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You are here :: CES In the News » Some Landlords Are Retrofitting Their Properties
Glendale News Press
Some Local Landlords Are Retrofitting Their Properties Before The Next Big Earthquake
By Arin Mikailian
Construction workers seismically retrofit an apartment building in Montrose on Friday. (Roger Wilson / Staff Photographer)
Following the adoption of a Los Angeles ordinance requiring landlords to seismically retrofit their buildings over the next seven years, a small group of local property owners has taken the initiative to boost the safety of their own buildings ahead of the next major earthquake.
While there's no retrofitting requirement on the books in Glendale, property manager David Schultz has encouraged his landlords to make their buildings more earthquake ready and refers to a 2003 collapse in Paso Robles that killed two people.
The types of properties that L.A. officials and Schultz have been targeting are "soft story" structures, meaning they have multiple stories built over a parking garage.
One of Schultz's landlords, Mark Boyd, has owned a 20-unit building at 1256 Boynton St. for many years and said the decision to move forward with retrofitting was an obvious one.
"We owe it to the tenants. The tenants' safety is priority No. 1," Boyd said.
He added that the process of getting approvals from the city and the construction effort to reinforce his building took a few months.
Boyd's tenants couldn't park in the garage during the day, but were allowed to do so once work was done by the evening.
As for cost to seismically retrofit, it's ranged between $100,000 and $200,000, Schultz said. About a dozen of the structures he manages in Glendale have undergone a retrofit and there's about 15 more to go, he said.
When it comes to the price, the landlords have agreed with him that earthquake readiness is worth the cost. He once again brought up the Paso Robles example, which resulted in a $2-million settlement.
"My owners have millions worth of equity," he said. "When the cost of retrofitting is between $100,000 and $200,000 and you compare that against the sizeable equity that they have, it's not worth the risk."
One way retrofitting is a money-saver is that it allows landlords to ditch earthquake insurance, Schultz added.
For landlords like Boyd, they're relying mostly on financing to pay for the retrofits. He said he isn't passing down the cost of the project on to his tenants.
But that doesn't mean other landlords wouldn't want to speed up the cost recoup.
In Los Angeles, following the passage of an ordinance that identified 13,500 apartment buildings in need of a seismic retrofit, there was a stipulation added that landlords couldn't raise rent by more than $38 a month to pay for the safety improvement.
That was somewhat of a victory for Larry Gross, executive director of tenant advocacy group Coalition for Economic Survival, because he was worried landlords could charge as much as $75 more a month.
There's one key reason, however, that such protection might not work in Glendale.
Los Angeles, unlike Glendale, has rent control and without it, it's meaningless for a city to adopt a retrofitting ordinance, Gross said.
"Given the fact there's no rent control, renters are totally vulnerable to being saddled with significant increases that might result in forcing them out of their homes," he said.
While there's no movement at City Hall at the moment on a retrofitting ordinance, there could be a discussion on the topic by the end of the year, said City Manager Scott Ochoa.
Up first would be a discussion about rent affordability in Glendale, and there will be a City Council discussion on the topic in the coming weeks, he said. That talk will likely revolve around the length of time in advance a landlord must notify their tenant about increasing rent and whether a rent spike should trigger a building inspection.
Boyd, however, said he thinks the choice to take on a project should ultimately be up to landlords.
"I don't think anybody wants to be forced to do something that's going to cost them a significant amount of money," he said. "I think everybody has to individually make up their minds."
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Women’s water polo defeats Arizona State in MPSF championship quarterfinals
By Cassidy Hunt
Sports, Women's Water Polo
Sophomore attacker Maddie Musselman earned her seventh hat trick of the season in UCLA's 14-4 win over Arizona State. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
Thanks to UCLA’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship Tournament quarterfinal win against Arizona State, the Bruins will get a third chance to take down the Trojans.
No. 4 seed UCLA women’s water polo conquered No. 5 seed Arizona State by a score of 14-4 in its first game of the MPSF Championship Tournament in Berkeley on Friday. With that win, UCLA secured a place in the semifinals against No. 1 seed USC on Saturday.
The Bruins took control early and lead throughout the game. Sophomore attacker Maddie Musselman, UCLA’s highest-scoring attacker, earned her seventh hat trick of the season. Junior attacker Lizette Rozeboom, sophomore attacker Bronte Halligan and freshman attacker Lexi Liebowitz each recorded multiple goals as well.
The Bruins opened the scoring with five straight goals. By the end of the first quarter, UCLA was up 6-2. At the end of the first half, the Bruins were leading by 5, with a score of 8-3. Arizona’s fourth and final goal of the game came in the third quarter, while UCLA continued to score into the final minutes of the game, making the final score 14-4. The Sun Devils’ loss earned them a matchup against the No. 6 seed San Jose State Spartans on Saturday.
The Bruins first faced the Trojans this season at UC San Diego’s Triton Invitational. With a final score of 6-4, USC gave UCLA its first loss of the season. The UCLA’s second crosstown matchup of the 2018 season was last weekend, when the Bruins traveled to face the Trojans and again fell by a score of 11-5.
The last time the Bruins beat the Trojans was last season. UCLA not only took the MPSF conference title that year, but also advanced beyond USC in the 2017 NCAA championships.
USC and No. 2 seed California each had byes on Friday and were automatically placed in day two matchups. No. 3 seed Stanford won its game against San Jose State on Friday, placing the Cardinal in a semifinal game as well.
The winners of the USC-UCLA and California-Stanford matchups will play each other on Sunday for the conference title. The Bruins have not managed to beat the Cardinal in 2018, but have split their two meetings with the Golden Bears 1-1.
Cassidy Hunt |
Sports staff
Hunt is currently a Sports staff writer on the gymnastics beat. She was previously a reporter on the women's soccer, women's water polo and swim & dive beats.
@CassidyHuntDB
Women’s water polo heads into MPSF fresh off loss, to face Arizona State
Men’s water polo falls 7-5 in MPSF tournament final against USC
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Home Delray Beach 5 Questions With Runner, Competitor, PR Guru Melissa Perlman
5 Questions With Runner, Competitor, PR Guru Melissa Perlman
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company BlueIvy Communications.
I am a Delray Beach resident and founded BlueIvy Communications just over 8 years ago! Our company is based in downtown Delray Beach. I attended high school at Spanish River in Boca Raton, left for college at Brown University in Providence, RI, and then came back to South Florida where I worked at Office Depot’s global HQ in the Communications Department for seven years. I launched BlueIvy Communications in June 2011 with the goal of helping small and medium sized businesses tell their stories, grow their brands, and secure positive exposure in the South Florida media. Today, BlueIvy has clients of all sizes, in a range of industries (non-profits, restaurants, retail, legal, health, and technology) based in cities across the country! We also provide services beyond Public Relations, such as social media, video, website and newsletter content, and much more!
You are the Maccabi USA Half Marathon Chair. What does that mean?
This is my first year as Maccabi USA Half Marathon Chair, which means I was responsible for recruiting Jewish athletes from around the U.S. to join Team USA’s squad, assigning team positions, raising money to support our trip to Europe, and being the lead point person for management and the athletes. I’m exciting about our Half Marathon team this year, which includes two NCAA Cross Country runners, one professional athlete, and a few very accomplished distance runners. I have been involved in the Maccabi Games for over 20 years now, competing in four Games (1997, 2013, 2015, and 2017), so having the role as athlete, captain and Chair this year is very rewarding and exciting for me. The Maccabi Games, or “Jewish Olympics” as they are often called, are the third largest international sporting event in the world and bring together Jews from more than 80 countries to compete in a variety of sports. Their ultimate goal? To build Jewish pride through sports – which as we all know, sports has a very special way of doing that for all religions, ethnicities and backgrounds. When we get on the court, field, or track – we are all athletes, doing something we love!
How did you get into running?
I started running competitively my freshman year of high school to get in shape for soccer (as many future runners do!). I knew I had some talent in my genes because my dad was an accomplished sprinter, who ran at Penn State and competed at the Maccabi Games himself in 1973. I had a wonderful fun high school career under the tutelage of Rick Rothman, who also eventually became a Coach at the Maccabi Games, as a two-time individual and two-time team state champion. From there, I competed at Brown University for a few years before hanging up my running shoes to focus on career goals. At that time, I assumed running competitively was in the rear mirror. That was until, I returned to Spanish River as the assistant cross country and track coach – which quickly whipped me into running shape again! I applied and was accepted to the Team USA Half Marathon team for the 2013 Maccabi Games in Israel; I ended up winning an individual bronze and team gold, ran a personal best at the time, and was mesmerized by the sport once again! Fast forward – six years, and I’m still running strong!
Where have you competed? What place has been your favorite?
I have been so fortunate to compete in races all over the world, including Israel (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem); Berlin, Germany; Duluth, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Eugene, Oregon; New York City, NY; and on cross country courses and tracks around the country. My running career has stretched from age 13 to my current age of 37, and I hope it will continue for a long time! I’d say my favorite was 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel during the Maccabi Games Half Marathon. It was my first time running as part of a team since I had quit my college team…it was my first time racing competitively with big goals since my mom had passed away in 2008…and it was a very emotional time. That race was tough and challenging in many ways – but I felt like I was running on a cloud by the end of it…and I ended up running a personal best by 9 minutes! To this day, that race is what I daydream of when I think of the perfect race!
How can someone interested become involved in an upcoming Maccabi event?
The Maccabi Games (aka the World Maccabiah Games or ‘Jewish Olympics), first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sport event now held every four years in Israel. The regional games – known as the European and Pan Am Games – take place every four years as well – but during off years. They also move around Europe and South America for each event. In 2019, the games will be held in Budapest, Hungary and Mexico City, Mexico. The Maccabi Games are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, as well as to all Israeli athletes regardless of religion. In 2017, the World Games brought together 10,000 athletes from 85 countries. Applications for the Games are accepted the year before each event. To learn more or to apply for the 2021 World Maccabi Games in Israel visit maccabiusa.com.
We also just hosted the first inaugural Maccabi Fun Run 5k run/walk in Boca Raton on June 23. This will be an annual event and it is both away to spread the word about the Maccabi Games and also to raise money for the South Florida athletes competing in the Maccabi Games this summer and future years. To learn more or to donate to the fund, please visit www.maccabifunrun.com.
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Bathsheba Delvee
Name Bathsheba Delvee
Born 03 Feb 1805 Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Census 1850 Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts [7]
Census 1865 Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts [9]
Census 1870 Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts [10]
Died 26 Nov 1883 Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts [1, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14]
Buried East Street Cemetery, Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts [14]
Gravestone of Bathsheba (Delvee) Pratt
Person ID I28 Delvee Family | Clan of Jonathan, Tribe of Bathsheba
Last Modified 8 Oct 2015
Father Jonathan Delvee, b. 21 Aug 1770, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 14 Dec 1850, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 80 years)
Mother Hannah Johnson, b. 14 Aug 1774, Wendell Cemetery, Wendell, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 08 Apr 1851, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 76 years)
Marriage Intentions 1 Sep 1792 Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [3, 15]
Marriage Intentions 24 Sep 1792 Wendell Cemetery, Wendell, Franklin County, Massachusetts [16]
Married 10 Oct 1792 Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [1, 2, 17]
Muse (S52) gives a date of 18 October 1792
Family Daniel Pratt, b. 3 Sep 1802, Rockingham, Windham County, Vermont , d. 15 Jul 1874, Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 71 years)
Marriage Intentions 10 May 1823 Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [4, 15, 18]
Married 01 Jun 1823 Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [2, 4, 5, 18]
Allred (2002) gives their marriage date as 9 June 1823
1. Eunice Pratt, b. 20 Mar 1824, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 24 Feb 1897, Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 72 years) [Birth]
2. Gilbert Pratt, b. 23 Jun 1825, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 17 Mar 1866 (Age 40 years) [Birth]
3. Sally Pratt, b. 27 Aug 1827, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 31 Aug 1829, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 2 years) [Birth]
4. Joel Pratt, b. 28 May 1830, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 23 Sep 1848, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 18 years) [Birth]
5. John Pratt, b. 12 Nov 1832, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 27 Aug 1833, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 0 years) [Birth]
6. Sally Pratt, b. 14 Oct 1833, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [Birth]
7. Hannah Pratt, b. 02 Nov 1835, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts [Birth]
8. Persis Pratt, b. 29 Aug 1837, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 16 Apr 1838, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age 0 years) [Birth]
9. daughter Pratt, b. Apr 1838, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 16 Apr 1838, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Age ~ 0 years) [Birth]
10. Estella J. Pratt, b. 29 Aug 1839, d. 11 Nov 1886, North Dana, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 47 years) [Birth]
11. Persis Pratt, b. Abt 1840, Massachusetts [Birth]
12. John D. Pratt, b. 18 May 1842, Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts , d. 14 Apr 1920, Athol, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 77 years) [Birth]
13. Laura Pratt, b. Abt 1844, Massachusetts [Birth]
14. Mary E. Pratt, b. 14 Sep 1846, Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts , d. 22 Nov 1926, Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts (Age 80 years) [Birth]
15. Lucy Delvey Pratt, b. 04 Nov 1848, Massachusetts , d. 18 Dec 1925, New London, New London County, Connecticut (Age 77 years) [Birth]
Born - 03 Feb 1805 - Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Marriage Intentions - 10 May 1823 - Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Married - 01 Jun 1823 - Warwick, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Census - 1850 - Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Census - 1865 - Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Died - 26 Nov 1883 - Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Buried - - East Street Cemetery, Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts
[S2] Whitney, Anna E. Delva. The Name "Delvar", (Warwick, Massachusetts: manuscript, c 1968).
[S52] Muse, Jeanne. Delvey Family Group Sheets, (Asheville, North Carolina: manuscript, 20 August 1995).
[S152] Patterson, Shirley Drury. The Tale of Bathsheba Woods and Bathsheba Moore Woods, (Towne Family Associaiton, About Town, volume XV, number 1, March 1995).
[S189] Lint, A Ann. Descendants of Peter Delvee, (Willoughby, Ohio: mansuscript, 23 June 1999).
[S377] Allred, Paul W. Descendants of Peter Delvey, (Unknown place: manuscript, 11 November 2002).
[S388] Delvee Historian. Delvee Family Records 1887 - 1988, (Warwick, Massachusetts: manuscript, 1988).
[S674] 1850 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009).
[S826] 1855 Massachusetts State Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014).
[S797] Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910, (New England Historical Genealogical Society).
[S800] Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011).
[S799] Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013).
[S572] Find a Grave web site, (Provo, Utah: Find A Grave, Inc.).
[S20] Vital Records of Warwick, Massachusetts.
[S197] Pratt, Betty-Sue. Wendell, MA Vital Records, (Athol, Massachusetts: manuscript, 2000).
[S15] Coolidge, Ruth M. Cook-Coolidge Genealogy, (Brookline, Massachusetts: manuscript, 1985).
[S217] Verry, Edith. Marriages and Deaths Copied from Warwick, Massachusetts Records, Marriages and Deaths Copied from Warwick, Massachusetts Records, (manuscript, 1966).
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St. Xavier's College
Address: 5, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 001
Website: http://xaviers.edu
No Courses Available.
Does an institution of Higher Education play a role in nation-building? This is something we at St. Xavier?? College ask ourselves. In the last year there were many voices that whispered an answer. Early in the last academic year, the NAAC accredited us with an A grade and a 3.63 grade point average out of a maximum of 4. The UGC built on this and declared St. Xavier?? as a College of Excellence from 1st April 2014 for a 5 year term ??one of only 10 colleges in the country to be granted this status. St. Xavier?? received during this year, a large DST FIST grant and the DBT Star College Award ??acknowledgement of the capacity to bring quality to science teaching and research. The ASSOCHAM conferred on us the Education Excellence Award 2014 in the category of Best Institution Serving A Social Cause. The Magazines ??ndia Today??and ??he Week??in their June 2014 issues featured St. Xavier?? among the 5 best colleges in the country. Our Registrar, Mr. Maurice Monis was awarded the Best Non-Teaching Staff of Affiliated Colleges award by the University of Mumbai on Republic Day 2014. Two of our Alumni, Dr. Milind Kirtane and Ms Vidya Balan received the Padma Awards this year for excellence in their fields. We held Graduation Ceremonies for almost the 1000 graduates of our Autonomous College, with Mr. Louis Miranda, Dr. Anil Kakodkar and Mr. Adi Godrej gracing the occasions. All this is rich tribute to our efforts at nation building.
