The full dataset viewer is not available (click to read why). Only showing a preview of the rows.
The dataset generation failed
Error code: DatasetGenerationError
Exception: ArrowInvalid
Message: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 41
Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 153, in _generate_tables
df = pd.read_json(f, dtype_backend="pyarrow")
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 815, in read_json
return json_reader.read()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1025, in read
obj = self._get_object_parser(self.data)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1051, in _get_object_parser
obj = FrameParser(json, **kwargs).parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1187, in parse
self._parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1403, in _parse
ujson_loads(json, precise_float=self.precise_float), dtype=None
ValueError: Trailing data
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1997, in _prepare_split_single
for _, table in generator:
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 156, in _generate_tables
raise e
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 130, in _generate_tables
pa_table = paj.read_json(
File "pyarrow/_json.pyx", line 308, in pyarrow._json.read_json
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 154, in pyarrow.lib.pyarrow_internal_check_status
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 91, in pyarrow.lib.check_status
pyarrow.lib.ArrowInvalid: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 41
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1529, in compute_config_parquet_and_info_response
parquet_operations = convert_to_parquet(builder)
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1154, in convert_to_parquet
builder.download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1029, in download_and_prepare
self._download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1124, in _download_and_prepare
self._prepare_split(split_generator, **prepare_split_kwargs)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1884, in _prepare_split
for job_id, done, content in self._prepare_split_single(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 2040, in _prepare_split_single
raise DatasetGenerationError("An error occurred while generating the dataset") from e
datasets.exceptions.DatasetGenerationError: An error occurred while generating the datasetNeed help to make the dataset viewer work? Make sure to review how to configure the dataset viewer, and open a discussion for direct support.
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float64 | text
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Published on EURACTIV's Agenda (http://agenda.euractiv.com)
9th Annual Worldwide Security Conference: Reshaping Economic Security in Southwest Asia and the Middle East
EastWest Institute
World Customs Organization
Rue du Marché, 30
http://www.ewi.info/wsc9 [1]
L - Conference, forum
Organiser type
Federations / Associations
The 9th Worldwide Security Conference will bring together some 400 high-level policy makers, business and investment executives and public opinion leaders from all over the world to brainstorm on the central theme of economic security and deliberate on practical breakthroughs.
It will represent an extraordinary opportunity for debating and networking. The choice of this year’s theme of the conference reflects the critical importance both of economic security in the 21st century and of the broad region of Southwest Asia and the Middle East - in light of the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan by 2014 and the changes in the region this will trigger. These present significant challenges and opportunities for the public and private sectors worldwide. Over thirty speakers are invited, including high-level officials from the region and beyond, heads of regional and international organizations, key business and investment executives, and acknowledged independent experts.
The following speakers already confirmed: Dr. Khalid Malik, Head of Human Development Report, UNDP; H.E. Ambassador Pierre Vimont, Executive Secretary General, European External Action Service; H.E. Sham L. Bathija, Senior Economic Advisor to the President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; H.E. Dr. Mohammad Yahya Maroofi, Former Secretary General, Economic Cooperation Organization; H.E. Ambassador Jan Kubis, United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA; Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Pakistan; H.E. Ambassador Somaya Saad, Assistant Minister for Economic Relations and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; H.E. Eng. Maysoon Zoubi, Former Secretary General, Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan; and H.E. Ambassador Hesham Youssef, Assistant Secretary General, League of Arab States.
The speakers will meet in five sessions:
Economic Security and Regional Cooperation in Southwest Asia and the Middle East: Where Do We Stand?
New Directions for Water-Energy-Food Security Policies in Southwest Asia and the Middle East
Afghanistan and its Neighbors: Regional Imperatives with Economic Security
Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus: Enhancing the Role of Private Sector Investment in the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa
Addressing Economic Security through More Effective Regional Policy Frameworks
For further inforlation: http://www.ewi.info/wsc9 [1]
Source URL: http://agenda.euractiv.com/events/9th-annual-worldwide-security-conference-reshaping-economic-security-southwest-asia-and
[1] http://www.ewi.info/wsc9
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| 0.598524
| 0.401476
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Biology 441, Spring 2014
How Symmetry Relates To Embryology
1) Embryology tries to understand how genes create and maintain anatomical shapes and patterns.
2) (Usually) Objects have the same symmetries (or sometimes more symmetry) as their causes. (This generalization is called Curie's Principle.)
3) For example, spherical shapes result from counter-balances of forces which have the same strengths in all directions.
4) Notice that similarity of shape between two objects does not require or imply that they are caused by the same forces; It implies that the symmetries of the forces are the same, or similar.
[Incidentally, in my opinion D'Arcy Thompson's big mistake was to think that similarity of shapes implies that the same actual forces cause both shapes: For example that similarity to the shapes of soap bubbles implies that cells are shaped by "surface tension", instead of by some force that contracts equally strongly in all directions. Active contractility of acto-myosin layers near cell surfaces can pull with the same strength in all directions; So can elastic stretching, and who knows how many other forces.
Similarity of shape implies similarity of causal forces, and does NOT imply that the actual forces are the same. This mistake holds back progress. Many examples of this mistake have occurred in embryology, and I will point them out as we go along.]
5) To "break" symmetry means to cause an object or structure to become less symmetrical.
What is broken is Curie's Principle. Several important phenomena are examples of breaking symmetry. One example is using the location of sperm entry to decide where the plane of right-left reflection symmetry will be located. Another example of symmetry breaking is using flagellar basal bodies to decide differences between right and left. A third example is use of "Reaction-Diffusion Systems" to break displacement symmetry, in the sense of creating stripes, spots, somites, or other spatially periodic patterns.
6) Hermann Weyl defined different kinds of symmetry in terms of what reflections, rotations, displacements, enlargements or distortions will cause an object or pattern to look the same as it did before. For example A, B, C, D and E all have one plane of reflection symmetry; H and I have two planes of reflection symmetry; A square has four planes of reflection symmetry, a triangle has three, a rectangle two, and starfish 5. N and two other letters each have one axis of two-fold rotation symmetry. Flagellar basal bodies have 9-fold rotational symmetry, if we ignore the central pair of microtubules.
Normally-proportioned half-sized embryos, quarter-sized, or double sized embryos of sea urchins can develop from separating the first two cells, or the first four cells, or from fusing two embryos. We could have called this two-fold, eight-fold etc. magnification symmetry (or "enlargement" or "shrinkage" symmetry), but the physicists got there first and call this sort of thing "dilation symmetry" (symmetry with respect to change in size).
7) One of the 2 or 3 deepest questions in developmental biology can be phrased as "How do early embryos accomplish dilation symmetry". It must be because their fundamental control mechanisms have dilation symmetry.
Lewis Wolpert's concept of "Positional Information" boils down to two plausible mistakes: One is that only diffusion gradients have enough dilation symmetry to accomplish size "regulation" (as in the example of separating early embryonic cells); The other mistake is that all cause and effect phenomena amount to information transfer.
We will learn that Dictyostelium fruiting bodies accomplish at least a hundred-fold dilation symmetry. Rounding up of liquid drops and soap bubbles also has dilation symmetry, and so does formation of meanders in rivers. There are many examples of dilation symmetry, besides diffusion gradients.
8) Fractals are another interesting category of dilation symmetry. Each part of a fractal pattern is a miniature scale model of the entire pattern. The branching pattern of the lungs are an example of a fractal. Embryologically, lungs form as two small out-pocketings of the wall of the endodermal tube. The epithelial walls of these out-pocketings fold actively (driven by contraction of cytoplasmic acto-myosin) so as to subdivide themselves into two pockets. Each of these pockets then repeats this process of subdivision into two, and this doubling process is repeated again and again, creating first 2, then 4, then 8 then 16, 32, 64 etc. out-pocketings. In humans, this process of repeated doubling continues until a million small epithelial pockets have been formed, each one of which then becomes a thin-walled alveolus. The lungs of all mammals have alveoli, but lung structures are significantly different in birds, reptiles and amphibians. For example, birds have "air capillaries", which are epithelial tubes that extend around in loops, so that air can flow continually in one direction, instead of in and out.
Other organs also form by sequential branching of epithelial tubes. Salivary glands, the pancreas, the liver, and ducts inside kidneys form this way. During this branching process, you could hardly distinguish between developing lungs, developing salivary glands, pancreas or kidneys. A time-lapse video of kidney development will be shown in class, but cannot be incorporated into the course web pages, because I didn't make it, and a publisher owns the copyright.
The Mandelbrot set is one of many mathematical fractal patterns that are comparatively easy to generate by repeated recalculations. The bright-colored blobby pattern at the beginning of our web pages about symmetry is a tiny part of the Mandelbrot set, which was generated on my Mac lap-top by repeated squaring of complex numbers (those numbers that include the square root of minus one). Repeated cubing will also generate fractal patterns, and so will repetition of other processes, whether mathematical or physical (as in the lungs). Tidal rivers and creeks develop fractal branching patterns. You can see pictures of them using Google Maps. Good examples are the rivers east of Elizabeth City and in Currituck County, North Carolina. The North River is a good example.
9) A good way to discover the cause of any self-forming pattern is to consider its symmetry, and remember Curie's Principle. If a pattern has a certain kind of symmetry, then expect that the causes of this pattern either have that same kind of symmetry, or that "Symmetry Breaking" occurs, in the sense of external triggers being used to reduce symmetry.
Examples of symmetry breaking include processes that from any other point of view wouldn't seem to have anything fundamental in common. Locations of sperm entry and directions of gravity are used to "break" the axial symmetry of newly fertilized one-cell stage embryos. Reaction-diffusion systems break displacement symmetry, in the sense of producing waves of alternating high and low chemical concentrations.
Elongation of cartilages is driven by osmotic swelling of cartilage. Osmotic pressure is a scalar variable, and therefore incapable of being stronger in one direction than another. So how can it make femurs (etc.) elongate directionally? Because collagen fibers wrapped around and within growing cartilages channel the osmotic pressure into certain directions, by preventing expansion in other directions. Tension, being a tensor, can and does vary with direction.
Thus the reduced symmetry of skeletal shapes (that is, its directionality) is produced by directional differences in tensions that resist swelling. The swelling force itself is incapable of directionality. Textbooks in anatomy and histology rarely have a clue on this subject, and assert that cartilage elongation and shape is produced by chondrocytes pushing harder in certain directions than others. In histological sections, you can see the chondrocytes lining up in the direction of greatest pressure. But its not them that's pushing harder in that direction. Neither the cells nor the cartilage matrix are capable of exerting more force in one direction than another. Both the cells and the extracellular matrix line up in the direction of least resistance (specifically, resistance by tension in collagen fibers).
Good luck trying to get biomechanics specialists to understand this, however. It's too simple for them.
10) Regarding whether reaction-diffusion systems are really how embryos generate spatial patterns (like zebra stripes and leopard spots) one of the best counter-arguments is based on the lack of dilation symmetry. Specifically, how do the sizes of the waves adjust in proportion to increased or decreased sizes of the tissue to be subdivided.
A (barely) conceivable method would be for the ratio of diffusion constants to change in proportion to the size of the material available. This would cause the wavelength to change. The larger the ratio of diffusion constants, the narrower and closer together the stripes; the smaller the ratio, the wider and farther apart the waves. Changing the wave lengths could also be accomplished by the right changes in the chemical reaction rates.
These methods feel contrived, however. It's hard for me to believe in them.
Color patterns in certain species of fish don't change their wave-length in proportion to size. As these fish grow larger, these fish keep adding new stripes. This observation has been widely interpreted to be evidence specifically in favor of reaction-diffusion systems. This tacitly assumes that reaction-diffusion systems are the only possible way to break displacement.
Many animals have alternating wide and narrow stripes. Not a few have more complex patterns of alternation, of which my favorite is wide / very narrow/ intermediate width / very narrow / very wide, and repeat. Look at the stripes on these dreadful Lion Fish that have unfortunately transplanted to the Atlantic and Caribbean, of which there are several photographs in the west hallway in Coker Hall.
back to syllabus
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| 0.482555
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Alphabet Kids Magazine
A Positive Future with Positive Exposure
Fun, Fantastic Fathers!
Greatest Love of All
PIHCINTU
Talking to Children about Natural Disasters
Travel Near & Far
Tips From A Teacher
Welcoming immigrant children from around the globe, The Chorus helps to rescue the young lives blown apart by the horrifying conditions from which many of them have fled. War-torn villages, bloodshed, refugee camps, famine, and political turmoil were devastating realities for so many of these young singers before being embraced by the warmth, companionship and harmony of a loving musical environment. For these children, the power of survival eases - but never erases - the memory of unthinkable physical danger and personal tragedy. Con Fullam, an award-winning producer, musician, and songwriter, combined his passion for music with a deep concern for the effect of world issues on children and started The Chorus. The Indian word Pihcintu means, "When she sings, her voice carries far," a sentiment that truly embodies the spirit of Music for the World. Ranging in age from 8 to 18, with families originally from Cambodia, China, Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Viet Nam, West Indies, and Zambia, the girls bond with children whose families have lived in the United States and Canada for generations. The Chorus has touched the hearts of all those who hear their songs. Through the healing power of music, these vulnerable, yet brave, young women have learned to trust, hope...and laugh again.
Building on its mission to connect children from diverse backgrounds through music and friendship, The Pihcintu Chorus collaborated with The Alphabet Kids. Together, we have a mutual message of tolerance, understanding and sharing the joy of music - being guided by the philosophy of giving back. The Chorus makes contributions to the schools, orphanages and villages from which the children originated. The Pitcintu Chorus will be touring around the country and a documentary film is in progress. Music for the World CD is available in the Alphabet Kids online store.
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ALVIN LEE / TEN YEARS AFTER
From Goldmine Magazine - April 5, 2002 - By Dave Thompson
Four years after Ten Years After’s last significant burst of activity, one of the biggest bands of the early 1970’s blues – rock explosion are lumbering up for a major return – not, this time, on the live circuit, but via a string of archival releases that really have lain in obscurity far too long. That of course is a relative term. Ask anyone who grew up in the aftermath of Woodstock, the 1969 “Mud Fest” that thrust Ten Years After into prominence, and the group straddles their memory like a colossus. Between 1970 and 1973, the band scored five Top 40 albums, including two – Ssssh and Cricklewood Green – that breached the Top 20. The anthem-mic “I’d Love To Change The World” was a top 40 single in 1971, and the band’s live reputation is a creature of the most shimmering legend.
It is one of history’s oddest quirks that a band that hit their concert peak between 1969 and 1972 should have issued live albums only on either side of that span. The sainted “I’m Going Home” Woodstock clip not with standing, evidence of the group at the height of its powers has been nowhere to be found. Until Now!
"Ten Years After Live At The Fillmore East" is a two CD set drawn from three of the four shows that the band played at that august venue over the last two days of February 1971.
Recorded by Eddie Kramer , the tapes were shelved only because the group’s next studio album, the aforementioned “Cricklewood Green,” was imminent. Unfortunately, the tapes were also forgotten.
Ric Lee, Ten Years After’s powerhouse drummer, picks up the story. He is the guiding force behind the reissue, having first contacted EMI (the band’s U.K. label) simply to find out why the group’s catalogue had not yet been upgraded. “They told me they wanted to do it and asked if I could help find some bonus material – unreleased tracks and things – to flesh out the original albums,” Lee told Goldmine in a recent phone interview. “I was looking around and suddenly I came across this, an entire album which we had completely forgotten about”.
It was an astonishing find. The band is in vicious form throughout – if one wants to criticize, a couple of the tracks, from the second set of the second night are a little ragged in the vocal department, but that’s about it. For the rest of the collection, Ten Years After are at their incendiary best. “The only track that’s ever been released from these tapes is “Love Like A Man”. Lee continued. “We used it as the B-Side to the studio version of the same song, when that came out as a single.” And therein hangs a tale. “Because the studio version was edited down for the single, we thought it’d be nice to give people the full song on the B-Side. So we used the live version, which is almost ten minutes long. The thing is, because it’s so long, it had to play at 33 (and a third) RPM rather than 45 RPM. The A-Side was a regular 45 record speed, and the B-Side was 33 RPM. A few months later, we were in the south of France, in this little café´ and the single came on the jukebox. Except it was the B-Side which came on, and we just groaned, because it was playing too fast. But nobody else seemed to notice! They all got up started dancing and when the record finished, they gave us a round of applause! “We went back to the hotel still laughing about it, but a couple of nights later, back at the café´ the same thing happened again. Nobody realized that wasn’t how it was meant to sound”. It’s a sobering thought but the French people’s subsequent love for mach – 10 – punk rock might well have been born that night, from playing Ten Years After at 22 revolutions too fast.
The Fillmore album is the standard bearer of a full scale Ten Years After reissue program, as all the original albums prepare to re-emerge. In addition, a two CD anthology wrapping up album favourites and non - LP rarities is also set to surface, with the bands Woodstock breakthrough naturally among the expected highlights. Ensuring that credit is given where credit’s due. Ric Lee admitted that his own performance on the Woodstock soundtrack’s “I’m Going Home” may not be all that it seems. “They didn’t mike up the whole drum kit,” he recalled. “and years later, (Mountain’s Drummer) Corky Laing told me that he went in and overdubbed the bass drum for the movie and LP versions”. Amazing – one of the best – loved moments of the entire event, and the guy who helped create it wasn’t even at the Woodstock Festival. No doubt that tale will be among those that Ric Lee will be recalling once again as he embarks upon a fascinating tour of his own. “It’s a two hour lecture, talking about Ten Years After, including a slide show and music, plus a question and answer session and at the end, a drum demonstration. I’m taking it around Britain first, but I hope to be in the States with it soon.
Coinciding with the brand new Ten Years After CD of the Live Fillmore East – and the rebirth of “The Ten Years After Story” Is Herb Staeher’s “Visual History” the full story of the ultimate rock and roll warriors. Arranged in a day by day diary format. Visual History follows Alvin Lee, Chick Churchill, Ric Lee and Leo Lyons from their very first show ever, opening for the one and only John Lee Hooker at the Marquee in June of 1967 in London, to the burst of activity surrounding the band’s 30th anniversary, the Third Reunion Tour in 1997 – 1998.
