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How to Spy the 9/11 Lie
jkeogh Sun, 10/04/2015 - 2:30pm
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/10/how-to-spy-the-911-lie.html
Posted on October 4, 2015 by Kevin Ryan
A recent book written by veteran CIA officers describes how deception can be identified by simple observational techniques. In Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception, authors Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, and Susan Carnicero outline a number of verbal and visual behavioral clues that are demonstrated by people who lie in response to questioning. These proven techniques for recognizing deception can be easily applied to see that U.S. leaders have lied repeatedly about the attacks of 9/11.
The authors make clear that there are two important guidelines to employ when analyzing these verbal and visual clues. First, timing is important. Due to the fact that people think ten times faster than they speak, the behaviors are more important when the first one occurs within five seconds of the question. Secondly, when the behavioral clues occur in groups of two or more, called clusters, they are more indicative of deception on the part of the person being questioned. The more clues exhibited, the more clear the deception becomes.
Let’s take a look at some examples.
In a December 15, 2001 press conference, President George W. Bush was asked an unexpected question about 9/11. In a remarkably delayed response, Bush exhibited both a verbal clue for deception, the failure to answer, and a visual clue called an anchor-point movement. The latter is when the anxiety raised by the question causes the person questioned to shift his body to relieve physical instability. As Bush replied, he shook his head, moved his hands, and seemed to be shuffling his feet uncomfortably.
Reporter: Do you agree or disagree with the RNC that [a question of your advanced knowledge of 9/11] borders on political hate speech?
Bush: Uh, yeah, there’s time for politics and, uh, you know… time for politics and, uh… I, uh, it’s an absurd insinuation.”
If the reporter had been a CIA interrogator, like any of the three authors of the book, this response would have raised an immediate red flag that the issue needed further examination.
In April 2004, Bush was asked a question about why he could only meet with the 9/11 Commission if Vice President Cheney was with him. He responded in a stuttering, repetitive fashion that demonstrated the “failure to answer” clue as well as something called non-specific denial, in which the question is refuted with unrelated verbiage. As Bush repeated his diversionary answer, he also smiled—another indication of deception when dealing with any serious subject matter.
Reporter: “Why are you and the vice president insisting on appearing together before the 9/11 Commission?”
Bush: “Because the 9/11 Commission wants to ask us questions. That’s why we’re meeting and I look forward to meeting with them and answering their questions.”
Reporter: “My question was why are you appearing together, rather than separately, which was their request?”
Bush: “Because it’s a good chance for both of us to answer questions, that the 9/11 Commission is, uh, looking forward to asking us, and I’m looking forward to answering them.”
Not long after Bush and Cheney finally agreed to their unrecorded, secretive interview with 9/11 commission members, Bush’s national security advisor Condoleezza Rice gave testimony under oath. In that testimony, she demonstrated at least six of the CIA’s verbal clues to deception including isolated denial, selective memory, an overly specific answer, and a process or procedural response. Rice was also seen going into attack mode, responding to Commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste with, “I believe you had access,” and using inconsistent statements. She said that a presidential brief was titled “Bin Laden determined to strike inside U.S.” and yet also that no warnings of strikes inside the U.S. were received.
In addition to these highly deceptive behaviors, Rice gave a huge hint in her testimony that exemplifies something the book calls the “truth in the lie.” When Ben-Veniste asked her about Al Qaeda cells in the United States. She said,
Rice: “I remember very well that the president was aware that there were issues inside the United States. He talked to people about this. But I don’t remember the Al Qaeda cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.”
This extended answer suggested that the White House knew about Al Qaeda cells operating in the United States but that Rice and others were expected to do nothing about them. Ben-Veniste did not pursue the question further. This is not surprising given other lines of questioning in which Ben-Veniste engaged. Here’s an example with General Michael Canavan, who was supposed to be the “hijack coordinator” on 9/11—the one person most responsible for preventing, and initially responding to, the hijackings.
Ben-Vensite: What is your understanding of the first time FAA notified NORAD of the fact that this was a possible hijack or that it had deviated from course, or that there was some anomaly about Flight 77 in the context of everything else that was going on that day?
Canavan: Here’s my answer—and it’s not to duck the question. Number one, I was visiting the airport in San Juan that day when this happened. That was a CADEX airport, and I was down there also to remove someone down there that was in a key position. So when 9/11 happened, that’s where I was. I was able to get back to Washington that evening on a special flight from the Army back from San Juan, back to Washington. So everything that transpired that day in terms of times, I have to—and I have no information on that now, because when I got back we weren’t—that wasn’t the issue at the time. We were— when I got back it was, What are we going to do over the next 48 hours to strengthen what just happened?
Although video is not available for Canavan’s testimony, it’s clear that he was using deceptive verbal behaviors. He failed to answer the actual question, he engaged in perception qualifiers and an overly specific response, and he gave non-answer statements. Because Ben-Veniste immediately dropped the question it is unknown, to this day, who was serving in the critical role of hijack coordinator on 9/11.
There are many more examples of deceptive answers from U.S. leaders regarding 9/11. When asked why an outline was created for the 9/11 Commission Report before the investigation began, Chairman Thomas Kean immediately ran away and went into attack mode. When asked about the CIA’s tracking of two of the alleged hijackers, CIA director George Tenet, who was undoubtedly trained in detecting deception, demonstrated many of the CIA’s clues that he was being deceptive.
One more example is instructive. This involves John Gross, who was the author of both the most critical FEMA World Trade Center (WTC) report and the most critical WTC report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. When asked a question during a presentation he was giving, Gross responded with multiple behaviors that the CIA would find deceptive.
Questioner: “I’m curious about the pools of molten steel that were found in the bottom of the towers.”
Gross (Anchor-point movements, non-answer statement, going into attack mode): “I am, I am too…. tell me about it. Have you seen it?
Questioner: “Well, not personally but eyewitnesses there found huge pools of molten steel beneath the towers and, uh, scientists, some scientists, think that the collapse of the buildings could [sic] have melted all that steel. And a physics professor, Steven Jones, found evidence of a thermite residue, which would explain how the buildings collapsed by means of pre-planted explosives. So have you analyzed the steel for any of those residues?
Gross (Reluctance to answer, Anchor-point movements): “First of all, let’s go back to your basic premise that there was, uh, a pool of molten steel. Um, I know of absolutely nobody, no eyewitnesses, who have said so, nobody has produced it. I was on the site, I was on the steelyards, so I can’t, I don’t know that that’s so.”
When further questioned about the collapse of WTC Building 7, Gross made inconsistent statements and engaged in hand-to-face activity, another two of the deceptive behaviors noted by the CIA. This is not surprising to people who have studied events at the WTC, however, because Gross would have needed to be grossly negligent in his observance of evidence to have not known about the molten metal at the WTCsite.
As seen above, the 9/11 Commission hearings and other statements by 9/11 investigation leaders provide a treasure trove of opportunities for people to practice detecting deception. Of course, the 9/11 Commission Report demonstrates many of the same clues for deception that CIA officers would highlight. Its lies of omission are many and its reliance on deceptive language like “we found no evidence” is another clue.
Interestingly, the authors of Spy the Lie introduce their book by recalling the 9/11 attacks in a way that suggests that their deception-identifying skills are needed to avoid such tragedies. Yet these three experts on deception don’t question the official narrative of 9/11 at all and apparently have never seen any evidence for deception in that narrative or its origins. This fact may be the result of extreme bias—with the CIA officers unable to question their own agency. Or maybe it exemplifies a high level of self-deception, perhaps suggesting a sequel to the book.
In any case, the official account of 9/11 continues to provide a most powerful way to see just how much people deceive each other and themselves. When it comes to 9/11, experts on scientific fraud can’t see themost glaring example, journalists can’t see the most obvious examples of negligent reporting, and the CIA’s most skilled detectors of deception can’t see when they are deceived. Since many of us can see these things, we should work harder to reveal the truth because deception is at the root of many of the world’s problems.
Kevin Ryan blogs at Dig Within.
jkeogh's blog
Bad Actors
I hereby nominate John Gross for Best Guilty Demeanor. Another good example is the Q&A session about NIST's report on Building 7, the "Draft for Public Comment" version. I believe it was in response to Steven Jones's question about "constant speed," when Gross falls into absolute babble mode. Even Shyam Sunder, who is generally smoother than Gross, had some difficulties handling David Chandler's question.
Here is a transcription of Sunder with all the hesitations:
“Well...um...the...first of all gravity...um...gravity is the loading function that applies to the structure...um...at...um...applies....to every body...every...uh...on...all bodies on...ah...on...um... this particular...on this planet not just...um...uh...in ground zero...um...the...uh...the analysis shows a difference in time between a free fall time, a free fall time would be an object that has no...uh... structural components below it. And if you look at the analysis of the video it shows that the time it takes for the...17...uh...for the roof line of the video to collapse down the 17 floors that you can actually see in the video below which you can’t see anything in the video is about...uh... 3.9 seconds. What the analysis shows...and...uh...the structural analysis shows, the collapse analysis shows that same time that it took for the structural model to come down from the roof line all the way for those 17 floors to disappear is...um... 5.4 seconds. It’s...uh..., about one point...uh...five seconds or roughly 40% more time for that free fall to happen. And that is not at all unusual because there was structural resistance that was provided in this particular case. And you had...you had a sequence of structural failures that had to take place and everything was not instantaneous.”
See: http://911blogger.com/news/2008-09-11/wtc7-freefall
Kurtis Hagen on Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:44pm.
Gross asked about molten metal at the WTC site
http://s3.amazonaws.com/nasathermalimages/public/video/Pretext_WTC2_molten_metal.wmv
http://911encyclopedia.com/wiki/index.php/World_Trade_Center_Hot_Spots
jkeogh on Tue, 10/06/2015 - 4:51pm.
I shouldn't laugh
but some things are so bad sometimes, you just have to.
Platos Cave on Sat, 10/10/2015 - 7:11am.
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Government sets up office of GST Commissioner (Investigation) to deal with tax evasion
NEW DELHI- The revenue department has created the office of Commissioner GST(Investigation) to deal exclusively with enforcement issues like search, seizure and arrest, as it looks to crackdown on tax evaders.
Initially, the government was going slow on enforcement action to give time to the industry to adjust to the new tax regime. With most of the loose ends tied up with regard to Goods and Services Tax (GST), the revenue department has now decided to focus on enforcement with a view to shore up revenues by checking tax evasion.
As per the instruction issued by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Commissioner GST (Investigation) will deal exclusively with policy issues and legislative matters, concerning enforcement aspect namely, search, seizure, arrest, prosecution and compounding under GST Act, Excise Act and matters relating to Service Tax.
Commissioner (Investigation) will also monitor the work of Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGSTI) and GST field formations in relating to investigation of cases, search and seizure operations on searches, arrests etc.
Neeraj Prasad has been appointed the first Commissioner in the office of GST-Investigation.
The commissioner will also coordinate with DGGSTI and Direcorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM) in analysing and disseminating intelligence to the field formations.
It will act as a nodal agency for inter-departmental coordination relating to investigation and enforcement agencies and conduct research and studies to monitor and ascertain modus operandi of evasion.
AMRG & Associates Partner Rajat Mohan said: "Creation of new post for Commissioner (GST- Investigation) indicates that government is serious on weeding out tax evaders and with this new creation they are aligning and empowering a single authority for the quick response on matters related to enforcement aspect especially search, seizure, arrest, prosecution and compounding".
Goods and Services Tax (GST), which subsumed over a dozen local taxes, was rolled out on July 1, 2017. The government has set a target to collect Rs 1 lakh crore monthly revenues from GST this fiscal, but the actual mop up has fallen short of the target month after month.
The sole exception was the month of April in which the numbers exceeded Rs 1 lakh crore. The collections stood at Rs 94,016 crore in May, Rs 95,610 crore in June, Rs 96,483 crore in July and Rs 93,960 crore in August.
Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Partner L Badri Narayanan said there will be a definite push for enforcement and investigation and for capacity building to deal with evasion in trading of goods post imports.
"These are indications that the government is getting ready for enforcement as more than a year has passed since the roll out of the new tax regime," Badri Narayan said.
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Bubba Sparxxx
It seems like Country Rap is starting to take over mainstream. With the recent success of Colt Ford and The Lacs along with current “rap style” hits by country mega stars Jason Aldean (Dirt Road Anthem), Toby Keith (Red Solo Cup) and Tim McGraw (Truck Yeah), one would think that this is a new concept. But if you are a true hip-hop historian you would recall that this movement actual began in 2001 with the release of Bubba Sparxxx’s debut album “Dark Days, Bright Nights”. The
video for the first single “Ugly” featured Bubba and pals in the mud with pigs, on
tractors and performing in front of a house covered with bug lights. If that’s not the epitome of Country, then nothing is.
The platinum certified “Dark Days, Bright Nights” debuted on Interscope Records in October 2001 and was produced by Houchins and superstar producers
Timbaland and Organized Noize. It was follow-up by the critically acclaimed 2003 release “Deliverance”.
180 Talent Group 2017
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First Anniversary of the Hunting Act 2004
“After decades of wrangling, was it really worth it?”
As the 18th November 2005 marks the first anniversary of the Hunting Act being passing into law via the controversial Parliament Act, Parliamentarians have questioned the extraordinary expense and time spent on this issue in the light of every hunt in England and Wales still operating. Concern has also been raised about the Prime Minister�s political legacy.
Lembit �pik MP, co-chair of the Middle Way Group said, �For some time there has been a suggestion that the hunting issue would simply go away once the �ban� became law. In fact, the League Against Cruel Sports is on record as saying that two months after the ban everyone will wonder what all the fuss was about. Well, here we are a year after the so-called ban and very little seems to have changed. After decades of wrangling and not one animal�s life saved, was this really worth it?�
Peter Luff MP, co-chair of the Middle Way Group said, �This ridiculous law will actually cause greater animal suffering because of the other methods used, but the public should be aware of another point - the cost of making the Hunting Act law. The various anti-hunting groups have spent some �30 million pounds of animal welfare money since 1997. In addition, 700 hours of Parliamentary time has been used debating the issue, with that enormous cost coming out of the public purse. The figure for ongoing Police time and legal costs can only be guessed, but it will not be insignificant.�
Baroness Golding, co-chair of the Middle Way Group said, �Thankfully, even those people morally opposed to hunting are now accepting that this is nothing short of an extremely costly farce. I am very sad that Tony Blair�s leadership of the Labour Party will have this sorry episode as part of its legacy, given that he and numerous other members of the Government did not vote for the Hunting Act. It is inevitable that this flawed law can only exist as a temporary measure. It is not a case of if it is changed, but when.�
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To Thee, O Gracious Father
To thee, O gracious Father, we lift our loving hearts;
to us the Bread of Heaven eternal life imparts.
We thank thee for thy favour that marks us as thine own;
Lord, keep us ever faithful, who come before thy throne.
What love thou hast bestowed on us,
a love which makes us free!
It cleanses us from ev'ry sin,
and keeps us close to thee.
To thee, O Christ our Saviour, we come for saving grace;
we see how tender love is, by looking on thy face.
Keep us from all things hurtful by the power of thy Cross;
and help us to remember our gain comes from thy loss.
What heav'nly Food is ours, Lord,
this Food which makes us free!
It fills our hearts and makes us whole,
To thee, O Holy Spirit, we whisper our desire;
our lives are empty vessels: Lord, fill them with thy fire.
Make us thy faithful people who seek to do thy will;
give us thy gifts of power, our empty hearts to fill.
What peace that passes ev'ry thought,
that peace which makes us free!
It banishes each doubt and fear,
From thee, O Triune Godhead, salvation is come down;
Atonement now is given, mankind receives his crown.
In Sacrament tremendous we touch eternity;
we love thee, God our Saviour: thou art our destiny.
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
our faith shall never cease!
In thee we have eternal life,
and never-ending peace.
Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1990
Music: “Thaxted” by Gustav Holst, 1874-1934
Children of the Atonement
As Passiontide draws near, this is an appropriate time for us to stand even closer to the Blessed Mother. It is her Son’s suffering and death which pierces her Immaculate Heart in a mystical way as she remembers with all of us the great price of our salvation. She consoles us throughout the year, but now especially our devotion should console her, because we are all Children of the Atonement.
Our Lord entrusted us to her at the same time as He spoke to Saint John from the cross, “Behold, thy Mother.” So let us be true sons and daughters. Walk with Mary as she follows her Son’s Via Dolorosa. Stand with her as she keeps her watch at the foot of the cross. Weep with her as she receives Christ's lifeless body into her waiting arms. Comfort her as she endures those three dark days, so that having endured with her, we may rejoice with her in the power and mystery of the Lord's resurrection.
St. Turibius
Together with St. Rose of Lima, St. Turibius is among the first of the known saints of the New World, serving the Lord in Peru, South America, for twenty-six years.
Born in Spain and educated for the law, he became so brilliant a scholar that he was made professor of law at the University of Salamanca and eventually became chief judge at Granada. He was a great success, but he was about to enter upon a surprising sequence of events.
When the archbishopric of Lima in Spain's Peruvian colony became vacant, it was decided that Turibius was the man needed to fill the post. It was generally agreed that he was the one person with the strength of character and holiness of spirit to heal the scandals that had infected that area. Turibius cited all the canons that forbade giving laymen ecclesiastical dignities, but he was overruled. He was ordained priest and bishop and sent to Peru, where he found colonialism at its worst. The Spanish conquerors were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native population. Abuses among the clergy were wide-spread, and he devoted his energies (and his suffering) to this area first.
He began the long and arduous visitation of an immense archdiocese, studying the language, staying two or three days in each place, often with no place to sleep, and little or no food. He made his confession every morning to his chaplain, and he would then celebrate Mass with tremendous devotion. Among those to whom he gave the Sacrament of Confirmation was Saint Rose of Lima, and most likely Saint Martin de Porres. After 1590 he had the help of another great missionary, Saint Francis Solanus.
His people, although they were very poor, also had a sense of personal pride, and they were unwilling to accept public charity from others. Turibius solved the problem by helping them himself, anonymously.
When Turibius undertook the reform of the clergy, along with unjust officials, he encountered tremendous opposition. Some tried to "explain" God's law in such a way as to make it appear that God approved of their accustomed way of life. He answered them in the words of Tertullian, "Christ said, 'I am the truth'; he did not say, 'I am the custom."'
O God, who gavest increase to thy Church through the apostolic labours and zeal for truth of the Bishop Saint Turibius: grant that the people consecrated to thee may always receive new growth in faith and holiness; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Each Friday afternoon during Lent we walk the Stations of the Cross with the students at 2:15 p.m., and each Friday evening in Lent at 7:00 p.m. we have Stations for the whole parish, in conjunction with Solemn Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. However, you may make the Stations privately any time, and there is a plenary indulgence attached to this devotion. For you to gain the indulgence, these are the conditions:
EXERCISE OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS
PLENARY INDULGENCE
From The Enchiridion of Indulgences, 1968
A Plenary indulgence is granted to those who piously make the Way of the Cross. The gaining of the indulgence is regulated by the following rules:
A. Must be done before stations of the cross legitimately erected.
B. 14 stations are required. Although it is customary for the icons to represent pictures or images, 14 simple crosses will suffice.
C. The common practice consists of fourteen pious readings to which some vocal prayers are added.. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations.
D. A movement from one station to the next is required. But if the stations are made publicly and it is not possible for everyone taking part to go from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their places.
E. Those who are "impeded" can gain the same indulgence if they spend at least one half and hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
F. For those belonging to the Oriental rites, amongst whom this pious exercise is not practiced, the respective Patriarchs can determine some other pious exercise in memory of the Passion and Death for the gaining of this indulgence.
A plenary indulgence MUST be accompanied by the three prerequisites of a plenary indulgence:
1. Sacramental Confession,
2. Communion, and
3. Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, all to be performed within days of each other if not at the same time.
The Faithful have been retracing these steps of our Lord Jesus Christ from the earliest days of the Church. While the number and names of the Stations have varied over the centuries, our present order for them eventually was fixed, and the indulgence was attached to the Stations erected in Churches and Oratories. It was no longer required actually to go to Jerusalem to gain the great blessings which flow from this devotion.
Lenten thoughts...
This time of the year often takes my thoughts back to the Connecticut farm where I grew up, and the Spring causes me to think of the wonderful apple trees which would show their buds, and then burst into flower. I can remember the care my grandfather would lavish on them, pruning them with care. And the resulting fruit was simply grand! Golden Delicious, Macintosh, Golden Pippin...the varieties seemed almost endless.
As my grandfather aged, and as the demands of the farm increased, the pruning was missed one year, and then another. Soon the apples were smaller and fewer. Over the years unintentional neglect took its toll. Today where gorgeous trees once stood yielding bushel upon bushel of apples, now...nothing.
Our Lord Jesus said, "Every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits."
His point is clear. What is true for trees is true for people. If we take care to prune away the things which keep us from God, and if we are fed with the spiritual food of the sacraments, we will produce the good fruits of the Spirit. But if we neglect the spiritual care which is essential to our health and growth, we will be not much more than a rotting stump producing nothing.
St. John of God was born at the end of the 15th century. He tended to be a very impulsive person, from the time he was a child. When he was prompted to do something, he usually stuck with it, no matter what – which is fine, if the prompting comes from God, but it can make life difficult if it’s something from your own imagination.
When he was only eight years old, John heard a someone talking about all the adventures there were out in the world, and so young John took it into his head to run away to seek his fortune. He never saw his parents again, but instead spent time on the road, begging his way from village to town, until he became very sick. A kind man and his family nursed him back to health, and John stayed with them, working as a shepherd until he was 27 years old. Feeling the urge to travel again, John joined the Spanish army, which was at that time in a war against France. As a soldier, he was hardly a model of holiness, taking part in the gambling, drinking, and the wild life along with his comrades. One day, he was thrown from a stolen horse near French lines. Frightened that he would be captured or killed, he reviewed his life and vowed impulsively to make a change.
He took on all sorts of physically hard work – unloading ship cargoes, building fortifications, anything he could find to earn a living. He would work hard all day, but then in the evening he would visit churches, and spend time reading spiritual books. Reading gave him so much pleasure that he decided that he should share this joy with others. He quit his job and became a book peddler, traveling from town to town selling religious books and holy cards. Finally, when he was 41 years old, he came to Granada where he sold books from a little shop.
After hearing a sermon on repentance, he was so overcome by the thought of his sins that the whole town thought he had gone crazy. After hearing the sermon John rushed back to his shop, tore up any secular books he had, gave away all his religious books and all his money. With his clothes torn and constantly crying, he was the target of insults, jokes, and even stones and mud from the townspeople and their children.
Some friends took him to a hospital for the insane. Eventually, the priest who had preached the sermon that had affected John so much, came to see him, and told him that he had gone on like this enough, so John was moved to a better part of the hospital, and where he was free to move about. Although still a patient, he began to help the other sick people around him. In fact, this experience made him decide to start his own hospital for the poor and those who had no one to care for them. He had no money for a building, so he went to the poor and homeless wherever they were – in abandoned buildings or under bridges – and he called those places his hospital. He continued to beg for money, and eventually found a very poor house which gave him a location where he could bring the sick and nurse them.
One day he heard that the hospital where he had been a patient was on fire. He immediately ran there and found that no one was doing anything. He entered the building and carried out the patients one by one, and then went back in to get as much of the contents as he could. As the fire burned more fiercely, he fell through the weakened timbers, and everyone thought he was dead – but almost miraculously, he walked out of the flames, unhurt.
John was ill himself when he heard that a flood was bringing precious driftwood near the town. He jumped out of bed to gather the wood from the raging river. Then when one of his companions fell into the river, John without thought for his illness or safety jumped in after him. He failed to save the boy and caught pneumonia. He died on March 8, his fifty-fifth birthday, of the same impulsive love that had guided his whole life.
John of God is patron saint of booksellers, printers, heart patients, hospitals, nurses, the sick, and firefighters and is considered the founder of the Brothers Hospitallers.
O God, who didst cause blessed John, by the fire of thy love, to pass unhurt amid the flames, and through him didst enrich thy Church with a new offspring: grant, by the pleading of his merits; that our vices may be healed by the fire of thy charity, and that we may obtain thine eternal healing; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
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Has Chronic Wasting Spread to Humans?
By: roelkers
At least 26 U.S. states,1 three Canadian provinces and countries including South Korea, Finland, Sweden and Norway have been affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD), a contagious neurological disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer and moose.
Experts are racing to understand and contain this deadly condition before it wipes out entire herds or, worse, spreads to humans — a possibility that’s been raised by a number of studies. CWD is part of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) disease family — the most notable member of which is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, a condition that affects cattle.
A human version of mad cow disease, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), also exists and made headlines when it was discovered that it can be caused by eating beef contaminated with brain, spinal cord or other central nervous system tissue from infected cattle.2
Given the rising prevalence of CWD, experts are now asking whether the disease poses a risk to humans, especially since it has elements that make it fit for a horror movie. Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm said, speaking to Minnesota lawmakers, “This is kind of a worst-case nightmare … If Stephen King could write an infectious disease novel, he’d write it about prions.”3
What Are Prions, the Cause of CWD?
CWD is thought to be caused by prions, which are quite different from “ordinary” pathogens of the bacterial, viral or fungal nature. Colorado State University’s Prion Research Center calls prions “unprecedented infectious agents,”4 in part because they do not have a nucleic acid genome, such as DNA.
While viruses and bacteria need DNA or RNA to replicate, prions can do so even in its absence. Further, as noted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), “[P]rions exhibit an extraordinary resistance to common treatments used to stop other infectious agents, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, exposure to chemical disinfectants, and heat treatments.”5
Prions can be transferred not only via direct transmission but also indirectly, via exposure to contaminated materials in the environment. The infectious agents in CWD persist in the environment, which is why deer and elk raised in captivity (or concentrated via artificial feeding) have an increased likelihood of transmitting the disease among them.
In fact, even plants may harbor infectious prions, as research shows they can bind to plant roots and leaves. In one study, hamsters were infected by eating prion-contaminated plants, and the infectious prions remained on the plants for several weeks. Plants can also uptake prions from contaminated soil,6 and prions are believed to persist in the environment for decades.
It’s possible then, though not proven, that CWD could even spread via agricultural crops, as wild deer defecate in the fields and the feces contaminate the crops or the infectious proteins are taken up by plants, such as wheat.
Further, it’s common practice for manure from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to be spread over agricultural land, where it often runs off into waterways. If CWD mutates into a form that can infect cattle, this could have major implications for its spread.
To be clear, not all prions are problematic. We all have these proteins in our bodies. It’s when they become distorted, or misfolded, that they begin to damage brain cells, in a way similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
What Is CWD?
CWD causes progressive, neurological degeneration that leads to physiological and behavioral changes, including increased drinking and urination, weight loss, lowering of the head, listlessness, drooling, stumbling and death. Animals may be infected for a long period and show no symptoms, only to suddenly succumb to the disease.
“Through time [CWD] degrades, essentially, their brain tissue,” ecologist Heather Swanson told High Country News. “That seems to happen pretty rapidly. To our eyes, they look fairly healthy, and within a number of weeks they reach that point — and then they're gone.”7
Research by Swanson and colleagues found that mountain lions preyed on CWD-infected deer nearly four times more than noninfected deer,8 perhaps because they could sense that the deer were unwell — even though they appeared otherwise normal.
Despite the intense predation, “remarkably high infection rates sustained,” with about one-fourth of the deer sampled in the study infected.9 CWD was first identified in 1967 and is on the rise with new and ongoing outbreaks.
In Iowa County, Wisconsin, for instance, the proportion of adult white-tailed deer infected more than doubled over a six-year period, and as of 2016 approximately 40% to 50% of males and 20% to 30% of females were infected.10 Overall, in the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated:11
“Nationwide, the overall occurrence of CWD in free-ranging deer and elk is relatively low. However, in several locations where the disease is established, infection rates may exceed 10 percent (1 in 10), and localized infection rates of more than 25 percent (1 in 4) have been reported.
The infection rates among some captive deer can be much higher, with a rate of 79% (nearly 4 in 5) reported from at least one captive herd.”
Subsidizing the Source
CWD was first identified in captive deer in Colorado and wasn’t found in wild deer until 1981.12 The transport of captive deer is thought to have contributed to the spread of CWD throughout the U.S. Today, deer farms persist across the U.S., including in Wisconsin, one of the states hardest hit by CWD.
The state has 380 deer or elk farms, 23 of which have tested positive for CWD. Fourteen of the facilities have been depopulated as a result,13 but some are allowed to stay open, despite the known presence of the disease. What’s more, when a deer farm tests positive for CWD and is depopulated, the business owner receives a subsidy or bailout from the government.
It may seem strange that a business such as a captive deer farm, which promotes the spread of CWD by raising animals in close quarters, would receive government subsidies. It occurs because captive deer are considered livestock and as a result are covered under the Condemnation of Diseased Animals statute, which was enacted in 1977.
In Wisconsin alone, deer farmers have received more than $330,000 in compensation from state and federal officials after their animals were killed over CWD fears.14 The money to bail out the diseased farms comes either from tax revenues paid by Wisconsin residents or, if there’s not enough available, from federal funds also generated by taxpayers.
In May 2018, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced new rules for deer farmers operating in counties affected by CWD, effective via an emergency order. Both captive deer breeding and hunting facilities were supposed to be required to install additional barriers around their facilities, while hunters would be required to cut hunted deer into quarters and leave the spinal cord, where the disease may concentrate, behind.15
Deer farmers in the state opposed the new measures, with some saying the requirements would put them out of business. The rule was amended, giving deer farmers a year to comply, but it expired in February 2019 — before it ever took effect.16 Further, in October 2018, lawmakers rejected the emergency rule’s limit on hunters moving deer carcasses from CWD-affected counties.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has allowed some deer farms with CWD-positive animals to continue operating, including Wilderness Game Farm Inc., which has had 84 known CWD cases and still sells hunts that cost up to $9,000.17 As prion disease continue to rise in animals, Alzheimer’s continues to rise in humans — a connection that deserves a much closer look.18
The Alzheimer’s Connection
The Prion Research Center regards other diseases that involve misfolding proteins, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig's and Huntington’s diseases, as prion diseases, much like CWD.19 And there is reason to believe, according to a review in Medical Hypotheses, that Alzheimer’s may develop similarly to mad cow disease and other spongiform encephalopathies.
“In fact, Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Alzheimer's often coexist and at this point are thought to differ merely by time-dependent physical changes,” the researcher stated. “A recent study links up to 13% of all "Alzheimer's" victims as really having Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease … All of this brings up the unthinkable: that Alzheimer's, Cruetzfeldt-Jackob, and Mad Cow Disease might just be caused by eating the meat or dairy in consumer products or feed.”20
Another concern is antler velvet from elk, which is sometimes taken in supplement form. Prions have been detected in elk antler velvet, which suggests it plays a role in disease transmission among elk and “humans who consume antler velvet as a nutritional supplement are at risk for exposure to prions.”21
There is also growing suspicion that Alzheimer’s may have an infectious component capable of human-to-human transmission. More than 200 people are known to have developed CJD as the result of receiving growth hormone contaminated with prions that came from human cadavers.
When eight of them later were autopsied, four of them had buildups in the brain characteristic of early Alzheimer’s disease, with the researchers suggesting misfolded amyloid beta protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, may be transmittable similar to other prions.22
Further, because prions aren’t killed by ordinary sterilization methods, it’s possible they could be transmitted during common medical procedures, including dental work and colonoscopies. Meanwhile, prions may be spread via contaminated feces, saliva, blood or urine, as well as via contact with contaminated soil, food or water.
Can CWD Be Transmitted to Humans?
The burning question is whether or not CWD can be transmitted to humans, and while hard data aren’t yet available, there are some concerning signs that the answer could be yes. In a study on macaques, monkeys that share genetic similarities with humans, the animals developed CWD after eating CWD-infected meat or brain tissue.23
Some of the meat came from deer that had CWD but showed no symptoms of the disease, yet was still able to spread the infection to monkeys.24 Studies are currently underway to determine if people in contact with CWD-infected animals or meat are at increased risk of prion diseases, but results won’t be available for some time.
The World Health Organization recommends products that could be contaminated with CWD or any related disease should be kept out of the human food chain.25
Some experts, including Osterholm, who serves as director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Prevention, tracked the ability of BSE to be transmitted to humans decades ago, however, and have already sounded the alarm. Many believed that mad cow disease couldn’t infect people — until it did. Osterholm believes the same fate will become of CWD:26
“It is my best professional judgment based on my public health experience and the risk of BSE transmission to humans in the 1980s and 1990s and my extensive review and evaluation of laboratory research studies … that it is probable that human cases of CWD associated with the consumption of contaminated meat will be documented in the years ahead. It is possible that number of human cases will be substantial and will not be isolated events.”
If You Eat Venison, Be Sure It’s Not Infected
If you’re a hunter or consume meat from elk or deer, you should ensure the meat is tested for CWD before it’s consumed. While some states require testing of deer from high-CWD areas, others do not, and some areas offer free testing while in others it must be done at the hunter’s expense.
If you’ve obtained a deer from a captive farm, which isn’t recommended, it’s especially important to have the animal tested, as the farms are high-risk zones for CWD. It’s important to understand that you cannot judge whether an animal has CWD by symptoms alone. It can be years before symptoms develop, and a healthy-looking animal may still be infected and capable of transmitting the disease.
In addition, the CDC recommends hunters use caution when handling a deer in the field, including wearing latex or rubber gloves when handling the meat and minimizing contact with the organs, especially the brain and spinal cord.
If CWD disease has already mutated into a form that could infect humans, symptoms may not be seen for years or decades, and they may appear similar to other prion diseases like vCJD, making the diseases virtually indistinguishable.
Source: mercola rss
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Birmingham Detectives
About Birmingham Detectives. Part of LocalPI.
Business Client Manager
Naomi delivers a reliable, efficient and discreet service, with first class customer care.
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Naomi is our Business Client Manager and coordinates our extensive network of agents in 158 towns and cities across the UK.
She ensures that all of our business investigation services are delivered with first class customer service and that all work carried out on your behalf complies fully with UK law.
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Birmingham Detectives have been operating in Birmingham and the West Midlands for almost 20 years.
Geologically, Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south west, passing through Edgbaston, the Bull Ring to Erdington and Sutton Coldfield in the north east.
Birmingham is located in the centre of the West Midlands region of England.
To the south and west of the city lie the Lickey Hills, Clent Hills and Walton Hill, which reach 1,033 feet (315 m) and have extensive views over the city.
The City of Birmingham forms a conurbation with the largely residential borough of Solihull to the south east, and with the city of Wolverhampton and the industrial towns of the Black Country to the north west.
Together these make up the West Midlands Urban Area, which covers 59,972 ha (600 km2; 232 sq mi) and has a population of 2,284,093.
Birmingham's diverse population uses a wide variety of religious buildings in the city.
There are two other cathedrals, St Chad's, seat of the Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham, and the Greek Orthodox Dormition of the Mother of God and St Andrew.
The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands is also based at Birmingham (with a cathedral under construction).
The original parish church of Birmingham, St Martin in the Bull Ring, is Grade II* listed.
A short distance from Five Ways the beautiful Birmingam Oratory was completed in 1910 on the site of Cardinal Newman's original foundation.
The oldest surviving synagogue in Birmingham is the 1825 Greek Revival Severn Street Synagogue, now a Freemason's Lodge hall.
Although Birmingham grew to prominence as a manufacturing and engineering centre, its economy today is dominated by the service sector, which in 2003 accounted for 78% of the city's economic output and 97% of its economic growth.
Two of Britain's largest banks were founded in Birmingham – Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds Banking Group) in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank plc) in 1836
In 2009, Cushman & Wakefield stated that Birmingham was the second best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business, and the 14th best in Europe.
Tourism is also an increasingly important part of the local economy.
Birmingham has major facilities such as the International Convention Centre and National Exhibition Centre.
The Birmingham area accounts for 42% of the UK conference and exhibition trade.
Birmingham sporting and cultural venues attract large numbers of visitors.
Birmingham's three Universities, (Aston University, University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University) and two University colleges have over 65,000 students and employ around 15,000 staff.
The City of Bradford is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England.
Birmingham is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) west of Leeds, and 16 miles (25.7 km) northwest of Wakefield.
Birmingham became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897.
Following local government reform in 1974, city status was bestowed upon the wider metropolitan borough.
Birmingham has a population of 293,717,making it the thirteenth-most populous city in the UK.
Birmingham forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million.
Birmingham is part of the Leeds-Bradford Larger Urban Zone (LUZ), the third largest in the UK after London and Manchester.
Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Birmingham rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool.
Birmingham was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the 'wool capital of the world'.
Birmingham has fine Victorian architecture including the grand Italianate City Hall.
Birmingham has emerged as a tourist destination with attractions such as the National Media Museum and Cartwright Hall.
Birmingham has faced similar challenges to the rest of the post-industrial area of Northern England, including deindustrialisation, housing problems, social unrest and serious economic deprivation.
Since the 1950s Birmingham has experienced significant levels of immigration, particularly from Kashmir.
Birmingham has the second highest proportion of Muslims in England and Wales outside London.
Birmingham's city centre is the UK's second largest retail centre.
Birmingham has the country's busiest shopping centre, the Bullring
Birmingham has the largest department store outside London, House of Fraser on Corporation Street.
Birmingham also has one of only four Selfridges department stores in the country.
Birmingham has the second largest branch of Debenhams in the country.
In 2004 Birmingham was ranked as the third best place to shop in the United Kingdom.
Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks.
Birmingham is served by a number of major motorways and probably the best known motorway junction in the UK, Spaghetti Junction.
The nearest airport is Birmingham International Airport, located in the Borough of Solihull to the east of the city.
As of 2008, Birmingham's airport is the sixth busiest by passenger traffic in the United Kingdom.
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- Why survey?
- Ancient Surveys
- Modern Astro
- 20th Cent. Surveys
- The SDSS
Why do astronomers map the sky? This page gives a brief introduction to their reasons, and outlines the history of astronomical surveys, from ancient times to today. To learn more, visit your local library or browse the many interesting sites on the Internet.
Why Survey The Sky?
For millennia, humans have wondered about the universe outside of our world. The stars and planets, mere points of light in the night sky, have always piqued our curiosity as we have sought to understand our place in the cosmos.
To the ancients, these points of light were often viewed in connection with higher powers beyond their control, such as gods and goddesses. Some civilizations began to realize that certain celestial events repeated at regular intervals. These civilizations used these regular events to mark time, helping with agriculture and religious observances. Later, sky charts, produced with naked-eye observations, became essential tools for navigation and trade. (This important aspect of sky surveys survives today, with examples like the U.S. Naval Observatory.)
Today, we understand that the universe consists not only of stars and planets, but also of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, streams and clumps of gas, and a component of unseen (or dark) matter. To learn more about these objects, we must first know where to find them, how they interact, and how they change over time. Many structures cover large areas of sky; others are so rare that we must look at millions of objects to find just one example. These ideas have guided the many projects in the last century to map the universe, over ever-larger areas, to ever-greater depths, and over an ever-increasing range of wavelengths. Complete, scientific sky surveys are the best technique we have for discovering new objects and interactions of objects. Once we find enough objects, we can study them to derive the basic physical properties of the universe.
This survey, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), was created to study how galaxies cluster on the largest scales. The SDSS will map these clusters in greater detail than any survey so far. If we know how galaxies cluster, we can learn something about how microscopic matter and energy variations evolved from the earliest moments after the big bang, more than 12 billion years ago, into the structures we see today.
Ancient Surveys
An ancient Chinese star chart from ca. 940 A.D.
Copyright c 1997, The British Library Board
British Library, Or.8210/S.3226
Astronomy is the oldest of the physical sciences. It developed in ancient times from curiosity about day and night, the sun, the moon, and the stars. At night, more than 1000 visible stars followed a similar course, appearing to rotate in permanent groups, or constellations, around a fixed point in the sky called the north celestial pole. The earliest sky surveys were records of the positions and motions of stars and planets. People in ancient Egypt, China, Central America, and Mesopotamia conducted these surveys over 5,000 years ago. They recorded their data on stone tablets or temple walls, and sometimes they even built giant structures like Stonehenge that aligned with specific astronomical events. The first known star catalog, containing 800 stars, was created in China in about 350 B.C. by Shih Shen.
Maps of the universe improved dramatically from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. During this period, Greek philosophers and astronomers began to develop theories of the workings of the cosmos. These theories, based on detailed observations, made predictions for the motions of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. In the 6th century B.C., the Greeks introduced geometry into astronomy. A hundred years later, the famous mathematician Pythagoras theorized that the planets moved along the surfaces of concentric spheres. In the 4th century B.C., Aristotle summarized Greek astronomical knowledge and Aristarchus calculated the sizes of the Sun and Moon relative to the Earth.
Two hundred years later, Hipparchus developed trigonometry. With trigonometry, he could calculate distances to planets and stars by knowing the angle from which they were viewed on Earth. Hipparchus recognized that astronomy requires accurate and systematic observations extended over centuries, so he used many old observations along with his own. In addition, he intended for many of his observations, especially his observations of the planets, to be used by future astronomers.
Hipparchus's idea of how the planets moved was later refined by Ptolemy, and became what we now call the Ptolemaic system. In the Ptolemaic system, the planets moved in concentric circles around the Earth, while some planets moved in smaller circles called epicycles around their main orbits. The Ptolemaic system predicted the planets' motions with great accuracy. Ptolemy also used trigonometry to accurately measure the distance to the moon. His 13-volume treatise, the Almagest, summarized much of ancient astronomical knowledge. It was translated into many languages, and it became the authority for astronomical questions over the next 1,400 years.
Modern Astronomy is Born
A map of Perseus from the Uranometria, a sky atlas drawn by Johann Bayer in the 1600s using Tycho Brahe's star catalogs.
Astronomy was dormant in Europe for more than 1,000 years. During this time, Islamic and Hindi astronomers made significant progress in understanding the sky. European astronomy began to be revived as the works of the ancient Greeks returned through Arabic translations. The revival was ensured by a Polish priest named Nicholas Copernicus, whose 1543 book De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) proposed that the Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun, along with all the other planets. During this time, astronomical observatories were established in Europe. One of these observatories, Uraniborg, was located on a Danish island. There, the famous astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler compiled the most accurate and complete astronomical observations to that time, containing over 700 stars.
At the same time, Galileo Galilei, often called the founder of modern science, pointed a newly-invented telescope at the night sky. The telescope revolutionized astronomy by allowing astronomers to see stars that no one had ever seen before. In the 1600s, Isaac Newton developed the Theory of Universal Gravitation, which said the same force that makes objects fall to earth makes the planets orbit the Sun. By the 1700s, astronomers regularly used Newton's laws to provide a physical basis of what they saw. Kepler's observations and Newton's laws were the basis for astronomy for nearly two hundred years.
20th Century Surveys
In the late 1800s, astronomy was revolutionized again by the invention of the camera and the spectrograph. Photographic films and plates allowed astronomers, for the first time, to create a permanent record of the sky. In addition, photographic plates could be exposed for long periods of time, allowing astronomers to see fainter objects at greater distances. By the 1930's, astronomers knew that many of the faint, fuzzy objects they saw were actually other galaxies that contained trillions of stars. But to study distant galaxies, astronomers first had to find them. To find more faint galaxies, astronomers began taking systematic photographic surveys of the sky.
A map of the whole sky, based on digitized photographic plates from the Palomar and UK 48" Schmidt telescopes (Courtesy USNO).
These systematic sky surveys were made easier by the development of the Schmidt telescope, a new telescope that allowed large areas of the sky to be photographed at once. The first such telescope, with mirrors 18 inches (46 centimeters) across, began operating in 1936 at Palomar Observatory in California, and was used to search for exploding stars called supernovae. This design was so successful that a larger, 48-inch (1.2-meter) version was built, and used to spot objects for the new 200-inch (5-meter) telescope being built at Palomar. Using the 48-inch Schmidt telescope, astronomers began the first modern effort at a complete, unbiased survey in 1949. The National Geographic-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS-I) collected data in different colors of light over the entire northern sky. Another telescope was built to survey the entire southern sky.
These surveys required decades to complete, but they provided astronomers with data they could use for decades. In the 1980's, as new telescopes were built, astronomers began to need a new survey to find fainter, more distant targets for the largest telescopes. Using the same 48-inch Schmidt telescopes at Mount Palomar, but with improved photographic emulsions, astronomers began the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS-II), a new survey of the entire northern sky.
When computers and digital images were developed, astronomers scanned the plates from the photographic surveys to create digital pictures that anyone could look at over the Internet. Today, anyone can download images from any of these surveys using tools like NASA's SkyView. In addition, with the development of astronomical observatories at other wavelengths (radio:FIRST, X-ray:RASS, infrared:2MASS), surveys of the sky in these new windows were immediately undertaken, revealing amazing views of the sky never before seen.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey
The SDSS 2.5m telescope
Today, modern electronic detectors (like the CCD chips in digital cameras) provide much greater sensitivity than photographic plates. Fast computers and large data storage systems allow astronomers to take digital pictures of the sky, as well as to process and store the data they collect. These technological advances led to the creation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which has mapped one-quarter of the entire sky in detail, determining the positions and brightnesses of hundreds of millions of celestial objects. It has also measured the distance to a million of the nearest galaxies, giving us a three-dimensional picture of the universe through a volume one hundred times larger than those we have now. The SDSS has recorded the distances to 100,000 quasars, the most distant objects known, giving us an unprecedented view of the distribution of matter to the edge of the visible universe.
The portion of the universe that the survey will observe is represented by our vaguely parachute-shaped logo. We are at the center of the logo, at the vertex of the parachute strings. The elliptical background evokes the shape of a galaxy, the celestial object of greatest interest to the SDSS.
SDSS Filters
Name Color Wavelength
u' Ultraviolet 3540Å
g' Blue/green 4760Å
r' Red 6280Å
i' Infrared 7690Å
z' Infrared 9250Å
The SDSS uses a specially built 2.5-meter (8 feet) telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. The telescope is fixed to point directly up at the sky. As the Earth rotates, more of the sky becomes visible above the telescope. Over the course of a night, the telescope images a "stripe" of sky. The telescope operates on clear nights, and has imaged stripes over one-quarter of the night sky. The telescope images the sky in five different wavelengths of light simultaneously; the five wavelengths are shown in the table at right.
In addition to imaging the sky, the SDSS collects spectra, which measure how much light an object emits at different electromagnetic wavelengths. The SDSS has measured spectra for around one million galaxies. In the Northern Galactic Cap region, the SDSS has observed about 10,000 square degrees. In the Southern Galactic Cap, the SDSS has imaged the same strips of sky repeatedly, allowing us to see much fainter sources, and to search for variable and transient objects.
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Is Marco Rubio the Great GOP Hope, or Dope?
ADIOS, MARCO?
The Florida senator would be a great general election candidate and president. Or would he, since he’s such a bad primary candidate?
Senior Columnist
Updated Apr. 13, 2017 4:33PM ET / Published Mar. 07, 2016 12:01AM ET
Alvin Baez/Reuters
If the recent “Super Saturday” elections are a sign, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is in deep trouble.
To be sure, a victory in Florida on March 15 would give him momentum, but the Catch-22 is that it’s hard to win Florida without momentum (his Sunday win in Puerto Rico was fine but isn’t exactly a big mo-shifter). And if Rubio loses his home state, which is entirely possible, not only would it spell doom for his presidential chances, it would also serve as a major embarrassment.
Rubio’s chances seem increasingly slim. At best, a Rubio victory in Florida would prevent Donald Trump from garnering the 1,237 delegates needed to become the nominee. This might put Rubio in a position to be a player in a contested convention fight.
It’s kind of amazing we’re in this situation.
I say that because I have long believed that Rubio is a once-in-a-generation political talent who could sell conservative philosophy to 21st-century Americans who don’t know they’re conservative yet. He has all the ingredients that could make him a transformational political leader, in the vein of a Ronald Reagan or a John F. Kennedy. If only he could win the primary.
He hasn’t been in Washington forever (he was elected to the U.S. Senate in just 2010, when he defeated an establishment Republican incumbent), and a close look at his voting record clearly demonstrates that he’s a bona fide conservative. Rubio’s ability to deliver an eloquent speech is unrivaled, and his personal biography as the son of an immigrant is an inspirational testimony about the American Dream.
The problem, it seems, is that almost all of the attributes that might make Rubio a great conservative president don’t really help him win a Republican primary. Part of the reason Rubio could be a great conservative president is that his politics are conservative, but his temperamental “feel” is more moderate. He is optimistic in a party (and during an era) when indignation is more in vogue.
Rubio has the capacity to govern from the right, while presenting it in a manner that would come across as palatable and irenic to Americans who aren’t conservative and don’t vote in Republican primaries. For obvious reasons, this gets you nowhere in a Republican primary.
This raises an interesting question: Is there any correlation between enduring a Republican primary and being able to win a general election? Or could there even be an inverse relationship?
I’m not sure. On one hand, it’s possible that handpicking a candidate is about as effective as naming one’s own successor. It usually doesn’t work. I think Rubio has the potential to defeat Hillary Clinton and to be a very good president, but I could be wrong. At this point, I’m like the mom who wants to set her little girl up with the perfect young man she just met. But such an “arranged” marriage might not work; mom might not really know best. Still, not to sound paternalistic, but it’s hard to sit by and watch people you love make the mistake of their lives by marrying the wrong person. This is especially true when the perfect young gentleman is right under their nose.
Then again, maybe Rubio’s inability to win a GOP primary exposes a fatal flaw. It’s possible that enduring a primary campaign tests someone’s character, toughness, and mettle. Campaigns face scandals and crises and hardships, and the ability to overcome these things does tell us something about you. Maybe the voters know more than I do? Maybe there’s something bad about Rubio that the wisdom of the crowds can sniff out?
This theory argues that, by definition, the best candidate always wins the primary.
This strikes me as dubious. Some of the attributes required for winning a primary seem utterly arbitrary. Let’s suppose you happen to be terrifically popular in Iowa and New Hampshire. You would have a decided advantage, even though this accounts for just a small fraction of the votes that would matter in a general election.
Other important factors may have little or no correlation to actually governing. The ability to organize a caucus, for example, might speak to your ability to win a general election, but does it demonstrate the kind of leadership and strategic thinking and organizational ability that would come in handy in the Situation Room? You’d be hard-pressed to argue that it does.
It may well be that the most talented conservative of a generation can’t win a Republican primary contest. And the interesting thing is that a year from now, he might be out of politics altogether.
Here’s hoping there’s plenty of fish in the sea.
Matt K. Lewis is a Senior Contributor at the Daily Caller and author of the new book “Too Dumb to Fail.”
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Scarborough to McCain: "I'm Sorry"
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough talks to Mark Salter about The Last Best Hope, his timely new book on how to save the conservative movement. In a wide-ranging conversation, the host of Morning Joe offers opinions on gay marriage, the mistakes of the Iraq war, and Barack Obama—and extends an apology to John McCain.
Updated Jul. 14, 2017 1:17PM ET / Published Jun. 09, 2009 2:56AM ET
William B. Plowman / AP Photo
In his new book, The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise, MSNBC’s sole conservative, morning-show host Joe Scarborough, explains where Republicans went wrong and how they can recover their principles and popularity. We met in New York’s P.J. Clarke’s to discuss the book, the 2008 presidential campaign, and the profile of a successful conservative in the Obama era. Gracious, good humored and garrulous, Scarborough offered opinions on Donald Rumsfeld, gay marriage, the press, John McCain, and whether or not President Obama is really the greatest candidate since Ronald Reagan. Excerpts from our conversation:
Because the conservative movement is at such a low point right now.... Conservatives have moved away from conservatism.... We responded to the radicalism of the 1960s with our own radicalism.... After 9/11, the president had a measured policy, but by 2005 he’s talking about ending tyranny across the globe. And I just sat back and wondered where all the Republicans had gone, who in the 1990s... kept talking about avoiding military adventurism.... I think we need to conserve the taxpayers’ money, conserve our military power and conserve the environment.
“Conservatives have moved away from conservatism,” says Scarborough. “We responded to the radicalism of the 1960s with our own radicalism.”
You argue Obama’s spending will inevitably lead to a new age of conservatism. Republicans have been pretty united in opposing it and trying to rebuild their brand as fiscal conservatives. But our numbers are low and getting lower, and Obama’s remain quite high.
Again, I think most Americans know after eight years Republicans inherited a $155 billion surplus and turned it into a $1 trillion deficit. They doubled the national debt from $5.7 trillion to $11 trillion.... I think that did more to destroy the Republican brand than anything. More than Katrina. More than the war. More than the fact that the president just couldn’t communicate his vision for America.... I think the one thing that unites most Americans with conservatives is restrained spending, smaller government. We make our assumptions based on spending as little of the taxpayers’ dollars as we possibly can. That doesn’t mean you engage in a false economy.... But let’s have a reasoned approach instead of having Barney Frank and Chris Dodd giving money to the banks and then calling the bank CEOs to their committees demanding they give out loans to people who can’t afford to repay the loans and start the same process we started in 1999.
Which was the bigger mistake? Going into Iraq in the first place? Or not sending enough troops?
The biggest mistake was going in there with insufficient force; allowing the looting to take place. Donald Rumsfeld’s light-footprint approach was about as disastrous as any military policy we’ve had.
Do you agree that hanging onto Rumsfeld that long was one of President Bush’s biggest mistakes?
Oh, my God, yes. Senator McCain got that right early on. He got Petraeus right as well.... When I hear conservatives attacking Colin Powell, saying he’s not a true conservative, Powell who... was pleading with the president to send more troops.... I tell you what, if Bush had listened to Colin Powell from the beginning, conservatives who loathe Colin Powell would probably still be in power.
Describe the profile of a successful conservative in the Obama era in substance and style.
Republicans who bring up Reagan always talk about the ideology, but they forget about the temperament.... For the most part, Americans are looking for someone who defines the middle of American political thought. In 2008, [Obama] actually seemed like the safer choice than John McCain because in many cases he sounded more confident in how he’d handle the economy than a guy who had been in Washington a long time, who might be too old for the challenges, who said on the day that Lehman Brothers crashed that the fundamentals of the economy were strong.
President Obama was a very skillful candidate and ran a very disciplined campaign. I think they ran a remarkable campaign, but I still don’t know how good of a candidate Barack Obama is. There was a month and a half, from the Berlin speech forward, when for the first time in his political career he was put back on his heels. And he responded horribly, every day. He stammered, in debates he just sat there.... Get him off the teleprompter and I just don’t know how good a politician he is.
I think that was smart. This was theirs to lose. It was smart to rope-a-dope.
John McCain was burdened with eight years of Republican screwups; a right track number of nine; a Republican president with the lowest approval rating since Jimmy Carter; and an economy in freefall. And yet, despite all of that, I’m still pretty damn sure if Barack Obama hadn’t broken his pledge on public financing, and didn’t spend $639 million, I still don’t think he would have won the campaign.... If Bear Stearns had not collapsed; if Obama wasn’t able to outspend John McCain 4-1 in Virginia, 3-1 in Florida, 3-1 in Ohio, I think he probably would have lost....
[The] press... never wrote one article about the fact that Barack Obama ran the most negative campaign—objectively, if you just look at the commercials—in the history of American politics. And yet he was able to say, “this campaign is going to be different. We’re not going to get down in the mud.”
The commercial that bled McCain the most was the heath-care commercial which was, if not an out and out lie, extraordinarily misleading. And as you know very well, for the first time in a general election campaign, a Democrat was trusted more on taxes than a Republican.... You get away with what you can get away with in those 30-second ads.... But the referee is usually the media. And the media did not step up in any meaningful way.
In your environmental chapter, you start off saying McCain forgot he was an environmentalist. I understand that most of what broke through in his message was that he was for lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling, but he never mentioned lifting it without mentioning this very broad program... with all sorts of investments in green technology, from clean coal to green grids, wind, hybrids, battery-operated cars, cap and trade, nuclear.
But the only thing that broke through was “drill, baby, drill.” At the convention or wherever the cameras went, we never heard about the other things. Maybe that was the media narrowing that message down to “drill, baby, drill.” I think, though, the next candidate that represents the Republican Party is going to have to... stare down those people who think that, if you’re an environmentalist, you’re embracing Al Gore and Greenpeace.
You make the same point as McCain on gay marriage, that it should be left to the states to decide. You also apply that federalist argument to abortion. But that requires knocking down Roe... and isn’t that pro-choice advocates’ most effective attack against pro-lifers, that we want to overturn Roe v. Wade?
Sure. But I would love a Republican presidential candidate to turn to Barack Obama in 2012 and say, “do you really believe the federal government should be involved in a discussion of whether a man is born gay or learns it? If you really believe that the federal government should be involved in OB/GYN issue, then great, stay in the Democratic Party.... Does anyone presume that people in Pensacola, Florida, know what’s best for people in Vermont on these highly personal issues? I’ve got enough problems of my own, and I’ll deal with them with my family and God. I’m not staying up at night worrying about what guys in Montpelier are doing. And I don’t want the federal government worrying about that either.
Near the end of the book you say, we can’t nominate another moderate, we tried that, and McCain didn’t win. But as I read your book, with the notable exception of campaign-finance reform... I was struck by how well McCain seems to fit your idea of what a modern conservative should be. He’s one of the biggest critics of spending excesses by Democrats and Republicans. He went after corruption by Republicans and Democrats... He opposed the prescription-drug benefit. Scourge of earmarks, defender of free markets, free trader.
What can I say, I owe him an apology. Did he vote against the $7 trillion Medicare expansion?
Yes, he did.
I owe him an apology. Senator McCain, I’m sorry.
Pragmatic environmentalist. Opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment on federalist grounds. Earliest advocate for the "surge." Biggest critic of Rumsfeld and the light footprint.
Why is it then, somebody like myself, who’s obviously been the scourge of the hard right, for going after Bush on spending and Iraq... who’s followed politics as closely as I have, considers McCain to be more of a moderate along the lines of Bob Dole?
Good question. He’s a solution-driven guy, a practical guy. He builds coalitions. He’s got no problem meeting [Democrats] somewhere in the middle if they can get something done.
And immigration.
Yeah, immigration hurt him a lot with some of the base. We had a problem with part of the base that really got under way in the Bush era. And then you had the press, who decided not to play referee anymore.... So you had nothing but our campaign stressing these things. We had nobody else, no referee, no echo chamber.
I feel his pain. On the same day that Mark Levin savaged me on the right on his radio show, The New York Times was calling me “the leader of the Republican attack squad.” What do you do? And you’re right, you’re a man without a country.
I do remember back when he was running in 2000, and I know this contradicts everything that I’ve written about in this book, I do remember when he went after Falwell and Robertson, called them agents of intolerance, the whole South Carolina primary. I think at the time I remembered thinking the guy is obviously running as the moderate in 2000. He’s trying to go to the middle to get votes against Bush. He’s trying to play against the natural prejudices that all Republicans have to confront….And it just seemed to me that going after Christian conservatives seemed like a convenient punching bag at that stage of the campaign.
The mistake we made was naming any person by name. But he gave the speech in Virginia Beach, after South Carolina, in front of an audience of Christian conservatives, and the point was to refute the argument that Robertson and Falwell were making, and much more Robertson than Falwell—they went after McCain because of his opposition to soft money.... And they extrapolated from that that McCain was wrong on abortion and other issues. He had a pretty spotless conservative record on life issues.... The whole purpose was to make an argument to Christian conservatives over the heads of ...
And I’m just guessing, but he probably took it very personally that his quarter-century record was being twisted by a couple of these guys.
You know, also, though, he’s an Arizona guy. He’s a sailor, a Navy guy. He had no problem talking about his colorful past. Also, because he was an Arizonan who was more of an independent maverick, it was harder for him to deliver that message than for me to deliver a message, saying I’m with you, 100 percent Right to Life, 100 percent NRA, but we’ve got to... take this out of Washington, D.C. I don’t think the Christian right is going to say, Joe Scarborough is an enemy of the pro-life movement.
Anything surprise you about Obama the president that you didn’t expect from Obama the candidate?
Yeah... I’ve been really, really disappointed on the degree of partisanship. I was one of those Republicans who heard him in Iowa and was inspired... who said wouldn’t it be great if the Democrats started running guys like this, who didn’t see the world through the lens of 1968. And, talk about the alarm bills going off, the morning when I found out he selected Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff, because I knew what that meant. Sure enough, he got elected and they have played hardball and have gone as far left as possible.... Having an outline for a stimulus package that Republicans say they can agree with and then sending Axelrod and Summers up to the Hill, and Democrats saying, “No, no, we’re not going to have a bipartisan bill,” and having the president back down.
He has been every bit as partisan as any president in years. I’m very critical of George W. Bush in so many ways, but [Obama] is much more partisan in his first year than George W. Bush was. I was beating the hell out of Bush in 2001 for teaming up with Ted Kennedy with this horrific education bill. He teamed up with Democrats on Medicare. He spent money and gave Democrats what they wanted for the most part. He was far more bipartisan than Barack Obama.
Let me say, though... as disappointed as I’ve been with him on domestic issues, I’ve been comforted with him keeping on Bob Gates, Petraeus. I don’t want us to stay in Afghanistan for a long time, but he’s being responsible in Afghanistan. He’s being responsible in Iraq. He’s being responsible in deciding not to release the pictures. I think he might be the first foreign-policy realist we’ve had since Bush 41.
Of course, I knock him for making promises he said he wasn’t going to break and then he’s breaking them. But, actually, I respect him for doing it.
Plus: Check out Book Beast, for more news on hot titles and authors and excerpts from the latest books.
Mark Salter is the former chief of staff to Senator John McCain and senior adviser to the McCain for President campaign.
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UMass Lowell student from Revere mourned after Costa Rica crash
How Globe writers voted for the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame
Movies to stream while you’re stuck inside this winter
Steve Dykes/Getty Images
By M.J. Andersen Globe Correspondent July 18, 2019
Fifty years ago this month, with what looked like an over-starched flag, Americans turned the moon into their own backyard sandlot. Yet back here on Earth, any number of places can rival the moon’s all-in-the-family strangeness – a truth for which writers give unceasing thanks.
Consider Oklahoma City. It may not top most lists of must-see destinations, but Sam Anderson can assure you it is “one of the great weirdo cities of the world.” As “a laboratory for unavoidable American problems,” he proposes, it is also a worthy case study.
A staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, Anderson developed an outsider’s affection for the city when, thanks to considerable maneuvering, it acquired the professional basketball team now known as the Thunder. His “Boomtown – The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, its Chaotic Founding, its Apocalyptic Weather, its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis” attempts to explain everything in its subtitle and then some.
The 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building still unfortunately dominates most people’s conception of Oklahoma City. Anderson argues that the Thunder’s arrival 13 years later, and the team’s unexpected brilliance, have been essential to the community’s healing.
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The city abruptly sprouted with the land run of 1889, an event Anderson recounts in lively detail. (At times he can seem like the desperate-to-amuse guy on the next barstool, but bear with him.) Although the sections on the Thunder may be a little too much inside basketball for some readers, Anderson balances his account with wonderful historical and cultural nuggets (my favorite: the museum devoted to free enterprise). He also delivers a powerful reconstruction of the bombing, as well as an indelible portrait of Gary England, a meteorologist venerated for his life-saving tornado forecasts.
If Oklahoma City almost never came to be, Los Angeles was at least as improbable. Gary Krist’s “The Mirage Factory – Illusion, Imagination and the Invention of Los Angeles” illuminates the city’s rise through three notable figures: William Mulholland, the architect of its water system; D.W. Griffith, the master filmmaker who helped bring a fledgling movie industry west; and the wildly popular evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson.
Krist’s scrupulously researched history shows how three intersecting dreams created the unlikely fact of LA, as well as its illusion-loving soul. (“Whether you like it or not,” Charlie Chaplin once tellingly told McPherson, “you’re an actress.”)
At the turn of the last century, Los Angeles was smaller than Fall River. Mulholland’s scheme to poach water from the north, and the 1913 completion of his aqueduct, proved vital to attracting investment.
Griffith was drawn by the promise of sunny days and virtually year-round shooting. McPherson, she would attest, arrived on instructions from the Lord. At 28, she quit the East Coast and, with her mother and two children, headed to LA, driving most of the way herself. In California, she drew thousands with her upbeat gospel of salvation and, not incidentally, reports of faith healing. Followers soon donated enough to erect a lavish million-dollar temple, with seating for 5,300.
In the years when Los Angeles was coming of age, Pittsburgh had already reached maturity.
The Pennsylvania coal capital is probably best known as the stamping ground of Andrew Carnegie, and other Gilded Age titans. But in “Smoketown – The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance,” Mark Whitaker unearths a second, lesser-known city. Much like Harlem, Pittsburgh was home to a vibrant black community that flourished from the 1920s through the 1950s. Its newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, played an outsized role in shaping black opinion across the country.
Like Sam Anderson, the Courier’s editors understood the power of sports to lift the profile of a community. The paper was an early champion of Joe Louis, presenting the Alabama fighter’s rise as a vindication of black flight from the South. Pittsburgh’s integrated school system and rich musical culture helped produce several jazz greats, including Billy Strayhorn, Billy Eckstine and Erroll Garner. The city also molded August Wilson, one of the postwar era’s greatest playwrights.
Family ties encouraged Whitaker to bring this lesser-known history to light. But as Anderson demonstrates, it sometimes takes an outsider to bring a place fully into focus. As a visitor to the deep South, the British travel writer Richard Grant was so entranced that he impulsively purchased a grand plantation house. “Dispatches from Pluto — Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta” is his mind-blown account.
Arriving from New York with his girlfriend, Grant discovers nature in all its summertime fecundity (snakes, clouds of mosquitoes and armadillos that need killing). He quickly takes on his own prejudices, among them a dim view of gun culture and weed killers, and is entertainingly humbled. Questions of race assume an equally humbling complexity. Full of outlandish stories, eccentrics and lessons in neighborliness, Grant’s report from the Mississippi swampland washes down like sweet tea.
M.J. Andersen is an author and journalist who writes frequently on the arts.
Most Popular in artsRight Arrow
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Friday, 12th August 2016
In America free speech is a Constitutional right outlined in the first amendment. And because we hear about it all the time, some Australians feel as though free speech is also a Constitutional right in Australia.
In Australia we don’t actually have very many Constitutional rights. Cheryl Saunders in her paper The Australian Constitution and Our Rights states:
In contrast to the Constitutions of most other Western countries, which list a range of rights and provide legal protection for them, the Australian Constitution includes only a small handful of provisions that deal expressly with rights.
The Constitution gives us some property rights, the right to a trial by jury and some aspects of religious freedom. There are also implied rights which include things such as the implied right to vote and the implied right of political communication. Most of our rights are set out in legislation and common law. Saunders goes on:
Australia relies on institutional mechanisms for rights protection: the Parliaments and governments of both the Commonwealth and the States and independent courts applying common law principles.
And so, most interpretations state that free speech (or perhaps you call it restricted speech) is a legislated right. You’re free to say many things. But the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA) makes it an offense to do an act on the basis of a person’s ‘race, colour or national or ethnic origin’ that ‘is reasonably likely … to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate a person’. So you can’t use racist language to offend or intimidate someone.
There are other parts of free speech in Australia that have been curtailed by legislation recently. However this doesn’t seem to evoke the same response from free speech advocates. One of these pieces of legislation, the Australian Border Force Act, makes it an offence for doctors, teachers or anyone involved in the offshore detention system to publicly speak out or report about the treatment of asylum seekers. This offence is punishable by two years in jail.
Other newish legislation (National Security Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2014) means the media are not able to report on bungled ASIO activities (even if they don’t know that it’s spy stuff) without the threat of ten years in jail. So why are we trying to protect the freedom to say racist things but not protect the media and doctors to do their jobs?
Hurtful words
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Most of us are told this when we are children. Normally by a parent after another child says hurtful things to or about us. But is it true? Or can word actually do us harm?
On ABC’s Insiders last weekend LDP Senator David Leyonhjelm stated:
If you want to take offence, that's your choice. You have the choice of choosing another feeling. Offence is always taken, not given. So if you don't want to be offended, you - it's up to you, don't be offended. That's it. We're not responsible for the feelings of other people. None of us are.
But not everyone is as assertive as David Leyonhjelm. What if you’re told on a continual basis that there is something wrong with you/that you’re bad/etc just because of the colour of your skin. How is that going to affect you in the long term? News out today reports that the suicide rate for young indigenous men in Australia is the highest in the world.
Hate speech can give those on the receiving end a feeling of inferiority. If you are exposed to this feeling your whole life it can affect how you feel about your place in the world. Let’s consider an analogy. Imagine if you told your kid that they are useless their whole life. Are they going to grow up and live their life to its full potential? Some kids might, but others won’t.
And why is it so hard to just have respectful debates about race? Why does anyone need the right to racially abuse someone else?
How did all this start?
The case for changing the RDA was initiated in 2011 when Andrew Bolt was found guilty of breaching it. Mr Bolt had published two articles about light-skinned aborigines. Last year’s winner of CEFA’s Governor-General’s Prize, Marcus Roberts, wrote about this in his essay:
Andrew Bolt, was found to have breached s 18C of the RDA by writing two articles, in the Herald Sun newspaper, suggesting that certain ‘white Aborigines’ were ‘not genuinely aboriginal persons’ but had ‘chosen to falsely identify as aboriginal’ in order to take advantage of ‘career opportunities available to aboriginal people’
The judge in this case stated that Bolts articles “contained errors of fact, distortions of the truth and inflammatory and provocative language”. The Herald Sun, where the articles were published, was forced to issue an apology. Free speech advocates were livid.
Then in March 2014 Attorney-General George Brandis announced the Government’s proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975. These changes were going to remove Sections 18B, C, D and E of the Act which made it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person based on their race. Sections 18 and 19 of the Racial Discrimination Act were introduced by an amendment in 1995 to address community attitudes after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and a National Inquiry into Racist Violence.
The 2014 Government plan was to replace Sections 18B, C, D and E with a new section that made it unlawful to vilify or intimidate a person based on their race. However, this new section did not apply to words, sounds, images or writing spoken, broadcast, published or otherwise communicated in the course of participating in the public discussion of any political, social, cultural, religious, artistic, academic or scientific matter. Many commentators believed that the proposed exception was so wide it is hard to imagine that the law would prevent any conduct.
This change proposal sparked a great deal of passionate community and media discussion. The main argument for changing the Racial Discrimination Act was to remove censorship of the freedom of speech. The then Human Rights Freedom Commissioner Tim Wilson stated:
Even if such speech is deeply unacceptable, making it unlawful significantly restricts free speech.
He argued that racism needs to be constantly tackled, but that censorship of speech is not the solution as it sends racism into dark corners where it festers and takes on a more ugly and explosive form.
Australian Human Rights Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane argued that law should have a role in combatting racism. The law regulates many aspects of our lives, why should it not protect people from abuse and harassment that violates a person’s dignity and freedom? He stated:
Now is certainly not the time to be elevating a right to bigotry over a right to be free from bigotry's effects.
The high level of the community discussion caused the Abbott Government to call for submissions on their exposure draft to the changes. They received 4100 submissions from various ethnic and religious groups along with groups concerned about free speech. More than 76 per cent of these submissions were opposed to the proposal, 20.5 per cent of submissions were in favour of the changes, and three per cent called for a complete repeal of all racial discrimination protections.
With such community concern the then Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that the Government was dropping the proposed changes on 5 August 2014. He stated:
I’m a passionate supporter of free speech and if we were starting from scratch with section 18C we wouldn’t have words such as offend and insult in the legislation. But we aren’t starting from scratch. We are dealing with the situation we find ourselves in and I want the communities of the country to be our friend not our critic.
Since the proposed changes were dropped the discussion about repealing Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act has bubbled along. Recently a number of the crossbench Senators have called for this legislation to be altered. They includes the One Nation Senators, David Leyonhjelm (as mentioned above), Bob Day from Family First, Derryn Hinch, plus there are a number of Coalition MPs and Senators in support of change.
This week Senator Nick Xenophon stated that his party would not be supporting changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. Effectively this means that the matter is dead. Labor with 26 in the Senate, the Greens with nine and Xenophon with three makes the total number opposed to the changes 38. And that’s precisely the number of votes needed to block any legislation.
The Attorney-General George Brandis has also stated that the matter was "off the table". So do you think this debate is dead? Or should Australians argue to continue this debate?
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YouTube Wednesday: Kurt Hugo Schneider…the producer/director behind all your favorite YouTube musicians
Home | YouTube Wednesday | YouTube Wednesday: Kurt Hugo Schneider…the producer/director behind all your favorite YouTube musicians
Hello people of the Internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’, we are going to talk about director/music producer Kurt Hugo Schneider! Kurt is one of the AMAZING YouTube producers that has worked with so many of our fav musicians (both YouTubers and mainstream musicians). I guarantee that you’re VERY familiar with Kurt already, but just in case you’re new to his awesomeness, Ready? Ok let’s go!
Kurt began his online career in 2008, when he and his friend Sam Tsui released a cover of ‘Can I Have This Dance’ from the movie ‘High School Musical 3’ (this is the first video that is on their YouTube channel as of 3/31/2015). In this video, Kurt accompanies Sam on the piano, and also added cool effects on the video that make it look like multiple copies of Sam are singing at the same time. Kurt continued to post videos with Sam, with other people, and also solo, before he posted a cover that would begin to change his channel. On July 24th, 2009 Kurt uploaded a new cover with Sam Tsui, which was an a cappella Michael Jackson Medley, which features Kurt beatboxing (I included the video below so y’all can check it out). This video got a lot of media attention for Kurt & Sam, and is still one of their most popular videos with over 33 million total views. In 2009 & 2010, Kurt’s channel started growing so much that he & Sam were featured on: The Bonnie Hunt Show, Oprah, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Since then Kurt’s channel has definitely not slowed down, & he has worked with INCREDIBLE artists such as: Jason Derulo, Victoria Justice, Max Schneider (who we have already talked about, click here to read about him: ‘YouTube Wednesday’: Max Schneider, Hollywood’s longest kept secret | celindareyesblog), Alyson Stoner, Keke Palmer, Hunter Hayes, Jason Mraz, and so many more. Now that we know how Kurt built such an awesome channel, let’s move on to some of the bigger projects he has released.
Now let’s talk about some of the other amazing projects Kurt has been a part of (and remember guys that I’m just giving you a quick little highlight reel because honestly we could be here for days talking about why Kurt is so awesome). Kurt (along with Max Schneider) co-wrote the song ‘Standing In China’, which is on pop singer Cody Simpson’s album ‘Paradise’ (which was released in 2012). Another really awesome collaboration that Kurt did was a ‘Holiday Medley’ with Victoria Justice & Max Schneider which was uploaded on December 14th, 2012. This cool mash-up of popular Christmas songs features multiple videos that were played on multiple Sprint phones, that give the illusion that the vocalists in the videos are jumping from one phone to another phone (sorta hard to explain, but check out the video below to check out the greatness! In 2013, Kurt teamed up with Coca-Cola to create music videos (along with some really talented vocalists) where Kurt covered ‘Feel So Close’ by Calvin Harris & ‘Little Talks’ by Of Monsters and Men (this is the only cover that feature an instrument because the other artist in the video is a cellist) for their ‘The Sounds of AHH’ campaign. In the covers, Kurt is shown making the track playing only Coca-Cola bottles, glasses and cans. Like I said, this is only a small sample of the cool videos you’ll find on Kurt’s channel, so definitely add him to your “must watch” list!
YouTube: KurtHugoSchneider
2nd YouTube Channel: Kurt
Twitter: kurthschneider
Instagram: KurtSchneider
Website: Kurt Hugo Schneider
Facebook: Kurt Schneider | Facebook
All credit goes to Kurt HugoSchneider, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, kurthugoschneider.com, Facebook, High School Musical 3, Sam Tsui, Michael Jackson, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Bonnie Hunt, all of the writers/producers/and other businesses, companies, mangers, and record labels who were involved with the production of Can I Have this Dance from High School Musical 3, Cody Simpson, Jason Derulo, Victoria Justice, Max Schneider, Alyson Stoner, Keke Palmer, Hunter Hayes, Jason Mraz, Sprint, Coca-Cola, Calvin Harris, Of Monsters and Men, Atlantic Records, DJ Frank E, Adam Messinger, Nasri, Shawn Campbell, Dr. Luke, Supa Dups Alex Dezen, Chris Morris, Drew Pearson, and all companies, individuals, corporations, managers, record labels, writers, producers, and/or businesses that should receive credit for anything mentioned in this blog post and/or are mentioned in any of the videos mentioned in this blog post, and all original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
celindareyesblog April 2, 2015 No Comments on YouTube Wednesday: Kurt Hugo Schneider…the producer/director behind all your favorite YouTube musicians. Category: YouTube Wednesday. Tagged: Adam Messinger, Alyson Stoner, amazing, artist, atlantic records, awesome, band, blog post, Bonnie Hunt, Calvin Harris, Chris Morris, Coca-Cola, cody simpson, collab, collaboration, cover, director, DJ Frank E, Dr. Luke, Drew Pearson, ellen degeneres, facebook, group, High School Musical 3, hunter hayes, instagram, jason derulo, jason mraz, keke palmer, Kurt HugoSchneider, kurthugoschneider.com, mashup, max schneider, medley, Michael jackson, mix, music, Nasri, new, Of Monsters and Men, Oprah Winfrey, original, producer, Sam Tsui, shawn campbell, Sprint, Supa Dups Alex Dezen, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, twitter, victoria justice, video, youtube.
Monday Memos: Hannah Michaels, the new artist that will rule your fall playlists
Home | Monday Memos | Monday Memos: Hannah Michaels, the new artist that will rule your fall playlists
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to discuss an AMAZING new singer/songwriter that I know y’all will fall in love with. Remember the name Hannah Michaels, because she will soon become your fav new artist. With a very cool old school funk meets soul vibe, Hannah’s music is a breath of fresh air in the modern music scene. If you love artists such as Amy Winehouse and Ingrid Michaelson, then you will become OBSESSED with Hannah. With two well accomplished and prestigious writers behind her first single, this young artist is off to a great start, and I definitely think that her talent and artistry will allow her to become a staple on your radio VERY soon. So let’s jump into discuss Hannah’s debut single I’m Not Runnin (which you can see here I’m Not Runnin).
This single was co-written by Rachael Taylor (formally of the indie pop band ‘He Is We’), and Jay Vice (who co-wrote and produced Victoria Justice’s 2013 single ‘Gold’). Once I heard I’m Not Runnin, I instantly fell in love with it! This song is a really beautiful track about a girl who has always been lonely and “running “ from relationships, but now she is finally in a safe relationship that she doesn’t have to fear. I love that this song has an amazing message, and really catchy lyrics that you will be replaying constantly. Another thing that I love about this song is Hannah’s voice on the track. She has such a uniquely lovely voice that you are instantly intrigued, and can’t help but stay mesmerized from the first note to the last. I love the honesty in Hannah’s voice, which really shows that she is able to connect to what she’s singing, and make us believe it. Now let’s move on to the I’m Not Runnin music video ok? Ok!
I really like this video because it is beautifully shot, and really illustrates the message of the song. The locations ( a field in a forest and pier on a beach), really give the video a vibe of freedom, innocence, happiness and all of the great things that come with being young and in love. Hannah was also able to show through this video, that she is a natural in front of the camera (I mean honestly a lot of artists are awkward or not able to fully commit to the story behind their first music video). Once you start watching the video, Hannah is able to transport you into the story, and you forget that you’re watching a music video. I think that the best thing about the I’m Not Runnin video, is that it leaves you anxiously waiting for the next video and song Hannah will put out (and considering the fact that the video has almost 12,000 views and has only been out for 6 days as of November 14th I’m not the only one who feels this way).
So tell me people of the internet, after hearing I’m Not Runnin, you’re obsessed with Hannah right? I knew you would be! Honestly I am so excited about Hannah’s future in the music industry, because she has everything needed to become a star: talent, a high level of artistry, uniqueness, likability, a distinct tone to her voice that is easily distinguishable, and a killer debut single that instantly forces you to pay attention to her. So if you like staying ahead of music trends, then support Hannah’s music, keep up with her social media accounts, and jump on the bandwagon before she becomes a huge star (because trust me, she will).
Keep up with everything Hannah is doing:
Twitter: hannahmclifford
YouTube: Hannah Michaels
Facebook: OfficialHannahMichaels
Website: Hannah Michaels
Google +: Hannah Michaels – Videos – Google+
All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, Facebook. OfficialHannahMichaels. Google +, Hannah Michaels, Rachael Taylor, Amy Winehouse, Ingrid Michelson, Jay Vice, Victoria Justice, Twitter, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
celindareyesblog November 17, 2014 No Comments on Monday Memos: Hannah Michaels, the new artist that will rule your fall playlists. Category: Monday Memos. Tagged: Amy Winehouse, Facebook. OfficialHannahMichaels. Google +, Hannah Michaels, Ingrid Michelson, Jay Vice, music, Rachael Taylor, twitter, victoria justice, youtube.
‘YouTube Wednesday’: Max Schneider, Hollywood’s longest kept secret
Home | YouTube Wednesday | ‘YouTube Wednesday’: Max Schneider, Hollywood’s longest kept secret
Hello people of the internet!!! On this ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we are going to talk about an emerging star that is on the brink of being the next big pop super star. This incredibly talented guy is an actor, dancer, model, vocalist, and even plays the guitar, piano, and the ukulele! (I know that last one is so random but completely awesome right?!) Who is this multitalented guy you may ask? It’s Max Schneider!!!! (Cue the applause clap, clap, clap!).
Max was born in June of 1992 in New York, and began performing for family and friends at the age of 3. He began his professional career in the Broadway musical ‘13’, which was written by Broadway veteran Jason Robert Brown, and opened in New York October of 2008. ‘13’was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (which honors Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions), and its Broadway run consisted of 105 performances and 22 previews. After ‘13’, Max appeared in numerous hit shows such as ‘Law and Order SVU’ and ‘One Life to Live’. In January of 2010 he was chosen to participate in the YoungArts Program in Miami, FL (which is a program in which “talented young artists in the literary, performing, visual and design arts” take master classes from industry veterans, and make connections to help them receive admission into top colleges/conservatories and in the job market….in other words this is THE program to be a part of if you want a career in the entertainment industry, good job Max!). So after completing this program, Max was featured in the Fall/Winter 2010 ad campaign for fashion super house ‘Dolce & Gabbana’, which also featured MADONNA, (Yup the pop icon, super business women, one of the most powerful people to ever walk the earth Madonna)!The ad was released in August of 2010, and seen all over the world.
After this, Max booked the role of Lance in the film ‘The Last Keepers. In 2011 he filmed the pilot for a Nickelodeon show called ‘How to Rock’, (I loved that show!!!), and the show aired in February of 2012. Later in 2012, Max starred in a Nickelodeon movie musical called ‘Rags’ (which was a Cinderella inspired movie about a guy named Charlie who is an awesome singer and dancer, and he falls for a pop star, who is played by TV and movie veteran Keke Palmer. I won’t tell you what else happens, but it’s a really cool movie with a terrific soundtrack, so check it out!). Even though ‘How to Rock’ was cancelled after 1 season, Max co-wrote a song called ‘Last One Standing’ for the show, he also wrote a song called ‘Show You How To Do’ for the hit Disney show ‘Shake It Up’.
Link to Max and Cymphonique Miller singing ‘Last One Standing (the version that was shown on the show ‘How To Rock’: Cymphonique Miller. ft. Max Schneider Last one standing
Although Max has continued to work as an actor in various films and TV shows, he has also had a successful career as a musician. In October of 2009, Max began to release cover videos of popular songs on YouTube, and in 2010 he released an EP called ‘First Encounters’, on ITunes. In the summer of 2012 Max opened for Victoria Justice on her ‘Making It In America’ tour, and released three cover videos with Victoria on YouTube (the videos were a Bruno Mars Medley, a Maroon 5 Medley, and a Holiday Medley…YouTube super producer Kurt Hugo Schneider also worked on these covers, so you NEED to see them…well finish reading this blog, share it with your friends and then see the video. Ok? Yay!) . (Link to Max and Victoria’s ‘Bruno Mars Cover Medley’: Bruno Mars Medley! – Victoria Justice & Max Schneider.) In May of 2013, Max dropped his latest original single called ‘Nothing Without Love’, and the official music video for the song. (Link to ‘Nothing Without Love’: “Nothing Without Love” – Max Schneider (Official Music Video).) His latest single was well received by his “Schneider Monkeys” (this is what Max calls his fans), and he has continued to release cover videos by himself, as well as collaborating with many well known YouTube stars. Here’s one of my personal favorites, Max and Danny Padilla’s cover of One Republic’s hit ‘Counting Stars’: “Counting Stars”- One Republic (Max Schneider (MAX) & Danny Padilla Cover). Max is definitely a star on the rise, and someone who I believe will have an iron grip on the music and film/TV industry very soon.
Check out Max on his social media sites (and if you want to send him the link to this blog that would be AMAZING too…just sayingJ)
Max’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maxgschneider
Max’s Website: http://maxschneider.com/
Max’s IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3449343/
Max’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MaxSchneiderOfficial
Max’s ITunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/max-schneider/id159508491
(Oh and on a side not, most of Max’s covers are available for purchase on ITunes, so I would check them out!)
All photos and information used in this blog belong to Max Schneider, Nickelodeon, Jason Robert Brown, Dolce & Gabbana, Madonna, Victoria Justice, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Danny Padilla, schneidermonkey49, nicktopia.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. Thank You!
celindareyesblog June 22, 2014 No Comments on ‘YouTube Wednesday’: Max Schneider, Hollywood’s longest kept secret. Category: YouTube Wednesday. Tagged: 13, actor, adamlevine, broadway, bruno mars medley, cinderella, counting stars, cover videos, dancer, danny padilla, director, dolce & gabbana, dramma desk award, film, guitar, holiday medley, holiday music, how to rock, itunes, keke palmer, kurt hugo schneider, madonna, making it in america, maroon 5 medley, max schneider, model, multitalented, music, musician, new york, nickelodeon, nothing without love, off-broadway, off-off-broadway, one republic, piano, pop, producer, rags, superstar, the voice, tv, ukulele, victoria justice, vocalist, wednesday, youtube.
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Central European Economic and Social History
Glimpses of Life in Central Europe Past and Present
CENTRAL EUROPE AND THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE: ATTEMPTS AT CREATING A UNIFYING IDENTITY DESPITE RISING NATIONALISM
13/08/2018 Susanne WurmCENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, THE DANUBE REGION: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSBosnia Herzegovina, Budapest, De Gasperi, Debrecen, H.G.Adler, Habsburg Empire, Korosek, Masaryk, multilingualism, nationalism, populism, Prague, Temesvar, Vienna
In the last years researchers of Central and Eastern Europe have revised the widespread assumptions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that comprised a large part of this area and ended in 1918. They no longer see it as an economically inefficient multi-national anachronism to the late 19th century nation states of Europe. New studies focus on the vibrant political cultures and the interesting attempts at interpreting local and regional phenomena in this multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire. General studies of Europe and modern history tend to treat the region of Central Europe as an exceptional corner of Europe due to the presence of several ethnic and religious groups in its societies, but also because of its economic development, often – unjustly – characterised as “backward”. Historians of self-styled nation states might have to think more creatively about cultural differences that may lurk just below the surface of assertions of national homogeneity. This is especially necessary at the time when the European Union is again facing new outbreaks of nationalism and even regions in the established nation states of Western Europe show serious tendencies of separation, e.g. Catalonia or Scotland.
Even some books written recently on the topic of World War I continued the tradition of portraying the Habsburg Empire as a state on the verge of collapse even before the outbreak of the war due to nationalist conflicts. Since the collapse of the empire narratives of nationhood have dominated its history. This interpretation ignores the fact that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was very similar to the other European states of the time, but at the same time pioneered new ideas of nationhood and new practices of governance thanks to its multi-ethnic population of 50 million. Some of the character, the developments and the enduring legacies of this Habsburg Empire are still visible in Central Europe. Therefore it is essential for once to abandon traditional presumptions about the primacy of nationhood in the region and to focus on the Austro-Hungarian institutions such as schools, the judicial system or the Austrian census that managed practical issues surrounding linguistic and ethnic diversity. This research undermines the notion that the existence of language differences dominated social relationships and institutional developments in Central Europe. On the contrary, imperial institutions and administrative practices helped shape nationalist efforts. Furthermore the surviving presumptions of economic backwardness or unbridgeable difference that allegedly made Central Europe different from the rest of Europe were revised in recent decades and historians have pointed out the remarkable creativity and innovation of the empire’s institutions in tackling diversity. Looking at the last decades of the Habsburg Empire might offer different views at subjects like nationhood, multilingualism and indifference to nationhood, especially at times of crisis of solidarity in the European Union.