Education is a matter of developing the whole human person, in order to contribute to the quality of life of the millions in our country and across the globe ??forming, as the Jesuits like to say, ??en and women for others?? St. Xavier?? does this through encouraging critical thinking and debate in the classroom and beyond. This culture of debate on campus is increasingly inter-disciplinary - involving the critical issues of our times, increasingly global ??with eminent visiting speakers from all over the world and increasingly project-based or research-oriented to encourage innovation and creativity. Mention must be made of the International Conference on ??hemistry ??Green, Nano and Beyond??and an International Seminar on Hindi Literature. Malhar, our Inter-Collegiate Cultural Festival has institutionalised a day for the ??alhar Conclave?? inviting eminent speakers to interact with student participants in Malhar on a variety of topics, with the hope of it leading to action to better our world. Last year the Keynote Speaker was the eminent historian Ramachandra Guha, following up on keynote speakers of the eminence of Dr. Abdul Kalam and the Dalai Lama in previous years. On the theme of the Indian Elections, several panel discussions were held with invited speakers and among students and faculty members themselves, to reflect on and debate the issues facing the nation. The culture of critical reflection and debate is crucial to our idea of good education, avoiding superficiality and mere rote learning.
St. Xavier?? College recognizes that education is a collaborative venture and must be pursued in conjunction with other groups and organizations and prominent among them are our alumni who have made contributions to nation-building in diverse fields. We acknowledge the support of many, especially in the St. Xavier?? Advisory Board, who lend us support and help us to form a vision for the College in the years ahead. One such support has been offered by the Tata Trusts, following up on the fact that both Sir Dorabjee Tata and Sir Ratan Tata are among our most distinguished alumni of more than a century ago. The Tata Trusts are in the process of giving us resources to restore our heritage buildings and to preserve our precious educational resources like the Heras Institute, with its Library and Museum, and the Blatter Herbarium, with its Library and invaluable plant material. This upgradation of educational resources will allow our faculty to achieve the best international standards of education which we are confident they are capable of.
St. Xavier?? acknowledges the role our present students have played in building up our tradition of excellence, with a vibrant Students??Council and an Extra-Curricular Committee, backed by Faculty Advisors. Numerous student organizations, many connected with the Departments, organise events which gain the wider participation of students drawn from the whole college and add to the life on campus. The Council of International Programmes, the Social Involvement Programme and the Placement Committee of the College have earned their permanent status as crucial elements of the Xavier?? tradition.
With such foundations, we look forward to marching towards the 150th year of the College, with a confidence that St. Xavier?? is doing its bit to build a strong and vibrant nation, with justice for all, a high quality of life for the majority and a plural, inclusive and democratic tradition.
St. Xavier?? College is proud to announce that it has begun as an Autonomous College under the University of Mumbai from the academic year 2010-11. Xavier?? applied for Academic Autonomy in October 2007. It was granted permission for this, after due process, by the University of Mumbai, in March 2009 and by the Government of Maharashtra in August 2009. Finally after a review committee from the University Grants Commission visited the College in early April 2010, the application for Autonomy was considered by the Commission at its meeting on the 4th of May 2010.
The UGC permission for Autonomous status was received in early June and the University of Mumbai subsequently notified the College as Autonomous for 5 years, beginning from the academic year 2010-11.
Academic Autonomy places trust in the Faculty of St. Xavier?? College to take up the responsibility of designing its own courses, framing its own syllabi and conducting its own evaluation for its students. This is a system of academic freedom mandated by the UGC and implemented in other Universities of the country for about 30 years. St. Xavier?? is grateful for the opportunity of implementing Autonomy, as it will help the College to upgrade the quality of its education, in keeping with the capability of its competent and dedicated faculty and the excellent students it draws from all over the country.
Academic Autonomy does not involve Financial Autonomy and the fee structure will be in accordance with that of the University of Mumbai, which will award the Degree to our students. St. Xavier?? College has prepared intensively for Autonomy over the last 3 years, working out its Credit System, Semester System and its System of Continuous Internal Evaluation, with Faculty visits to other Autonomous Colleges in Chennai and Bangalore, with Faculty Seminars and Workshops and with training in different methods of evaluation. The faculty also draws on its long experience of innovation in educational pedagogy practiced through its Honours Programme and other initiatives.
The College is confident that it will succeed in meeting the aspiration of its students and of Indian society, in bringing international quality Higher Education to its beautiful heritage campus. The first batch of students under the autonomous system have graduated in June 2013 and have given us a good feedback.
Your Guide to GATE 2016 Exam: All Dates, Format, Weightage & Marking Details
Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) mandatory for doctors trained in China, Russia!
Shut-down NMIMS, BITS, TIFR & others' off-campus center: UGC
Survey: 90% of Indian Students have been benefited by Online Studies.
Universities in California: We are not blacklisted. All Rumors false.
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Hunting Fishing Camping Shooting Women Cooking Store
Chukar
Around the globe, there are fourteen recognized subspecies of Chukar. These subspecies are found in Turkey, most of the Mediterranean isles, Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan and Nepal. In addition to being introduced in the western continental North America, the birds have also been transplanted to the Hawaiian Islands, England and New Zealand.
Species Locator
Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization (AMO)Originally called AMADA, Archery Manufacturers and Dealers Association, the group’s goals were to establish industry product standards and to promote the sports of bowhunting and target archery.
Boone And Crockett ClubThe history of the Boone and Crockett Club is a chronicle of over 100 years of measured and thoughtful commitment to conservation.
Buckmasters American Deer Foundation
Delta Waterfowl Foundation Delta will provide knowledge, future leaders, solutions and its passion for waterfowl to scientists, resource managers, waterfowlers, conservationists and the public to enhance waterfowl populations while securing the future of waterfowling.
Ducks Unlimited, Inc. The mission of Ducks Unlimited is to fulfill the annual life cycle needs of North American waterfowl by protecting, enhanc-ing, restoring and managing important wetlands and associated uplands.
Foundation For North American SheepThe Foundation for North American Wild Sheep is vigorously involved in the conservation, propagation and intensive management of the remaining Wild Sheep populations and their habitats.
Game Conservation International
The Mule Deer Foundation The Mule Deer Foundation, a national non-profit conservation organization dedicated to stopping the decline of the deer of the West.
National Archery AssociationTo promote all disciplines within the sport of archery with the ultimate goal of producing Olympic and World Champions and to provide enjoyment for all, in this family sport, for a lifetime.
National Hunters Association, Inc. Education: Hunting Skills; Firearm Safety; Wilderness Survival; Outdoor Ethics.
National Rifle Association of America, with more than 2.3 million members who hunt, the NRA offers hunters a wide range of programs addressing all aspects of hunting, including youth hunter skills, advanced skills training, and the conservation of our natural and wildlife resources. The NRA also helps organizations set up shooting programs.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)is the leading trade association of the firearms and recreational shoot-ing sports industry. The NSSF manages a variety of programs designed to promote a better understanding of and a more active participation in the shooting sports.
The National Wild Turkey Federation, headquartered in Edgefield, S.C., is a national nonprofit conservation and education organization dedicated to conserving wild turkeys and preserving hunting traditions.
Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant and other wildlife populations through management benefiting landowners and wildlife alike. County chapters retain 100 percent of net funds raised at the chap-ter level for local habitat projects.
Pope and Young Club The Pope and Young Club is one of North America's leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Founded in 1961 as a nonprofit scientific organization, the Club is patterned after the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club.
Professional Bowhunters Society For over a quarter of a century, the Professional Bowhunters Society has been at the forefront in the perpetuation of bowhunting. No other single organization has contributed as much in time, effort, and resources in defending bowhunters and bowhunting.
Quail Unlimited, Inc. Established in 1981 to battle the problem of dwindling quail and wildlife habitat, Quail Unlimited has become the only national, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the wise management and conservation of America's wild quail as a valuable and renewable resource.
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society was formed in 1975 by a group of Colorado citizens concerned about the future of Colorado's state animal the bighorn sheep. Members of this initial group included sportsmen, artists, ecologists, photographers, and naturalists whose common purpose was to support the sound management of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation The mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. RMEF is committed to conserving, restoring and enhancing natural habitats; and promoting the sound management of wild, free-ranging elk.
The Ruffed Grouse Society The Ruffed Grouse Society's role in conservation of wildlife habitat is to enhance the environment for the RUFFED GROUSE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and other forest wildlife that require or utilize thick, young forests.
Safari Club International Dedicated to the conservation of the wildlife and the education of the people.
Whitetails Unlimited, Inc. Throughout the years, Whitetails Unlimited has built a reputation based on conservation measures tailored to our nation's wildlife and natural resources, with major emphasis on the white-tailed deer.
Women On Target(TM) - (NRA) is designed to create more hunting and shooting opportunities for women.
special hunts & trips
zone maps
boone & crocket score sheets
pope & young score sheets
lunar tables
outdoor code of ethics
Fishtail Ranch
Location : Chama, New Mexico
Fishtail Ranch Guide Page
Tony Adams
DTO founder, former NFL quarterback, lifelong hunter and fisherman leads the DTO’s Hunting and Fishing Pro Staff. Tony Adams Blog
©2001-2019 Discover The Outdoors, Inc. All rights reserved. - Design by WANSecurity Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
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升讀寄宿中學之路|
各國教育及考試制度|
常見考試制度|
升讀海外中學路線圖|
寄宿中學一覽|
網上雜誌|
Woodstock School
School Name: Woodstock School
Location: Tehri Road, Mussoorie, Uttarkhand, 248 179, India
Founded Year: 1854
Type: Co-ed
Boarding Age: 11-19
Year Group: Nursery - Year 12
No. of Students: 520
No. of Boarders: 494
School Facilities:
Director of Admissions:
Tehri Road, Mussoorie, Uttarkhand, 248 179, India
communications@woodstock.ac.in
http://www.woodstock.ac.in
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Woodstock is among the more well-known boarding schools of the Indian subcontinent and south Asia, especially among those with significant numbers of expatriate students and teachers.
Woodstock is a different world. Located in northern India at 6,500 feet in the foothills of the Himalayas, the school campus offers incredible views overlooking the fertile Doon Valley to the south and stunning views of the majestic Himalayas to the north.
In this exceptional location students come together to learn from every corner of the globe and from every major faith. Friendships are forged which cross cultural, ethnic, religious and geographic borders.
Woodstock provides several options for its graduating students. As the school is accredited by the Middle States Association, the standard Woodstock diploma is equivalent to that of a U.S. high school diploma.
The school is a testing center for College Board exams, including the SAT and Advanced Placement tests.
Additionally, IGCSE exams and preparation are offered at Woodstock. The school also prepares students for continuing education in India with the Woodstock Indian Marksheet, which is accepted by the Association of Indian Universities as an equivalent to the 10+2 stage in the Indian education system.
Its college preparatory curriculum with an emphasis on critical thinking skills leads to a recognized U.S. high school diploma and prepares students for college entry anywhere in the world. The high school program, grades 7 thru 12, has approximately 400 students from around the world.
Woodstock is characterized by diversity. With an American Christian heritage, over 20 nationalities and most of the world’s religions are represented among the 541 students. Approximately one third of the student population resides in India, another third are from SE Asia and the remaining third come from North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America. Half of the staff are Indian, and the other half come predominantly from North America, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. There are 140 staff, and the student to teacher ratio is 8:1.
The high school has approximately 400 students from around the world. Its curriculum offers a wide variety of subjects including 16 Advanced Placement courses. Taking education beyond the classroom, every fall students head off-campus to explore India during “Activity Week”.
Grade 10 students take IGCSE courses in Mathematics, English, Science (Biology or Chemistry) and History, and also courses in Physical Education and Religious Education (for one semester). In Grades 11 and 12 students are required to take English, Math, Religious Education, Computer Applications and Health, and may select all their other courses according to their wishes and plans for the future, keeping in mind any requirements for college admission. Students completing course requirements by the end of Grade 12 are awarded a High School Diploma in a formal graduation ceremony that is a respected tradition at Woodstock.
Please contact the Admission Office directly by email, by post or visit the School website for latest information.
2013/14 Boarding Fees# (In INR ) Per Year
Y4 Y6 Y7 Y9 Y10 Y11
Y5 Y8 Y12
880,000 880,000 970, 000 970, 000 970, 000 1,060,000
Remark: #Inclusive of tuition fees but exclusive of miscellaneous fees, such as uniform, extracurricular activities
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Category: Featured |
GWU, Among Urban Colleges Providing Scholarships to Locals
August 9, 2017 | :
When she was a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C., Faith Hudson’s school called a special assembly. She didn’t think much of it; visitors often came by for panels and to learn more about the small public charter school in Southeast D.C.
It wasn’t until Hudson entered the school auditorium and saw George Washington University’s mascot that she began to suspect this might not be a typical school meeting. Then her family appeared, and she knew it would be no ordinary day.
Earlier that year, Hudson’s school counselor had nominated her for GWU’s Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (SJT) scholarship. GWU awards up to 10 scholarships to students in the District, covering tuition, room and board, books and fees each year.
Emmoni Morrisey, GWU’s SJT scholarship recipient.
As it turned out, GWU chose Hudson.
As her family gathered around her to celebrate the achievement, Hudson didn’t know what to think.
“It was crazy. I was really in shock,” she says. “It really didn’t hit me. I was in a daze; I was speechless; I had nothing to say.”
In one stroke, the scholarship eliminated all of her concerns about paying for college — the complicated equation of aid, loans and part-time jobs.
“I didn’t really expect to get the scholarship, if that makes sense,” Hudson explains. “I expected to get money to go to school, but not a full ride, you know? So getting a full ride was just like a dream come true.”
For most students in the U.S., paying for school is a major stressor. At a private four-year school like GWU, where tuition and fees will cost just under $54,000 for the 2017-18 academic school year alone, the price tag is even more prohibitive. GWU’s financial aid office estimates that the total cost of attendance is $70,000 annually, with room and board, books and incidentals taken into consideration.
Today, Hudson is a rising junior at GWU, majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. She is involved in community organizations on campus and her close-knit sorority and works at CVS pharmacy to make some money on the side.
“Having the scholarship made life a lot easier, so it just feels like this was where it was all meant to be,” Hudson says.
The SJT scholarship is named for GWU’s former president, who transformed the school into the glitzy research institution that it is today. Take a stroll across the GWU campus, and you will see signs of transformation and new construction everywhere.
Hudson’s residence hall last year, the District House, is one of many new buildings on campus that are part of a larger transformation of the campus and, by extension, the Foggy Bottom neighborhood where it is located. District House just opened its doors to its first class of students in fall 2016.
Much of the ongoing building campaign was set in motion by Trachtenberg, who led the school from 1988 to 2007. Through his efforts, the school grew its endowment from $250 million to $1.57 billion today. With all the changes came a jump in the US News and World Report rankings and greater national recognition.
Yet GWU’s new identity and correlated higher price tag make the school inaccessible to many of the District’s lower-income residents.
GWU students tend to be from higher-income backgrounds, and the school has made great efforts to recruit a diverse student body from all 50 states and 130 countries. The median family income of a student attending GWU is $182,200, and 70 percent of students come from households in the top 20 percent of earners. Only 2.5 percent of students come from the bottom 20 percent.
At $93,294, the D.C. metro area’s median income is the highest in the country. Yet there is great economic stratification within the city itself. Poverty is increasingly concentrated east of the Anacostia River in Southeast D.C., where 33 percent of residents live below the poverty line, compared with the 12 percent poverty rate in the rest of the city.
“Like most cities in general, D.C. really continues to struggle with the legacy of segregation and racial discrimination that led to the city’s African-American population and the population that lives in poverty being concentrated in one segment of the District,” says Claire Zippel, policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute.
The cost of living has gone up along with gains in median income.
“We’ve seen that rising housing costs and gentrification have served to retrench patterns of racial and economic segregation in the city,” Zippel explains. As a result, although the childhood poverty rate in D.C. is 26 percent overall, in some communities east of the river almost half of the kids live in households that fall beneath the poverty line.
The SJT program is designed to ensure that a select group of talented D.C. students can attend GWU, despite the cost.
“The goal of the program was to really attract the best and the brightest, the most talented students from the District of Columbia here to GWU,” says Helen Cannaday, associate provost for diversity, equity and community engagement at GWU.
Cannaday oversaw the program in its earliest days, welcoming GWU’s first cohort of five SJT scholars to the school in 1990. Since then, the program has expanded and now brings up to 10 students to GWU annually. Leadership of the day-to-day management of the program has since passed to George Rice III, but the program is still housed in the Office for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, which Cannaday leads.