The books photos are in black and white but this in no way detracts from the thrill of discovery as you read page to page the bands long and exciting history. In fact, it makes it that much more authentic
All around, then the book is a worthy tome and a salutary lesson to all those modern pop stars who complain that they spend too long on the road. Ten Years After was hardly ever off the road. Ric Lee does remember one night when the pressure got to be too much, and Alvin Lee really couldn’t take any more. “He sat in the van, with his head in his hands, saying he didn’t think he could carry on any longer, and he wanted to leave the band. So my wife said, “Why don’t you just take a holiday, then see how you feel when you get back?” Alvin agreed. So, we cancelled the next night’s show and two days later, he was as right as rain again”.
By Dave Thompson
The Music of – Ten Years After – 1968 – 1974
Chrysalis Music Group USA – 2-CD Promo Set
Although a deleted and rare item, it’s still not impossible to find, the going price is around $62.79 and is an official release. This is a 22 track best of CD – Custom Printed disc complete with picture sleeve insert and title / track listing on the back inlay. This is a CD-R Acetate
INTERVIEW WITH ALVIN LEE:
FROM NOTTINGHAM TO WOODSTOCK TO CHAMPNEYS
ALVIN LEE ENDS UP IN A DRUG REHABILITATION PROGRAM FROM ALCOHOL AND COCAINE ABUSE. WHILE DOING HIS LAST GRAM OF COKE AT THE GATE, HE CHECKS HIMSELF INTO CHAMPNEYS HEALTH FARM FOR A COMPLETE DETOXIFICATION, AND THUS TRADES IN HIS WHITE CLOGS FOR….
The story starts as a helicopter drifts over a sea of faces and heads towards the stage. 5000,000 people, some naked, some on drugs, mostly hippies, were there to see some of the biggest names in rock and to celebrate peace and love. Man.
Many shielded their eyes as they looked into the bright August sun towards the helicopter, as they wondered who might be inside.
The helicopters had been ferrying the artists in and out all weekend long, as it was the only way. The two lane highway that led to this cow pasture in upstate New York was totally blocked for seventeen miles. Groups of youngsters had driven halfway across the country in their flower-daubed V W’s in order to get there. But the fact remains, that less than half of them actually paid for tickets.
Police stood helplessly by as the crowd, who were expected to reach 60,000 swelled, tore down fences, smoked pot, took acid, danced naked and listened to some of the best music on the planet.
Some who had already been and gone on the Friday and Saturday included, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. Now it was Sunday August 18, 1969 the final day of this amazing, unique event, and the guest would include Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, The Band, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
As the helicopter in question touched down in the backstage area, out trooped four lads from Nottingham, England called Ten Years After.
Says singer, songwriter, and guitarist Alvin Lee, “We were only there about five hours in all, and three of those waiting around because it had been raining, the stage was soaked, and electricity was sparking.” “It didn’t look likely that anyone would be going on stage for an hour or two so I went for a walk through the crowd and around the lake. It was the best decision I could have made, I saw the festival from the other side. ”Backstage was utter confusion, bands and managers were vying for who goes on next, and during this, the whole backstage area had run out of cigarettes so I volunteered to go and find some. “It was a different world out there, the people were fantastic. No one knew who I was but people were offering me food, drinks, joints, anything they had. They were happy to share. “I remember near the stage entrance area there was a police car with nowhere to go. It was totally wedged in by people so the two cops were sitting on the grass smoking a joint with some of the crowd. “If you can’t beat’em join’em, a grinning cop said to me. I asked if he had any cigarettes. He said no and handed me a couple of joints. “I walked off around the lake area there were lots of naked people swimming, and it all seemed serenely natural in this setting. “It reminded me of a native Indian scene with camp fires, and barbecues, and circles of people passing round pipes, and stuff. I asked for cigarettes, and they handed me a couple of joints too. “When I eventually arrived backstage after my adventures, it was still chaos. “Have you got any cigarettes?” they asked. “No, but I’ve got 18 joints.” Alvin’s walk seems to have done the trick.
Ten Year’s 90 minute set on that Sunday would change their lives forever. In fact, before Led Zeppelin came along, Ten Years After were Britain’s biggest selling rock band. It was a nine minute version of their encore number called “I’m Going Home” that became a festival highlight, when the ‘Woodstock’ movie was released the following year. The reason was Lee’s guitar wizardry. “I have watched it a few times since, and it’s still pretty good,” he admits today. “Of course you see the mistakes, but that was all part of it.”
Ten Years After is: Alvin Lee on guitar and vocals; Ric Lee on drums; Chick Churchill on keyboards; and Leo Lyons on bass guitar. The band would sell millions of records, tour the United States more than any other band in the world, and rub shoulders with rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and George Harrison.
There came the country mansions, the fleet of cars, and inevitably, the sex, and the drugs, along with their rock and roll. It was a long way from Wollaton Park where Alvin grew up, with his two older sisters, Janice, and Irma.
By trade his father Sam was a builder, while his mother Doris ran a hair-dressing salon. They both played guitar. They used to do odd gigs as a cowboy trio; my mum, my dad, and my sister Janice. My dad collected ethnic blues records, prison work songs, and stuff like that. Big Bill Broonsy, and Lonnie Johnson. I grew up listening to that, and that’s where my blues came from.
Along with his parents musical influence, Alvin was swept up into the American culture of the late 1950’s including, James Dean, Bill Haley, and of course Elvis Presley. Alvin says, “It was all very romantic, and a contrast to my environment in Nottingham where you were brought up to work at Raleigh or Players.” As it turned out he would only have one “proper” job after leaving School.
Leaving Margaret Glen-Bott School, where he says he was a bit of a rebel and was regularly sent back home, for wearing “inappropriate clothing”. It was at Weller Gauge, a light engineering company that he worked for about two months, Alvin says, “I cut my fingers one day on some metal work and my Mum said, ‘you can’t stay there-you have your fingers to think about. So they let me pack it in and concentrate on my guitar playing”.
Alvin’s very first gig had been at the age of thirteen at the Palace Cinema in Sandiacre, which was located by the railway bridge, and has long since been demolished. At that time he was playing with Alan Upton and The Jailbreakers, right before the screening of a Brigitte Bardot movie, in which the advertisement announced, ‘Alan Upton featuring Alvin Lee, and his amazing talking guitar’. His Mum still has got the cutting”.
He joined his next band called Vince Marshall and the Square Caps, by way of another advert in the Evening Post. Alvin says, “we rehearsed for three months, played one gig at ‘All Souls Church’ in Radford, then broke up”.
Next in line, was Ivan Jay, and The Jaycats, and Alvin says, “Ivan Jay is living in San Diego now. He’s a car racer and one of my heroes. He was a bit older than us, and we all looked up to him. He had bright blond hair, and my Mum dyed his hair pink and blue on the sides, and he had to go home on the 39 bus”.
By the early sixties, Ivan had left, and Alvin had taken over the vocal duties, and the name was changed to the ‘Jaybirds’, playing in Nottingham at such clubs as, The Dancing Slipper, The Carousel, The Cocked Hat, and The Regal located in Ripley. They followed the Beatles trail to Hamburg, and to the famous Star Club, located in the heart of the red light district, the Reeperbahn. Alvin says, “That’s where I learned everything about sex, drugs, and rock’n roll”.
The Beatles, had been there and gone by the time the Jaybirds arrived, but other artists including Tony Sheridan, Cliff Bennett, and the Rebel Rousers, and The Big Three, were there performing.
Alvin says, “I’d seen nothing like it before. The Star Club was run by gangsters. When you were playing there you got a little badge with a star on it. I’ve still got mine. It could get you in anywhere in the Reeperbahn. I was glad to get away from there alive, it was a bit hairy at times. “All these kind of gangster things were going on. Hookers used to come down to the gig at two in the morning, and pick on the young boys for a bit of fun”. Like you Alvin? “Yeah, a lot of fun actually,” he laughs, “I was there a month, but it felt like two years”. Find below the lyrics to "Little Boy"
The story behind Alvin’s song LITTLE BOY which he wrote as a little autobiography about a period of weeks that occurred in his teenage years. He talks about his discovery of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in Hamburg, Germany. It seems that just for fun, the hookers would come down to the Hamburg club in the small hours of the morning and have a little fun with the cute young teenage boys, who were there. Alvin just happened to be one of the LITTLE BOYS who attracted the attention of these whores. As I have yet to find anyone who transcribed the lyrics correctly, this version is the way I heard Alvin sing it, but we’re always open to making corrections.
The song starts:
“I’m gonna tell the story now”, he says, “give me bass drum”. When I was a little boy, I didn’t know right from wrong, I was young and innocent, but it didn’t last too long. I went out to Germany, reefer born and all that, I aged five years in thirty weeks, now there ain’t no turning back.
(Choirs) ….
Ooh, it ain’t a bad world, it ain’t bad all the time, No one gives, gives you no guarantee that you’re gonna like what you find.
You can’t forget the things you learn, you can’t go back in time. I live my life to gain experience, I’ve laid it on the line.
I don’t claim I’ve seen everything, but I’ve had my share. I don’t understand everything, but I know what’s fair.
While backing American singers on tour in the UK, like The Drifters, and The Ivy League, and with ex-roadie Chick Churchill who was from Ilkeston, joining on his Hammond as organ/keyboard player, the band also took on a new name and now became Ten Years After.
It was in 1966, and blues rock was an emerging force in Britain, and Ten Years After were signed to ‘Decca Records’ where Jonathan King, chose Love Like A Man to be released as a single. It became their only hit in Britain, but like Led Zeppelin who came later, Ten Years After were really an album band, particularly in the USA, where Lee’s speed guitar playing earned him hero worship on a par with Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Alvin’s trademark ‘Red Gibson ES-335’ along with his long blond hair, with white clogs, and loons epitomised a definite kind of hippie cool.
So that by the year 1968, Decca were pushing the band in the direction of America. It was during these early tours that the members of Ten Years After would be rubbing elbows and shoulders with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and a hurricane-voiced blues singer named Janis Joplin, who more than held up her end when it came to drugs, drinking and living her life in the world of rock ‘n’ roll excess. As Alvin tells it, “Most guitarists…Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and the like, I figured we all had about the same influences, and I knew where they were coming from, but Jimi Hendrix… from outer space, he was a force on his own”.
Alvin, like most others during the 1960’s was into sampling the new drug called ‘LSD’ in great quantities. Alvin recalls, “I became cosmically conscious. It did me a lot of good. As a lad, I was a bit of a tear-a-way. With the Jaybirds, we had shotguns in the van and would go around shooting poor old rabbits and crows, but it all changed, I wouldn’t kill an ant after I had LSD”.
So by the mid 1970’s Ten Years After were feted in the USA and were selling millions of copies of record albums. Alvin bought himself a 16th-Century-Country Mansion, located in Berkshire called Hook End Manor, which included twenty rooms, and was set on fifty acres of land. It was to become the band’s headquarters, their studio and their workshop. Alvin reflects, “I built a large studio in the old barn there which was called Space Studios. It had no windows, and no clocks so it was impossible to know what time of day or night it was.
They were crazy times. We often used to spend all night in the studio, and when we came out it was already light outside, so we’d go back in for another ten hours until it got dark again”.
“The craziness went on for several years, but then it started to get too crazy. At first we just used to smoke lots of hashish, but later came the cocaine, which was totally unproductive, and a big waste of money. “We would be in the studio for three days at a time, non-stop, and I don’t think we recorded anything worth keeping during the whole two years. “Fortunately, I saw the light in time, I looked in the mirror one day, and said ‘Who the hell is that?’ I immediately went and checked in to Champneys health farm for a complete detox”.
After finishing off his last gram of cocaine at the front gates, Alvin submitted to a check-up. A doctor took his blood pressure, and informed the guitarist: “It looks like you’ve got here just in time.”
In retrospect Alvin laments, “Since then I am glad to say I have swapped my clogs for trainers (sneakers), and I have my own gym and studio at home. Alvin concludes, “The drugs are just a purple haze.”
As for Ten Years After, they would get back together in 1989 to make an album entitled ‘About Time’, along with a tour, but the fact remains, that since the mid-seventies, Alvin has concentrated more on his solo work, and with the Alvin Lee Band than devoting any time at all to his fellow band mates or with his old band, Ten Years After.
Alvin now lives in Malaga Spain. He says, “It’s a lovely view from my studio, I can look out and see the ocean.”
What does he do everyday? Well lets ask Alvin, “I’m still writing songs, and touring, though I haven’t played in Nottingham for a long time, but I’d like to play ‘Rock City’, I have a music publishing company, with offices still in Nottingham.” Although he has never been married, he does have one daughter named Jasmin, who is now in her twenties, and is also working in the music business as a band manager.
Although Alvin left Nottingham at the young age of eighteen, he is now fifty seven (as of this article), and he still carries the prominent accent, and keeps in touch with his Mum Doris, who is still living in Wollaton Park. As Alvin states, “ She was always really proud, to be honest, I don’t often do interviews these days. I’m not really bothered about the history books, but my mum said ‘oh I’m so proud of you, go on, do it.”
Alvin continues his conversation and talks about, George Harrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix:
Looking back, it was at Steve Paul’s Scene Club, that one Jimi Hendrix stood by and watched Ten Years After perform, as Alvin reflects, “We were doing ‘I Can’t Keep From Crying, which had a twenty minute guitar solo, and I went into it with jazz octaves, and stuff like that, he came up to me (Jimi Hendrix) and said ‘wow I’ve been thinking of doing something like that, but you beat me to it’. So there was a bit of mutual respect there.”
When they met up once again, it was at The Speakeasy in London. Alvin continues, “He (Jimi) asked Leo Lyons if he could get up and jam, and Leo said ‘no’. I knew who he was, but I don’t think Leo did, which was a bit embarrassing. (Note:12 / 2004 Leo’s recollection of this event is much different than Alvin’s version.) He (Jimi) did have some terrible gigs though, because he would treat his guitar in such a way, it would go dreadfully out of tune. He would come off stage and he would throw his guitars at the roadies, going raving mad. Apart from that, he was a very nice guy, very quiet. Quiet and mad, hot and cold, like all larger than life people.”
Alvin and George Harrison became close friends and neighbours after Alvin moved in to Hook End Manor, as Alvin says, “George lived just down the road at Friar Park in Henley, and we used to jam together, and play on each others albums all the time. I remember one time he came over with Eric Clapton and Carl Radle, and I was rehearsing with my new band Ten Years Later. We had a jam session and recorded ‘Too Many Lead Guitarists Blues’. At the end I shouted ‘everybody take it’ and it turned into the loudest cacophony you’ve ever heard. George would later come over and play slide guitar on my albums. He played on ‘Real Life Blues’, ‘Talk Don’t Bother Me and ‘The Bluest Blues’. George also played on my version of the ‘Beatles’ I Want You-She’s So Heavy. He was a wonderful man, and I miss him greatly. He always used to send my mum a food hamper or flowers on her birthday.”
It’s no surprise that Alvin’s friendship with Janis Joplin was far less relaxed, as Alvin remembers it, “I think she had a thing for me, she called me baby-cakes, but I didn’t know what it meant, my ass I think…hang on my mum’s reading this. Alvin goes on, “One night when I saw her play, the audience were handing bottles up on stage to her, and she tweaked my ass, and gave me a bottle of Southern Comfort. I didn’t realise it was a strong whisky, and I drank most of it. Next thing, I woke up at five in the morning, backstage at the Fillmore East in New York City, and there was no one but a guy sweeping up.”
So had Janis got what she was after from Alvin?
Alvin’s firm reply, “No, she scared me, she was one of the boys, and far too dangerous for me at that time.”
Fotos: Wilfling, Zill, M. Schweitzer, Gabowicz
Ten Years After’s Famous Associations
From Decca’s Tea Boy – To Famous Record Producer
Gus Dudgeon – Top Producer of the Year “With Elton John”
A Sad Ending:
On Sunday July 21, 2002 - while driving home from a party with his wife Sheila, (whom he married in 1959) Gus Dudgeon fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the M4 between Reading and Maidenhead. The car plunged down a steep embankment at a high rate of speed. The couple crashed into a drainage ditch, their Jaguar convertible landed upside down, where they both drowned. Gus was 59, they had no children.
Elton John was deeply saddened, by their death, and called Gus the greatest producer of his generation.
Gus was born on September 30, 1942 in Surrey England and educated at Hailey Bury:
He began work at Olympic Studios off Baker Street in London, as a tea-boy, but eventually he was promoted to the position of sound engineer and moved to Decca Recording Studio in West Hempstead. He worked with The Artwoods, Bruce Channel, Davy Graham, The Small Faces and Shirley Collins. His early pop successes included The Zombies hit song, “She’s Not There” which went to number two in the top ten music charts in 1964, he produced everything by the Zombies there after. Then he did the famous John Mayall Blues Breakers album featuring Eric Clapton in 1966. He helped with the auditions of Tom Jones, Lulu and The Rolling Stones. His very first co-production credit came in 1967 with the debut album named after the progressive blues band “Ten Years After”. He also did Eddie Boyd and His Blues Band album in (1967). This was followed by his production of The Bonzo Dog Band albums that included: The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse (1968) and Tadpoles (1969). Gus also produced two highly successful albums for Elkie Brooks: Pearls and Pearls Two. He went on to produce the then unknown David Bowie’s hit single, “Space Oddity” with exceptional acoustic guitar accompaniment by Keith Christmas. Gus liked to point out that three of his biggest hit singles all had surreal, space travel themes. David Bowie’s - “Space Oddity”, The Bonzo Band’s – “I’m The Urban Spaceman” (It says Produced by Paul McCartney 1969) and Elton John’s famous hit “Rocket Man”.
Goodbye Decca – Hello Yellow Brick Road
Gus became independent in 1968 and left Decca Records, founded his own company, and his first big production project was for EMI, doing Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band.
Then in 1970 he began working with Elton John. The very first song that they worked on together was ironically called “Your Song”, on which Gus elaborated on the simple piano tune and added an orchestral arrangement by Paul Buckmaster. The song reached into the top ten in the United States, thus becoming Elton’s first substantial / certified hit. Gus continued working with Elton on his next several albums.
Although Gus at times, could be very critical of Elton’s work. Case in point was Elton’s 1974 album titled “Caribou”, which Gus says – “It’s a piece of crap, the sound is the worst and the songs are nowhere, the record sleeve came out wrong and the lyrics weren’t that good, the singing wasn’t all there, the playing wasn’t great and the production is just plain lousy”.