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire imperial institutions, administrative practices and cultural programmes helped to shape local society in every region of the empire, from the late 18th century until 1918. These collective elements gave citizens of the Habsburg Empire in every corner of the monarchy experiences that crossed linguistic, confessional and regional divides. The Prague writer H.G.Adler wrote after World War I and after the end of the Habsburg Empire that when he was asked who he was he responded that he was of Jewish nationality with a German mother tongue, was born in Czechoslovakia, felt as a part of Austrian culture, was a German writer, a British citizen, and hopefully in all that also a little bit of a human being. Even after the Habsburg Empire formally ceased to exist in November 1918, common elements of imperial practice continued to shape many people’s expectations in Central Europe, whether they were about welfare benefits, a functioning bureaucracy or the question how political life should function. Important politicians in the successor states such as Masaryk in Czechoslovakia or De Gasperi in Italy or Korosek in Yugoslavia were heavily influenced by their formative experiences in Habsburg politics. They often adopted similar laws and practices for their new states. At the same time, however, they loudly rejected any legacy of the Habsburg Empire as incompatible with democracy and national self-determination.
From 1867 until the fall of the empire activists of all kinds in Austro-Hungarian society increasingly invoked the authority of what they called culture to assert their visions of the structure of the monarchy, to discredit competing visions and form political and social movements. Advocates of all kinds of political positions designed programmes that made sweeping cultural claims about whole populations. The increasing turn by politicians and activists to cultural references, illustrations, terminologies and arguments was clearest in the rise of new forms of political nationalism in the Habsburg Empire. Nationalists based their increasingly populist definitions of nationhood on their interpretation of the obvious facts of different language uses. In reality the citizens of the empire used many languages to communicate among each other and with the state, which of course meant that the Austro-Hungarian society was made up by several defined cultures or nations. Nationalist activists tried to force the state to rectify supposed historic victimisations of one nation by the other. Yet, on the contrary, the Habsburg state and the dynasty legitimated the existence of Austro-Hungary by stressing the beneficial unity it provided to all those allegedly different peoples, cultures or nations over which it ruled. The imperial state by that facilitated the turn towards culture in the political discussion by increasingly justifying its existence in terms of its ability to promote the cultural development of its nations. As a consequence the self-appointed representatives of the different national communities in turn fought to gain a better place for themselves within the framework of the empire in Central Europe.
While nationalist arguments about differences pervaded public institutions and dominated politics by 1900, their influence, nevertheless, remained limited to these special situations. Yet in many other situations that encouraged nationalist identification, this nationalist activity at the same time supported imperial patriotism and Habsburg loyalties. By the beginning of the 20th century ideologies of nationalism and of empire increasingly depended on each other for coherence. They made use of similar language and similar ideas. Propagandists for the Habsburg Empire increasingly used national concepts in their publications and campaigns. The imperial administrators who founded museums of culture and folklore encouraged archaeological and anthropological projects in ways that strongly resembled earlier nationalist protagonists. Their purpose, however, was not to encourage nationalist sectarianism, but to tie local nationalism to imperial loyalties. Consequently, it is difficult to assess whether nationalist political conflict was in fact weakening the structure of the empire or perhaps strengthening it. It was definitely changing the fabric of the Habsburg Empire. By demanding reforms the nationalists forced the state to come to terms with their demands with respect to imperial political structures.
In their everyday lives the Austro-Hungarian citizens engaged more intimately and intensely than ever before with the empire from the 1880s on. Practices ranging from school attendance to voting in local elections to participation in rituals of military conscription and in annual empire-wide celebrations of the ruler’s birthday made Muslim peasants in rural Bosnia, Czech-speaking businessmen in Bohemia and Hungarian intellectuals in Budapest into increasingly engaged citizens of an empire that more than ever met their needs. No longer merely bystanders and onlookers, the Habsburg citizens claimed an explicit stake in their empire. Structurally the last decade before World War I saw the empire emerge from political crises caused by nationalist conflicts in the years around 1900. These crises produced a willingness among some elites to develop more flexible models of power-sharing within the empire. But much of these negotiations looking for a compromise took place behind closed doors, away from public view.
Around 1880 across Europe communication and transport infrastructures started to expand quickly. As a consequence more goods were transported over longer distances, but also people moved far beyond their accustomed horizons, both physically and mentally. As a result, in only twenty years the populations of the big cities of Central Europe, such as Vienna,, Budapest, Prague, Lemberg /Lviv, Czernowitz, Zagreb, Fiume /Rijeka, Pola /Pula and others increased around 60 per cent and cities like Trieste, Debrecen, Temesvar or the industrial regions in Moravia and Silesia grew 50 per cent. By 1900 close to 40 per cent of all Austro-Hungarians had left their original place of birth and migrated to another part of the empire. Rail travel within the empire became a commonplace experience for millions. A dense and efficient railway network covered the whole empire from east to west and from north to south with the architectural jewels of train stations that were splendid landmarks of Central European Habsburgian architecture. They were deliberately built in a distinctive style from one end of the empire to the other as a point of identification with the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Some of them have survived the destructions of the 20th century and are now restored to past glory. They constitute examples of this very special Central European architecture that characterises the region. In Hungary, nationalisation of the rail system significantly lowered passenger prices in 1889 and raised the number of rail travellers to seven million annually in just a few years. Well before 1900 Galicians could travel by train in just fourteen hours from Lemberg / Lviv to Vienna, a trip that takes many more hours today. From 1876 to 1910 nearly four million citizens migrated overseas, mostly to Canada, the United States and Latin America. Hundreds of thousands of them also returned to Austro-Hungary later, sometimes with new capital and new skills.
But the revolutions in transport and communication also affected the lives of those who stayed behind. By 1900 the inhabitants of most smaller towns and even remote villages had access to local and regional newspapers and sometimes to telephone service. Primary school education was expanded. By 1910 there were 22,386 primary schools in the Austrian half and 16,455 in the Hungarian half of the empire. After primary school short preparatory courses offered trainings in basic secretarial skills, for example, so that an increasing number of rural youth gained a degree of social mobility and could take up jobs in a range of new low-level white-collar jobs. After 1900 low literacy rates in the most rural regions of the empire, such as Galicia, Bukovina, Dalmatia, Croatia, Transylvania and Bosnia-Herzegovina began to catch up with the higher rates in the more urbanised Bohemian, Austrian and metropolitan Hungarian lands. In 1910 the average literacy rate in the Austrian half was 83.5 per cent, similar to France with 85 per cent. In the Hungarian half, the literacy rates of Hungarian and German speakers were around 70 per cent, those for Romanian and Ruthene (today’s Ukrainian) speakers were around 30 per cent.
From schooling to military service to welfare benefits and postal services, the responsibilities of the state increased: there was mandatory primary education, obligatory accident insurance (1887), health insurance (1889), workers’ and company organisations in commerce, industry and trade and above all, massive state-funded expansion of the railway, telegraph and postal systems. In this way the Habsburg state became a more immediate and present actor in people’s lives in Central Europe. Expanding infrastructure s and new public tasks forced the governments of Austria and Hungary to employ more civil servants to fulfil the new functions and ensure efficiency. Parliaments, crown land diets and town halls now engaged in archival record-keeping on a scale yet unknown, while at the same time enforcing a maze of legal standards for an array of issues from workplace safety, public health to transportation. An extensive and efficient bureaucracy brought the Habsburg Empire into the everyday lives of its citizens even to very remote places of the empire. Unlike previous periods of major state growth, now the initiatives that drove much of the late 19th century expansion often came from the margins of the empire. Developed by locally elected officials and with consultation of administrative experts communal projects fuelled an expansion of bureaucratic functions in villages, towns and the crown land governments, from public hygiene programmes, the establishment of hospitals to the creation of parks and public swimming pools and theatres. The theatres built during this period in the Habsburg Empire were another architectural landmark of the cities of Habsburgia. Many of them were built by the firm Fellner & Helmer and these Central European architectural highlights can still be admired in places like Temesvar, Karlsbad /Karlovy Vary, Graz, Debrecen or Zagreb and many other cities of Central Europe. They employed men – and later women as well – from increasingly diverse social backgrounds in a range of positions, from telegraph operators to food inspectors to postal workers, school teachers and railway employees. The development of postal savings banks in Austria and Hungary, for example, offered banking services to rural and small town customers of modest income, who would otherwise not have access to them. Postal workers, railway employees and school teachers came to symbolize the empire for the general public, since they represented it in the most common daily life interactions, even in the most out of the way rural settings.
The same forces that galvanised the expansion of the state, such as rising literacy, freer print media, facilitated movement of people and goods, increased popular pressures for a greater democratisation of imperial society. Amid stunning social and technical transformations, faith in the virtues of a common empire, nevertheless, crucially stabilized and coordinated heterogeneous desires, needs and practices of 50 million citizens. Even at the local level, the empire remained the institution on which many activists projected their different visions of the future, especially those who tried to defuse nationalist political conflicts by imagining new ways of efficiently organising this multicultural empire. As ideas, both the empire and the Habsburg dynasty came to symbolize a reassuring constancy in times of unsettling change. Emperor Franz Joseph enjoyed unprecedented popularity. Forgotten was his crushing of the revolutions of 1848 and the following absolutist reign, the postponement of Jewish emancipation, the lost wars and his resistance to reform. Now a benign grandfatherly emperor watched over the progressive transformations of the society, moderating social and national radicalism when necessary. He appeared as a martyr to the many personal tragedies of his long reign, the suicide of his son crown prince Rudolf and the assassination of his wife Sisi. Popular Habsburg loyalty underpinned the idea of the empire and helped to promote identification with the empire. The symbolic language of the monarchy often cloaked new forms of governance and government obligation in reassuringly familiar Habsburg terms.
Increasingly at all corners of the empire municipal governments seemed to agree that their town should be turned into a “modern” city. The placement of a railway link, a train station, a military garrison could make a town’s economic future. Most experienced modernity as of imperial nature. This meant that already in 1891 a small town like Mährisch Schönberg / Sumperk had an early telephone network and Ungarisch Brod / Uhersky Brod had 31 telephone numbers in 1905. There was a dizzying array of imperial projects realised in small and medium-sized towns in the last two decades before World War I – projects ranging from new school buildings and hospitals to libraries and theatres, electrification, public swimming pools, railway stations to tramway systems. As the central and local administrations expanded the number of their competences they also had to increase the size of personnel drastically, which dramatically increased costs. Between 1890 and 1911 the annual cost of the Austrian administration rose from 4 million crowns to 18 million crowns.
In Hungary the government invested enormous sums in the development of the rail infrastructure, swiftly creating a highly centralised national system in which all lines ran to or through Budapest. Budapest itself was designed to attract visitors by presenting itself as an eastern “Paris on the Danube”. Budapest had to market its modernity by simultaneously developing up-to-date forms of spectacle. With projects ranging from a so-called Ice Palace, opened in 1903, where one could enjoy both a hothouse with palm trees and an ice-skating rink to the Danube Festivals with electric city illuminations and fireworks, Budapest tried to make the city itself into a tourist attraction. But also Hungarian political society was not spared the experience of the kind of nationalist and ideological radicalisation that overtook Austrian political life. Around 1900 the attractions of modernity found expression in new initiatives that went beyond infrastructure. Social activists, workers’ organisations, feminist groups, educational reformers, even vegetarianism developed radically new perspectives on modern life. Women’s changing roles in society became a general measure for the society’s openness to progress. In Austria, women’s sections were highly visible in almost all nationalist organisations. Women’s organisations in white-collar professions agitated for specific improvements from pension payments to working conditions. A few major political parties supported female suffrage after 1900, most notably the Austrian, Hungarian and Czech socialists.
Habsburg bureaucrats and party politicians had long demonstrated a flexible creativity in negotiating structural modifications intended to make the empire function more effectively and to offer a greater long-term political stability. In the Austrian half of the Habsburg Empire the architects of the Moravian Compromise in 1905, the Bukovinian Compromise in 1910, the Galician Compromise in 1914 and the Budweis/Budjeovice Compromise in 1914, as well as the authors of the 1907 suffrage reform for all male citizens and the initiators of bureaucratic reform, all developed bold political solutions to defuse conflicts related to political nationalism. Their work was based on situational concerns and clearly not perfect as every model was shaped according to local conditions and not easily applicable to another crown land. Yet in Austria we can see a willingness to negotiate highly distinctive solutions to structural conflicts in the decade before World War I. In comparison to the Hungarian part, the Austrian half of the empire became in some ways far more decentralised or federalised by region in its last decades despite the growth in imperial civil service and the ways in which the highest courts insisted on maintaining common legal and administrative standards in all of the Austrian part of the empire. Even in Bohemia, the crown land where the nationalist conflict appeared to be the most intransigent, informal negotiations to reach a federalist compromise remained on-going.
At the end of the 1870s, thanks to a rebellion in the neighbouring Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungary became a colonial power by occupying a piece of Ottoman territory. The resulting 30-year occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina provided bureaucrats, ideologists, map makers, technicians of all kinds, teachers and priests an unparalleled opportunity to realize liberal civilizational concepts of the empire on the Balkans. Many people also saw in Bosnia-Herzegovina an opportunity to fulfil either their own ambitions or the ambitions of their respective national movements. In 1878 when Austro-Hungarian forces marched into the neighbouring Ottoman Empire to quell local uprisings in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to forestall a Russian interference, they ended up staying there. The Treaty of Berlin confirmed the empire’s right to occupy the two provinces. The Emperor Franz Joseph promised that all “sons of the land will enjoy equal rights according to the laws”. This colonial project tried to stabilize and to transform the local society by bringing it the benefits of modern innovations while simultaneously strengthening the traditional society enough to keep it stable. From the start the project was supported by liberals, Catholics and Slavic nationalists, all of whom saw the occupation as beneficial to both the region and the empire, but for very different reasons. All the benefits of civilisation, from legal equality to education to technical modernity, would be bestowed on Bosnia-Herzegovina, of course at a sensible pace and moderate costs. At the same time, Austria’s proven ability to treat all linguistic and religious groups even-handedly would demonstrate the superiority of the liberal Habsburg multinational ideal over ethnic nationalism as the best vehicle for progress. The Habsburg idea had traditionally been universal, although aimed mainly at Central Europe. In the 1870s it became an argument for spreading European values to the Balkans.
An army of administrators set about propagating social modernisation and cultural equality to the new subjects. They immediately tried to assess Bosnian society’s needs and devise plans how best to deal with the linguistic and religious diversity they encountered there. In religious terms the population was divided into 40 per cent Orthodox, 35 per cent Muslim and 25 per cent Roman Catholic. In social terms the population was largely agrarian with much of the land in Muslim hands. The Habsburg administrators sought to create a model colony, a showcase of the Habsburg civilising mission. At the same time the administration tried to avoid the dangers of political nationalism that troubled the rest of the Austro-Hungarian society increasingly. The difficulty lay in the spiralling dynamic of “empire” and “nation”. Education produced an increased politicization of particular cultural differences even as it also produced a sense of place within the larger imperial order. The teachers brought into Bosnia were people who could speak the local language, which meant that they were often also Croat or Serb nationalists or they were government bureaucrats who tried to create a non-national Bosnian identification for Bosnian Muslims.
Countless Austrians and Hungarians debated the future directions the empire should take and possible reforms to its structures after 1900. The contemporaries believed that this flourishing multicultural society required new rules, structures and institutions to improve its functioning. Yet the constitutional ability of each part to block reform in the other, the disagreements between Austrian and Hungarian politicians impeded the implementation of ground-breaking reforms. Nevertheless, the excitement and creativity around reform projects demonstrates that Austro-Hungary should not be written off as a doomed anachronism in Europe. Many aspects of its situation ring a bell with current European Union difficulties. The existence of nationalist movements and nationalist conflicts in Austro-Hungarian politics did not weaken the state fatally and they did not cause its downfall in 1918. Just as nationalist and populist politics need not cause the break-up of the European Union now. Schools, military barracks, a free trade zone in the Danube basin, imperial infrastructure, scientific scholarship, cultural institutions and imperial bureaucracy constituted the focus of political activity and created emotional loyalties and identification with the Habsburg Empire. Extensive administrative resources were invested to manage, domesticate and even normalize nationalist politics. The empire’s elites understood very well that the transformation of Austro-Hungarian society from the growth of popular politics to the politicization of the bureaucracy had seriously reduced their power and influence. Many of the elite feared that these transformations also reduced the empire’s power status internationally. This elite mood of existential pessimism in 1914 was one factor that encouraged some members of the General Staff and the Diplomatic Corps to risk taking Austro-Hungary to war because they falsely believed that a war could silence political conflict at home and prevent further damage to the empire’s power status abroad. This misconception, in fact, destroyed the intricate fabric of a multicultural union at the heart of Europe.
Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers, 2012
Pieter M. Judson, The Habsburg Empire. A New History, 2016
Emil Brix & Erhard Busek, Mitteleuropa revisited, 2018
LIVES OF COMMON PEOPLE IN VIENNA FROM THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE TO THE NAZI REGIME AND POST-WAR AUSTRIA (12)
THE DANUBE REGION: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS (58)
FINANCE AND ECONOMY IN CEE (23)
MULTI-ETHNICITY AND TRANSNATIONAL PEOPLES IN THE DANUBE BASIN (17)
Anschluß anti-Semitism Austro-Hungarian Empire Balkans Bohemia Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Cisleithania Credit-Anstalt Croatia Czech Czech Republic First World War Galicia Gründerzeit Habsburg Empire Hitler Hungary Iron Curtain Jews Karl Lueger Lemberg/Lvov/Lviv Moravia Muslims nationalism Nazi Osman Empire Ottoman Empire Prague railways Red Vienna Romania Rothschild Russian Empire Serbia Silesia Slovakia Slovenia Social Democrats Third Reich Trieste Turks Vienna World War I World War II
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ABOUT CAF
CAF TIMELINE
CAF MINUTES
Minutes 01
CURATING FEMINISM
Bimblebox: art – science – nature
Curating Feminism MASTERCLASSES
Curating Feminism Keynote Speakers
CARE: transforming values through art, ethics and feminism
FEMINIST EXHIBITIONS IN AUSTRALIA
Archiving Womanifesto: An International Art Exchange, 1990s - Present.
1995 THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S ART EXHIBITION
TRANSGRESSIVE TEACHING
CAF ARCHIVE
CAF FRIENDS
2015 SYMPOSIA
AGNSW
ffA Report
READ AAWVA (AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR WOMEN IN THE VISUAL ARTS)
WOMEN'S GAZE AND THE FEMINIST FILM ARCHIVE
DAAO
NATIONAL WOMEN'S ART EXHIBITION
CARE Project
CARE Network
Round Table 1 Melbourne
Round Table 2 Sydney
Round Table 3 Bendigo
Symposium - CARE: transforming values through art, ethics and feminism
Australia - 40th Anniversary Projects
CAF's Friends joined forces around Australia to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of International Women’s Year in 1975. Many groups in the network convened a major Feminist Contemporary Art Event and are essential archives for researchers.
F Generation; feminism, art, progressions
A collaborative project of forum, workshops, exhibition and publication by Caroline Phillips, Veronica Caven Aldous and Juliette Peers, to mark the series of groundbreaking feminist art activities that took place at George Paton Gallery, at the University of Melbourne Student Union, in 1975. These events included a lecture and slide show of US women artists by Lucy Lippard, Australian women artists slide shows, consciousness-raising sessions, and feminist exhibitions. These events led directly to the formation of the Women's Art Register, Women's Art Forum and Lip magazine. Exhibition dates October 7-16, 2015, George Paton Gallery, Melbourne. https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/10-main-f-generation.pdf
FRAN, Feminist Renewal Art Network, Adelaide
FRAN (The Feminist Renewal Art Network), curated FRANFEST to commemorate 40 years since The Women's Show (Adelaide 1977). FRAN celebrated women's artistic achievements then and now with dynamic exhibitions and a symposium. Forty years ago Adelaide was host to one of the largest Australia-wide exhibitions of women’s art, The Women’s Show of 1977. The Women’s Show exhibited over 400 works, and included the work of established and emerging artists as well as those who had been overlooked, lacking institutional and commercial support.
FRAN FEST was a month long (25 August — 24 September 2017) state-wide open-access festival featuring exhibitions, events and symposia to value and reflect both the history and contemporary practice of Australian feminism and art. FRAN FEST celebrated South Australia’s dynamic relationship between contemporary art and feminism.FRAN FEST highlighted inter-generational and intersectional dialogue, investigated the legacy of second-wave feminist art and explored the nature of contemporary feminist art. http://franfest.com.au/
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/18-feminist-renewal-art-network-fran
Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Project, Sydney
A social history and contemporary art project centred on the historic institutions of the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct in Sydney. The aim is to create a vision for the precinct that recognises past wrongs and addresses their contemporary legacies in this historic setting as Australia's first Site of Conscience. Launched in 2013 the PFFP Memory Project exhibits creative works produced in collaborative workshops on site and at other venues. The Female Factory participated in the exhibition Curating Feminism at Sydney College of the Arts. http://www.parragirls.org.au/Memory-Project
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/archive/caf-friends/55-parramatta-girls-home-exhibition-and-play-april-28-2014
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/61-parramatta-female-factory-precinct-memory-project-november-17-2013
Women’s Art Register, Melbourne
The Women’s Art Register is Australia’s living archive of women’s art practice (non-binary and trans inclusive) and a National, Artist-Run and Not-for-Profit community and resource. Assessed as a ‘Collection of National Significance’ through the Heritage Collections Council in 2009, this unique archive houses the images, catalogues, posters and ephemera of over 5000 Australian and International artists. Since 1975 the Women’s Art Register has provided an inclusive, independent platform for research, education, advocacy and support for its members and the Arts and Education sectors, enhancing the status of women artists and addressing issues of equity, professional practice and cultural heritage. http://www.womensartregister.org/
AS IF: 40 years and beyond – Celebrating the Women’s Art Register, was a mini festival of exhibitions and events celebrating 40 years of the Women's Art Register. The program included art walks, slide shows, discussions and exhibitions at West Space, City Library, Queen Victoria Women's Centre, Union House (University of Melbourne), Mailbox Art Space, State Library of Victoria, Richmond Library and public sites across Melbourne CBD and Docklands. Awarded as Winner, Best Visual Art event, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2015
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/21-as-if-40-years-and-beyond-celebrating-the-women-s-art-register-august-18-2015
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/34-as-if-when-and-now-women-s-art-register-member-exhibition-march-23-2015
Women’s Gaze: Future Feminist Archive Symposium, Sydney
The Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive involved discussion between filmmakers Martha Ansara, Margot Nash and Jeni Thornley about ‘some of the ground breaking films they produced in the 70s’. https://contemporaryartandfeminism.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/womens-gaze-film-press-info-doc-logo-version-25-2-15.pdf
The Feminist Film Archive, curated by Loma Bridge and Margot Nash and Jeni Thornley, comprises ground-breaking Australian feminist films to the Future Feminist Archive.
Vimeo link to the Symposium panel Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive, convened by CAF at Art Gallery of NSW: https://vimeo.com/122498137
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/38-women-s-gaze-and-the-feminist-film-archive-march-5-2015
OTHER EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS - Australia and International
Doing Feminism / Sharing the World, Melbourne
A three-month program of artist residencies, performance, seminars and mentorship program with a focus on collaboration, participation and feminist ethics held 2017-2018 in Melbourne. Convened by Ann Marsh. At This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / https://doingfeminism-sharingtheworld.tumblr.com
https://contemporaryartandfeminism.com/caf-friends/93-doing-feminism-sharing-the-world
Unfinished Business, Melbourne
An exhibition and project Unfinished Business, offered a multi-voiced interpretation of feminism and the visual arts. It presented the formative impact of feminism on contemporary art contemplated the concerns of women since the 1970s. A multi-generational and culturally diverse curatorial team: Paola Balla, Max Delany, Julie Ewington, Annika Kristensen, Vikki McInnes and Elvis Richardson. At ACCA until March 25, 2018. Review: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-09/feminist-art-collection-australian-centre-for-contemporary-art/9306238
ARCHIVES — Feminist, Activist (with Feminist art component)
Archive Futures, Sydney
Archive Futures Research Network an information website and network co-founded and co-convened by Linda Morra and Maryanne Dever: Recipient of the 2014 joint Gender Institute/Humanities Research Centre 2014 ay ANU.
Art + Feminism, Wiki World
Art plus Feminism is a rhizomatic campaign to improve coverage of women and the arts on Wikipedia to encourage female editorship. To get involved, follow the drop down menu and take part in an edit-a-thon. http://www.artandfeminism.org/
Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong
See: a series of public workshops in Hong Kong and Taipei involving artists, filmmakers, curators, architects, and writers engaged in alternative production and dissemination models based on generosity and sharing. http://www.aaa.org.hk/
Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Melbourne
The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives was established in 1978 at the Fourth National Homosexual Conference. The Archives is the only community group in Australia that actively collects and preserves LGBTIQ material from across the country, and makes it readily accessible. The collections include material of national or international scope, but the heart of the Archives’ work is the collection and preservation of the historical life of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities of Australia. https://alga.org.au/about-us
CoUNTess, Australia
Elvis Richardson’s CoUNTesses blog presents data and reviews on gender representation in the Australian Contemporary art-world. http://countesses.blogspot.com.au
Feminist Art Base, New York
The Feminist Art Base is hosted by the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, located at Brooklyn Museum. It is a digital archive dedicated solely to feminist art, offering profiles of some of the most prominent and promising contributors to the field. This digital resource was created in 2007 and was actively expanded through 2014; the database remains available for researchers as an archive of activity by artists from the 1960s to the early 2000s. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/feminist_art_base/
FemLink-Art
Since 2005, 145 women video-artists from 64 countries work around common topics to create video compositions related to female experience and feminism. http://www.femlink.org
FavourEconomy, Sydney
FavourEconomy is a collection of audio recordings shared by women and non-binary people working in the arts. The project operates as a platform for contributors to share their experience, insights and skills by recording an audio file and sharing it to the archive. The archive comprises of a series of volumes that develop over a one-year period coinciding with the financial year. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 out now via the website. http://www.favoureconomy.com/about/
Green Bans Art Walk, Sydney
Five self-guided art walks in Sydney, derived from the 2011 guided walks, between The Cross Art Projects Gallery and the Firstdraft Depot Project Space. The 2011 walks were led by a rotating group of expert speakers on the art, architecture and planning of the area covered in each walk. http://www.greenbans.net.au/green-bans-art-walk-2011
Indonesian Visual Arts Archive, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
The IVAA collect art archives and facilitates research through both an online archive and a physical space in Yogyakarta. http://ivaa-online.org/
Jessie Street Library Archives, Sydney
The Jessie Street National Women’s Library archives document the lives of Australian women, the papers of women’s organisations, posters and audio recordings. They cover topics from women’s rights, abortion law reform, contraception, rape crisis centres, the fight for equal pay, women in local government, and many more. The Archive includes over 2000 women's movement posters. http://www.nationalwomenslibrary.org/archives/
Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand
The LAGANZ aims to actively collect, preserve and make available for creative use the historical and cultural records of lesbians and gay men. http://laganz.org.nz/index.html
LEVEL, Brisbane
LEVEL was an artist run initiative and feminist collective (2010 – 2018) focused on generating dialogue around gender, feminism and contemporary art through projects in different locations and contexts, manifesting as exhibitions, discussions, workshops and participatory artworks. LEVEL comprised Rachael Haynes, Courtney Coombs, Caitlin Franzmann, Courtney Pedersen, Anita Holtsclaw or Alice Lang. Now online archive at http://levelari.wordpress.com/about/
A social history and contemporary art project centred on the historic institutions of the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct in Sydney; connecting past to present by engaging those who once resided in these institutions to actively participate in how their experiences are remembered, documented, and interpreted. http://www.parragirls.org.au/Memory-Project.php
The Reading Room, Bangkok
A contemporary art archive and library, containing resources on contemporary Thai art and international art reference books, including art history books, monographs, exhibition catalogues, art magazines, and electronic resources. http://readingroombkk.org/
The Women's Art Register, Melbourne
The Women’s Art Register is Australia’s living archive of women’s art practice (non-binary and trans inclusive) and a National, Artist-Run and Not-for-Profit community and resource. Assessed as a ‘Collection of National Significance’ through the Heritage Collections Council in 2009, this unique archive houses the images, catalogues, posters and ephemera of over 5000 Australian and International artists. Since 1975 the Women’s Art Register has provided an inclusive, independent platform for research, education, advocacy and support for its members and the Arts and Education sectors, enhancing the status of women artists and addressing issues of equity, professional practice and cultural heritage.http://www.womensartregister.org/
Womanifesto: Thailand
An international women's art event initiated by a group of Thai female artists in 1995. The present exhibition showcases the artistic endeavours of eighteen femaie artists from Austria, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, USA, Singapore and Thailand. The works of these artists reflect their preoccupation with political issues, social conflicts and ecological concerns. In addition, they focus on the changing role and status of women, their struggles and achievements. Artist biographies are provided in the catalogue.
https://aaa.org.hk/en/collection/search/library/womanifesto-an-international-womens-art-exchange-exhibition
See Womanifesto publication (2003): https://aaa.org.hk/en/collection/search/library/womanifesto-2003-procreationpostcreation
Womanifesto: India
A manifesto not an art event!
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/womanifesto_redirect/
FEMINIST COLLECTIONS, MUSEUMS, GALLERIES & ORGANISATIONS
AWARE, Paris
AWARE are putting women artists of the 20th century back into the history of art, making these forgotten or under recognised artists visible through archival work. http://www.awarewomenartists.com/en/
Barbara Cleveland (Formerly known as Brown Council), Sydney
Barbara Cleveland is an artist led collective directed by Frances Barrett, Kate Blackmore, Kelly Doley and Diana Baker Smith. Working together for ten years under the title of Brown Council, the collective transitioned to Barbara Cleveland in 2016, taking their name from the mythic feminist performance artist (Barbara Cleveland) – who they recovered from the margins of Australian art history – and has been a key feature in their work since 2010. Since 2007, they have collectively made performance and video works that straddle the contexts of gallery and stage, and draw on the historical lineages of both the visual and performing arts. http://www.barbaracleveland.com.au/
Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art, Perth
Located at The University of Western Australia, the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art is Australia’s largest specialist collection of women’s art. http://www.lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/collections/ccwa
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn
Located within the Brooklyn Museum, the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is dedicated to feminist art past, present and future. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa http://www.nationalwomenslibrary.org/archives/
Feminist Art Collective (FAC), Toronto
A feminist art collective that inspires sharing, networking & collaboration through art based programming, including conferences, exhibitions and an annual feminist art residency. https://factoronto.org/
Frontyard, Marrickville, Sydney
Artist co-op that houses the former Australia Council library so includes rare reports from former radical programs Art and Working Life and Community Arts. https://www.frontyardprojects.org/library/
If I can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution, Amsterdam
If I Can’t Dance is dedicated to exploring the evolution and typology of performance and performativity in contemporary art. The title commemorates Emma Goldman, renowned feminist and anarchist activist. Follow the drop down links to see their archive. http://www.ificantdance.org/Agenda
Incendium Radical Library, West Footscray, Melbourne
Library and reading group that prioritises materials that center the voices of marginalised communities and individuals. https://incendiumradicallibrary.wordpress.com/
The Feminist Art Project, USA
The Feminist Art Project recognises the aesthetic and intellectual impact of women on the visual arts and culture. http://feministartproject.rutgers.edu/home/
WOMANIFESTO Archive: Art and Social Engagement in Thailand, 1990s-Present
In 1995 a group of six Thai female artists met in Bangkok: Mink Noparat (the catalyst), Jittima Pholsawek (Ukabat group), Phaptawan Suwannakudt (art mural painter), Khaisaeng Phanyawatchira (performance aryist), Charassri Roopkamdee (printmaker), and Nitaya Ueareeworkul (artist). The result of the meeting was a painting, installation, and performance event called Tradisexion, emphasizing traditional conflicts stemming from being a woman. It was held at Concrete House (founded by Chumpoin Apisuk), celebrating World Women's Day (March 8th). The feedback was good, but the event had too small an impact as only artists attended: That was the starting point of the first and second WOMANIFESTO.
Studio Xang has always been the unofficial center for the art net-working and a meeting place for artists in Bangkok. The six artists continued to meet regularly at Studio Xang and eventually realized their plan for Womanifesto I. Baan Chao Phraya (Chaiyong Limtongkul Foundation) and Concrete House offered their premises. Thanks to the kind collaboration of Varsha Nair, and Indian artists residing in Bangkok, and Professor Somporn Rodboon of Silpakorn University, eighteen artists participated: Nine from Thailand and the remainder from Japan, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Pakistan, Austria, Italy, and the USA. Their work comprised all media (painting, ceramics, video art, installation, and performance art). It was highly successful in many ways, particularly in establishing international networking among women artists."
— Excerpt from Womanifesto II: Second International Women's Art Exchange, exh. cat., Bangkok, 1999.
By kind courtesy of Bangkok-based performance artist Varsha Nair, Thai Art Archives is working on the cataloging, studying, digitizing, preserving, and exhibiting of the extant archives of Womanifesto, one of Thailand's most groundbreaking artist collaboratives of the late 1990s to the present. Further announcements will be made in the months to come.
Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive: Future Feminist Archive, Sydney
Presented by Contemporary Art and Feminism and AGNSW, the Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive involved discussion between filmmakers Martha Ansara, Margot Nash and Jeni Thornley about ‘some of the ground breaking films they produced in the 70s’. https://contemporaryartandfeminism.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/womens-gaze-film-press-info-doc-logo-version-25-2-15.pdf
The associated exhibition at Sydney College of the Arts, Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive, curated by Loma Bridge and Margot Nash and Jeni Thornley, contributed ground-breaking Australian feminist films to the Future Feminist Archive.
Vimeo link to the Symposium panel Women’s Gaze and the Feminist Film Archive: https://vimeo.com/122498137
Whitechapel Gallery Archive, London
The Whitechapel Gallery Archive contains early records, director’s papers, exhibition files, photographs, printed and publicity materials, education files, audio-visual material, the gallery managers’ records, the Whitechapel Gallery Society records, and more. http://archive.whitechapelgallery.org/
ZKM, Berlin
ZKM exhibit art and media in thematically structured globally oriented exhibitions. Described as a ‘Mecca of Media Arts’ (Peter Weibel), the ZKM illustrates art’s development in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries through symposia and research activities. http://zkm.de/en, blog: http://blog.zkm.de/
FEMINIST ARTISTS, CURATORS, ART HISTORIANS (Australia)
Alex Martinis Roe current projects focus on feminist genealogies and seek to foster specific and productive relations between different generations, as a way of participating in the construction of feminist histories and futures.
Alison Alder is a visual artist whose work blurs the line between studio, community and social/political art practice.
Paola Balla, co-curator of exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18)
Frances Barrett is a Sydney-based artist whose practice includes both individual and collaborative projects including Brown Council.Frances Barrett is a Sydney-based artist whose practice includes both individual and collaborative projects including Brown Council.
Vanessa Berry Zine maker/superstar
Vivienne Binns started her career with an explosive exhibition in 1967 abounding in male and female sex organs – works such as Phallic Monument and Vag Dens, pushed the limits of acceptability and — Sydney’s male art critics — over the edge. Today, Vag Dens (1966) has pride of place in “Pop to Popism” at the Art Gallery of NSW. She helped found the Women’s Art Movement in Sydney, made vitreous enamel an explosive aesthetic force and later was active with the Artworkers Union campaigning for equal representation. Binns pioneered social and craft history projects, her Mothers’ Memories Others’ Memories (MMOM, 1979-1981) executed with thirty-eight women in Blacktown NSW exhibited in the 1982 Sydney Biennale being the best known. But for the remarkable In Full Flight (1981-82) project Binns worked from a Community Arts Committee caravan collaborating in small towns in Central West NSW. A visitor was art writer Lucy Lippard who stayed in the van at Lake Cargelligo for two days researching Get the Message? A Decade of Social Change. Binns settled in Canberra to teach and her practice focused on studio-based painting. Vivienne Binns – Art and Life, a major survey exhibition of the artist’s 40 year career, was held at Latrobe University Museum of Art in 2012.
Kate Blackmore is a Sydney based artist who works across video, installation and performance. Her practice is centered on collaboration and often explores themes of violence, power and control. Blackmore is also a founding member of Brown Council.
Linda Brescia‘s work investigates the complex experiences of everyday life ranging from banal to extraordinary. Through such experiences, she creates characters that are re-introduced and performed in domestic and social environments.
Mary Callaghan is best known as an Australian film director, responsible for Greetings from Wollongong 1982, the feature Tender Hooks 1989 and her work with Rights of Passage 2013. However she was also a graphic designer and poster artist, working on a number of occasions solo or with her brother Michael Callaghan (1952-2012) and others such as Jan Mackay.
Barbara Cleveland (formerly known as Brown Council) is the collaborative practice of Sydney-based artists Frances Barrett, Kate Blackmore, Kelly Doley and Diana Smith exploring the contexts of gallery and stage in relation to performance drawing on the historical lineage of visual and performing arts.
Bec Dean edited Sexing the Agenda (Artlink, 2013 with Joanna Mendelssohn) and the co-curator of a recent festival investigating Australian culture through the lens of sex and gender – SEXES (2012, Performance Space with Deborah Kelly). Bec Dean is a curator and writer and former Co-Director at Performance Space in Sydney.
Max Delany, co-curator of exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18)
Maryanne Dever: Recipient of the 2014 joint Gender Institute/Humanities Research Centre 2014 ay ANU. She is co-founder and co-convenor (with Linda Morra) of the Archive Futures Research Network
Margaret Dodd, artist and flimmaker whose audacious film and ‘funk ceramic’ series of Holden cars (exhibited at Watters Gallery, 1977) and 1982 film of the same name explored femininity and the maternal; fantasy, humour and the erotic: masculinity, fetishism and violence. Both were shown at The Cross Art Projects (June 2017) in a survey curated by Susan Charlton, along with works from her more recent series, Chosen Vessel and Holden Hypotheses. A catalogue of the works on display, and writing drawn from conversation & correspondence with Margaret Dodd, was launched by Bernice Murphy. This Woman is Not a Car: Margaret Dodd coincides with the cinema screening of the film at Sydney Film Festival, as part of the Feminism & Film program of works from the heady days of the women’s movement in Sydney in the 1970s & 80s.
Julie Ewington, cuator of Australia Women at QAGGOMA in 2015 and patroness of CAF; co-curator of exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18)
Guerrilla Girls Untiring in their efforts to expose sexism, racism and corruption in politics, art, film and pop culture using facts, humour and outrageous visuals
Deborah Kelly is a major Australian Feminist artist who has been selected to exhibit both in the Biennale of Sydney and the Biennale of Singapore. Kelly creates works which explore the human form and feminism to create socially engaging pieces.
Annika Kristensen, co-curator of exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18)
Fiona MacDonald is known for her installations of bodies of work that draw on local cultural traditions, social and natural history. Her work takes the form of ‘conversations’ about undercurrents in social processes of inclusion and exclusion.
Fiona Macdonald is an artist and theorist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her practice embraces a range of mediated processes, installations, and publications, and maintains an allegiance to the possibilities of a critical conceptual practice through collaborative acts of discourse.
Vicki McInnes, co-curator of exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18)
Marie McMahon Artist and designer of the iconic ‘You Are On Aboriginal Land’ poster
Mish Meijers is a Tasmanian-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice experiments in surface tensions: how one material conforms or abrades against the matter of another distorting their worth in relation to popular culture and gender.
Juliette Peers is an art historian whose specialist areas of interest include women’s history, fashion, dolls, women artists and nineteenth century sculpture. Widely published as a classical art historian in Australia, as well as British and North American publications including Pre-Raphaelite Sculpture and the Dictionary of Women Artists, Peers has published many essays relating to contemporary art and feminist studies in Australia.
Caroline Phillips is an Australian visual artist working primarily in Sculpture. Her work critiques contemporary feminist aesthetics through modes of abstraction and material presence. As a freelance curator Phillips has worked on a number of major collaborative, feminist art projects; The ‘f’ Word (2012-2014), Ararat Regional Art Gallery, Ararat and Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale; f generation; feminism, art, progressions (2015), George Paton Gallery, Melbourne; AS IF: Echoes of the Women's Art Register (2015), West Space, Melbourne; Doing Feminism, Sharing the World (2017/18), Norma Redpath House, Melbourne; The Care Project (2018-), VIC/NSW. Phillips is Secretary of the Women's Art Register (2017-).
Perdita Phillips is an Australian artist primarily interested in the environment who often refers to scientific understanding in her work.
Elvis Richardson is co-curator of the exhibition and project Unfinished Business (ACCA, Melbourne, 2017-18) and founder of the CoUNTess blog
SODA_JERK is a 2-person art collective that works with sampled material to construct rogue histories and counter-mythologies. Drawing from archival imagery, Soda_Jerk works at the crossroads of experimental film, documentary and speculative fiction.
Josephine Starrs collaboration with Leon Cmielewski produces media art installations situated at the juncture of cinema, information visualisation and sublime landscape.
Steel City Pictures Film Works by Mary Callaghan
Tricky Walsh is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice is concerned with the integration of mysticism with scientific reasoning
ONLINE PROJECTS / BLOGS
Art Fag City creates and archives critical discourse, and commissions ambitious artist projects. Through a daily mix of blunt criticism, commentary and community-minded journalism, they add an unparalleled dosage of purposeful opinion to the contemporary art community. http://artfcity.com/
Centre Feminist Studies, Goldsmith’s College, University of London
The Centre provides a forum for discussion of equality and diversity issues on campus (in relation to all aspects of the College’s equality policy: race and religion, gender, sexuality, disability and widening participation). It will thus provide an intellectual context for the delivery of Goldsmith’s equality policy. http://www.gold.ac.uk/centre-for-feminist-research/
CoUNTesses
Curating the Contemporary
A meeting point for discussion on contemporary art and culture. https://curatingthecontemporary.wordpress.com/
Interested in pop culture and gaming? Anita Sarkeesian explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives with a particular focus on gaming. http://feministfrequency.com/about/
Hairy For Real
Women proudly growing their hairs to challenge the patriarchal feminine ideal. ‘Body hair on women shouldn’t be a myth. You are here to notice that women with body hair is just totally normal.’ http://hairychallenge.tumblr.com
LabiaLibrary
Women’s Health Victoria’s new website broadening people’s knowledge on the diversity of labia looks. http://www.labialibrary.org.au
The Ladies Network
The Ladies Network is a multi-platform agency that supports and recognises the creative contributions of female creative in the realms of art, music, business and design. http://theladiesnetwork.com.au/about/
The Guerilla Girls Talk the History of Art vs. The History of Power with Stephen Colber
The Guerilla Girls appear on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss all things art, feminism and power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxBQB2fUl_g
Margaret Mayhew
Read through brainy Australian academic Margaret Mayhew’s writings on art and other stuff. https://margaretmayhew.com/
PUBLICATIONS + PERIODICALS
Illawarra Unity
Published in 2002, this special edition of Unity focuses on the Wollongong Women’s Information Centre and feminism in Wollongong. http://ro.uow.edu.au/unity/vol2/iss5/
Lip: A Feminist Arts Journal
Lip was an Australian interdisciplinary feminist art journal, that existed between 1976 and 1984, self-published by a feminist collective during the Women’s Liberation era. Lip published a very wide range of feminist positions and interdisciplinary art forms, connecting the local scene to a more international network. More Information can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_(magazine). A compilation of original articles was republished within The Lip Anthology in 2013: https://www.rmit.edu.au/events/all-events/exhibitions/2013/november/launch-of-the-lip-anthology
Lip Mag
Lip is an independent magazine aims to promote new female artists and musicians, and take a fresh outlook on feminism. ‘You may not find crass sex advice and body-shaming fashion pages here’. http://lipmag.com/about/
n.paradoxa International Feminist Art Journal
Published by KT press, n.paradoxa aims to promote an understanding of women artists and their work. n.paradoxa publishes scholarly academic articles written by female critics, art historians and artists exploring feminist art, theory, criticism and history surround the work of contemporary female artists from 1970 forward. http://www.ktpress.co.uk/
Download the PDF of issue 21, ed. Katy Deepwell, ‘n.paradoxa’s 12 Step Guide to Feminist Art, Art History and Criticism’ here: http://www.ktpress.co.uk/pdf/nparadoxaissue21.pdf
ONCURATING
ONCURATING is an independent international web journal focusing on questions around curatorial practise and theory. http://oncurating-journal.de
The Scholar & Feminist Online
S&F Online is an open access journal of feminist theories and women’s movements, articulating the ‘ever-evolving role of feminism in struggles for social justice.’ http://sfonline.barnard.edu/about/
Women's Art Register Bulletin
An independent bi-annual publication exploring themes, stories, issues and information on historic and contemporary feminist art practice. Celebrating its thirtieth year in 2018, the Women's Art Register Bulletin is available to members and at State, Territory and National Libraries, QAGOMA and with limited access via Trove. Published by the Women's Art Register http://www.womensartregister.org
© Copyright Contemporary Art and Feminism, 2017.
Website by Moon Cube Design
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Architecture and Interpretation
Constantine and Helena: The Roman in English Roman...
Essays for Eric Fernie
Online publication date: April 2013
163 - Constantine and Helena: The Roman in English Romanesque
from Authors and Intentions
By T. A. Heslop, University of East Anglia
Edited by Jill A. Franklin, T. A. Heslop, Christine Stevenson
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not …
(The Tempest, III.ii.140–41)
IT IS READILY OBSERVED that people take their architecture with them. In the process of colonizing North America, unmistakably northern European styles and techniques of building were transported across the Atlantic. Further south, it was the architectural traditions of the Iberian Peninsula that were exported to Latin America. We can interpret this as a desire on the part of the emigrants involved to make a new home by replicating the essentials of their old one, or (less cosily) to imprint their culture on recently acquired territory. The two motives are clearly not mutually exclusive, and though they do not appear to sit very comfortably together it can be argued that familiarity and control are two sides of one coin. That said, it is rarely the case that the architecture of a colony is exactly like that of the homeland, and one purpose of this essay is to explore why that might be so in the case of two major buildings constructed in England in the aftermath of the Norman invasion of 1066: Colchester Castle and Lincoln Cathedral. Two points will emerge, of which one is the possible impact of ‘deep’ history, particularly the Roman past, on Anglo-Norman architecture. The other is that we may understand more about the motivations of the patrons and designers of these monuments by an oblique approach to their decision-making processes than by any that can be directly documented.
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Music News & Notes
Liam Gallagher Confirms Oasis Split
"Oasis is no longer. I think we all know that."
Back in August, it was reported that Noel Gallagher had quit Oasis, issuing a brief statement that he:
"simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." In an interview with the London Times (via Billboard), Liam confirmed that Oasis is kaput: "Well, Oasis is no longer. I think we all know that. So that's done."
Given that Noel served as the band's co-frontman and its guiding musical and artistic force, it was tough to picture Oasis soldiering on without him. But up until now, it wasn't exactly clear to anyone if they were a band anymore or not. Well, I guess that this isn't the old 'brothers will be brothers' fued, the group has ended.
Me? I have some mixed emotions, I was not a huge fan, but I never turned off their music when it played on the radio. I once read where they were compared to the Beatles, they certianly got the bickering down to a science like the Fab Four did, but musically, they were not in the same ballpark as the Beatles- not even close. Oasis will go down in rock history as just another band from England, but, unlike the beatles; they will not be remembered forty years from now.
Brian Wilson & Gershwin
Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson belongs on any list of the most important musicians of the 20th century as does composer/songwriter George Gershwin. So the news that the two are coming together for a collaboration is taking some by surprise. Although Gershwin died in 1937, he left a legacy that is revered to this day and he is looked up as one of the founding fathers of songwriting. It's hard to compare the two musicians, but they say great minds think alike.
Yesterday the L.A. Times reported that Gershwin's estate had authorized Wilson to complete unfinished songs that Gershwin left behind when he died. According to the Times, Wilson "plans to finish and record at least two such pieces on an album of Gershwin music he hopes to release next year." Wilson told the Times that he's "thrilled to death" at the chance to work on Gershwin's music: "I'm proud to be able to do it. Hopefully I'll be able to do them justice."
Apparently Gershwin left behind "several dozen" fragments in various stages of completion before his death. Wilson isn't quite sure what he'll do with all these pieces: "I can't decipher the verse from the chorus from the bridge, so I'm going to try to insert some new music into them. I might even write some music for an introduction."
Should be an interesting collaboration, stay tuned......
Susan Boyle Debut Album To Be A Covers Album
We first saw Susan Boyle earlier this year rise to fame as runner up on Britain's Got Talent and now she's getting ready to release her debut album next month, which will be an album full of cover songs. She will be covering songs from Madonna ("You'll See") the Rolling Stones ("Wild Horses"), the Monkees ("Daydream Believer"), as well as a song written for her called "Who I Was Born to Be."
"It was my greatest ambition to release an album and I have finally achieved it," she gushed. "This amazing journey has helped me find my own identity and fulfill my wish. There is happiness out there for everyone who dares to dream."
Here's the complete track list for the album, due out Nov. 24:
* "Wild Horses"
* "I Dreamed a Dream"
* "Cry Me a River"
* "How Great Thou Art"
* "You'll See"
* "Daydream Believer"
* "Up to the Mountain"
* "Amazing Grace"
* "Who I Was Born to Be"
* "Proud"
* "The End of the World"
* "Silent Night"
Now, I won't say that I am a big fan of the kind of music she sings, I don't like show tunes or cover songs per se, but I do like her striking voice and her determination and the story of how she developed from some lonely gal minding the house after her Mum died, to becoming an international singing sensation. She sings wiith such conviction and joy and for me, it is a pleasure to hear her angelic voice. I happened to catch her on America's Got Talent (she was a guest star) and when I heard what she would be singing I thought, not THE Rolling Stones song "Wild Horses." However, she pulled it off, with an uncanny ease, I was alone in my living room when I watched it and as she finished, I was clapping for her. Not many singers can do that, here she is singing the Stones' hit. Amazing, simply, amazing:
Preorder her music today, I have already ordered my copy:
Official Cover Art for Britney Spears' 'The Singles Collection'
The artwork which will be featured on the front cover of the standard edition of Britney Spears' forthcoming greatest hits album has been released. It shows artworks of her previous releases, including debut album "...Baby One More Time".
Britney Spears is scheduled to release the compilation album "The Singles Collection" in US market on November 24. It will be in two forms; a standard set and a packaged box set. "The ultimate fan box set version of 'The Singles Collection' will contain all 29 of her singles, including the new song '3'," it was detailed.
"Each disc will be packaged in its own slip sleeve case with original artwork, and will include an additional b-side or a remix of the track," the announcement continued. "The collection will include a DVD featuring all of Britney's videos in chronological order. The ultimate fan box set will also include a special booklet featuring iconic images and fun facts about each track." The first look at the ultimate fan box set has also been unveiled.
Unreleased Michael Jackson Song Coming On Sunday
The unreleased Michael Jackson track "This Is It" will get a worldwide digital release this Sunday night, October 11, at midnight EST. The song also plays during the closing sequence of Sony Pictures' forthcoming movie, Michael Jackson's This Is It, and it will be included on the two-CD set Michael Jackson's This Is It, the companion music to the film. The song features backing vocals by Michael's brothers and the Columbia/Epic Label Group is scheduled to release the two-disc album on October 27, in time to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture, which arrives in theaters on October 28 and runs for a limited two-week engagement.
Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits such as "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Human Nature" and "Thriller" arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of "This Is It," the original and an orchestral rendition. Disc two offers fans a rare listen to the early demo versions of classics "She's Out Of My Life," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Beat It." It also features a recently discovered spoken word poem from Michael called "Planet Earth." Michael Jackson's This Is It also includes a 36-page booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.
The movie will offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his run of This Is It concerts that would have taken place at London's O2 Arena. Looks like we will be hearing much more form MJ in the upcoming weeks. I was not a huge fan, but what he did for music cannot be measured in my words. He helped in so many ways, both socially and musically. He was a great talent, one of the best showman I have ever witnessed. RIP Mr. jackson, your music will always be heard......
Phish has announced a series of tour dates for this fall, following the release of their new album Joy. After playing their own Festival 8 in Indio, CA on October 30 and 31 and November 1, the band will primarily play the eastern half of the U.S. Starting in Detroit on November 18, Phish will tour until December 5 in Charlottesville, VA. They will play two-night stands in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Albany, as well as three nights at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Fans of the band are excited to hear them sing and play again.
SLAYER: Limited-Edition 'Hate Worldwide' Single To Be Released In U.K.
A very limited-edition SLAYER "Hate Worldwide" one-track CD will be released in the UK on October 19 (only 1,000) and will be made available exclusively through independent record shops. For a complete list of stores that will carry the CD, go to this location. slayer
"World Painted Blood" will be released on November 3 via American Recordings. The CD will initially ship with four special collector's edition covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world.
All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.
The "World Painted Blood Deluxe Edition" will have its own special layout of the map cover art and will be in a double-digipak housed in a blood-red, see-through plastic sleeve. The "Deluxe Edition" will include the "World Painted Blood" CD, the "Playing With Dolls" DVD, a 20-minute animated graphic novel featuring music from the album (including part of a new non-album song), and an expanded booklet.
Slayer fans rejoice!
Freddie Mercury Memorial To Be Unveiled Near His Teenage London Home in West London
A memorial for late Queen legend Freddie Mercury is scheduled to be unveiled in West London next month. The 'Hollywood style' honor will be outside the The Centre library in Feltham, the town where Mercury lived in his teenage years after coming to London from Zanzibar.
Councillor Paul Jabbal was part of the committee that pushed for memorial.
“I am delighted that at last we are honoring Freddie Mercury's memory and his achievements with a permanent memorial. As well as celebrating his life and success, it can serve as a reminder to local people that it doesn't matter where you come from, if you work hard you can succeed in whatever you do."
“I'm looking forward to welcoming his family, friends and some band members to Feltham to show how proud we are to be associated with such a legendary artist.”
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September 2016 home page
Roving Teen Reporter
Farewell, Leah, off to NYU.
Deciphering Dad
Leah Gans | La Jolla Country Day 2016 Graduate
I was pretty surprised when Mr. Emerson asked me if I wanted to write my next column doing a profile of my dad, (Bob Gans), because he is supposed to be the next president of the Del Mar Foundation. Not only didn’t I know a lot about the Foundation, but I also didn’t know that my dad was that involved (or why anyone would be interested in reading about him). Nevertheless, I am heading off to college soon, and I know he’s desperate to pack in as many father-daughter conversations as possible, so I agreed to talk to him about it.
Leah: Is it true that you’re going to be President of the Del Mar Foundation? I didn’t even know you were on the Board.
Bob: I’ve been on the Board for the past four years, and Vice President for the past two, so thanks for noticing! Judd Halenza has been President during that time, but his term expires in October, so we’ll see who takes over. It might be me, and it might be someone else, but it doesn’t really matter because it’s a great organization with a great Board. I’ll definitely be involved for at least another couple of years, though, unless they throw me off.
Leah: What does the Foundation do?
Bob: I can’t believe you’re asking me that, because you’ve been going to Foundation events with Mom [Melissa, who’s been married to my dad for 23 years], Seth [my older brother, who is a junior at CU Boulder], and me since we moved here from New York in 2000. We sponsor the Twilight Concerts every summer, the 4th of July Bicycle Parade, and we always have a booth at the holiday carnival in Del Mar.
Leah: Oh wow! I love the Twilight Concerts, and I used to love Holidays in the Village and decorating my bike for the parade. I didn’t know that was the Foundation. Is that it?
Bob: Not by a long shot! We do a lot more family events now in addition to those, including a movie series down at the Shores Park, concerts for younger kids and their parents (also at the Shores), and a huge family bonfire at the beach every fall. We also have a regular lecture series at the Powerhouse called DMF Talks, where experts come and give talks for free on a whole range of subjects. We also host a lot of community-focused activities for the adults, including the “First Thursdays” and “Blue Grass and Beyond” concert series at the Powerhouse, and “meet and greets” where neighbors can get to know each other. We even have a lot of events for people to come out with their dogs – including Doggie Yoga! We’re also planning a big picnic for the Fall, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Leah: That’s seems like a lot of stuff.
Bob: That’s not even the best part. We also give out thousands of dollars in grants every year to fund various worthwhile projects in Del Mar, including: regular luncheons for senior residents who have trouble getting out (with Community Connections); a new rescue boat for the lifeguards (with Friends of the Powerhouse), as well as dive and rescue equipment; various programs at Free Flight Bird Sanctuary; equipment for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT); contributions toward the Birdwing and walking paths at the San Elijo lagoon; kids’ fireman hats for the Fire Department; dog fountains; and a lot more. We even funded a big repair project that prevented the mosaic wall in front of the library from falling apart.
Leah: You mean the wall that my Hanna Fenichel preschool class helped to build when I was 4? That’s pretty cool. How did you get involved?
Bob: Well, Mom and I always thought the Foundation was a great organization from the time we moved here. Mom actually helped plan some of the kids’ events when you were little, but I was pretty busy at work. Once I quit practicing law full time, though, I was looking to get involved somewhere, and the Foundation was one of the places that I landed. You know how much we love living in Del Mar, and that’s what the Foundation is all about – making Del Mar a great place to live and play!
Leah: Okay, Dad, that’s actually pretty interesting. Thanks. I think that’s probably enough quality time for one day.
© 2007-2016 Del Mar Community Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved.
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John Lord Alderdice FRCPsych
Rt. Hon. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
Eva Grosman
Chris Maccabe
Niall Johnston
Tina McKenzie
Liam Maskey
Washington Ireland Program Interns
EU Debate NI
You are here: Home / Blog / News / Professor Heenan joins CDPB’s Board of Directors
Professor Heenan joins CDPB’s Board of Directors
January 13, 2016 /0 Comments/in News /by Eva Grosman
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Deirdre Heenan to the Board of Directors of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building. Professor Heenan is joining Lord Alderdice, Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldosn MP and Liam Maskey.
Professor Deirdre Heenan was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Communication) and Provost (Coleraine & Magee) as of 1 September 2012.
A distinguished researcher, author and broadcaster, she is a member of the Institute for Research in Social Sciences and has published widely on healthcare, education policy, social care and devolution. She is a co-founder and former co-director of the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey.
In 2001 she was the recipient of a Distinguished Teaching Award and this was followed by a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy in 2006. In 2008 she secured an ESRC fellowship and spent nine months as policy adviser in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
In 2011 she was appointed by the health minister to join a five strong panel of experts to oversee a radical review of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. In 2013 she was commissioned by The Kings Fund to write a piece on Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland as part of a comparative review on Integration. Together with her colleague Professor Derek Birrell she has just been contracted by MacMillan to write a book on Integration of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.
In 2012 she was appointed to the Irish President’s Council of State as one of the seven personal nominees of President Michael D Higgins.
She is a director of ILEX, the Derry~Londonderry urban regeneration company and a school governor on the Board of Foyle College.
Professor Heenan has responsibility for corporate and institutional communications together with public affairs (including the Media & Corporate Relations team). As campus Provost for Coleraine and Magee, she also has responsibility for oversight of the general affairs of each campus including: service standards, pastoral care of students and staff, interaction with the wider community and for the Riverside Theatre.
At the invitation of Ivan Lewis, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Deirdre Co-Chaired the Heenan-Anderson Independent Commission into the Northern Ireland economy. She is a Board member of the British Irish Association. Since its formation in 1972, it has made a significant contribution to the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past decades and it continues to set the agenda on how to build on that achievement.
She is a member of the Working Group on Higher Education in the 30% Club. This group focuses on diversity in universities and higher education establishments.
http://democracyandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Twitter-pic-FEB-15.jpg 400 400 Eva Grosman http://democracyandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/logoDemocracy-1.png Eva Grosman2016-01-13 14:42:062016-01-13 22:10:48Professor Heenan joins CDPB's Board of Directors
Eva Grosman Blog
Lord Alderdice Blog
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP Blog
@CDPB_NI January 20, 2020
“The time is always right to do what is right.” Happy #MLKDay2020 https://t.co/M4tAW0Pnhn
Stormont: Who's who in the NI Assembly and Executive? bbc.com/news/uk-northe…
Stormont to get an extra £1bn from Westminster bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northe…
Johnson hails 'incredible time' for region as he visits Northern Ireland theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
@CDPB_NI January 9, 2020
Stormont talks: Governments publish draft text bbc.com/news/uk-northe…
© Copyright - Centre for Democracy and Peace Building
BE THE CHANGE: Creative Workshop with Twitter | 21 January Amplifying voices of respect and tolerance across Northern Ireland
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BCI Scholarships Nurture Conservation Leaders of Tomorrow
Bat conservation today depends in large part on pursuing the scientific knowledge needed to convince an often-dubious world that bats are worth protecting and on crafting strategies for that protection. The future will depend on developing new generations of wildlife scientists who are committed to bats and educated in conservation. BCI's scholarship program is meeting both challenges.
From its formal introduction in 1990 through this year, the BCI Student Scholarship Program has awarded 158 scholarships totaling $344,560 to help graduate students do research in 44 countries.
BCI scholars have studied hundreds of bat species from the United States and Uganda to Belgium and Bolivia, touching every continent but Antarctica. Their research explores the vital roles of bats in pollination, seed dispersal, pest control, and biodiversity; species-specific life cycles and the impact of human encroachment; roosting habits and artificial roosts; and many other topics related to bat conservation.
Individual awards, selected by peer review by top authorities, range from $1,000 to $2,500 and average about $2,000 each. One goal of the awards is to open opportunities for matching grants from other sources. BCI scholarships have been matched with outside funding at a ratio of 11 to 1 for a total of $2.29 million in support of student research.
Many of our scholars already have become key players in conservation around the world, while others are well on their way to making lasting contributions.
Consider the career of BCI's first scholarship recipient. Surapon Duangkhae of Thailand, worked with Merlin Tuttle on BCI's earliest international campaign, an effort that won protection for two critical Thai bat colonies in 1982. That experience ignited a deep interest in bat conservation and, before the formal scholarship program began, BCI arranged a grant to help Surapon earn a 1986 master's degree in environmental biology from Mahidol University in Bangkok.
Today Surapon, his nation's top bat biologist, is Secretary General of the Wildlife Fund Thailand and one of the most influential conservationists in Southeast Asia. He helps mold conservation policy throughout the region and his views are often sought by the media. BCI's rather small investment a decade and a half ago is paying enormous dividends for wildlife, including bats.
BCI Scholar Arnulfo Moreno, here rappelling into a cave to study bats, has become a leader in the U.S.-Mexico Program for the Conservation of Migratory Bats.
Here's a sampling of other BCI Scholars who are contributing greatly to progress and the future:
Michelle Evelyn
Four BCI research scholarships over five years helped Michelle Evelyn earn a Ph.D. at Stanford University. Along the way, she documented the critical importance of fruit-eating bats in regenerating Mexican forests and highlighted strategies for their conservation when slash-and-burn agriculture clears their forests.
Evelyn worked tirelessly to explain her findings and their importance to area farmers and to enlist their help in bat conservation. With help from her husband/colleague, David Stiles, she also collaborated with environmental artist Lynne Hull to produce an educational comic book in Spanish and English to explain the importance of local bats to schoolchildren.
The young biologist continues her career commitment to bat research and conservation, most recently by studying the roosting requirements of forest-dwelling bats at Stanford's Jasper Ridge nature preserve. She is currently writing grant proposals to study the Keen's myotis (Myotis keenii), a little-known bat that has a narrow West Coast range from Washington to Alaska.
Arnulfo Moreno-Valdez
Arnulfo Moreno's prolific partnership with BCI -- and his unflagging support for Mexico's bats and their habitats -- began in 1990, with a BCI-funded project to determine the status of the 10 most important roosting caves of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) known in Mexico.
His alarming findings left no doubt that conservation was urgently needed. Half the caves he visited, each of which had once contained millions of free-tails, had lost 95 to 100
percent of their bats. Moreno went to work with a vengeance. Armed with educational materials and funding from BCI, he visited government agencies across northern Mexico, provided school programs, and distributed vampire-control advice to ranchers.
With BCI scholarships supporting his research on endangered Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis), Moreno earned his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University in 2000. His work has contributed greatly to our understanding of the conservation needs of these important desert pollinators.
Moreno today is an associate professor at the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas, Mexico. He serves on BCI's Scientific Advisory Board and is a leader of the U.S.-Mexico Programa para la Conservacion de los Murcielagos Migratorios (Program for the Conservation of Migratory Bats) in northern Mexico. He also wrote the book, Murcielagos de Nuevo Leon: Nuestros Invaluables Aliados (Bats of Nuevo Leon: Our Invaluable Allies).
His efforts have protected critical ecosystems and saved countless bats, and his career has decades yet to run.
Catherine Sahley
The Conservation and Research Association of Peru, known as CONATURA, is a vigorous and wide-ranging advocate for community-based conservation in the high Andes. With educational programs, research efforts, community collaborations, and training projects, CONATURA works to conserve Peru's biological diversity while improving the rural standard of living through low-tech and sustainable use of resources. It is run by Catherine Sahley.
BCI pitched in early in Sahley's career, well before she became executive director of the innovative nonprofit, with scholarships in 1990 and Ô91 for her important doctoral research. She showed that the endangered Peruvian long-nosed bat (Platalina genovensium) is the primary pollinator of a key Andean cactus upon which many desert birds and rodents rely.
Her conservation philosophy was taking root then, as she worked to educate local residents and industry on the importance of protecting beneficial bats of the high country.
Sahley, based in Arequipa, Peru, is also a research associate of the Wildlife Conservation Society and recently spent a year as a visiting professor at the University of Florida's Tropical Conservation and Development Program.
Shahroukh Mistry
The fruit bats of India are important -- often essential -- for pollinating and dispersing the seeds of more than 114 species of plants, many of them of great economic, ecological, medicinal, and even religious import. But since hardly anyone knew that, these vital animals have for years been classified as vermin and denied even a hint of protection.
A handful of pioneering researchers, including BCI scholarship recipient Shahroukh Mistry, began studying India's bats in earnest barely a decade ago. Mistry used BCI scholarships in 1992 and 1994 to document the economic value of Indian fruit bats, as well as their declining numbers, and to educate students and communities about the need for bat conservation. The research, which led to his Ph.D. degree from the University of New Mexico, would not have been possible, he said, without BCI's support.
Mistry, now an Assistant Professor of Biology at Grinnell College in Iowa, is still studying Indian bats and working for their protection. After years of effort by Mistry, his colleagues, and BCI, change may finally be at hand: India is revamping its Wildlife Protection Act, and a proposal to remove bats from the vermin category and give them their first legal protection is reportedly gaining favor.
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Court Decides Indictment Error SOR, Evaluates Speedy Trial Claim
United States v. Terrell Stevenson, No. 15-1942, concerns a “hip-hop heroin hub” called Hood Promo. Following a federal investigation, 8 people were indicted on drug and weapons charges. All of them pled guilty, except Stevenson. On appeal, Stevenson argued that the Court, which granted his Speedy Trial motion, should have dismissed the indictment with prejudice. He also argued that the indictment failed to allege all the elements of the crime of fraud in relation to identification documents, and he appealed the District Court’s denial of his motions to suppress, the propriety of the district court’s conduct at trial, and the reasonableness of his 360-month sentence.
The Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 3161–3174, requires that a trial start “within seventy days from the filing date (and making public) of the information or indictment. § 3161(c)(1). This deadline is not absolute, however, because certain periods of delay “shall be excluded . . . in computing the time within which the trial . . . must commence.” 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h). The most common form of “excludable” delay results from the filing and disposition of pretrial motions. 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(1)(D). When a violation is found, the court may dismiss the indictment with or without prejudice, depending on three factors (1) seriousness of the offense; (2) reason for the delay; and (3) administration of justice. 18 U.S.C. § 3162(a)(2). The Court found that the offense here was serious, that the delay was largely due to the repeated delays and chaotic nature of the litigation (which it blamed on the 8 defendants, finding that any government contribution was relatively innocent and harmless), and it found no prejudice to Stevenson from the delay (the fact that a case gets stronger over time – including by coD pleas – is not prejudice, for purposes of the statute). The district court did not err in looking at the number of excludable days in the context of factor (2).
The Court also addressed what it called a “close case” of sufficiency of the indictment on fraud in relation to identification documents. The Court found an implied reference to interstate commerce in the indictment’s description of interstate activity. But it found that any failure would have been harmless (and applied harmless error review here, because Supreme Court guidance in analogous circumstances – citing Neder on jury instructions – suggests defective indictments do not constitute “structural” error).
By Sarah Gannett at August 19, 2016
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Parashat Yitro
This week's parsha starts off telling us about Yisro, the father-in-law of Moses, who, after having lived a life of idolatry, eventually came to see the way of G-d. Last week's parsha ended off with the story of Amalek, those bad guys who started up a war with the poor Jews.
Why are these two incidents juxtaposed? Simply by way of contrast - Amalek, relative of the Jews (he was a grandson of Esau) harmed us, while Yisro, a stranger to our nation, befriended us and gave us valuable advice, as we shall see later. Read on.
The first few verses tell us that Yisro sends a message to Moses that he is coming with his daughter (Moses' wife) and Moses' children. They had come from Midian; Moses had sent them there because of the trouble in Egypt. When Moses received this message, he went out to meet his father-in-law, and indeed greeted him first. He did so because of the obligation to honour one's father-in-law. There is a great lesson here - a person should learn to appreciate the fact that the parents-in-law spend much time and effort in raising their child who is now his wife (or her husband). In gratitude, a person should always treat his in-laws with proper respect. Flowers for your mother-in-law on your wife's birthday is a great idea.
Yisro rejoiced over the great deeds which G-d had done on the Jews' behalf, and at the same time grieved that so many idol worshippers had met their destruction. Then he said, "Now I know that your G-d is greater than all of the idols of the world. Because the Egyptians schemed to drown all the Jewish children, G-d saved the children and drowned the Egyptians."
Yisro made a feast to celebrate his own circumcision and ritual immersion, which together marked his conversion to Judaism. Why did he make a feast? In order to satisfy his body, and please it, so that a spirit of holiness would rest upon him. G-dliness does not rest upon a grieving body. We find that when Isaac wanted to bless his son he asked him to bring him good food to cheer him, so that the Divine Presence would be present at the blessing.
When Yisro saw that his son-in-law Moses was judging the entire Jewish nation by himself, he told him that it was not good. He warned Moses that he was wearing away both himself and the people who needed judgements, and advised him to delegate power to subordinates who would judge the smaller cases, while Moses would judge the larger ones. Rabbi Meir Shapiro tells us that anyone can find fault with the actions of others. What is considered worthwhile? Constructive advice. The commentary Sifrei tells us that because of this advice, Yisro caused an extra chapter to be added to the Torah.
Some people always find fault with the way others do things. We should learn from Yisro and suggest ways and means of improving the situation, rather than merely complaining and criticising.
Apart from Yisro, the sedra also contains the Ten Commandments. The Israelites are by Mount Sinai, There was the sound of angels accompanying G-d to the mountain, and other angels blazing with lightning and fire. G-d put a huge cloud between Israel and the angels so that the Jews should not see them and be terror-stricken. The Midrash says that on the day of the Giving of the Torah the sun stood still in the sky. Many Jews died of fright, but they were resurrected by G-d.
With G-d's arrival at Mount Sinai came a great flood of smoke, like that of a furnace. There was thunder and lightning and a large cloud of fog. The mountain itself shook and trembled. The Jews trembled, too, because the earth beneath them rocked. They withdrew far away from the mountain, in fear and trepidation. Even though they were three miles away, though, they still heard clearly every word which Moses said when he spoke on the mountain. Even though the Shofar was blowing loudly, it did not overpower Moses' voice.
G-d came down to Mount Sinai in a great cloud of flame. He told Moses, "Tell Israel and the Kohanim that they must not gaze at the cloud in which I am resting." G-d then uttered all of the Ten Commandments by
Himself. The Jews understood only the first two, and the others required clarification from Moses, and were said over by him. All of the people witnessed these Commandments: the blind, the mute and the deaf were healed.
1 . I AM THE L-RD YOUR G-D - Who took you out of Egypt. Why did G-d not say that he had created Heaven and Earth? Because the Jewish people had not witnessed that with their own eyes. The miracle of Egypt, however, was seen by all present.
2 . YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME - This commandment mentions "you" in the singular. This is to give Moses an excuse at the incident of the Golden Calf, when he would tell G-d: "Why are you blaming the Jews? You said 'You shall have no other gods,' in the singular form. Actually, You had only forbidden me to worship idols, and not Israel!"
3 . DO NOT TAKE MY NAME IN VAIN - Why does this commandment follow immediately after idolatry? To show that one who swears in vain is likened to an idolater. If he swears that "by the truth of G-d, so my words are truthful," and yet he is lying, he shows that he really considers G-d to be a lie, heaven forbid.
4 . REMEMBER THE SHABBOS - You shall work for six days, and on Shabbos you must feel as if you have completed all of your work. You should not give it another thought. One who properly keeps Shabbos will be forgiven for all his sins.
5 . HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER -.At times, a father lives a long life, and it is difficult for his son to honour him properly. Therefore the Torah assures us that if we honour our parents, we will live long.
6 . DO NOT KILL - Even though there are billions of people in the world, one is not even allowed to reduce this number by one.
7 . DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY - Why does this follow "Do not Kill'? So that a person should know that just as you can't decrease the number of people in the world by the sin of murder, neither can you can increase it by the sin of adultery.
8 . DO NOT STEAL - A person must not think that although murder is forbidden, it is still permissible to abduct a person and sell him into slavery, and so the Torah now gives this commandment, which is an admonition against abduction and kidnapping.
9 . DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS - A person might want to think that it is indeed forbidden to steal outright or cause bodily harm, but one may steal someone's money by giving false testimony. Hence this admonition, telling us not to harm another with words.
10 . DO NOT COVET - A person might think that he can, at the very least, harm another in his own thoughts, so we are warned here not to covet our friend's possessions in our hearts. There is no commandment about theft because if we know that we are prohibited even from coveting another's possessions, how much more so is it prohibited to steal them!
I'd like to finish off with one of my favourite stories from "Love Your Neighbour" by Zelig Pliskin:
On Rosh Hashanah, a short while after Rabbi Yitschok Zev Soloveitchik became the Rabbi of Brisk, a group of soldiers came to him before the blowing of the Shofar. They told him that a Jewish soldier had fallen asleep while on sentry duty and was sentenced to be shot that day. The prisoner requested the opportunity to speak to a Rabbi before he died. The anti-Semitic officers added that if the Rabbi would not come, they would shoot the people of the town. Nevertheless, Rabbi Soloveitchik refused to go with them.
The people of the town were puzzled by their Rabbi's refusal to speak to the prisoner. Moreover, his refusal was endangering the lives of others. A second group of officers came to the Brisker Rav and repeated the same request as before. Again Rabbi Soloveitchik refused to go with them. The people of the town were astounded by their newly-appointed Rabbi's conduct. Even when they begged him to change his mind, the Brisker Rav refused to go.
Finally, when a third group of officers came to the Brisker Rav, the inhabitants of Brisk were so sure that now they would be punished for what seemed to be their Rabbi's foolhardy intransigence. To their great relief, the officers announced that the Brisker Rav was no longer needed. The prisoner's family had meanwhile appealed to a higher court, and the execution was stayed. Everyone was amazed at what appeared to be a miracle, and they asked the Brisker Rav for his comment.
"I merely followed the directives of the Rambam," replied the Brisker Rav. "The Rambam writes that if a fellow Jew does not deserve capital punishment, we are forbidden to hand him over to be killed even if our lives will be put in danger. This unfortunate fellow did not deserve to be killed; he wasn't starting a revolution. Had I gone to him, it would have caused his death, for immediately afterwards they would have shot him; I therefore had no right to go. Because I followed the halacha, I saved this person's life."
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Wrapping up our two intensive days of film workshops
First Workshop completed
“Sometimes, Little Things Make a Big Difference”
Eastern Breeze International Film Festival Eastern Breeze International Film festival is an annual film festival held in Toronto, Canada, which previews new short films, mid length films of all genres including documentaries,animations, fiction and experimental from around the world.
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Home » 2015 Festival » Daily Note » micah
May 8, 2015 Daily Note, micah
Written by Shawn Salik On Thursday May 7th, at the Bahen Building of Information Technology at the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, the 2015 Eastern Breeze International Film Festival continued its dedication to arts education with a second workshop. After an intimate documentary filmmaking workshop at Ryerson’s Gouda Hall on Wednesday May 6th, Majid Movasseghi came back to focus today’s lecture on film analysis, taking into consideration the aspects of film critiquing. Majid especially believes in a hands-on approach to teaching, so there were many films to study from videographic and cinematographic points of view, as well as sound, lighting, background scores, and scene shifting. Friday May 8th, 2015, Eastern Breeze International Film Festival will kick off the weekend with an opening ceremony to welcome the first day of screenings. Details about the times and films being screened can be found at http://easternbreeze.ca/2015-events/2015-cinema/. After the second screening, there will also be an after party held at Set on King. All the relevant details can be found at http://easternbreeze.ca/2015-events/2015-parties/.
Interview with Evgeny Byalo Evgeny Byalo is the director of The Norm of Life, which is about a character named Egor and his story: “Egor comes home. At home he encounters a tragedy. Gradually he begins to sensetrue reasons. He realizes that it is only his personal tragedy and the life has a different value for everyone.” Here’s Evgeny Byalo’s interview with EBIFF: What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? I was all in one. A producer, an author, a manager of the whole production process as well as a director, all on my own. So then I had a valuable experience, which gave so much to me. How did you get started in film? That was a real story. A friend of mind told me about it. Once when the party was over, we talked and he had shared his feelings on the situation he was passing through that time. I was shocked. I realised right away that it would be the main topic of my graduation film. 3.What awards, accolades, and recognition has your selected film, received? Awards: Diploma of the winner of the competition program “Kinotavr. Shorts” («For coming back home»). Open Russian Film Festival ...
May 2, 2015 Animation15, Daily Note, micah
Interview with Maryam Katan For the Animation Refill Free International Premier Maryam Katan is the director of Refill Free. Refill Free is “an experimental short film which tries to use a sound installation from documentary daily sounds, which is heard by the creator almost everyday. As a dramatic part of the work and an ironic fiction media as its visual part.” Maryam Was Born in 1989,Tehran ,Iran. She has Bachelor of science in Molecular Biology and Studies Master of Art in Animation directing . she Works as an experimental filmmaker ,animation script writer, director and animator. ”Me” is the voice that is heard around my presence; its everyday-ness and non-everyday-ness. The ”Me” that depletes and is depleted. Depleted of me and my surroundings. And it goes on and on, just like free refills in a coffee shop; for no extra charge What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? The production process was unlike most conventional films because the sound line was the first step we had. I decided to go through this idea which sound has the whole power of story-telling and then visual part came to make an ironic combination. After sound ...
May 2, 2015 Daily Note, micah, Mid-length Narrative 15
Interview with Rati Tsiteladze for the Film Little Things Canada Premier Rati Tsiteladze is the director of the short film Little Things where it tells a story about a marriage, that was once was a loving relationship, turned into something distant. The main character, Sophie, decides to take action on her marriage. Born in Georgia in 1987, Rati Tsiteladze is a martial artist, actor and director. Despite an early interest in art he has followed his parents’ decision and began training in karate. At age 21, Rati won the titles of World and European Champion in martial arts. Despite 17 years of successful fighting career in 2010 when filmmaking became the overpowering passion in his life, he left his career to pursue filmmaking. He moved to Los Angeles where he studied filmmaking, after which he has founded ArtWayFilm production. Rati has directed several short films, that were awarded internationally and were screened in different film festivals around the world. Recently, he directed short film Deda (2015) alluding to his taste for long takes, a taste he structured and developed throughout his film studies. This is Rati Tsiteldze’s interview with EBIFF: What was the production process that went behind bringing ...
Qoyo
May 2, 2015 Daily Note, micah, Narrative 15
Interview with Essam Emadeldin Essam Emadeldin is a 22 year old student who directed a short film that would be making its world premier at EBIFF called Qoyo. Qoyo is a short film about a guy who experiences a situation, which made him, goes to the streets and expresses his opinion his was. Here’s his interview with EBIFF: What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? All people who worked with me are volunteers whom was interested in working on the movie, then I got the actor and the video-graphers and the video-editors, we arranged for the required location, time for shooting every and each scene, clothes and accessories, and there was like a small plan to shoot the movie and finally after three months, shooting and cancelling the shooting gain till we did our video-editing process and the movie came to life. The movie was done independently and I paid for the extra tools. How did you get started in film? I just wanted to make a short movie so I started to write it, then I arranged with volunteers to work with me, and then we moved to shooting then video-editing and color correction. What awards, ...
Keep on Dreaming
Interview with Golnaz Moghaddam Director of the Animation Dream North America premier Golnaz Moghaddam is the director of Dream. Her short film is about the revival of her Grandpa’s frozen memories. Golnaz Moghaddam, Born 1987 Tehran. She has a BA in Sculpture and MA in Directing Animation. She has been participated in many group sculpture and photography exhibitions in IRAN, USA, UK and CANADA such as 6th Tehran Sculpture Biennial, 4th and 3rd Urban Sculpture Biennial, Six weeks with Iranian artists in Canada, Art takes Times in USA and also various Animation festivals in GREEK, GERMANY, INDIA, BANGLADESH, SOUTH AMERICA and IRAN. This is her interview with EBIFF: What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? I wrote this screenplay based on my grandfather’s life and because of my previous major (sculpture) I choose stop motion to link both of my majors in my final project. How did you get started in film? At first I studied a lot about stop motion because it was my first experience in this technique then I began to make decors with the help of my cousin and after all we started capturing frames. What awards, accolades, and recognition has ...
The Struggle of Om Amira
April 28, 2015 Daily Note, micah
Naji Ismail is the director of Om Amira. He is an Egyptian filmmaker who graduated from the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo.His short film Om Amira is based on “‘Amira’s Mother’, originally from Aswan, a [town] in Upper Egypt, is now a Cairo resident living on one of Down Town’s Roof tops with her husband, Gamal, and her two daughters. Having no other option but to toughen up to support her family and her sick daughter who has a heart disease, since Gamal’s job is to occasionally collect the rent in the building, Om Amira, also known as the “Potatoes Lady” sells home made fried potatoes sandwiches in a side street, meters away from Tahrir Square where the spark of the Egyptian Revolution started. Her daily struggle starts at night preparing her potatoes to be fried in the early morning. Although having to put up with harassments and recently violent events due to the non-stop protests taking place in Cairo’s street, her smile and her very own existence is a comfort to her neighbors and running around protestors that she is somehow protecting their territory. The movie will take us through the details of her inspirational journey starting at night until the sun ...
A Normal Life
Interview with Evgeny Byalo The Norm of Life, directed by Evgeny Byalo, is about “Egor [who] comes home. At home he encounters a tragedy. Gradually he begins to sense true reasons. He realizes that it is only his personal tragedy and the life has a different value for everyone.” Here’s an interview with the director himself, Evgeny Byalo: 1. What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? I was all in one. A producer, an author, a manager of the whole production process as well as a director, all on my own. So then I had a valuable experience, which gave so much to me. 2. How did you get started in film? That was a real story. A friend of mind told me about it. Once when the party was over, we talked and he had shared his feelings on the situation he was passing through that time. I was shocked. I realised right away that it would be the main topic of my graduation film. 3. What awards, accolades, and recognition has your selected film, received? Awards: * Diploma of the winner of the competition program “Kinotavr. Shorts” («For coming back home»). Open Russian ...
Conference of the Birds at EBIFF
Interview with Meghdad Asadi Meghdad Asadi is the director of Simorgh. Simorgh is about “a personal interpretation of The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar. A choreographic piece that incorporates Persian music, calligraphic art and ornament designs to tell the traditional Persian story of life that deals with the fragility of self worth. It centers around a few birds of different breeds, each representative of a particular human characteristic; ego, greed, avarice, etc. The birds are seemingly satisfied with their perceptions of self, but on a chance journey they each embark upon, they find they are stronger as a community and are strengthened by allowing others to complete their true ‘self’.” Here’s an interview with Meghdad Asadi: What was the production process that went behind bringing your film to life? Simorgh is a graduation thesis film made at Rochester Institute of Technology. As an international student, I always wanted to introduce Persian art and culture to the world. My thesis film was a great opportunity to make it happen. As a filmmaker who had produced a few short animations during my studies, and gaining prestigious recognitions ad awards worldwide, including nomination in the Student Academy Awards (Oscar), I had ...
Lookout for Lookout!
Interview with Noa Gusakov Written by Micah Villarico Noa Gusakov is the director of Lookout. She is a graduate of the “Thelma Yellin” High School of the Arts in Givataim. She began to study at The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School, Jerusalem in 2008. It is important to recognize that she served as an instructor in the Save and Rescue unit in the Israeli Defence Force. Maybe Noa Gusakov’s inspiration drew from her experience in the military. Her short film, Lookout, is based on a female character, Timmy, who is a look-out in the military. Gusakov gave a brief synopsis of her film and she said, “Timmy is a look-out in the military. As a diversion from her tiring frame work, she creates an imaginative, childish world, which sets her apart in a mundane routine. When she has to deal with the real military world for the first time, her own world is shattered and undermined.” I believe that this film is something to lookout for. I think it’s important to give recognition to females in the military force because it’s not shown enough. It was our honour to get an interview with Noa Gusakov and this is what she had to say about herself and the ...
Movie Review: Bride With a Price Tag
Written by Janita Patel Representing Cambodia in the Eastern Breeze International Film Festival this year, Bride with a Price Tag directed by Vanna Hem follows the story of a young human-trafficking survivor and her harrowing journey through enslavement. The opening scene is delicate and powerful, as the inner monologue of a timid and conservative lady begins, as she anonymously shares the tale of her journey, “my life was a trampled flower…” Supported by the USAID and Counter Trafficking in Persons Program, this film brings forward the realities of oppression and abuse that still takes place in the Eastern world, shining light on the issues of servile marriage. Often finding themselves entangled in a series of trading systems in exchange for money to support their families, many women face abuse, stigma and isolation from their communities. Providing a surreal glimpse at the realities of many underprivileged women, Bride with a Price Tag is a must-see at this year’s festival.
Top 10 Anticipated Films to see at the 2015 Eastern Breeze International Film Festival
Written by: Shawn Salik Love. Love. Love. (Sandhya Daisy Sundaram debuted at Sundance https://vimeo.com/82485528) Flipping the stereotypical characteristic of vanity in Russian women, Love. Love. Love. shows the multifaceted nature of womanhood in the tundra of Russia. Winning the Silver Hugo Award for Best Short Documentary at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival 2014, Love. Love. Love. qualifies for the 2016 Academy Awards – Documentary Short Subject. Among 8 international awards this film was awarded a Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival 2014. Om Amira (Naji Ismail; Egypt), featured at Berlin Film Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl-YQkhVkOw Om Amira is another realist depiction of the resiliency of womanhood around the world, this time in Egypt. Halima Mohamed Ahmed or “Om Amira” (Arabic for “Amira’s Mother”) lives in Cairo with two daughters and a husband too sick to work. Known as the “Potato Lady”, Om Amira sells her fried potato sandwiches to feed and care for her family. Her daily routine begins at night, when she prepares the potatoes for frying, and it ends in the morning, after having sold her sandwiches. She puts up with harassment and violence, Om Amira still managers to keep a smile on. Her existence is ...
Interview with Haisam Abdelhamed Written by Micah Villarico Haisam Abdelhamed, the director of Dark White, has a postgraduate diploma from the Academy of Art from the Higher Institute of Art Criticism. Dark White is a film that is playing at the festival. Here’s a short synopsis of the film: “The film is about one of the street children. This child is led by fate next to a Children Amusement Park, where his attention is drawn towards the children inside that park who were playing with their parents. Herein, he tries to enter this unknown world for him. However, he couldn’t go in to play in order to feel happy the way other children feel. Anyway, after several attempts, he is able to enter the park. Unfortunately, he gets shocked that there is a ticket for each ride and he has to buy them so as to share other children. The film ends where we see the child bringing happiness to himself by playing in front of the Amusement Park’s fences.” Personally, this is a short film thatI can’t wait to see. The privileged versus the marginalized through the lens of a young child is a perspective that is taken for granted. ...
Two Worlds Collide
Interview with Tamara Erde Written by Micah Villarico Tamara Erde, director of Disney Ramallah, is a French-Israeli living and working in Paris. She was born in Tel-Aviv on 1982d a Bachelors of Arts in Art Direction and Video from Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem and an M.A. in Cinema and New Media in Le Fresnoy, France. Tamara Erde creates documentary and fiction films that are produced in Paris and around Europe. Disney Ramahllah will be making its Canadian premier at Eastern Breeze International Film Festival. It is a short fiction about “a father and son in Ramallah, confronted to the harsh reality during the second intifada. The two are trying to create a parallel, imagined reality, optimistic and magical. When Rabiah, the father, finds himself in troubles with the Israeli army, his son dreams of going to Euro Disney for his birthday. It is then that the father decides to take things in hands and create a homemade alternative universe for his son.” From the synopsis, I believe this film is about reality, imagination and expectations. It demonstrates the reality of every day struggles and troubles a father is confronted with, the imagination of a young boy’s desire of a magical and enchanting land, ...