“We saw that a lot of students were being courted away to schools outside of the District, because of their test scores and their GPAs,” Cannaday explains. “We wanted to find a way to keep them here in D.C. and assist them in continuing their education and meeting their professional aspirations.”
Since then, the scholarship has helped educate more than 160 students. The program boasts a graduation rate of approximately 92 percent.
SJT scholars acknowledge that as high school seniors it can be tempting to want to leave the city to experience something new and different. Adam Middleton, a former SJT scholar, understands the feeling. When he was a senior, he received a range of offers from highly competitive schools across the country.
Yet, when he was pondering his future, D.C. had a definite appeal.
“After submitting all my applications in January, I was overcome with a sense of the foundation that I could continue building on by staying in the city, not only because I was born here and already very familiar with it, but because it’s a very political city,” Middleton says. “It’s not just any other hometown.”
Middleton was involved in multiple advocacy organizations in high school. His participation in the Promising Futures program led to a brief appointment on the Mayor’s Commission on HIV/AIDS. That brush with the political machine of the city opened up a new world of possibilities to him.
“Although I grew up here, I felt fairly removed from politics and political conversation,” Middleton says. “With GWU being so politically engaged, it was a great opportunity to use my adulthood to learn more about not just D.C. as my hometown, but D.C. as a political institution.”
Middleton graduated from GWU in 2015 and still resides in the District, where he now works in communications.
“I’m very happy in my career right now, and I don’t really see a reason to leave,” he says. “If I were to leave, it would be to decisively shake things up.”
Fostering leaders who will then return to improve their communities in D.C. is one of the explicit goals of SJT scholarship. “Our alumni have been actively involved in leadership positions here in the District or Maryland or Virginia,” Cannaday says. “They’re lawyers, doctors, teachers, social justice activists.”
Hudson, however, worries that some high school students in certain parts of the city might never know about the opportunities that surround them in the District.
GWU is located in a corner of D.C. along the Potomac River, close by the Watergate Hotel, the Kennedy Center and Georgetown’s waterfront. Some refer to Foggy Bottom — with its quaint, colorful rowhouses — as a “mini-Georgetown.” Although it is only 20 minutes away from Southeast D.C. on the Metro line, the two parts of the city can feel worlds apart.
“I feel like there are so many students that could be in my shoes that aren’t because they didn’t have the opportunity or the resources or just didn’t know about stuff that they could have known about,” Hudson says.
She and other students in her SJT cohort plan to start the SJT Organization next fall, which will initiate greater outreach with D.C. high schools. They plan to tutor high school students, have workshops on campus and educate students about the college opportunities that exist in D.C., such as the SJT scholarship.
“I want to give back,” Hudson explains. “I feel like coming from Southeast D.C., it’s low income, so we don’t have a lot of resources. People kind of forget about that side of D.C. A lot of people kind of give up on the high schools there and the students there.”
To date, school counselors have been the ones to select and nominate promising students for the scholarship, but Hudson believes that more students should have the chance to advocate for themselves. The scholarship now requires students to submit a separate essay, she points out, so the program is already moving in the direction of seeking more student engagement.
“They’re giving more students a chance to go after it themselves rather than just relying on the counselor,” Hudson says. “If you show interest and talk to your counselor, and you do what you need to do to be qualified for the scholarship, then there wouldn’t be any reason for them to not nominate you.”
D.C. students have a number of options when it comes to paying for college. In 2015, D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange proposed turning the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) into a tuition-free community college and renaming it after the late Marion Barry, a colorful but generally beloved former mayor of the District.
That particular proposal did not gain traction, but UDC initiated the District of Columbia University Partnership (DC-UP) in fall 2016, which offers a full-ride scholarship and a $6,000 housing stipend to high school students in the District who graduate with a 3.7 GPA or higher. Students with a 3.0 or higher are eligible for tuition discounts.
D.C. residents can also apply for the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program, a District initiative that provides up to $10,000 toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public colleges and universities in the U.S. Students can also receive up to $2,500 every academic year toward tuition at private colleges and universities in the District as well as the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities.
Attending GWU, however, offers SJT scholars many of the institution’s resources and the opportunity to connect with its diverse body.
“Growing up in D.C., I went to schools that were 80 percent African-American and the remaining percent were mostly Latino,” Middleton says. “So to be at GWU where it was flipped — 10 percent African-American and plenty of international students — that was a fantastic experience for me just in terms of being around different walks of life.”
He is still friends with people he met at school from Alabama, New York and Los Angeles, connections that continue to enrich his life.
“You know, that wouldn’t have happened if I just stayed in D.C. and did D.C. things,” Middleton says. “I’m grateful for the experience to meet so many people and just connect with them — because we bring different opportunities to the university.”
Catherine Morris can be reached at cmorris@diverseeducation.
This story also appeared in the July 13, 2017 print edition of Diverse.
Semantic Tags: Financial Aid • George Washington University • Scholarships • Washington D.C.
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SAFDA LEADS UNITED INDUSTRY PROTESTS TO SAVE SOUTH AFRICA’S SUGAR INDUSTRY
The South African Farmers Development Association (SAFDA) affiliated members are appealing to the government to intervene urgently in the plight of small-scale sugar-cane farmers that has left them in dire straits. SAFDA, a 15 000-member organisation, focuses on improving profitability and sustainability for small-scale and land reform sugarcane farmers
As reported by IOL Business Report, Francis Moonsamy, Deputy Secretary of SAFDA, said the situation is so bad that it is putting farmers out of business. Moonsamy blamed their plight on the cheap imported sugar price, which he said did not even benefit the consumers at large. These small- and large-scale farmers’ protests were also in support of the sugar industry’s application to stop sugar imports by increasing the dollar-based reference price for sugar.
As reported by The South African Moonsamy noted: “We have farmers working hard and others even putting in their pension money, but getting nothing in return. We used to have 50000 members, but now we have only 15000, meaning the rest have been forced out of business.”
In a strong display of unity across all sugar industry stakeholders, SAFDA was joined in these protests by The South African Sugar Association (SASA) the South African Sugar Millers Association, the SA Canegrowers, and by the FairPlay Movement, a nonprofit initiative against predatory trade practices.
The protests received widespread media coverage and received strong backing from various elected officials and a commitment of support by the Department of Trade and Industry to urgently address the issues raised. It remains to be seen how urgently the government’s encouraging words will be put into action.
TRADE DISTORTING EU SUGAR REGIME CHANGES DESTROY BOTH THE VALUE AND DEMAND FOR SADC SUGAR
In written evidence recently submitted to a UK Parliamentary Committee alarm was raised about the recent reform of the EU sugar regime by ACP Sugar/LDC Sugar Industries Group, an organisation representing 20 sugar industries in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and Least Developed Countries (LDC) including South Africa and other SADC countries. Late last year the EU removed domestic quotas and thus any restrictions on the amount of domestically produced sugar that can be sold in the EU.
Additionally, according to a report by EPA Monitoring Recent changes to EU sugar subsidies through “Voluntary Coupled Support” (VCS) pay Europe’s farmers to grow sugar beets, seriously impacting the trade in sugar that is the backbone of national economies in Africa and elsewhere. Given that there now are no restrictions on how much tonnage can be marketed internally in the EU, the available market for developing country sugar industries in the EU has been reduced and prices in the EU are now below the equivalent price on the world market.
ACP/LDC Sugar is highly critical of the over production and consequent trade distorting effects of VCS in the EU sugar sector. It was pointed out that estimates suggest that within EU27 countries “VCS supports production of 3.6 million tonnes of sugar production that, by definition, would have otherwise been unsustainable’”. Further “VCS in the sugar sector is a genuinely unfair practice’ which is ‘unfair to developing countries, UK beet farmers and UK processors of beet and cane’.
Based on the findings of a recent UK government white paper on future UK trade policy that some “reasonable trade protection intervention can be warranted to address genuinely unfair practices” the ACP/LDC Sugar Industries Group argues that sugar trade protection is warranted Without reasonable trade protection the UK refining sector and the ACP/LDC suppliers of bulk raw sugar)] would find it difficult to compete with the surpluses created in the EU.
FAIRPLAY TAKES TO THE AIRWAVES TO SUPPORT SUGAR INDUSTRY PROTESTS
Shortly after the June 26 protest march lead by SAFDA, SASA and other industry stakeholders, the FairPlay Movement’s Founder, Francois Baird took to the airwaves for a number of television and radio interviews.
Baird reinforced the industry’s key messages emphasizing that small-scale farmers are being hit the hardest. In interviews Baird highlighted how the South Africa market is being flooded by dumped sugar and elaborated on how delays in implementing a responsive tariff adjustment is throwing people out of work and destroying the livelihoods of small growers.
Highlighting the social and economic consequences of South Africa’s sugar trade policy paralysis Baird noted that already 15,000 jobs have been lost and that the sugar industry in South Africa is contracting when, in fact, it could be growing and creating jobs with policies that support industry diversification. In addition to the SABC TV interview, the issue received extensive radio coverage including Jacaranda FM and Classic FM.
FAIRPLAY CALLS ON LEADERS IN BRITAIN TO REJECT THE EU’S SORRY HISTORY OF PREDATORY TRADE PRACTICES WITH AFRICAN STATES POST BREXIT
As Britain prepares to enter into bilateral and multilateral trade agreements once it leaves the European Union, it has the opportunity to show its leadership in both international trade and in development by structuring a trading system that recognizes the importance of sensitive agricultural sectors like poultry and sugar. For instance, Britain must consider the significance of the sugar industry in Africa and understand the need for sustainable sugar prices in low and middle-income countries and recognize the developmental benefits of the sugar trade.
FairPlay points out that the European Union has a long and sorry history of practicing a predatory approach to agricultural trade with developing countries by massively subsiding its agricultural industry. The EU encourages and supports over-production in sugar and poultry and then dumps its surplus production in Africa and other developing regions.
This has already devastated the chicken industry in Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon and is having the same impact in South Africa. Now sugar producers in Africa are facing a similar fate as the EU removes restrictions on limiting EU sugar production while at the same time increasing subsidies to Europe’s sugar beet producers.
HOW TO OFFSET THE JOB KILLING EFFECT OF SOUTH AFRICA’S SUGAR TAX
The FairPlay movement argues that, by following the lead of sugar producing countries, such as Brazil, which is now a major bioethanol producer and exporter, South Africa will be able to not only save but also grow its sugar-cane industry. The sugar industry in South Africa is in crisis. Sugar cane is a versatile crop with all the elements to render the industry a growth sector if it has the backing of bold and progressive government policies, t Instead of growing, it is doomed to contract because of government’s policy paralysis and inability and unwillingness to support sugar industry diversification.
Some argue that bioethanol from sugar cane is not viable until the global price of oil dips below $100/bl. But there are two things that invalidate this argument. Firstly, every country with a sugar-cane ethanol industry began by introducing domestic mandatory fuel blending, usually ranging from 5% to 10%. The expectation is that ethanol will diversify the fuels market and augment, rather than replace, oil-based fuel supply. Ten per cent fuel blends are the norm in nearly 60 countries. Mandatory blending will reduce South Africa’s dependence on fossil fuels and help South Africa to meet its international climate change
Secondly, when Brazil embarked on its path to become the world’s largest exporter of bioethanol from sugar cane, it cost three times as much to produce a litre of ethanol than it cost to import a litre of oil. But Brazil took the longer-term view and supported ethanol production by introducing mandatory fuel blending.
By following the lead of many other countries, most of which are far less developed than South Africa, elected leaders can not only save but also grow the strategic economic asset that is the South African sugar industry. It would be foolish to waste the opportunity.
FAIRPLAY MOVEMENT JOINS SUGARCANE FARMERS AND INDUSTRY LEADERS IN A MARCH TO SAVE THE SUGAR INDUSTRY
On June 26, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) in Pretoria heard an application by the SA Sugar Association for a tariff proposal that could help save the industry and thousands of jobs threatened by predatory sugar imports. The application has the support of the entire industry, from bosses to workers, from small and large sugar growers to sugar producers, millers and unions.
Meanwhile, outside in the streets of Pretoria the FairPlay movement against predatory trade joined hundreds of workers, sugarcane farmers and industry leaders from KZN and Mpumalanga in a march to the Department of Trade and Industry to voice their concerns about the insufficient tariff currently in place. FairPlay believes that the sugar industry should be an engine of growth for South Africa and neighbouring countries, which requires the implementation of an ethanol mandate, promotion of biogas for power generation and ensuring that the industrial and pharmaceutical uses of sugar is applied to create a sustainable sugar industry.
FairPlay also wants the tariffs on sugar to be changed more regularly and easily than is currently the case.
Francois Baird, FairPlay founder, explains; “We believe that a more flexible and responsive tariff regime is one element of achieving a sustainable industry. When circumstances change, there should be an immediate response. If South Africa can change the price of petrol at short notice in response to world markets, surely a tariff against predatory imports to create a level playing field for thousands of sugar workers could also be changed when required.”
The FairPlay Movement is a not-for-profit trade movement that fights for jobs. Its goal is to end predatory trade practices between countries so that big and small nations play by the same rules. It supports the principle that penalties for transgressing those rules apply equally to everybody. FairPlay was founded in October 2016. In alliance with existing organisations and experts it formulates and promotes strategies to defend communities made vulnerable by predatory trade practices and promote sustainable livelihoods.
These alliance partners are international, currently from the USA, Canada, UK, Ghana and South Africa. FairPlay mission: To end the scourge of dumping as an immoral trade practice. FairPlay vision: A world where dumping no longer exists, with free trade according to the rules.
MORE NEWS FROM FAIRPLAY:
SAFDA FIGHTS FOR INCREASE IN TARIFF PRICES ON IMPORTED SUGAR
FAIRPLAY COMMITS TO ENSURE THAT MAJOR NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE POULTRY AND SUGAR INDUSTRY
HOW TO OFFSET THE JOB KILLING EFFECT OF SUGAR TAX
EU FOOD EXPORTS HINDER AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
SUGAR IMPORTS WEIGH HEAVILY ON SMALL FARMERS
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Cyndi Lauper Talks Memoirs, Music—And Seders with Springsteen
"Everything in life that you don’t understand opens up to you as you live."
By Lily Rothman @lilyrothmanSept. 12, 2012
Cyndi Lauper photographed May 8, 2012 in New York City.
Girls just want to have fun (but usually don’t) The New York Post
"I nearly killed myself but I didn't want the headlines to say 'Girl who wanted to have fun just didn't'": Cyndi Lauper reveals dark past The Mirror
It’s been nearly 30 years since Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 album She’s So Unusual rocketed the singer to stardom with songs like “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” “Time After Time” and “She Bop”—but her most famous album is only a small piece of Lauper’s story. In a new book, Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir—out Sept. 18—the pop songstress recounts her life, from the sexual traumas of a rough youth and the importance of being the first female streaker on a Vermont college campus to her time on Celebrity Apprentice and her work helping homeless transgender youth. And that’s not all she’s up to: she’s also writing the music for the upcoming musical theater version of Kinky Boots (opening on Broadway next March) and getting ready for her new reality show, Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual (coming soon on WE tv).
Lauper spoke to TIME about saving the world with rock and roll, opening for The Kinks and the importance of music-industry seders.
TIME: Why did you decide to write a memoir now?
Cyndi Lauper: I had been wanting to write this for many years. As I was living through it, as a kid and as a young adult, I always thought to myself, “Well, it’ll make a great book.”
The tone of the book is very conversational. What was the writing process like?
Originally I wanted to write it [alone] and then I realized, fat chance I’ll have the time to write the way I was imagining I would be able to write. I don’t know what I was thinking, but you see stories about writers where they go for a walk, they come back, they type all day. [Jancee Dunn, with whom Lauper wrote,] is a rocker. She worked for Rolling Stone and she had written her own memoir, so I felt that she was perfect for me. I’m not Ernest Hemingway. I’m gonna write how I talk. I’ve always felt even as a songwriter that the rhythm of speech is in itself a language for me.
Speaking of writing the way you talk, a lot of the stories in the book have to do with you saying everything that comes mind.
Yeah, some of it, we would laugh and say “there’s no filter.” But I think that as I got older I got a little wise to that action. Maybe perhaps you don’t have to agree with someone but you don’t have to jump in.
What was the most unfiltered thing you ever said?
It was probably to the suits. They had no conception that I was an artist and didn’t understand what they did, as our business got more and more corporate, which was never what it was supposed to be. Rock and roll was going to save the world.
(MORE: Move Over ‘Song of Summer’—the ‘Song of Fall’ Is Here)
Do you still think rock and roll can save the world?
