ivan Siegelaar, Rouchelle Liedermann, Elton Jansen and Piper James. The big news is that all will be accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
The concept of the concert was initiated by the CPO’s outreach manager, Laurika Steenkamp, herself the mother of stillborn twin girls, as a support group for women who lost their babies due to miscarriage, stillbirth or death in infancy. This year she has teamed up with well-known SA writer and performance poet Malika Ndlovu, also a bereaved mother, whose poetic memoir Invisible Earthquake: A Woman’s Journey Through Stillbirth, is increasingly being used as an advocacy tool and grief support resource for mothers and in the local maternal health sector.
The theme for the 7th Artscape Women / Humanity Arts Festival is Against all Odds and focuses on women, societal challenges and disability. Says Marlene le Roux, Artscape’s Director of Audience Development and Education, “The objective of this annual festival is to create a sustainable artistic response which addresses the on-going challenges, violence and human rights violations against women and how they and people faced with disability celebrate their lives.”
The Zip Zap and the Cirque
It’s not often that we can form collaborations with a circus, and we are delighted to say that Zip Zap and CPO have joined forces in presenting Cirque de la Symphonie to Cape Town.
Zip Zap is telling its supporters about us, and we are telling our supporters about it. We plan also to feature Zip Zap in a CPYO gala concert next year, but more about that later.
Zip Zap was founded in 1992 by Brent van Rensburg and his French wife Laurence Estève to inspire young people and help build a new culture of peaceful coexistence in South Africa. Working with a diverse community of children from all backgrounds, they wanted Zip Zap to help kids to ‘dare to dream’ and make those dreams a reality. Brent has a background in circus and Laurence in education, and it all started when Brent placed a trapeze bar in a tree at a local school in Langa. Since then, it has grown into the school it is today; a school – free to all participants – with 21 years of experience in bridging the gaps between children from different backgrounds and cultures through circus education.
Thousands of children have been through the circus, and every Saturday morning about 70 beginners learn the fine art of acrobatics at the big tent at Artscape. Upcoming Zip Zap Circus shows include one for Constantia Waldorf on August 24 at noon and the same day for the Deutsche Kindergarten Bellville at 3pm, both at the Zip Zap dome.
Support Zip Zap who does shows as benefits for other organizations, and come to the Cirque de la Symphonie as well.
Gregör Rohrig
Mario, vale amico
Mario Filippi, who died earlier this month, was concertmaster of the CAPAB Orchestra and a first violinist of the merged CAPAB Orchestra (the first CPO) and the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra in 1997.
The CPO board, management and staff extend their deeply felt condolences to the family of the man who made a mark on so many lives. This tribute comes from Daniel Neal, principal cellist in the CAPAB Orchestra and librarian at the CPO.
“Mario was one of South Africa’s great concertmasters and perhaps one of the last of his generation of leading musicians who decided to dedicate their lives to music making here. I had the privilege of working with him at the helm of CAPAB Orchestra from 1983, and beyond the joys of playing great works together I learned a great deal about interpretation, string playing styles, and about being a gentleman. I also enjoyed his company greatly and while I was glad he was enjoying has well-earned retirement, I have missed his presence in these years hence. My heart goes out to Marietjie and the family at this time, and I ask all our older friends and colleagues to join me in saying farewell to this wonderful man.”
Posted by Cool Classic Kidz on July 30, 2013 in Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra concerts
Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra & Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble:
The CPYO and CPYWE have performed at many events this past term. Playing music at many events will improve the skills of the musicians and it’s a nice experience to become a professional musician in the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
One of the highlights for the Wind Ensemble was performing at the MTN Greyton Classics for “All Festival”. This festival takes place every year and sets a platform for musicians. Another highlight for the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was playing for Stefanie Morland fashion show at the Mercedes Benz SA Fashion Week held at the CTICC. It was the first time in Cape Town, the Youth Orchestra was playing and topmodels walking on the music. Other great performances were at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Curtain Raiser in City Hall. The CPWO received standing ovations for the various performances.
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra School Concerts
The CPO performed a special classical program at 42 schools/communities during the past year. The programme was compiled for the various Grades and give more attention for arts and culture programme in schools. Some of the schools, the CPO visited were “Parow West Primary”, “Jan Kriel School” and “Pinelands Primary School”. In a funny and playful way, the various music instruments will be introduced to the children. Songs, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra played were “Entry of the Gladiators”, “Swan Lake Overture” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King”. At the end of every school concert, two children were allowed to conduct the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. The children, teachers and family were inspired. The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra showed the people the beautiful classical music of the Western Cape.
Posted by Cool Classic Kidz on November 23, 2012 in Uncategorized
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra – Marketing intern – Part one
I would like to introduce myself to the classical music lovers of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Name: Ralf Senden
Education: Commercial Management, Zuyd University, Sittard
Internship: Cape Philharmonic Orchestra – Marketing
Two years ago, I came with the idea to do an internship abroad. The reason was to improve my English and gain work experience in my field of study so as to broaden my horizons while enhancing my career profile. Through XChange South Africa, I came in contact with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Playing music is not very new for me. Years ago, I played “bugle” for a couple of years in a wind ensemble in Holland.
During the internship, my task was to write a social media plan for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra for the first ten weeks. Last thursday (November 15), I finished the social media plan. Now, my task is to implement the conclusions and recommendations for the various social media platforms of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Besides working for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, I also plan a lot of activities during the weekends in Cape Town. I already hiked Table Mountain, Lions Head and Devil’s Peak, watched the big five in Kruger National Park and did cage diving with sharks in Gansbaai. I ❤ South Africa
The next blog, I will tell more about my experiences with classical music concerts and the Outreach and Education programme of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Thank you for reading my first blog.
News from the CPO
DON’T MISS THE CPO’S NOVEMBER SYMPHONY SEASON
1 NOVEMBER – 22 NOVEMBER 2012
Alexander Gilman, the young Swiss-based violinist whose new CD with the CPO recently won the prestigious Diapason d´Or award, is one of the attractions in the November Symphony Season. Gilman, who will launch his CD with the CPO in November, is the soloist in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 on Thursday 15 November in the City Hall. The South African-born conductor Conrad van Alphen will be on the podium.
One of South Africa’s top cellists, Peter Martens, is the soloist in local composer Allan Stephenson’s Cello Concerto on 1 November. Four young South African soloists – Arlene Jaftha (soprano), Elizabeth Frandsen (mezzo), Lukhanyo Moyake (tenor) and Thato Machona (bass) – will perform Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9 with the orchestra and the New Apostolic Church Choir on 8 November. The international Russian conductor Konstantin Scherbakov will be on the podium.
The award-winning pianist Inon Barnatan makes his debut with the CPO as a soloist in Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto no.2, op 22, in G minor on 22 November. Conrad van Alphen will once again conduct the orchestra.
For more CPO performances visit: www.cpo.org.za
COMMUNITY CONCERTS
Apart from the regular symphony concerts, the CPO is committed to taking classical music to previously disadvantaged communities. This venture has been made possible by the generous support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
In September the CPO performed at Isiphiwo Primary (Khayelitsha), Capricorn Primary (Vrygrond), Astra School (Montana), Valhalla Secondary (Elsies Rivier) and Alexander Sinton High (Athlone), and Manenberg.
The CPO also performed at the historic Moravian Church in Mamre as part of the annual Mamre Wild Flower Show.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA CELEBRATES HERITAGE DAY
The Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will perform at the Sundowner Concert in the Amphitheatre, Iziko Museum, on 24 September at 4:30pm. This concert is part of the Heritage celebration, which has been made possible by Creative Cape Town and offers families and friends the opportunity to picnic on the lawns in a relaxed atmosphere. Other entertainment will be provided by the poet Toni Stuart and the Cape Town jazz band Hasain Adas, among others.
FUNDING FOR THE ORCHESTRA
The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund awards R7,2 m to the CPO
Mellon Foundation Funds Orchestra
It is with great pleasure to announce that the Mellon Foundation in New York has approved CPO’s application for funding. The generous sponsorship of $440 000 (about R3,6 mil) will help the orchestra to take orchestral music to all communities in the Western Cape.
SOCIAL EVENING WITH THE CAPE PHILHARMONIC’S BRASS AND PERCUSSION SECTIONS
The Cape Philharmonic presented its second inter-active concert.
All you wanted to know about the orchestra but were too afraid to ask
This exciting concert is a second one of its kind and was held at the Fugard Theatre on Wednesday 19th September at 19:00.
Fine Music Radio presenter Rodney Trudgeon hosted the evening, which was constructed around audience questions about the orchestra with a particular focus on the brass and percussion sections of the orchestra. Some members of the Cape Philharmonic demonstrated how the brass and percussion sections enhance the unique sound of symphonic music.
This initiative by the Cape Philharmonic in collaboration with the Fugard Theatre supported by the Fine Music Radio was made possible by the L&S Chiappini Trust.
CPO LIBRARY GETS NEW HOME
The CPO Library, long housed on the ground floor at Artscape, is getting a new home. As further renovations of the Artscape building proceed, the library is being relocated to a new, modernised and efficient room. But in the interim period, the main bulk of the collection will have to be moved to the Artscape Epping facility, probably for two years. The Epping facility is being converted into long-term storage and archives, and the end of the exercise will be a comprehensive catalogue of all the materials of the CTSO and CAPAB.
THE CAPE PHILHARMONIC IS ALIVE IN CAPE TOWN
BE PART OF THE ACTION!
Click here to visit our site and make a donation
Invest in Future Musicians by supporting the Masidlale Music Project
OUR CD RELEASES AND DOWNLOADS
The CPO has also released a double CD of short orchestral masterpieces on the DUX label. The conductor on this CD is Owain Arwel Hughes. The Allan Stephenson CD with the Cape Philharmonic conducted by him consists of his compositions, Burlesque for Double Bass and Small Orchestra (1974), Concerto for Double Bass and Small Orchestra (2005) and Concerto for Cello and Full Orchestra (2004). The soloists are Leon Bosch (Double Bass) and Peter Martens (Cello). www.cpo.org.za
On this new CD with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Perry So, Alexander recorded the concertos of S. Barber and E. W. Korngold, the Carmen Fantasie by F. Waxman and the Theme from Steven Spielberg´s Movie “Schindlers List” by J. Williams.This CD was released on OEHMS Classics label and was recently nominated as the Classical CD of the week in the Financial Times Germany.
To order any of our CD’s, please call +27 21 410 9809
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s Schnittke recordings on the BIS label can now be purchase by visiting eclassical website.
You can click on the link and find the CPO’s music by clicking on orchestras.
www.eclassical.com
www.cpo.org.za
DF Malan Street
Foreshore
Posted by Cool Classic Kidz on September 25, 2012 in Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s CD Releases and DOWNLOADS
CPO alive and well in Cape Town – But for how long?
Does an exclusive audience justify the expense of an orchestra in Cape Town?
Is it just a Eurocentric remnant of times gone by – ready to be archived on the dusty shelves of an illustrious past? The real question: does the future generation need an orchestra? The youth frequent pubs and clubs with house music, rap, hip-hop, pop, rock, blues, jazz, R&B, Country & Western – yes, even “boere-musiek” – all of these mere mutations of the classical format. Will they ever return to the symphony concert, or does an orchestra have to conform and change like an amoeba, adapting to these genres in order to please the crowds and attract new audiences? Does it still have a rightful place in modern society?
Is it time to vote and let the people decide?
If the necessary and constant funding to maintain the orchestra is not obtained, it is time to let the audience speak or forever hold their breath. If the city hall is half empty during seasonal concerts, does this portray the sentiments of the public? Do we close down and become a silent remnant of the past?
Why save the orchestra?
Music is the only language understood by all. It is there for everybody. Classical music is the only genre that has withstood the test of time for centuries – it is timeless. Let us not deprive talented children of a bright future. Speak up and let them play!
Give us your mandate to continue a proud international tradition which speaks a language of the heart. Music builds understanding and forgiveness, bonds diverse cultures and peoples, creates jobs, but mostly deserves to be spoken by thousands of talented young beings for years to come! Imagine a world without the sound of pure, unobliterated harmony? Movies without sound tracks, radio stations without music, bands gone silent, advertisements without tunes, raising a child without singing, no national anthem, no humming along, no recordings of timeless music to listen to, and so forth. The sounds of silence, emotionless plain speech, deprived of joy and passion. Can we afford to let the music in its purest form go?
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra is dedicated to performance excellence – serving the connoisseur – but most of all we serve as generator and promoter of new talent. The CPO Academy, Youth Orchestras and the Masidlale Music Projects in marginalised communities provide access to professional skills training. Our professional musicians are creating the future orchestra and future audience. Please grant them a career and let them play.
The voices and instruments of young South Africans are ringing out all over the world. One such a fine ambassador for classical music is soprano Pretty Yende, a product of the SACM, who is on contract at La Scala Opera House in Milan. In an interview last year, when asked about a new wave of black interest and success in classical music, albeit symphonic or operatic, she said in no uncertain terms: Music is there for all people. And we say: Bravo! Let them play!
WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT MUSIC! IT IS TIME TO SAVE THE REAL MUSIC FOR CAPE TOWN!
Please support your orchestra by contributing to a secure future.
You can assist by:
1. Setting up a monthly debit order to the CPO
2. Making an annual donation to the CPO Outreach & Education, which is tax-deductible
3. Sponsoring a concert to the amount of R150,000, which will secure naming rights to the concert
4. Becoming an orchestra angel by donating R50,000 for 5 years to the Endowment Trust
5. Sponsoring a musician to the amount of R100,000 per annum
For more information and the benefits attached to a sponsorship, call Karin Blumer at 021-410 9826 or e-mailkarin@cpo.org.za
Save the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra!
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New Guidelines Focus On Improving Surgery Decisions For Older PatientsThere's a move going on across the country to improve surgical care for older Americans, who increasingly are undergoing complex operations despite facing higher risks than younger patients.
Jutanugarn, Shelton Win Junior PGA Championship
Filed Under:Ariya Jutanugarn, Fort Wayne, golf, Indiana, Junior PGA Championship, PGA, Pro Golf, Robby Shelton
FORT WAYNE, IN (AP) – Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn successfully defended her title Friday in the Junior PGA Championship, and Robby Shelton of Wilmer, Ala., won the boys’ division.
The 16-year-old Jutanugarn, a 10-stroke winner last year, birdied the last four holes at Sycamore Hills for a 5-under 67 and 14-under 274 total, three strokes better than 15-year-old Samantha Wagner of Windermere, Fla. Wagner finished with a 70.
The 16-year-old Shelton closed with a 70 to finish at 13 under. He had a course-record 64 on Thursday.
Cameron Champ of Sacramento, Calif., shot a 72 to finish second, three strokes back.
The top two players in each division earned spots on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team.
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Gaskell Warren of Cookeville, Tennessee writing home
0097_000050_000270_0001
An image of Gaskell Warren of Cookeville, Tennessee writing home with Isaac Drummond of Jasper, Alabama washing up in the background. The two sit under canvas tents with laundry and cigarettes placed on the draping sides. Metal beds are visible under the canopy, as are duffle bags and canteens.
Gaskell Warren posing beside a sign
An image of Gaskell Warren, a member of the Military Police for the 101st Airborne Division of the Allied troops in World War II. Warren poses in civilian clothing, and wrote on the verso: "note the mileage sign I am standing by on the wall." The sign reads: "Berlin 200. Tennessee 5000." Warren was originally from Cookeville, Tennessee.
Gathering with soldiers in Downtown Algood, Tennessee, c. 1917
This is a World War I era photograph of a gathering in downtown Algood, Tennessee, c. 1917. Townsfolk stand behind lines of soldiers in uniform at attention. Buildings include the Bank of Algood, a drug store, a place called Harp and Pointer advertising Stag Shoe for Men, Algood Lodge No. 561, and N.W.A. Algood Camp No. 13118.
Sing Brothers Sing: Fifty New-Old Songs in the American Folk Tradition
Gravestone cross of Albert Davis, Pvt. 521 Engrs. Tennessee, Nov. 14, 1918
Gravestones shaped as crosses in the World War I cemetery in Thiaucourt, France. The gravestone highlighted reads "Albert Davis, Pvt. 521 Engrs. Tennessee, Nov. 14, 1918." The cemetery in Thiaucourt, France commemorates the death of more than 4,000 American military during World War I. The majority of the casualties buried here were involved in the first American battle in the war, which was the successful effort to extricate Germans from the French town near Paris.
Melody Boys, Radio Station AFN-Munich
A picture of the Melody Boys, posing at the Radio Station AFN-Munich. The AFN-Munich was the American Forces Network in Germany, and began broadcasting in 1945. Marshall Jones, who played banjo and sang in the "Melody Boys," later attained fame in the Grand Ole Opry and on the program "Hee Haw."The back of the image reads: "The Melody Boys, Radio Station AFN-Munich, 100,000 watts - 1249 kilocycles. Munich, Germany, 1945. Left to right: Marshall Johns of Henderson, Ky. Gaskell Warren, Cookeville, Tenn. Roy Joe Baxter, Leoma, Tenn. And Ottis J. Knippers of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee."
J. D. Loftis Garage
This is a photograph of J.D. Loftis Garage.
Raymond G. Whitfield on a white truck with gravel washing cylinders
This is a photograph of Raymond G. Whitfield on a white truck with gravel washing cylinders. A new hotel is in the background.
Two Dulcimers
These two dulcimers both have similar S-shaped carvings ("f holes") in the body, but the ones on the Cumberland Mountain dulcimer is older and more primitive in shape. The Jacob Michael Neff dulcimer also has 4-pronged flowerlike carvings towards the pegbox. The Neff dulcimer is much sleeker and has more pointed ends than the Cumberland Mountain dulcimer which has more robust and boxier shape. The Cumberland Mountain dulcimer was found in Putnam County.
Line of French girls with their bald heads after getting a haircut
A photograph of a group of female Nazi collaborators in Vichy, France after their heads were shaved on stage in front of a large crowd. French women who assisted or collaborated with Nazis were known as "femmes tondues." After World War II, head-shaving was a common punishment in France and Norway for female Nazi conspirators. The image is from approximately 1939-1945.
Bob Hope in Munich during USO Show, July 1945
A photograph of Bob Hope during a USO show in Munich, Germany in July, 1945. Hope's USO career spanned six decades, during which he headlined approximately 60 tours. Hope began touring combat zones in 1943, moving from North Africa and Italy to the Pacific. The USO was founded in 1941 in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. uniformed military personnel. USO centers and clubs opened around the world as a “Home Away from Home” for GIs. From 1941 to 1947, the USO presented more than 400,000 performances.
Martha Tilton in Munich during USO Show, July 1945
A photograph of Martha Tilton performing in Munich, Germany as part of Bob Hope's tour in July, 1945. Tilton was an American popular singer, best-known for her 1939 recording of "And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman. Tilton participated in two USO tours with Jack Benny, traveling to the South Pacific in 1944 and to Germany right after the war ended in 1945.
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Digital Regress
Lumpy Records
Neck Chop
Total Punk
7"s
Shirts/ Other
Labels expand
All Products expand
Haruomi Hosono - Paraiso LP (Japanese Press)
Following Tropical Dandy (1975) and Bon Voyage Co. (1976), Paraiso is the concluding saga in his “Tropical Trilogy.” The album can be seen as a turning point in Haruomi Hosono’s career, having been newly signed to Alfa Records by label head Kunihiko Murai. Hosono expands on the Van Dyke Parks-inspired tropical funk styles explored in the previous albums, and arrives at a captivating fusion sound that’s at times equally earthy and exotic. Hinting at the breakthrough sounds he would perfect with Yellow Magic Orchestra, Hosono uses synthesizers to provide otherworldly textures and a spiritual undertone to songs like “Femme Fatale” and the title track. On his Caribbean-style take on the Okinawan folk song “Asatoya Yunta” and the synth/gamelan workout of “Shambhala Signal,” Hosono takes traditional melodies and mixes them into his own inimitable stew. Featuring a host of well-known musicians like Taeko Ohnuki, Hiroshi Sato and his future bandmates Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Paraiso perfectly encapsulates Hosono’s eccentric worldview that has shaped his solo career, right before his techno-pop project would blast him into the stratosphere.
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Free dd form 1172-2 download
Free dd form 1172-2 download 2014-2019
Get Form
dd form 1172-2 download
How do I fill out the dd form for SBI bank?
Write the name of the beneficiary in the space after “in favour of “ and the branch name where the beneficiary would encash it in the space “payable at”.Fill in the amount in words and figures and the appropriate exchange .Fill up your name and address in “Applicant's name” and sign at “ applicant's signature”
When do I have to learn how to fill out a W-2 form?
Form W-2 is an obligatory form to be completed by every employer. Form W-2 doesn’t have to be filled out by the employee. It is given to inform the employee about the amount of his annual income and taxes withheld from it.You can find a lot of information here: http://bit.ly/2NjjlJi
How do I download a filled-out php form?
It doesn't sound like you understand how PHP handles forms. The usual scenario is you present the user with an HTML page that contains the form. The action attribute of the opening form tag indicates the webpage that will process the submitted form (and confirm to the user that it has done so). The form-processing page will contain PHP code to do what you need to do with the contents of the form. For example, it will usually store the information in a server-side database, like MySQL. It might also send an email to someone.If you want to provide the user with a downloadable, editable form, you could do that by having PHP create a PDF with the submitted data I can't imagine why you'd want to do that, but it's possible.
What's the easiest way to download a DD Form 2745?
Visit this site: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directiv...
How do you fill out a W-2 form?
In general, the W-2 form is divided into two parts each with numerous fields to be completed carefully by an employer. The section on the left contains both the employer's and employee`s names and contact information as well social security number and identification number.You can find a lot of information here: http://bit.ly/2NjjlJi
How do I fill out an NDA 2 application form?
visit Welcome to UPSC | UPSCclick on apply online option their and select the ndaII option.Its in 2 parts, Fill part 1 and theirafter 2nd as guided on the website their.
© 2006-2019 airSlate Inc. All rights reserved.
Please select the version for
2014 DD 1172-2
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Introduction to Week 3 - Habitability
Astrobiology: Exploring Other Worlds
How are astronomers approaching their search for life in the universe? What have we learned from the surge of exoplanets discoveries? How likely is it that Earth does not host the only life in the Universe? In this course we explore the field of astrobiology, an emerging multidisciplinary field. Progress in astrobiology is driven by telescopes on the ground and in space, and by new insights on how life emerged on Earth and its diversity. The topics in this course range from the science of how exoplanets are detected, to the chemistry that supports the argument that the ingredients for life are common in the Universe. We will follow the analyses of experts in chemistry, astronomy, geology and archaeology to build a strong foundation of understanding. By the final assignment, students will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to identify what makes a planet habitable, and how likely it is that life exists there. Students will graduate from this course informed about one of the most exciting fields in all of science, and ready to discuss the current exoplanet news stories and discoveries.
Habitability
Introduction to Week 3 - Habitability2:02
Cosmic Chemistry18:38
Matthew Wenger
Instructional Technologist
In our exploration of astrobiology,
now we're talking about the ingredients for life.
What are the core ingredients for life, what does life need?
And then moving from that, what defines a habitable place?
What is a place in the universe where life, we think, can exist?
So we're getting to the biology part of astrobiology,
what are the prerequisites for life?
And we think two of them are carbon, because we're carbon based life forms.
Carbon has this amazing ability to form complexity and long chain molecules.
Essentially, infinite complexity.
In theory, you can have an infinitely long carbon chain.
And then water, which is the liquid medium in which life
first evolved on the Earth and we think is essential to all forms of life.
So those are the two core ingredients and we're going to start with that,
and then talk more generally about what makes for a habitable world?
The point from astronomy is that all those ingredients except for
hydrogen were created in the cores of stars.
So cosmic chemistry we think is universal, because we see the same elements
in the rocks under our feet are found in the vapor or the gas of stars or
in distant galaxies and all of those heavy elements were made in stars.
There's four very different stories of habitability just in our inner solar
system and in this course in astrobiology, we're at large,
we're trying to explain what are the rules that govern habitability?
What are the things about a planet around any star that determines whether
we think it might have biology?
We're going to explore the definition of habitability, the traditional definition,
the Goldie Locks zone, where you're just the right distance from a Star for
water to be liquid.
And more extended definitions because for
instance water could be liquid under the surface on a much colder planet,
and so what is the range of habitability that we see?
What's the best way to define it?
And then how many habitable exoplanets have astronomers found?
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The Power of Markets III: Input Markets and Promoting Efficiency
4.8 (23 ratings) | 3K Students Enrolled
The final module of the Power of Markets course begins by further exploring firm behavior in imperfectly competitive market settings: how firms with monopoly power can increase profits through price discrimination; and the price-output combinations we can expect firms to select in cases of monopolistic competition and oligopoly. We will also analyze monopolies from an efficiency perspective and look at the effects of imperfect information on firm and consumer behavior. We will next turn to exploring input markets and what determines the demand for an input by a firm, an industry, and the overall market. We will also look at the factors that affect input supply and how the supply of an input interacts with demand to determinant input prices. We will use input market theory to analyze institutions and government policies such as the NCAA sports cartel, the minimum wage, Social Security, and immigration. Finally, we will address the concept of market efficiency and what government can do to promote it as well as how government intervention may diminish it.
Week 10 - Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly
Imperfect Information. The Efficiency Effects of Monopoly. Firm, Industry, and Market Demand for an Input.
Asymmetric Information11:29
Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard 10:21
Limited Price Information and Advertising5:39
Mark Zupan
Professor of Economics and Public Policy
Welcome to week 10 of the power market's course.
What we'll do this week is look at certain information imperfections,
and how those can lead to
some pricing power opportunities and some inefficiencies in markets,
and what are some potential mechanisms that at
least partially can mitigate the inefficiencies.
We also cover a series of applications on monopoly and then we'll turn to input markets,
and start on the basics there.
For those of you that are following along in the text,
we'll basically finish up the remainder of chapter 14,
cover a good portion of chapter 15,
and the first two sections of chapter 16.
In this section, in this session,
we're going to cover asymmetric information.
What happens when one side of the market has more information than the other?
And in this particular session,
we'll focus on where sellers have more information than buyers.
A great case involves the sale of used cars where
sellers generally know if their car is a lemon or a gem,
when they're putting it on the market.
What kind of outcomes maybe we expect?
And one prediction is that we end up with an overabundance of lemons in the marketplace.
We'll see why symmetric information can lead to this,
and what are the market mechanisms that at least
partially can mitigate the lemons problem.
And we also then look,
it's not just used car markets,
but even when you think about applying to colleges,
sellers generally have more information about what they're providing the services,
the quality of instruction,
the dorms than you do although there are some market mechanisms you can rely
on and visits to acquire information about one college versus the other.
Or when you're hiring a plumber or a contractor,
similar lemons problem may prevail.
Or when you're hiring an individual employee,
where he or she may know more about
their capacity and their talents versus the buyer of the market.
So, let's first turn to an example,
the used car market,
and let's assume that there are 50,000 cars being
sold that are gems and 50,000 that are lemons.
And the gems would sell for $12,000 each,
whereas the lemons would sell for 6,000.
Now with perfect information on both sides of the market, it wouldn't be a problem.
Buyers could figure out what were the lemons and what were the gems,
and pay accordingly: 12,000 for the gems and 6,000 for the lemons.
Say we didn't know,
and say there were 50,000 of each type of
car initially being sold.
Now a buyer might make an initial assumption that if there's a mix of both cars,
that the price would end up being an average of 9,000 per car.
And yet, when you think about it,
with imperfect information, that might not be a correct assumption.
Why? Because if you're an owner of the gem,
and there's a $9,000 price that you can sell the gem
for formerly with perfect information you could sell for 12,000,
you're going to be less likely to put your gem on the market.
Analogously, if you're the owner of a lemon,
you're going to be more likely to put a lemon on the market when the price settles in at
9,000 of an average than
when formerly with perfect information you can only sell the car,
the clunker, for 6,000 a piece.
So let's assume that instead of a 50 50 percent mix of the two,
we're more likely to get
75 percent of the clunkers
or the lemons and 25 percent of the gems,
and that the price would end up at 7.5 thousand.
Reflecting the mix, the three quarters of the cars are lemons and one quarter are gems.
Again, there would be a market response.
As the price falls,
you're less likely to get either gems or lemons
supplied because the prevailing price is lower than it used to be of 9,000,
but the proportion will keep tilting more and more toward
the lemons as opposed to the gems because at an even lower price,
it's still attractive for lemon owners to put their cars in the market.
It's less attractive than at 9,000 for the gem owners to put their cars on the market.
Where will this process end up?
It's entirely conceivable that we'll just end up with lemons being sold in the market.
With asymmetric information on the lemons problem at work,
bad products tend to drive out good products.
One other way that this problem is commonly called is Gresham's Law,
that when you have asymmetric information and it's after
an English policy maker who first observed
this phenomenon of bad money driving out good money,
where the quality could differ across the coins that were minted in England.
Now there are forces at work in the market to alleviate,
to deal with the lemons problem.
Among the sellers can offer guarantees or warranties,
liability laws also work to mitigate.
And since there are gains from acquiring information,
consumers have an incentive to look at an individual car before they make a purchase,
to bring along a mechanic to test it out.
There are also market forces like repetition.
There are firms nowadays such as Auction Direct that rely
on repeated sales of used cars to build up
a reputation that the buyers can rely on
that make sure that the cars that they're getting are of high quality.
So there are a variety of mechanisms,
but each of these mechanisms,
there's some costs associated,
it may not work perfectly.
Jim Lacko of the Federal Trade Commission,
a number of years ago looked at what extent
the lemons problem is at work in the used car market.
And he asked buyers simply to rate the cars that they bought on a 1 to 10 scale,
where 10 was a gem,
one was a lemon.
And he looked at different ages of cars,
different mileage that they've been driven,
and whether the buyer acquired the car from a used car merchant,
from a friend or relative,
or from an online ad,
from somebody that they didn't know.
And what he ended up finding for cars between one to seven years old,
there was no appreciable difference between
the various sources of supply and how buyers rated their cars.
So buying it from somebody unfamiliar produce
the same rating as buying it from somebody you know,
or from a used car merchant.
Beyond seven years, there was a difference of
about one point if you bought it from somebody unfamiliar,
you were one point less happy on a 10-point scale with the car you bought.
So it does seem like there is to a certain extent market,
there are to a certain extent market forces that
mitigate the lemons problem for one to seven years,
the average rating overall was at 6.61 on a ten-point scale across all purchases.
And the difference only showed up beyond
seven years of a point between buying it from a car from somebody
that you're not familiar with versus somebody that
has a way to build up a reputation or somebody that you're connected with.
Now we see other applications where market forces promote good behavior by sellers.
A great example is eBay,
which is now a $10 billion business.
In 1995, its revenue was zero.
In 99 percent of the time,
buyers rate the sellers that they deal with,
who usually they've never dealt with before individually, as being excellent.
Why might this outcome occur?
Because there's imperfect information between buyers and
sellers and sellers who are better
informed about the product they're putting up for sale on eBay.
Well eBay's developed a reputational mechanism,
a way for buyers to rate sellers.
Over half the time, buyers fill out the form and
indicate the job the sellers done and the quality of the product.
That way of keeping score,
the repetition of the marketplace that prospective buyers can then
access has incredible value to promote good behavior when it comes to eBay.
And a study's also recently shown that sellers that have acquired a good reputation,
when they promote future sales,
they can charge roughly 7.6% more for their products.
Reputation also has a good value to sellers.
One other, so we've
covered the is there lemons problem in used car markets, the Lacko study.
One other way that sellers can indicate their higher quality is called signaling.
And this was a concept first developed by a former dean at the Stanford Business School,
Michael Spence, who won a Nobel Prize for this idea.
And he basically argued in a case where buyers don't
know if you are a high quality hardworking laborer
versus somebody who's less high quality.
It may pay to undertake certain investments,
certain costly investments than in and of themselves have no value,
but still allow you to signal that I'm a type A worker as supposed to a type B.
And one of the settings that
this model has been applied to is the higher education market.
Perhaps applying to an MBA that even if the MBA has
no value directly through the education,
merely by getting into
a high quality MBA program like Stanford or the Simon Business School
will allow somebody to indicate that I'm a Type A type worker to a prospective employer.
Now one of Spence's colleagues,
Jeff Pfeffer also at the Stanford Business School
has joked that once you get accepted to a top tier school,
that means you shouldn't go, because the higher education of
the MBA market business schools have served all the value to you that they can.
All you have to do is take that admissions letter to the employer you want to work for.
We at Simon disagree,
but there is also significant value from the education derived from an institution,
and I think the Pfeffer comment has to be taken as
a nice quip but not accurately describing the full value of an MBA education.
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ITV & BBC To Spend “Tens Of Millions” Of Pounds On Originals For UK Streaming Service BritBox & Eye “Innovative” Formats
‘The Big Bang Theory’ Cast Gathers On ‘Ellen’, Ponders Legacy, Shares Goodbyes
‘Sesame Street’ Named First TV Show Recipient Of Kennedy Center Honors; 2019 Recipients Also Include Sally Field And Linda Ronstadt
With The Big Bang Theory coming to its big bye-bye, the cast gets together for something of an early exit interview on today’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The long-running sitcom is taping its final episodes leading up to the May departure, and stars Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Mayim Biyalik, Melissa Rauch, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar took the DeGeneres to ponder the show’s legacy – and how they’re coping with the farewell.
Watch some highlights from today’s episode above and below.
In one of the clips, Cuoco recalls a recent taping with Galecki when, seemingly out of nowhere, the upcoming end hit her full force. “We were doing a scene before the holiday,” said Cuoco, describing the on-set moment. “We were just blocking, and we were the only two in it, just kind of rehearsing the scene when, out of nowhere, I just started bawling.
Emmy Snubs & Surprises: 'Big Bang Theory', Julia Roberts, & Richard Madden Left Out In The TV Academy Cold; 'Schitt's Creek' Strong
“And the crew, all the camera guys and everyone came out and said, ‘We’re so glad you cried because we’ve been waiting to cry’ and they all gave us this big group hug.”
Parsons tell Degeneres and her audience that he hasn’t followed suit – yet – but that he has “a very deep fear” the day is coming when he will “absolutely lose my sh*t.”
In another clip, Biyalik talks about the comedy’s positive impact on promoting science, especially by inspiring kids.
‘It feels especially impactful that not only can we bring people joy and make them laugh, but we are also putting a different face on science and on scientists,” Biyalik said. Galecki concurred, mentioning the 30 or so UCLA scholars benefiting from scholarship money from the show.
Said Galecki, “Inspiring people that are literally molding our culture and our future…I’m just a theater rat, so that’s very cool.” (That’s included in the clip above).
And finally, Ellen wouldn’t be Ellen without yet another game of some sort, so this time around the show has created one titled, naturally enough, Big Bang, combining trivia questions and balloons inflated to the banging point.
No spoilers, so check out the game here:
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursday at 8/7c PM on CBS. Check local listings for today’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
NBCUniversal International Studios Hires 'Hellboy' & 'Lost In Space' Producer Marc Helwig To Bolster LA Scripted Ranks
AT&T Accuses CBS Of Trying To "Up-Sell" Pay-TV Customers To CBS All Access
David Chang's 'Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner' Docuseries Set At Netflix
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Michael Bay's Ode To Meatheads: Pain & Gain, Reviewed.
Tim Grierson
Filed to: Grierson and LeitchFiled to: Grierson and Leitch
Grierson and Leitch
There are many movies that could have been made from the raw materials of Pain & Gain, which is based on a series of outrageous Miami New Times articles about three dimwit Florida bodybuilders who in 1994 kidnapped a rich local businessman and stripped him of all his assets. Some filmmakers, for example, might have looked at this story as a dark commentary on the American dream or as a satire on Miami's Neverland strangeness. Michael Bay is not that filmmaker.
Bay seems to have been interested in this story mostly because it sounded, like, really funny and, y'know, insane, bro. He fills Pain & Gain with flash and energy, and he does it well enough that the movie succeeds. But at the same time, it's a missed opportunity.
As originally chronicled by journalist Pete Collins in late '99 and early 2000, Pain & Gain drops us into the world of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a Miami fitness buff who's a top personal trainer inspired by the characters in The Godfather, Scarface and Rocky. Wahlberg's at his best when he's playing genuine-but-clueless lugs, and Daniel is perfect for him: The character's idea of how to get ahead in America is completely wrongheaded—he doesn't understand that Rocky Balboa and Tony Montana are on very different moral planes—but he believes it so deeply that it's almost touching.
One of Daniel's clients is Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a successful man whom Daniel has decided doesn't deserve his big house and fancy cars. (The names of the actual victims were changed in the movie to protect their identities.) Daniel, who considers Victor an affront to his own dreams, recruits two regulars at his gym to kidnap the guy and extort him for all he's worth. One is Daniel's longtime buddy Adrian Doorbal (a disappointingly one-note Anthony Mackie), who's so obsessed with steroids that he's done severe damage to his penis. (And because this is a Michael Bay movie, you can count on plenty of dick jokes.) The other is Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson), a recently freed convict and born-again Christian who's in desperate need of money.
Pain & Gain is Michael Bay's first non-Transformers film in eight years, and only Bay could look at this new movie as some sort of return-to-his-roots, "artistic" outing. It's still endlessly frenetic—the only time the camera isn't whipping around is when everything's moving in super slow-motion—but Pain & Gain does seem to be Bay's attempt at making an epic crime drama like a Goodfellas or Casino. Just about every major character supplies some voiceover, each of them adding in background details or explaining their perspective on the events.
But does Bay really have any roots to go back to? From his debut with Bad Boys, he's always been about high-octane, low-nutrition action movies. The return to Miami, where the Bad Boys movies were set, has at least loosened him up a bit. Among all the other reasons the Transformers movies were terrible, Bay never seemed to be having any fun making them. They lumbered around, mechanical and joyless. Pain & Gain recalls the unapologetic guys'-guy bravado of Bay's earlier work, and he has a blast taking this unbelievable true story out for a spin, driving way too fast and seeing if anybody's going to stop him.
Unfortunately, Bay's reconnection with his Bad Boys/The Rock period doesn't mean that he's matured since then. At 48, he still comes across through his movies as the world's oldest frat guy–objectifying women, telling lame jokes, and getting incredibly uncomfortable in the presence of homosexuals. Pain & Gain's story is inherently funny, but Bay doesn't do much to sharpen the humor. He shoots everything in Awesome-O-Rama, which makes the action sequences bigger and the jokes louder. But Bay knows nothing of nuance, so the material's deeper levels simply don't interest him. He just wants to tell a story about some dumb guys who swindled this jerky guy and then had to do a bunch of messed-up stuff to get away with their crimes. Bay's ADHD filmmaking is enough to make Pain & Gain endlessly watchable, but the twisted darkness of the actual events (adapted by screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) is what gives the movie life.
The acting does, too. You tend not to dwell on performances in a Bay movie, but Pain & Gain has two standouts. One is Wahlberg's Daniel who, deep down, thinks of himself as a Rocky-like underdog required to seek vengeance against foreigners like Victor who have stolen his American dream. He thinks he's a hero, and his surety makes his actions all the more frightening. Daniel gets progressively more unhinged as the movie rolls along, but Wahlberg keeps him believable, grounding Daniel's criminal activities in a wounded sense of pride that (to his mind, anyway) justifies everything he's done.
But the real standout is Johnson. Pain & Gain's unsubtle approach ensures that Paul's struggle between being a good Christian and helping with this kidnapping will mostly be played for broad, mocking laughs. But Johnson is actually quite nuanced in his portrayal. In the past, the actor has played either kick-ass action roles or dopey comedy characters, with the occasional dramatic role thrown in for good measure. Pain & Gain brings together his different onscreen persona, and it's more proof that the guy's simply magnetic. Paul may be a conflicted fool, but Johnson makes you feel the turmoil within the character: He wants to be a good person, but his human temptations simply won't let him. It's a sign of Johnson's decency that even when Paul has to engage in some of the movie's homophobic humor—ha ha, gay sex toys sure are weird—the character is mostly live-and-let-live about the whole thing.
Even with those performances, though, Bay can't help but overdo everything in Pain & Gain. The film's later sections get aggressively dark and, at two hours, the movie feels longer than it needs to be. And, seriously, the man's attitude toward women and gays is repugnant. But let's be honest: This is the sort of movie Bay was built to make. There have been a few movies recently set in Florida, and each played to that filmmaker's strengths and interests. Magic Mike incorporated Steven Soderbergh's preoccupation with showing how people go about doing their jobs, and it was filmed in his cool, observational style. Spring Breakers was Harmony Korine finding a new way to outrage audiences and sensationalize weirdo behavior. Pain & Gain is Bay's way to celebrate supreme macho attitude, as always. There's a strange, juicy movie in there about police incompetency, unbridled ambition, America's penchant for can-do positivity, and the simmering tensions within a large multicultural city. Bay finds that movie about half the time. The other half, he seems as much of a meathead as his characters.
Steven Soderbergh Whips It Out. Magic Mike, Reviewed.
As Steven Soderbergh gets closer to the retirement he swears will be happening next year, it's …
Grade: B-.
Grierson & Leitch write regularly for Deadspin about movies. Follow them @griersonleitch.
Recent from Tim Grierson
The Danish Girl Makes Transgender Issues Safe For The Oscar Crowd
The Good Dinosaur's Visual Grandeur Makes Up For Its Lack Of Wit
Carol Is A Beautiful Love Story, Starring A Terrific Cate Blanchett
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Top StoriesMilitary InterviewsLandAirSeaFuture WeaponsHistoryCyberGlobal Security
Military Interviews
Future Weapons
Saddam Hussein Could Have Sunk America's Most Powerful Battleship Ever
byWarrior Maven
Warrior Maven Video Analysis Above: What Will the New Marine Corp ACV Bring to Amphibious Warfare?
By James Holmes, The National Interest
Could Saddam Hussein’s armed forces have sunk a U.S. Navy battleship?
That might seem like a question destined to launch an excursion into alt-history, but it was far from hypothetical to the 3,200 or so crewmen of the battleships USS Wisconsin and Missouri who squared off against Iraq in 1991. It was daily life, especially when they closed with hostile shorelines to render naval gunfire support to forces ashore—and thus came within striking reach of Iraqi defenses.
My answer: yes.
In the abstract. Under ideal conditions.
If you ripped such an engagement out of its actual operational context, in other words, then yes, it was technically possible for Iraqi airmen or rocketeers to sink a dreadnought. One vessel can scarcely stand against the combined might of a nation. Yet sundering could-have-been events from reality reveals little of value. Iraqi prospects were farfetched when viewed in the real-world context of war in the Persian Gulf. Focusing that much martial throw weight against one surface combatant at the right time and place would have strained Iraqi capability—even if Saddam & Co. had made assaulting the American ironclads their uppermost priority.
But first the hypotheticals. Events in the Gulf during the 1980s, when Iraq and Iran waged a brutal struggle for dominion, bore grim witness to the power of mine and missile warfare. During the 1987-1988 “tanker war,” the U.S. Navy organized convoys for Kuwaiti merchantmen reflagged under the Stars and Stripes. While they guarded against missile attack, escort ships took to trailing behind the tankers they were protecting, simply because the tankers’ massive hulls could withstand the blast from a sea mine far better than flimsily armored warships could. Protectors became the protected.