Gus Dudgeon along with Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Steve Brown founded “Rocket Records” in 1972. Gus also became the founder of “The Music Producers Guild” and in 1995 he re-mastered much of Elton’s music catalogue. It also says that Gus was the first person to use sampling in 1971 – using a tape loop of African tribal drumming…but I just watched a dvd where Sir Paul McCartney predated Gus by four years on the Beatles Sergeant Pepper Album. Paul brought in a plastic baggie full of tape loops, for George Martin to use on the sessions.
Ten Years After, Elton John, Chris Rea, Jennifer Rush, Elkie Brookes, XTC, Fairport Convention, The Beach Boys, Joan Armatrading and The Hollies were among the main leading artists who benefited from their association with Gus Dudgeon, who was one of Britain’s most respected and prolific record producers. While he spent many years in a branch of the music business that’s notorious for hard-nosed, cynical attitudes, Gus was much liked for his breezy blend of good humour and enthusiasm. He put the artists at ease in the stressful confines of a recording studio, yet he maintained a straight – talking, bustling style that commanded respect. If ever there was ever a person who would willingly give his time to help a struggling artist or recording engineer – it was Gus Dudgeon!
Elton John had tremendous respect for the talent of his producer, and thus gave Gus complete freedom to craft the finished tracks as he pleased. Gus, for example did the songs: Saturday’s Alright For Fighting, Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee) and Nikita.
From Gus Himself:
“I was terrified of ever getting on the console, but the thing I loved about it was, just the volume and actually hearing the real low end! It was like “Bloody Hell” !!!
“That’s bloody marvellous” !!! I just loved the power of the big speaker system.
I never heard anything like it”.
About Gus Dudgeon:
He was an exceptionally charming and funny man. He was a flamboyant dresser, favouring wide striped suits, winkie - pickers, tight Levis, brooches and colored sunglasses. And while his hard work earned him a considerable fortune, a crocked accountant relived him of much of his wealth. But Gus never rested on his laurels, he was always visiting clubs on the lookout for new bands and artists that he could produce. In his early days, he was raised in the post “Goons and Monty Python era which meant that he could relate to the things that made his artists laugh. This while his career parallel the vast explosion in rock music and the expansion of the recording studio technology and audio advancements in general. When he began his work in the mid 1960’s he was limited / confined to using a four track recorder and had to endure the strictures of the pre-electronic era. Just as George Martin had done with the Beatles. At Decca there was a daily roster of bands and artists to deal with, and Gus had to work with top session men during intense three hour sessions. The music had to be sight-read and recorded “Live” in the studio, with as few takes as possible.
“There was no room for perfection” replied Gus.
David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” reached number 5 in the U.K. charts in 1969 and then reached number 1 when it was re-issued in 1975. Gus later said that he was only paid 250 pounds in advance for his work on the hit and claimed that he was owed in excess of a million pounds in unpaid royalties!!!
Among others he worked with were: Marianne Faithfull, The Strawbs, The Rolling Stones and on a project with George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Again, let it be pointed out, that Gus Dudgeon was one of Britain’s most successful record producers.
In His Free Time:
Gus was happy to spend more of his free time gardening around his 16th Centaury Surrey home. Just as he maintained his love of live music, and went to see three “Unknown” bands per week. He kept his sense of humour too, listing among his other hobbies, in the true Bonzo Dog Band style of, collecting Rhino’s.
Some of the text on this page by Chris Welch.
At The Funereal:
The funereal service was held in Cobham, Surrey where Gus and Sheila lived.
“We have not only lost a couple who treated a very naïve country boy with great courtesy in his younger days, but also an extraordinary talent without those our early records would never have taken on the legendary status they have been so fortunate to attain. I love Gus and his loving wife, and I thank him for all that he had done for me over these many years. I would now like to offer this lost couple a song called, “High Flying Bird”. In thanks for the glorious times, and may you be in heaven together forever, Love Elton…..We’ve been missing you."
Foundation In His Name:
The Gus Dudgeon Foundation for the Recording Arts, was formed to preserve and promote the techniques of recording and production exemplified from his outstanding career and to give students from all walks of life the opportunity to learn and pass on these skills for future generations. The studio will provide a world class recording facility that will be available to students, academic institutions and commercial clients.
The Music Producers Guild – United Kingdom
Conceived and supported by producers and engineers who are passionate about all aspects of creating and creating music, it provides a community for us to share our collective experiences and collaborate with other like minded people.
The Gus Dudgeon Suite:
Is now the home of Gus’s MCI mixing console and his legendary 24 track, along with other studio equipment and valuable memorabilia, including some of his many prestigious Awards that represent his long and distinguished career, contributed by the Gus Dudgeon Foundation and The Music Producers Guild.
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The George Eliot Review
Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Women Musicians In Victorian Fiction, 1860-1900: Representations Of Music, Science, And Gender In The Leisured Home, Phyllis Weliver Jan 2001
Women Musicians In Victorian Fiction, 1860-1900: Representations Of Music, Science, And Gender In The Leisured Home, Phyllis Weliver
The title and subtitle of this book must intrigue anybody who ·takes an interest in the cultural background of nineteenth-century literature. The familiarly stereotypical figures of the 'accomplished' Victorian girl at her piano, the evolutionary scientist and the domestic hearth where they might meet have often been analysed - and questioned. In fact, Phyllis Weliver's chapter on sensation fictions shows the seductive, female demon lurking behind the deceptively correct musical performances of two 'fallen' heroines. In East Lynne, the protagonist, who is to abandon her husband and children to live abroad in shame, starts out playing hymns, and Lady Audley ...
George Eliot Birthday Luncheon, 19 November 2000 The Toast To The Immortal Memory, Kathleen Adams Jan 2001
George Eliot Birthday Luncheon, 19 November 2000 The Toast To The Immortal Memory, Kathleen Adams
Now I am in my thirty-second year as Secretary of the Fellowship, Bill and I can look back over those years and realize what an immense change they have made to our lives. When we joined the tiny Fellowship in 1965 we could have had no idea what was in store for us - the interesting things that have happened to us, the lovely people (some of them quite famous!) we have met, the friends we have made and the places we have been to, all because of that wonderful lady we are celebrating today.
My first contact with George Eliot ...
Review Of George Eliot And Victorian Historiography: Imagining The National Past, Memory And History In George Eliot: Transfiguring The Past, Neil Mccaw, Hao Li Jan 2001
Review Of George Eliot And Victorian Historiography: Imagining The National Past, Memory And History In George Eliot: Transfiguring The Past, Neil Mccaw, Hao Li
Two recent books address the important subject of how and why George Eliot represents history in her fiction. Neil McCaw's George Eliot and Victorian Historiography is concerned primarily with Eliot's relationship to Victorian history writing - to the historians, theories and ideologies that shaped the way Victorians understood and reconstructed an English national past. Hao Li's Memory and History in George Eliot aims to understand Eliot's conception of the 'mechanisms and functions' of 'communal memory' in relation to history. Li draws on Victorian physiological and psychological theories of memory, as well as on twentieth-century thinking about the ...
Review Of Oxford Reader's Companion To George Eliot, John Rignall Jan 2001
Review Of Oxford Reader's Companion To George Eliot, John Rignall
For a reader of George Eliot, opening this Companion may be a bit like opening a box of chocolates. There is a pause as one wonders where to begin, but once begun, it is difficult to stop tasting and savouring the contents. The articles are written in a fluid and concise, easily readable style, and present such an abundance and particularity of detail that the most dedicated student of George Eliot's life and work will find new information and insights. And even where the facts are more or less familiar, details we may have forgotten remind us again of ...
Review Of Scenes Of Sympathy: Identity And Representation In Victorian Fiction "Without Any Check Of Proud Reserve": Sympathy And Its Limits In George Eliot's Novels, Audrey Jaffe, Ellen Argyros Jan 2001
Review Of Scenes Of Sympathy: Identity And Representation In Victorian Fiction "Without Any Check Of Proud Reserve": Sympathy And Its Limits In George Eliot's Novels, Audrey Jaffe, Ellen Argyros
These two books, when read together, make an exceedingly interesting comparative study of 'sympathy', that term so pervasive in George Eliot's work. Audrey Jaffe's book resituates the idea of 'sympathy' in the Foucauldian notions of spectacularization and surveillance, thus examining sympathy from a cultural studies perspective. She comments that her book is 'not an attempt to define sympathy per se ... this book rather exposes and explores the recurrent connection between sympathy, representation, and constructions of social identity in a series of Victorian texts' (8). Jaffe thus brings an entirely new perspective to bear on what critics and readers ...
Darwin's Plots: Evolutionary Narrative In Darwin, George Eliot, And Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Gillian Beer Jan 2001
Darwin's Plots: Evolutionary Narrative In Darwin, George Eliot, And Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Gillian Beer
In Darwin s Plots, Gillian Beer writes that 'On the Origin of Species is one of the most extraordinary examples of a work which included more than the maker of it at the time knew, despite all that he did know'. Published in November 1859 with a print run of 1,250, Origin shook Victorian Britain. Its conclusions seemed inescapable. Life on earth was not the six-day product of a divine creator, but the outcome of random evolutionary process. Its impact was immediate and immense. Man 'was born yesterday - he will perish tomorrow' declared the Athenaeum. In later life Thomas ...
Priest And Nun?: Daniel Deronda, Anti-Catholicism And The Confessional, Kirstie Blair Jan 2001
Priest And Nun?: Daniel Deronda, Anti-Catholicism And The Confessional, Kirstie Blair
In Chapter 32 of Daniel Deronda, Sir Hugo Mallinger jocularly remarks to Deronda, 'You are always looking tenderly at the women, and talking to them in a Jesuitical way. You are a dangerous young fellow'.' Deronda responds with undue irritation, drawing the narrative observation that, 'Sir Hugo's notion of flirting, it was to be hoped, was rather peculiar'. Both Deronda's defensive reaction and Eliot's sly comment hint at the potential dangers of 'peculiar' flirtation with Gwendolen, a peculiarity linked to the term 'Jesuitical'. In the pervasive late Victorian discourse of anti-Catholicism, Jesuit priests are associated with insinuation ...
Review Of A Community Of Interest- The Story Of The George Eliot Fellowship 1930-2000, Kathleen Adams Jan 2001
Review Of A Community Of Interest- The Story Of The George Eliot Fellowship 1930-2000, Kathleen Adams
On November 22nd 1930 an inaugural supper for the George Eliot Fellowship was held at the Newdegate Arms in Nuneaton, at which Sir Francis Newdegate GCMG of Arbury Hall presided. He told the assembled company that it was high time that those who lived Nuneaton should pay every honour they could to George Eliot. He went on to say 'I cannot myself speak of her writings as an expert, but I do know that she has done a great deal for the neighbourhood in the way she has reproduced Warwickshire as it was 100 years ago and has preserved the ...
Edward Casaubon And Herbert Spencer, June Skye Szirotny Jan 2001
Edward Casaubon And Herbert Spencer, June Skye Szirotny
Identifying the originals of George Eliot's characters has always fascinated readers. And none of her characters has inspired speculation about an original more than Edward Casaubon, George Eliot's scholar and clergyman in Middlemarch. In 1973, Richard Ellmann published an essay, 'Dorothea's Husbands: Some Biographical Speculations' ,re-examining the claims made for various persons George Eliot had known, as the original of Casaubon: Mark Pattison, Herbert Spencer, Dr. Robert Herbert Brabant, Jacob Bryant, Robert William Mackay, and George Eliot herself. Since then readers have focused on other contenders, mostly literary figures. 2 Of the traditional contenders, Mark Pattison, a ...
The George Eliot Review: Journal Of The George Eliot Fellowship 2001 No. 32, Beryl Gray, John Rignall Jan 2001
The George Eliot Review: Journal Of The George Eliot Fellowship 2001 No. 32, Beryl Gray, John Rignall
Notes on Contributors ........................................................................ 5
ADDRESSES Viscount Daventry: Address at the wreath-laying in the George Eliot Memorial Gardens, 18 June 2000 ................................................ 7
Jonathan Ouvry: Address at the wreath-laying in Westminster Abbey, 21 June 2000 ........................................................................... 9
Serena Evans: Address at the opening of a garden at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, 9 July 2000 .................................................. .11
Barbara Hardy: The Twenty-Ninth George Eliot Memorial Lecture, 21 October 2000...................... 13
Kathleen Adams: The Toast to the Immortal Memory: George Eliot Birthday Luncheon, 19 November 2000 .......................................... 23
ARTICLES June Skye Szirotny: Edward Casaubon and Herbert Spencer (Prize Essay) ..............................29
Kirstie Blair : Priest and Nun ...
The Twenty-Ninth George Eliot Memorial Lecture, 2000 "George Eliot For The Twenty-First Century: Middlemarch And The Poetry Of Prosaic Conditions", Barbara Hardy Jan 2001
The Twenty-Ninth George Eliot Memorial Lecture, 2000 "George Eliot For The Twenty-First Century: Middlemarch And The Poetry Of Prosaic Conditions", Barbara Hardy
Jerome Beaty should have given this lecture: 1 I have spoken and written in celebration of his scholarship and record that I was sad to be speaker not listener. Taking his amusingly grandiose title I place mine after it, and discussing Middlemarch and its poetry of (and in) prosaic conditions, respect his theme. I consider George Eliot's poetic language in Middlemarch at a time when many poets and novelists are interested in generic crossing and dislocation (as they have been in different ways from modernism to post-modernism) but when critics are less concerned with George Eliot's art, and ...
Japanese Branch Report 2000, Yukiko Ono Jan 2001
Japanese Branch Report 2000, Yukiko Ono
The fourth annual convention of the George Eliot Fellowship of Japan was held at Kinki University in Osaka on Saturday, 25 November 2000.
The morning session began with a welcome speech by Norio Murase, Dean of the Literature Department of Kinki University. He said, 'George Eliot seems to be similar to Nukada-noookimi, a famous poet of Mayoshu, the oldest collected Japanese verses, in the seventh century, not in appearance, but in abundance of feeling.'
The first paper, 'Clothing in Janet's Repentance', was presented by Masae Ukawa, a full-time lecturer at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. She observed ...
Letter To The Editor, 2001, Barbara Hardy Jan 2001
Letter To The Editor, 2001, Barbara Hardy
The welcome purchase by the British Library of George Eliot / Jane Senior letters isn't always reported accurately. In a recent Woman's Hour Kathryn Hughes seemed to imply the correspondence was new to scholars. Haight's Yale Edition contains ten letters from George Eliot to Jane Senior, including three of the series in the news. The unpublished letters extend and stimulate existing knowledge. We shall discuss this and other subjects at a two-day symposium to be held at the University of London Institute of English Studies on 17-18 January 2002.
Middlemarch And Belinda, Graham Handley Jan 2001
Middlemarch And Belinda, Graham Handley
Middlemarch and Rhoda Broughton's Belinda (1883) have often been cited as benchmarks in the much wider debate concerning Mark Pattison and his wife Emily Francis, later Lady Dilke. Among other novels with alleged Pattison derivations are W. H. Mallock's The New Republic (1877), Mrs. Humphry Ward's Robert Elsmere (1888), and Robert Liddell's The Almond Tree (1938), the latter apparently deftly drawn from the Pattison papers in the Bodleian. Apologists occupying the Pattison patch include John Sparrow and Vivian Green,’ while Pattison's own Memoirs (1885) are essential to any understanding of this alternately admired and vilified ...
Nobody's Daughters: Dicken's Tattycoram And George Eliot's Caterina Sarti, Beryl Gray Jan 2001
Nobody's Daughters: Dicken's Tattycoram And George Eliot's Caterina Sarti, Beryl Gray
Doughty Street, where Dickens lived for three years (1836-9), is within a stone's throw of the site of London's Hospital for Foundling Children, which was established in 1739 by the retired sea-captain, Thomas Coram, whom Dickens venerated. Tavistock House - Dickens's home 1851-60, and where he wrote Little Dorrit, the novel in which Tattycoram appears - was also only a short walk from the Hospital.
Dickens entirely approved of the way the 'Foundling' was managed in his own day. The Household Words article 'Received, a Blank Child’,' which he co-authored with his sub-editor, W. H. Wills, unreservedly praises the ...
Address At The Wreath-Laying In The George Eliot Memorial Garden, Nuneaton 18 June 2000 Jan 2001
Address At The Wreath-Laying In The George Eliot Memorial Garden, Nuneaton 18 June 2000
To be asked to lay a wreath and say a few words in celebration of George Eliot, the great authoress, is an honour, I am sure that most of you here today have much more knowledge and understanding of her life and works than I do, but having spent my childhood at Arbury and living there now with my wife and children, I believe that I have a small bond.
It is astounding to think that she, who is so much a part of the fabric of Arbury, is a world famous figure. Her talent was acknowledged during her lifetime ...
Address Wreath-Laying In Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey 21 June 2000, Jonathan G. Ouvry Jan 2001
Address Wreath-Laying In Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey 21 June 2000, Jonathan G. Ouvry
When Gabriel Woolf was standing here a few years ago, he told us the various things that he was not, in relation to George Eliot; for example, that he was not an author fresh from the triumph of the latest biography or other learned work, or an academic (though there I think he does himself an injustice). I too am not any of the things which very often distinguish the wreath laying guest on this important occasion in the George Eliot Fellowship's calendar. Among the many things which I am not, is any kind of blood relation of George ...
Opening Of The Garden At The George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton, 9 July 2000, Serena Evans Jan 2001
Opening Of The Garden At The George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton, 9 July 2000, Serena Evans
When I was asked to come here to open this lovely garden I wondered what on earth I could say about George Eliot that you hadn't thought, read, written or said already - and then I decided that I should talk about the one thing that you don't know about, and that is what has meant to be George Eliot's great- great- great-niece.
It wasn't a thing I questioned when I was little, it just was; at home the book shelves were full of leather bound volumes of her novels and the downstairs loo had pictures on ...
American Branch Report, Linda K. Roberston Jan 2001
American Branch Report, Linda K. Roberston
Dr. Linda K. Robertson reports that a small group of members and friends met for dinner in St. Louis, Missouri in November and it is hoped this might become a regular event. Vast distances preclude members in the USA meeting as a branch but there are at present 33 annual members there and 49 life members. One of the latter, George Griffith delivered a paper on 'George Eliot’s Photographed Face and the Gaze of Public Celebrity' at the conference of Victorian Interdisciplinary Studies Association of the Western United States in October. The parent Fellowship in England would welcome news ...