It’s up to the individuals. People can save the world by the way they think and by the way they behave and what they hold to be important. The industry has changed a lot; every kid wants to be famous but they don’t know for what. The reality star has become huge, because of the oddity of it, I guess. But then I can’t say because I have a reality show!
How has the environment for female musicians changed since you started?
I don’t know that it has. I went to [a concert at] Randall’s Island to go see Matt & Kim and Snoop Dogg and some really wonderful deejays, and a girl came up to me and thanked me for my work. She was an African-African young woman who was in the industry, and she said “especially now”—and this really shocked me—“in the environment of all the rape music that’s so popular.” I guess things will change, because if the young start to be inundated with one way they’ll go completely the other. That’s just how it goes. That’s one thing I learned from writing the book. Everything does go in a circle.
I was sitting in an office because my editor finally said, “She’ll never finish unless she can focus.” But the phone was ringing, so I picked it up one day. I said, “Simon & Schuster. How may I help you?” I put the phone down and I said, “Oh my God. I’ve said those words before.” I realized that my first job was for Simon & Schuster. I was 17 and told them I was 19. I really wasn’t cut out for an office and I would daydream a lot and I would fall asleep reading the mail because it was boring. That did not last. But I realized that I guess, in life, if you don’t get it right the first time, you just come around again in a different way.
(MORE: An Oral History of Michael Jackson’s Bad)
As a performer, who’s the most fun person you’ve ever toured with or performed with?
I always enjoyed the Bangles. They were fun. With the Kinks, I didn’t understand that the road crew is a lot different from the band. Sometimes the road crew, to an opening act, can be real bitchy. But then I got to know Ray [Davies] and I thought what a nutty, fantastically creative artist. I was so young—I wasn’t really young; I think I was never young in this industry—and finally I said, “Listen, if you’re not going to give me the tools to do what I do, I’m not going to be on this tour. I’m going to go on TV and I’m going to be famous on television.” The last time I sang with him I left [Roseland Ballroom in New York City, on New Year’s Eve 1983,] and I went to MTV [for the 1983-1984 Rock ‘N’ Roll Ball and the first live television performance of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”]. And after that, it started to roll.
What do you mean, you were never really young in the industry?
When “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” came out, I was 30. They were saying, “How old are you?” and even then I was like, “Why? You think I’m a car? You need to check under the hood and kick the tires?” I had a mindset to contribute to music and make an effective change that would help women in the world. When I was told “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” would be an anthem, I thought about how it really could be an anthem. And you know, I burnt my training bra, kinda-sorta, at the first women’s demonstration in Central Park. I was there.
Are there any of your songs that you don’t particularly like to perform?
Actually, no. I wouldn’t record any song that I didn’t like. Everyone said to me, “Oh, you know, it doesn’t matter.” And I was thinking, “Oh, yes, it does.” Dick Clark was a really great influence in my career; he helped me a lot with his whole organization and they were awesome to me at all different points—but one thing that I really disagreed with him on was when he said that what I do, pop music, is a disposable art form. That I took issue with.
Are there any young artists today who have that kind of integrity?
Plenty! Not all of them are on the radio because radio doesn’t play music; the record companies promote three acts, that’s what they put their money into, and that’s why you only hear three songs over and over again. The music you hear now, you hear in the clubs and you seek them out. Like Matt & Kim. And I like Hunter Valentine.
(MORE: Watch Cyndi Lauper’s Impromptu Airport Performance of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”)
One of my favorite moments in your book was your quip about “Et tu, Bru-cay?” when Bruce Springsteen gave you a dirty look at a record-industry seder.
It was no fun. All the women spoke when they were spoken to and when they did speak they talked about their husbands and they were promoting their husbands because, let’s face it, we were at a business dinner. I have been to awesome seders. One of them, in the ’90s, was a dress-up seder and everyone sang different songs. I came as the child in a school uniform with my ukulele, and I sang “Kumbaya-slash-Let My People Go.” Now that’s a kick-ass seder; that was not the case that day. And when I went up to [Springsteen] he was with his first wife and I was looking at them going, “Finally, people I can talk to.” I said, “Oh my God, it’s awful, you can’t speak your mind…” and she said “Yeah, I know.” Then Bruce just looked at me with a dirty look. I thought, “What about “Rosalita”?” I was so upset. But now Bruce has daughters, so his life changed; I have a son, I live in a guy’s house. Everything in life that you don’t understand opens up to you as you live.
Did you worry at all about what the people you mention would think when they read the book—like Springsteen?
I didn’t say anything terrible. Did you think I did?
Not at all. It just seems like it might be nerve-wracking.
Well, I don’t know what the hell he was going through. Apparently [Springsteen and his wife] weren’t doing so well.
I also notice that you write a lot about having dreams or visions before big moments in your life, like seeing angels when you were recording “True Colors.” Does that still happen?
Not like it used to when I was a kid.
Have you had any visions lately?
When I sing I have a lot of visions. Like what’s happening now in my life. There are three big, huge things—the book, writing the music for the musical of Kinky Boots, and the reality show. Sometimes I have visions about that. You feel like you’re standing in the middle of the perfect storm, this triangle thing.
And do you ever bust out your Ethel Merman impression anymore?
I used to do a lot of Ethel singing the Beatles and Johnny Mathis singing “Stairway to Heaven,” but no, I don’t do that much anymore. You just find yourself in a hurry all the time and you miss out on all the cuckoo stuff. Sometimes, if it’s a late night, I’ll do something. But usually it’s Maureen Stapleton.
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Excelsior Springs School District » District Information » Stay Informed » Bullimore accepts Career Center job
I am excited about the opportunity to transition from the middle school to the career center and am passionate about working with students and staff within the career and technical trade education realm– a role I think holds an exciting future. I love education as evidenced by my various roles within the district as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, and now director - and I just want to see our students, staff, and district succeed. I look forward to familiarizing myself with our Career Center and staff this coming spring as I’ve met with the staff as a whole, and plan to schedule individual meetings with staff members and see how I can support the amazing things they are doing. We know that career and technical trades are in high demand throughout the United States and we would like to make taking that step a little easier and accessible for more students. I plan to focus on continuing to strengthen the climate and culture at ESACC and within our sending schools. I look forward to continuing the upward momentum that the career center has already created by capitalizing on the great things already happening, working with the staff to continue to increase our programming, and continuing to improve our relationship and branding within our sending communities.
I would really like to give thanks to our central office leaders, and the board of education for this opportunity. My family and I love living in Excelsior Springs and continue to appreciate the opportunities we’ve had to work in such an amazing and supportive school district. It is important to me to continue to be very visible and involved in our Excelsior Springs community. I think there are some great partnerships out there to be made between our Career Center and businesses within our community. I will continue to be deeply committed to the talented staff, students, and parents of Excelsior Springs.
Melea(wife) and our children Aames(7), Asher(5), and Isla(4).
Bullimore History in ES:
Having started my career at ESSD at Lewis Elementary School in 2005, I got to know students who came through his physical education class along with athletes I coached. After two years at Lewis, I then transferred to the high school where I again taught physical education, health and human performance. My experience in coaching soon led me to the position of head boys and girls soccer coach, and then in 2013 I became the strength and conditioning coordinator for all weight classes and activities. In 2014, after 10 years in the district, I hung up my coach’s whistle and took the position as the high school’s assistant principal for two years. In 2016, I was hired as the Middle School Principal in which one of the many facets of my position was to help develop, implement, and oversee school improvement strategies. I earned my Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri in 2018.
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Main>Programs>>Projects
Projects program "Grazhdanskaya voyna zerkala epokhi"
Patronage cooperation with ships of the Russian Navy
The Interregional public fund "Centre of National Glory" has patronage cooperation with three ships of the Russian Navy:
Patrol ship of the Black Sea Navy Fleet of the RF "Smetlivy";
Major landing ship of the Navy Pacific Fleet "Admiral Nevelskoy";
Communication ship SSB-520 of the Baltic Fleet "Admiral...
More about the project
Open interregional historical and patriotic contest “Navy wreath of glory: sailors serving the Fatherland”
The open interregional historical and patriotic contest "Navy wreath of glory: sailors serving the Fatherland" is held as part of the programme of the Interregional public fund "Centre of National Glory" titled "The historical memory of generations".
... More about the project
Interregional competition of research and creative works for students of universities and schools “Serving the Fatherland: events and names”
The interregional historical and educational contest for research and creative works for students of universities and schools "Serving the Fatherland: events and names" is held as part of the like-named project by the Interregional public fund "Centre of National Glory".
International youth archeological camp “Staraya Ladoga in the historical memory of generations”
The international youth labour archeological camp "Staraya Ladoga in the historical memory of generations" is implemented by the Centre of National Glory as part of its programme "The historical memory of generations" together with the Government of the Leningrad region and the Staraya Ladoga archeological expedition of the Institute...
International youth archeological camp “Veliky Novgorod in the historical memory of generations”
International youth archeological camp «Veliky Novgorod in the historical memory of generations» is held by the Centre of National Glory as part of the programme «Historical memory of generations» together with the Novgorod Open Air Museum, Novgorod archeological expedition and the Government of the Novgorod region.
International youth cultural and educational camp “Commonwealth. Memory of generations”
International youth cultural and educational camp "Commonwealth. Memory of generations" is held every year by the Interregional public fund "Centre of National Glory" together with regional administrations of the RF. The cultural and educational camp "Commonwealth. Memory of generations" involves representatives of youth public and students...
Public and Pedagogical Forum “Education in Russia: traditions and challenges of the new time”
The Public and Pedagogical Forum «Education in Russia: traditions and challenges of the new time» has been organized by the Interregional public fund «Centre of National Glory» together with the Saint-Petersburg State University and the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A. I. Hertsen with support from the Russian Academy of Education....
“Days of Alexander Nevsky”
As part of the Programme the concept of festivities for children “Days of Alexander Nevsky” was developed to be held in the towns related to the life, activity and respect for Saint Blessed Prince.
Public Award of Saint Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky
In 2007 together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RF the Public Award of Saint Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky was instituted, with awarding of the gold and silver badges and a diploma.
Building of churches on the borders of the Russian Federation to honour Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky
One of the most significant projects of the Programme is “Building of churches on the borders of the Russian Federation to honour Saint Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky”.
Gorodets of XXI century
In 2009, as part of the project «Gorodets of XXI century», in the town of Gorodets which was the place where Alexander Nevsky died, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill blessed the main Cathedral of the Monastery in honour of Feodorovskaya icon of Mother of God reconstructed by the Ural Ore Mining and Smelting Company.
Translation of the relics of Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to the towns of Russia and abroad
Every year since 2007 the translation of the relics of Saint Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to the towns of Russia and abroad (Latvia, Belorussia, Orthodox churches in Czech and Slovak Lands), to eparchies and metropolitans of the Russian Orthodox Church has been organized.
Translation of relics of Holy Luke in Patras
On 1 and 2 April the relics of Saint Luke of Crimea were translated from Simferopol Convent of Holy Trinity to the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. At least 50 thousand believers came there to worship and to pray.
Translation of relics of St. Luke
In summer 2007 with blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called organized the delivery of the Head of Luke, Apostle and Evangelist, from the Russian Saint Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos to Russia and CIS countries.
Translation of relics of Grand Princess Elizaveta Fyodorovna and nun Barbara
In 2004–2005 with blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II and Metropolitan Laurus of East America and New-York the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called organized the unprecedented sacred procession with the relics of righteous martyrs Great Duchess Elizaveta Fyodorovna, who founded the Convent of Martha and Mary, and nun Barbara.
Translation of relics of Alexander Nevsky
Since 2007, every year, the translation of the relics of Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to the towns of Russia and abroad (Latvia, Belorussia, the Orthodox Church of Czech and Slovakian lands), to eparchies and metropolitans of the Russian Orthodox Church is organized.
Translation of relics of John the Baptist
In summer 2006 the translation of the hand of John the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist was organized from the Cetinje Monastery of the Nativity of the Holy Mother in Montenegro to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Translation of relics of Andrew the First-Called
In 2003 the foot of All-Praised St. Andrew the First-Called was translated from the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on the Holy Mt. Athos to the towns of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Translation of the Cincture of the Holy Mother
In 2011, at the blessing of His Holiness Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia the Foundation translated the great Christian relic to our country — the Cincture of the Holy Mother.
Restoration of the Solovki Monastery
The Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called has long-term contacts with the Solovki Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called Vladimir I. Yakunin is a member of the Board of Trustees on the restoration of the Solovki Monastery.
Restoration of the Valaam Monastery
The Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called and the Centre of National Glory take part in activity of the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called Vladimir I. Yakunin is a member of the Board of Trustees of the programme...
Restoration of the Convent of Martha and Mary
Since 2004 the most important element of activity of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called has been the programme of restoration of the Convent of Martha and Mary. The Convent was working in the beginning of XX century as the centre of mercy and charity and provided support for orphans, ill people and people in need.
Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin
The Charity project aimed to perpetuate the name of Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin was launched in 2009 when the country celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Russian victory near Poltava. That year the Centre of National Glory organized festive events in memory of Fyodor Apraksin and made the decision to erect the monument to Apraksin in Vyborg,...
Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov
On December 2nd 2008 the Centre of National Glory together with “LUKOIL” OJSC organized festive events as part of the Charity project in order to memorialize the name of the outstanding Russian engineer and inventor, academician Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov. The core event was the ceremony of unveiling the monument to Vladimir Shukhov.
Endel Karlovich Puusepp
The Charity Project on memorializing the name of the legendary pilot and polar explorer, the hero of the Great Patriotic War, colonel Endel K. Puusepp, is aimed to attract the public attention to the personal contribution of Endel Puusepp into the fight with fascist aggressors, and to preserve in the historical memory of generations the outstanding...
Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin
The Charity Project aimed to perpetuate the memory of the outstanding Russian political figure, military commander and diplomat, the first holder of the Order of Andrew the First-Called, Count Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin, has the goal to bring the name of Fyodor Golovin back to the history by attracting public attention to his personal contribution for...
Alexander Lyudvigovich Stieglitz
The charity project to memorialize the name of Baron Alexander von Stieglitz is aimed to restore the historical justice for the name of the great patron, to make the ideas of serving for the sake of the country and charitable activity more popular — these are the ideas Alexander von Stieglitz was following throughout his whole life and work.
Family studies in education
The fact that the direction of «Family studies in education» appeared corresponds to the historical logic of the development of the programme «Sanctity of Motherhood» in whole. The main goal of this direction is to include the teaching of programmes related to family studies into the basic obligatory programmes at different...
To Be a Father
As part of the Programme educational initiatives aimed at strengthening the moral grounds of fathers’ mission are being developed. In 2014 the all-Russian motorcycle race "Fathers of Russia for the Sake of Large Family" was held.
Back to the program «»
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It all began with a conversation between two colleagues; Meg McCloy and Kevin Queen. It transpired that both Meg and Kevin had shared the same traumatic grief after the death of a loved one, through murder or suicide.
Meg’s son, Steven McCloy, died through suicide at the tender age of 17 after being the victim of bullying.
Kevin’s cousin, Paul Gerard McGilvray, was murdered in a senseless, unprovoked attack by strangers when he was 20 years old.
Meg and Kevin shared stories of the shock, loss, grief and isolation endured by the families and friends of Steven McCloy and Paul Gerard McGilvray. They both agreed that they had found it difficult to find the practical and emotional peer support that they needed.
Kevin organised a meeting with two mothers, Meg (mother of Steven) and Roslyn McGilvray (mother of Paul). This meeting led to a thought, the thought then turned to a dream and then the dream evolved into a single goal; to offer support to people who had been in the same pain as their respective families, in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental manner.
The journey to establish FAMS as a registered charity with the Office Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR) was a steep learning curve for all concerned. However, driven by the desire to help and support others, FAMS soon had a Board of Trustees, an Accountant, a Constitution and most importantly – a sense of purpose. Our efforts were finally rewarded on 23rd October 2014, when we were awarded full charity status, No. SC045179.
Since then the charity has grown organically through the support of volunteers and members, every one of whom have been touched by the traumatic grief, devastation and isolation associated with murder and suicide. With the continued support of our sponsors and fundraising events, we aim to deliver a wide range of services that will include one to one and group counseling, telephone support, Befriender peer support, advocacy and practical advice.
The Daily Record has published an article about us, please click here to read it.
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By Eesha Pandit • 7 years ago
Guatemala launches femicide unit
Since 2000, more than 3800 (and by some estimates as many as 5000) women and girls have been murdered in Guatemala. Nationwide, only 1-2% of murders are effectively prosecuted in Guatemala meaning that in these cases, as in all others, prosecution and punishment is rare. And notably, in the crimes against women, often called ‘femicide,’ meaning the murder of women because they are women, the murders are not only frequent, but brutal: women are raped, murdered and mutilated, their bodies discovered in garbage bags and found in public places.