The Films are Rolling, You Better be Showing!
Written by Micah Villarico Eastern Breeze International Film Festival’s box office is officially open! Woohooo! You can buy your tickets now on the website at “Box Office 2015“. Keep in mind that the artist talks and workshops are free. It is an honour to have Majid Movaseghi host two workshops for Eastern Breeze free of charge. All we ask from the audience is to bring your love for film and enthusiasm to the Hart House at University of Toronto on May 6 & 7. Save your seats now before they’re all gone! This is a great opportunity to experience a documentary film workshop as well as a film analysis workshop by our international instructor, Majid Movasseghi. As for the cinema screenings, on May 8 through 10, adults tickets costs $12.70 and students costs $10.70. There are 9 screenings in total, premiering short films of genres that are documentary, narrative and animation. Book your seats now before there are no more left. Experience culture through the art of film. A part from the festival workshops and premiere screenings, Eastern Breeze will be hosting an “After Party” at a club for $21.50. It should be a great night to mingle, meet new people and dance ...
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Brands.Marklives
MTN – Brands & Branding 2018
Having being voted as the Most Valuable Brand in South Africa by Brand Finance for three consecutive years is a remarkable achievement, but doubling this achievement by winning the prestigious world branding awards for two consecutive years, and topping it off by securing a backstage pass to join an elite league of Forbes 500 companies is indeed impressive.
Birth of a Nation, Birth of a Network
South Africa’s 1994 transition to democracy was rightfully hailed across the world as a political miracle. It not only marked the closure of a painful period in the country’s history but heralded the dawn of a new nation united in its diversity. The euphoria that characterised this important transition to multiparty democracy also breathed life into a new mobile network provider, MTN. Over the last 25 years MTN has touched the lives of millions of people across the African continent and beyond.
MTN kicked off operations against a backdrop of heightened expectations to provide communications services to people who had previously lacked access to fixed-line telephones. This was particularly the casein more isolated,rural areas.
With the introduction of MTN’s groundbreaking PayAsYouGo technology in the late 1990s, millions of people were suddenly able to connect with their loved ones and the outside world. The shift democratised the telecommunications landscape by making mobile telephony accessible to ordinary people for the first time, whereas just a few years prior it had been an expensive luxury preserved for the privileged few.
PayAsYouGo also gave city dwellers the opportunity to connect with their relatives in rural areas in real time, transforming their lives for the better.
With the rapid adoption of mobile telephony and the advent of smartphones, the foundations for MTN’s expansion into the rest of Africa, the Middle East and beyond were laid. This created a sense of urgency for the company to expand its network to cater for the burgeoning demand. The expansion required MTN to invest heavily in its network to bring new technologies like smartphones and internet-enabled devices to its customers.
At the time South Africa was still heavily reliant on expensive satellite-based technology to carry data traffic across continents, rendering communications services prohibitively expensive for the majority of people.
To lower the cost of communication and ensure speedier broadband connectivity, MTN joined multiple consortiums to digitally link South Africa and the rest of the continent to Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. Not only did this help facilitate more rapid economic growth across the continent, but it also paid handsome dividends when South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As an official sponsor of the global football extravaganza, MTN played a critical role in ensuring that the tens of thousands of international visitors who descended upon the event were able to enjoy a seamless network experience, leaving them with a lasting positive impression of South Africa and the continent.
To continue the journey of getting behind customers’ passions and uniting the nation and the rest of the continent, MTN’s sponsorships have always been guided by its customers’ love of sport, music and community involvement.
As such the flagship sponsor of South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, as well as the MTN8 Knockout football tournament, has contributed towards MTN winning the hearts and minds of millions of South African sporting fans. The wildly successful MTN Walk the Talk with 702 provides thousands of Johannesburg locals with the opportunity to connect with others and celebrate the diversity and vibrance of South Africa’s economic hub. MTN’s association with the spiritually uplifting sounds of Joyous Celebration have helped make the gospel ensemble synonymous with the brand.
In addition to being at the heart of their customers’ personal passions, MTN is also dedicated to being part of the solution in solving the country’s socio-economic challenges.
As a proudly South African company, MTN is passionate about making a difference in the communities it serves, driving economic growth and creating employment opportunities.
Mindful of the crucial role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)play in South Africa, MTN has launched and supported multiple enterprise development initiatives over the years. These seek to equip SMEs with the necessary skills to ensure their long-term sustainability, including the sponsorship of one-year incubation programmes run in conjunction with the University of the Free State and Data Comb Development Hub; support of the National Gazelles programme with the Department of Small Business Development; and various entrepreneurship masterclasses run across major South African cities.
These initiatives have benefitted hundreds of entrepreneurs and upcoming businesses, making a meaningful impact in the country and reducing the negativity statistics around the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
To make a lasting difference in the communities it serves, MTN established the MTN SA Foundation in 2001, dedicated to community upliftment projects. Initiatives include an extensive school connectivity programme, in which MTN partners with Government to digitise curriculum content and provide state-of-the-art multimedia centres with free data connectivity to schools from economically marginalised communities. In addition, support is also provided to schools that cater to children with various disabilities.
Alongside the technology tools provided to school, the MTN SA Foundation assists with the provision of school shoes, stationary, backpacks and bicycles to learners that need to travel long distances to and from school.The Foundation also works with the Department of Health to provide ICT facilities and digitised curriculum content to nursing colleges across the country, thereby providing students with a more enriching educational experience.
While MTN has always believed that its operations should enhance and brighten lives through the delivery of a bold new digital world, it needs to ensure that it does so with minimal impact on the natural environment.
By harnessing renewable energy, MTN has provided sustainable power to its infrastructure and reduced its carbon footprint while simultaneously generating clean energy at several of its premises and operations.
MTN’s head office is powered by a 22MW methane gas tri-generation plant, the first of its kind in Africa. The group’s data centres in Johannesburg are powered by a cooling plant that generates 330KW of energy from 242 solar mirrors that track the movement of the sun.As a result of these initiatives, MTN is on track to being awarded Independent Power Producer (IPP) accreditation.
One of the most notable areas where MTN has played a role in sustainable power generation is the Northern Cape, where it has helped connect remote communities to the grid through wind and solar powered base stations.
MTN’s rapid growth over the last quarter of a century has come off the back of heavy investment in advanced communications infrastructure enabling the provision of affordable and accessible telecommunications services for all.
MTN now offers voice, data and digital services to customers across the 21 countries in which it is licensed. The group also offers enterprise solutions to corporate and public-sector customers across all the markets in which it operates, making it one of the world’s most admired and valuable African brands.
The unveiling of the 11000th LTE base station in Idutywa in the Eastern Cape last year demonstrates MTN’s commitment to provide its customers with high performing networks, everywhere they go.
Over the past several quarters, MTN is proud to have been awarded the title of The Best Network according to independent international benchmarking companies.
As MTN looks forward to the next 25 years, it remains committed to using the power of its platforms to be an agent of positive change. As a truly multinational company with proudly South African roots, MTN is excited to continue working with like-minded partners to boost the transformative economic potential brought about by mobile connectivity.
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution upon us, MTN is ready to roll out a new generation of 5G networks that will help its clients along their personal and professional journeys, every step of the way. Only by working together can we ensure that tomorrow is better than yesterday.
Free assistance 24/7 from any MTN number:
From any other phone:
Email: Digital.Support@mtn.com
Tweets by @MTNza
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Another Year-End Thanksgiving
Although I celebrate the traditional U.S. Thanksgiving in November, here in Blogworld I take the opportunity of New Year's Eve to express gratitude for the people and events that made the past year good.
Top of the list are my wife Karen, my daughters Laura and Robin, and my larger family of sisters, dad, aunt, in-laws, cousins, and nephews. Everyone managed to stay pretty healthy and happy this year, which I don't take for granted.
Thanks to friends and fellow travelers in the comics world, including Mike Lynch, Otis Frampton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Giambarba, Stephan Pastis, Richard Pini, Neil Kleid, MK Czerwiec, Sarah Leavitt, and many others whom I may have met only briefly (including Nick Meglin, John Shableski, Carol Tyler, and Paul Dini) but were invariably kind. Others whose blogs provide regular entertainment and education. Also, my online communities at ToonTalk, rec.arts.comics.strips, and the Wisenheimer for their camaraderie and complaints.
Thanks to readers and especially commenters on this here blog, because it's nice to hear more than an echo when shouting out into the void. Especially my regulars Mike Peterson, Sherwood Harrington, Ronniecat, Marion Deeds, Jennifer (Namowal), Mike (Sligo), Mary Ellen (Xtreme English), Ronnie Peterson, assorted persistent lurkers (I see you there!), and others. Also, people who've supported my new 2009 efforts on Facebook, especially Jim O'Kane and Nancy Gleason (thanks for all the photos!), and everyone who signed up as a friend or fan. It's been especially great to hear from old friends.
Big thanks, affection and respect for the people at Abrams ComicArts who made me a second-time author in 2009, including boss Michael Jacobs, publisher Steve Tager, publicist Amy Franklin, designer Neil Egan, and especially my friend and editor Charlie Kochman, whose wedding to the wonderful Rachel I was honored to attend. Still don't know what took him so long. If we don't work together again in 2010, it won't be my fault.
Thanks to the owners of Four-Eyed Frog Books in Gualala, Judy Weinberg and everyone at the Toledo Museum of Art, and the organizers of the Miami Book Fair International, who gave me opportunities to speak and maybe sell a few books. Likewise to the journalists who thought I'd make a good interview subject and spread the word through print, radio and web, hope I didn't disappoint. Also to the people who reviewed WHTTWOT; although I'm naturally more thankful for those who loved it than those who didn't, I don't think giving my book a bad review necessarily makes you a bad person. But it does increase the odds.
People who bought and read WHTTWOT, especially those who took the time to tell me I captured the story of their lives. One thing I've learned from both my books is that making that intimate, mysterious, one-on-one connection with a reader is the best reward of all. The second-best reward is money.
People who continue to discover Mom's Cancer and tell others about it. That book has an enduring impact that sometimes surprises me, and is unimaginably gratifying.
My real-life friends who suggest dates, invite me to parties, drop me e-mails, and otherwise make sure I have a life despite all evidence to the contrary. Jonas, I owe you lunch.
I'm thankful for our cat Marbles, whose loss is a fresh wound of absence keenly felt.
Everyone I forgot: it's not you, it's me. I'm getting older. Thank you all.
Labels: Friends Family and People
Good Good Kitty
Back in July, I wrote about our poor sick kitty Marbles, who'd been diagnosed with thyroid trouble and kidney failure. She was acutely ill, and our immediate concern was keeping her alive while her main human, my daughter Robin, was away for six weeks of archeology field school. We did. With daily medication and subcutaneous fluid injections, she survived until Robin returned and then another five months besides, until this morning.
Marbles was our "beta" cat. Her sister Rose is our "alpha," the boss of the pride (while Amber the Simple Cat is our "lower-case omega" cat). However, Rose subcontracted home security to Marbles, who performed her duties diligently. No bird, squirrel, dog or cat could pass by a window without drawing her laser gaze, no visitor could cross our home's threshold without first passing her inspection. Some visitors didn't; although she never took a bite or scratch out of anyone, there were a couple of people she just didn't care for who came to fear her hiss. Marbles's affection was selective and precious. I felt honored to earn almost as much of it as my girls did.
Some people get silly about their pets. I never confused my pets for my children, nor forgot that taking on a dog or cat means knowingly taking on heartbreak 10 or 15 years down the road. We are nevertheless heartbroken. Marbles fought for life last summer while Robin was away, and continued to fight after my daughters returned to college in the fall. The girls said so many "final farewells" to Marbles it seemed she might never call their bluff. In the end she waited until we were all together, and even until after Christmas, more than fulfilling the bargain I made with her in July that if she survived the month she could play it any way she wanted. I can't help but believe that Marbles died doing what she did best: looking out for her family.
Master of intimidation.
Dunk Us All in Bowls of Barley
Above is this year's drawing for our family Christmas card, featuring, as it has for 21 straight years, my twin girls. The cards make a real neat family history all strung together on a knotted ribbon across our living room wall.
Below is a bit of poetic whimsy that's been a ritual on my blog each Christmas Eve since waaay back in 2005. Every beloved tradition starts small. My best wishes to you, thanks for reading my stuff.
Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!
Don't we know archaic barrel,
Lullaby Lilla boy, Louisville Lou?
Trolley Molly don't love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
Posted by Brian Fies at 12:01 AM 6 comments
Buster Keaton's "One Week"
Now this might be worth 20 minutes of your time: a clever, witty, silent two-reeler made by Buster Keaton in 1920 (he was about 25 at the time) titled "One Week," courtesy of Mark Evanier. Of all the silent film comedians, Keaton is by far my favorite and the one whose work holds up best today, I think. Keaton's masterpiece "The General" (1927) is one of my Top Five favorite films ever, and "Sherlock Jr." is brilliant as well.
A few things that I think make "One Week" great:
As with all Keaton films, special effects are minimal and most stunts are performed by the stars. What you see is what happened: the cars, the house, the trains are all real. I think that gives the viewing experience an authenticity, immediacy, and tension that no computer-generated effects can match. They literally couldn't make 'em like this today.
The young married couple played by Keaton and Sybil Seely is very sweet and feels completely modern to me. I buy their relationship; they're in this mess together. Seely is particularly charming: smart, vivacious, sexy, and an equal partner to Keaton's hapless groom.
The unlucky newlyweds' build-it-yourself home.
Speaking of sexy, there's a famous scene at about the 10-minute mark that is one of the wittiest, most audacious moments of filmmaking ever. Seely is scrubbing up in the bathtub when she drops her soap on the floor. Her dilemma is evident: how will she pick up the soap without exposing herself to the audience? Keaton's solution: an unknown hand (it's not the groom's, he's on the roof at the time) enters the frame to cover the lens while Seely grabs the soap and settles back into the tub. Then, to complete the fourth-wall breaking, she looks directly at the camera and gives us a flirty little giggle. The joke's on us, but we're in on it as well. It's very "meta."
Seely flashing us a saucy smile after retrieving her soap.
In addition, the cartoonist in me loves the bizarre parallel world right out of the classic Warner Bros. cartoons (which wouldn't be around for 20 or 30 more years, remember)--a world where a car jack can lift a house so it can roll on barrels, one burly man can hoist a piano onto his shoulder, and nobody gets killed leaping through second-story doors into thin air.
In 2008, "One Week" was added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry, marking it as a "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant work to be preserved for all time." I agree. I know silent films aren't everyone's cup of tea, but if you're not one of those people I think this one's a treasure and worth a look.
Posted by Brian Fies at 11:00 AM 12 comments
Working Hard for the Hypothetical Money
Time for another of my now-traditional "too busy to post" posts, which is actually season-appropriate now:
The ol' blog's a little less active than I'd like because I'm working on big project deadlines for my real job, trying to write a first draft of a new graphic novel for my pretend job (more later!), plus enjoying the general Christmas hubbub and fol-de-rol.
My girls are recovering very well from their wisdom teeth extractions on Monday--much better than any of us expected, I'd say. They're diligent patients and have been rewarded with surprisingly bearable pain, swelling, and down time. We think we can probably finance grad school by selling their unused Vicodin on the black market, although it might also make a swell stocking stuffer. Depends on how my shopping goes the next few days.
Poor Poor Babies
Our daughters got home from college for Christmas break late last night. Early this morning we rousted them both out of bed to get their wisdom teeth pulled. Four teeth each, eight teeth total. Karen's on her way to the oral surgeon with one girl now, I'll be leaving with the second in about an hour. If I'm not around much the next couple of days, it's because I'm applying ice packs and preparing soft foods.
Even when your children are old enough to understand and voluntarily go along with the plan, you'd still rather take pain yourself than inflict it on them. But on the plus side, since that's not possible, it means more hard crunchy snacks for me. Woohoo!
UPDATE: Everybody's fine.
Added to the long list of Things I Did Not Know:
George Lucas asked David Lynch to direct "Return of the Jedi." It's very difficult, but mind-meltingly fun, to imagine how that movie might have turned out.
The only thing I know about "Return of the Jedi" that most people don't is that I went to college with a super-nice girl who played an Ewok. She was a little person and we worked the same student job together--I drove double-decker buses and she was one of the conductors in the back who got passengers on and off, signaled stops, punched transfers, etc. During summer vacations she went off and made movies (and has continued to, building a very successful career in film and TV). You know that scene where two Ewoks get blasted and one crawls over to its dead mate? She was the Ewok who lived. I'd mention her name but I'm afraid she'd Google herself, read this post, and tell y'all she has no idea who I am, which would completely ruin one of my few "brush with greatness" stories.
I worked my way through college driving these authentic old London double-deckers for a university transit system. Very unusual clutches. Drivers sit in a little cab in the front (right side, naturally) while conductors stand on the platform in the back. One of the best jobs I ever had.
The Art of Paul Giambarba
Is this guy cool, or what?
I wrote about my buddy Paul Giambarba in early November (scroll way down or click here). Paul is a writer/artist/designer/illustrator who, among many other accomplishments, designed the packaging, branding, and "feel" that helped make Polaroid cameras a big hit in the '50s and '60s. He was contacted by a team trying to revive Polaroid film after the company recently stopped making it, and on December 18 will be the star of a special event at the International Center of Photography in New York City (details on Paul's blog).
Check it out. The special "Paul Giambarba Edition" will comprise 15 kinds of original Polaroid film, carefully preserved and redesigned by Paul for the occasion, plus a special-edition camera kit designed by Paul. It's both a celebration of Polaroid's contribution to photography, culture and design, and a terrific recognition for Paul. If I lived 3000 miles closer I'd be there. If you're in the New York area and that sounds intriguing, stop by to see Paul between 5 and 7:30 p.m., and tell him I sent you.
The Art of Charlie Kochman
There's a nice profile/interview with Editor Charlie at the Shelf Awareness website that I think gives some insight into my publisher's approach to comics. Publishing houses have different sensibilities--you can look at a book and think, "Oh, that's a Pantheon book" or "that's a Fantagraphics book"--and I can similarly spot Abrams books without quite being able to articulate what they have in common. I mean, aside from "stuff Charlie thinks is cool." Or maybe that's it exactly.
Charlie was kind enough to mention me in two contexts. First, along with Jeff Kinney, as an example of someone crossing over from webcomics. Second, as a contrast to the subject of the 2010 Abrams book The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death:
Kochman differentiates Hernandez's work, for instance, from that of Brian Fies. "As much as I love Brian Fies, he's not ready for a book about his art; he hasn't been around long enough. Jaime has been."
Quite right. As much as I love Charlie, if he ever suggests doing an Art of book on me, no matter how long I've been around, our relationship is over. What a horrifying idea; what an awful thing to do to a friend. Never gonna happen. (I can delete this post later, right?) Now Kinney, on the other hand . . .
It's a good article. Check it out if that kind of "inside baseball" thing interests you.
Labels: Making a Book
You know what would be an excellent Christmas* gift for the science nut/space fan/history buff/pop culture maven/comic book collector/nostalgic baby boomer/geek/nerd/evil genius/dashing hero/super-cool person in your life?
My book.
I'm just sayin'.
* Also appropriate for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Al Hijra, Ashura, Las Posadas, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Santa Lucia Day, Oatmeal Muffin Day (Dec. 19), or National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day (Dec. 16) (latter two only valid if book is accompanied by an oatmeal muffin or covered in chocolate, respectively).
Labels: Getting the Word Out
ComicArts Book Club Q&A
WHTTWOT was the topic of discussion at last Thursday's meeting of the Abrams ComicArts Book Club, hosted by my publisher Abrams and Bergen Street Comics. If I could've dropped into Ozzie's Coffee Shop in Brooklyn for the evening I would've, but the best I could do from a continent away was agree to answer any questions that came up. The organizers said they had a good turnout. I think a book club dedicated to graphic novels is a great idea, and I wish them much good luck.
Here are their fine questions and my questionable answers:
Q. Mom’s Cancer is very different from Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow. How did you transition from a personal narrative about a mother/son relationship to a fictional father/son tale? Are parts of Whatever Happened similar to your experiences growing up?
BF: The recognition and modest success of Mom’s Cancer opened doors to the possibility of building a writing/cartooning career I’ve wanted my whole life. So: What next? I’d done a book about my family and had no interest in a sequel or anything else autobiographical. I think everyone has one good story to tell about their lives but almost no one has two. I’m not that interesting, and neither are you. I told my story.
Here’s my philosophy of trying to make a living at creative pursuits: no matter how good you are or how hard you work, there’ll always be a million people who draw and write (or sculpt or paint or sing or play piano) better than you. The only thing you really have to offer is your own unique perspective, that little island of things you care passionately about that only you can stand on. I'm pretty sure that's true.
So just talking with my editor Charlie Kochman, trying to answer the “What next?” question, I decided that my island was the central theme of WHTTWOT: What happened to that can-do optimism I grew up with as a child of the Space Age, the sense that tomorrow could be better than today and science could help make it happen? I still feel that way, but it seems no one else does. I thought I had something to say about that. Beating my island analogy to death, I think once you figure out what your message is, you put it in a bottle, throw it into the waves, and hope enough other people find it and relate to it to make it worth doing.
Bits of the book are drawn from personal memories and experience. There are many nods to my family history, which no one else would get. Although I never saw a rocket launch in person and didn’t have that kind of relationship with my dad, the core of the story—that disappointment that I’m never going to live on the Moon or get my flying car and jetpack, as well as the love of comics and futuristic pop culture—is very much me.
Q. Despite it being a novel, a large portion of the book is composed of historical and scientific facts. Did you ever consider a non-fiction format instead?
BF: No. But the characters of Pop, Buddy, Cap Crater and the Cosmic Kid did emerge surprisingly late in the writing process. I’m not sure, but it’s possible my first proposal to my editor didn’t mention them at all.
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? attacks the question posed by its title from three different directions: a recap of technological and historical developments from 1939 to 1975; how those developments affected people’s lives; and the important influence pop culture had on shaping the expectations and realization of the future. The non-fiction historical stuff is only one-third of the tale, and I didn’t think was enough to support a book. Pop and Buddy are my window into the lives of people living through those times, and the “Space Age Adventure” comics-within-the-comic speak for the pop culture influences. Each thread covers ground and says things the other two couldn't. If the reader focuses on just one thread, they’re only getting a third of the story.
One reason Pop and Buddy age abnormally slowly is that their relationship mirrors the arc that (I argue) society followed between 1939 to 1975, from optimistic technological utopianism to pessimistic, cynical dystopianism. The reason the characters are in the book at all is that I thought those social changes sounded very much like a father-son relationship evolving from unquestioning worship to snide disillusion. So I wanted to say something about this 36-year period of history by reflecting it in about 10 years of a kid growing up, then bring the three threads together in a speculative, hopeful, sci-fi future at the end.
Having said that, in retrospect I kind of regret that WHTTWOT is called a “graphic novel,” although that’s the generic term for this sort of big comic book, because I think it led some people to expect something it was never intended to be. If you’re expecting an apple but bite into a peach, you might not like it even if it’s a pretty good peach. WHTTWOT has gotten some great reviews, but a couple of reviewers mentioned that they might have appreciated it more as an essay. To which I’d answer, “Who says it isn’t? Why can’t it be a graphic essay?” It poses a question, makes an argument, offers evidence, reaches conclusions. When I build a time machine, I might go back and put “A Graphic Polemic” on the cover. Let ‘em figure that one out.
Q. Who do you see as the ideal audience for the book? Did you intend this for younger readers as well as adults?
BF: It’s certainly written to be accessible to young readers, as was Mom’s Cancer. I’m very proud that Mom’s Cancer won the top award in Germany for children’s non-fiction literature, and that the Texas Library Association recently recommended WHTTWOT for students in grades 6 through 12, even though I didn’t intend either to be a children’s book.
However, I honestly wouldn’t expect a young reader to be interested in WHTTWOT’s subject matter. Maybe a bright 10 year old. As I hinted in a previous answer, I basically wrote it for me, and hoped there were enough people out there like me to justify my publisher’s investment. My goal was to write a book that I would not be able to put down if I saw it in a bookstore. I’m not surprised that the people who seem to be responding most positively are those who grew up through some of the same times and ask themselves the same questions I did. Or, as my wife says, boomer nerds.
Q. The omission of a mother figure stirred up some debate. Why did you make this choice? Did you anticipate strong reactions?
BF: Ah yes, whatever happened to Mom? I didn't anticipate strong reactions or any reactions at all, which was foolish of me because it was the first question my wife asked. I should’ve known.
There was a Mom in an early draft of the book. I drew exactly one panel with her. Mom’s role in the story was basically to provide exposition and ask questions. When I decided that Buddy would narrate the book in captions, Mom suddenly had a lot less to do. As I worked, putting words into the mouths of Pop and Buddy was fun and easy, while thinking of things for Mom to say and do was very hard, and always seemed to detour from the story I wanted to tell. In keeping with my notion that cartooning is about distilling things to their essence, I finally decided that Mom wasn’t essential to the story and cut her. Since my first book was all about a Mom and other strong women, I didn't feel like I particularly owed the universe a Mom in my second book as well.
The only remaining evidence of Buddy's Mom.
I suspect she would've resembled Officer Mooney.
I really didn’t expect anyone to notice or care, any more than someone watching “The Wizard of Oz” wonders what happened to Dorothy’s parents. I didn’t see any point in having Pop and Buddy explain what happened to Mom because they both already knew, and any exposition about it would’ve been unnaturally forced (“Say, do you remember that time when Mom and I . . . ?”). Mom might be dead, divorced, separated, or otherwise out of Pop’s and Buddy’s lives. My theory is that she’s still around, just upstairs, at work, or out of the house when we happen to look in on her fellas. Buddy has to be living with someone while Pop’s away during World War II. And when Pop and Buddy are building their little construction project in 1955, there are three cots in the basement, not two.
Q. You’ve obviously done a ton of research. What were your best/most interesting/most surprising sources?
BF: Both the beauty and curse of doing a graphic novel is that nothing goes on the page unless you mean to put it there. I took my research very seriously and filled up three thick binders, probably a couple thousand pages in all, with references for everything. If I drew a cola bottle or street light, I wanted it to be right for the time and place. For later decades, I was able to draw on my own family photos and personal memories. A lot of the furniture and such from the 1950s on were things my family had.
I especially loved finding material and learning more about the 1939 World’s Fair. As I mentioned in the Endnotes, I watched hours of public-domain home movies shot at the fair, and bought ephemera like maps, pins, and a little felt pennant that I put to good use. I can’t describe how happy I was to stumble across the actual circuit diagram for the RCA television that debuted at the fair, which I used as a graphic backdrop for the two-page spread on Pages 14 and 15.
In general, I experienced this weird phenomenon in which information and resources emerged exactly when I needed them. For example, just when I started to color the “Space Age Adventure” comic books, a veteran comic book pro posted on his blog a very detailed description of how the old comics were colored that was enormously useful to me. There were the home movies and circuit diagram. World War II propaganda posters. Some of the space photos in later chapters. Whenever I needed something, the universe seemed to drop it in my lap. It was almost eerie.
Since the book came out, I’ve been gratified to hear from a few folks who were first-hand witnesses to events I depicted and told me I got it right. MAD Magazine’s Al Jaffee attended the World’s Fair as a young man getting ready to go to war, and wrote to tell me I made him feel as if he were right there again. Imagine what it means as a cartoonist to have Al Jaffee say you did good.
Thanks for reading my book and engaging it enough to ask thoughtful questions. Much appreciated! I’ll be happy to follow up here, elsewhere, or privately.
Labels: Events, Getting the Word Out
Crossing the Porcelain Rubicon
A line was crossed in my home this week, casting me adrift in an abyss from which, I fear, there is no return.
There was a time, in this civilization of ours, when a man was the master of his technology. He could sharpen his axe, hitch his wagon, fix his plow. Well into the 20th century, he could lift the hood of his car to do a tune-up and fix a carburetor. He could open the back panel of his TV or radio, pull out a tube, and go to the hardware store for a replacement (I remember shops equipped with self-service tube testers as late as the '80s). Many a mechanic or inventor was born tinkering in a garage or on a workbench spattered with silver drops of solder. Today? Everything comes hermetically sealed in black boxes, with dire warnings of electrocution--or worse, a voided warranty--if cracked open. These are sad times for a curious, mechanically minded person. You simply can't tell anymore how something works just by looking at it and fiddling around.
Which is to say, I no longer understand my toilet.
Because California is inconveniently a desert with chronic drought that people keep moving to anyway, our local water agency is running an incentive program to replace everyone's old water-guzzling toilets with modern low-flow models. Free! When we made the call, we didn't realize the offer was really a Trojan Horse meant to sneak the water cops through the door so they could also install low-flow aerators and showerheads on every outlet. So be it. They left us the old fixtures, and The Man will take away my right to a long, hot, gut-punching shower when he can pry my cold, dead body out of the stall.
The anxiety of installing a low-flow toilet comes from wondering if it'll take care of everything it's supposed to, if you know what I mean. The plumber reassured me with statistics about volumes and pressures versus how many grams of matter (if you still know what I mean) that people of different sexes, sizes, and dietary habits are apt to produce (yeah, I'm pretty sure you know what I mean). This guy really knew his poo, and I felt reassured that we were in the hands of a master, even if I didn't actually want to touch his hands.
Anyway, I was a quick convert. These toilets are amazing! With a light tap on the handle, the pressure-assist model we selected roars like a Space Shuttle at launch. WHOOOSH! Curtains flutter in distant rooms. In the backyard, autumn leaves cascade from our trees. Somewhere in Africa, a bull elephant recognizes the low lonesome call of a mate and looks longingly across the ocean. Curious to learn how such marvels were accomplished, I lifted the lid and eagerly gazed into the sacred heart of the porcelain ark.
A black box. Another featureless, seamless, impenetrable case, the mysteries of which a non-professional dare not plumb.
This sad fact renders me almost completely helpless in the face of the everyday technology that surrounds me. I can still confidently tackle minor electrical work--changing switches and installing light fixtures and such--and pound nails and patch holes and glue PVC. But I'm afraid that the humble toilet, whose elegant engineering I understood as previous generations once knew the engine block of a Ford or the coils of an old Philco radio, has evolved beyond my comprehension. The day I have to call a plumber to fix my toilet--and that day will come, my friends--will be the day a tiny piece of the manly pioneering spirit that made this country great withers in humiliation inside me.
What Immortal Hand or Eye Dare Frame Thy Fearful Symmetry?
I guess I'm the last person on the Internet to see this, and only because my pal Mike Lynch posted it this morning. I can only think of a few regular readers who'll dig it (hi, girls! XO, Dad). But sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.
Have a nice weekend, everyone.
Academic Follies
My twin girls, who with two of their artistic friends helped me digitally color WHTTWOT, will be graduating from college next year and are now applying to grad schools. I think they're doing it because they noticed their Mom and I still have some money left.
In any case, they're busy submitting applications, sending transcripts, wrangling recommendations, and writing essays. One very large, well-known public institution to which they're both applying (in different programs) requires them to write an essay in response to a prompt that really rubs me the wrong way everytime I read it:
Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include information on how you have overcome barriers to access higher education, evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others, evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups.
I've got no beef with the first sentence. They want to know who you are beyond your transcript. Great. The rest seems utterly, fatuously, ridiculously irrelevant. What does any of that have to do with the quality of your intellect or your fitness to contribute to an academic field? Could Einstein or Salk have cleared that hurdle at age 21? Could the university's own faculty?
What if you instead spent your time fighting forest fires, rescuing stray animals, writing novels, caring for the elderly, discovering comets, starting a company, playing championship tennis, working on the family farm, serving three tours of duty in Iraq, flipping burgers to pay tuition, or sailing solo around the world? Or, heaven forbid, studying? Couldn't one be a good citizen, interesting person, and outstanding scholar ready to contribute to an academic field without "advancing equitable access . . . (to) groups that have been historically underrepresented?" Doesn't that seem overtly, inappropriately political in that it assumes such efforts are the best, highest uses for one's time, or that everyone worth admitting would find them worthwhile?
My wife tries to calm me down by pointing out that the school is trying to build an academic community, and has the right to seek qualities that it thinks best contribute. I get that for a private institution; if you apply to a Christian Bible college, you'd best be ready to praise the Lord. But this is a public university. Should it really be judging applicants based on their commitment to a very narrow vision of social justice?
If I were in my daughters' position, I'd be tempted--seriously
tempted--to answer the first sentence as earnestly as possible, and the rest with one of the following:
1. I've overcome no significant barriers because I was raised by parents who worked hard, saved their money, made sacrifices, and provided guidance so I wouldn't have to. I tried to be prepared for changing circumstances, and planned ahead to meet academic challenges and solve problems before they arose. It worked.
2. I have tried to "advance equitable access to higher education for women" by being one of them and working extremely hard for the last 16 years. (Since the large majority of U.S. university graduates are now women, my efforts have succeeded. You're welcome.) I did nothing to discourage any member of any underrepresented group from working just as hard.
3. I have in fact done much community service work, but I did it in the spirit of charity, with the belief that such aid is a private matter between me and those who receive it, without any expectation that I would materially benefit from it myself. To honor that spirit and out of respect for those on whose behalf I worked, I respectfully decline to respond.
4. I didn't have time because I was doing other things I thought were more important. If you want to ask me about them sometime, I'll be happy to tell you.
5. None of your damn business.
Do you think I'd get in?
...Or, as it's known in other countries, Thursday.
(Old gags last because they're good.)
Before I head off over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house to eat myself sick, I had a few thoughts about the video I posted yesterday.
One of my favorite themes is my view (shared by many but not all) that cartooning is about abstracting and distilling stories, situations, and characters to their essence. You don't have a lot of space or words to work with, so everything has to be there for a reason and have an impact. Given those constraints, one of the hardest things to pull off is characterization, and when I see someone else quickly create a character with personality that I care about, I look hard to see how they did it.
With that in mind, let me direct your attention to yesterday's Muppet video and the character of Animal, the toothy red furball who appears about 50 seconds in. Look at the range of emotions he expresses in quick succession: wistfulness, yearning, joy, excitement, loneliness, despair, renewed hope. In less than a minute, we know Animal: impulsive, not too bright but with a heart of gold. We like him. We know what he wants: few drives are more primal than needing your mama. All accomplished through the repetition of one word by a wad of red fluff wrapped around someone's hand.
This economy of characterization is something the Muppet creators have always done very well. The Pixar people also excel at it (check out Luxo Jr. from 1986 below, one of their first; they've only gotten better since), as are the best cartoonists. In four or five panels, with nothing but ink and a dozen or two words, Charles Schulz and Bill Watterson could reveal the souls of Charlie Brown or Calvin, and make you care enough to come back tomorrow.
If you want to be a writer or cartoonist, study Animal or Luxo Jr., or Charlie or Calvin, and figure out how they manage to tug at your heart just a little.
Labels: How I Approach Cartooning
A Rhapsody of Thanks
With tomorrow marking Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., I reflect on all for which I am truly most thankful: family, friends, health, work, and this:
It's got nothing to do with the holiday. I'm just thankful.
I'm a Texas Library Association Maverick
WHTTWOT was just named one of 54 graphic novels recommended to public and school librarians by the Texas Library Assocation. The purpose of the "Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List" is to encourage students in grades 6 through 12 to explore a variety of current books. One of them's mine.
The selected graphic novels are grouped by appropriate age ranges--grades 6-8, grades 9-12, adult titles for young adults--and mine is recommended for the entire swath of grades 6 through 12, which I'm proud of. I wrote it that way on purpose, and think there's something in it for everyone. Even (and maybe most especially) adults. Plus, I'm in some excellent company: other writers whose books made the list include Neil Gaiman, Lynda Barry, Rick Geary, Ray Bradbury (for an adaptation of Fahrenheit 451), and my new favorite colleague Robert Louis Stevenson (for an adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde).
Ponder for a moment the possibility of your name ending up on the same list as Bradbury's and Stevenson's, then try to tell me that's not pretty cool.
To paraphrase Garfield (the cat, not the president), this is a big, fat, hairy honor. The Texas Library Association is large, respected, and influential. Librarians in states far from the Lone Star State look to its recommendations to guide their buying decisions. This selection is one of the better things to happen for WHTTWOT and I appreciate it very much.
Don't mess with Texas . . . or you'll have to answer to me.
Greg Evans on Cartooning
My buddy Mike Lynch found this and I stole it (Mike, you've got to size those YouTube videos to fit your blog, the right edge is cut off!). This is Greg Evans, creator of the syndicated comic strip "Luann," giving a little clinic on cartooning fundamentals to a group of teachers.
A couple of reflections: Evans is a good speaker (I've also seen him in person). A lot of this is really basic stuff, but consider the audience: a group of "civilians" who probably haven't tried to draw anything since first grade and don't think they can--the "I can't even draw a straight line" people (an excuse that bugs me--I can't draw a straight line either, nor do I need to. That's why they invented rulers and t-squares. Straight lines are boring. It's the non-straight lines that have life.) Evans' approach is direct, practical, and accessible. You watch him and think, "I could do that!" Of course Evans has spent 25 years working hard to make it look simple, but even if his audience discovers they can't quite conjure the same action and personality out of simple shapes and lines that he does, they've still learned something that can enrich their lives and jobs.
Evans actually makes a fairly sophisticated point about drawing a character from both the front and profile. This is something I spend time on and try to get right when creating a new character: can I draw them from the front, side, rear, top, three-quarters view? In animation these are called "turnarounds." This is where it helps to construct characters out of fundamental shapes: if your character is basically a spherical head atop a cube body resting on cylindrical legs, you can do anything with them. You may find that your character just doesn't work in certain orientations. Evans mentions Cathy Guisewite's "Cathy," who has no nose and is very seldom drawn in profile. I'm also reminded of the trouble the "Peanuts" animators had showing the characters raising their stubby arms above their big round heads (which was solved by only drawing them doing so in profile). Sometimes you'll figure out a way to live with a character's limitations, sometimes you'll redesign them.
I think anyone can draw. Maybe not everyone wants to, and that's fine. Some are better than others, and most lack the skill to make money doing it (although practice compensates for a lot), but so what? Lots of people write stories, cook gourmet meals, or play sports with no expectation of turning pro, just because they enjoy it. It doesn't have to be perfect; no one needs to see it but you. Give it a shot sometime.
Trip Report: Miami Book Fair
I'm gonna try to keep this snappy. I spent all of Monday afternoon on a plane and got home late last night from the Miami Book Fair International, where I was treated well, met some great people, and had a fine time. Going in I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and I got it.
Newly arrived at the hotel Saturday evening, I stepped out of the taxi into a crowd of handsome men in elegant evening wear and beautiful women in sequined gowns. "Holy crap," I thought. "If these people are authors, this will be the most humiliating weekend of my life." I hitched up my khakis, slung my canvas bag over my shoulder, and mustered all the dignity I possessed just to walk through the lobby, check in, and meet Editor Charlie in the restaurant. It turned out my anxiety was in vain: all the pretty people were there to attend an event hosted by Donald Trump hawking his latest investment scheme. I should've known. Writers are lucky if they remember to wear socks.
Even better, Charlie was at the restaurant with cartoonist, author and publisher Denis Kitchen, and longtime MAD Magazine editor Nick Meglin. I already knew Denis but I'd never met Nick, and I opened by expressing heartfelt respect for the man who led MAD through all the years I read it. He deftly deflected my star-struck flattery, and in a few minutes we were talking about comics like old friends. He's a very funny man with terrific stories.
The four of us left the hotel and made our way to an author's reception many blocks away, where we enjoyed a little wine, scant hors d'oeuvres, and some good company. That's where I met
Neil Kleid, creator of the graphic novel The Big Kahn, with whom I'd be doing my panel the next day. Neil and I had already swapped some ideas for our talk via e-mail, but really had our first chance to sit and talk about the panel and comics and life. Great guy. Buy his books.
Also at the party were a few more graphic novelists (notably Dan Goldman), writer and Daily Show correspondent Larry Wilmore, whom I did not approach, and writer Roy Blount Jr., whom I not only approached but pretty much stalked. Mr. Blount is a witty prose stylist with a distinguished literary career. I am probably the worst kind of fan an author like Mr. Blount could have: I know I've read a lot of his work and loved it, but I could not for the life of me think of a single specific piece of his to talk about. This had the effect of making me look like an idiot. Mr. Blount was nevertheless gracious and charming, even as he and a small group of us (including Charlie, Denis, Nick and Neil) ended the evening waiting on a dark Miami street corner for a promised shuttle back to the hotel that took forever to arrive.
Meeting Mr. Blount might've been the highlight of my weekend if I hadn't gone to the hotel bar afterward. I don't spend a lot of time in bars, but I was on West Coast time and midnight (9 p.m. Pacific) was just too early to retire. Neil and I adjourned for a beer and were joined by John Shableski, the sales manager for Diamond Direct Distributing, which makes him the most important person in the comics industry you've never heard of. John knows Charlie (everyone knows Charlie) and he's always had nice things to say about Mom's Cancer, particularly as an introductory graphic novel for those who don't know them. It was great to finally meet him and get his perspective on the business.
And then we were joined by cartoonist and teacher Carol Tyler. Maybe all you need to know about Carol is that she walked into a bar filled with wannabe Trumps slowly twirling a cheerleader's baton. It's just something she always wanted to learn. When she heard I'd done Mom's Cancer she jumped up and gave me a big hug. Then she gave everyone else a hug. Cynicism shrivels in her presence. I think Carol Tyler is a force of nature deposited on our planet just to create comics, inspire creativity, and make people happy.
The Fair took over Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus in the middle of the city. Little tented booths lined both sides of several streets--probably six blocks worth in total--with a dozen panels and talks happening simultaneously in different campus buildings.
Tightly packed booths lined the streets. I got in early and shot this photo before many people had arrived. It got crowded later, but never unpleasantly so.
That picture illustrates something about the Fair that struck me: although it's considered a major event in the book business and attracts top talent (speakers included Al Gore, Ralph Nader, Margaret Atwood, and Jonathan Lethem), the booths were mostly occupied by used-book peddlers and niche publishers rather than the big publishing houses I'd expected. As it was, I found the Fair an interesting and nice mix of high-powered literary wattage and affordable populism. I even bought a swell used book myself (Viking Orbiter Views of Mars, NASA, 1980. Ten bucks!).
My Sunday brunch, shortly before I had to go to work. Several food stalls were set up at the Fair, including the Greek place where I bought this. The salad and rice were ordinary, but the shish-kabob was really extraordinary. I don't know how it was marinated but it was extremely tender and tasty. Also note the yellow cloth bag illustrated with the official poster of the Miami Book Fair, drawn by Jeff Kinney. I swear, everywhere I look . . .
Editor Charlie (left) moderating a panel immediately before mine--in fact in the same room--on the art and life of Harvey Kurtzman, longtime contributor to MAD and Playboy. He was joined by former MAD editor Nick Meglin, Denis Kitchen (who wrote a book on Kurtzman edited by Charlie and published by Abrams), and Kurtzman's daughter Nellie.
The audience for the Kurtzman panel, which I'm including because it looked a lot like the audience for mine.
Neil and I ready to start our panel, which ended in insults and a slap fight. I'm embarrassed I've already forgotten the name of the woman introducing us, but she was nice and had a lovely French accent.
I think our hour-long panel went well. Neil and I weren't quite sure why we were put together in the first place; I was told it was because our work shared a theme of fathers and sons, which as a panel topic didn't really inspire either of us. Neither were we much interested in doing a traditional reading, which prose authors can get away with but I always find frustrating and awkward when cartoonists do it. I mean, you can project the page on the screen and read it aloud, but the audience usually reads ahead of you and it seems fairly pointless to me.
Instead, we decided to focus on the language of comics--the graphic and narrative tools comics offer a writer that no other medium does--illustrated by examples from our books. We hoped to offer something for both people who already knew comics and those who may love books but are still figuring out how these new-fangled graphic novels work. We each showed some slides and then spent several minutes just talking to each other, took some good questions, and were done. I think it was kind of a risky approach but I also think it worked, and gave our audience something they probably wouldn't have gotten at any other panel.
Neil and I signing at a table downstairs immediately after the panel. Unfortunately, the Fair didn't receive its order of Neil's books in time, which was a big disappointment. Neil instead offered to draw sketches for anyone who wanted, and was a big hit with a couple of families' kids.
WHTTWOT for sale directly across from the signing table. We sold a couple. This picture's going in my Facebook Fan Page's "In the Wild" album.
Oh yeah . . . and it looks like I'm doing a new book.
Man. I didn't keep that snappy at all.
Und Wir Träumten Von Der Zukunft
Well, my day is made!
I just got a package from Editor Charlie bringing me the German edition of WHTTWOT, titled Und Wir Träumten Von Der Zukunft ("And We Dreamed About the Future"), which I think is a pretty swell title. Here's how she looks:
I blogged a while back about preparing the art for this edition--basically layering my Photoshop files so all the English could be easily stripped and replaced with German. On first read-through, I think the publisher Knesebeck (which also put out the German edition of Mom's Cancer) did a good job of it. They ably inserted cheap newsprint for the "Space Age Adventures" comics-within-the-comic, which is the tricky part. The cover doesn't have the same wrap-around paper "belly band" jacket as the original, but they were able to capture a similar feel by applying a glossy varnish to the "futuristic" half of the image above. It works well, and if/when we do a U.S. paperback we might use the same trick ourselves. I also took the opportunity to repair a few flaws, which I suppose makes this the most definitive version to date.
I think this is pretty cool! Many thanks to Knesebeck for taking on my book and doing such a nice, thoughtful job with it.
The video below is a touching five-minute piece about a group of volunteers who transport World War II vets from around the country to see their new memorial in Washington, D.C. We're losing these men and women fast, and I don't think we can honor them enough before it's too late.
If my grandfather had lived a while longer, I'm sure he would've been on the bus with the rest of those boys. He was born in 1908, so already in his mid-thirties during the war. He was at D-Day and fought through Europe, and like most of his generation rarely talked seriously about it, although he had a couple of funny stories about guarding German POWs he liked to tell. I asked him about D-Day once, and all he said was, "the water was literally red with blood," with just about as haunted a look as I've ever seen. You don't ask a lot of follow-up questions after that.
The second chapter of WHTTWOT is set in 1945, giving me an opportunity to honor grandpa in a small way. On the final page of the chapter (page 60), we see that the boy Buddy keeps a snapshot of his Pop on his makeshift workbench:
And here's a snapshot of my grandpa, Leo P. Whalen, serving his country as a member of the U.S. Army's Ninth Air Force, 1942-45:
Thanks, veterans.
Looking Forward to the Miami Book Fair
Found a nice article by Calvin Reid at Publishers Weekly talking about the new, higher profile of comics and graphic novels at the Miami Book Fair, where I'll be doing a panel with Neil Kleid Sunday at 1:30:
And look for Weekend Comics on Saturday and Sunday, a slate of panels featuring comics artists discussing their latest works, including David Small (Stitches); Laurie Sandell (The Impostor’s Daughter); Tim Hamilton (Fahrenheit 451); Brian Fies (Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?); Neil Kleid (The Great Kahn) and Marisa Acocella Marchetto (Cancer Vixen). The Miami Book Fair International is one of the biggest book festivals in the country and attracts more than 250,000 people over the course of a week.
Yikes! That's bigger than the San Diego Comic-Con. It occurs to me for the first time that some people might actually attend this dog-and-pony-and-spaceship show of mine. Happily, I intend to be prepared.
If by chance you're in the Miami area and interested, the Fair folk are dedicating all of Friday to "The School of Comics and Graphic Novels," with several speakers, panels, workshops for teachers and librarians, and more. Also, don't miss a panel Sunday at noon moderated by my editor Charlie Kochman on the art of Harvey Kurtzman. Unfortunately, I probably will miss at least the start of the Kurtzman panel because I'm scheduled to be interviewed by Barbara Howard of BlogTalk Radio at the same time. Which is not unfortunate at all.
Stories, photos and links will all follow afterward, I'm sure. I've never been to an event quite like this, and expect to have a great time.
Polaroid Lives
I just read a great article on Wired.uk about a group of tech wizards and investors dedicated to resurrecting Polaroid film. You may recall that Polaroid discontinued its instant camera and film production in 2007. Stockpiles of the old film are almost gone. The article describes how the man in charge of scrapping the machinery used to make the film packs was instead convinced by a passionate Polaroid fan to save them, and ended up putting together a team of experienced Polaroid hands to revive the factory and manufacture the film themselves.
The thing about Polaroid is that it's more than the sum of camera plus film. It's also society and culture and art, as evocative of an era and lifestyle as a hula hoop or Atari 2600. As an artistic medium, Polaroid photography provides a look and feel no digital medium can duplicate. Plus, in today's era of digital manipulation, a Polaroid image is absolutely authentic, one of a kind, and impossible to trick. What the camera sees is what you get. The article aptly compares Polaroid film and cameras to vinyl records and turntables. Imperfection is part of the charm. No one expects Polaroid to be the commercial giant it once was, but the new investors think they can turn a profit with a business about one-tenth the size of the old one.
What made this story blogworthy for me was that the new company, which calls itself "The Impossible Project," has contacted my friend Paul Giambarba to help them. I've written about Paul before; he designed the original branding and packaging that made Polaroid the hottest product of its day. Everything Apple is doing today to convince you that it's the hip young alternative to stodgy old PCs was pioneered by Polaroid (vis a vis Kodak). My buddy Paul helped invent that strategy. He says it feels good to be back in the saddle again, and I don't think The Impossible Project could have made a smarter hire.
Enjoying a couple of cold ones over lunch with Paul, 2006
A sample of Paul's work for Polaroid: boxes full of wonder and joy. If you're of a certain age, one look at that clean, clever rainbow striping is extremely evocative. See what I mean about Apple? Somebody there is an attentive student of the School of Giambarba.
And here's a glimpse of Paul on a segment about Polaroid done in early 2008 for the CBS Sunday News. This was broadcast just after Polaroid announced it was going out of business and before anyone had stepped up to revive it. Just a note that the corporate weasel at the end, Tom Petters, was subsequently busted by the FBI for alleged involvement in a $100 million investment fraud. Sorry about all the superimposed type on this version ("No More Polaroid Film!" and so forth), it was put there by a fervid fan and wasn't in the original.
If you're interested in Paul's work or the history of 20th century design in general, check out Paul's blog. It contains more information, experience, and wisdom than you'll often find gathered in one place. For a not-so-tall man Paul is a giant, and I'm proud to know him.
Coolest Picture Ever: The Conspiracy Deepens
My new best friend Jim O'Kane brings us the latest Coolest Picture Ever, a continuing series of photos I post--mostly of space stuff--that make the voice in my head exclaim "Holy Moley!" (because the voice in my head thinks in a pastiche of 1940s comic book slang).
I believe this is the second time I've posted images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a probe that's been circling the Moon for months shooting images of incredible quality, resolving objects down to a couple feet in size. The last LRO photos I posted were of the Apollo 11 and 14 landing sites, showing the lunar lander descent stages and some of the footpaths the astronauts left as they scuffed about the powdery surface. This one's even better:
The flag! You can see the flag!
To help you get your bearings, here's what we're looking at. The big white object in the photo above is the bottom half of the Apollo 17 lander in the photo below--basically the legs and gold base. The astronauts blasted off in the top half. The dark traces are footpaths or pairs of wheel tracks left by the Lunar Rover (the dune buggy in the photo below). Other new photos available at the LROC website pinpoint where the astronauts set out scientific instruments and parked the Rover, which is just off the right edge of the photo above. The image width is 102 meters, about the length of a football field plus an end zone. It's fun to compare the LRO pictures to those taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts at the time (again, see LROC).
It's amazing what an elaborate hoax you can create when you've got 40 years to work on it. Of course, I'm part of the "Man really landed on the Moon nudge nudge wink wink" conspiracy, too. My role is to pose as a private citizen and make fun of people who believe in the conspiracy; writing graphic novels is just my cover story. In fact, WHTTWOT was actually written by a team of NASA bureaucrats working in a warehouse in Huntsville, Alabama.
I probably shouldn't have said that.
EDITED TO ADD: I just found this video of the Apollo 17 astronauts blasting off from the Moon, leaving behind the descent stage. This is the very last time anyone saw it before LRO photographed it. The obvious question: Who took the video? It was transmitted to Earth by a camera mounted on the Lunar Rover. So how did it tilt up to follow the spacecraft? I think (maybe Jim or someone else can confirm or correct me) it was controlled from Earth, with the second-and-a-half communications delay taken into account. Either that, or a Teamster working on a soundstage in Area 51 did it.
Labels: Coolest Picture Ever, Space
Sequential Tart Interview II: Return of the Tart
Part Two of the interview I did with MK Czerwiec has appeared at the Sequential Tart website, and again I have to thank MK for asking what I thought were some great, thoughtful questions and turning our long talk into a readable piece. She put a lot of work into it.
Content aside, one thing that interests me about the interview is that it's pretty unfiltered. It's an accurate transcript of our conversation. Like many people I think I write better than I speak, and the interview catches me repeating myself and uttering sentences that kind of wander around without quite arriving anywhere. You know, like people really talk. I like MK's choice not to clean that stuff up because it makes for a more naturalistic interview that's really more like eavesdropping on two people enjoying a friendly chat. Which we were. The writer/journalist in my liked the approach.
Anyway. The last part of the interview is probably as cogent a statement of my philosophy of life and art as anyone will ever get out of me or I'm capable of forming. If anybody cares what I think about anything, that's pretty much it. Thanks again, MK.
"I’ll take one naive optimist trying to do anything over fifty bitter cynics who just criticize them for doing anything." .
Inking with Tennapel
The video below is a neat 10-minute interview/tutorial with writer-artist Doug Tennapel on how he approaches inking. There's some good practical cartooning advice, but also some creative and philosophical musing that I really appreciated. I especially liked his opening expression of passion for the sensuality of working with actual paper and ink rather than digitally, an opinion that carries some weight because he's good at both. I feel the same way. Which is not to say I do everything the same way he does:
I use a smaller brush. On Mom's Cancer and WHTTWOT I used a much smaller brush, but am now trying a bigger one for what I hope will be my next project. It's still half the size of his.
In addition to brush, I use crowquill nibs and Micron pens. I don't know if Tennapel does, we don't see him use them in the video. In general, my work is a lot tighter and cleaner than his, which isn't necessarily a positive. It's just different. I do envy his casual confidence and inky spontaneity. He's really good.
I share his opinion of the quality of Higgins Black Magic ink but still use it anyway. However, I've gotten into the habit of leaving the cap off a new bottle for a few days to thicken and darken it, which seems to help.
He's a much more diligent brush cleaner than I am. I don't suck the ink out of the bristles with my mouth and then look at the color of my spit to see if it's clean. However, I do finish off my rinsing regimen with a little spit spin through my fingertips. (TMI?)
His goal of putting out one graphic novel per year for the rest of his productive life strikes me as nuts, or at least overly ambitious. But I appreciate the spirit of the goal, which has occurred to me as well: You've only got so much time on the planet, how will you portion it to accomplish everything you want? If I could cartoon for another 30 years, and had a willing publisher and readers, how much could I do? How much would I want to? Five books? Ten? Thirty? I don't know, but thinking in those terms helps concentrate the mind wonderfully, to paraphrase Dr. Johnson.
And I, too, like seeing ink stains on my fingers at the end of a good day at the drawing board.
I see I haven't mentioned my Facebook presence in a while, and wanted to remind anyone who might care that I have both a Personal Page and a Fan Page for WHTTWOT. Between them and this blog, I'm more web-connected than I honestly ever expected to be, with the pros and cons that implies.
Each venue serves a particular purpose in my mind, and I try not to duplicate everything everywhere although there's obviously some spillover. One feature I've unexpectedly enjoyed is my Fan Page's
"In the Wild" Photo Album, where I post pictures of WHTTWOT wherever readers find it. I've written before that publishing a book is kind of like sending an adult child into the world, never really knowing where it is or what it's up to except for quick and cryptic messages home. The "In the Wild" photos are like picture postcards that my book sends me of its really great travels.
Here are a few recent ones:
Marion Deeds sent this photo of WHTTWOT enthralling an unusually literate cat in Gualala, Calif. This continued a strange yet somehow appropriate theme of "WHTTWOT + Cats" begun by my friends Ronnie and Sherwood. I don't know what it is about cats, but I like it.
Cartoonist Sarah Leavitt posed with WHTTWOT during a book fair in Vancouver, BC, Canada recently. She's a terrific person who has a book coming out soon about losing her mother (in more ways than one) to Alzheimer's Disease. Brian Nicol took the picture.
Jim O'Kane and Nancy Gleason staged this picture to make WHTTWOT look as tall as a rocket next to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Jim has been so great about schlepping my book around the country and photographing it at one amazing site after another that I finally forgave him for pointing out the only error anyone has found in WHTTWOT to date. Not that I want everyone to start looking.
I think the main reason I have fun with "In the Wild" pictures is that my friends and readers have had fun with them. They are definitely one of the big "pros" of being web-connected. Send more!
Labels: Friends Family and People, Getting the Word Out
Sequential Tart Interview
Sequential Tart, a webzine about comics that was an important and generous supporter of Mom's Cancer, has posted Part One of a two-part interview that MK Czerwiec did with me several weeks ago. MK is "Comic Nurse," a registered nurse who loves and makes comics. We've stayed in touch for a few years now, and she worked hard preparing, transcribing, and editing our conversation into this interview.
I think it turned out very nice, and look forward to seeing what I said in Part Two next week. I don't remember; maybe I'll learn something! MK's transcription is faithful, so anything you don't like about it is my fault, not hers.
Thanks a lot, MK, I really appreciate it.
Four-Eyed Frog
Had a very nice weekend in the Northern California coastal town of Gualala, ostensibly to give a talk and sign books at a store called Four-Eyed Frog Books but also just to get a quick vacation that I could partially write off. The shop is owned by brothers Joel and Jeremy Crockett, who were very enthusiastic about WHTTWOT and couldn't have been better hosts.
Joel (left) and Jeremy (right) with some hack
As we'd kind of expected, the audience was small (Gualala has about 500 people total and there's not much else around) but, honestly, was probably the most engaged and interested group per capita that I've ever spoken to. I especially enjoyed meeting a high school cartoonist named Nick and local newspaper editor Steve, as well as rendezvousing with our friends Marion and Dave.
Explaining how the drawing on the easel ended up on the cover
The talk was Saturday at 4. That left Karen and I most of Saturday and half of Sunday to enjoy our environs. We did.
This is how you do a booksigning.
Many thanks to Joel and Jeremy, and everyone who spent part of their Saturday with me. We had a great time, and even managed to sell a couple of books. Bonus!
Two Hours in WimpyWorld
Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, had a signing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore about an hour from my home yesterday, and invited me down for a late lunch beforehand. I really didn't intend to mention it here. Spending time with a friend and then breathlessly blogging about it seems very uncool. However, I found the experience so unique and interesting I couldn't resist. Plus, as you'll see, Jeff knew I'd write about it. My rationalization: very little of this post--just one tiny story--is actually about Jeff. Mostly, it's about the world around Jeff. WimpyWorld.
Here's what you need to know: Jeff is on a book tour to support his new book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, which is currently the bestselling book in the United States. Not kid's book, not graphic novel--the bestselling book, more than Dan Brown, Stephanie Meyer or Sarah Palin. This is the fourth book in the Wimpy Kid series. The first three books remain numbers 23, 24 and 29 on USA Today's list of the Top 150 Bestsellers. Altogether, they've sold tens of millions. A movie is coming out next spring. It's not quite Harry Potter territory, but it's close.
I know Jeff because we have the same editor and publisher. I was at the New York Comic-Con the day Jeff brought his book idea to Editor Charlie, and Jeff has been gracious enough to mention that he did so because he knew Abrams had published Mom's Cancer. So I witnessed Wimpy Kid's publishing birth, and gave Jeff some early advice that he remembers fondly even though he doesn't need it anymore, and we've stayed in touch. Let's just agree that he owes it all to me.
Jeff's signing yesterday was due to start at 5 p.m. We arranged to meet in front of the bookstore at 3 p.m. I arrived early to find a few hundred people already waiting in a line that meandered around the perimeter of the parking lot. They weren't waiting to see Jeff; they were waiting to get a ticket to see Jeff. Mall security looked like it was already overwhelmed and frantically called in reinforcements. A policeman cruised through to figure out why a line of pedestrians was backing up onto the city sidewalk a block away. I called Jeff's cell.
The line along the parking lot when I arrived. It quickly grew to turn right down the lane in the distance and spill out onto the city streets.
"Jeff, I'm in front of the store. I don't think you want to meet me here." I described the scene. He was surprised; apparently crowds have been more modest elsewhere.
"All right," he said. "When you see the bus, just knock on the door. We'll let you in and find somewhere to eat."
"The bus?"
"You didn't know about the bus?"
"No. You have a bus? A bus bus?"
Jeff laughed. "You'll know it when you see it."
A few minutes later, I knew it when I saw it:
The bus. It's usually rented by rock bands on tour. Its previous occupant was the singer Pink. I offered the driver $100 to drive it down my block. He didn't.
The crowd roared. Well, since most of the crowd was younger than 12, it more squealed than roared. Either way, it got excited and loud. I jogged to intercept the bus some distance from the bookstore. Instead of letting me on, Jeff got off, and we ducked into a restaurant while the bus continued to the store, a giant yellow decoy. We had a very nice, quiet time to relax and talk over a pizza, which I ate most of because Jeff has learned not to tackle a marathon booksigning on a full stomach. I let him pick up the check anyway. Two big, loud families of Wimpy Kid fans came in and sat behind us; Jeff kept his head down. We finished and walked over to the bookstore, where the line had vanished because folks had gotten their tickets and either gone inside or left to return later.
Jeff inside the bus. Big-screen TV and entertainment center, full bath, a big master bedroom in the back and six bunks for roadies (which he doesn't have). Evidently, driving around the country in one of these costs about the same as flying from city to city, with a lot more comfort and less hassle. Jeff invited me to stay aboard and ride to Los Angeles with him last night. I may kick myself the rest of my life for declining.
Finally making myself useful, I found Publicist Jason (who travels with Jeff) and helped smuggle Jeff through a side door into a back room of the store. It was now about 4 p.m., and the store had begun a scavenger hunt and other games to keep hundreds of little rascals busy, happy, and non-destructive. Jeff really wanted to start signing early so the kids wouldn't have to wait, but the ticket system made that hard to do. People who had stood in line longest to get the first tickets might not come back until the scheduled start at 5 p.m., and beginning early wouldn't be fair to them. Jeff reluctantly agreed to stick to the plan, and instead sat down to sign every Wimpy Kid book the store had in stock that hadn't already been bought by fans waiting outside. He autographed probably 400 or 500 books before he even began the actual booksigning.
Jeff taking a call in the back room. Publicist Jason is at left and bookstore employees at right. I earned my keep by helping uncrate and stack books for Jeff to sign. Each box holds 40 books.
Here's the one story I'm going to tell about Jeff. I was distracted doing something else when Publicist Jason started to hand me his credit card. Jeff waved him off.
"What?" I asked.
"Would you mind getting Jeff a Jamba Juice?" Jason asked.
"No no," protested Jeff. "You don't have to."
"I'd be happy to get you a Jamba Juice," I said.
"No, it's fine."
"Really. No problem."
"It wouldn't be right," said Jeff. "Besides, you'd put it in your blog and make me look like a jerk."
Looks like I put it in my blog anyway, Jeff. You should've taken the Jamba Juice. (Luckily, Publicist Jason later had a chance to get the Jamba Juice himself.)
With boxes of books autographed and stacked, signing time rolled around. Announcements were made, lines formed throughout the store, a path was cleared between the back room and the signing table near the registers. Knowing I'd have no chance later, I said goodbye to Jeff and we lined up to pierce the throng, a phalanx of bookstore employees, Publicist Jason, Jeff, then me, with a couple of clerks guarding our rear. The door opened; we charged. Children squealed, women wept, and I think a blind man may have touched the hem of Jeff's garment and regained his sight.
A few feet before we reached the table I peeled out of formation and POP! in an instant I was out of the WimpyWorld bubble, just another member of the mob that security wouldn't let stand around taking pictures. (The problem isn't the pictures, it's the standing. Gotta keep things clear and moving.) I signed the store's one copy of Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? and left for home.
Jeff at work. Barnes & Noble counted 2,800 people last night. Insane.
Brian Epstein managed The Beatles. He couldn't play an instrument and no one knew who he was, but everywhere The Beatles went Brian Epstein went, standing behind them or just outside the shot. For two hours yesterday, I got as close I will probably ever get to being Brian Epstein, and it was strange and fun. But I don't think I'd want to be Brian Epstein full time. And I know for sure I wouldn't want to be The Beatles.
Labels: Events, Friends Family and People
Booksigning at Four-Eyed Frog
Just wanted to remind anyone in the neighborhood that I'll be speaking and signing books at a great bookshop called Four-Eyed Frog Books in Gualala, California next Saturday at 4 p.m.
Now, frankly, I don't expect anyone reading this to be in the neighborhood. Almost nobody is in the neighborhood. When I was a kid my family vacationed in the area quite a bit, and Gualala is a tiny town on a remote stretch of classic Northern California Coast: rugged cliffs, pounding surf, minimal beach, gorgeous. Did I mention remote? Karen and I are using the event as a good excuse for a weekend getaway. Four-Eyed Frog looks to be a lovingly run shop engaged in its community, and I'm looking forward to it a lot.
I'd love to see you. I don't expect to see you, but I'd love to.
What Immortal Hand or Eye Dare Frame Thy Fearful S...
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Miso tells war stories
NBC has strong start with This Is Us
Europe seeks scripted formats
Behind the scenes of EST’s Broken Pieces
Building on The Bridge: Filmlance’s Lars Blomgren on Nordic drama
AMC goes for Broke
By Michael Pickard
Jonas Allen says Warrior will tackle issues new to Denmark
Television schedules are no strangers to stories of war. From BBC1’s The Crimson Field, which was produced to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War last year, to RTL’s Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83, conflicts continue to provide scriptwriters with a host of compelling stories.
Fresh from producing historical epic 1864, which is set against the backdrop of one of Europe’s bloodiest ever battles, Denmark’s Miso Film is now turning its attention to a drama that will examine issues that are new to the country.
The prodco has partnered with writer/director Christoffer Boe for six-part series Warrior (fka Prospect), which is based on an idea from Boe and is being developed with Simon Pasternak.
It tells the story of a former soldier who struggles to find his way back into society after returning home from war. When he learns that a friend and fellow former soldier has committed suicide, he sets out to learn the truth behind his death.
Miso Film co-founder Jonas Allen says Warrior confronts a topic that is still very new for people in Denmark. He explains: “Christoffer is a very talented director so we wanted to work with him – but we really liked the story. It’s about a soldier coming back from war in Afghanistan. This is new in Denmark – having veterans coming back, having people in service and Denmark stepping into a war in present times.
“This story is about a soldier returning and trying to cope, but he can’t really find his place in society. I think that’s very interesting in the time we’re in right now.”
Warrior is set to go into production in spring 2016, and will air on TV2 in Denmark.
1864: ‘It’s overwhelming that people really loved the show,’ says Allen
Meanwhile, 1864 was recently nominated for Best Drama at the Golden Nymph Awards, which took place earlier this month at the Monte Carlo TV Festival (though the prize was won by UK/US copro The Missing). The show’s stars Jens Setter-Lassen and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina were also nominated, for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.
The eight-part series tells the story of two brothers who sign up for the army when war breaks out between Denmark and Prussia, and follows the love triangle they become embroiled in during a brutal conflict.
Allen says: “1864 aired last fall on DR. We were very pleased – we had one of the greatest openings. I think it was about 1.8 million viewers or 67% audience share. Our average was 1.4 million viewers, which was great.
“You look forward to the premiere and the reaction, and then it came out on BBC Four. It’s overwhelming that people really loved the show. It’s a great launch for the international market, and it also just premiered on Arte in France.”
Miso Film is also preparing to begin shooting the third season of its TV2 crime drama Dicte, which is based on Elsebeth Egholm’s novels. Production will get underway in September.
tagged in: 1864, Christoffer Boe, Denmark, Deutschland 83, DR, Jonas Allen, Miso Film, TV2, Warrior
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Tax exemptions unveiled for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
BEIJING, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Tuesday introduced tax exemptions for entities, enterprises and individuals that support preparations and test events for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Starting Tuesday, the exemptions awarded by the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration and the General Administration of Customs will benefit participants including sponsors, broadcasters and coaches.
Business income tax, individual income tax, value-added tax, consumption tax and stamp tax are among the categories to be lifted for qualified taxpayers.
China adopted similar preferential tax policies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics that struck off a variety of taxes including the "victory tax" on athletes.
Wednesday will mark 800 days to go until the Beijing 2022 games, which are slated to kick off on Feb. 4, 2022.
The first test event for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is set to be held in February 2020.
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China's Pan secures Olympic spot in sport climbing
PARIS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Pan Yufei is among six new Olympians after having progressed through the men's qualification round at the IFSC Combined Qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games in Toulose, France.
The four days of competition in Toulouse grant quota places to an additional six athletes per gender for Tokyo 2020, after the 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships had determined seven places each for men and women.
Two Japanese athletes advanced to the eight-man final, which means Adam Ondra (Czech Republic), Alberto Gines Lopez (Spain), Jan Hojer (Germany), Bassa Mawem (France), Nathaniel Coleman (United States) and Pan all secured their tickets to Tokyo 2020, as Japan was already guaranteed full representation as the host of next year's Olympics. Each National Olympic Committee is limited to a maximum of two athletes in sport climbing.
Ondra was the top qualifier on the strength of a first in Lead, 2nd in Boulder and 7th in Speed after posting a personal best time. Lopez, just 17 year old, is the youngest to qualify.
The 17-year-old Pan, a Guangdong native, finished fifth in the Youth Olympic Games last year in Buenos Aires.
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Renovating Buildings To High Energy Performance Standards
Articles / Spring 2013 / Renovating Buildings To High Energy Performance Standards
By The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE)
...an effective investment delivering multiple benefits - if done properly
The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) has recently published a guide on how to efficiently develop national building renovation strategies. The concise document highlights the multiple benefits arising from improving the energy performance of buildings and looks into the important challenges and their achievement.
In Europe, deep renovations are specifically encouraged by article 4 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED, 2012/27/EU) through the requirement for Member States to establish long term strategies for the renovation of national building stocks covering all building types, including residential and non-residential buildings, whether in private, public or mixed ownership.
Alongside EED, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD, 2010/31/EU), recast in 2010, sets out numerous requirements including energy performance certification of buildings, inspection regimes for boilers and air conditioning plants, and requirements for new buildings to be nearly zero energy. EPBD also sets minimum energy performance standards for buildings undergoing major renovation. Together, EED and EPBD provide a framework for Member States to drive the reduction of energy use in buildings, thereby delivering a range of economic, environmental, societal and energy security benefits described below.
BPIE's renovation guide argues for Member States to be visionary when planning for a long term strategy for building stock renovation: it is vital that national renovation strategies are ambitious in their scope and coverage, and that they take full advantage of the state of the art, in terms of technology, policy and institutional arrangements. The guide describes the strategy development process in detail, zooms in on the five key phases and a suggested list of actions Member States could take to underpin the strategy.
The five key phases are:
Identifying key stakeholders and information sources
Technical and economic appraisal
Policy appraisal
Drafting and consulting on the renovation strategy
Finalisation, publication and delivery
"The renovation of buildings to high energy performance standards", says Oliver Rapf, Executive Director of BPIE, "could be the most cost-effective investment a nation can make, given the benefits in terms of job creation, quality of life, economic stimulus and energy security that such investments deliver."
There are, indeed, multiple benefits arising when the energy performance of existing buildings is improved. The most obvious ones are the savings on energy bills that accrue to the building owner or investor. Additional benefits are improved comfort, better internal air quality, improved sound insulation and increased property value (sale or rental). These additional benefits are rarely factored into the investment calculation.
However, the full range of benefits can only be appreciated at a societal level. These include: reduced energy imports, thereby improving balance of payments; job creation - in manufacturing, installation and throughout the extensive supply chain of products and services; in turn, these new jobs reduce unemployment costs, increase tax receipts and stimulate local economic growth through increased disposable income. Other benefits are linked to health and improved living conditions, lower air pollution, resulting in fewer working days lost to ill health and a lower burden on state health services, as well as energy system benefits: saving a unit of energy is cheaper than supplying one, thereby avoiding the cost of new generation capacity and other supply infrastructure. Lower heating demand in winter, and cooling demand in summer, reduce the traditional peaks in energy use which are the most expensive to supply, so costs are reduced for all users. In addition, cutting energy use in buildings is the cheapest way of reducing carbon emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Quantifying all these impacts is not an easy task, yet it is one that the energy efficiency team at the International Energy Agency has taken on board as a current assignment. If the co-benefits were systematically monetised in economic appraisals of renovation investments, they could significantly exceed the energy cost savings, according to leading experts in the field. The key challenge is to find a way to reflect the societal benefits in the decision making processes of millions of individual building owners.
BPIE encourages Member States to view the requirement to develop renovation strategies as an opportunity to modernise building stocks and in the process, reap these multiple benefits.
Copyright 2020 Prologue Media Ltd. | Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement | Site by pulseArt designs
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Saturday, December 23, 2006 1
Justin Timberlake - Video - Rock Your Body
This is the song that catapulted Justin Timberlake into mega-star status. "Rock Your Body" was released in 2003 and rose to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It's also the song he was singing at Super Bowl XXXVIII and during the famous "wardrobe malfunction." Justin's going on a multi-city concert tour. You can get tickets with a click here.
Here's the video:
Monday, November 13, 2006 2
James Bond "Casino Royale" Behind The Scenes Video
I found this cool video of behind the scenes work for Casino Royale on YouTube. In it you see the human side of Bond, as Daniel Craig takes a moment to comment on the progress of the movie, and give some quick qips.
James Bond "Casino Royale" Trailer Video - BBC Gives Rave Review Of New Bond
I just found this article by the BBC which is a review of the new movie Casino Royale, the 21st movie in the James Bond series, which has seen each actor, save for two (George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton) go on to super stardom, or in the case of Pierce Brosnan, solidify his super star status.
Paul Arendt, the review writer, reports that Craig is not just a good Bond, he's a great Bond. We'll all know starting this Friday, November 17th.
The new bond is Daniel Craig -- and he's blond. This minor difference does nothing to diminish the quality of Bond or the film, according to the BCC. Here's the review, and the movie preview below:
Saturday, November 04, 2006 0
Libby Chansky For "The Bachelorette"
I met Libby Chansky at the Stanford Athletics Hall Of Fame Dinner on Friday, November 3rd. She and I were part of a large group there to celebrate the induction of my good friend Michael Dotterer, who remains the only two-sport player to receive four letters in Stanford history.
Libby wants to be the bachelorette on "The Bachelorette" and to that end, we took this quick video. It's kind of a teaser. For more info contact info@sportsbusinesssims.com
Bob Barker - American Icon and Host Of "Price Is Right" Retires - Video
I now know I've been around a bit when this happens. I have grown up with Bob Barker, patted myself on the back for rightly guessing a price, dreaming that I was the winner of the showcase, and drolling over the Price Is Right girls. Well, the last part of that remains, but Barker, the real symbol of the show and an American icon, has retired. Here's an article by E! Online and selected YouTube Clips to celebrate Bob Barker.
Bob Barker Retiring
by Natalie Finn - E!Online
Tue, 31 Oct 2006 06:44:50 PM PST
The price isn't going to be quite as right come next June.
Bob Barker announced Tuesday he will retire in 2007 after 50 years in television, 35 of which he spent as the host of The Price Is Right.
"I will be 83 years old on Dec. 12, and I've decided to retire while I'm still young," the famed daytime personality told the Associated Press. "I've gone on and on to this ancient age because I've enjoyed it. I've thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm going to miss it."
While Barker has considered hanging it up for the past 10 years, he said he's been having too much fun to walk away for good, but he figured reaching his golden anniversary was an "appropriate" time.
"I'm just reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me," he said, sounding a bit like another TV icon who announced his intention to slow down after half a century on the air, 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace.
Barker had a mild stroke in May 2002 and had prostate surgery six weeks later—none of which caused him to miss a show, mind you.
Since The Price Is Right premiered Sept. 4, 1972, with Barker enticing people for the first time to "come on down," he has only missed three episodes (back in 1974). The longest running game show on the air is currently on in two half-hour installments every weekday, with the later one averaging 5.5 million viewers a day, per Nielsen Media Research.
"We knew this day would come, but that doesn't make it any easier," CBS Corp. president Leslie Moonves said in a statement. "Bob Barker is a daytime legend, an entertainment icon and one of the most beloved television personalities of our time."
The former Miss Universe and Miss USA Pageant host got his start in radio before being discovered by eventual This Is Your Life host Ralph Edwards, who said he liked the sound of Barker's voice. Barker went on to host the TV game show Truth or Consequences from 1956 until 1975, overlapping with Price for a few years.
A CBS spokesperson told Reuters that Price will go on after Barker's departure, but "it's premature to discuss any transition plans right now. Our focus now will be giving Bob a proper sendoff." A CBS prime-time special celebrating the man is also in the works, he said.
Barker's advice for whomever signs on to replace him is this: Memorize everything.
"The games have to be just like riding a bicycle," he said, referring to the show's numerous pricing games (80 at last count) in which contestants make bids to win larger prizes, like cars and trips.
"Then he will be relaxed enough to have fun with the audience—to get the laughs with his contestants and make the show more than just straight games—to make it a lot of fun."
Well, Barker should know.
While the silver-haired emcee has always had a smile for his studio audience and millions of at-home viewers, it wasn't too long ago that Barker was accused of enjoying his hosting duties a little too much.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006 0
Rolling Stones Classic Song "Miss You" Video and Lyrics
This amazing song is almost 30 years old, yet it is still as new as tommorrow's sunrise. It's a classic and yet one more example of why the Rolling Stones are the kings of rock. It's rythmic, soulful, and yet guitar-dominated.
Ive been holding out so long
Ive been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
Ive been hanging on the phone
I want to kiss you
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh
Well, Ive been haunted in my sleep
Youve been starring in my dreams
Ive been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
Its just some friends of mine that say,
Hey, whats the matter man?
Were gonna come around at twelve
With some puerto rican girls that are just dyin to meet you.
Were gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, lets go mess and fool around
You know, like we used to
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah
Oh everybody waits so long
Oh baby why you wait so long
Wont you come on! come on!
Ive been walking in central park
Singing after dark
People think Im crazy
Ive been stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people, whats the matter with you boy?
Sometimes I want to say to myself
Sometimes I say
I wont miss you child
I guess Im lying to myself
Its just you and no one else
Lord I wont miss you child
Youve been blotting out my mind
Fooling on my time
No, I wont miss you, baby, yeah
Lord, I miss you child
Sunday, October 29, 2006 0
Wonder Woman: Joss Whedon May Be Rewriting The Script For The Movie
Wow, it's been since May that Wonder Woman Director Josh Whedon's finished the script for the Wonder Woman movie that he and Matrix enabler Joel Silver want to produce, and there's still no star selected.
My feeling is that he's rewriting it, and still has not created something that meets Warner Brother's standards. Why do I write this? Because Whedon reports that he was to meet Warner execs around August 29th, and now it's October. Late October. So it's logical to assume that he's got some rewriting to do.
I also still get the impression that he's not real into the job. He seems to be mailing it in at this point, and with too many other projects to occupy his time and passion.
I hope Warner Bros shapes up this ship.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006 0
Kevin Federline Parties in Vegas; Britney Spears Angry - Enquirer
K-Fed in action...
Unlike the O.J. Simpson story, I do believe this one. They're a very young couple, and too inexperienced to be good parents in my view. But we will see. No turning back, eh?
BRITNEY FUMES AS K-FED GETS SLEAZY IN VEGAS
By MICHAEL GLYNN - ENQUIRER
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas — just ask a furious Britney Spears. She's set to spear hubby Kevin Federline after he spent a wild weekend in Sin City — partying with his buddies and assorted beauties, insiders told The ENQUIRER.
"Britney feels outraged and betrayed," confided a close source. "Only three weeks after she gave birth to their new baby, Kevin vamoosed to Vegas with his buddies, who spent hours with young girls in his hotel suite.
"When Kevin returned to their Malibu home, Britney gave him the cold shoulder and then they had a terrible fight. It ended with Kevin staying over at a buddy's house."
Pick up this week's issue of The ENQUIRER to read all about it!
O. J. Simpson Denies Book Deal and Confession
I saw this in the National Enquirer:
OJ CONFESSES IN TELL-ALL BOOK
O.J. Simpson confesses to the bloody slaughter of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her pal Ron Goldman – and reveals he had an accomplice at the scene--in a bombshell new book!
Eleven years after Simpson was acquitted of the Murder of the Century, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that O.J. is being paid $3.5 million to describe the brutal knife attack blow-by-blow.
"Only that kind of money could have tempted O.J. to finally tell the truth," a West Coast source familiar with the top-secret book project told The ENQUIRER.
In the book, "he describes how he grabbed a knife from a man who accompanied him to Nicole’s home -- and moments later found himself covered in blood and looking down on the bodies of Nicole and Ron," said the source.
With its publication only weeks away, the tell-all blockbuster has remained the most explosive secret in publishing -- until now.
In its early chapters, O.J. paints a vivid picture of his life with Nicole and details their bitter divorce amid her affairs.
Finally, the disgraced Hall of Famer gets to June 12, 1994 – the night of the infamous double murder.
"O.J. prefaces these key pages by almost half-heartedly claiming this part of the book is hypothetical," said the source. "But I don’t think anyone is going to be convinced of that."
Because of "double jeopardy" laws, legal experts say O.J.'s confession will not likely lead to any legal trouble for him.
The book's working title is "If I Did It." But Simpson's account of the slayings is so chillingly realistic that it leaves no doubt it is a confession of what really happened.
...and I could not believe it. So I searched for his name and found this in the SF Chronicle..
O.J. Simpson Denies Book Confession
Former sports star and actor O.J. Simpson has slammed reports he is to be paid around $3.5 million for "admitting" to the killing of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman in a sensational new book.
A U.S. publication reported the star plans to publish his autobiography in which he will describe how he would have killed his ex-wife and Goldman, in an allegedly fictional manner. They were stabbed to death in 1994 and Simpson stood trial for the murders. He was found not guilty.
But Simpson's lawyer Yale Galanter denies the rumor. He tells the New York Daily News, "(Simpson) is not writing a book. We haven't been paid 35 cents, much less $3.5 million.
"If anyone comes out with such a book, I'll go on every talk show and call it crap."
Whatever is going on, it's clear that someone out there can't just leave O.J. alone. That's sad. He was acquitted in the criminal trial and the civil trial left out so much evidence it was a joke.
Atlanta Falcons Tickets Exchange - Buy or Sell Falcons Tickets
You can buy or sell Atlanta Falcons Ticketswith "Atlanta Falcons"
Get tickets to all of the Falcons action, with Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn heading an explosive offense.
Rolling Stones Coming To Oakland November 5th - Video
The Rolling Stones are coming to Oakland, November 5th. You can get tickets at http://www.stones-concert-tickets.com.
Here's a preview of what the conert will look like:
Kendra Wilkinson From "The Girls Next Door - Video and Bio
Most recently linked with Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, Kendra Wilkinson's Q-Rating has certainly exploded with the airing of the new show "The Girls Next Door," featuring Playboy Mogul Hugh Hefner and three Playboy Playmates.
Kendra Wilkinson (born June 12, 1985 in San Diego, California) is a model and television personality best known as one of the three live-in girlfriends of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and a co-star of the E! reality television series The Girls Next Door. She met Hefner at his 78th birthday party in April 2004, where she had been hired to be one of the "painted girls" (being completely nude except for painted-on accessories).
She is a self-proclaimed tomboy, noteworthy for being a sports fan and athlete. One of her trademarks on the program is her constant exercising.
Her stated career goal is to become a massage therapist or sports announcer. As of December 2005, she has become a regular "blogger" columnist at the website of the Philadelphia Eagles. Her mother, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, used to be one of the professional cheerleaders for the team.
She appeared in the Playboy Special Editions Sexy 100 for 2006.
Here's a video of Kendra Wilkinson in the show Girls Next Door. Note that she specifically points to Terrell Owens "81" jersey with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Superdome - Green Day and U2 In Video
Green Day -- from the SF Bay Area -- and U2 played to a great crowd to kickoff the return of the New Orleans Saints to the Superdome to play the Atlanta Falcons.
Labels: concert, green day, music, new orleans, saints, superdome, U2
Selma Blair Caught In Argument With Ex-Hubby - Enquirer
Man, I didn't know Selma Blair was even married until now! Where have I been? I've got to admit she's got the simple combination West Cost / Midwest girl-next-door look down to a fine science. I guess her now-ex-hubby Ahmet Zappa (think son of the late and lengendary rocker Frank Zappa) thought so too, because he married her in 2004.
I only became aware of Selma via the movie "Cruel Intentions" -- one of my favorites. In the movie, which also features now coupled Ryan Philippe and Reese Witherspoon, Blair became very well-known for this kiss:
Well she's not going to be kissing on Zappa anytime soon because they had a nasty argument in a parking lot, which ended with her screeching off in her car after he walked off.
She's on the market and free to give a kiss like the one above to some deserving guy -- this time!
Suri Cruise Rumored Not To Be Tom Cruise's Baby - Enquirer
The Enquirer reports that the much celebrated baby of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is not the product of whatever sexual intercourse the couple had. This news was covered in several other online media publications like Gawker and Perezhilton.com and led to speculation regarding who the father may be.
Some pointed to old Holmes flame Chris Klein as the father because of the similarity in the shape of their eyes. But regardless of who the real father may be, it's certainly clear that Suri is the child of Tom and Katie now.
Sunday, September 17, 2006 0
Pamela Sue Anderson and Courtney Love Roasted
This a totally funny video of both Pamela Sue Anderson and Courtney Love being roasted on the Comedy Central program.
Rolling Stones In Concert In Boston - Video
The Rolling Stones come to Boston September 20th; you can get tickets here, and see the video for "Paint It Black" below:
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 0
Tom Cruise Dumps Paramount So Paramount Dumps Tom Cruise
The buzz is all around that Paramount dumped Tom Cruise, but if you read the fine print to the story, it was the other way around.
It seems that Paramount reacted childishly to Cruise and Paula Wagner's decision to seek other movie financing. I don't know what they expect to accomplish, other than making a good deal for Cruise and some other organization just by proving his ability to draw headlines.
"Snakes On A Plane" Launches Samuel L. Jackson Into Cult Status
First it was "Pulp Fiction" and now, after a long layoff from cult moves, Samuel L. Jackson ups his cult status stock with the hit "Snakes On A Plane."
Now I haven't seen the movie -- yet. But I will. What fascinates me the most is the Internet-based viral marketing this movie's tapped. Wow.
Take a look at this blogger's post, where Samuel L. Jackson's pictured cussing about -- what else? -- Snakes on A Plane.
Here's a video interview of people who are going to see the movie:
William Shatner Roast - Leonard Nimoy
This is a clip of a totally funny roast of TV legend William Shatner. I saw this on Comedy Central and loved it.
Friday, August 18, 2006 0
Banarama - Cruel Summer Video
This is one of my all time favorite songs. I never tire of hearing it, and it's still hard to believe it's 23 years old. But Banarama's still going strong; their most recent album's called "Drama."
The Rolling Stones On The Mike Douglas Show
This is vintage video footage of the Rolling Stones on The Mike Douglas Show.
Black Velvet - YouTube Video With Alannah Myles
If you thought the timeless rock song Black Velvet was a product of The Wilson Sisters -- as I did -- you're flar wrong. The amazing voice behind this classic is of none other than Alannah Myles. Take a look and give a listen here:
Here are the lyrics (according to Songfacts, it's about Elvis Presley, but I thought it was refering to black men in the South, or an African American man she knew -- wishful thinking):
Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
White lightening, bound to drive you wild
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
"Love me tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true
Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?
(Solo)
If you please, if you please, if you please
Bruno Kirby Of "When Harry Met Sally" Dies at 57
This report by Niki Finne makes you understand how short and precious our lives are. Click on the link to read it. Here's an except below:
From AP: Bruno Kirby, the veteran character actor who co-starred in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers has died at age 57 in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, according to a statement today from his wife, Lynn Sellers. He had recently been diagnosed with the disease. "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."