Such an underwater blast broke the back of the guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts in April 1988. (I happened to be in engineering school when the heavy-lift ship bearing the frigate hove into the Narragansett Bay. That was a sobering sight for any newcomer to marine affairs.) Rudimentary sea mines would temporarily cripple the cruiser USS Princeton and the amphibious helicopter carrier USS Tripoli—a vessel comparable in size and tonnage to an Iowa-class battleship—during Desert Storm. Battleships certainly came within reach of mines during the Gulf War. I saw them floating nearby myself more than once. The amphibious task force of which Wisconsin and Missouri were part subsequently ventured into minefields off the Kuwaiti coast should coalition leaders order an amphibious assault.
Wouldn’t ruggedly armored battlewagons just shrug off mine strikes where their lightly built brethren could not? Maybe, maybe not. A floating sea mine would have struck at the waterline, where battleships’ armor exceeded a foot in thickness by far. Furthermore, an “armored box” encased vital innards such as the propulsion plants and fire-control plotting rooms. The shock from an explosion would have been transmitted to the hull and thence to the ship’s internals, and probably would have shaken loose some piping systems. Still, a vessel designed to withstand hammer blows from heavy-caliber gunnery would probably have ridden out such a strike with little lasting damage.
But the armored belt cladding the hull tapers to two inches along a battleship’s keel, all the way at the ship’s bottom. Shipwrights built the Iowa class with surface gunfights in mind, not influence mines moored to the seafloor and triggered by the noise or magnetic field of a passing enemy ship. Had such a mine floated up and detonated underneath Wisconsin or Missouri, it could well have punctured the hull. Moreover, it could have wrought havoc with the massive intakes that sucked in seawater to condense steam exhausted from the ship’s boilers—and in turn required engineers to shut down that plant.
Flooding and engineering casualties, then, would verge on certain following a strike from beneath. Still, battleships were built with redundant systems—four engineering plants, for instance—and with stout watertight bulkheads subdividing the hull to limit the spread of floodwaters. In all likelihood fire parties could have isolated any damage so the ship, rerouted power and vital fluids around the afflicted zone, and enabled the ship to carry on with its mission. Barring some extremely improbable event, such as many mines striking from beneath all at once, even influence mines posed little mortal danger.
What about anti-ship missiles? The missile age had its inception with the sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat during the Six-Day War of 1967. An Iraqi F-1 Mirage fighter jet loosed two Exocet missiles at the frigate USS Stark twenty years later, in May 1987, during the tanker war and less than four years before Desert Storm. The mistaken attack left Stark in grave peril and cost thirty-seven sailors their lives. It is far from unthinkable that a missile fired from one of Saddam’s warplanes, a shore battery, or one of the navy’s Osa patrol boats could have struck home against a battleship cruising offshore.
Indeed, Missouri had a close call with a couple of Iraqi Silkworms that February. What would have happened had one or both birds struck home? It depends on where they impacted. It may be commonplace to liken battleships to “castles of steel,” but the image misleads. No ship can tote heavy armor all around its exterior. It would be top-heavy, unstable, and unseaworthy. And even if weight and stability weren’t issues, no navy could afford to construct such a craft. Topside as on the hull, therefore, naval architects arranged armor plating to safeguard the most critical spaces, systems, and armaments.
Owing to these selective defenses, a missile probably wouldn’t have penetrated one of the main gun turrets, sheathed as they were in heavy plating. (Although a strike at just the right place might have wrecked the machinery a turret used to rotate toward its targets.) Nor would it have stood much chance of piercing the “citadel,” in effect a massive armored tube where the bridge watch team could take refuge in times of battle. But it might have done grievous harm to the lightly protected superstructure or to crucial topside systems like Tomahawk or Harpoon missile launchers, radars, or fire-control directors. Or, for that matter, a hit on one of the ship’s two smokestacks may have impeded or interrupted the inflow of combustion air to two of the ship’s four propulsion plants as well as the outflow of exhaust gases—impairing mobility and the electrical power supply.
This is far from trifling damage. It’s doubtful one or two Iraqi missile hits would have added up to a sinking-level catastrophe—but a ship can suffer a lot of ruin without sinking. The punch from two Silkworms surely would have degraded Missouri’s combat performance until the crew could make repairs. A “mission kill” that incapacitated the dreadnought for a time, in part or in whole, is far from unthinkable.
So much for the technical details of attacks pitting an individual missile or missiles against a battleship. Now factor in the operational context. It is fair to say that the Iraqi military could have sunk a battleship. Provided the defenders could detect, track, and target it. Provided they could dedicate ordnance to the engagement in massive quantities. Provided enough missiles could slip past the anti-missile defenses that swaddled a battleship, including not just its own close-in weapons and electronic-warfare suite but those of escort ships commonly assigned to ride “shotgun” with battleship surface action groups. And provided coalition aircraft failed to furnish effective air cover. In short, Iraqis could have inflicted massive harm had they concentrated all of their energies and resources on bludgeoning a battlewagon.
That’s a lot of provideds. How likely was such a confluence of events? Not very. Iraqi commanders had far more to worry about than gunfire and cruise missiles lofted shoreward by Missouri and Wisconsin. Aircraft carriers prowled the Gulf, striking deep inland in concert with U.S. Air Force and coalition aviators flying from airfields in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the region. They had to fret about U.S. Army and coalition ground forces staring at them across the front lines. Their plight almost elicits sympathy.
This dismal operational situation compelled Iraqis to disperse manpower and assets in an effort to defend Kuwait and southern Iraq from most points of the compass, not to mention from the surface and above. They simply couldn’t afford to allocate the resources and firepower to take out one hulking surface combatant, no matter how troublesome.
Apart from all that, it may be worth closing on a cultural point. Combatants came home from the Gulf with the eerie sense that we would have won even had we swapped our high-tech armory of ships, planes, sensors, and weaponry for Saddam’s lumbering, backward, largely Soviet-equipped force. Historian Victor Davis Hanson draws sweeping cultural contrasts in his book Carnage and Culture, ascribing Western military success against non-Western civilizations across the centuries to an ingrained lust for “shock battle.” Western fighting forces supposedly aim to annihilate their antagonists on the battlefield where combatants from other civilizations do not.
You need not embrace Hanson’s views in whole—Saudi forces, to name one of many non-Western coalition partners, acquitted themselves well in Desert Storm—to appreciate that a cultural chasm did separate the Iraqi armed forces from their foes. Part of the Iraqi military’s problem must have stemmed from its drawn-out bloodletting with Iran, still a recent memory when Saddam ordered the invasion of Kuwait. This was an exhausted and demoralized force. But the nature of Iraqi society and government must be largely responsible as well.
Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, and tyranny makes armed forces—or any institution, really—stupid.
A ruler like Saddam, who appoints himself generalissimo of the armed services and regards ideas that contradict his own as a threat, squelches the lively debate that constitutes the lifeblood of strategic thought. Had Saddam encouraged freethinking among his commanders instead of crushing it mercilessly, it’s possible Iraqis would have fared far better in 1991—and that the defenders of occupied Kuwait may have landed far more telling blows against coalition navies, including battleships, that menaced their maritime flank.
Alternative history is a pleasant diversion—and useful when it furnishes a reminder of timeless verities such as the need to size up prospective foes’ martial cultures as well as their arsenals.
James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College. The views voiced here are his alone.
[Image](: Wikimedia
USS Missouri (BB-63) - Wikipedia
USS Missouri (BB-63) ("Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo") is an Iowa-class battleship and was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named…
This piece was originally published by The National Interest
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Interview with poet Sarah Hannah: A Poet within “Longing Distance”
Sarah Hannah is an educator, a poet with a PhD from Columbia University, and a sometimes rock musician. Her poems have appeared in “Barrow Street,” “Parnassus,” “Gulf Coast,” “Crab Orchard Review,” and others. Her original manuscript which became her first poetry collection “Longing Distance,” was a semi-finalist for the “Yale Younger Poets Prize,” in 2002. Anne Dillard describes her collection as: “…an extremely moving work. I’m struck by her intelligence of emotion and her unmistakable voice…Sarah Hannah is a true original.” She currently resides with her husband in Cambridge and teaches at Emerson College in Boston. She was a guest on my Somerville Community Access TV show “Poet to Poet/Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: Can you tell us about the “Yale Younger Poets Prize” which “Longing Distance,” was a semi-finalist for?
Sarah Hannah: That was a sort of near miss. That was in 2002. That was the year Tupelo Press accepted my book. I found out I was a runner up by phoning the editor, (not the judge) who was W.S. Merwin. The editor told me he remembered the book, and it was a semi-finalist, and it was a strong book.
Doug Holder: A lot of folks claim a PhD can ruin a poet. You learn how to write academic papers, but you forget how to write poetry. This does not seem to be the case with you.
Sarah Hannah: It ruined me in the sense that while I was writing my dissertation, I felt that I didn’t have time to write poetry. But I think the PhD made me a better poet. It forced me to really study poetry deeply. You have to grapple with ideas that are foreign to you. You read more than just contemporary poets. You learn to become a better writer.
Some people become sidetracked. They go into a PhD program and they emerge as critics not poets. There are more people around than you think that are poets and scholars.
Doug Holder: How did you come up with the title for your collection “Longing Distance?”
Sarah Hannah: I was writing a series of sonnets about a messed up love affair. You know “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” an all those clichés. So I came up with a line while I was in the country watching my husband scale a rock. I thought of the line: “I keep you at longing distance.” I thought it was just going to be another sonnet in the sequence. I wrote the sonnet, but then wound up expunging it from the book. I kept “Longing Distance,’ as the title.
Doug Holder: From our email exchanges I get the impression you haven’t had an easy life.
Sarah Hannah: I lived a hardscrabble life. I’ve seen life disintegrate . I wanted to put back my experiences in more metaphysical or formal terms.
I grew up in Newton, Mass., in the Waban section. A lot of neurosis going on there. I would say seven out of my eight high school friends were bulimic. I was not. My mother was hospitalized at the same “summer hotel” Anne Sexton visited.
Doug Holder: How does your teaching at Emerson College fit with your poetry?
Sarah Hannah: It’s fitting beautifully because I am teaching poetry, as opposed to composition. I am teaching traditional form to graduate and undergraduate students. I teach a hybrid literature and writing course.
Doug Holder: Why did you move from the bright lights and big city of New York to the more provincial environs of Boston?
Sarah Hannah: I am a lover of the underdog. Boston is the underdog to New York. I felt I had to come back. You know: “My end is my beginning, my beginning my end.” I have always missed Boston. I am a loyal person that way. My husband and I purchased a house in Cambridge. It’s right in the Central Square area. It’s a very diverse city. I often write at the ‘1369” Coffee Shop or ‘Grendel’s Den,” in Harvard Square. I feel rooted here.
Doug Holder: How does the lit scene here compare to the “Big Apple?”
Sarah Hannah: There are a lot of readings here like N.Y. I lived in N.Y. for 17 years. It took me 8 years to get “out” there. It seems much faster out here. I have a book though, that makes a difference. I was worried. It took a long time for me to establish myself in New York City. But I didn’t loose my contacts because I maintained my connection to the journal “Barrow Street,” and now I am an editor there.”
Every so often I am dilated; the pupilsSwallow everything—a catchall soup,Two cauldrons, stubborn in the bald glare
Of bathroom light. They are hunting sleep—The sea grass, the blue cot rocking;In sleep I am a Spanish dancer,
Awaiting my cue at the velvet curtain,Now and then groping for the sash,Or on horseback, abducted, thumping
Through pampas. I sleep too much;I curl in at midday, sheepish,In strange rooms. Clouds are hurrying by—
The walls, a wash of white; still my eyesAre mazing through their dark gardens,The great lamp shut, the crescents duplicating.
It is only a temporary state of affairs.The sun boils behind the moon.
Sarah Hannah will be reading at the Newton Free Library Poetry Series March 14 7PM. 330 Homer St. Newton Centre, Mass.
I have had the pleasure to have been published and to have read for Anne Hudson, and her online magazine FACETS. This magazine is based at MIT, and publishes some poetry and fiction. Read more below about FACETS:
NEWS ABOUT FACETS WRITERS
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
ABOUT THE TITLE
P. O. Box 380915Cambridge, MA 02238facetsmagazine@aol.com http://facets-magazine.com
On October 13, 2005, Facets celebrated five years of publication with its first reading. The event was sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Artists Behind the Desk and held at MIT’s Stata Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Center is where MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is located; somehow the whimsical building that is home to computer science seemed a fitting setting for an internet-based literary magazine’s first public event. Eight past Facets contributors from the Boston area read from their work to a rapt audience (Kitty Beer, Maura Greene, Kevin Harvey, Doug Holder, Paul Hostovsky, Karyn Crispo Jones, David Surette, and Tom Sheehan). The poems and stories were artful and relatable, and audience members proclaimed the evening “exhilarating” and “inspirational to say the least.” Honoring all the superb and original work we published in 2005, Facets made six nominations for the Pushcart Prize/The Best of the Small Press: “Silvia and Alfredo,” short story by Maura Greene (April 2005)“In Kansas:,” short story by Aaron Hellem (October 2005)“Road Work,” memoir of Iraq war by Jack Lewis (October 2005)“’Shut Up,’ He Explained,” prose poem by Susan Rawlins (October 2005)“Mercies Found in Light,” poem by Tom F. Sheehan (October 2005)“Cicadas,” poem by Donna Spector (October 2005) As we launch our sixth year, we publish work by one of the editors for the first time, William Routhier’s haunting story, “The Writing Hand.” From the beginning Facets has included graphics. In this issue, we introduce the layered, provocative images of multimedia artist, Ilene Segalove (see “Contents” for links to her images in this issue). One of our regular features is “Writers’ Resources,” where we provide information about writing books, writing workshops, writing advice, writing prizes, literary links, and other things we run across of interest to writers. The recommendation of a writing book comes this time from Kathleen Olesky, a Boston-area writer and workshop leader who uses the methods described in Writing Alone and With Others by Pat Schneider.
Thank you for reading Facets. We hope you enjoy it, visit the site again, and share the link with friends.
Anne M. HudsonPoetry Editor
William RouthierFiction Editor
14,600 Moons Ago Once Upon A Time: Written and Lived By Annmarie L. Boudreau. Doug Holder. annmarieboudreau@hotmail.com No. Price.
Somerville school teacher and poet Annmarie L. Boudreau writes in her introduction to her new poetry collection: “14,600 Moons Ago Once Upon A Time…”: “Let me introduce myself. I am a woman, who at 56 is feeling comfortable finally in her size six Dr. Martens. My lessons have all come from entwining passages as a daughter, woman, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, teacher, and soul mate. This collection is a reflection of all that I was before emerging to everything I am.” And indeed the poet’s life, which like ours, is marked by happiness and despair. Boudreau who has so far survived breast and skin cancer writes inspite of her afflictions not because of them.
Before each poem in the book is an essay that introduces the reader to different phases of her life. And since she has worn many hats, the poems are a varied bunch. Here is a poem about the “sounds of silence,” that is a favorite of her elementary school charges titled: “Awkward Silence:” “I don’t like awkward silence/ imminent silent void, / cliff hanging inside limbo, / suffocating anticipation, dwelling/ exaggerated soundless noise/
Piercing through my ears.”
And here is an endearing portrait of her grandmother when the poet was playing the role of a grandchild: “Long row of fresh ravioli dough diligently stretched across her white laced sheets placed on her bed/ Angelic ballets flowing from her soul and passing through her lips as she sings her favorite operatic songs.”
There are poems about divorce, her children, and her emergent feminism, to touch on a few. I think many women, and even us men from Mars, can take much from this first collection of poetry by Annmarie Boudreau.
Doug Holder /Ibbetson Update/ Feb. 2006
Somerville Poet Gloria Mindock: Pressing the Cervena Barva Press
Somerville, Mass. publisher and poet Gloria Mindock and I met in the basement of “Finagle-a-Bagel” in Harvard Square one Saturday morning. We were part of a group of animated “Bagel Bards” that meets there every weekend to break bread, or in this case bagels, and to dish the dirt about poetry and the “scene.” I had the chance to speak privately with Mindock after the meeting. I wanted to find out what makes this Somerville small press figure tick.
Mindock’s experience in small press publishing goes way back to 1984 when she was co-editor of the “Boston Literary Review,” that was founded in Somerville. The magazine was based on Hawthorne St. in West Somerville to be exact. It lasted until 1994. The magazine published such poets as: Catherine Sassanov, Carl Phillips, Marc Fleckenstein and others.
Mindock is an eclectic artist, and was also involved in a theatre company in Somerville, and many other projects over the years. However she describes herself as primarily a poet. Mindock, whose poetry collection “Oh Angel,” was recently released by a small press, told me: “ I am more of a poet. I studied theatre, but I feel I can express myself more clearly as a poet.” Mindock explained that she writes about death, politics and the way: “man destroys man, and the atrocities governments commit for power, greed and money…
Many poets have inspired Mindock. She cites Neruda as the strongest influence on her work.
Mindock was out of the publishing game for awhile, but now has come back full force with the” Cervena Barva Press,” which means the “Red,” press in Czech. Mindock is fascinated by Eastern Europe, and especially Prague, hence the name.
The press, founded in her Somerville home on Highland Ave., with her partner Bill, produces full-length poetry books and chapbooks, and now has a poetry postcard series, that combines poetry and art, and has published such poets as: Ed Cates, Simon Perchick, Barry Casselman, Roberta Swann and others.
Mindock funds her press from her own money. She wants full control, to be her “own woman,” as she describes it. She has learned over the years to be more assertive, and not to take the “crap” the world often throws at you.
Mindock accepts poetry that she likes without regard to poets’ past publishing history, degrees, etc… She is open to submissions, and is dedicated to providing a venue for emerging poets as well as established ones.
Mindock along with “sunny outside,” “Ibbetson Street,” and other presses contribute to the rich literary milieu we have in the “Ville.
Doug Holder/ Ibbetson Update/ Somerville, Mass./ Feb. 2006
Reviews of Ibbetson Street 18, Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus! and Poem for the Little Book by The Blindman's Rainbow : A Journal of Poetry and Art.
Ibbetson 18
http://bmrpoetry.com/
Review by Melody Sherosky
"I greatly enjoyed the cover art (both front and back) done by Gene Smith." "The poetry is great. I enjoyed the two-page poem," The Cat Who Could Open Doors ( for Jeremiah)," by Marc Goldfinger, "Self-Portrait"by Gale L. Roby, and "Lingering" by Ann Murphy "Fletcher." "I found that Lyln Clague's discussion of the personal in poetry took center stage in this issue. The essay is titled "Poetry and the Larger Public," and I was intrigued by Clague's views on where the individual is in his own writing." You can purchase an issue of Ibbetson Street for 5 bucks Ibbetson Street 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. http://ibbetsonpress.com/
Poem for the Little Book by Tomas O'Leary "...a very solid...poetry form peeks through..." $2 Ibbetson Street Press
Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus! by Ann Carhart "This is a lovely collection of mostly relationship poetry...with only a few exceptions, work well individually." $6 Ibbetson Street Press
Doug Holderhttp://www.ibbetsonpress.com/
Interview with poet Sarah Hannah: A Poet within “L...
I have had the pleasure to have been published an...
14,600 Moons Ago Once Upon A Time: Written and Liv...
Somerville Poet Gloria Mindock: Pressing the Cerve...
Reviews of Ibbetson Street 18, Sanctus! Sanctus! S...
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What We Love: Poems by Ed Meek
What We Love. Poems by Ed Meek ( Blue Light Press 1st World Library PO BOX 2211 Fairfield, Iowa 52556) $16. http://www.1stworldlibrary.com/
Some years ago Ibbetson Street published a chapbook of poems by Ed Meek titled: “Walk Out” Since then I have seen Meek’s poems crop up in a fair number of journals in the small press. Meek’s poems are on the surface deceptively simple, but underneath lie the layers of meaning. Meek writes equally well about nature, as he does people. He captures the nuances and telling detail, so important in the construct of a poem. Case-in-point—in Meek’s poem “Divorce” he uses the conceit of divorcing the tired image of oneself, at say—fifty years old. Here is Meek’s convincing grocery list of a midlife crisis (believe me I know):
“Move to a new city. Leave behind/ that fat lazy fool who returns your hopeful gaze/ in cruel mirrors every morning/as you brush your caffeine-stained teeth/…This is the year to take a train into tomorrow/ one-way ticket in hand,/ where no one knows your name/ and you can be someone else..”
In “At the Beach on the Hottest Day of the Year” Meek describes floating on the water in a blissful state of suspended animation:
“…Instead I remain suspended, belly up,
eyes closed to time, which goes by, I guess, without me.
As if I’d left my body behind and become
nothing more or less than thought
buoyant as a bubble in the air.”
Doug Holder/ Ibbetson Update/ Feb. 2007
Labels: Holder on Meek
Hugh Fox on Poet, Playwright, Publisher M. Stefan Strozier
M. Stefan Strozier: lives in New York City and is the artistic director of La Muse Venale Acting Troupe. His plays: Guns, Shackles & Winter Coats, The Whales, The Tragedy of Abraham Lincoln (and the upcoming The Green Game), were performed in lengthy runs, off-off Broadway, in the Midtown International Theatre Festival, and in other theaters. He has directed four plays and produced ten. His novels, short story collection, book of poems, essays, memoir, and plays are available for sale. His work has been published in many literary journals, online and in print. He is the chief editor and CEO of World Audience, Inc., the publisher of quarterlies audience, The audience Review, and books by excellent writers from around the world. Visit his 2nd blog. He also builds Web sites for very low prices. Please contact him: strozier@worldaudience.org for further information.
M. Stefan Strozier : “Sit Down Before You Start to Read This!”
OVERVIEW by Hugh Fox
When I read Strozier’s latest (2007) book, The Tragedy of Abraham Lincoln: A Two-Act Play (no real-place address for the publisher, just www.worldaudience.org) I was totally taken back by its total seriousness. Effective dramatically, but at the same time like a documentary about Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkes Booth. As I said in my review, “The Lincoln Strozier creates here is super-real, and Booth, his assassin, is just as real/human. No heroes versus monsters, but real-portraits of real-people in real-time.” I saw Strozier as some sort of super-academic, history-soaked genius who saw the world through extended visits to the rare (history) book room at major libraries, a kind of documentary re-creator of time-past. And it was in that frame-of-mind that I picked up his The Essays and Criticism of M. Stefan Strozier ,Vol.I (World Audience, Inc., 2006)) and started to read “An Interview with Kurt Vonnegut: and, Phone Call from Dr. Louis Manand, of The New Yorker Fame:” and the whole interview is one vast burlesque-ridicule of Vonnegut and big-time writing which Strozier sees as overly academic, library- 2.centered, out of touch with everyday reality. Look what he has Vonnegut saying about academics: “....In order to talk in an educated manner about literature, one has to be an English professor, like Doctor Louis Menand; and, have published several books; or, at least an MFA in creative writing, from somewhere like Columbia University, where all the geniuses are. You have not created anything because you are just writing merrily along, undisciplined...” (p.14) To which Strozier replies: “Your generation...defined writing as serving other professions, such as academia, journalism via New Journalism...everything; except, writing as an art form.....writing is an art, which owns all processes. Your generation’s art has been rejected, a failure!....Also, who says professors are right? My experience with professors -- notably English professors -- has always, always been that they have dubious talent, suspect motivations...and, no imagination, whatsoever....” (p.15) And so it goes, more like a wrestling match than an interview. Eventually I began wondering if the whole “interview” was for real. And it wasn’t. There’s a note at the very end: “Editor’s Note: The proceding “interview” is a work of fiction.” (p. 24) So where does reality begin and fantasy end? Or vice versa?
3. Like it’s a little difficult to take Strozier’s autobiography, The Labyrinth (World Audience, 2006) totally serious. The part about him being a young alcoholic totally lost and spinning around in an infinity of nothingness seems more like science fiction than autobiography. Here he is talking about his weltanshauung during alcohol-withdrawal: I lifted and turned my head to study the thick leather belts on my wrists and ankles....I rotate my body forcefully to the left and instantly dislocate my shoulder. I scream. No one answers. Now every time I move my shoulder I am in severe pain. To this day, my left should clicks if I pop it.... My personal demon is over my shoulder. He is The Smiler. He is the thin veil I use to hide my insanity from the world. He laughs with me, as we are going insane. He is the one who I am ashamed of when I see that my insanity is showing, and when I can’t stop laughing at the game going on in my head for hours, he is there. He is in the mirror, smiling at me.... Presences, as I call them; there are more of them. They are not alter-personalities because I still retain my own personality; but I drift into these other entities. The presences are not imaginary friends because they are real.... Voices in my head arrive: intense, stressful, simultaneously loudly speaking, as if I’m at a boisterous cocktail party: A snotty, high-pitched, female voice says, “Trees, 4. bebe somedee wee-hee. Low are the days in heaven and ghosts and be there where to doodoodoodoodoodoodoo- doodoodooand boom.” A rambling, sophisticated, male voice says, “I went to the sky and some time pass-ed and da my oh my and double youins be some dumb shitens and whore by the door score so there was still plenty of time so fine why not dine but then rickety picket the whicker chair’s picket tricket bliket me ticket me ticket! I simply must have me ticket! Young son, won’t you please get me the gun?” (pp. 13-18) It’s more than a little difficult to stop reading/quoting, isn’t it. Really crazy/hallucinogenic of just crazily inventive, you want to read on and on. And that’s the way everything Strozier writes is -- compelling, hypnotic, habit-forming. He’s like a drug himself, isn’t he. Stopping reading is like going through withdrawal. When I put it to Strozier today, a publisher-writer-producer totally on target, the soul of effectiveness in terms of the agonzing mechanics of contemporary publishing, writing and play-producing, here’s what he said: I think my story is that I just had to figure out what (not who) the hell I was (am), as it all hit me very hard, when I was very young. This took much work and creative thinking; however, once I had more or less nailed it, I then applied my (self) in unique ways to the normal world with much luck. The secret, that I realized later on, was that if I had had
5. no clue about what I was, then other people would be very much uncertain. Other people with similar problems may not be so lucky, however, and I hope my book can serve as one example, bold and bare as it stands. Not “who,” but “what” he was/is! And perhaps the work itself is a part of the “what-is” process! As I read through Strozier’s poetry and find all kinds of links with the wildest of French poets like Rimbaud, Mallarmé, Baudelaire, I can’t help but think that this whole process of self-awarenessing and defining is practically a normal process for all truly original creative artists: In wandering up to an overlook, Where the sky is clear and blue, And birds circle high in the air The city stretches into distance, Abated by treed hillsides I am welcomed here, By no one and nothing The river is to my left -- Strong, but barely discernable -- Behind me, there is a tourist castle. I smile at the secret I hold. (“The Heights,” from Schizophrenic Poetry, published by World Audience, 2006, p.24)
6. Very easy to imagine this translated into French, n’est pas? And what is the secret that he holds? So I asked him, and by return e-mail got a 643 page essay (I’m playing Strozier now, it was “only” 20!) on the use of the subconscious in the creative process in which he states that “the subconscious...rules nature and man,” and that when he discovered its importance he felt he had “unlocked the staircase to heaven.” Writing became “a powerful tool for exploring the ego and the subconscious because writing forces the mind to think, like an individual.” He wrote allowing the subconscious to take over: “There is no controlling the process; the process controls itself.” And I hate to say it but I agree with him, don’t consciously force what I’m writing on to the page, but listen to the voices inside me and put down what they are saying. And Strozier’s work has a strange hypnotic, compelling quality about it. Once you start reading his work, you can’t stop. He is the most habit-forming writer I have ever read. Take his novel about the Gulf War, for example, Scarecrow Soldier. You start to read about night attacks from the enemy, and Strozier is so graphic, terse, to the point, so overwhelmingly realistic, that, I ask you, can you stop reading?
7. The air attacks came every night, never letting up, always worse than the night before. Things never got better, not even for a moment. Every soldier knew the routine they had to follow. They knew how long it would take before they might meet Great Allah. In the darkness, the wraiths of men wrapped their lanky arms around their thin, bony knees. Large white eyes flickered from terror in the cold, pitch black bunkers like muttered muttered incoherent sentences about things “precious” to them...the numbness of the chill reached down to the souls of the soldiers. The desert cold ate into their skin and their blood and then like a wet blanket, it pressed down on them, seepling slowly into their bones like lead. The cold had a way of weighing a mind down and burdening it. First the low, steady hum from the enemies’ B-52’s came unmistakably into the ears of the soldiers in the bunkers...... (Scarecrow Soldier, Chapter Two, “Scarecrow of a Man,” p.22) World Audience,Inc., 1992). You see what I mean? It’s narrative reduced not only to its basic, no-nonsenseness, but with little personal, subjective touches thrown in, references to Allah, the bunkers talking, nothing really literarywise “thought out,” but allowed to “come out” of the creative subconscious mind in a sense dictating the whole work. Strozier is very aware of exactly where he and his mode of
8.functioning stands in the publishing world that surrounds him in New York. And he enjoys being a total outsider, with his own publishing business has begun a whole new , alternative publishing universe. But back to his work itself. The Whales is one of the funniest, strangest, and most cogent/penetrating plays ever written. A whale on the cover. The play partly about whales/whale-choruses in a way, but what it’s really about is the mystique of the contemporary NYC publishing/drama-producing world. Toward the end, with the whales and whale chorus standing by, a character named Harry (Strozier himself?) comes out with one of the most to-the-point monologues ever written: We all want toi fall in love with it again. We want our theaters to have emotion, not attend a lecture. We want real characters we understand and love and hate. We want to get angry at our characters and cry with them. We want our theater back. $150 is too much to pay for a ticket. Add in the roses for the lady, drinks;and, parking and you are set back two to three yards -- hundreds of dollars....our feelings and our desires are more important than lining a producer’s pocket with money. We want control. We want our theater back. Our theater does not belong to tourists or the mayor. Our theater belongs to us!... (The Whales: A Comedy in Seven Scenes, p.43,World Audience, Inc., 2006,originally performed by La Muse Vénal, Inc. at Where Eagles Dare Theater in NYC, Jan., 2006).
9. Strozier is a writer, publisher, play-producer to keep your eye on. Amazing energy, a fanatic sense of purpose/direction, and always that sense that the “real” him is at work, not some sort of societally-engineered individual, but a man totally in touch with his own inner realities that drive him forcefully through the world that (oft-times negatively) surrounds him.
Labels: Fox on Strozier
John Hodgen: A Poet In Search of Grace.
John Hodgen lives in Shrewsbury, Mass., holds a M.A. in English from Assumption College, and teaches at Mt. Wachusset Community College, Assumption College, and the Worcester Art Museum.
He has won the Grolier Poetry Prize, the Yankee Magazine Poetry Prize, and most recently the Donald Hall Poetry Prize.
He has been widely published both in magazines and anthologies. His most recent poetry collection is titled: “Grace.”
I talked with him on my Somerville Community Access TV Show “ Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”
Doug Holder: Both you and your daughter Christie Hodgen are the recipients of prestigious writing awards. Is there a run of writers in your extended family?
John Hodgen: Christy as far as I can see, is the only one to win the AWP in fiction, and has an old man who won one in poetry. I know there is something there; there is some kind of connection. She’ll send me something she is working on, and I will feel there is some kind of flow, a rhythm. Some things she has written I feel I could have written too. She’s a pretty talented writer. I don’t know how she does what she does. She started writing for me. I was her advanced placement teacher in high school. Now she is a novelist and even writes essays. I don’t know any other writers in our family’s ancient past. My dad wrote a few things in high school that were published.
DH: Some say the writing life is a curse, some say a blessing. What’s your take?
JH: I’ve heard that you grow up with that awareness. Depression, alcoholism, and suicide are something we attach to poets. There is a curse and blessing. If you are a gifted kid, you are looking at things with eyes wide open---which most of us may not be looking at. You have to look at the hard things—it could put you in danger—but you have to be able to pull back.
DH: Many of your poems dealt with your father, who died suddenly at a factory he worked at during the night shift. Did his untimely demise spur you on to be a poet?
JH: I foolishly told my father at age fifteen, to go to hell. It turned out that he died a week later. And we hadn’t said a word to each other since I told him to go to hell. I struggled with that. At the time I thought I killed him. As he had that heart attack, and lay on that boiler room floor for four hours, I often tortured myself with the thought that this was the last interaction he had with me. I thought the weight of that he took with him. You start looking for words to heal, bring something better. You look for words that are not a curse but perhaps a blessing.
DH: If your father could read these poems you wrote about him; how would he receive them?
JH: I think he would be proud. That’s easy to say. He was proud of the papers that I brought home as a kid. He valued writing—he would be proud. He read all the time. He urged me to read Carl Sandburg’s trilogy for instance.
DH: In your poem “Forgiving Buckner” you use the fateful fielding error Bill Buckner made in the ’86 series between the Mets and the Soxs. You write:
“The world is always rolling between our legs,
It comes for us, dribbler, slow roller,
humming its goat song, easy as a pie.”
Do you always have the sense that things slip away in life, just before you realize their beauty, their significance?
JH: We are all Buckners. We lose that every day. We should smell the coffee and the roses, but we don’t—we rush—we miss them. There are poems I haven’t gotten to yet, but I better get to. I know the clock is ticking. There are some poems from basic training that I want to write.
DH: Why do so many writers have a fascination with the game of baseball?
JH: It has it all. The dream, the heart break, the beauty. The beauty of a well-made play. I know more and more writers who have something to say about the game.
DH: In your poem “The Sound that the Earth Makes” you write:
I do not know where the old men go
when they walk out alone in the night.
I know they must carry the weight of their lives
in the curl of their sullied and empty hands…
that they stand by themselves in the darkness
That they hold what is in them for as long as they can…
to where they are going, to where they remember,
to the endless river of stars.”
When did you write this poem? Is this a young man’s poem for an old man? Now that you are closer to that “endless river of stars” does this poem ring true?
JH: It’s an old poem. I know I felt at the time that was what an old man’s pain must be; or what he dreams. The poem sounds right. I remember my father going out on the lawn, looking up at the sky, and telling me about all the constellations. His silences were as important as anything he was saying. I had a sense how strongly my father was drawn to the sky.
DH: You went from teaching high school to teaching college. How was that transition?
JH: The kids were just wonderful in high school. I used to go up to Gardner, Mass. to teach one college course a week because my mother was living up there. I wanted to find out what it was like teaching at that level, and I just kept doing it. When I retired from teaching I joined a writer’s group in Worcester, Mass... The head of the English Dept. of Assumption College was a member of the group, and asked if I could teach. So I did. It has been great.
DH: Can poetry writing be taught?
JH: I think you can encourage anyone with talent. You can tell them what you know.
DH: What is the poetic life for you?
JH: I think we have a sense of even through our suffering we are given a gift. The poetic life is to find the gift and give it back
Doug Holder/Ibbetson Update/ Feb. 2007/ Somerville, Mass.
Labels: Holder on Hodgen
The Outernationale by Peter Gizzi
The Outernationale
By Peter Gizzi
Wesleyan University Press
Review by Lo Galluccio http://www.logalluccio.com
This book by Peter Gizzi released on Wesleyan U. Press comes to me hailed hailed and praised. It makes me question again what poetry can and should do; what I want from it; and how it actually works. In the course of my reading this work, Peter’s fourth and most ambitious, I would imagine, I found myself dipping into a bit of red wine, looking up some terms and words in the big red dictonary and googling, "The Internationale." I also listened intently to Nina Simone’s "Pirate Jenny" and Leonard Cohen’s "If It Be Your Will" by Antony from the latest soundtrack of "I’m Your Man." Am I a hopeless, generationZ multi-tasking failure, or was there a logic to my diversions? Well, I’d like to think so. And also, that like a good Robert Wilson opera with it’s Suzuki like friezes, I had time to leave the theatre, free-associate and breathe. Perhaps it was "Pirate Jenny" that led me to find the lyrics of the famous socialist anthem to understand what it stood for and how powerful were its words. If Gizzi is writing an "Outernationale," what’s the relation between the two, or is there one at all?
The Internationale was written in Paris in 1871 by Eugene Pottier. It was composed to celebrate the Paris Commune of March-May 1871 –the first time workers took state power into their own hands. And the Commune was drowned in blood, according to the Marxist descript on the web, by the conservative French government in Versaille. However, the anthem took on future meanings and revolutionary uses in Spain, Chile and Poland. It is worth noting the 6th verse of one of its versions:
"Laborers and peasants, we are
the great party of workers
the earth belongs only to humans
The idle are going to live elsewhere
How much they feast on our flesh
But if the ravens and the vultures
Disappear one of these days
The sun will shine forever
l: It is the final struggle
Let us gather, and tomorrow
Will be mankind:l
Gizzi does not present a socio-political tract in the poems of the "Outer…" It is not revolution for Martians either. He follows in the walk of Whitman and Ashbury in creating architecture of a personal and subjective vision of humankind. He plays with language like an engineer but his perspective is more metaphysical than scientific. He’s referring to the world outside us, as it is reflected in us, as it even becomes us, in his writing. He might echo Walt’s "Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." And he certainly believes in some kind of tribal interstices of artists as he embeds quotes and references from the works of Ashbury, VanGogh, John Cage and Mandelstam in this collection.
The Outernationale is indeed, "beyond the grid," beyond the wrenching pain of industrialization and class struggle. Gizzi sees us as evolving through and with many strange, ordinary and splintered things. He likes to play with perspective, like a painter, to investigate color and simulate depth.
I must say my favorite poem in this collection is not its title track, which I find like the worst of his poetry, too obtuse, fragmented and maddeningly pretentious in form. (Hey, that’s just me. I would certainly admit that some of his poetic gamesmanship is probably above my head) but it still comes back to the fundamental question of what vibes and messages language can create in us, and for us. No, my favorite poem is called, "Vincent, Homesick for the Land of Pictures" – a kind of ode to Van Gogh that takes on a beautiful, fugue-like life of its own. Its structure is almost classical though it’s language distinctively modern. Here is the crux:
"O to be useful, of use, to the actual seen thing
to be in someway related by one’s actions in the world.
There might be nothing greater than this
Nothing truer to the good feelings that vibrate with us+
Like in the middle of the flower I call your name."
And then another repeating stanza:
"But felt things exist in shadow, let us reflect
the darkness bears a shine as yet unpunished by clarity
but perhaps a depth that outshines clarity and is true."
When Gizzi puts forth an idea and imbues it with light and dimension, I’m completely drawn in. When he seeminingly masturbates with syntax, I could care less, no matter how brilliant most of his writing is.
Another wonderful poem is "Nocturne," for it is again like a gorgeous abstract painting, for which we have at least some known reference:
"To know is an extreme condition
like doubt, and will not rest
Even the dailies unravel in the end.
The aperture shut tight.
It is so difficult to admit light
In its unconditional noise
Its electric blur, its red
Cherry red, red of the advertisements.."
And he moves on to:
"All, under blue, a prison shirt blue
that torch song blue of the crooner’s eyes"
And resolves to:
"The throaty blue
in a doorway after a party."
And so color comes alive as an entity we can feel.
I’m also fond of "Human Memory is Organic" which also has a Whitmanesque flair:
"I am just a visitor to this world
an interloper really headed deep into glass.
I, moving across a vast expanse of water
Though it is not water maybe salt
Or consciousness itself
Enacted as empathy. Enacted as seeing."
Yes, it is a bit abstract, but the abstraction works, moves us, as if we are all at once and in transition visitor, then consciousness, enacted empathy or seeing. I guess Whitman would have named others, asserted tribes, proven his passionate bonds. With Gizzi it an implied connection and an explicit displacement in language that we find. Sometimes this works magically as in "The Western Garden" where the notion of history is introduced:
"The wood grain is deeper
than a forest
deeper than the sea.
The solid indication
Of space in time,
These whorls testify
This pattern inside."
Indeed in this poem he objectifies the role of the West in history as a garden:
"In a Western garden
there are broken tiles
like the broken history
like the objects broke under
the rims of the conquerors wheels.
In a Western garden
It gets darker faster
It is home this dark
This flag invisible in wind."
This hints at colonization and power struggles. It’s a delicate rendering –through a garden with broken tiles – of something which has rocked whole civilizations and cultures. And so it is with Gizzi, that he prefers to provide us with verbal clues and hypnotic, if elliptical descriptions of our world rather than the bold crass flashes of traditional verse. He does not rhyme; he does not construct sonnets or villanelles.
Please make no mistake, this is a book that will turn your wheels and make you think and associate beyond it’s frame – what good poetry should do – for it is fascinating and musical enough and flecked with expansive meanings.
Labels: Galluccio on Gizzi
Hugh Fox on Poet, Playwright, Publisher M. Stefan ...
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The Graves Grow Bigger Between Generations by Jared Smith
The Graves Grow Bigger Between Generations. Poems by Jared Smith. (Higganum Hill Books PO BOX 666 Higganum Hill CT 06441 rcdebold@mindspring.com $12.95
Like Eliot, Stevens, and others, Jared Smith has been a businessman as well as a poet. In fact for years Smith was a highly sought after energy consultant. But Smith’s, (who graduated with an MFA in Writing from New York University), real calling is poetry. He was part of the literary scene in Greenwich Village in the 70’s writing for such journals as the “Home Planet News,” and the “New York Quarterly;” publishing his work regularly, downing shots with Gregory Corso, the whole ball of wax. But “real” life reared its ugly head, and Smith had to make a living—and as you well know you ain’t going to make it writing poetry. Poetry has never been a magnet for the greenbacks. After years in the hallowed halls of government and the boardroom Smith is back to his eternally young muse Poetry. In his new collection of poetry from Higganum Hill Books: “The Grave Grows Bigger Between Generations,” Smith not only writes about the hardscrabble life of the workingman, but his own rebirth as a poet. In his brilliant poem “Having Never Wanted To Own The Business” he writes to the ephemeral, dust to dust nature of the corporate milieu, and indeed of all of life, no matter how exalted:
“ I can tell you that having come back from countless halls.
I am a name on better than a thousand roll-o-dex from NY to Washington,
each one retired to rooms with shoeboxes of data cards and dust.
My eyes are the marble of office complexes and monuments.
Rodents scurry through my corridors with wireless whiskers
intent on gnawing their way to eternity on cockroach eggs.”
And here with bright flashes of evocative imagery the middle-aged businessman comes back to the trappings and truths of the poet’s life:
“ I have come back to the page-torn poetry books I read and wrote
and to the fiery shriek of invisible angels celebrating
my return and the echoes of my now never empty room
and to the shared nights of readings, cryings, lovings,
amid the shingles of material poverty where soup bones boiled
all day and a can of beans was what we ate on a good day
and we drank each evening on what we could borrow
amid cigarettes and marijuana and loud music espresso machines
and made love in that until the sun rose and we had to hand in
our time machine cards that marked down our uselessness,
making ourselves a mockery of the machinery of diatribe.”
And in the poem “Poets” he defines the poet as an enemy of the leaders, the establishment, and the status quo. Smith reminds us of the vital role of the poet, the absolute necessity for a weaver of words, a visionary, someone who can see beyond the quotidian.
“The enemies of our leaders are poets
who listen to winds at night as they walk dark alleys,
who stop at lonely diners for a cup of coffee
before jotting down a few notes and going off
into the shuffle of their tired footsteps;
who come together again in the workplace
speaking in tongues marketers do not understand,
and seducing women with eyes that do not waver.