In response to this, the recently elected President, retired right-wing general Otto Pérez Molina, has announced the creation of a new task force to address the country’s high femicide rate. Courts in Guatemala passed a law last year that would formally recognize femicide as a crime comprising both physical and psychological elements of violence against women, but it hasn’t resulted in the crimes being solved more often. The new femicide unit, which aims to reduce the number of these crimes by 25 percent in its first year will be led by former Prosecutor Mirna Carrera.
So far, women’s rights advocates are supportive of the increased attention to the issue. Mayra Sandoval, a representative of the non-governmental Observatory against Femicide said:
“Femicide is being addressed as a matter of state policy, and a message is being sent out to aggressors that their actions will not be tolerated and that they will be punished.”
According to Amnesty International, Guatemalan women experience one of the highest levels of violence in the world; and while death rates have steadily risen over the past 12 years, prosecutions and convictions for these crimes have not. Approximately two percent of femicide cases ever reach sentencing, so the government’s new task force has a daunting task. To solve the crimes against women and to change the attitude of impunity. Guatemala’s attorney general Claudia Paz, admits the disparity for crimes against women:
“The justice system hasn’t given violence cases the importance they deserve. And with violence against women, the problem is even worse.”
Historically this has been an issue for women from indigenous communities,who are targeted for rape, sexual violence, torture and murder. In the past, little has been done to counter it: attacks were rarely investigated and seldom brought to trial. This, of course, has happened in the context of many genocidal practices against the indigenous people of Guatemala, occurring with government complicity.
But the attention to the issue is growing: last month, two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Rigoberta Menchu and Jody Williams, came to Guatemala to shine a spotlight on the femicides. So the attention and energy is good, and will hopefully help stop these crimes and acknowledge the historical violence against women, oppression and poverty that have allowed this to happen for so long and to so many.
Eesha Pandit
Feministing is a labor of love and all our staff have other full-time jobs to support their work on the site. Your donation is much appreciated, and much needed.
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An emergency VHF radio call on the opening day of Weston RNLI Lifeboat Week shows what the money raised is used for.
Posted on July 31, 2011 by News Editor
Saturday was the first day of Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat week. An eight day celebration of our lifeboats and their crews combined with a flurry of fund raising activities. Just as the fundraisers and crew where relaxing after a hectic day a PAN PAN Call was received by Swansea coastguard who immediately paged the volunteer crew.
The High Street of Weston and its Italian Gardens were full of holiday makers, townsfolk doing their shopping and dedicated fundraisers and crew from the RNLI station. There were competitions, quizzes, and a karaoke, with hand painting for the children. Street dancing and fitness experts showed the tourists how to improve their health while a reflexologist helped them relax. The public could view a lifeboat and crew were there to explain what they do. This activity is vital for the RNLI, as a charity, to raise money to provide the equipment, lifeboats and crew kit needed to provide the 24 hour a day, 365 day a year service.
At 1952 hrs all had been cleared away for the night and those who had been helping were settling down to a well earned rest. However the yacht Tranquillity, in the strong tides of the Bristol Channel, was in trouble. There was very little wind so it was unable to sail. While motoring towards its home port of the River Axe, just south of Weston, white smoke came out of its engine room and the engine stopped. The skipper was unable restart his engine and realised that he was being carried by the tide down the Bristol Channel and unable save himself or his vessel. He sent out a PAN PAN call, the second most serious emergency call for help. This was picked up by Swansea Coastguard who, after assessing the situation, requested the launch of the Weston-super-Mare lifeboats. The crew were paged and both boats were in the water and making best speed to the casualty within ten minutes of the call.
The Atlantic 75 lifeboat Coventry & Warwickshire reached the yacht, one mile south of Flatholm Island, and put crewman Martin Fear on boat. He attached a tow rope and the casualty was towed to the River Axe. There it was placed alongside the Yacht Club Moorings until the engine could be repaired.
The lifeboats returned to their base on Birnbeck Island and were made ready for their next service. The activities of Lifeboat Week will continue until the Open Day on Sunday 7th. Who knows how many calls will be received by the crew in that time?
Helmsman Liam McDermott said: ‘This call was fairly straightforward but many others are not. We can only do our job because of the funds raised by our fundraisers and the donations given by the public. We will all enjoy Lifeboat week but we also know why it is so important in our work of saving lives at sea.’
This entry was posted in News by News Editor. Bookmark the permalink.
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Plan of Attack: Inside the Main Objective for Vegas World Team Camp
Jon Jay Chavez -- Photo: John Sachs
Beginning this coming Monday at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas will be the second World Team camp for the US Seniors, as well as the first collective training camp for the Junior squad. It’s a busy summer, to say the least. After the five-day excursion in Vegas wraps up there will still be two more Senior training camps to go, three if you count their pre-Worlds prep in Hungary. For the Juniors, once work is done in the desert they are to reconvene at the Olympic Training Center where the fun will start all over again, making this first camp for them more of an introductory meeting ground comparatively.
“We have to do some team-building and get the guys to know each other because I think they can feed off of each other’s energy at the World Championships, and that will really help propel them to get on the podium and bring home a team trophy,” said US Junior World Team co-head coach Nate Engel this week. “That’s really important, so you want to make sure they mesh well and get along because we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
The Seniors? They’re past the “get to know each other” part of Worlds season. That was taken care of earlier last month in Eagle Creek, Oregon. The “Base Training Camp” was designed to address their positional foundations as well as bring the athletes together on the same proverbial page ahead of their massive training cycle. The upcoming five-day Vegas World Team camp arrives with an acute goal in mind, and it’s one everyone involved might agree offers a poignant value — refining their offensive attacks. To US National Team head coach Matt Lindland, this will be a process predicated upon a two-fold concept: remaining detailed and disciplined, and at the same time, aggressively innovative.
“My philosophy for what I want to see these athletes do, is that first of all, there has to be a good balance between chaos and order,” explains Lindland. “When you step on the mat, the nature of our sport is completely chaotic. It’s a fight, and fights are chaotic. One of my favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill, which says ‘Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.’ Having a plan is essential in our sport. Knowing that you are taking the fight to your opponent, you’re not waiting and reacting.”
The planning Lindland is referring to requires a little more than for an athlete to just think of a throw or move and attempt its execution. He wants his wrestlers to understand the positions in which certain attacks might prove effective as per their own individual styles while simultaneously observing a systematic approach that lends itself to increased workable attempts. If an athlete is finding success from a position where they can have a go-to attack, then noting the steps it took to get to those positions, how to replicate them, and what’s more, seizing a creative license to expand their attacks, a measure of discipline is required in effort to ensure it all gets locked down into muscle memory.
“It is going to take a lot of discipline, structure, and time to develop your strategy, your plan,” Lindland says. “I want to get these guys really thinking about that and putting it on paper. What that does, is having that discipline and that structure allows the athletes to have a lot of freedom. It really makes sense when you think about it. If you come with a plan and you’re fighting in a chaotic arena, having that structure and discipline allows you to have that freedom to be an artist.”
One of the key reasons Lindland is trumpeting this approach to training has to do with the athletes who represent the current World Team. On paper, and through the observation of each wrestler’s style and history on the Senior circuit, this could be one of the most scoring-friendly squads in recent years. Providing them with the space to expound further on their offensive skill-sets seems like a no-brainer. And in order to cultivate their attacking styles, not to mention their confidence in these attacks, Lindland wants each athlete on the Team to feel free enough to experiment with different ideas so long as there is continual awareness of what it took to get there. It’s why the first camp in Eagle Creek was set up specifically to lay down the positional base, to provide a ground floor that offers a reinforced posture where athletes can feel confident going on the offensive once the whistle blows in Budapest.
“These guys are incredible athletes who we have in our program,” Lindland points out. “They are real martial artists and I want them to create their own art. They have full autonomy and freedom. They need to have discipline in putting their plans together. We have to be disciplined and experiment with different things, try new modalities of getting to our attacks and we have to work through some different scenarios. We go back to what we did in Oregon, which was really just staying in the base longer and building that foundation bigger so that when these guys go to decorate their houses — picking which shades they want, painting, putting different amenities in — is really about freedom and autonomy in forming their own creative plans. They are really creative, they’re artists in their own right, and I don’t want to stifle that. I want to embrace it.”
To top everything off, there will be a collection of cameras adorning the mats at the South Point Hotel next week that will serve a dual purpose. For the athletes in attendance, they are, of course, a useful tool to go back and check out video of items they have been working on throughout the camp. In turn, the coaches can pore over footage to discern adjustments and areas of improvement. In addition, the barrage of high-flying throws and technical shootouts which will undoubtedly also be on display can serve as a reminder to the public just what the country’s top performers are capable of when given a closer look.
“We”ll use the footage to have the athletes go back and watch, and see if there are adjustments that we can point out to help them make,” Lindland says. “I also think with a lot of cameras running that this is an opportunity to market the Greco-Roman program, to show how hard our athletes are training, how hard they are working. Greco-Roman needs that type of an image and we should use it to study to help us get better, but we should also use it to promote our athletes and our program.”
Related Items:2018 us world team, matt lindland
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Lindland Comments on Hancock’s Silver at Latest Ranking Event
55’er Sean Sesnan Talks WBC Year 1 & How He Got His Start
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Quotes \ Authors \ American Authors \ Dave Eggers
Facts about Dave Eggers
[view in full size]
Dave Eggers is a famous Writer from USA, he is 49 years old and still alive, born January 8, 1970.
Eggers grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He began his career as a Salon.com editor and founded Might magazine. He lives in San Francisco. He is married with Vendela Vida, author of, among others - Girls on the Verge and And Now You Can Go. In October 2005 they had a daughter together.
Eggers' first book was his own memoirs with literary traits, An amazing talented, deeply shocking works (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) (2000). The book deals with the responsibility for the upbringing of his younger brother, because of their parents' sudden death within a short period. Memoirs contain fictional elements, which created some debate and that made him a literary shooting star overnight. In 2002 he published his first novel, You will notice our speed (You Shall Know Our Velocity), translated into Norwegian by Hege Mehren. Dave Eggers has also published a collection of short stories, so hungry we are. In 2008, what is what, translated by Hege Mehren and Isaac Rogde (What Is The What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng).
Eggers is the founder of McSweeney's, a literary magazine that is published four times a year, and is also a small publishing house with the same name.
Eggers is a teacher at the foundation, "826 Valencia", the first of a number of schools that teach American youth writing.
He is born under the zodiac capricorn, who is known for Determination, Dominance, Perservering, Practical, Willful. Our collection contains 15 quotes who is written / told by Dave, under the main topic Family.
Here is some other popular authors who lived in the same timeframe: Didier Drogba, Rachel Corrie, Amy Lee, Amanda Peet, Chris Brown, Vanessa Hudgens, David Millar, Emile Hirsch, Kevin Thomas, Mena Suvari, Lleyton Hewitt, Marliece Andrada, Carmen Kass, Lawrence Jackson, Lara Logan, Steve McManaman, Willie Green, Alan Smith, Billy Bush, Beanie Sigel
Source / external links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Eggers
Famous quotes by Dave Eggers (15)
"You can do and use the skills that you have. The schools need you. The teachers need you. Students and parents need you. They need your actual person: your physical personhood and your open minds and open ears and boundless compassion, sitting next to them, listening and nodding and asking questions for hours at a time"
"It's not that our family has no taste, it's just that our family's taste is inconsistent"
"The house is a factory"
"Some of these kids just don't plain know how good they are: how smart and how much they have to say. You can tell them. You can shine that light on them, one human interaction at a time"
"Status in itself is criminal for those with the means to move, and the means to weave communion between people"
"So this is the space during tutoring hours. It's very busy. Same principles: one-on-one attention, complete devotion to the students' work and a boundless optimism and sort of a possibility of creativity and ideas"
"But you know, there's something about the kids finishing their homework in a given day, working one-on-one, getting all this attention - they go home, they're finished. They don't stall, they don't do their homework in front of the TV"
"And what we were trying to offer every day was one-on-one attention. The goal was to have a one-to-one ratio with every one of these students"
"The key thing is, even if you only have a couple of hours a month, those two hours shoulder-to-shoulder, next to one student, concentrated attention, shining this beam of light on their work, on their thoughts and their self-expression, is going to be absolutely transformative, because so many of the students have not had that ever before"
"Through the small tall bathroom window the December yard is gray and scratchy, the tree calligraphic"
"They took my mother's stomach out six months ago"
"People are strange, but more than that, they're good. They're good first, then strange"
"But there was something psychological happening there that was just a little bit different. And the other thing was, there was no stigma. Kids weren't going into the 'Center-for-Kids-That-Need-More-Help' or something like that. It was 826 Valencia"
"And that's actually the brunt of what we do is, people going straight from their workplace, straight from home, straight into the classroom and working directly with the students. So then we're able to work with thousands and thousands more students"
"You know, it's been proven that 35 to 40 hours a year with one-on-one attention, a student can get one grade level higher"
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If you live in the greater Houston area, there are over 60 different energy suppliers competing for your business. Many of these providers have websites that are confusing and difficult to navigate, their rates buried in misleading advertising and dense jargon. Who has the time to sort through and keep track of options across all these different sites?
Reliant offers a variety of electricity plans at rates that fit your needs and lifestyle. Whether you’re a sports fan or world traveler, you can get rewards and bonuses along with your electricity plan. We run special promotions throughout the year and offer plans that let you save money when you use electricity on the evenings or weekends. If you're looking for an environmentally-conscious option, check out our wind power, solar power and solar sell back plans.
You may have noticed a lot of electric companies offering a ton of plans and services. But not all light companies in Texas are created equal. So which one is right for you? At Amigo Energy, we want you to trust that you’re getting a custom energy plan at a good price—not just a quick fix that’ll cost you more down the road. In fact, JD Power gave us four out of five stars for pricing, beating out a ton of other large retail electricity providers.4
Choose Energy is an online marketplace where shopping for energy is fast and easy. Visit ChooseEnergy.com to compare rates, plan terms, and renewable options from a network of trusted partners in a secure, user-friendly experience. Learn more about how energy choice works and the benefits of switching in our Education Center. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive actionable energy intelligence that will help you make smart, personalized energy decisions.
Prepaid electricity plans are yet another option available to Texas customers. Prepaid plans let you avoid credit checks and deposits by pre-paying for your electricity. Prepaid electricity plans typically do not have a fixed duration and operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. Shopping for prepaid electricity can often yield relatively cheap electricity with no deposit. See Prepaid Electricity: Is It Right For Me? for more.
Before 1997, all energy services were provided by the utility with prices regulated by the Public Utility Commission to match the wholesale price of energy – subject to change as often as once a month. Following the law’s passage, however, prices became “deregulated”, meaning alternative suppliers could provide energy supply at different rates than the PUC-approved price of energy.
In Pennsylvania, you can choose from the EGSs operating in your area, or stay on with your default provider — your EDC. Currently, less than half of all Pennsylvania’s residential customers have made the switch. If you’re among that number, moving to an EGS could get you cheaper rates, better rewards, and more say in what fuels generate your electricity. Whichever you choose, your electricity will get to you just the same because the EDC is always responsible for delivery.
© 2018 comparethemarket.com. All rights reserved. comparethemarket.com and comparethemeerkat.com are trading names of Compare The Market Limited. Compare The Market Limited is an insurance intermediary, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 778488). This website uses cookies. Continuing to use this website gives consent to cookies being used. For information on how to disable them see our privacy & cookie policy.
In Pennsylvania, you can choose your electricity and natural gas plan and supplier. More than 2.1 million households and over 250,000 businesses in the state already have made the switch. Now there's reason for more customers to explore electricity deregulation - two PA utilities have asked the state's Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise energy rates for transmitting power to homes and business.
There was a time when electricity was electricity. Like so many other places around America, in Houston, electricity didn’t mean “cheap electricity”. But you moved into your home and you called the utility and they turned on the power and the bill came in and you paid it every month. Oh, sure, you might grumble at the amount but then you’d go around and yell at the kids for leaving the lights on and the TV blaring with nobody in the room or maybe you’d look into buying more energy-efficient appliances. When it came down to it, the Bill was the Bill. Either you paid the bill or you ate dry packet meals, had cold showers, and watched TV by peering through the neighbor’s window after dark (preferably once they’d turned the TV on). What’s that? You want cheap electricity? Sure thing: call 1-800-WHO-CARES any time during regular business hours of 2:17am to 3:04am Sundays only.