Annual Report 2000, Kathleen Adams Jan 2001
Annual Report 2000, Kathleen Adams
2000, the Millennium Year, proved to be a mixture of success and some disappointment. The Fellowship Council planned many extra events for so auspicious a year; some were very successful, others were not. Indeed, many of us felt that the excitement of the Millennium had faded by the end of January!
The year began for us with the sad news of the death of our Patron, Viscount Daventry. Several members attended his funeral service at Astley ('Knebley') Church and we were also represented at the Memorial Service later in St Mary's Church in Warwick. Viscount Daventry had been our ...
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'Secular' Nations are Coasting Off Christian Fuel
"No one need fear that the Titanic will go down. Even though all her former compartments and bulkheads were stove in by the iceberg, she would still float indefinitely. She might go down a little at the bow, but she would float. I am free to say that no matter how bad the collision with an iceberg, the Titanic would float. She is an unsinkable ship." 1
Those words were offered by P.A.S. Franklin, Vice President of the International Mercantile Marine on the morning of April 15, after reports started coming in that the R.M.S. Titanic stuck an iceberg and was in need of rescue. Franklin assured the public that would be rescued. Of course, his assumption was completely wrong, as was the Titanic's captain who proceeded at full speed even though the Titanic had received six separate warnings of heavy ice before she was struck. Captain Smith, a seasoned leader, knew of the ice in the water before he left port.2 Both men were assuming future success on their past history. Smith even previously said that modern shipbuilding had "gone beyond" any condition causing a ship to sink. 3
Christianity is What Shaped These Societies
I offer the example of the Titanic not to berate the assumptions of the men above, but that they should serve as a caution. Today, we recognize such statements as hubris, perhaps even ridiculous but hindsight is easy. When I read things like Phil Zuckerman's claim that secular societies fare better than religious ones, I have to shake my head. Zuckerman offers several statistics, both on a state level within the U.S. and on a global scale comparing 'secular' nations to those whose citizens are religiously engaged and concludes that on many different benchmarks, such as economic indicators and reported levels of happiness, the secular nations are better. Scandinavian countries are held high in Zuckerman's writings as prime examples of secular nations. While that may be a debatable point, I will grant that for all practical purposes, the Scandinavian nations have a dominant secular population.
I've already discussed the first problem with the claim: what counts as 'better?' Today, I want to take on the heart of the matter, though. These secular nations (and the less religious states Zuckerman offers) are as successful as they are not because they've turned secular, but because of the centuries of Christian history and values that have shaped them into what they are today. It is the Christian tradition that has made the Scandinavian countries value all people as equals. Before Christianity, the Viking culture saw pillaging monasteries of far off countries acceptable and slavery was part of the business. It took some 150-250 years for the Scandinavian nations to convert to Christianity, and during that time the culture gradually changed to adopt Christian principles.4
The length of time it takes to change a culture fits appropriately with sociologist Robert Woodberry's findings on how Christian missionaries positively affected third world nations. What makes his study so significant is that Woodberry has researched his claim so carefully no critic can find a hole in it. You can read more here, but as Christianity Today summarized:
Areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are on average more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations.
In short: Want a blossoming democracy today? The solution is simple—if you have a time machine: Send a 19th-century missionary.5
Zuckerman has offered his criteria for "better" by using measures like a nation's democracy, the equality of women, or its level of literacy. But these are results of the Christian worldview. So are education, the value for children and orphans, and the idea that all men are created equal. The secular nations that Zuckerman highlights have had a long history of Christianity as their primary societal driver. There simply has not been enough time for secular values that Christians warn of to do the damage they can ultimately inflict.
Once the Titanic struck the iceberg, it didn't sink right away. It took over two hours before she went down and in the immediate minutes after the hit, I would imagine certain crew would still have voiced the same hope as P.A.S. Franklin. Their assumptions were equally wrong. I've shown how the so-call model secular nations have devalued life already. The question for us today is where will this new secularism take us when enough time has passed for the culture to be drowning in it?
1. "She Cannot Sink, Says Official of White Star Line" The Evening World (New York, NY) 15 Apr. 1912, Final ed.: 1. Print. PDF version available at http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1912-04-15/ed-1/seq-1.pdf
2. Elverhøi, Peter. "There's a lot of ice out there, old boy." Acquitting the Iceberg. Encyclopedia Titanica, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/acquitting-the-iceberg~chapter-6.html.
3. Butler, Daniel Allen. Unsinkable: The Full Story of the RMS Titanic. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 1998. Print. 48.
4. Stone, Ryan. "The Long Goodbye to Scandinavian Paganism and the Christianization of Three Realms." Ancient Origins. Ancient Origins, 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. http://www.ancient-origins.net/opinion-guest-authors/long-goodbye-scandinavian-paganism-and-christianization-three-realms-002212.
5. Dilley, Andrea Palpant. "The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries." Christianity Today. 1/8/2014. https://www.disciplenations.org/media/CT-Article-On-Missionaries-And-Global-Democracy.pdf Accessed 6/9/2014.
Posted by Lenny Esposito at 1:20 PM 1 comment:
Labels: atheism, Christian nation, Christianity, history, meme, morality, secularism
Deconstructing the "Atheist Nations are Better" Meme
Yesterday I wrote about a spate of memes on the Internet that assert countries with atheist majorities are faring better than those whose cultures reflect a religious majority. In that article, I distinguished that the concept of "better" is used pretty loosely, as suicides and the value of life itself seems to be much lower in Scandinavian counties offered as examples of secular states. Today, I'd like to approach some of the other problems with the assertion to provide a fuller response to those who would believe such hype.
Secularism is not Atheism
It must be mentioned at the outset that many of the memes out there are not accurate in their presentation of the facts. For example, the Iceland meme defines Iceland as an "Atheist majority population." According to the CIA World Factbook, the population of Iceland is actually "Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 73.8%, Roman Catholic 3.6%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.9%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 2%, The Independent Congregation 1%, other religions 3.9% (includes Pentecostal and Asatru Association), none 5.6%, other or unspecified 7.2% (2015 est.)."1 Taking the Nones and the unspecified together, it means 12.8% of Iceland's nearly 332,000 citizens don't identify with any religious group. That isn't even close to a majority.
The question changes if one makes a distinction between a secular culture and an atheist culture. Even sociologist Phil Zuckerman, from whose research most of these ideas were taken, tried to be a bit more careful in his definitions, defining an atheist as "someone who doesn't believe in God and/or finds the very concept of God meaningless or incoherent" and a secular person as "someone who is non-religious, irreligious, or generally uninterested in, indifferent to, or oblivious to religious beliefs, activities, and organizations."2 As Zuckerman rightly notes, there are a wide range of beliefs, self-identifications, and even overlapping views. So, while Iceland may have a population that is uninterested in religious beliefs (we don't know if that's the case as no statistics are provided in the meme), it cannot be claimed to be atheist.
Selective Sampling
In another article written for Psychology Today, Zuckerman claims "those democratic nations today that are the most secular, such as Scandinavia, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, etc., are faring much better on nearly every single indicator of well-being imaginable than the most religious nations on earth today such as Colombia, Jamaica, El Salvador, Yemen, Malawi, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc."3 Interestingly, why did Zuckerman include the qualifier "democratic" in his assessment of secular nations but not of the religious ones? What about the human rights of the citizens of China or North Korea? Here, he doesn't say, but he does mention it in his other work. There, Zuckerman admits such nations "do miserably on various indicators of societal well-being" but he blames this on the dictatorships themselves.4 He may very well be right, but then what to do with including nations like Colombia and Yemen in the list above?
Also, while Zuckerman's article is written to counter what he says is a charge by "religious conservatives," the claim is too broad. I don't claim that being religious or a belief in God is all one needs for a society to thrive. It is specifically Christian ethics and a society influenced by a Christian worldview that we must discuss. Islamic nations have a whole host of other problems they must deal with.
In the next article, I focus specifically on the conclusion offered by Zuckerman that countries like the Scandinavian nations are faring better due to their secularism. For now, know that such claims rely more on assumption than fact.
1. "Iceland." CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2015. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html.
2. Zuckerman, Phil. "Atheism, Secularity, and Well-Being: How the Findings of Social Science Counter Negative Stereotypes and Assumptions." Sociology Compass 3.6 (2009): 951. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
3. Zuckerman, Phil. "Secular Societies Fare Better Than Religious Societies." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC, 13 Oct. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-secular-life/201410/secular-societies-fare-better-religious-societies.
4. Zuckerman, 2009.
Posted by Lenny Esposito at 12:26 PM 2 comments:
Labels: apologetics, Christianity, culture, ethics, memes, secularism
Are Atheist Countries Really More Moral?
Within the last twenty four hours I saw two different versions of a meme gaining popularity online. The latest one references the nation of Iceland with text that states "Iceland has no army, jailed their corrupt bankers, economy is booming, violent crime is rare, one of the lowest crime rates in the world." The meme then unveils its punchline: "Atheist majority population. Where is all that evil and depravity the religious talk about?"
Similar ideas have been offered before. Phil Zuckerman has written in this vein extensively. His article "Secular Societies Fare Better Than Religious Societies" that appeared last year in Psychology Today makes similar assertions:
…those democratic nations today that are the most secular, such as Scandinavia, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, etc., are faring much better on nearly every single indicator of well-being imaginable than the most religious nations on earth today, such as Colombia, Jamaica, El Salvador, Yemen, Malawi, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc.1
Is this right? Are nations such as Iceland, the Scandinavian countries, and Australia better off with their secular cultures?
Clarifying the Question – What Do you Mean by 'Better'?
Before we jump too far into the details, it is important to clarify just what is being claimed. Take the Iceland meme for example. Does anyone think it would be better if the United States had no standing army? I'm certain Iceland wouldn't like that, since as a member of NATO they rely on the U.S. and its NATO partners to protect them in the event of an invasion, as they did in World War II.2
Secondly, many of the measures that folks like Zuckerman uses are subjective on what makes a better state of affairs. For example, in her response to Zuckerman's book Society Without God, sociologist Lisa Graham McMinn notes how selective Zuckerman's definition of better is. She writes:
But Zuckerman flubs a fundamental point: He confuses a contented life with a good life. Zuckerman frankly admits the lack of purpose expressed by many Scandinavians. They aren't troubled by the need to find it either, but are satisfied living their lives without being overly concerned about the larger meaning of life or what happens after death.3
Interestingly, even Zuckerman admits in his own research that the one factor where the more secular nations fare worse is the number of suicides as a percentage of the population. In a paper presented in the academic journal Sociology Compass, Zuckerman writes:
As for suicide, however, regular church-attending Americans clearly have lower rates than non-attenders (Comstock and Partridge, 1972; Stack and Wasserman, 1992; Martin, 1984), although this correlation has actually not been found in other nations (Stack, 1991). Of the current top-ten nations with the highest rates of suicide, most are relatively secular (World Health Organization, 2003). 4
Does Being Liberal Mean More Moral?
Zuckerman immediately tries to brush off this correlation by explaining that perhaps most of the suicides are remnants from previous dictators in eastern bloc countries. However, he also notes in the report that the secular nations are much more supportive of physician-assisted suicide, which he argues is one factor in concluding that such stances make the secularist more moral than the believer:
But I would go farther. I would argue that a strong case could be made that atheists and secular people actually possesses a stronger or more ethical sense of social justice than their religious peers. After all, when it comes to such issues as the governmental use of torture or the death penalty, we see that atheists and secular people are far more merciful and humane. When it comes to protecting the environment, women's rights, and gay rights, the non-religious again distinguish themselves as being the most supportive5 (emphasis in the original).
So, is it of any surprise to see suicide rates go up in a culture where practices like abortion and euthanasia are lauded? Isn't this devaluing of life exactly what Christians mean when they warn that "things will get ugly"? In the Netherlands, there has been a 300% increase in euthanized people in just over a decade. Worse, as Wesley J. Smith reports, "In only twenty three years, Dutch doctors have gone from being permitted to kill the terminally ill who ask for it, to killing the chronically ill who ask for it, to killing newborn babies in their cribs because they have birth defects, even though by definition they cannot ask for it. Dutch doctors also engage in involuntary euthanasia without significant legal consequence, even though such activity is officially prohibited."6
That doesn't sound better to me. I think McMinn is right when she concludes "Zuckerman sells humanity short. If people are content but no longer care about transcendent meaning and purpose or life beyond death, that's not a sign of greatness but tragic forgetfulness."7
There are more problems with the meme as well. Click here to read part two. Click here to read part three.
2. IcelandicRoots. "The Occupation of Iceland During World War II." Icelandic Roots. Icelandic Roots, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. http://www.icelandicroots.com/the-occupation-of-iceland-during-world-war-ii/.
3. McMinn, Lisa Graham. "Learning from Secular Nations." ChristianityToday.com. Christianity Today, 2 Feb. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/february/13.57.html.
4. Zuckerman, Phil. "Atheism, Secularity, and Well-Being: How the Findings of Social Science Counter Negative Stereotypes and Assumptions." Sociology Compass 3.6 (2009): 949-71. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
6. Smith, Wesley J. Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder. New York: Times, 1997. Print. 110-111.
7. McMinn, 2009.
Labels: atheism, beliefs, culture, memes, morality
Why Does God Remain Hidden? (podcast)
"If God is all-powerful, why didn't He create people who would all believe He exists?" It's a common question; one that stems from God's divine hiddenness. However, the freedom people have to deny God may be just as important as believing in Him. In this four part podcast series, Lenny explains why the nature of God demands that humans choose to follow Him freely.
Why Does God Remain Hidden? (Part 1)
Subscribe to the Come Reason podcast here or on iTunes here.
Labels: belief, divine hiddenness, existence of God, podcast, theology
Witnessing Tips: Identifying Logical Fallacies (video)
Christians can sometimes get intimidated when others throw out objections to the Gospel message. However, many times the objections offered are a result of bad reasoning or biased thinking.
In this short video clip, Lenny identifies several logical fallacies that are frequently volleyed against Christians and provides ways to show how to defeat flawed logic.
Labels: apologetics, logic, reasoning, skeptics, video, witnessing
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UC Davis Arboretum
The UC Davis Arboretum was founded in 1936 to support education and research at the University of California at Davis. The Arboretum's collections are displayed in 96 acres of gardens along the old north fork of Putah Creek, and comprise 33,000 plants representing more than 2,500 species and varieties from Mediterranean climate areas throughout the world. The collections represent an enormous repository of information on plants that grow and thrive in California's Central Valley, where extreme summer heat, drying winds, heavy soils, and often poor water quality pose challenges to gardeners.
During the late 1950's and 60's, extensive taxonomic collections, most notably of oaks, acacias, and eucalypts, were established, and the Arboretum's curatorial record-keeping system was instituted. In the 1980's and 90's the Arboretum established several demonstration gardens of California native plants and drought-tolerant flowering shrubs and perennials. These continue to be developed as sites for horticultural trials of new plant selections and demonstration gardens illustrating landscape design, cultural techniques, and plants appropriate for low-water-use gardens in the arid West.
University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States,
kmsoco@ucdavis.edu
http://www.arboretum.ucdavis.edu
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Million Moments for Democracy, the anti-government protest movement that brought hundreds of thousands of Czechs onto the streets last year, has set its sights on helping traditional democratic parties opposed to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who is under criminal investigation, win the next parliamentary elections. At a press conference in Prague on Tuesday afternoon the movement’s leaders announced a new concept for the organisation called Million Moments 3.0. I asked its deputy head, Benjamin Roll, to define what it means and explain their new strategy.
Benjamin Roll, photo: Ben Skála, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 “It is a new level of our activities.
“We started off as a petition against the prime minister because of his conflict of interest and his prosecution. Then we added the activation of civil society and the mobilisation of people from the whole country to our goals.
“Million Moments 3.0 now includes a new goal. Namely, that [traditional] democratic parties win in the next election to the Chamber of Deputies that take place in 2021.
“That is quite soon so we hope that civil society can help spread information about the problems of Andrej Babiš and that the [traditional] democratic parties can react to this activation with a new way of thinking in politics and win the elections.
“It is important, because the only solution to our problems will be a political one in the future years to come.”
You say you don’t want to run in elections as a movement, but what will you do if this so-called democratic opposition does not unite or surge in the polls? The prime minister’s ANO party is still far ahead in voter preference. Is there a backup plan?
“Our role in civil society, as I see it, is bringing together people who care about democracy.
“Therefore, we need to create an environment in our society that will push [traditional] democratic parties towards some sort of activity. That means also being harder on them if they do not react to this public demand.
“However, this is just me speculating about future. I still believe that they are capable of some sort of action or activity.
“I also believe that it is possible for them to win in elections, but the main thing is that they acquire a winning mentality.
“I think they are still just trying to survive and are not psychologically ready to win when in fact it is really important for the people to see that these parties do want to win.
Anti-government protest on Letná plain, Prague, June 2019, photo: Hynek Moravec, CC BY-SA 4.0 “The parties on the other hand need to realise that it is in their own interest and that of the whole of society, because although they may have some issues they are democratic parties after all.”
What other topics then asking the prime minister to resign do you want to bring attention to?
“There are lots of issues that need to be solved.
“For example, the poverty of some regions and districts in the country really is a huge problem. We need to start to care about this problem, at least show that we care.
“I think this is one of the reasons why populists are winning, because lots of people thought that previous politicians did not care about them.
“That is why I believe it is so important to show that we care.”
Can you give me one or two specifics about what these topics are?
“For example the many social problems like the fact that there are nearly one million people threatened by property seizure.
“That is really terrifying, because, if you add in their families, that is something like a third of the nation being in a really bad situation and does not believe in the system.
Anti-government protest on Letná plain, Prague, June 2019, photo: Martina Schneibergová “I think that is very dangerous for the future and we need to solve this.
“Another example is that through our president we are unable to be clear about our position in global politics, about our attitude towards Russia and China.
“This is the big global political question we need to solve.
Are you not worried that some of these topics may be too divisive and have the opposite effect?
“In the following months we will be active in the country’s regions and district capitals asking people what troubles them.