Thursday, July 27, 2006 0
`N Sync's Lance Bass Says He is Gay - San Jose Mercury News
What's interesting about this is fans wondered if Bass was gay as far back as 2001, and yet he denied it at the time
`N Sync's Lance Bass says he is gay - July 26,2006 - San Jose Mercury News
Lance Bass, band member of 'N Sync, says he's gay and in a ``very stable'' relationship with a reality show star.
Bass, who formed 'N Sync with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, tells People magazine that he didn't earlier disclose his sexuality because he didn't want to affect the group's popularity.
``I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything,'' he tells the magazine.
'N Sync is known for a string of hits including ``Bye Bye Bye'' and ``It's Gonna Be Me.'' The band went on hiatus in 2002. Bass has also found headlines for undertaking astronaut training and failing to raise money for a trip into space.
Bass says he wondered if his coming out could prompt ``the end of 'N Sync.'' He explains, ``So I had that weight on me of like, `Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did.''
The singer says he's in a ``very stable'' relationship with 32-year-old actor Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four of CBS' ``Amazing Race.''
Bass and Fatone, 29, are developing a sitcom pilot inspired by the screwball comedy ``The Odd Couple,'' in which his character will be gay.
``The thing is, I'm not ashamed -- that's the one thing I want to say,'' Bass says. ``I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy.''
Here's Lance Bass at The Sundance Film Festival:
Wednesday, July 12, 2006 0
Superman Returns...As O.J. Simpson
Now before you get into a tizzy, I'm not implying that O.J, Simpson killed his wife. I don't believe he did. But he did do something that Superman does in Superman Returns, and so they have at least one action in common.
To determine what that is, read on.
I came into the theater wanting to like Superman Returns before I saw it. In other words, I came with a bias. I'm one of those who remembers watching the black-and-white "Superman" TV show as a kid. I was never really into the Superman comics, preferring Wonder Woman (!), but I did watch "The Super Friends" and "The Justice League of America" cartoons.
Then there was Richard Donnar's "Superman" -- a masterpiece of a film that launched the career of soap opera actor Christospher Reeve, who we think of as anything but now.
What made Superman an incredible film was that it was faithful to the character I and others of my generation remember as kids: the defender of truth, justice, and the American way.
And that doesn't go for invading Iraq.
In other words, Superman was part of my childhood. I never watched one episiode of the popular TV series "Lois and Clark" or "Smallville" for that matter. (Well, I did see one "Smallville" story, which was pretty good.) They don't present the Superman I remember.
In other words, I don't associate Superman with sex, child support, birth control, jealously, stalking, homelessness, or alcoholism. Yet Brian Singer's deals with all of these issues either directly or indirectly in Superman Returns.
A Work Not Marvelous, But I Do Wonder...
Superman Returns is the result of a 13-year collective quest to make a new Superman movie, an effort that seemed as if it was going to be stuck in development hell until it was saved by Director Brian Singer and Producer Chris Lee. Two years and $250 million later, Superman Returns was released on June 30, 2006.
Superman plays Brandon Routh, who like Reeve before him was a soap opera actor, and who basically looks like a cross between Reeve and Dean Cain from "Lois and Clark" -- he's more Reeve than Cain, to be sure. 23-year old Kate Bostworth takes on Lois Lane, a character set in Zeitgeist stone by Margo Kidder and Terry Hatcher.
The cast is rounded by the appearance of Frank Langella as Perry White, the editor of The Daily Planet. (As a momentary aside, Langella's getting a lot of work of late, and he's sinks his teeth into every role.)
Finally (at least for the purpose of this review) one of my favorite actors, Kevin Spacey, plays Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor.
The question is how does each actor do compared to the ones who've come before them. My answer: not bad at all. It's not the actors that are the problem, it's the material they're given.
It's terrible.
The story goes like this: Superman crash land on Earth -- and right onto his adopted mother's farm -- after a five year absence. Apparently astronomers discovered the remains of Krypton so Superman went back to investigate the find for himself. After all it's his home planet.
The trouble is he left without telling anyone where he was going -- except his Mom. So after enjoying some sleep in a comfortable bed at home and a game of "fetch" so unfair to the dog the canine gives up, Clark Kent returns to Manhattan -- opps, Metropolis -- and to his old job at the newspaper The Daily Planet, courtesy of Editor-In-Chief Perry White.
Jimmy Olsen's there (played by Sam Huntington) as is Lois Lane, at least her chair's there; she's part of a press group on the maiden voyage of a Boeing 777 carrying a new Space Shuttle into the sky.
He's reacquainted with her after a spectacular scene segment -- hampered by one major flaw -- where Clark Kent / Superman saves the 777 from crashing into a baseball stadium after a midair malfunction directly related to the doings of Lex Luthor.
Clark Kent / Superman is obviously anxious to see Ms. Lane, but discovers that she's moved on. She's got a husband-to-be -- Richard, played by James Mardsen -- and a five year old kid with an asthma problem and a weird ability to throw pianos when excited. Right, five years old. When Clark Kent / Superman sees the photo of Lois new family and Olsen fills him in on the new beau, Kent cracks the picture frame in an anger he struggles to hide. This guys jealous, big time. But he's Superman, which means that he could do some damage if he gets pissed. Better a planet than a family, right?
When Clark Kent / Superman leans of the home address of Ms. Lane, he flies off as Superman to -- well, go there. He arrives and while floating in air, uses his X-ray vision to observe the activity of the Lane household. We and he see the action one room at a time, and I feel creepy. At this point, I started to put this segment together with the picture frame cracking accident and think of Clark Kent / Superman as...
O.J. Simpson.
Finally Clark Kent / Superman sees Lois and Richard in the kitchen and with his super hearing listens to her say she's not in love with Superman anymore. At this point, he hangs in the air for a moment just long enough to make you believe he may do something rash, like blow the house down. Just think if he caught them making love, which the segment seems to communicate the possibility of happening. What then? Pound his fist in anger hard enough to make them think there's an earthquake and stop?
Why the OJ comparison? Well, one thing he did was go to the home of the guy his wife was seeing and peer into his window while she was "doing it" with him. What did he do?
Well, both he and Clark Kent / Superman did get angry. In Clark Kent / Superman's case, he flew off to Earth orbit, crying.
He Can't Find A Home...
Clark Kent / Superman can't seem to find a place to live. On three occasions he says he's still looking for one. Never finds one. He just hangs in space listening to just about everyone on Earth, picking and choosing where he goes at any moment in time. That's fine, but it seems to take away from the responsible Clark Kent, who knows he needs a home and one would think a place to entertain other than the Fortress of Solitude. Instead we get the homeless Clark Kent.
On top of all that Clark Kent / Superman reacts with an annoying indifference to the kid he sires and this is where the material show it's problem of lack of passion. In real life, Clark Kent / Superman would have asked Lois why she wasn't on birth control or something. To be fair, he does sneak back to Lois home to see his kid, but then that's what bugs me yet again.
Why couldn't he have just asked Lois to see him?
Moreover, why didn't Lois invite him? I actually liked Kate Bostworth as Lois. She played the role of Lois as Mom real well.
I also liked Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor, that is until he and his men beat up Superman / Clark Kent in a scene way too violent for the Superman movies.
$250 Million For This?
Finally, I come to the matter of the special effects that give shape to this movie. The airplane save scenes were really great. But the whole effect just plain fell apart for me when the 777 was in the baseball stadium. The face that it's not really there is obvious by the bleed lines between the aircraft and the real life stadium. It just takes away from the impact of the scene.
It left me wondering where the $250 million went. For that money, they should have been able to realize resolution so detailed the bleedlines were eliminated, but no. Yes, there's two scenes in King Kong that have the same problem, but they're minor and small in time, and way outnumbered by some jaw dropping effects, like Kong himself.
But in Superman Returns these bleedlines are everywhere, even on Superman himself as he flies. It was disappointing.
Do I Or Don't I Want A Sequel?
As I write this, Superman Returns is being clobbered at the box office. It has two problems: Pirates of The Carribean II and it's $250 million price tag. "Pirates" arrghed up $132 million in just a weekend. That would pay for 50 percent of the cost of Superman Returns, which has made $142 million in two weeks, and it's revenue gain is declining; it only took in $21 million last weekend, and with more flicks coming out, the number of screens it's on will shrink, making the breakeven target of $250 million harder and harder to reach. Ouch.
I believe Superman deserves a better movie life than this. Given what Singer brought to the screen this time, I'm not excited to see the sequel. But given the box office, getting one made may be hard to do.
The lesson here is clear. Don't mess with a kid's view of a comic book legend by making him less of a hero. Adults know heroes are flawed, but we don't want our childhood ones to be.
The Superman in Superman Returns is not the Man of Steel I remember as a kid; he's not the one I want to see today. Apparently, many agree.
Heck, I'll bet O.J would too.
Sunday, July 02, 2006 0
Wonder Woman Movie Director Josh Whedon's Reported Script Trouble Scaring The Heck Out Of Wonder Woman Fans
Recently Wonder Woman Movie Director Josh Whedon did an interview where he said he found the script he's writing -- repeat, he's writing -- troubling. This bit of news sent Wonder Woman fans at Ultimate Wonder into a frenzy, with many fearing that the movie would be just terrible -- if it ever was made.
In this video below, Whedon' talks about his approach to the Wonder Woman Movie script.
Spiderman 3 Teaser Trailer - The Real Trailer of Spiderman, Sandman, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and The Black Uniform
This seems to be the plotline fot the film, and it's followed by the actual trailer itself. This is the real-deal, as there's a "fake" running around YouTube. The third installment in the highly sucessful movie series -- I think it's one of the best in film history -- adds "Prmary Colors" Adrian Lester to the cast, and making him the first African American to hold a lead role in the series.
Here's the rumored plot:
Plot: Third film in the highly successful "Spider-Man" series sees several new villains and a new woman enter Peter Parker's life. With his secret now revealed to both Mary Jane and Harry, Peter must face the consequences of his actions and his new life together with Mary Jane as they finally form a relationship. Yet their newfound open display of love has yielded some unfortunate results, not the least of which is Peter's upset boss determined to make his life hell for causing his son emotional distress. Not helping is a young investigative reporter named Eddie Brock who Jameson has hired to find out why Mary Jane dumped his son for Peter - what's Parker's secrets?
At the same time an escaped prisoner hiding out on a remote beach is caught in a dreadful accident and finds himself turned into a shape-shifting sand creature. Peter's investigations into the past of this 'Sandman' (Thoman Haden Church from "Sideways" pictured) brings him in contact with two very different things that will inevitably alter his life. The first a young woman named Gwen Stacy, daughter of the city's new police chief who is developing a soft spot for Peter. The other, a black substance from an accident scene which 'merges' with Peter's costume and gives him new found abilities.
Things come to a head however when Harry Osborn, determined to take revenge against Peter for his father's death and now equipped with what he needs to pull it off, teams with The Sandman in a new variation of his father's Green Goblin guise and causes mayhem. In the ensuing chaos lives are lost, including people very close to Peter, whilst the black substance covering his suit separates from him and merges with a distraught Brock to form something else entirely - a creature unlike anything he's ever faced. A 'Venom' that he may not be able to stop.
Star Jones Out Of "View" - Did Sandra Bernhard Cat Fight Push Her Over?
The View's ever lovely Star Jones annouced she's quitting ABC's women talk show "The View." But to make matters worse, The View's producer, Barbara Walters said today they've fired her.
I don't know the behind the scenes story, but given this racially-coded exchange with Sandra Bernhard which is in the video below -- some call it a cat fight -- it seems race may have played a role and not in the way you think.
It seems that Jones' may not have been the right demographic for the suddenly gay-friendly media. What I think happened is that Walters and her staff made some weird read on society and concluded they better get a lesbian voice on their show -- enter Rosie O'Donnell. But exit Jones?
Well, some people tend to think in a white - male - centered view, where anyone that's not white or male is considerred a minority, thus the stupid decision to trade one minority -- Jones -- for another -- O'Donnell.
Bernhard -- like Rosie -- is also Lesbian, and it's almost certain Lesbian women called for Jones' head after the exchange, and inspite of the fact that it was the acid-tongued Bernhard who opened her mouth too much. (Not to say I disagree with her on the matter of war and women. I mean, the World would be a better place if every woman refused to have sex with a bigot or a warmonger.)
It won't matter. O'Donnell's not a draw. The View will sink into oblivion.
While it's sinking, look at the video!
Jamie Fox Video On LL Cool J and J-Lo - In Oakland He Talks About His Run-In WIth LL Cool J and Telling J-Lo She Couldn't Sing
The Academy Award-winning star of the motion picture "Ray" Jamie Foxx gave a hilarious performance to a sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theater. In this video he talks about how rapper LL Cool J treated him on the set of Oliver Stone's movie "Any Given Sunday" -- leading to a series of altercations -- and that Jennifer Lopez (aka J-Lo) was upset with Foxx because he reportedly said she couldn't sing. A claim he didn't deny in this video.
Here's Jamie Foxx:
American Idol Tour Video - Kelly Clarkson, Katharine McPhee, and Others Sing
Just in time for the American Idol Tour, this video is a compliation of American Idol artists featuring Kelly Clarkson. You can get tickets to The American Idols Tour with a click here.
Billy Preston Passed Away - Video With George Harrison
Billy Preston -- known for his massive hit "Nothin From Nothin Leaves Nothin" -- passed away today at the age of 59. I remember him most for that song, and was totally unaware of his legal problems as reported by CNN. I prefer to remember his music. Here's a video of a concert he recently performed with George Harrison, and both formerly of The Beatles.
New Batwoman is a lesbian - DC Comics Rolls The Dice - CNN
Well, she's got great legs! That's all I have to say.
New Batwoman is a lesbian
Editor: 'We decided to give her a different point of view'
Thursday, June 1, 2006; Posted: 8:47 a.m. EDT (12:47 GMT)
NEW YORK (AP) -- Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet.
DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year. The 5-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.
"We decided to give her a different point of view," explained Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC. "We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That's one of the reasons we went in this direction."
(DC Comics, like CNN, is a division of Time Warner.)
The original Batwoman was started in 1956, and killed off in 1979. The new character will share the same name as her original alter ego, Kathy Kane. And the new Batwoman arrives with ties to others in the Gotham City world.
"She's a socialite from Gotham high society," DiDio said. "She has some past connection with Bruce Wayne. And she's also had a past love affair with one of our lead characters, Renee Montoya."
Montoya, in the "52" comic book series, is a former police detective. Wayne, of course, is Batman's true identity -- but he has disappeared, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, leaving Gotham a more dangerous place.
The "52" series is a collaboration of four acclaimed writers, with one episode per week for one year. The comics will introduce other diverse characters as the story plays out.
"This is not just about having a gay character," DiDio said. "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."
The outing of Batwoman created a furor of opinions on Web sites devoted to DC Comics. Opinions ranged from outrage to approval. Others took a more tongue-in-cheek approach to the announcement.
"Wouldn't ugly people as heroes be more groundbreaking?" asked one poster. "You know, 200-pound woman, man with horseshoe hair loss pattern, people with cold sores, etc.?"
DiDio asked that people wait until the new Batwoman's appearance in the series before they pass judgment.
"You know what? Judge us by the story and character we create," he said. "We are confident that we are telling a great story with a strong, complex character."
DiDio spent most of the morning fielding phone calls from media intrigued by the Batwoman reinvention.
"It's kind of weird," he said. "We had a feeling it would attract some attention, but we're a little surprised it did this much."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 0
John Paulus Thinks Clay Aiken Is Gay, and I Don't Care!
Really. Why should I give a big deal of concern over what Clay Aiken does in his house? I'm still confused by all this. Who does it help to know this?
Well, I guess it's good to know it so you don't have to worry about your girlfriend running off with him, but in this day and age, you never know.
The Apprentice 5 Nearlng Close - One Blogger Calls The Two Finalists "Buffoons"
With ratings as low as this latest Apprentice has posted, perhaps the best event will be the final show of this season. I'm not excited about the people on the show, and neither are bloggers like this person over at Fresh Inc., who called both Sean and Lee buffoons.
While I wouldn't go that far, I do think it's a mistake to focus on young people all the time in casting for the show. Life begins at 40, and Trump and his crew would have a better show and richer exchanges with a more mature audience. Hey, there are hot women over 40, too!
The Rolling Stones - The Rain Fell Down - A Great Video
Of all of the videos, this is the clearest one by far. It's "The Rain Fell Down" and it's a pretty interesting, if racy, number. I like the guitar play here, as well as the urban colors and dense feel of the production. I've also included the lyrics below the video.
Rain Fell Down Lyrics from http://www.sing365.com
It was a filthy block of flats
Trash was on the floor
The stink was in my nose
Hinges off the doors
She took me in her room
All was spick and span
Fixed me up a drink
Turned down all the lamps
And the rain fell down
On the cold hard ground
And the phone kept ringing
And me made sweet love
Why do we live in this strange grey town?
They build it up and let it all fall down
Feel like we're living in a battleground
Everybody's jazzed
The paint is peeling and the sky's turned brown
The bankers are wankers and every Thursday night
they just vomit on the ground
On the cold grey town
And we made sweet love
Everybody's dreaming
Everybody's scheming
Watching the rain fall down
She cooked me up some eggs
Then she made some tea
Kissed me on the cheek
Then I turned on her tv
It was all the usual crap
All the usual sleeze
For 10,000 quid
Some bimbo spilled the beans
Rolling Stones - Paint It Black Video - 1966
The Rolling Stones are captured in this black and white video singing their now iconic hit "Paint it Black." Here's the video, folloed by the lyrics:
I see a red door and I want it painted black No colors anymore I want them to turn black I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes. I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black. With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away. Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday
I look inside myself and see my heart is black. I see my red door and it has been painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts. It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue. I could not forsee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun. My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
I see a red door and I want it painted black. No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes. I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
Hmm, hmm, hmm...
I wanna see it painted black, painted black. Black as night, black as coal. I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black. Yeah
Saturday, May 27, 2006 0
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - A Classic Song
If you want to feel the cultural impact of the Rolling Stones, just play the video below and give a listen to "Gimme Shelter". You'll come away saying "I know I've listened to that tune tons of times -- in movies, grocery stores, and bars...wow." It's another song from the greatest rock band in the World.
The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
It's amazing to think this single song is as old as me, and it still rocks. The Rolling Stones are a band that comes along perhaps once in a millenium. Artists who bring people together regardless of age, race , or sex. They're still playing "Under My Thumb" -- live.
Check out this black and white video for a blast to the past. For more on the Rolling Stones, see Wikipedia with a click here.
Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery - Almost 10 Years Later, It Still Endures
I'm not an expert on the analysis of music, but it's amazing that Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery" has lasted so long beyond its 1997 introduction. I even found an interesting technical analysis of the song.
Whatever the reason it is -- to me -- a haunting song about a woman talking about the reasons she both loves and lothes her male lover. Still, it can be quickly turned around to apply to a male thinking of a female lover. I remember playing this song over and over again while driving from Oakland to Pasadena in 1998, and to see a woman I cared about very much, but seemed a little bit distant emotionally. So, at least the song seems to apply in my life -- but that's not the subject here.
I think this video helps to communicate her song by simply playing her song.
Here's "Building a Mystery"
Friday, May 19, 2006 0
Danny Kastner From "The Apprentice 3" Makes Rap Video About Getting Fired By Donald Trump
Apparently not over being fired and willing to use his experience to keep his name out there -- why the heck not!? -- Danny Kastner from the third "Apprentice" made this rap video, where he says you can't win the game, if you don't have game.
He also uses the video to send some messages to his fellow Apprentice friends.
Here's Danny:
"King Kong" Blooper Video Reveals Peter Jackson's Humor - and Cast Too!
I found this funny four-minute video of out-takes from Peter Jackson's "King Kong." It reveals just how much of the movie was shot using blue and green screens and also how much fun the cast seemed to have doing the film.
But the kicker is Andy Sirkis as Kong dancing a kind of gig.
Superman Returns - June 6th - Trailer
Given the less-than-stellar record of summer "blockbusters" at the box office, the producers of "Superman Returns" should aim for the DVD market ASAP. But if this movie provides the kind of special effects and story balance to rival the X-Men series, maybe the makers of this flick can eat without taking Pepto Bismal.
Here's the trailer for "Superman Returns":
Clarke Wolfe Wants To Play "Wonder Woman"...So Bad She Made Her Own Video -- And It's Not Bad
I ran upon this video in the moment of looking for off-beat material for my blogs. While it may be that, Clarke Wolfe's home-made trailer of her as "Wonder Woman" in the planned movie is nothing short of terrific.
No, Clarke's obviously not a female bodybuilder; she needs to add about 30 pounds of muscle. But she's got the Wonder Woman look down. Plus, I give her points for editing; the dialog could use some work, too. But heck, it's a great try and deserves to be seen.
Here's Clarke!
Black Eyed Peas Concert Tickets - Video: Let's Get It Started!
This is one of the best videos produced in my opinion, as it captures what the song's about. "Let's get it started" You can buy or sell "Peas" tickets with a click on the title of this post.
Here's the video.
Video - Pearl Jam In Concert Performing "Betterman"
Just in time for their concert series, Pearl Jam performs "Betterman" in this video.
You can get Pearl Jam concert tickets with a click on the tile of this post.
Here's Pearl Jam:
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 0
Madonna Launches Concert Tour - "Beautiful Stranger" Video
Starting at the Forum in Inglewood, Madonna will launch her concert tour.
Madonna's simply one of the most popular pop-icons. See her perform in this Austin Powers Video "Beautiful Stranger":
Labels: austin powers, madonna, mike myers
"Beyond The Call" - Adrian Belic and Michael Dotterer Introduce Adrian's New Film "Beyond The Call" At The Tribeca Film Festival
Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the premier of a new film called "Beyond The Call" at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. It's a really good and moving work about three ex-military Americans who travel around the world making sure that food and other resources get right to the people who need it.
My friend Michael Dotterer's helping Adrian market the film, and so I thought I'd take a video of Adrian and Michael talking about a documentary that's certainly oscar-material.
This is the first of three videos on the movie.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006 0
Apprentice 5 Ratings Very Low - Worst In Show's History
I saw this in a recent article on Trump's idea to have viewers pick the Apprentice. The reason for the low number is simple: Jack Baeur. "24" is simply too hot to be beat by The Apprentice on Mondays.
NBC made a terrible mistake. Now, they're taking a beating in the ratings on Thursdays and Mondays, with no relief in site.
...Unless they move The Apprentice back to Thursday's ASAP.
Viewers Hired to Choose "Apprentice"
by Gina Serpe - E! Online
Mar 30, 2006, 11:50 AM PT
Donald Trump is taking a page from Simon Cowell's playbook.
The real estate mogul/reality TV star has announced a change in plans over how he'll choose his next Apprentice, allowing viewers to phone in votes on who they believe should be selected as the next mini-Trump.
"I'm very anxious to see who the fans choose for their favorite finalist--their decision could have a big effect on my ultimate decision," the Donald said in a statement.
But then again, it might not.
Unlike American Idol or other audience-dictated reality shows, viewers who cast their vote for one of The Apprentice's burgeoning businesspeople may not get the payoff they're expecting. The contestant who racks up the most votes will not automatically win the coveted apprenticeship--Trump will simply be made aware of the tally before making his final decision.
"Over the past four seasons of The Apprentice, Donald Trump has used the final episode to hire candidates with advice only from George and Carolyn," Mark Burnett, the show's creator and exec producer said. "This year we thought it would be interesting to discover what America has to say about the candidates, incorporating our fans and viewers as virtual judges.
"While Trump will still be the final arbiter of who he hires, America's feedback is certain to have an impact on his decision."
And, NBC hopes, his ratings.
Despite Trump's routine boasting of his show's ratings prowess, The Apprentice has dipped to an all-time low viewership, averaging just 9.9 million viewers since the fifth cycle kicked off last month. Last fall, The Apprentice 4 drew in a slightly higher 10.7 million viewers, down about 4 million from the previous installment. (With Martha Stewart's incarnation is long gone as a scapegoat, we're still waiting to see what excuse Trump will offer now to explain away his dismal Nielsen numbers.)
Viewers will be able to cast their vote for one of the final two candidates following the penultimate episode of the season via phone or by going online. As in years past, Trump will announce the winner in the live finale, during which he will also be presented with the results of the viewer vote.
The finale airs in June.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 0
Pearl Jam Tickets On Sale For All Concert Dates!
Pearl Jam's the leader of the grunge movement. Get tickets for all concerts with a click here.
Madonna Tickets - Madonna's In Concert In May! Hooray!
Madonna, the undisputed Queen of Pop, is in concert, starting at The Forum in Inglewood, just outside of LA on May 21st. Get tickets with a click here.
Sandi Thom - Sing On The Webcam, Get Discovered By Sony Records! It Really Happened
Webcast singer snapped up by Sony - CNN.com
Tuesday, April 4, 2006; Posted: 9:42 a.m. EDT (13:42 GMT)
LONDON, England -- A British singer has signed up by a major record label after broadcasting live performances from her living room on the Internet.
Sandi Thom, 24, is now on the books of RCA/SonyBMG after signing with the label at her flat on Monday night.
She built up a daily audience of more than 100,000 people around the world.
Speaking on British television, Sandi said she could not believe what had happened and that her life had "changed dramatically."
"I don't think I have quite realized it just yet," she told GMTV.
"It has obviously changed for the better. "I have managed to get massive amounts of exposure through using the Internet and that is something that people have struggled to do for years."
Several record labels had approached the aspiring star following her Webcasts, which were broadcast on 21 consecutive nights.
RCA label director Craig Logan said: "Sandi is a very talented artist with an already unique story.
"We're very excited that we're now going to be a part of that story as she develops into a major artist."
"King Kong" - DVD Sales Push Film To Fourth Highest Grossing In Universal's History
`King Kong' DVD Sets Sales Record - Associated Press
Apr 04 4:18 PM US/Eastern
It took heat during the holidays for failing to reach the supremo- blockbuster status that many predicted, but "King Kong" can do some supersized chest-thumping now.
Released as a single DVD and two-disc set on March 28, the Peter Jackson film logged Universal's best first-week sales in studio history, in six days selling 6.5 million copies for a take of more than $100 million.
The previous record-holder was "Meet the Fockers," a studio spokeswoman said.
The film's brisk DVD sales add to its worldwide box-office haul of $550 million. Its ticket sales make "King Kong" the fourth highest- grossing film in Universal's history, following "Jurassic Park," "E.T." and "The Lost World: Jurassic Park."
Universal Pictures is owned by NBC Universal, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Vivendi Universal.
Thursday, March 23, 2006 0
Will Katie Holmes Play Wonder Woman?
You never know, but she'd be better than Lohan in my view. Still, Holmes is not the best choice in my view.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 0
Lindsay Lohan Wants To Play Wonder Woman
Personally, I'm not hot about the idea. I think a really buffed actress should play her
From www.imdb.com:
Herbie: Fully Loaded star Lindsay Lohan is desperate to play Wonder Woman in the forthcoming movie version of the comic book superhero. The 19-year-old Freaky Friday actress admits she'd like to showcase her talents outside of kid and teen films, but feels the role would be too fun to turn down. She says, "Wonder Woman would be cool. I'm trying to find roles right now that are different to anything I've done to show my abilities, to show that I have some sort of stretch in me. Because most of the things that I've done so far are aimed at younger girls and are light-hearted."
Wonder Woman Script Should Be Finished By Now According to Sci-Fi Wire
Not too long ago, I got after Josh Whedon, the writer / director for the new "Wonder Woman" movie, for seemingly dragging his feet on the project. Now, he tells Sci-Fi Wire that it should be finshed by this week.
This is what he said:
"I'm probably going to turn it in in a few days," Whedon said of his Wonder Woman script. "It's coming along. ... There will be all of the expected stuff. Of course there will be the bracelets; there will be the invisible jet, the lasso, all of that."
Whedon likened the character to another one of his creations, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, adding: "It's about girls maturing, a rite of passage, that kind of thing."
Whedon said it's too early to speculate on casting for the project. He will be turning the script in to Warner Brothers and hopes to begin production later this year.
"Beth's Oscar Party" - A Video Of Our Trip To "The Academy of Friends" Oscar Party in San Francisco For The Academy Awards
My great friend Beth Schnitzer throws the best parties. One of them is an annual gathering of friends to watch the Academy Awards, and where this author has served as ballot scorer and three-time first prize winner (in six years!)
This year, Beth wanted to try something different, and with that decided to arrange for us to attend the San Francisco Academy of Friends Benefit Party. Held at the Concourse Exhibition Center, this emormous event drew an estimated 2,500 people. It features food and drink from 32 San Francisco Restaurants, an auction, and just plain fun all to raise money to attack AIDS.
A good portion of the attendees are Gay (maybe the majority), and so it presents a great slice of San Francisco life. And candidly I write that it's an event everyone should attend at least once and if only to just get over whatever "stuff" they may be dealing with and learn to just plain enjoy people. Everyone's very nice and funny, and if you're a single straight guy like me there's loads of attractive women. But that written, our group was full of beautiful, smart women so there was no real need to go elsewhere.
The video I took (which you can see with a click here or on the title of this post and with the QuickTime application) presents Beth at her best: always with a smile, introducing us not just to anyone, but heavy-hitters, energetic, lively, fun, and yet very professional all at the same time. I keep telling her she should run for office, as I think she'd make an excellent San Francisco Supervisor--or Mayor!
The video is also a celebration of our friends, including the very talkative and expressive Mr. Abraham (that's me). I don't resist a time to get my face in the video as you're going to see. And even when I'm not in the picture, you can hear my voice and that cacaling laugh of mine.
Also, listen for the Oscar picts of our friends. It's interesting to see who picked what and their inflections of confidence that "Brokeback Mountain" was going to take the best picture award.
The flick itself has parts where it seems like the camera's on while being carried in a rush. It is. I started to edit out that part but as I watched it, I felt just like I did at the time when the camcoder was on: in a chaotic, fun rush. I know you'll feel the same way!
Monday, March 13, 2006 0
San Francisco Station KGO's TalkGuy Ronn Owens Gets Award For "News/Talk Local Personality of the Year"
Yep. He was awarded this at the R&R 2006 News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards on March 4, in Washington D.C.
Ya know, since I've got the entire press release, and I'm not feeling well, here it is:
San Francisco, CA – March 7 2006 – KGO NEWSTALK AM 810 made a clean sweep at the R&R 2006 News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards on March 4, in Washington D.C. KGO Radio was honored with News/Talk Station of the Year, KGO's Ronn Owens was awarded News/Talk Local Personality of the Year, tied with a Los Angles Station and KGO's Jack Swanson was awarded News/Talk Program Director of the Year. Radio and Records Inc. is a radio broadcast industry magazine.
Ronn Owens' exceptional interviewing skills have made him one of the best in the business. Ronn recently celebrated 30 years at KGO Radio. Owens' unique style, contemporary approach and wide-ranging knowledge on local, national and international issues has additionally won him the prestigious Marconi Award for Major Market Personality of the Year by the 2003 National Association of Broadcasters, recognizing the most outstanding radio personality in the country. The Ronn Owens Program can be heard 9am-Noon, weekdays on KGO AM 810.
Jack Swanson joined KGO Radio in 1979 as News Director. He later became Program Director for eight years maintaining KGO's top-rated status. Jack's second stint at KGO Radio as Program Director began in 1994 and his reign continues today preserving KGO's 107+ consecutive #1 Arbitron surveys. Jack has enjoyed a tremendous run of success and recognition having been voted the #1 Program Director several times by industry organizations and has been the recipient of this R&R award in 2001, 2002 and 2006.
As Mickey Luckoff, President and General Manger, accepted the Station of the Year award, he stated, "It is the personnel past and present that makes KGO great. That is why we have won this award 3 times over the past 6 years."
The Balboa Theatre in San Francisco Showing All Oscar-Nom Documentary Shorts
The Balboa Theatre (www.BalboaMovies.com ) is showing all the Oscar-nominated documentary shorts through Thursday. Our own Dan Krauss and Steve Okazaki will be speaking after select screenings.
Through Thursday, March 9:
THIS YEAR'S OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
The rarely seen short documentary category hits the big screen. All 4 nominated shorts on one program. Filmakers in person. Details below.
The Mushroom Club -Steve Okazaki examines the terrible personal toll that followed the bombing of Hiroshima 60 years ago; 10 people whose lives were marked by the explosion are profiled. 35min.
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin -Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson explore the lasting impact of radio broadcasting legend Norman Corwin's work focusing on his landmark "On a Note of Triumph," which aired on the evening of VE Day. 40min. OSCAR WINNER (2:55), 5:45, 8:35
The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club -Dan Krauss- After shooting an award-winning photograph that captured the full horror of starvation in the Sudan, South African photojournalist Kevin Carter found himself tormented by doubts about the ethical implication of his work. 27 min
God Sleeps in Rwanda - Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman - The genocide that devastated Rwanda in 1994 also left in its wake a population that was suddenly 70% female. Five courageous women struggle to rebuild their lives in a society still reeling from its bloody recent history. 30min. (1:40), 4:30, 7:20
Intermission between each pairing. -
One admission price for all 4 films.
DIRECTORS IN PERSON:
Dan Krauss, director of THE DEATH OF KEVIN CARTER
will speak Wednesday after the 7:20 showing.
Steve Okazaki, director of THE MUSHROOM CLUB,
will speak Thursday after 8:35 showing.
More information on the nominees:
Oscar.com
BALBOA THEATRE
3630 Balboa Street at 37th Avenue.
http://www.BalboaMovies.com
Ang Lee At The Governor's Ball Last Night
In this photo from Oscar.org, Ang Lee's spotted with movie producer James Schamus and Schamus' wife.
For the 12th year, Wolfgang Puck provided the food for Oscar's major party. What did they have? Well, I got this from the Menu posted online at Oscar.org:
Tray Passed Hors d'oeuvres
Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Sesame Miso Cone
Mini Prime Burgers with Aged Cheddar and Remoulade
Warm Gougeres with Potato, Cheese and Herbs
Baby Potatoes with Caviar and Chives
Steak Tartare in a Black Pepper Parmesan Cone
Smoked Salmon Pizza with Dill Creme Fraiche and Caviar
Duck Sausage Pizza with Leeks and Spinach
Four Cheese Pizza with Tomato and Fresh Basil
Antipasto Assortment
Marinated Baby Artichokes with Lemon Aioli
Tuna Tataki with Sweet Soy
Smoked Salmon "Oscar" Matzo with Osetra Caviar
Chopped Vegetable Salad
Sweet Crab Stuffed Tiny Spanish Peppers
Citrus Marinated Shrimp
Green and White Asparagus with Prosciutto
Celery Root Soup with Fuji Apples and 24k Gold
Pan Roasted Organic Chicken with Black Truffle Risotto
Oscar's "Sweet Fantasy"
Menu Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck
78th Annual Oscar: Ratings Down 10 Percent from 2005
This happened because the most decorated movies were not box office blockbusters. Even King Kong failed to break records, but I attribute that to it's December start.
Oscars Ratings Drop 10 Percent From 2005
Associated Press - Mar 06, 08:22
ABC is in for a "Crash" landing in the Oscar ratings.
The Academy Awards were down 10 percent from last year's ceremony, based on preliminary Nielsen Media Research ratings from the nation's 55 biggest markets. If the full national ratings follow suit later Monday, this year's ceremony will likely be the second least-watched Oscars telecast behind 2003, when "Chicago" won best picture.
The ceremony, where "Crash" won a surprise best picture trophy, drew a 27.1 rating and a 40 share. Each rating point is equivalent to 1.1 million homes, while the share indicates that 40 percent of the TVs in use last night were tuned to the awards.
Last year's metered markets had a 30.1 rating and 43 share, Nielsen said.
The ceremony's central lesson: Play a real person enmeshed in wrenching drama, win an Academy Award.
It worked last year for Jamie Foxx in "Ray" and this time around for Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line" and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the glory-hungry writer in "Capote."
Sunday's Oscars were anything but predictable, however, as the explosive race drama "Crash" denied "Brokeback Mountain" the best-picture Oscar despite the gay Western love story's front-runner status and its best-director award for Ang Lee.
"Crash" Upsets All Predictions for A "Brokeback Mountain" Sweep - Including Mine
"Crash" -- Paul Haggis' wonderful film about race relations in LA -- took home the "Best Picture" award at the 78th Annual Academy Awards, upsetting front-runner "Brokeaback Mountain" and shattering all predictions boards, including mine.
In part because of this outcome, I scored 20 of 24 correct, missing on "Best Picture", "Cinematography", "Documentary Short", and "Animated Short." But in two of those categories, I picked the front-runner, which missed on both.
I think Tom O'Neill of the LA Times called it right when he predicted this awards outcome due to homeophobia in the Academy.
More on this, and my good time at the San Francisco Academy of Friends Party, later today.
Wonder Woman: If This Variety Article's Any Indication, I May be Right: Whedon's Too Busy for Her
See. This article shows that Wonder Woman writer / director Josh Whedon has too much on his plate to give Wonder Woman the time she needs. Yes, he has time given by the exec producers, but he lacks the passion to really get it done.
Whedon's a goner for U
Universal pacts with 'Buffy' man for spec script
By MICHAEL FLEMING - Variety.com - Thursday, Sept 22, 2006
Universal Pictures has paid seven figures for "Goners," a fantasy thriller spec script Joss Whedon wrote and will direct.
Film will be produced by Mary Parent and Scott Stuber. The studio premiered Whedon's directorial debut, "Serenity," on Thursday night at Universal City Walk. Pic opens Sept. 30.
Whedon was cryptic in describing the project, but the title conveys that it will tread on supernatural turf comparable to his series creations "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the bloodsucker spinoff "Angel."
"It's the story of a young woman's journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics," he said. "It's certainly darker than 'Serenity,' and there are a lot of left turns along the way. It is something I had in mind for a while, and it just poured out of me when I finished my film."
Timing isn't clear, since Whedon is writing to direct "Wonder Woman," the Warner Bros. film based on the DC Comics heroine. That may take some time, as Whedon started his script from scratch.
"I was given license to purely make it my own and yet she is already an iconic Amazon princess," Whedon said. " 'Goners' has some similarities, but the heroines could not be more different, and the story is a bit more intimate and less complicated than 'Wonder Woman.' "
Whedon, who began his career writing features "Speed" and "Toy Story," shuttered his TV operation this year to focus on features. He will continue to spend the majority of his time with bigscreen fare but acknowledged he has been toying with a TV project that would continue the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" universe, focusing on Spike, the punk-haired vampire played by James Marsters.
Whedon's challenge is to figure a way to do it and be able to keep directing movies.
"Directing a film was as exciting and daunting as it was supposed to be," said the CAA-repped Whedon. "I learned a lot on 'Serenity' and hope I hid that from the audience."
"Wonder Woman" Writer / Director Josh Whedon Still Working on Script After One Year
This is an excerpt from the interview from Empire, which can be read with a click on the title post. It's the only part that mentions Wonder Woman, but when I combine it with other comments of his I've seen, it reads as if he's got his time divided between the Amazon Princess and other tasks, which doesn't make for a good story. I'm concerned that he's not really committed to the project.
How about Goners and Wonder Woman? Can you tell us more about those?
Not a whole lot. I am still writing Wonder Woman. It is very awesome but incredibly unfinished, but I should be finishing that in a little while and then I’ll have a better idea of which film is actually going into production. But I can tell you that the film will be about introducing you to Wonder Woman. She'll be wearing the outfit and there will be the bracelets, the golden lasso and Greek gods. She comes from a civilisation where she's rather perfect, so she's the opposite to Buffy in many ways, but she's going through an adolescent rite of passage because she's new to the world.
2006 Independent Spirit Awards uplifts 'Brokeback'
Western nabs feature, helmer prizes
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK - Variety.com
Ang Lee and his oater romance "Brokeback Mountain" rode off with the top ribbons at the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, while tyro director Paul Haggis' "Crash" took best first feature.
Although Focus Features' "Brokeback" scored as best feature and best director, the wealth was spread among a quartet of films. Receiving two awards each were "Brokeback," Lionsgate's "Crash," Sony Pictures Classics' "Capote" and the Weinstein Co.'s "Transamerica."
Indie Spirits, administered by Film Independent and held at a beachside tent in Santa Monica, came just one day before the Academy Awards, where the same pics were set to compete in an awards year dominated by smaller indie titles.
"Transamerica" star Felicity Huffman picked up the Indie Spirit for best female lead for her portrayal of a male transsexual about to become a woman.
Best male lead went to much-honored "Capote" star Philip Seymour Hoffman for his portrayal of Truman Capote.
The other "Capote" Indie Spirit went to scribe Dan Futterman for best screenplay. Award for best first screenplay went to Duncan Tucker for "Transamerica."
Matt Dillon won the award for best supporting male for his role as a racist cop in "Crash," while "Junebug" star Amy Adams was recognized as supporting actress for her role as a Chicago art dealer who visits her new in-laws in North Carolina. Pic was distribbed by Sony Classics.
Another awards favorite this season, helmer George Clooney's "Good Night, And Good Luck." picked up one Indie Spirit award, for Robert Elswit's cinematography.
Warner Independent Pictures' "Paradise Now," the Palestinian film directed by Hany Abu-Assad, won best foreign film.
Director Alex Gibney's "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," from Magnolia Pictures, was voted best documentary.
The John Cassavetes Award, which recognizes the best feature made for under $500,000, went to writer-director Mora Stephens "Conventioneers" from Cinema Libre Studios. Stephens co-wrote the screenplay with Joel Viertel, who produced the film.
Sony Pictures Classics nabbed three Indie Spirit Awards, the most of any distrib. Focus, Lionsgate, TWC and Warner Independent each took two.
"Brokeback" producers are Diana Ossana and James Schamus. "Crash" producers are Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco and Haggis.
"Brokeback Mountain"
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Dan Futterman, "Capote"
"Crash," Paul Haggis
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Duncan Tucker, "Transamerica"
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(for the Best Feature made for under $500,000)
"Conventioneers"
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Amy Adams, "Junebug"
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
BEST MALE LEAD
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Robert Elswit, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
"Paradise Now"
"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"
AMC/AMERICAN EXPRESS PRODUCERS AWARD
Caroline Baron, "Capote" and "Monsoon Wedding"
IFC/ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, "Cavite"
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Ian Olds and Garrett Scott, "Occupation: Dreamland"
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS BY DISTRIBUTOR
Cinema Libre Studio 1
Focus Features 2
Lionsgate Films 2
Sony Pictures Classics 3
Warner Independent Pictures 2
The Weinstein Company 2
What Will Halle Berry Wear at The Oscars?
Well I hope it's a repeat of this dress! Wow, what an eye-popper! I'd like to carry that train. We will see tommorrow night.
Transvestite King Kong billboard attacks L.A.
From www.upi.com
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- An underground global movement called the "Guerrilla Girls" has rankled Oscar officials with a billboard of a transvestite King Kong in Los Angeles.
The billboard -- near the Kodak Theatre where the Oscars will be handed out next Sunday -- depicts Kong wearing a dress and makeup holding an Oscar statuette, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The sign -- which cost $4,500 a month -- reads: "Unchain the Women Director. Women directed only 7 percent of the top 200 films of 2005," and "No woman director has ever won the Oscar. Only 3 have been nominated."
The sign was created and funded by 13 women's organizations, including Women in Film and the Fund for Women Artists.
The "Guerrilla Girls" have been around more than 20 years, pushing the worldwide entertainment industry to be more female-friendly, the newspaper said.
The latest attempt to ruffle feathers at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences drew a terse, "No comment," the Times reported, noting that the Oscar in the billboard is a trademarked image.
"King Kong" DVD Release March 28th 2006
I can't wait for this one, and I'm not kidding. I still think "King Kong" was unfairly snubbed by the Academy in the nominations process. Time will prove that it's one of the best movies ever made. The only massive error was releasing it in December, rather than in August, thus drawing summer box office traffic.
"King Kong" Set To Sweep Sony Empire Awards
From: www.news.com.au
KING Kong is set to sweep the board at this year's Empire awards - after receiving five nominations.
After being snubbed by the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Bafta's, the remake of the 1933 monster movie has been nominated for a host of top honours, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.
Pride and Prejudice, Crash, and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit also faired well with four nominations each.
The Best Actor category will be a fight between Matt Dillon for his performance in Crash, Batman Begins' star Christian Bale, Johnny Depp for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Viggo Mortensen in the critically acclaimed A History Of Violence.
Similarly, the Best Actress category will be an equally tough choice between Dillon's Bafta-winning Crash co-star Thandie Newton, Pride and Prejudice's Keira Knightley, Renee Zellweger for her role in Cinderella Man, Hilary Swank for turn in Million Dollar Baby and King Kong star Naomi Watts.
The Sony Ericsson Empire Awards - which will be presented by British comedian Bill Bailey - will take place at the Hilton London Metropole on March 13.
Full list of Sony Ericsson Empire Awards nominees:
Best Newcomer
Leo Gregory (Stoned)
Kelly Reilly (Mrs. Henderson Presents/Pride & Prejudice)
Georgie Henley (Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe)
James McAvoy (Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe)
Nathan Fillion (Serenity)
Sony Ericsson Scene of the Year
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit - The Dogfight
War Of The Worlds - Arrival of the First Tripod
The Descent - First Attack of the Crawlers
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith - Birth of Vader
Crash - The Car Rescue
The Wedding Crashers
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Best Thriller
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Best Horror
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy
Steven Spielberg - War Of The Worlds
Peter Jackson - King Kong
Christopher Nolan - Batman Begins
Ron Howard - Cinderella Man
Nick Park and Steve Box - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit
Joe Wright - Pride & Prejudice
Christian Bale - Batman Begins
Johnny Depp - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Andy Serkis - King Kong
Matt Dillon - Crash
Viggo Mortensen - A History of Violence
Naomi Watts - King Kong
Keira Knightley - Pride & Prejudice
Thandie Newton - Crash
Renee Zellweger - Cinderella Man
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Best British Movie
Best Film
Saturday, March 04, 2006 0
Hilary Swank - What Will She Wear This Time?
As the 78th Annual Academy Awards approach, the question I have is what will Hilary Swank wear? All I can say is last year, she was totally hot in this blue body fitting dress. I'll bet she got so many date offers it screwed up her marriage to Chad Lowe. Note to Chad: you're still friends; be the dog! Go after that bone!
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Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation
Master Traditional Skills and the Latest Technologies
Edition Revised 4th Edition
For the past 30 years, this book has been the authoritative source for all matters of small-boat navigation. Learn how to find and keep track of your position, adjust to changing conditions, and paddle the seas safely and confidently. Includes how to chart an accurate course and maintain it underway—whether touring locally, on open water, or between islands. This updated text includes everything you need to know, from traditional map and compass navigation through state-of-the-art electronic navigation. Knowledge gained here will enhance the safety and efficiency of any outing.
If you are a sea kayaker or long-distance paddler of any craft, this is definitely a book to have and to study. Most kayak instructors nationwide would agree. It covers the principles of navigation that are pertinent to kayaks in clear practical terms, with special emphasis on the effects of wind and current. Piloting techniques are distilled down to those that can be done from the seat of a kayak.
The treatment of tides and currents is more thorough in this book than in most others on the market, especially when it comes to reading the water to interpret currents and for estimating the effects of wind on progress to weather. There are also convenient tricks included—such as how to quickly predict the current at times between peak flow and slack—that do not appear in other books.
The section on the Navigation Rules is a unique treatment of the subject that applies to all self-powered craft, including canoes and paddle boarders, as it addresses the issues and rules that pertain to all vessels, being "every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water." This is an important perspective to keep in mind, even for sailors and power boaters, as it brings to the front the basics that underlie the details. Who has right of way in specific circumstances is a detail; evaluating risk of collision is a basic, and so on.
Updates in the Revised Edition include reports on progress of the print on demand charts (gets A+); new developments in echarts and how this affects latest nav apps; and updates on technology, including, believe it or not, an actual AIS receiver the size of two 9V batteries that is perfectly usable in a kayak viewing the live traffic signals on an Android app in a phone. There are also many important developments in external battery packs, which are needed when navigating by a phone or tablet. All of the online links in the book are updated, as well as the rest of the references cited. The online support and resources page at starpath.com/kayaknav has been expanded.
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2019 Annual Valentine Dinner Dance
"Love is in the air!" Our annual Valentine Dinner Dance returns to the grand ballroom stage at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center on February 8th, 2019!
Join us for a romantic night featuring LIVE Jazz & Swing music from the finest musicians in the state: Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band and the Voodoo Orchestra. Begin your evening with a candle-lit dinner and cocktail party while being serenaded by live musicians and conclude the night by dancing on our 1,000+ square foot ballroom dance floor.
Tickets start at $40 per person or $75 per couple.
For group rates, please contact Trischia Wadey at 801.689.8615
To purchase tickets online visit: http://bit.ly/Valentine19 or purchase tickets at the Peery's Egyptian Theater Box Office.
6:30: Cocktail Reception
7:00: Introduction, Dinner, and Open Dance Floor
DINNER MENU:
Appetizer - Antipasto and cheddar pickled Skewers; Potato Gorgonzola Cheese Soup with Toasted Rye Bread and drizzled lavender Honey
Salad - Baby Greens, Candied Pecan, strawberry, feta Cheese with miso Dressing
Entrée - Grilled Petit Tenderloin of beef, French onion Demi-Glace, imperial Crab Stuffed Baked Shrimp; Thyme Mushroom Rice Pilaf; Steamed Asparagus
Dessert - Ghirardelli Brownie salted Caramel Trifle, Garnished with fresh Raspberries
Parking is located behind the conference center on Kiesel Ave between 25th and 24th st. Grand Ballroom access is available on the north side of 3rd and 4th parking garage floors.
ABOUT THE MUSIC:
Organized in 2001 under the direction of Caleb Chapman, the award-winning Crescent Super Band has frequently been hailed as one of the best professional bands in the world to be comprised entirely of young musicians. The band has been featured at many of the world’s most prominent music festivals including venues in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and France. The band also has a strong national presence with recent performances in Chicago, Boston, New York, Washington DC, Telluride, and Los Angeles. One of the crowning performances of their career was their headlining debut at Carnegie Hall in May of 2013.
On multiple occasions since 2007 DownBeat Magazine has recognized the Crescent Super Band with their coveted “Downbeat Award”, marking the band as the best in the country. The band has also won 9 “Best of State” awards for Utah, including 7 consecutive years as Utah’s “Best Professional Band” in any genre. Twice they have received the prestigious “Best of State Statue Award” identifying the band as the top organization in Arts and Entertainment in Utah, beating out every other professional music, arts, and film group for the honor.
They’ve caught the attention of many of today’s top artists as well. Since its inception, the band has performed with over two hundred guest artists. Some of these include Grammy-winners Gordon Goodwin, Joe Lovano, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, Eric Marienthal, Dave Weckl, Bob Mintzer, Ernie Watts, Peter Erskine, and Dave Samuels. Other notable guest artists have included Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band), Chester Thompson (Genesis), Steve Smith (Journey), Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr & his All Starr Band) and jazz icon, Toshiko Akiyoshi.
The Voodoo Orchestra was formed in 2007 under the direction of Caleb Chapman. The band has gained national attention for their high energy performances . . . and the fact that this pro band is comprised entirely of musicians 18 and younger.
***Please note: Tickets purchased outside of the Peery's Egyptian Theater Box Office and SmithsTix.com may be fraudulent. If you have any questions regarding ticketing, please call 801.689.8700. Thank you.***
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Home Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe 08/11/1989 Hartford, Connecticut
Friday, August 11, 1989 (30 years, 5 months and 9 days ago)
Hartford, Connecticut, United States Of America
Hartford Civic Center Coliseum (16,550 capacity)
RickUinCT:
Amazing show, and huge piece of history in my life. It was at this show that my girlfriend of two years first told me she was "late" ... we were seventeen years old. She's been my wife now for 17 years and our soon-to-be 17-year-old daughter can count the ABWH album among the soundtracks of her early years. That's a lot of seventeens! I think when I'm done typing this it will be time to pull this one off the shelf again. When I hear 'Quartet' I am taken back to a very difficult time, but the memories are good ones.
This was a truly great performance, I remember well. Bruford was a huge inspiration and seeing him live was a treat, especially given how well he connected with Levin on this tour.
I saw Yes many times after this show, in a variety of line-ups, but this, for me, endures as Real Yes.
Bri:
I went to the show with my brother and was sitting in an isle seat in the 2nd row, one section back, in the center. We could hear Jon begin to sing and everyone jumped to their feet. I looked all over but didn't see anything. Being a bit stoned, I sat back and kind of reclined in my seat. All of a sudden I look up and there's Jon walking down the isle between the first and second set of sections coming from my right. I jump up out of my seat wide-eyed and he looked at me and grinned, aparently amused by my suprise. He turned up the center isle and headed toward the stage, and I just stood there awestruck. It was a great beginning to a great show.
prozakcbluesman:
Wow, 1989 - seems forever ago and yet I can remember this concert like it was yesterday. I went with 9 of my buddies from college and home, and we all sat together in anticipation of what we knew was going to be the greatest concert we had ever seen. We were on a high like no other! How could anything be better than seeing one of the best YES line-ups (albeit without Chris Squire) playing Close to the Edge, Starship Trooper, And You and I, Heart of the Sunrise and the ABWH material? Jon was giddy and almost child-like in his joy, Wakeman was amazing and so soulful, Steve was happy to be playing YES music again, Bill Bruford and Tony Levin played as one - sounding so graceful and powerful. The ABWH boys delivered the goods, and provided a benchmark for future YES shows that would come in the new millenium.
Bob Josef:
I won front row seats from a radio station that day! Out of the four versions of Yes I've seen, ABWH put on the best show. The only drawback was the absence of Squire, but Tony Levin (unlike the times I had seen him with Frampton and Gabriel) was visually a very striking showman, particularly in his duet with Bruford linking "LDR" with "Birthright".
The two backing musicians, Milt McDonald and Julian Colbeck, really helped fill out the sound. They opened the show with Jon on his medley, a big surprise ("That's not Steve Howe"!, my buddy said). I hadn't heard the whole ABWH album at that point, but in retrospect,those songs came across much better live than the studio versions, without the overdone production. Anderson and Wakeman shared a hug after "The Meeting". The major highlights were a superb "Close to the Edge" and the encore, "Starship Trooper", with some very cool sci-fi lighting effects.
If you weren't there, get the ABWH live album. The closest you can get to this incredible show.
A very good show. Bruford and Levin were excellent, as was the opening set of "solo" features. Squire was missed, although the supporting musicians added quite a bit. I had never seen Howe, Wakeman, or Bruford live. The highlight was, of course, "Close to the Edge." One neat thing I remember is Anderson opening the show with a wireless mic from the rear of the auditorium, walking through the crowd to the stage.
As you can see from the setlist, they played a healthy dose of their new material. I had practically memorized the album, so I was very excited to hear "Themes," "Birthright," and the rest. In all, it was almost like two shows - on one hand, it promoted the ABWH record, while on the other, it was a YES revue. Without Squire, and with the extra musicians, much of the older material sounded like a very competent tribute band!
As the concert approached, there was a lot of attention paid to ABWH in Hartford on the two rock stations (WHCN and WCCC), as well as in the Calendar section of the Hartford Courant. "Brother of Mine" was in heavy rotation, and other ABWH & YES songs were played a lot. Adding to my excitement was news that they would be playing "'Close to the Edge' in its entirety" at the show. This was also reported in Rolling Stone, if I recall. My friends and I hoped this meant the ALBUM, but nonetheless hearing the suite for the first time was awesome. I waited almost ten years to see them do it again--this time with Squire.
This show really turned me on Bruford. He came to Massachusetts the next year with Earthworks and we went up there for both shows at the Iron Horse. Of course he didn't do any YES or ABWH material--not even older 'Bruford' stuff. Despite this (and no Tony Levin), the Earthworks shows tided me over until the Union tour...
Craig:
Truly another amazing Yes event! Jon's voice was stellar and untouchable (how we gasped!) when he walked in from the rear of the arena to the front (through the middle isle) singing Time and a Word. He voice was just fantastic! And from there the concert just got better and better. It was a magical moment with my soon-to-be wife (we were married three weeks later) and very close childhood friends with whom I had made (until that point) six Yes concerts with.
before 'Mood For A Day'
Steve Howe:
Hartford how are you doing again? Good to be back together.
before 'And You And I'
Thank you very much. It's great to be in Connecticut again. Woo! We have come to play some music for you. That was a song from the new album. This next song is from another time.
before 'Meeting, The'
Thank you very much. Thank you. One of the great things about the idea of getting together again. Making music the way we're doing, is the fact that no matter where we go were all getting it together again, you see? I've been thinking about this. One of the songs we recorded one lazy afternoon in this beautiful island in the Caribbean. This song came very very gently to us. The title of the song has a lot to do with getting together again with you and us as musicians. The song is called 'The Meeting'.
Woo! Thank you. Putting together songs for the show is a lot of fun cause sometimes you want to put the right right song in..uh the right place. We had so many requests for this next song. Hope you enjoy it. The song is called 'Heart Of The Sunrise'.
Woo! The 'Order Of The Universe' [???] Woo!
during 'Starship Trooper'
We want to thank you very much for being with us this evening. This is a very special time to be together. Thank you very much. Thank you. Woo!
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←Back Home Trades Medical Latin Relationships Glossary Email Tips Backups
Regnal Dates Abbreviations . . . Smileys . .
Tuberculosis, also known as: phthsis, TB, consumption, 'white plague' or 'wasting disease'
(abbreviated TB for tubercle bacillus, named consumption because it appeared to consume the patient from within, white plague as it imparted a deathly white pallor to the skin, wasting disease because of fatigue, lack of appetite and steady weight loss )
T.B. can attack different parts of the body and so produce a series of different symptoms but always creating the distinctive tubercle (tuberculous nodule). The different symptoms meant that tuberculosis was not identified as a unified disease until the 1820s and was not named tuberculosis until 1839 by J.L. Schoenlein.
Infection is usually from one of three sources - infected milk, cough or breath droplet infection from an infected person or from breathing infected dust.
If the infection is in the bones (especially the spine) then it is Pott's Disease. (? also called 'White Swelling' ?)
An infection in the lymphatic system around the neck is Scrofula. (Scrofula also known as King's Evil as it was believed that a King's touch could cure it.)
Miliary tuberculosis (the lesions formed resemble millet seeds) was the result of the disease invading the circulatory system.
The condition Lupus vulgaris results in painful cutaneous tuberculosis skin lesions with nodular appearance, most often on the face around nose and ears. The lesions may ultimately develop into disfiguring skin ulcers if left untreated. The term "lupus" to describe an ulcerative skin disease dates to the late thirteenth century, though it was not until the mid-nineteenth that two specific skin diseases were classified, one being Lupus vulgaris. The term "lupus", from the Latin for wolf, may derive from the rapacity and virulence of the disease; a 1590 work described it as "a malignant ulcer quickly consuming the neather parts; ... very hungry like unto a woolfe"
Tuberculous meningitis is also possible and until the development of antibiotics it was invariably fatal.
The 'classic' form of T.B. is the form most common in adults where the lungs or pleura are infected - pulmonary tuberculosis. The disease begins gradually with coughing and later traces of blood in the sputum (haemotysis), untreated it leads to fever and death.
The discovery of the bacillus causing tuberculosis was announced by Robert Koch on 24 March 1882 as mycobacterium tuberculosis. But the disease itself was probably known to the Ancient Greeks, if not before, as the origins of the disease are in the first domestication of cattle (which also gave humanity viral poxes).
Koch mis-used his fame as discoverer to squash the idea that bovine and human tuberculosis were similiar. This held back the recognition of infected milk as a source of infection which could then be remedied by pastuerization.
The first genuine success in immunizing against tuberculosis was developed from attenuated bovine strain tuberculosis by A. Calmette and J. M. Guerin in 1906 - BCG (Bacilli-Calmette-Guerin). It was first used on humans in 1924 in France, although national arrogance prevented its widespread use in either the US, Britain or Germany until after WW II.
Tuberculosis has caused the most widespread public concern in the 19th and early 20th centuries as the endemic disease of the urban poor. In 1815 England one in four deaths were of consumption, by 1918 one in six deaths in France were still caused by T.B. After the establishment that the disease was contagious in the 1880s T.B. was made a notifiable disease in Britain; there were campaigns to stop spitting in public places and the infected poor were 'encouraged' to enter sanatoria that rather resembled prisons. Whatever the purported benefits of the fresh air and labour in the sanatoria, 75 per cent of those who entered were dead within five years (1908).
Across Europe in 1850 it killed 500 out of 100,000 people but by 1950 the number had fallen to 50 out of 100,000. Improvements in public health were reducing tuberculosis even before the arrival of antibiotics. Although the disease's significance was stilll such that when the Medical Research Council was formed in Britain in 1911 it's first project was tuberculosis.
It was not until 1946 with the development of the antibiotic streptomycin that treatment rather than prevention became a possibility.
published under the terms of the WP:Gnu Free Documentation License
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Home Marion Orr
Marion Alice Powell was born in Toronto, Ontario on June 25, 1918 and learned to fly in 1939. Marion was the youngest of five girls. Fascinated with planes and flying at a very early age, she read everything and anything on aviation. She spent hours on the proof of the house watching for planes. A two-seater swing in the garden became her “flying Machine”.
Marion left home at the age of 15, her education barely completed to Grade 8. She wanted to fly so badly, it became an obsession with her. She earned $10 a week in a factory, went without food and the necessities of life to scrape together the six dollars an hour to take flying lessons. Her first lesson was on April 22, 1939. Her instructor was Pat Patterson. After seven hours and 50 minutes, Marion soloed in a 40 hp Cub (CF-BIT) on June 9, 1939. She received her Private Pilot’s Licence No. 3338 on Jan. 5, 1940 and never looked back. (Even a serious helicopter accident didn’t dull her love for flying)
Marion knew then that without a doubt she was “born to fly”. Her life would be in the air or at the airport!
By the time Marion got her Commercial Licence No. 2029 in December of 1941 at Barker Field, she had accumulated time in the Fox Moth, Taylorcraft, Fleet Finch, Fleet Fawn, Stinson 105, Stinson Station Wagon, Fairchild 24 and Cub Coupe. Instructors were training US and Canadian pilots. All civilian flying slowed down.
Marion met and married one of the instructors, D.K. “Deke” Orr, who helped her financially with dual and getting her instructor’s rating, which she received at Trenton RCAF base on Sept. 25, 1942. unfortunately the marriage broke up shortly afterwards.
On Oct. 2, 1942, Marion was hired to be the manager and chief flight instructor at St. Catherines Flying Club. She was the first woman in Canada to operate a flying club. This airport also had one of the Elementary Flying Training Schools for the RCAF. It was a short-lived posting for Marion. There was a disastrous fire and five aircraft were destroyed which hastened the inevitable closing down of civilian flying, due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Exactly one month later, Marion was hired at No. 12 EFTS at Goderich, Ontario as a control tower operator. She was the second woman to be hired on a trial basis.
Marion’s heart was still in the sky, she even wrote to the US and tried to join up with women ferrying planes there, but like others before her, without being an American citizen, there was no chance of qualifying, even with her training and experience.
The RCAF turned her down flat, they hadn’t even considered hiring women instructors! Then a call came out of the blue from Vi Milstead, a close friend with whom she had flown many times at Barker Field, to say that British Overseas Airways Ltd, was hiring pilots for the Air Transport Auxiliary to ferry military aircraft for the RAF in England. A lifelong dream was about to come true. Requirement was 250 hours flying time and a valid licence with checkouts on a Harvard AT-6 training in Montreal.
Marion and Vi left together in a troop freighter by convoy from New York in the winter of 1943, not knowing for sure what they would be flying in the United Kingdom, or where.
They knew they just wanted to fly! There were five Canadian women who flew operationally in the ATA. After preliminary training at ATA headquarters, the women were posted to various military basis in England. Aircraft types were usually taken in sequence. For example, 32 flights in a Hurricane were mandatory before flying a Spitfire.
Types flown included: Miles Magister, Hawker Hart, Piston Tudor, Miles Hawk, Oxford, Harvard, Master Martinette, Hurricane, Anson, Proctor, Lysander, Swordfish, Hudson, Spitfire, Seafire, Defiant, Osler, ..
Introduction to a new aircraft usually consisted of the run-down on the cockpit layout and study of the “Blue book”, a compendium of notes all types of aircraft. The pilots worked two weeks straight, with four days off, flying in all kinds of weather and usually taking off regardless, as long as the destination conditions were reasonable.
Marion admits she got lost regularly. All the towns looked alike, railways twisted around like spaghetti, balloon barrages all over the sky, camouflaged airports, dummy air bases and then there was the British weather to contend with: fog, smog, smoke, rain and haze. They had to fly VFR, with no instrument training or radio facilities.
Happiness to Marion was flying every day, sometimes 8 flights a day, 4 or 5 different aircraft, connecting deliveries to military basis, factories, maintenance and repair depots, some times using Ansons or Fairchild 24s as “taxis” between flights.
In two years she covered most of England and Scotland. Her favourite airplane was, without a doubt, the Spitfire. She found it light, graceful, easy to handle and “the most beautiful plane ever built.”
In 1945, Marion returned to Canada. The war was over, there were a little over 100 women pilots in Canada at that time, so it was back to civilian instructing at Gillies Flying Service at Buttonville, north of Toronto, Ont. In 1946 and 1947 she instructed and flew charters at Barker Field and Toronto Island Airport on wheels and floats. During that time, she was also trained as an aero mechanic. Marion bought Aero Activities Ltd at Barker Field in 1950 and became the first woman in Canada to own and operating a flying club. The property was sold and eventually in 1954, she moved her school to Maple Ont.
She literally lived on the field, building and leveling the property with the help of friends. It was, she said, one of her greatest achievements. The obstacles were enormous, from the sheer physical effort of building runways to the almost overwhelming opposition from local residents against the licencing of an airport.
After receiving little or no encouragement from the Department of Transport, she borrowed money to go to Ottawa to enlist the personal help of former Primer Minister St. Laurent to assist her in the battle for the airport, which he graciously did. The grand opening of Maple Airport was in 1955, with two grass runways, three instructors and five planes. It was complete with an air show that included three Fleet Canucks flown by 3 women: Marion, Sally Wagner, Helen Hems, all well-known Canadian women pilots.
Five years later, Marion sold her business at Maple Airport and went to Markham-Toronto airport as manager and CFI. There she found another formidable challenge and on May 16, 196a, she became the first Canadian women licenced to fly a helicopter (No. 36 Whirly Girl in the US). She instructed on the Brantley B-2, Bell G-47, Cessna Skyhook, Hiller and Hughes 500.
It was at Markham that Marion had her first and only serious flying accident. There had been a problem with the engine in the helicopter. She was with a student at the time. The engine failed and they dropped in hard. Her passenger wasn’t hurt, but Marion broke her back and was in the hospital for three months.
In June, the following year, while recuperating in Florida, she received permission from the FAA to finish up a dual helicopter private course for a friend, Mr. N. Overton at Tampa International airport. In July 1962 she returned to Canada to teach at Donway Flying Services in Toronto on fixed wing aircraft. The long hours of sitting in a cockpit took their toll and in 1963, she temporarily gave up instructing, but kept current by flying recreationally in Florida. Twelve years later in 1975 however she renewed her rating and returned to Canada to teach flying once again at Buttonville for Toronto Airways Ltd.
Marion by 1981 had an instructor’s rating, Class I with instrument endorsement, multi-engine, single engine land and sea and was a Designated Flight Test Examiner.
She taught flying at Toronto Airways for 10 years until her “retirement”. Two weeks later she decided retirement wasn’t for her and she continued to teach, freelance. She enjoyed a period of time at CFB Trenton Flying Club as their chief instructor and DFTE in 1984. It was particularly nostalgic for her, being on the base, bringing back many happy memories of her wartime flying in the United Kingdom. Another highlight was attending an ATA reunion in England for the 40th anniversary of that organization. It was a sentimental journey back in time. In 1985 she went back to teaching privately.
In 1986 she was at Lindsay Airpark as their CFI. In 1987 she was at the Peterborough Flying Club instructing and being a DFTE.
Marion’s achievement in aviation were awesome. She grew up during the Depression and it was hard times for young families. She was rebellious as a child and had this impossible dream of flying a plane that simply took over her life. She set goals and once attained she found other challenges and spared no effort to succeed. She worked hard but she was also a party girl who loved to dance and have fun. She was very generous with her time and money when she had it. She trusted the airplanes she flew, but was very cautious about people.
The Marion I knew was painfully shy in a crowd and needed constant support and reassurance. But I understand she was a hard taskmaster in the cockpit and demanded 100% performance. Public recognition came slowly for Marion. She was presented with an Amelia Earhart Medallion in 1976 by Dorothy Renwick, Chairman and H9istorian of the First Canadian Chapter, 99s, who said “This was not only for her outstanding achievements in civil aviation, but also for her significant contribution to Canada’s war efforts”.
In 1982, Marion was named a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame; the third woman pilot to be honoured. She was inducted into the 99s Forest of Friendship in Atkinson, Kansas in 1989 (sponsored by Toronto Airways Ltd and East Canada Section, 99s). She received the Order of Canada in 1993 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario.
Marion’s store was featured on CBC, “The Canadians”, in August 2002 and was titled “Airborne”. It was very appropriate.
Unfortunately, Marion’s health began to deteriorate and sadly in 1994 she lost her licence to fly. The lady who had over 20,000 hours in the air and taught 5,000 pilots, was grounded. Her life was flying.
She was killed in an auto accident on April 4, 1995 in Peterborough.
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Episode #95: EX MACHINA, TRUE STORY, and WHILE WE'RE YOUNG
Eric, Ian, Robert, and Ian review and discuss the films TRUE STORY, WHILE WE'RE YOUNG, and EX MACHINA. Film School heads into an Iranian courtroom for Kiarostami's docu-drama CLOSE-UP.
Reviews of TRUE STORY.......8:24
Reviews of WHILE WE'RE YOUNG.......21:12
Reviews of EX MACHINA.......45:05
Film School.......1:04:54 (64:54)
Music by Television
Direct download: Episode_95_Ex_Machina.mp3
Episode #94: 71, LOST RIVER, WILD TALES, and GOING CLEAR
Eric, Ian, Robert, and Ian review and discuss the films 71, LOST RIVER, WILD TALES, and GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF. The Film Vault sends us to feudal Japan for Kurosawa's 1957 riff on Macbeth THRONE OF BLOOD. "Question Time" returns yet again.
Reviews of 71........6:50
Reviews of LOST RIVER.......25:20
Reviews of WILD TALES.......49:30
Reviews of GOING CLEAR.......1:09:40 (69:40)
Question Time!.......2:16:03 (136:03)
Music by Live
Direct download: Episode_94_Going_Clear.mp3
Episode #93: IT FOLLOWS, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, and MOMMY
Eric, Ian, Robert, and Ian review and discuss the films IT FOLLOWS, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, and MOMMY. Film School sends us into the mind of Alejandro Jodorowsky and his 1970 film EL TOPO. "Question Time" returns.
Reviews of IT FOLLOWS.......6:33
Reviews of A GIRL WALKS.......19:55
Reviews of MOMMY........41:26
Music by Collective Soul
Direct download: Episode_93_Mommy.mp3
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Jewish Budapest, Hungary Photos
PURCHASE GREAT MEMORIES OF YOUR TRIP TO THE JEWISH QUARTER IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY- FOR HOME OR OFFICE.
This gallery features photos of the synagogues, monuments, museums in Jewish Budapest, Hungary.
A custom image featuring Judaica from Budapest and Prague Synagogues is featured as the very first image -top left column. This features stained glass windows, tiles, Ner Tamids, and other treasures located in the synagogues featured in this gallery as well as Gallery 38.
Great Synagogue also called Dohany Synagogue-1859
The consecration of the synagogue was a major event on September 6, 1859. It can hold 3000 seated and approximately 2000 standing people. Major events took and take place here, like the celebrations part of the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarian Conquest in May 1896, memorial services for important Hungarian personalities in the 19th century, liturgical, organ or Klezmer concerts nowadays. The Dohany Synagogue remained the most important religious centre of the Neolog Jews in Hungary to this day.
The synagogue on the Dohany street of Pest is not only the most impressive one in the country, but it's the largest synagogue of Europe, the second largest one in the world. (The largest Jewish house of worship in the world is the Temple Emanu-El in New York). Oriental-Byzantine decoration or a Moorish style makes the Dohany synagogue so unique. It was constructed on an asymmetric lot in order to place the Ark looking East.
The exterior features a rose window made of stained glass, Stone Tablet Shaped Windows, and Eight-pointed stars that decorate the whole building synagogue.
The galleries have a special role in this Neolog synagogue, they were meant to separate women from men. Nowadays however, ladies who attend the services sit downstairs, in the two side rows of the isle.
Behind the Ark of the Dohany synagogue a huge organ is hidden. Occasionally the Dohany synagogue is home to excellent organ concerts, Franz Liszt himself played on the opening ceremony, nowadays Xaver Varnus can be heard sometimes.
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park is adjacent to the synagogue and is the site where many Righteous Gentiles are honored. The park also contains the Weeping Willow or Tree of Life Memorial that some think looks like an upside down menorah. Many names of victims of the Holocaust were engraved on the leaves of the steel weeping willow for eternal remembrance. The garden is home to other memorials too such as the Stained Glass Memorial, Wall, Forced March Sculpture by Imra Varga and a plaque honoring Wallenberg.
Heroe’s Synagogue
Behind the Stained Glass Holocaust Memorial is the Heroe's Synagogue. The Heroe’s Synagogue designed by László Vágó and Ferenc Faragó and built on the plot of land next to the Dohány street Synagogue was inaugurated in 1931. The building is a memorial to Jewish soldiers who had fallen in the First World War. The clean lines and modern style of the building demonstrate the well-thought-out, functional planning of Jewish places of worship at the time. With its slightly Eastern influence, the synagogue and the park next to it, are surrounded by a row of arcades, symbolizing the openness of the Jewish communal places.
The wing with the arcades attached to the Great Synagogue houses the Jewish Museum which was built and opened in 1931. The museum is home to stained glass windows, Judaica of all kinds including menorahs, yads, shofars,ketubahs, torah crowns, plates, and covers, etc, rare photos, geneology research, art, holocaust collection, Theodor Herzl's birthplace, gravestones and much more.
Shoes on the Danube Promenade
The idea to place a monument on the river embankment to the victims of the Arrow Cross terror belongs to Gyula Pauer, Hungarian sculptor awarded the Kossuth-prize, and to his friend Can Togay. The monument contains of 60 pairs of iron shoes, forming a row of about 40 metres. It is a commemoration dedicated to the victims of the fascist Arrow Cross party who shot the people right into the river, sparing themselves the hard work of burials. The victims had to take their shoes off, since shoes were valuable belongings at the time.The site is symbolic, this part of the embankment was not the only one used for this purpose.
The image in this gallery of the Shoes on the Danube Promenade intentionally shows a Catholic church- Szent Anna templom in the background across the Danube. Fatner András Kun was a Roman Catholic priest of the Franciscan Order. He was also the commander of a racist death squad for Hungary's Fascist and Pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. In his cassock, Father Kun commanded an Arrow Cross death squad which massacred Jews and was documented to order "In the name of Christ - fire!" while killing Jews. After the war, he was convicted of crimes against humanity and hung. May he rot in hell.
The iron shoes were placed on the embankment in 2005, on 16th April. The name of the composition is Shoes on the Danube Promenade, each pair being modelled after a contemporary shoe from the 1940's.
Other images include a Kosher Restaurant, Kosher pastry specialty advertisement, and the facade of the Orthodox Synagogue.
Some useful travel resources are:
Great Synagogue Budapest Information
Hungarian Jewish Museum Information
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NZ’s minister of everything Steven Joyce goes feral; attempts to influence courts over coal mine appeal
I was absolutely gobsmacked by a statement by Steven Joyce, the Minister of Economic Development, in an official New Zealand Government press release yesterday. Joyce explicitly took the side of and promoted the cause of Aussie coal miners, Bathurst Resources, in two up-coming court cases.
“The Escarpment Mine is an open cast mining project that is ready to go and would provide 225 jobs and incomes for workers and their families on the West Coast straight away. The developer is being held up from opening the Escarpment Mine by on-going litigation that has gone through the Environment Court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal. These on-going objections are to resource consents which were granted more than a year ago. The whole consenting process for this development has now taken a staggering seven years. I call on those objectors to the mine to reconsider their appeals and consider the economic future of the West Coast and its people.”
I know Joyce is very pro-development. He has his own archive of posts on Hot Topic, where his preference for fossil fuel developments is obvious. But this time he has crossed a line. Joyce is using his position as a Minister of the Crown to explicitly influence decisions yet to be made by the Environment Court and the Court of Appeal on the resource consents sought by Bathurst.
Joyce is breaching the Sub judice rule.
To supply some context, we need start at the beginning of the Bathurst story. The resource consents for the Escarpment mine proposal were applied for in August 2010. Not seven years earlier as alleged by Joyce. Bathurst took over the project from L and M Coal Ltd.
As Hot Topic noted, in August 2011, the hearing commissioners acting for the regional and district council considered with some “considerable reservations and anguish” that resource consents could be approved. This was in spite of the many adverse effects on native species habitat, water quality and the coal-measure limestone landforms within the Mt Rochfort Conservation Area. It was also after the commissioners refused to factor in climate change effects from the eventual release of carbon dioxide from the coal. In other words, it was a pretty marginal decision.
However, the resource consents are not legally granted, as Forest and Bird and the West Coast Environmental Network immediately lodged appeals with the Environment Court. This is Joyce’s second factual error; in an appeal of a resource consent, the council’s decision ceases to exist. The Environment Court starts from a blank piece of paper, examines the facts and makes it’s own decision. It considers consent appeals on a ‘de novo’ basis.
Then Bathurst started the cycle of litigation – by applying to the Environment Court, separately from the consent appeal, to have the effects of climate change barred from the consent appeal Bathurst succeeded. So Forest and Bird and the West Coast Environmental Network appealed that decision to the High Court. Bathurst won that appeal too. However, Forest and Bird and the West Coast Environmental Network appealed the High Court decision to the Court of Appeal.
So there are two court hearings yet to happen.
The Environment Court is yet to decide on the facts; if the resource consents ‘promote sustainable management’ of resources and may be granted.
The Court of Appeal is yet to decide on the law; whether it permits or stops the Environment Court considering the greenhouse effects of the carbon dioxide emissions from the downstream combustion of the coal.
Now Steven Joyce, a minister within the executive branch of Government, is expressing an opinion on what the outcome of the Courts’ process should be. This is contrary to the ‘sub judice’ rule; which is “Don’t comment on undecided Court cases”. Or as set out in Parliament’s Standing Order 112.
“112 Matters subject to judicial decision
(1) Matters awaiting or under adjudication in, or suppressed by an order of, any New Zealand court may not be referred to in any motion, debate, or question, including a supplementary question, subject always to the discretion of the Speaker and to the right of the House to legislate on any matter or to consider delegated legislation.
(2) To enable the exercise of the Speakers discretion under paragraph (1), a member who intends to refer to such a matter must give written notice to the Speaker of this intention.”
Or as set out in the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives document “Sub judice rule”. Chapter 16 in ‘Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand’. New Zealand Parliament (14 October 2010).
“The Standing Orders prohibit reference in any debate to any matters awaiting or under adjudication in a court from the time the case has been set down for trial or otherwise brought before the court, if it appears to the Speaker that there is a real and substantial danger of prejudice to the trial of the case…This is the implicit acknowledgment by the legislature that the proper forum in which to resolve legal disputes is the courts and that the legislature, above all other institutions, should take extreme care not to undermine confidence in the judicial resolution of disputes by intruding its views in individual cases…The House’s sub judice rule takes effect in criminal cases from the moment a charge is made and in other cases from the time proceedings are initiated by filing the appropriate document in the registry or office of the court. The restraint ceases when the verdict and sentence are announced or when judgment is given. If notice of appeal is given, the restraint reapplies from the time of the notice until the appeal has been decided.”
Or as set out by the Speaker, Margaret Wilson, on 16 October 2007, in “Speaker’s Rulings Sub Judice Rule Operation.
“It seems to me that it is important in any consideration of it to emphasise the high constitutional nature of the rule. It stands as an expression of the relationship between the different branches of government; the legislative branch and the judicial branch. This House determines what the law should be, but it is for the courts to determine in each particular case how the law is to be applied. In criminal matters, it is not for this House to decide guilt or innocence. That is a matter for a court of law. Standing Order 112 defines quite precisely when this constitutional principle is engaged.”
Apparently Joyce and the rest of National just don’t give a stuff about anything of a high constitutional nature or the rule of law, with Joyce driving his Bagger 2000 coal excavator through the sub judice rule. Clearly such things are just the concerns of those pesky people who obstruct progress when government tries to remove roadblocks in the way of business development.
Even the less than stellar Minister of Energy Phil Heatley knew better than to comment on the Environment Court case when he was asked about it on a Q and A interview.
“Phil. Well, you appreciate, Shane, this is before the courts. I’m a bit limited about how much I can discuss this. But the reality is Denniston, like any other application, has to go through a process, and there is a balance between the economic benefits and the- what impact it’ll have on the environment.”
Kevin Hackwell of Forest and Bird has responded promptly to Joyce’s call and raised the issue of how independent other decision making may be, such as the decision to grant access for mining on the Mt Rochfort conservation area, which is also yet to be made by the Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson.
“There would be a serious question, given his public advocacy, about whether such a decision has been influenced by government policy.”
That’s an important point. Especially since the Government wants to stop the Minister of Conservation deciding mine access to conservation areas on the basis of conservation purposes. The Government has just introduced amendments to the Crown Minerals Act which add the Minister of Energy as joint decision-maker and add economic matters to the mandatory conservation purposes the Minister of Conservation must consider.
We will have to see how this ‘sub judice’ breach plays out for Joyce, given his party and Prime Minister have no problem with John Banks and his unknowingly non-anonymous donations.
I could not think of a better reason to reject having a joint Energy/Conservation Ministers and joint economics/conservation goals decision over mines on conservation land than Steven Joyce’s attempted interference in the Environment Court and the Court of Appeal cases concerning the Escarpment mine.
Author Mr FebruaryPosted on September 26, 2012 September 26, 2012 Categories Climate business, Climate politics, environment and ecologyTags Bathurst Resources, resource consents, Steven Joyce;coal
7 thoughts on “NZ’s minister of everything Steven Joyce goes feral; attempts to influence courts over coal mine appeal”
noelfuller says:
seconded!
What are the consequences of a breach of the “Sub Judice” rule by a minister? And certainly, what would be a more severe breach of the rule than a minister expressing the opinion of the government? Is it a criminal matter to breach this rule?
Macro says:
It will be excused as a “mistake” by the Prime Minister who will then dismiss it with a smile and a wave – his loyal subjects will see this abuse of government as another fine example of positive action.
…sort of like Joyce is getting away with a Banks! Perhaps National should introduce a new political currency the “Banks”. Sort of like a Monopoly get out of jail free card. Each National minister will get a stack of “Banks” cards when sworn in. This will allow them to play one at will when they lie over their campaign donations or pervert the course of justice or…. whatever else they might need to play a Banks card for, or perhaps a few cards at a time, when things are getting a bit more ‘complex’….
Of cause the PM himself manufactured himself long ago a big stack of ‘Bana Cards’ as in Bana Republic which allows him …… arghhh well, perhaps I am getting carried away a bit here by the oddity of our political reality……… 😉
Tom Bennion says:
Cant possibly comment as I am involved in some of this litigation.
I do have one thought however. The Bagger 2000 is tiny compared to the Bagger 288: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGT9hklNNwc and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagger_288
It is the world’s largest excavator and can mine 240,000 tonnes of coal a day. A climate changing machine in its own right.
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4 Stats That Prove It’s Tough Being a School Administrator (and 1 For Why It’s Worth It!)
School administrators know their jobs are tough, and the stats show why. With increasing demands and dwindling budgets, a lot of work goes into being a school administrator, and it can sometimes feel like an impossible job.
Fewer School Administrators to Go Around
US Department of Labor population statistics showed that in 2015, there were about 928,000 education administrators in the country, representing a 10.5% decrease since 2010. There are simply fewer school administrators present in the population.
Student Enrollment is Increasing Nevertheless
While there may be fewer school administrators, the opposite is true of students. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) predicts public school enrollment will grow by 3%, to 51.4 million by the 2025-2026 school year. So, with fewer school administrators to go around, they’ll carry more of the load of an increased student population.
Budgets Are Decreasing
In The MetLife Survey of The American Teacher: Challenges for School Leadership, half of the principals surveyed said their budgets had decreased in the 12 months prior, posing challenges for resources and staffing.
Job Satisfaction is Declining
The same survey also showed a 9% drop in job satisfaction over that same time frame. Overall, school administrators are feeling less happy with their work situations, perhaps owing to the increased workload, and decreased budget.
However: School Administrators Have a Huge Impact
If those statistics feel depressing or daunting, it’s understandable. School administrators have a big responsibility, and not a lot of resources. However, this is the stat that proves it’s worth it, despite the challenges — according to the Wallace Foundation, “There are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader (Leithwood, et al. 2004).”
While teachers are individually likely to influence students greatly, large-scale student achievement takes place when administrators head up several positive in-school factors. Effective principals run schools with higher performance ratings, fewer student absences, and strong graduation rates. The academic impact of a school administrator cannot be denied, and that’s an impact that will last through a student’s entire life.
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HSOC Fall 2017 Speakers Series: Neil Maher
Location: Old C.E. Building, Mel Conference Room 104
Summary Sentence: The School of History and Sociology invites historian Dr. Neil Maher from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Full Summary: No summary paragraph submitted.
Neil M. Maher
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Neil Maher presents "Apollo in the Age of Aquarius: An Environmental History of the Space Race in 1960s America."
Dr. Neil Maher (Ph.D. in History from New York University) is an associate professor of history in the Federated History Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark. His research interests include 20th-century environmental and political history, the history of technology and medicine, and cultural landscapes.
Maher's new book, Apollo in the Age of Aquarius, was recently published by Harvard University Press in March 2017. The book is the first to explore the intertwined history of the space race to the moon and the social and political movements of the 1960s era, including those for civil rights, peace in Vietnam, environmentalism, women's equality, the hippie counterculture, and right-wing conservatism.
Maher's first book, Nature’s New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Roots of the American Environmental Movement(Oxford University Press, 2008), received the Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Book Award in 2009.
He is currently working on two new book projects, including a guidebook for scholars in the environmental humanities interested in incorporating visual culture into their scholarship and teaching, and also an eco-biography of a 19th century Hudson River home.
Seminar/Lecture/Colloquium
environmental history, space, speakers series
Created By: LaDonna Bowen
Workflow Status: Review
Created On: Jul 3, 2017 - 9:39am
Last Updated: Jul 3, 2017 - 9:55am
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New Article: The Tale Of Breeches-Aud
The story of Breeches-Aud is one of the more memorable tales in the Icelandic Laxdæla saga, a 13th-century book filled with strong female characters that were loosely inspired by women said to have lived in the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. Although the exploits of many people described in the sagas were embellished or even invented, the core details (genealogy, settlement locations, poetic evidence etc.) were deemed to have enough truth that later Medieval Icelanders, such as the chieftain Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179-1241), proudly and confidently traced their ancestry back to characters in the sagas. Whether or not the sagas were histories with creative license, historical fictions or pure folklore, they were feats of impressive storytelling and, as Icelandic stories go, the tale of Breeches-Aud was one of the more unique narratives.
Read this outrageously intertaining story of a tough Icelandic woman, HERE.
Posted by CKH at 12:52:00 PM No comments :
Labels: Crime , Iceland , Laxdæla Saga , Medieval , Women
New Article: The Lifelong Payments Of Tribute By King Æthelred The Unready To The Danes
Æthelred the Unready became king of England in 978, following the assassination of his brother, King Edward the Martyr. Æthelred was reportedly only ten years old when he ascended to the throne, and his epithet, Unready (Unraed), actually meant “bad counsel,” as the young king’s regent, advisors and vassals gave him little sound support during his life. Yet, the modern definition of unready also fits King Æthelred, for when a relentless wave of Viking activity began plaguing England in 980, the king and the kingdom were caught totally unprepared.
Continue reading about the enormous sums that Æthelred the Unready paid to the Vikings, HERE.
Labels: Æthelred the Unready , Anglo-Saxon , Medieval , Viking
New Article: 10 More Fun Viking-Age Names And The Stories Of The People They Belonged To
The heyday of the Viking age occurred between the eighth and eleventh centuries. Yet, some Scandinavian noblemen continued to embark on Viking-like activities well into the twelfth century. Jarl Rognvald Kali of Orkney (r. 1137-1158) was one such nobleman and he ironically was said to have gone raiding in the Mediterranean while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Viking Age is a well-documented period, with sources from multiple sides and viewpoints. Viking Age kings wrote about their accomplishments on stone monuments, and historians such as the Icelandic Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179-1241) and the Danish Saxo Grammaticus (c. 12th-13th century) later narrated events from the perspective of Norway and Denmark. There are also substantial sources from the regions attacked by Vikings, such as chroniclers based in the British Isles and France. With such a wealth of information, much is known about the key figures from the Viking Age and their exploits during that chaotic time. Yet, Viking Age Scandinavians did not excel at only daring raids and bold seamanship—they also had some of the most creative names in all of Europe. We previously published an article listing ten fun and unique names from the Viking Age, yet that was barely scratching the surface. Here are ten more fun names and a brief summary of their lives in the Viking Age.