Consumers in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and Corpus Christi were promised bargains on electricity when the Texas Legislature deregulated the electricity market. But 16 years later they're still paying more for electricity than their counterparts in cities Texas lawmakers exempted from deregulation such as Austin and San Antonio, according to the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power which analyzed federal electricity pricing data.
In early 1882, Edison opened the world’s first steam-powered electricity generating station at Holborn Viaduct in London, where he had entered into an agreement with the City Corporation for a period of three months to provide street lighting. In time he had supplied a number of local consumers with electric light. The method of supply was direct current (DC).
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Milford Elementary School, Cleveland Ohio
Date added: December 29, 2017 Categories: Ohio School
Between 1900 and 1910, Cleveland's population almost doubled, from 381,768 to 560,663. Likewise, enrollment in the public schools saw a comparable increase, growing by 47 percent between the 1899-1900 and 1908-09 school years, from 57,288 to 84,227 pupils. Faced with a need for some 60 new classrooms a year to house the increase in school population, the Cleveland Board of Education engaged in a large-scale building program under the direction of architect Frank S. Barnum. Between 1895 and 1914, as superintendent of buildings for the school board, Barnum planned 86 new school buildings. Among these was Milford School on the city's West Side.
In his annual report for the school year ended August 31, 1900, Superintendent Lewis H. Jones reported the need for 10 new buildings, noting, "We are in very great need of an eight room building for the relief of Denison, Sackett, and Gilbert [schools]." Among the accommodations "imperatively needed," he wrote a year later, was "a building of not less than 12 rooms to take the place of the present Ray School and to relieve Denison, Sackett and Gilbert [schools]." Those school buildings were located in the southwest section of Cleveland, in an area heavily settled by Czechs between 1880 and the start of World War I.
On April 8, 1901, the Board of Education authorized the school director to purchase land fronting on Milford, Dupont, and Evans streets. (Shortly thereafter, Evans Street was renamed "Eichorn"; Milford was renamed West 46th and Dupont was renamed West 47th in 1905, when the city adopted a uniform system of numbered streets.) On June 10, 1901, the school board resolved to build a 12-room brick school building on the property in accordance with plans and specifications on file in the office of the superintendent of buildings, Frank S. Barnum, and by early August various construction contracts had been authorized.
For Milford, Barnum employed a plan widely used for Cleveland elementary schools during the late 1890s. It featured, in Barnum's own words, "large interior corridors, or rotundas, necessitated by the peculiar arrangement of rooms about the same, for the purpose of lighting all rooms on two sides - the left and rear." Occupying the half story, or attic - "space otherwise wasted in roof" - was a large assembly room. By 1904, Barnum had largely abandoned this plan in favor of flat-roofed schools with classrooms lighted from one side only, with the assembly room located on the ground floor.
During the inaugural school year of 1902-03, 677 pupils were registered at Milford School. Continued population growth caused the Board of Education to authorize the director of schools to purchase additional land for construction of an annex to Milford School, and in September 1907, the board authorized the director of schools to execute contracts for construction of a 12-room annex. According to building permit records, work on the annex commenced on October 16, 1907, and was completed on August 21, 1908. The addition gave Milford School a total of 24 classrooms, enough to accommodate 1,040 pupils.
Milford School provided instruction for grades kindergarten through 8, serving children living in an irregularly bounded district between Storer Avenue and the city limits, and between West 36th and West 54th streets. Even with the enlarged school building, continued population growth and, later, the city's wartime industrial boom pressed Milford to its limits. Two "anterooms" on the third floor of the original building were pressed into service as classrooms, and three other classrooms were added in the basement. By 1919, four so-called "portable" classrooms - small woodframe buildings heated by coal stoves - occupied the schoolyard on the north side of the building.
With the onset of the Depression, school registration declined. School directories show that by 1939 five classrooms stood unused. In 1950-51, Milford School housed 604 children in grades K to 6; in 1960-61, 696 children; in 1970-71, 744 children. In 1961, Milford School was in the news when the Milford P.T.A. questioned the wisdom of continuing to use the third-floor auditorium, deeming it a fire hazard; however, inspectors found no safety threat and the assembly room continued in use. In 1965, an unused classroom on the first floor of the original building was remodeled for use as a library, a gift of the Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund.
By the 1980s, highway construction, court-ordered school desegregation, and flight to the suburbs had resulted in declining neighborhood population and, consequently, declining enrollment at Milford. In 1980-81, Milford School housed just 432 children in grades kindergarten and 4 to 6. In June 1984, despite parent protest, the school board voted to close Milford, along with two other Barnum-designed buildings, Chesterfield and Hazeldell schools, arguing that they were unsafe and that repairs would be too costly.
In two footnotes to the history of Milford School, in 1914 the school board granted permission to the Bohemian Sunday Schools of the West Side to use rooms in Milford School for the purpose of teaching the Czech language. However, a 1928 resolution to change the name of the school to Thomas G. Masaryk School, in honor of the founder and president of the Czechoslovak Republic, was defeated - a sign that the ethnic make-up of the Milford School neighborhood already had begun to change. Today, the area is home to a large Appalachian population and a growing number of Hispanics.
Status: Demolished
Demolished: 1994
Location: 3530 West 46th Street
City: Cleveland
County: Cuyahoga
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Garofoli Winery Project
Garofoli Winery
{2jtab: History}
The origins of the Garofoli Wine House go back to the end of the 19th century, to 1871, when Antonio Garofoli had already began the production and sale of local wines.
His son Gioacchino continued and expanded the paternal business. In 1901, he founded the Gioacchino Garofoli Wine House.
His two sons Franco and Dante, succeeded him in the management of the estate after World War II. Gioacchino Garofoli became a company in 1950 and embarked on a process of strong development.
Following tradition, Franco’s sons, Carlo and Gianfranco, joined the family company’s staff in the early seventies. They worked together with the preceding generation for more than 20 years and they energetically promoted further development of the wine house whether from the production or the commercial standpoint.
The history of the Garofolis is a story of men and of a family that has been identified for four generations now with the sector of wine production. The same philosophy has always guided the house: constant updating of production techniques but with respect for traditional and historic systems of winemaking; attention to the evolution of the market and its requirements but loyalty to the values of the special characteristics that the traditions of the territory have transmitted.
{2jtab: Territory}
The Marches is situated in the center of the Italian peninsula and the region extends from the mountainous chain of the Apennines, which is the regional border to the west, to the Adriatic, which serves as its eastern boundary. The region borders the Abruzzi, Latium, Tuscany, Umbria and Emilia-Romagna.
Less than 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) divided among four provinces: Pesaro-Urbino, Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno, 246 communes, all of which have maintained their original configurations. The Marches is the only region in Italy with a name in the plural. It is in reality a magnificent parcel of land or, as the political scientists and economists say, a single, great city.
{2jtab: Wines}
Rosso Conero
Rosso Piceno
I.G.T.
Passititi Grappe
Da Tavola Frizzanti
{2jtab:Contact}
Casa Vinicola Gioacchino Garofoli S.p.A. Via Arno, 9 - 60025 Loreto (An)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - tel. 071.7820162/3 - fax 071.7821437
{/2jtabs}
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Posts Tagged ‘coelum’
About the Law of KLeiber
A power law relates one variable to another raised to a constant power. The general form takes y = xa, where y and x are variables, and a is a constant exponent.
A power law exhibits the property of scale invariance. When you multiply the Scale (x) with a factor b the function (y = baxa) does not change its Shape.
In 1817 Goethe wrote his book ”Zur Morphologie“. This book was the start of a new science called Morphology, the Science of the Shapes.
In his book Goethe describes the so called Uhrplant, the Primal Plant, which is based on the shape of the Leaf. Goethe believed that every Plant was a Leaf within a Leaf within a Leaf.
At the time of Goethe the concept of the fractal was not known. It was developed in 1975 by Benois Mandelbrot (“The Fractal Geometry of Nature”).
A fractal is a self-similar structure. It’s shape repeats itself on every level of expansion. Some fractals are scale-invariant.
The scale invariant fractal structure of the Leaf
About Kleiber’s Law
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.
The oldest and best known Power Law is Kleiber’s law devised by the Swiss-American zoologist Max Kleiber in 1932.
Kleiber’s Law, MR = W3/4, describes the relationship of the metabolic rate (MR) to the biomass W, raised to an exponent.
Kleiber’s law means that a cat’s metabolic rate is not a hundred or 21.5 times greater than a mouse’s, but about 31.6 — 100 to the three-quarter power.
This relationship seems to hold across the animal kingdom and it has since been extended all the way down to single-celled organisms, and possibly within the cells themselves to the internal structures called mitochondria, the cellular powerplants, that turn nutrients into energy. Mitochondria have many features in common with bacteria.
The law of Kleiber is also applicable to “super-organisms” like ant colonies, Cities and Eco-Systems.
Because of Economies of Scale, larger and more complex forms of organisms need less energy for each individual cell. They grow and reproduce more slowly and they live longer.
Kleiber's law
About Fractals and Kleiber’s Law
Kleiber’s law can be explained from a general model that describes how essentialmaterials are transported through Space-Filling Fractal Networks of Branching Tubes.
Goethe was right. The leaf is a one of the fundamental structures of Nature.
The factor 3/4 (3/3+1) is a consequence of the fact that a Fractal Structure has to incorporate a not-Fractal Structure, 3-Dimensional Space.
One of our fellow Bilaterians: The Octopus
About Bilateria
About 590 million years ago, the Central Nervous System (CNS), the Brain, appeared.
The organisms with a CNS (including the Humans), the Bilateria, are able to Act and React to a Possible Harmful Stimulus.
The CNS of the Bilateria is a result of an Increase in Competition between the Life Forms that came out of the Continuing Fusion of the Cooperative Life Forms, the Bacteria. The first step in this proces was the Tube of the Sponge.
The fundamental Bilaterian Body Shape is a Tube running from Mouth to Anus, and a second Tube called the Notochord, with an especially large Sphere at the front, called the “Brain“.
The Bilateria have Five Body Spheres (1) the Brain; (2) the Spinal Cord; (3) the Heart and Lungs; (4) the Digestive Organs and Kidneys; (5) the Bladder and Reproductive organs.
About the Tiny Spheres of the Lungs
When we look at the Lungs, one of the Fractal Tube-like branching-structures of the human organism, we can see that the Branches end in Nodes called the alveoli (“little cavities“). The end-nodes of the branching system are tiny Spheres.
The Alveoli use another basic structure of Nature: The Sphere
In the tiny Spheres the Exchange takes place of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen between the Lungs and the Blood-Vessels. Each human lung contains about 600 million alveoli.
Water diffuses from the alveoli cells into the alveoli so that they are constantly moist. Oxygen dissolves in this water before diffusing through the cells into the blood.
The Oxygen-rich blood returns to the Heart via the pulmonary veins to be pumped back into circulation. The Carbon Dioxide is pumped out by the Lungs.
In the many million Small Spherical End-Nodes Two Circulatory Systems, the Cardiovascular System (Heart) and Pulmonary System (Lungs), are Connected.
The Big Structures of Nature are able to Scale because the Connection-Points of the Networks are Very Small.
They are reusable on Every Scale that is Bigger than the Scale of the Connection Points.
We will see that all the other Fractal Systems in our Body are based on the Same Principle.
About the Tube of the Digestive System
The Tube contains the Digestive System. It breaks-down larger food molecules into smaller ones that can be absorbed into the blood stream. This happens in the Small Intestine in the vili and microvilli.
The villi (“shaggy hair“) are tiny, finger-like projections that are approximately 0.5-1mm in length. The microvilli are mechanosensors and have a lot in common with the flagellum (“the roter“) of a bacterium. Microvilli appear in many places in the body. They are also of importance on the cell surface of white blood cells, as they aid in the migration of white blood cells.
The Tube of our Digestive System is highly similar to the Tube of the Sponge, the first fusion of the Bacteria in a more efficient metabolic structure.
The Output part of the Tube is called the Large Intestine (Colon). Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass Useless Waste Material from the body. The large intestine houses over 700 species of bacteria that perform a variety of functions.
The Liver Fractal
About the Chemical Factory of the Liver Cell.
The Liver is a Fractal Branching System that detoxifies harmful substances absorbed via the Small Intestines. It’s basic structure is the Liver Cell.
The Chemical reactions in the liver cells produces a lot of waste heat. This is carried round the body in the blood and warms less active regions.
The Liver regulates the amount of Blood Sugar, Lipids, Amino Acids. The Liver is the Storage House of Blood, Iron, Vitamine A, D, B12 and Clycogen, the Source of Energy of the Body.
The Liver produces Bile that is stored in the Gall Bladder. Bile is used to dissolve fat.
The White Blood Cell
About the Spleen and the Immune System
Another Fractal Branching System, the Lymphatic System ( “The Immune System“, Spleen), maintains the health of the body by protecting it from invasions by harmful pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These pathogens are the cause of many diseases, so it is necessary to detect and eliminate them rapidly.
The Lymphatic System is connected to the Blood System and produces the White Blood Cells (Lymphocites). The Lymphocites are the Basic Unit of the Human Defense System. They look like Bacteria.
A lymphocite fits with a pathogen
The surface of a lymphocyte is covered with a large number of identical receptors. Recognition and destruction occurs when the receptors of the lymphocyte fit like a key into the surface of the pathogen.
The Immune System is a Highly Adaptive System. It is able to generate new types of Lymphocites out of a Library of DNA-components.
About the Kidneys and the Bladder
The Kidneys serve the body as a natural filter of the blood, and remove wastes which are diverted to the urinary bladder. The Nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney. In humans, a normal kidney contains 800,000 to 1.5 million nephrons. Nephrons are wave-like structures. Its chief function is to regulate the concentration of water and soluble substances like sodium salts by filtering the blood.
About the Electro Magnetic System
The last Fractal Branching System, the Meridians, is a Fast Electro-Magnetic Channel that connects to Organs to the Spine and the CNS.
The Ancient Chinese Scientists believed that this System pumps its Energy, the Chi Force, out of the Earth Magnetic Field.
The Ancient Egyptian Scientists believed the same thing. They named the Four Cavities the Four Suns of Horus and the Spine, the Djed Pillar (Dj means “Snake”).
The Five Systems of Acupuncture
About the number Five
The number Five (4 +1 ) plays an important role in Ancient Chinese Medicine.
The Central Fractal System, the One (1), the Fire System, the Blood System, with its Center the Heart, contains Four (4) Links to the Other Systems.
The Four Systems are combinations of Two Forces, Expansion and Compression.
The Two Forces came out of One Force (“The Void“).
Two Systems contain the same combination (Expansion x Expansion (Wood, Gall Bladder, Liver, Three Heater), Compression x Compression (Metal, Lungs)).
Two Systems combine Expansion and Compression in a different order (Expansion x Compression, Compression x Expansion). They create a Wave (Water, Bladder, Kidney) or Spiral -like (Earth, Immune System) structures.
The Five Spheres of the Body are incorporated in one Super Protective Sphere, the Coelum, the Skin.
In the Human Embryo the First step of Division of the Cells is between the Coelum,the Multi-Cellar Body, and the Brain, the CNS. In the first step the One was divided into the Two, the Actor and the Monitor.
The CNS “mirrors” the activities of the Body and acts as a “predictive simulator”.
The Shape of the CNS is a mirror (Up-Side-Down) of the Shape of the Multic-Cellular Body.
The Bilateria are a Fuse of two Organisms in which one organism changed into the Body and the other changed into the Brain.
These two structures are always competing in the Human Being.
The Brain is Looking Up at the Sky. The Body is Looking Down at Mother Earth, it’s Creator.
The Brain and the Body are United in the Heart, the Balancer of Body and Soul and the Keeper of the Rhythm (The Pericardium).
Sponge, The Tube
About Bacteria
The Body Shape of the Tube was inherited from the first Multi-Cellular Organism, the Sponge. The Sponge is a Static Cluster of Amoeba, free moving bacteria, that are propelled by their flagellum (a Roter).
The Basic Building Block of the Body, the Bacterium
Bacteria are small chemical factories that are able to share and combine their production processes by exchanging DNA.
With their flagellum the Bacteria Explore the environment to find the chemical food they need. When they have found food the Circulation of the Flagellum moves into the Opposite Direction.
The bacterium integrates incoming chemical signals during a few-second period of its travels, and adjusts its direction of advance accordingly.