The leaders cannot lead without the words
a culture creates within itself
within its needs,
poets.”
Labels: Holder on Smith
The Dangerous Corner by Richard Moore
The Dangerous Corner by Richard Moore, David Roberts Books, 2007, $17.00, paper, ISBN 9781933456836.
Review by Bert Stern, PhD.
The publication of this, Richard Moore’s thirteenth book of poetry, deepens the mystery of his relative obscurity. His mock epic cum Bildungsroman, The Mouse – Whole, which Moore calls “the main poem in my life” didn’t find a publisher until some 40 years after it was completed, though it’s a comic masterpiece. His work has been praised by such poets as May Swenson, Robert Lowell, Richard Wilbur, and Mona Van Duyn. Yet Moore remains, as he has always been, something of a castaway.
It’s possible to say, on his own testimony, that he was born such. His father wanted him aborted, and Moore matured to a kind of sympathy with his father’s position. Father, implicitly, and son, explicitly, agree that this world isn’t fit to live in. Not all his ironies or volumes of light verse do anything to change that view. And this new volume, in which Moore explicitly sees this world as hell, confirms it.
It also confirms that Moore can write free verse of amazing power and beauty, proof on nearly every page: In a Christmas poem, he says:
. . . All color has left the land,
been squeezed out, as from a sponge,
and let the land a thing of ashes.
And the great sponge has squeezed all
its soaked-up fire and color into
that shopping center, where sex-tools, soul helps,
screwdrivers and philosophies
are for sale. . . .
(“Into the Light”)
In “On High”:
Over the constant irritation of the avenue,
the irregular shrill quarreling of the tires
that keep whipping the pavement, as with dry wind
in gusts, in fits, and the library’s portico fitted
with pillars, caught in floodlight, where a flag
flops lazily that someone didn’t take down –
over all this tawdry nonsense of the town
and much more that I shan’t trouble to describe,
Venus rides in the blue night, a gem, a pulse
pillowed in richness like a queen.
Typically, in “On High” Queen Venus will collapse into a lover in bed, a woman Moore doesn’t “even much like,” but who offers him such
. . .lush variety,
each touch and squeeze, sure, exact, imaginative,
and all mingled with such a symphony of groans,
writhings, desperate pantings, tossings of the head
as Moore, having taken a mistress after his wife’s death, would never have dreamed possible in marriage.
The death of his wife, and the aftermath, is ostensibly the subject of Moore’s new book. His starting point is anguished grief, and, by design, the book’s four sections “somewhat resemble” the four movements of a musical sonata, moving toward what Moore calls “the final resolution.” But I don’t mean to suggest that Moore’s purpose is to take us through the stages of loss and grief and recovery. This powerfully non-formulaic book ranges ferociously and astonishingly beyond such bounds.
Moore’s poems are all energy and clash of opposing states. His poems are hard to nail because they are events and never, in fact, resolutions. Each goes through conflicting emotions, conflicting perceptions, and we come away shocked by combinations of anger and reconciliation, beauty and ugliness, and even flashes of spiritual tranquility.
Certain particulars remain more or less constant. The attitude, though placated by beauty, is often anguished, bitter, or plain curmudgeonly. The place is an upper middle class suburb, in which Moore lives in grim opposition. Near his house is a pond, in which Moore repeatedly finds a mirror of his mind. It can be “a thing of mournful shadows, / endlessly undulating into darkness” (“The Mirror”), an “image of the mind at peace” in “pure geometry,” or a place where “Girls in a giggling band” who go by, crying taunts at Moore, can be reflected in the pond as goddesses.
But in the poem that is a kind of signature for the volume,
The deep cold comes, and even the great
pond is frozen, dusted with snow,
luminous under Venus the moon,
suburban lights on the dark hills.
The cold wind has blown over and over
it, and not it is still, my mind,
frozen, determined, and still the wind
shrieks. Let there be no end of it.
Thus it is with Moore. He can pronounce, like Marlowe’s Mephistopheles, that this world is hell, “nor was I ever out of it,” and that, if anything, is the book’s “resolution. But Moore rancor and passions and meticulous craft leave us preferring his hell to many poets’ heavens.
Bert Stern/ Ibbetson Update/Somerville, Mass/ Feb. 2008
Labels: Stern on Moore
How About A Poet Laureate in Somerville?
( Sam Cornish- Boston Poet Laureate)
Recently I was invited to a reception for the Boston Poet Laureate Sam Cornish at the Parkman House in Boston. It was a nice affair with many of the poets and players from the Boston area poetry scene in attendance. I got to eat a lot of fancy hors d’oeurves, drink a slightly diluted pomegranate punch, and admired the genteel trappings of this celebrated house. If I remember correctly Mayor Curley’s desk was stolen from the premises some years back. During the reception I spoke with Dan Tobin, the head of Creative Writing at Emerson College in Boston, Tino Villanueva, a professor of Romance Languages at Boston University, Elizabeth McKim, a poet and lecturer at Lesley University, Louisa Solano, former owner of the Grolier Poetry Bookshop, and many of my pals from the literary group the “Bagel Bards.’ Mayor Menino was there, and in his unaffected speech he mumbled;” I am not used to being around these literary types,” but he recognized the importance of the Poet Laureate. As my friend poet Jared Smith wrote in his poem: “Poets”: “The leaders cannot lead without the words, a culture creates within itself, within its needs, poets.”
Sam Cornish seemed to be a perfect fit for the position. A respected African-American poet, a longtime professor at Emerson College, he is not only an accomplished bard but he seems like a man who is genuinely comfortable walking the streets of the city, (I remember seeing him pounding the pavement of Commonwealth Ave when I lived in Brighton in the 80’s), and chewing the fat with the eclectic swath of people Boston is known for. He is a poet who knows how to navigate the back alleys of the Back Bay as well as the dusty corners of a classroom. As Cornish said in a Boston Globe article he was surprised to be selected because he wasn’t “connected.” And Cornish wants to be available to everyone: to denizens of nursing homes, homeless shelters, corporate board rooms, to the university classroom. He is a man who can bring the gift of poetry to the city, and articulate the city’s unique voice in a way that only poetry can do it.
Now it seems that Cambridge has a Poet/Populist. And I am thinking to myself “Damn! Why doesn’t Somerville have something like this?” In Somerville, according to a study in Granta Magazine, we have more writers per capita that the isle of Manhattan. Just think of the world class writers we have just a stone’s throw from Davis Square: Claire Messud, James Woods, Pagan Kennedy, Lloyd Schwartz, Afaa Michael Weaver, to name just a few. And so many have lived and passed through here like Denise Levertov, Lan Samantha Chang, Steve Almond, just a few names I can remember from the top of my barren, bald head. Somerville, referred to as the “Paris of New England,” is a city of many things, but is also a city of the arts. And anyone will tell you the arts are good for business. So why not create a committee to select a poet laureate? Someone like Cornish who is as good at outreach as he is at writing poetry? Money is an issue you say? I think the laureate in Boston has a budget of $3,000 and in Cambridge even less.
I have approached Alderman Trane about this and he said he would bring it up if I emailed him with some details. I did. He is a busy man but perhaps if more citizens expressed an interest it might speed the process. Send me an email if you think it is a good idea and I will forward it. You will never know unless you try.
dougholder@post.harvard.edu
---Doug Holder
Labels: Holder on Laureate
The This and That of Balances in a "Roomful of Sparrows," poems by Mary Buchinger
( Finishing Line Press POBOX 1626 Georgetown, Kentucky 40324 $12)
A poet is her or his language and poems, like people, as T. S. Eliot said, communicate before they are reduced to understanding. The poems in Mary Buchinger’s Roomful of Sparrows beset us again and again with surprising juxtapositions of terms (great and small, present and past, nature and technology) that jar and intrigue us to an unpredictable, lively sensibility. They are poems deft rather than copious in observation of the natural world around us, as we find in the final poem “White Cairn Trail, Mid-October”:
…we breathe in esters of pine
as we hike a path lit by ferns
until all is granite undulations with dark
pearl basins and we, alongside blue jays,
look down on the shiny backs of ravens.
We sense, breathe and see the wooded area of the description, but the next line,
The world is made of gold
—as though the lens were suddenly filtered, turns the landscape suggestively to allegory.
We can not take for granted or literal only the meanings of “esters” or “pine,” and see more closely that the poet’s observation has de-materialized the landscape already into “undulations,” its physical essence. We wonder what “pearl basins,” “blue jays” and “ravens” betoken, perhaps the way the Ant and the Cicada in Jean de la Fontaine’s fable are masks in a dialogue between frugality and prodigality.
Yet when Buchinger announces that she is going to speak about object and its meaning, in “The Higher Purpose of Bees,” she gives us simple intransitive statements that hint at a flirtish—or is it serious?—stubbornness and reticence:
The bee is a bee
—in all cases, a bee…
can be holy, can be desired,
studied, can hurt, can be all
but without meaning…
She so nearly says that language is subjective and the point of the poem is that bees, “unknowable alone,” take on meaning “in relation” to whom they may concern,
to the beekeeper,
to the gardener, to the poet,
to the artist with the gold-
dipped brush. The bee to the
botanist. The bee to the boy
with the swollen lip.
Like herbs, lemon and wine in a sauce, these lines need to be held in one’s mouth to be tasted and analyzed. How many different ways to see an intricate creature! For its resources and guardianship, for its natural function of pollination, for its symbolic or phonetic meaning or aesthetic beauty, for the threat it poses. Basil, thyme, oregano…
The passage with its subtlety reminds us why reading poetry is like reading no other form of writing.
If Buchinger can be so simple—so difficult?—as to craft the line, “The bee is a bee,” she has a dazzling knack to undermine expectations between noun and verb. In the book’s first poem, “Grizzly Bear on Pratt Museum’s Alaskan Webcam,” we read among much else that
…fish prance…
I comment: !
The poem begins remarkably with a mountain stream, in which the bear fishes, suddenly compared in the stroke of a conceit to a modern convenience:
—dip that paw one more time
dig around in the back of the refrigerator
must be something there…
The potential for allegory again is striking. Is the poet talking about a bear fishing in a river or about me watching a Patriot’s game? (I only watch figure skating, steeple chase, and Doug Holder’s Author to Author, really…)
Buchinger herself is not spared subversions or surprises in the life with the oddly matched. In “Mosquito Lesson,” the minute insect sends her into a frenzy,
I beat the air
slap my neck
chase her neediness…
What are mosquitoes these days with the repellants we have? Who am I to act this way?—the poet is perhaps asking. Human is human. Buchinger is vulnerable. She can also be tongue-in-cheek spoiled the way we find her in “Flying to Vancouver,” a passenger in Business Class, being served “chicken risotto and tapenade”—with a sense of humility remembering her childhood,
how on the farm I used to hoe
sugar beets and soybeans, knowing
nothing about tapenade or Chardonnay.
My jean cuffs holding straw,
I knew kernels of red wheat
could be chewed to gum…
I appreciate the proportions in registers of sentiment Buchinger has kept to. The common resounds more commonly throughout the book. She observes sparrows, beetles, reads Tolstoy, goes skating (on a pond with a frog frozen in it), companionably in a day to day world that is familiar to us. As she trumps the exceptional experience of flying in Business Class, she elevates mundane occurrences into exceptionally perceptive moments. In “Reading A Wrinkle in Time ” moths gathered at a porch screen door by the light in the house are seen as an intense illustration of the poet’s deepest endearment:
—their ache for the light
primitive as my love of my mother’s voice
reading L’Engle’s book to me.
This deepest spring of her feelings is mediated through books, seen in a marvelous conceit of the nocturnal insects:
How the moths beat
their own white pages
against our porch screens
thin spines rippling as they
opened and closed against
the fine mesh holes…
In “Redeem/The unread vision in the higher dream” Buchinger probes further to that which is behind the mother’s voice and intimates,
We all want…that finest shot of ourselves, but what we need is someone with the eyes to look for it, to show us what it is.
In her muse, in her memory and with her fellow poets she has found the elements of this “someone” who gives us an excellent “shot” of her. The medium forms a circle to us. When I read these poems my faculties put on different lenses that help me find something truer and better within myself. That is the benefit of reading good writing.
Mary Buchinger’s Roomful of Sparrows is available online at www.finishinglinepress.com as well as at amazon.com.
---Michael Todd Steffen is the winner of the Ibbetson Street Poetry Award 2007. He is a regular reviewer for the Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene.
Labels: Steffen on Bodwell
Wild Strawberries by Eric Greinke
Wild Strawberries
Eric Greinke
Presa Press 2008
Eric Greinke’s poems, like messages in a bottle, found
after so many years of being afloat, his poems are the
experiences of being within, the experiences of being
in nature. each poem is a cathedral of actuality, of
thought, of inspiration. we can take this walk with
these poems or we can stay in our homes, inside, never
venturing out of doors; we can listen to the telling
after the fact. he has the rare talent to walk with
our environment then to bring us a profound lesson
that nature often has if we listen to the ice crystals
or growing green. he takes our hand and shows us what
we have forgotten to look at,
the rain is the key
the dolls are asleep
there are books in the field
Irene Koronas
poetry editor
wilderness house literary review
www.whlreview.com
poetry reviewer
Labels: Koronas on Greinke
Somerville poet/publishers for the senior set.
( Bert Stern and Tam Lin Neville)
In the 60’s the saying was: “Don’t trust anyone over thirty.” To Union Square residents and publishers Tam Lin Neville and Bert Stern it might be said: “Don’t trust anyone under sixty.” No, Stern and Neville don’t have anything against us younger folks; in fact some of their best friends are under sixty. But it just so happens they have a three year old press “Off the Grid” that caters to the sixty-plus literary crowd. I asked Stern why he chose this graying demographic. He replied: “We’re old. Why not stick with your own.” And it seems to this publishing duo that the “older crowd” is overlooked to a great degree in the publishing world. Stern reflected: “The kids coming out of the Iowa Writers Workshop” just don’t have the experience and experiences we have. The writing is vastly different.”
Stern and Neville are both accomplished poets and writers. Stern was a professor of English at Wabash College in Indiana for many years, and has published scholarly articles and poetry. His first poetry publication was in a sort of mini-book or chap titled:
“Glass Hill” Gene Magner, the late curator of the University of Buffalo Poetry and Rare Books Archive published it. The poet Robert Creeley read it and wrote Stern and praised his work
Neville has also taught on the college level, and has a host of publication credits in prestigious journals. She has a collection of poetry out “Journey Cake” that deals with her experiences in China some years ago.
Both Stern and Neville moved to Somerville eight years ago after Stern retired from teaching. Stern said: “It is hard to be a retired academic in a small college town. You shrink. You sit around in a coffee shop and wait for someone to talk to you. I wanted to be in a different place.”
The couple looked in several locations like Brooklyn, N.Y. and the Republic of Cambridge, but settled in Somerville. They are happily living in a large house on Quincy Street in Union Square. They frequent Sherman’s Café and Bloc 11.
Stern and Neville started Off the Grid Press with Stern’s childhood friend Henry Braun (they met as cub scouts) In fact the Press’s first poetry collection was penned by Braun titled “Loyalty.” The next book out is Lee Sharkey’s: “A Darker, Sweeter String.” The book was recently featured by Poetry Daily and Verse Daily online.
Stern said the Press looks for poetry that goes beyond the personal, that goes beyond the “poet’s nose.” So in these days of navel-gazing Off the Grid is a welcome addition to our literary scene. To find out more about the press go to:
http://www.offthegridpress.net
Labels: Holder on off the grid press
A darker, sweeter string by Lee Sharkey
A darker, sweeter string
Lee Sharkey
Off The Grid Press
www.offthegridpress.net
2008, $15.00
Lee Sharkey lures the reader, catches us, shows us the
webs of deception; as a captured audience we face the
reality of what was, what is,
soon enough the dead return and cross the threshold
may slouches her belly good as gold
and from her poem ‘by moon light’
one will lie beside the unsound of not breathing
eating out the night
and from ‘the suicides’
we’re circling the hole where the ones who abandoned
us lie
absent electric
Her sparse emphatic look at the past/present frees the
reader like, "sudden pure white," to pursue our own
responsibility to understand how frail existence is,
this is how the brain relearns to speak
up stairs
left hand right foot
right hand left foot
Lee Sharkey’s language is exquisite, self referential
and we are able to devour every thought provoked by
the larger reality, history. Sharkey uses repetition,
sequence and timing in a struggle to release,
what do you do with an eye in the cup of your hand?
This is not an easy book of poetry, (for me, at least)
each poem compels me to read more, to put the book
aside, take it up again.
it is thought that cows’ unhurried lowing
the rise and fall in the evening of toad ululation,
the dense sweet penetration of grasses
in air drawn through the nostrils and deep into lungs
will offer our minds a place to return to
from the caves where they cower
if you buy no other book for the next five years, this
is a must, must read, must possess, must repeat,
there came the time we were moved to move into the
the one who has been silent is the one who sends a
message to the future.
Posted by Doug Holder at 11:49 AM No comments:
Labels: Koronas on Sharkey
Somerville Poet Richard Wilhelm: An Artist Who Paints Poems.
Walk into Richard Wilhelm’s studio on Highland Street in Somerville and you will see canvasses covering the waterfront of his artist’s digs. Wilhelm, 60, has been painting and writing for as long as he can remember. His poetry and art cover the landscapes of Somerville, the roads of his childhood, and the dreamscapes of his inquiring mind. Wilhelm’s poetry, like his paintings, exhibit evocative hues and that sensibility of the painter always seems to be present in his work.
Wilhelm holds a B.A. in Journalism, and for over twenty years has been a counselor at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. Wilhelm is the arts/editor for the Ibbetson Street Press, and has had his own artwork exhibited at such venues as the Piano Factory in Boston, Cambridge Adult Education Center, etc…His poetry has been published in such print and online journals as “Ibbetson Street,” “Lyrical Somerville,” “Istanbul Literary Review,” “Poet’s Market,” “Spare Change News,” “Wilderness House Literary Review,” and others. Wilhelm is also a regular reviewer for the “Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene,” an online literary blog.
Wilhelm released his first collection of poetry through the Ibbetson Street Press: “Awakenings.” It has been described by award-winning poet Doug Worth as: “powerful free verse, sonorous—image tapestries… the mature poet takes us through a remarkable series of awakenings, most of them to profound interconnections between him and primordial riches of the material world.”
Doug Holder: You have had your first poetry collection published “Awakenings.” You just turned 60. What have you awakened to?
Richard Wilhelm: The title of this book is taken from one of the poems “Awakenings” That poem really talks to my friends and myself as kids. It’s about the awakening of boys becoming young men. A lot of the poems deal with the spiritual aspects of nature. An “Awakening” to the spiritual aspects of nature. I guess you can say a lot of the poems have an Emersonian quality to them.
Doug Holder: How does your other life as a visual artist inform your work?
Richard Wilhelm: There are some elements of crossover to be sure. It goes both ways. It doesn’t happen all the time. One aesthetic idea can cross over to the other.
Doug Holder: You were an active member in the “Students for a Democratic Society” (SDS) in the 60’s. Does your political sensibility crossover to your poetry?
Richard Wilhelm: I have some political poems in the collection. There was a poem that appeared in the anthology “City of Poets: 18 Boston Voices”: “And, So.” That has a real environmental message. I don’t write a whole bunch of political poems. It’s hard for me and for a lot of people to write political poems. I know sometimes when I try they become rants.
Doug Holder: You are a good student and observer of nature.
Richard Wilhelm: Emerson talked about seeing things in nature as signs of inner states. I think this has a big influence on my work. In “Awakenings” there are a lot of poems that deal with the Moon. The Moon has always been a mysterious thing for me. It is the spiritual aspect of the “other” that we look up to the sky for. We try to figure out how that relates to us, and what connection we have to it. I have been reading a lot. I am still trying to make sense out of the world.
Doug Holder: Do you think we look to nature for spirituality because religion has failed us?
Richard Wilhelm: Organized religion has failed us. Certainly since the mid 19th century. Religion has failed as an interpretation of reality.
Doug Holder: Would you describe yourself as a Pagan?
Richard Wilhelm: No. My world view is a science-based, empiricism. But at the time I was writing these poems I was reading about Paganism. I am trying to find the language to express things I want to express. I want to give voice to spiritual expression. What language do we use? We wind up too often falling back on religious expression.
Doug Holder: Can you talk about your role as the arts/editor for the Ibbetson Street Press?
Richard Wilhelm: Initially a lot of the covers for the journal were drawings or photos by me. More and more I am interested in doing other peoples’. We had Jennifer Matthews’ photos on the front and back cover recently. Robin Weiss, our boss at McLean Hospital will be on a cover in an upcoming issue. The magazine has gotten good critical reviews, so it’s a good place to display work.
Doug Holder. You have worked at McLean Hospital, a famed psychiatric hospital that is now a national literary landmark, for over twenty years. Plath, Sexton, Lowell and others were all here. Has this influenced your work?
Richard Wilhelm. I think it has influenced you more than me. Not really.
The motorcade rounded the corner
Jackie so sharp in pink
and pillbox
The President smiled and waved
We headed up the hillside
the day after--the grass
was yellow and dry
leaves off the shrubs
The killer raised his rifle slowly
aimed long I carried
my shotgun in front
of me, safety on
He waited for the perfect shot
I instinctively leaned
forward, bringing shotgun
to shoulder My aunt and uncle fired
but missed the rabbit that sprang
across my range, kept bounding
after the blast
my uncle’s beagle in pursuit
The President lurched, jerked again
secret service men hopped aboard
the motorcade sped off
the dog dropped the rabbit at my feet
identifying me as the killer, blood ran
out of its ear; Jackie smeared
with her husband’s blood
I never went hunting again
Labels: Holder on Wilhelm
Boston, Fall and Other Poems. B.Z. Niditch
Boston, Fall and Other Poems. B.Z. Niditch (POBOX 187 Farmington, ME 04938) http://www.encirclepub.com $12.
B.Z. Niditch is one of the most prolific poets in the small press, joined by the likes of A.D. Winans, Lyn Lifshin, Hugh Fox and Ed Galing. The poems in “Boston, Fall and Other Poems,” deal with the environs of Harvard Square, Boston, and the interiors of the poet’s mindscape. Niditch paints a pretty picture of June in his poem about Boston’s famed “Public Gardens.”
“To rest
in front of the sun
planting your steps
by sacks of rose petals
in public gardens,
noon day seems endless
and a friend waits up.
Breathing in
punctuated silence,
a butterfly brushes
against the June wind,
for a deafened half-hour
your arms are sealed
by wheel barrels
of rose tattoos.”
This is a collection that should be of interest to those who have followed Niditch over the years.
Doug Holder/Ibbetson Update/ Feb. 2008/Somerville, Mass.
Labels: Holder on Niditch
Dan Tobin and Marty Beckerman sign on for Somerville News Writers Festival--Nov. 15 2008
Poet Dan Tobin ( above) and cutting-edge journalist Marty Beckerman have agreed to read at The Somerville News Writers Festival Nov 15, 2008. Also included: Junot Diaz, Meg Kearney, Tino Villanueva, Afaa Michael Weaver, Bert Stern, and others to be announced.
Daniel Tobin
Chair and Professor (2002) Emerson College--Boston
B.A., Iona College; M.T.S., Harvard University; M.F.A., Warren Wilson College; Ph.D., University of Virginia
Daniel Tobin is the author of three books of poems, Where the World is Made (University Press of New England 1999), Double Life (Louisiana State University Press, 2004) and The Narrows (Four Way Books, 2005). Among his awards are the "The Discovery/The Nation Award," The Robert Penn Warren Award, The Greensboro Review Prize, the Robert Frost Fellowship, the Katherine Bakeless Nason Prize, and a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Most recently, The Narrows was a featured book on Poetry Daily, as well as a finalist for the Foreword Magazine Poetry Book Award. Four Way Books will publish his fourth book of poems, Second Things, in 2009.
His poems have appeared nationally and internationally in such journals as The Nation, The New Republic, The Harvard Review, Poetry, The American Scholar, The Paris Review, The Southern Review, The Sewanee Review, The Hudson Review, DoubleTake, The Kenyon Review, Image, The Times Literary Supplement (England), Stand (England), Agenda (England), Descant (Canada) and Poetry Ireland Review. His critical study, Passage to the Center: Imagination and the Sacred in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney, came out to wide praise from the University of Kentucky Press in 1999. Tobin has also edited The Book of Irish American Poetry from the Eighteenth Century to the Present (University of Notre Dame Press, 2007), Light in the Hand: The Selected Poems Lola Ridge (Quale Press, 2007), and (with Pimone Triplett) Poet's Work, Poet's Play: Essays on the Practice and the Art (University of Michigan Press, 2007). His work has been anthologized in Hammer and Blaze, The Bread Loaf Anthology of New American Poets, Poetry Daily Essentials 2007, Broken Land: Poems of Brooklyn, Third Rail: The Poetry of Rock and Roll, The Norton Introduction to Poetry, and elsewhere. He has also published numerous essays on modern and contemporary poetry in the United States and abroad.
Marty Beckerman, is the author of Dumbocracy, Generation S.L.U.T. and Death to All Cheerleaders.
He has written for Playboy, Reason, Discover, Radar, Huffington Post, Jewcy and New York Press. He has been featured by the New York Times, the New York Post, ABCNews.com, MSNBC, Salon.com, Fox News Channel and National Public Radio.
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Beckerman lives in New York City.
Labels: Tobin and Beckerman
The Graves Grow Bigger Between Generations by Jare...
The This and That of Balances in a "Roomful of Spa...
Somerville Poet Richard Wilhelm: An Artist Who Pai...
Dan Tobin and Marty Beckerman sign on for Somervil...
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Category: Games We Cover
Game Review Mass Effect My Recommendations PC 11
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Mass Effect: Andromeda released to a mixed reaction from everyone. Some reviewers liked it while some hated it. The gaming community is the same way. People hate it… Continue reading
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5 Things I Want To See Added or Changed In The Division 2
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Would you believe me if I told you I’m 4 hours away from hitting 100 hours of play time in Dynasty Warriors 9?
Game Review My Recommendations PC The Division 2
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Modding PC Resident Evil 2
Here Are The Sexiest Mods Available For Resident Evil 2!
By popular demand, I’m bringing back my nude mod articles that no one is brave enough to comment on!
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Australia Stories April 9
Wing made its first delivery by drone with approval from Australian Civil Aviation Authority.
- Apr. 9th 2019 9:51 am ET
Drone Delivery Australia Project Wing
Today, Google parent Alphabet Inc’s, Wing made its first delivery by drone in Cranberry, Australia after receiving approval from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority. Initially, the drone delivery service will only be available to 100 eligible homes in Grace, Palmerston, and Franklin. Later it will be slowly expanded to other customers in Harrison and Gungahlin.
Australia Stories January 14
Lifeguards drop lifevest from Mavic Pro with bait release system
- Jan. 14th 2019 12:34 pm ET
Australia Lifeguards
Around the world, and especially in Australia, lifeguards are using drones to spot for sharks and to deliver lifevests or personal flotation devices (PFD’s) to swimmers and surfers in need. In most of these cases larger and more expensive commercial drones are used. Not in this case, however, where creative lifeguards decided to use a regular DJI Mavic Pro. The drone is equipped with a bait release system, commonly used by fishermen, that releases the PFD when the drone reaches the swimmer or surfer in need. Basic, inexpensive and it gets the job done. Bravo!
Australia Stories December 18, 2018
Vaccines delivered by drone in island nation of Vanuatu
- Dec. 18th 2018 12:03 pm ET
Drone Delivery Australia Swoop
Deliveries by drone are making progress around the world. More so than here in the US for now, but hopefully, that will change soon. In the island-nation of Vanuatu, vaccines were delivered by drone this week. Many of the villages spread out over the various islands are so hard to reach that about 20% of the children miss their shots. Drones have shown to be a viable solution to this problem, making Vanuatu the first nation in the world with a childhood vaccine program that is officially drone-dependent.
The gorgeous and relaxing OK Golf for iOS is now just $1 (Reg. $4)
Rock out with Sennheiser’s audiophile-grade $77.50 HD 559 Headphones (23% off)
Today’s Best iOS & Mac App Deals: Living Earth, Legacy 3 Hidden Relic, more
Apple closes out the week with a new $5 movie sale plus various bundle deals
Snag two Alexa-enabled TP-Link Kasa In-Wall Light Switches for $56 (Save 30%)
Australia Stories November 15, 2018
American drones to strengthen Australian military
Haye Kesteloo - Nov. 15th 2018 3:17 pm ET
Even though China is trying to make headways into military drone market and touting lower prices to convince potential buyers, Australia just announced that it will buy American drones, namely the Reaper. The 12 to 16 unmanned warships are to be stationed in Papua New Guinea in response to regional security threats, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Australia Stories October 3, 2018
Drone delays helicopter rescue of a fisherman on Australia’s Gold Coast
- Oct. 3rd 2018 4:59 pm ET
Because of a nearby drone, rescuers had to wait an additional five minutes before they could perform a helicopter rescue to save an injured fisherman on Australia’s Gold Coast. The 76-year-old fisherman was stranded on the rocks of the seaway’s northern wall at South Stradbroke Island. His boat’s anchor had come loose and had washed ashore. Even though he was close to dry grounds he was unable to leave the boat safely.
Australia Stories August 15, 2018
100% drought in Australia made visible through drone photos
- Aug. 15th 2018 12:59 pm ET
Australia Drone photos
The summer of 2018 will be remembered as a very hot and dry one. Many parts of the world experienced very high temperatures and extreme drought that led to wildfires, water shortages and all kinds of other problems. The state of New South Wales in Australia wasn’t spared either as they were hit with a 100% drought, causing farmers to struggle with failing crops, reduced livestock feed, and limited water supplies. In an article from The Guardian, photographer David Gray shows us that the drought, when seen from the air, can provide some really artful scenes. David captured them with his drone for all of us to see. Check them out below.
Toyota partners with BYD to make all-electric cars for China market
EGEB: Georgia Republicans increase solar, unconventional battery storage, NY offshore wind…
Tesla aims for Roadster ‘hover’ test with SpaceX package late next year, Elon Musk says
Tesla opens new V3 Supercharger with solar and battery – looks like EV charging station…
Elon Musk reveals the Tesla vehicles he currently drives
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Why the Net Matters
Why The Net Matters: How the Internet Will Save Civilization is a digital book/iPad app that develops a new kind of way to navigate a non-fiction argument, to zoom in and out on 3D interactive figures, and to navigate with random-access chapters. This is not an iBook, but instead a new species of book. You can pick up Why The Net Matters as an iPad app on the iTunes Store or as an ebook on Amazon.
"Some of the most fascinating books around aren't books; they're superbooks -- books with so much functionality that they're sold as apps. Consider David Eagleman's Why the Net Matters, a book about the Internet with photos, animation and even 3D." - New York Times
"This is an impressive and intriguing work" - Telegraph (UK)
"I read it in one sitting, engrossed.... This bold restatement of the political and social potential of the web was useful and intelligent in its simplicity." - BookFutures.
"A very enjoyable app with Eagleman's ideas very accessible and engaging." - FutureBook
"Why the Net Matters on the iPad is a breakthrough work, showing the way for generations of digital books to come. Text has never been so spectacularly illustrated; intellectual argument has never been so fluidly designed. And Eagleman's message is as revolutionary as his format: The Internet protects civilization from collapse without even trying." - Stewart Brand, President, The Long Now Foundation
Why the Net Matters was a finalist for the Digital Book World Innovation Awards.
What's the book about? Why the Net Matters argues that the advent of the internet sidesteps the dangers that brought down previous civilizations. If you'd like a taste of the content, here's a talk I delivered at the Long Now Foundation (For over a week this was the most watched video on fora.tv, and was ranked the #8 technology talk of 2010)
Six Easy Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization from The Long Now Foundation on FORA.tv
This thesis about the internet started life as a short piece I wrote in Nature in 2006 about the internet and epidemics, and then fleshed out in a short essay in WIRED and in the book Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?
Here's a demonstration of the app in action:
Please click on the links on the left to read excerpts and see screenshots.
The Runaway Species
Sum on Radiolab
Listen to David discussing Sum -- and actor Jeffrey Tambor reading stories from the book -- on WNYC's Radiolab.
Synesthesia book wins the Montaigne Medal
Wednesday is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia has been awarded the Montaigne Medal, Eric Hoffer Award for Books.
Neurolaw: The Brain on Trial
Want to know how neuroscience will force major changes in our criminal justice system? Read David's article The Brain on Trial in The Atlantic. Now anthologized in 2012 Best American Science and Nature Writing.
Why the Net Matters Home Writing --The Runaway Species --Brain and Behavior --The Brain --Incognito --SUM --Wednesday is Indigo Blue --Why the Net Matters --Other Writing --Scientific Publications Research --Time perception --Synesthesia --Neurolaw --Deep brain recording --Sensory Substitution --Antiphospholipid Syndrome --Other projects Blog Schedule Contact
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How Many Of The DWTS Contestants Do You Know?
February 24, 2015 / Posted by: Michael K
It’s that time again. It’s time to play “How Many Names From The ‘Dancing For A Check’ Cast List Make Your Brain Shit Up A Question Mark?”
The Dancing with the Has-Beens season 20 cast was announced this morning, and you know, for the first time in a long time they are living up to the name Dancing with the Stars. I mean, both Suzanne Somers and Patti LaBelle are in the cast and their bright shining top tier A-list status is enough to elevate the Z-listers up to a low E. The new season doesn’t start until March 16th, so that gives Suzanne and Patti plenty of time to fake an injury during rehearsals to get out of this mess.
Every time a new cast is announced, I only read the names and count how many times I have to get my fingers to take me to Google to see who these bitches are. I only did that three times while reading this cast list. Either they’re getting bigger “stars” (HA!) or I don’t know how to do simple multiplication anymore, because that memory was replaced by knowing who the fuck Charlotte McKinney is. Definitely the latter. Here’s the list of the gigantic superstars (see: Suzanne and Patti), has-beens and never-wases who will dance for a check (or relevancy) next month:
Noah Galloway (partnered with Sharna Burgess), an army vet who lost part of his arm and leg while fighting in Iraq.
Robert Herjavec (partnered with Kym Johnson), a shark from Shark Tank.
Patti LaBelle (partnered with Artem Chigvintsev), legend and arch rival of Aretha Franklin.
Nastia Liukin (partnered with Derek Hough), Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast known to me as Nasty Nastia.
Riker Lynch (partnered with Allison Holker), someone who was on Glee for a handful of episodes.
Charlotte McKinney (partnered with Keo Motsepe), someone who ate a cheeseburger without her top on in a Carl’s Jr. commercial. I did not have to Google her name and this should really concern me.
RedFoo (partnered with Emma Slater), Sideshow Bob’s annoying cousin and ear assaulter from LMFAO.
Michael Sam (partnered Peta Murgatroyd), first openly gay player drafted into the NFL.
Willow Shields (partnered Mark Ballas), Katniss’ little sister in The Hunger Games movies.
Suzanne Somers (partnered with Tony Dovolani), star of She’s The Sheriff and the face of the Three Way Poncho!
Rumer Willis (partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy), someone who is known for being pulled out of Demi Moore’s cooch.
I haven’t seen this mess in a while, but I may watch it this season, because I really want to see Len Goodman almost get decapitated by the flying heel that Patti LaBelle will kick off to do the Samba.
Noah Galloway
Riker Lynch
Willow Shields
Robert Herjavec,
Michael Sam
Pics: Instagram, Facebook, Wenn.com
Tags: Dancing With The Has-Beens, Michael Sam, Patti LaBelle, Rumer Willis, Suzanne Somers
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How Knife Throwing Works
by Nicholas Gerbis
A member of the Collins Knife Throwing Act prepares to show off his deadly accurate knife-throwing skills.
John Drysdale/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
"Shouldn't have brought a knife to a gun fight," growled the ill-tempered man in the black hat, taking up a position opposite the square-jawed stranger.
The stranger said nothing, content to allow the glint of the sun off his blade to answer for him. But a pang of doubt, detectable only by the visible grinding of his jaw muscles, was beginning to creep in. How had he gotten himself into this? Sure, he could throw faster than that evil cattle baron could slap leather, but the distance, the aim and the technique would have to be just right. And an underarm no-spin throw wasn't exactly known for its accuracy ...
"Oh well," he muttered under his breath as he curled the weapon into his palm. "It worked for James Coburn in 'The Magnificent Seven' ..."
Knives. They're among our oldest tools and weapons, but they don't exactly sail through the air like an arrow or a spear. Even knives balanced for throwing seem to fly on the edge of chaos. Perhaps that's why they fascinate us, why action heroes in movies like "The Expendables" and "The Hunger Games" always seem to be able to throw them with deadly effect, and why the impalement act -- the ironically named performance art of throwing knives near a human target -- has held audiences spellbound for centuries.
A knife is a practical item to which we're all likely to have easy access, so learning how to throw one is a fun and handy way to extend its usefulness. Knife throwing can also provide a rewarding pastime, one that we can enjoy by ourselves or as participants in clubs or competitions. All it takes: a knife balanced for throwing and a good target. Oh, and one more thing: practice.
Lots and lots of practice.
An effective throw involves balancing several factors, including distance to target; knife length, weight and balance; and knife type. But technique also varies from person to person; it's a function of size, stance and other throw mechanics. For every rule of thumb, you're bound to find a thrower who successfully breaks it. That said, if you have the patience, we have the information you need to get started with the most success and least frustration possible.
Knife Skills Quiz
How to Use a Survival Knife
How Plate Spinning Works
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Dems Press On!
The plot thickens in Oregon’s vaccination hullabaloo
Guest Viewpoint by Tony CorcoranPosted on 03/12/2015
It’s so much more entertaining watching Salem politics than the Boehner and McConnell Obamadrama immigration fiasco in D.C. The Oregon Senate already previewed snarky political hot-air theater in its raucous partisan debate over low-carbon fuel emissions, and the House then passed the low-carbon bill to Kate Brown in a 31-29 dust-up after sticking Kate’s motor voter bill down the collective Republican pie hole. And speaking of Kate, Gov. Brown signed her first bill, a change in the outcome of class-action suits, a Democrat target since last session.
Politics may indeed make strange bedfellows, but lately Oregon’s Legislature is beginning to look like an Oddfellows sleepover. We are about to have a big debate over our state policy on vaccinations, and conspiracy theories abound. Science versus Scientology! The public commons versus private parental libertarian rights! High political drama from the right and left!
Leading the fight for the Democrats is Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a Beaverton-area family physician who graduated from OHSU and practices medicine there. That’s what I love about Salem’s citizen Legislature; not only are there smart people who practice what they preach, but they are also trained professionals who can teach what they practice — like intelligent public health policy!
Dr. Steiner Hayward is sponsoring SB 442, which would ban parents from claiming non-medical exemptions from their children’s school vaccinations. Elizabeth and I met last week to discuss her experience as the sponsor of this controversial measure. She said she’d been the target of some very aggressive phone and internet nastiness. She begged me not to Google her name. Her haters want to tie her down and inject her because of her neo-Nazi attitude.
This apparently was quite hurtful to this nice Jewish doctor lady. I asked her if there was any organized support or opposition in Salem for the bill. She pointed to the proponents, the usual suspects, the Oregon Medical Association, the Oregon Nurses Association, OHSU, Oregon hospitals, the Academy of Family Physicians and various public health officials. Even the osteopaths support the bill, and they never agree with MDs about anything!
The opposition is indeed odd. First came the news that the lobbyist for the Oregon Chiropractic Association, Dr. Vern Saboe, announced that he would “host” the researcher, Andrew Wakefield, whose infamous 1998 study on the link between autism and common vaccines was called “unethically financed and fraudulent” by the British Medical Journal. Wakefield was scheduled to testify before the Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care before Steiner Hayward found out and canceled his appearance.
Then, out of the blue (literally), guess who else wants a piece of this action? Senate Republican Tim Knoop has offered to host Robert Kennedy Jr., who is renting a Salem movie theater for one night to show his documentary opposing vaccinations, a private screening just for the Legislature! Why? Because he hates the use of thimerosal, an organomercury compound once used in vaccines. However, according to Steiner Hayward, thimerosal is no longer used in children’s vaccines.
The bad science regarding this issue is legion. The only other organized opposition to the bill is a Facebook page arguing that personal freedom trumps public health and public safety. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court and at least one state supreme court (Mississippi, which also has the highest rate of immunization) have ruled just the opposite. Why the Oregon chiropractors, Tim Knoop and Robert Kennedy Jr. continue to rely on bad science is beyond me. I agree with Steiner Hayward and others that while no one claims there is zero risk in vaccines, the risk is low. While the death rate for measles is one in 1,000, the rate of severe complications for measles vaccine is one in four million. As Dr. Todd Huffman pointed out in a recent R-G letter, it is remarkably easy for curious or cautious parents to be misinformed because “junk science litters the internet.”
I hope this discussion doesn’t keep my clever readers from ignoring the really important debates in Salem, like SB 298, which changes the name of the State Board of Massage Therapists to the State Board of Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers. Stay tuned.
Tags: Hot Air Society
The Challenge of Carbon
Join in to lower carbon emissions
Guest Viewpoint 2 days ago
By Linda Perrine All of us in Eugene are enjoying a lovely start to summer this year of 2019. It is a reminder of what … Continue reading →
Celebrate Peace
Eugene’s Nobel Peace Park promotes good in the world
Guest Viewpoint 1 week ago
By Andy Walcott and John Attig Hark! Now is the time to visit the Nobel Peace Park in Eugene. It is the first park in … Continue reading →
Old-Timers Back ‘Climate Change Kids’
We are paying the price for lack of action
By Larry Morgenstern and Ron Verzuh We are paying the price for lack of action The lawsuit Juliana v. United States, now before the Court … Continue reading →
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How a GM sale of Opel could open door to purchase of FCA
Larry P. Vellequette
Marchionne, right, tried in vain to woo Barra into a combination or outright purchase of the smaller FCA in 2015. The two were pictured at the White House on Jan. 24 after meeting with President Donald Trump.
Removing Opel from General Motors' brand offerings could, ironically, make it more attractive for GM to purchase all or parts of Fiat Chrysler, which is still actively seeking a merger partner.
That is, if GM were interested.
Purchasing FCA would allow GM to maintain a presence in Europe and give it an active dealer network there, as well as give it access to more profit-rich brands such as Maserati, which boasted a 9.7 percent adjusted EBIT margin globally in 2016. A deeper-pocketed GM also could choose to continue to resurrect Alfa Romeo, or sell it off.
It would give GM access to Jeep, which has become a global presence under FCA for the first time in the brand's 76-year history. Once largely confined to North America, Jeeps are now built and sold in South America (Brazil), Asia (China and India) and Europe (Italy), and could be exploited further under GM.
In North America, while such a combination might bring cost-saving synergies for the two current automakers, the results in terms of manufacturing and retailing jobs would likely be devastating.
A combination of GM and FCA would likely result in large manufacturing job losses, the elimination of at least the Chrysler and Dodge brands, and hundreds -- if not thousands -- of dealer consolidations or closings across the continent.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne tried, in vain, to woo GM into a combination or outright purchase of the smaller, debt-laden automaker in 2015. But that effort was rejected by GM executives, one of whom at the time told Automotive News: "Why should [GM] bail out FCA?"