Check out our new and improved list of extra Viking Age names, HERE.
Labels: Iceland , Laxdæla Saga , Norse , Norway , Orkney , Snorri Sturluson , Viking
New Biography: The Flamboyant Tale Of King Liu Duan Of Jiaoxi
Emperor Jing (r. 157-141 BCE) and the concubine Lady Cheng had three sons named Liu Yu, Liu Fei and Liu Duan. All three brothers were quickly appointed as kings after their father’s ascendance to the throne. Liu Yu and Liu Fei were given kingdoms in 155 BCE and Liu Duan followed close behind with his appointment as the King of Jiaoxi in 154 BCE. Lady Cheng’s sons were generally well behaved when it came to respecting the authority of the emperors—they never rebelled and they had largely tranquil reigns. Liu Yu and Liu Fei both died after twenty-five or twenty-six years of rule, which had been tame and peacefully absent of drama. Liu Duan, however, who lived to rule twice as long as his brothers, quickly became the oddball of the family.
Liu Duan set up his regime in Jiaoxi like any other king. He hired an entourage of ministers and attendants to help govern his kingdom, and he also took in several concubines who would hopefully provide him with an heir to the kingdom. Yet, Liu Duan and his ministers quickly began to feud. The main point of dissent, according to Han historian Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), was the relationship between the king and his concubines—or lack thereof. Apparently, Liu Duan was strictly homosexual and used every trick in the book to avoid time with his palace women. His favorite ploy was to plead illness, a tactic that allowed him to escape his concubines for months at a time.
Continue reading about the interesting life of King Liu Duan, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , China , Emperor Jing , Emperor Wu , Han Dynasty , Liu Duan
New Article: The Disturbing Myth Of The Horatii And The Curiatii
According to tradition, the kingdom of Rome began in the mid 8th century BCE. Despite its centuries of existence, Greek scholars did not start taking serious interest in Rome until the 4th and especially the 3rd century BCE, by which time Rome had become the undisputed dominant power in Italy and began clashing with its Mediterranean rival, Carthage. The Romans, themselves, apparently never produced a historian until around 200 BCE, around which time Senator Quintus Fabius Pictor began writing the first official native Roman historical works. Unfortunately, by the time Pictor began writing, much of Rome’s written records were likely destroyed in the Gallic sack of Rome in the early 4th century BCE, and the surviving oral history about Rome’s founding would have been incredibly corrupted after untold generations of retellings. Therefore, when a Roman scholar such as Livy (c. 59 BCE-17 CE) set out to tell the story of the founding of Rome, he had to work with dubious documentation, such as historic names without historical context, and folkloric tales that were often adapted to the structure of preexistent stories of Greek mythology.
The tragic and disturbing tale of the Horatii and the Curiatii is one of the myths that Rome created as an explanation as to how Rome expanded its influence over the nearby community of Alba Longa. Historically, Alba Longa is believed to have been in existence well before 1,000 BCE and was a powerful city in Italy until the 7th century BCE, when it was presumably challenged by Rome and ultimately destroyed around 600 BCE. While we will never know specific details of the conflict between Rome and Alba Longa, writers such as Livy preserved the conflict, albeit in a dramatic and embellished fashion, within their works on the folklore of early Rome.
Continue reading about the disturbing and tragic tale of the Horatii and the Curiatii, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , Horatii , Livy , Mythology , Roman Empire
New Article: The Tale of Gonzalo Guerrero, The Conquistador Adopted Into Mayan Society
A large canoe appeared before Hernán Cortés at Cozumel. Seven people disembarked from the canoe, and the Conquistadors, after some double-takes and closer inspections, realized that one of the seven new arrivals was Spanish. Bernal Díaz described the man’s state: “He wore a very ragged old cloak, and a tattered loincloth to cover his private parts; and in his cloak was tied an object which proved to be a very old prayer-book” (The Conquest of New Spain, chapter 29). Upon reaching the Conquistadors, the man loudly exclaimed in Spanish a prayer to God and “the blessed Mary of Seville,” which convinced Cortés and the explorers that the man was truly a Spaniard.
After giving the man new clothes, Hernán Cortés debriefed him for information. The man claimed that he was a priest named Jeronimo de Aguilar and that, in 1511, his ship had run aground on a sandbar or shallow water somewhere between the colony of Darién, Panama, and Hispaniola. Aguilar stated that he and seventeen other people on the shipwrecked vessel loaded themselves into a rowboat and attempted to paddle to Cuba or Jamaica. Yet, storms and strong currents forced the small boat to a Yucatan beach, where a local Mayan chieftain captured the stranded Spaniards. Most of the captives reportedly suffered horrible fates. Some were said to have been killed in ritual sacrifice, and others were worked to death as laborers. Yet, Aguilar and other survivors eventually escaped and found shelter in more lenient Mayan communities. By 1519, only two of the original eighteen captives were still alive—Jeronimo de Aguilar and another man by the name of Gonzalo Guerrero.
Continuew reading about the tale of Gonzalo Guerrero and the way Spain learned of his supposed existence, HERE.
Labels: Colonization , Conquistadors , Hernan Cortes , Maya , Spain
New Biography: The Odd Lifestyle Of Zhou Ren
In China during the 2nd century BCE, there lived an interesting fellow named Zhou Ren. He hailed from the region now known as Jining, Shandong, and through unknown means he managed to ingratiate himself into the imperial court of Emperor Wen (r. 180-157 BCE). While Emperor Wen was still alive, Zhou Ren became a palace counselor and joined the retinue of the imperial heir apparent, the future Emperor Jing. Before the ascendance to the throne of Emperor Jing (r. 157-141 BCE), Zhou Ren became one of the new emperor’s closest and most intimate friends. Almost immediately after Jing became emperor, he appointed Zhou Ren to be the chief or chamberlain of all the palace attendants—a position Zhou Ren would hold for the remainder of the emperor’s reign.
Continue reading about the life (and odd wardrobe) of Zhou Ren, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , China , Emperor Jing , Emperor Wen , Han Dynasty , Sima Qian , Zhou Ren
New Biography: The Life Of St. Magnus And His Supernatural Revenge
Around 1098, the Norwegian crown placed Orkney under direct royal control, but Hakon Paulsson, the son of a formal jarl of the region, was appointed to govern Orkney within a year or two after Sigurd the Crusader became king of Norway in 1103. Jarl Hakon Paulsson was portrayed as a willing retainer of the Norwegian kings in the Orkneyinga saga. Yet, Hakon had a cousin called Magnus Erlendsson who was less enthusiastic about being ordered around. Instead of behaving like Hakon Paulsson and serving his Norwegian liege, Magnus Erlendsson fled to Scotland and found shelter with King Edgar (r. 1097-1107). Magnus’ stay in Scotland, however, was only temporary and he decided to return home not long after Jarl Hakon Paulsson was appointed as jarl of Orkney.
Like Hakon, Magnus Erlendsson’s father was also a former jarl of the islands and he intended to press his claim. Multiple jarls coexisting in Orkney was nothing new—according to the Orkneyinga saga, the practice of dividing the governance of Orkney into halves and thirds was at least a century old by that time. When Magnus Erlendsson arrived in Orkney, he had powerful friends that flocked to back his claim, and the island population seemed accepting to the idea of a second jarl. Hakon Paulsson was undoubtedly less than enthusiastic about sharing power with his cousin, but he was convinced to accept the Norwegian crown’s decision on whether Magnus Erlendsson should become a jarl. The claimant sailed to Norway around 1107 and, to Hakon’s disappointment, Magnus Erlendsson was recognized as a rightful jarl of Orkney.
Continue reading about the life, martyrdom and supernatural revenge of St. Magnus, HERE.
Labels: Christianity , Medieval , Norway , Orkney , Religion , Startling Saints
New Article: The Great Athenian Baiting Of Syracuse
(a trireme from a panel of the Temple of Isis, Pompeii; Naples Archaeological Museum, Italy, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
In 415 BCE, a fleet of over 130 Athenian and allied trireme ships, accompanied by more than a hundred supply boats, reached the eastern shores of Sicily on the pretext of combating the potential threat posed by Syracuse. While most Sicilian communities on that stretch of coastline wanted nothing to do with the Athenian expedition, the cities of Naxos and Catana allowed the foreigners into their walls, albeit the latter city took some coercion. After expelling the minority pro-Syracusan party in Catana, the Athenians built their camp there, reportedly housing more than 7,000 hoplites, skirmishers and some cavalry in or around the premises.
At least one prominent member of the pro-Syracusan party managed to stay behind in Catana. The unnamed man began taking notes about the Athenian forces, such as repetitious schedules, the locations of armories and even the positioning of their sleeping quarters. After memorizing such details, the man departed from Catana and rushed to Syracuse. As the refugee was a well-known member of the downfallen pro-Syracusan party in Catana, the contacts that he had in Syracuse vouched for his loyalty, and the military leaders of the city took his words with all seriousness. Once allowed to speak, he vividly described to the Syracusans the layout of the Athenian camp, as well as their daily routine. He claimed that the camp became especially lazy at night and that the Athenian warriors would leave their weapons outside the city walls while they slept without their armor in makeshift barracks within Catana. In addition to this, the informant also swore that there was still a spirited pro-Syracuse core of the population in Catana that would betray the Athenians if given a chance.
Read about the intriguing plot twists that occurred in this confrontation between Athens and Syracuse, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , Athens , Peloponnesian War , Syracuse , War
New Article: The Deadly Ghost Story Of Killer-Hrapp
(Scene of Gudrun and the ghost by Andreas Bloch (1860–1917), based on a passage from the Laxdæla saga, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
According to Icelandic folklore, a belligerent and bullying farmer named Hrapp immigrated to Iceland from the Hebrides sometime in the 10th century. He built a farmstead called Hrappsstadir, which was adjacent to lands owned by the leading settlers of the Laxardal region in Iceland. As portrayed in the Laxdæla saga, which was centered on that region of Iceland, Hrapp and the dominant chieftain of the region, Hoskuld, jostled for power and influence in their community. Hrapp never surpassed Hoskuld in importance, yet the stubborn farmer maintained a fierce reputation in Laxardal until the day he died. He came to be known as Killer-Hrapp, but whether he gained this name before or after he died is unclear. Whatever the case, the legend of Killer-Hrapp only continued to grow after his death.
Read about the chilling ghost story of Killer-Hrapp, HERE.
Labels: Dark , Iceland , Killer-Hrapp , Medieval , Witchcraft
(17th-century depiction of the entrance of Hernan Cortés into the city of Tabasco, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
In early 1517, over one hundred Spaniards on three ships set out from Cuba to explore the Yucatan Peninsula. The expedition, led by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, was met with mixed receptions whenever it made landfall. In some regions, the natives attempted to ambush the explorers when they came ashore. Yet, in other locations, locals received the conquistadors in peace, allowing the foreigners to tour their communities for a limited amount of time while under supervision. All in all, the expedition must have seemed lackluster—they had suffered casualties in the ambush and had found very little gold. Nevertheless, they were still making progress, if only in mapping the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula and learning about the local population.
Around early April, 1517, the Spaniards had traveled a fair distance down the western shore of the Yucatan Peninsula. In a fateful decision, the explorers decided to anchor their ships and paddle their rowboats to shore in order to gather water from some freshwater pools that they could see further inland. There were approximately one hundred conquistadors that were healthy in the expedition at the time, and all of them went ashore with their weapons. When they reached the freshwater pools, they saw signs of life—there were some small buildings nearby, and enough corn was planted there to make the Spaniards believe it was a local plantation.
Read about the confrontation between the conquistadors and the natives on the farmland near Champoton, HERE.
Labels: Champoton , Colonization , Conquistadors , Exploration , Spain
New Biography: Liu Pengli—The Serial Killer King Of The Han Dynasty
(painting from the wall of Xu Xianxiu's Tomb of Northern Qi Dynasty, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
History has long hinted that absolute power can tempt even virtuous leaders into corruption. Yet, what happens when the one who gains power was never virtuous in the first place, but instead had murderous fantasies and psychopathic tendencies. This horrific second option reportedly became reality in China during the 2nd century BCE, when Liu Pengli became the king of Jidong. The Grand Historian, Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), was a contemporary of the infamous king and wrote a short description of the dark events that supposedly occurred in Jidong during Pengli’s reign. The killer king was seemingly a figure that the Han Dynasty wanted to forget about, and consequently Sima Qian only devoted one measly paragraph to describing Pengli’s life. Nevertheless, the brief information that the Grand Historian packed into those few sentences was terrifying.
Read about this man's allegedly monstrous life, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , China , Crime , Dark , Han Dynasty , Liu Pengli
New Biography: The Life And Paranoid Retirement Of Marquis Zhou Bo
Terracotta warrior, [Public Domain] via maxpixel.net and Creative Commons
Zhou Bo was a decorated military officer and political official who served under the first emperors of the Han Dynasty. He came from humble origins, supposedly working as a silkworm rack manufacturer and a part-time musician in Pei. Yet, when widespread rebellions against the Qin Dynasty erupted in 209 BCE, Zhou Bo joined the rebels as a crossbowman and eventually became a follower of the distinguished rebel leader, Liu Bang.
Zhou Bo’s fortunes rose with the political ascendance of Liu Bang. Between 209 and 206 BCE, the rebels demolished the Qin Dynasty and began to restructure China into new kingdoms led by rebel leaders. The power vacuum allowed commoners like Liu Bang and Zhou Bo to rise to amazing heights. When Liu Bang became a marquis, he brought Zhou Bo along as a magistrate. In 206 BCE, when Liu Bang became the King of Han, Zhou Bo was appointed as one of his marquises. Finally, when the king of Han defeated his rebel rivals in 202 BCE and became known as Emperor Gaozu, the victorious emperor granted Zhou Bo even more land and bequeathed upon him the title of Marquis of Jiang.
Read about Zhou Bo's path to retirement and the odd incidents he experienced after stepping down from public life, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , China , Government , Han Dynasty , Politics , Zhou Bo
New Biography: King Irminfrid—A Thuringian Monarch Who Gained Sole Rule By Killing Two Brothers, Only To Lose His Kingdom To The Franks
Image of the Thuringian princess, Radegund, being brought before King Chlotar I, depicted in a medieval painting housed in the Bibliothèque municipale de Poitiers, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons
King Bisinus of Thuringia was a contemporary of Kings Childeric (r. 456-481 and Clovis (r. 481-511) of the Franks. In fact, according to The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594), Childeric’s wife (Clovis’ mother) was Bisinus’ ex who ran away from Thuringia to be with Childeric in the land of the Franks. Therefore, it is possible that King Clovis and the sons of Bisinus were half-brothers. Whatever the case, King Bisinus died about the same time as Clovis (d. 511), and in the aftermath of the two leaders’ deaths, the Frankish Empire and the Thuringian kingdom both were divided among the sons of the deceased rulers. After Clovis’ death, the empire of the Franks was ruled by his sons: Theuderic, Chlodomer, Childebert and Chlotar. Similarly, the Thuringian kingdom of the late King Bisinus was divided between his sons: Baderic, Irminfrid (or Hermanfrid) and Berthar.
Continue reading about the strange politics of the Thuringian brothers. HERE.
Labels: Franks , Government , Gregory of Tours , Medieval , Politics , Thuringia , War
New Biography: The Daring Life of The Ancient Chinese Vigilante, Guo Xie
(Man sharpening a sword, hanging scroll (14th-17th century), color on silk, 170.7 x 111 cm. Located at the Palace Museum. [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
Guo Xie was a contemporary of Grand Historian Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), and they both lived during the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 141-87 BCE). Although Guo Xie was not from a noble or wealthy background, he became one of the most famous men of his day. Sima Qian met the man in person and (unlike many other officials of the Han Dynasty) thought very highly of Guo Xie. With brutal honesty, Sima Qian described him as a short and ugly man, whose speech was not at all charismatic. Yet, through daring and vigilante justice, Guo Xie became a folk hero of the Chinese masses.
Continue reading about Guo Xie's remarkable life, HERE.
Posted by CKH at 2:47:00 PM No comments :
Labels: Ancient , China , Crime , Emperor Wu , Guo Xie , Law , Sima Qian
New Biography: The Bold Tale Of Jarl Einar Of Orkney
(Jomsvikings at the Battle of Svolder, by Nils Bergslien (1853–1928), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
Jarl Rognvald was one of the Norwegian chieftains that aligned with Harald Finehair (r. 860-940), the first king to spread his influence over all regions of Norway. The last vestige of Norwegian resistance against Harald’s rule was crushed in the Battle of Hafrsfjord, which was dated to have occurred in 872 by medieval historians, but now is believed to have taken place possibly as late as 900. Jarl Rognvald became one of Finehair’s staunchest and most powerful supporters, and the jarl was greatly rewarded for his loyalty. According to the Norwegian-Icelandic tradition, King Harald gave Rognvald control of North More, South More and Romsdal. In addition to that, Finehair also offered the jarl control of Orkney and Shetland after Rognvald’s son, Ivar, was killed during a campaign to claim those islands for Norway and to clear them of disloyal Vikings. Jarl Rognvald, however, was content with his land in Norway and decided to transfer control of Orkney and Shetland to his brother, Sigurd.
Although Sigurd proved to be a capable leader, even expanding his territory into parts of Scotland, he unfortunately died of an infection. Sigurd’s sickly son, Guthorm, inherited control of the islands, but he, too, died after only a year. When Guthorm died childless, control of Orkney passed back to Jarl Rognvald of More. Yet, once again, he did not want to keep the lands for himself. This time, Rognvald decided to give the islands to one of his sons. At the time, the jarl was said to have had five living sons—Hrolf the Walker (who would become a duke of Normandy), Thorir, Hallad, Hrollaug and Einar. Rognvald eventually chose Hallad to become the new ruler of the islands.
Hallad quickly became disillusioned in Orkney. Beleaguered by Viking raids and annoyed by local grumbling farmers, Hallad eventually grew homesick and returned to Norway, abandoning the islands. In his absence, Viking crews once more overran the region and the islands were virtually cut off from Norwegian control. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, two Vikings from Denmark took over the region. Their names were supposedly Thorir Tree-Beard and Kalf Scurvy, and they set up their main camp in Orkney.
When Rognvald heard that Hallad had abandoned Orkney and that the region was now occupied by Vikings—Danish Vikings no less—the jarl became enraged and called a meeting with his sons (excluding Hallad). At the time, Hrolf the Walker was apparently away on an expedition, so only Thorir, Hrollaug and Einar spoke with their father. Rognvald was said to have undervalued Einar (his mother was allegedly a slave), so the jarl ignored him and asked only Thorir and Hrollaug which of them wanted to reclaim Orkney from the Vikings. When both sons dryly stated that they would follow their father’s wishes, but did not show much enthusiasm for the prospect, Einar stepped forward and confidently volunteered himself for the task.
Continue reading about the exciting life of Jarl Einar, HERE.
Labels: Harald Finehair , Jarl Einar , Medieval , Norway , Orkney , Scandinavia
New Article: A Small Dog Reportedly Led To The Death Of Jarl Rognvald Brusason Of Orkney
(Image of Lancelot from BL Royal 14 E III, f. 146, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons and picryl.com)
In the year 1030, Rognvald Brusason, son of Jarl Brusi of Orkney, fought on the side of King Olaf II of Norway (Saint Olaf) at the Battle of Stiklestad. Rognvald had first joined Olaf’s retinue as a political hostage, meant to keep his father in line, but he grew to become a well-respected and trusted member of the king’s court. Unfortunately, Saint Olaf was killed during the battle, but Rognvald was credited with saving the slain king’s half-brother, a fifteen-year-old future king who would come to be known as Harald the Ruthless. Rognvald, Harald and other supporters of the late Saint Olaf fled to the lands of the Kievan Rus. Harald went on to join the Varangian Guard in service to the emperors of Constantinople, while Rognvald became a respected mercenary working under the kings of Kiev. Magnus, a son of Saint Olaf, was also present with the Rus. When Magnus “the Good” was invited back to Norway to become king in 1035, Rognvald Brusason followed him back to the kingdom and became a close acquaintance of the king.
While staying in Kiev or upon his return to Norway, Rognvald discovered that his father, Brusi, had died and that Rognvald’s uncle, Jarl Thorfinn, had claimed Brusi’s land for himself. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, the Jarls of Orkney not only ruled their title’s namesake, but also administered Shetland and Caithness. Jarl Thorfinn was also reportedly expanding his influence into the Hebrides at that time. Once King Magnus was firmly back in control of Norway, Rognvald brought up the topic of Orkney and asked the king to help him claim his inheritance from Jarl Thorfinn. King Magnus agreed to help, naming Rognvald as a jarl of Orkney, as well giving him a small fleet of three ships.
Inheritance and division of rule had long been a tense issue in the jarldom of Orkney. During the reign of Saint Olaf, the jarldom had been divided into thirds. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Jarl Brusi (Rognvald’s father) ruled one-third of the jarldom, Jarl Thorfinn ruled another third, and the last third belonged to the Norwegian crown. The kings of Norway, however, gave their own third to the jarl of their choice, making that chosen jarl of Orkney dominant in the region. Saint Olaf reportedly chose Jarl Brusi as his governor of the royal third in Orkney, yet Jarl Thorfinn was given control of the royal third when King Canute sent Saint Olaf into exile in 1028. In keeping with the tradition of Norwegian kings giving control of their third of Orkney to their favorite jarl, King Magnus sent Rognvald not only with the authority to claim his father’s land, but appointed him as administrator of the royal third, as well.
Read about how Rognvald fared against his uncle, and his about his odd death, HERE.
Labels: Great Britain , Harald Hardrada , King Magnus the Good , King Saint Olaf II , Medieval , Norway , Orkney , Rognvald Brusason
New Biography: The Promising Life And Bizarre Death Of King Edmund I Of England
(Miniature of King Edmund Iof England from the MS Royal 14 B VI, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
Edmund I was the half-brother and successor of King Æthelstan (r. 925-939). It was a tough act to follow, as Æthelstan was the first king of Wessex to claim authority over the whole of England. Yet, instead of being lost in his brother’s long shadow, Edmund I learned from Æthelstan’s success. He even played a leading role in one of the key events in Æthelstan’s reign—the Battle of Brunanburh (c. 937), in which the forces of England triumphed over a coalition of Britons from Strathclyde, Scandinavians from Ireland and York, as well as the army of Scotland, led personally by King Constantine II. King Æthelstan died only two years after that decisive battle, passing the baton of rule to his eighteen-year-old brother, Edmund.
Continue reading about the short, but admirable, reign of Edmund, HERE.
Labels: England , Great Britain , King Æthelstan , King Edmund , Medieval
New Biography: The Wild Tale Of Asiaticus
(a resting gladiator painted by José Moreno Carbonero (1860–1942), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)
The Vitellii were a family of vague origins that had risen to a position of prominence by the 1st century. Whether the Vitellii were founded by an ancient Latin king or a poor freedman cobbler (both origins were recorded by Suetonius), the family eventually joined the senatorial class and received distinguished government and military appointments. One such high-status member of the Vitellii family, named Lucius, married a noblewoman by the name of Sestilia, and from their union was born Aulus Vitellius, a future emperor of Rome. By the time of Vitellius’ birth in year 12, his family had become considerably wealthy. The family fortune allowed Aulus Vitellius to enjoy chariot races and dicing with wild abandon—these pastimes would get him into the good graces of Caligula (r. 37-41), Claudius (r. 41-54) and Nero (r. 54-68). The wealth of the Vitellii also meant that the family could own slaves. The name of one of these slaves was Asiaticus, and his life would become an extraordinarily wild ride.
Continue reading about the remarkable rise and fall of Asiaticus, HERE.
Labels: Ancient , Asiaticus , Roman Empire , Suetonius
▼ April ( 8 )
New Article: The Lifelong Payments Of Tribute By K...
New Article: 10 More Fun Viking-Age Names And The ...
New Biography: The Flamboyant Tale Of King Liu Dua...
New Article: The Disturbing Myth Of The Horatii An...
New Article: The Tale of Gonzalo Guerrero, The Con...
New Biography: The Life Of St. Magnus And His Supe...
New Article: The Great Athenian Baiting Of Syracus...
New Article: The Deadly Ghost Story Of Killer-Hrap...
New Biography: Liu Pengli—The Serial Killer King O...
New Biography: The Life And Paranoid Retirement Of...
New Biography: King Irminfrid—A Thuringian Monarch...
New Biography: The Daring Life of The Ancient Chin...
New Biography: The Bold Tale Of Jarl Einar Of Orkn...
New Article: A Small Dog Reportedly Led To The Dea...
New Biography: The Promising Life And Bizarre Deat...
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This choice of canon means that this encyclopedia includes a number of corrections to the information in ''The Silmarillion'' as published. For example, the article on Gil-galad states that he is the son of Orodreth, the article on [[Amras]] mentions his death in the burning of the ships of the Teleri, and [[Argon]], Findis and Irimë have articles of their own. Details of the history of the [[Nauglamír]] and the fall of [[Doriath]] are treated as uncertain, and the story of the ''[[Wanderings of Húrin]]'' is accepted as accurate. Information on earlier or alternate versions of the stories is provided when possible.
===On Canon and Mythology===
[[Image:Catherine Chmiel - Boromir Lothiriel Imrahil.jpg|thumb|left|300px]] In treating Tolkien's work as a revealed mythology, it must be taken into account that the material presented is done so in such a manner that it represents only one possible telling of a story. While the readers of Tolkien often take all of the material as being a "factual" accounting of what transpired in the various ages of Middle-earth, it must be remembered that he himself knew that he was constructing a mythology. As such, different versions of a story could be held as true by various peoples or tellers of those myths.
[[Image:Catherine Chmiel - Boromir Lothiriel Imrahil.jpg|thumb|left|300px| Boromir, Lothiriel, and Imrahil by [[Catherine Chmiel]]]]In treating Tolkien's work as a revealed mythology, it must be taken into account that the material presented is done so in such a manner that it represents only one possible telling of a story. While the readers of Tolkien often take all of the material as being a "factual" accounting of what transpired in the various ages of Middle-earth, it must be remembered that he himself knew that he was constructing a mythology. As such, different versions of a story could be held as true by various peoples or tellers of those myths.
Thus, Bilbo's account of ''The Hobbit'' may be coloured by his perceptions and personality; while Frodo, Sam, and the other hobbits' accounts in ''The Lord of the Rings'' will have a completely different feel and quality to them. Tolkien may not have been completely conscious of this at the time of the earliest conceptions of his writings. But later in life, when he had begun to explore the more distant and remote past of Middle-earth and the various themes that run through it, he was almost certainly aware of this.
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Home > Help for a Paper
Special issue: The Metamorphosis
«Help! I have to write a paper on Kafka!»
I have been receiving such requests by email so often that I can hardly keep ignoring them. However, I really do not have the time to help all young people who need suggestions on how to get something written about some work by Kafka.
As concerning one of Kafka's most known stories, «The Metamorphosis», I prepared a Special Issue which can be opened by clicking on the left navigation bar. In general, what I can do is suggest here some books about Kafka and his work, but I strongly recommend reading his novels and stories first and most of all. You will enjoy them, and writing about him will no longer be a boring dirty job.
After that, if you want to understand more about him and find some good ideas for your paper, you could have a look at some introductory books such as the ones that follow. They are elementary books, and you can buy them at a cheap price at Amazon, or at your nearest bookstore.
You can begin with:
Introducing Kafka by David Zane Mairowitz, Robert Crumb
Kafka's life story, his ambivalence about his Jewishness and his family, his psychological preoccupations, and several of his tales are portrayed in gruesome comic-book fashion by an artist who must surely be his soulmate.
Another very useful resource is
Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Herberth Czermak
Not for an advanced reader, but useful to get started on your paper.
If you want to know more about Kafka's home town, or you want to travel to Prague and visit his house, his favourite walks and so on, you can't miss Wagenbach's guide:
Kafka's Prague : A Travel Reader by Klaus Wagenbach
Franz Kafka rarely left his home town of Prague. At 1903, he wrote "Prague doesn't let go. This little mother has claws." And though he complained often to his diary that he needed to get away, he spent most of his 41 years (1883-1924) firmly Prague-rooted. Prague is where Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle, and where he lived and worked. A fan of Kafka might want to see the houses (nearly all still standing) where Kafka lived and the parks he strolled. Likewise, fans of Prague get an expanded understanding of the city through Kafka's eyes. This erudite and beautifully compiled Travel Reader is not only a guide to the Prague that Kafka knew, but also a guide to the Kafka that Prague knew.
Some important stories with a short commentary can be found in Heller's collection:
The Basic Kafka by Erich Heller (Editor) Price: $4.79
"If you are ready for Kafka, then this book is the perfect introduction. For those of you whose short-story tastes were formed reading stories based on action-filled plots and scantily-clad women, or at least stunning climaxes (i.e., "The Lottery", "The Necklace", "Witness for the Prosecution") then all I can say is, expand your mind a little and read these stories. If they have any theme at all, it's alienation. Beyond that, it's every man, woman, and unknown creature for him, her, or itself. To this day I think about the protaganist in "The Burrow" and still wonder "what the *hell* was going on?" Kafka exposes the sick, malformed, diseased and twisted through his characters and situations, and by doing so (hopefully) helps purge the same in ourselves."
(A reader from N.Y.)
If you're curious about Kafka's life, you should first hear what his best friend, Max Brod, has to say:
Franz Kafka : A Biography by Max Brod
Price: $12.80 Click here to order
"When one considers Kafka has had so much influence on literature that the word "Kafkaesque" was invented to describe his thoughts and effects on us (how many writers can claim their "own word"!),it is surprising that only three notable biographies on him exist. This one is by a man who knew Kafka closely for the last half of his life.When they met Kafka was 19, he died one month short of his 41st birthday.The author's reverence makes the reader become passionately attached to the subjects of Kafka's inner feelings; his reserved,taciturn approach to people, his obsession with pure thoughts, his sensitivity to noise, his devotion to the the earth,its humans,animals and plants. Even now, three quarters of a century later, the reader feels the exasperation, the frustration, the torment Kafka suffered under his materialistic, social climbing father who dominated and eventually ruined his son. The book cannot be called lively,Kafka's lifestyle was not frolicsome. However, it is never dull. His clandestine trysts with the sleazier side of Prague nightlife takes the reader by surprise.Then comes Brod's stunner of a revelation only unearthed in 1948, twenty-four years after Kafka's death.??? The last quarter of the book is the best.Intense and sorrowful, just as Kafka would have wanted it. For those looking for the intellectual side of Kafka the book offers insights into his appreciation of Goethe (his idol),Thomas Mann, Flaubert and Dickens, among many others. Brod's ace is his ability to quote the sensitive Kafka; viewing the fish at a Berlin aquarium after Kafka became an ardent vegetarian he is quoted, "Now I can at last look at you in peace,I don't eat you anymore". Also his reverence for all life as when a nurse placed flowers near his deathbed," One must take care that the lowest flowers over there, where they have been crushed into the vases, don't suffer. How can one do that? Perhaps bowls are really the best." And then the "humorous" Kafka on hearing that he had TB," My head has made an appointment with my lungs behind my back." When Kafka died tragically young he joined the likes of the Romantics Byron (36),Shelley (29) and Keats (25) as a group who had dedicated their lives to the betterment of mankind and had all died when life should have just been beginning. As with the Romantics,one is left wondering what Kafka would have achieved given another forty years. One will never know, but for an interesting observation of his 40 years,"Franz Kafka-A Biography" is the book."
(A reader from L.A.)
A more exhaustive biography, with a lot of new material:
A Hesitation Before Birth : The Life of Franz Kafka by Peter Mailloux Price: $50.00 Click here to order
If you are thinking of a gift for your teacher you should consider:
Approaches to Teaching Kafka's Short Fiction (Approaches to Teaching World Literature, No 51) by Richard T. Gray (Editor)
This book can help your teacher improve his students' understanding of this wonderful writer.
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The Independent From Kentucky: John Sherman Cooper
By design on March 31, 2013 Comments Off on The Independent From Kentucky: John Sherman Cooper
From the author’s personal collection.
Former Senator John Sherman Cooper consulting with Senator Walter F. George of Georgia, Chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, 1956.
By Ray Hill
John Sherman Cooper was one of the most enduring and popular public figures in Kentucky in the post World War II era and he was, of all things, a Republican. Cooper was among those titanic figures that dominated Kentucky politics for decades, including Senator and Vice President Alben Barkley and Governor and Senator Albert B. “Happy” Chandler. Both Chandler and Barkley were Democrats while John Sherman Cooper was a Republican, albeit it hardly a conservative Republican.
Cooper was born August 23, 1901 in Somerset, Kentucky. The Cooper family was locally prominent and his father, for whom he was named, was wealthy, as well as heavily involved in local politics. In fact, the elder Cooper was serving as Collector of the Internal Revenue Service by appointment of President Theodore Roosevelt when his first son was born.
John Sherman Cooper was privately tutored until the sixth grade when he entered the public school system. He would go on to attend Yale University and Harvard Law School before he returned to Kentucky. While home from Harvard, John Sherman Cooper received the distressing news his father was dying and much of the family fortune had been lost. Cooper was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives where he quickly established himself as independent-minded. That same ability to think for himself rather than hue to any party line was to be a hallmark of his entire political career and likely had much to do with his success as Cooper was the first to cheerfully admit he was a “terrible” public speaker.
Cooper left the state house to run for Pulaski County judge, defeating the incumbent. As the Great Depression drowned many in poverty like a tidal wave, Judge Cooper was faced with the responsibility for serving eviction notices on many hard-pressed constituents, a task he loathed. Cooper worked hard to find housing for those facing eviction or simply gave some money out of his own pocket, earning himself a reputation for compassion and many referred to him as “the poor man’s judge.” There is reason to believe John Sherman Cooper suffered a nervous breakdown caused by the hardship faced by so many friends and neighbors during the Depression.
In 1939, John Sherman Cooper ran for governor of Kentucky, but lost the Republican primary to another judge. Despite being well over the draft age during World War II, Cooper volunteered and entered the army as a private. He attended officer training school and found himself in Germany just after the war where he finally served as a legal adviser to those displaced by the war. In his absence, Cooper had been elected as a Circuit Judge, facing no opposition from either Republicans or Democrats, despite the fact he was unable to campaign.
Just as John Sherman Cooper returned from Europe in 1945, Senator A. B. “Happy” Chandler resigned to accept appointment as Commissioner of Baseball. Cooper entered the Senate race and was widely considered the underdog against former Congressman John Y. Brown. Brown, the father of future governor John Y. Brown, Jr., was a veteran of Kentucky’s political wars and had managed to antagonize many of former Senator Chandler’s followers. Brown had also feuded with the leaders of the Democratic machine in Louisville and lost the election by more than 40,000. John Sherman Cooper won by a greater majority than any other Republican up until that time.
1946 was a banner year for Republicans, who held majorities in both houses of Congress. Conservative Senator Robert A. Taft, unofficial leader of Republicans in the United States Senate, was soon highly irritated by John Sherman Cooper’s independent streak. Taft apparently growled at Cooper, demanding to know when the Kentuckian was going to start voting with his party in the Congress. Cooper coolly replied he would vote as he saw fit. Cooper voted only 51% of the time with Republicans in the Senate.
Having won a special election, Cooper had to face the voters again in 1948 and was opposed by Congressman Virgil Chapman. 1948 was not a Republican year and while Senator Cooper outran the rest of the Republican ticket, he lost to Chapman. Virgil Chapman only barely managed to win and had even alienated big labor by his support for the Taft-Hartley Bill. Chapman was a rotund, bald and nondescript man, albeit it pleasant. He was also a severe alcoholic and would help to revive John Sherman Cooper’s political career when he was killed in an automobile crash in 1951.
Following his defeat, President Truman appointed former Senator John Sherman Cooper as a delegate to the United Nations; later Cooper would serve as a special assistant to Secretary of State Dean Acheson. When Senator Virgil Chapman was killed in 1951, Congressman Thomas Underwood was appointed to succeed him. John Sherman Cooper seemed like the strongest candidate the Republicans could nominate and General Dwight D. Eisenhower seemed likely to run strong in Kentucky. Both Eisenhower and Cooper carried Kentucky and once again John Sherman Cooper was serving a short term in the United States Senate.
Senator Cooper could likely have been reelected in 1954, but he faced former Majority Leader of the U. S. Senate and Vice President Alben W. Barkley in the general election. Barkley was well into his seventies when he sought to return to the Senate and was still a legend inside his own state. Cooper lost to Barkley and was appointed as Ambassador to India by President Eisenhower.
John Sherman Cooper’s exile from elective politics was brief as Alben Barkley dropped dead during a speech and both of Kentucky’s Senate seats were on the ballot in 1956. Congressman Thruston Morton challenged Senator Earle B. Clements and former Senator John Sherman Cooper ran for the seat left open by Barkley’s death. President Eisenhower won Kentucky, as did Cooper and Morton.
Senator Cooper did not have to face the voters again until 1960, when he beat former Governor Keen Johnson to win his first full six-year term. John Sherman Cooper accomplished quite a feat in having the support of those voting for Vice President Richard Nixon in his contest with Senator John F. Kennedy, as well as organized labor. Cooper was supportive of President Eisenhower and while the Kentuckian was never likely considered a mainstream Republican, he remained enormously popular in Kentucky. Cooper had married a wealthy woman and was one of the few senators regularly chauffeured to work every morning. Despite his patrician background, John Sherman Cooper remained affable, frequently self-deprecating and approachable. Somewhat absent-minded, Cooper rarely spoke on the Senate floor, but he was highly respected by his colleagues and his penchant for being independent oftentimes gave his views even greater weight inside the United States Senate.
Easily reelected again in 1966, Cooper had become disillusioned with the Vietnam War. Together with liberal Idaho Senator Frank Church, the Kentuckian authored a series of amendments to defund the war. Known as the Cooper – Church amendments, Cooper had long been urging a negotiated settlement of the war. Following another tour of South Vietnam in 1966, Senator Cooper became even more firmly fixed in his opposition to the war. Cooper’s attitude towards the war did not diminish his popularity at home, as he faced his opponent from twenty years earlier, John Y. Brown, again in 1966 and won by more than 200,000 votes. Cooper carried all but 10 of Kentucky’s 120 counties in the election.
Early in 1972, Senator Cooper announced he would not seek reelection to the U. S. Senate, although he likely could have been reelected without much trouble. He was then 71 and many other senators had been reelected well past that age, but Cooper had been ill following his intense activity relating to the Vietnam War and was becoming seriously hard of hearing.
Former Governor Louie Nunn became the Republican candidate to succeed Senator Cooper and despite Richard Nixon’s overwhelming victory in Kentucky, lost to Democrat Walter “Dee” Huddleston. John Sherman Cooper retired from the Senate and joined perhaps the most prestigious law firm in Washington, D. C. Cooper’s retirement didn’t last that long as he was pressed by President Gerald Ford into serving as Ambassador to East Germany. Cooper remained as Ambassador for quite nearly two years before returning to the United States and resuming his law practice.
For the remainder of his life, John Sherman Cooper occupied the lofty position of statesman and accumulated awards and honors for his service to the country and as a member of the United States Senate. Cooper was given an award by Governor John Y. Brown, Jr., son of his former opponent in two elections. A bust of Senator Cooper was unveiled in the state Capitol in 1987 where it remains to this day.
Cooper suffered the loss of his wife Lorraine in 1985 and the couple had been favorites on the Washington social circuit for years. Cooper kept practicing law until his retirement in 1989 at age 88. Cooper lived long enough to see a screening of a pubic broadcasting documentary about his life entitled, “The Gentleman From Kentucky”.
John Sherman Cooper’s health began to fail and he became increasingly more frail and he passed away in an assisted care facility in Washington, D. C. on February 21, 1991.
The fierce independence of John Sherman Cooper likely could not have survived the bitterness and polarized politics today, but he remains a political giant, as well as a reminder of a time when politicians rendered real service to their home states and nation.
The Independent From Kentucky: John Sherman Cooper added by design on March 31, 2013
Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky
John H. Bankhead of Alabama
A Feudin’ Son of Tennessee: Kenneth McKellar, Chapter 15
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Making Plans for Murfreesboro—Again
By design on March 5, 2013 Comments Off on Making Plans for Murfreesboro—Again
By Ralphine Major
The 1964-65 Gibbs High School boys’ basketball team was having an exciting year. Since their win over Livingston Academy before Christmas, they played six more games in January. The team from the smallest school in the county was still undefeated. Bob Dagley, Coach of the Eagles, got another call from the Murfreesboro coach.
There were two undefeated girls’ teams and two undefeated boys’ teams (Murfreesboro and Gibbs) still left in the state. The Murfreesboro coach asked Dagley if the Eagles would consider coming back to Murfreesboro and play in another double header for charity, just as they had done in December. Dagley was not looking forward to asking Mr. Clendenen, the Gibbs principal, for permission to go back to Murfreesboro since Gibbs would have to pay the expenses again. The coach had other concerns about the trip, as well. His Eagles would be playing before a hostile crowd on Murfreesboro’s home court, which was actually in the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) gym. Even so, Dagley still wanted the opportunity for his team to play the No. 1 team in the state. There was another reason the young coach wanted to go to Murfreesboro. “I knew the boys would never forgive me if they found out we had a chance to play the No. 1 team and didn’t do it,” Dagley said. Perhaps it was that statement that prompted “let’s go” from the man of few words, Max Clendenen.
It seemed simple enough to meet in Murfreesboro for another game, but certain details needed to be addressed. Dagley agreed to play in Murfreesboro on two conditions: (1) the game would not be announced until Gibbs had played their next two games—one with a strong team in the Knoxville Interscholastic League (KIL) “A” Division and the other with the top team in the KIL “AA” Division; and (2) Dagley needed to get the Friday night game moved back to Thursday night. Since it was the other school’s home game, they had to agree to move it, also.
Things started falling into place for the matchup in Murfreesboro. The other coach agreed to move the game to Thursday night, but to a larger gym. Dagley quickly agreed to the larger gym and notified the Murfreesboro coach that the Eagles would come to Murfreesboro on Saturday night. Coaches and players of the game can appreciate that Coach Dagley was asking a lot from the sixteen-, seventeen-, and eighteen-year-old ballplayers who had already exceeded their mild-mannered coach’s expectations. The shifting of schedules meant that the team representing Knox County would be playing three games that week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). All of them were against good teams, and it was late in the season.
The Murfreesboro coach in Middle Tennessee kept his word and did not announce the matchup until after Gibbs played their game on Thursday night. Then, something strange happened. For no apparent reaason, the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) polls moved Gibbs to No. 1 and dropped Murfreesboro to No. 2! “Now the tables had turned,” Dagley said. “Now Murfreesboro had the incentive to beat the No. 1 team in the state, and I’m sure the Murfreesboro team was not happy to be bumped from first place. I knew ‘I had been had,’ but there was nothing to do but try to defend our new No. 1 rating,” Coach Dagley added.
It was a bitter cold Saturday in January when the Eagles left Corryton headed halfway across the state to Murfreesboro. Word spread quickly through the Gibbs community that the bus had pulled out. Then, Murphy’s Law—if anything can go wrong, it will—took over. On the way to Murfreesboro, the heater went out on the bus; and for some reason, the bus arrived later than expected. Conditions were not any warmer in Middle Tennessee. After their meal, the Gibbs group went to the gym in hopes of finding a warm place to wait. When they got there, the girls’ game had already started—and Murphy’s Law took over again!
(This is the third in a series of columns about the 1964-65 Gibbs Eagles’ amazing year in basketball.)
Making Plans for Murfreesboro—Again added by design on March 5, 2013
The ‘64-’65 Victorious Eagles
1965 Highlights of Gibbs High School with Coach Bob Dagley
Eagles fall to Tigers in District battle
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HOOPLA Series – 2018
HOOPLA aims to entice people to buy and read poetry books through the quality of its poets, the attraction of a series with three books launching at once, vibrant design and the accessibility of a clear narrative or theme. We like strong work that steps onto the tightrope without hesitation and gives the performance of its life.
It’s no accident the word hoopla has connotations of commotion, extravagance and play about it. HOOPLA books are published every April in sets of three. A new poet joins a mid-career and a late-career poet. Mākaro publisher Mary McCallum is HOOPLA founder and editor.
This Thin Now by Jo Thorpe
Her Limitless Her by Reihana Robinson
Over There a Mountain by Elizabeth Welsh
Series ISBN 978-0-9951110-1-1
This Thin Now
This Thin Now tells the story of a love lost and of the places the poet finds it still – from inside the space two hands make to the numinous blue of sea and sky. These are poems of dazzle and quiet that give the reader a rare gift.
Her Limitless Her
The bounty of women, how far they’ll go, how far they can stretch – to love, to encompass, to bear. Find them here: bosom-packed, dreamy, dragging their offspring, twinsets askew, peeling, darning, preening. In Her Limitless Her Reihana Robinson has created a beguiling space for her to stretch on the page, and for joy to dance and grief to spin.
Over There a Mountain
It’s hard to know how to be with a mother who is a mountain. It’s hard to feel how to be with a father who is a mountain. It’s hard to explain that luminous bond and the bewilderingly stretched distance. Anxious, the mountain-daughter holds what is bright to hold and takes without asking what is bright to the eye, tries to stave off becoming a mountain herself, while finding out what it is that makes her human. Over There a Mountain is an incandescent first collection.
About the poets
Jo Thorpe is a poet, dancer and dance critic. She has a master’s in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters and until recently taught dance history at the New Zealand School of Dance, Wellington. Jo has published two previous volumes of poetry and written dance criticism for a variety of publications. She has three daughters and five grandchildren, and lives in Gisborne.
Coromandel poet and artist Reihana Robinson works across cultural boundaries, critical moments and emotional fault lines. She lives part of the year in the United States and has held artist residencies at the East-West Center, Honolulu, and Anderson Center, Minnesota. Her poems have been published in journals in New Zealand, Australia and North America. Reihana was the inaugural winner of Te Atairangikaahu Award for Poetry, featured in AUP New Poets 3 and National Poetry Day’s 20/20. This is her second collection of poetry.
Elizabeth Welsh is an academic editor, working for university presses worldwide, editor and founder of online journal The Typewriter and was co-editor of Flash Frontier. She has published poetry and short fiction in journals in New Zealand and overseas, and was the 2012 winner of the Auckland University Press Divine Muses Emerging Poets Award. She lives in Auckland with her husband and daughter.
NZD $25 each
Dylan Junkie by Jeffrey Paparoa Holman
Family History by Johanna Emeney
Wolf by Elizabeth Morton
Dylan Junkie
From the moment in mid-1965 when the urgent, cheeky, street smart rap of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ burst out of the family radio, Bob Dylan’s voice has been embedded in the soundtrack of Jeffrey Paparoa Holman’s life.
Through thick and thin, elation and desolation, he has followed the American Shakespeare/Jewish minstrel as far as Dylan’s old Iron Range home, a thousand-mile pilgrimage from Iowa City to Hibbing, Minnesota. The poems of Dylan Junkie grasp at the Robert Zimmerman that changed us, enraged us, blessed and mystified us right until the moment when was awarded, and grudgingly accepted, the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016.
A collection that growls with a familiar voice while singing with its own.
A family’s history turns on its head when a mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. Beyond the shock of discovering the disease, there are questions raised about genetics – all the more difficult when the mother’s an adoptee. Johanna Emeney’s rural family are also quickly overwhelmed by the city-based clinical world they find themselves in and the way it depersonalises the central figure in their lives.
In her second collection, Johanna brings her family history to the page – in all its uniqueness and ordinariness – and challenges the medical approach that can forget the person inside the patient.
Wolf is the critter of humanity. The one who has known loneliness and love and yet is still alone. An exile. An outlaw. And the noise in Wolf’s head is not somebody he recognises.
In her first collection of poetry, Elizabeth Morton writes of what it is to be on humanity’s outer rim writing the noise in her head. She writes as Wolf: barking consonants, mouthing a rubbish bag, in love; and is lupine in her everyday life too, running away under the broken yolk of moon, burying bones (her own).
On the rim of things Elizabeth writes with disturbing clarity of a renewed world where a matador weeps in the bullring and blackberries burst like bloodclots. These are poems that crawl into your lap and howl.
Brought up on naval bases and in West Coast mining towns, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman has worked as a sheep shearer, postman, psychiatric social worker and bookseller. He is now a senior adjunct fellow at the University of Canterbury and works there as a lifelong learning co-ordinator. Jeffrey has published non-fiction and six collections of poetry, with As Big as a Father long-listed for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. The title poem won the 1997 Whitireia Prize and was selected for Essential New Zealand Poems.
Johanna Emeney lives with her husband, David, their many cats and a couple
of goats on Auckland’s North Shore. She works as a tutor at Massey University
and as co-facilitator of the Michael King Young Writers Programme. Her poems
have been commended and placed third in the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine,
and shortlisted for the International Montreal Poetry Prize.
Elizabeth Morton has been telling tales ever since she learned to talk. Growing up in the suburbs, she had superpowers, invisible sidekicks, and alligators in the yard. Published widely in New Zealand journals and online, she is included in The Best Small Fictions 2016, and came second, twice, in the Sunday Star-Times Short Story competition. Elizabeth also won the New Voices, Emerging Poets competition in 2013, and was highly commended in the Kathleen Grattan Award. She likes to write about broken things and things with teeth.
Withstanding by Helen Jacobs
Udon by The Remarkables by Harvey Molloy
Where the fish grow by Ish Doney
Withstanding
Once Helen Jacobs delighted in walking the hills, but now she can only get as far as the local shops, and the nature she loves is pressed into the tiny garden she tends.
It is here that she ponders the paradox of old age – a time of terrible losses and unexpected joys, and then finds herself moving one last time to a room with a view of the hills she loves.
Helen’s poems reverberate with the sound of feet – walking the slopes of great hills, skipping through leaves and dancing for the love of it. True to form, she ends with one foot stepping off again into the unknown.
A powerful final collection from a much-loved Canterbury poet.
Udon by The Remarkables
Harvey Molloy lives in many worlds – the place he was born, the place he lives now, the lives of the Anglo-Saxons whose work he translates and the jewelled world of his wife’s Indian family. And then there are the other worlds that claim him – the beleagured planet he calls home, and the ones beyond Earth’s boundaries.
Udon by The Remarkables is a collection that moves fluidly from the Lancashire moors of Harvey’s childhood to the eco-politics of New Zealand, questioning everything it meets. A challenging second collection from a poet who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
Where the fish grow
Leaving the country you grew up in is both heart-wrenching and liberating. Ish writes of her move from New Zealand to Scotland, to find that tea leaves in a pot still make a cup of tea, but one that’s somehow different. Then she winds back to other more painful leave-takings that a pot of tea has no answer for.
And Ish finds as she writes that what she misses most in her new life is the salty and reassuring place where fish grow.
An accomplished first collection from a young poet that speaks directly and with great beauty of the stuff of the heart.
Helen Jacobs is the pen name of Elaine Jakobsson who has published her poetry in journals and anthologies in New Zealand and elsewhere for 35 years. A member of the Canterbury Poets Collective since arriving in Christchurch from Wellington in 1995, Helen has published three collections under their Sudden Valley Press imprint. Once the mayor of Eastbourne, she has always been a keen environmentalist, bush walker and gardener, but at the age of 87 she has finally given those activities away. Her writing is winding down too, Helen says, and has become largely about talking to herself.
Harvey Molloy is a poet and teacher living in Wellington. Born in Lancashire, England he moved to New Zealand as a teenager. He has also lived in the United States and Singapore where he worked as a university lecturer. Harvey’s poetry has appeared in many New Zealand and international journals and is he a previous winner of the New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition.
They called her Ishmaêl, and when Ish Doney was little, children called her Ish-the-male and the children’s parents quoted Moby-Dick. Ish’s mum had wanted to name her daughter after an album she liked called …ish. Ish doesn’t like the album. Her biological father protested on the grounds that ‘…ish’ was not a proper name. Together they found the name Ismail and tried to feminise the spelling. They apologise, saying all they had was the Encyclopaedia Britannica and a baby name book. After completing a design degree in Wellington, Ish has been living in Scotland and now plans to move elsewhere. This is her first book.
Mr Clean & The Junkie by Jennifer Compton
Native bird by Bryan Walpert
Bones in the Octagon by Carolyn McCurdie
Bones in the Octagon
Carolyn McCurdie hails from the deep south and her poems are made at the hem of a mother’s checked tablecloth, the rim of a rain-starved garden and the edges of a southern landscape where the elements collide with myth. She pulls on her boots to go out into the world and write of it – and her observation of what she finds there combines with a feeling that in places of heat and light where people gather, there is magic. Compassionate and subversive, the poems within speak of a wild world where rules are made to be broken and spiderwebs are made to be kept, and women with foreheads ‘like untidy knitting’ dance with holy exuberance. A long-awaited first collection.
Native bird
In his third poetry collection, Bryan Walpert – who arrived here from the United States a decade ago – writes of what it’s been like to be an observer or ‘birdwatcher’ in a land whose physical and cultural geographies he is still learning to name. With precision and insight, Bryan weaves meditations on the life and songs of birds into his observations on living as a new settler in wind-charged Manawatū. Working at the shifting borders between homes and hearts, prose and poetry, call and song, this is an arresting collection that speaks to us all.
Mr Clean & The Junkie
A 70s love story which begins at a Sydney casino and ends in a remote river valley in northern New Zealand. An Elvis Costello lookalike and the son of a local crime boss, Jon is weighed down with the burden of his filial responsibilities. But on his way to the casino to launder a briefcase of his father’s cash, he catches sight of the dark beauty of gambling junkie, Justine. With her on his arm, pursued by his father’s hitmen and a relentless 70s soundtrack, Jon finds the strength to fight back at last against a life that’s lost its shine. But it’s not just up to him – somewhere there’s a director with a camera rolling, and then the poet herself steps in as a sceptical narrator with a vested interest in the star-cross’d lovers. A startling and original work from a poet who’s won awards both sides of the Tasman.
Jennifer Compton is a poet, playwright and fiction writer who was brought up in Wellington, emigrated to Australia in the 1970s and lives now in Melbourne with her husband. Jennifer has published poetry in both countries, winning Australia’s Newcastle and Robert Harris poetry prizes, and New Zealand’s Kathleen Grattan (poetry) and Katherine Mansfield awards (short fiction). She has also been awarded international writer residencies in Italy and New Zealand. Kathleen Grattan judge, Vincent O’Sullivan says Jennifer’s collection This City ‘sustains a questing, warmly sceptical mind’s engagement with wherever it is, whatever it takes in, and carries the constant drive to say it right’.
Bryan Walpert’s poetry and short fiction have been published internationally, including in New Zealand, Australia and his native United States. He’s won the James Wright Poetry Award from the Mid-AmericanReview and first prize in the NZ Poetry Society International Competition, as well as being shortlisted for key North American awards including the Montreal Poetry Prize. Bryan lives with his family in the Manawatū, and teaches creative writing at Massey University.
Carolyn McCurdie is a Dunedin writer who has worked as a teacher and librarian. Winner of the New Zealand Poetry Society’s International Poetry Competition and the Lilian Ida Smith Award, she is a long-time contributor to New Zealand’s leading poetry journals, and has published an ebook of short stories and a children’s fantasy novel. Carolyn is a member of the Octagon Poets Collective and helps to organise live poetry events in Dunedin. ‘Right there in a place where words so frequently stop, Carolyn’s lines are memorable.’ Paula Green
Cinema by Helen Rickerby
Heart absolutely I can by Michael Harlow
Bird murder by Stefanie Lash
Helen Rickerby is a poet, editor and publisher who lives in Wellington. She has published 2.5 collections of poetry with the chapbook Heading North (Kilmog 2010) her most recent. She is co-managing editor of JAAM and runs boutique poetry publisher Seraph Press. The poems in Cinema look at the personal through the lens of a camera and the world of cinema through the unfiltered eye. Meet the boy who learns to kiss from action movies, the girl made up of symbols and the director with the aesthetic of a sniper on the roof.
Michael Harlow is a poet, publisher and librettist who lives in Alexandra. Born in the USA with Greek and Ukrainian heritage, he settled in New Zealand in 1968. Michael has published seven collections of poetry including Giotto’s Elephant and The Tram Conductor’s Blue Cap, both finalists in the NZ Book Awards, and has been awarded a number of writer residencies. Five fresh poems and a number from Michael’s past collections form his book on the hoopla of love—a theme long a part of this poet’s fascination with the mysteries of human nature, and his job in finding the language and music to express it. Like the title poem, Michael Harlow bids ‘the music of the heart to sing us alive’.
Stefanie Lash is a poet and archivist who lives in Wellington. Her poems have appeared in journals including Sport, Takahē and Turbine. An albino huia, a stranger in the attic and a pink-haired woman … Bird Murder is a gothic murder mystery narrating the demise of a ruined banker, set in the not-quite-fictional town of Tusk.
“Walpert has a natural narrative voice that works through lovingly observed overlapping images, gently pulling the reader into a shared, spiritually rewarding journey. One could not ask for more of poetry.” — Roald Hoffmann, Nobel-winning chemist and poet.
“In an age of widespread, self-conscious poetic experimentation (including the often deliberate mangling of syntax) Mr Clean & The Junkie is that rare thing, a highly successful poetic experiment.“ — Geoff Page, Sydney Morning Herald.
“This is poetry that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But it is seriously good poetry. If you’re looking for discrete poems, this is not your book. There is a story here that demands the reader works through the book from beginning to end. But Compton knows how to captivate a reader and take them along for the yarn.” — Elizabeth Morton, NZ National Poetry Day Blog.
“ … a narrative poem that is part thriller, part whodunit, part crime writing. Then again it is part feminist critique and part postmodern explosion.” — Paula Green, NZ Poetry Shelf.
“Carolyn McCurdie brings magic to every moment, no matter how everyday. Bones in the Octagon is full of poems that are simple and sweet.” — Emma Shi, NZ Booksellers Blog.
“From sparky new publisher Mākaro Press come … beautifully produced poetry collections.” — Tim Upperton, NZ Listener
“It seems that with the appropriate language, even instructions on bird watching can become beautiful and poetic pieces in their own right.” — Emma Shi, NZ Booksellers Blog.
Click the button to go to our online book shop.
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Lisa Beare
MLA, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
About Lisa Beare
Lisa Beare was elected as the MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows in May 2017. She is the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Lisa grew up in Maple Ridge and has been raising a young family in the community. She previously worked as a flight attendant. Lisa demonstrated her commitment to good governance early on, with a diploma in local government management from the University of Victoria.
Long a passionate advocate for social causes and a committed volunteer, Lisa got her start in politics in 2014 when she was elected as a member of the local school board. Her time on the school board and her own experiences as a mother led her to become an advocate for quality public education for all British Columbians.
Find links to government services and answers to your questions!
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Lisa Beare's Community Office:
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Defining Tolerance
by MQOH in Fr. Denis' Pastor's Corner Archive
Here we are with our new year, barely two weeks old. But what a whirlwind of activity we have already swirling around us. Much of it is Political, both national and international, and having just visited Israel on pilgrimage, much of that international “swirl” is quite relevant. But a great deal of the controversy is Spiritual as well. I take my vocation to be a spiritual one that is focused on the “Salvation of Souls”; not merely my own, but the souls of all with whom I associate or interface with, and with whom I have any influence. However, that does include making sacrifices (in accord with the instruction from Our Lady at Fatima to all of us) for the conversion of all “poor sinners” world-wide, whether they are known to me or not.
Looking at the immediacy of the many inherent, faith-related “calls-to-action” that we are all called to, this week, locally we are called to do as much as we can, … to draw attention to, and double our individual efforts to … bring an end to the evil of the Roe v. Wade decision allowing for the indiscriminant killing of inconvenient pre-born children. I won’t dwell on the incredulous horror that “decision” has infused into the American ethic, but yet good-intentioned, disagreeing, American citizens have failed to unite and overturn this evil during the 40 years that have ensued…allowing for well in excess of 85 million innocent and helpless pre-born babies to be exterminated. Proud to be an American? Do we cite the fact that “We are merely being tolerant, as we all should be”? We hear a lot of this call for “tolerance” as of late.
A recent Pew Research survey, revealed that a staggering 88 percent of “consistently liberal” Americans list “Tolerance” as their most important value in teaching their children. While this data is significant, it’s also limited. It depends first and foremost on how one defines “Tolerance,” and especially how liberals…professing tolerance…define tolerance. It seems quite clear that liberals are not actually tolerant. Liberals tolerate only what they want to tolerate. They tolerate things they agree with…which, of course, is not tolerance at all. Tolerance is about accepting the often difficult differences between you and someone you strongly disagree with, and respecting that person’s right to an opposing point of view. Obviously, that’s not liberalism. This could be demonstrated multiple ways, but consider two salient examples pervasive in daily headlines: liberal’s behavior regarding same-sex marriage and abortion.
Liberals have been relentless in denouncing, demonizing, boycotting, attacking, picketing, prosecuting, suing, fining, and even threatening to jail… people who disagree with them on so-called same-sex marriage. If your family owns a barn in New York (or elsewhere) and declines to rent it to a gay couple for a wedding ceremony, because such an arrangement violates your religious beliefs and freedom, liberals will fine you $13,000. So liberals…actually…refuse to tolerate those who refuse to redefine marriage. Regarding Abortion, liberals not only refuse to respect your opposition; they insist you pay for their abortions. From Hobby Lobby to the Little Sisters of the Poor, to the University of Notre Dame, they’re making you pay. If you don’t, you will be labeled “intolerant” and be fined mightily.
Our Country…currently…is not guilty of being “intolerant”. Rather, on the other hand, we are guilty…of tolerating things that we should not. The liberal media has been pounding home for decades now, our need to accept (and even celebrate as being heroic) immoral behaviors such as abortion, so-called same-sex marriage, euthanasia (so called mercy-killing), the non-scientific mythical lie and confusion of “trans-genderism” and the ill-conceived presidential, fund-threatening “bathroom edicts” that have resulted from it.
The dictionary defines “Tolerance”, first as: “capacity to endure pain or hardship”; second as: “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own.” There is no way however, that anyone is ever called, or compelled, to accept any harmful, sinful, evil behavior or activity. You are never expected (or morally, even allowed) to accept or tolerate an evil act. So let us be clear on what our Church teaches. Abortion is evil. So-called same-sex marriage is evil. Homosexual “expression” (which is the code word for the act of sodomy) is evil and therefore, the renewed effort by some Jacksonville politicians to add that language to an existing comprehensive Human Rights Ordinance (HRO), should be rejected. We are not to tolerate the sins, or the ‘promotion of the sin’ as a ‘good’, a ‘right’ or ‘privilege’. Yet we are called to tolerate, love, and care for…those who have been caught-up in these evil deceptions.
So let us, in this month focusing on ending the now-44 year old Roe v. Wade edict, with “Marches for Life”, and in this 100th anniversary year of Our Lady’s message at Fatima, renew our commitments to pray, act and do all we can to bring an end to the prolific immoral evils of our time, and fervently pray and make sacrifices for the relativistic tolerance of these evils in our times.
0 Mary, Refuge of Sinners, pray for us.
Positive and Happy start to our new year“By the People”
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The NM Political Report (http://nmpoliticalreport.com/about-2/)
“The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.” – Ida B. Wells
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an African-American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, and an early leader in the civil rights movement. She documented lynching in the United States, showing how it was often a way to control or punish blacks who competed with whites, often under the guise of rape charges. She was active in women’s rights and the women’s suffrage movement, establishing several notable women’s organizations. Wells was a skilled and persuasive rhetorician, and traveled internationally on lecture tours.
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So we are doing something about it. We assembled some of New Mexico’s top political reporters to take an in-depth look at politics and how it impacts New Mexicans everyday.
Launched in January 2015, the NM Political Report is an online news platform focused on political news, in-depth analysis of critical issues and the voices of insightful people like you.
The news side – an independent not-for-profit project of the ProgressNow NM Education Fund (the publisher enjoys no editorial control over content)– is run by seasoned journalists Matthew Reichbach, Andrew Lyman and Laura Paskus (more on them here). Other reporters and readers contribute through our quick reads and community voices pages.
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The NM Political Report is a platform focused on political news, in-depth analysis of critical issues and the voices of people like you. The "Community Voices" page will showcase engaging, timely and original content from community contributors around the state. “Community Voices” is your platform—your opinions, your passions, your concerns—and it will be seen by thousands of the most concerned and engaged people in New Mexico. If you’d like to submit a piece for consideration, please review our contributor guidelines and send submissions to alex [at] nmpoliticalreport.com
More by Public Editor
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Reimagining British Muslims
| About MuslimView | Contact us
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Film review: Ensemble (Together)
Ensemble (Together) is a short film (17 minutes) by Parisian director Mohamed Fekrane is based on a true story. Set in Nazi-occupied Paris, it tells how Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit, the imam of the Grand Mosque of Paris saved the lives of Jewish children.
It sets Judaism and Islam in a fascinating context that is probably unknown to, and certainly widely misunderstood by most non-Muslims, and indeed by many Muslims. The Talmud states: “If you save one life, it’s as if you have saved the world.” This sentiment is echoed in the Qur’an: “Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world.“
In June 1942, a group of children escape from a Nazi orphanage and disperse through the streets of Paris. One young boy, Isaac, runs into the mosque in the middle of evening prayers, calls out “Please, help me!” and collapses on the floor. The imam and his brothers revive the boy, and he tells them of the escape, and that there are more children out there. Activating his contacts in the Resistance and a network of people in Paris, Ben Ghabrit arranges for all of the escaped children to be safely transferred to the mosque. They are registered at the mosque, given Arabic names, taught the songs and stories and everything that young Muslim children learn.
Unable to locate the escaped children, and tipped off that they might be hiding there, the Nazis enter the mosque and demand to see who’s in charge. Ben Ghabrit leads them to the children to continue their lessons. The officer grabs Isaac from the children and demands to know his name. “Abu Bakar, sir” is the reply. Asked why he has blond hair and blue eyes, the boy replies: “I’m from Kabylia.” Another Nazi grabs a young boy and puts a gun to his head. The officer says to the boy who calls himself Abu Bakar that his friend will be in trouble if he doesn’t tell the truth. He demands to know if he is a Jew. “I’m a Muslim” is the reply. His eyes show a deep sense of conviction and wisdom beyond his years of the gravity of the situation.
Ben Ghabrit is taken away by the Nazis for interrogation. He is beaten, but refuses to yield to their punishment and insists that the children are Muslims. Whilst he is being questioned, the brothers in the mosque put into place the emergency plans they had discussed. Working with colleagues in the Resistance, they send the children away, to be housed with Muslim families in North Africa, where the children are taken in as orphans.
The Nazis return Ben Ghabrit to the mosque. He has promised to tell them everything, in return for being allowed to pray one last time. When he learns that the children are safe, he raises his head to the sky and says: “Thank God.” After praying with his brothers, he is taken away again by the Nazis.
“Those who have been spared will never understand how it feels to live in fear,” says Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit.
There are inconsistencies in the numbers, but there is no denying that he saved many innocent lives. Saving one is the whole world.
I discussed the film with a couple of Jewish friends to get their take. They thought it was a very powerful story of desperation and salvation, and they agreed that the lives of the children were of paramount importance. The method of saving them may have been controversial, but they were alive.
This is a beautiful, thought-provoking film that explores a dark period in the history of mankind, and it shines a bright torch on the brave actions of one man. Watch it!
Review brought to you by Alchemiya.com
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filmreview
Book Review: A Sufi Novice in Shaykh Effendi’s Realm by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland
Book Review: Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang
Film Review: The Color of Olives
Seminar review: politics, Islam and Modernity with Professor Wael Hallaq
Book reviews and recommendations
PRESS RELEASE: The Art of Building Bridges
Food, Faith & Friends
Bucks County Museum Art of Islam Exhibition and Festival Finishes with a Flourish
Institutional development – a look at the role of UK Councils for Mosques
High Court rules that non-invasive autopsies must be offered
Placing profit before the Prophet?
Post Brexit xenophobia and racism
History of Asian Cricket in Yorkshire to be Celebrated
Agreeing to disagree in Ramadan
Jo Cox MP, remembered
© MuslimView 2015
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UniversitiesUniversities in Florida
Institution Type: Public state university
Website: www.usf.edu
Founded in 1956, The University of South Florida (USF) is the 8th largest university in the nation with a total enrollment of approximately 47,000 students. USF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state’s three flagship universities for public research. Located mainly in Tampa, USF offers the experience of a dynamic college campus in the folds of a metropolitan area. USF’s 13 colleges (see the list below) offer an extensive range of degree programs at undergraduate and graduate levels including business, marketing, liberal arts and ethic studies.
College of Arts and Science (3 schools: The School of Humanities, the School of Social Sciences, and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics)
College of Behavioral & Community Sciences
College of Marine Science
College of The Arts (4 schools : the School of Architecture & Community Design, the School of Art & Art History, the School of Music, the School of Theatre & Dance)
With emphasis on developing innovative, implementable solutions to transportation problems, the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) provides objective transportation expertise in the form of technical support, policy analysis, and research support for its project sponsors.
USF is also one of only 38 institutions that host all three (Army, Naval and Air Force) ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) programs.
With over 300 student organizations to choose from, students are very involved on campus. A member of the Big East athletic conference, USF competes against some of the top ranked schools in the country. For students who like participating in sports, many intramural and club sports are available. Campus Recreation also offers the traditional gym options as well as group fitness classes, racquetball courts and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
-Excerpts from the University of South Florida’s website
Students are automatically enrolled in the USF medical insurance plan. For more information, please consult their website.
This plan costs $2,016.00 per year, $816.00 for the fall semester
US may accept AIG insurance if they approve it. Please contact USF after acceptance to see if AIG would be accepted.
Living on-campus: On-campus housing is available on first-come first-served basis for undergraduate students. If you are interested in living on-campus, please see their housing website.
Cost: $9,700 per year*
*Students living in residence halls must also purchase a meal plan this price includes this plan.
Off-campus Housing: Housing can also be found off campus. For more information or ressources, the best thing to do is contact international services at USF.
The average budget per month is: $300-400
In order to be accepted, students must prove financial resources of $9,329.00 per semester.
⟵Tarleton State University
Louisiana Tech University⟶
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What American journalists should be thankful for
By Michelle Malkin • November 22, 2006 11:05 AM
In between breathless condemnations of the Bush administration for stifling its free speech, endless court filings demanding classified and sensitive information from the military and intelligence agencies, and self-pitying media industry confabs bemoaning their hemorrhaging circulations (with the exception of the New York Post), my colleagues in the American media don’t have much to time to give thanks.
Allow me:
Give thanks we don’t live in Bangladesh, where you can be put on trial for writing columns supporting Israel and condemning Muslim violence. Just ask Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of Blitz, the largest tabloid English-language weekly in Bangladesh. He is currently facing a sedition trial for speaking out about the threats radical Islam poses in Bangladesh. He has been imprisoned, harassed, beaten, and condemned. In court last week, his persecutors read these charges against him: “By praising the Jews and Christians, by attempting to travel to Israel and by predicting the so-called rise of Islamist millitancy in the country and expressing such through writings inside the country and abroad, you have tried to damage the image and relations of Bangladesh with the outside world.” For expressing these dissident opinions, he faces the possibility of execution.
Give thanks we don’t live in Egypt, where bloggers have been detained by the government for criticizing Islam and exposing the apathy of Cairo police to sexual harassment of women. Just ask Abdel Karim Suliman Amer, 22, who was arrested earlier this month for “spreading information disruptive of public order”, “incitement to hate Muslims” and “defaming the President of the Republic.” Ask Rami Siyam, who blogs under the name of Ayyoub, and has been outspoken in his criticism of Egyptian brutality. He was detained this week along with three friends after leaving the house of a fellow blogger. His host, 24-year-old reformist Muslim Muhammad al-Sharqawi, had been detained by the Egyptian government this spring as he left a peaceful demonstration in Cairo where he had displayed a sign reading, “I want my rights.” Sharqawi was beaten in prison over several weeks.
Give thanks we don’t live in Sudan, where editors can lose their heads for not kowtowing to the government line. Ask the family of Mohammed Taha, editor-in-chief of the Sudanese private daily Al-Wifaq, who was found decapitated on a Khartoum street in September. He had been kidnapped by masked jihadi gunmen. What did Taha do that cost him his life? He insulted Islam, and dared to question Muslim history, the roots of Mohammed, and other Muslims. Before his murder, his paper was shuttered for three months and he was hauled into court for “blasphemy.”
Give thanks we don’t live in China, the world’s leading jailer of journalists and Internet critics. Consider Yang Xiaoqing, jailed for five months because he reported corruption among local officials in the central Hunan province. Or Yang Tianshui, sentenced to 12 years in jail this spring for posting essays on the Internet supporting a movement by exiles to hold free elections. Or Li Yuanlong, a Guizhou reporter for the Bijie Daily jailed for two years on subversion charges because he dared to criticize the ruling Communist Party on foreign websites. Or any of the other 32 journalists and 50-plus bloggers behind bars.
Give thanks we don’t live in Lebanon, where outspoken writers pay with their lives. Journalist and Christian Orthodox activist Samir Kassir, who was critical of Syrian involvement in Lebanon, was assassinated in a Beirut car bombing in 2005. His colleague, An-Nahar newspaper manager Gibran Tueni was killed in a car bombing last December. Lebanese TV anchorwoman and Christian journalist May Chidiak survived a separate car bombing last fall, but lost an arm, leg, and use of one eye.
Give thanks we don’t live in Russia, where investigative journalists routinely wind up dead. Last month, unreleting reporter and Putin critic Anna Politkovskaya was found shot dead in her apartment. In the days before her death, Politkovskaya had been working on a story about torture in Chechnya, according to her newspaper Novaya Gazeta. She joins a death toll that includes Paul Klebnikov, the U.S.-born editor of the Russian edition of Forbes, who had been investigating the Russian business underworld, and was gunned down outside his Moscow office in 2004; Valery Ivanov, editor of the newspaper Tolyatinskoye Oborzreniye, also shot dead after investigating organized crime and drug trafficking in 2002; and Larisa Yudina, editor of the opposition newspaper Sovetskaya Kalmykia in southern Russia, who was stabbed to death by former government aides.
Give thanks we don’t live in Denmark, where the cartoonists who dared to caricature Mohammed and challenge creeping sharia are still in hiding, in fear for their lives.
Give thanks we don’t live in Italy, where a spineless judge bowed to jihadists and put famed war journalist Oriana Fallaci on trial for her sharp-tongued critiques of Islam. She succumbed to cancer before they could exact a vengeful penalty against the lioness. But they made the price of “insulting” Islam known far and wide to the cowering Western media.
Give thanks we live in America, land of the free, home of the brave, where the media’s elite journalists can leak top-secret information with impunity, win Pulitzer Prizes, cash in on lucrative book deals, routinely insult their readership and viewership, broadcast enemy propaganda, turn a blind eye to the victims of jihad, and cast themselves as oppressed victims on six-figure salaries.
God bless the U.S.A.
Readers have suggested a few additions to my Thanksgiving column.
Reader R.P.:
And give thanks you don’t live in Turkey, where you would face three years’ imprisonment for acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and the mass killings of Kurds. Jeff Jacoby wrote a great piece about this some three weeks ago. <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/10/18/censoring_ideas/
“>Check it out.
Reader J.S.:
You forgot a nation only 90 miles away with one of the most totalitarian/Stalinist systems. From internet, illegal satellite dishes, cell phone controls and a valiant group of independent journalists who try to inform under the greatest of duress and personal fear and harm, Cuba was sadly missing from your article.
He’s right. Here’s more.
Speaking of Lebanon, here is the widow of assassinated prominent anti-Syrian Christian politician Pierre Gamayel (left) with Siham Tueini (right), the widow of An-Nahar general manager and anti-Syrian lawmaker, Gibran Tueni, mentioned above:
Yahoo! News/AP
Posted in: CAIR,Oriana Fallaci,Repression,Sharia
Regular View
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Theatre Workshop with Debora Balardini
New York July 1th 2010. Here is your chance to find out the basics of acting techniques and how to use specific strategies to sharpen your skills. Learn how to work monologues and scenes. Fully experience what is to be present on stage and connected to the audience by practicing awareness, focus and connection between body and mind. This work is based on practice and discussions of different techniques ranging from Stanislavski, Suzuki Technique, View Points, Choreographic Theatre, Hatha Yoga, Meisner, and Roy Hart Technique for the Voice, and many other theatre influences. Participants must be 18 and up with or without experience. Classes are taught in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Any level of experience is welcome!
Wear comfortable clothes (NO JEANS), bring water, notebook and pen
When: July 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th
Where: Brazilian Endowment for the Arts
Mondays from 6:30pm to 10:30pm
$140 for the whole month (16 hours of work, $35 per class)
For more information and to register call 212.371.1556 or e-mail bibliobrnyc@gmail.com
Debora Balardini (Performer, Movement Researcher, Producer)
www.deborabalardini.com
www.nettlesartists.com
Mayor Booker to be sworn in for a second term tomorrow
Newark, NJ – June 30 2010 – Mayor Cory A. Booker will be sworn in for a second term during an Inaugural Ceremony which will take place on Thursday, July 1, at noon at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center located at 1 Center Street.
Elected with a clear mandate for change, Mayor Booker has begun work on realizing a bold vision for the city. Newark’s mission is to set a national standard for urban transformation by marshalling its resources to achieve security, economic abundance and an environment that is nurturing and empowering for individuals and families. Mayor Booker is the third person to govern the city since 1970 and was re-elected to a second term on May 11, 2010 after a sweeping electoral victory.
Additional information for Media Only:
* There will be press availability with Mayor Booker immediately after the inauguration ceremony in the Parsonnet Room.
* Media must RSVP to the Newark Press Information Office at (973) 733-8004 or via email to pressoffice@ci.newark.nj.us.
* Valid media credentials are required. If you do not have media credentials, please contact the Newark Press Information Office.
* Media parking will be in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Arrival Court on Center Street.
Brazilian Day in New York scheduled to septempter 5th
New York, June 27 2010. Brazilian Day in New York will celebrate the Brazilian heritage on Sunday, September 5, Labor Day weekend. On its 26th anniversary, the festival will feature distinguished names of the Brazilian culture, like Carlinhos Brown and Zeze di Camargo & Luciano, and many other special guests. The participating singers will surely make a lot of noise and celebrate Brazil along with 1.5 million people. Stay tuned and don't miss it !
The festival began to celebrate Brazil's Independence Day. Since 1984, that small celebration has only grown, up to the point of ((attracting over 1.5 million people in 2009)), according to official information from NYPD.
People come from as close as Connecticut and as far as California. Perfectly bonding with the diverse population of New York City, people also come from Europe, Asia and Africa, to join the festivities. Some travel in groups, by bus, some fly in, and others simply drive hundreds of miles. No one wants to be left out of this party, which is now considered ((the world's biggest Brazilian event outside Brazil)) and one of the Big Apple's greatest ethnic events.
The organizers of Brazilian Day, The Brasilians Newspaper, The Brazilian-American Cultural Center (BACC) and TV Globo Internacional, are expecting a record number of participants for the 25th celebration.
There are no precise estimates of how many Brazilians live nowadays in the United States. However, the Brazil Information Center (BIC), a non-profit poll organization based out of Washington, D.C., estimates that there are over a million Brazilians throughout the entire country. Of those, 300 thousand live in the three-state area of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. The NGO also estimates that 100 thousand alone live in the Queens area, in New York.
In this way, the Brazilian Day festival is not simply a party celebration; it has become an opportunity to reach out for the Brazilian community in the United States. On that day, Brazilians join each other from different parts of the world, many coming from Brazil just to attend the festival, show their pride, advertise their culture, and live their nostalgic and anonymous feeling of being an immigrant away from home.
Furthermore, they consolidate their presence in the United States bringing the Brazilian popular warmth, rich music heritage.
Mayor Booker and Greater newark Helthcare Coalition host first primary health care provider`s Summit
Newark, NJ – June 10, 2010 – Mayor Cory A. Booker, Director of Child and Family Well-Being Maria E. Vizcarrondo, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Deputy Commissioner Dr. Susan Walsh, New Jersey Apple Seed Health Care Reform Director George Hampton and the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition hosted the first Primary Health Care Provider’s Summit yesterday at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“Providing residents with quality affordable health care has been a central pillar for my administration,” Mayor Booker said. “In these challenging economic times, we must find ways to reduce the financial burden of health care costs, particularly for un-insured or under-insured residents. This alliance presents an opportunity to engage existing primary care physicians in a network that values primary care physicians and other providers of care as the core of quality healthcare delivery and will take advantage of the newest technology to achieve this goal. Such a paradigm shift manifests our City’s national leadership in both the use of cutting-edge technology and in improved coordination of quality health care.”
The summit themed “Local Primary Care Opportunities & National Health Care Reform” focused on creating the architecture of an integrated system of patient-centered health care and medical homes, with an emphasis on implementation of health information technology, creating a secure database and data that will guide model development in delivery of healthcare while concurrently providing the infrastructure necessary to manage the health care of the northeast regional population. The development of these databases and related systems will enable health practitioners and organizations to provide quality, effective health care to patients for improved health outcomes, and save millions of healthcare dollars in unnecessary or duplicative services.
“It’s been exciting to see how urban centers, like Newark, are coming together with organizations that have long provided great health care to address issues like health care reform and health information technology which will impact a whole continuum of care from preventative to hospice. I credit Newark for its leadership role in organizing a coalition which is focused on addressing these issues,” said Deputy Commissioner Dr.Walsh.
Director Vizcarrondo is the Chair of the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition and said, “We are uniting the many health care professionals and organizations in the City of Newark to achieve our common goal: of providing the best quality and most affordable possible health care to all of our residents,” said Director Vizcarrondo. “We are looking to re-define, re-engineer, transition and transform the health delivery system as it exists, to make health care in Newark and the greater Newark area coordinated, efficient and cost effective based on the identified needs of the populations to create timely access with improvements in quality of care in delivering such services.”
Director Vizcarrondo added, “We are really focusing strategically on how do we address the fact that a City like Newark has a dearth of primary health care providers and we are trying to see how collectively how we can have a bigger impact and reach of that particular primary health care needs in the City through these strategies of having the electronic medical records, patient information system, and helping all of our providers to be able to, both, afford and have access to those tools to help them do a better job.”
The mission of the Greater Newark Coalition is to look at having a collective effort in the City of Newark to re-engineer, redefine, and redevelop health care access for all the residents of the City of Newark. The coalition is made up of local hospitals, fairly qualified health centers, our health department other health professionals that are coming together a putting together a collective strategy that will address any of the initiatives coming down in regards to health care reform.
“Because of what’s happening in Newark with St. James, St. Michael’s and Columbus hospitals, it became important to join in with the city of Newark and members of the health industry to make certain that we change the way health care is ultimately delivered in the city and in the greater Newark area. As a result, this coalition was formed and we have been involved with the coalition from its very inception in a variety of initiatives till this day. Health information technology is one of the reasons why we are here today. Today we pulled a variety of primary care physicians and others to talk specifically how we can improve primary care for this Greater Newark,” said Mr. Hampton.
The Coalition will focus on attracting and retaining more primary health care physicians in the City and making sure that there is access to quality care for all of the residents of the City of Newark. The Coalition will also connect local providers to information technology resources. In fact, today’s summit really is our first approach at working with our private providers to show them the technology that is available right now to be able to have patient information transfers if necessary, be able to do all of their billing as a result that process but showing them that tech has to be built into quality health care, and that it really doesn’t have to be that hard, and that we are here to facilitate that process.
“This is a historic day. For too long we have not focused on the needs of our primary care physicians and the challenges we face as local health care providers. The Greater Newark Health Care Coalition has determined that the foundation of a redesigned healthcare delivery system is through primary care. It is our primary care physicians who are providing comprehensive health services that improve outcomes and reduce costs. I’ve been a primary care physician in the City of Newark for more than 28 years. It’s time that we come together to design a solution for adequate healthcare reform for our community,” said Dr. Tom Ortiz, who is a founding member of the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition and Chair of its Provider Subcommittee. Dr. Ortiz is the founder and Medical Director of Forest Hill Family Health Associates and is the first Latino President-Elect of the NJ Academy of Family Physicians.
The summit is a partnership between the City of Newark’s Department of Family and Child Well Being, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center/St. Barnabas Health Care Systems, University Hospital/UMDNJ, St. Michael’s Medical Center/Catholic Health East, Forest Hill Family Health Associates, Urban Primary Care Physicians Association, Visiting Nurses Association, New Jersey Appleseed, Seton Hall Health Law Project, Newark Community Health Centers, Prudential, the DCFWB as a local public health entity and the DCFWB HRSA Homeless Healthcare Project and other health organizations.
“My responsibility is to use New Jersey high technology as a vehicle for educating at least 5,000 doctors, in the state of New Jersey, in the usage of electronic health records during the next 24 months. This will require a massive effort across the state, principally in North Jersey, where our targeted population is to really assist primary care providers and give primary care to underserved, uninsured, lower income and senior citizens and all of the people who are clustered together in this metropolitan area. I think the Mayor is visionary in his commitment to this important healthcare issue,” said William J. O’Byrne, Executive Director for New Jersey Health Information Technology Reason Exchange at NJIT
“I’m really excited for this opportunity to meet other primary car physicians and be the initial part of the Obama Health Care Initiative. His vision for primary care physicians, especially for non-reserved areas so I think it’s a very exciting time for us to asses our needs and our needs to serve the community. I think right now we are in a crisis mode because the needs are over whelming but the offices and the staff is just extremely understaffed to meet these needs so if we can meet together as a group and try to coordinate a more efficient way to deliver health care. I think our communities are at extreme risk right now,”said Dr. Sushama Srivastava. She has been a Primary Care Physician at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center for about 15 years.
Newark is one of a few municipalities nationwide that provides uninsured City residents access to affordable, quality healthcare. In addition, the City’s partnership with Heinz Family Philanthropies has resulted in Newark RX and Newark Health Plus, which provide discounted prescription drugs and access to primary medical care. Additional extensive services include, but are not limited to, pediatric care, an adult medical practice, communicable disease control and prevention, a dental clinic, a LEAD prevention program that provides a continuum of care including inspections, abatements, case management and interim housing, health care for the homeless, and a WIC program. These services are largely supported by local, state and federal funding including philanthropic organizations, such as the world-reknowned Kresge Foundation, which has contributed $1.5 million in funding to support the City of Newark’s “Getting the Lead Out” initiative.
Bridgeport soccer affair features Brazilian Masters stars
March 21 2010, BRIDGEPORT CT. The Brazilian, Latin American and North American communities will be joining for a memorable all-day soccer event on May 23 that will feature the Brazil Masters team facing the Bridgeport All-Stars. Bridgeport Soccer Fest 2010 will begin at 9 a.m. at Central High's Kennedy Stadium and last until 8 p.m., serving as a fund-raiser for Chile and Haiti. The Brazilian team will bring together former World Cup soccer players Zinho, Vampeta, Reinaldo, Ronaldao, Nenem Futebol de Areia, Donizete Pantera, Jairzinho, Mauricio, Junior Baiano, Careca, Ricardo Lopes and Lira.
A tribute will be paid to three soccer champions -- Pele, Jairzinho and Zico -- who will receive awards from the city of Bridgeport. Children's, teenager's and women's games will also be played, and there will also be music and dance entertainment from local groups as well as from a Samba and Carnival band featuring Brazilian singer and composer Waguinho do Cavaco. Admission is $20, and tickets are on sale now at ticketweb.com.
City of Newark partners with Newark Bears to observe 2010 earth day with celebrationat Bears Stadium
Newark, NJ - April 23, 2010 - The City of Newark, the Newark Environmental Commission, and the Newark Bears partnered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day last night, at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium, before the evening’s home opener against the Camden Riversharks. Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium located at 450 Broad Street.
“It has been a goal of my administration over the past four years to provide quality parks and recreation in every ward and neighborhood. In addition, my administration has adopted eco-friendly practices and policies, to address global climate change. Our Earth Day programs will unite our administration, our non-profit partners, and our residents in an alliance to create a cleaner and greener Newark,” Mayor Booker said in a statement. “I urge all residents to join us on Earth Day. Together we can help save our planet and build a stronger, safer, prouder City.”
“The Bears look forward to doing our part, joining the Mayor and Council, and continuing to lead by example. Our organization will continue to use this great venue to show case important causes and projects. This celebration of both Earth Day and Bears’ Opening Day is a chance to promote our Green initiative and start the drive for yet another Bears Championship Season,” said Bears Baseball LLC Senior Vice President Tom Cetnar III.