The integration is achieved through temporary chemical modifications to molecules located in the bounding membrane, which transfer nutrients to the cytoplasm, and also through changes to certain other molecules in the interior of the cell. Such integration is essentially a short-term memory mechanism.
Bacteria exchange their DNA
At a certain moment the Bacteria got together because the Sponge is a much more Efficient Metabolic Structure than a group of Free Moving Bacteria.
Strangely enough the DNA of the Sponge already contains the complete Bleuprint of the Humans.
Scientists now believe that most species on earth are a result of a loss of DNA from the original Bleuprint that was created when the Bacteria finally fused into one Organism.
About the Nano-Level
Recently scientists have found Electric Fields as strong as 15 million volts per meter in the Nano-Parts of the Cells. These fields are as strong as those produced in lightning bolts.
It’s not clear what causes these strong fields or what they might mean but they could account for a until now unknown (by Science) or well-known (by the Old Scientists, Chi) Source of Bodily Energy.
The nano-parts of the Cell could be the very very very small universal building blocks of Nature.
In the beginning the Chemical Soup generated Self-Reproducing Chemical Factories.
These Factories combined into bigger Factories by exchanging and combining their factory-designs.
Every time when the Factories fused they became more Efficient, Bigger, Stronger, Older and therefore more Competitive.
When the Factories became more competitive they had to Protect themselves against the other Factories.
To Protect themselves the Multi-Cellular Systems started to Sense in Many Directions.
In the first step a Nerve-Net was created.
In the second step one part of the Organism turned Upside-Down and became a Specialized Predictive System (the CNS).
This part fused with the Bodily Part creating one Organism that contained Two Organisms.
The Bilateria, the Organisms with Two Complementary Parts, Body and Mind, were born.
Some of the Bilateria called Humans fused in Social Structures and the Social Structures fused and fused and became more efficient, bigger, stronger, older and therefore more competitive.
In due time they will Rule the Earth and will start to create bigger and bigger systems until they will rule the complete Universe.
To make this possible the Humans need every other part of Nature to Sustain their Growth. This will certainly result in a huge Collapse of their own Eco-System.
The main reason this is happening is that the Humans forgot to Copy the Designs of Mother Nature.
The Brain (Thinking and Sensing, Left Brain), Looking Up at the Sky, believed it could do a much Better Job than it’s counterpart the Multi-Cellular Body (Emotions and Imagination, Right Brain), Looking Down at the Earth, the Source of All Creation.
Kleiber’s Law shows that we are now using 122 times more Energy per Person than we really would need if we would Scale in the right way.
What can we learn from Kleiber’s Law?
All organisms including the humans depend for their maintenance and reproduction on the close integration of numerous subunits.
These components need to be serviced in a relatively `democratic’ and efficient fashionto supply energy, remove waste and regulate activity.
Natural Selection solved this problem byevolving hierarchical fractal-like branching networks, whichdistribute Energy, Information and Materials between Big Reservoirs (“Lungs”) and Small Connection Points (“Alveoli”) of other Circulatory Systems (“Blood”).
This Fractal Bottum-Up approach is highly effective and efficient.
The not-fractal, Top-Down, machinery designed by the Humans is Scaled with a factor 1 so we can improve a lot by copying Mother Nature.
About Goethe and Morphology
About the Heart Chakra or Why the Heart connects the Brain and the Body
How to use the Heart to find Balance
About the Heart and Ethics
Why Humans look a lot like Bacteria
About Kleibers Law and the Rain Forest
About the Five Worldviews
A movie about Fractal Structures in Nature
About the Fusion of Water in the Cell
About the Number Five in Chinese Medicine
Why Humans are part of Super Organisms
How the Humans evolved out of the Bacteria
About the Left and the Right Brain
About the Void
How the Heart synchronizes the Body
About the Fast Transmisson Channel in the Body
A general model to explain Kleiber’s Law
About Kleiber’s Law and the Growth of Cities
About the Immune System
About the Law of Kleiber and Ant Colonies
The terrestrial evolution of metabolism and life
A movie about the origin of vertebrates
Tags: acupuncture, alveoli, amoebe, B, bacteria, bacterium, Bilateria, Blood, Bo, body, brain, caption, Central Fractal, Central Nervous, Central System, Chi Force, China, CNS, coelum, Colon, D, djed, Ecology, Egypt, flagellum, fractal, fractal geometry of nature, heart, johann wolfgang von goethe, kleibers law, Law, Leaf, lungs, mandelbrot, Max Kleiber, Metabolism, morphology, Nano-Level, notochord, power, power law, scale, scale invariance, Shape, sponge, super organism, system, Transmission Channel, tubes, Wood
Posted in Biology, Completed, Cycles, Ecology, Economy, History, Learning, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology | No Comments »
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Search-result Statistics: Chloris
Grand County (Utah) 1 (20.0%)
Kane County (Utah) 1 (20.0%)
Washington County (Utah) 1 (20.0%)
(unknown) 1 (20.0%)
Kauai County (Hawaii) 1 (20.0%)
3600 m. 11,811 ft. 1 (50.0%)
800 m. 2,625 ft. 1 (50.0%)
n = 5, mean = 2000 m (7000 ft.), s = 2000 m (7000 ft.)
Cool desert shrub = 1 (20.0%) Urban = 1 (20.0%)
Clicking on a dot will take you to accession details.
January 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
February 0.8 ± 0.3 0.3 ± 0.4
March 1.5 ± 0 1.01 ± 0.0002
April 0.8 ± 0.3 0.3 ± 0.4
May 0.8 ± 0.3 0.3 ± 0.4
June 0.51 ± 0.0002 0 ± 0
July 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
August 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
September 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
October 1 ± 0.7 0.5 ± 0.7
November 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
December 1 ± 0 0.51 ± 0.0002
Annual 12 ± 0 5.01 ± 0.001
0-5 2 (100.0%)
5-12 (0.0%)
January 50 ± 10 20 ± 7
February 60 ± 10 20 ± 10
July 110 ± 10 60.1 ± 0.01
August 110 ± 10 60.1 ± 0.01
December 55 ± 7 20 ± 7
Annual 75 ± 7 30 ± 20
<32°F (0.0%)
50-55°F 1 (50.0%)
60-90 1 (50.0%)
90-120 (0.0%)
120-150 1 (50.0%)
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0.5-15 (0.0%)
Aug 1 - Aug 31 (0.0%)
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Sept 16- Sept 30 1 (50.0%)
Oct 1 - Oct 15 (0.0%)
Oct 16 - Oct 31 1 (50.0%)
Mar 1 - Mar 31 1 (50.0%)
Apr 1 - Apr 15 (0.0%)
Apr 16 - Apr 30 1 (50.0%)
May 1 - May 15 (0.0%)
May 15 - May 31 (0.0%)
Jun 1 - Jun 30 (0.0%)
Jul 1 - Jul 31 (0.0%)
<0.5 1 (50.0%)
0.5 - 7 (0.0%)
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HomeFeatured
Review: Oh My Goods
By Alex Singh on August 3, 2016 Featured Reviews
Modern industry means big factories, mega-warehouses, massive R&D departments and sprawling mining operations. But like all grand things its beginnings were more humble. It meant local craft workers and artisans making quality goods and working with each other. Early industry was about working hard and carefully managing limited resources. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Fun enough to make you exclaim, “Oh My Goods!”
How it Plays
Your goal in Oh My Goods! is to create the most valuable production chains possible. You will do this by constructing buildings that produce goods which can be sold to fund the construction of further production buildings and so on and so on. That’s the idea anyway. Knowing what needs to be done is different than actually doing it, so let’s get into the nitty gritty.
Cards represent can represent multiple things depending on how they are played.
Before running through the turn structure of Oh My Goods! it’s important to understand that every card in the main deck can be used in three distinct ways. When a card is played to the table it becomes a production building. The goods produced by these buildings are represented by other cards placed face-down on top of the building card. And finally, cards can be used for the specific good printed on it when discarded.
Every round begins with all players drawing two cards into their hand and then cards are revealed one by one to the center of the table until one of the cards revealed has a sun symbol on it. All players will then simultaneously assign their worker to the production building they would like to use that round. If you want to build a production building this round you can place it face down on the table at this time.
Once all players are done assigning their workers, more cards will be drawn one at a time from the main deck and added to the cards that were revealed earlier. Once another sun symbol is revealed, no more cards are drawn this round. These revealed cards make up the common market. Each card in the market shows a particular good which is available for all players to use this round.
Cards are revealed to create a common market.
Play then continues in turn order. You will check the building where you assigned your worker previously and see if you are able to produce. Each building requires a certain number and type of goods to run. A bakery, for example, may require 2 stone and 3 clay in order to produce bread. If the common market contains all of those goods then you have met the requirements and the building will produce. If the market does not contain all of the required goods, you can discard cards from your hand to make up the difference.
An important element to understand is the concept of chaining. Every production building, in addition to its cost to produce, has an additional chaining cost. If a building produces, you can then pay the chaining cost to produce additional goods. A shoemaker may require 4 grain and 2 clay in order to produce and has a chaining cost of leather. If you are able to meet the grain and clay requirement to produce normally, you can pay any number of leather to produce the same number of additional shoes.
Then if you had placed a card face down earlier, you can build a building by discarding goods on your production building that is equal to or greater than the cost depicted on the building you are trying to build. Any coins you are short can be made up by discarding cards from your hand.
At the beginning of the game, assistant cards are placed in the play area. After production and building, you will be able to hire one of them by paying the cost and meeting certain requirements. Assistants function as workers and allow you to produce in multiple buildings in a single round.
Play continues until a player has eight buildings. You will add up the points depicted on the assistants you acquired and the buildings you constructed over the course of the game. Additionally, you will gain another victory point for every 5 coins you have in goods still left on your buildings. The player with the most points is the winner.
An example of a game in progress.
Oh My Goods! is a big tease. It lures you in with the idea of creating your own little industrial engine. From the opening hand you start envisioning how you are going to combo together various buildings and production chains that fuel your well-oiled machine of industry. You start making plans to build a sawmill that will provide wood for the mill so that you can get grain to run the bakery so that you can sell enough bread to construct the tool maker for major points and valuable tools. At least you try. You quickly realize that there are holes in your chain and the only way to fill them is through the measly 2-card draw that happens every turn. And then you realize that in order to produce enough goods to cover the 17 coin cost of the final piece of your industrial puzzle it will require a multitude of rounds. By that time, your opponent already have eight buildings and have ended the game, leaving your manufacturing empire as more of a tinkerer’s township.
The problem with Oh My Goods! is expectations. It comes from excellent genes. Publisher Lookout Games has put out some of the finest board games in the modern era. From Agricola to Grand Austria Hotel to Snowdonia, there is no denying that they’ve had a hand in creating some of the best and enduring games of the past 15 years. If any company can identify a good resource conversion game, I would think the company that brought us Le Havre would be it.
Then there’s designer Alexander Pfister. He’s made quite the name for himself recently as the designer of the last two Kennerspiel des Jahres winners in Broom Service and Isle of Skye. And when he’s not designing games that warrant the most prestigious award in board gamingdom, he’s creating excellent titles in Mombasa and Port Royal.
And how can you overlook artist Klemens Franz? For my money, he is amongst the top three or four working board game artists out there. His distinctive dark outlines add character to the people depicted in the game and the amount of detail hidden in his work rewards those who take the time to look closely. It’s an all-star board game team and I had high hopes going in. My mistake.
Your charburner, worker and hand of cards for the basis of your potential production powers.
I’ll admit that I may have had too high of expectations for this little card game based on the names behind it and that sense of disappointed may have colored my initial plays. But beyond the game’s stellar pedigree, the game itself builds itself up as one thing but turns out to another, less interesting, thing.
From the opening hand you are exposed to an assortment of buildings and possibilities. You’ll see the seeds of what might turn out to be a mighty industrial complex and you might see some high value buildings that will require a fair amount of goods in order to build. The problem is Oh My Goods! isn’t really a production game, it’s a game about trying your luck. In order to get any semblance of a production chain going, you’re almost entirely dependent on drawing the right cards and having the right goods show up in the market. There are some special buildings that help mitigate the luck somewhat, but they are dependent on being drawn and by the time you’ve built a few of them, the game is halfway over.
And that brings me to Oh My Goods! weakest point. The most common road to victory is the most boring. More often than not I’ve found that building low value buildings as quickly as possible to end the game as soon as possible turns out to be the most successful path of play. Unfortunately, there’s very little thought or true decisions when pursuing this strategy. It’s a route that runs on rails and your decision tree looks a bit like this: “What’s the easiest building I can build this turn? OK, I’ll build it.” The most fun had in the game is in taking advantage of the chaining and building large value buildings. Unfortunately, it’s also at odds with the overall point of the game, winning. Ideally, pursuing victory aligns itself with the most satisfying and fun actions in the game. That’s not the case here. There just isn’t enough time or opportunity to get your engine going in any meaningful way.
You can assign your worker to work sloppily. It requires less initial goods, but you only produce 1 good instead of 2.
A board game is more than a collection of cardboard, wood and plastic. Each box is a collection of systems and ideas compiled by the designer in order to facilitate an experience. In order to convey those systems and ideas a rule book is provided both as a tutorial to explain and as reference to make sure those ideas are properly being executed by the players. After multiple plays of Oh My Goods! I was convinced I was playing it wrong. No one was able to get any meaningful production chains going and high value buildings were rare. I was so convinced that I had been playing incorrectly that I searched internet forums for some clarifications. I’m no stranger to looking up rules clarifications online, but it’s usually for more involved and intricate games and not such an unassuming title like Oh My Goods! To my surprise, I found other people with similar experiences. The rumblings captured the attention of the designer who actually acknowledged that the game as designed was not meant to facilitate the play that most people expected. He went so far as to completely revamp the rules and posted them for players to try.
I’m of two minds on the matter. On the one hand, it’s admirable that the designer has heard the cries of the players and made an attempt to meet their needs. It always amazes me how accessible the designers of some of my favorite games are. It’s nice, it really is. But on the other hand, why did the game even release in the state that it was? As far as I can tell, the rules aren’t posted in an official capacity. You have to dig through forums and find a specific post to access them. I’m not sure if they will be adopted officially for future editions. It’s a little sad, really. When I open a game, I expect whatever’s inside to be the best it could have possibly been.
Oh My Goods! is not the best game it could have been and the designer himself tacitly admitted it when he rewrote the rule book and fundamentally changed the way the game works. Ultimately, I decided not to try the new rules. They might be great and they might make Oh My Goods! into something great. But that’s not the game that currently comes in the box. By all means, feel free to seek out those revised rules, but this review addresses only the ones that come in the box.
The card art is great and the symbols easy to read.
I had high hopes coming into Oh My Goods! but I left lamenting all the wasted talent and potential. It’s hard for me to recommend the game to anyone when I see the designer himself acknowledging problems with it. Perhaps the publisher will adopt the rules officially and include them in future printings and maybe they will fulfill the untapped potential latent within the box. But I can’t recommend maybes and possibilities. Instead I’ll judge what’s in front of me and the verdict is lackluster at best.
iSlaytheDragon would like to thank Mayfair Games for providing us with a review copy of Oh My Goods!
Lame 5.0
User Ratings (0 Votes) 0
Your Rating: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Beautiful artwork and clear iconography
Creating production chains is satisfying and fun
The most effective means to victory is the most boring
5.0 Lame
Tags: assistantscard gamedisappointmentgoodsmulti use cardsproduction chainspush your lucktableautease
Alex Singh
I love board games. The more esoteric, the better.
Previous ArticleReview: Bear Valley
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Discussion3 Comments
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Matt December 21, 2017 7:49 am
The newest edition of the game is much better. Recenetly purchased this and for what it is (i.e. a deck of cards) it is very good light wegith filler game.
Alex Singh Post Author December 21, 2017 9:45 am
There were rules revision floating around when I wrote this review, but no official changes. I decided to review the game as I initially played it, with the rules as they were written. I’m glad that the changes appear to improved the game, but I wish that it had been that way from the start. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Moderate difficulty geared towards players with some familiarity to the hobby
Game Length
25-40m (box says ~30 min)
2 to 4 (best with 3)
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José Luis Casanova. Lyric Tenor, Pianist, Repertoire Performer, and Vocal Coach. A musician.
José Luis Casanova
Emotion. A voice that touches the heart. Expressivity to enjoy with all five senses.
Courage. Presence and devotion on stage. A voice born to sing the repertoire of Romanticism and 20th century.
Color. A mediterranean voice, with a rare color, full of realism and brillance.
About me, José Luis Casanova, tenor
Download detailed biography
Jose Luís Casanova (Zaragoza)
Lyric Tenor, Pianist, Repertoire Performer, and Vocal Coach. A musician.