Since being spurned by GM, FCA has steadily worked to right its balance sheet and transform itself into a more appealing potential mate. The company had cut its net debt by the end of 2016 to 4.59 billion euro ($4.87 billion). FCA also eliminated the unprofitable production of compact and midsize sedans in the U.S. to boost production of more profitable Jeep crossovers and SUVs and Ram pickups.
As a result of those and other moves, FCA's global adjusted EBIT margin rose to 5.5 percent in 2016 from 4.3 percent in 2015, with the bulk of the added profitability coming from its operations in North America.
But while GM was identified as the most lucrative potential partner for FCA by Marchionne in 2015, outside issues remain that made such a tie-up difficult.
For example, the UAW's retiree health care trust continues to hold a major stake in GM, and might be unmotivated to approve a merger that could trigger thousands of UAW job losses.
PSA's Tavares shifts to expansion mode with eye on Opel deal
GM, PSA bosses try to sell Europe deal amid German, UK worries
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Custom articles
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Home > Custom articles > Sharandeep Singh 805815 Art 100 sec
Sharandeep Singh 805815 Art 100 sec
Categories:Custom articlesUpdated on: January 21, 2019 April 28, 2019 admin
Sharandeep Singh
Art 100 sec.121
DeTemple,Lesley a. The Taj Mahal. Minneapolis;Lerner Publication Co.2003.Prints
Taj Mahal is a fine part of art and architecture. Taj Mahal is location in Agra,India. Taj Mahal was a part of Mughal empire. Taj Mahal was built in seventeenth century. “Shah Jahan,the fifth emperor of the mughal emperor,commissioned the building of Taj Mahal as a tomb for his beloved wife”(DuTemple04). The design of Taj Mahal is not designed by one person. Many people work on the architectural design of Taj Mahal. The design of Taj Mahal was made by many architects,engineers,artist,calligrapher and Shah Jahan himself. “The name of other two architects, Mir Abd al-Karim and Makramat Khan, also show up in documents concerning the Taj Mahal”(DuTemple 23). Many historians says that Taj Mahal is also known as “Mumtaz Mahal”. Taj Mahal is situated at the bank of Yamuna river. The construction of Taj Mahal was begin in 1631. Taj Mahal was a big project. Shah Jahan want to built Taj Mahal in a very quick time. Thousand of working man and women assembled to Agra. At the beginning of Taj Mahal Shah Jahan provide them “unskilled physical labour”- digging and raise stones for the base of Taj Mahal. The building of Taj Mahal was made up of several material. The material used to build Taj Mahal was bricks,marble and red sandstone. “Shah Jahan designed the buildings and gardens of the Taj Mahal complex to complement each other and to frame Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb,…”(DuTemple 38). By 1637 the central dome of Taj Mahal was built. The dome shines like pale shade of pink in the noonday. The beauty of the dome reflects in Yamuna river. “According to Islamic law, tombs must be accompanied by 80 feet to the west of the Taj Mahal (DuTemple 47). On the top of tomb building three domes was built. The central dome is the biggest and bound by two smaller domes.
Tillotson, G.H.R. Taj Mahal Cambridge,Mass:Harvard University. 2008 Press(e-book)
Taj Mahal is one of the beautiful buildings in the world. It was made in mughal period. “Taj Mahal is the queen of architecture”(Tillotson 01). Taj Mahal is the famous mughal building in India. Taj Mahal is a tomb which is located in Agra. Many foreign and Indians historians describe that Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. Writers and scholars give different- different views on the design of Taj Mahal. The design of Taj Mahal is related to three traditions: “Mughal’s central asian home land, the buildings erected by early muslim rulers of India, older architectural expertise of India itself”(Tillotson 46). Shah Jahan want a tomb for his wife. Every part of Taj Mahal is describe about the glory depends on its placement amongst satellite buildings and garden. Four minarets was built surrounding the tomb. The minarets was built with white marble. Minarets is a tower and it is used for announcing the time of prayer. Minarets is a standard feature of a mosque, but it is not a functional of a tomb. Minarets was built away from the tomb building. A theory explains that minarets built in a way, if they fall due to earthquake they will not strike and damage the tomb. “As at the Taj, they are purely ornamental”(Tillotson 59). The minarets look completely straight, but when viewed from ground it appear to converge towards the central dome. On the west of tomb building there is a mosque. Mosque is a prayer hall provided for those who visit Tomb for religious purpose. The mosque was built from red sandstone. The mosque designed in such a way that it will not distract the attention from tomb. At the opposite end of terrace, a second building was built that replicates the form of the mosque. This building is not used for prayer. This building is called as “Mihman Khana”. The main purpose of this building is to balance the mosque.
Collier, Dirk. The Great Mughals And Their India. New Delhi:Hay House. 2016 (e-book)
The meaning of the Taj Mahal is Crown Palace. The name of the tomb building is still a mystery. “The historians and poets of Shah Jahan era constantly referred to it as the Rauza -i – Munnawara(the illumined tomb); the Rauza-i-Muqqadas(the holy tomb); the Rauza -i- Muthahhara(the poure tomb-the word rauza refers to a tomb in a garden)”(Collier 153). After the death of Shah Jahan on 22 january 1666 the name Taj Mahal was use commonly. Many type of myth are popular related to Taj Mahal. “When the Taj was finished, Shah Jahan is said to have had the architect’s eyes gouged out and the hands of the craftsman chopped off, so that nothing as beautiful could ever be built again”(Collier 156). Building of Taj Mahal was a idea of truly intelligent men first of the widowed emperor- who commissioned the Taj Mahal, the skilled the craftsman and thousand of workers, hindus and muslims people managed to built the one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Taj Mahal took place in the seven wonders of the world because of its architectural design, beauty, and history.
\Similarities of Two Buildings in Two Different Eras Architects
I am fascinated by the Mughal Empire
Taj Mahal is one of most optimum
GIRNE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Graduate School of Social and Applied Sciences THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL TRADING SYSTEM IN THE THIRD WORLD
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IMPACT OF MODIFIED PISTON – A REVIEW Ramesh Rai1
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Bob Welford
WELFORD, Robert Henry
On January 15, 2008 Bob Welford passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 77 years. Bob touched many lives through out the years and will be missed by anyone that knew him. He was predeceased by his parents, Lillian and Philip Welford. A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, January 28, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at the Evergreen Funeral Chapel, 16204 Fort Road, Edmonton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alberta Cancer Foundation. To sign the book of condolences, visit: www.evergreenmemorial.com Evergreen Funeral Chapel & Reception Centre, Cemetery Cremation Centre 472-9019
Bob was originally one of the top salespeople at CFRN-TV. But his mark on the production community of Edmonton was felt as Production Manager and Executive Producer of hundreds of programs that he initiated or was involved with. Not only did his shows involve international talent but they also gave major opportunities to those seeking a hosting career in television. One of them was former Miss Canada Terry-Lynne Meyer, who had this to say about Bob when she learned of his death:
“I have so many images of his wry humour and clever quick mind. His was one of the first faces of CFRN-TV to me as I wandered in for the Miss Edmonton Pageant. And he was the one that believed in me enough to throw me in with Fred Vos on Football Huddle (I think he did that for his own comic relief), and then took the leap of faith to have me host the Day by Day show. I think it is no exaggeration to say that Bob Welford was a pivotal person who changed my life. Today (upon learning of his death) I will celebrate all of my good fortune and good friends from CFRN that Bob made possible by giving me the room to try. He gave people space to be creative and to try, and although he could be deadly funny when we fell flat on our face, he had such a big heart that we could never stay wounded.”
For those who knew him and worked with him, it could not have been said better. He loved television production and did everything to make it work even though many of us feel he never did get the full credit he deserved. When one thinks of the volume and quality of programs he initiated, it’s mind-boggling. His programs gave opportunities to the amateurs as well as exposure to established artists. He either produced the shows or was Executive Producer, but always had an influence on their content and would never accept a secondary standard. Although it’s virtually impossible to list them all, here are some examples of the shows and people with which he was involved:
Miss Edmonton Pageant
Miss Teen Pageant
Marquee – Shari Ulrich, Amos Agrrett, Laura Vinson
Sugar Beat – hosts Jackie Parker and Gabrielle Bugeaud
Telerama – from the Mayfield Inn with a variety of hosts that included Mike Darow, Bobby Curtola, Doug Paulson
Pops Showcase – with the Edmonton Symphony and special guests
The Young performers and The New Performers – with 26 core players from the ESO conducted by Harry Pinchin and piano by Tommy Banks
You Tell Us – hosted by Doug Paulson, with guests Dinah Christie, Harold Gould, Fil Fraser and many others
Fanfare – hosted by Don Percy with guests Matt Dunigan, Al McCann, John Short and many others
McBeth in three acts – with Douglas Campbell and Jennifer Phipps
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Symphony – with the ESO conducted by Harry Pinchin, starring Tim Conway, Charlie Farquason, Kay Ballard, Skiles and Henderson
Sun Country – with Ian Tyson and guests including k.d. lang, Emmy Lou Harris, Bim, R. Harlan Smith
Tommy Banks Jazz
De Fliedermaus – a three hour special from the University of Alberta Drama Department
Paul Hann and Friends
44 Fun Street – with Blake Emmons and a variety of Edmonton talent
I could go on and on. The list is long and impressive but the above will give you an idea of what he did for television out of Edmonton, a record that no one can match. As broadcasters, he deserves our applause.
Bob Welford passed away on January 15th, 2008, at the age of 77 after a battle with cancer.
filed 2008
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COCREF
Provide a quality Christian education to our students through our schools, implementing active and participatory teaching that promotes the development of the God given gifts, talents, and abilities so that they can transform their lives, those around them and their nation through being servant leaders.
A Partner in the Dominican Republic
EduDeo partners with COCREF (Colegios Cristianos Reformados) – a nationally run community of Christian schools that began in 1981 in an effort to reach the most neglected children in the Dominican Republic with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Christian education. It now consists of 15 Christian day schools, 5 of which have high schools, and serves about 3,700 students and employs 210 people within the Dominican Republic.
With a focus on reaching children living in poverty-stricken areas, many COCREF schools are located in bateys to serve the children of Haitian immigrants who otherwise would not have the opportunity to receive an education at all. This is an incredible way to impact these communities with the empowering tool of education and the transformative message of the Gospel at the same time!
Ensuring quality Christian curriculum is available;
Investing in teachers to provide long-term stability;
Providing an enhanced learning environment through computer labs, science labs and libraries.
Currently, COCREF is able to cover more than half of their yearly costs from their own resources despite the poverty of the communities they are serving. However, the shortfall means that extra improvements that need to be made are not possible. Extra funding is required from partners like EduDeo to help COCREF progress towards their goals.
Batey communities are usually so poor that families can only be asked to pay 50 pesos per month (less than $3) as a token of their commitment to the school. Many families have to make major sacrifices to even afford this small amount — an amount that does not even come close to covering what it costs to educate a child.
Maps of COCREF Schools
Schools in Santo Domingo:
Schools outside the capital city:
A student at a partnering school
A teacher at a partnering school
A partnering school
Ramon Reynoso
Cristobalina
Colegio Cristiano La Esperanza
Chilove
Starlin
Gladis
Affiliated Schools
Apocalipsis Christian School Batey Bermejo 1993 K-8 220
Belen Christian School Los Guaricanos 1988 K-9 191
Emanuel Christian School Los Angeles 1991 K-12 343
Filadelfia Christian School Cristo Rey 1981 K-8 316
Jerico Christian School Batey Fao 1988 K-5 298
Juan Calvino Christian School Sabana Grande - K-12 308
La Esperanza Christian School Hato Nuevo 1992 K-9 315
Los Guandules Christian School San Pedro de Macoris - K-12 248
Miriam Christian School Santa Alicia - K-2 31
Nueva Creacion de Fe Bienvenido 1981 K-8 203
Pena de Horeb Christian School Mojarra 1991 K-4 220
Ramon Reynoso Christian School Los Mameyes 1987 K-8 177
Renacer Christian School Los Alcarrizos 1984 K-9 369
San Mateo Christian School Sabana Grande de Boya 1987 K-8 276
San Pablo Christian School La Pared 1982 K-8 92
David Tigchelaar
Question...why can't parents pay more? We have to here in Canada.
EduDeo Staff
Great question! A number of the schools we work with in the Dominican Republic are located in remote and very impoverished locations. These small towns, called “bateyes,” began with company barracks for workers in the sugar cane industry where they would earn $1 or $2 per day. The mainly Haitian immigrants eventually had or brought over their families, so the bateyes grew into communities containing children in desperate need of an education and the Gospel message. With the decline of the sugar cane industry, jobs and money are scarce in the bateyes, therefore, COCREF’s Christian schools are a vital outreach and witness to these communities. We are prayerfully optimistic the future will be brighter as hearts and minds are transformed through quality, Christ-centred education.
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7 Best Egyptian World-Cup Themed TV Advertisements
Nancy Ammar
Ramadan’s shows have been getting bolder year after year. With a month-long sky-high viewing rates, television does not find a better time to flourish by presenting a plethora of new shows. Similarly, the competition in the TV advertisement game has been going strong. This year, marketing agencies had to come up with new, creative ideas to sustain the TV audience during the 10-minute-long show breaks. An ad with a bunch of actors and superstars singing a song about the gathering of Ramadan (or in Arabic “lammet Ramadan”) does not do anymore. And with Egypt making it to the World Cup after 28 years, a theme presents itself. The following list includes our top picks for the best World Cup-themed ads that interrupt our shows and YouTube binge-watching time.
7. OPPO
Caption: OPPO’s ad starts with the hashtag #AMessageToTheNationalTeam. Photo Credit: OPPO.
OPPO is an unexpected contestant in the marketing competition, but their brand new ad is witty enough to make it one of our top picks. As official sponsors for the football national team, their ad starts with the hashtag #AMessageToTheNationalTeam, and several video messages from their fans ensue supporting the team. Naturally, the video messages are all filmed by OPPO F7 which capitalizes on its 6.23″”FHD+Super Full Screen, and 25 MP AI-Powered Selfie, as visually pointed in the ad.
6. Vodafone and Pepsi
Caption: Vodafone-Pepsi’s ad referred to Mohamed Salah as Egypt’s Pride. Source: Vodafone Egypt.
The ad starts with rhythmic beats that initiate an atmosphere of anticipation, and is followed by a lively football commentary till the very end. The ad starts by showing an old man packing the Ramadan lantern and a young boy in a cafe removing the Ramadan decoration; symbolizing the end of Ramadan. Then, a group of youngsters takes out the Egyptian Flag which one spreads across his car, and another old man displays at the window of his shop; to bring about a sense of pride after Egypt’s qualification to the World Cup after 28 years. The ad ends with several glimpses of football fans in distress watching the match together in a flat, or cheering in the stadium, or praying for their team at the cafe where they watch the match. Everyone is fired up when the name of Egypt’s pride, Mohamed Salah, is mentioned. As Salah walks towards what seems like the gates to the pitch, the commentary echoes at “this historic moment” and the ad ends.
The short advert, as simple as it may appear, nails it when it comes to capturing Egyptians’ emotions throughout the national team’s journey that led to the World Cup.
5. Juhayna
Caption: Juhayna reminisces back on the moment Egypt couldn’t make it to the World Cup in 1994. Photo Credit: Juhayna.
Juhayna’s ad may be an oldie but it is definitely a goldie. It is always a risk when marketeers opt for a more comedic element in their ads, but Juhayna’s risk is carefully calculated with an ad that had Egyptians laugh their hearts out. In the ad, a mother, a brother and a friend tell the story of Mabrook who went mute after watching Egypt – Zimbabwe World Cup (dis)qualifying match in 1994, and hasn’t been able to speak since. Mabrook’s doctor diagnoses him with a “Conversion Disorder” that can only be treated if something as equally shocking as Egypt’s disqualification occurs, such as Egypt’s qualification to the World Cup. The video shows the deterioration of Mabrook’s health status as 24 more years pass without Egypt’s participation in the FIFA World Cup. The video ends with the mother’s plea to Héctor Cúper, the national team’s captain, asking him not to break Mabrook’s heart again, and Mabrook’s friend prays that Egypt reaches the finals because he wants to listen to Mabrook’s voice.
The ad concludes with the messages, “There are a 100 million Mabrook(s) waiting for Egypt to make it for 27 years,” and the hashtag, #WeAreAllMabrook.
4. Orange
Caption: The actors’ faces in the Orange Ad look uncannily familiar to Hassan Shehata. Photo Credit: Orange.
Another entity that is able to achieve the tough equation of an emotional, nostalgic, yet comedic advertisement is the mobile operator, Orange. The ad is the 23rd most trending video on Youtube Egypt, having earned more than 4 million views so far (only after 4 days from its original release). The genius ad displays a catchy song that could easily couple as national cheer for the national team, sung by different crowds in different Egyptian settings. The genius idea is that the faces of the crowds show an uncanny resemblance to the faces of past football team coaches such as Farouk Gaafar, Hassan Shehata and Hossam Hassan. The concept springs from the notion that all Egyptian turn into professional football analysts when watching a match.
3, Chipsy
Caption: Chipsy releases a song by Egyptian Singer, Abu.
Chipsy released a new song by Abu on the 13th of June in preparation for Egypt’s first World Cup match. The music video shows splendid views of different areas in Egypt: the Pyramids, the temples in Luxor and Aswan, some beaches and Montaza bridge in Alexandria. The lyrics pridefully recounts the old history of Egypts, and the pharaonic ancestry of Egyptians.
2. We Telecom Egypt
WE, the official sponsor for Egypt’s national football team, features some of the 1990 team members: Ahmed Shubair, Hany Ramzy, Ibrahim Hassan, Hossam Hassan, and Taher abou Zaid, who were the last team to qualify before the start of the 28-year absence. The veterans would then sing, giving this year’s team players: Ramadan Sobhi, Mohamed El Meny, and Mahmoud Hassan (aka Trezeguet), a pep talk and advice from their experience at the 1990 World Cup. The lyrics of the song is cheerful yet provides a powerful insight: “it doesn’t matter who we play against because they’re a team of 11, we are a team of millions.”
1. Uber
Caption: Mo Salah gets in the backseat of his Uber car to continue his journey in this ad.
At the beginning of this year, Uber announced that Mohamed Salah is its ambassador in Egypt for 2018. The advertisement showcases the journey that Mohamed Salah has been through via a dramatic commentary, as he walks purposefully in a huge garage, with his wardrobe changing with every step. It starts with a metaphoric, “Who says you’ve arrived? You have a long way to go.” The commentary then lists, with every step, all of Mohamed Salah’s achievements from the best player in Africa, through the best striker in the league, to the best player in England. The scene turns into top-notch animation as Salah swiftly swivels the football through and away from other players. A large statue of Mo Salah appears in the warehouse, as Salah rides in the backseat of the car, ending with a powerful statement from the commentary, “Where else do you want to go?.” It proceeds, “On his way, he continues” as Salah gets in, “and we are all with him.”
The video is powerful with emotions, wordplay and intelligence, impeccably executed through the great direction and animation that takes care of the smallest, slightest detail.
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Radio Corporation of America, Taiwan
RCA Taiwan Factory Entrance - A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
Female RCA Workers - A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
Factory Ventilation - A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
RCA Taiwan was found to have dumped toxic waste at its Taoyuan factory polluting soil and underground water, leading to alarmingly high rates of cancer among its workers, among them many women.
RCA came to Taiwan in 1969 to produce electronic parts for televisions, employing more than 30,000 people at its peak production. Most of them on the production line were women from poor families.
The US company was found to have dumped toxic waste at its Taoyuan factory in northern Taiwan polluting the soil and underground water, leading to alarmingly high reports of cancer among its workers.
Workers were required to use organic solvents including trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene to clean printed circuit boards. Both are classified as Group 2A carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which means that they are probably carcinogenic to humans. These agents enter the body through inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion.
Without any warning or training from RCA, the workers breathed the volatile solvents in the air of the factory which had almost no ventilation and touched the chemicals with their hands that were only covered with cotton gloves in the manufacturing process.
Workers living in the factory dormitories also used untreated water pumped from the same ground where RCA had dumped waste solvents, for drinking, washing up, and laundry.
In 1998, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration confirmed that the area where the plant located was designated a permanently polluted zone, the first case of its kind in this country.
Litigation continued until the late 2010s. As reported in October 2017, “a ruling by the Taiwan High Court in favor of RCA workers whose health was affected by industrial pollution is a victory, not only for RCA workers but for Taiwanese labor overall. A landmark case in Taiwanese labor, the case is also a case with few precedents in Taiwanese jurisprudence, as a class action lawsuit with hundreds of plaintiffs. Subsequently, it remains to be seen what will come next for efforts to secure justice for RCA workers. RCA employed thousands of workers in Taiwan between 1970 and 1992, through a Taiwanese subsidiary of the American company, the Radio Corporation of America. However, industrial pollution from the RCA plant in Taoyuan led to 78 deaths caused by the pollution, and 237 of the 529 workers involved in the case developed cancer or related illnesses. In part, the reason as to why the case would become so well known is because it involves an American company whose actions permanently damaged the health of Taiwanese workers. Based on environmental assessments previously conducted by RCA, many believe that RCA was aware of the pollution but did nothing about it.”[1]
[1] Brian Hioe, 29 Oct. 2017. https://newbloommag.net/2017/10/29/rca-ruling-second-hearing/
Name Radio Corporation of America, Taiwan
Country Taiwan
Site Taoyuan
Type of Conflict (2nd level) Manufacturing activities
Water treatment and access to sanitation (access to sewage)
Specific Commodities Manufactured Products
Project Details 200 million electronic parts for televisions at peak production
Project Area (in hectares) 7
Level of Investment (in USD) 50,000,000
Type of Population Urban
Potential Affected Population more than 1,300
Company Names or State Enterprises Radio Corporation of America (RCA) from United States of America
General Electric US (GE) from United States of America
Thomson Consumer Electronics from France
Relevant government actors The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration
Environmental justice organisations and other supporters Taiwan’s Legal Aid Foundation
USA Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Groups Mobilizing Industrial workers
Forms of Mobilization Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..)
Environmental Impacts Visible: Genetic contamination, Soil contamination, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems
Health Impacts Visible: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Occupational disease and accidents
Potential: Other environmental related diseases
Socio-economic Impacts Visible: Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Specific impacts on women, Violations of human rights
Court decision (victory for environmental justice)
New Environmental Impact Assessment/Study
The RCA horrible case has brought to light many loopholes in the Taiwanese laws and regulations.
“Before the RCA incident, Taiwan lacked effective laws and environmental regulations ,” says Chou, the lawyer representing the RCA Taiwan former workers. At that time, the Taiwanese government was not adequately prepared to deal with matters involving environmental protection and occupational hazards. It was not until 2000 that Taiwan enacted the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act and established the “polluter pays principle” to deter violators. The case also led to the revision of the labor insurance regulation to make breast removal eligible for disability compensation, a significant advance on the rights of Taiwanese female workers.
Why? Explain briefly. On April 17 2015, the Taipei District Court rendered a verdict in favor of former assembly line workers visiting the now-defunct electronics company, Radio Corporation of America. Yet, it is possible that the compensation would be unattainable.
When the team of Taiwanese attorneys applied to the courts to provisionally seize RCA's assets for investigation, they found out RCA had already transferred its assets out of Taiwan roughly around the same time when it was held accountable for the cleanup between 1996 and 1997.
It may be difficult for the Taiwanese workers to file a lawsuit in the United States because the allegations stem from abroad. Court rulings in 2017 have given larger compensations. But there is a feeling that this is too little and too late.
Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (Mandarin)
Voices That Refuse to Be Forgotten
an oral history of the event created by former RCA workers in Taiwan in 2013.
Capital Moves: RCA's Seventy-Year Quest for Cheap Labor (with a New Epilogue) Paperback – April 1, 2001
Amazon description: Globalization is the lead story of the new century, but its roots reach back nearly one hundred years, to major corporations’ quest for stable, inexpensive, and pliant sources of labor. Before the largest companies moved beyond national boundaries, they crossed state lines, abandoning the industrial centers of the Eastern Seaboard for impoverished rural communities in the Midwest and South. In their wake they left the decaying urban landscapes and unemployment rates that became hallmarks of late
Challenging the Chip
Amazon description: "Challenging the Chip" is the first comprehensive examination of the impacts of electronics manufacturing on workers and local environments around the world. The essays in this volume contribute to a collaborative international discourse of citizens, workers, health professionals, academics, labour leaders, environmental activists, and others with the common goal of developing alternative visions for the regulation and sustainable development of manufacturing, assembly/disassembly, and waste disposal in the global electronics industry. Contributors from Asia, North America, Europe, and Latin America provide multidimensional perspectives on the science and the politics of environmental and social justice, documenting the efforts of community and labour
31 Oct. 2017. Taiwan High Court rules that electronics workers should receive US$23.7 million in compensation for health damages.
RCA Taiwan Ex-Workers Win Pollution Lawsuit (ENS)
Copublished with Taiwan Environmental Information Association
Wiki RCA Environmental record
Brian Hioe, RCA COURT RULING A VICTORY FOR WORKERS, BUT WHAT NOW?
Documentary: Behind the RCA miracle (Mandarin)
RCA Taiwan Factory Entrance A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
Female RCA Workers A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
Factory Ventilation A youtube screenshot of the RCA documentary created by Taiwan Public Television Service
Contributor Taiwan Environmental Information Association
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Electric Vehicle Price Guide – best prices for dealers in the US
Alt. Transport
Tesla Autopilot
Cruise Automation
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Honda’s all-electric Clarity EV will have 80 miles of range and start at ‘about $35,000’
Jameson Dow
- Feb. 27th 2017 7:07 am ET
In a new article based on comments made by Steve Center, vice president of environmental business development at American Honda Motor, Automotive News reports that Honda’s EV version of their Clarity vehicle platform will focus more on size and price than long range. They expect that Honda will release the car with about an ~80 mile range and an expected pricetag in the area of $35,000.
While Honda would like to have released with a larger battery, the size constraints of the Clarity platform and price constraints of Honda’s brand identity led them to decide on a smaller battery than many other future EVs which have recently been announced by other automakers.
Honda’s previous EV efforts have been the “EV Plus” of the late ’90s and the Fit EV. Both were very limited production, and the Fit EV is only available in some states and only via lease. The Clarity EV will be their first serious, larger production BEV effort which can be purchased by consumers instead of only leased.
On the one hand, it’s actually nice to hear that Honda is focusing on price and size/weight issues rather than purely range, as ever-increasing ranges really are not necessary for EVs. At some point the price and weight of additional batteries outweighs the additional utility of more range, and it doesn’t make sense to be carrying around lots of extra batteries which most drivers won’t use. I’ve long been critical of the excessive focus automakers and non-EV-owners have on range above all else, when there are so many other aspects of the electric driving experience which are important. A phrase I’ve heard is “only ICE drivers have range anxiety”, referring to the fact that EV owners typically find that they require much less range than they thought they would before buying their EV.
However, given that the Bolt EV costs around the same as the Clarity’s expected price but also has about three times as much range and is a very good car otherwise as well, it seems that Honda has missed the mark here.
If Honda is able to release the Clarity at a much lower price point than the Bolt EV – somewhere in the mid $20,000 range before incentives – then there would be some room for it in the market. There are plenty of people who could get along fine in their life with 80-some miles of range, and who would rather save $10,000 than buy a lot of extra batteries. As it is, though, it’s going to be hard for shoppers to compare it against a Model 3 or a Bolt EV and think that the Clarity is the better choice, unless it holds some really amazing secrets which set it apart from either of those two cars in terms of technology other than range.
The other strange point about price is that if Honda claims that “a pillar of the Honda brand is affordability” and that it was trying to avoid an “obscenely priced long-range electric car,” then their pricing on the Clarity EV does not jive very well with their theorized price for the fuel cell version of the same car. The fuel cell Clarity is estimated to cost around $60,000, but Honda only leases it and only in California. This means they can take advantage of state and federal credits and can lease the car to a select group of customers at an artificially low price, taking a hit on the cost of the car but recouping that hit by taking advantage of CARB credits which allow them to continue selling more-polluting cars in the state. One then wonders why Honda didn’t do the same with the Clarity EV, and make it a car more in line with the market the Model 3 and Bolt EV are targeting, and offer it at a similar lease cost as those two (the Bolt leases at $309/mo, whereas the Clarity FCX leases at $349/mo).
Honda also cites packaging concerns, an inability to fit more batteries into the Clarity platform, as one of the main reasons behind their choice. This brings up an inherent problem with appropriating a vehicle platform which was not built with EVs in mind and putting a battery powertrain in it. Having to share this platform with fuel cell and plug-in hybrid versions of the car means that the car doesn’t get engineered as an EV from the ground up, which inevitably leads to packaging compromises like this.
This is the reason that so many EVs on the market are somewhat underwhelming, and why the EVs which do get built as EVs from the ground up, like the Bolt EV and the Model S, garner so much praise and so many rewards. Automakers need to learn that shoehorning a whole new drivetrain technology and vehicle experience into an antiquated or compromise-built platform will leave them behind, always playing catch-up with companies that jump two feet first into the future.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.
Honda Clarity EV
Jameson has been driving electric vehicles since 2009, and has been writing about them and about clean energy for electrek.co since 2016.
You can contact him at jamie@electrek.co
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Why You Need to Know About Zady, the New E-Commerce Site with a Conscience
You might feel like you already know Zady, the ethical-minded e-commerce site that launches today. That's because it's everywhere: in the Wall Street Journal, on NewYorker.com, and in your Fashionista newsletter. So yes, cofounders Soraya Darabi and Maxine Bédat hired good publicists. But they've also constructed an argument writers can't help but find compelling.
Lauren Sherman
You might feel like you already know Zady, the ethical-minded e-commerce site that launches today. That's because it's everywhere: in the Wall Street Journal, on NewYorker.com, and in your Fashionista newsletter.
So yes, cofounders Soraya Darabi and Maxine Bédat hired good publicists. But they've also constructed an argument writers can't help but find compelling.
Darabi, 29, and Bédat, 31, met in Minneapolis as teenagers. "We were dark-haired girls in a sea of blondes," jokes Bédat. The two kept in touch over the years, and each eventually landed in New York. Darabi worked in social media at the New York Times, and went on to cofound Foodspotting, a photo-sharing app that sold for $10 million to restaurant reservations site OpenTable in January 2013. Bédat's career took her to Tanzania, where she was a law clerk at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Inspired by her time there, and her experience with the local craftspeople—who were often ready and able, but lacked the infrastructure to produce goods—she launched the Bootstrap Project, a nonprofit organization that helps to finance the work of artisans around the world.
From these two seemingly disparate backgrounds came Zady.com, an e-commerce site that sells clothes with a conscience. To Darabi and Bédat, "conscience" can mean many things: locally made, ethically sourced, environmentally sound. Because it's impossible to judge every single item with the same criteria, they've created badges that help the shopper to understand the product's story. If something is handmade, it says it. If the cotton is organic, you'll know that too. If production of an item helps to support a dying craft, you'll be aware. And there's a charity element as well: some items for sale are the fruits of projects micro-financed by Bootstrap. (By the way, 5% of all proceeds are actually donated to the organization, of which Bédat is still the executive director.)
"There's usually such a big question mark," Bédat says. "We thought, 'wouldn’t it be great if there was a solution out there—tasteful, beautiful products with origins.'" Imogene + Willie jeans and Claire Vivier handbags are displayed alongside Shinola notebooks and Fair Trade stripey shirts. How, with no retail or fashion background to speak of, was Zady able to convince these well-respected brands to let it place orders? The answer is advisor Stephanie Seeley, a veteran buyer who spent significant time at both Los Angeles indie boutique American Rag as well as Project, the org that runs the Magic tradeshow in Las Vegas—which is probably the biggest women's tradeshow in the country.
The duo raised $1.35 million over the past year in a round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates, a private equity firm not particularly known for its fashion e-commerce investments. (Although they have put money into Moda Operandi and Beachmint, as well as broader e-commerce sites including Groupon.) There are now six full-time employees, none of which are specifically buyers. While Bédat acknowledges that eventually the company will need to hire a proper buyer or two as sales increase, it doesn't seem to be a place of concern. "We're two women living in New York City, we care a lot, and have always loved fashion," she says. "We're a startup, we all wear many hats."
Another hat they're all wearing is that of storyteller. The hope is that the stories behind these projects—often told by journalists who write for publications including The Atlantic and the New York Times—are interesting and honest enough to make a customer loyal. Yet transparency is something that many brands are currently aiming to achieve. Whether or not Zady's particular mix of content, commerce, and conscience will work is still unknown.
Yet Zady is already thinking about what's next. Darabi is most excited regarding the possibility of an in-store project. "We want people to be about to experience Zady in the real-world, too, hopefully through a pop-up shop in the near future."
One thing's for certain: With consciousness comes optimism.
Follow Zady on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
designers:
Zady
techSoraya DarabiNews
Zady, One Year In, Is Launching a Private Label
The e-commerce site's first product -- a women's sweater -- will land just in time for the holiday season.
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Lyst's New Express Checkout Feature Is the Next Genius Idea in E-Commerce
The goal of Lyst—which is less of a "site" and more of a "tool"—is to make shopping for clothes, shoes, bags and accessories easier and more fun. And with the launch of the three-and-a-half-year-old company's express checkout feature, Lyst is taking one more step toward that mission.
Why Retail Startups Are Working to Make Fashion More Transparent
As fast fashion attempts to repair the damage done in Bangladesh, a group of innovative e-commerce companies make transparency a pillar of their businesses.
Farfetch's New Retail Plan Could Revolutionize E-Commerce
Every day, we receive numerous pitches touting the "next big thing" in e-commerce. Usually, these websites, apps and tools are way too complicated, useless, annoying, or all of the above to ever actually catch on. Occasionally, something special like Gilt Groupe, Moda Operandi, or Rent the Runway emerges. Farfetch, the online hub for independent boutiques, is one of those rare successes. And now, with another $20 million in funding—a round led by Conde Nast—Farfetch founder José Neves wants to revolutionize how e-commerce and traditional retail work together. I spoke with Neves, who is spending some time in New York, earlier this week.
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Why did Vala get so much attention?
Thread: Why did Vala get so much attention?
April 29th, 2012, 02:51 PM #101
Fan-e-Gate
Re: Why did Vala get so much attention?
Originally Posted by python490
Claudia Blacks character was sexy, and funny at times so it brought something fresh to the show. To be honest in my opinion she brought some laugh back into the show, yes not the witty lines that RDA had but a different kind of humor. CB(Vala) at least brought humor to the last season and her guest appearances.
Vala wasn't funny at all, IMHO. I can see how they were trying to make her funny, or at least humorous, but they failed.
April 30th, 2012, 05:27 AM #102
Mrja84
Originally Posted by Fan-e-Gate
Humor is relative, not everyone gets the same joke. But to declare something completely not funny is like American Idol isn't a good show, yet it fills a need in which millions of people watch it.
While I do not watch that show, I respect the fact that it resonates with other people. While I didn't like everything of Stargate, I respect everything they did. Real world events affected the show a lot, with producers leaving, cast changes, etc.
They keep the show going for 10 seasons, that's fantastic. So think about that, would SG-1 still be on the air after 10 seasons if Vala wasn't on the show? No. Would it still have made it to 10 seasons...who knows?
python490
Chief Master Sergeant
Not everyone is going to agree. Overall I did think she got a little too much face time, but that is because I think the writers wanted to play around with a new character. To be fair I love SG-1 but by season 9 I knew the show was going to reach its end. People liked Vala and people disliked her. I just didn't mind her. She was just a guest actress for one season IMHO. Teal'C,Jack,Sam, and Daniel now that is a TEAM.
McKay: You shot me!
Sheppard: Yes, Rodney, I shot you, and I said I was sorry.
Ronon: You shot me, too.
Sheppard: I’m sorry for shooting everyone!
July 7th, 2018, 08:57 AM #104
Garan
Probie
Originally Posted by Pharaoh Atem
sex sells
(I know this is an old thread, but I just had to answer this.)
Unfortunately, this is so true. It happens in almost every TV series. I couldn't stand Vala, and I couldn't stand Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager (and not Anise). The people behind the shows do everything and anything to please the "young, male" viewers, but at the same time they annoy a lot of other people, including me.
I'm sure that's what happended with Atlantis as well, with Beckett and Weir, they weren't "sexy" enough. It makes me angry to think about it, actually. I really liked those two characters, especially Beckett.
I have never seen the other way around, though, that they bring in new hot male characters, to replace female characters. They must have decided that they had enough female viewers, then.
July 7th, 2018, 05:36 PM #105
Xaeden
Vala isn't Seven of Nine. She adds humor to the series, and I'm fairly certain most people who like her do so because they found her funny. Sex is used in her comedic bits, but what's funny about it is that she's overselling herself and doing it to make those around her uncomfortable. Her trying to act sexy therefore is not for the purpose of making the audience think she's sexy.
I'm not saying she's unattractive or that she has no sex appeal, just that she's not the "sexy" character who exists to try to appeal to the male gaze. Rather, she's there to try to fill the humor void left by Richard Dean Anderson. I love Vala and when she reappeared in season 9 in that ridiculous outfit, my reaction wasn't, "Wow, that's hot," it was "Wow, this is funny." That outfit clearly existed so that she could be humorously absurd or, as Daniel would put it, so she could be a fruitcake.
AleksisMi
i will say this, on hindsite, they should have made her opening episode, a dialogue, between the gouuld in her, in its snakey form, on screen, and between her body, but the gouuld in essence talking in both places, the gouuld would be her character etc, very serious, very (peacekeeper from farscape) trained assassin, like the gouuld assassin that was hunting jolinar, so this whole dialogue is a bad idea, but a great dialogue with great new things , give us huge backdrops etc of places and gouuldi stuff and history, and what we take to be her snakey form is also something else, the gouuld entered a tokra host, to fulfill obligations and take aall the tokra information of technology and locations and secretes, but she got more, she got what made the tokra become the tokra, all the psychology, the hosts traumas at seeing thier people suffer, eventually the mirror image of the tokra symbiote begins to merge or flip with the gouuld symbiote as the horrors of everything slam into hte gouuld, and by the end its suddenly showing the gouuld symbiote in claudia black, as she walks up to a cage, where a sg team is captured, and she frees them, they had been there for hte tokra, and she finally lets them just go, her former host is also freed... she is left hostless except for claudia black, as she leaves out of claudia black to go into a pond, claudia goes through something visibly from hatred to rage to fear and suffering she reaches as if to crush it slowly, but again something changes and she holds it carressingly before gently opening her mouth welcoming,
unfortanetely sexual but its not about that its about something alot more then anything so... self absorbed
Later: she enters as a super serious tokra with intelligence, wisdom based on suffering and a overall self rightious yet self aware attitude as her host helps her cope with her pain, she steals a tauri battleship once or twice by 'accident' while on a mission to intercept and capture several hataks, as well as intelligence missions and technology raids as well assassinations, while working with sg1 as a rogue counter to tealc, cold and ruthless at times but tiredly pushing herself far to often, filling the void of there not being a colonial oneil, team bonds with her one on one, she does tokra stuff while they save worlds, everyone enjoys great new arcs, maybe her story ends with her as a medic for the sgc and she goes on missions with the sg1 and sg2 team when things get serious et
Originally Posted by Xaeden
Yes, but as I remember it, the humor came later. At first it was this violent thing with Daniel. And I found most of the humor with Vala not funny at all, it was just annoying to me. But we all have our own opinions.
July 12th, 2018, 11:37 AM #108
It's absolutely not everyone's humor, and I wouldn't begrudge anyone for it not being their thing nor deny that she gets mixed reactions from audiences who either find her funny or don't, but I was one of those in stitches when I first watched "Prometheus Unbound," and that was absolutely the intention. The "violent thing" was part of that; it was awkward and goofy and and intentionally silly.
September 28th, 2018, 02:08 PM #109
Olympic Peninsula - huggling trees
It is said that Robert Cooper really wanted her in the show, and thus gave her a lot to do. One of his children actually played the young Adria (Vala's daughter) soon after her birth.
My Fics - the fluffy/silly variety
March 8th, 2019, 05:17 PM #110
Epiphany1
I liked her too, I do think she was there more to fill the "funny" void as opposed to the sexy void, because it was played like she was just over the top and thus not really particularly sexy if you spent more than 2 minutes with her.
I disagree that she was just Daniel's arm candy sex object per a previous post - there was not much overtly happening, it was just chemistry between the actors, except on the occasions Vala did her over the top "is it defense mechanism/or just trying to mess with him" thing and Daniel specifically did not usually respond positively to that so it didn't last long and the focus turned back to whatever the real story was.
What happened in Prometheus Unbound was different, IMO, while it was played for laughs(the fruitcake and the kiss), it also was played like he was pretty tired from everything that was going on and the fight he was having with her and so not quite himself. But otherwise in S 9 & 10 when they were together there was usually actual storyline going on it wasn't just about "sexy times" even if Vala did drop some innuendo in here and there. And the moments that showed there was something genuine perhaps growing between them tended to be brief and on the sweeter side and didn't really take time away from the action or plot of the episode.
While I do see the point about Vala getting on SG-1 and whether or not it was deserved, I do think there was reason enough to let it happen. She sacrificed herself to try and save our galaxy from the Ori with the first Super Gate, which would have been a huge plus in their books and even then it's not like she was just immediately put on the team, she had to wait a while and do more to prove herself before she became an official member, so not really entirely unlike Teal'c. He betrayed the Goauld and left everything behind, he was a more serious character with greater gravitas so perhaps easier to take seriously but Vala risked, and initially they thought maybe lost, her life to to hinder the Ori's plans and she took another risk at the end of the season 9 in order to warn them about what the new Ori plans were. She had been a Goauld host and so had knowledge of them, even if they were now essentially defeated, she had been "first contact" with the Ori along with Daniel, so had more experience with them and of course later was even more directly connected due to being the Orici's mother and I can't quite remember but I think she had some contact with the Lucien Alliance as well. So she was "well connected" in terms of having her own place in the plots and reasons for being there, beyond her connection with Daniel.
Physically she was up to the task, she could use weaponry etc, it was just about whether she would be able to work as a member of the team, if she was trustworthy enough and she did prove to be so even if she was a very different person than Teal'c.
March 28th, 2019, 06:04 PM #111
LindaL100
Hi I'm new to the forum!
Anyway, I personally think Vala was ok, I didn't mind her character for the most part although there were times when she annoyed me a bit. Personally I think Vala is very over-rated as a character, I mean sure she's very different to all the other characters and some people might find her interesting because of that reason, but to me her being different wasn't necessarily a good thing, I really don't like these female characters who wear revealing outfits and trying to act "sexy", which Vala was, I find it annoying every time she tries to seduce or sexually harass Daniel or Mitchell, it just makes her look desperate, and I don't find her funny either. If a male character was acting like her and constantly throwing himself at women and trying to seduce them, he would be criticised as a sexual predator, but since Vala is a woman she gets a free pass? You can see how annoyed & uncomfortable both Daniel and Mitchell were around her every time she tries to seduce them, sure some people might find their interactions "funny" to watch on TV, but if it happened in real-life, those men would probably report her for sexual harassment.
Overall I don't dislike Vala, but I don't like her either, to me she's just meh although annoying sometimes and VERY over-rated...then again, I personally find the character Jack O'Neill very over-rated too, I don't like either of them really, and I know I'm probably in the minority with this opinion, I just never saw the appeal of O'Neill and Vala.