“We will note their main issues and then confront politicians with them saying: ‘This is what the people really care about, so will you do something about it?’
“We will not be creating any topics or problems ourselves. Rather we will be in a dialogue with the people and hope that it will work.”
In a tour titled “Relay for democracy” (Štafeta pro demokracii), Million Moments plans to hold some 200 meetings and discussion panels across the Czech Republic in 2020, focusing specifically on one of the country’s 12 regions every week.
“Regional cities are only the beginning”, vowed the organisation’s leader Mikuláš Minář. He says Million Moments will “crisscross the whole country” by June 2021, the year when the next elections into the Chamber of Deputies are set to take place.
Mikuláš Minář, photo: Martina Schneibergová Asked about the many small Czech communities abroad who have taken part in the protest, deputy leader Benjamin Roll said that they help to raise awareness about the prime minister.
“I think it is really important for foreign countries to see that we in the Czech Republic care about or state and our future. I think that people who live in these foreign countries can help in that too.
"It is really important that the image of our prime minister is changing in the eyes of foreign, for example western, countries. That puts more pressure on him and I think it is really important for the future.”
President Zeman uses Christmas message to warn against green ‘false prophets’
In his traditional Christmas message to the nation, President Miloš Zeman began as usual on a positive note – highlighting the country’s…
Czech PM suffers a week of heavy blows as he is found in conflict of interest and criminal proceedings against him are restarted
It has not been a good week for the Czech prime minister. Not only has a European Commission found Andrej Babiš to be in a conflict…
What next for anti-Babiš group Million Moments for Democracy?
Organisers Million Moments for Democracy said around 300,000 people attended their latest demonstration against Czech PM Andrej Babiš…
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We Begin With
Bill Cunningham, Agent of Pulp, comes through with one of the most amazing things I've ever seen:
If I'd been there, my brain would have exploded with sheer delight. People are just so awesome. I mean, these folks went to a LOT of trouble to do something that serves no purpose other than to amuse and delight their fellow humans. That is the Angel of Joy, at work right there.
Now it was Justin who turned me on to 2D Goggles: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, which you MUST read and slaver over. As I'm basically a drooling fanboy for all things Ada Lovelace, this actually DID cause my brain to explode. Thanks, Justin.
But look: Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage invent the computer and FIGHT CRIME. Ada's the smart, sassy one who crawls around in the depths of the ginormous Analytical Engine, fixing bugs (with a wrench), while Babbage is completely insane. It's brilliant, it's hilarious, and you should go read it right now.
The world is getting positively crowded with folks who do great things and don't try to squeeze every possible cent out of their audiences. Not that dancers and comic-book artists shouldn't get paid -- Cunningham has all sorts of links, thoughts and advice to creative types on how to GET PAID. But at the same time, if you're not having fun with it, if you aren't able to sometimes just do something because you LOVE IT, what the hell? Go get a job, kid.
Look there on the right. That's Yumi. Yumi's crazy, and she talks to ghosts. You're going to meet Yumi and her friends in the near future, but Claudio did that picture of Yumi because he likes her. DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND is meant to create opportunities to get paid, but it's also meant to be fun, and if all it ever does is provide delight to others, I'll be well-satisfied, I can tell you that.
Although I'll still wish I'd seen that dance number in the train station. That was brilliant.
Sharing the DINO-PIRATE Love
I got involved in a bit of a conversation with the clever and oh-so-talented Philip J Reed (best known to me as Ronin Arts, but also a reviewer of toys. Not such a bad gig, I reckon).
It started when folks on Twitter started talking about the Creative Commons license for an upcoming game (not by Philip, as far as I know) called Eclipse Phase. Philip asked:
I can accept the idea that opening a game to fans will generate more sales but does that really work with small fan bases?
I responded with
on the other hand, when the amounts of money are so friggin' low to begin with, why not?
Philip said
If I was looking at building an IP, and not just a game, I would not go with CC.
I suggested
I think there's a model around CC-based development
Philip asked
But how do you then sell the IP to a studio or large publisher?
well, clearly, you don't. THAT model doesn't fly. But you CAN sell material based on the IP.
Philip disagreed
I feel that creating any IP should keep in mind the possibility that someone may come along and want to make an offer.
My final statement on the issue:
that's fair. I'm more interested in how do I create as many fans as possible. Heard of "1,000 True Fans"?
(if you don't know, THIS is "1,000 True Fans")
So I quote all this not to send you trawling through the detrius of Twitter, but to throw up the fact that DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND is in fact going to be an open setting. I'm still sorting out how that's exactly going to happen, but this is the plan.
And we'll do it with TECHNOLOGY.
No, I'm serious. The whole world is going to be able to help create this setting, and anyone who cares to will be able to profit from it (or at least try to). I didn't want to turn a private conversation into an ad, but it did get me thinking about the model here. It's a model of generosity.
The idea is that the more creativity I GIVE, the more opportunities I GET. Giving isn't the same as surrendering. It isn't about being ripped off, or not caring about money. But I do my best work in partnership with others, in community. And it's not always straightforward to build a community around the idea that DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND is worth building (I know, I don't understand it either). But the broader the scope, the lower the barrier to entry, the more likely I think I am to find collaborators who will help build a mutually profitable enterprise. The more opportunities I am able to provide for other people's creativity, the more likely I am to find opportunities to generate value -- for myself and for my community.
Exactly how this is going to roll out is not 100% fleshed out but the teams are in place and things are moving along. I think I've figured out how to maintain consistency and yet allow free contributions. To let everyone who engages with the setting to make it their own. And it's happening. It feels real to me in a way it never has before. I've been working on this concept for some five years now, and it's very exciting to see it lumbering towards completion.
I should probably call it "The Rough Beast", huh?
DPoNI: The Playing Cards!
Okay, feast your eyes on these babies. Hypersmurf, better known as That Insanely Awesome Guy From New Zealand, put together a deck of DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND playing cards! And you can buy them RIGHT NOW!
For the low low price of $10, you can buy a deck of Official DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND playing cards, and bring the likes of Victoria, Nobuhiro and Imperial Sorcerer Pak Siu Ming along on your games of Texas Hold 'Em, or Bridge, or Go Fish, depending on your preferred play style (I like Hearts, actually).
The cards use the soon-to-be-discussed "Factions" in DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND (well, four of them): Imperials, Ninjas, Pirates and Natives. These replace the old suits of Diamonds, Spades, Clubs and Hearts. This of course makes sweet little Narasaki into the feared Queen of Spades, but that's amusing.
You also get two Jokers in the deck -- the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex and the fetching but even more terrifying SLAVE QUEEN OF THE RUINED CITY.
This is such a deal you should really be buying eight or twelve decks. Seriously. All monies raised will be going to help needy artists in Brazil. We're not even kidding about that.
But beyond the relentless salesmanship here, it's pretty cool to see that DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND is beginning to spread. The idea was always that this setting would take on a life of its own, and inspire creativity in different venues, through different media. It started life as a setting for a fantasy role-playing game, but over the next year or so you'll be seeing these characters and their world getting developed on multiple fronts.
This deck of cards wasn't commissioned or even designed by me -- it was an enthusiastic fan of the setting who put this together. And there's more where that came from. There's other expressions of this enthusiasm coming down the pipe. My job is going to be trying to create a structure or an environment where this sort of creative energy can be directed, and build upon what's already been done.
DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND is an experiment, one that I hope enables creative engagement on many levels. Playing cards is just one expression of that.
So BUY THEM!
YAAMV: Yet Another Amazing Music Video
Look at this. I mean, seriously, look at this.
Flaming Coward Challenge
Once again, Art Order's Jon Schindehette gets the illustration community to play in one of his Concept Tuesday challenges. This time it's to create a creature named "Flaming Coward". Click here to read the Flaming Coward's description, and see my entry below (with commentaries!). If you like it, swing by the contest's post and vote for me! And enjoy the many cool entries there, as well!
It is a subterranean creature that hunts in the dark. As such, it doesn't really *need* camouflage, so I gave it a pale, almost albino look. It is hairless, with lots of folds in its skin, like a bald rat or cat.
The eyes are enormous, allowing the Coward to see even the tiniest light (and hide from it). So much so that it is almost blind by bright light (hence the tiny pupils in the picture). Of course, with those ears it has no problem navigating by sound.
The Coward's claws are small in relation to its size, serving mostly to hold a victim while it bites (preferably from behind). With such big fangs, a bite is often all it takes.
Of course the Coward prefers to attack lone prey (like the hapless drow in the picture). But if it is found as it feasts, the bulging glands on its back pour a red-hot substance into the Coward's circulatory system. So hot, in fact, that the Coward's veins begin to glow in the dark! When the time comes to cool down, excessive body heat is radiated out through the bony spurs on the Coward's back and through the giant ears (like a desert fox).
If We Can't Pin Down the Medium, What Happens to the Message?
So the story of how DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND came about is interesting enough, but the story of where it's going is starting to get even more interesting.
The whole thing started when super-genius JPL commented that he'd missed out on a competition for the best fantasy setting. In his words, his entry would have been:
fantasy Asia, filled with warring island nations. Samurai mounted on domesticated raptors. Bigger dinosaurs hunted by quasi-Polynesian tribesmen. Dueling factions of shadow warriors. Privateers and bucaneers battling the servants of the Imperial Navy. Fallen kingdoms deep in forgotten jungles. And I call it...
DINOPIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND!
Thus was born the legend, which turned into a couple of sprawling discussion threads and eventually culminated in me writing and running the adventure SLAVE QUEEN OF THE RUINED CITY, the first official DINO-PIRATES adventure. There was a short-lived campaign as well, and an online play-by-post game, but the DINO-PIRATES setting is starting to find a little traction in places outside the curious world of pen and paper role-playing games.
Re-edited, revised and re-posted from another blog, where I originally made this post before.
"Story Hours" are an interesting phenomena, particular to ENWorld, the premiere website and discussion forum for Dungeons & Dragons. It's an interesting concept; the whole "let me tell you about my campaign" writ large. Because the web as a forum is only semi-sensitive to audience reaction, it's possible for people to say an awful lot about stuff that you wouldn't be able to in regular conversation. Huge info-dumps, even.
This is how the "story hour" idea started; people wrote and posted logs of their games; what happened, in blow by blow detail. This later "multifurcated", if that's a word, into a number of styles. Some people use story hours as fairly sparse shorthand for what happened. Some people elaborate with recitations of dialogue, NPC vignettes, and other things that make the form more closely resemble "regular" literature. Some people are very strict about only including exactly what happened in game. Others are writing long after the fact, and are recreating from vague memories the details of the game in broad strokes.
In any case, a "market" for "story hours" developed at ENWorld to the point where a subforum was created specifically to cater to them, and some story hours have become big draws for the site.
One that I've always enjoyed is drnuncheon's Freeport Story Hour, a recitation of a playthrough of the original third edition Freeport Trilogy, and an interesting exploration of the setting, and urban fantasy gaming in general. In fact, when I've been asked (and it's come up a few times) how to do a successful urban fantasy campaign, one of the first things I do is point them to this story hour. It's a great example of a successful campaign set in a fantasy urban environment, where the adventures take place (often) within the city itself, instead of out in a "dungeon" somewhere. Since I strongly dislike the dungeon environment, this story hour piqued my interest more than most; urban intrigue is my personal bread and butter.
The story hour is also very breezily written; it settles into a more of a "semi-novel" style after a short stint as more of a "players log", with dialogue and good descriptions of action, and relatively few intrusive "gameisms" in the narrative. The author then does go on in other "out of narration" posts to give some interesting game info too. I could recommend a number of story hours---I've always been partial to barsoomcore's various efforts (of local fame, here on this very blog) for instance, and I've yet to meet anyone who didn't like jonrog1's or PirateCat's story hours---but for today, drnuncheon gets the honors of being recommended. I strongly suggest you check out the Dr.'s efforts.
In any case, I find the concept and phenomena of Story Hours fascinating; it's a new kind of writing that probably doesn't appeal to everyone, but to its target audience, it offers a genuinely unique experience. It also converges with some fantasy writing. A number of fantasy writers over the years have hinted that their novels and stories have evolved out of a gaming milieu (Raymond Feist, Steven Erikson, etc. I'm sure there's more that I can't think of off the top of my head) and this more direct tie to the hobby is, as I said, a very interesting phenomena.
If We Can't Pin Down the Medium, What Happens to t...
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Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology Undergraduate News
Dissertation Tips
Are you heading into your 3rd year and would like to know about writing a dissertation? Or are you just interested to know what it feels like throughout the year long experience of formulating your own work?
Then check out the following tips and highlights of my year-long journey writing my personal research piece!
#1 – Start early!
Don’t leave the preparation or formulation of ideas till the start of the semester. Your final year is quite a step up from the year before, and having a head start with a clear idea of what you want to do will help you relieve some of those weight.
#2 – Get the administration out of the way!
You will want to focus on content, research and the actual writing itself, not on completing administrative papers or logistics. If you already have a clear idea of what you would like to do, head to your relevant staff members to get ethical, funding or logistical approval. This way, everything is in place to give you a piece of mind to conduct your piece of research.
#3 – Research, research, research
Whether you are heading into the field for research or doing a literary review, the time you have from the summer months to November are crucial to get your results in place. I completed all my research and had all my results in place by July, such was my over-enthusiastic drive to make sure my dissertation wouldn’t take up too much time during term time.
#4 – Meet your professors
Knock on their doors, send them emails… make sure you meet up with professors who aren’t your dissertation supervisor. They are crucial in getting an encompassing view on your research and provide useful insights to things you might have never thought of.
#5 – Quadruple check with your friends and family
They might not have expertise in your field, but what I’ve learnt most is that friends who might not study the same subject or who have a different life experience to yours can point out mistakes you might never notice. Imagine them as lawyers reading your dissertation – they scrutinise and give you insights to the way your grammar and vocabulary is structured and what makes this brilliant is that your piece of writing is not only academically sound, but it can also be understood by the public.
All the best to the next batch of dissertation writers!
Jason Chang
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on 12th Jun, 2016 by jkc207.
SSIS BBQ
Sun, burgers, good laughter, goodie bags and plenty of familiar and new faces – these were all part of the end of year Student Engagement and Academic Representation BBQ held at the RAM garden on campus. The event was organised by George Flower and Anna Hamilton from the College of Social Sciences and International Studies with the aim of rewarding students from the college for their dedication to the improvement of the student experience.
Plenty of awards recognizing the achievements of various projects and individuals were handed out. Within the department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology (SPA), members of the Sociology and Anthropology society were commended on their contributions to the department, alongside Global Exe, the youth project started by editor of this blog, Jason Chang.
The BBQ provided an opportunity for SPA to interact with other attendees from CSSIS. Attendees from the politics department who had set up the “Diplomatic Hub” conversed with attendees from Global Exe and exchanged various ideas between each other to improve and make progress to their own individual projects.
The melting pot of ideas and conversations did not simply stop at the projects and initiatives that students had set up. With the wealth of expertise in attendance, students from law to philosophy conversed about ideas for their future and also the sharing of good practice in their coursework. Among the many themes of discussion at the table included the study of linguistics, military law and even the sociology of name tags!
If you would like to join the table for such interesting conversations and would like to represent your cohort in a leadership position, places are still available to nominate yourself to be a representative for the Sociology, Philosophy or Anthropology SSLC positions! If you would like to find out more information or nominate yourself, email
This entry was posted in Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology and tagged anthropology, Philosophy, Society, sociology, university of exeter on 31st May, 2016 by jkc207.
Desert Island Books: Philosophy
Continuing our ‘Desert Island Books’ posts, editor Samuel Fawcett lists five essential books that any philosophy student should read.
René Descartes – Meditations on First Philosophy
Descartes is often referred to as the father of modern philosophy, and his Meditations underpins his thought and outlines most of his key ideas. Intended as a proof of the existence of God, the Meditations have nonetheless proved a touchstone for both religious and secular philosophers, as they stress the importance of scepticism and methodic doubt. It is in this work that the famous ‘I think, therefore I am’ statement originates.
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations
A hugely controversial figure in his day, Wittgenstein proposed that nearly all philosophical problems were simply due to semantic and linguistic issues. Philosophical Investigations is his attempt to demonstrate the limitations of language and meaning and how it impedes our search for truth. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy of language, and serves as a foundation for much of post-modern thought. This work is famed for Wittgenstein theorising that if a lion could speak English, we wouldn’t be able to understand it.
Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex
De Beauvoir was a giant of both existentialist and feminist philosophy, and her work, The Second Sex, is regarded by many as her magnum opus. The book deals with the multitudinous ways in which women’s bodies and thoughts are regulated by a patriarchal society and puts forward a pathway to liberation. It is a groundbreaking work that is credited with igniting second-wave feminism, and it was instantly placed on the Vatican’s list of prohibited books. It was in this work that de Beauvoir stated, ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.’
Hegel – The Phenomenology of Spirit
If you can make your way through Hegel’s turgid and often over-complicated prose, The Phenomenology of Spirit is one of the most rewarding and important books in understanding modern philosophy. It is in this work that Hegel outlines his famous ideas of the dialectic and absolute idealism. The broad range of topics and ideas covered in Phenomenology formed the basis for many future philosophical and political schools, including existentialism, communism, fascism and nihilism.
Plato – Republic
No list of essential philosophical texts would be complete without Plato’s Republic. Arguably the most influential work of philosophy and political theory ever written, the Republic outlines Plato’s concepts of justice, liberty and fair governance. In outlining these ideas, Plato also puts forward his famous allegory of the cave and his theory of ideas. So many philosophical schools and ideas can trace their roots back to Plato’s Republic, and this alone makes it an essential read for philosophy students.
This entry was posted in Philosophy and tagged de Beavoir, Descartes, desert island books, Hegel, Philosophy, Plato, Witggenstein on 23rd May, 2016 by sf342.
Anthropology Desert Island Books
Looking to do some anthropological summer reading to get you in the academic mindset but not sure where to start? Wanting a casual read that’s both fun and informative? Not sure whether to start with classic or contemporary literature? Then check out this Desert Island Books recommendation by Anthropology Editor Jess Wiemer, who provides her must-read anthropological favourites.
Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology: Humanity, Culture and Social Life
By Tim Ingold
This volume is a comprehensive guide to the main theories and arguments in cultural and biological anthropology. It contains sections on human evolution, the components of culture and their histories, and social processes. This volume is ideal in gaining a basic understanding of the field of anthropology. Its short, succinct sections work perfectly as a quick and easy reference.
This volume is ideal for the budding biological anthropologist. This historical overview of humankind begins discussing ‘The Cognitive Revolution’ through an examination of human biological evolution. From there Harari moves on to discuss ‘The Agricultural Revolution’ and the beginnings of human culture, followed by ‘The Unification of Humankind’ and imperialism. He concludes by examining ‘The Scientific Revolution’ which includes an in-depth analysis of capitalism and industry. This volume exquisitely details the main events in human history and its consequences. Sapiens is a perfect resource to use when attempting to examine social events with philosophical, sociological, historical, biological, and cultural anthropological perspectives.
Art and Agency: An Anthropological Theory
By Alfred Gell
This intriguing volume examines arguments surrounding the agency of art. Agency is define as the intentional will of an actor for a specific outcome to occur. Gell theorizes that art objects are actors with the capacity to enact agency on the viewers of the art objects. For anyone interested in Actor-Network theory, art, or technology, Art and Agency is a brilliant work conceptualizing contemporary ideas on the blurred lines between the human and non-human.
Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language among the Western Apache
By Keith Basso
This ethnography examines conceptions of space and place by focusing on landscape ontologies of the Western Apache nation of east central Arizona. This fascinating volume delves into theories surrounding the symbiotic relationship between humans and landscape, and the agency and cultural meanings derived from both. Basso’s poetic writing engages the reader whilst remaining analytical in his research. Wisdom Sits in Places is and exciting read for those interested in landscape, the agency of objects, or theoretical ethnographies.
Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography
By James Clifford and George Marcus
This brilliant volume edited by Clifford and Marcus is an essential read for anyone interested in writing ethnographically. It delves into controversial ethical dilemmas surrounding ethnographic writing including issues of bias and problematic data. It examines the argument that being a distant, scientific observer is not only impossible to be as an anthropologist, but the attempt perpetuates ideas of Western supremacy of knowledge which stems from imperialism. This volume thoroughly analyses the changing dynamic of ethnography and cultural intervention in the postmodern era, and is critical for students learning how to research and write ethnographically.
This entry was posted in Anthropology on 14th May, 2016 by jw624.
Join the Buddy Scheme!
Keen to provide a friendly, peer-to-peer support for incoming freshers for the next academic year? Then the Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology department wants you! The SPA Buddy Scheme is a Peer Mentoring programme run by students, for students.
Starting out at university can be a big change, and the Buddy Scheme aims to provide pastoral support for first year students to help them feel more settled in the university. Keen to support and empower mentees to find solutions to problems, signposting them to appropriate services and building a supportive relationship to get them off their mark? Then the Buddy Scheme is just for you!
Jess Wiemer, one of our editors and current Buddy Scheme mentor, rates the scheme highly –
“The Buddy Scheme was a great opportunity to help first year students feel more comfortable at university. I found the scheme to be a more intimate way for them to get to know the university and the town from a student perspective, as opposed to speaking to lecturers or the university administration. Not only was it exciting to help students, but I made new friends along the way. I really enjoyed the experience.”
What will you take away from it? As a former mentor myself, I found that you will develop your verbal and listening skills, alongside understanding how to maintain boundaries while being fully supportive in understanding the experience of working with the needs of students in a higher education institute.
Interested? Applications should be submitted by 25th May at the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/pg2pdvoBWL
Questions? Contact
for your queries!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on 1st May, 2016 by jkc207.
Studying for a degree? Consider doing work experience!
One of the most useful things about studying for a degree is the opportunity for work experience and the extra-curricular activities it brings. These endeavours can not only enhance your CV, but also broaden your understanding of the subject and how it relates to the wider world.
I was lucky enough to be accepted to intern at the local office of Ben Bradshaw MP, and I can honestly say that as well as demonstrating the practical applications of sociology the experience was a rewarding one, helping me judge in which direction I wish to take my life.
Exeter’s MP since 1997, Ben Bradshaw. (Image: commons.wikimedia.org)
As Exeter is holding elections for its City Council next month, most of my week was taken up by canvassing. We spent the week traversing the length of Exeter, often accompanied by Ben Bradshaw, which though physically tiring gave me a great opportunity to learn more about the city and its residents. Indeed, any kind of volunteer work within a city broadens your knowledge of the area and makes you feel more a part of it. This was furthered by the fact I was able to meet not only the local MP, but also the council leader and various councillors who were able to share their experiences of working in local government and information about Exeter’s communities and the problems they face. Meeting residents was also very informative; issues raised ranged from housing and schooling to their dislike of Labour’s new direction.
From a sociological point of view, what was most interesting was how demographics offer a key indicator of voting behaviour. While working-class areas and council estates proved more likely to support Labour, they were also far more likely to want to vote to leave the European Union. This ties in with findings that show that people in areas that generally possess a lower level of education and are more directly affected by immigration are more likely to wish to leave the EU. Similarly, while middle-class areas were more likely to vote for the Conservatives, they were also more likely to vote Green, which corresponds to the idea that people who have less to lose are more likely to risk voting for principles rather than out of pragmatism.
Anyone studying for a Social Science degree should make sure they learn something of the society and people about which they are theorising and back up their ideas with hard evidence. An ideal way to do this is through work experience in the political, journalistic or charity fields. University is about more than just studying for a degree, and the excellent connections and services of Exeter University and its SPA department provide students with perfect opportunities to pursue the fields in which they are interested.
This entry was posted in Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology and tagged career, charity, public sector, students, university of exeter, work experience on 14th Apr, 2016 by sf342.
Interview with lecturer in Criminology, Katharine Boyd
This week we catch up with Katharine Boyd, lecturer in Criminology in our department.
Hi Katharine, I hope you are well! Thank you for doing this interview. Could you give us a brief introduction about yourself?
Katharine: Hi Jason! I’m doing well, thank you. I’m a criminologist here at Exeter. My research focuses on terrorism, or political and religiously motivated violence, as well as evidence-based policing and alcohol related violence. I moved here from NYC a year and a half ago and I suppose I can’t help but mention that I row, since I’m training 8 times a week!
What got you interested in researching policy and literature regarding terrorism and violence?
Katharine: It may sound cliché, but I became inspired to research terrorism following 9/11. After this tragedy people suggested numerous strategies for how to respond, some more reasonable than others, and after doing some digging I realized there’s not a lot of research done on terrorism and evaluating counterterrorism policies. I feel it’s important that policy decisions are informed by research and we do not make important, consequential decisions based solely on emotional or ideological rhetoric. So, I guess, I am still quite idealistic hoping to someday contribute to a safer and more peaceful world by producing relevant research and by teaching students about this complex and important topic so they are informed citizens.
Congratulations on receiving funding of £249,974 from the Police Knowledge Fund HEFCE and College of Policing Grant. Could you let us know what sort of research will you be pursuing with this?
Katharine: Thanks! This is a very exciting opportunity for me and my colleagues – Brian Rappert and Hannah Farrimond, also in SPA, and Mark Pearson and Iain Lang in the med school –to work with the Devon & Cornwall Police and the OPCC. The ExPERT project has numerous components related to evidence-based policing. The project aims to develop and sustain capacity amongst police officers and staff for evidence-based practice, to do research that is relevant to the realities of policing and accelerates evidence-based approaches, and to improve knowledge transfer between the police and academia. The ExPERT Project includes four components to meet these needs. The first are workshops to teach police officers and staff how to identify, critically appraise, and utilize research evidence. The second component is a series of Project Generation Forums (PGFs) where the police, academics, and community stakeholders meet for the co-production of research projects. PGFs are used to identify specific topics of concern and develop concrete empirical research projects. The third component to the ExPERT Project is the use of knowledge brokers to bridge the gap between research and practice communities by exchanging knowledge and information held within these different groups. Short, goal-oriented secondments for police and university staff will enable us to identify areas where research can improve policing and embed evidence into practice. The last component is to conduct systematic reviews that summarize research evidence on topics by identifying, assessing, and synthesizing the existing evidence. Systematic reviews produce evidence that is more robust than a single study and provide valuable information for evidence-based policy making.
How has the international outlook on counterterrorist policies by governments shifted over the years since the 9/11 attacks?
Katharine: Well, I think there is greater international attention to what counterterrorism policies are being used worldwide. Social media is a platform where information is shared and it may be more difficult for governments to conduct themselves without public oversight. People are more aware of, and interested in considering, the unintended effects of counterterrorism measures, and therefore may be more critical of certain policies. At the same time, people who feel threatened, especially just after an incident, may understandably feel motivated by retribution and endorse short-sited policies. I like to think that governments will be prudent and consider international opinions when making big policy decisions, though there is no guarantee this would necessarily affects outcomes. It all depends on who holds powerful positions. This brings up the importance of elections.
How do you see counterterrorism policy changing in the future?
Katharine: I think polices to prevent terrorism will continue to be advocated for and developed. Studies show that not all counterterrorism measures produce the intended effect, and similar policies may not produce the same effect on different types of groups. More research in this area is critical. Governments have been funding research on terrorism and counterterrorism policies, but whether accurate and relevant information is utilized in policy-making is an on-going question.
One of your research interests happens to be alcohol related violence. Is this solely down to alcohol causing the violence or a socially produced violence as a result of its consumption?
Katharine: I’ve only recently started studying alcohol-related violence since I’ve moved to the UK and started working on the #RU2drunk initiative. In England and Wales, over half of the violent encounters between adults are alcohol related. Obviously most people who consume alcohol are not involved in violence, so I wouldn’t say it causes violence directly. People have described a ‘binge and brawl’ culture in the UK that suggests a relationship between drinking and violence that is influenced by the context and environment.
Could you take us through what goes on in someone’s mind when drinking alcohol? What goes through this person’s mind when consuming it? Why is there this heighten aggressiveness towards not only violence, but a heightened motivation to attempt acts that one would normally not do?
Katharine: I think these questions may be better answered by a psychologist or neurologist! From what is known about alcohol as a substance, it affects neurotransmitters and therefore brain chemistry, which influences people’s perceptions and behaviour. Rather than simply attributing aggressive behaviour to alcohol alone, however, I think it’s important to note the social and environmental factors that influence the relationship between alcohol and aggressiveness. Social psychology and criminology show how people – including you! – behave differently in different contexts. I’m sure you can think of a time, especially when you were an adolescent, when you did something that you feel was very ‘out-of-character’. Did you explain or justify your behaviour in relation to a substance and/or circumstantial and social factors? Well I think it’s necessary to consider the interpersonal setting when assessing the relationship between alcohol and aggression.
Finally, having been in the university for over a year now, how would you reflect on your experiences so far?
Katharine: I’ve really enjoyed it! Both the city and the Uni. I admit when I was moving here from New York City I was concerned Exeter would feel ‘too small’ for me, but Exeter has many of the conveniences of a city that I like and it is truly a beautiful place. I love the rolling hills, the historic buildings, and the quayside. I’m glad I started rowing here so I get to spend hours on the river! As for the university, I really can’t speak highly enough of the colleagues in my department and in Q-step. I am so fortunate to work and develop research ideas with such great people. And, of course, I really enjoy the students here as well! I’ve enjoyed getting to know students who have taken a few of my modules and students – like you – who I just see around campus all the time! Overall I’m really glad I came to Exeter and it’s been a great year and a half!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on 26th Mar, 2016 by jkc207.
Third year? Don’t forget to fill in the National Student Survey!
If you are a third year studying Sociology, Philosophy or Anthropology at Exeter you have until April 30 to fill in the National Student Survey (NSS). If you have not done so already, we strongly urge you to do so. Departments which fail to receive feedback from 70% of their students do not get a grade in the following year’s league tables. Currently, the SPA department is only slightly further than halfway to reaching this threshold, meaning that the department, currently in the UK’s Top 10, could become ungraded. Obviously, it is in students’ interests that the department receives a grade, as this will affect the value of our degrees.
For every completed survey, Exeter University will donate one pound to RAG and those who complete the survey will be able to claim a free bar of fairtrade chocolate, or vegan alternative, from Amory reception. Theodore Stone, Subject Chair for SPA, writes: ‘It’s extremely important that finalists provide as much feedback as possible in order to locate problems within the college and improve standards.’
Completing the survey takes less than five minutes, and could make a real difference to your degree. So please, if you’re a third-year SPA student, fill in the NSS at www.thestudentsurvey.com and urge any friends you have who are also finalists to do likewise!
This entry was posted in Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology on 20th Mar, 2016 by sf342.
SPA Post-Grad Applications Workshop: Highlights
The long-awaited SPA Post-graduate Applications Workshop was held this past Thursday, the 10th of March. If you wanted to go but didn’t get the chance, here are the highlights of the event to keep you informed on the realities of social science postgraduate applications! The workshop was conducted by Jess Wiemer, second year Anthropology student,in partnership with the SPA department as a Students as Change Agents project. Talks lasted approximately an hour and a half, followed by a chance to chat with the speakers over refreshments. The subject of postgraduate applications in sociology, philosophy, or anthropology was approached from four different perspectives by the four speakers.
Prof. Susan Kelly
The first was Professor Susan Kelly, one of the Sociology Professors in the department and Director of Post-Graduate Studies in SPA. She spoke about how to write post-graduate proposals. She provided excellent resources for good proposal writing in the forms of books and websites, including Przeworski and Salomon’s The Art of Writing Proposals (1995) and the ESRC guidance to research grant proposals found at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for-applicants/how-to-write-a-good-research-grant-proposal/. She explained how to justify the costs of the research and connect to the research interests of potential supervisors and concluded by discussing the typical structure of a proposal.
Dr. Andrea Butcher
The second speaker was Dr. Andrea Butcher, anthropology lecturer at the University of Exeter. She spoke about the importance of collaborative research and how to profile oneself for these collaborations. She explained the changing values placed on the social sciences and emphasised the current requirements to demonstrate impact outside of academia. She spoke about how interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary collaborations can help provide funding for research through the demonstration of social, economic, or political impact. She provided links to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) website, which gives information on the expectations of research (http://www.ref.ac.uk/), and to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Consortium website, which includes a list of different collaborative organisations (http://www.ahrc-cdp.org/about/). She concluded by stressing the importance of networking and making yourself known through online profiles on sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter and through joining organisations like the Association of Social Anthropologists (ASA).
Lauren Redfern
The third speaker was Lauren Redfern, Exeter Alumni and MA student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She spoke about post-graduate education and how to use your undergraduate degree to your advantage. She explained how skills acquired through experience may be even more relevant than academic excellence, and that these skills can come from areas which may not always seem relevant to the future research project. Drawing on her own experience she explained how her internship with an anthropological filmmaker give her the research skillsshe could highlight in her application for a medical research Masters programme. She explained that mixed methods are becoming more common and asked for in the social sciences and stressed interdisciplinary collaboration. She concluded by stating that the most important thing to keep in mind when developing research is to focus on an area that is needed.
Ashley Kilgallon
The final speaker was Ashley Kilgallon, Exeter Alumni and PhD student at the University of Leeds. She spoke about the process of application to publication and the realities of the PhD journey. She also stressed the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the social sciences. She provided an example from her own research of the Police Liaison Teams of the Metropolitan Police Service. She explained that it was collaborating with the police force that provided her with the access needed to conduct her research. Collaboration, she explained, built trust between her and the employees of the Metropolitan Police Service. She then made several useful suggestions on how to conduct oneself in an interview for applications to research programmes. She stressed the importance of networking, field work, and having passion for your research. She concluded by noting that what makes you stand out is your drive, and to demonstrate this you must stay true to your character no matter what.
The SPA Post-Grad Applications Workshop was one of many events conducted to inform students about careers and postgraduate education within the social sciences. The event was a wonderful opportunity to ask questions about the postgraduate journey to those who have already, or are currently, experiencing it. The speakers provided helpful advice on writing proposals, getting grants, conducting research, and publishing material. Informally chatting with them over refreshments afterward was a great way to network and to gain knowledge on the realities of social science academia. The SPA department at the University of Exeter continues to collaborate with the Careers office and Students as Change Agents projects to develop creative programmes and events to support its students. If you desire to organise an event, create your own Students as Change Agents project to make your idea into a reality!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on 13th Mar, 2016 by jw624.
Modern Anthropology and the Repatriation of Material Culture
Portrait of Chief Crowfoot (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Anthropology is often seen by the general population as a discipline which deals solely with broad, theoretical concepts. Being a discipline based in theory, it is not seen to have much practical use outside of academia. Until I began studying anthropology at the University of Exeter, I was among those who felt that way. I thought anthropology was interesting, but not very applicable. However, with a growing globalised world, anthropology is more relevant to practical life than ever before. Anthropology is necessary in international and European policy-making organisations, advocacy and aid groups, tourism, heritage sites, diplomacy, journalism, and day-to-day life. There are many examples of the uses of anthropology in Exeter, which I have come to learn about through my studies. One example is the recent debate over the repatriation of a collection of artefacts from the RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum) and how this involves changing attitudes toward ownership and the importance of material culture and heritage.
Repatriation of museum-based artefacts is an issue that many museums across the UK are currently facing. The RAMM in Exeter has held ethnographic collections from across the world for over a hundred years. One particular exhibit houses artefacts from various First Nations peoples of Canada, some of which were acquired during the colonization of Canada at a time of enforced power hierarchies between indigenous peoples and colonists. Museum curators must now re-examine the roots of these artefact acquisitions and the underlying ethical problems. They must also consider the educational value of these items, and where that value is best put to use. Of particular interest is Crowfoot’s regalia in the RAMM’s ethnographic exhibit.