The activities began with an “Earth Day Dialogue” at 3:30 p.m., in which residents were able to learn about “green” programs and share their ideas and concerns with Newark environmental and business leaders. The first 200 people to attend received a free tree sapling.
“Together with residents, businesses and community organizations, in Newark we are greening our homes, greening our neighborhoods, and greening our local economy. We are meeting global goals of carbon reduction by creating climate prosperity - already, more than 1,000 homes have been weatherized, and more than 40 businesses enrolled in cost saving energy programs. Together, we are making a difference,” said City of Newark Sustainability Officer Chelsea Albucher. She works closely with the City’s Environmental Commission and municipal departments to advance policy, programs and partnerships to enhance environmental health and advance economic development.
At 5:45 p.m., the City and the Bears honored Newark’s “Green Leaders” on the field, saluting business, non-profit, and community organizations that are working to “green” Newark. A list of organizations is attached.
“Newark needs the support of every resident in the battle to protect our planet and its environment. By acting locally, we make an impact globally. I urge our residents to learn about our recycling, ‘green’ construction, weatherization, and other environmental programs, to share them with family, friends, and community, and make ‘going green’ and Earth Day part of their daily lives. I commend all the community partners who have come together for today’s celebrations as together we ‘Green’ Newark,” said Deputy Mayor for Neighborhood Engagement Margarita Muñiz, who presented the awards.
“We are literally building a ‘green’ Newark by encouraging environmentally-friendly construction methods, practices, and developers in our City. Doing so make both environmental and economic sense. ‘Green’ construction will help protect and improve Newark’s environment, and provide jobs and career opportunities for Newark residents in these growing fields. So our ‘green’ programs are a win-win situation for all Newark residents, and I encourage all of our residents to get involved, and help keep Newark ‘green,’” said Director of Public Safety Anthony Campos.
In addition, thanks to support from the Edison Innovation Foundation, residents were able to donate old electronic equipment at the Stadium to the Urban Renewal Corporation for recycling. The first 100 persons who did so received a discount on their ticket to the evening’s game. These donations are tax-deductible, and will benefit the City of Newark’s Re-Entry Initiative. For more information on Newark based donation sites, contact Urban Renewal at (973) 268-9873.
“Our community and environment are on the precipice of critical times. With over a billion computers and electronic waste needed to be recycled over the next decade, it’s time to be creative. Urban Renewal has created a program that trains formerly incarcerated and economically disadvantaged people to recycle, repair and refurbish used technology. We are committed to making a positive change for our community and environment,” said Lane Jacobs, CEO of Urban Renewal Corporation.
The celebration at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium was the highlight of “Earth Month” in Newark, which is offering residents a variety of “green” activities, including tree-planting, gardening workshops, and seminars. The culmination of the month’s activities will be held on Arbor Day, on April 30, when Mayor Booker and Governor Chris Christie will join 13th Avenue School students and volunteers in Newark’s West Ward to plant more than 150 trees. A list of city-wide tree-planting dates and locations is attached.
“Greening Newark is about our well being, it is about our making our homes and neighborhoods better, safer, healthier. Greening Newark is about our future, it is about our children and our children’s children. Getting involved is creating your legacy. Planting trees are a wonderful symbol of Newark's commitment to ensuring a vibrant, prosperous Newark,” Council Member-at-Large Donald M. Payne, Jr. said in a statement.
“Every Newarker has the right to a clean and healthy environment where they live, work, and play. I encourage everyone to take action. Together we can realize healthier neighborhoods, vibrant businesses, and create jobs. Going Green will not be done by the City alone. It takes the participation of each and every one of us. The Environmental Commission has information about how you can get involved, by greening your home, greening your neighborhood and greening our economy,” said Kim Gaddy, Chair of the City of Newark’s Environmental Commission.
Some of the programs planned for Earth Month in Newark include the following:
· Tree-planting across Newark in April and May, in partnership with the Newark Renaissance Tree Program. Contact: Shannon Buckley at (609) 439-1755, or visit their website at www.newjerseytreefoundation.org
· The Greater Newark Conservancy making Flower Barrels available. Contact: (973) 642-4646 or www.citybloom.org
· Gardening Workshops, hosted by the Greater Newark Conservancy, in April, May, June, and July. Contact: (973) 642-4646 or www.citybloom.org
· The New Jersey Environmental Federation Annual Conference, set for the Rutgers University Center for Law and Justice, on Saturday, April 17, to discuss environmental health and justice issues facing New Jersey. Contact: (732) 280-8988 or http://cleanwaterfund.org/feature/2010conference
· Essex County Environmental Center Earth Day on Saturday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center will offer activities, tours, demonstrations, and free snacks. It is located at 621 Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland. Contact: (973) 226-6082
· The Trust for Public Land’s Park Leadership Forum, on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Central High School. The theme is “Connecting Schools, City Agencies, and Communities.” Central High is located at 246 18th Avenue.
Contact :(973) 718-7338, Ext. 105, or donna.Kirkland@tpl.org
CITY OF NEWARK TO HONOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS AT MEDITERRANEAN MANOR AT 255 JEFFERSON STREET
Newark, NJ - April 20, 2010 - Mayor Cory A. Booker, the Newark Municipal Council, Director of Public Safety Anthony Campos and other Newark dignitaries will host the City of Newark’s Second Annual School Crossing Guard Appreciation Dinner at the Mediterranean Manor, on Wednesday, April 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mediterranean Manor is located at 255 Jefferson Street.
This event will recognize the City’s 195 crossing guards for their commitment to protecting and serving Newark’s schoolchildren. All Crossing Guards will receive gift bags from the City.
WHO: Mayor Cory A. Booker, the Newark Municipal Council, Director of Public Safety Anthony Campos, other Newark dignitaries and crossing guards.
WHAT: Host the City of Newark’s School 2nd Annual School Crossing Guard Appreciation Dinner.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 21.
WHERE: Mediterranean Manor
Contact: Newark Press Information Office - (973) 733-8004or PressOffice@ci.newark.nj.us
Havana Film Festival started today in New York
New York, April 16 2010.HFFNY, started today with the New York premiere of the Brazilian film, Veronica, 1 pm at the Quad Cinema, the Festival’s primary screening venue. The Opening Night Ceremony and Screening takes place at the New York Directors Guild Theatre, 110 West 57th Street, at 7 pm with the New York premiere of Los Dioses Rotos, the box office sensation and award-winning film by Cuban director Ernesto Daranas. Actress Silvia Aguila will present the film.
Since its inception, HFFNY has recognized and celebrated some of the most illustrious Latin American filmmakers in the industry. Continuing this tradition, HFFNY 2010 honors renowned Cuban writer, director, poet, actor and dramatist Enrique Pineda Barnet, who has given the public more than 4 decades of unforgettable cinema. HFFNY pays him tribute with screenings of Cosmorama, considered the precursor to the contemporary video art movement, and today is part of the permanent collection at the Centro Reina Sofia de España (Queen Sofia of Spain Center); La Bella de la Alhambra, Best Picture winner of the prestigious Goya award; and La Anunciación, his most recent film about the reunion of state-side Cubans and their families.
As the festival enters its second decade, HFFNY established the Havana Star Prize to recognize the work of outstanding filmmakers in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The first Havana Star prizes will be awarded at the Closing Night Ceremony on April 23rd at 7 pm at the New York Directors Guild Theatre. Internationally renowned Cuban artist, Yoan Capote, designed the Havana Star Prize especially for HFFNY. The recipients will be chosen by three prominent members of the film industry, producers Michael Hausman (Gangs of New York, Brokeback Mountain, The People vs. Larry Flynt), and Sandy Lieberson (The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus, Stardust) and director Louis Perego (President of National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) NY Chapter, owner of Skyline Features, a bilingual (English and Spanish) multimedia and educational production company.
The fifteen films competing for the first Havana Star Prize are:
Los Dioses Rotos (Broken Gods) – a love triangle within the modern day Cuban underworld recalls the life of famous politician and pimp Alberto Yarini.Director Ernesto Daranas, Cuba
Dawson Isla 10 (Dawson Island) – the harrowing ordeal of deposed President Allende’s cabinet after the 1973 coup who are determined to survive political imprisonment. Director Miguel Littin, Chile
La Pasión de Gabriel (Gabriel’s Passion) –a young priest, caught in the middle of a civil war he doesn’t understand, struggles with his love for the church and a young lady. Director Luis Alberto Restrepo, Colombia
Hermafrodita – a touching story about a young girl’s struggle in the 60’s to keep her dual sexuality a secret. Director Albert Xavier, Dominican Republic
La Bodega (The Warehouse)– a young man and his best friend seek to avenge his sister’s brutal assault. Director Ray Figueroa, Guatemala
Huacho – a beautifully conceived story about the struggles of a peasant family in Chile. Winner of the Opera Prima prize at the Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana (New Latin American Cinema of Havana). Director Alejandro Fernandez, Chile
La Tigra, Chaco – a sweet and touching story of a young man who, while visiting his father, finds love with an old childhood friend. Directors Federico Godfrid and Juan Sasiaín, Argentina
Memories of Overdevelopment – the long-awaited sequel to Tomás Gutierrez Alea’s classic Memorias del Subdesarrollo (Memories of Underdevelopment). Director Miguel Coyula, Cuba-U.S
Miente (Lie) – an edgy, visually stunning psychological thriller told through the eyes of a young artist. Director Rafi Mercado, Puerto Rico
Castro – based on a Samuel Beckett novel, a woman searches for her wayward husband with the help of three hapless men. Director Alejo Moguillansky, Argentina
Veronica – the story of an elementary school teacher who while escorting one of her students home, discovers his slain parents and they are forced to go on the run to try to save themselves. Director Mauricio Farias, Brazil
El Premio Flaco (The “Booby” Prize) – a comedy about how to laugh at despair when a woman is lifted out of poverty after winning a lottery. Directors Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti, Cuba
CrónicasChilangas (Chilango Chronicles) – the intersecting lives of three people in Mexico City - an honest retired teacher, a young man who believes in extraterrestrials and a woman addicted to porn. Director Carlos Enderle, Mexico
Libertador Morales, El Justiciero – an honest motorcycle-taxi driver and law-abiding citizen, Libertador Morales becomes El Justiciero, an avenging hero who foils the crime spree of a local Caracas street gang. Director Efterpi Charalambidis, Venezuela
Historias Extraordinarias (Extraordinary Stories) – a visually stunning and award-winning film that weaves together three separate and seemingly unconnected stories. Director Mariano Llinas, Argentina
FREE AND SPECIAL EVENTS
One of HFFNY’s main goals is to reinforce the educational component and accessibility of the Festival. Running parallel to the screenings, HFFNY 2010 continues to collaborate with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, El Museo del Barrio, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Queens Museum of Art, and NYU’s King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, Cantor Center, and Tisch School of the Arts to bring free or low cost screenings, panels, and programs for all ages integrating different communities in celebration of Latin American and Latino cultures.
To kick off the Festival, HFFNY collaborates with two major museums to present several events:
April 7th, Nuevo Cine at El Museo del Barrio with the NY premiere of the Colombian documentary, Desterrados about the mounting tension of the more than one million Afro-Colombians violently displaced since the 1990’s, and El Play, a documentary about a small city in the Dominican Republic famous for producing some the world’s best baseball players. Pablo Medina, El Play’s director, will be present for Q&A. On April 9th at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, we will have the U.S. premiere of 20 Años, a Cuban animation film, and the world premiere of Homo Erectus, a comedy about a young man coming out to his macho dad. Homo Erectus’ director Alejandro Lora and producer Alberto Gonzalez will be on hand for a Q&A session followed by a party with DJ Asho and a live performance by Pepito Gomez and his sextet (Traditional, Son and Timba) celebrating the music of Cuba.
On April 17th at 4:30 pm, the Queens Museum of Art will present Fantasma de Buenos Aires, the latest full-length feature produced by Fundación Universidad del Cine (Argentina), a well-crafted story of a 20th century ghost awakened by accident in 2009 Buenos Aires. On April 20th, at 6 pm, the Festival presents Teaserland, an entertaining program of fake movie trailers by well-known directors such as Isabel Coixet (Elegy, The Secret Life of Words), Jaume Balaguero (Rec), and J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage), and other up-and-coming filmmakers. This program is sponsored by TD Bank.
The Festival returns to world-renowned The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday, April 17th, 12:35 pm, with the series Latin American Films For Children. This year, HFFNY offers children aged 5 to 12 four shorts from Colombia, El Salvador and Spain. These screenings are offered in collaboration with the Museum’s El Primer Contacto con el Arte program.
For the first time, HFFNY has partnered with the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce to proudly celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial of Independence and Centennial of its Revolution on April 20th at
Quad Cinema, 6:15 pm with the presentation of Crafts, Humors and Short Stories of the Mexican Independence and Revolution, a collection of 26 ninety second film shorts made by five of the best known Mexican animation directors.
Continuing to serve the filmmaking industry and film aficionados, HFFNY has organized the panel, The Business of Filmmaking: LATIN AMERICA–U.S., the legal and business aspects of motion picture development, finance, production, and distribution at NYU’S King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center on Tuesday, April 20th, 7 pm. Key industry figures will discuss the director, distributor and lawyer perspectives: Alfredo Calvino, Maria Marta Antin, Fernando Ramirez and Jeff Levy-Hinte and moderated by Sandy Lieberson, Chairman of Film London. This free event is made possible with the support of NALIP, Mexicana Airlines, and LART.
Some highlights of this year’s festival are the films about music and dance. Giselle, a beautiful ballet film by this year’s honoree, Enrique Pineda Barnet, celebrates the 90th birthday of Cuba’s prima ballerina, the great Alicia Alonso. The Extraordinary Journey of Fernando Bujones by Israel Rodriguez is about the life of the choreographer and dancer who died at the prime of his career. Mundo Alas is a documentary about a group of disabled artists who tour Argentina accompanied by Argentina’s most important folk rock singer/songwriter Leon Gieco, who will be on hand for a Q&A session after the film.
In its world premiere, Mambo City by Bette Wanderman, gives a personal account of soulful Puerto Rican singer Awilda and the band, Grupo Latin Vibe. Além Da Luz by Ivy Goulart is an intimate look at the lives of six blind Brazilians and their struggles, dreams and desires. Cooking Up Dreams by Ernesto Cabellos is a journey to the kitchens of Peru's coast, highlands and jungle, as well as Peruvian expatriate communities in Paris, London, Amsterdam and New York. Anécdotas sobre Fidel,directed by Estela Bravo, interviews international luminaries, as well as top members of the government and military about their experiences with Fidel Castro. In Crítico by Brazilian Kleber Mendonça, 70 critics and filmmakers discuss the conflict between the artist and the observer. Diary of the End, directed by Juan Alejandro Ramirez, is a visceral account filled with brutally honest, yet liberating confessions of a Peruvian woman.
HFFNY 2010 closes on Friday April 23rd at the New York Directors Guild Theatre with the special presentation of award-winning Uruguayan film, Gigante at 5 pm. The Closing Night Ceremony and Awards Presentation begins at 7 pm followed by the U.S. premiere of Eso que Anda, an entertaining documentary by Ian Padrón follows the band Los Van Van on their most recent tour in Cuba, attended by more than 1 million people. Director Ian Padron will be attending. The Closing Night party will be at LQ.
SPECIAL GUESTS OF THE FESTIVAL
Returning after several years of absence is the Cuban delegation:
Enrique Pineda Barnet – Director, La Anunciación
Silvia Aguila – Actress, Los Dioses Rotos
Hector Noas – Actor, Los Dioses Rotos
Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti – Directors, El Premio Flaco
Ian Padron – Director, Eso Que Anda / Van Van Fever
Susana Molina – Vice President, ICAIC
Rosa Maria Molina – Director of International Relations, ICAIC
Other guests include:
Leon Gieco – Director, Mundo Alas, Argentina
Diego Vasquez – Actor/Writer, La Pasión de Gabriel, Colombia
Albert Xavier – Director, Hermafrodita, Dominican Republic
Rafi Mercado – Director, Miente, Puerto Rico
Miguel Coyula – Director, Memories of Overdevelopment, U.S.-Cuba
Carlos Enderle – Director, Crónicas Chilangas, Mexico
Alejandra Villasmil – Artistic Director, Huacho, Chile
Efterpi Charalambidis – Director, Libertador Morales, Venezuela
Ernesto Cabellos – Director, De Ollas y Sueños, Peru
Mariano Llinás – Director, Historias Extraordinarias, Argentina
Ignacio Rey – Producer, La Tigra, Chaco, Argentina
Ray Figueroa – Director, La Bodega, Guatemala
Estela Bravo – Director, Anecdotes about Fidel, Cuba
Alfredo Calvino – CEO, Latino Fusion
Maria Marta Antin – Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires Talent Campus
Pablo Medina – Director, El Play, U.S-Dominican Republic
Alejandro Lora – Director, Homo Erectus, Cuba
Israel Rodirguez – Director, The Extraordinary Life of Fernando Bujones, U.S
Ivy Goulart – Director, Beyond the Light, Brazil
The presenting sponsor of HFFNY 2010 is NBC 4 / Telemundo 47. Additional sponsorship is provided by El Diario La Prensa, The National Arts Club, WBAI, TD Bank, Latino Artists Round Table (LART), NY Remezcla, Xael Charters, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Mexicana Airlines, LICP Graphics, Cine Latino en NY, NALIP, Havana-Cultura.com, Marazul Charters, Rockamedia, Copacabana Pizza & Grill, Giovanna’s, Bardolino, Il Buco, and Brazil Brazil. Official hotel sponsors are the Maritime Hotel, the Bowery Hotel, and the Gershwin Hotel.
HFFNY is made possible with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, a state agency and supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Mayor Bloomberg’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC) supports the festival. HFFNY is included in New York City’s Immigrant Heritage Week celebration.
The Havana Film Festival New York is a project of American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC), a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization building cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba through programs in the arts.
For a complete schedule of events and venues, please log on to www.hffny.com
Source: http://www.hffny.com
A night of literature and art - Brazilian Library in New York
When: Thursday, April 22nd @ 6 PM
Location: BEA
240 East 52nd St.
What: The Brazilian Endowment for the Arts proudly invites you and your friends to the extraordinary night of our first celebration of the Portuguese language, Lusofonia. it will be an exciting event with poetry, lecture and art! We will be counting with the illustrious presence of Dr. Arnaldo Saraiva (a correspondent member of the Academy of Letters in Brazil) and the brilliant artists: Costa Val, Cila Santos, Isabel Amaro, Helena Alves, Rene Nascimento, Leonor Alvim, Miguel Garcia, Shirley Pedrosa, Miriam Rylands and Andreia Santos.
Please RSVP. Space is limited.
Email: bibliobrnyc@gmail.com
"The Brazilian Endowment for the Art's", (BEA's)
The BRAZILIAN ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, a non-profit organization, which aims to promote Brazilian culture, arts and literature in the United States. Our programs consist of monthly conferences, art exhibits, Portuguese lessons, films and documentaries, and the “Saraus”, Brazil’s musical soirees.
Our library has been visited by prestigious guests as Jose Sarney, a former President of Brazil, and Ana Maria Machado, both of whom are members of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. We have received the former Speaker of the House, Tomaz Nonô, Ambassador Graça
Lima and his wife Mariza, and the cultural attache and poet, Davino Sena. We have welcomed exponents of the arts, sciences and literature: Prof. Gregory Rabassa,; the brazilinista Kenneth Maxwell; the historian Jordan Young; the writer and journalist Luiz Carlos Lisboa; dozens of writers, musicians, artists and actors such as former Miss Pernambuco and Vice Miss Brazil, Núbia Santana, Reinaldo Cotia Braga, Moema Caveiro Campos, and Sergio Duarte, poet and special ambassador at the United Nations.
We have already had exciting events such as “A Night in Soho” with dancing, music, and poetry. The “Festa Junina” opened the summer season with traditional costumes, food, dance, the quadrilha. In addition, we have enjoyed special performances of samba and capoeira by sambista Quênia Ribeiro, and the capoeirista Caxias.
The Brazilian Library is open to the public, housing a collection of more than 2,300 books submitted by our affiliates, such as the National Library, the Brazilian Academy of Letters and dozens of authors and individual donations.
http://www.brazilianendowmentforthearts.com
Richard Dawkins to prove once and for all that humans did not walk with dinosaurs
If the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope have no problem with evolution, why are our children being brainwashed and our science teachers under attack? In an exclusive interview, Richard Dawkins explains why his new book is here to prove once and for all that humans did not walk with dinosaurs
Stefanie Marsh
Richard Dawkins at New More..College, Oxford.
A last-minute crisis in the Dawkins household meant that we were unable to meet — as was planned — at his home in Oxford where I had intended to infer from his three libraries, the birds’ nests that he apparently keeps in his living room, all sorts of deep meanings about Britain’s Top Public Intellectual (Prospect magazine, May 2008).
The day before our interview, however, there was an urgent telephone call from Dawkins’ assistant: Richard’s beloved dog had died, I was told, the atmosphere in the household was too funereal for an interview. Instead, we were to meet in one of the characterless rooms in New College where, when the day came, Britain’s “angriest”, most “vituperative” atheist — as his many critics like to call him, along with “belligerent”, and even “mad” — greeted me in a cheerful if rather delicate mood from behind a set of double doors.
Anybody who has ever met Dawkins outside a debating room describes him as a rather shy man — not at all the “Darwin’s rottweiler” of public life. In private I found him to be charming, if slightly irritable at times, a surprisingly romantic creature who is also the kind of person one can imagine bitching behind your back for being too thick. At one point he launched into a long, perfectly articulated and very soulful description of what it was like looking up at the stars at night in an attempt to convey how an understanding of science can enhance one’s experience of the natural world. He is also passionate about poetry — Housman, Shakespeare, Yeats — and admits to being “rather embarrassingly, rather shamingly moved to tears when I read poetry aloud”.
The loss of his dog was clearly on his mind on the day we met, as was evidenced by the awkward conversational dead end we meandered into at one point: “I just loved that little dog, just adored her,” he said. “She was a Coton de Tulear. It’s a breed that comes from Madagascar.” There was another melancholy pause while he ruminated aloud: “Just the dearest little dog. She had been ill for quite a long time. Her name was Pamba — the Swahili for cotton. It is ... there’s a sort of an attitude that ‘it’s only a dog’. But ‘only’ is not the right word. You can love a dog as much as a human . . .”
The idea that Dawkins is capable of doing very much more than deeply offending people is probably inconceivable to those who accuse him not only of a virulent disrespect for religion but of being an apologist for Hitler and Stalin who, it is rather irrelevantly pointed out, were atheists too (except that Hitler was raised a Roman Catholic and Stalin studied at a Georgian Orthodox seminary). Dawkins prefers to see himself in the John Lennon mould (“Imagine there’s no religion”) — at odds with the vocabulary that he sometimes chooses to employ when he wants to win an argument. He can be just unbelievably scathing sometimes and, it must be admitted, amusingly so, provided you’re on the same team: the Pope is “either wicked or dim”, for preaching against the use of condoms in Africa; Howard Jacobson is “an odious pseudo-intellectual”; Noah’s ark is “petty. Pathetic, really”, when compared with what evolutionary theory has to tell us about how life really began.
Of course it’s exactly this combative (he calls it “clear”) tone that has made him so famous, so deeply revered and profoundly hated, and I very much doubt that he would have been even half as successful or well known had he agreed to tone himself down, as many of his colleagues in the scientific community would like him to do. “I think there’s a widespread perception that I am polemical and strident and shrill and things,” he says a little dolefully. “I don’t think I’m strident and shrill. Because religion is seen as off limits I’m seen as excessively angry and polemical and somehow not to be taken seriously as a sort of balanced, nuanced thinker. Time and time again I’m described as just as fundamentalist as a fundamentalist.” Does it matter? “I think probably that my reputation suffers somewhat because of that. ”
He admits to feeling misunderstood at times and during our conversation frequently refers to his old friend Douglas Adams, who was his great champion and whom he clearly still misses intensely. He has his atheist wing-men Christopher Hitchens and A. C. Grayling, but despite its terrific sales, Dawkins’ previous book, The God Delusion, managed if not to offend then at least to shock or irritate almost everyone else in public life. For The God Delusion Dawkins got a pounding in the press from many columnists who didn’t take to what they often referred to as his own “missionary zeal”. There were fellow academics who said that he’d scored an own goal. And Terry Eagleton must have slaved for days over a never-ending article for the London Review of Books in which he accused Dawkins of being too ignorant of the Scriptures to have any kind of informed opinion about the existence of God. To his credit, anything that’s written about him, good or bad, Dawkins links to his website, alongside a campaign encouraging closet atheists to 'out' themselves and an online shop where you can buy T-shirts with large As printed on them (you can guess what the A is for).
The new book, The Greatest Show on Earth, is more what I would call emollient, although Dawkins doesn’t agree and says that it merely fills a gap in his repertoire. He’s written eight books on evolution so far and one wouldn’t have thought there can be that much more to say on the subject. But with the rise of creationism in the US suddenly there is. “Forty per cent of Americans believe that the world is less than 6,000 years old,” Dawkins says, several times, and indeed even most religious folk in Britain would concede that this is a worrying statistic, not ameliorated by the fact that the same ideas are beginning to be taught in some British schools.
And so Dawkins set about writing The Greatest Show on Earth to demonstrate how we know evolution is true. It took him about a year, and the resulting book is a beautifully crafted and intelligible rebuttal of creationism and intelligent design.
Wasn’t it faintly depressing for a scientist in the 21st century to find himself arguing the case for evolution? “There’s an aspect of that,” he says. “But I don’t want to put that in a too depressing, negative way. It’s a challenge — a cheerful sort of challenge because it’s so thrilling and exciting.” When he wrote The God Delusion his stated aim was to convert everybody who read it to atheism. With the new book it is to shake some sense into creationists: “I suppose anybody who reads it should no longer be capable of thinking evolution isn’t a fact,” he says, perhaps rather optimistically, I think. “I’d like to think there’s got to be something wrong with people who finish the book and don’t think that.”
I’m afraid he’s destined to be disappointed, as down deep he himself knows. There’s an hilarious transcript in Chapter 7 of a televised conversation he once had with someone called Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women of America (in his Waspy, amusing way he points out that Wright’s “opinion that ‘The morning-after Pill is a paedophile’s best friend’ gives a fair idea of her powers of reasoning”). Anyway, Wright is asking Dawkins to “show me the evidence of the in-between stages from one species to another”, and Dawkins is telling her over and over again to visit any natural history museum and look at the fossils. But Wright is having none of it: “If evolution has had the actual evidence then it would be displayed in museums, not just illustrations,” she says.
It’s hopeless. And Dawkins concedes that, “[Wright] certainly wouldn’t read the book and even if she did read it, it wouldn’t make any difference. Nothing is going to change the mind of somebody who is so doggedly certain ... I think you have to make a real distinction between people who are religious in the sense that your vicar or bishop is religious but accept that evolution as scientific and people like Wendy Wright, who think the world is 6,000 years old, which is flat contradictory to every scrap of evidence we’ve got. That does drive me to despair because nothing’s going to shift those people.” Nevertheless, he’s optimistic that, “many people just don’t know what the facts are. They are simply uneducated. And that’s a fault of us as scientists for not going out there and communicating with them.”
It’s not just in America of course (none of Dawkins’s books has been translated into Arabic). But at least in the US his books aren’t banned. Why does he think creationism has had such a revival in the States? “It is a political question in a way. I think in America there’s a political almost paranoia among these sort of Sarah-Palin-voting rural-small-town population who feel belittled by the urban New York-San Francisco intellectual periphery of the country. They feel like a kind of underdog. It’s the same lobby that feels that everybody has the right to carry a gun.”
How about in Britain? “I don’t know what it is in Britain. Maybe it’s just American influence. Maybe it’s Islamic influence which is strong.”
The most powerful parallel Dawkins draws in his book is between Holocaustdeniers and what he refers to as “historydeniers”, by which he means creationists.
“I have American colleagues who have told me that they’ve had students go to the dean and complain that their religion is being insulted by this professor who is teaching about evolution.” He likens teaching science in parts of America to teaching ancient history to a classroom dominated by “a baying pack of ignoramuses ... who scurry about tirelessly attempting to persuade unfortunate pupils that the Romans never existed.”
Unlike with the previous book, most people in Britain will agree with most of what Dawkins has to say in The Greatest Show on Earth. But they still find him irritating for being such a literalist, so passionate and emotional.
What drives him, I think, is not so much outright anger but a sense of incredulity, alongside a profound desire to be understood. He admits to getting annoyed with “fuzzy-thinking” vicars.
“Do you go to church? You’ve heard sermons?” he asks. “The vicar will talk absolutely straight about something like Adam and Eve. But then if you stopped him on his way out of church and you said, ‘Vicar, you don’t actually believe in Adam and Eve, do you?’ and he would say, ‘Of course I don’t believe in Adam and Eve’. And I would say, ‘Well why don’t you say so in the sermon? Because plenty of people in your congregation won’t have realised that and I think that’s a very serious point’.”
One gets the impression that he is in an almost permanent state of dumbfoundedness at humankind’s ability to hold two contradicting ideas in its head: “It’s almost as though they [vicars] don’t really see the distinction between actually what’s true and what is only true in a metaphorical or mythological sense. It’s as though they don’t really care about the difference. I think that’s it! They don’t really care about the difference!”
And does this fuzzy-headedness mystify him? “Yes, it does. And they will say things like, ‘Well it’s obviously not true but who cares in what’s true?’ And they’re not really interested in what’s true, they’re interested in what feels right or what feels good or what’s moral or, um ... if I may put it this way, what feels to be true: ‘There’s a deeper truth than mere scientific truth’ and that sort of thing. ‘There are spiritual truths that transcend scientific truths and which are so much more valuable and humane’.” And what goes through Dawkins’ head when he’s listening to these kinds of opinions? “Well! A kind of intense irritation! Because I don’t mind people talking about mythological truth but I do mind them muddling it up. There is such a thing as scientific truth and I think it matters, and if you don’t think it matters then I get annoyed.”
We’ve moved away from creationists here, but the principle is the same: our capacity as humans to believe in things that have no scientific underpinning. Is creationism, would he say, a form of stupidity? Does he find it annoying that there are so many stupid people in the world?
“I don’t think I would put it that way,” he says. “Well, I was going to say a lot of ignorant people, but that sounds abrasive too. Ignorant is just a factual statement. I’m ignorant about football and all sorts of things. And I don’t think you’d take it as an insult if I said you don’t seem to know anything about football. It’s actually just a factual statement; it means you don’t know anything about it. I know quite a lot about evolution and there are plenty of people out there who know nothing about evolution and who probably who would enjoy learning something about evolution. Perhaps they can teach me about football.”
Does he think he’s an intellectual snob? “Nooooo,” he almost yelps. “I would say I am an elitist in the good sense, which is in the sense that you’re not snobby but you want to be part of an elite and you want other people to be part of that elite too.” And one senses that when others fail to become part of the elite, he gets depressed.
What he does far better than mauling other people with his fabulous intellect is unravelling the delights of the natural world, a fact that has been slightly obscured over the past two years with all the fuss stirred up around The God Delusion. The new book brings readers back in touch with the wonder of Nature, as will, I think, his next project: a children’s book on evolution.He’s not, in the end, so dogmatic about atheism that he doesn’t celebrate Christmas (“I am a cultural Christian”) and he even admits to “a very very slight sentimental nostalgic liking for The Holly and the Ivy.”
As to the big unanswered questions: “I think we all think that there’s something else out there. I do, certainly. But it’s not supernatural. It’s ... I think there’s a lot that science doesn’t know and indeed may never know, and that’s exciting.”
One final criticism often leveled at Dawkins is that if you take away belief in God, society collapses and the world suddenly becomes a cold and comfortless place. He immediately leaps in with an “all that matters is what is true or not”. But I think he would be better off talking a little more about his own experience of life, which is certainly not devoid of comfort or love. He is on a third marriage, to the Doctor Who actress Lalla Ward, and is said to be on good terms with his first wife. He has many close friends. Consolation in an atheist world comes through “human contact, human love. We are intensely social animals and I think we derive great comfort from talking to loved people, listening to them.”
Soon after he gives me the talk about stars. If only this, Richard Dawkins’ poetic, highly articulate, deeply moved and moving side could come to the fore more often, we might begin to remember how very lucky we are to have him.
Source: www.Liveleak.com
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A Plan to Let Prisoners Make One Phone Call
By Natalya Krainova
Jul. 17 2008 00:00
When Sergei Sankin was taken to a Nizhny Novgorod police station after his wife told officers that she wanted him out of their home, police told him that he would not be charged. What they didn't tell him was that he would be punished.
Sankin believes that if he had been given the chance to let his relatives know where he was, he would not have suffered the concussion and numerous other injuries from a police beating that has left him disabled.
A bill submitted to the State Duma in June, if passed, would provide people who are detained with a right to something familiar to millions of Russians only from U.S. movies — a phone call.
Sankin's request to make a phone call was refused, in accordance with current laws that give police the choice of informing a detainee's relatives of his or her arrest themselves or of letting the detainee make the call. Often, the police do neither.
The bill's authors, human rights activists and police all say the initiative would help reduce this kind of police brutality and misconduct.
"The initiative is aimed at protecting civil rights, and we hope it will be supported in the State Duma," said Daniil Bessarabov, a deputy in the Altai republic and one of the authors of the bill.
Oleg Khabibrakhmanov, a spokesman for the Committee Against Torture, an interregional nongovernmental human rights organization said the proposed changes could help.
"Many don't have a chance to inform [their relatives] of the real state of affairs," Khabibrakhmanov said. "Often, we find out about torture when it's too late."
And Alexander Glebov, a legal expert at the Interior Ministry, said the bill "would not disrupt the Interior Ministry's work, but guarantee citizens' rights."
Sankin would have benefitted from such a guarantee.
When he was detained in May 2000, police told Sankin that he had committed no crime and that he was being taken in "merely as a formality" to register his wife's call to have him removed from the apartment, which is in his name.
But he said he was put in a cell with a few other prisoners and, when one of them started yelling, the police removed him from the cell and assaulted him, believing that he was causing the commotion. "I was black and blue all over and had a concussion," Sankin said.
In 2005, two of the police officers involved in the attack were found guilty of "violent abuse of power, with severe consequences" and "intentionally causing grave bodily harm." They were sentenced to 5 1/2 years each in a maximum-security prison. Sankin said three other officers involved were not charged, as they could not be found.
In June, the court ordered the state to pay him 3,137,000 rubles (over $132,000) as one-time compensation for the injuries he sustained at the hands of the police and further compensation of 17,000 rubles ($718) per month for one year, Sankin said.
Sankin said that if he had been allowed to make a call, the police would have been more concerned about the possible consequences of attacking him, thinking that his relatives would publicize the beating.
The new bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Moscow Times, introduces amendments to a number of Russian laws that go further than just assuring that detainees are allowed to make a call. The amendments would also broaden the range of people detainees would be able to contact to include friends as well as relatives — the bill makes no specific reference to lawyers — and shorten the period within which the police have to allow a telephone call to within three hours of an arrest.
Methods of communicating with relatives or friends would also be extended to include telegrams and letters if telephone service is unavailable.
Under the draft legislation, calls would be limited to five minutes, or less if the conversation strays beyond information about the reason for the detention, the detainee's whereabouts and his state of health. Police would still be able to refuse to allow detainees to contact anyone if there was concern this could disrupt their investigation.
"If the detainee is a member of an organized criminal group, he wouldn't be allowed to call within the time set out, but only after the investigator permitted it," Glebov said.
The bill itself does not define in which cases the right to a call could be refused, saying only that an order from a prosecutor would be required.
Not everyone agrees, however, that the bill is positive as currently written.
Gennady Gudkov, a member of the State Duma Security Committee, said the bill should be amended to require police to allow those arrested to make calls even more quickly, but to deny the right to make calls to suspected murderers and rapists.
"When a person's detention is not connected to a criminal case, he must be given the opportunity to get in touch with his relatives or lawyers immediately," Gudkov said.
But police should be given opportunity to ban suspects in serious crimes from making calls, he said.
"A criminal might give a prearranged signal" to his accomplices over the phone that could disrupt an investigation, he said.
For his part, Sankin is concerned that the effect of the changes could be blunted by general disregard for the law on the part of the police.
"They can just take the detainee somewhere and throw him out [of a car]," Sankin said.
Glebov said police officers violating the new rules would be punished "according to the gravity of the consequences" resulting from denying a detainee the opportunity to get in touch with relatives or friends.
"It could be a misdemeanor or a criminal offense," Glebov said.
If there were no grave consequences, the officer involved would be reprimanded and denied his or her next salary bonus, Glebov said, while multiple reprimands could be grounds for dismissal.
The Duma will consider the bill in the first reading in the fall, said Alexander Urmanov, spokesman for the Duma's Legislation Committee.
The bill would bring the law into accordance with an acting resolution of the UN General Assembly from 1988 that guarantees detainees the right to inform relatives or friends of their arrest.
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Geography of the Shoah (Holocaust)
“The Holocaust was geographically widespread and methodically conducted in virtually all areas of Nazi-occupied territory… in different parts of Nazi controlled territory…” “The nature of the Holocaust… the extraordinary human suffering of a specially selected ‘race’, pursued over the length and breadth of a continent and beyond, condemned to mass murder. … every Jew was condemned. …
The Geography of the First Period, 1933-39
The geographic expansion of Nazi anti-Jewish ideology, propaganda, and actions started with the Free City of Danzig…Step by step, from 1933 on, Danzig followed Germany’s lead in her racial policies, although German troops did not march into the city until Sept. 1, 1939… annexation of Austria on March 13, 1938 (Anschluss) … Sudetenland… Memel … Czechoslovakia…Bohemia-Moravia…Slovakia…Carpatho-Ukraine
The Geography of the Second Period, 1939-1944
* German–occupied Europe refers to the countries of Europe which were occupied by the military forces of Nazi Germany at various times during World War II between 1939 and 1945.
German-occupied Europe
German and other Axis conquests (in blue) in Europe, during World War II. (French North Africa was considered part of France). Light blue is the traditional color used in cartography in Germany to represent Germany and its sphere of influence.
*The New Order in Europe at its maximum extent in 1942: German and other Axis conquests (in blue) in Europe during World War II. (map).
The area in which anti-Jewish measures were imposed is commensurate with the ever-expanding territorial and political German power: following Sept. 1, 1939, they applied to Poland; April 9, 1940, Denmark and Norway; May 10, 1940, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France (reaching out to French North Africa and the French Levant); Sept. 8, 1943, the day of partial occupation by German troops, Italy (the anti-Jewish action in Libya started much earlier, on May 2, 1942); April 6, 1941, Yugoslavia and Greece; June 22, 1941, the U.S.S.R. in its expanded boundaries. The war between the U.S. and Japan affected the Jews who had found refuge in Japanese-dominated areas of Asia, especially those in Shanghai. …Hungary…Rumania…Slovakia…Bulgaria…Croatia. Thirty-eight geographical areas of persecution and extermination were created with the expansion of German sovereignty to parts of Poland, France, and Yugoslavia; the occupation by Germany and her satellites of most areas of Europe and some sections of Africa and Asia; and the partition of states. …
All the satellites did the “preparatory work” for the Final Solution on their own, with German inspiration and guidance, and some even had special commissioners for Jewish affairs (France – Xavier Vallat, followed by Louis Darquier de Pellepoix and du Paty de Clam; Rumania – Radu…”[1]
(by Dr. Jacob Robinson: Coordinator of Research Activities and Publications on the Holocaust for Yad Vashem and YIVO, New York.)
[1] Dr. Jacob Robinson. “The History of the Holocaust. In Holocaust (material originally published in the Encyclopedia Judaica). A Keter Book; pp. 4-17
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Ixia mostertii
Ixia mostertii M.P.de Vos
Common names: there are no recorded common names for this plant. It is one of the extremely rare species in the genus Ixia and has not been well collected.
Rare and threatened species are always attractive to most people interested in plants. Ixia mostertii is a strikingly beautiful plant that is highly threatened. To ensure that this species survives we need to create awareness about plants like this and the threatened habitats in which they live.
Ixia mostertii is a cormous geophyte growing up to 450 mm high. The corms are globe-shaped and have hard, coarse, fibrous tunics. Stems are unbranched, slender and erect. Leaves are sword-shaped to linear with prominently thickened margins and a mid-vein. There are usually 3-4 leaves present. There are 5-12 flowers per spike, closely packed together at the end of the branches. Flowers vary from deep pink or mauve to pure white, all having large, dark blue, violet or greenish blue, star-like centres. Inside the cup-shaped flower, one can easily see the dark violet stamens and the anthers covered in pollen.
This species has been listed as Endangered because it is a highly restricted species, only known from three localities in a small distribution range of approximately 320 km sq. The species has also lost a considerable amount of habitat in the past and this is likely to continue. Of the three localities known, only one has been confirmed. One of the localities is already threatened by urban development and is likely to already be destroyed.
Ixia mostertii is in dire need of protection. None of the existing populations occurs within a protected area. The Stewardship Project, an initiative to encourage landowners to commit their valuable biodiversity land to conservation, has been actively involved in the area where this species occurs. One of the historical localities of Ixia mostertii occurs on a farm that has been identified as a priority for conservation, and the Stewardship Project will be working with the landowner to conserve this critical site. Unfortunately there are no ex situ collections of this species It is critical that seed of this species is collected for propagation and storage. The Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) have been monitoring populations of threatened plants in the Cape Floristic Region and have relocated the one population in 2005. In 2006 we will attempt to find the other historical record and perhaps we can find new populations too.
Ixia mostertii is only known from three localities in the Upper Breede River Valley between Wolseley and Worcester. This species occurs on stony clay soils in Breede alluvium fynbos or Breede alluvium renosterveld. The lowland habitats between Wolsely and Worcester are highly threatened by agriculture and urban expansion. More than 50% of both these vegetations types have been lost and the remaining fragments are classified as endangered.
Ixia mostertii is named after Louis Mostert, a keen and interested landowner in the Wolseley area. During the revision of the genus Ixia for the Flora of southern Africa, there were certain collections from the Worcester/Tulbagh area that were regarded as undescribed species. There are numerous incorrectly identified specimens. In 1985 fresh material was collected and it became possible to properly describe the species. The last collection of this species was in 1986 by Bayers and De Vos. In 2005 the Custodians of Rare and Wildflowers (CREW) organized a field trip to the Worcester/Wolseley area to search for Ixia mostertii, Moraea worcesterensis and Lobostemon gracilis. After finding the species on the first site we visited, this became the first collection in 19 years. The northern part of the site has been earmarked for development. In 2006 the CREW team will do more sampling in the Worcester/Wolseley area to relocate the historical population near Wolseley and hopefully we can find more populations of this highly endangered plant.
There is very little information available about the ecology of this species. Looking at the floral morphology, Ixia mostertii is very similar to I. versicolor and I. vinacea. Ixia mostertii has the a dark, star-shaped centre and this is usually an indication of beetle pollination. The perianth structure is very similar to other species of Ixia that are pollinated by monkey beetles.
No uses are recorded for this species. It might have great potential as a horticultural subject but further investigation needs to done to access the species viability on the horticultural market.
Growing Ixia mostertii
Ixia mostertii is a fairly recent discovery and there are no records of this species being cultivated. Most ixias are suitable for cultivation in pots. This particular species will present a real challenge to an avid horticulturist. There are three really important rules to remember when propagating ixias: 1: a warm, sunny position which receives direct sunlight for at least half the day; 2: well-drained soil-add stone chips to the bottom of the pot and add a mix of coarse river sand and fine compost; 3: a dry dormant period in summer. After the plants have flowered, pots should be left to dry out and once the soil is completely dry the pots can be stored in a cool dry place.
Ixias can be propagated by seeds and offset corms. Seed can be sown in autumn (April-May) in seed trays or pots. It is critical for the survival of the seedlings that the seeds are distributed thinly and good ventilation is maintained to prevent damping-off. Seeds can be treated with a fungicide prior to sowing.
During the summer dormant period the offset corms can be removed when they are large enough and replanted in autumn.
The corms of ixias are prone to attack by mealy bugs. Ixia mostertii is very similar to I . viridiflora in its growing requirements and pest vulnerability. Corms can be treated with suitable fungicide to control Fusarium and Botrytis fungi.
Duncan, G.D. 1999. Ixias for pot and garden. Veld & Flora June 1999: 78, 79.
De Vos, M.P. 1988. Three new species of Ixia L. (Iridaceae) from the Cape Province . South African Journal of Botany 54: 596-602.
Goldblatt, P., Bernhardt, P. & Manning, J.C. 2000. Adaptive radiation of pollination mechanisms in Ixia (Iridaceae: Crocoideae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 87: 564-577.
Lewis, G.J. 1962. The genus Ixia. Journal of South African Botany 28: 45-195.
Manning, J., Goldblatt, P. & Snijman, D. 2002. The color encyclopedia of Cape bulbs. Timber Press, Portland , Cambridge .
Ismail Ebrahim
Soil type: Clay
PH: Acid
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Turkish man gets 17-year jail term for killing fellow Armenian soldier
A court in Turkey on Monday, January 13 handed a sentence of 16 years and 8 months to Kıvanç Ağaoğlu who murdered a fellow soldier of Armenian descent, Sevag Şahin Balıkçı, on April 24, 2011, Agos reports.
April 24 is the Armenian Genocide remembrance day throughout the world.
Ağaoğlu was first sentenced to 4 years and 5 months in his first trial in the military court in 2013, on charges of “involuntary manslaughter” in 2013. The judge called it an “accident.”
But the Balıkçı family appealed the case, based on the testimony of their son’s fiancée who stated that Sevag was subjected to psychological pressure at the military compound.
After the failed coup attempt July 2016, however, military courts were suspended in Turkey and the case was sent to the Kozluk Criminal Court of First Instance of Batman where the retrial started on February 8, 2018.
Ağaoğlu was on Monday sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison on charges of “voluntary manslaughter with eventual intent.” He was arrested immediately after the verdict was announced.
Photo. Ria Novosti
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What mathematicians do
Yes, it looks different. It sort of just happened. I was updating my links, and then they all vanished and I got this new look, complete with Twitter feed. The web works in mysterious ways.
Anyway, here is a piece that has been published in the February issue of Prospect. There will be more here on the Polymath project some time in the near future.
Our cultural relationship with the world of mathematics is mythologized like no other academic discipline. While the natural sciences are seen to keep some roots planted in the soil of daily life, in inventions and cures and catastrophes, maths seems to float freely in an abstract realm of number, as much an art as a science. More than any white-coated boffin, its proponents are viewed as unworldly, with minds unfathomably different from ours. We revel in stories of lone geniuses who crack the most refractory problems yet reject status, prizes and even academic tenure. Maths is not just a foreign country but an alien planet.
Some of the stereotypes are true. When the wild-haired Russian Grigori Perelman solved the notorious Poincaré conjecture in 2003, he declined first the prestigious Fields Medal and then (more extraordinarily to some) the $1m Millennium Prize officially awarded to him in 2010. The prize was one of seven offered by the non-profit, US-based Clay Mathematics Foundation for solutions to seven of the most significant outstanding problems in maths.
Those prizes speak to another facet of the maths myth. It is seen as a range of peaks to be scaled: a collection of ‘unsolved problems’, solutions of which are guaranteed to bring researchers (if they want it) fame, glory and perhaps riches. In this way maths takes on a gladiatorial aspect, encouraging individuals to lock themselves away for years to focus on the one great feat that will make their reputation. Again, this is not all myth; most famously, Andrew Wiles worked in total secrecy in the 1990s to conquer Fermat’s Last Theorem. Even if maths is in practice more comradely than adversarial – people have been known to cease working on a problem, or to avoid it in the first place, because they know someone else is already doing so – nonetheless its practitioners can look like hermits bent on Herculean Labours.
It is almost an essential part of this story that those labours are incomprehensible to outsiders. And that too is often the reality. I have reported for several years now on the Abel prize, widely see as the ‘maths Nobel’ (not least because it is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters). Invariably, describing what the recipients are being rewarded for becomes an impressionistic exercise, a matter of sketching out a nested Russian doll of recondite concepts in a tone that implies “Don’t ask”.
Yet this public image of maths is only part of the story. For one thing, some of the hardest problems are actually the most simply stated. Fermat’s Last Theorem, named after the seventeenth-century mathematician Pierre Fermat who claimed to have a solution that he couldn’t fit in the page margin, is a classic example. It states that there are no whole-number solutions for a, b, and c in the equation a**n + b**n = c**n if n is a whole number larger than 2. Because it takes only high-school maths to understand the problem, countless amateurs were convinced that high-school maths would suffice to solve it. When I was an editor at Nature, ‘solutions’ would arrive regularly, usually handwritten in spidery script by authors who would never accept they had made trivial errors. (Apparently Wiles’ solution, which occupied 150 pages and used highly advanced maths, has not deterred these folks, who now seek acclaim for a ‘simpler’ solution.)
The transparency of Fermat’s Last Theorem is shared by some of the other Millennium Prize problems and further classic challenges in maths. Take Goldbach’s conjecture, which makes a claim about the most elusive of all mathematical entities – the prime numbers. These are integers that have no other factors except itself and 1: for example, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13. The eighteenth-century German mathematician Christian Goldbach is credited with proposing that every even integer greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two primes: for example, 4=2+2, 6=3+3, and 20=7+13. One can of course simply work through all the even numbers in turn to see if they can be chopped up this way, and so far the conjecture has been found empirically to hold true up to about 4x10**18. But such number-crunching is no proof, and without it one can’t be sure that an exception won’t turn up around, say, 10**21. Those happy to accept that, given the absence of exceptions so far, they’re unlikely to appear later, are probably not destined to be mathematicians.
Goldbach’s conjecture would be an attractive target for young mathematicians seeking to make their name, but it won’t make them money – it’s not a Millennium Problem. One of the most alluring of that select group is a problem that doesn’t really involve numbers at all, but concerns computation. It is called the P versus NP problem, and is perhaps best encapsulated in the idea that the answer to a problem is obvious once you know it. In other words, it is often easier to verify an answer than to find it in the first place. The NP vs P question is whether, for all problems that can be verified quickly (there’s a technical definition of ‘quickly’), there exists a way of actually finding the right answer comparably fast. Most mathematicians and computer scientists think that this isn’t so – in formal terms, that NP is not equal to P, meaning that some problems are truly harder to solve than to verify. But there’s no proof of that.
This is a maths challenge with unusually direct practical implications. If NP=P, we would know that, for some computing problems that are currently very slow to solve, such as finding the optimal solution to a complex routing problem, there is in fact have a relatively efficient way to get the answer. The problem has philosophical ramifications too. If NP=P, this would imply that anyone who can understand Andrew Wiles’ solution to Fermat’s Last Theorem (which is more of us than you might think, given the right guidance) could also in principle have found it. The rare genius with privileged insight would vanish.
Perhaps the heir to the mystique of Fermat’s Last Theorem, meanwhile, is another of the Millennium Problems: the Riemann hypothesis. This is also about prime numbers. They keep popping up as one advances through the integers, and the question is: is there any pattern to the way they are distributed? The Riemann hypothesis implies something about that, although the link isn’t obvious. Its immediate concern is the Riemann zeta function, denoted ζ(s), which is equal to the sum of 1**-s + 2**-s +3**-s +…, where s is a complex number, meaning that it contains a real part (an ‘ordinary’ number) and an imaginary part incorporating the square root of -1. (Already I’m skimping on details.) If you plot a graph of the curve ζ as a function of s, you’ll find that for certain values of s it is equal to zero. Here’s Riemann’s hypothesis: that the values of s for which ζ(s)=0 are always (sorry, with the exception of the negative even integers) complex numbers for which the real part is precisely ½. It turns out that these zero values of ζ determine how far successive prime numbers deviate from the smooth distribution predicted by the so-called prime number theorem. Partly because it pronounces on the distribution of prime numbers, if the Riemann hypothesis can be shown to be true then several other important conjectures would also be proved.
The distribution of the primes set the context for a recent instructive episode in the way maths is done. Although primes become ever rarer as the numbers get bigger, every so often two will be adjacent odd numbers: so-called twins, such as 26681 and 26683. But do these ‘twin primes’ keep cropping up forever? The (unproven) twin-primes hypothesis says that they do.
In April of last year, a relatively unknown mathematician at the University of New Hampshire named Yitang Zhang unveiled a proof of a "weaker" version of the twin-primes hypothesis which showed that there are infinitely many near-twins separated by less than 70 million. (That sounds like a much wider gap than 2, but its still relatively small when the primes themselves are gargantuan.) Zhang, a Chinese immigrant who had earlier been without an academic job for several years, fits the bill of the lone genius conquering a problem in seclusion. But after news of his breakthrough spread on maths blogs, something unusual happened. Others started chipping in to reduce Zhang’s bound of 70 million, and in June one of the world’s most celebrated mathematicians, Terence Tao at the University of California at Los Angeles, set up an online ‘crowdsourcing’ project called Polymath to pool resources. Before long, 70 million had dropped to 4680. Now, thanks to work by a young researcher named James Maynard at the University of Montreal, it is down to 600.
This extraordinarily rapid progress on a previously recalcitrant problem was thus a collective effort: maths isn’t just about secret labours by individuals. And while the shy, almost gnomically terse Zhang might fit the popular image, the gregarious and personable Tao does not.
What’s more, while projects like the Millennium Problems play to the image of maths as a set of peaks to scale, mathematicians themselves value other traits besides the ability to crack a tough problem. Abel laureates are commonly researchers who have forged new tools and revealed new connections between different branches of mathematicians. Last year’s winner, the Belgian Pierre Deligne, who among other things solved a problem in algebraic geometry analogous to the Riemann hypothesis, was praised for being a “theory builder” as well as a “problem solver”, and the 2011 recipient John Milnor was lauded as a polymath who “opened up new fields”. The message for the young mathematician, then, might be not to lock yourself away but to broaden your horizons.
The year of crystallography
Flight of the robot jellyfish
"Irrational" behaviour can be rational
The future of physics
A prize for Max von Laue
The cult of the instrument
Chemistry with muons
Chips in space
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Height: 5' 7" (1.7 m)
Jessie Buckley is an Irish singer and actress, who came in second place in the BBC talent show-themed television series I’d Do Anything, and subsequently played Anne Egermann in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Most recently, Buckley played Lyudmilla Ignatenko in the HBO drama miniseries, Chernobyl. She also appeared on three BBC television series, as Marya Bolkonskaya in BBC’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, as Lorna Bow in Taboo and as Honor Martin in The Last Post. Buckley was born in Killarney, County Kerry, the eldest of five children. Her mother, Marina Cassidy, encouraged her to sing and coached her. She has a brother and three sisters. Buckley went to Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls convent school in Thurles, County Tipperary, where her mother works as a vocal coach and where she performed in school productions. She played a number of male roles at school, including the male lead role of Jets gang founder Tony in the musical West Side Story and Freddie Trumper in Chess. She has achieved Grade eight in piano, clarinet and harp with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She is also a member of the Tipperary Millennium Orchestra. Buckley also attended The Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) workshops during the summer, to help improve her singing and acting; it was where she was then recognized as a talented actress and was encouraged to apply for Drama School in London. Just before she auditioned for I’d Do Anything, she was turned down by two drama schools, including one the day before her first audition for the show. In 2008, Buckley won the AIMS Best Actress award for her portrayal of Julie Jordan in the Killarney Musical Society production of Carousel. Buckley competed in I’d Do Anything, a search for a new, unknown lead to play Nancy in a London West End stage revival of the British musical Oliver. Buckley reached the final on 31 May 2008, finishing in second place behind Jodie Prenger. Before the final vote was announced in Show two of the final, Graham Norton asked the panel who they each thought was Nancy. Three of the panel said Buckley and two Prenger. John Barrowman and Denise van Outen said “Jodie”, while Barry Humphries, Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber said “Jessie”. However, the public voted for Jodie. Buckley performed at the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Birthday in the Park show in Hyde Park, London on 14 September 2008, singing “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” as a solo and “Light at the End of the Tunnel” from Starlight Express with fellow I’d Do Anything finalists Keisha Amponsa-Banson, Niamh Perry, Rachel Tucker as well as Any Dream Will Do finalists Daniel Boys, Lewis Bradley, Ben James-Ellis and Keith Jack. On 18 September she and Aoife Mulholland performed with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at an Andrew Lloyd Webber evening at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. On 26 August 2008 Buckley performed on Denny Street in Tralee, Co. Kerry where the first ever Millionaire raffle was broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1. After this, Jessie performed at a charity concert in Tipperary, where she announced that she would be starting rehearsals for A Little Night Music in London the following Monday. Buckley was offered the opportunity to understudy Nancy, but turned it down in favour of another production: on 10 October 2008 it was announced that Buckley would be appearing in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music, in the role of Anne Egerman, at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a fringe Studio Theatre, in London from 22 November 2008 to 8 March 2009. She appeared alongside Maureen Lipman and Hannah Waddingham in the production, which was directed by Trevor Nunn. A Little Night Music transferred from the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End on 7 April 2009 (previews from 28 March – 6 April). A Little Night Music was Buckley’s West End debut. The show closed on 25 July 2009. Since then, she has appeared in a number of concerts nationally, including a Christmas concert alongside Maria Friedman, Cantabile – the London Quartet and Tim Rice, and in February 2010 appeared alongside Daniel Boys (and Night Music co-star Kelly Price) in a series of Valentine musical concerts.
Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Trailer: Dolittle
Trailer: Judy
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Film Review – Mistress America
Director Noah Baumbach has a long list of successfully quirky indie films to his name, including the likes of Frances Ha, While We’re Young, Margot at the Wedding and The Squid and the Whale. Now for his latest feature, he has teamed up with actress Greta Gerwig to write Mistress America, a simple yet no less engaging comedy about lonely college freshman Tracy (Lola Kirke) and her wildly eccentric step-sister-to-be, Brooke (Greta Gerwig). Having so far struggled to make friends and participate in the “college experience”, Tracy calls her Mum’s fiance’s thirty year-old daughter, Brooke, who takes Tracy under her wing and shows her how to really live like a New Yorker.
Tracy is immediately taken by the charismatic and self-assured Brooke, not surprising considering she is one of the most infectious and chaotic characters of recent times. Embodied so brilliantly by Greta Gerwig, Brooke is the centerpiece of the entire film. She is a caricature of a real person: cool, crazy, adventurous, messy, dysfunctional, and slightly narcissistic, she’s that girl that you love to hate in real life, but simply love to laugh at and with on screen. Gerwig and Baumbach have dreamed up these incredibly well-realised characters for Mistress America, and while they might be a little exaggerated (okay, a lot exaggerated), you will almost certainly be able to say you have a friend who is just like Brooke, or just like Tracy.
It’s so great to see two strong women in the driving seats of this film, and particularly because it is a comedy. Dialogue-heavy and fast-paced, this witty screenplay is full of hilarious one-liners and sly quips that speed by so quickly you practically have to run to catch up with them. It’s a hard film to review for the fact that it is just so chaotic – the plot and characters become so utterly ridiculous at some times that you feel like the film is going to spiral completely out of control, but in the end, it kind of pulls it off. It’s going to be up to the audience to decide how much of this crazy story they can pass off for the sake of comedy, and how much they just can’t let slide. But for me, I laughed a lot, and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?
Fans of Baumbach’s previous films should definitely head along to check Mistress America out, if not just to see Greta Gerwig shine on screen. She somehow manages to take this wonderfully unreal character and turn her into something totally believable, and both Gerwig and Kirke are going to be ones to watch on the indie film scene.
Blake Shipley
Tags: comedy Funny Indie New York City
Previous TV Recap – American Horror Story: Hotel ‘Chutes and Ladders’
Next October Challenge – The Nightmare
Film Review – Jackie
Film Review – Assassin’s Creed
Film Review – The Edge of Seventeen
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Theses - Department of Turkish Literature
Dept. of Turkish Literature - Ph.D. / Sc.D.
Yahya Kemal Beyatlı şiirinde düzyazı ve dünyevilik
Akgül, Alphan
Kalpaklı, Mehmet
In the studies on the poems of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1884 - 1958), poet’s intention is regarded as a literary criterion. This point of view gives rise to the contradictions, inconsistencies and deficiencies that are observable in the interpretations of Yahya Kemal’s poetry. In these studies Yahya Kemal’s arguments have been evaluated in piecemeal fashion, and no comprehensive examination has been conducted on their content as a whole. However, when Yahya Kemal’s arguments are considered as a whole, it emerges that although his poetic conception reflects the theoretical framework of “modern European lyric poetry”, his poems do not conform with this conception. Yahya Kemal’s poetic conception depends on certain binary oppositions such as “meaning / utterance,” “parable / lyricism” and “meter / internal rhythm.” In theory, the poet attributes privileged status to the latter terms in these binary oppositions. Yet, when the relationship between Yahya Kemal’s poetic conception and his poems are analyzed through a “deconstructive strategy”, it is revealed that in direct contrast to his poetic conception, privileged status is attached not to the latter but rather to the initial terms in these binary oppositions; namely, “meaning”, “parable” and “meter.” Yahya Kemal’s arguments on “internal rhythm” turn out to be inconsistent, and it is necessary therefore to ignore this concept in studying his poetry. Much more functional than this concept are the linguistic devices corresponding to the harmony between “meaning” and “utterance”. In this respect, a crucial detail peculiar to Yahya Kemal’s poetry requires attention: the cooperation found in his poems between “meter,” “phonetic spelling,” and imale. Đmale, as a kind of metrical defect, leads to deviations from ordinary language in poetry. Moreover, these deviations are meticulously displayed through “phonetic spelling” in the printed copies of Yahya Kemal’s poems. Accordingly, the cooperation between “meter,” “phonetic spelling” and imale provide a sort of musicality to Yahya Kemal’s poems, while this musicality does not impair the communicative function of language. Another aspect of the present study is that Yahya Kemal’s poems are interpreted by means of a text-bound method to reveal the feelings of “ressentiment” aroused by unexpressed desires, and also the constituents of a secular worldview. This study also attempts to demonstrate how “metered and unmetered sound patterns” reinforce the content of the poems in their function as linguistic devices. The thesis also places emphasis on the predominance of “metonymy” rather than “metaphor” in the figural pattern of Yahya Kemal’s poems.
Dept. of Turkish Literature - Ph.D. / Sc.D. 41
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in Legends of Light Music
Raymond Scott By Arthur Jackson
Raymond Scott isn’t merely a name from the past, and may still be fondly remembered by pre-war listeners; but how many, I wonder, realise just how enormous his talent span was, apart from the novelties like Toy Trumpet and In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room. He wrote for Hollywood, Broadway, and radio and had his own band that featured (naturally) his own compositions as well as standards; in all, dance music of the highest quality as well as an individual brand of swing music.
He was born in Brooklyn N.Y. on 10 September 1910 into a musical family as Harry Warnow with orchestral conductor Mark Warnow as his elder brother. Harry originally intended to be an electrical engineer (in later years he would become one when he retired as a bandleader) but was basically more interested in music. Changing his name to Raymond Scott to avoid any suggestions of nepotism he was given a position as a pianist under brother Mark Warnow on CBS radio.
Soon after, Scott began writing his (then) revolutionary small group pieces for his CBS Quintet (allsix of them). Far from casual, these pieces with their novelty titles were something new in…what? Was it jazz, dance music, swing, popular classics….or just plain music? It was popular for a while but invited comparison with the larger swing bands, and once the novelty of the eccentric writing and instrumentation wore off the lack of any rhythmic impulse became evident.
In the late 1930’s the Scott Quintet went to Hollywood to appear in such films as "Ali Baba Goes to Town", "Love and Kisses", "Nothing Sacred", "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm", "Happy Landing" etc. These featured his own compositions like Toy Trumpet, Huckleberry Duck, Twilight in Turkey, In An 18th Century Drawing Room, Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals, War Dance for Wooden Indians, Minuet in Jazz, and would you believe, A Dedicatory Piece to the Crew and Passengers of the First Experimental Rocket Express to the Moon. There were also Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner, Toonerville Trolly and others all published by Scott’s own Advanced Music Company.
While in Hollywood his jaunty themes were adapted by Warner Brothers MD Carl Stalling and Scott himself for their "Looney Tunes" and "Merry Melodies" cartoons, but after this he was into the big band scene with a 13-piece combination including such jazzmen as Gordon Griffin, Hugo Winterhalter, Bernie Leighton, Chubby Jackson, Jimmy Maxwell, Shelley Manne and Art Ryerson, recording for Columbia, the band’s repertoire including many new Scott compositions as well as augmented versions of his best-known standards. It was successful and toured extensively, but the best sidesmen were being called up, so Scott was forced to return to the security of the CBS studios. Here he led an all-star inter-racial band including Ben Webster, Charlie Shavers, Les Elgart, Benny Morton, Johnny Guarnieri, Tony Mottola, Cosy Cole… even Coleman Hawkins sat in at times!
Scott’s two principal girl singers were (pre-war) Nan Wynn who went to Hollywood to dub the voices for non-singing actresses like Rita Hayworth, and a teenager, Dorothy Collins (post-war). Mr & Mrs Scott semi-adopted Dorothy as a daughter, then later she became the second Mrs Scott as well as his permanent singer. Another aspect of this man’s talent appeared in 1945/46 when he did Broadway scores for "Beggars are Coming to Town" and the successful "Lute Song" which ran for over a year and included a wonderful evergreen in Mountain High, Valley Low.
After the war he formed another big band for touring and his own radio programme. When his brother, Mark Warnow died in 1949 Raymond Scott replaced him as a conductor of the "Lucky Strike Hit Parade", where he and Dorothy stayed as resident leader and singer for several years. At one stage Scott had his own Audiovox record label then became MD for Everest Records until his interest in electronics took over with the formation of a new studio complex at his Long Island home where he functioned as technical adviser for various record companies.
Eventually this became his sole occupation and in 1960, strangely enough for one of his musical background he worked as a consultant for Tamla Motown Records inter alia for the next seventeen years, during which time he transferred all his activities to California. Scott retired through ill-health and spent the rest of his life in Van Nuys in California where he died in 1994 after a series of strokes at almost the same time as his divorced wife, Dorothy Collins.
© Copyright Arthur Jackson 2007.
This article first appeared in ‘Journal Into Melody’ September 2007
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The Struggle to Love Our Neighbor
“The most damaging idolatry is not the golden calf but enmity against the other.” The renowned anthropologist, Rene Girard, wrote that and its truth is not easily admitted. Most of us like to believe that we are mature and big-hearted and that we do love our neighbors and are free of enmity towards others. But is this so?
In our more honest, more accurately perhaps, in our more humble moments, I think that all of us admit that we don’t really love others in the way that Jesus asked. We don’t turn the other cheek. We don’t really love our enemies. We don’t wish good to those who wish us harm. We don’t bless those who curse us. And we don’t genuinely forgive those who murder our loved ones. We are decent, good-hearted persons, but persons whose heaven is still too-predicated on needing an emotional vindication in the face of anyone or anything that opposes us. We can be fair, we can be just, but we don’t yet love the way Jesus asked us to, that is, so that our love goes out to both those who love us and to those who hate us. We still struggle, mightily, mostly unsuccessfully, to wish our enemies well.
But for most of us who like to believe ourselves mature that battle remains hidden, mostly from ourselves. We tend to feel that we are loving and forgiving because, essentially, we are well-intentioned, sincere, and able to believe and say all the right things; but there’s another part of us that isn’t nearly so noble. The Irish Jesuit, Michael Paul Gallagher, (who died recently and will be dearly missed) puts this well when he writes (In Extra Time): “You probably don’t hate anyone, but you can be paralyzed by daily negatives. Mini-prejudices and knee-jerk judgements can produce a mood of undeclared war. Across barbed wire fences, invisible bullets fly.” Loving the other as oneself, he submits, is for most of us an impossible uphill climb.
So where does that leave us? Serving out a life-sentence of mediocrity and hypocrisy? Professing to loving our enemies but not doing it? How can we profess to be Christians when, if we are honest, we have admit that we are not measuring up to the litmus-test of Christian discipleship, namely, loving and forgiving our enemies?
Perhaps we are not as bad as we think we are. If we are still struggling, we are still healthy. In making us, it seems, God factored in human complexity, human weakness, and how growing into deeper love is a life-long journey. What can look like hypocrisy from the outside can in fact be a pilgrimage, a Camino walk, when seen within a fuller light of patience and understanding.
Thomas Aquinas, in speaking about union and intimacy, makes this important distinction. He distinguishes between being in union with something or somebody in actuality and being in union with that someone or something through desire. This has many applications but, applied in this case; it means that sometimes the heart can only go somewhere through desire rather than in actuality. We can believe in the right things and want the right things and still not be able to bring our hearts onside. One example of this is what the old catechisms (in their unique wisdom) used to call “imperfect contrition”, that is, the notion that if you have done something wrong that you know is wrong and that you know that you should feel sorry for, but you can’t in fact feel sorry for, then if you can wish that you could feel sorry, that’s contrition enough, not perfect, but enough. It’s the best you can do and it puts you at the right place at the level of desire, not a perfect place, but one better than its alternative.
And that “imperfect” place does more for us than simply providing the minimal standard of contrition needed for forgiveness. More importantly it accords rightful dignity to whom and to what we have hurt.
Reflecting on our inability to genuinely love our neighbor, Marilynne Robinson submits that, even in our failure to live up what Jesus asks of us, if we are struggling honestly, there is some virtue. She argues this way: Freud said that we cannot love our neighbor as ourselves, and no doubt this is true. But since we accept the reality that lies behind the commandment, that our neighbor is as worthy of love as ourselves, then in our very attempt to act on Jesus’ demand we are acknowledging that our neighbor is worthy of love even if, at that this point in our lives, we are too weak to provide it.
And that’s the crucial point: In continuing to struggle, despite our failures, to live up to the Jesus’ great commandment of love we acknowledge the dignity inherent in our enemies, acknowledge that they are worthy of love, and acknowledge our own shortcoming. That’s “imperfect” of course, but, I suspect, Thomas Aquinas would say it’s a start!
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Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder
4:54 pm 28 September 2013
Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure / Horror
Year Read: 2013
Series: Batman
Lately, I have been reading many “Batman” comics that came out during the 1980s and the 1990s, so that way I could be caught up with the “Batman” universe. But, after discovering some newer “Batman” comics, I wanted to try out some and one of the “Batman” stories that I had checked out was “Batman: The Black Mirror.” Now, after reading “Batman: Hush,” I said to myself that I wanted to read more “Batman” stories that featured Dick Grayson since I loved his character in “Batman: Hush.” Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that “Batman: The Black Mirror” was actually Dick Grayson’s story! Well, what could I say? This was definitely one wallop of a story that would be hard to review because of so much going on in one graphic novel, but I will definitely do my best to express my intense love for this comic book!
What is this story about?
After the events of “Final Crisis,” Bruce Wayne, the real Batman, decided to create a superhero group that consists of other “Batmans” called “Batman Incorporated.” So, Dick Grayson is forced to take on the mantle as the new Batman for Gotham City, while working with Oracle (Barbara Gordon) and Red Robin (Tim Drake) on various crimes that plague the city.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE STORY HERE!
The actual story here is that Dick Grayson, now Batman, has uncovered a terrifying and strange case when he discovers that a nightmarish auction is being held where the criminals of Gotham City’s possessions are all being sold to the rich citizens of Gotham City. Little does Dick Grayson, know it seems to be a plot to trap Batman once and for all! Meanwhile, Commissioner Jim Gordon’s past catches up to him when his psychotic son, James Gordon Jr. comes to visit Gotham City and convinces his father and his step sister, Barbara Gordon, that he is a changed man and is trying to get back on the right path. But, has James Gordon Jr. really changed or is he up to no good?
What I loved about this story:
Scott Snyder’s writing: WOW! All I could say is…WOW! After reading Scott Snyder’s fantastic work on “American Vampire,” I just had to see how well Scott Snyder can write the famous dark knight! I was actually pleasantly surprised that Scott Snyder managed to write Dick Grayson extremely well as Dick Grayson might have some serious moments to his personality, but I loved the fact that Dick is much more laid-back than Bruce Wayne and that he is willing to help anyone in their time of need. It clearly shows when Dick Grayson dons the Batman costume as his personality is less menacing than Bruce Wayne’s and he makes a couple of jokes or two towards his enemies. I also loved the relationship shown between Commissioner Jim Gordon and Dick Grayson as Jim Gordon holds the same respect for Dick that he held for Bruce Wayne. But what really sold the story for me was the fact that it was focused on how the characters viewed Gotham City as being a place full of corruption and how it affected them. I really enjoyed the storyline with James Gordon Jr. as he is a new character that I had never read about before, but Scott Snyder did a brilliant job at making him extremely creepy as you do not really know his true motives and yet, he can act so innocent at the drop of a hat. If I were to list one of the creepiest characters to ever appear in a “Batman” comic, then James Gordon Jr. would definitely be on that list! I also loved the way that Scott Snyder provided an extremely dark and gritty atmosphere to this story as it may have snippets of “American Vampire” in it (well, it is written by Scott Snyder, who also written “American Vampire”), but it worked so well with the “Batman” universe and it just made the story even more interesting to read!
Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s artwork: Both Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s artwork greatly contributed to the dark atmosphere of this story. Jock’s artwork during Dick Grayson’s storylines is extremely detailed and dramatic and also, the images of the monsters are extremely disturbing to look at which really made the story even more intense. Francesco Francavilla’s artwork in Commissioner Jim Gordon’s side of the story concerning his story are always shown in dark colorings and has a slight 80s artwork vibe which really brought a classic vibe to this story.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
Out of all the “Batman” comics I had read so far, this is seriously one of the most disturbing stories I had ever read, next to “Batman: the Killing Joke.” Anyone who does not like reading about serial killers or disturbing psychological issues might be a bit disturbed with this story. Also, this story has many gory scenes of characters getting cut up and killed that some readers might find a bit uncomfortable to read through.
Overall, “Batman: The Black Mirror” is easily one of the best current “Batman” stories around and anyone who is a huge fan of Dick Grayson will definitely love this comic!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
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2016 Chronicle of the Savoy Methodist Church
Written by Margie Morris, July 14, 1989
Sitting comfortably on a well-worn pew in the Savoy Methodist Church, you can almost hear the sounds made by generations of congregational members. Surely the men’s low voices, the children’s laughter, and the women’s lyrical soprano tones intermingled through the years in countless hymns, liturgies, studies, and prayers.
The Savoy Methodist parishioners participated in cherished rituals of their faith: weddings, births, baptisms, confirmations, and funerals. Their rich heritage is evident in the flowery script of old church records and in the treasured memories of current members. This is the story of that church, the people who built it, and those that sustain it still.
Savoy, Texas
The town site of Savoy, located in Fannin County in North Central Texas, was purchased by the colorful and flamboyant Col. William Louis Marshall Savoy in 1872 with gold nuggets he excavated in the 1849 California Gold Rush. He then deeded forty acres of land to the Transcontinental Railroad (forerunner of the Texas & Pacific) with the stipulation that the company would help him build a town. The deed was entered in Bonham, the Fannin County seat, on October 29, 1872.
With the development of the railroad, the town grew rapidly, so that by the end of the next year, Savoy boasted a mercantile store, saloon, school, a number of houses, several businesses, and of course, a train depot.
The Early Congregation
The Roberts School House was the meeting place for several denominational groups, including the Methodists. The inconveniences of using such a multi-purpose facility were many. Three years after the Savoy Methodist Church was first organized and listed by name in the Methodist Conference Appointments, a quarterly Conference Meeting was scheduled for January 2, 1875. At that time, a committee was appointed to consider a plan for a new church building. The committee was asked to explore possibilities for funding also, and to report back to the group at a later date.
On September 15, 1875, committee members J.J. Roberts, G.S. Fitzgerald, and L.A.S. Chittick reported that $650 had been subscribed. The next July, the committee was advised to raise additional funds, and then to build the best facility possible.
The transcript filed by J.H. Oliphint, County Clerk, at 5:00 p.m. on February 21, 1876, indicated that Col. William Savoy donated Lots 10, 11, and 12 in Block Number 425, with the specification that “on said lots a house suitable for the worship of God shall be erected by the aforesaid Denomination of Christians, and owned and controlled by them, and to be opened for worship to such Ministers and preachers as the General Conference or any Annual Conference of said Methodist E. Church South shall approve.”
The original plan for the Savoy Methodist Church called for a build 40 x 60 feet, with a 16 foot roof, one double door, and 12 windows. Plans were changed so that the actual foundation was laid with 40 Bois D’Arc blocks, 16 inches long and 12 inches thick.
In the generous spirit of the community, the railroad agreed to haul the lumber for the church building at half price, and the contractor, J.A. Lindsey donated $55 to the project.
Members of the congregation made one change in the building plan after actual construction began. They decided to add a cupola, and allotted $60 for its construction.
Adequate funds were a continuous concern. By June 15, 1877, cash reserves were alarmingly low. The Rev. J.M. Binkley of Sherman, who as the presiding elder, was summoned to Savoy to preach and “lift up an offering.” His efforts on June 28 and 29 raised enough money to cover expenses for most of the work that had already been done. However, in order to seal the building, put in windows and doors, and construct seats, a platform, and a pulpit, $350 more was needed.
Progress slowed during the winter months. But when the District Conference was scheduled to take place in Savoy on July 4, 1878, plans were enacted to have the structure finished by that date, using uncollected pledges as partial payment for the workers.
The deadline was met! The completed building was turned over to the church members on June 21, 1878. The final committee report on February 15, 1879 revealed that $1,619.79 was raised and spent in the construction of Savoy Methodist Church.
Two years after the church building was finished, a devastating tornado hit the Two of Savoy on May 28, 1880. Because the building was one of the few structures not destroyed or heavily damaged, it was used as a commissary. Savoy’s storm left 13 people dead and scores of others injured. The downtown area was hardest hit. The Savoy Methodist Church narrowly escaped the tornado’s fury.
A Growing Congregation
In the church’s early years, the population of Savoy increased, as did the church membership rolls. The original Church Register lists 407 members in 1908. Twenty-five baptisms were recorded between March 2, 1894 and October 1, 1905. Six of the children were the offspring of Mr. and Mrs. F.J. Painter.
First families of the church included Mr. and Mrs. Tom Wrenn who rode to services in a horse and buggy, and the W.C. Warrens, whose resourcefulness included going from house to house in their wagon to collect money for the church.
In the 1920’s there were several people who had such a lasting impact on the church and the community that the effects of their faithfulness and good works are still felt today.
Earl Reed and Mattie Bows were married in the church and remained active members for many years. Even though remaining family members moved away from Savoy over thirty years ago, their children, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Herd, continued to support the church financially and spiritually.
Soon after Grace Peacock and Max Arterberry were married on August 1, 1926, she transferred her membership to Savoy Methodist Church. They generously gave time and money to the church and the Town of Savoy. Current church members recall that Grace frequently lent money to young college students or to those who were “just down on their luck”. Grace served as church secretary, participated in the Women’s Society of Christian Service, and taught Sunday School for fifty years. She also established the practice of gathering clothes, coats, shoes, and bedding for a mission project in New Mexico.
Because Savoy Methodist Church has always had to share its pastors with one, two, or even three other Methodist congregations on the North Texas circuit, the Sunday School remains the focal point of church activities. While worship services are held at periodic intervals, the Sunday School meets every week.
There have been times when the church building accommodated several classes in one room. Various age groups strategically placed themselves in the pews, behind the pulpit, and in the choir area.
“Singing Conventions” drew crowds from Savoy and surrounding communities in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. The Sunday afternoon musical events featured quartets, duets, and group sing-a-longs. The choir director, Cecil Moore, became known as “Mr. Banjo” as he accompanied the singing with his instrumental talent.
The Women’s Society of Christian Service was organized in 1948. Mrs. Irene Brown, a public school teacher and a Sunday School teacher, led the group in many service projects. The church women engaged in many studies, and adhered to the belief that every lesson learned necessitated a positive action. They sent supplies to an orphanage, provided assistance for needy families, and offered contributions to the church.
The Society’s creative fund-raising efforts included loading a chicken coupe in the back of a member’s car and driving door to door asking for one hen from each resident. They sold the hens downtown, and bought the church’s first Communion set with the proceeds. This campaign, which occurred in the 1950’s, was followed by an equally imaginative project in the sixties.
Clifford and Sallie Kennedy donated a calf to the church as an initial step in a process that engaged congregation and town members as the animal was fattened up and prepared for barbecuing. Even the pastor, Rev. Larry Davis, assisted in the culinary gala, which took place at the school gym. The money that was raised went into a special building fund, resulting in the eventual construction of an education wing.
Another group active in the 1950’s and 1960’s was the Methodist Youth Fellowship. Under the direction of the Rev. Larry Raverts, the organization grew to 26 members. Activities were held on Sunday evenings, and several young people attended district meetings.
In 1948, the Reverend Baxton Bryant served the Savoy Methodist Church while he was a student at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He later became a political figure, running for a Congressional seat against an opponent who charged that “a preacher has no place in politics”. The Reverend Bryant also served as a chaplain in the U.S. Senate, where he met and became friends with John F. Kennedy. A man of strong convictions, Savoy’s one-time pastor was active in the civil rights movement, marching with Martin Luther King in Tennessee.
Church member Robert Hodges served as superintendent of Savoy Schools from 1963 until 1985. During this time he worked hard for civic improvements and advocated the beautification of downtown Savoy. He also managed to serve as Sunday School Superintendent during the 1970’s.
Thomas DeBerry was mayor of Savoy from 1984-1986. An active church member, Mr. DeBerry’s leadership was appreciated by Methodists and non-Methodists alike.
The Education Building
In the 1960’s, Savoy Methodist Church was faced with a wonderful problem! They needed more room. At a quarterly conference meeting on February 18, 1966, the Official Board met with the Board of Trustees to consider building options. The newly proposed educational wing would house a fellowship hall with a kitchen, an office, restrooms, and Sunday School classrooms. The total cost of building the addition was estimated at $8,500. Since the anticipated amount of available funds was set at $4,000, the loan amount was calculated at $4,500. The education wing, which extends from the west side of the main building, was completed and dedicated in March of 1967.
During the 1970’s, economic hard times, the lure of the city, and increased family mobility took their toll on the numbers at Savoy Methodist Church, but not the spirit. The congregation remains committed to their faith and each other. The prevailing 29 adults and one child continue their ministry with enthusiasm and fervor.
They maintain the traditional ritual of sharing Thanksgiving dinner with each other and members of a neighboring Methodist congregation. A recent revival brought guest preachers and choirs to the church. And the latest addition to the building itself is a beautiful wooden cross made by church members Bob Hodges and Gail Sloan. It graces the entrance to the sanctuary, hanging directly over the massive wooden doors.
The church and its members have played a dramatic role in the development and sustenance of this small, rural community. Savoy Methodist Church stands proudly today; its members strengthened by a memorable past and a hopeful future.
Savoy Methodist Church Pastors
1873 James Graham
1874 Rev. Blair
1875 John Crowder
1876 A. J. Worley
1877 W. F. Clark
1881 Dave Proctor
1882 William Robbins
1884 T. L. Miller
1885 J.W. Reynolds
1887 W. M. Brown
1888 J. F. Alderson
1892 Josiah Godbey
1894 J. B. Goben
1898 J. C. Weaver
1900 T. W. Lovell
1929 W. H. Vail
1934 E. L. Wright
1936 E. F. Lancaster
1937 A. B. Davidson
1938 E. J. Holifield
1941 Roy Bagley
1944 Glendel Jones
1944 Harold Cates
1946 Maurice Holt
1948 Baxton Bryant
1949 Byron P. Cavnar
1950 Paul H. Kapp
1951 Harold K. Davis
1954 Willard L. Douglas
1957 Millard Fairchild
1959 J. H. Simmons, Jr.
1959 Larry Ravert
1962 Larry Bjorkland
1963 Gilbert H. Wade, Jr.
1964 Richard Lockhart
1965 Rodney Nicholson
1966 William S. Collins
1969 Lawrence Smith
1976 Ben Read
1979 R. M. Walker
1982 Larry Davis
1983 S. Lewis Lyon
1984 Dale E. Gillis
1985 Rene Lawson
1986 Paulette Dalke
1988 A.D. Campbell
Post Categories: People / Bios, Stories, The Sanctuary
Tags: churches, cyclone, methodist church, savoy sanctuary, tornado
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Action Movies – It’s All About Virtues and Sins
By admin on April 4, 2016 Action, Movies
The finest method of amusing yourself is to look at your favourite movies. Young persons are all the time waiting for a gripping movie release. Cinemas are their favourite way of passing their time. These chaps are often keenly interested in the movies with great combating scenes, thrilling sequences, and terrible explosions, etc. By watching these movies, they start to envisage the scenes in those movies. These high adrenaline movies maintain you immersed throughout the complete show. Some of the brilliant action-packed movies include The Matrix Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Series, Gladiator, Spider-Man etc. All these movies are loved by the viewers till date.
A trilogy series of an action-packed movie “The Matrix” is an amazing work of art that won four Academy Awards for Best sound effects, Best Film Editing, Best visual effects, Best sound and more. This film was a concept of famous film makers duo Wachowski Brothers. The movie has a lot of action, fabulous cast and a mind blowing story. You’ll definitely be pleased about the film for its engrossing plot and incredible scenes. This ageless action film is based on the story of the war between men and machines.
One of the most legendary action movies is “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy”, which is really a fantastic movie. It startlingly depicts an imaginary world. The movie is worth watching with its captivating and terrible scenes. This movie is really a masterpiece from start to finish. The striking casting is factually the best seen in years. Peter Jackson has directed this superb film and his direction was been liked by people at large. The film was a huge triumph and is considered to be one of the most important movie assignments ever. It utilised a budget of $280 million and the whole movie took around eight years to complete.
Some of the other implausible movies are Dog Day Afternoon, Dead End, The French Connection and Morning Glory, Falling in Love, Broadway Melody, etc. If you want to get amazed with special effects and plenty of action, then “300” is a film that is really made for you. It is one of the best action movies and it is based on the epic graphic fiction work by Frank Miller. This movie is jam-packed with great actors, visual effects and graphics. It merges virtual backgrounds with live actions and captures the ancient historic tale. The movie is an astonishing mix that unifies metal and classical ingredients with a radiant storyline and great performances. You may also purchase action movies dvd and the action movies online and enjoy watching them time and again.
One of the best action movies “Star Wars Trilogy” was extensively commended by the viewers worldwide. The dazzling special effects and great storyline made this trilogy more than just a series of movies. The Star Wars trilogy has prejudiced millions of people all over the world. The trilogy includes the Star Wars, the Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. The people who fight against the sin Imperial Forces with the help of Yoda include Captain Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. There are lots of websites available, where you can buy or watch new action movies too.
The viewer can easily get a great assortment of top action movies if he looks back to the ancient times. They include reprisal, blood, loving relations, a powerfully built tough guy and a desperado. The great collection of these movies may vary from action to thriller movies. If you have decided to buy movies online, you must keep some most important facts in mind like – the DVDs and CDs should be original and not pirated at all. You should also check the authenticity of the website from where you are going to buy your favourite action movies. If you are planning to watch the movie online, you should assure that you are not watching those movies from any unauthorized sources. To watch the movies online, you should have high-speed internet and any supporting media player. This combination is necessary so that you can enjoy each scene of movie to the full extent.
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Sully | Review
By Linc Leifeste | September 9, 2016
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Todd Komarnicki (screenplay), Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow (based on the book “Highest Duty” by)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey, Delphi Harrington, Mike O’Malley, Jamey Sheridan, Laura Linney
Clint Eastwood, God bless him (leaving politics aside, please!), is 86 years old as his latest film is released and has been accused by his detractors (and many of his fans) of having lost his mind years ago (the gnashing of teeth after he talked to that empty chair!). Let me tell you, if that’s the case, then I’m putting money on your directorial skills being the last thing to go because Sully is a masterfully crafted (and acted…yes, let’s hear it for Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney, masters all) film from start to finish.
Unlike Eastwood’s American Sniper, it should be fairly easy for viewers to forget Eastwood’s politics as they take in this film. Unless the story of an older white pilot acting on his gut and in the process either saving or unnecessarily endangering a plane full of people (the film definitely pushes the viewer to an interpretation of events that equals Sully’s acts as heroic) and then being aggressively hounded by governmental forces that don’t seem to appreciate the brave but dangerous gut-hunch-actions of independent older white men strikes you as somehow carrying a political message…oh wait. Never mind. Anyway, let’s just forget politics and talk about the film.