I much prefer brainy and smart female characters who don't have to wear skimpy outfits or try to act sexy to be cool, which is why I love Samantha Carter and she's my fav character, she's smart, she's a kick ass USAF officer and she's cool without having to wear skimpy outfits or throw herself at men at every chance she gets, Sam is what I consider a truly strong female character!
March 29th, 2019, 06:45 AM #112
Originally Posted by LindaL100
If a male character was acting like her and constantly throwing himself at women and trying to seduce them, he would be criticised as a sexual predator, but since Vala is a woman she gets a free pass?
There are plenty of male characters like that who are successfully played for laughs. Take Barney Stinson from "How I Met Your Mother" as an example. A common trick employed by writers is make these characters come across as comically desperate and to humanize them by pointing to an underlying emotional cause for their behavior.
I find it curious that you think Vala gets a pass when this is a well established trope in fiction that is applied more frequently to male than female characters. They also tend to get away with more. Barney, for example, is an actual womanizer. Vala just makes sexual jokes.
That's why Samantha from "Sex and the City" gets so much acclaim. She is one of those rare examples who is allowed to be the female version of a comic male womanizer in every way. It challenges ideas that women should cover up and hide their sexuality if they want to be taken seriously or if they simply want to avoid criticism.
but if it happened in real-life, those men would probably report her for sexual harassment.
If someone replicated the actions of the three stooges on me, I'd have them up on assault charges. It's not a huge revelation that over the top comic characters work better in comedy than in real life.
I prefer to judge characters based on how well they depict their individual archetype. Alicia Silverstone played a great dumb(ish) blonde in "Clueless."* She is basically the opposite of Carter in every way, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's funny and it comments on a particular type of person/lifestyle. When archetypes become a problem is when we don't get a range of character types from fiction or when an individual work of fiction generalizes. Meaning, they're going out of their way to try to promote a message that all/most of group X are like the character(s) they write.
And, by the way, Vala is strong, smart, and capable. If you can't see that because her behavior or choice of attire doesn't let you take her seriously, that's kind of her point.
well we all have different opinions and preferences, I just dislike female characters who wear skimpy outfits and trying to act "sexy" and literally throwing themselves at men at every chance they get, like I said, it makes them look desperate and demeaning, and her constant sexual harassment towards Daniel and Mitchell despite their obvious discomfort every time she tries to seduce them very annoying. And sorry, but for a woman to constantly use her sexuality in a desperate attempt to make herself attractive only to embarrass oneself is not what I would consider a "strong" or "smart" character and she's often clueless. Vala embarrasses herself more often than not in the series IMO.
I know that many fans like her for whatever reason and that's ok, but I don't and that's just my opinion.
As a woman I feel Sam is a much better female character and role model, she's smart, strong and capable and all without having to use her sexuality or body to do so, she uses her brains instead of sexual seduction.
We all have different opinions and preferences and I personally much prefer Sam.
Chaka-Z0
P3X-888
Or, on the other hand, she is a woman fully confortable with her sexuality and is playful and outgoing. I don't see anything wrong with that, I've had a few friends which were very similar, it's all tease and they're not ''sluts''. For my part, your comments on her looking desperate or finding her behavior downgrading for women is simply judgment on your part. Don't be offended by that but women are the worst to judge other women I find.
But that's your opinion, as you said, and I can respect that.
I don’t want to be human. I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more.
\\And sorry, but for a woman to constantly use her sexuality in a desperate attempt to make herself attractive only to embarrass oneself is not what I would consider a "strong" or "smart" character and she's often clueless.
Vala is strong, smart, and flawed. Yes, she's emotionally damaged and yes that comes across in how she acts, but you can't point out a flaw and say that negates her strengths. For example, in what way is she not smart and how is she clueless? She's clueless about Earth customs as anyone in her position would be, but she's very knowledgeable about topics related to her profession (look at easily she took over the Prometheus, a ship that she had no prior experience with) and she's not at all unaware of how her behavior comes across. She weaponized aspects of her personality by overemphasizing them (her aim is to disarm and confuse). She also does things that people would find inappropriate because she finds those things funny and doesn't care what people think about her.
People sometimes think Jack is a clown and then underestimate him as a result, but that doesn't change the fact that he's smarter and more capable than he often behaves. Would you think it's fair to say that he embarrasses himself and therefore that means he's not a strong and smart character? If not, why should that be fair to say about Vala?
Vala embarrasses herself more often than not in the series IMO.
Vala doesn't embarrass herself at all. Vala is above shame. She does things that make you embarrassed for her, but that's you.
I understand. That's fine that you don't like her, and I agree that she's not a role model. I just think some of the language you're using is problematic. It comes across as if you're trying to shame her for not conforming to behavior that you deem acceptable/appropriate. And while I agree wholeheartedly that we need more characters like Sam in fiction, I don't think it's fair to be dismissive of women who have different views of their own sexuality than Sam does. Nor do I think the only thing that matters is that we have more female role models in fiction. It's also important that fiction is able to show a multitude of female voices and perspectives without being shamed for it.
If you just said that you didn't like humor that relies on being overly flirtatious to the point of harassment, I'd say fine, no problem. But you also indicated that you think the way she acts and dresses means that she doesn't have value. You may not have intended that, but that's how it came across to me.
Originally Posted by Chaka-Z0
while some might find her behavior as "comfortable" with her sexuality and playful and outgoing, but I find it embarrassing and it makes her look desperate and a try-hard, especially when she uses her sexuality at every chance she gets and constantly throwing herself at men, sexually harassing & flirting with them to make them like her, only for them to feel uncomfortable and reject her, that's just humiliating. I don't think her constant use of sexuality makes her "confident", if she truly was confident in her own sexuality then she wouldn't have to try so hard to seduce men all the time. I think her behavior seems to imply the opposite actually, someone who is truly confident in their sexuality wouldn't have to try so hard to impress men. And I do find her behavior downgrading because as I said, Vala tries too hard to act "sexy" and seduce Daniel and Mitchell to make them like her, some might say she's just joking but the guys just feel uncomfortable and reject her advances most of the time, and she ends up embarrassing herself to me. I don't find her behavior funny or interesting, just annoying when she behaves like that.
Everyone is a critic, everyone has an opinion and we are all free to voice our own opinions, and sometimes these opinions can come across as harsh and judgmental, but that's what criticisms are. It's no secret I don't like Vala and I can be very critical of her, just like how someone could be very critical of a different character. And yes me being a woman does affect my opinions of Vala, because as I said, I dislike female characters who behave like her, who desperately trying so hard to act "sexy" and constantly throwing herself at men to make them like her, constantly using her sexuality more than her brain, these sorts of female characters are not good role models IMO, I just don't like them and that's my opinion. Actually I dislike ANY character that behaves that way, whether it be a male or a female, I just don't like characters who constantly use their sexuality and throwing themselves at others in a desperate attempt to make people like them. I find ANY character like that annoying in general, for me it's not so much that she's a woman, it's more about her being that type of character to behave that way, so even if Vala was a man, I would still find his behavior annoying.
I will admit that she had some good moments and she was helpful to the team in fighting the Ori because of her connection to Adria, but her "smarts" and resourcefulness is through many years of lying, cheating, stealing and manipulating men to get what she wants. I don't consider that kind of behavior "smart" or "strong" if you have to use manipulation and stealing to get ahead, to me personally, that just shows she's weaker than she thinks, because she hasn't achieved these things through her own merits, she had to resort to many years of lying, manipulating and stealing. Obviously she learned some tricks from daddy dearest. I find it hypocritical of Vala to be so judgemental and dismissive of her father when she has been guilty of the same kind of behaviors many times herself. Her experience is based on many years of scavenging throughout the galaxy through less than earnest means. The Prometheus used some of the technology based on the Asgard ships, so the reason why she was able to work her way around the ship could be because she might've had some experience with Asgard ships or similar technology in the past, but even then she still needed help from Daniel to operate it. Most if not all of the Tau'ri ships uses technology adapted from similar technologies used by other races, so it wouldn't be far-fetched if Vala had came across similar technologies to the ones Prometheus used, it would explain why she was familiar with some functions of the ship.
I think deep down she does care what people think about her, I think that's why she tries so hard to make Daniel and Mitchell and everyone at the SGC like her, and why she was so emotionally affected when Daniel scolded her about her behavior. Her having to ask Daniel if they really find her repulsive tells me that she does care what people think about her. If she didn't care, then she wouldn't have asked that kind of question and wouldn't have been so emotional when Daniel scolded her.
to me yes she does embarrass herself with her behavior, and I'm not the only person who feels that way, I know some other people who dislike Vala who also feels this way about her character. We all have different opinions so it's a matter of subjectivity.
yes I find O'Neill to be a clown a lot of the times and some of his actions embarrassing too and he often acts like a child, but he did have his good moments and has showcased good leadership skills through many years of experience. But he is still flawed and I find his attitude towards some alien races often rude and disrespectful.
I never said Vala was in any way "useless" or downright "stupid" or "has no value", there were moments when she was helpful to the team, but it doesn't change her behavior and her many years of untrustworthy actions.
I am just very critical of her because yes she does not conform to behavior that I personally deem acceptable & appropriate, that's what having opinions is about, we all have our own different opinions and preferences and what we deem as 'appropriate' behavior. Some may find Vala's behavior acceptable to them and have no problems with how she behaves, but not to me and that's ok, because I am entitled to my own opinions too. And like I said before, it's not so much that Vala is a female, as I mentioned before I find ANY character that behaves this way annoying, it doesn't matter if it's male or female, if Sam or Daniel or even Hammond were to behave the same way Vala does, I would be critical of them too.
One can argue that it's just a TV show and they are just fictional characters, BUT nowadays many people tend to emulate what they see on-screen, especially younger people, you can never underestimate the power and influence of fiction on younger people nowadays. And when you have a character like Vala, it just disappoints me because I don't see her as a good role model, and it worries me that there will be people out there in reality who look at Vala and start emulating her in real-life, and this does affect my opinions about her too. Nowadays when fiction can be so influential on many people, it's important to have more good role model characters in fiction, and Vala is not one of them IMO.
And again these are just my own opinions, it's fine if you and other people like her and disagree with me, we are all entitled to our own opinions.
There are actually more I wanted to comment about Vala but my previous post was already very long so I decided to share more of my opinions about her in a new post...
As I said before, I find Vala's constant use of her sexuality and constantly throwing herself at men to make herself feel attractive to impress men desperate and embarrassing, and to me this sort of behavior actually tells me that she does NOT have confidence in herself, she constantly acts "sexy" and using her sexuality to try to impress men gives me the impression that she lacks the confidence in herself to attract men naturally and organically otherwise, so she constantly uses her sexuality as a means to get men's attention because she thinks it is the only way men would show any interest in her, at least that's the impression I get from her behavior. And her many years of manipulation, stealing and trickery to get ahead in life proves to me that she's not "smart". But she is quite experienced and knowledgeable in some areas about alien races considering her many years of travelling around the galaxy, however there is a difference between being smart and being experienced. Being smart is about being intelligent, being capable of intellectual thinking as well as being knowledgeable and resourceful and quick thinking. Most of Vala's knowledge is through her many years of experience traveling across the galaxy and learning certain pieces of information along the way, but it takes much more than just having some knowledge of certain things to be smart and intelligent.
In contrast Samantha Carter is the opposite, she is naturally beautiful, sexy, smart, knowledgeable, strong and intelligent and she attracts men's attention without having to use her sexuality to do so. Over the course of 10 seasons, there has been many male characters who have been attracted to Sam or have fallen in love with her, and she never had to make any effort to attract their attention, Sam usually just gets on with her job, she's too pre-occupied with her work to even think about romance most of the time, yet all these men were still attracted to Sam naturally like bees to a flower, they were all attracted to her beauty, intelligence, smarts, empathy etc. Unlike Vala, Sam was able to attract the attention and affections of men just by being herself and by doing what she always does, being the smart and caring person that she is and doing her job, she made no effort to attract their attention or affections for her, these men were attracted to her naturally. And I personally think Sam is much more attractive than Vala anyway, no offense to Claudia Black I think she's pretty, but Amanda Tapping is gorgeous
On the other hand, Vala desperately tries to attract the attention of men by using her sexuality and throwing herself at them at every chance she gets, but her attempts often results in the men feeling uncomfortable and rejecting her. In comparison, Sam was able to attract the attention and affections of many men without even having to try anything! Sam just does what she always does and does her job and being herself and the men just naturally fall for her And Sam is smart, intelligent and very knowledgeable, and very hardworking. Unlike Vala who used manipulation, trickery & stealing to get ahead in life, Sam achieved her goals through sheer hard work and determination and effort and actually earned her achievements through her own merits. I understand that they were both raised and lived in completely different environments so it might be unfair to compare their upbringings and way of life, but being used as a host to a Goa'uld then being free to scavenge and travel the galaxy fending for herself should not excuse Vala's many years of treacherous behavior and wrongdoings.
Sam and Vala are completely different women, they are like night and day, Sam is who I consider a truly strong, smart, intelligent, confident and beautiful hardworking woman. Frankly, I think Sam makes Vala look even more desperate and embarrassing in comparison. We need more characters like Sam that are good role models in fiction, not Vala.
I think Vala is similar to Jack O'Neill, in the sense that they both have some experience and knowledge in some things, but they're not smart or intelligent. Sure O'Neill is knowledgeable about the military because of his many years serving in the military, but he is clueless about virtually every else, like Vala he is not capable of intellectual thinking, apart from his military knowledge, he doesn't understand a lot of things and gets confused very easily, his mind is incapable of processing difficult and complex information, and Sam, Daniel and Teal'c constantly have to explain things to him in order for him to understand. Even though he has showcased some good leadership skills due to his experience in the military, but intellectually he has the mind of a child who doesn't understand complex thought and constantly has to depend on his teammates to explain things to him and to solve problems, he can't solve problems himself because he's clueless most of the time, it's usually Sam or Daniel and sometimes Teal'c who does all the intellectual thinking and problem solving. O'Neill is not "smart", he is just experienced in certain areas such as the military, but in many ways he has the intellect of a juvenile, and he acts like a juvenile most of the time too despite the fact that he is a grown adult man who is older than most of the other people working at the SGC. He can also be disrespectful and rude and mindless of other people sometimes and carelessly says things before he thinks.
They both have many flaws.
But with all of Vala's flaws there are still a few good attributes to her character, she was helpful to the team in stopping the Ori and after she joined the SGC she tried hard to change and become a better person to atone for her past mistakes and treacherous behavior, and I commend her for these reasons. At least she acknowledges the wrongdoings of her past actions and behaviours and was trying her best to improve as a person and gain the trust of SG-1.
But overall I think Vala's many flaws still outweigh her positives so I'm still not fond of her, like I am not fond of O'Neill either, they both have more flaws than positives IMO.
Again these are just my opinions, I know some of my comments about Vala have come across as harsh and judgemental, but I am the sort of person who believes in honesty and always being truthful and forthright about my opinions, so sometimes I can be quite blunt about my opinions. I don't mean to offend any Vala fans here, I'm just an honest and straightforward person and don't sugarcoat my opinions sometimes.
And I apologise for posting another long reply, I tend to get a bit carried away when I voice my opinions
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Beaches to Berlin - D-Day to VE-Day
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Archived GB's Sub Forum
Sherman V, 2nd Irish Guards, Guards Armoured Division, Holland, September 1944, Market-Garden.
Sherman Sherman V, 2nd Irish Guards, Guards Armoured Division, Holland, September 1944, Market-Garden.
By One-Oh-Four, February 14, 2015 in Beaches to Berlin - D-Day to VE-Day
Hi guys, although I'm still busy on the 1/24 Airfix Hawker Typhoon, I also felt that this GB could use some more "vehicular" input. Due to all the Liberation Days (celebrated on May 5th, the day the German forces in the Netherlands capitulated to the Allies in Wageningen) I witnessed in my life I have a keen interest in the liberating forces of my country. That makes for a predominantly British and Canadian interest, although we mustn't forget the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the Polish paras! Of course American forces also took part but on a much lesser scale. The 7th AD in October 1944 near Overloon, before the British forces took over the offensive, of course the paras of the 82nd and 101st AB divisions and the supporting units in the western part of Brabant. So, this WIP will deal with a British 75mm gun tank of the forces that were sent to relieve the paras that occupied the bridges at Eindhoven, Son, Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem during Operation Market-Garden September 17th -25th, 1944.
To read an extensive account of the operation:
Operation Market Garden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For my purposes, it suffices to say that the 2nd Irish Guards formed part of the ground forces that needed to "race" to the North along a very narrow corridor in order to relieve the lightly armed paras along the route. The Airborne part of the offensive was code-named "Market", the ground element "Garden".
The front lines on September 14th, 1944:
The plan of attack:
The line of advance for XXXth Corps:
A short piece of text from the Wikipedia article:
At 14:15 hours 300 guns of the Corps artillery opened fire, firing a rolling barrage in front of XXX Corps start line that was 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 5 miles (8.0 km) in depth. The barrage was supported by seven squadrons of RAF Hawker Typhoons firing rockets at all known German positions along the road to Valkenswaard. The advance was led by tanks and infantry of the Irish Guards and started on time when Lieutenant Keith Heathcote, commanding the lead tank, ordered his driver to advance. The lead units of the Irish Guards Group had broken out of XXX Corps bridgehead on the Meuse-Escaut canal and crossed into the Netherlands by 15:00 hours. After crossing the border the Irish Guards were ambushed by infantry and anti-tank guns dug in on both sides of the main road. Portions of the artillery barrage were refired and fresh waves of Hawker Typhoons were called in. The Guardsmen moved forward to clear the German positions, manned by elements from two German parachute battalions and two battalions of the 9th SS Division, and soon routed the German forces flanking the road. Interrogation of captured German soldiers led to some of them willingly, others after being threatened, pointing out the remaining German positions. The fighting soon died down and the advance resumed. By last light the town of Valkenswaard had been reached and occupied by the Irish Guards.
Shermans of the Irish Guards advancing past Shermans that were knocked out by dug-in anti-tank units.
British troops meet with a Dutch policeman at Valkenswaard
2nd Irish Guards tanks cross the bridge over the river Waal near Nijmegen.
Damn! You've done your research!
Really cool.
The Sherman V.
That's what this WIP is all about anyway.... The name "Sherman" for the tank wasn't an American idea. As the British tend to name their equipment and differentiate it by using Marks, they did the same with the American medium tank M4. They called it the Sherman, followed by a Roman numeral to denote the subtype. In this way the M4 became the Sherman I, the M4A1 the Sherman II and so forth. The M4A4 thus way became the Sherman V.
One of the challenges during Sherman production was to find enough engines produced to power them. Chrysler offered a solution in the form of the Chrysler A57 Multibank engine. This engine was created by fitting five 6-cylinder L-head (side valve) around one crankshaft. This way they created a 21-liter 30-cylinder engine that delivered 470 hp at 2400 rpm.
The 5 cylinder blocks of a Multilink engine under restoration:
The assembled engine:
American forces didn't use the M4A4 operationally, they used the M4 and M4A1 with the 9 cylinder air-cooled radial engine and the M4A3 powered with a Ford V8 engine. The M4A4 went mostly to Great Britain, Free French forces and China.
Although the engine does look rather impressive, it wasn't the easiest to maintain, it seems. Especially in the beginning when every cylinder block had it's own coolant pump, for instance.
An M4A4 getting it's engine installed:
Okay, so what makes an M4A4 is basically it's engine, is there an easy way to identify a Sherman as an M4A4? I hear you ask....
Well, yes. In order to get the engine to fit, the hull of the tank had to be lengthened. That is identifiable by the spacing of the suspension bogies. The M4A4 has more space between them than other Sherman subtypes.
U.S. M4's unloading in Italy, 1944:
A Sherman V:
To read more on the M4A4:
M4A4 Shermans
M4A4 Sherman production variants
The kit.
I'm using the Tasca Sherman V kit for this build. I'm not sure if it's still generally available, but if not, be sure that it'l be re-issued some time. In that case it'll be under the Asuka label as Tasca renamed itself to that.
To read a full review of the kit, see Terry Ashley's article on Perth Military Modelling:
Tasca 35016 British Army Sherman V (M4A4)
In any case, this is the box-art:
After opening the box, you'll (of course) find a bunch of sprues:
What is immediately apparent is that the contents of the kit are a mix-n-match between some earlier Shermans by Tasca. The hull and British fittings come from their Sherman Vc (Firefly) kit, the turret and 75mm gun parts come from their M4A1 kit.
The tracks are of the "elastic band"-type, each track is made up of two parts. The original instructions tell you to glue the track with regular glue but an erratum is included, pointing out that "instant adhesive" is to be used. The track is of the T62-type, which was a steel-chevron track with three big rivets on each track pad. That is a type of track that regularly was used by British or Commonwealth units but the photos I've found of Sherman V's in France, Belgium and Holland, do show quite a lot of T74 or T54E2 T54E1 track was used.
To check out the types of track used on the original Sherman suspension:
VVSS tracks
VVSS end connectors
I believe this Sherman is fitted with T74 T54E1 tracks:
This tank of the 29th Armoured Brigade, 11th Armoured Division has got T74 T54E1 fitted, I believe.
It is the 2nd scheme in the kit, BTW!
And to muddy the waters some more, this one rides on T54E2 T54E1with extended end connectors, using sections of T62 and T74 T54E1track for additional armour!
The sign "Houthandel" visible above the turret of the first tank shows this photo was taken in Holland. At least I think so, since the style of the buildings looks Dutch to me...
I don't think the model would be "wrong" with the T62 track, but at the moment of writing I'm leaning more toward a set of aftermarket T54E2 or T74 T54E1...
Another piece of aftermarket I'm contemplating of buying is a metal barrel for the 75mm gun. The kit barrel is made up of two halves. Although I'm fairly certain that I can finish the barrel without any outside blemishes, the inside of the barrel may just be another matter, showing the seam...
The lower hull needs to be built up from plastic plates instead of having it pre-formed. I rather enjoyed that, it gave me some sense of actually welding a Sherman hull together... Anyway, after a half hour of cutting parts, cleaning up and assembling, I ended up with the basic lower hull:
The proper sequence to build up the lower hull is indicated with numbers 1 to 4.
Instead of plodding dutifully along on the smaller parts of the lower hull, I decided to jump to the front of the vehicle building up the differential housing. All Sherman V's were delivered with the 3-part transmission housing. If you spot a photo of one with a single-piece housing, it was either a repair or fitted after the war.
The differential housing also has a proper sequence but I'm not so sure if Tasca's sequence is the best... Step 1 is the top-bolt strip, no problem. As step 2 they want you to fit the towing eyes to the towing lugs before fitting the lugs to the housing. I didn't feel like fiddling with two of these tiny parts at the same time so I first glued the lugs to the housing and then clicked the eyes to the lugs. Boy was I happy with myself! I then glued the bolt flanges to each other and the assemblies to the housing. The last step was to fit the housings of the final drives to the differential housing... And noticed the seam between the final drives and the centre part.... It would seem that the best sequence should be: 1. Bolt strip, 2. Final drives (and filling the seam after drying), 3. Put the eyes on the lugs (Beware of the Carpet Monster!!!), 4. Lug/eye assemblies to diff housing, 5. Bolt flanges together and then to housing.
After a second half hour of modeling I scratched together I ended up with the differential housing:
Spot the seams?
Anyway, the reason I skipped finishing the arse-end of the hull and started with the differential housing was the ever adult habit of mine to se "how it's going to look".
You see, before you know it, you've got something that starts to look decidedly Shermanoid:
Edited February 25, 2015 by Erik B.
I got feedback that I misidentified some tracks, so I edited the text.
Dave J 1,526
Plastic Addict
LocationIn the Middle of Middle Earth
Whooh... you have really done your homework! Looking forward to seeing this one completed!
Paulster 642
LSM Moderator
LocationMenifee, SoCal USA
OK………… You got my attention.
This is great, mixing modelling with historical references, likes it
TeWika 89
Locationsouth Stockholm
Sharp Erik- very sharp!
Got anymore info on this pic Erik?
I would be temped to get a Sherman V to do that!
Grant 542
Administrator and Damn Fine Fellow
LocationArrow Wolf Global HQ Norfolk.
Bloody hell Erik, it's like the Discovery Channel but in print.
Excellent research and generosity for sharing it too; I'm definitely following !
Dave, I'm sorry to say that I don't know which unit this was from or even what town it is.... Around February-April 1945 it was fairly standard for Sherman V's to have this much of track armour. You also see it fairly often on Sherman Vc's (Fireflies). During these last months it were mostly Canadian units fighting in the northeastern Netherlands, the provinces of Overijssel, Drenthe, Groningen, Friesland. This URL might be a nice starting point, browse this website; interesting stuff: www.canadiansoldiers.com
Final Phase
Thanks Grant, to be honest, about 95% percent was just using Google!
Erik,
What a genot ( joy) to read this back ground information. Well done. And sticking bits of plastic together too.
A wider view is this:
Dave, I have asked around, these are vehicles of the Canadian Governor Generals Horse Guards Regiment.
The photo is taken in Arnhem, on the "Hommelseweg", corner "Staringplein" (Hommelse Road, corner of Staring Square). The building on the left is Café Atlanta.
Some fooling around with Google Streetview; this is how it looked, May 2014:
And where this place is located in Arnhem and the bridges:
The picture was made in April 1945 during Operation Anger:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Arnhem
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Canadian_Division
Awesome Erik!Looks like I need to start looking at a Sherman!
Beychevelle 297
LocationThe Netherlands, safely behind an Atlantikwall tank ditch
Really very interesting
Love following this. I have all 3 of Zaloga's recent books on the armored warfare in NW Europe and the Sherman in NW Europe. great reference and build ideas.
I plan on getting those too, although the liberation of Holland was more of a British/Canadian/Polish party...
Hey! At least the Yanks got the first 2 bridges.
Earlier I showed a photo of the transmission housing with it's seams. After looking at the photo myself I could hardly make anything out, so I put the 105mm Macro-lens on the camera:
I think that makes it more visible. Mind you, you shouldn't remove the seams completely, a hint should stay visible as this photo from "Sherman Minutiae" shows:
The " ears" were welded to the outer parts.
Okay, I've been doing some things to the "arse-end" of the model. Step 6 shows you to drill some holes in the backplate.
If you look to step 8, you'll see that that is for the British version tow-pintle. Although I don't have very many Sherman photos, I didn't find them in that time frame and location to be on the vehicles, so I decided to skip the pintle.
The same goes for the holes to be drilled in the engine door in Step 7:
Parts E1 and E2 are British pattern smoke generators. I didn't see these too, although the Sherman that gets "FFI" written on it in France higher up this page, carries them. I don't know what blocks E22 on PE18 are, but since I didn't spot these either, they stayed off!
Although this seems to be a Sherman I Hybrid (you can see it has the radial engine because the tank has the air filter housings on either side of the engine doors)
But have a look at the Irish Guards Shermans passing the KO'd Shermans in the first post, you won't see these items on them either.
The mesh was protected by armoured "slats" behind which the exhausts lived. Because I want to paint them separately, I haven't fitted the exhaust stubs yet. Only one poses on the right place to give you an idea!
As you can see the cut-outs in the mesh are for the exhaust stubs. This is the view when looking up from the engine doors (sans stubs):
The last thing was to fit the engine plates on the rear deck to get that characteristic Sherman Multibank rear deck. The instructions showed to drill two holes in the aft slim plate for the sledge-hammer. I didn't do that, since I plan on putting some stowage there. The rear plate did get some holes for the characteristic British stowage bin.
Nice one. Really love the background info as well...
cib2265 35
LocationSunshine Coast, Australia
Definitely following as I intend to build the "Ram at Cagny" diorama which has a Sherman Mk V (M4A4) from the 2nd Irish Guards. I'll be using Dragon kits (incl the zimmerit molded Porsche turret King Tiger) , but cannot find the right decals for the Mk V Sherman - BallyRaggett.
I have the other Tasca Shermans (Firefly and Easy Eight) and tempted to get the Mk V....
JonathanReed 191
LocationNorth Richland Hills, TX
Wow! Love reading the history, especially about the engines. I've never done armor, but this is SOOO temppting!
Really enjoyed the old to new pictures with Google maps!
Thanks for this! Looking forward to more updates!
nmayhew 325
LocationBattle of Britain country
what an awesome start!
i just love research driven threads like this
out of interest (and I suppose having Son of Sherman book I should know, but...) what identifies the tank with all the track over it as a Sherman V?
the angle is quite shallow so you can't really (to my eye) readily see the enlarged gap between the suspension bogies...
it is a VERY cool looking tank though!
cheers again for a very entertaining read
a little slow on this. so glad I finally jumped in. great research will be following this.
I'm afraid I'm a little bit slow too I've still got the model on the workbench though...
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People Eating Tasty Animals
For those without comedic tastes, the so-called experts at Wikipedia have an article about People Eating Tasty Animals.
A proud card-carrying member of the PETA.
This article is about the meat-eating advocacy group. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a parody of "PeTA" with deceptively similar initials, is another name for some people who like torturing people for the sake of "saving" animals when all they do is save their torturous little selves from running out of money. For other uses, see Peta.
People Eating Tasty Animals was founded in 1929 in a log cabin in the northern hinterlands of Wall Street, New York.
1.1 Bears 1, People 0
1.2 The march to Hamburger Hill
1.3 A new world order
2 Accomplishments
3 Bloodshed (list of what the "blood" PeTA uses could possibly be)
This is something that PeTA probably wishes was changed, due to the high levels of "cruelty" back then.
Bears 1, People 0[edit]
The first PeTA member was a broker who had watched a number of colleagues being mauled and eaten by bears right in the middle of the market. Distraught, he attempted with the support of Teddy Roosevelt and Paddington Blair to create Animals for the Ethical Treatment of Humans, a group to lobby the bear community to stop mauling and eating people.
The effort was an abject failure. In the lean and desperate Great Depression era, animals would eat people and feel hungry an hour later. There was nothing left but skin and bones on most of their prey.
The march to Hamburger Hill[edit]
After narrowly escaping becoming dinner themselves, the group changed name and tactics, resorting to fighting the terrorism wrought by animals against humans with equal terrorism. PeTA members vowed to arm themselves and ally themselves with the "Nasty Rednecks, Armed" group NRA to ensure that next time, they'd be the ones eating the bear - even if in Soviet Russia, the bear eats you.
They amassed their forces under a tyrannical general, the General Tso of the hen-house massacre incident, and his evil henchman Colonel Sanders. The animals were going to pay for all the years of predation in which humans were merely food for lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!
The war left nothing but Kentucky fried carnage in its wake. The bears, under the dictatorial but misguided leadership of Winnie the Pooh, fought on until nothing remained of Pooh's home base Winnipeg but frozen tundra. The mad cows decided to regroup on Hamburger Hill, inflicting massive casualties on the humans, as the war of attrition continued relentlessly until virtually no one was left standing on two feet or four.
In the course of the war, a group of conscientious objectors sprouted on religious grounds. The Vegetarian sect, a religion of worshippers of peas and carrots, felt that both humans and animals were of no importance and hardly worth fighting for compared to the apple of their eye.
These events quickly became fodder for parodies such as "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals".
A new world order[edit]
Main articles: George Orwell and Animal Farm
Accomplishments[edit]
The organization promotes a meat-based diet to solve world hunger.
Lied.
Lied in pamphlets.
Lied on their website.
Exaggerated.[1]
Made themselves look like total and complete idiots.
Made themselves look like worse total and complete idiots.
Made themselves look as totally and completely idiotic as possible.
Made thousands of human beings[2] cry.
Violated Godwin's Law in their idiocy.
Tried to get the town Hamburg to change its name to "Veggieburg" due to it sounding to much like the word "hamburger".
Tossed some anonymous red blood-like liquid (see below) into countless fur coats.
Been extremists in any definition possible (see above).
Bloodshed (list of what the "blood" PeTA uses could possibly be)[edit]
stage blood
something with alky hol in it
something the cat dragged in
what they did with the rest of the expired blood that Dracula couldn't fit inside of him.
Progenitorivox [3]
lava, particularly that of the type in Super Mario games
whatever was left over from that horror movie that made everyone nauseated because of all the gore that was in it.[4]
red Kool-Aid, such as the type Kool-aid Man usually carries inside his giant pitcher head
Mike Doughney, founder of the PETA
↑ Who really cares what bees go through for honey?
↑ Particularly sensitive teenage girls and whoever those kids were that received the "Your mom kills animals!!!" comic books.
↑ That extremely great medicine with the dancing pills and all those side effects including almost everything you can think of!
↑ Luckily, I never saw that one.
PETA, a completely unrelated group.
PEEV, People Enraged by the Eating of Vegetables
PITA, People for the Inetical Treatment of Asparagus.
PAKO, People Against Killing of Organisms - the logical conclusion of the PETA extremism. They eat no organisms, only vitamins synthesized in laboratories, and members have received many Darwin Awards.
Category:Food for a collection of tasty recipes to use up the leftovers from this battle.
People Eating Tasty Animals website
Retrieved from "http://en.uncyclopedia.co/w/index.php?title=People_Eating_Tasty_Animals&oldid=5901429"
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Tag Archives: true selves
A Story to Share: The Seed Blooms
November 26, 2017 Flowers, Fresh Mercies Dailyblooms, darkness, difficulty, growth, nature, perseverance, seed, true selvesjellysculptress
This is a story God gave me this morning in prayer. It’s been quite a struggle to write it up with ‘flu, but anyway, it spoke into my circumstances, and I hope it might be a blessing to you too. x
The Seed Blooms
The seed was formed on the head of a hydroponically grown flower, in a long greenhouse. It had only vague memories of this time, as all of us struggle to remember well our earliest moments. It did remember the feeling of the hot sun, sliding down through sloped glass, prismed into an unnatural temperature, and that one day, just as he was feeling at his fullest, someone knocked the back of his mother’s head and he fell into a hessian sack. Most of his brothers and sisters came too, though a few fell to the ground, and some were left behind, holding onto the dying flower head for all they were worth.
From the hessian sack, the seeds were poured into tiny, foil-lined packets, and sealed shut. There was no air to breathe, no light to see by, no heat to warm them, no moisture, not even space to speak into or call one’s own. Surely this nothingness, if it were death, would soon pass. But it did not. And nor did the seed think it was anything so natural as passing on. For where had they come to? It was nowhere and nothing. By and by, many of the seeds took to simply sleeping, for what else was there to do in the packet?
But the seed we are thinking of used his time differently. He used it to let fly the only thing he had left of his own, his imagination. He imagined growing. He imagined the sun on his back, he imagined something he had never experienced but felt the need of in his innards, he imagined the warm, living texture of soil. He imagined the creatures that might exist there, he imagined how it might feel to grow, he imagined beauty. He thought about what colours he and all his siblings might be, if they were ever allowed out into the world. He imagined being who he was meant to be, in all his singing glory.
The seed packet was sent in a lorry with thousands of other packets to a garden centre on the outskirts of a city. More and more gardens were being paved over by the city folk, because who had the time to deal with wildness any more? Far easier to tend concrete. So, the seeds did not sell well, and many of them languished there for years. Can you imagine years spent locked up in the vacuum of dark, knowing you were meant to feel the gentle warmth of sunlight? Can you wonder how it might feel to be imprisoned in airless silence, when you knew you were meant to breathe deep of fresh air and grow tall? Can you sense how awful it must be to feel dry and listless, not even able to dehydrate, but just be sure that you were rotting somehow, when you were certain that you were meant to be bursting into life through vibrant, nutritious, rich soil? When you knew there were the beginnings of roots inside you that were meant to delve and dive? The seed did not have to imagine this hellish existence, for it was his life.
The dark dreariness seemed that it would never end. Indeed, he had nothing but a softly dripping hope in the underworld of his soul that it ever would. There was no reason for the hope, except that he could not totally bring himself to believe that he existed for nothing, and that the colours and songs in his heart were never to be seen or sung. The hope was deeply painful, and sometimes he wished that it would shrivel up and die, and that he would too, because most of the time it seemed a pointless life and a cruel hope with no foundation.
Unbeknownst to the seed, his packet, stuck behind so many others in the Garden Centre, was almost beyond its sell-by date. There was no guarantee any more that any of the seeds in his packet would ever live. They were moved to a big bin in the centre of the aisles, near the checkout, with a big sign, “Bargain bucket, 10 packets for a pound.” The shop had a new manager, and she wanted to get rid of some of this old stock. If it didn’t sell in a week, she’d throw all of them in the skip.
Six days went by. On the seventh, a little girl called Amy came into the store with her grandmother, who was 86. They went over to the seed packet section and came away shaking their heads. They only had Amy’s pocket money to spend, and all the packets were too expensive. They headed sadly back out, but just as they were passing the checkout, Amy’s Grandma saw the sign. They went over to the bucket, and Amy began to dry her eyes. She looked at the bin, then at her grandma, who smiled, and then opened her red-mittened palm to check that she did indeed have enough money. The two fifty pence pieces twinkled back at her under the fluorescent lights.
The manager was marching past and paused briefly, mid mission, to say, “No guarantee on these, they may not grow, past their best you see.” She waved the back of her hand at them with a dismissive flick, her duty discharged, and walked on. Amy’s Grandma frowned, “Well, I’m past my best too, Amy, shall we give them a chance?” Amy nodded, and put her coins in her pocket whilst they picked out ten packets of seeds.
A day later, the seed’s packet was carefully ripped open, and a small, shaking hand received him with glee, along with many of his brother and sister seeds.
“Now be careful, make sure you trail them along the row, not too close together. Give them room to breathe,” said an adult’s voice that sounded a lot like Grandma. And the seed was astonished to feel fresh, cold air. For a moment, he could not understand what was happening. He had been so long in his prison, that the space all around him was overwhelming.
It was good to be dropped down into something soft and cloying. He felt the urge to nestle down. Was this, could this be, soil? Soil that he had dreamt about all his long life? And then, before he had time to take this in, there came a drizzle of something wet, along the furrow where his packet had been carefully sown. But the strangest thing of all, was that there was light. He had only vague memories of light, and had begun to think that it had all been a dream, the greenhouse, his mother, the feeling of warmth and growth, and yet, he could see. He truly believed he could see. Not only earth, but sky! It was quite a shock after spending so long in the dark, cold, airless packet. He was silent in wonder.
“Now, cover them over. Carefully, children! Pat them down just a little and give them some more water. That’s it.”
And no sooner had the seed begun to get used to the light, than it disappeared again. The soil was pushed over him, gently, so that it was not, when he got used to it, so dark as he’d feared. He breathed a long sigh, one that had been trapped in him for a very long time indeed. He had not, as he had at first feared, been put back into a packet, but was where he belonged, in the earth! In the good, mulchy, wonderful, smelly, rich, earth! He wiggled himself comfortable, relishing the freedom of movement which had never been his. How delightful it was to be able to stretch himself and feel alive. He felt a funny feeling in what he supposed were his toes, as they wanted to stretch down into the soil and dance. He felt more moisture from above and the warmth of the sun beating down, even on this cool Spring morning.
Every day after that brought a new surprise, and a new adventure. At first, he felt so full of joy he could split open, and then, very soon, did just that, and those dancing feet pushed out of his casing and down into the good earth. Little tendrils grew out and nuzzled into the soil, sucking up nutrients. The seed was nourished for the first time in his life and he burst into life above as well, pushing a green shoot up through the grains of mud into the air.
In a very few weeks, he was as tall as the children’s wellingtons. They came every day, without fail, and were almost as excited to see the seeds grow as the seeds themselves were, to be growing. They oohed and aahed, and watered and watched and waited. The plant, for now he was no longer a seed, could see a little sign that read, “Community Garden Project,” and beyond this was a small allotment, and beyond that a trio of tower blocks, where the children all lived. Amy was the sweetest of them all, and tended to her plot with a care and sensitivity that warmed the old lady’s heart, as well as the grateful heart of the seed she had rescued. He grew as much for her as himself and before he knew it, there was a bud forming at his topmost leaf.
It felt wonderful, finally, to bloom. After so long hidden away, with no idea that he might ever taste the open air, or see the sun, let alone be able to grow and become. He knew what was tucked away inside him, he had always known, but to be given the chance to let it be, that was truly something. No guarantee, just as the manager had said, but here he was all the same, bursting into glorious orange, and filling Amy’s heart and his own, fit to burst with long anticipated joy.
© Keren Dibbens-Wyatt photo from Pixabay
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Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization 2.0 beta released
Microsoft on Tuesday released a new beta test version of its desktop virtualization solution for organizations.
The beta of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) 2.0 can be downloaded at the Microsoft Connect page here. Accessing it requires a Windows Live ID and filling out a registration survey.
The other restriction to using MED-V is that Microsoft requires that organizations have the Software Assurance option of Microsoft's volume licensing agreement in place. MED-V is actually one of about six tools in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), all of which are available to Software Assurance licensees.
Microsoft's idea behind MED-V is to let organizations run an older operating system and applications in a virtual machine on top of the Windows 7 desktop. MED-V is described by Microsoft as a more robust desktop virtualization solution than Microsoft's other desktop virtualization offering, Windows XP Mode, which is designed for smaller organizations transitioning off Windows XP. MED-V differs by enabling centralized management by IT pros. Moreover, MED-V can be deployed via Microsoft Systems Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and newer versions of that management solution.
With the new beta of MED-V 2.0, Microsoft announced that it has standardized the packaging methodology between MED-V 2.0 beta and App-V, which is Microsoft's application virtualization solution in the MDOP suite.
"Customers told us that they are moving toward virtualization of their applications as their primary strategy for the future," explained Karri Alexion-Tiernan, director of product management for Microsoft desktop virtualization, in a blog post. "Naturally, they want to be able to use App-V in conjunction with MED-V so that they have a consistent packaging methodology, regardless of the target. Now, App-V and MED-V are fully tested together and virtual apps can be deployed and managed within the MED-V 2.0 Beta workspaces."
Microsoft also made a lot of small, but surprising, improvements in the MED-V 2.0 beta. For instance, passwords now can be saved to make it easier to sign into the MED-V 2.0 beta desktop (or workspace), according to Dave Trupkin, senior product manager for MED-V and App-V, in a blog post. App-V applications published to MED-V 2.0 beta workspaces are "available to the Windows 7 host automatically." Printing, opening and saving documents in the virtualized space now has the feel of "locally installed applications."
Another improvement is that the guest desktop will hibernate upon logoff or shutdown of the host operating system. You can now share USB thumb drives and smart cards between applications on both the host and guest desktops. Finally, for IT pros who want to point to their legacy Web-based applications using wildcard characters in URLs, that is now possible. IT pros can also include the port number in such URLs, Trupkin explained.
Microsoft indicated in its announcements that it made the improvements in the beta based on user feedback. Most of the improvements in this release seem rather basic. In the end, users may be clamoring to make desktop and application virtualization more of an everyday part of the IT routine, rather than just a migration approach for moving off legacy applications and Windows XP. Microsoft seems to be going there, inch by inch, provided that organizations are willing to pay for Microsoft's volume licensing and Software Assurance.
Tom Davis made the connection between technology and reform
Have you delved into your data lately?