Crowfoot’s regalia is a collection of items which once belonged to Issapoomahsika (or Crowfoot, ‘Leader of the Blackfoot’ of Canada). 110 years after it was sold to the museum, it received a visit from home. In November 2013, the RAMM welcomed representatives of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai nations of Canada and the Blackfeet nation of the United States. This visit was conducted in an effort to attain better understanding of the artefacts through the interpretations of the Blackfoot people, but moreover it has opened up further discussion of repatriation. The collection hadn’t been seen by the Blackfoot people for 130 years. It contains a decorated deerskin shirt, leggings, a ceremonial knife, two pouches, a bow-case and quiver, bows and arrows, two quirts and a bear-claw necklace. They served as emblems of Crowfoot’s earned authority and status as a leader. It was sold to the museum for £10 in 1904 by Cecil Denny, then a member of the North West Mounted Police. It is unclear how Denny came to acquire Crowfoot’s possessions, but he did acquire them sometime before the signing of the 1877 Treaty and it was widely known that he and Crowfoot were friends. (Eccles 2015)
Physical possession of Crowfoot’s regalia is extremely important to the Blackfoot people, because they believed him to have been a significant leader in their history of whom many can learn from. Crowfoot was not the leader of all Blackfoot nations as some thought, but was acknowledged as one who could speak for all. He urged the Blackfoot to sign Treaty 7 in 1877 between the Crown, Blackfoot nations, Sarcee and Atsinas nations in the desire for peace and the only alternative to war. The treaty put the First Nations under the rule of the Crown, by which England could then implement various institutions into First Nation societies. Despite prejudice and unethical treatment of the First Nation peoples under the law, the treaty meant they were now required to obey the Crown. By signing this treaty, life for the Blackfoot, like many aboriginal nations, was characterised by cultural upheaval. Despite this, Crowfoot is seen by the Blackfoot people as a strong leader who always vied for peace. (Eccles 2015)
The RAMM has been in conversation with the Siksika Blackfoot elders to return the regalia to Bow Crossing, Alberta, Canada (Eccles 2015). Herman Yellow Old Woman, a cultural curator at the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park museum east of Calgary on Siksika Nation, stated that repatriating the regalia would be ‘bringing [Crowfoot’s] spirit home’ (Dempster 2014). He went further to say, ‘To bring back these artefacts to our community will give us a sense of pride… Our children are starting to lose their identity and I think for these kind of artefacts to come back will give them a boost and a positive energy to connect back to who they are as Blackfoot people’ (Dempster 2014). Repatriation of the regalia would evidently contribute to the remembrance of cultural and historical identities of Blackfoot nations and be an educational asset to Canadians visiting the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park museum. The museum itself also supports the repatriation.
Tony Eccles, curator of the RAMM, was very supportive of the repatriation, stating, ‘Isn’t it about time Crowfoot came home?’ (Dempster 2014). Herman Yellow Old Woman planned to have the regalia returned to the Blackfoot Crossing museum by spring of 2015 (Dempster 2014). Unfortunately, though the regalia is no longer on display, this has yet to occur. Eccles stated that there is still a long way to go before the return of the regalia is agreed upon between involved parties, but was happy to say the RAMM and Exeter City Council are heavily involved in these negotiations. The content of this continuing discourse is not yet open to the public, but readers are urged to keep an eye out for the next issue of the Journal of Museum Ethnography, which will include an article written by Tony Eccles, Alison Brown, and Anita Herle about their involvement with the Blackfoot.
Even small cities like Exeter are alive with international culture and discourse. As an anthropology student, I find places like the RAMM fascinating, not only for its historical ethnographic information but for its involvement with current cultures today. The repatriation of Crowfoot’s regalia is but one example of how anthropology can be used practically to aid in the sustainability of heritage in a modern world. This goes to show that anthropology is so much more than an academic discipline. Studying anthropology at Exeter has given me so much more insight into its applications in ways I never would have considered: anthropological theory does not need to be restricted to academic writing but has many uses for a range of topical cultural and political issues.
Eccles, T. 2015: RAMM Meets Blackfoot Representatives, RAMM: World Cultures. [online] Accessed at http://rammworldcultures.org.uk/ramm-meets-blackfoot-representatives/ on 18/02/2016.
Dempster, A. 2014: Chief Crowfoot’s Regalia to Return Home to Alberta, CBC News. [online] Accessed at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/chief-crowfoot-s-regalia-to-return-home-to-alberta-1.2654211 on 18/02/2016.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Crowfoot: Blackfoot Chief, Encyclopaedia Britannica. [image] Accessed at http://www.britannica.com/biography/Crowfoot on 19/02/2016.
This entry was posted in Anthropology, Uncategorized on 9th Mar, 2016 by jw624.
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Highly-touted OL prospect commits to Rutgers
Just call Greg Schiano the Mariano Rivera of college football coaches.
The Rutgers football coach has built a reputation for finishing his recruiting classes strong, and this year appears to be no different after he received a verbal commitment from one of the northeast’s premier offensive line prospects.
Pennsbury (Pa.) High senior J.J. Denman, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound tackle who is rated as a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, committed to Rutgers after visiting the school over the weekend, according to several recruiting services. Denman, who couldn’t be reached for comment Monday night, had previously offered non-binding commitments to Penn State and Wisconsin, but reportedly reneged from the latter school after several members of the Badgers coaching staff left for Pittsburgh.
“I don’t know if five years ago a kid of this caliber looks at Rutgers this heavily,” said Brian Dohn, regional recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “Some stars aligned in that Wisconsin’s staff changed so drastically. But he still could’ve gone back to Pittsburgh or Penn State, or somewhere else. To get a kid like him, who can play as a freshman — I’m not saying from Day 1 — but can make an impact almost immediately, it’s huge.”
Dohn said Denman’s commitment is key since it adds to an already strong offensive line class that includes Chris Muller of Boyertown, Pa., Brandon Arcidiacono of Warminster, Pa., and Derrick Nelson of Washington D.C. R.J. Dill, a three-year starter at Maryland who transferred into Rutgers last week, is expected to contend for a starting spot along the line next season. In addition, Long Branch High’s Ryan Brodie is announcing his college intentions on Wednesday afternoon after dwindling his list to Rutgers and Connecticut.
“It’s no secret Rutgers wants to upgrade its offensive line talent and Schiano has talked about that it doesn’t happen overnight,” Dohn said. “A kid like Denman is someone who can come in and play for four years. He’s physically strong, he’s athletic, he plays with low pad level. He’s the kind of guy that when you’re trying to rebuild an offensive line, he’s a cornerstone piece and they have some already in this class and they could add more.
“But getting him is just enormous. And it also sends what should be another positive message to other recruits in the region about the viability about playing at Rutgers.”
Dohn credited Rutgers tight ends coach Brian Angelichio for Denman’s recruitment.
Bing joining Giants on Super Bowl run
A Scarlet Knight defensive and special teams contributor from 2007 through '10, Brandon Bing is now helping prepare the NFC-champion Giants as a member of the team's practice squad. (Photo by Jason Towlen/MyCentralJersey.com)
Brandon Bing was working as a personal trainer at a Cherry Hill fitness facility on Nov. 1 when he received what turned out to be the job offer of a lifetime. His agent had checked in to see if he was interested in signing as a practice-squad performer for the Giants.
Bing’s response?
“How quickly can I join?” he said, laughing inside the Giants’ locker room last week.
As a member of the Rutgers football team from 2007 to ’10, Bing went from an unheralded recruit to a key defensive contributor. The speedy cornerback is trying to do the same as a professional football player, doing his best to prove himself against the likes of Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham on a daily basis.
“It’s always been that way for me,” said Bing, who has been a Giants practice-squad member for the past 12 weeks, including throughout a playoff run that will culminate with a trip to Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 against the New England Patriots. “At Rutgers, I went against Tiquan Underwood, Kenny Britt and Tim Brown. It’s the same thing here, only now it’s a different three-headed monster.”
Giants practice-squad member Brandon Bing will be one of five former Scarlet Knights participating in Super Bowl XLVI activities over the next 13 days. The others contribute for the New England Patriots, including starting defensive back Devin McCourty, defensive back Nate Jones, wideout Tiquan Underwood and practice-squad player Alex Silvestro.
As one of eight practice squad performers, Bing handles a variety of different roles for the NFC Champion-Giants.
“I actually came to the coach when I first got here and told him whatever they need me to do, I’m willing to do it,” said the 5-11, 177-pound Bing, who started 11 of the 12 games he played as a senior in 2010, recording 65 tackles, an interception and blocking four kicks. “I’m helping out on offense, kick returns, punt returns, nickel (defensive packages), and playing corner. I’m just trying to open some eyes and stay on the team. Obviously I’m doing something right because I’ve managed to stick around for the past 12 weeks or so.”
Since practice players don’t travel to away games, Bing was at home Sunday when the Giants triumphed over San Francisco, 20-17, in a NFC Championship overtime thriller to advance to their fifth Super Bowl.
But Bing will travel to the Super Bowl, taking part in the same preparation and activities as his teammates on the 53-man roster.
“My next goal is to make the ’53,’ ” Bing said. “Obviously I want to continue to get better by listening to the defensive backs’ coach, the defensive coordinator and my teammates every day. Basically I just want to learn how to be a professional, make an impact and open some eyes.”
Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Brandon Bing on January 23, 2012 by Keith Sargeant.
LeGrand named Most Courageous Athlete by NJSWA • 1 Comment
Here’s a link to my newspaper story on Eric LeGrand’s latest accolade — named the Most Courageous Athlete by the New Jersey Sports Writers Association.
Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene, who said his recent surgery to repair a broken bone in his right leg was successful, was also among the honorees at the 76th annual NJSWA banquet. Here’s a photo gallery from the banquet.
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« This Cabinet is a Hole-in-One!
The Downing College Chandeliers »
Masterpiece London 2011
Carlton Hobbs, LLC is once again looking forward to exhibiting at the Masterpiece Fair in London, which opens at the Royal Hospital Chelsea next week, and we are very excited this year to be showing a group of works created abroad for the English and Continental markets. A careful blend of tradition and exoticism in these pieces is expressed in the combination of European forms with construction techniques unique to their native regions, namely the British colonies of East Asia and South America.
An extremely rare set of twelve George II carved walnut dining chairs, circa 1740, likely represents the largest extant group of chairs ordered in the Treaty port of Canton (present day Guangzhou) in the first half of the 18th century. While the design of the set represents the earliest model in the development of Chinese export chairs, taking the basic Queen Anne form of a shaped backsplat and cabriole legs, the construction of the chairs is distinctly Chinese with the carved motifs of an exotic character. The style of carving is closely related to an export cabinet in the Cophenhagen Museum of Art and Design, documented along with a set of twelve chairs in the “English fashion,” making it tempting to hypothesize that these chairs formed part of the same commission.
To the south, Chinese craftsmen created European-influenced furniture of great originality in the Straits Settlements, established by the British East India Company in the Malaccan Straits circa 1826. A rare carved teakwood breakfront on view with Carlton Hobbs represents the variety of Straits Chinese furniture modeled on, or related to, English designs dating from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Although these pieces were clearly Anglicized, their Chinese origins are recognizable by the type of wood used, construction methods and Eastern decorative motifs, which include carved openwork of Asian inspired foliate designs and vases. Although wealthy Chinese patrons generally did not have a taste for European-inspired pieces, the Straits Chinese were an exception, becoming “enthusiastic customers” of the Anglicized furniture.
Along with furniture forms, colonial artists also emulated the European style of portraiture, but often with strong references to their own traditions and subjects. An extremely rare painting of a black artist completing a portrait of a white female aristocrat represents this fusion of metropole and indigenous concepts. The painting, possibly executed in Brazil, speaks to position and integration of slaves in 18th century society. Here, the artist is dressed in an antiquated, fanciful costume and wears an earring, silver collar and arm cuff, denoting his servants/slave status. Usually, black male figures appear in portraits of this period in attendance to their masters, serving as status symbols, however, in the case of this painting, the relationship is indicated in a unique and far less subservient manner. The origin of the painting is as yet uncertain, however, strong clues exist as witnessed in the urban landscape seen through the window in the painting. The tiled roofs of this lively and distinctive reddish-pink color are specific to Portugal and colonial Brazil, which was under Portuguese rule until 1822. The slave population in Brazil was the largest in the world, and spanned four centuries, however slaves in this country experienced a less severe lifestyle than those in other parts of the world.
Carlton Hobbs’ New York office will be open as usual from for the duration of the Fair, +1 212 423 9000. Additionally, Carlton and Stefanie can be reached directly at +1 347-603-3441 or at +1 646-710-0777, or by emailing Stefanie at stefanie@carltonhobbs.com.
Carlton Hobbs’ London showroom is located at 16 Bloomfield Terrace, off Pimlico Road and can be viewed any time by appointment.
antique Furniture london masterpiece fair
This entry was posted by Dana Donadio on June 28, 2011 at 3:13 pm, and is filed under Furniture. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
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« MetaGames Returns Monday January 4th 2010
Interview: Emanuele Ornella (Part 2) »
Interview: Emanuele Ornella (Part 1)
Posted by James (admin) on January 4th, 2010
Today’s post is very special as it’s the first in what I hope to be an on-going set of occasional interviews with game designers. I’m always intrigued by the game design process so these interviews will focus on the game design process and the game of designing.
Emanuele Ornella is an Italian game designer who has designed many games in recent years. His games include: Assyria (2009), Martinique(2009), Byzanz (2008), Hermagor (2006), Il Principe (2005), Oltre Mare (2004), and Fantasy Pub (2003).
Hi Emanuele. Thank you for talking to us about your design approach and experience. Seven game designs in seven years – that’s a very productive track record. Where did it start for you?
Ema: Well I always had a passion for games in general. I started to design my first videogame with Commodore 64 in the mid-80s. Then I started to play Heroquest and Magic the Gathering. At the end of 90s, I found boardgames again. I attended Lucca Game contest in early 2000s and I won the first place two years in a row. That make me to decide to try the way of Essen. A few months ago I moved again to videogames releasing two games (you can play here http://www.mindthemove.com/portal/mtm/playonline) that are revisited versions of two boardgames: Tokyo Train by Walter Obert, and Haunted House (a re-themed version of Bongo by Bruno Faidutti).
You have said on your blog that you start a game design with the game mechanics and not the theme first. Where do you start on creating your new game mechanics? Are they inspired by other games or do they just come to you? Do you have a specific mechanic in mind when you start, i.e. I want to make a dice game, I want to make a card game?
Ema: I like to design games and I like to play games. I probably do not play as many games as other players do, because otherwise I will not have the time to design games; but, if I do not play game, I will not be inspired for my games. So there is a balance between the time I spend to play games and the time I spend to design games. Moreover, not all the games will inspire my design or will give me the passion to start to think to another one. But as soon as I start to think to a new idea that’s because I liked a mechanism on a game.
For example, Assyria was started just after a game of Evo. I always thought Evo is a great game blending several mechanisms together. The one I liked more is the multi-auction to get the bonus tiles. This was used again in Amun-Re (that is so one of my preferred games by far). Another mechanism is the way to score points at the end of the round for the terrain your dinos conquered. I discovered this year that Small World (or the old Vinci) designed by the same author (Philippe Keyhart) uses the same mechanism, and this one was the mechanic I was inspired for Assyria. In fact, in my game, you score points for each survived hut. But huts can give you camels (currency) if they lay on the rivers and Ziggurats also as a kind of super-hut that does not need to be fed (and therefore will survive forever). That was a similar concept but upgraded because, instead of one type of pawn (the dino), I had 2 types (huts and ziggurats) and, for one type, the score rule was modified to give victory points or currency.
Another nice mechanism I saw recently was in In the Year of the Dragon where you can buy the major privilege at the beginning which will give you constant points for the rest of the game. Ziggurat levels work in a similar way: if you add levels early, this will guarantee more income than if you develop later.
When I started to design Il Principe, I wanted to use roles like in Puerto Rico. However, my idea was for each role to have a major and a minor role. Even though Il Principe differs from Puerto Rico, I started from this idea.
So all in all I am starting a new game usually starting to think to a mechanism I liked in other games, but trying to modifying it so the result is. Did you ever guess I was inspired by Evo for Assyria?
On your blog, you mention you like to add a theme as soon as possible. How do you decide on the theme? Do the game mechanics you are working on determine the theme, or do you have themes you like and try to fit the game mechanics into those themes?
Ema: Il Principe for instance started with a sci-fi mechanism. The starting idea was to build a base on a moon or on another planet. I do not remember exactly why – I was probably reading a sci-fi novel at the time. Some themes may come from movies I watch (I watch very few movies) or books I read.
Martinique was inspired by a Lewis Carroll game called Lanrick. Lewis Carroll is mainly know for his novel Alice in Wonderland; however, he designed some board games and some logic and words games too. Lanrick is a two-player game (like Martinique) where each player moves his pawns (also like Martinique). I started to redesign the goal of the game and the pawn movement mechanic, but it was only when I decided on a pirate theme that I found the right way to score and the main goal for the game (which is to unbury hidden treasure). This theme was inspired by the novel by Tim Power called “On Stranger Tides”.
How much do games already available influence your decision? If someone has just released a game using the same theme of one your ideas, do you change your idea?
Ema: Well, I cannot play all the new games available, even if I would like to try. Each new game could be a source of inspiration so they’re worth a try; however, I’m not doing this very regularly. It happened that when I was working on Oltremare, the first version made by Mind the Move, Goa was released (in February). The main theme of Oltramare was the trade of the spices, but I decided to change the theme once I discovered Goa used the same one.
What game mechanics interest you? The games of yours that I have played do not have much luck-based play (which I like).
Ema: I like to vary the mechanics I use. Oltramare is a collecting game with some trading; Il Principe and Byzanz use auctions; Hermagor has an original multi-auction or multi-placement mechanism; Assyria is a resource and building management game; Fantasy Pub, the first one, is probably the most luck-driven because it uses dice.
How original do you try and make your ideas so they stand out?
Ema: I think there are few very original games. There have been some milestones which have made history in boardgames: Magic the gathering started a new kind of game; El Grande started the series of the majority games; Verrater/Citadels/Puerto Rico were the first games using roles; Caylus used worker placement; Pandemic is the most famous collaborative game. So, I do not think it’s easy to have a very original game. I am trying to approach it more the way I described: To use a mechanism I like whilst adding some difference. Can this be called original? Maybe, yes. For sure I don’t like to design a game too similar to another one. I don’t see any need to play Cuba, The pillars of earth or other similar games if I can play Caylus.
That’s the end of part one. Read the second and concluding part of the interview. Also, you can read a review of Assyria too.
Tags: board game news, Board Games, board gaming
This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Assyria, Board Games, Interview. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
2 Responses to “Interview: Emanuele Ornella (Part 1)”
The interviews are a great idea. I’m interested in reading more of them. Looking forward to part 2 tomorrow!