While most viewers will probably vaguely remember the “miracle on the Hudson,” from 2009, when pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger performed an emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, most probably won’t remember the details. While the idea of his heroism and piloting skills might lurk in your head, you probably won’t remember that the landing was due to birds hitting the plane or that the decision to crash land versus fly back to an airport was controversial after the fact. Not the most obviously heroic of stories, questionably crash landing a plane after being struck by birds, but that is part of the story’s allure. Eastwood and company do a masterful job of maintaining suspense and drama while telling a simultaneously big and small human tale, no small feat in today’s cinematic landscape.
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Firearms Working Group Releases 10-point Concealed Carry Checklist
Published: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 03:12 PM
As a member of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon’s Firearms Working Group, State Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) met with other freshman legislators to come up with a checklist of principles that must be included in any law authorizing people to carry concealed weapons.
The group of legislators tried to balance the constitutionality of the right to bear arms with the need to prevent violence.
Illinois has until June to pass a concealed carry law because the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Illinois’ law banning concealed carry is unconstitutional.
The 10 points on the checklist include:
Constitutionality: law must uphold the right to keep and bear arms as referred to in the U.S. Constitution
Basic Qualifications: permits issued only to adult residents of Illinois who own a valid (Firearms Owner Identification Cards) FOID card and do not pose a danger to themselves or others
Funding: create a fund for user fees to finance the concealed carry permit application and renewal process
Permitting Authority: Illinois State Police should be the permitting authority for concealed carry
Local Input: sheriffs and local law enforcement should be allowed to tell the Illinois State Police if a person poses a safety risk
Background Checks: comprehensive criminal background checks should be conducted
Firearm Training: applicants should be required to complete firearm safety and live fire training
Permits: lost, stolen or destroyed concealed carry permits should be reported in a timely manner
Sensitive Places: concealed carry should be prohibited in certain public places, such as schools
Violations: an applicant who violates the concealed carry law or makes false statements should be subject to criminal penalties
“I am glad to be a member of a group that is making a real effort to pass reasonable gun legislation,” Cunningham said.
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Celestial Justice
Dalriata
Elemental Superpowers
Gemstone Chronicles
Keeping You
Men of Riverside
Mistletoe Science
Modern Battles
Scrolls of Vengeance
Workplace Encounters
Collection of Novellas
Collection of Short Stories
Diversity Novels
Upcoming release: Find out more at Love Bytes Reviews
Becky @ Bike Book Reviews
It is one of my favorites in this series! Thanks Serena for a series that just keeps getting better and better!
Lena @ Rainbow Book Reviews
'Araton's Destiny' is an enjoyable, sweet Christmas story with passionate, wonderfully written love scenes and a great happy ending.
Serena has created an endearing love story, with two awesome men and put them together with brilliant results.
Lilyraines @ Night Owl Reviews
I really enjoyed reading the book because it talks about taking chances, doing things way out of the characters' comfort zones..
'The Elevator Mechanic' is a delightful, heartwarming story which I thoroughly enjoyed, and would recommend.
Caitlin @ Romance Junkies
Warning; this story will make you hungry for cupcakes and men. In addition, I should note that this is a very steamy novel.
MelanieM @ scatteredthoughtsandroguewords
The Baker by Serena Yates is the first I’ve read in her Workplace Encounters series but I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to search out the rest.
Regina @ Coffee Time Romance
If you never read another m/m romance this year, read this one, you will not be sorry.
Read this one friends, you will love it as much as I did! Thanks Serena, for yet another fab book in this awesome series!
I love an author that can give you such a good plot and delivery in a book that isn't novel length, this is a rare talent indeed!
I love a short story that makes me feel like I just read a full length it is so good!
I am so in love with the Workplace Encounters series it isn't even funny, and this book is no different!
For those of you who haven't read the story, I'd like to recommend that you do so, especially if you like a good romance with great characters, and a happy ending.
Heather @ Padme's Library
I love how the author has balanced fear, tragedy, and love.
The first tale in the 'Gemstone Chronicles' is an endearing love story, endowed with marvelous, well-developed characters, but it also has its dark side, featuring malicious villains with hidden political agendas...
Pixie @ MM Good Book Reviews
Oh, this is a fantastic addition to the Gemstone Chronicles with its twists and hidden turns. Nico and Nayder are a wonderful pair.
Thanks, Serena, for your magical touch when it comes to giving your couples the happy ending they deserve, and for making me drool all over my Kindle while describing all of the fabulous baked goods.
Serena does a great job of exploring the out-of-the-ordinary world of fetishes in a palatable and understandable way.
Maya @ readalloverREVIEWS
The story was well written and utterly cute, sweet and it is oriented around family and Christmas.
Fabio and Edwin are great characters whose devotion is tested by fire and they come out on the other side stronger than ever.
If you are like me, you will enjoy the story even more the second time around.
Reading 'The Carpenter' for the second time was easy for me because even though all of Serena's men in the 'Workplace Encounters' series are terrific characters, Tom and Matt are two of my favorites, at least so far.
Crissy @ Joyfully Jay
This is a wonderful love story highlighting that differences in a relationship, when accepted, can strengthen that bond.
Home » Finding Elliot (Men of Riverside 1)
Finding Elliot (Men of Riverside 1)
After five years of forced separation David was determined to find Elliot again - but what he gets isn't the closure he was hoping for...
After yet another unsatisfying one-night stand David Lear decides it's finally time to find his former lover Elliot Watkins. He needs closure before he can move on. He is still angry at the man for never getting in touch after his parents moved away when David and Elliot were caught kissing at age seventeen.
Elliot Watkins has never forgotten his first and only lover David but lives under his father's scrutiny, too afraid to come out before he gets access to his trust fund when he turns twenty-five. His fiancée Patricia Hobart constantly nags him and he wants nothing more than to live his own life and to become an architect.
Falling back into each other's arms is relatively easy. But will Elliot be able to free himself from his father's influence? Will David be able to forgive his lover and have the patience to wait until Elliot is ready?
Words: 31,400
Heat Index:
Cover Artist: Natalie Winters
Book Type: EBook
All Books, Men of Riverside, Novellas, Contemporary
Riverside, Texas
"Elliot!" David pushed one last time and shuddered as he came into the condom in short bursts. The relief was as explosive as it was short lived.
"What the fuck?"
The stranger's voice brought David back to reality. Shit, this wasn't Elliot, the man he still loved. This was some stranger he'd picked up at the Riverside New Year's party. They'd had a good time, but now he couldn't even remember the guy's name. He closed his eyes for a moment. The situation was too embarrassing for words.
"I'm sorry." David pulled out, dealt with the condom and donned his clothes as quickly as possible. Thank God it was mostly dark so he didn't have to look the stranger in the eye. "I'm really, really sorry. I shouldn't have agreed to this."
"I'll say!" The stranger switched on a bedside lamp, trying to cover himself with the sheet at the same time.
The light made David look up. The only similarities with Elliot were the man's dark curly hair and his deep blue eyes. Nothing else about him looked right, and David couldn't for the life of him explain why he'd gone with the guy. Trying to forget Elliot was as close to an answer as he could come. Considering he'd been doing that for years, without even a trace of success, only made the situation even more pathetic.
"I'm really sorry." David cringed at his inability to say anything more sensible. He'd had his share of encounters in clubs, even the occasional visit to a stranger's apartment, but he'd never actually said Elliot's name when he was with another man.
"Look, I know this is only a one-night stand. But we did exchange names and I sort of expected you to at least remember that." The stranger sat up and raked a hand through his short curls. "It's not a real problem for me, but I think you need help. You're still hung up on this Elliot guy."
David nodded. He'd gotten the message loud and clear this time. He couldn't say or do anything to make this situation better so he left the bedroom, grabbed his coat from the back of the sofa in the living room and hurried out.
What had he been thinking? He closed the door of the stranger's apartment behind him, made his way down the stairs and got into his car. The new year had started only hours ago. It was still dark and he was still alone. He shook his head as he drove along the deserted streets of his hometown. At twenty-two he should have known better than to expect another one-night stand to be the solution to his problem, no matter how attractive the guy had seemed.
He was still hung up on Elliot, even five years after they'd been forcibly separated when Elliot's parents had moved away from Riverside. He'd never heard from Elliot again and hated to admit how much that still hurt. He hit the steering wheel with an open hand and the pain was almost a relief. He wasn't one to make New Year's resolutions, but this was different. There wasn't anything he could do on New Year's Day, but as soon as it was over, he was going to get help.
The next morning, David stood in front of the office of Russiter Investigations, his woollen coat pulled tightly around himself. He hoped that his friend Peter would arrive soon so he could step inside the office building. The cold January air was crisp enough to make him shiver, even though there wasn't much wind.
"David Lear, what a surprise to see you here this bright and early." Peter's voice came from behind him. "Must be urgent or else you'd have come at a more civilised hour."
"You're right, it's urgent." David shook hands with his former high school classmate and college buddy. He watched him unlock the office door and switch on the lights before following him inside, carefully closing the outside door behind him. "You may not agree, but please hear me out. And don't laugh."
"That depends." Peter grinned as he led the way to his tiny office about halfway down the corridor with all his colleagues' offices. "Peter Adams, PI" was proudly displayed on the door. He switched on more lights and a coffee maker that sat on one of his filing cabinets.
"There's a rule that states that I'm not allowed to laugh at clients-"
"You're making that up." David smiled and sat down in the visitor's chair, across from Peter's cluttered desk. "But, if you want me to become a paying client so you can't laugh at me, so be it."
Peter's eyes widened.
"I do know that you need more paying clients, you've told me often enough." David grinned. "This is your lucky morning because I'm here to ask you for help."
"My paid help?" Peter looked so hopeful it was almost funny.
David nodded and glanced at the now hissing coffeemaker.
"Okay, in that case you can have some coffee." Peter got up, filled two mugs with the steaming liquid and handed one to David. "But I'll only let you pay if this is a real case, hear me?"
"Oh, this is a real case all right." David sipped the scalding coffee and sighed in relief as the caffeine made its way to his brain. "It's been something that's been on my mind for a while and I've decided that I need closure once and for all."
"Oh shit, this is about Elliot, isn't it?" Peter sat forward and stared at him.
"How did you know?" Not that it matters.
"What, you don't think being your best friend all these years means I know what's going on with you? We may have never talked about it after the first few weeks, but I've noticed that you haven't attempted to have a relationship again." Peter shook his head but his eyes showed a deeper understanding that came from his own situation. Or so David guessed.
"All right, yes. I can't seem to forget Elliot and the wonderful time we had. Even though we were only fifteen when we met in high school, we really connected on more than one level." David rubbed his temples, trying to dispel the encroaching headache.
"I know." Peter's voice was soft, and his eyes mirrored David's pain. "I saw you with him. I watched you become friends, then more. I really hated that his parents reacted so violently just because they found you kissing each other. You never even had time to say goodbye before they left town, did you?"
"No, I didn't. Maybe that's why I just can't seem to put Elliot behind me." David sat back in his chair, trying to relax. He had to focus on the current problem. "I keep expecting other men to affect me like he did but none of them has. I've come to the conclusion that I need to find out what happened to Elliot. I've got to have some kind of closure before I can move on."
"And that's where I come in, isn't it?" Peter slurped coffee in noisy little sips. "You do realise that there's not a whole lot I can do without having a real case, don't you? One that includes a formal report that I can base an invoice on, a briefing...you know what I mean?"
"No, I didn't know that. But I guess you just told me. So, how much can you do with what I gave you so far?" David finished his coffee and put the empty mug on Peter's desk. "Without breaking your PI code of ethics, that is."
"What do you want me to do?" Peter pulled a notepad from one of his desk drawers and dug out a pen from underneath the stacks of paper in front of him.
"I'd like you to find out where the Watkins family moved, where Elliot is today and what his current situation is." What David really wanted to know was why Elliot hadn't contacted him. Not that he expected Peter to find the answer to that question.
"I can probably get you that information." Peter looked up from his pad. "But what are you going to do with it?"
"I'm not sure. I guess it depends on what you find. I think I just want to know what happened, to get some sort of clarity." David shrugged.
He couldn't explain his feelings better, because he wasn't going to admit that what he really hoped for was to find a way of rekindling the friendship he'd shared with Elliot... if not more.
"Hey, I understand." Peter put his pad onto his desk and sat back in his chair. "I'll do everything I can because I know how important this is for you. It won't be too expensive, either."
"It doesn't really matter how much it costs. I can handle it, so don't worry about that." His salary as assistant sports coach of Riverside High wasn't huge, but he was paid enough to cover his simple apartment and the odd luxury here or there. Not that finding Elliot was a luxury. It had been bugging him for so long that it had become a necessity.
"I'll get you the information, don't worry." Peter looked reassuringly confident.
David was relieved to have finally put operation 'Finding Elliot‘ into motion.
©Serena Yates, 2010
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Elders of the RuneStone...the Early Years Pt. 1
Ah yes, time for a walk down memory lane. RuneStone has been a work in progress for quite a while; since 9th grade, in fact. Those of you who have read the "Story Behind the Story" section of the site already know some of the details, but I thought it would be cool to share a little more of how far the idea has come. (Attached are early sketches from high school)
My first burst of inspiration came when I was in Mr. Browning's physical science class at Butler Middle School (junior high by a different name). The image that popped clearly into my mind was of a large noseless giant (who became Gar), crouching and looking out through a hole he'd just smashed through the wall of a locker-lined hall in a high school. Clinging to his neck and riding on his back was the girl who would become Kat. For whatever reason, this image really got me excited and I started to form a whole team and story around these two.
Originally Dain started out by the name Spencer Mabius, based off a guy I knew in high school who was friends with all the girls and had a rebel attitude. His name later changed to Spencer Hunt, then became Dain Mabius because I liked the sound of it. A cocky hockey athlete (instead of football, since every teen movie ever has the blonde quarterback as the bad guy) known for his physical ability and tendency to start fights, I gave Dain powers that would be the antithesis: he was amazing with computers. This intelligence-based ability would force him into a role he wasn't accustomed to, and therefore make him a more interesting character. These powers also evolved over time: at first he could simply remember everything he ever learned, especially computer skills (under the hero name "Sage"); then he could actually mentally link up to computers (changed to "Haq"); until I made it so he actually transformed into living cyber-hacking energy, able to enter the cyber-world and hack through it, perceiving it as an actual physical realm (now with his present alias "Gremlin"). I also wanted to make his skills in hockey part of his "real world" arsenal (see the early concept image), but changed out his dorky "super-hockey-stick" for an electric staff weapon. I also got rid of an initial idea for roller blades that popped out of his boots (due to nightmarish flashbacks of the 1997 movie "Batman & Robin").
Kat also went through several changes. At first I was going to call her "Fireworks" since she could fly and shoot fire (her real name was even going to be "July Forth"), but decided that was the same power that roughly 65% of superheroes have. So I had to rehaul her to make her more interesting. I thought about her shooting explosive "fire-bombs" out of her hands, but figured that was too close to Jenny's powers. So eventually I made her able to manipulate her own gravity to fly, and to effect the elements in her atmosphere, i.e. pulling carbon out of the air to make shards of lead to shoot at bad guys, combining oxygen with hydrogen to shoot water, use various gases to shoot fire, etc. This was also a cool change because her powers had such potential to evolve as she gained greater control and understanding of how her powers work. So look forward to some really awesome developments as the series goes on!
Thus concludes Part 1. Keep your eyes peeled for the further story of how RuneStone came to be...
(Author's note: He would like to apologize for his inability to draw girls very well, an affliction that continues to this day.)
Posted by Darkhan Studios, LLC at 12:26 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Inking RuneStone
I talked alittle about inking over my pencils for the pr eview, in the last post. And like I said, we decided if this is going to meet any form of a deadline we needed to bring in some help on the inking end of the process.
Da dun da daaaaa! Enter Rick Ketcham (inker extrodinaire) I've known Rick for 3 years now, we are a part of the same art studio. Tsunami Studios . I originally joined after working with Randy Green as a background artist for New X-Men. That didn't last long, but I had moved up to North Carolina and joined the studio. It was quickly apparent that Rick and myself were really the only guys that were up at the studio on a daily basis, and we quickly became great friends.
As Rick would work on various projects for Marvel (namely, New X-Men, New Excaliber, and now Joss Whedon's run on Runaways!) Occasionally I had the chance to fill in on various projects. Rick really tutored me when it came to inking. I learned more from him than he probably knows or would admit, but I can guarantee that I've improved as an inker soley based on his instruction and guidance. To the point that I found myself getting hired as an inker before I was penciling full issues. I never thought that would happen. SO all that credit goes to my good friend Rick.
So imagine my amazement when I had the chance to have my mentor finish the art for my very first work at Marvel! I mean Rick Ketcham ladies and gentlemen....suffice it to say, it was a great experience. When we realized we needed an inker, I brought it up to Rick. Honestly I was kinda beating around the bush trying to ask him, because I didn't know if he would want to spend his time away from Marvel work to do RuneStone. As I was explaining the situation, he interrupted my babbling and just said, "Well, are you asking me to ink it?". I answered
dumbly..."yeah". He said... "well, sure" and that was that.
So from now on the work that will be posted on the site will be graced with the spectacular inking talent of Rick Ketcham...or a.k.a. THE RICK. (thats his wrestling name)
I am currently working up single character covers to use as promo art and covers for the
subsequent issues for the first story arc. Once I'm finished penciling those, I will hand them over to Rick and we will post the images.
"I love it when a plan comes together"
My approach to RuneStone's "Look"
Hey all-
Basically I wanted to talk a little about the "Look" of RuneStone.
Generally, the work I've done before has been an action adventure tale set in the world we live in. I know that sounds pretty broad, but when it comes to comics, that actually narrows it down a bit. I've worked on books that were military, fantasy, and even superhero in nature. What I found in RuneStone was a combination of all of these things and more!
The preview that you can see on the site was my first time doing the penciling and inking myself. Previously, I've either had to pencil very tightly because I didn't have the inker to finish the lines, or I was the inker over another penciler. Having to pencil tightly (and very clean) was due to not having an inker for most of the GI JOE books I did. I was the last say, when it came to the line art. So that made me very detail and line weight concsious.
I will go into the professional benefits of an inker, and being on both sides of the process at a later date.
Only recently with the work I did at Marvel was I finally allowed to pencil a book knowing a very professional inker (Rick Ketcham) would be handling the finished line art. I could trust the process enough to not have to draw every bit of detail, texture and line weight in. It's amazing how much time that saved me!
So, having professional experience in both steps of the process allowed me the ability to do both jobs on the preview. What I learned very quickly about RuneStone, was that we would be better off getting someone else to ink it. Heh.
Towards the end of the preview I was finally letting up in the pencil stage, and doing the details and finishing touches with the inks. But I'm still too set in my ways for that to save enough time.
One interesting effect of inking my pencils, I was alot more free with spotting blacks and finding places for heavy shadows. It certainly helped with the mood of the preview, being at night and the seriousness of the fight. When we have more scenes at the school, I'm sure that will lighten up as needed.
So with a moodier feel to the art through heavier shadows, another major contributor to the art is of course the colors.
By acquiring Bob Pedroza to color the book, we knew going into the preview that he would really be able to handle the effects and mood of the fight. The abilities each character has needed to have their own signature color/design. We wanted them to very much feel like an unique individual, but also keep them feeling like a team. Bob did an amazing job with that. Gar's blue transformation, Jenny's orange surrounding armor effects, Kat's ability to manipulate fire were all rendered in a unique way. However, you never feel like it's out of place in this world we've created.
We wanted a very slick, but dark superhero atmosphere. And through a combination of shadows and texture in the inks, and Bob's many embelishments through great color choices, we've found a great "look" for the series!
At any rate, there is a look into the process. I will be posting more sketches and character designs, so be sure to check out the block regularly!
The Art of Runestone
Robert here!
We are excited and pleased with the reception of Runestone so far! We had great success at the Chicago Convention being able to get the Runestone preview books in people's hands and get some feedback from the crowds. We hope to hear from all of you that are reading the blog and checking the site regularly!
So please comment on the blog or email us directly at RuneStoneComic@gmail.com with your comments on the preview you can find on the site, or you read through the preview book.
As the artist for Runestone, I will first confess that the pages and promo art look as great as they do, because Bob Pedroza has really surpassed all our expectations and makes RuneStone come alive! We found Bob through an ad we posted on http://www.gutterzombie.com/ ( a great web forum for comic book colorists to showcase their art) He responded with a gallery of his work, and we quickly hired him!
The first art for Runestone began in Quinn's sketches and doodles in high school, and would continue to be refined through his college education at the Savannah College of Art and Design. It was there that we met. We were both Sequential art majors, basically learning to tell a story through art, and we went to the same church aswell.
Quinn told the story to me over the course of a long church trip, and I was facinated by the characters and their struggles with life, and newfound powers. Soon after I was doing some initial character designs of the major characters. This was about 4 years ago.
Since then we talked about putting out Runestone as a book, but I knew I wasn't quite ready to tackle such a cool story. I just felt like I wasn't good enough. Since graduation I went on to work as a background artist for New X-Men, New Excaliber, and JLA. I started getting my first solo work through Devils Due publishing working on GI JOE (namely SnakeEyes Declassified, and Dreadnoks Declassified). I've kept pretty steady working for them over the last 3 years on various titles. Finally this summer I was able to do my first work for Marvel comics! It was a blast, and a lot of fun considering my first story had Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk all in one story!
Starting last November I began work on RuneStone again with revised character designs, and begining to layout the Preview you can see here on the site.
So, finally I felt my art was at a level that I could do RuneStone justice. We are currently in production on the first 40 page issue that will debut here on the site for FREE! Penciled by myself, inked by Rick Ketcham (New X-Men, New Excaliber, Venom, and currently inking Joss Whedon's run on Runaways for Marvel!!!), and of course colored by Bob Pedroza!
Be sure to check out the site as we update art and sketches for the upcoming story.
Posted by Darkhan Studios, LLC at 12:34 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
The Human Element in Comics
Today I wanted to write on a topic that I've thought often about and I've tried my best to implement. It's the importance of the human element in comics.
We as humans are so complex; there is so much about ourselves that we don't understand. Case in point: for anyone who's ever attempted dating, there's a lot to figure out and work through. Does that girl like me? What is it about myself that I can change so she will? Should I even try to improve myself, or am I okay the way I am? And when I do get the courage to ask her out, how do I proceed? I've had so many times where things just haven't worked out for one reason or another. I'll like a girl a lot, then after we go out, my feelings for her fade. Why? Am I non-committal? Is it just not right? And perhaps the biggest question of all: Why can't I just find someone who I like, who likes me the same way? And how to make it last? Those of you who have had long-term relationships (I regret to say I'm not really in that category yet) know that there's a whole new slew of challenges to deal with once you have committed to someone. And all this is just on the subject of love.
Just like songs, poetry, paintings, movies, etc., comics are a great way to look at ourselves and our fellow human beings and attempt to explore why we are the way we are, and to learn these lessons in a safe medium (i.e. when the story's over, we shut it and don't have the repurcussions inherent in real life). We also have the luxury of theorizing on the human condition in fantastic scenarios we'd most likely not encounter in real life. This opens the door for some truly rich journeys of creativity.
Some examples: As a lifelong fan of the Mirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, several stories touched on this. In Vol. 1, Issue 28, the Turtles come up against a dying race of Fish-men. The fight ends when the last remaining female member of this race dies from exposure to a nearby nuclear power plant. As the survivors solemnly take the body of their kin back to the waters, the thought hits April (who is narrating) that just like the fish-men, the Turtles are the last of their race, and one day, they will die and be gone. In a very solemn and touching ending, April takes Casey Jones in an embrace saying, "Just hold me, Casey."
In Issue 9 from Vol. 2 of the Tales of the TMNT series, Michelangelo has to come to grips with the death of his beloved cat Klunk. When offered a chance by a mysterious stranger to sacrifice the life of a local alleycat in place of Klunk, Mikey hesitates, then realizes no matter how much he loves Klunk, he can't make the sacrifice of an innocent soul, even a mangy, flea-bitten one. As the story ends, Mikey finds out that the alleycat is the mother of Klunk's kittens, and hope softens the bitterness as life goes on.
Another fine example is the graphic novel Creature Tech by Doug TenNapel (from Top Shelf). Within the framework of a goofy, action-packed science-fiction adventure involving alien symbiotes, a mantis-man bodyguard, a malevolent ghost and a resurrected space eel, there is the story of a scientist coming to grips with his religious beliefs and convictions -- taking a look at what he really believes and knows for himself, and how that will change his life.
A final example is Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. In the story, an exiled Batman in his sixties must come to grips with a world that claims they don't need superheroes to save the day, even as their society is torn apart by sadistic criminals who don't believe in retirement. He decides to take up the cape once again, dishing out his own brand of harsh justice despite a media-controlled society that brands him as no better than the criminals he's hunting. It's a bleak and dark look at the character that forces us to ask ourselves the questions: When does one let politicians and popular opinion determine our inner convictions? And when do our inner convictions mirror the darkness we are trying to fight?
Now you may have noticed that I've focused on super-hero themed books. There are many, many genres of comics out there, several of which are focused specifically on this human element I've been discussing; some not based in fiction at all (Blankets by Craig Thompson (from Top Shelf) is a shining example of this--recommended reading, as far as I'm concerned). But the reason I have talked specifically about the super-hero genre is because it's what I prefer to write (i.e. Elders of the RuneStone). In this mindset, I've realized that there are two main ways to implement the human element: There are comics that are about super-heroes who happen to be people, and there are comics that are about people who happen to be super-heroes. Personally, I prefer the latter. And in the past several years, mainstream comics have definitely moved in that direction. Thank goodness!
I think there's a place for the "popcorn comic". Sometimes we just feel like having a good time. For people who want non-stop action without having to think much, I would recommend the early 90's Image Comics. Big muscles, big boobs, big guns, crap gets blown up and everyone goes home happy. Back in the day they sold like crazy. But for my part, it makes me feel empty after a while. Case in point: the movie Blade (I know, it's a movie, but it's based on a comic :) ) was full of cool fights and great action. But it was hard for me to care about a hero that had so little personality. I didn't see myself in him at all, so how can I care if he dies? Whereas what has made the Spider-man comics and films so successful is their blend of action with a deep look at Peter Parker's life as a normal human being: trying to juggle his fantastic powers with holding a job, dating Mary Jane, and paying the rent.
Those who know me will see that the plights of the heroes in Elders of the RuneStone to be very auto-biographical. Some are taken directly from my life: Scott's mother dying of leukemia, his father being remarried, and the subsequent introduction of new brothers and sisters, etc. Another is Jenny's trying to keep her chin up in a school that doesn't easily accept new ways of thinking.
My hope is that as I write these stories I can better understand myself and always be moving forward in my life. If I can somehow help shed some light and help those who read my work do the same, then all the better. And if comics can transcend their sticky label as mindless, childish entertainment and truly help us become better people, well then, I guess it's art after all, isn't it?
Website Update and Sketches
I wanted to say thanks to all those who are checking out the website while we are getting things together. Elaine is working feverously to get the site completed, so we certainly appreciate her hard work and your patience with us.
For the next few weeks we will be adding content and making the website a way to get introduced to RuneStone. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free to contact us through email. That can be done through the contact button on the site or email us directly at
runestonecomic@gmail.com
We will have the second half of the preview uploaded soon for all to see! Once production is completely underway we will be posting 5 new pages of story every 2 weeks. The first issue is a double-sized 40 PAGER! So expect 8 free updates in the course of the next 3-4 months.
In between those page uploads I will be uploading to the blog new sketches and behind the scenes stories and art associated with RuneStone!
Here is one to get started.
This is Smiley, the leader of a gang that members of RuneStone face in the first issue. He is incredibly creepy to draw....
Posted by Darkhan Studios, LLC at 11:03 PM No comments: Links to this post
First post! and the unveiling at Wizard World Chicago
Well it's finally up, the creators' blog for Elders of the RuneStone. I can't tell you how excited I am to be involved in this comic series, seeing as how it's a story I've been working on my entire adult life. To finally see it as a reality--well, it's just something very special. I hope that all of you will be along for the ride as we kick things into high gear!
So a little report on how things went in Chicago this past weekend as we officially unveiled Elders of the RuneStone to the world at the Wizard World Con. I flew from Salt Lake City, Utah to Springfield, Illinois where Robert (the artist on the series) lives with his wife and son, and soon joined by his sister Elaine (our web master) we set about feverishly preparing the last details for the show. Basically, that meant getting all the preview books ready to go with teaser pages of the series and behind-the-scenes character art. Although we had spent the past several months on everything from the artwork (a huge process) to the coloring (from our amazing new ally Bob Pedroza) to lettering (me) to the trademarking process (thanks Dave) to registering and building the website (many, many thanks Elaine), there was still a LOT to do.
And that meant dealing with every possible setback.
We had problems getting the art files to work between our three computers. Then we had problems getting the fonts to work right. Then the ink ran out of Elaine's printer as we printed the books. Then the store didn't have any more ink, so as a last ditch effort, we bought a NEW PRINTER. Then THAT one ran out of ink. And all this being done in the last hour before we had to leave for Chicago. Stressful? Yes. Frustrating? Oh yeah. But rewarding? Well, of the 50 preview books we printed (which after all was said and done came out looking awesome), we gave several away to publishers and fellow artists, kept a few for ourselves, and sold the rest. Robert, who is much more experienced in the convention circuit than myself, said he expected us to sell 20 at most. What a blessing it was that our debut went so well!
A special thanks goes out to Mike O'Sullivan, editor at Devil's Due Publishing, for graciously letting us crash in his apartment for the duration of the show, and for his generous friendship. We had a great (and exhausting) time and are already seeing the results as our site has received numerous hits.
For those of you checking out Elders of the RuneStone for the first time, we're glad to have you along for the trip. More updates coming very soon as we prepare for the launch of the FIRST ISSUE, available for download this fall! Until then, get ready to rock!! And enjoy the features we've added thus far as the story unfolds.
First post! and the unveiling at Wizard World Chic...
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http://www.global-briefing.org/2013/01/time-to-ease-off-the-gas/
Trinidad & Tobago: time to ease off the gas : published First Quarter 2013 of Global Briefing
Trinidad and Tobago is the most industrialised nation in the Caribbean, and its economic performance is the envy of its partners in the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM). There is good cause for envy. At the end of 2011, with a high-income GNI per capita of TTD15,040, the 1.3 million people of the twin-island Caribbean state enjoyed a low unemployment rate of 5.8 percent, a low debt to GDP ratio of 33 percent, and high gross official reserves of US$9.8 billion (over 13 months of imports).
Additionally, the British company, BP, just unearthed 1 trillion cubic feet of new gas; the state-owned company, Petrotrin, recently discovered 48 million barrels of oil; in December the most successful bid round in the country’s history was held with BHP Billiton of Australia winning rights to explore in four deepwater blocks; and the government just signed an agreement with a joint venture consortium led by Mitsubishi and involving a local company, Neal and Massy, for a methanol complex.
That is the credit side of the balance sheet. On the debit side, the country suffers from high crime; it is highly dependent on exports of its hydrocarbon resources, which will face new competition in the coming years; its manufacturing and agricultural sectors are in urgent need of an overhaul to make them competitive; and its services sector, particularly its financial services, are limited to Caribbean markets because of increased pressure on financial centres by extra-territorial laws of the USA and costly regulatory requirements, initiated the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and enforced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Trinidad and Tobago is, therefore, at a pivotal point in its economic development strategy. It has to find ways of maximising the benefits of the remaining years of its oil and gas industry while developing the productive and competitive capacity of its manufacturing, agricultural and service sectors.
These are challenges to which its present government is alert and that it has set about tackling. Trinidad and Tobago’s future growth and development will rest on how successful the government is in overcoming the challenges.
The country’s positive economic performance is directly due to exports of its hydrocarbon resources, particularly gas, oil and petrochemicals, which, in 2011, accounted for 45.3 percent of GDP and 82.3 percent of export receipts. But, while the oil and gas industry brings in massive revenues, it employs only 4 percent of the country’s workforce. Income is, therefore, unevenly distributed. Traditional sectors of agriculture and manufacturing have declined, and progress has been slow in the development of other industries that can contribute to sustained growth. High incidents of violent crime have also scarred the country, discomfiting its local population, but, interestingly, have not damaged foreign investment, which doubled in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11.
The present People’s Partnership (PP) government, led by the country’s first woman prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, came to office almost three years ago in May 2010 deeply conscious that to achieve a stable and sustainable economy in the future it had to get the most out of oil and gas assets and create new opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing and services, especially because energy assets are inevitably finite.
Reports indicate that the country’s proved oil reserves now stand at approximately 728.3 million barrels, and its gas reserves at 408.2 billion cubic metres. The new government was also acutely conscious that the social stability of the country – as much as its appeal for investment – was teetering on the brink, pushed there by high instances of violent crime fuelled by drug trafficking. The entire Caribbean region is a transhipment area between the supply countries in South America and the demand countries in Europe and the USA. Trinidad and Tobago is especially vulnerable because of its proximity to the South American coast.
To its credit, on coming into office, the government set about tackling both the economic priorities and the crime imperatives simultaneously. In August 2011, it imposed a state of emergency (SoE) after a spike in crime. A recent US State Department report confirmed that during the SoE, which expired in December 2011, the number of murders was greatly reduced – down to 354 in 2011 from 480 in 2010, 508 in 2009 and 550 in 2008.
At the root of Trinidad and Tobago’s social challenges, including crime, is maintaining and improving the country’s earnings and spreading the resulting economic benefits across the population in a fashion that is more equitable than has been obtained in the 50 years since independence.
Recognising this, the present government has been unique in the Caribbean by launching a Medium Term Policy Framework (MTPF) for the period 2011-14. The MTPF is designed to foster a sustainable and stable economy in the future. It is the brainchild of the country’s Planning Minister, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, a former principal of the Trinidad campus of the University of the West Indies. Tewarie was also the chief architect of the PP’s election manifesto. Therefore, the MTPF is, unusually, a mix of political objectives with rigorous criteria for measuring whether or not objectives have been met.
According to the MTPF, the government has embarked on a number of strategies to ensure sustained macro-economic stability and growth. It has targeted seven clusters to diversify the economy. These are: down-streaming energy and energy services; food sustainability; tourism; finance; ICT-driven industries; dry dock/ship repair/ship building; and creative industries.
Trinidad and Tobago currently ranks 69th out of 185 nations for ease of doing business, as measured by the World Bank. To be really competitive outside the oil and gas industry, where it has a natural resource advantage, the country has to do much better to attract investment. In response to that summons, the government has taken some bold steps, among them measures to ease delays in customs and to fast-track action on investment. For instance, a ‘one stop’ facility, invesTT, has been created to support investment. Further, unlike any other Caribbean country, a ‘Performance
Framework’ with targets has been established to assess progress on the MTPF. The framework has laid down requirements to strengthen competiveness, toughen standards, raise productivity and increase the country’s attractiveness to investors.
The journey will be arduous, but Trinidad and Tobago has put its feet on the ladder, and, in doing so, has started a climb that many other developing countries are failing to acknowledge as important and necessary.
In this effort, the government has gained the confidence and support of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), which approved a new Country Strategy with Trinidad and Tobago in November 2011. Specifically, the strategy aims to help the country to transition its economy from one that is dependent on the oil and gas industry. Implementation of the strategy envisages funding of around TTD$1.6 billion over the period 2011-15. The IDB has identified the main areas of its involvement as: trade, public sector modernisation, education, housing and citizen security. In 2011, it approved loans of TTD$290 million, and it says that the current loan portfolio consists of eight loans for a total of US$205 million, of which 93 percent is undisbursed. There is clearly, therefore, a gap in the government’s take-up of the IDB’s support, and this would suggest the need to accelerate implementation of the strategic plan.
Such acceleration is made urgent because of the market threat posed by the production of shale gas in the USA. It is anticipated that within the next decade, the USA will not only be self-sufficient in gas because of shale gas production, but it will also be an exporter. This means that, in addition to losing its market for gas in the USA, Trinidad and Tobago will have to compete with the USA for the sale of gas in the global market.
Sensibly, Trinidad and Tobago’s gas producers have been diversifying their export destinations successfully to other higher price markets. By 2011, the US market, which accounted for 70 percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s gas in 2007, had already been reduced to 20 percent.
The two good things with regard to the oil and gas industry is first, competition from the USA is not immediate; and second, there is time both to increase the production of existing known reserves of oil and gas, and to lay a new economic foundation in manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and services, including financial services. This is why implementation of the country strategy in cooperation with the IDB assumes very great importance.
Apart from the support of international financial institutions, such as the IDB, Trinidad and Tobago is fortunate that it can call on the resources of its Heritage and Stabilization Fund (HSF), which was created in 2007 to save and invest surplus petroleum revenues derived from production business. As of September 2011, the HSF had assets of TTD$4.1 billion. The government has run small budget deficits over the past three years and has not drawn down on the HSF. Further, the HSF is invested prudently in low risk assets outside Trinidad and Tobago and unconnected to the energy sector.
It is a matter for the Trinidad and Tobago government to decide – and it would be hotly debated in the country’s parliament – on whether more of the proceeds of the HSF should be used for development projects now or savings increased to cater for revenue downturns in the future, as well as to enlarge the fund from which future generations could derive an income.
The IMF, in a June 2012 discussion of the country, favoured “a clearer focus on savings together with more constraints on withdrawals”. But the government seems to prefer a separation of the ‘savings’ and ‘stabilisation’ aspects of the HSF obviously to give it room to utilise the country’s own savings to finance the improvement of the manufacturing, agriculture and services sector and diversify its markets.
However that discussion turns out, Trinidad and Tobago is in the enviable position of being able to make a choice at a time when it is universally agreed that its economy is once again set to grow.
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Home >> International
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Synod groups: Church welcomes and calls all to conversion
VATICAN (CNS): No one is excluded from the love of God or from being welcomed into the Catholic Church, but God’s love and the Church’s welcome also come with a call to conversion, said the English-language groups at the Synod of Bishops in reports published by the Vatican on October 20.
Young people need to know “the Church’s beautiful, yet challenging, vision, teaching and anthropology of the body, sexuality, love and life, marriage and chastity,” said the English-A group.
“At the same time, we restate the Church’s opposition to discrimination against any person or group, and her insistence that God loves every young person and so does the Church,” the group said in its report.
The reports were the result of reflections in the small groups—divided by language—on the final chapter of the synod working document, which dealt with “pastoral and missionary conversion.”
Most of the 14 working groups called for further local and national dialogue with young people on what they need from the Catholic Church and what they can offer the Church. Most also called for a greater involvement of women in the life of the Church, including in the training of priests, and many acknowledged how the sexual abuse scandal undermines the Church’s credibility.
None of the synod groups in any language used the term LGBT, but many of them did refer to a need to help young people who struggle with Church teaching on sexuality or, more explicitly, those who experience “same-sex attraction.”
The English-B group said that it “discussed the issue of Catholics who experience same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria,” which refers to believing one’s biological sex does not correspond to his or her true identity.
The group asked that the synod’s final document include “a separate section for this issue and that the main objective of this be the pastoral accompaniment of these people which follows the lines of the relevant section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church” which teaches that homosexual activity is sinful, but that homosexual people must be respected and welcomed.
The English-D group said it, too, “spent a good deal of time reflecting on the motif of the Church’s stance of welcome and inclusivity. We fully and enthusiastically acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ reaches out in love to absolutely everyone.”
The group said, “No one, on account of gender, lifestyle or sexual orientation, should ever be made to feel unloved, uncared for. However, as St. Thomas Aquinas specifies, love means ‘willing the good of the other.’ And this is why authentic love by no means excludes the call to conversion, to change of life.”
The group also echoed a sentiment shared by other groups that through the synod, the speeches and the contributions of the young adults present “it became eminently clear that young people crave holiness of life and desire practical training that will help them walk the path of sanctity.”
The English-C group, like many others, noted that while the synod can provide general suggestions for listening to young people and involving them in the life of the Church, individual parishes and dioceses will need to find specific ways to put those suggestions into practice.
“We suggest that episcopal conferences be strongly invited to take up the results of the synod and engage in a similar process of reflection in their own milieus, even including non-bishops in the deliberations, as this synod has done,” the group said.
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Messages and Pastoral Letters
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Dentists Prescribe Antibiotics Far Too Often: Study
WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Dentists tend to be overeager when it comes to prescribing antibiotics, new research suggests.
The study authors found that antibiotics prescribed to prevent infection during dental procedures weren't necessary 81% of the time. That's important because 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions come from dentists, the researchers said.
"Preventive antibiotics in these patients gave them risks that outweighed the benefits," researcher Jessina McGregor, an associate professor at Oregon State University in Corvallis, said in a university news release.
Antibiotics have been recommended to dental patients who have certain heart conditions to prevent mouth bacteria from infecting the heart, the researchers explained.
But antibiotics can cause serious side effects and contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
Using a national database, McGregor and her colleagues collected data on nearly 170,000 antibiotic prescriptions from dentists between 2011 and 2015. Prescriptions were for more than 90,000 patients.
Although 90% of the patients had a procedure that might require an antibiotic, less than 21% had a heart condition that fell under that recommendation.
Across the country, the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions varied by region, the findings showed. Most were in the West -- of more than 13,700 prescriptions written, 11,600 (85%) didn't follow prescribing guidelines.
In the Northeast, 78% of the prescriptions were unnecessary, as were 83% in the Midwest and 80% in the South, the researchers said.
Cities accounted for 82% of unnecessary prescriptions, and rural areas accounted for 79%, according to the report.
The researchers used a broad definition of high-risk cardiac patients, which suggests the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions may be even higher.
Researcher Susan Rowan, of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, added that "dental providers should view this study, which is the first to look at preventive antibiotic prescribing for dental procedures, as a powerful call to action, not a rebuke."
The study was published online May 30 in JAMA Network Open.
Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on antibiotics.
SOURCE: Oregon State University, news release, June 3, 2019
Bacterial Skin Infections in Children
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Tech trade groups push Trump to allow H1B spouses work
Ali Breland
(This article originally appeared in The Hill on January 18, 2018)
A coalition of major Washington, D.C., trade associations representing technology and other industries is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to preserve visas that allow spouses of H1B high-skilled workers to also be employed in the U.S.
“Individuals looking to obtain H-4 authorization already legally reside in the United States and are on the path to permanent residency. They are also eager to work in order to support their families, contribute to their communities by paying taxes, and utilize their skills to help the U.S. economy grow,” the groups wrote in a letter to Lee Francis Cissna, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of DHS.
“It is a function of the failure to reform our nation’s immigration system that this group of H-4 spouses — the majority of whom are women — continue to face uncertainty and may be prevented from working while they wait for bureaucratic backlogs to be cleared,” they continued.
Signatories on the letter spearheaded by the Information Technology Industry Council include Silicon Valley-backed immigration advocacy group Fwd.us and other technology trade associations like BSA and TechNet as well the National Association of Manufacturers and the Chamber of Commerce.
The group’s letter comes after the Trump administration signaled its intention to scrap H-4 visas in December as a part of the President Trump's “Buy American, Hire American” executive order issued in April.
The letter is the latest pushback from the technology industry as is it lobbies for the White House and Congress to not restrict high-skilled worker visas, as some Republicans and Trump have floated curbing certain parts of the program.
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TRESE: Cadena de Amor
Happy Halloween! Here's a treat from me and Kajo! It's a brand new TRESE case called "Cadena de Amor". Some lucky readers were able to buy advanced copies of this at the Metro Comic Con.
In case you're wondering, yes, this is the first case in upcoming TRESE Book 4.
Let me now demonstrate my mind-reading skills!
I can see... I feel that...
That you're about to ask me the question...
"When is Book 4 coming out?"
Did I get it right?
Well, here comes the bad news.
We really, really wanted to get the new book in your hands as soon as we could, but we're still working on it. So, most probably, the new Trese book will be available early next year.
For the moment, we hope you enjoy this new Trese story.
Labels: Book 4
TRESE: The Association Dues of Livewell Village
"The Association Dues of Livewell Village" is included in TRESE:UNREPORTED MURDERS.
This story was partly inspired by Typhoon Milenyo and one of the anecdotes I heard after that storm. One of my officemates emailed that he overheard the conversation of a family who were in the mall because they didn't have any electricity at home. The father turned to his son and said, "Okay, we still don't have electricity, so we're going to check in a hotel. They don't have Disney Channel over there, so you'll have to bare with that for awhile." So, while there were other families out there who had to deal with not having no roof above their heads, some families had to deal with not being able to watch their favorite cable channel. It made me wonder what were people willing to do to keep the lifestyle they currently have.
The idea to have Bagyon Lektro, a lightning elemental, be in charge of the electric company was inspired by The Shinra Electric Power Company from the game Final Fantasy. Actually, I've never played the game, but Marco Dimaano played it a lot and raved it about whenever we got together back then. I thought it was a very interesting idea: to have a corporation, men in business suits, invade and take-over this land that has fantasy elements in it. The collision of of those two concepts was something I always wanted to use in a story.
Lastly, the story was inspired by another real-life event: the explosion of the Rockwell Coal Plant in the 1960s. The coal plant was destroyed and area where it used to stand is now called Rockwell, where you will find the Powerplant Mall.
Hope you liked the story!
Labels: Trese Book 2
Kurt Busiek's THE WITCHLANDS
Kurt Busiek recently uploaded the cover and some preview pages of his new series THE WITCHLANDS. He talked about this at the San Diego Comic Con in 2009. The premise was exciting and intriguing. When I read about Wildstorm being shut down, I got worried that we wouldn't get to see this series anymore. So, I was happy to read that it's finally pushing through.
Here's the transcript from the Wildstorm Panel, where Busiek talked about the series, before it was renamed The Witchlands.
KURT BUSIEK: It’s called Kurt Busiek’s American Gothic. We were going to call it Bill Willingham’s American Gothic, but there were trademark problems with the title.
It’s a hard series for me to describe, but I’m encouraged by that because the other series that I’ve done that was difficult to describe were Marvels and Astro City. So, I think we’re in good company.
It’s a fantasy series set in the United States --it’s contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy.
You might see stories in it ranging from the story of a long haul trucker whose wife died when he was on the road so he never had the chance to say goodbye, who finds himself driving her ghost on to her final reward.
The story of girl in an economically depressed fishing town in Rhode Island who discovers that the Norse God Thor is living in exile in coastal island nearby
The story of some college students who accidentally resurrect the Ninkasi, Sumerian goddess of beer
The tale of a voodoo priest called in to deal with the unquiet ghost of a murdered business.
The story of a washed-up cooking show host whose quest for the perfect burger leads him out of the real world and into the borderlands of hell
You understand why, I think, it’s a little difficult to describe.
There will be some recurring characters but like Astro City, they’re not the lead characters. They’re a recurring cast that will appear when we need them and fade away when we don’t
What happened with American Gothic was the whole time I was writing Trinity, I had this year long story all outlined, so the part of my brain that thinks up new stuff kept coming up with new stuff and I kept writing them down.
…when I was done I realized I had a whole bunch of fantasy stories set in the U.S. and I said, well I could try sell all of these as mini series and I’d have to sell each one independently or I could come up with a title, jam them all together, and have to get people to yes only once.
Once I did that, the title American Gothic kind of swam into place, and I started to thinking of the interconnections and think of what else could be done and the series became a lot more about American mythology.
Most fantasy is rooted in European mythology and European mythology is… it’s old. It’s been around for a long time. We don’t know the roots of a lot of it, but America has only been around for a few centuries and we can see the pulling mythology there, stuff that we borrowed from other cultures, or in some cases, enslaved and dragged over with other cultures. Stuff that was here when we got here, stuff that has happened along the way, like, to somebody like me, the idea that, when the silver spike was hammered in and when the transcontinental railway was built, we had built a line of steel all along across the entire country. There’s got to be great mystic symbolic power in that. We’re exploring a vast and mysterious world.
It’s not quite accurate to say that this does for fantasy what Astro City does for superheroes, but they would very much like me to say that. So, I’m saying it.
It’ll be good. The first arc will be drawn by Connor Willumsen, who was in the anthology series Pop Gun and other places. His work is stunning.
Check out Willumsen's art for THE WITCHLANDS in http://busiek.com/site/2010/10/an_advance_look.php
the original cover
Posted by Budjette at 4:59 AM No comments: Links to this post
an aswang in CSI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtTCU0Hbf8Q
Wherein Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne) defines as "aswang" as "a half-breed, half-vampire, half-werewolf".
Which is how a foreigner would probably describe an aswang based on how it's been depicted in our movies, TV shows, and comics.
From the little that I've read, the creatures with the most defined and consistent descriptions have been the manananggal, the tikbalang, the kapre, the duwende, and the nuno. When it comes to describing what an aswang looks like, that's when it starts to vary. As mentioned in Wikipedia: "Aswang stories and definitions vary greatly from region to region and person to person, so no one particular set of characteristics can be ascribed to the term."
Which is probably why, whenever aswang are shown, they range from vampiric looking creatures to demonic looking ones. Interesting how there is no one single, consistent description of what an aswang looks like.
parallel cons
Last Saturday, I attended the Birmingham International Comics Shows aka BICS. I expected to be as big as the San Diego Comic Con, but it turned out to be smaller, even smaller than the annual Komikon that we have back in Manila.
The hall probably had 30 or so tables, with the usual mix of creators with photocopies comic books and offset printed books. (UPDATE: Based on this report by Richard Bruton in the Forbidden Planet blog, it seems like I missed an entire hall of other exhibitors. I wonder where that was located. I didn't see any signs.)
I was hoping there would be a comic book store like Forbidden Planet would have a table there, but there was none. So, I even though I got to see Bryan Hitch, Charles Adlard, Duncan Fegredo, and Charles Vess, I wasn’t able to get anything signed since I didn’t have any of their comic books with me at the time.
There were several talks happening that day and I stumbled into the “BRIT PACK”. I looked at the program guide and it read: “Tim Pilcher gives us the low-down on the state of the comics nation, as he explores the current UK comics scene, plus special guests.”
It was the tail end of the talk when I entered the hall, but what they were talking about was no different from things that have been discussed at komikons, at message boards, and on blogs over here.
How do we get more kids to read comics?
Is the printed comic book on its way to extinction?
Will all comics be digitally distributed?
One of the speakers made the fearless forecast that the monthly comic book will disappear in the next 5 to 10 years, to be replaced by the digital comic book, and the printed comic book will be a compilation of the digital monthlies.
They also talked about how whenever great new talent appears in British comics, they end up working with Marvel and DC and get locked into exclusive contracts with the American comic book companies.
It was also mentioned that aside from the small press / indie press / creator-owned books, there were not a lot of venues for new comic book creators. Looking at the comic book shops there, the longest running comic book titles are probably 2000 A.D. and JUDGE DREDD. Mark Millar’s CLiNT is just on its second issue and he’s devoting 3-4pages for new talent, but obviously, that’s not enough.
Makes me wonder what were the conditions that brought about this kind of comic book scene in Britain.
I looked around that hall and noticed that most of attendees were men in their 30s. Where were the teen-agers? Where were 20-year old guys-- and girls? Considering that the venue of BICS was near a university, I was wondering, where were all the college kids? If they were there, there were not a lot of them.
So, it’s a bit encouraging to know that whenever we have comic book events in the Philippines that we get a good mix, a good age range of readers and creators.
And yet, our little local comic book scene still needs to gain the strength and momentum to become a thriving industry once more.
More about that on a future post.
Trese: Trick or Treat Contest
Come knocking at the door of The Diabolical and get the chance to win a treat from Trese.
What’s the treat? This limited-edition Trese poster by Kajo Baldisimo.
To win, draw any character from the Trese graphic novels and show them trick-or-treating. Drawings can be in black-and-white or full-color. 13 winners will be chosen by me and Kajo.
To submit:
1. post your drawing in your blog, DeviantArt, Twitpic, Flickr, Tumblr, or wherever it is you post your artwork.
2. Label it as TRESE: TRICK OR TREAT
3. Post a link of your artwork in the comments page and include the following:
LINK TO YOUR ARTWORK
Ready! Get set! Scare us! BOOO!
Deadline is on October 31, 2010
UPDATE: Here are the recent entries to the contest!
Chris Costello
Luis Oliveros
Bong Dacanay
Norby Ela
Ayo Supangco
Charmaine Joy Cabarle
Vince Torres
Lhariza Lois Lim
Brian Balondo
Dexter Wee
Mica Chua
Laina Gawid
Eunice Gamboa
Wilson Tortosa
Enel Lawrence Villegas
Julian Hernandez
Tepai Pascual
Tennille Tan
Ayo Yupango
Clifford Go
Kitty Almazan
Javey Villones
Cathryn G. Trinidad
Ian Chun
Ferlan S. Mosong
Posted by Budjette at 4:03 AM 34 comments: Links to this post
Labels: contest
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Re-Watch Elf and Other Christmas Movie Classics on AMC's Stacked Holiday Schedule
By Megan VickDec 13, 2019 9:36 PM EST
Even if you've already watched it, there's no way you've seen Elf enough times to properly celebrate the genius of the Will Ferrell-led classic, and if you're stumped on how to catch it again without whipping 0ut that old dusty DVD player, AMC has you covered. AMC will air the Yuletide yukfest a whopping 19 times during the holiday season, and though a few airings have already passed, there are still many more to go. As part of AMC and IFC's Best Christmas Ever, Elf and many more merry flicks will be on the tube until the day Santa comes to visit. Get that spaghetti ready.
Other AMC and IFC holiday offerings include Christmas with the Kranks, The Polar Express, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Harold and Kumar's 3D Christmas. Check out the full schedule below (all times are Eastern) and mark your calendars for your favorite Christmas and holiday movies!
The Ultimate Holiday Viewing Guide for 2019
AMC CALENDAR
Saturday, Dec. 14:
5 p.m. - The Polar Express
7 p.m. - Elf
11 p.m. - Ice Age
Sunday, Dec. 15:
4 p.m. - Mrs. Doubtfire
7 p.m. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
9:15 p.m. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
11:30 p.m. - Mrs. Doubtfire
Monday, Dec. 16:
5:30 p.m. - Fred Claus
10:05 p.m. - Love the Coopers
Tuesday, Dec. 17:
10: 15 p.m. - Miracle on 34th Street
Wednesday, Dec. 18:
10 p.m. - Mrs. Doubtfire
Thursday, Dec. 19:
8 p.m. - Four Christmases
10 p.m. - Love the Coopers
Friday, Dec. 20:
10 p.m. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
4 p.m. - Christmas with the Kranks
10:15 p.m. - Christmas with the Kranks
4:30 p.m. - Ernest Saves Christmas
11 p.m. - The Polar Express
10:15 p.m. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
11: 15 p.m. - Four Christmases
IFC Calendar
Thursday, Dec. 5:
9 p.m. - Planes, Trains & Automobiles
11 p.m. - Snow Day
1 a.m. - Ernest Saves Christmas
9 p.m. - Gremlins
11: 30 p.m. - Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
1:30 a.m. - How Murray Saved Christmas
2:30 a.m. - Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
9 p.m. - The Year Without a Santa Claus
10:15 p.m. - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
11:30 p.m. - Frosty's Winter Wonderland
12 a.m. - The Year Without a Santa Claus
1:15 a.m. - Rudolph's Shiny New Year
6 p.m. - Snow Day
10 p.m. - Four Christmases
12 a.m. - Christmas with the Kranks
2 a.m. - Four Christmases
4 a.m. - All I Want for Christmas
See what else is airing this holiday season across all networks and streaming services with our Ultimate Holiday Viewing Guide.
Add To WatchlistEditEdit Watchlist
Premiered: 2003
Christmas With The Kranks
Fred Claus
How to Watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation This Christmas
Where to stream and watch the Christmas classic on TV this year
The Best Christmas Movies and Specials to Stream
How to Watch Elf This Holiday Season
Get a roll of Tollhouse cookie dough ready
The Ultimate Holiday Viewing Guide 2018
Here's a look forward at all of the festive movies and specials hitting your small screen this season!
How to Watch AMC's Best Christmas Ever Lineup
Santa's coming!!
Here's Freeform's Complete "25 Days of Christmas" Schedule
Get ready for the Christmas classics!
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...AND MEREDITH VIEIRA TURNS 56.
Happy 62nd Birthday, Jeff.
Well, we've come to the end of what turned out to be a relatively quiet 2009. There was even very little in terms of rehashed reissues. The only re-issues of note were Blu-Spec CDs for Discovery, Out of The Blue and A New World Record, which (correct me if I'm wrong) were really just very slightly higher quality captures of their current masters. The only worthwhile compilation this year came from The Move.
Really my only disappointment this year was reading how so many Jeff Lynne and ELO fans didn't bother with Regina Spektor. Understandably, we'd all like to hear more from Jeff himself. But I tend to view Jeff Lynne as a record maker more than anything else. The moment I see Jeff run across the stage and drop to his knees like Springsteen, I'll view him strictly as a performer.
Regina Spektor has won a fan in me. Nothing in her songs is conventional, yet they make perfect sense. Jeff Lynne provided a driving cadence to Blue Lips, a playful hand-clapping shimmy to Folding Chair, a dark ambiance to Genius Next Door, an antiquey feel to Wallet and a little spook to The Sword and The Pen. I thought he hit all of them out of the park. The other producers on that record fit her songs like a glove, too.
On a personal level, I had a little more (ok, a lot more) time on my hands this year thanks to being a economic casualty. (Still am, actually.) I thought I used much of the time wisely by at least 2 dozen bands/singers/acts live this year, Regina Spektor included, although they put her with an awful venue here, The Electric Factory. These live acts led me to some amazing CDs this year. If you're interested in some recommendations:
M. Ward (and Monsters of Folk) - He's turning out to be quite a prolific guy and amazing songwriter and yes, record maker. He released Hold Time early this year with several stand-out tracks, released an album as Monsters of Folk with Mike Mogis (who produced), Conor Oberst and Yim Yames. And in April, he's releasing an album with actress Zooey Deschanel.
Swell Season- I had the pleasure of meeting Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova following a concert on their current tour. If you haven't seen the movie Once, do yourself a favor. They won the Academy Award for Best Original Song from that movie. Their new CD is only a few months old.
One EskimO- a late-year entry, but a band I can't shut up about right now. Their music was used in a Toyota commercial and as the foundation for a series of animations that won top awards. The music was retooled and refined for their debut CD released in September. The whole CD is amazing with the rather addicting Kandi as the lead single. (By the way, their album and the complete set of animations is on sale at iTunes for $5.99)
I was also lucky enough to see Rickie Lee Jones, Roseanne Cash, Marianne Faithful, and less-knowns Peter Bjorn and John, DeVotchka, Diane Birch, the list goes on and on. For me, it was amazing year for new and live music.
So now we look to 2010. ELO's 40th Anniversary is being celebrated in 2010. Will this translate into some worthwhile releases? Time will tell. In case you missed it, ELO's official website from Sony is gone, and we're still waiting for elo.biz.
But in 2010, we should have a produced by Jeff Lynne album from Joe Walsh and a produced by Jeff Lynne album from, uh, Jeff Lynne. As I always say, keep your fingers crossed.
I hope it'll be a great year for all of you. Have a Happy New Year!
GOOD GOLLY...
This is the produced by Jeff Lynne version from 1991. This is my first time seeing this. Enjoy:
OH, A GIFT "CARD"...
Genesis Publications is now shipping the Traveling Wilburys in January 2010. To hold us over, the publisher sent us a greeting card, not a gift card. Though, frankly, I wasn't quite sure how much a gift card would help for another $300-$600 book.
THE WILBURYS (BOOKS) ARE COMING...
Those of you who ordered The Traveling Wilburys from Genesis Publications should have gotten this flier in the mail in advance of the actual book arriving on your doorstep. There's still no indication on when these books will ship.
A few things struck me in particular. It appears that Jeff may have written (or "written") the forward to the book based on the wording in the flier. The flier also notes that this book was originally George Harrison's idea, so this book has been a long time coming.
Deluxe Editions are sold out and the Collector's Edition will jump in price from 195GBP to 225GBP beginning of the year. So, if you're on the fence about this...
UGH, WHATEVER...
I recognize this is the typical 'you're getting old' argument. But I mean, they couldn't muster a single Grammy nod for Regina Spektor? Not one?? There are several other names that should be on the nomination list, too, but aren't. Not to begrudge any talented artist (and many names on the list are indeed talented,) but didn't the AMAs and the VMAs and the Billboards and the People's Choice, etc etc already honor [insert name here] multiple times over?? The Grammys must be in a bind. If ratings for the awards ceremony on TV are down, they need to have a nomination list like this one to stay mainstream.
The Grammys, however, should be digging a little deeper into the talent pool to keep their award's prestige above the others. Now it's just deluded with the others.
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J Edward Neill
John McGuire
Egg Embry
Amanda Makepeace
Guild Home
Stuff You Should Read
Art by J Edward Neill
Tag: Far
Top Eleven Albums – Part 1
By John McGuire music
Image by annca from Pixabay
I was talking with my in-laws over the weekend about memory. They volunteer at Grace Arbor, a place where older folks with various memory/dementia issues can go for the day and have activities and listen to music (among other things). They mentioned that they heard the portion of the brain which remembers music never truly goes away.
Which reminded me of a scene in Before Sunset where Ethan Hawke is talking about how misuc can be a form of time travel for a person. That when you hear a particular song it returns you to the place where it means the most to you and instantly you are 8 or 18 or 28 again.
I love that idea.
And then on my Facebook feed various people have all been doing the FB challenge of posting your favorite albums (or ones that had the greatest effect upon your life) but without any comment.
But the comment… the context is key. It’s as important as anything else. So… here’s some context.
Far – Water and Solutions
I’m 20 and my friends have rented a ski cabin in North Carolina for the weekend. Egg (who discovered the band in the first place) puts on Water and Solutions and it becomes, for me, the theme of the trip. It’s heavy at times and yet soulful. No one who hears it in the cabin has a bad word to say about it.
Later, I’ll find out the lead singer (Jonah Matranga) has a tape of some of his solo stuff available to send off for through the mail (good lord, that’s like the dark ages). I send away for them, immediately transfer them from the tape which arrives to a digital format, burn it onto a cd, and still wear those songs out.
Even later, I’ll be at a club show for Far and decide to tap him on the shoulder and tower over him with all 6’5″ of my frame in order to tell him how much I love his music. Egg says I gave the guy the scare of a life. I’m not so sure.
!0 Years – The Autumn Effect
Somehow, due to me putting a bunch of music on my wife’s phone over a decade ago, 10 Years became one of her favorite bands. Last year, 10 Years played a anniversary show where they played this album from front to back. It was both of our first times seeing the band (somehow we kept missing them previously). As it was the first night of this anniversary tour, they had only rehearsed the album, so when they went off stage after the last song, we expected an encore song or two. The lead singer came back out, informing us that they had nothing else, but that wouldn’t satisfy us, so, all by himself, he sang one of the more beautiful versions of their song “So Long, Good-bye”. And we all joined in. Just a couple of hundred people and a guy with a microphone singing as loudly as we could.
One of the best moments from any concert I’ve ever been to.
The Misfits – Collection 1
When you are younger, there are so many ways your music tastes can go. Things you hear your parents play can go a long way to shaping you. My parents listened to the Oldies station nearly exclusively. Lots of late 50s and 60s songs. In fact, there was a time where my sister and I didn’t realize there were other stations on the radio. It never changed from the one station, and for some reason, it never occurred to us that those MTV songs we heard had to be on the radio somewhere.
Yet, it is through your friends where I think the key music comes in. So when Lee gave me a copy of the Misfits, I had no idea what I was in for. It destroyed my brain. These 2-minute songs (at the longest) were a blistering, blazing, fireball of in your face music. And they sang about the most outrageous things when they weren’t singing about some weird movies I’d never seen.
I must have been 12 or 13, at the beach in Destin, and listened to these songs over and over on my Walkman. I didn’t dare let my parents listen, but my sister still almost ruined it by sneaking a listen and then telling them about what she’d heard. For some reason, they were unfazed.
But that was really the moment that the heavier side of rock/punk was going to be my wheelhouse.
Taproot – Blue Sky Research
I’m sorry if Nu-Metal left a bad taste in your mouth. I will never understand that. It is the music that I listen to the most even to this day. And I would claim that this particular album might be my favorite of the entire genre. I can listen to it over and over and have never gotten sick of it. It feels like such a complete album where there is no one song I would remove from it. I love it so much, I’m interested in hearing any of the songs that might have been written around the same time.
With this one, I’m at work and needing to really focus on whatever project I’m working on. And this CD will not get removed from my CD Player. When I reach the end, we just loop around to begin again. But it isn’t only work, when I’m writing, it is one of my go-to albums to put on, pushing and pulling me into the correct train of thought.
Shock Lobo – My Wicked Soul
There are a handful of bands that I have seen which were openers for the band I wanted to see and then have gone on to be a favorite of mine. Shock Lobo was not only one of those (they were opening for The Josh Joplin Band and caught our eyes/ears), but since they were local to Atlanta, we saw them a lot. Pretty much every show they did locally Courtney and Chris and I went and saw them. When they needed fans to show up for a special taping, we were there. When they opened for Toad the Wet Sprocket, we were there.
So much so that the three of us are listed in the liner notes under the Thank You section.
With them, it isn’t one particular moment or performance, but all of them. Agnes Scott College. Them playing at a pizza restaurant. Underground Atlanta. The Point.
Mostly, it reminds me of a time, when I was in college, just hanging out with some good friends, listening to musicians play this music that we all loved.
My last 6 will come next week!
John McGuire is the creator/author of the steampunk comic The Gilded Age. The Trade paperback collecting the first 4 issues is finally back from the printers! If you would like to purchase a copy, go here!
Want to read the first issue for free? Click here! Already read it and eager for more?
Click here to join John’s mailing list.
His other prose appears in The Dark That Follows, Hollow Empire, Beyond the Gate, and Machina Obscurum – A Collection of Small Shadows.
He can also be found at www.johnrmcguire.com
Tagged 10 Years, Far, John McGuire, Misfits, Shock Lobo, Taproot, Top albums
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Home Featured The Crossroads: The Modernization of the Roman Catholic Church
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The Crossroads: The Modernization of the Roman Catholic Church
written by Tala Ahmadi December 12, 2014
As one of the world’s oldest institutions still alive today, the Roman Catholic Church has been at the intersection of traditional versus contemporary many times before. The most recent example of this occurred in October, when Pope Francis called on leading clergy to discuss the Church’s approach on family values.
Among the topics discussed at the synod, a meeting of bishops to discuss or determine changes in doctrine, were some of the most controversial issues facing the Church today. These included gay marriage and whether divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Communion. Halfway through the two-week discussion, the Vatican released a preliminary report that caused shockwaves within the Catholic community. The section that prompted the most debate was titled, “Providing for homosexual persons,” and included unprecedented language like, “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community.”
The ensuing response from conservative bishops and Catholics was overwhelmingly negative. American Cardinal Raymond Burke claimed the Church was manipulating information and misrepresenting the discussions going on behind closed doors. The Vatican responded by stating that this was only a preliminary document serving simply as a summary of the topics being discussed. On the last day of the synod, the bishops voted on the final document that had a less welcoming approach than the previous one. The final version no longer contained the “gifts and qualities” sentence and the title of the section was changed to “Pastoral attention to people of homosexual orientation.” Even this watered down version did not get the two-thirds majority vote required to be included in the document. However, per Pope Francis’ request, the paragraphs were inserted in the final document along with the vote count. The Vatican stated this was because the synod will reconvene in a year’s time to discuss the topics once more, and thus the paragraphs can act as a framework for future discussions. This give and take between conservative Catholics and more liberal ones may resemble the internal conflict among Catholic leaders in steering the future of the religion.
To understand why the topics discussed and the actions of Pope Francis are unconventionally progressive, it is helpful to take a closer look at the steps Pope Francis took during the synod in the context of traditional Catholic doctrine. Last year, when asked about his beliefs on gay priests, Francis replied, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” To put this quote in context, Pope Benedict XVI called homosexuality “an intrinsic moral evil.” Additionally, Pope Francis convened the synod to discuss the ways in which the Catholic Church can be more welcoming to the LGBT community. For a religion that deems homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered,” even discussing these topics is unprecedented.
However, convening the synod was not enough for Pope Francis. Halfway through, per Pope Francis’ request, the revolutionary preliminary document containing never before seen language in the history of the Catholic Church was released. Even when the controversial language was then watered down and did not pass, Pope Francis still included it in the final document. In his final speech at the synod, Francis said that bishops were becoming too attached to doctrine, were guided by “hostile rigidity,” and demonstrated a “destructive goody-goodiness.”
Pope Francis’ actions raise two questions that are closely related and are worth considering: Is the Pope too progressive for the current Catholic climate? or Is his progressivism exactly what the Catholic Church needs to reshape its image in the 21st century? I believe the latter.
The Catholic Church is no stranger to controversy. The recent sex abuse scandals, the abrupt resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, and harsh doctrinal language about homosexuality and female leadership roles have tainted the Church’s public image in an increasingly liberal global population. The world has become more receptive to empowering historically marginalized communities. 17 countries have legalized gay marriage and 22 countries have women as President or Prime Minister. Yet, the Catholic Church still does not allow women to become priests and views homosexual activities as sinful. If the Catholic Church wants to remain relevant to the youngest generation and cultivate a sustainable base of support, they must adapt, and this is what Pope Francis is attempting to do.
The last time there were substantial changes to the Catholic Church was during the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 where institutional modifications, like changing the language used in Holy Mass from Latin to the vernacular, helped ease the Church’s transition into the modern world. Vatican II was called because the Pope at the time (Pope John XXIII) was receptive to the cultural changes ushered in from the aftermath of WWII and wanted to ensure the Church could adapt. The similarities between the Catholic Church’s efforts in the 1960s and Pope Francis’ efforts today are evident, and perhaps Vatican III could be around the corner.
The bishops who convened at October’s synod will be outlived by a generation far more receptive to the needs and desires of communities that have been suppressed. The Catholic Church needs to ensure that it not only has enough support to remain relevant, but also promotes ideologies that are compatible with what it means to be Catholic in the 21st century. However, there is a flipside to this argument. The region with the fastest-growing Catholic population is Sub-Saharan Africa. The Catholics from this region also tend to be the most conservative. Out of the 47 countries on the African continent,36 have outlawed homosexuality and 4 have the death penalty for homosexual acts. Sub-Saharan Africans could become the next major Catholic population, and the future of Catholic doctrine could be heavily influenced by their beliefs.
For the moment however, Pope Francis is doing nearly everything in his power to help usher in a new age for the Catholic Church. His controversial and progressive tactics are causing ripples through an institution that has traditionally clung to its centuries old doctrines and beliefs. Pope Francis is getting senior clerics to talk about some of the most contentious issues that have remained taboo in the Church for quite some time. He could be exactly what the ancient institution needs to mature into the 21st century without losing its relevance and legitimacy.
The Crossroads: The Modernization of the Roman Catholic Church was last modified: January 2nd, 2015 by Tala Ahmadi
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Liverpool meet Everton, Arsenal face Leeds in FA Cup third round
Tuesday 03 December, 2019
LONDON: Liverpool will play Merseyside rivals Everton, while record FA Cup winners Arsenal entertain Leeds United in the third round of the competition after the draw was made on Monday.
Premier League leaders Liverpool, who last won the trophy in 2006, host neighbours Everton at Anfield. Arsenal, who have lifted the FA Cup 13 times, were drawn against Championship (second-tier) side Leeds, whose only FA Cup win came against the Gunners in the 1972 final.
Holders Manchester City host League Two (fourth-tier) side Port Vale, while Manchester United visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.
AFC Fylde of the National League, the lowest-ranked side guaranteed a third round spot, were drawn away to Premier League Sheffield United.
Boston United of the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, could face Newcastle United if they overcome Rochdale in a second-round home replay.
Chelsea host Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Middlesbrough and Leicester City welcome Wigan Athletic in the pick of the other games. The ties will be played from Jan. 3-6.
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2110899/7-liverpool-meet-everton-arsenal-face-leeds-fa-cup-third-round/
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Devon H. S. donates $375,000 to Bryn Mawr Hospital, kicking off a new $2 million pledge
DEVON, Pa.--The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair has made a new pledge to donate another $2 million to Bryn Mawr Hospital, and it made its first contribution to that pledge with a donation of $375,000.
The donation was made during a reception at the first floor rotunda outside the Pennypacker Aucitorim of the Bryn Mawr Hospital on Dec. 6.
“Our partnership with Bryn Mawr Hospital continues to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of residents of the Main Line and beyond,” said Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Chairman Wayne W. Grafton. “We are proud to have renewed our pledge and commitment to our community’s premiere hospital.”
To date, the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair has contributed over $15 million to fund innovations at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
The $375,000 proceeds from 2019 show will support renovations to the inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at Bryn Mawr Hospital
SENIOR Co-Chair Darlene DiGorio, Co-Chair Eileen Devine and incoming Chair Buttons Corkhill along with members of the Horse Show and Foundation Boards presented the check to Bryn Mawr Hospital President Andi Gilbert, System Vice President Behavioral Health - Main Line Health Michelle Mullany and other members of the hospital community.
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair’s new pledge will support the Behavioral Health Center, part of For Every Generation, a community-based $30 million capital campaign connected to Bryn Mawr Hospital’s milestone modernization project.
Patients with a wide variety of psychiatric conditions, including depression and anxiety, are treated by a multidisciplinary team at Bryn Mawr Hospital, which has the inpatient behavioral health care unit within Main Line Health.
“Bryn Mawr Hospital and Main Line Health are committed to caring for patients and families in need of behavioral health services,” said Mullany. “Devon’s support for this project means the exceptional clinical care that our behavioral health inpatient unit provides can be offered to even more patients, further addressing this need for all communities served by Main Line Health.”
With support from the Behavioral Health Fund, Bryn Mawr Hospital will expand its behavioral health unit to 40 beds, doubling its current size, and create modern facilities that are best suited to this vulnerable patient population.
This increased capacity will further enable Bryn Mawr Hospital to expand its overall scope of care, beyond general psychiatry, to include additional patient populations such as those with a Dual Diagnosis, those with both mental health and substance abuse disorders.
Started in 1896, the Devon Horse Show is the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed competition in the United States and draws top competitors from around the world.
With Philadelphia's historic Main Line as its backdrop, the show continues to reflect the local traditions and lifestyles of the community.
The Devon Country Fair, run by more than 2,000 volunteers, offers a variety of boutique shops in miniature cottages, amusement rides and games for kids, multiple dining options, and special entertainment events.
Proceeds support Bryn Mawr Hospital.
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August’s First Friday at The Modbo and SPQR: Monique Viger’s Yesterlights and New Work by Cymon Padilla!
by Lauren Ciborowski | Aug 5, 2016 | Artwork, Current, Events | 0 comments
The Modbo and S.P.Q.R. present August’s First Friday on August 5th, 2016. In The Modbo, you’ll find new works by Cymon Padilla. Meanwhile, in S.P.Q.R., it’s “Yesterlights” by Monique Viger. Both shows are open Friday nights through August 26th. The opening reception on August 5th will go from 5:30 pm til midnight. The Modbo and S.P.Q.R. are located at 17b and 17c East Bijou, 80903. More information at themodbo.com or by calling 633-4240 or emailing themodbo@gmail.com
Cymon Padilla’s current body of work is an over-caffeinated exploration of internet aesthetic and the world of figurative painting, peppered with the occasional art historical reference. “It’s literally some dank memes painted using techniques of the Old Masters,” says Padilla.
Cymon Padilla was born and raised in Colorado Springs and has had a lifelong interest in drawing and painting. These interests crystallized in his first oil painting class at Pikes Peak Community College, where he received his Associate of Arts degree in 2012. His work is primarily focused on using humorous and absurd juxtapositions to illustrate the relationship between human culture, social media, and the natural world. When he’s not at his day job or in the studio, you can find Cymon exploring the outdoor landscapes that inspire much of his art.
In Monique Viger’s new series of paintings titled “Yesterlights,” the artist attempts to capture the play of light. She hikes and runs and is sometimes stopped in her tracks to admire the way light is filtered or reflected through, or on, just about anything. At times, she feels like a simple, silly cat reacting to things unnoticed by other creatures and hopes that you will feel what she sees.
Monique Viger has always had a passion for visual arts. She has been a hairstylist for twenty years creating works of hair art with her shears and color. She currently works at Salon 7 in Colorado Springs. In 2010 she began oil painting under the tutelage of Brett Andrus, who has inspired her to new levels. She is a member of the Modbo Collective and has exhibited her works in salons and restaurants throughout the Springs. You can view more of her work on Instagram @snippitymomo . Stay tuned for her website moniqueviger.com, which is currently under construction.
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Home > Honours & awards > Queen's Awards
The Queen's Awards recognise excellence in organisations and fall into two broad categories: the Queen's Awards for Enterprise and the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. There is also a unique individual award for promotion of the enterprise category.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious accolades for businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious accolades for businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. The winners are announced each year on 21st April, Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday. The process is highly competitive - in 2012 a total of 862 businesses applied and 209 awards were granted.
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion is for individual people who have played an important role in promoting enterprise skills and supporting entrepreneurs. In 2012 only eleven individuals were granted the Award for Enterprise Promotion.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK.
The official logos of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise and Voluntary Service.
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Home » Introduction » Revisions » Revision of Introduction from Fri, 2014-05-30 12:30
Revision of Introduction from Fri, 2014-05-30 12:30
Alfred Russel Wallace OM, LLD, DCL, FRS, FLS was one of the 19th century's most remarkable polymaths. His link to Charles Darwin as the co-discoverer in 1858 of evolution by natural selection would alone have secured his place in history, but he went on to make other significant contributions, not only to biology, but to subjects as far-ranging as glaciology, land reform, anthropology, ethnography, epidemiology, and astrobiology. His pioneering work on evolutionary biogeography has led to him becoming recognized as the ‘father’ of the subject. Beyond this, Wallace is regarded as the pre-eminent collector and field biologist of tropical regions of the 19th century and his book The Malay Archipelago (which was Joseph Conrad’s favorite bedside reading) is one of the most celebrated travel writings of that century and has never been out of print. Add to the above that Wallace was deeply committed to, and a vocal supporter of, spiritualism, socialism, and the rights of the ordinary person, it quickly becomes apparent that he was a man with an extraordinary breadth of interests who was actively engaged with many of the big questions and important issues of his day.
During Wallace's lifetime he was widely credited as being the co-discoverer of the principle of evolution by natural selection and he was duly honored for his role in its discovery by being awarded the Darwin–Wallace and Linnean Gold Medals of the Linnean Society of London; the Copley, Darwin and Royal Medals of the Royal Society (Britain's premier scientific body); and the Order of Merit (awarded by the ruling Monarch as the highest civilian honor of Great Britain). Wallace was highly regarded by his contemporaries and he met and corresponded with many of the leading figures in science, politics and literature both in Europe and North America. During his ten month lecture tour of the United States of America and Canada in 1886 and 1887, his company was sought after by the principal scientists and writers of the day and President Cleveland himself gave Wallace a tour of the White House.
By the time of his death in 1913 Wallace was the world’s most famous contemporary scientist. Large numbers of obituary notices appeared in newspapers and other publications worldwide which paid tribute to him. The Daily Mirror (London) commented on 8 November 1913 that “Science has lost its 'grand old man' Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, the greatest of all modern scientists--co-originator with Charles Darwin of the theory of natural selection--died yesterday at his home..." Current Opinion (New York) summed up these tributes in January 1914 by stating that "Only a great ruler could have been accorded by the press of the world any such elaborate obituary recognition as was evoked by the death of Alfred Russel Wallace..."
After Wallace's death his intellectual legacy was soon overshadowed by Darwin’s for a variety of complex reasons and this remained the case for many decades. In recent years, however, interest in Wallace has been steadily increasing, as indicated, for example, by the fact that nine biographies have appeared since the year 2000 - more than doubling the number published since his death. Wallace is now becoming the focal point for researches in a range of disciplines, but work on him is often frustrated by the difficulty of obtaining copies or transcripts of his correspondence. His letters contain much information which is absent from his published works: ranging from details of interest to biographers attempting to document his life, to information useful to biologists studying the vast number of important natural history specimens he collected during his travels around the Malay Archipelago (Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia). A list of his correspondents reads like a “who’s who” of 19th century science and society and includes Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley, Charles Lyell, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Henry Walter Bates, Richard Spruce, Francis Galton, Sir William Thiselton-Dyer, William Henry Fox Talbot, Herbert Spencer, Charles Kingsley, Lord Morley and Gertrude Jekyll, amongst others. Unfortunately, however, Wallace's correspondence is scattered amongst the libraries of c. 100 institutions in several countries and only a very small proportion of it has ever been published. Most of the letters which have been are contained in Wallace's 1905 autobiography My Life; A Record of Events and Opinions and Marchant's 1916 book Alfred Russel Wallace; Letters and Reminiscences, but unfortunately these transcripts contain many errors and even important omissions of text.
What is needed then is a comprehensive publicly accessible collection of Wallace’s correspondence. Publishing this in printed form would be a slow and very costly process so an online archive is the obvious choice. This is exactly what the Wallace Correspondence Project aims to provide.
Collating Wallace’s letters and making them freely available through a user-friendly portal on the Internet will mark a huge advance in Wallace studies. Such an archive is likely to generate a surge of scholarly work on all aspects of Wallace’s life and work. It will be an important resource for students of the history of science, cultural studies and 19th century society, and for biologists and for scholars interested in that generation of scientists who were at the centre of the debate on evolution. For many of those scientists the theory of natural selection raised major contradictions in their own systems of belief. Access to the correspondence between these men would advance the understanding of the broader debate that existed while revealing some of the personal conflicts that individuals experienced.
Making high quality digitized images of the Wallace letters available will also help preserve these often fragile documents. It will reduce to a minimum any handling whilst allowing researchers to view the originals. It will also provide a view of the spatial layout of the page, the color and size of the paper, the type of ink, and even the legibility of handwriting that are all insightful components of the correspondence that are lost if one does not have access to the original physical artifact.
Tue, 2009-11-10 10:20 -- George Beccaloni
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Coordinates: 1°15′29.7″S 36°38′55.5″E / 1.258250°S 36.648750°E / -1.258250; 36.648750
Green: Territory comprising German colony of German East Africa
Dark gray: Other German possessions
Darkest gray: German Empire
Note: the map depicts the historical extent for German territories on a globe showing 2011 borders
German colony
Bagamoyo (1885–90)
Dar es Salaam (1890–1918)
Common languages
German (official)
Swahili, Arabic, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Maa, Iraqw, Chaga languages
Islam, traditional African religion, Christianity (Catholic Church and Lutheranism)
• 1885–1888
Frederick III
Wilhelm II
• 1895–96 (first)
Hermann Wissmann
• 1912–18 (last)
Heinrich Schnee
Historical era
New Imperialism
• Established by the German East Africa Company
• Border agreement under the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty
• Maji Maji Rebellion
• Surrender to Britain
• Formally disestablished under the Treaty of Versailles
995,000 km2 (384,000 sq mi)
German East African rupie
German East Africa Company
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Kingdom of Rwanda
Kingdom of Burundi
Tanganyika (territory)
Kenya Colony
Portuguese East Africa
Today part of
German East Africa (German: Deutsch-Ostafrika) (GEA) was a German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, and the mainland part of Tanzania. GEA's area was 994,996 square kilometres (384,170 sq mi),[1][2] which was nearly three times the area of present-day Germany, and double the area of metropolitan Germany then.
The colony was organised when the German military was asked in the late 1880s to put down a revolt against the activities of the German East Africa Company. It ended with Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I. Ultimately, GEA was divided between Britain, Belgium and Portugal and was reorganised as a mandate of the League of Nations.
2 Economic development
4 Population on the eve of World War I
5 World War I
6 Break-up of the colony
7 German placenames
8 List of governors
11 Planned symbols for German East Africa
Main articles: German East Africa Company and Abushiri revolt
Like other colonial powers, the Germans expanded their empire in the Africa Great Lakes region, ostensibly to fight slavery and the slave trade. Unlike other imperial powers, however, they never formally abolished either, preferring instead to curtail the production of new "recruits" and regulate the existing slaving business.[3][page needed]
The colony began when Carl Peters, an adventurer who founded the Society for German Colonization, signed treaties with several native chieftains on the mainland opposite Zanzibar. On 3 March 1885, the German government announced that it had granted an imperial charter, which was signed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck on 27 February 1885. The charter was granted to Peters' company and was intended to establish a protectorate in the African Great Lakes region. Peters then recruited specialists who began exploring south to the Rufiji River and north to Witu, near Lamu on the coast.[4][page needed][5][page needed][6][page needed]
The Sultan of Zanzibar protested, claiming that he was the ruler of both Zanzibar and the mainland. Chancellor Bismarck then sent five warships, which arrived on 7 August 1885 and trained their guns on the Sultan's palace. The British and Germans agreed to divide the mainland between themselves, and the Sultan had no option but to agree.[7][page needed]
Askari soldiers under German command, 1896
German rule was established quickly over Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, and Kilwa. The caravans of Tom von Prince, Wilhelm Langheld, Emin Pasha, and Charles Stokes were sent to dominate "the Street of Caravans."[citation needed] The Abushiri Revolt of 1888 was put down with British help the following year. In 1890, London and Berlin concluded the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, which returned Heligoland to Germany and decided the border between GEA and the East Africa Protectorate controlled by Britain, although the exact boundaries remained unsurveyed until 1910.[8][9][page needed]
Between 1891 and 1894, the Hehe people, led by Chief Mkwawa, resisted German expansion. They were defeated because rival tribes supported the Germans. After years of guerrilla warfare, Mkwawa himself was cornered and committed suicide in 1898.[10]
The Maji Maji Rebellion occurred in 1905[11] and was put down by Governor Gustav Adolf von Götzen, who ordered to create a famine to crush the resistance; it may have cost up to 300,000 deaths.[12][13] Scandal soon followed, however, with allegations of corruption and brutality. In 1907, Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow appointed Bernhard Dernburg to reform the colonial administration.[14][15]
Fort Bagamoyo, c. 1891
German colonial administrators relied heavily on native chiefs to keep order and collect taxes. By 1 January 1914, aside from local police, the military garrisons of the Schutztruppen (protective troops) at Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Iringa, and Mahenge numbered 110 German officers (including 42 medical officers), 126 non-commissioned officers, and 2,472 Askari (native enlisted men).[16]:32
Germans promoted commerce and economic growth. Over 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) were put under sisal cultivation, which was the largest cash crop.[17] Two million coffee trees were planted, rubber trees grew on 200,000 acres (81,000 ha), and there were large cotton plantations.[18]
To bring these agricultural products to market, beginning in 1888, the Usambara Railway was built from Tanga to Moshi. The Central Railroad covered 775 miles (1,247 km) and linked Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tabora, and Kigoma. The final link to the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika was completed in July 1914 and was cause for a huge and festive celebration in the capital with an agricultural fair and trade exhibition. Harbor facilities were built or improved with electrical cranes, with rail access and warehouses. Wharves were remodeled at Tanga, Bagamoyo, and Lindi. In 1912, Dar es Salaam and Tanga received 356 freighters and passenger steamers and over 1,000 coastal ships and local trading-vessels.[16]:30 Dar es Salaam became the showcase city of all of tropical Africa.[19]:22 By 1914, Dar es Salaam and the surrounding province had a population of 166,000, among them 1,000 Germans. In all of the GEA, there were 3,579 Germans.[16]:155
Gold mining in Tanzania in modern times dates back to the German colonial period, beginning with gold discoveries near Lake Victoria in 1894. The Kironda-Goldminen-Gesellschaft established one of the first gold mines in the colony, the Sekenke Gold Mine, which began operation in 1909 after the finding of gold there in 1907.[20]
Germany developed an educational program for Africans that included elementary, secondary, and vocational schools.[citation needed] "Instructor qualifications, curricula, textbooks, teaching materials, all met standards unmatched anywhere in tropical Africa."[19]:21 In 1924, ten years after the beginning of the First World War and six years into British rule, the visiting American Phelps-Stokes Commission reported, "In regards to schools, the Germans have accomplished marvels. Some time must elapse before education attains the standard it had reached under the Germans."[19]:21
The Swahili word "shule" means school and has been borrowed from the German word "schule".[21]
Population on the eve of World War I
The most populous colony of the German Empire, there were more than 7.5 million locals, around 30% of whom were Muslim and the remainder belonging to various tribal beliefs or Christian converts, compared to around 10,000 Europeans, who resided mainly in coastal locations and official residences. In 1913, only 882 German farmers and planters lived in the colony. About 70,000 Africans worked on the plantations of GEA.[22]
Main article: East African Campaign (World War I)
A World War I memorial in Iringa, Tanzania
General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who had served in German South West Africa and Kamerun, led the German military in GEA during World War I. His military consisted of 3,500 Europeans and 12,000 native Askaris and porters. Their war strategy was to harry the British/Imperial army of 40,000, which was at times commanded by the former Second Boer War commander Jan Smuts. One of Lettow-Vorbeck's greatest victories was at the Battle of Tanga (3–5 November 1914), where German forces defeated a British force more than eight times larger.[23]
Lettow-Vorbeck's guerrilla warfare compelled Britain to commit significant resources to a minor colonial theatre throughout the war and inflicted more than 10,000 casualties. Eventually, the weight of numbers, especially after forces coming from the Belgian Congo had attacked from the west (Battle of Tabora), and dwindling supplies forced Lettow-Vorbeck to abandon the colony. He withdrew south into Portuguese Mozambique, then into Northern Rhodesia where he agreed to a ceasefire three days after the end of the war after receiving news of the armistice between the warring nations.[24]
A 200 German East African rupie provisional banknote issued in Dar es Salaam in 1915–17. Currency had to be printed locally due to a significant lack of provisions resulting from the naval blockade.