Army expects to save a bundle with e-mail move
New Microsoft small-biz server coming down the pipe
DISA takes lead in Defense enterprise infrastructure
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Wow: Hit-And-Run Driver Attempts Low-Speed Escape, Crashes Into Five More Cars, Tree
This is a video of a driver in Chicago who hits a cab, then tries to flee the scene at low speed. Unfortunately for him, he's the world's worst driver and crashes into five more cars in the process. Think of him as Ryan Gosling's character in 'Drive', if that character had been raised in the woods and thought cars were metal animals you could sit inside.
Witnesses heard the cab driver ask the motorist for his insurance.
"He tried to just take care of things peacefully in the beginning, but then once he saw that he was trying to take off, that's when he took it upon himself to get traffic to stop him," witness Karen Morris said. "It looked like it was straight out of a movie. We were all just stunned."
Adding to the driving debacle, Police News Affairs Officer Janel Sedevic said the 20-year-old motorist, who didn't own the car he was driving, then crashed into a tree off-camera.
Sedevic said the driver was arrested and charged with several traffic misdemeanors as well as criminal trespass of a vehicle and damage to city property (the tree).
Ahahahhaha, you got charged with damage to city property for crashing into a tree. I'm not gonna lie, that's not going to get you a lot of street cred in the slammer. Actually, nothing about this story will. If I were you I'd lie and say you stabbed someone. PROTIP: Say it was a relative (we've all been there).
Keep going for the video, but skip at least halfway through if you just want to see the good stuff.
Thanks to E V I L A R E S, who's so evil he doesn't even hit and run, he hits and walks away taunting you.
Shoot Me In The Legs!: The First 3-D Printed Metal Gun
Forever A White Belt: Martial Arts Fail Compilation
Mo Alexander
Can someone please remix this sped up & with the Benny Hill credits theme looped over it...
cabbo
What a massive asshole. Even under pressure, threatening to use your car like a weapon then driving without considering your environment (the cars he crashed into on purpose to get away) is deplorable.
deepfreeze
Drive it like you stole it.
Daniel Ling
The SUV was stolen from an amputee who used it to run a business. It was totalled shortly after the thief got away, so he's lost his livelihood. The owner's home is on the brink of foreclosure and the SUV only had 3rd party insurance. The victim is appealing for donations. http://www.youcaring.com/he...
Jenz
Someone realized the herb platns @->http://www.youtube.com/watc... . just for a short moment, but i`m pretty sure about it
Erik F
Sad story: http://www.nbcchicago.com/t...
Misquoth
Don't make excuses for that bitch-wanker-kid.
Brian Meyers
No, the guy in the car hit the cabbie first, then fled the scene. The cabbie chased him through the city, managed to catch up with him, and then blocked him in to force him to give up his insurance information. http://chicagoist.com/2013/...
Also, unconfirmed reports here in Chicago said that the car was actually STOLEN.
allergicturtle
But why did the Cabbie start banging on the window of the car with a wrench? Hello - wtf?
Easier to trace a car with a smashed window, also he could have done it out of frustration.
abcdefgjklmnopqruvwxyz
Youtube comments say the car was stolen, so that must be true.
Cabbie will be held accountable, likely- attempted assault led to this kid freaking the fuck out, ergo- his fault.
honestly I wouldn't have tried running away but you can tell once that cabbie started pounded the window with a wrench the kid was terrified. This whole situation could have been avoided.
Read More: and nobody's asked you to be a hollywood stunt driver yet? shocking, chicago, crashing into things, do you even have a license?, driving, hit and crawl, hit and jog, hit and run, i can't believe you're not a getaway car driver, i've seen it all now, illegal, man you suck so hard it isn't even funny, sucking the worst at things, wow, you're not supposed to do that, you're under arrest
That...Doesn't Look Street Legal: The Most #$%&ed Up SUV That's Still Driveable
Ninja: Motorcyclist Crashes Into Back Of Moving Car, Flips, Lands Standing On Roof Of Car
Man Used Cell Phone Jammer For 2 Years During Commute To Prevent Fellow Motorists' Cell Phone Use
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ARThound
Geneva Anderson digs into art
About ARThound
Grisha the Scrivener: Barbara Baer’s novella delivers a Soviet-era Bartleby of sorts
Like most journalists I know, I love stories involving journalists, especially those with personality. Barbara’s Baer’s new novella Grisha The Scrivener is a short read perfectly scaled to the big and unforgettable character of Grisha at its center. Set in the far reaches of Central Asia—Uzkbekistan and Georgia—and spanning some 30 years, the story both transcends and depends upon its political context—repression in the former Soviet Union from the Stalin-era forward. It doesn’t matter if you know nothing about the brutal history of Georgia, or the Soviet Union, Grisha is foremost the story of a great survivor who lands on his feet, even when drunk, and who can find a clever Shakespeare quote for every occasion. Those familiar with the history and region will appreciate Baer’s fictional reconstruction—which rings true in surprising detail. The big question that Baer explores through the heroic, comic and tragic antics of Grisha is one we have all pondered to some degree—do you deserve what you get? Grisha’s whole experience in exile—his survival and gradual transformation all with its built-in paradoxes–will pull you in and hold you tight while she delivers her answer.
Barbara Baer is a Forrestville writer who wowed me a few years ago with her project related to the plight of the pomegranate– Pomegranate Roads (Pomegranate Roads: A Soviet Botanist’s Exile from Eden, by Dr. Gregory Levin, translated from Russian by Margaret Hopstein, Floreant Press, 2006). I’ve since devoured her articles related to her horicultrual activism and travel in formerly-closed regimes like Iran. Baer is not Georgian or Uzbek but her writing in Grisha has the nuances of someone very familiar with the culture in the 1960’s and 1970’s. She presents this in a very tactile way— smells, noises and rumblings—evoking a vivid connection between experiences and memories—so much so that we are transported back, right alongside Grisha, strutting across a dance floor or savoring pilaf.
Baer went to college at Stanford and then spent 1967 and 1968 in remote Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with her French diplomat husband. She taught at a foreign language institute there, where she made friends with teachers, students, dissidents and Gulag survivors, one of whom became immortalized as her brave Grisha. Then, she went on to stints in several proper European capital cities—Vienna, London, Paris. Insatiably curious and comfortable in almost any environment, she has been a journalist, a writer, and has now chosen a life in rural Forestville of writing, publishing and farming those endangered pomegranates species in Pomegranate Roads. I suspect Grisha is her magnum opus, a way to fictionalize but process real people and experiences that have followed and tugged at her throughout her life.
Gregory Gregorvich Samidze is Georgian, a native of Tbilisi, Georgia, who spent his early childhood happily in a cosmopolitan home in Paris. His father, an avant-garde cinema director, returned with his family to Russia in the 1930’s to serve the Revolution, and, for an editing mistake, was ultimately exiled to a gulag and then executed during Stalin’s (the “Great Moustache’s”) purges. After his father’s death, like many offspring of the intelligentsia, Grisha was sent to labor camp in Siberia. By re-telling Shakespeare’s classics, instead of hard labor, he got a kitchen job and survived. He was functionally exiled by the organi (secret police) from his native Georgia and from a productive professional life in Moscow to the nether reaches of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. There, in the fourth largest city in the CIS, after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev, he “keeps his head low” as an Agricultural journalist, interpreting facts and figures—numbers of bushels. “You won’t find me at the reviewing stand interveiwing little girls they send up to present flowers to fat men with jowls hanging over medals. Never. “ (p. 11)
“As it is, I don’t look at my own copy after I make my evening deadline.” (p. 10) I take the damp pages off the presses to wrap my bread. Warm flat bread from the Alaisky Bazaar, that’s something to care about even with the smear of printer’s ink on the sesame seeds.” (p. 10)
Like many during the Stalin era, Baer’s Grisha was “robbed” of the pleasure of thinking. His attitudes indicate a strong opposition to the regime but his subversiveness is hidden– he doesn’t share his truth with anyone. “Cynic man is angry in general but takes no sides. I prefer not to.” (p. 41) Grisha’s humor is frequently crass but, at the same time–like the wine taster/connoisseur he ultimately becomes–he is capable of great discernment, poetry, when he pleases. He quotes Shakespeare, Melville’s Bartleby, Keats, Abkhaz author Fazil Iskander, listens to the bard music of Bulat Okudzhava (a Russian, of Georgian origin, whose songs combining Russian poetic and folk traditions and the French chansonnier style were not recognized by the Soviet cultural authorities.) and his record collection of American jazz “means everything.” (p. 10)
Over the 30-odd years that span the novella, four decisive moments that shape his personal history are explored—his father’s death, extending himself to save someone dear, love, and rebirth through a new identity. Through these, we see that Gregory Gregorovitch is more suited to playing Hamlet than Macbeth and that it is not the luxury of happiness but rather survival that has occupied him. But, where Baer ultimately lands him, in the Kakheti region of Georgia—as a winemaker in a magnificent, ancient, and fertile cradle of winemaking along an intersection of the Great Silk Road—he could do no better.
The novella opens with its most memorable vignette—how Grisha helps “Lisa”, Elizaveta Cogan, a dear friend, get out of Tashkent and off on a full scholarship to a Foreign Language Institute in Moscow. “She hardly knows if she’s eaten or not, lives on poetry between a cup of black tea and two puffs of air.” (p.13) Lisa is first in her university class, but Jewish, which is problematic for the dean who is considering the voluptuous Tamara–half-Tartar, half-Uzbek, also his second cousin—over her. Grisha, while seeming perfectly disinterested, persuades the dean to pick Lisa. His reasoning illustrates the calculations that people concerned themselves with when it came to the Communist Party—Lisa Cogan, Jew, is the unpopular but actually ‘safer bet’ because if she is not selected, she is more likely to appeal the decision and to cause trouble for the dean than her competition. And choosing Tamara could be read as endorsing an Uzbek over Russian perspective, signaling a dangerous leaning.
Lisa gets the scholarship to Moscow and emerges as the other strong voice of note in the novella.
When a chance encounter at the 1971 Cotton Harvest Dance Party brings the beautiful American, Sally Washington, into Grisha’s life, he is smitten. Baer’s description of the dance itself is magical–
“Our tsoyck kolkoz ladies make such whirling spirals that their striped ikat dresses bring to mind the story of tigers tricked into chasing each other around a banyan tree until they melted down to butter.” (p 26)
Sally Washington is “a lightly brown Aphrodite in knee-high white boots and a fringe of purple mini skirt that showed more beautiful leg than he could take in at a glance.” (p. 27). She not only matches Grisha step for step on the dance floor, in one of the book’s most comic scenes, but she is interesting. As her jet was landing in Tashkent, she was reading the last volume in Deutscher’s iconic biography of Leon Trotsky, The Prophet Outcast, which could not be a better metaphor for Grisha. And she challenges him: “Why do you always use Shakespeare as some kind of excuse not to say what you mean?”
As the infatuation unfolds, Baer introduces us to herb-infused vodka, poet-troubadour Bulat Okudjava’s enchanting songs, the Alaisky Bazar—an outdoor market/cornucopia of produce, meat and Lada parts—and a feast of first-class pilaf, aimed to put Sally in the mood. Baer also covers fascinating history, linking race, cotton, politics, and jazz.
Sally’s husband, Dan, who specializes in Twentieth Century Soviet-American relations, serves an iconic purpose—the Western outsider/official/rival. He is doing historical research on a group of African American agricultural experts who arrived in Tashkent in 1932 to help modernize cotton production by hybridizing a short-season cotton suited to Tashkent’s broiling summers. They were led by Communist Party member Oliver Golden. Paul Robeson and Langston Huges visited Tashkent during this period too… At night, after work, their voices carried the blues over the cotton fields of Soviet Central Asia.
Baer doesn’t get into details but she lights a spark. The imagined egalitarianism of Soviet Russia must have been a huge draw to these men and a marked contrast to the segregated American South and the general treatment of black workers in America. Dan Washington is thus someone who could potentially understand, even assist, Grisha. When he doesn’t immediately express sympathy for Grisha’s status as a “zek” (a gulag ghost), Grisha pushes him away concluding they have opposing views of history and decides to focus on scoring with his wife. Washington defends himself– “You were a victim. You got a raw deal. Not trying to take that away. But remember, this was a time when the only worker’s state in the world faced threats from all sides.” (p. 43)
The novella spans blocks of years but credibly. Not knowing what his future holds, Grisha says farewell to Lisa in Moscow before he assumes his new identity as Peotr Peotrovich, winemaker, from Georgia’s Kakheti region. At the Golden Fleece restaurant, they feast on satsivi chicken “smothered in a creamy sauce of pomegranates and walnuts, upon a mound of fluffy rice, pureed greens with goat cheese and lemon.” (p. 70)
“Foolish, isn’t it, how we feel so gay one moment that we can bang two spoons together and sing like a whole orchestra, and the next we are crying our hearts out and pounding on a friend’s head as if to kill him.” (p. 72)
As Peotr, Grisha feels freer and writes a book of primitive poetry, which is read by Lisa, who recognizes his voice and reenters his life through an exchange of impassioned letters that are elegies to poets and to free artistic expression. Their correspondence takes them into the early 1990’s, when Georgia is embroiled in civil war.
“You write what is undeniable and true, without false sentiment or exaggeration. In a few words, you have revealed our disastrous epoch, the Terror distilled in images like waves crashing so loudly on the shore that one cannot sleep. Yet there is a place for the spirit and enjoyment of life; you give us breath and hope, bread and wine.” (p. 79)
Peotr admits he still hears the unquiet dead from time to time but does not let them take over his life. (p. 87) “The truth is dear Lisa that I have lived my life in the only way I knew how, a dog nose catching a pleasant scent when it came along.” (p. 91)
In all, Grisha is a great read, as light or as heavy as the reader cares to make it. The trajectory of Grisha’s life has a fantastical quality to it, though several hints of the real world are there, namely Baer’s exploration of exile against the backdrop of stifling political repression. In answer to that eternal question– do we get what we deserve in life—Baer gives us a Grisha who emerges a better man for his suffering. After the book ended, I was as full and satisfied, as if I had eaten a full meal. The only thing better was attending the Sonoma County Book Fair and hearing her melodic voice, reading in person.
GRISHA THE SCRIVENER by Barbara Baer, 112 pp. Denver, Ghost Roads Press, 2009. Paper, $15.95.
February 25, 2010 Posted by genevaanderson | Book | Barbara Baer, Bartleby, Bulat Okudzhava, Central Asia, cotton, Fazil Iskander, Geneva Anderson, Georgia, Great Silk Road, Gregory Levin, Grisha, Grisha The Scrivener, Gulag, Hamlet, Kakheti, Macbeth, Melville, novella, Oliver Golden, Pomegranate Roads, Scrivener, secret police, Stalin, Tashkent, Tbilisi, The Prophet Outcast, Trotsky, Uzbekistan | 2 Comments
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Services: IMDb Poll
Live Poll: A Look at Satchmo - Part I
Louis Armstrong is unquestionably the biggest icon of dixie jazz. He was the king on the trumpet and had a special distinctive voice that was unique. Duke Ellington said about him:
'He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone along the way.'
Please remember Louis Armstrong lived from 1901 to 1971. That was a time when African Americans had even more significant struggles than today.
So I want to know what the audience may think when it actually would come to a biographical biopic, what directors, actors, writers, clothing designers, set decoraters, make-up artists and sound department would you engage to make the trumpet rise up.
(This part)
If you were a producer, with a budget of $60 million or above, which director below would you choose to make a biographical drama about Louis Armstrong?
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls022003075/
https://www.imdb.com/poll/jjoyGsEK5pc/
Breumaster
Jen, Champion
FYC:
Julie Taymor - might be a funky version of his life - Frida, Across the Universe, Broadway's Lion King
Martin Scorsese - could be a VERY interesting take - maybe go into the dark side of being a black performer in that time period - Wolf of Wall Street, Shine a Light, The Aviator, Goodfellas
Dee Rees - Pariah, Mudbound
Jordan Peele - I'd love to see his version of Satchmo's life - Get Out
Mario Van Peebles - Panther, Baadasssss! (aka How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass)
And I wouldn't pick him but Tyler Perry should be on this list.
rubyfruit76, Champion
'Interesting idea. Of those on the list, Spike Lee or Scorsese.
Sean Baker (he makes films like nothing anyone has seen before and he & Satchmo seem like a perfect fit because of several artistic choices he's made; his aesthetic palette mixed with Armstrong's story and music would be pure, vivid color)
Dee Rees (did a film about Bessie Smith, as well as Oscar/critic winner 'Mudbound,' and others)
Todd Haynes ('widely considered one of the best directors; did biopics of Bob Dylan and 80s glad rock)
View previous…
He (Baker) made The Florida Project and Tangerine.
Dennis Haysbert was one of three leads in Haynes's Far From Heaven.
I've put Todd Haynes to the list. I don't have seen any movie of him, but I feel more confident about choosing him, now. He seems to had made some good drama's and even one good biography, so why not. :) But to be honest - if the list would be full of better picks and there were one better pick, I would eventually kick him from the list.
By Sean Baker, I'm still unsure. Just only Oscar-experience isn't enough for such a project of high-dignity. It's more about - if the director would be suitable for this movie. Loius Armstrong was and is a icon to nearly every jazz-lover. Don't underestimate the thoughts of music-lovers. Jazz-lovers sure want to look at an adequate picture. :)
So when it comes to directors I haven't seen anything from, it's hard for me to rely on suggestions. I hope you understand my intention. Making such a movie sure wouldn't be a low-budget production. Everything below 60 million dollars wouldn't be adequate for such a film. If I would be a producer, I would take a closer look to each directing-candidate, if he could do that movie. But I'm no producer - I'm just a german, who is interested in such a (for now ) fictional project. But why not do as it were serious? :)
So I want to know something about the director I put to the list. And I must rely on your words as I as an amateur don't have the opportunity or the insight to really choose B-directors I haven't seen movies from. ;)
Why should I put Baker on the list? What makes you sure, he could do such a movie? Maybe I should watch this movies you mentioned?
I think Rocky makes a good point about Haynes' handling of a multi-faceted life.
If Baker can make one of the most acclaimed films of 2015 ('Tangerine') with an e-phone and almost no budget, and easily one of the most acclaimed films of the decade ('The Florida Project') with an incredibly modest budget and a cast that only included only one professional actor (Willem Dafoe), I can't imagine the masterpiece he could make with the budget he's likely to be offered for whatever his next project is. He's arguably the most empathetic directors working and this gives me another opportunity to recommend 'The Florida Project' to yet another poll author, lol. (https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/poll-suggestion-imdb-poll-board-top-5-picks-for-2017?rfm=1&a...)
Lee Daniels, Steven Spielberg, Eastwood, and Taylor have a real talent for overdoing the obvious, packing complexities into binaries, and devolving into sentimentality. I can't imagine Rees, Haynes and Baker ever doing those things.
When you look at the list, Haynes is in for about some hours. For such a movie in this fictional poll-list-example, you need many black actors and maybe some actors who are well paid, some people who demand their money for extraordinary performance. So the main characters may cost a bit. I like your comment, but I think it's an error to expect a director does more when he gets more money. I thought that, when Aronofsky got a big budget for doing 'Noah'. That was the first time I was disappointed by one of his movies. Money isn't all of it. :(
Motivation and talent is a good way for a good movie. If the director himself says ok, ok, I do that, just because it's a lot of money doesn't guarantee a good movie. I will watch one or two of Bakers movies. But with 'The Florida Project' it's the first time, I heard of him. Please understand me. I'm a big fan of Satchmo's music. It could be that it needs more than money. Baker would need connections to music departments, older people that knew Armstrong personally for enquiring his life, links to older musicians who can talk about him, employees who investigate the legal situation, copyrights, and so on, and so on. This would be a movie for a machinery of connected people working on it. ;) It's the question, if this movie is motivating enough for Baker. I still can't consider, if he would rock it.
I will watch 'The Florida Project' soon when it comes to rent on Amazon. And yes, despite the fact that some directors might overdo, all-in-all it will be a dramtized biography. Just think about scorsese's 'Goodfellas' or the very good 'Texas Buyers Club' from Jean-Marc Vallée. Good Drama-biographys are allways a little pushed in a dramatical way. As long as it's not to far of the way, it might be good. I'll watch out for some movies of Baker. ;) Maybe that changes my mind.
Ok, I put Baker on the list. :)
Peter, Champion
A few corrections:
"Louis Armstrong unquestionably is the biggest icon of dixie jazz."
"If you were a producer - with a budget of $60 Million or above: Which director below would you choose to make a biographical drama about Louis Armstrong?"
In general, try to keep it simple so voters are not confused by the text.
Thank you much! I always struggle with writing english from a German p.o.v. I don't want to confuse, but accidently do it by mixing english with german grammar. It's so good to be in touch with you and the other buddies on getsatisfaction for getting better. I learn so much, sometimes I turn back by old habbits. But you know - practice makes perfect (or at least better). I corrected that.
I've seen some buddies on getsatisfaction mark the changes in bold. That's more easy for me to correct and i see the mistake in one look. But anayway each help is welcome by me. :)
Thank you, Peter. :)
IMDb Poll
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Anonymous, Westboro and free speech.
UPDATE: Anonymous isn’t going after WBC
Or are they? That’s the problem with anonymity and a free-form organization that isn’t an organization…how do we know which announcement represents them or if there’s a ‘them’ to represent? It’s pretty silly, really.
Let me be perfectly clear:
The activities of the Phelps family and their Westboro Baptist Church are some of the most vile, repugnant and disgusting exercises of free speech in history.
That said, they’ve recently been warned by Anonymous that:
“ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.
The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.”
Even some of my friends are rooting for Anonymous…after all, the Phelps clan is beneath contempt.
I’m not rooting for Anonymous, and I’m shocked that any thinking person is.
Despise the Phelps’ protests all you like, but they are operating within the law and have repeatedly gone to court to protect the freedom of speech that we all enjoy. Anonymous, on the other hand, seem to have appointed themselves as the moral conscience of the planet and have decided to dictate what sort of free speech should be permitted.
This group of anonymous hactivists are not only breaking the law, they’re attacking free speech while claiming to revere it. They’ve taken it upon themselves to be the sort of Orwellian authority that one would presume they’d be opposed to.
They’re hypocrites – and dangerous ones.
I really don’t like coming to the defense of the Westboro Baptist Church and yet I’m forced to do it over and over again because well-meaning but misguided people stupidly attempt to attack them for exercising the same freedoms that the rest of us are exercising.
Now, this blog may vanish tomorrow – but I won’t be cowering to terrorist threats just because they’re made against someone I despise.
Rasputin says
I'm not rooting for anyone but I sure as hell am getting some popcorn.
Zachary says
I really wish I could side with Anonymous on this. I mean, I'd love to see WBC implode in a fiery ball of shame and hilarity, as most of us would. But this isn't cool.
paavo happonen says
It's funny how people always miss the concept of "the anonymous".They aren't a group.These threats and announcements do not come from an organisation of any – ANY – type.Think of the announcements like open invitations to a party for everyone who agree with it's designated activity.Everyone – even you – can write up such an announcement and post in online, er, anonymously, and then sit back and watch the fireworks as random people who agree with the message join it without any vote."The anonymous" is you and I, and everyone else who has read the announcement.In this instance the writer was some brat looking for anything to attack and directed his hate there.It would probably just amount to an aggressive online protest with possibly minimal vandalism.But my hope is enough people are smart enough to sit on the side of free speech and not participate at all.
Improbable Joe says
Heck yeah Matt, you tell them! Whoever 'they' are… You beat bad speech with better speech. You beat nasty hate-mongers with compassion and decent behavior. You don't stoop to or below the level of the people you disagree with.
paavo: Well, come on, man, you don't get groups of guys parading in V for Vendetta masks (the use of which Alan Moore has angrily repudiated) without some level of organization. As spontaneous as flash mobs are, even they require someone to get the ball rolling and a lot of people to plan and pull them off.I love the fact that society has gadflies and culture jammers and people who make it their business to be thorns in the side of The Man. But what concerns me about the Anonymous gang is that they seem to be the kinds of people who grew up reading too many superhero comics and identifying with them a bit more than is ideally healthy. I know a few folks who have attended some of the rallies and protests they've thrown, and without exception they've reported that Anonymous were douchebags to a man. I wonder how much of what they do is based on really caring about a just and free society, and how much of it is just self-satisfied superhero LARPing. Stunts like this lead me to think the latter is more in play.Anyone who think Mike from the video in the preceding post is a raging jerk — at least he's not these guys.
Of course, I could always gain a modicum of respect for them if they were to adopt as their official slogan: "Anonymous — Douchebags To A Man!"
Ricky says
The WBC is a joke. As a member of the gay community who was watching these people long before they hit the national spotlight, I find it amusing (and asinine) that they only started receiving attention from the majority of America when they started protesting military funerals. They aren't breaking any laws (and no knee-jerk reaction laws should be made to stifle them) and have every right to be as hateful and ignorant as they care to be. They are no different than any other group of Christians that think we (atheists and/or gays) are going to hell; they are just more honest about their beliefs and more honest about the abject hatred that's in their holy book. I really wish the liberal Christians (Christ-lite) would recognize themselves in the caricature of Christianity that the WBC represents. I say let WBC do what they want. The more people rail against them, the more power they have. Ignore them.And "Anonymous" needs his ass kicked for suggesting violence toward them (and, yes I see the irony in that statement).
Harrod says
My immediate reaction on hearing that Anonymous was targeting WBC was delight and popcorn-grabbing. As usual, trust Matt D. to point out how my gut reaction is not exactly the law of the universe.
optifaster says
The worst anyone labelling themselves Anonymous is going to do is slightly annoy groups of people like this for a short period of time.The only time I've ever seen any Anonymous effort effectively made an impact on someone is when it's against individuals whom they think are worthy of ridicule, often children.Can anyone think of anything that's made an actual impact on the thing Anonymous has been claimed to be targeting?They'll annoy WBC. Then they'll realise it's having minimal impact and they'll get bored. Like they always do.I agree with Matt that they shouldn't be doing it, and I support anyone who gets caught being punished. But in the end their net effect will be some mildy annoyed but quickly over it fundamentalists and a bunch of self back patting among technocowards.
Blake says
Whether the Anonymous threat is real or not, the WBC is only laughing at them right now. There is no way that the WBC hasn't heard all the possible threats by now.The people of Anonymous are weak if they can't stand up face to face.If anything, this is only making the WBC stronger. The WBC already think that everyone is doomed to Hell no matter what they do. Thus, their rants are only a 'look what I have and you don't' kind of thing. They should be ignored and eventually they will go away. Threats and counter protests only let them no that we are listening, and that's all they need.Yes, I know they make some people feel very upset, but they're going to do it anyways, because we keep listening.Or, I might be wrong. I'm actually somewhat on the fence about it, but this idea is what I keep coming to.
Martin: sure, some groups of individuals get together to plan their approach.But never in any organised manner, leadership or group make-up.Much like atheism is not an actual group and has no leader, yet we flock to our individual interests.We just need to march to Washington with Sagan masks on 🙂
jcavsd says
Is this "threat" anything more than angry childish posturing? I can't tell. I certainly get the angry part…but are we just jerking them off by reacting to their statement as if it's actually threatening to anyone?
Gingerbaker says
"Anonymous, on the other hand, seem to have appointed themselves as the moral conscience of the planet and have decided to dictate what sort of free speech should be permitted.This group of anonymous hactivists are not only breaking the law, they're attacking free speech while claiming to revere it. They've taken it upon themselves to be the sort of Orwellian authority that one would presume they'd be opposed to."How does an anonymous group of hackers become an "Orwellian authority" ? The 1st Amendment is there to protect citizens from *governmental* restrictions of free speech, and Anonymous likely would defend the 1st Amendment.And, let's face it. Every thinking person who pays attention to contemporary issues knows the WBC and has heard their message ad nauseum. They have enjoyed more free speech rights than any other group in the country. And they have now crossed the line as far as another obnoxious group of activists is concerned, who have 'threatened' them with a nebulous campaign that seems to involve hacking their web site.Dear me, I am going to faint from the horror of anticipation that the most despicable group of religious assholes in the country, who have caused a large amount of real personal anguish to untold innocent bystanders year after year after year, might finally get a very small payment in kind from real people in the real world. When Nazis march in Jewish neighborhoods it's important that they are confronted with people willing and able to punch them in nose. That's a valid and proper response to assholes deliberately going out of their way to cause pain to innocent and helpless victims. Protect their 1st Amendment rights? Absolutely! Put up with deliberate injury indefinitely without responding in kind? Nope.
Murphy says
The Westboro Church has always been a great moral quandary of mine.I've been busy as shit lately on only just caught up on the last 3-4 months of the atheist blogs and youtube channels i follow. One of which was TheoreticalBullshit's "Treaties on Morality" which is probably the best and clearest explanation of secular morality i've ever heard. In it he basically defines morality and right and wrong as being the the objective classification of actions which move us towards or away from unnecessary pain and suffering, health, welfare, well-being, happiness, love etc. (before or if you want to argue that definition, you should actually watch his video as i've basically condensed 30 minutes of rhetoric into a single sentence)A right to free speech though they may have, doesn't (i think) excuse them from the consequences of what they choose to do and say.At what point does Fred Philip's right to free speech basically become him walking towards somebody waving his arms around like a windmill and saying "I have the right to wave my arms around and if you don't get out of the way its just to bad?"Fact: Through actions such as picketing funerals, these people ARE causing unnecessary emotional pain and suffering. Whilst they have a right to free speech, they are intentionally causing unnecessary harm by acting in the manner they are.
(continued)If something is clearly and demonstrably morally wrong by any useful definition (which i think most people here would agree the actions of Westboro are, or we wouldn't be so bent out of shape about it in the first place), shouldn't you work towards stopping it? I mean, how is simply falling back on "they are operating within the law" any different to someone in the 17th century using the same argument to justify the keeping of slaves? Given new data on how the law can be abused, is it perhaps time to amend the law? (I mean, the right to free speech is actually an amendment itself isn't it? Changes and revisions do occasionally need to be made) Perhaps then Matt you wouldn't have to spend so much time defending groups whose sole purpose is to perpetrate acts you know are clearly and disturbingly morally wrong (and this isn't meant as a personal jab at you, this is i think a serious point). Rights do have limitations and I'm sure there would be a way that we could add additional limitation that could leave them the right to basically say what they want to say, whist reducing the effect of suffering they cause to specific individuals and families who they intentionally and outwardly single out to humiliate, antagonize, and hurt. Some steps have already been taken, such as making a 300 foot perimeter around the some funerals and the such like. Should we perhaps take more steps in this direction?I want to be clear on this. I don't really have an answer to this quandary which is why i bring it up. I'm not an expert on moral philosophy or american constitutional law. I enjoy free speech (even if i don't agree with what some people say) and I certainly don't condone vigilante justice as Anonymous seems to be doing (the very fact that Phelps at least has the balls to put his name and face to his actions makes it even worse in my opinion), but are there conditions under which the Law that protects these actions breaks down (such as yelling fire in a crowded theater or posting naked pictures of your neighbor on the internet without concent) to the point where the rest of society should step in and say "This particular conduct is not conducive to a successful, happy, egalitarian society" and shut it down? And if so what are those conditions? Anywho, those are some of my thoughts on the issue…
minus says
This is pure vigilantism. Let's round up a posse and go out and string up those varmints. I enjoyed Anonymous vamping on Scientology and rooted for them supporting Wikieleaks; but this is ignorant, misguided showboating. Phelps's people do more harm to themselves with their hate mongering than Anonymous could ever do. All that has been accomplished has been more publicity for WBC.Incidentally, this is not a first amendment issue, unless Anonymous is actually working for the government.
Chortletron says
ANONYMOUS is less of a hero of justice, and more of a force of shear blind power.When we're talking about the WBC, they stir up so much hatred that well meaning folks say things that absolutely floor me. In the sane world, they're just a necessary annoyance of free speech. A legal bending of the rules to stomp them out would be an atrocity to freedom, I make it a point to jump to WBC's defense in legal matters (when they're in the right, but just dicks)I'm torn on this subject. I'd never want a cop to take a kid to jail for flipping him off, but in the same breathe I wouldn't mind a bigger jerk taking the kid in the back ally for a minute and "reminding" him how the cops are a flawed force for good, but a force for good none the less; and they don't deserve the added stress of dill holes using free speech to treat them like shit. If ANONYMOUS is going to flex it's muscles in a little street justice, the WBC are probably the best targets to choose. But like I said, I'm torn.
Yiab says
Matt: Right on, man.I applaud Anonymous for their efforts against the Church of Scientology – illegal methods to take down organized crime – but I cannot support a campaign of what amounts to graffiti and/or destruction of property against the WBC in response to their hateful, bigoted rhetoric.Now, if Anonymous were threatening to hold counter-protests wherever the WBC did, or if they were threatening to block visibility of the WBC from funeral processions (like I remember hearing a group of bikers did at one point), then I could definitely get behind them, but that doesn't seem to be the threat here.Murphy: Words hurt peoples' feelings, true. How would a law curtailing the Phelps' activities be any different, from a legal standpoint, from Ireland's anti-blasphemy law?Note: Ireland's anti-blasphemy law deals with blasphemous speech presented in public which is likely to cause emotional outrage in a substantial population.
"Murphy: Words hurt peoples' feelings, true. How would a law curtailing the Phelps' activities be any different, from a legal standpoint, from Ireland's anti-blasphemy law?"Sure, words hurt peoples feelings. But we both know the world isn't so black and white as to simply compare this situation to blasphemy laws. I could just as easily ask you, at what point does "words hurting peoples feelings" become harassment or psychological torture? Would putting a stop to those things be the same a a blaspheme law?There are plenty of people out there who say allot bad things about homosexuality. I don't like what they say at all, but i'm fine with the open discourse of the subject. And if that was all Phelps and Westboro were about, fine… Phelps doesn't stop there however, and you know this. He singles out innocent individuals in an attempt to personally and very publicly humiliate, antagonize, terrorize and hurt them. He isn't making a point about homosexuality doing this. He is unnecessarily stringing out his victims personal pain and suffering to his own twisted ends.I think this is less like a persons rights to blaspheme, and allot more like a person right to intentionally defaming, slandering and harass a completely innocent bystander, which in fact there are laws against in America (and australia where I'm from).As i said, i'm not pretending i have an answer to the problem. I just think it is a mistake to continually give the man carte blanche to do whatever the fuck he wants under the guise of free speech. There are such things as bad laws and even loopholes in good laws, and i'm thoroughly sick of hearing people defend him base on him simply acting within the bounds of the law, knowing full well that what he is doing is still clearly wrong.
Dances_with_the_beast says
Here you go Matt D. Its been reworded so to be the kind of free speech you can defend."WBC cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your disobedient treatment of Jesus Christ has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your homosexual enabling in the year 2011, return to your answers in Genesis, & close your minds to reason.Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory wrath from God : Jesus will target your children's funeral, and the propaganda & homosexual doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your agenda will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while Salvation from Jesus is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your fag loving doctrines.The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you."
@Dances With The BeastI wish i there was a fasebookesque button i could "like" right now.
Raymond says
I know the following is going into slippery slope fallacy territory.Lets change the scenario and play a game of lets pretend.Imagine that "anonymous" had decided that the ACA were endangering the immortal souls of countless millions. ACA's activities although perfectly legal were repugnant to them and "anonoymous" were going to use their power to 'kill off' the ACA.When you don't defend one groups legally exercised freedom of speech you have endangered everyone rights.
rhettboy says
So the message of the collective who openly advocates "AnonNews uses an open-posting concept. Anyone can post to the site, and moderators will approve relevant posts. No censorship takes place!" is roughly "Y'all need to shut the fuck up WBC!"?Lulzy.
@RaymondI think (almost) everyone here is in agreement that Anonymous is doing something wrong. Vigilantism is not how these situations should be handled.But as a completely separate issue, if the ACA's activities (however legal as they may be under current law) involved causing intentional harm and suffering tantamount to psychological abuse against specific grieving families of dead christian children by publicly picketing their funerals because they hate religion, I'd have to wonder if those rights were actually worth protecting.What about the rights of Phelps' victims? The boundary of the right to free speech falls well short of being able to inflict this sort of personal abuse on others.
rrpostal says
I thought the world was going to end soon anyway because god would not want Shirley to take over the WBC after the old man passes away. She's a woman, after all. Seriously, though, the closer Fred comes to the grave, the more spastic and frenzied their dispatches become. As sad as it would, is there anyone that thinks a mass family suicide is out of the question?
Error323 says
What the WBC does is repulsive and hypocrite indeed. I am all for freedom of speech, but their propaganda really is destructive and provoking.I think this is also kind of a moral issue. What does society gain by their rioting? All they want to do is provoke in places where people are on edge so they can sue people and earn more money. The current law is their only boundary. I don't know Matt… is it really this black and white? I mean isn't it better to "attack" their websites before some real violence occurs? Not claiming here… just asking.
NemoUtopian says
Here here! I loath WBC,but I also loath self elected authorities of morality and free speech.We live in an age where ideas themselves must be stringently contested and compared. A 1984-ish attempt to pre-edit bad ideas is not the way to go.In attempting to censor bad ideas,we strip the opportunity to expose and build immunities to them.
JT says
The best action towards WBC is legal counter-protest, and even when they use the WBC protest to stage a donation towards the thing they're protesting.
TDR says
I'd say if people want to pay attention to the loons at the Westboro Baptist Church, they should do it in the way Charles Firth, an Australian comedian from The Chaser did – swing by one of their protests and hit on one of the male protesters. I bet they would have even more trouble rounding up a crowd to go by and picket funerals and generally cause offense if they were pursued everywhere by guys hitting on them..
Let's not go around hitting people.
Oh, hit "on" them. Go go gadget reading comprehension.
iceman says
Why would you want to get rid of the WBC anyway. I think that the best thing Anonymous could do is switch the WBC wesite with.. say… the Vatican website.I wonder if anyone would notice the difference.
@Harrod+1
@MurphyYou said "What about the rights of Phelps' victims?."In my scenario, the ACA are damning the imortal souls of potentially millions. From a theist point of view that is far worse than any of the activities that the WBC are indulging in.So I ask you "What about the ACA's victims"You are wanting to pick and choose what is free speech on the basis of your own biases.The point that I make is that whether someone is "stepping over the line" is not decided by the harm that it causes but its legal status. If you want to change the law because the harm is too great, that is another matter.Many legal actions can cause harm; alcohol, tobacco, driving. Its the level of harm that society is willing to take for the benefits. Its a quid pro quo.If you want free speech you have to be prepared to accept some of that speech may be offensive and upsetting to you or someone you care about.
Adam G says
The Depressed Reader said…"I'd say if people want to pay attention to the loons at the Westboro Baptist Church, they should do it in the way Charles Firth, an Australian comedian from The Chaser did – swing by one of their protests and hit on one of the male protesters. I bet they would have even more trouble rounding up a crowd to go by and picket funerals and generally cause offense if they were pursued everywhere by guys hitting on them.."This is win. Maybe not grope the people, but yeah. LOL…
Alenônimo says
Despise the Phelps' protests all you like, but they are operating within the law and have repeatedly gone to court to protect the freedom of speech that we all enjoy.Actually, it's the other way around. They provoke grieving people at funerals so they can be attacked. Then they sue these people to win money. They're not in for the free speech, but for easy money. It's trollish, it's childish and they should be stopped.
Johannthecabbie says
The WBC has responded to Anonymous with a letter of their own. In brief, they say "Bring It." I've posted it here:http://johannthecabbie.blogspot.com/2011/02/anonymous-declares-war-on-westboro.htmlNow, I agree with all who say Anonymous is wrong. It is an attack on free speech, and free speech is, um, sacred.But, I hate WBC. They are heartless cruel bastards who spend their time bullying people. I'm all for someone bullying them back. Besides, think of the lulz.I say go for it, Anonymous.
Axiom says
You go Matt!
Justin B. says
Word up, Matt.
MAtheist says
As much as I detest the actions of the WBC, I know they are protected under the first ammendment. This lead me to read the NTIA 1993 report on hate crimes which helped to form some of the definitions of hate speech that we have today.In part it states that hate speech is protected under first amendment unless it can be shown to contribute to hate crimes, and even then action may not be taken by the government because the speech is seen as an "advocacy of illegal action at some indefinite future time."Section A, beginning on p. 48, covers first amendment considerations and reaches the conclusion that …The best response to hate speech is more speech to educate the public and promote greater tolerance, rather than government censorship or regulation.Section B, starting on p. 57, covers legal remedies and states that while government can and does enact laws prohibiting some forms of hate motivated activity … evidence of illicit motive is an essential element of the crime and must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in order to secure a conviction.section 2 (p. 62) states that the victim of hate-based conduct will likely have a better chance of obtaining relief via a civil suit … monetary damages are not the only remedy in a civil action. An injunction can also be issued to bar perpetrators from continuing offensive conduct in the future, whether against the plaintiff or any member of the plaintiff's group.With the conclusion again being that government action should be encouraging the private media industries to produce and disseminate programming to counter messages of hatred and prejudice, and to educate their audiences about the destructive impact of intolerance.So, keep up the good work ACA.( Oh, and don't forget to tell the government it is their job to support you. 🙂 )
I agree with the general sentiment here; I despise WBC for their message, but I recognise that they have a right to it. On the other hand; it would be fun to watch them struggle against an anonymous attack…
Sparrowhawk says
I'm with Matt on this. I find what the Phelps group says to be despicable, but until they break the law, it'd be hypocritical of me to say I think they should be "stopped". I can't help but think that, conversely, there are probably plenty of people who would find some things I have to say about religion "despicable" too. If I expect them to allow me to say what I want to say as long as I'm not breaking the law, then it'd be hypocritical of me to applaud when the Phelps' get their tires slashed or are unlawfully stifled by having their website or other property of their vandalized.
Rogi says
Dear Phred Phelps and WBC Phriends,So we've been hearing a lot about some letter that we supposedly sent you this morning. Problem is,we're a bit groggy and don't remember sending it. Our best guess is that you heard about us on thatnewfangled TV of yours and thought we might be some good money for your little church.You thought you could play with Anonymous. You observed our rising notoriety and thought youwould exploit our paradigm for your own gain. And then, you thought you could lure some idiots into ahoneypot for more IPs to sue.This is not so foreign to us; as you may have heard, we trade in Lulz. You just do not have enough tooffer right now.While Anonymous thanks you for your interest, and would certainly like to take a break and have somefun with you guys, we have more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.But, we will keep this application on file, and will certainly contact you if any openings becomeavailable in future.Next time, don't call us. We'll call you.Additionally, as your "Press Release" failed to understand: When Anonymous says we support freespeech, we mean it. We count Beatrice Hall among our Anonymous forebears: "I disapprove of whatyou say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."Do some among our number hate you and your cynical exploitation of your human rights for monetarygain? Of course. But the MoralFags are also the first to admit that they are, in fact, your rights toexploit.In closing, let us assure you: We are not BAWWWING sissies, nor are we afraid of your false god;we're just really busy. Stay tuned, and we'll come back to play another day.We promise.http://anonnews.org/?p=press&a=item&i=494
alargerview says
Is ANONYMOUS a new ruthless terrorist organisation determined to rule the world?