Excellent. Thanks for the feeedback, Jacob. I’m hoping to have more interviews in the future.
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Home School of Advanced Military Studies Monographs Getting it right: the endurance of improvised explosive device education in the US Army.
Getting it right: the endurance of improvised explosive device education in the US Army.
Collection School of Advanced Military Studies Monographs
Title Getting it right: the endurance of improvised explosive device education in the US Army.
Author Johnson, Christian R.
Branch/Country United States Army
Abstract As the United States seeks to maintain its influence abroad, hostile nations and non-state actors will attempt to leverage the low-cost effectiveness of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to disrupt US military operations. These cheap devices, made from relatively easily acquired components, will enable the continued use of the IED on the modern battlefield. While the US spent billions of dollars to counter this seemingly new IED threat, the devices used in Iraq and Afghanistan were similar in nature and effect to the booby traps used in Vietnam. The Army's failure to retain the institutional knowledge gained from its experiences with booby traps in Vietnam resulted in an initial inability to provide support for the detection and clearance of these devices and targeting of assembly/emplacement networks. Instead, the Army rushed the force management process, specifically within the Engineer Regiment, to refocus its efforts, regrow the skillset, and organize to meet the threat. While the major Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) conflicts close, other powers seek to counter United States dominance with methods that do not involve major combat operations. The use of cheap and easily acquired parts for IEDs will support their continued use. Therefore, a key to success in future conflicts is retaining and institutionalizing the knowledge gained through recent experiences while understanding the evolution of threats.
Keyword Vietnam; Military education; United States Army; Improvised Explosive Device (IED); War on Terrorism, 2001-; Global War on Terrorism (GWOT); Lessons learned; Threats; DOTMLPF-P
Series Command and General Staff College (CGSC), School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) Monograph
Publisher Fort Leavenworth, KS : US Army Command and General Staff College,
Date, Digital 2017-05-25
Format PDF; Adobe Acrobat Reader required; 54 p.; 341.62 KB.
Release statement Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)
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Kimberly big brother dating. Corey Says He Won't Date Nicole After 'Big Brother 18,' But It's For A Pretty Logical Reason
Kimberly big brother dating Rating: 7,9/10 138 reviews
Who is Kimberly Schlapman dating? Kimberly Schlapman boyfriend, husband
And yes, the couples that stayed together are very very few and far between. At this time of year, comfort is at the forefront of our winter wardrobe, so these joggers are very appealing! An insider told The Sun Online that the pair are completely smitten with one another after hitting it off at a recent star-studded party. After receiving the message that Steven should question the definition of 'dating' and that he should be careful about someone he is close to in the house, Steven pulls Kimberly aside and uncovers some uncomfortable home truths. She also starred in several films including 2014 , , grossing P326 million at the box office. Add Big Brother into the equation and you've made things about a million times harder on yourself.
First lady of San Francisco, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s high profile marriage affair and grand career! See her Net Worth! Rumors of her relationship with Anthony Scaramucci
I wasn't supposed to come in here and fall in love with someone. Recently, there have been controversies that, an American political figure and financier, Anthony Scaramucci was rumored to be fired from the job. He Spoils Me,' accompanied by a heart-eyed emoji She has since flashed the ring during appearances on Studio Ten and The Project. It was great meeting all the veterans and active duty service members visiting the White House! According to the New York Times, which first broke the news, Spicer told President Trump he vehemently disagreed with the appointment of New York financier and former Fox Business host Anthony Scaramucci as communications director. In December 2018, her movie became part of Regal Film's official entry to the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival. Anyways, Natalie went of to date some other dude named Johnny Bananas. Then I think she will be able to get the votes.
Her movie became part of 's official entry to the 2009. Steven and Kimberly conclude their argument, with him laying down rules about the other man that she is 'dating'. The time has finally come for eviction and the housemates are gathered on the sofa. Lewis turned up with red roses' During the show she appeared alongside former Premier League football star Jermaine Pennant and Hollywood actress Kirstie Allie in the summer series. So on 2009, they split and had divorced. Reince Priebus from his position as White House Chief of Staff in July 2017, when Donald Trump hired General John Kelly to take his place.
Corey Says He Won't Date Nicole After 'Big Brother 18,' But It's For A Pretty Logical Reason
She garnered several acting awards for her portrayal of Audrey, a woman who is loved by two military men. In 2015, Chiu passed the and enrolled in 's program for courses. We would not be helping anyone if viewers only listen to five people agreeing. For me, that is finally my mom. It was the one that featured Nicole Franzel beating out Paul Abrahamian in the finals to win the season. Now working as an actor and model, Anthony became a household name back in 2013 thanks to a stint on reality series, Big Brother Australia.
Leah Costa is 'dating former Big Brother star Anthony Drew'
She joined the campaign along with Xian Lim. Sweet: Lewis also cut a casual figure in a red tracksuit and white coat and appeared absolutely besotted with Chloe Lewis also cut a casual figure in a red tracksuit and white coat and appeared absolutely besotted with Chloe. A source told MailOnline: 'Chloe and Jermaine were up close and personal and looked very much together at the wrap party. About Kimberly Schlapman is a 49 year old American Country Musician. She, along with the rest of the housemates entered the Big Brother house on April 23, 2006. Before her relationship with Trump Jr, Guilfoyle was linked with former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. In October 2010, Chiu and Anderson teamed up for the last consecutive time in the film.
24 Amazing Big Brother Couples
The long-haired hunk quickly made headlines when he began a romance with co-star Tully Smyth in the house, while she was in a long-term relationship with Tahlia Farrant. The pictures of them having dinner were leaked in an infamous way which was the loss for Anthony. A source told The Sun: 'The duo met at a showbiz bash and immediately struck up a rapport. The pair sported matching red ensembles, which tied in well with the festive venue! Their romance was short-lived however, with the couple splitting in January 2014. The relationship that I had outside of this house, even though we established we were on a break, I really didn't expect to come in hear, and I don't want to loose him.
Chloe Ayling is dating Big Brother's Lewis Gregory after meeting at celeb party
We've been together for more than three years. Dog's life: Danielle was reduced to tears at seeing her pet dog Helen, Jale and Kimberly go to the App Zone, and are offered to use the Gossip App, and despite the service using 40% of the batter y, they are keen to see what the housemates have been gossiping about. In an email interview with Bustle following his eviction, Corey addresses whether or not the duo would continue dating after the show, and his response was pretty telling. Emma explains the new housemates are also up for eviction and that Biannca is out. The housemate chews loudly with his mouth open while talking to Big Brother in the diary room Meanwhile, the three new housemates chat about their big decision, one of the people on their draft list to evict is Ashleigh.
As Star Cinema's first movie offering of 2014, the film met both critical and commercial success, earning more than P21. They have a son whose name they kept, Ronan Anthony. Though this couple appeared on the U. Does Steward have a daughter as a Companion? She has also received a for Best Drama Actress on her performance in , four nominations winning one and was hailed for three times at the for her accomplishments in the film and television industry. Kim Chiu is a member of the following lists: , and.
A very Happy 4th of July to everyone!. Tully's girlfriend dumped her via social media while she remained oblivious in the house, and she continued her relationship with Drew after the elimination. There was news of her shifting to White House because in May she said she was in conversation with White House for her role. She then, starred in the television series, 2007 which won her the year's Most Promising Female Star and Most Popular loveteam with at. The book was a big success and it was the best selling book on that year. That's why these are all the more impressive for making things work for the long haul. Sean Spicer White House Press Secretary in late July 2017 when Trump hired Anthony Scaramucci as communications director.
How is Kimberly Stewart Co
On November 15, 2018, Kim Chiu finally confirms her relationship with on her interview on. A month later in June, her biological mother, Louella, fell into a coma. Rex Tillerson The secretary of state was abruptly asked to resign in March 2018 after just over a year in the job. Loved-up: In a second snap shared to her Instagram Story, which saw pillows strewn about the back of the vehicle, Leah wrote: 'Drive In. Chiu made a video plea for Mali, asking that she be moved to a sanctuary for the sake of her well being. He raised a fuss about Natalie still talking to other guys and what not.
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Remains of ancient Arab city in Spain gets UNESCO World heritage status
02 July 2018|18 Shawaal 1439|Al Arabiya
The remarkably well-preserved remains of the Caliphate city of Medina Azahara, a medieval Arab Muslim town near the Spanish city of Cordoba, was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites on Sunday.
The 10th-century Moorish site provides “in-depth knowledge of the now vanished Western Islamic civilisation of Al-Andalus, at the height of its splendor,” said UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in Bahrain.
After prospering for several years, the magnificent palace-city, which was the de facto capital of al-Andalus, or Muslim Spain, “was laid to waste during the civil war that put an end to the Caliphate in 1009-10,” the committee said in a statement.
The city was built as a symbol of power to rival the caliphate of Baghdad, but lasted less than a century before it was destroyed in an uprising which ended the Cordoba caliphate at the beginning of the 11th century.
The remains of the city were forgotten for almost 1,000 years until their rediscovery in the early 20th century.
The site is a treasure trove for archaeologists, presenting “a complete urban ensemble” including roads, bridges, water systems, buildings, decorative elements and everyday objects, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said.
A far more recent historical site was also added to UNESCO’s Heritage list on Sunday.
The Italian industrial city of Ivrea, which was developed in the 20th century as a testing ground for Olivetti, manufacturer of typewriters, mechanical calculators and office computers, was also rewarded.
UNESCO described the city as “a model social project” expressing “a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture”.
On Saturday the UNESCO heritage committee added six other sites to its list, including in it hunting grounds in Greenland, ancient Korean mountain Buddhist temples, pre-Islamic sites in Iran, and Mumbai’s Art Deco buildings.
Tags : Arab city, Cordoba, Muslim Spain, Spain, UNESCO, UNESCO’s Heritage list, Western Islamic civilisation of Al-Andalus, World Heritage sites
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Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail|07 December 2017| 18 Rabi ul Awal 1439 President Donald Trump recognised occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Wednesday, ...
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Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 2-year prison term in racketeering case
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 1:24 PM EST
NEW YORK (AP) — The rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was sentenced to 2 years in prison Wednesday for his entanglement with a violent street gang that fueled his rise to fame, but was spared a much harsher possible sentence because of his extraordinary decision to become a star witness for prosecutors.
The 23-year-old performer, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, could have been sentenced to decades in prison for crimes that included orchestrating a shooting in which an innocent bystander was wounded. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges accusing him of joining the gang known as Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
He has already served 13 months and will be released in late 2020.
After his arrest, he shed the outlaw reputation he’d curated online and testified against his gang mates earlier this year, causing some to label him a “snitch.” The testimony helped get the convictions of two high-ranking Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods members.
“Your cooperation was impressive. It was game changing. It was complete and it was brave,” said U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer as he announced the sentence, which is far lower than federal guidelines for the crimes, in a Manhattan courtroom.
But the judge said the amount of time the rapper has spent in prison was not enough for the violence of his crimes. He noted that many artists sing about organized crime, citing Bruce Springsteen’s “Murder Incorporated.”
“You, Mr. Hernandez, essentially joined Murder Incorporated,” Englemayer said.
Prior to his sentencing Wednesday, Tekashi 6ix9ine expressed regret for joining the gang, apologizing to his family, his fans and the victims in the case.
“I’m not a victim. I put myself in this position from Day One,” Tekashi 6ix9ine said, breaking down shortly after when he spotted his biological father whom he says he hasn’t seen since the 3rd grade in the courtroom.
He then read from a lengthy letter, saying, “I made a lot of bad choices in life, but that does not make me a bad person.”
He expressed similar remorse for his actions in a letter he wrote last week to Engelmayer, discussing the relief he felt when he was arrested and his plan to make amends by warning others not to follow in his path.
“I’m happy that the public was able to witness me dealing with the consequences of my actions because I feel like it sheds a light on what can come from gang affiliation,” he wrote.
In a pre-sentencing letter to the judge, prosecutors said his “cooperation was extraordinary” and was “both incredibly significant and extremely useful,” enabling them to charge additional individuals. His Feb. 1 guilty plea prompted nearly all of the other defendants to begin plea negotiations, prosecutors said.
“The government believes that his cooperation was not only substantial, it was extraordinary,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear said at the hearing Wednesday, noting the risks Hernandez and his family faced for his testimony.
Prosecutors have described Nine Trey as one of the most violent outgrowths of United Bloods Nation, with members throughout the country. Tekashi 6ix9ine relocated his family before his cooperation became publicly known and then he was moved to a different prison facility and a unit with no gang members, the government said.
His cooperation might make him eligible for a witness protection program, though his distinctive facial tattoos — including a large “69” on his forehead — could make concealing his identity challenging.
“There is no question that the defendant’s life will never be the same because of his cooperation in this case. He and his family will have to take extra safety precautions when being in public so as to avoid potential reprisals from others,” prosecutors wrote in the letter.
In September testimony, Tekashi 6ix9ine told jurors his role in Nine Trey was to “just keep making hits and be the financial support for the gang ... so they could buy guns and stuff like that.” Asked what he got in return, he responded: “My career. I got the street credibility. The videos, the music, the protection — all of the above.”
Last year, he had a multiplatinum hit song, “Fefe,” with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts, and “Stoopid,” featuring imprisoned rapper Bobby Shmurda.
Tekashi 6ix9ine was repeatedly trolled during the trial by rappers like The Game and Snoop Dogg, who wrote on Instagram that he was a sellout compared to his friend Martha Stewart, who once served a five-month prison for lying about a stock sale.
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Stampede kills 32 at funeral for Iran general killed by US
Monday, January 6, 2020 6:39 AM EST
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 6:30 AM EST
By NASSER KARIMI, AMIR VAHDAT and JON GAMBRELL
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A stampede erupted on Tuesday at a funeral procession for a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike last week, killing 32 people and injuring 190 others, state television reported.
According to the report, the stampede took place in Kerman, the hometown of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as the procession got underway. Initial videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road and others shouting and trying to help them.
Iranian state TV gave the casualty toll in its online report, citing Pirhossein Koulivand, the head of Iran’s emergency medical services.
“Unfortunately as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions," he earlier said.
Authorities later delayed Soleimani’s burial, citing concerns about the massive crowd that had gathered, the semi-official ISNA news agency said. It did not say when the burial would take place.
A procession in Tehran on Monday drew over 1 million people in the Iranian capital, crowding both main thoroughfares and side streets in Tehran.
Soleimani's death has sparked calls across Iran for revenge against America for a slaying that’s drastically raised tensions across the Middle East. The U.S. government warned ships of an unspecified threat from Iran across all the Mideast's waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies.
Early Tuesday, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to “set ablaze” places supported by the United States over the killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. airstrike last week, sparking cries from the crowd of supporters of “Death to Israel!” Hossein Salami made the pledge before a crowd of thousands gathered in a central square in Kerman before a casket carrying Soleimani's remains.
The outpouring of grief was an unprecedented honor for a man viewed by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force. The U.S. blames him for the killing of American troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death Friday in a drone strike near Baghdad’s airport. Soleimani also led forces in Syria backing President Bashar Assad in a long war, and he also served as the point man for Iranian proxies in countries like Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
His slaying already has pushed Tehran to abandon the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as his successor and others vow to take revenge. In Baghdad, the parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil, something analysts fear could allow Islamic State militants to mount a comeback.
Speaking in Kerman, Salami praised Soleimani's exploits, describing him as essential to backing Palestinian groups, Yemen's Houthi rebels and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. As a martyr, Soleimani represented an even greater threat to Iran's enemies, Salami said.
“We will take revenge. We will set ablaze where they like,” Salami said, drawing the cries of “Death to Israel!”
Israel is a longtime regional foe of Iran.
According to a report on Tuesday by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has worked up 13 sets of plans for revenge for Soleimani's killing. The report quoted Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, as saying that even the weakest among them would be a “historic nightmare” for the U.S. He declined to give any details,
“If the U.S. troops do not leave our region voluntarily and upright, we will do something to carry their bodies horizontally out," Shamkhani said.
The U.S. Maritime Administration warned Tuesday ships across the Mideast, citing the rising threats after the U.S. killed Soleimani. “The Iranian response to this action, if any, is unknown, but there remains the possibility of Iranian action against U.S. maritime interests in the region,” it said.
Oil tankers were targeted in mine attacks last year the U.S. blamed on Iran. Tehran denied being responsible though it did seize oil tankers around the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s crude oil travels.
The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet earlier said it could respond to any threat.
"Afloat or ashore, we remain vigilant to assess, mitigate and defeat threats to our forward-deployed forces and our interests," 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Joshua Frey said.
Iran's parliament, meanwhile, has passed an urgent bill declaring the U.S. military's command at the Pentagon and those acting on its behalf in Soleimani's killing as “terrorists," subject to Iranian sanctions. The measure appears to be an attempt to mirror a decision by President Donald Trump in April to declare the Revolutionary Guard a “terrorist organization.”
The U.S. Defense Department used the Guard’s designation as a terror organization in the U.S. to support the strike that killed Soleimani. The decision by Iran’s parliament, done by a special procedure to speed the bill to law, comes as officials across the country threaten to retaliate for Soleimani’s killing.
The vote also saw lawmakers approve funding for the Quds Force with an additional 200 million euros, or about $224 million.
Also Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the U.S. had declined to issue him a visa to travel to New York for upcoming meetings at the United Nations. The U.S. as the host of the U.N. headquarters is supposed to allow foreign officials to attend such meetings.
“This is because they fear someone will go there and tell the truth to the American people,” Zarif said. "But they are mistaken. The world is not limited to New York. You can speak with American people from Tehran too and we will do that.”
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Solemani will be buried later Tuesday between the graves of Enayatollah Talebizadeh and Mohammad Hossein Yousef Elahi, two former Guard comrades. The two died in Operation Dawn 8 in Iran's 1980s war with Iraq in which Soleimani also took part, a 1986 amphibious assault that cut Iraq off from the Persian Gulf and led to the end of the bloody war that killed 1 million people.
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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NSICT was set up in 1997 and is India's first private-public partnership in the ports sector. One can proudly say that the colossal change that NSICT brought about to Indian shipping has been a strong propeller for the Container trade growth, India has experienced ever since. While NSICT commenced operations long ago, it has never lost its importance to the shipping fraternity, and today still retains its position as India's preferred container gateway long after competition has set in.
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