Lettow-Vorbeck was acclaimed after the war as one of Germany's heroes. His Schutztruppe was celebrated as the only colonial German force during World War I that was not defeated in open combat, although they often retreated when outnumbered. The Askari colonial troops that had fought in the East African campaign were later given pension payments by the Weimar Republic and West Germany.[25]
The SMS Königsberg, a German light cruiser, also fought off the coast of the African Great Lakes region. She was eventually scuttled in the Rufiji delta in July 1915 after running low on coal and spare parts and was subsequently blockaded and bombarded by the British. The surviving crew stripped out the remaining ship's guns and mounted them on gun carriages, before joining the land forces, adding considerably to their effectiveness.[26]
The Portuguese were flanked by the Germans, while encamped at Ngomano on 25 November 1917.
Another and smaller campaign was conducted on the shores of southern Lake Tanganyika over 1914–15. This involved a makeshift British and Belgian flotilla, and the Reichsheer garrison at Bismarckburg (modern-day Kasanga).[citation needed]
Break-up of the colony
The Supreme Council of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference awarded all of German East Africa (GEA) to Britain on 7 May 1919, over the strenuous objections of Belgium.[27]:240 The British colonial secretary, Alfred Milner, and Belgium's minister plenipotentiary to the conference, Pierre Orts [fr], then negotiated the Anglo-Belgian agreement of 30 May 1919[28]:618–9 where Britain ceded the north-western GEA districts of Ruanda and Urundi to Belgium.[27]:246 The conference's Commission on Mandates ratified this agreement on 16 July 1919.[27]:246–7 The Supreme Council accepted the agreement on 7 August 1919.[28]:612–3
On 12 July 1919, the Commission on Mandates agreed that the small Kionga Triangle south of the Rovuma River would be given to Portugal,[27]:243 with it eventually becoming part of independent Mozambique. The commission reasoned that Germany had virtually forced Portugal to cede the triangle in 1894.[27]:243
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919, although the treaty did not take effect until 10 January 1920. On that date, the GEA was transferred officially to Britain, Belgium, and Portugal. Also on that date, "Tanganyika" became the name of the British territory.
German placenames
Most place names in German East Africa continued to bear German spellings of the local names, such as "Udjidji" for Ujiji and "Kilimandscharo" for Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as German translations of some local phrases, such as "Kleinaruscha" for Arusha-Chini and "Neu-Moschi" for the city now known as Moshi. (Kigoma was known for a time as "Rutschugi".)[29]
The few exceptions to the rule included:[30][31][32][33]
Alt Langenburg (Ikombe)[31]
Bergfrieden (Mibirizi)[31]
Bismarckburg (Kasanga) on the south-eastern end of Lake Tanganyika[32]:v. I, p. 217[31]
Emmaberg (Ilembule)[31]
Fischerstadt (Rombo)[31]
Friedberg (Nyakanazi)[31]
Gottorp or Neu-Gottorp (Uvinza) near the northeastern end of Lake Tanganyika
Hohenfriedeberg (Mlalo)[31]
Hoffnungshöh (Kisarawe)[31]
Kaiseraue (Kazimzumbwi)[31]
Kirondathal (Kirondatal) gold mine
Langenburg and Neu-Langenburg (Tukuyu) north of Lake Nyasa[31]
Leudorf (Liganga)[31]
Mariahilf (Igulwa)[31]
Marienthal (Ushetu)[31]
Neu-Bethel (Mnazi)[31]
Neu-Bonn (Mikese)[31]
Neu-Hornow (Shume) in the Pare Mountains in the northeast
Neu-Langenburg (Lumbira)[31]
Neu-Trier (Mbulu)[31]
Peterswerft (Nansio)[31]
Sachsenwald (Sekenke) gold mine
St. Moritz (Galula)[31]
Sphinxhafen (Liuli) on the eastern shore of Lake Nyasa
Weidhafen (Manda) on the eastern shore of Lake Nyasa
Wilhelmstal or Wilhelmsdorf (Lushoto) on the Pangani River in the northeast
Wißmannhafen, port of Bismarckburg (Kasanga) on the southeastern end of Lake Tanganyika
The governors of German East Africa were as follows:[34]
1885–1888: Carl Peters (Reichskommissar)
1888–1891: Hermann Wissmann (Reichskommissar)
1891–1893: Julius von Soden
1893–1895: Friedrich von Schele
1895–1896: Hermann Wissmann
1896–1901: Eduard von Liebert
1901–1906: Gustav Adolf von Götzen
1906–1912: Albrecht von Rechenberg
1912–1918: Heinrich Schnee
Historical map of the German East African coast, 1888
Historical map of German East Africa, 1892
Map of the East African Theater in World War I
Sisal plantation, c. 1906/18
Sisal factory, c. 1906/18
Askari company, c. 1914/18
Classroom in a German East African school, c. March 1914
Usambara Railway, built in German East Africa
German colonial volunteer mounted patrol, 1914
Planned symbols for German East Africa
Main article: Coats of arms of German colonies
In 1914 a series of drafts were made for proposed Coat of Arms and Flags for the German Colonies. However, World War I broke out before the designs were finished and implemented and the symbols were never actually taken into use. Following the defeat in the war, Germany lost all its colonies and the prepared coat of arms and flags were therefore never used.
Proposed flag
Proposed coat of arms
German Empire portal
Africa portal
History portal
List of governors of Tanganyika
List of former German colonies
Chambeshi Monument
^ Roland Anthony Oliver (1976). Vincent Todd Harlow; Elizabeth Millicent Chilver; Alison Smith (eds.). History of East Africa, Volume 2. Clarendon Press. ISBN 9780198227137.
^ Jon Bridgman; David E. Clarke (1965). German Africa: A Selected Annotated Bibliography. Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University. ISSN 0085-1582.
^ Jan-Georg Deutsch (2006). Emancipation without Abolition in German East Africa, C. 1884–1914. James Currey. ISBN 978-0-852-55986-4.
^ Arne Perras (2004). Carl Peters and German Imperialism 1856-1918: A Political Biography. Clarendon Press. ISBN 9780199265107. OCLC 252667062.
^ Hartmut Pogge von Strandmann (February 1969). "Domestic Origins of Germany's Colonial Expansion under Bismarck". Past & Present (42). JSTOR 650184.
^ Sara Friedrichsmeyer; Sara Lennox; Susanne Zantop (1998). The Imperialist Imagination: German Colonialism and Its Legacy. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 9780472066827. OCLC 39679479.
^ Dirk Göttsche (2013). Remembering Africa: The Rediscovery of Colonialism in Contemporary German Literature. Camden House. ISBN 9781571135469.
^ James S. Olson (1991). Robert Shadle (ed.). Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 279–80. ISBN 9780313262579. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
^ David R. Gillard (October 1960). "Salisbury's African Policy and the Heligoland Offer of 1890". The English Historical Review. Oxford University Press. 75 (297). JSTOR 558111.
^ Alison Redmayne (1968). "Mkwawa and the Hehe Wars". The Journal of African History. 9 (3): 423. doi:10.1017/S0021853700008653. ISSN 1469-5138. JSTOR 180274.
^ Iliffe, John (1967). "The Organization of the Maji Maji Rebellion". The Journal of African History. 8 (3): 495–512. doi:10.1017/s0021853700007982. JSTOR 179833.
^ Iliffe, John (1979). A Modern History of Tanganyika. Cambridge University Press. pp. 193–200. ISBN 9780521296113.
^ Hull, Isabel V. (2003). "Military Culture and "Final Solutions"". In Gellately, Robert; Kiernan, Ben (eds.). The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press. pp. 151–62. ISBN 9780521527507.
^ John S. Lowry (June 2006). "African Resistance and Center Party Recalcitrance in the Reichstag Colonial Debates of 1905/06". Central European History. 39 (2): 244–269. doi:10.1017/S0008938906000100. ISSN 1569-1616.
^ Walter Nuhn (1998). Flammen über Deutschost: der Maji-Maji-Aufstand in Deutsch-Ostafrika 1905-1906, die erste gemeinsame Erhebung schwarzafrikanischer Völker gegen weisse Kolonialherrschaft: ein Beitrag zur deutschen Kolonialgeschichte. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3763759697. OCLC 41980383.
^ a b c Werner Haupt (1984). Deutschlands Schutzgebiete in Übersee 1884–1918. Friedberg: Podzun-Pallas Verlag. ISBN 3-7909-0204-7.
^ BRODE, H. (2016). BRITISH AND GERMAN EAST AFRICA: their economic commercial relations (classic reprint). [S.l.]: FORGOTTEN BOOKS. ISBN 1330527461. OCLC 980426986.
^ "(HIS,P) Deutscher Kolonial-Atlas mit Jahrbuch (Atlas German Colonies, with Yearbook), edited by the German Colonial Society, 1905 - Deutsch-Ostafrika". www.zum.de. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
^ a b c Charles Miller (1974). "Battle for the Bundu, The First World War in East Africa". New York City: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-02-584930-1. Missing or empty |url= (help)
^ Tanzania Mining History Archived 14 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine tanzaniagold.com, retrieved 24 July 2010
^ "shule - Swahili-Old High German (ca. 750-1050) Dictionary". Glosbe. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
^ Längin, Bernd G. (2005). Die deutschen Kolonien. Mittler. p. 217. ISBN 3-8132-0854-0.
^ Edwin P. Hoyt (1981). Guerilla: Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck and Germany's East African Empire. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0025552104. OCLC 7732627.
^ Brian M. DuToit (1998). The Boers in East Africa: ethnicity and identity. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin & Garvey. ISBN 0897896114. OCLC 646068752.
^ Michael S. Neiberg (2001). Warfare in World History. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415229553. OCLC 52200068.
^ Paul G. Halpern (1995). A naval history of World War I. UCL Press. ISBN 9781857284980. OCLC 60281302.
^ a b c d e Louis, William Roger (2006). Ends of British Imperialism: The Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511347-6. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
^ a b "Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, the Paris Peace Conference, 1919". United States Department of State. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
^ Histoire sociale de l'Afrique de l'Est (XIXe-XXe siècle) : actes du colloque de Bujumbura, 17-24 octobre 1989. Université du Burundi. Département d'histoire. Paris: Karthala. 1991. ISBN 9782865373154. OCLC 25748614. CS1 maint: others (link)
^ Koloniales Jahrbuch. Berlin : C. Heymann. 1888.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Germany. Reichstag (1871). Stenographische Berichte über die Verhandlungen des Deutschen Reichstages. Princeton University. Berlin: Verlag der Buchdruckerei der "Norddeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung".
^ a b "Deutsch-Ostafrika". Deutsches Kolonial-Lexikon (in German). 1920 – via Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt.
^ Gustav Hermann Meinecke (1901). Deutscher kolonial-kalender und statistisches Handbuch...: Nach amtlichen Quellen neu Bearb (in German). New York Public Library. Deutscher kolonial -verlag.
^ A. J. Dietz. "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies: II Kamerun" (PDF). African Studies Centre, Repository, Leiden University. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
British Foreign Office, Treatment of Natives in the German Colonies, H. M. Stationery Office, London, 1920.
Bullock, A. L. C., Germany's Colonial Demands, Oxford University Press, 1939.
East, John William. "The German Administration in East Africa: A Select Annotated Bibliography of the German Colonial Administration in Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi from 1884 to 1918." 294 leaves. Thesis submitted for the fellowship of the Library Association, London, November 1987."
Farwell, Byron. The Great War in Africa, 1914–1918. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 1989. ISBN 0-393-30564-3
Hahn, Sievers. Afrika. 2nd Edition. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut. 1903.
Schnee, Dr. Heinrich (Deputy Governor of German Samoa and last Governor of German East Africa), German Colonization, Past and Future – The Truth about the German Colonies, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1926.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to German East Africa.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for German East Africa.
Texts on Wikisource:
Cana, Frank Richardson (1911). "German East Africa". Encyclopædia Britannica. 11 (11th ed.). pp. 771–774.
"German East Africa" . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
"German East Africa" . The New Student's Reference Work. 1914.
The coins and bank notes of German East Africa
Digitized archive of Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Zeitung (1899 - 1916)
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"Worldwatch" redirects here. For the WorldWatch comic book, see Chuck Austen.
The Worldwatch Institute was a globally focused environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. Worldwatch was named as one of the top ten sustainable development research organizations by Globescan Survey of Sustainability Experts.
World watch Europe website ceased in 2017 and Worldwatch.org is unreachable as of January 2020.
1 Mission
The mission of the Institute reads: Through research and outreach that inspire action, the Worldwatch Institute works to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world that meets human needs. The institute's top mission objectives are universal access to renewable energy and nutritious food, expansion of environmentally sound jobs and development, transformation of cultures from consumerism to sustainability, and an early end to population growth through healthy and intentional childbearing.[1]
The Worldwatch Institute aims to inform policymakers and the public about the links between the world economy and its environmental support systems. Research conducted by the institute is integrative or interdisciplinary and global in scope.[2]
Worldwatch’s priority programs include:
Building a low-carbon energy system that dramatically reduces the use of fossil fuels and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.[3]
Nourishing the Planet researches methods that create a sustainable food production system that provides a healthy, nutritious diet for all while sustaining the land, water, and biological resources on which life depends. The project resulted in the Worldwatch Institute’s flagship publication, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet.[4][5]
Transforming economies, cultures, and societies that meets human needs, promotes prosperity, and is in harmony with nature.[6]
Worldwatch also monitors human health, population, water resources, biodiversity, governance, and environmental security.[7]
1974—The institute was founded by Lester Brown.[8]
1975—The first Worldwatch Paper was published.
1984—First State of the World published.[9]
1988—World Watch Magazine was launched.
1992—Vital Signs, Worldwatch's third annual series, was premiered.
2000—Christopher Flavin became President of Worldwatch in October.
2008—Worldwatch hosted the 20th Anniversary of the James E. Hansen hearings.
2011—Robert Engelman became President of Worldwatch in October.
2014—Ed Groark became Acting Interim President of Worldwatch.
Worldwatch Institute publications have been published in more than three dozen languages by its global partners in 40 countries.[10] Worldwatch publications include:
The State of the World report is an annual assessment of urgent global environmental problems and the innovative ideas proposed and applied across the globe to address them.[11]
Vital Signs tracks social, environmental and economic trends and publishes data and analysis.[12]
Lester R. Brown, founder of Worldwatch Institute
Ed Ayres, former editor of Worldwatch
Environmental Movement
List of environmental organizations
World Nuclear Industry Status Report
^ "Mission". Worldwatch Institute.
^ Thaddeus C. Trzyna et al. (1996). World directory of environmental organizations Earthscan, p. 246.
^ "Climate & Energy - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "Food & Agriculture - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "Environment & Society - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "Worldwatch Research and Programs - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "Mission - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "State of the World Reports - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "Bookstore - Worldwatch Institute". www.worldwatch.org.
^ "The Worldwatch Institute - W. W. Norton & Company". books.wwnorton.com.
^ "Vital Signs Online". vitalsigns.worldwatch.org.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Worldwatch Institute.
Worldwatch Europe
Worldwatch Brazil
Worldwatch Japan
Work on biofuels
See also: biofuel
Renewables Global Status Report
Haiti Sustainable Energy Roadmap, Worldwatch Institute, 2011.
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http://thestir.cafemom.com/tv/219299/'+o(r(null!=(i=null!=a?a.post:a)?i.share_url_pn:i,a))+%27
http://thestir.cafemom.com/tv/219299/'+o(r(null!=(i=null!=a
Jenelle Evans Opens Up About Getting Fired From 'Teen Mom 2'
j_evans1219/Instagram
Nicole Pomarico May 9, 2019 at 12:18 PM
It still hasn't quite hit us that Jenelle Evans is off of Teen Mom 2 for good, but now, she's speaking out about this new development in her life. Speaking to Us Weekly, Jenelle shared her thoughts about her Teen Mom firing, and we're impressed by how well she seems to be handling the situation -- and a little surprised at just how determined she is to stay with David Eason, even after everything that's happened.
Jenelle told the magazine that she was "a little bit shocked" but saw her firing coming and has "nothing but love" for MTV.
After news broke that David killed Jenelle's dog, Nugget, we had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before MTV made some kind of move, and now, we know what it is.
“I was upset, I’m still upset, but this is a new chapter for me and my family,” she said. “I will continue to try what’s best for me and my family.”
Jenelle said David has been there for her through this, and that she's working on her marriage.
“David has been here for me since the news broke, he told me to not worry about it and to stay positive,” she said. "I'm keeping busy and staying focused on my kids and my animals and my business endeavors which have been planned for months. I’m working to fix my marriage as well and moving forward.”
We're a little surprised that there's anything to fix -- aside from the fact that David killed her dog, which is bad enough, there have been a lot of other red flags. But hey, it's Jenelle's marriage, and it's her call.
She said her mom, Barbara, is upset about this decision, too.
“My mom’s upset," Jenelle added. "We spoke today. This is a new chapter for both of us! I plan to keep the relationship with my mom close and watch Jace grow into the young man he’s becoming.”
And even though we can't see this happening, Jenelle did say that she'd come back to Teen Mom 2 if she were asked.
“I hold a special place in my heart for MTV and the producers!" she said. "I shared 10 years of my life with them! I wish them nothing but success.”
We can't imagine what the show will be like without her, but there are definitely other stories to tell. And in the meantime, we really hope Jenelle is able to figure out what's important ... and what the best way to keep her and her children safe is, whether that means having David in her life or not.
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Title: Southern rock
Subject: Rock music, Sludge metal, The Allman Brothers Band, Blues rock, Country music
Collection: Country Music Genres, Culture of the Southern United States, Rock Music Genres
Stylistic origins
swamp pop
Tulsa Sound
Cultural origins
Mostly Southern United States during the 1960s–early 1970s
Typical instruments
Bass guitar, drums, guitar/slide guitar, piano
Fusion genres
Regional scenes
Southern United States
Alternative country, Heartland rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals. Although the origin of the term Southern rock is unknown, "many people feel that these important contributors to the development of rock and roll have been minimized in rock's history."[1]
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds incorporated Southern musical and lyrical themes.
The 1990s also saw the influence of Southern rock touching metal. In 2001, Kid Rock went from a rock/rapper to a southern rocker/country singer. Southern rock currently plays on the radio in the United States, but mostly on oldies stations and classic rock stations. Additionally, alternative rock groups like Kings of Leon combine Southern rock with garage rock, alt-country, and blues rock. Several of the original early 1970s hard rock Southern rock groups are still performing today, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and Canned Heat.
1950s and 1960s: origins 1
1970s: peak of popularity 2
1980s and 1990s: continuing influence 3
2000 to present 4
1950s and 1960s: origins
Rock music's origins lie mostly in the music of the American South, and many stars from the first wave of 1950s rock and roll such as Bo Diddley, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis hailed from the Deep South. However, the British Invasion and the rise of folk rock and psychedelic rock in the middle 1960s shifted the focus of new rock music away from the rural south and to large cities like Liverpool, London, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. But Sir Douglas Quintet, Tony Joe White and Dale Hawkins issued nice albums. In the late 1960s, Blues rock bands such as Canned Heat (from Los Angeles), Creedence Clearwater Revival (from El Cerrito, California), and The Band (Canadian, though drummer Levon Helm was a native Arkansan) were under the influence of Southern blues, boogie and country music.
1970s: peak of popularity
blues rock sound on one hand incorporated long jams informed by jazz and classical music, and on the other hand drew from native elements of country and folk. Because a certain type of blues music, and essentially, rock and roll, was invented in the South,[2] Gregg Allman commented that "Southern rock" was a redundant term, like "rock rock."[2]
The Allman Brothers were signed to roadies) and the Elvin Bishop Band from Oklahoma.
Loosely associated with the first wave of Southern rock were acts like Barefoot Jerry and Charlie Daniels from North Carolina. Charlie Daniels, a big-bearded fiddler with a knack for novelty songs, gave Southern rock its self-identifying anthem with his 1975 hit "The South's Gonna Do It", the lyrics of which mentioned all of the above bands, proclaiming: "Be proud you're a rebel/'Cause the South's gonna do it again." A year earlier, Daniels had started the Volunteer Jam, an annual Southern rock-themed concert held in Tennessee. The Winters Brothers Band from Franklin, Tennessee was a band Charlie Daniels helped to get started with "Sang Her Love Songs", "Smokey Mountain Log Cabin Jones", and more. They still perform and hold an annual festival in Nolensville, Tennessee every year.
In the early 1970s, another wave of hard rock Southern groups emerged. Their music emphasized boogie rhythms and fast guitar leads with lyrics extolling the values, aspirations - and excesses - of Southern working-class young adults, not unlike the outlaw country movement. Lynyrd Skynyrd of Jacksonville, Florida dominated this genre until the deaths of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and two other members of the group in a 1977 airplane crash. After this tragic plane crash, members Allen Collins and Gary Rossington started The Rossington-Collins Band. Groups such as Ozark Mountain Daredevils, .38 Special, Confederate Railroad, Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot, Point Blank, Black Oak Arkansas, and the Edgar Winter Group also thrived in this genre.
Not all Southern rock artists fit into the above molds. The Atlanta Rhythm Section and the Amazing Rhythm Aces were more focused on vocal harmonies, and Louisiana's Le Roux ranged from Cajun-flavored Southern boogie early on to a more arena rock sound later on, while the Dixie Dregs and Allman Brothers' offshoot Sea Level explored jazz fusion. At Southern rock's peak The Allman Brothers and other Capricorn artists played a part in Jimmy Carter's 1980 campaign for the presidency.
1980s and 1990s: continuing influence
By the beginning of the 1980s Southern rock icons the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd had broken up, Capricorn Records was bankrupt, and Carter was out of office. As with most all of rock, leading acts of the genre (In particular The Georgia Satellites also had some widespread popularity in the mid to late 1980s.
During the 1990s, the Allman Brothers reunited and became a strong touring and recording presence again, and the jam band scene revived interest in extended improvised music. Incarnations of Lynyrd Skynyrd also made themselves heard. Hard rock groups with Southern rock touches such as Jackyl renewed some interest in Southern rock. Classic rock radio stations played some of the more familiar 1970s works, and Charlie Daniels's Volunteer Jam concerts were still going. Phil Walden resurrected Capricorn Records only to fall back into bankruptcy. One of the final Capricorn issues was a solo effort by former Wet Willie front man Jimmy Hall entitled "Rendezvous With the Blues".
Some rock groups from the South, such as R.E.M., The B-52's, Widespread Panic, and Black Crowes, Florida's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Sister Hazel, Blind Melon's Mississippian lead guitarist Rogers Stevens, and Texas's Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Joe Ely incorporated Southern musical and lyrical themes without explicitly allying with any Southern rock movement. Confer with R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction, which explicitly invokes the Reconstruction Era in the title and is considered a Southern Gothic album.
The 1990s also saw the influence of Southern rock touching metal. Several bands from the Southern United States (particularly New Orleans with its metal scene)[3] such as Eyehategod,[4][5][6] Acid Bath, Soilent Green, Corrosion of Conformity[7] and Down,[8][9] influenced by the Melvins, mixed Black Sabbath-style metal, hardcore punk and Southern rock to give shape to what would be known as sludge metal.[10][11][12] Most notable sludge metal bands hail from the Southeastern United States.[13][14] Most bands who have tried this style have slipped out of mainstream popularity, but there are still a few who belong to the genre, such as Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Pumpjack, Black Label Society and occasionally Hellyeah.
In 2001, Kid Rock went from a hard metal rapper to a southern rocker/country singer using 2001's album Cocky as the transformation album. His next two studio releases 2003's Kid Rock and 2007's Rock N Roll Jesus were mainly straight southern rock jams and country-tinged ballads. His 2008 single "All Summer Long" (which samples "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London") became one of his biggest hits to date without it being available on iTunes. The Allman Brother's Dickey Betts joined Kid Rock as part of his Rock N Roll Revival Tour in 2008 and Lynyrd Skynyrd opened for him. In 2009, they relaunched the tour under the same name. In 2010 he released "Born Free" a straight southern rock album without any rap or metal on it.
In 2005,singer Bo Bice took an explicitly Southern rock sensibility and appearance to a runner-up finish on the normally pop-oriented American Idol television program, with a performance of the Allmans' "Whipping Post" and later performing Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and, with Skynyrd on stage with him, "Sweet Home Alabama". In late 2007, Bo Bice joined Southern rock artists Jimmy Hall - vocals/sax/harmonica (Wet Willie Band), Henry Paul - vocals/guitar/mandolin (Outlaws, BlackHawk), Steve Gorman - drums (Black Crowes, Jimmy Page), "Dangerous" Dan Toler - guitar (The Gregg Allman Band, The Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts & Great Southern), Reese Wynans - keyboards (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Mike Brignardello - bass (Giant, session player), Jay Boy Adams - guitar (Texas blues solo artist) to record Brothers of the Southland.
Southern rock currently plays on the radio in the United States, but mostly on oldies stations and classic rock stations. Although this class of music gets minor radio play, there is still a following for older bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers play in venues with sizable crowds.[15]
Post-grunge bands such as Shinedown, Saving Abel, Pre)Thing, Nickelback, Saliva, 3 Doors Down, 12 Stones, Default, Black Stone Cherry and Theory of a Deadman have included a Southern rock feel to their songs and have recorded cover versions of Southern rock classics like "Simple Man" and "Tuesday's Gone". Metallica has also covered "Tuesday's Gone" on their Garage Inc. album. Blues rock/stoner rock band Five Horse Johnson also have a southern rock influence in their sound.
Additionally, alternative rock groups such as Drive-By Truckers, The Bottle Rockets, Black Crowes, White Cowbell Oklahoma, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, State Line Mob, The Steepwater Band, Greasy Grapes, Zach Williams & The Reformation, and Kings of Leon combine Southern rock with rawer genres, such as garage rock, alt-country, and blues rock. Much of the old style Southern rock (as well as other classic rock) has made its transition into the country music genre, establishing itself along the lines of outlaw country in recent years. Southern rock influence can also be seen in the metal and hardcore punk genres.[16] This is showcased by such bands as Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, He Is Legend, Nashville Pussy, The Showdown, Alabama Thunderpussy, Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats, Clutch, Once Nothing, Memphis May Fire, Acid Bath and Down.
Several of the original early 1970s hard rock Southern rock groups are still performing in 2011. This list includes Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS), Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, Outlaws, Gregg Allman, Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Canned Heat, Black Oak Arkansas, Blackfoot, .38 Special and Dickey Betts. New groups such as Dixie Witch, Blackberry Smoke, Gator Country, Widespread Panic, The Black Crowes, Gov't Mule, Southern Rock Allstars, The Derek Trucks Band , Alligator Stew, The Young Brothers.[17][18][19] and SONS OF ANARCHY Band Preacher Stone [20][21] are continuing the Southern rock art form.
A number of books in the 2000s have chronicled Southern rock's history, including Randy Poe's Skydog - The Duane Allman Story, bluegrass and blues. This has been propelled by record labels like Bloodshot Records and Lost Highway Records.[22] There are some more new Southern Rock Bands worth considering like Holman Autry Band, General Lee Band, The 484 South Band, The Don Harrison Band, Rebel Storm, Cash Box, Ryan Bales Band, Don Ray Band, Amberson-Baggett Band (now Dixie Kin Band), The Four Horseman, Alligator Stew, The Zak Mills Band, Christopher Satterfield, Rebel Pride, Ghost Riders, Cody Cooke and the Bayou Outlaws, and more.
Swamp rock
List of southern rock bands
Southern Rock Gold
^ Brant, Marley. Southern Rockers: the roots and legacy of Southern rock. New York: Billboard Books, 1999, p. 22
^ a b
^ White, Dave. "Southern Rock 101". About.com. 2010. New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
^ "Every Time I Die Signs with Epitaph Records". Epitaph.com. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
^ http://www.interstatelive.com/interviews/interviews/interview_with_the_young_brothers.html
^ http://extremekidrock.moonfruit.com/#/news/4555724905/The-Young-Brothers-Talk-To-Us-About-Redneck-Paradise/3919644
^ http://www.turnitupbook.com/shop/page/6?sessid=jqKYiJKuzcEKPuxynXS540mLecOgXi9SPow79Ts58l8FEsE5CJKz0AuBToJJ0sw3&shop_param=
^ http://www.tunefind.com/show/sons-of-anarchy/season-3/6661#songs
^ http://www.tunefind.com/show/sons-of-anarchy/season-5/12181
^ Record label info, mlive.coml; accessed August 6, 2014.
The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, Random House, 1980. "Southern Rock" entry by Joe Nick Patoski; ISBN 0-394-73938-8.
Kemp, Mark. Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race and New Beginnings in a New South, New York, New York: Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2004, p. 17; ISBN 0-7432-3794-3.
Pure Southern Rock website; accessed August 6, 2014.
Anatolian rock
Chicano rock
Dance-rock
Electronic rock
Flamenco rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock (Australia)
Raga rock
Sufi rock
Trop rock
Wagnerian rock
Radio formats
Active rock
Album-oriented rock
Mainstream rock
Progressive rock (radio format)
List of rock genres
Social effects of rock music
Wall of Sound
Articles that may contain original research from November 2007
All articles that may contain original research
Articles using Template:Infobox music genre with invalid colour combination
WorldHeritage articles needing clarification from January 2015
All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases
Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from August 2014
Rock music genres
Country music genres
Culture of the Southern United States
Alternative rock, Jazz, Progressive rock, Punk rock, Blues
Punk rock, Rock music, Emo, R.e.m., Indie pop
Rock music, AllMusic, Jazz, Buddy Holly, Blues
United Kingdom, Blues, Rock music, Fleetwood Mac, The Allman Brothers Band
Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Florida, West Virginia
Death metal, Hardcore punk, Stoner rock, Extreme metal, New Orleans
Warren Haynes, Gregg Allman, Miami, Duane Allman, Jazz
Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Rockabilly, Western swing, Grand Ole Opry
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Has the D.B. Cooper Case FINALLY Been Solved? Talking with Author/Researcher Robert Blevins on After Hours AM/The Criminal Code His INTO THE BLAST... THE TRUE STORY OF D.B. COOPER has been optioned by a feature film company
by Eric Olsen | Mar 22, 2018 | books, culture, media, movies, radio, television, weird/science | 1 comment
On a brand new deja vu episode of After Hours AM/The Criminal Code — True Crime Wednesdays 9-11pE with hosts Joel Sturgis, Eric Olsen, and secret weapon, forensic psychologist Dr. Clarissa Cole — we revisit the ever mutating D.B. Cooper skyjacking case with author/researcher Robert Blevins, whose In the Blast… The True Story of D.B. Cooper has been optioned by a feature film production company. Robert joins us at 10pE; at 9pE, Clarissa walks us through the latest True Crime headlines.
We recently had historian and author Marty Andrade on the show presenting his case for the identity of notorious skyjacker D.B. Cooper. Luckily for us, one of the listeners to that episode was another Cooper researcher, Robert Blevins. Blevins has a very different perspective on the case, presented in his book Into the Blast… The True Story of D.B. Cooper, which has recently been optioned by a film production company. Here is the gist of Blevins’ case:
We allege that former US Army paratrooper and Northwest Airlines employee Kenneth P. Christiansen was in fact the infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper, and that he was assisted by an accomplice, his friend Bernard Wayne Geestman of Port Angeles, WA. Our book, Into The Blast – The True Story of D.B. Cooper, was optioned for the first-ever dramatic full-length feature film on the famous hijacking. Production shooting is expected to begin this year.
The movie producers, who are in possession of all the evidence from our seven year investigation, plan to present Christiansen-as-Cooper not as a theory, but as a matter of historical record. Most evidence has been released publicly, some we have withheld for the movie. We are under a confidentiality agreement with the studio on some evidence.
A senior FBI agent named John Jarvis, told three witnesses with security clearances, who are civilian workers for the US Navy in the WA DC area, that the reason the FBI closed the case in July 2016 was because they knew the hijacker was dead, and that he was indeed Christiansen.
In the D.B. Cooper episode of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, they featured the book and did an investigation into Kenny. I appeared on the show a couple of times. So did alleged accomplice Bernie Geestman at the end. When his family saw him on the show, they contacted me with new evidence. That’s because Geestman told the cast that yes, Kenny could be the hijacker because he looked just like the FBI sketch. PROBLEM: Family members knew he was WITH Kenny — and missing — for the entire week the hijacking occurred. He never even bothered to tell his family he would be on the show. They only watched it because they saw the previews and some of them knew Christiansen personally. So they made a point to watch.
After the Decoded episode aired, Geestman’s niece, age 58, mother of four, stepped forward and said she had walked into a shed out back of the Geestmans’ place two weeks prior to the hijacking and saw Kenny Christiansen doing something strange. It made no sense to her until she saw her uncle on the show. He was taking quarter-sized, filled coin rolls, and wrapping them in red electrical tape. He was also attaching wires to the rolls. She was told to leave and never gave it much thought until after she saw the program.
Later, I found out that the FBI had withheld some evidence regarding the bomb… that it was sticks wrapped in red tape. This evidence was released AFTER Geestman’s niece had contacted us. We also have pictures from the original notebook belonging to the Cowlitz County (WA) Sheriff, who was involved in the initial ground search for the hijacker, which confirm that the bomb was made of sticks wrapped in red tape. So do the recently-released FBI files. But the niece was FIRST to say it.
https://youtu.be/AF8EgHo2ur0
Robert Blevins
Robert M. Blevins spent his early years being dragged around the Pacific Rim by a wonderful single mother growing up in places like Manila, Kwajalein Atoll, Midway Island, Guam, Hawaii, Mexico, finally ending up in the Seattle area.
He has authored three sci-fi novels, Say Goodbye to the Sun, The Corona Incident, and The 13th Day of Christmas. He is one of two managing editors for Adventure Books of Seattle, sharing those duties with Geoff Nelder of England. Their claim to fame is that they are 98% sure they’ve solved the famous D.B. Cooper hijacking case after an investigation that lasted almost eight years. The result was the book, Into The Blast – The True Story of D.B. Cooper, and a 54-page report to the Seattle FBI. The Cooper book and all their investigatory files were optioned for a movie in January 2017, with production shooting to begin in 2018.
When he is not writing, editing, or wading through submissions, Robert spends his spare time camping, fishing, and hiking the Great Northwest. Robert’s current projects include co-producing a two-hour film on homelessness in Seattle, which begins shooting in the spring of 2018.
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Caterina Simonsen suffers from four rare genetic diseases and requires medical support in order to breathe. On 21st December 2013 she posted a picture on her facebook page saying: "I am 25 thanks to genuine research that includes experiments on animals. W… Caterina Simonsen suffers from four rare genetic diseases and requires medical support in order to breathe. On 21st December 2013 she posted a picture on her facebook page saying:…
Tue, 15 October 2013
About eight hundred guinea pigs were stolen from a farm at Alzate, Momo in Italy. ALF claimed responsibility. About eight hundred guinea pigs were stolen from a farm at Alzate, Momo in Italy. ALF claimed responsibility. According to the owner, Joseph Bettinardi, around 800…
La vice presidente di Pro-Test Italia, Giulia Corsini, fatta oggetto di minacciosi graffiti sui muri di Bologna Extremists targeted Pro Test Italia's vice-president Giulia Corsini with graffiti written on several walls in the city of Bologna. Extremists targeted Pro Test Italia's vice-president Giulia Corsini with graffiti written on several walls in the city of Bologna La vice presidente di Pro-Test Italia,…
The thirteen activists responsible for breaking into Green Hill breeding facilities in Montichiari, Italy, on April 2012 will be committed for trial on December 10, 2013. The thirteen activists responsible for breaking into Green Hill breeding facilities in Montichiari, Italy, on April 2012 will be committed for trial on December 10, 2013.…
Thu, 28 March 2013
Luca Bonvicini was arrested by the French authorities in Paris on March 10. Bonvicini is accused of the arson of a dairy production center, the Centro Latticini srl in Montelupo Fiorentino (Florence, Italy) on December 31, 2012. Luca Bonvicini was arrested by the French authorities in Paris on March 10. Bonvicini is accused of the arson of a dairy production center, the Centro Latticini srl in Montelupo…
Wed, 8 August 2012
Police in Germany and Italy raided the homes and offices of 21 people suspected of a number of acts of vandalism, including arson, against bioscience and other targets. Police in Germany and Italy raided the homes and offices of 21 people suspected of a number of acts of vandalism, including arson, against bioscience and other targets.…
Switzerland’s highest criminal court has found three environmental activists guilty of conspiring to destroy an unfinished IBM nanotechnology research facility near Zurich. Switzerland’s highest criminal court has found three environmental activists guilty of conspiring to destroy an unfinished IBM nanotechnology research facility near Zurich.…
Animal Liberation Front activists entered a dog breeding facility in Montichiari, Italy and stole dogs. Green Hill has been the focus of activists for some months. Animal Liberation Front activists entered a dog breeding facility in Montichiari, Italy and stole dogs. Green Hill has been the focus of activists for some months. Animal…
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SIFF 2014: Chaplin Shorts and a Silent Chinese Cla...
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Book Review--You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age
Posted by KC on May 6, 2014
Labels: Book Review, Robert Wagner
You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age
Robert Wagner, with Scott Eyman
Viking Adult, 2014
Robert Wagner has already tackled his own autobiography, in the 2008 book Pieces of My Heart: A Life, also written with Scott Eyman. With You Must Remember This, creates a wistful memoir of Hollywood in the golden age. The actor reflects on the way the town has changed in the nearly eighty years he has lived there, but his focus is on the days before aggressive paparazzi and blankets of smog.
The book opens in 2002, with Wagner waiting impatiently for Liza Minnelli and David Gest's infamous wedding to begin. All he wants to do is have a drink with his friend and seatmate Robert Osborne, but co-matron of honor Elizabeth Taylor is running over an hour late, and sending Michael Jackson to retrieve her has turned out to be a very bad idea. The way the event unfolds, and how Wagner becomes involved, is somehow both crazy and predictable. He uses the story to make a point about the way Hollywood has evolved, but it only made me hungry for more wild tales about famous people.
You will find plenty of unusual characters and anecdotes here, but Wagner's focus is on the culture, institutions and social whirl of the town. It's a tour of the past rather than a dishing session. That disappointed me at first, but the details of the world he described quickly drew me in. I'd like to get in a time machine and take a look for myself, but this will do.
Wagner begins his story in the first days of Hollywood, before he moved there with his family as a child. He talks about the way the ultimate company town grew, from its institutions and businesses to the quirky and dramatic architecture that sprouted in a community still finding its identity. He recalls the glamour of the nightclubs and the delicious meals he ate at high-class restaurants. His delectable food chapter is impossible to read on an empty stomach.
As Hollywood and its glamour were a part of Wagner's life from an early age, he slid into the culture of the film industry with relative ease. Successful, but never a huge star, he is in the perfect position to tell this story. You never feel that he is name dropping when he talks about his glittering social crowd, it is simply a record of his world, one in which he felt at home. He shares the high times, while also remembering the days when he depended on the kindness of restaurateurs who were willing to run a tab for starving actors.
It's a remarkably easygoing read considering how much historical detail Wagner shares. This is a history book, but it's holding a martini. There's a lot to learn here and it was fun taking it all in.
Many thanks to Viking Adult for providing a copy of the book for review.
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About AKMINDIA
Jhum Cultivation – Its Advantages & Disadvantages
Jhum cultivation which is popularly known as shifting cultivation is one of the oldest types of cultivation practices of India and is practiced majorly in the northeastern states of India. This cultivation has a particular pattern that has to be followed according to the cycle or the period of Jhum cultivation. Initially, the vegetation or the forest on the land is cleared where the cultivation needs to be practiced and then the farming begins. After the harvest, the land is allowed to have its vegetation back. In earlier times, the time given for a land to regain its vegetation growth…
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Not at Fault Recoveries
Action Funding Pty Ltd T/A Australian Factoring Company (ACN 116 764 978)
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the type of commercial credit and the amount of credit sought in an application that has been made by the individual and in connection with which we have made an information request;
court proceedings information about the individual, this is information about a judgment of an Australian court against the individual in proceedings (other than criminal proceedings) that relate to any credit that has been provided to, or applied for by, the individual; and
personal insolvency information about the individual, this is information that is entered or recorded in the National Personal Insolvency Index that relates to bankruptcy of the individual, a debt agreement proposal given by the individual, a personal insolvency agreement executed by the individual, a direction given (or an order made) under section 50 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 that relates to the property of the individual or an authority signed under section 188 of that Act that relates to the property of the individual.
We obtain credit reporting information about individuals who are clients, guarantors, debtors and associates from credit reporting bodies. We only obtain it to the extent we are entitled to obtain it under the Privacy Act 1988. We might, for example, need to obtain the individual’s prior authorisation. Credit reporting information includes:
the credit information outlined above but which relates to the individual’s dealings with other credit providers;
consumer credit liability information, default information, payment information, new arrangement information and publicly available information concerning consumer credit which the individual has obtained from other credit providers; and
credit worthiness information about the individual that credit reporting bodies derive from the above information. This could include credit scores, risk ratings and other evaluations.
A client, a debtor or an associate may decide to make payments to us by using a credit card or debit card. In that case we may collect and hold particulars concerning the credit card or debit card which will be used to effect payment in accordance with an authorisation from the client or debtor.
The personal information, other than credit information and credit reporting information, we collect and hold varies depending on the person we are dealing with and the reason why we are dealing with them. We collect this general personal information from individuals who are clients, guarantors, debtors, associates, prospective employees, contractors, suppliers, brokers, introducers, merchants, agents, professional advisers, mercantile agents, mailing houses, call centre operators, archivers and service providers. This information will generally include the individual’s name and contact details. We will only collect sensitive information about an individual with the individual’s consent or when permissible under Australian law.
Under various laws we will be (or may be) authorised or required to collect personal information about an individual. These laws include the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, Personal Property Securities Act 2009, Corporations Act 2001, Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011, Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Income Tax Regulations 1936, Tax Administration Act 1953, Tax Administration Regulations 1976, A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 as those laws are amended and includes any associated regulations.
4. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect personal information, other than credit eligibility information, about individuals in a variety of ways. For example, we may obtain the information from the individual or from persons acting on the individual’s behalf. When it is possible and practical we will collect the information direct from the individual. When it is not practical or reasonable to do so we will collect the information from a third party. The third party could be an authorised representative (such as a broker, agent, accountant or lawyer), another financial institution, a referee, an employer or a government body. When the individual is a debtor or an associate we may obtain the information from the client.
The credit eligibility information is obtained from a credit reporting body.
5. HOW WE HOLD CREDIT INFORMATION AND CREDIT ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
We take all reasonable steps to ensure that an individual’s personal information which we hold is protected from misuse, interference or loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
We do this by having physical, electronic and procedural safeguards which protect the personal information we hold. For example, the personal information is stored in secure office premises or in secure archiving facilities and logins and passwords are required to access electronic databases. Our staff are required to maintain the confidentiality of personal information and access to personal information is restricted to persons who require access to perform their duties.
6. THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH WE COLLECT, HOLD, USE AND DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect, hold, use and disclose credit information and credit eligibility information on individuals for purposes permitted by law which are reasonably necessary for our business activities. Those purposes include:
if the individual is a client, to determine if we should provide a facility which includes the provision of commercial credit to the individual and, if we decide to provide it, to assist in the provision of the facility. This includes the assessment of the application, managing the account, recovering money and dealing with security the individual gives;
if the individual is a guarantor, to determine whether we should accept a guarantee from the individual and, if the guarantee is given, to deal with or enforce our rights under the guarantee and any security which may be given to secure it;
if the individual is a debtor, to assess and verify the debt which the client sells to us or in which the client gives us a security interest, to collect the debt and to enforce the debt and any security which may be given to secure payment of the debt;
if the individual is an associate of the client, to determine if we should provide a facility which includes the provision of commercial credit to the client and to assist in the provision of that facility;
if the individual is an associate of the debtor, to assist us to verify the debt owed by the debtor and to collect and enforce the debt. For example, we may record the name and office phone number of a person in the debtor’s accounts payable department and telephone that person to verify the debt; test
to assist in the management and enforcement of the facilities we provide, for data analysis and internal management;
to provide information to credit reporting bodies to the extent this is permitted by the Privacy Act 1988;
to undertake securitisation activities, raise funding, assign debts and other rights, enter into insurance arrangements (for example insurance policies for debts) and provide information to and obtain information from insurers (including under policies which are taken out by us, which are assigned to us or under which we are the loss payee);
to deal with complaints and legal proceedings;
to meet our legal and regulatory requirements; and
to assist other credit providers by giving personal information to them in accordance with an authorisation which the individual has provided to them or us.
We do not hold any CP derived information.
We may disclose credit information (such as identification information) about an individual to a credit reporting body. The credit reporting body may include that information in the reports it provides to other credit providers.
We disclose credit information to the following credit reporting bodies:
Name: Veda Advantage Information Services and Solutions Limited / Equifax
Website: www.equifax.com.au
Mail: PO Box 964
Name: Dun & Bradstreet (Australia) Pty Ltd
Website: www.dnb.com.au
St Kilda Road
Those credit reporting bodies are required to have a policy which explains how they will manage credit-related personal information. If an individual would like to read the policy of the credit reporting body he or she should visit the credit reporting body’s website and follow the “Privacy” links, or the individual can contact the credit reporting body direct for further information.
Our policy about the management of credit related personal information is contained in this privacy policy but if an individual would like to receive it as a separate document he or she can request a copy by contacting our Privacy Contact Officer at the address specified in paragraph 7 below.
An individual has the right to request that the credit reporting body exclude his or her credit reporting information from any permissible direct marketing activities we may ask it to perform.
The individual also has the right to request that the credit reporting body not use or disclose his or her credit reporting information if the individual believes that he or she has been, or is likely to be, the victim of fraud (for example, the individual suspects someone is using his or her identity details to apply for credit). The individual must contact the credit reporting body direct should this be the case.
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information which is not credit information or credit eligibility information so that we can manage and administer the facilities which we provide. When we purchase goods from or sell goods to the client we do so to assist us in determining whether we should enter into the transaction and, if we do, to assist in managing the transaction.
To provide our facilities in the most cost effective and efficient way we may decide to utilise the services of others. For example, we may use a mailing house to send monthly statements. If this requires that we disclose personal information we will require those persons to respect your right of privacy.
Personal information may also be used or disclosed to tell an individual about products or services that may be of interest to that individual. If the individual does not want his or her personal information used for these direct marketing purposes the individual should tell us. He or she can “opt-out” of direct marketing by sending an e-mail to privacy@australianfactoringcompany.com.au or by writing to us at:
Privacy Contact Officer
Australian Factoring Company
Caulfield Junction, 3161
7. HOW AN INDIVIDUAL MAY ACCESS PERSONAL INFORMATION
An individual may access personal information (including credit eligibility information) about the individual which we hold. The individual can obtain that access by contacting our privacy contact officer as follows:
Telephone: 1300 AFC NOW
E-mail: admin@australianfactoringcompany.com.au
Mail: Privacy Contact Officer
We will need to verify the individual’s identity before giving access. We will usually provide the requested personal information within 30 days of receiving the request. There is no charge to make a request but we may levy an administration fee for providing access.
If there is a reason why we do not make the requested personal information available we will provide our reason in writing.
8. HOW AN INDIVIDUAL MAY SEEK THE CORRECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
If an individual considers that any personal information which we hold about the individual is incorrect in any way the individual may ask us to correct that personal information. To seek the correction, please contact our Privacy Contact Officer on the telephone number or at the e-mail or postal address above.
In certain situations we may decide not to agree to a request to correct personal information. We will tell you in writing why we have not agreed to the correction request.
9. HOW AN INDIVIDUAL MAY COMPLAIN AND HOW WE WILL DEAL WITH THE COMPLAINT
We have an internal dispute resolution system that covers complaints. That system complies with ISO 10002-2006 Customer Satisfaction – Guidelines for Complaints Handling in Organisations: sections 4, 5.1, 6.4, 8.1 and 8.2. If an individual considers that we have failed to comply with Division 3 of Part IIIA of the Privacy Act 1988, the Credit Reporting Privacy Code or the Australian Privacy Principles he or she should contact our Privacy Contact Officer on the telephone number or at the email or postal address above. We will then follow our internal dispute resolution system. We will acknowledge the complaint within 7 days. A decision will be made and advised within 30 days or a longer period as may be agreed with the individual.
If the individual is not satisfied with the decision he or she may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (the “OAIC”).
The contact details for the OAIC are:
Facsimile: (02) 9284 9666
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Mail: The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
10. DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TO OVERSEAS RECIPIENTS
Generally we do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients or to persons that do not have an Australian link. However, we may do so. For example, if the debtor is located overseas we may need to send the client’s personal information overseas so that we can collect the debt. We may use service providers located overseas. In each case personal information is provided to an overseas recipient when this is permitted under the Privacy Act.
The countries where the overseas recipients of personal information are likely to be located are New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, China (including Hong Kong), Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.
In this privacy policy:
“associate” means a person who is or may become an officer or employee of the client, the guarantor or the debtor;
“client” means a person (such as a company, sole trader or partnership) to whom Action Funding Pty Ltd T/A Australian Factoring Company has provided a factoring, invoice discounting or other facility including the provision of commercial credit and includes a person who has applied for, or may apply for, a facility of that type and a person (such as a company, sole trader or partnership) from whom Action Funding Pty Ltd has purchased or may purchase goods or to whom Action Funding Pty Ltd has sold or may sell goods;
“debtor” means a person who owes, or may owe, an account (also known as a book debt) which the client has sold to us or may sell to us or in which the client has granted, or may grant, a security interest to us;
“guarantor” means a person who has guaranteed, or may guarantee, the obligations which a client has or may have to us; and
“we”, “us” and “our” means all and any one or more Action Funding Pty Ltd T/A Australian Factoring Company (ACN 116 764 978) a company incorporated in Australia.
Click here to download Application Form
Caulfield Junction, VIC 3161
1300 AFC NOW (1300 232 669)
1300 AFC FAX (1300 232 329)
info@australianfactoringcompany.com.au
© 2019 Australian Factoring Company
Website by Light Media
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Forum Home > Disease / Flu Tracking > MERS Coronavirus
Three more Saudis succumb to MERS
arirish
Quote arirish
Quote Reply Topic: Three more Saudis succumb to MERS
Posted: November 21 2014 at 12:49pm
Three more Saudis have died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), while a new case has surfaced, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
Two of the deaths took place in Al-Kharj, 60 kilometers away from Riyadh, and the third in Taif. The latest casualties were two women aged 84 and 70 and a 99-year-old man.
In Riyadh, a 45-year-old expatriate woman who had been battling the coronavirus for a few days was discharged on Wednesday, the ministry said.
The MOH raised the total number of MERS cases in the Kingdom since September 2012 to 808, of which 346 patients have died.
Some 450 patients have recovered from the illness, while 12 are currently being treated at various hospitals.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in its latest update on Nov. 7, 2014, said the global number of MERS cases since 2012 has surpassed 900. In addition to the Saudi death toll, about 20 MERS deaths have been reported in other countries
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/663261
Buy more ammo!
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Greenlight for NRC expansion
Tuesday 2 July 2019 8:32
THE council has granted planning permission to redevelop the Northern Regional College in Coleraine into an all new state of the art facility.
The current site, which is located on the edge of the town centre, is set to be demolished with an all-new four storey building set to be developed. The modern campus will have a central courtyard with main entrances from Anderson Park and Union Street.
The new plans, which were approved on Wednesday, June 27 at the council's planning committee were well received. Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the planning application for the new building. The design is hoped to uplift the current site and will be made up of a number of modern design techniques including a flat roof to minimise the scale and height of the new design. Facing brick, metal cladding and glass will also be used in order to achieve a modern look.
St. Patrick's Parish Centre, which is beside the current NRC building, is also set to be included as part of the new development proposal. The old school house is a listing building, therefore, developers must retain the current structure. The grade B listed building will be retained and refurbished to become a Performing Arts Studio / Theatre as part of the Creative Industries Faculty within the modern facility.
The planning application highlights that a single storey glazed extension is proposed to the side of the existing building.
The disused football pitch on Brook Street will also be included within the new development. During the latest meeting of the council's planning committee, it was said that the pitch has been disused for 16 years but will be redeveloped into a large car park, which will benefit the modern campus.
The parking area will provide 212 car parking spaces to include 8 disabled spaces and an area of open space. Provisions have been put in place for the car park to be broken up with hedging and tree planting in order to improve the appearance of the new facility.
For more see this week's Ballycastle Chronicle
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Royal Roundup: Kate and The Queen to Bond at Balmoral
By MacKenzie Wilson | 9 years ago
The Duchess of Cambridge, The Queen
Now that Kate is an official member of the royal family, The Queen has asked her and Prince William to Balmoral for a weekend holiday this August. It’s being said that the 85-year-old British Monarch would like to spend some quality time with her grandson’s new wife.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Kate will partake in movie nights, picnics, and Prince Philip‘s steak-and-sausage barbecues.
“This is quite an important visit for Kate because, believe it or not, The Queen does not really know her very well at all,” said Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Britain’s Majesty magazine. “Kate has never had an invitation before to stay at Balmoral – but she is family now and The Queen wants to get to know her.”
She continued: “It is an important visit in many ways – not least because The Queen will want Kate to meet all the staff – one day she will be responsible for them. There will be a three-line whip on to introduce her to everyone. The Queen needs to present Kate to Scotland. The time has come.”
In other royal-related news:
• After their momentous visit to Los Angeles earlier this month, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly eyeing opportunities to become “British business ambassadors.”
“It is not something that William or Catherine had done before L.A., but they have genuinely enjoyed being ambassadors for the UK and flying the flag for British business in America, and it is definitely something they will start to do more of,” a royal aide told The Daily Telegraph. “It will not always be about just going to realms in the future. They will now start to visit countries of strategic importance to the United Kingdom with the purpose of meeting the Foreign Office’s commercial objectives. Just as the Prince of Wales regularly meets with corporate and environmental leaders during his overseas tours to highlight British trade and investments, so the couple will begin to emulate this approach through the prism of their own interests.”
• Speaking of the royal couple’s L.A. trip, Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown-Findlay was just one of the many celebrities who got the chance to chat with Wills and Kate during the “BAFTA Brits to Watch” party. And during her brief meeting, she learned that the royal couple regularly tune in to the popular British period drama, which runs on PBS here in the U.S. Aww, can’t you just picture them, snuggled up on the couch after a hard day’s work, discussing all the drama that goes on in the Crawley household?
• Prince William‘s longtime homie Snoop Dogg — who so generously dedicated “Sweat” to William ahead of his April 29 nuptials — tells The Sun that he may come up with a slick new rhyme for Wills and his new bride. Something that’s more appropriate, ahem, for behind closed doors.
• The Daily Mail reports that Zara Phillips has been firmly advised to nix a $800,000 (£500,000) photo opp with Britain’s Hello! magazine. Buckingham Palace says her July 30 ceremony will be a “private, family affair.”
• Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to a host of WWII mathematicians and cryptographers who deciphered Nazi Germany’s complex communications codes during a special ceremony at Bletchley Park on Friday (July 15), The Associated Press reports a stone memorial emblazoned with the words “We also served” was also unveiled.
Filed Under: Downton Abbey, Duchess of Cambridge, Duke of Cambridge, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Roundup, Snoop Dogg, Zara Phillips
By MacKenzie Wilson
‘Downton Abbey’ Creator Julian Fellowes Discusses the Possibility of Second Movie
Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and More Featured in ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie Posters
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Sam Mendes directs Judi Dench on the 'Skyfall' set. (Sony Pictures)
Sam Mendes Takes a Pass on Next Bond Film
By Brigid Brown | 7 years ago
Sam Mendes directs Judi Dench on the ‘Skyfall’ set. (Sony Pictures)
Sam Mendes, director of the latest Bond installment Skyfall, will not be directing the next in the series, reports BBC News.
First James Bond loses his trusty M (Dame Judy Dench) and now he’ll have to find a new director. Will he bounce back from such losses?
Well, it’s not personal according to Mendes. He told Empire Magazine it was a “very difficult decision.” He has not ruled out the idea of returning to the 007 franchise down the road but at the moment he wants to focus on his current project, a stage production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, saying he wants to give it his “complete focus over the next year and beyond.”
“I feel very honoured to have been part of the Bond family”, said Mendes, “and very much hope I have a chance to work with them again.”
He goes on to say, “Directing Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life.”
It’s probably not a huge surprise that he won’t be returning having said last year, “I felt like everything I wanted to do with a Bond movie, I put into this film,” according to Metro.
Who do you want to direct the next Bond film?
Filed Under: 007, James Bond, Sam Mendes, Skyall
By Brigid Brown
10 Daniel Craig Roles: Before, During and After Bond
WATCH: Daniel Craig’s Final Hoorah as James Bond in ‘No Time to Die’ Teaser Trailer
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Category: Moan and Dove
Cambridge’s B-Side Lounge To Become the Lord Hobo, Licensing Problems Ensue…
I’ve written here and elsewhere about the continuing troubles and sordid history of the popular B-Side Lounge here in Cambridge. The coverage has even made it into the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe’s online editions. One of the last local pubs to be integrated into the neighborhood, the B-Side reminded me of the many great bars in Chicago that have similarly developed as part of the neighborhood’s social fabric. I grew up in the barrooms, taken there by my parents when socializing with their friends or after company softball games.
So the B-Side has a place in my heart. As part of my coverage, I’ve written about suitor Daniel Lanigan’s multiple travails in trying to take the place over. After successfully and persistently navigating the messy bankruptcy, taxation, and public auction issues, Lanigan is now trying to manage a tough situation with the B-Side’s neighbors that is pending before the Cambridge Licensing Commission. The Commission’s members, Richard Scali, Fire Chief Gerald Reardon, and Police Commissioner Robert Haas are to decide whether to approve the transfer of the B-Side’s alcoholic beverages license, which in a rarity allows for a 2 a.m. closing time, to Lanigan’s Checkraise LLC, whose partners will include Jean-Claude Mossa, Eric Yu, and Randall Bruker. Lanigan is proposing that his new bar, to be oddly named the Lord Hobo, will have operating hours Monday through Wednesday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. with a seating capacity of 95.
On March 24, Lanigan and his attorney appeared before the Commission and faced a pretty feisty group of neighbors who we’re pretty ticked off over how the B-Side handled neighborhood relations in the past. What followed is an interesting example of how bar culture fits into modern life, where citizens, even in a somewhat urban setting of Cambridge, fight to keep nightlife out of their areas. The City of Cambridge has apparently been fighting a slow yet steady war on ridding itself of local barrooms, in favor of centralized, non-neighborhood-based restaurants that also serve alcohol.
This story is made all the more interesting because of the Commission’s laudable practice of providing a written transcript of the proceedings. As many people don’t comprehend the inner workings of an application to get an alcohol license and some of the hurdles that bar owners have to face, I’ve decided to quote from the hearing. In attendance in support of Lanigan was his attorney, Karen Seymour of McDermott, Quilty and Miller. The entire transcript can be found on the Commission’s website. As you will note, the Commission planned to take additional testimony from Lanigan and his supports at its recent March 24 hearing, for which no transcript yet exists. The excerpts here do not reflect the entire proceedings, just parts I thought were of particular note. I’ve also decided to redact the names of the folks testifying from the neighborhood, although they are part of the public record.
Besides the unusual name, one of the interesting pieces of information here is the attorney’s statement that Lanigan was in the process of selling his interests in both The Dirty Truth and The Moan & Dove. While the Dirty Truth sale has been reported, I was not aware of The Moan & Dove information. The attorney did not really address Lanigan’s pending deal to purchase The Other Side Café in Boston, which undoubtedly was reflected in filings with the Commission.
I’ll report the Commission’s decision on the transfer of the license (which is safe to assume will be granted) and the state of the 2 a.m. license (which appears headed for a temporary reduction to 1 a.m.).
MR. SCALI: Tell us Mr. Lanigan’s experience.
MS. SEYMOUR: Mr. Lanigan has some pretty extensive experience in the business. He has over 10 years experience in the direct ownership and management of different locations. Just by way of reference, a couple of those locations include the Moon and Dove in Amherst, Mass. as well as The Dirty Truth in Northampton, Mass. By way of background, just so that the Commission sort of gets a sense of what’s been happening with this deal, Mr. Lanigan has actually been trying to acquire this location for over a year now. He came to our office over a year ago. There was actually a purchase and sale agreement for the property directly with the prior business owner. Unfortunately, the economic climate being what it was, the prior business owner has actually filed bankruptcy. So we’re now before you as potential purchasers via a bankruptcy sale. Prior to that Mr. Lanigan actually moved into Cambridge. He’s excited to come here and make his personal home here as well as his business home. In the meantime — so this all goes to his experience — during the course of the past year, he actually got brought into a location on Newbury Street on Boston called The Other Side. They were in some serious need of overhauling management, and I think it’s a telltale sign to his experience that they were willing to take him on for whatever amount of time he was available to help them with that. So in terms of his experience, in addition to his actual ownership of a couple of other places, he has a really good reputation in the industry.
MR. SCALI: Is he going to be at the Amherst location and the other locations too, or just this location?
MS. SEYMOUR: When this is all done, there are sales pending on those. So he’s going to be 100 percent dedicated to Cambridge.
MR. SCALI: Is the concept of the ones in Amherst and the other locations the same as this concept.
MS. SEYMOUR: They’re similar concepts. I mean, it’s really intended to be your local place, American food, reasonably priced. I believe that some sample menus were submitted with the application to give you an idea of what we’re looking at. The average check price per person including food and drink would be about $30, which isn’t too bad considering some of other things out there. But as I said, that would be food and beverage.
MR. SCALI: Percentage of alcohol to food service?
MS. SEYMOUR: Do you have those numbers? Or based on your other locations, those numbers?
MR. LANIGAN: Probably about 50-50.
MR. SCALI: So it will be a barroom?
MR. LANIGAN: It will be a restaurant with liquor service.
MS. SEYMOUR: In terms of the restaurant aspect, the full menu will be served until midnight every single night, and then a later night menu from midnight to close will be offered that will just be paired down. The regular menu is pretty extensive if you look at it, so in terms of keeping someone in the kitchen that can service whatever comes in at that point. Food will be available. It will be based off of the full regular menu. Just a couple of the more cumbersome things will be taken off of that.
MR. SCALI: The reason why I ask you that question is because our policy is that alcohol should be an accessory to the food. So if you had said 51 percent food that would have been a better answer.
MR. LANIGAN: It’s hard to predict.
MS. SEYMOUR: We like to be honest. How’s that?
MR. SCALI: We have grandfathered so-called barrooms in that have been operating for years beforehand, but little by little, we havebeen eliminating barrooms in Cambridge. So we don’t allow barrooms per se.
MR. LANIGAN: I know my chef is hoping for 60 or 65.
MR. SCALI: Okay.
MS. SEYMOUR: And again, there is a copy of the menu in there. I do think it’s important to emphasize the fact of the commitment to serving that food. Again, the full menu until midnight as well as a substantial late night menu from midnight to close.
MR. SCALI: We’re you the top bidder at the auction; is that what it was?
MS. SEYMOUR: That is correct. It was an interesting event. There’s no change in –
MR. SCALI: Can you tell us what the price was at the auction?
MS. SEYMOUR: Yes, absolutely. Again, as part of the application materials it is disclosed. The purchase price ended up being a total of $320,545.36. That includes the liquor license, the equipment — which frankly, there’s only so much value to that — the furniture and fixtures. He’s then investing $50,000 into renovating the premises so some of that will come into play, and then the goodwill. We sort of have our break down in the application of what that is. About a hundred of that was allocated to the license. The unique thing about this scenario is that — and as an attorney who does this all the time, we always get excited for people with Mr. Lanigan’s experience, but then we’re always cautious in these circumstances because typically you’d have a purchase and sale and it would be contingent on getting approvals and all that great stuff. This particular bankruptcy sale, that was not the deal. It’s closed. The 320 is done.
MR. SCALI: So whether you get permission from us or not makes no difference?
MS. SEYMOUR: Whether or not I do, Whether or not Mr. Lanigan does, he could be –
MR. SCALI: You’re stuck with the license, is that the idea?
MS. SEYMOUR: Right, he could be stuck with it whether or not, but that was — Again, I raise that for the sheer fact of pointing out Mr. Lanigan’s commitment to Cambridge. Again, he moved here, he wants this business. He’s been trying to get it for a year, and he’s committed. He feels that it’s a great location, a great neighborhood, and he wants to enhance that factor.
MR. SCALI: It’s been a troublesome location over the years. I think that’s our main concern.
MS. SEYMOUR: The prior operation, no question.
MR. SCALI: And there are neighbors that live very close by right next door. I can point out a couple of people who have called a number of times over the years. So I’m just wondering, how have you dealt with the abutters and neighbors that live in the building particularly right behind?
MS. SEYMOUR: In addition to — the fact that this has been a troublesome location is one of the reasons that someone like Mr. Lanigan sees opportunity. So part of what Mr. Lanigan did and he did this on his own, our office wasn’t actually involved in it at all, was — you know, our office sent out the notice to abutters that’s required by the Commission, but in addition to that Mr. Lanigan sent out a letter introducing himself. In fact, yesterday he had anyone who was interested come in, sit down, meet with him. He wanted to introduce himself, get some feedback. Obviously, he knows the prior operation was problematic but he was interested in hearing some of the specific concerns, and then really to reassure the neighbors that his intent is an entirely different one, and his goal is a different one as again I think is evidenced by his reputation in his other operations. So there were I think 10 people attended the meeting yesterday. He got some good feedback. There were some concerns raised. Mr. Lanigan felt that after talking to them that they definitely felt better about having met him and sort of his responses, and what his view is for what’s going to go on at that location.
MR. SCALI: What happens at 1:00 a.m. in the morning when people come out of your establishment?
MR. LANIGAN: My doorman goes outside and makes sure that everyone sort of disperses the area. It seems like the problem was a lot of people hanging out sometimes until three or four in the morning. I don’t think that the prior establishment really did anything to prevent that or to stop that. It’s my hope that our guys will be there seven nights a week. We’ll be outside making sure the people are not only getting out of there, but being quiet.
MR. SCALI: Is there parking — there’s no parking in that building; right? Do you have an agreement with Mr. Schlessinger for the lease?
MR. LANIGAN: Yeah. I have a spot and there’s a spot that I’m trying to rent across the street.
MR. SCALI: I’m talking about the actual building itself. Do you have a lease with the landlord?
MS. SEYMOUR: With the landlord, absolutely, yes. That was also part of the bankruptcy proceeding; that the lease was all tied into it. Again, copies of those are submitted with this application but that was part of the bankruptcy requirement was an assignment of the lease.
MR. TURNER: Mr. Chair.
MR. SCALI: Deputy Chief.
MR. TURNER: Through to the Applicant, are there any plans on renovations?
MS. SEYMOUR: Yes. There are cosmetic upgrades planned. So there will be some painting. Are you upgrading anything with the bathrooms?
MR. LANIGAN: Fixtures. It’s mostly woodwork and furniture painting. Nothing structural.
MS. SEYMOUR: Mostly furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
MR. LANIGAN: The structure will remain as it is.
MS. SEYMOUR: A little facelift.
MR. HAAS: No questions.
MR. SCALI: Anybody from the public want to be heard? I knew there were some neighbors here. Come forward please, if you would.
MR. ****: My name is ****. I live at ****. I’m about three houses down from the intersection of Hampshire Street and Windsor. I lived at that address when it was the Windsor Tap, and when it transferred hands to the B-Side, and the B-Side made the same promises that it’s going to be a restaurant, and we’re going to have a different clientele in there. Well, yuppies get drunk just like anybody else. We had problems with people parking in front of the driveway, debris thrown in the bushes, loud talking at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. I don’t see how the owner can prevent this no matter how much experience he has. So we’d — One thing we definitely don’t want to see is 2:00 license on Friday and Saturday night. I do work on Saturdays. I do not want to be woken up at 2:30 in the morning by this. I do not need them urinating in the yard anymore. Those are my main complaints about this. I don’t think there’s any need to have a 2:00 license. We’re not happy about a 1:00 license, but a 2:00 license in a residential area like it is, I mean there’s no other businesses there that stay open that late. Everything is closed up by 6:00. It just doesn’t seem like there’s a need for a 2:00 license for sure. Thank you.
MR. ****: I’m Dennis ****. I live at **** beside Joe. All the things he — I reiterate. One of the main problems is parking. If you go out on a Friday or Saturday at like 4:00 in the afternoon, 5:00 in the afternoon, you come back and this bar is full. You can’t find a spot. You’ve got to go within two blocks to find a spot. It’s ridiculous. Numerous times I’ve caught people coming out of the bar throwing their cups and glasses in my hedges. They’re in my driveway and beside my house urinating, men and women. I’m saying, “What the hell are you doing?” They’re saying, “Well, it’s too crowded in the bar. We got to come out here. Come on, Dude.” I say, “Just listen, go before I call the cops.” It gets to be a real hassle, and at 1:00, their doorman can’t do anything about these people. They’re going in drunk, they’re coming out drunk. You see them get out of the cars, they’re yelling, screaming. It’s ridiculous. That all I’ve got to say. Thank you.
MS. ****: I’m Stella ****. I live at ****. I’d like to reiterate everything they’re already said. I’d also like to say that as an abutter, I did not receive any notice from Mr. Landrigan about this meeting, nor did anyone else who lives in my house. And there were also abutters who did not receive any notice about this meeting tonight that I spoke to on my way here.
MR. SCALI: Does your property touch the property of this?
MS. ****: No. We’re on the opposite side of Hampshire Street.
MR. SCALI: They wouldn’t be required to notify people across the street. It’s only those that are next to you and behind.
MS. ****: Okay, I’m across the street. We weren’t notified. I just want to say we’ve had the same issues numerous times. I’m probably one of the people who has called the police on this. I start work at 3:00 in the morning; I don’t need the noise that comes out of that bar when they close. The slamming doors, the yelling, the arguing, the fighting, the hedges, again, the trash, the debris, everything else. I, for one, was glad to see the B-Side close. I lived there when it was the Windsor Tap. We never had any issues with that. It was a neighborhood bar that people walked to. Now, with the congestion that’s already there with parking, and we have people driving from all over to go there, it’s really an issue. And I’m tired of getting people to stop parking in my driveway, blocking my driveway, all of the above. Like I said, I was glad to see it close and I wouldn’t — I’d be happy if this didn’t open.
MR. SCALI: Thank you very much. Anybody else?
MR. ****: I’m Scott **** at ****, right across the street actually from the B-Side.
MR. SCALI: At ****?
MR. ****: ****, yeah, caddy corner and sort of facing it. I’m actually in an awkward position here because I know a lot of people involved in the bar. I’m also a musician and spend a lot of time in clubs and stuff. The thing is, let’s see, I’ve been living there for like 13 years. I remember the Windsor Tap. I guess my problem is with the 2:00 license, and it’s mostly that there’s a migration — or there used to be a migration of last-call people coming into the neighborhood. I believe the Windsor Tap used to be a 2:00 closing also. So other than that, I would say I’m kind of in the middle as far as having a bar in the neighborhood, you know, it’s residential. But at the same time, I’ve gone to the B-Side many times. So I don’t know. I just wanted to put my two cents in.
MR. SCALI: Thank you very much, Mr. ****l. Yes.
MR. ****: My name is ****, *****.
MR. SCALI: What’s your address?
MR. ****: *******
MR. SCALI: So you’re a little bit down the street.
MR. ****: I’m a few blocks from there. I drive around because I have to pick up my son from his parties and things, and I know well the B-Side and the noise, and the traffic patterns of people when they come out of the bar and when they try to get home and they don’t know which one is Windsor Street and which one is Hampshire. I like the idea of having a bar nearby. I don’t like the idea at all that it’s open until 2:00 in the morning. I don’t know how much that will impact the business given that there are no other commercial buildings or businesses around at that time of the day open. It’s not Central Square, it’s not Newbury Street. I don’t see the reason why they should be open until 2:00. So I will oppose that the license is granted to be open until 2:00 in the morning.
MS. SEYMOUR: Just a couple of responses. I don’t think that anything that neighbors have said this evening are a surprise to Mr. Lanigan. As I said, he is well aware of the operation of the prior business owner. It sounds as though the prior business owner was far more problematic than whoever may have been there prior to him.
MR. SCALI: The Windsor Tap had their issues too. Those that mentioned that Windsor Tap was good, they haven’t been going back far enough.
MS. SEYMOUR: Let me just say this, and this is without intending to be disparaging to the operator. If the prior operator knew how to run a good successful business, he would not have been in the position that he was in to be forced to sell his business via bankruptcy. I think that that’s probably further testament to the fact that everything the neighbors have said is accurate in terms of the crowds that were gathering there. When we talk about — there are a couple of things that are here that concern me as someone who also does disciplinary hearings. If there is an owner and management that are properly trained, and more importantly are properly training their staff as Mr. Lanigan does, there should not be anyone leaving the premises with any cup or bottles to be throwing it in anyone’s yard. So that’s a big concern, and quite frankly, that should have been an easy fix for a prior operator. The over service is obviously what leads to a lot of the other issues that we’re talking about, whether it’s urinating in someone’s yard, or sort of loitering around.
What I will say, and I know because it’s a residential community and they’ve lived with what they’ve had to live with as long as they’ve had to live with it. The two other establishments that we have been referencing are in fact located in residential neighborhoods. This is someone who has experience dealing with the neighbors, dealing with making sure that people are not leaving intoxicated, people are leaving with items, people are not loitering around. I guess I would just say, and Mr. Lanigan has emphasized this to me several times, the most important thing for him is that there would be an open line of communication with the neighbors. I’m sure based on the fact that these folks took their time to come out tonight, that they did try to express those things to a prior operator, and I’m sorry that they weren’t heard. In terms of the closing time and the fact that this is a residential neighborhood, those are all things that this operator certainly has experience with. I guess what I would just suggest to the Board is that particularly in this economic climate, I’m not going to tell you that changing the hours from what they previously were is what this client is looking for.
MR. SCALI: I was going to ask you how married you are to a 2:00 a.m. closing.
MR. LANIGAN: I would like to — obviously I bought the place with that intention of keeping it. I would be willing to concede a couple of things. I can say that in Northampton I have a 2:00 license but you can’t get in after 1:00, so it stops the migration from Central Square. You don’t have the crowds of people walking down the street at 1:15 who have already had six or seven drinks coming into the place.
MR. SCALI: We’ve had that problem before here, and what ends up happening is that people end up being locked in as opposed to people not being able to get in. Once you’re in then people are letting other people in and it hasn’t worked here, that concept.
MR. LANIGAN: It works very well out there. I’d ask that you give me an opportunity at the 2:00 a.m. to see how it goes, and we can revisit it in six months or a year.
MS. SEYMOUR: Or if there’s a problem before. I mean the Board always has the opportunity for a disciplinary hearing and calling someone in.
MR. SCALI: I will tell you that B-Side promised us an awful lot of things and they did not come forward with that. They did not comply. So when I asked you about the food versus the alcohol — because I was hoping you were going to say we’re going to be a restaurant. But 50-50 to me means you’re a barroom. I personally have a problem with that concept.
MR. LANIGAN: Are you talking about a percentage of gross revenue or 50 percent of just sales. It’s too very different things, and I would say that —
MR. SCALI: I don’t think it makes a difference either way.
MR. LANIGAN: I think it does.
MR. SCALI: If you tell me you’re a restaurant serving food and people can get a glass of wine with their food, that to me is — alcohol is an accessory to your food. If you tell me you’re going to sell 50 percent alcohol, you’re a barroom. So I have a problem with that.
MS. SEYMOUR: With respect Mr. Chairman, I would challenge you to find any barroom in this city or any of the surrounding cities that is a barroom as you’ve described it, but is serving a full menu until midnight, and then a substantial menu from midnight to closing. I think that’s a really important factor.
This Board and the community should hold any applicant, any licensee to that. It is difficult because in a lot of these situations someone is coming in and sort of stepping into the sins of the prior operator. I wish that more people were familiar with Mr. Lanigan’s operations because I think that the perspective would be very different. I know that we’re not, and all we can do is come in and talk about that. You know, again, the goal here is to maintain a very open line of communication with the neighborhood and to be held accountable for the promises and the statements that are being made based on a good record of that.
MR. SCALI: I wish I was more familiar with your Amherst and Northampton operations because it sounds like we’d probably have a lot of information, more information about them as to how you’d operator here. Maybe that’s something we can get from you in terms of how your operation works.
MS. SEYMOUR: Or maybe — I mean, I don’t know, to the extent that the Board has any relationship with the Boards in those locations to call and see.
MR. SCALI: Maybe you have a great track record there. I don’t know. Have you had any disciplinary issues in Amherst or Northampton?
MR. LANIGAN: We had one. We had some shades, some curtains in the window that were not supposed to be there. I argued for them and I got spanked for a day.
MR. SCALI: We don’t allow shades in our windows either.
MR. LANIGAN: We just did it after closing because a lot of people that work there are female, and they were counting money out in the open, and I just didn’t feel comfortable with that. So we closed the curtains for an hour and then we reopened them for the rest of the night, but the police didn’t like that. So they’re gone.
MR. SCALI: No other disciplinary issues?
MR. LANIGAN: No.
MR. SCALI: Questions?
MR. HAAS: I’d make two statements: One, I think using discipline as a means to correct situations is not something this Commission wants to get in the business of doing because it just doesn’t work well. We go through long arduous hearings and you clearly have a number of people that live in the neighborhood that are going to be watching your establishment very closely because they don’t want to have to go through the experience of the prior owners. Secondly, I would encourage you to think about possibly reversing your position about the trial period at 2:00, a trial period at 1:00. Then after six months come back and revisit to see if you demonstrate to the neighborhood that you can run a responsible business. I think because you’re going to have to get over the history. It’s just unfortunate but that’s what you’re really going to need to do.
It would seem to me that as a good-faith gesture to the neighborhood, demonstrate to the neighborhood that you can run a business that’s going to be respectful the fact that you’re in a residential neighborhood. Then come back in six months after you’ve had that track record, and then reapply for a 2:00 opening. It’s just a suggestion I would make to consider.
MR. SCALI: And you actually would not lose the 2:00 a.m., because if you purchased a 2:00 a.m., you can always bank that 2:00 a.m. Even if you sold it in the future, or come back in six months and apply, you wouldn’t lose that. We don’t get rid of it because you bought that portion of it. You just wouldn’t be able to use it until you came back to us.
MR. LANIGAN: It seems like the neighborhood is very very opposed to 2:00 a.m. So no matter how well we did our job, it would be unlikely to ever be granted back.
MR. SCALI: If you did a great job and came in showed that you did a great job with a 1:00 a.m., maybe they’d say, well we’ll give them a try. I don’t know. It’s just an idea the Commissioner suggested.
MR. HAAS: I think you’re right. I think a lot of the situation or the experiences with the B-Side, you can easily correct. And you have to demonstrate that if you do have certain problems that you can clamp it down very quickly. I think if you can do that then I think it’s not a stretch to say, well, if you’re open to 1:00, you can now open to 2:00, and you’re not going to experience any significant changes in terms of your operation. So again, I would just offer that as a suggestion for you to consider. I’m not prepared to vote at this point. I’d recommend taking it under advisement at this point, but I’d ask you to consider that.
MS. SEYMOUR: I think that you understood Mr. Lanigan, the point that he was making.
MR. HAAS: I do.
MR. SCALI: I would also suggest if you wish to rework your menu, perhaps put a more substantial menu so that you are more food oriented. That would be what my recommendation would be. We’re not scheduled to vote until —
MR. LANIGAN: April 2.
MR. SCALI: April 2, so you’ve got some weeks to see what you can do.
MR. LANIGAN: The next hearing is March 24.
MR. HAAS: One last question, Mr. Chair.
MR. TURNER: What is your intent — I didn’t notice it on your application — when Monday is a holiday? Are you still intending to close at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday?
MS. SEYMOUR: No. Then it would be the 2:00 a.m., which we understand was how it was previously done.
MR. SCALI: When Monday is a holiday it would be 2:00 a.m.
MR. TURNER: It’s not in the application. Okay, thank you.
MS. SEYMOUR: Again, that’s assuming there are people who want to be here until that time. Mr. Lanigan is going to be there 24/7 so his intent would not be to be there any longer than the demand for it was required.
MR. SCALI: I guess, you know, just to make sure you understand this has had a very long problematic history in this location. It’s not that we distrust you or think you’re not telling us the truth, it’s that people have been burned before in this neighborhood. So you have to understand that we’re just as concerned as the neighbors are.
MS. SEYMOUR: We understand that. I guess we would just ask that to the extent that the Commission finds it appropriate to call some of the other Boards, I think that would be great.
MR. SCALI: I think that’s a good idea.
MS. SEYMOUR: And to the extent that again, particularly in this economic climate, if there’s a way for there to be some sort of meet in the middle during this prove yourself period in terms of the closing hour that would be appreciated. Maybe it’s not the 2:00 a.m. for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday that it used to be. Pick one of the days, or somewhere in the middle. That could help. The Chairman mentioned banking the 2:00 a.m. for future sales. Mr. Lanigan’s goal here, again, as I stated many times is to be here and live here, and be part of the community. So the goal here isn’t sort of just to come in and flip it and make it all good, and then get someone else in. That’s not what’s happening here.
MR. SCALI: I understand.
MR. HAAS: We’re not suggesting that you’re going to forced to stay at the 1:00 a.m. closing. I think this body would be willing to entertain, after you demonstrated that you’re a running responsible business, to reconsider that after a period of time, whether it be six months, or whatever.
MR. LANIGAN: I think that’s reasonable.
MR. SCALI: How busy is our March 24 hearing?
MS. LINT: Not to bad.
MR. SCALI: Would the Commissioners be willing to continue it until March 24? I guess it would give you a couple of weeks to re-present or to reconsider some of your positions and present some information to Mrs. Lint for us with regards to the closing hour, the menu.
MR. LANIGAN: I can bring a lot of folks from the community or my direct abutters out there to speak on our behalf as far as our relationship with the neighbors.
MR. SCALI: I’m not asking you to bring tons of people in to support you; that’s not my goal. My goal really is more to come into compliance with what we deem would be an appropriate use for that neighborhood, I guess is what we’re trying to convey to you.
MS. SEYMOUR: Is it that you want us to appear again, or do you want us just to submit the information to Mrs. Lint?
MR. SCALI: I think if you can submit it beforehand, it will give Mrs. Lint an opportunity to call Amherst and Northampton to find out what their opinion is of your operations, and then to appear before us on the 24th of March, again with a revised plan, if you want to. If you don’t want to and you want us to vote on what you have now, we’ll do that too. I think Mrs. Lint can let the neighbors know that they’re entitled then to come back in and hear what you suggest would be your alternate plan, I guess.
Motion then to continue to March 24.
MR. HAAS: Motion.
MR. HAAS: Seconded.
MR. SCALI: All in favor?
MR. HAAS: Aye.
MR. TURNER: Aye.
MR. SCALI: All right. See you on March 24.
The New England Beer Rumor Mill Swirls…New beer bars in Boston, Lowell Beer Works, and A Shelton Goes AWOL
What follows is a host of smaller news items that I haven’t been able to fit into any particular place so I’ve decided to place this here until I can offer further follow-up and detail.
One Shelton Gets High and Mighty
Word is that one of the founders of Shelton Brothers has left his day job at the beer importing business. After years of helping his brother Dan scour the Earth in search of beer gems to bring back to the United States, younger (and handsomer to hear him tell it) brother Will Shelton started part-timing his own beer operations. Will started the High and Mighty Brewing Company, a contract brewery through which he brews under agreement at the Paper City Brewery in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Paper City, which is contained in the same building as the Sheltons’ importing business, allows Will to brew his company’s beers on its system and then separately market and distribute them. Will’s first four beers include Beer of the Gods, Two-headed Beast, Saint Hubbins, and XPA. After splitting his time between the two operations, Will reportedly has decided to focus his efforts full time on the High and Mighty brewing business.
The Lowell Brew Works Adds To The Empire
After languishing for years under a number of identities, including some time as the home of the Concord(e) (Junction) Brewery (Brewing Company), the Brewery Exchange building of Lowell is now in the process of transitioning into the newest outlet of the Boston Beer Works chain of brewpubs. The Slesar Bros. Brewing Company (now minus brother Steve) is presently interviewing staff for the new location. Owner Joe Slesar informed me via email that the Lowell location was expected to take ownership of a new 40 barrel DME brewhouse. The former brewery’s equipment was removed and shipped to another brewery out-of-state. According to a request made to a local licensing board, Lowell Beer Works plans to take over approximately 2700 square feet of dining space on the second floor of the structure, which used to house various entertainment venues such as a dance and comedy club.
Although the brewery would not confirm it, a 40 barrel system is substantially larger than its other operations and is likely too large to simply cover the Lowell location. With a system that size, it’s likely that the Lowell Beer Works may brew beer for its other operations, including its new tap room at Logan Airport. This may also give the brewpub chain the opportunity to reclaim production of its IPA, which has been contracted out to Mercury Brewing on the North Shore for a few months.
Boston Area Beer Bar Buzz
The worst kept secrets in the Boston beer gossip world are that the owners of two of the state’s most popular beer bars have long been looking to expand their operations.
Daniel Lanigan, proprietor of the Moan & Dove of Amherst and the Dirty Truth of Northampton has long wanted to return to the Boston market and open his own place. A former worker at the under-appreciated Other Side Café in Boston’s Copley/Mass Ave district, Lanigan loved the location. For a few months, he was in negotiations to either purchase or takeover the Other Side Café and transform it into his third beer bar. The deal fell through early this Spring and Lanigan wasted no time in looking for a new spot. The rumors report now, entirely unconfirmed by this presently lazy reporter, is that Daniel is in negotiations to open his third bar across the river in Cambridge. While I won’t report the name of the rumored takeover target (because I can’t confirm it and because people would likely riot if they knew, how’s that for a tease?), the spot, if it works out, is centrally located (no pun or hint intended).
UPDATE: The location is confirmed and a deal is underway. At the request of Lanigan, I’m still deciding whether to post the name of the place. News of the deal is now the worst kept secret in the gossipy world of the Boston foodie scene as it has gotten back to me through four different sources at this point. In any event, you’ll learn the name soon enough.
In Brookline, David Ciccolo, owner of the Publick House beer bar has been in a tough battle with local regulators over his attempt to secure a license to sell alcohol in his recently opened store, Publick House Provisions. Reports from the front suggest that the state’s alcohol commission plans to issue the license but no decision on the owner’s appeal has yet been made public.
Ciccolo also recently opened up to Beverage Magazine (for which I write; this wasn’t my piece) about his plans to open a barbeque restaurant near the Publick House.
“We’ve taken over this entire building – 7OOO square feet – to open up a restaurant and gourmet beer store. Roadhouse Craft Beer and BBQ is a Texas barbecue restaurant featuring authentic pit-smoked barbecue and grilled fish. Here’s our two and a half ton cast-iron smoker; our chef found some good people to build it on a research trip to Texas. There’s where the butcher shop will be. Out the back will be Road House Catering, and all to-go foods will pass through this take-out window. High top tables will be over here. American craft beers with 4O draft lines (minimal bottles) will be the focus, unlike The Publick House’s 25O bottles.�?
In an entertaining interview, Ciccolo also takes a moment to explain why the Publick House doesn’t sell any Harpoon products.
“Harpoon IPA was being made by Todd Mott as a summer seasonal. We’d wait every year with baited breath for that fantastic hop monster! Since then it’s been dumbed down, much to the disappointment of us hopheads.�?
Over the years, they’ve honed their list to the best of the best. “Now we’re getting really picky,�? says Ciccolo with a straight face. “We’ll work only with serious brewers, not companies moving boxes. We don’t carry Lindemans any more, and that’s saying something. I just couldn’t do it. You open one up and you smell that syrup and extract. We don’t carry Harpoon beer anymore, but their cider is one of the best. It breaks my heart that my backyard brewery won’t quite take the plunge into assertive, full-flavored beers. I only want them to make something good and flavorful and we’d love to carry it.�?
Ouch…maybe Dave will like the new Leviathan line…
There is much more to report on the New England beer scene, including the reported opening of a couple new brewing operations and an explosion of beer bars in Portland, Maine, a city that is arguably the best for beer in the region. But that’ll have to wait for the next edition of the rumor mill…
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