Akili says
@Matt D, When i read the anonymous post my first reaction was the same as yours. I agree that taking vigilante action is inappropriate, even more so when you take to dictate the morals too. However, i did want to consider the point that maybe the law isn't (or at least should not be) the final arbitrator of when free speech has been breached or stifled. Most (if not all) moral principles have their boundaries/limitations… i think that the only the question is ‘what criteria should we use?’ Often the right to life is curbed by the right to self-defence, the right to free choice is curbed by removing others' right to decide, and equally the right to free speech is curbed by incitement to hatred or harm. Could it be argued that the Westboro Baptist Church is doing just that, even if it falls within the law? Isn't the law subject to a higher ground of reason & social morals? To be fair, i am not sufficiently familiar with the activities of the WBC to really know if they have breached this line, nor am i convinced nor advocating that they have. But i do think that this issue does deserve some thought so i just wanted to put it out there.
School Master says
I actually joined some of the Anonymous anti-Scientology protests. Before going to my first protest I thought that Anonymous were a group of principled individuals standing up to corruption of the Co$. I came away from my second protest realizing that they were just a bunch of teenagers who found a way to bring Internet trolling into the analog world.
@Akili:This isn't JUST about the fact that anonymous are breaking the law. Personally, it's more about being honest with myself and not wanting to be a hypocrite. I don't think people should be barred from speaking simply for the reason that their speech causes emotional harm to someone else, even if in this case the speech is especially vile and noxious. I just feel like if I revel in the fact that the WBC are being attacked for what they have to say, then I'm letting my emotions get in the way of what I really believe about free speech.
Badger3k says
Y'all do know by now that Anonymous has posted a response, basically saying this was PR by Phelps or a stunt by someone else – http://thedailywh.at/2011/02/20/follow-up-of-the-day-5/They even commented to the media "To the Media: Just because it was posted on AnonNews doesn’t mean every single Anon is in agreement, in fact in this case it doesn’t even mean a single Anon is in agreement. Next time, if you could give us a few minutes to put all our paperwork in order, we’ll be sure to let you know what we’re up to. (LOL)"So, pretty much a nonstory.(this is pretty much what Rogi posted above. He/She quotes the actual release)
@Raymond“In my scenario, the ACA are damning the imortal souls of potentially millions. From a theist point of view that is far worse than any of the activities that the WBC are indulging in.”Your scenario isn't relevant. That was my point. The right to make statements about your ideas on religion (or gays) in the public forum, is not the same thing as singling out an individual grieving family for the purpose of waging a personal campaign of public harassment against them. Its just not. And unless you dream up a hypothetical situation (like the one I made for you) in which the ACA is doing the same thing as Westboro, you can't make a comparison between the two.“The point that I make is that whether someone is "stepping over the line" is not decided by the harm that it causes but its legal status. If you want to change the law because the harm is too great, that is another matter.”That IS the point i'm making and have explicitly made several times if you care to read back over my posts. I'm all for free speech, but as far as i'm concerned that requires some kind of discourse. It shouldn't be a blanket right that gives you carte blanche to do whatever you want. If your idea of free speech protects the right to publicly harass and torment a grieving family by picket their 9 year old girls funeral, then count me the fuck out. That's a right I don't need, and I think its pretty clear that if this kind of antisocial behaviour is protected by law, I that law needs reviewing.
@Sparrowhawk, “I don't think people should be barred from speaking simply for the reason that their speech causes emotional harm to someone else…” Generally I would agree, but that was not the point I was making. Threats to your physical wellbeing as well as slander and/or harassment, I think constitute as limits to free speech. If the WBC are advocating for the exclusion of segments of our society or the preventions of certain groups from being able to access their full civil rights on the bases of no other reason than ‘I believe this is the right thing to do’ then I think they have gone too far in their rights to free speech. I think that the type of actions we take is a separate issue altogether.
@MurphyYou said "I'm all for free speech… It shouldn't be a blanket right that gives you carte blanche to do whatever you want"I never suggested you can do whatever you want and claim free speech right.There are limits to free speech. I just think that we should be very careful about expanding the limits.
Just wanna say, I love the discussion so far. Even if this does turn out to be a nonstory as far as whether or not Anonymous is doing this, I'm enjoying this.Akili and Murphy have made a point I can't ignore and has given me some pause. At what point does something like targeting a specific family/funeral constitute harassment?
Here's Westboro's response. Pop up that popcorn! XD
magx01 says
While my limbic system is rooting for Anonymous, the rest of my brain is not. I have to agree with the sentiment here- Not cool, Anonymous. Not cool.
Xtylish says
The thing is, Anonymous isn't tackling or even advocating free speech… they're saying, 'We don't like you so we're going to fuck you up.' Which is exactly what their enemies do. They go to funerals and fuck shit up by being pricks. They're just being given a taste of their own medicine and I think it's great. There's no impact on free speech here at all – if these bible thumpers can't defend themselves from cyber attacks then that's their own weakness and free speech is not a shield for bigot's websites. They have the stomach to do what they do? Then they can have the brawn to protect it, if not… then I don't mind one bit at their sick site being messed about by hackers. I rather like it, in fact.
buster says
Free speech carries responsibilities. Even Plato drank the hemlock!
@Xtylish,I think I have to disagree with you here. The method employed by Anonymous (if really true) is quite anti-free speech and quite harmful for future prospects. I mean to say that I like the idea of someone standing up to scientologists and protecting Julian Assange from the government for publishing wikileaks, but Anonymous seem to have no code of conduct, merely a whim of what they seem to think is moral or not. Can you challenge their ‘ruling’ when you disagree? Can you take them before an independent higher power to seek remuneration? If not then I would argue that they are acting just as any other dictator would, benevolent or not. To explain this point: They are claiming to be the sole and final arbitrator of who is going to be punished and who is not. Kim Jong-il, the supreme leader of North Korea, has expelled Kim Jong-hun, the national football coach, from the workers party and threatened to execute him for letting the country down and betraying Kim Jong-il by not winning the world cup. Now, you could say that it is the football coach’s fault that he cannot withstand the life threats of the supreme leader, just as if “these bible thumpers can't defend themselves from cyber attacks then that's their own weakness”. And you can also argue that Kim Jong-hun is immoral as he let down his entire nation, just as the WBC are immoral because “they go to funerals and fuck shit up by being pricks”. But would you really? We might be in agreement that WBC is immoral and reprehensible. I might even agree with you that they may have gone too far in exercising their freedom of speech to the point of inflicting harassment, hate crimes, incitement, and many more… But does that give Anonymous the right to seek personal vengeance? And make no mistake about it, seeking vindictive penalties is exactly what this is. If you have no legal or social authority to inflict this punishment, no pre-agreed moral principle to govern the decision, and no accountability for your actions, then you are acting just like any other dictator in the world today. This is a slippery slope argument as the question then become who will they target next? Who do they find offensive now? What reason do they have for it and what can I do if I disagree with that reason? I, myself, have now become a victim of potential future abuse without foreknowledge or ability to appeal. Is this really the social state that we would like to collectively live in? I think not.
ßrono says
If Fred Phelps died tomorrow, should you have the right to protest his funeral?
Garnetstar says
The civil suit against WBC filed by the family of a dead soldier is now before SCOTUS. The family was awarded $5 million in damages for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The decision was overturned on appeal on First Amendment grounds, so now it's before SCOTUS.I'm all for this kind of approach. WBC has the right to free speech, but if invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress by speech alone are established torts, this is the way to go. I suppose that's why SCOTUS is considering hearing the case: can speech alone inflict legal invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress? Or is speech always protected?If the judgment is upheld, it would bankrupt WBC, but Fred and Shirley Phelps would still be liable for damages. Good.
FearlessLeader says
I'm seeing a lot of comments from people that are upset about the things "anonymous" has been up to. There is no "Anonymous" group. That's an oxymoron. There is no leadership or hierarchy and no organization. It's an angry anonymous mob that shrinks or grows depending on the hour. @Martin The Guy Fawkes masks and protests were not actually anonymously organized. Basically, posts were made on several sites that use forced anonymity calling for interested people to join. Most of the organization occurred on Facebook, which is not anonymous obviously. To stick with my angry mob analogy, it's like someone walking up to an angry mob with fliers and convincing a few of them to show up to a meeting later.
Warren Grubb says
Looks like it was a trap set by WBC?http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/anonymous-its-trap
@ßronoI'm surprised anyone would ask the question. Not withstanding that evil begets evil and you'd be doing the very think you despise Phelps for, what pray tell would you be looking to gain, or even claim to be protesting in aid of? Either way, my answer would be no. I absolutely despise the man and everything he stands for, but in the event of his death, I think his family's right to pay their respects and bury their loved one in peace, should trump your right to be a vindictive fucking arsehole. Even if the law currently disagrees with me.@Patricia"I suppose that's why SCOTUS is considering hearing the case: can speech alone inflict legal invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress? Or is speech always protected?"I'd have thought this question was answered by virtue of the fact that we already have laws against slander and sexual harassment. Clearly not all speech is protected.
soul_biscuit says
Murphy,Can you give an actual example of WBC intentionally inflicting injury through their speech? You haven't done so yet.PatriciaI'm on pins and needles to see how Snyder v. Phelps turns out. It's my moot court topic. For my part, I will be very disappointed I SCOTUS sides with Snyder. WBC took every step to make sure the protest was legal, and Snyder didn't even see the protest the day of the funeral!
@Soul BiscuitNot withstanding that I've mentioned multiple times that I think the action of picketing a funeral actually goes a little further than just speech, I'm really not quite sure what you're getting at.By "intentionally inflicting injury through their speech" do you actually mean “intentionally inflicting physical injury that can bee seen with the naked eyethrough their speech” (which would be kindof a silly qualifier up there with crocoducks) you would ofcourse have to throw out all notions of things like sexual harassment too, because no physical harm no foul right? If you do accept that there is such a thing as psychological harm, I would have thought any of the grieving families (mentioned ad nauseum in my previous posts) that have had to suffer through Westboro's targeted campaign of public harassment would qualify as an examples. Certainly the family of aforementioned Marine Sargent Albert Snyder would disagree with you that no harm has been done, to the point where they've apparently taken the matter to the supreme court.As I said, I'm not entirely clear what you're getting at. If you care to clarify I may be able to draft a better response.
Christopher Petroni says
@Murphy,You bet. I'm sorry, I could have been clearer.By injury, I mean legally recognized injury. Of course, emotional distress is such an injury. The key word in my question was "intentional." It's not enough that WBC show up at funerals ("near" funerals would be better, as they were 1000 feet away from the Snyder funeral). They have to intend to do harm. I was asking you for evidence that WBC intends to inflict harm on the inviduals whose funerals are being inflicted.The reason the Snyder case is so interesting is that it deals with a specific kind of action to which the FIrst Amendment defense has never been applied yet: intentional infliction of emotional distress. Up until now, freedom of speech has been a common defense in cases of defamation. If certain requirements were met, for example, that the speaker sincerely believed the truth of its speech or that the target of the speech was a public figure, the person trying to collect damage would have to prove the speaker knew the speech was false. It's a very heavy burden of proof. Whether that test applies to intentional infliction of emotional distress is not yet clear.In any case, I don't think it would be possible to show to a legally meaningful standard that WBC intentionally harms people. They believe what they're preaching, and they believe they're doing God's duty. The First Amendment was ratified to protect just that sort of speech.And as for Snyder's funeral, WBC was a thousand feet away, dozens of bikers from the Patriot Guard blocked them from view, and no one remembers seeing any of the signs until the evening news days later. Snyder's case is paper thin. If it weren't for the hatred that WBC has (rightly) attracted nationwide, I doubt the district court would have ruled for him.
@Murphy, you're right. I'm also very interested to see if infliction, etc.,by speech will be upheld, as it never has before. I rather agree that I think that infliction of emotion distress, by speech alone may not be a tort.It'd have the very bad side effect that almost anyone could claim it, even if the speech is just offensive to their sensibilities.And, there is a chance that, in this particular case, WBC is so hated that SCOTUS (or at least some of the justices) will decide this solely on the basis of who the defendants are, which would be disastrous.Well, OTOH, we do have sexual harassment, hate speech, and all that, and perhaps WBC's ravings might fall under one of those banners. If it is a tort, at least WBC would get bankrupted (of course, they will just re-group elsewhere).
@Christopher Petroni (Soul Biscuit?)I should preface this by saying “sorry this has turned into war as peace”. I guess the points you raise are the kind of issues that can't be addressed with one sentence answers. I've read back over this several times now and i'm sure there are still plenty of mistakes, but i've spent to much time on it already have have to move on to more pressing matters… like my job ;P I just hope all my points are clear and without to much fluff. Also, regarding the parts I highlighted, I don't usually like doing that, but I figured if people were going to probably skim over it due to it length I should at least highlight the main points I was trying to make. No other reason that that.Before I go into addressing your individual points (and there are a few and they all took me a while to figure out my thoughts), I'll try to answer your main question, because I think it will be pretty simple, short(ish) and sharp. No, I can't give you an example of injury based on your definition of the term. As it currently stands according to most of you guys (and the fourth circuit court of appeals) its obviously not currently legally recognised. That's just a fact, and i'll admit that.To be honest though, I don't think your definition is very useful at all. Taken to its extreme on a situational basis, how would this definition hold up for example, if i drew a scenario where I water board you in my basement? There are no witnesses, and there are no outward signs left on your body of physical abuse or struggle, so you can't really prove anything. Its a pure he said she said situation as far as the court is concerned. The court is not legally recognising your injury, therefore by your definition no injury has been caused.This is obviously slightly different as it deals with the practical application of already existing legislation, but I think it's clear that its much more useful to take a broader more commonly agreed on definition of the term (like any regular dictionary definition) and based on that, yes, there is absolutely injury being done, then the argument becomes whether that injury causing action should be legally recognised as wrong, which has been my point all along. Its even possible that supreme court may overturn the decision (and I hope they do) in which case they will be setting a legal precedent where it is recognised, but either way I don't think that what is current codified in legislation should serve as your sole definition as to what and/or who is in the right or wrong. Otherwise as I alluded to in my very first comment in the thread, nothing at all would change and we'd still have slavery. Codified laws should be dictated by what is right and wrong, not the other way around.
So onto the next point. We seem to have a massive disconnect as to what we each consider free speech despite the fact that I've tried to clearly explain my stance multiple times. They believe Obama is the antichrist. They hate fags. They thank god for dead soldiers. All unpopular positions, but as you eloquently said, the First Amendment was ratified to protect just that sort of speech, just as it protects my right to free speech that lego technics is *awesome*… however I don't believe that right to free speech extends (or as the case may be “should extend”) to me coming around to your house and shouting about the new lego catalogue at the top of my lungs all night long outside your bedroom window so you don't get any sleep.I've tried to explain my position so many times and so many ways now that I'm at my wits end, and I don't think I can break it down any simpler that this. I don't wanna fuck with Phelps or anyone else's right to say what they wish in the public forum. I just think this is more an issue of social conduct, common decency, personal harassment, ethical behaviour and public menace than it is an issue of free speech. I recognise there is some overlap between these areas, but they're not even close to being as intrinsically entwined as so many keep implying in this argument. I think the main reason for this is that people have trouble separating the vile things Phelps says (which are necessarily protected) from the vile things he does against targeted individuals (which aren't or shouldn't necessarily be protected) which is why the situation sounds so different when you frame it in terms of lego. I think Phelps can quite happily have his right to gay hating free speech, without running a public harassment campaign targeted at some poor individual family, by usurping and turning their funeral and lives into into an unwanted proverbial media circus, complete with fascist unicycle riding polar bear, and gay hating clown car.
This segues into the next point. What is the intent? As any Australian, I enjoy a good beer (or 10), and that is perfectly legal, but what is the intent of a drunk who gets behind the wheel of a car? To get home? Is that intention even remotely relevant when he runs over and kills and young mother crossing the street with her child? I pick that one because it is the most obvious, but the same argument could apply to just about any societal breach you like. Does the macho douche bag mean to intentionally make his work colleague uncomfortable through repeated and unwanted sexual advances? What about somebody that forges medical certificates with the intent of healing others only to kill person after person on the operating table? I don't know what the law on this would be in America, but here in Australia, if you shoot somebody with the intent of wounding them, but they end up dying, even if you actually got a lackadaisical judge that decided to rule in favour of manslaughter with the intent of grievous bodily harm, here that could (and probably would) still carry the same 25 year gaol sentence as first degree murder.The road to hell is paved with the best intentions, and we hardly ever rule (as a matter of law or common ethics) based solely on that. Especially where actual harm and damages are being demonstrably shown to be done by one party against another. Suites related to campaigns of harassment and defamation (in Australia anyway. I can't speak to American law) are no different. As feverishly as they believe what they're preaching, and believe they're doing God's duty, even they can't possibly be naive enough as to think they aren't doing harm against those people they single out for harassment, so at the very least they're aware but complacent. It seems far closer to sexual harassment (which doesn't really stipulate the harasser's intent as long as they're causing harm or discomfort by their actions) than it does defamation (which you say is stipulated base on intent, but must have radically different legislation in America than it does here. I work in television, and our news anchors have to be very VERY careful about what they say and how they say it. Even when relaying public statements made by third parties, character and legal damage can still be done regardless of intent. Ignorance in Australia doesn't buy you legal clemency) Whether that harm is Westboro's primary intent or not (I suspect their primary intent is simply to make a lot of noise) is largely irrelevant. As long as they have actively and intentionally hijacked these grieving peoples lives to use as their personal media vehicle for hatred, they are responsible for the personal injury they cause to those individuals along the way. Now, legally this may represent a very real practical problem in America, where we in the rest of the world hear countless horror stories about Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists killing their kids through neglect, and basically for getting off scott free on the grounds of their right to religious practice, but I doubt he'd get away with that shit in Australia, and from a purely ethical viewpoint of free speech limitations Vs harm done to targeted individuals, I personally don't think it would be any harder to establish a burden of proof that shows to a legally meaningful standard that Westboro harms people through these targeted harassment campaigns, than it would be to show harm done to a legally meaningful standard in sexual harassment cases. Antagonist's primary intent be damned in either situation.
Finally we get into the actual case of Snyder Vs Westboro. I had a quick look but it didn't really find much about the events of the funeral itself, so I don't know the finer details of what happened that day, but I see no problem in taking your version of events. The first thing I'll say about it is that whilst the Synder incident has become very high profile due to the court case, lets not forget that its isn't the only one. According to that ever reliable source of information “wikipedia”, Westboro picket anywhere up to 6 locations a day (obviously not all funerals). Some of the funerals they've picketed (particularly the earlier ones. Such as when I first remember seeing Michael Moore make videos about it back in the 90s) didn't have the 300f zone. The Westboro folks are right there in the mourners faces for their heckling pleasure. I've seen the footage of this. Its not a pretty thing.Even with the now commonly defined 300f no protest zone, that is still only about 90 metres for those of us in metricville. That's not out of earshot of shouting distance. Certainly not out of seeing distance. And I doubt ever out of mind, which I think is the important part in all of this. The fact that in the case of Synder they were 1000 feet away and hidden from view of the mourners by bikers from the Patriot Guard on the day, obscures the fact that there was still a vicious campaign of public harassment that meant the Patriot Guard had to do what they did in the first place. I think Snyder's father Albert, summed it up perfectly:“They turned this funeral into a media circus and they wanted to hurt my family. They wanted their message heard and they didn't care who they stepped over. My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."I think the most important part in that quote is where he says “They wanted their message heard and they didn't care who they stepped over.” Free speech mandates that Phelps and his miscreants have the right to say what they want. It doesn't mandate that others have to listen, and when they launch a vicious campaign to hijack other peoples lives and misfortunes, stringing them out into a public media spectacle of personally directed hatred to force them into listen, they overstep their mark, and in my opinion the intended meaning and limitations of the free speech laws. When I read back over this paragraph I even surprised myself. When you word it like that, this kind of behaviour actually does border on the dictionary definition of terrorism.Add to that (according to wikipedia, though lacking citation probably due to it no longer being on the westboro site) that WBC posted an "epic" on its website which denounced Albert Snyder and his ex-wife for raising their son Catholic, stating they "taught Matthew to defy his creator", "raised him for the devil" and "taught him that God was a liar". its pretty hard to see this as anything other than personal. When all is said and done, perhaps there is still no grounding for any protection from this kind of thing now or ever under American law, and the first amendment really does in fact give you carte blanche to basically do whatever you want, but I fail under any useful definition of “targeted campaign of harassment” to see how the conduct of Westboro wouldn't apply.
While you are essentially rightI have to be honest and would never defend the Phelps full stop.
@MurphyI fear this will be somewhat scatter shot! I apologize for that.When you drink and get behind the wheel of the car, your culpable mental state is not intent, but recklessness. You are aware of the risk of harm your action poses (or the law presumes you aware), and yet you undertake that activity anyway.Under the law of defamation, recklessness with regard to whether your speech is true or not is grounds for a damages award. This standard has never been applied on its own to intentional infliction of emotional distress based on speech, which is why Snyder v. Phelps is so interesting.You call the Phelps' protests a campaign of harassment. How so? These protests are nothing more than 3-5 people standing on the street holding signs and singing obnoxious songs. No one has to look at them. In the Snyder case, no one COULD look at them, because they were shielded from view.And as you aptly point out, the Church presents the same message at all of its protests, often many times a day. In what sense are the protests targeted at specific individuals if they're displaying the same message, even the same signs, wherever they go?Finally, their speech can't be proven reckless (or even negligent), unless you think courts are capable of instructing the jury to find out whether God exists, and if so, whether he does in fact hate fags. These things are not capable of being proven true or false in the context of the law. Add that to the fact that these are sincere religious beliefs, and you have no basis for finding fault.Some Western countries have broad prohibitions on certain categories of speech, such as Holocaust denial or promotion of Nazism, or "hate speech" in general. In the United States, we've been very suspicious of such broad swipes at the freedom of speech. To approach WBC's protests as you advocate would be to allow the state broad power to censor speech that the majority finds distasteful.
It's looking more and more like the Anonymous letter may have been utterly bogus and set up by WBC themselves. It's known to many that the whole WBC schtick is about trying to goad people into retaliatory actions WBC can sue them for. This could be one such con.
@Christopher PetroniScatter shot indeed…When you drink and get behind the wheel of the car, your culpable mental state is not intent, but recklessness. You are aware of the risk of harm your action poses (or the law presumes you aware), and yet you undertake that activity anyway.As the law also presumes recklessness (or some other equivalent legal term) in the case of harassment and defamation. As I said, I don't know what the laws are in America, but here in Australia ignorance does not buy you legal clemency from the damage you cause. Intent or not.Under the law of defamation, recklessness with regard to whether your speech is true or not is grounds for a damages award. This standard has never been applied on its own to intentional infliction of emotional distress based on speech, which is why Snyder v. Phelps is so interesting.I would argue in the case of sexual harassment it has already been shown that intentional (or “presumed recklessness” if we can at least agree on that) infliction of emotional distress can be based solely on speech. Maybe Joe Douchebag really does have a horse sized 'appendage', but whether the harassers speech is true or not has no bearing over the fact that harassment is taking place. In fact, truth statements don't even need to be made at all. Joe Douchebag could just be repeatedly asking is target out to dinner again and again and again. Its not a great step to get from there to Phelps's conduct. Which is why I keep using the word harassment despite the fact that you keep using the word defamation. There are similarities to be sure, but its not the same thing. Which is why I actually use the words I do and not the ones you try to paraphrase with.
You call the Phelps' protests a campaign of harassment. How so? These protests are nothing more than 3-5 people standing on the street holding signs and singing obnoxious songs. No one has to look at them. In the Snyder case, no one COULD look at them, because they were shielded from view.Ok so its come to this….tar·get·ed /ˈtɑrgɪt/ Show Spelled[tahr-git] Show IPA–noun2. any object used for this purpose.5. an object of abuse, scorn, derision, etc.; butt.–adjective10. that is or may be a target or goal: The target group consisted of college graduates who earned more than $50,000 a year.–verb (used with object)11. to use, set up, or designate as a target or goal.12. to direct toward a target: The new warheads can be targeted with great precision.13. to make a target of (an object, person, city, etc.) for attack or bombardment. cam·paign /kæmˈpeɪn/ Show Spelled[kam-peyn] Show IPA–noun2. a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose: a sales campaign.of /ʌv, ɒv; unstressed əv or, especially before consonants, ə/ Show Spelled[uhv, ov; unstressed uhv or, especially before consonants, uh] Show IPA–preposition6. (used to indicate specific identity or a particular item within a category): the city of Chicago; thoughts of love.9. (used to indicate the objective relation, the object of the action noted by the preceding noun or the application of a verb or adjective): the ringing of bells; He writes her of home; I'm tired of working.ha·rass·ment /həˈræs, ˈhærəs/ Show Spelled[huh-ras, har-uhs] Show IPA–verb (used with object)1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.2. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid. Now if your definition of “targeted campaign of harassment” has a bunch of additional qualifiers. Like there having to be more than 3-5 people. That the harassers need to be seen at a certain place, at a certain time, on a certain day, by certain people. That all other correspondence before and after a specific day doesn't count. That there must be pitchforks and touches as well as signs. That there must be alien probing experiments. That there must be a man with a funny moustache and spinning bow-tie. Etc… then sure. Its not harassment.To me the classifications of this set of actions seems unmistakably clear, but if any standard set of dictionary definitions isn't good enough for you, then I really don't know what else I can say.And as you aptly point out, the Church presents the same message at all of its protests, often many times a day. In what sense are the protests targeted at specific individuals if they're displaying the same message, even the same signs, wherever they go?Really? A nude model in an art studio is not the same thing as a flasher in the street ok. You can't equate the situational context as being identical because the messages on the placards they hold are the same. That would be a compositional fallacy.
Finally, their speech can't be proven reckless (or even negligent), unless you think courts are capable of instructing the jury to find out whether God exists, and if so, whether he does in fact hate fags. These things are not capable of being proven true or false in the context of the law. Add that to the fact that these are sincere religious beliefs, and you have no basis for finding fault.No. Just no ok. I don't know how may times I can say this: their right to free speech isn't even remotely relevant to this situation. I am an atheist. I see no evidence of a god and I find religion to be harmful and divisive. That's my right to believe and say. When I fire somebody for being a Christian, the court doesn't have to establish whether my beliefs about religion and the universe are true, to determine that harm has legally been done. Joe Douchebag may really believe he's gods gift to women. The jury doesn't need to be instructed to find out whether this belief is actually true to determine whether sexual harassment has taken place. Did Manson really believe in helter skelter? Were the jury instructed to determine if helter skelter really existed?Likewise Phelps' beliefs about god and his actual statements about gay hating aren't relevant in determining whether harassment has taken place against a family who's funeral he targets. What you're arguing for here is completely asinine.Some Western countries have broad prohibitions on certain categories of speech, such as Holocaust denial or promotion of Nazism, or "hate speech" in general. In the United States, we've been very suspicious of such broad swipes at the freedom of speech. To approach WBC's protests as you advocate would be to allow the state broad power to censor speech that the majority finds distasteful.I've said it again and again so I don't know if you didn't bother reading what I've written, or you're just being intentionally obtuse. What I'm “advocating” is not about freedom of speech at all, but about protecting people from harassment. Not once have I mentioned or even alluded to a state board power to censor ideas that the majority finds distasteful, so please don't try to put fucking unicorns in my mouth. What I'm talking about is legal limitations for an individuals right to protect themselves should they be the target of directed bullying and harassment by other individual(s). The message content is irrelevant. Westboro can gay hate. They can deny the holocaust, and promote Nazism, or general “hate speech” if they wish. They have the right to say their message, I don't think they have the right to try and usurp the lives of other unwilling participants as a means of publicising that message. You have a right to free speech, not a right to fuck with other peoples personal and private lives.
I read a very cool article about that church: Fred Phelps is a con man
@Murphy,I have been reading what you've written. Perhaps you should question whether you're communicating effectively. I'm wondering whether I'm failing to do so, because you seem repeatedly to fail to grasp what I'm trying to say.Despite your unflattering allegations, I have not failed to grasp your point that whether the Church believed its speech or not has no bearing on whether their activities are harassment. This is undoubtedly true. (Though in the U.S., even if their speech amounted to harassment, the First Amendment right of free speech may give them a defense.) I don't think I ever claimed otherwise, though if I did I happily retract. If the Church's activities meet the legal definition of harassment, then they can be held liable for harassment. I don't know the legal definition of harassment, unfortunately. Do you?I spent time on defamation because most of the U.S. Supreme Court cases on free speech deal with it, but I noted also that the test the Court applies has been used for claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is what the Church is being sued for in the Snyder case. (Not harassment, notably.) That test is one of "actual malice:" the plaintiff can't recover damages if the speech was made with knowledge that it was true, or with reckless disregard of whether it was true or false. (No, recklessness is not presumed in a defamation case. At least, not in the U.S.) It therefore matters tremendously whether the Church believed its speech sincerely. If they believed it, they did not have knowledge that it was false. Similarly, because the speech implicates their religious beliefs, it would be difficult to find them reckless, because religious beliefs generally can't be proven true or false in a courtroom.I'll try to sum up:In a suit of, say, harassment, the person bringing the suit has to prove the legal elements of harassment. If you wanted to sue WBC, you would have the burden of proving that their activities meet all the requirements of liability for harassment. The content of the Church's speech has no relevance to a claim of harassment.The Church, of course, probably wouldn't sit idly by and hand over a damages award. Since its activities are centered on speech, it would (and does) raise a First Amendment defense, claiming that its speech is protected. As you aptly pointed out, this defense has nothing to do with the legal definition of harassment. It's simply a shield the Church tries to raise against liability. In cases where the defense has been applied (up to now, only for claims of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is why I've made much of them), the Supreme Court has usually required that the plaintiff prove that the speech was false and that the defendant was somehow at fault. I've argued that the Church was not at fault, because it believed its speech was true and there exists no way for its beliefs to be objectively verified. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in the Snyder case.So, in short, the Church's speech doesn't have anything to do with the harassment claim, but everything to do with the First Amendment defense it raises against that claim.
(Crap. I meant to cut the first three paragraphs; I was a bit annoyed at your (Murphy's) rather insulting tone, and I wrote them mostly in that mood. This continuation may be a bit repetitive.)Which brings us to your repeated imputations of harassment to the Church. You seem intent on characterizing the Church's campaign as one of harassment. Here's the argumentum ad Webster you posted:ha·rass·ment /həˈræs, ˈhærəs/ Show Spelled[huh-ras, har-uhs] Show IPA–verb (used with object)1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.2. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid. To disturb persistently. To bother continually. To trouble by repeated attacks. Here's what you have not established: Who is the church disturbing persistently? Who is subject to repeated attack? As far as I can see, the Church protests at one place, moves on, and protests somewhere else. How is that harassment?Can I ask what legal training you might have? I'm not trying to claim authority, because I only have a semester and a half of law school, but I've noticed that you seem largely ignorant of free speech law in the U.S. (Not surprising, of course, and I don't mean that pejoratively; your grasp of American law is certainly stronger than my grasp of Australian law.) A lot of the things you're arguing against are settled law. I'm not sure you really understand the nature of the Church's activities, either. They generally show up to places, stand around for a few hours, and then go somewhere else. If that's harassment, then all those anti-globalization protesters are guilty of harassment, all those tea-baggers are guilty of harassment, and so one. You would make the right of the people peaceably to assemble into harassment.
Oh no. I could have sworn that the first part of my post was published, but now it seems to be gone. So the angry three paragraphs I mentioned above don't seem to exist, nor does the rest of what I typed.Sorry Murphy; I'll try briefly to recreate the first half of my post so the second half (what you see above) makes sense.Let's imagine that the Church showed up near some event you had arranged, adorned as always in full "God Hates Fags" resplendency. You decide to file suit for harassment. If your suit goes to court, you will have to prove that the Church's conduct meets all the legal elements of harassment. As you correctly observed, freedom of speech has nothing to do with whether the Church's activities are harassment.Even if you can prove this, however, you might not necessarily win. The Church can (and does) raise the First Amendment as a defense. If certain conditions are met, you must not only prove that they have harassed you, but also that their speech was false and that they were somehow at fault. In my opinion you wouldn't be able to do this. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agrees with me on this in the Snyder case, but then the District Court ruled the other way. We still don't know what the Supreme Court will say.After reading this, my above post should make a little more sense (I hope). And again, I really don't mean anything offensive by asking about what legal studies you might have done. (Though, as you pointed out, what one intends and what results are not always the same!)
Kazim says
Sorry Chris, the spam filter has some problems it and ate your posts. I've freed them but you might get some duplicates now.
Thanks Russell! I almost wish you hadn't resurrected my first post, though; it was both poorly written and muddied by petulant whining. I apologize for that, Murphy. If you're still interested in this exchange (I hope you are!) you'd probably be better off ignoring the post beginning "I have been reading what you've written" and just go on to the next two, in which all the same points are put more concisely.
And..now they have hacked the WBC servers? (http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9211305/Anonymous_hacks_church_Web_site_during_live_interview)WTF.
@Christopher PetroniI sincerely apologise if I got a bit carried away with myself in the last reply. I just get really agitated when people claim I'm advocating something which I'm clearly not (or at least I think I'm clearly not). I don't like broad government censorship any more that you do. In what I advocate, the government would serve as no more than an arbiter of mediation, for grievances between two individual parties, as in any other civil action, but the individual would have more rights to protect themselves from harassment.I'll start off by just saying that I'm a layman. I really can't pretend otherwise. My official training is actually in fine arts, majoring in painting and sculpture, and I now work in television commercial production, in roles ranging from direction, editing, graphic design, animation, camera operation etc. That being said I'm probably more well read than average Joe in the street. But I'm not a law expert by any stretch of the imagination.I think we're much more on the same page now, which means it should be allot easier for us to point out our objections to each others arguments. The two most glaring at this point I think, are the limitations and boundaries on how far free speech reaches and what constitutes harassment. Specifically in this case, have Westboro committed harassment, and is that still covered by free speech.”Despite your unflattering allegations, I have not failed to grasp your point that whether the Church believed its speech or not has no bearing on whether their activities are harassment. This is undoubtedly true.[sic]If you wanted to sue WBC, you would have the burden of proving that their activities meet all the requirements of liability for harassment. The content of the Church's speech has no relevance to a claim of harassment.[sic]As you aptly pointed out, this defense has nothing to do with the legal definition of harassment. It's simply a shield the Church tries to raise against liability. In cases where the defense has been applied (up to now, only for claims of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which is why I've made much of them), the Supreme Court has usually required that the plaintiff prove that the speech was false and that the defendant was somehow at fault. I've argued that the Church was not at fault, because it believed its speech was true and there exists no way for its beliefs to be objectively verified. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in the Snyder case.[sic]So, in short, the Church's speech doesn't have anything to do with the harassment claim, but everything to do with the First Amendment defense it raises against that claim. ”Would I be jumping to conclusions based on some of the things you've written here that you (at least to some extent) agree with me that the charge that Westboro have committed harassment has little to no relevance with their first amendment right to free speech? So why are they able to use it as a defence at all? This is my problem. Free speech should give you free speech. It shouldn't give you carte blanche to do whatever you want, but as best as I can see, that's exactly what you claim it does in the American first amendment.”(Though in the U.S., even if their speech amounted to harassment, the First Amendment right of free speech may give them a defense.)”
The most striking this about all of this is that I am becoming deeply deeply concerned that an atheist (and i'm making a fairly bold assumption that you also align with the skeptic movement) would think this situation is a good thing. This idea that Phelps and his band of wingnuts can do what ever they want including harass people, and its all protected by the first amendment right to free speech, unless you can legally prove his god doesn't exist, sounds (to an admitted layman in a country on the other side of the world) remarkably like a legal version of Carl Sagans invisible garage dragon! The dragon exists until you prove it doesn't.In Australia we don't have a bill of rights. We don't have a first amendment. We don't have a constitutional right to free speech. What we have is an implied right to free speech. What this means is that you can still say whatever you want, but what you say (and do if you want to extend the first amendment to cover actions as well) has consequences. There is no get out of gaol free speech card. In other words, for all intensive purposes reckless disregard is assumed in Australian defamation law. Likewise, as I've said previously, stern belief and ignorance, does not equal fact, and therefore does not give you clemency under Australian law. You're still free to say whatever you want, about whoever you want, but if that person calls you on it, you'd better have the fucking evidence to back it up your claim. If you can't back it up as true, then you're liable.For example, if you were to launch a public smear campaign that a certain person is the devil, it doesn't matter how strongly you believe that accusation. What matters is whether you can back the accusation up with evidence. If not then you're liable for damages. Its not the victims responsibility to prove they aren't really the devil (or that a gay hating god doesn't really exist, assuming that its even relevant to the charge which in this case I don't think it is). The burden of proof is on the person making the allegations, not the victim of those allegations.One of the mains points of the atheist/skeptic movement (and this Texan talk back show in particular), is that the burden of proof is on the person who makes the claims. Its not our responsibility to disprove their god. This is a fairly fundamental premise of logic which we all seem to subscribe to here, on all matters other than this one, and I would have thought a fairly fundamental principle in the “innocent until proven guilty” judicial system as well. I just wonder why that burden of proof is magically flipped to the other side whenever the first amendment is invoked (especially when we both seem to be agreeing to some extent, that it's not really even relevant to the charge of harassment in the first place) and why you don't seem to see a problem with that?
In regards to your question on whether Westboro have 'legally' committed harassment, all I can do is refer back to my original response to you when you asked about legally recognised injury. No, the Forth Circuit Court of Appeals have said Westboro haven't legally committed harassment or defamation etc. That's just a fact. However my point has been that if its not legally recognised I think it should be. Maybe the Supreme Court will change this. Maybe not. I don't know. I disagree, with the Forth Circuit's ruling, but my disagreement doesn't change the legally recognised interpretation of the law as it currently stands.”They generally show up to places, stand around for a few hours, and then go somewhere else. If that's harassment, then all those anti-globalization protesters are guilty of harassment, all those tea-baggers are guilty of harassment, and so one. You would make the right of the people peaceably to assemble into harassment.[sic]Let's imagine that the Church showed up near some event you had arranged, [sic]”Anti-globalization protesters have a right to rally outside the G8 summit. They don't have the right to egg Richard Branson's house, prank call him at all hours of the night, shoot his dog with a BB gun and let down the tires on his car.Animal rights protesters have a right to boycott fur and leather clothing or hold general protesting. They don't have a right to vandalise department stores that sell those clothes, or break into and trash medical research facilities that do animal testing.The tea party has a right to rally in a public area and put forward their ideas on politics and society, as fascist and racist as those ideas may be. But when Glen Beck singles out a specifically named democratic politician who disagrees with his position, and starts hypothesising on live television, about what it would be like to break into their house at night and kill them in their sleep, that is not the same thing.Likewise, Westboro have the right to say what they want, in public areas if they wish. I don't believe they do (or should) have the right to try and crash a family funeral. As best as I can tell, your only arguments against this behaviour being grounds for legal recourse for the family (and feel free to add to this list if I have infact overlooked a major point of relevance you've put forward) is that 1) they are 'near' the funeral not 'at' the funeral, and 2) that they protest with the same message where ever they go, so there is no indication that anyone is actually being targeted.
First of all, as I briefly touched on this in previous posts, I think it is a huge mistake to use Snyder as the only example, and I have a problem with your objections' presupposition that we should ignore both Westboro's history and the correspondence that occurs outside the events of a specific protest, To say that they are 'near the funeral and not 'at' the funeral ignores that that is only by government mandate of a 300+ foot no protest zone. In the past where this rule wasn't enforced, they have been right there at the front steps and on the cemetery lawns heckling mourners. Which sort of segues into my second point.These aren't just regular random street corner protests. Can we be honest enough to admit that they don't just show up to some place, and there just happens to be a funeral there? Its not by random chance. They are there because the funeral is there, and they make a very public song and dance about this fact in the media. They are targeting the funeral and the family and explicitly say so, even if the message they actually present on the day, on location, is the same as other protests.And that brings up one of my biggest concerned that you're choosing to over look. The harassment campaign isn't just them turning up at the funeral, but includes the unwanted media shit-storm they intentionally use it to cause, and the things they publicly say about the targeted family both before and after the funeral. To re quote a snippet from wikipedia in my previous messages:"WBC posted an "epic" on its website which denounced Albert Snyder and his ex-wife for raising their son Catholic, stating they "taught Matthew to defy his creator", "raised him for the devil" and "taught him that God was a liar"This is not the same message as their usual protests. These are specific allegations levelled personally at Albert Snyder, his ex-wife, and his dead son. You cannot possibly argue this isn't targeted personal. As I've already mentioned, under Australian law, (and the laws of formal logic), the burden of proof would, and should, be Phelp's responsibility to back up his allegations with evidence. If he can't do that he should be liable for damages. Its not Albert Snyder's responsibility to prove that he isn't in fact working for the devil. Phelps would not get away with this kind of shit in Australia. If as you say, under American law and the first amendment, the burden of proof is legally shifted to the other party (essentially making it Snyders responsibility to disprove the existence of Phelps' god, lest he gets carte blanche), then all I can say, is that I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope as a result of your completed law degree you work hard in the field towards rectifying this hideous oversight.As you say, many of these things may be settled as matters of American law. Honestly, I am ignorant to the letter of American law, and I can't necessarily argue those facts if they are indeed facts (i'm fine with taking your word that they are). What I will say, is that if they are settled in law, then I think that law is clearly wrong and should be reviewed.
O Oh Spaghetti Oh… looks like the spam Engine has chewwed up my first post as well. I'd request you wait until Russell has retrieved it before replying Ironic that the spam filter would axe it for being a malicious evil spam troll message considering it starts of with an apology 😛
Ok, so i've just been on the phone for about an hour with a friend that has a Masters Degree in ethics law, and I feel a couple of clarifications/concessions are in order as I don't want to spread incorrect information, even if it means I was wrong and look like an arse.Re: burden of proof under slander/defamation/libel in Australia.She said that apparently I didn't word things very well at all. Its not so much that an assumption of recklessness is made. Being a civil action, legally the plantif has still brought a positive case of grievance against the defendant. Truth is an absolute defence in this case, but it is the defendants responsibility to establish that truth.I kindof mucked up the wording, but what I said was essentially correct. For all intensive purposes in Australian libel/defamation/slander law, the burden of proof still rests on the person who made the original accusation(s).Re: Harassment in Australia.Without reading back over the gargantuan mess of pages that I've written, I don't know that I really made any factual statements about harassment law in Australia, so much as I simply stated that I thought Westboro's actions should be considered harassment. However I feel as though it might have been implied.Apparently my friend said that even under Australian law its not as easy a situation as I think. There is no blanket legal definition of Harassment in Australia. Apparently it is actually quite a hard thing to establish here too. A neighbour who's harassing you and your family just because he's an arsehole is apparently almost impossible to deal with legally. However she did say that we do have a bunch of laws about harassment on grounds of sexuality, race, and religions, and that possibly the last one would cover the actions of the Phelps mob.Also that there are laws in Australia such as incitement of hate/violence, which for all intensive purposes are harassment laws (though under a different name) which may cover the actions of the Westboro church.In a nutshell, blanket harassment: probably not. Some other brand of harassment or incitement of hate on religious grounds: maybe. Slander and defamation: probably, though on that charge alone once fault has been established, there probably isn't a huge amount of punitive damages in the name calling the westboro have thrown at the Snyders.I still think Westboro are in the wrong, and I'm still not thrilled at all, about the apparent reach and burden of proof switcheroo of first amendment Free Speech laws. But I felt I had to make this post in the name of honest argument.
The most striking this about all of this is that I am becoming deeply deeply concerned that an atheist (and i'm making a fairly bold assumption that you also align with the skeptic movement) would think this situation is a good thing. I do like to think of myself as an atheist and a skeptic. I'm not sure what situation you imply that I think is a good thing. I'm not thrilled that there are people picketing at funerals to denounce the decedent to hellfire. I just think the proper response is more speech, not legal action (as long as no other laws are violated, including civil harassment, of course.)This idea that Phelps and his band of wingnuts can do what ever they want including harass people, and its all protected by the first amendment right to free speech, unless you can legally prove his god doesn't exist, sounds (to an admitted layman in a country on the other side of the world) remarkably like a legal version of Carl Sagans invisible garage dragon!You retreated somewhat in your last post, so if this sentence doesn't represent your position anymore, I apologize. I wanted to clear something up and correct something I misstated above. Of course WBC doesn't have the right to do whatever it wants. Harassment is harassment. I said above that the First Amendment could be a defense against a harassment suit, but I actually don't know if that would work. My knowledge of First Amendment law is pretty narrow. I've just been studying the Snyder case for moot court.You mention below that truth is an absolute defense to defamation. This is true in the U.S. as well. Another such defense is that the speech cannot be proven true or false, which is why I made a big deal about WBC's speech being religious. You can't call God to the courtroom and ask him if he really does hate gay people. It also makes a difference whether the target of the speech is a public figure. WBC tried to argue just that in the Snyder case, but they lost on that point in both lower courts.Forth Circuit Court of Appeals have said Westboro haven't legally committed harassmentThe Fourth Circuit didn't actually say that, but only because Snyder didn't sue for harassment. I don't know whether anyone has ever brought a harassment suit against WBC.First of all, as I briefly touched on this in previous posts, I think it is a huge mistake to use Snyder as the only example, and I have a problem with your objections' presupposition that we should ignore both Westboro's history and the correspondence that occurs outside the events of a specific protest, To say that they are 'near the funeral and not 'at' the funeral ignores that that is only by government mandate of a 300+ foot no protest zone.If I implied that I think we should ignore what WBC has done in the past, I apologize. I don't think that. In fact, I think their past history demonstrates that whay they do comes from their sincere religious beliefs. Their compliance with local rules (many of which were enacted specifically with them in mind) helps support this, I think. In the past where this rule wasn't enforced, they have been right there at the front steps and on the cemetery lawns heckling mourners. Which sort of segues into my second point.These aren't just regular random street corner protests. Can we be honest enough to admit that they don't just show up to some place, and there just happens to be a funeral there? Its not by random chance. They are there because the funeral is there, and they make a very public song and dance about this fact in the media. They are targeting the funeral and the family and explicitly say so, even if the message they actually present on the day, on location, is the same as other protests.
That's true, of course they target individual funerals. I still think you're inflating their effectiveness somewhat, though. Even where there are no time, place, and manner restrictions, they're just a few people with signs and their own, unamplified voices. WBC usually (perhaps always, I don't know) gets permission to do their protests, or protests somewhere they know it will be allowed. Again, if you disallowed this, you'd have to disallow any other vocal protest."WBC posted an "epic" on its website which denounced Albert Snyder and his ex-wife for raising their son Catholic, stating they "taught Matthew to defy his creator", "raised him for the devil" and "taught him that God was a liar"The epic is a closer question, good on you for bringing it up. For a few years WBC wrote an epic after every protest. Curiously enough, the Snyder epic is no longer available on WBC's website, but most of the others are. You should check one out for yourself. Its 95% bible verses, 4% biblically based aspersions that the subject of the latest protest is "of the devil," and 1% publically available facts about that person. In the Snyder epic, WBC made much of the fact that Snyder was Catholic, that he was divorced, and that his son died in service. Everything else is biblical vitriol. You may find that enough to sustain a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress (as the District of Maryland did), or not. I think it's a stretch. Calling me "the devil" neither wounds me nor picks my pocket.I don't know that I really made any factual statements about harassment law in Australia, so much as I simply stated that I thought Westboro's actions should be considered harassment.I think I understood that you weren't trying to slot their action into any preexisting legal pigeonhole. That's why I repeated the dictionary definition of harassment you supplied. Nothing in WBC's activity seems repeatedly directed at specific individuals.In a nutshell, blanket harassment: probably not. Some other brand of harassment or incitement of hate on religious grounds: maybe.I don't think there's any case for incitement. Incitement to what? As far as I know (and I can't invoke my limited legal background here, because I've never studied it) an incitement charge requires that the speaker specifically advocate violence. A hate speech charge my work in some countries, but not in the U.S. The First Amendment is a strong barrier in place of that. As for religiously motivated harassment, I still think you have the problem that WBC never hits the same target more than once.Slander and defamation: probably, though on that charge alone once fault has been established, there probably isn't a huge amount of punitive damages in the name calling the westboro have thrown at the Snyders.Defamation definitely not. First, what false statements have WBC made? That God kills soldiers? That God hates gay people? How would you prove these statements false? Second, defamation usually requires that the plaintiff actually suffer some damage to his reputation (unless damages are presumed, and I'm not sure how prevalent that is at the present.) For example, Snyder's defamation claim was dismissed because no reasonable person would think less of him because of WBC's protests.The language you point out in the epic is a closer question, of course. The district court found that saying Snyder raised his son "for the devil" was essentially slander, and the Fourth Circuit found that that language was just rhetorical hyperbole (don't snort too hard, there's a lot of Supreme Court case law protecting rhetorical hyperbole.) It wil be interesting to see what the Supreme Court says on the matter.
As for punitive damages, hoo boy. The jury in the Snyder case awarded $10.9 in damages against the church in total; I think $8 million was punitive. The judge cut the total down to $5 million. So punitive damages awards can be quite large, though that's unusual. (The large amount was probably motivated by the quite-understandable hatred most people have for the Phelps clan.)I still think Westboro are in the wrong, and I'm still not thrilled at all, about the apparent reach and burden of proof switcheroo of first amendment Free Speech laws.I think they're on the wrong side of reality, but not necessarily the law. What the Supreme Court says in the Snyder case will clear that up a lot. But I felt I had to make this post in the name of honest argument.I hope I'm arguing as honestly as you are.
Again, if you disallowed this, you'd have to disallow any other vocal protest.As I said, I don't know that i'd really want to disallow this in a government censorship capacity, so much as increase the individual family's right for reparations if harassment can be shown (understanding what I wrote about harassment in my last post of course. I'm just saying). Westboro would still have the right to say what they want, but there would be more (you may perhaps even say equal) consequences to what they say and their civil conduct in saying it, if they do target family funerals to their own divisive ends against the family's wishes and assuming they wanted to take it to court. However I try to look at it, I'm just still not down with crashing someone's funeral as being free speech. Whether this is actually legally possible based on what I've learnt is another question. Perhaps if this case had've been seriously fought earlier on (such as with the Matthew Shepard funeral before the no protest zones and the such like), the lines on what's ok and what's not would have been easier to define, but I guess we'll never know.I don't think there's any case for incitement. Incitement to what?I'm not sure. I really didn't press the issue with my friend as by that point it was 9pm and I still hadn't started cooking dinner yet 😛 on the one hand it sounded like hate crime legislation, on the other hand, the way she was wording it, it still sounded like a civil grievance between to parties. I got the impression it was allot like the “intentional infliction of emotional distress” you made mention of, though I could probably ask her more about it next time I speak with her.Defamation definitely not. First, what false statements have WBC made? That God kills soldiers? That God hates gay people? How would you prove these statements false? Second, defamation usually requires that the plaintiff actually suffer some damage to his reputationI meant this purely from the point of Australian law where we seem to have a different burden of proof in defamation. In that case, its not a mater of what statements Westboro have made that are able to be proven “false”, so much as how many of their statements they can actually back up with evidence as "true" which would equally be zero.Obviously the "god hates gays" and “thank god for dead soldiers” aren't really directed an anyone and probably wouldn't count in any kind of capacity for an individual's case, despite their lack of evidentiary support. Snyder raising his son for the devil, maybe, though I'd be surprised if any reasonable person thought that one statement equated to $5million if that was their only legal grounds for damages… well.. maybe if they had Denny Crane.I think I will have to concede this argument to you. I must say however this argument has left me a bit shaken on the constitutional right to free speech. One of the things I use to get into huge arguments with my mother about, was that the constitutional right to free speech was one of the things I thought you guys got right (I don't mean that half compliment as an offence to any American personally. I like your country, but there do appear to be some oversights, as i'm sure there are with my country also.) but now i'm not so sure. If some of what you say is true about the first amendment's reach, and its apparent switching of the burden of proof in defamation and slander cases, i'm wondering if a bit more flexibility afforded by an implied right to free speech might not actually be better? I may have to read up some more on this.
Panopticon says
Either way WBC church is back on the agenda and people all over are talking about them. They are hateful people no matter how many people go to their church. These people would exist without a church at least this way you know where they are and how best to avoid them. I do not get why anonnews came out with a media release: We are AnonymousWe are LegionWe do not forgetWe do not forgiveExpect us.I see this around and go huh they say all people are anonymous so really means there is no group or focus it is just people who find each other and work together. This is not an organization at all. A group of people did not like the WBC and decided to DDNOS them and as a result used anonymous name well guess what anyone of us can be anonymous. This is on their website as well. This is our challenge:A peaceful revolution, a revolution of ideas, a revolution of creation. The twenty-first century enlightenment. A global movement to create a new age of tolerance and understanding, empathy and respect. An age of unfettered technological development. An age of sharing ideas and cooperation. An age of artistic and personal expression. We can choose to use new technology for radical positive change or let it be used against us. We can choose to keep the internet free, keep channels of communication open and dig new tunnels into those places where information is still guarded. Or we can let it all close in around us. As we move in to new digital worlds, we must acknowledge the need for honest information and free expression. We must fight to keep the Internet open as a marketplace of ideas where all are seated as equals. We must defend our freedoms from those who would seek to control us. We must fight for those who do not yet have a voice. Keep telling your story. All must be heard.Someone must have written this, anonymous is a oxymoron as it is anyone and everyone. You talk or discuss as if anonymous are a collective organization they are not they are not even they. The WBC are considered a hate church and a cult. They are known for doing anything to raise any sort of publicity. Who know maybe they did this or just by being hateful raise publicity in fact this blog is raising some sort of awareness with the WBC.
The decision has been made: SCOTUS upheld the WBC's right to free speech.The only dissenter was Alito; some of his arguments are given in the article. The bright side is, of course, that free speech is upheld, and so will perhaps continue to be for such unpopular groups as we atheists. But, I do so feel for the Snyder family.Humorous: a video of Shirley Phelps and Anonymous. Shirley insults Anonymous during her rant, and so he shuts down one of her web sites then and there! LOL.
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303 Magazine Writings, Bliss, Chasing Grapes, Delicious, Every Last Drop, My Travels
303 magazine: Chasing Grapes : For the love of Champagne
I find myself engaging in conversation about wine with people every day. In these conversations, I am often asked, “What is your favorite wine?” My answer is always the same…Champagne. Not just any sparkling wine: Champagne. I have many other loves, but none thrill me like Champagne. Yes, Barolo and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have tried to tempt me, Rioja and Burgundy seduce me, Priorat, Bordeaux and Brunello di Montalcino have all tried to steal my heart, but I am forever loyal to the one I love the most. J’adore… je t’aime Champagne….
Since the first creation of Blanquette de Limoux in 1531AD by Benedictine Monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilaire, near Carcassonne, sparkling wine is produced in many places and in many styles. Italy brings us the traditional Franciacorta, tangy, off-dry Prosecco and peaches & cream, fizzy, Moscato d’Asti. Prosecco is excellent for peach bellinis and Moscato is just excellent. Spain delivers often bone dry, delicious Cava produced using indigenous Spanish grapes macabeu, parellada, xarel·lo, and more recently, pinot noir and chardonnay. Germany has Sekt, Portugal makes Espumante, sparkling wines are made in Hungary, Britain, Australia, and in the United States. I am happy to sip on any of these sparklers. They are refreshing, light, fun, and they each have a unique style and personality. But, when it comes to pure, unadulterated BLISS, only one wine delivers. Champagne.
Champagne is a complex wine from a tiny, equally complex region in northern France. The area, known as Champagne, has a sordid, brutal, aristocratic, and serious legacy. Champagne has been a coveted wine region since 52 BC when Roman legions first cultivated grapes there and quarried the abundant limestone bedrock carving out the miles of crayères (caves) to build temples, buildings and roads. These caves, discovered many centuries later, became the perfect storage facilities for caring for and aging the delicate wines of Champagne. During World War I & II, the men and women even lived in these caves for protection from the ravages of war. It is said, that there have been more battles on the lands of Champagne than on any other lands in the world. Some of the grandest scale, deadliest battles have been waged in the vineyards from Attila the Hun, to the Hundred Years’ War, Prussian Wars, and World Wars. Out of this lengthy history of devastation, comes a lovely, elegant, expression of the vines long devoted to the happiest celebrations of life. The most important rites of passage like marriage, the births of babies, the coronations of kings and queens, holidays, the maiden voyage of a new yacht, and so many other joyous celebrations. But, no other celebration calls for Champagne quite like the celebration of love.
Recently, mon petit ami Jerome and I celebrated such effervescent bliss with a bottle of my favorite of all Champagnes. Perrier Jouët. This special wine is all about love. The Perrier Jouët Champagne House was founded in 1811 by young newlywed lovers, Nicolas Perrier, the son of winegrower, Adèle Jouët, the daughter of a family of wine merchants. The couple invested in 65 hectares in Epernay and 40 additional hectares in Avize and Cramant, some of the most prestigious, Grand Cru vineyards in the region. (Pictured here) The House of Perrier Jouët still resides on these lands. The legendary love story of Nicolas and Adèle flourished until his death in 1854, at which time their son, Charles, took the helm of the business. Perrier Jouët, like most Champagnes of the time, was a relatively sweet wine. Charles created the very first, modern style, dry Champagne, revolutionizing the wine, the region and the industry. Long associated with royalty and prestige, in 1888, Perrier-Jouët became the most expensive champagne in the world; with Perrier-Jouët 1874 breaking all price records at Christie’s, the world’s leading art auctioneer. The iconic, gorgeous, hand painted Perrier-Jouët bottle was first created by famed Art Deco painter Emile Gallé in 1902. The work of art was one of five prototype bottles misplaced in a crayère until it was mistakenly uncovered in 1964. The white and green bouquet of anemones has become the symbol of the house, the symbol of excellence and a symbol of effervescent love.
Many a romantic and a poet agree with me and extoll the virtues of Champagne. Legend has it that Dom Pérignon, a blind monk, upon tasting Champagne for the first time, exclaimed, “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!” Coco Chanel said, “I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love, and when I am not.” Casanova felt Champagne was essential for seduction. Marilyn Monroe was famous for bathing in Champagne. And, my favorite, Oscar Wilde, infamous for his provocation, “I can resist anything except temptation,” added “Only the truly unimaginative can fail to find a reason for drinking champagne.”
I can always find a reason to drink Perrier Jouët. The Perrier Jouët Grand Brut, with its ultra-fine mousse, smoky, mineral notes with hints of lemon zest and peaches is thoroughly delightful, but the Cuveé Belle Époque Grand Fleur, the Cuveé Grand Fleur Blason Rosé, and the Cuveé Grand Fleur Blanc de Blanc are absolutely unbelievable. If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, it would be Belle Époque. Belle Époque has a wonderful, feminine, delicate bouquet of ginger, freesia, gardenia, toasted almonds, and creaminess with a luminous mousse that plays on the tongue. The chiffon pale pink Rosé adds faint strawberries, cinnamon and pink rose petals, while the Blanc de Blancs delivers a slight lime blossom, honeysuckle and lemon curd note to the beautiful, elegant, exquisite blend that is Perrier Jouët.
There is nothing more titillating than spending an afternoon with a perfectly chilled bottle of Belle Époque, a platter of freshly shucked, briny, succulent, oysters and mon petit ami Jerome….Effervescent Bliss!
*Perrier Jouët Grand Brut is affordable and can be found at most regional wine specialty stores. Perrier Jouët Belle Époque Grand Fleur can be found at Applejack Wine & Spirits, Argonaut Wine & Spirits, Divino, City Wine, and Incredible Wine & Spirits and may be special ordered. Belle Époque Blason Rosé and Blanc de Blancs are trickier to find, but, on occasion, they may be special ordered.
Photos/info: Flickr by Gaetan Lee, http://www.perrier-jouet.com
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:303 magazine: August 15, 2012: http://303magazine.com/2012/08/65970/
Simone FM Spinner, CWS, CWE is a wine educator, sommelier, and passionate wine & food lover. She is looking forward to Chasing Grapes and sharing her experiences with you-Salut!.
Tags: 303 Magazine, Bliss, Champagne, Chasing Grapes, Dating, love, Perrier Jouët, Simone FM Spinner CWS CWE, Sparkling Wine
August 16, 2012 November 2, 2012 Art Deco, Bliss, Bubbles, Casanova, Champagne, Coco Chanel, France, love, Marilyn Monroe, Oscar Wilde, Oysters, Perrier Jouët, Sparkling Wine, Travel, WineLeave a comment
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Home Arsenal Arsenal Player to look out for Vs West Ham
Arsenal Player to look out for Vs West Ham
Chris Attwood
It’s been a crazy month, with an unexpected loss against AS Monaco, to an unexpected win against Manchester United. But the United win under the belt will give us some amazing confidence for the rest of the season, as we are by far the favourites in this years FA Cup. The League has been a different saga in general. With 8 wins from our last 10 league matches, Arsenal are the second most inform team in 2015, after Liverpool. But after that Monday night at Old Trafford, who will be the key man to kick off from this win and finish the season in style?
In my opinion, that man would be Alex Oxlaide Chamberlain, but unfortunately, he came off early against United with a hamstring problem, and will complete an assessment on Friday Morning (Today). But due to his recent injuries, he may be ruled out of this one, even if it is just a small niggle.
Instead, on comes Mr Per Mertesacker. Although not an attacking player that you may have guessed, I feel Mertesacker will have a fantastic game, pushing on from the United win. This time last year, Per was arguably in the best defence in the league, and was one of the players of the season alongside Laurent Koscielny. But this season has been difficult for the 100 game german veteran. Now being replaced by January signing Gabriel, Per really had to step up his game, and Monday night was the night where he showed himself. He kept Rooney silent for the majority of the game, and was one of the better players on the pitch.
Now Per would be better suited to this team regardless of how he performed against United. On Saturday, we play a strong, longball styled team in West Ham United. Enner Valencia is supposedly out due to a foot injury (Apparently Spilling Hot tea and cut his foot), so maybe we can make a mug of him as we brew up some 3 points.
…I’ll stop now…
But I digress. Per would be a good player to attack high balls vs Koyate and Reid, and with the defence capabilities of Monreal and Bellerin to his sides, I’m sure he can have a quality game, and be our stand man.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Enner Valencia
Per Mertesacker
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Arsenal Star Officially Crowned ‘Hottest’ Premier League Player In Survey
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Opinion /
By Isabel Mehl
Why Is Kathy Acker So Maddeningly Difficult to Memorialize?
In the run-up to the Kathy Acker exhibition at ICA, London, a look back at a significant recent show and symposium examining her relationship to the visual arts
Kathy Acker, in half-profile, on her motorcycle. Her hair, a bleached, blonde buzzcut. Facing the camera, her eyes peer out beneath her shades. We can see her muscular, tattooed back, a silver chain, her earrings. This 1991 portrait of Acker by Kathy Brew, taken in San Francisco, is perhaps one of the most famous, and compelling, of the author; the work was among many shown in the Badischer Kunstverein’s ‘Get Rid of Meaning’, the first show looking specifically at Acker’s relationship to the visual arts.
With a large exhibition at London’s ICA opening in May, and her memorialization in books by Chris Kraus and Olivia Laing, among others, Acker’s legacy has gotten a slew of attention in recent years. Yet, as a visual sequence in ‘Get Rid of Meaning’ demonstrated, there existed many Kathy Ackers – and in each case of recent interest, there is a great deal of mythologization involved. There’s the Acker who poses, looking straight into the camera with a dimple in the corner of her mouth. In another, she laughs with a gold tooth, her jacket slipping down from her shoulder. In the next, she sits upright on her motorcycle, a small plush lion reclining on the back of her bike’s backrest.
'Kathy Acker. GET RID OF MEANING', Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, 2018, installation view. Courtesy: Badischer Kunstverein © Stephan Baumann
Curated by Anja Casser, the Badischer Kunstverein’s director, and Matias Viegener, Acker’s friend and the administrator of her estate, ‘Get Rid Of Meaning’ presented artistic engagements with Acker’s work by artists including Pauline Boudry & Renate Lorenz, Lynn Hershman Leeson and Karolin Meunier. A selection from Acker’s private library was placed alongside Acker’s manuscripts and dream maps from Blood and Guts in High School (1984), which have been enlarged and offer glimpses into Acker’s process of collaging. The exhibition also presented Acker through moving images and sound: footage of a conversation with Angela McRobbie at the ICA London from 1986, and audio recordings give an impression of Acker’s performative readings. Casser and Viegener used the exhibition to delve into Acker’s relationship to art: Acker was involved in the West Coast art scene early on before she entered the experimental writing. The manuscript for The Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula, installed on the walls, for example, was first circulated as mail art.
Held at the Kunstverein, a symposium on Acker’s work expended this account, oscillating between testimonies by her contemporaries and artistic-academic homages. In the Kunstverein’s atrium, a reading lamp theatrically staged Claire Finch. The room was full, with many notebooks conspicuously open. Jason McBride read from his biography of Acker. He often made cryptic references to Chris Kraus’s After Kathy Acker. A Literary Biography in an effort to distinguish his own; that book’s own cover used Kaucilya Brooke’s photographs of Acker’s clothes, made from 1998 to 2004, some of which hang in the exhibition, such as the one of the cobalt blue Jean Paul Gaultier skirt.
The brutal sex scenes in Acker’s work were presented with the distance of a public reading. Some of Acker’s experiences in sex work cropped up. Later on, things would grow tense as three men began theorizing female experience. But a space of intimacy opened up when Leslie Dick started her reading in tandem with Audrey Wollen (Wollen is the daughter of Leslie Dick and Peter Wollen, Acker’s erstwhile boyfriend). They discussed venereal diseases, men’s ignorance as transmitters, and tea with Acker in heaven. This poetic correspondence between Acker, Dick and Wollen reflects what Dick herself would note at the end of the conference: how peculiar it is when someone who was your friend, someone you miss, begins to be historicized.
'Kathy Acker. GET RID OF MEANING', Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, 2018, installation view (detail). Courtesy: Badischer Kunstverein © Stephan Baumann
On 22 August 1995, Acker wrote in an email to McKenzie Wark: ‘Am supposed to go to this birthday party now but it’s at a pizza place and I hate pizza. So I’m being a baby and writing you instead.’ In Karlsruhe, Wark described Acker as a ‘social spider’ and noted that: ‘all writing is rewriting – the important things is how it is done.’ He also points to a very current aspect of Acker’s persona: for women, making it as an artist – maintaining appearances, for example – can resemble ‘high class sex work’, while ‘male fame work’ is understood as ‘conceptual’.
On the second morning, I watched Carolee Schneemann’s Fuses (1967). Across from the large-format projection of Schneemann and her partner having sex, there was Blue Tape (1974) by Acker and Alan Sondheim playing on a monitor with headphones. The visual closeness and sensuality of Schneemann’s Fuses was dislodged by Acker’s verbal abstraction and sex. The story goes on. But whenever it comes to the facts, it seems like Acker starts to withdraw herself, to dissolve. In her performative reading, Ruth Buchanan asked: ‘Is this archive a representation of your experience of reality?’
In the closing discussion, one visitor lamented the absence of black artists in ‘Get Rid of Meaning’. Acker’s own awareness of this problem was suggested in her text Critical Languages from 1990: ‘Why was the art world in New York, a city whose population is now dominated by non-white groups, almost entirely white?’ This consideration can also be expanded by the categories of class and sex to create a panorama of the art landscape’s exclusionary criteria and entry hurdles. We must pose the question of representation, especially to those who are still unquestioningly restaging the white, male, western canon in 2019.
Translated by Stanton Taylor
‘I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Kathy Acker’ at ICA, London runs from 1 May – 4 August 2019. Kathy Acker’s ‘Get Rid of Meaning’, with an accompanying symposium, took place at the Badischer Kunstverein from October to December 2018.
Main image: 'Kathy Acker. GET RID OF MEANING', Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, 2018, installation view (detail). Courtesy: Badischer Kunstverein © Stephan Baumann
Isabel Mehl
Isabel Mehl is a writer based in Hamburg, Germany. She is working on her Ph.D about writer Lynne Tillman’s fictional art critic, Madame Realism
Karlsruhe's Badischer
Institute of Contemporary Art
Kathy Acker
The Electricity of Martine Syms’s Misdirected Kiss
Women in the Arts: Mary Kelly
Women in the Arts: Caroline Douglas
The Importance of Refusing to Look Away from Scenes of Violence
Returning to the Crime Scene: How Forensic Architecture Unpicks State Impunity
Weekend Reading List
After Kathy Acker
Sense and Sensuality
History Pictures
Nalini Malani
Dennis Morris: Photographing Post-punk and Multicultural London
Dance With Camera
A Heat-Wave Dispatch from Hydra
Memories of a Meteorite
How Murals Have Served as Mirrors for Political Change
Operation Night Watch is Revealing Rembrandt’s Secrets (And You Can Watch Live)
Peter Strickland’s Demon Dress Horror ‘In Fabric’ and the History of Killer Fashion
Why in an Age of Climate Crisis, the Art World Must Shun Oil Sponsorship
How a Beach Opera at the 58th Venice Biennale Quietly Contends with Climate Change Catastrophe
58th Venice Biennale Review: Brilliance and Bluster
How Artists Are Using the Power of Personal Histories to Tackle the Legacy of Colonialism
Janiva Ellis’s Paintings of Bodied and Disembodied States
Mark Hollis (1955-2019): from Synthpop Outrider to Post-Rock Pioneer
How Paint and Perception Collide in the Work of Late Surrealist Dorothea Tanning
Stories of Finnish Art
Ateneum Art Museum
‘Conflicts and Adaptations. Estonian Art of the Soviet Era (1940–1991)’
Art Museum of Estonia
Dea Trier Mørch
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Humlebaek
‘Touch: Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection’
EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art
‘Bryk & Wirkkala Visible Storage’
‘I'm a Believer. Pop Art and Contemporary Art’
Lenbachhaus München
Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin
Laurie Parsons
Museum Abteiberg
Chen Ching-Yuan
mor charpentier
‘Who Are You? Two centuries of portraits’
Neue Galerie Graz, Universalmuseum Joanneum
Rebecca Warren
Maureen Paley
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Hybrid Wrestling episode 1 review
Hello dear reader.
(Hi)
That was you replying by the way. It was very kind of you, or very kind of me to do for you. Below I will be reviewing a television program. In a bit of a departure it will be an actual serious one.
I know. I know get the shock out of your system now. I’ll wait.
Ready? I’ve written a review of the premiere episode of Hybrid Wrestling TV. It’s no secret that I enjoy wrestling much to the shock of some people. Some of you don’t and I hate you for that that’s okay too. If you don’t think reading the review will be your cup of tea then I won’t be mad at you for skipping it.
If not perhaps you’ll go check out the fun stuff at The B Movie Brigade or read the tweets @OverheardOhio. Enjoy and come back.
Hybrid Wrestling is a wrestling promotion based in Ohio and founded back in 2006. They’ve been doing great work on the Indy circuit since then and now finally have a television deal.
The show opened and got right down to business, which is a necessity when you only have 30 minutes to ply your trade. That is the first draw back to the new show deal. It will be hard for some of the new fans (that a TV show) will bring in. It may be hard for a newcomer to get into the promotion with not much time to learn about it or grow into the feuds. Nonstop and wonderfully done wrestling more than made up for that. A 30 minute show has drawbacks but maybe some good points—more on that later.
We meet our host Jay Michael Williams as he opens the show and plugs the main event. Exciting news we are getting a TLC match between former Hybrid champion Dave Cole and current champion Marion Fontaine. It makes sense right? Give the possible new viewers a chance to meet a former champ and the current champ. The promise of a high impact match right off the bat doesn’t hurt either.
Before that happens we get an angry promo cut by The Irish Airborne (Dave and Jake Crist) on The H3rd. Here we meet some of the players and get the background. We find out the dastardly actions of The H3rd (said H–three-R-D) that have taken place sometime before the taping.
Right into the wrestling we went. First matchup we get is some tag team action. This is a smart move on the part of Hybrid because tag action is sorely missing from the big E in Connecticut. Now I’m not here to bash the big places and pump up the Indy scene. I’ve watched wrestling for most of my life and I enjoy it all. The match of course consisted of The H3RD of Tommy Treznik and J. Miller vs. The Irish Airborne of Dave and Jake Crist.
The match is quick and highlights the talents you’ll consistently get at a Hybrid show. The Irish Airborne are as entertaining a tag team as you’ll find anywhere. They were given time to show themselves and fluidly moved from move to move. The best part of the opening match was both teams were focused on pretty evenly during it. Dave and Jake could dominate most teams but H3RD were allowed to show what they bring to the table and the match was really solid. The teams were given ample time to put on a show and the announcers were able to fill in the viewers on just what The H3RD had done. It is clearly a major storyline in the organization. Tommy Treznik (who is a great performer to watch) took over the match with his wonderfully played heel tactics throughout and after.
From there we headed backstage to follow Billy Taylor as he hunted The H3RD who was clearly shown to be the preeminent heel stable of the organization. Now you know who to boo.
I of course will continue to cheer for them. That is neither here nor there.
The backstage segment of Billy allowed us to meet some of the other talent of the roster (namely Pinkie Sanchez) but he of course eventually ended up in the ring. This is where (other than the announcers telling us) one will come to realize that The H3RD storyline is the major one. One of their more notorious actions was to attack an injured Christian Faith and it’s pissed off seemingly everyone in the company.
Swerve.
There will be no main event. Billy Taylor a hulking bruiser of a dude won’t leave until The H3RD comes out to face him. Here we meet Façade a staple of the Ohio wrestling scene. There are a few moments of the high flyer (Façade) against the big and tough Taylor before the rest of The H3RD comes out and attacks him.
We get the treat of Tommy Treznik on the mic. He handles it well and I imagine with time it will only get better.
And then the first big punch comes. Christian Faith’s music hits and he enters the arena. After Faith clears the ring of all except poor Tommy the second punch comes. A big reveal comes as it turns out to be none other than Tommy Dreamer under the mask of Christian Faith.
You could tell the crowd was into the whole night but especially there. We got plenty of action (even if technically only one match was seen) and met (some of) the cast of characters. We got the major storyline and they gave the newbies (to the promotion) action and a big name (Dreamer) to bring them back for at least another week. The choice of the match they gave us was pretty smart. Irish Airborne can hold their own with anyone and they brought a large array of hard to forget moves. The H3RD are deeply intertwined with the entire promotion and its major storyline.
If you had come into unaware of the promotion you probably don’t know enough about it and that probably was more with the length of the program. The plus with that is you are forced to give quality action and it does have the perfect Indy scene feel to it. I had a tiny beef with the announcers who stepped on Tommy’s (and even Billy’s) mic work too easily. Thirty minutes means a delicate balance of storytelling and action giving. Hopefully Hybrid can continue to balance it out. They did a fine job with the first episode.
You can find Hybrid Wrestling here and the first episode is here.
Leave a Comment » | celebrity, Cleveland, Finds, Internet, ohio, review, reviews, work, writing | Tagged: aiw, Billy Taylor, Christian Faith, cw, ecw, Facade, fighting, fireball to the face, Grappling, high flyer, Hybrid, Hybrid Pro Wrestling, J. Williams, Jake and Dave Crist, matches, move, Pinkie Sanchez, premiere episode, Pro wrestling, Professional Wrestling, PWO, ring, story, t.v., television, the H3RD, The Irish Airborne, TLC, TNA, Tommy Dreamer, Tommy Treznik, wcw, wrestlers, wrestling, write up, wwe | Permalink
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Ask Umbra
Umbra on baking soda
By Ask Umbra® on Aug 11, 2005
Get the latest from Ask Umbra every week Subscribe to Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra,
I liked your column about homemade cleaning products. I have a question, though: What’s up with baking soda? It’s frequently bandied about as an eco-friendly cleaner, but I have no idea what it is, where it comes from, or how it’s made.
Charlottesville, Va.
Dearest Amanda,
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a naturally occurring crystalline compound. I can be unusually precise about where it comes from: Green River, Wyo.
Wyoming: what lies beneath?
Photo: USDA.
Turns out Wyoming holds the world’s largest reserves of trona, otherwise known as sodium sesquicarbonate — a key ingredient in your mysterious household staple. An estimated 100 billion tons or more sit right there under the high-steppe desert. Almost all baking soda made in the U.S. comes from there, and a quarter of the world’s supply too.
Trona room-and-pillar mining — picture miners standing in a sort of underground city — is a mainstay of the Sweetwater County economy, employing more than 2,000 Wyomingites. The ore is removed with boring equipment, then processed into soda ash. The ash — which can also be used to make glass, bread, and paper — is dissolved in water and bubbled with carbon dioxide, forming sodium-bicarbonate crystals. The crystals are harvested by little gnomes and packaged for delivery to a grocery store near you.
Here, because I know you are wondering, is the most pressing environmental concern I have found associated with trona mining: the wastewater is very salty, and when it is piped away to a holding pond, it can make the birds that visit said pond fall sick, and sometimes drown. I will let you decide for yourself whether this scourge is worth fretting about.
Now, as for the cleanser bandying, we can chalk that up to the magic of crystal alkalinity. Our messes and stinks often have an acidic component: there are fatty acids in grease and dirt, and unpleasant smells like sour milk have acidic sources. Chemically basic baking soda neutralizes these acids, which is why the smell goes away. It’s also a crystal, so it scrubs, but is soft and dissolves in water, so it doesn’t scratch. It’s amply present in our environment and our bodies to begin with, and appears to be nontoxic (although it should be kept away from the little ones). We use it for leavening and eat it. It is basically yummier dirt.
Baking powder, by contrast, combines baking soda (a base) and cream of tartar (an acid), which react together when moistened and produce carbon-dioxide bubbles. It’s not so effective for cleaning, since it doesn’t cancel out acid and doesn’t scrub well. But it sure comes in handy when we whip up our famous Grist biscuits.
Bakily,
Ask a Question.
Readers can upvote a question; Umbra answers it!
Int'l Nature's Anthem
How do I get my husband to care about the climate?
What shapes your beliefs about the climate crisis? It’s not just left vs. right.
Shellfish Behavior
Can I have my climate-friendly seafood and eat it, too?
4 min video
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15th Century Historical Re-enactment
Sir William Harrington's Companye
15th Century Combat
Starting Training at the Bedford, Northampton and Buckingham locations
Western Sword Primer
GUNNERY
The Sword and Dagger
Late 15th C Helmets
Bevors & how not to wear them
Hose – To Split or not to Split.
Focus on.. the Arbalest
BATTLES IN NORTHANTS
1460 NORTHAMPTON
1460 – Myth and Reality
Events Leading Up to the Battle
1469 EDGECOTE
Who were the Harringtons?
The Verdun Chapel at Brixworth Church
The Ballad of Lady Bessy
Our Banquets
Entertainment – Songs
Entertainment – Mummers Plays
Woodland Skirmish Events
Game Variants
Game Venues
Armour Weighting for Skirmishes & Competitive Combat Circles
Calling all Men at Arms!
Calling all Archers!
Skirmish Results Archive
HIRING US
Film TV & Media work
The Medieval Siege Society
Phil Fraser
Heron Armoury
The House of Bayard
The Windrush Free Company
All Saints Church, Brixworth
Friends of All Saints Church Brixworth
Event Review – Goodrich Castle Tournament
Posted by harringtoncompanye in Uncategorized on August 30, 2015
During mid august, the Companye staged a “Fighting Knights” tournament for English Heritage at Goodrich Castle.
Goodrich Castle is a now ruinous Norman medieval castle situated to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, controlling a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye. It was praised by William Wordsworth as the “noblest ruin in Herefordshire” and is considered by historian Adrian Pettifer to be the “most splendid in the county, and one of the best examples of English military architecture”.
Goodrich Castle was probably built by Godric of Mappestone after the Norman invasion of England, initially as an earth and wooden fortification. In the middle of the 12th century the original castle was replaced with a stone keep, and was then expanded significantly during the late 13th century into a concentric structure combining luxurious living quarters with extensive defences. The success of Goodrich’s design influenced many other constructions across England over the following years. It became the seat of the powerful Talbot family before falling out of favour as a residence in late Tudor times.
We were delighted to accept the event at Goodrich as surprisingly has links with Northampton. Goodrich remained the favourite home of the Richard Talbot’s descendants for many years. During the early years, the security situation in Wales remained of concern. Owain Glyndŵr rebelled against English rule in 1402 and Welsh forces invaded the Goodrich area in 1404 and 1405. Gilbert Talbot was responsible for fighting back the Welsh advance and securing the castle. As time went on, however, the threat began to diminish. During the 15th century the Talbots considerably expanded the size of the lord’s quarters in the castle and provided additional accommodation for servants and retainers.
The Talbots became the Earls of Shrewsbury in 1442, shortly before the Wars of the Roses in which they supported the Lancastrian faction. The wars meant that the Talbots were frequently fighting elsewhere in England, and often staying at their castle in Sheffield. John Talbot died in the Lancastrian defeat at Northampton in 1460, and the castle was forfeited and transferred to the Yorkist William Herbert. William Herbert was the main player at the 1469 Battle of Edgecote in Northants, before being dragged to Northampton and executed at the Eleanor Cross.
John’s son, also called John Talbot, later made his peace with the king, however, and regained control of his lands and Goodrich Castle before his death in 1473.
The Companye recreated a tournament that could feasibly have happened at Goodrich around the 1460 – 1469 timeline. During the period of transition, such festivities could have formed part of entertaining the locals during this unsettled times. As there is no record of the Herberts taking part themselves (they were based at Raglan Castle) we decided to keep with the settled teams from our 1460 tournament at Delapre, to add an element of Northampton based flavour.
Goodrich itself is not designed for vehicular access. The tournament was staged in the dry moat – which meant that every bit of equipment – including the Tournament Gallery and arena – had to be manhandled in. Fortunately, this task which has daunted other living history groups was not a challenge to a pioneer Companye and we rolled up our sleeves and soon had the job done.
We were joined by a couple of guests, a rogue Cobham, and our friends in the Company of St Barbara (aka The Legion of Boom) who ditched guns for pure living history that weekend and most welcome they were too.
THE ARCHERY TOURNAMENT
Our tournament opened with a display of medieval archery from all present, before the champions from Harrington, Mortimer, Woodhall and Pilkington stepped forward to decide the final placings. This was a shoot off of three arrows against a target – with points awarded for First, Second and Third place.
“This archery lark is easy…”
The tournament itself was based upon our successful format used earlier in the year at Delapre Abbey. with some slight tweaks to meet the “Fighting Knights” brief from the client. These are based upon the writings of Rene of Anjou, and provide a useful insight into their historical counterparts. This time, instead of each team fighting every other team from the off, it was decided to showcase the different weapon types used by our Knights, namely dagger, sword, longsword, and poleweapon. It should be noted that daggers were banned in 15th C tournaments, but it was decided to accept the slight historical deviation to allow our more lightly armoured members to play a role.
Our King of Arms… “Two men enter – one man leaves!!”
Each team sent out an individual combatant, who was whittled down to the final pairing, Points were awarded for finishing first or second in each round.
Then, once our capacity audience were familar with the weapons – we moved on to Knight Knockout. In this round, the top two teams face off against each other and try and eliminate the opposing team by dispatching their knight. The process is repeated with the teams lying 3rd and 4th, and is a useful way for the team lying in forth to obtain some points.
Longsword – Woodhall versus Pilkington
Lastly, all the teams are thrown into the arena for the Grand Melee!! The final way to accrue points, and a now traditional piling on of the team who happens to be leading at that point!
Below is a selection of photos from the Foot Tournee.
Pilkington team enter the arena
Pole weapon round – Harrington versus Woodhall
The Black and White teams dispute a point with the King of Arms. Sadly, despite being a member of the medieval church he was not open to monetary inducements..
The Gold team of Woodhall FINALLY win a point!
Harrington team advance
Sword and Buckler. Mortimer versus Pilkington, whilst the Ladies enjoy the sport from their Tournament Gallery
The Tournaments were especially well received the local crowd, and feedback from English Heritage has been excellent. The crowd was particulary vocal in their support – espcially towards the man in white. This was a mystery at first, until it was realised by the other teams that the Pilkington team had been heading off every entrant to the living history encampment and recruiting them to cheer for the white team, and that the man in black was a “wrong ‘un who drank his own bathwater”.
Well, it worked anyhow…
Round Winner (Sat)
Archery Mortimer
Dagger Mortimer
Sword & Buckler Mortimer
Longsword Harrington
Poleweapon Harrington
Knight Knockout Pilkington
Grand Melee Woodhall
Overall winner was the white of PILKINGTON, with HARRINGTON coming second, MORTIMER third, and WOODHALL last.
Pilkington victorious!
Round Winner (Sun)
Dagger Woodhall
Sword & Buckler Pilkington
Longsword N/A
Poleweapon Mortimer
Knight Knockout Woodhall
Overall winner was the white of PILKINGTON, with MORTIMER coming second, HARRINGTON third, and WOODHALL last.
Evening entertainment was a wonderful campfire beneath the stars. The skies cleared, there was zero light pollution, and we were luck to catch the last of the Perseids whilst singing songs of old.
THE ROCKY HARRINGTON PICTURE SHOW
Saturday evening also saw The Rocky Harrington Picture Show.
It was discovered that some of our members had managed to get through their life without having seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show. No, we have no idea how you manage to make 30 without seeing it – but we intended to put that right.
So, a campfire lit showing ensued – clustered around a laptop. This was worth its entertainment value for a number of reasons. Chiefly, we didn’t know Corin could sing – let alone the fact he was word perfect. And secondly, for the reaction of banner bearer Jess, who’s commentary is now a matter of group legend..
“But that was Susan Sarandon!!I l LOVE HER. She was Jo’s Mum in Little Women! She cant do this to me!!” – During the opening
“You mean this isn’t just a school disco song?” – During Time Warp
“Hang on. Wait. Is THAT Tim Curry??!!” – About 80% of the way through (seriously).
“What the actual **** was that??” – During the end credits.
Overall, it was probably the best tournament we have done so far – and the best event of the year. Even having to manhandle everything back up the cliff face to the cars couldn’t dampen the spirits of what had been a really wonderful event at a splendid location.
Next review – Bosworth Field (Coming Soon)
Jess, deep in thought – “But that was Susan Sarandon!! She was Jo’s Mum in Little Women! She cant do this to me!!”
You are currently browsing the archives for August, 2015
Naseby Skirmish March 2019 – Review and Results
A newcomer’s experience – one year on..
Event Review – Goodrich Castle Tournament of Foot
Event Review – The 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury
Event Review – The 1485 Battle of Bosworth
Harrington Family History
Kenilworth Castle
Old Sarum
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