Since his debut at the age of 19, he has interpreted leading roles of the most emblematic repertoire of Romanticism and the 20th century in theatres of Spain, Italy and Germany. Additionally, he has performed a variety of supporting roles and collaborations, being part of the Choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona. A mediterranean voice with a rare coloratura, brave, with powerful presence on the stage, capable of moving and touching the heart of the most demanding audience.
"For me, the voice is one of the doors to the essence, to the soul of a person."
"I believe you must attend to every detail to be able to interpret the great composers."
"I like when the audience breathes and sings with me. It's an unbeatable colletive emotion."
Jose Luís Casanova was born in Zaragoza. His musical studies began at the early age of 8 years at the Escolanía de Infantes del Pilar, including piano, flute and singing. He obtained the Higher Degree in Piano at the Higher Conservatory of Music “Joaquín Rodrigo” in Valencia at the age of 19, where he also obtained his singing academic diploma studying with Miguel Bou. He made his debut in Valencia with leading roles in operas like “La Boheme” by G. Puccini and “Lucia de Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti.
For 3 years until 1993, he was the conductor of the Choir Escolania de Nuestra Señora del Socorro in Benetusser (Valencia), after which he joined the Choir of the “Gran Teatre del Liceu” of Barcelona, through competitive examinations.
In 1999, he went to Frankfut (Germany), where he furthered his training at the Neu Oper Frankfurt, taking lessons with Dr. Echart and performing some supporting roles. He made his debut in Germany with the leading role of ‘Max’ from the opera ‘Der Freischütz’ by Weber, performing together with Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland at the Weikersheim Castle, under the baton of Stefan Sanderling. Back from Germany, he performed the role of Bastien, in the opera ‘Bastien und Bastienne’ by W.A. Mozart, at the Summer Festival of Teulada (Alicante). Among other awards he won the “Juan Oncina” Award in 2001 at the “Francisco Viñas” International Singing Contest, in Barcelona. He then continued his studies with Sara Sforni Corti and G. Tonini, in Milano (Italy), where he lived for 2 years.
Since 2003, he has performed a variety of supporting roles in productions of the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona, such as “Billy Budd”, “Peter Grimes”, and “Death in Venice” by B. Britten, “Henry VIII” by Saint-Säens, “Ariadna auf Naxos” by Strauss and “Oedipe” by G. Enescu, “Lohengrin” by R.Wagner, “Linda di Chamounix” by Donizzetti, and “La Bohéme” by G. Puccini. His performances also include several concerts at the Foyer of this same theatre.
In May 2004 he made his debut as Des Grieux, leading role of the opera “Manon”, by Massenet, on tour with “Opera a Catalunya”, performing in different theatres of the region. In August of that year he added a new and important role to his repertoire, that of “Male Chorus” of the opera “The Rape of Lucretia” by B. Britten, performing at the Shakespeare Festival of Santa Susana (Spain). In October 2004 he premiered as Romeo in “Romeo et Juliette” by C. Gounod, performing in different theatres of Catalonia (Spain) as part of the “Opera a Catalunya” tour. In 2006 he premiered as Ricardo in “Un Ballo in Maschere” by G.Verdi in Nichelino (Torino, Italy). In 2008 he premiered as Alfredo in “La Traviata” by G.Verdi, as part of the “Opera a Catalunya”. Between 2009 and 2013, he has also performed leading roles collaborations at the Auditori de Sant Cugat and Mercat de les Flors of Barcelona in “Carmen” by Bizet, “Tosca” by G. Puccini, “West Side Story” by Bersntein and “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo.
On stage, José Luis Casanova, tenor
The Rape Of Lucretia
Teatro la Farándula :: Sabadell 2010
Teatro Superga, Torino 2008
Auditori de Sant Cugat 2011
Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona 2013
Teatro la Farándula, Sabadell 2006
Auditori de Vic - 2012
In studio, José Luis Casanova, tenor
Pictures, José Luis Casanova, tenor
Contact, José Luis Casanova, tenor
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Ovid (Marcus Corvinus Series) by David Wishart
Ovid is the first book in The Marcus Corvinus Series, an amateur detective series set in Ancient Rome, during the reign of Tiberius. Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, was Tiberius's step-father. The Empress Livia is Tiberius's mother, and she is still living at the time the story in Ovid takes place. In fact we meet Livia, or Marcus Corvinus does, and we get to be the fly-on-the-wall during that odd encounter.
That is the appeal of the many series set in Ancient Rome: to be that fly watching historical figures and life in the past. The author provides a helpful family tree for the Imperial family, an in-bred bunch, prone to knocking each other off, if you believe the gossips. The author supports all the gossips and their theories about Imperial nastiness, especially when it comes to Livia. If you buy into all that, then well and good. If you don't, well, it's fun to buy into for the time it takes to read the book.
The first person narrator of the series is Marcus Corvinus himself, a fictionalize version of the real man. Purporting to be the vulgar, slangy Latin that we know from Ancient Roman poetry and from the scraps of novels that have survived, Corvinus's narration is joyously vulgar. The fictional conceit is that we are reading Latin that appears as English. All the English equivalents of the Roman's bawdy, rough language are used to convey that effect.
Here are the first lines from Ovid, so you can see what I mean:
I'd been at a party on the Caelian the night before. My tongue tasted like a gladiator's jockstrap, my head was pounding like Vulcan's smithy, and if you'd held up a hand and asked me how many fingers you'd got I'd've been hard put to give a definite answer without using an abacus. My usual morning condition, in other words, and hardly the best state for a first meeting with a tough cookie like the Lady Rufia Perilla.
Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Livia, Octavia and Augustus
If you are a fan of the Didius Falco Series by Linday Davis (reviewed on this site), you might recognize the tonal references to hard-boiled P.I. novels from the '30s and '40s . The first Falco novel was published before the first Corvinus novel.
Did one copy the other? Did they come up with their ideas separately? That is possible. Both writers rely heavily on writing tropes and cliches for character relationships and plotlines.
How do they differ? The Corvinus novels are much more vulgar, and they require a greater knowledge of Roman history to appreciate the complex storylines and wealth of historical characters. The Falco books read like dumbed-down and cleaned-up versions of Corvinus's books.
Basalt Head of Livia, Wife of Augustus, Artifact Uncovered in Rome and Now Held in Louvre, Paris
The plot of Ovid, the first in the Corvinus series, draws on several events from Roman history, and presents many historical personages. While the author does try to communicate some of the history and its significance, I would suggest the reader do some reading up on the event to fully appreciate the author's homework.
The author knows his Roman history and seems to thoroughly enjoy thrashing it about in the cause of pure entertainment. That is what the Corvinus books are: pure entertainment. Don't expect literature. Just sit back, read, and revel in the joyous nonsense and historical frolicking that the author concocts.
There is especial joy when describing daily life in the Empire's capital:
No one in their right mind walks in Rome if they can avoid it. The crowds are thicker than fleas in a fourth-rate whore's mattress, the climate's boiling in summer and freezing in winter, and the streets stink all the year round of effluent, rotten vegetable and everything from cheap incense to dead dogs and month-old fish. And that's just for starters. Step of the main thoroughfares in the poorer districts and you'll find that the more enterprising locals do a line in throat-slitting, mugging and purse-snatching that has anywhere else in the empire beaten hollow. Keep to the main drag and you've got a better-than-average chance of being hit by something thrown from a tenement. Or, if your luck's really out, hit by the tenement itself. Don't laugh. I've seen it happen.
Ovid is centered around the historical truth that the poet Ovid, the author of a sex and seduction guide for first century Romans, was banished by Augustus. Here is Corvinus filling us in:
I didn't know what the reason had been for packing Ovid off to Tomi originally, nor, to my knowledge, did anyone else; but I could make an educated guess. Perilla's stepfather had had the morals and self-restraint of a priapic rabbit. One day the poor bastard had found himself hauled into Augustus's private study. There the emperor had chewed off his balls and stuffed a one-way ticket to the Black Sea up his rectum. Exit Rome's greatest living poet, with no formal charge and no trial.
So who is Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus? He is a son of a former consul and a former provincial governor, and Corvinus is set to follow in his father's footsteps, leading to a consulship and foreign assignment.
Corvinus describes himself like this:
"a kind-hearted self-indulgent slob"
A "Purple-striper" (of the Senatorial class)
From "pukkah familie" (high class)
An "upper-class Roman gentleman"
And what about Corvinus's view of the Emperor Tiberius?
"a morose antisocial bugger"
What drives Corvinus to risk his life and limb to dig up secrets? He is driven by a burning curiosity for the truth. The more he is stalled and stymied, the more he is driven onward. He takes a perverse pride in his stubborn and ill-advised nature.
Publius Ovidius Naso Known as Ovid Roman Poet
The narrator of the Corvinus novels has an entertaining voice. His self-deprecating, ribald humor, and the wry comments on the Roman state and bureaucracy are a lot of fun. The author combines deep knowledge of the era with great verbal dexterity.
The story in all the books is basically of a man in a prolonged puberty (Corvinus is 21 in the first book), who becomes a man, finally, and sees the truth behind the well-constructed façade of Imperial Rome. He finds love, too, the part of the story I found most convincing (and it includes an adult sex-scene).
For readers such as myself, who dislike seeing slavery, misogyny, bigotry and sadism portrayed as run-of-mill stuff, then you will cringe often, as I did. The author does not raise his protagonist above his peers. And for those not schooled in British mystery fiction, the time spent on theorizing the solution to the mystery will make your head spin.
For American readers, the British English text may read as if it needs a few hundred more commas to improve the readability, but it is not a huge problem. I must admit that I forgave all the missing commas when the author used "there're" instead of the amazingly ridiculous singular form that America has suddenly decided is just fine for plural: "there's". Lovely!
The books in The Marcus Corvinus Series:
Ovid (reviewed on this site)
Sejanus
The Lydian Baker
Old Bones
White Murder
A Vote for Murder
Parthian Shot
Food for the Fishes
In at the Death
Illegally Dead
Bodies Politic
No Cause For Concern
Solid Citizens
Finished Business (reviewed on this site)
Trade Secrets (reviewed on this site)
Foreign Bodies (reviewed on this site)
An Audience at Agrippa's
This book is a complex and intriguing mystery set in Roman times. Banished by the Emperor Augustus, the great poet Ovid was to die in exile. Years after Ovid’s death, Marcus Corvinus, grandson of the poet’s patron, tries to arrange for the return of his ashes to Rome for burial. When official permission is refused, Corvinus makes the dangerous mistake of asking why the Emperor has forbid it.
The Marcus Corvinus Series is published by Hodder & Stoughton.
Direct link to the author's page at H&S
Here is a direct link to Ovid at Amazon.com:
Here are direct links to the first few books in the series, at Amazon.com:
What was ancient Rome like? Here is an amazing computer simulation, 5 minutes long, of the ancient capital.
Labels: Adult, Amateur Detective, Ancient Rome, Ancient Rome Fiction, Historical, Male Protagonist, Memoirs, Mystery, Rome, Series
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Von Hildebrand and the Definition of Value
Quaeritur: On Maritain's Thought and Fr. Garrigou-...
What Should be the Layman's Attitude in this Crisi...
Dr. Romero,
Much has been written and said about Von Hildebrand and his opera, and many traditionalists have been exposed to his books. What do we make of him, this "20th-century Doctor of the Church"?
-Good question! Who was Von Hildebrand? What is phenomenology? How is it incompatible with Thomism?
First, the basics. Dietrich Von Hildebrand was a Catholic phenomenologist who studied under some of the originators of the phenomenological movement, such as Husserl and Scheler. To be precise, he followed the early phenomenological movement, which was a "realist" phenomenological movement. Phenomenology is a modern philosophical school of thought that attempts to solve the Kantian epistemological problem in a very peculiar way; realist phenomenology is the early part of the movement which attempted to reach knowledge of reality, but this realist project was later abandoned by the phenomenologists, who ended up being idealists, for the most part. All of this needs to be explained for the benefit of those who are not familiar with any of it; so, I will first deal briefly with Kant's epistemolgy, then phenomenology, then realist phenomenology, then Von Hildebrand, then his school and its future.
Kant. Kant had made a distinction between a) phenomena (appearances), which exist in our minds and which are ultimately formed by our minds; and b) noumena (things themselves), which lie "behind" the phenomena, out in the world. The senses do not give us the forms of things, out of which we abstract their intelligibility (as in Aristotelian realism); but rather, they give us bare, formless perceptual stuff ("the matter of perception" as he calls it)--like a blob of colors and shapes and sounds and smells, etc., which have no intrinsic meaning--and we impose the meaning into it, dividing the world mentally into distinct "things," such as houses, dogs, apples, etc. The matter of perception plus the mentally-imposed form equals the phenomena. Consequently, the phenomena, according to Kant, tell us nothing about the world or the noumena because all of their meaning is arbitrarily imposed by the mind itself. So Kant was stuck. The noumena were unknowable in themselves, and the phenomena were worthless because they were unreliable; so he concluded that the only thing left for us to know is what is in the mind already. Hence, his Critique of Pure Reason, which is a philosophical exposition of the principles of the mind itself. This was the core of his idealism, that is, of his philosophical worldview based on ideas as the primary object of knowledge. (He also believed that, in addition to reasoning, the mind could perform certain affective acts and value judgments and, therefore, there should be a study of these "judgments." He wrote a book on them, and called it the Critique of Judgment. There he claimed that these value judgments could perhaps give us better access to the noumena than the phenomena themselves.)
Phenomenology. Kant had revolutionized philosophy forever. After more than a hundred years of Kantian scholars attempting to find a way to reach the noumena, the school of phenomenology arose (founded by Edmund Husserl, pictured). The phenomenologists wanted to purify experience (phenomena) in order to study it and "reach," in a way, the noumena. If we don't allow our own minds to impose its own meaning onto the experience; if we allow experience to speak to us, then--they thought--we will be able to discover the truth hidden underneath appearances. In other words, they wanted to open their eyes and simply receive the blob of colors and shapes and sounds and smells, etc., without imposing onto that picture any concepts, such that they no longer see houses, dogs, or apples, but only sense white, fluffy, sour, etc. By performing that sort of analysis they could let the purified phenomena tell them something about the hidden noumena.
Realist Phenomenology. This was, at least, the early attempt of phenomenology to reach reality via the phenomena. It has been called "realist" phenomenology. There were later "brands" of phenomenology which did not attempt to reach reality. They are, instead, more "idealistic"; they represent the mainstream of contemporary phenomenology, such that the term "realist phenomenology" would normally seem like an oxymoron to a mainstream contemporary phenomenologist. But, historically, phenomenology began as a "realist" attempt. Husserl at first worked on this realist phenomenological project, but he ultimately got frustrated because he found no epistemological grounds for it. He ultimately gave up and gave in to idealism. That is, he abandoned his attempt to reach the noumena; he concluded that a science of things themselves (noumena) could not be grounded through phenomena. So he began analyzing phenomena for their own sake, eventually relapsing into idealism. Other thinkers, especially a few of his disciples, took this "realist" project and ran with it. Von Hildebrand was one of them.
Dietrich Von Hildebrand. Von Hildebrand was very different in his philosophical temperament from his teacher, Husserl. Husserl was a pedantic logician at heart; Von Hildebrand was an existentialist. Husserl spent his entire life trying to find the epistemological grounds for claiming that we could know things themselves; Von Hildebrand was never truly worried about the nuts and bolts of the whole thing, and simply wanted to take off with his thought. So, although Von Hildebrand wrote a few books on logic, on the philosophical/phenomenological method, and on epistemology, his true fortes were ethics and philosophical psychology. In these works, the reliability of experience (not just sense-experience, but also the affective sort of value-judgment that Kant had spoken of) remains unquestioned. He trusts that experience (thus broadly-construed) will give him a direct intuition into reality. He can get acquainted with the essence of a thing simply by attaining a rich experiene of it. There is no need for syllogistic reasoning, logical abstractions, or metaphysical conceptualization; we can reach the essences of things through this direct intuition. This is what they call intentionality: the mind's natural "reaching out" to things and their essences. Thus, Von Hildebrand eliminates the whole of Thomistic epistemology (abstraction, internal senses, intelligible species, agent and passive intellects) by simplifying the process to a mysterious direct intuition. He acknowledges the distinction between the first, second, and third operations of the intellect (I don't think he'd call them that), but he downplays the importance of defining, judging, and reasoning. You can easily imagine him saying something like "a definition does not help you reach reality; experience does."
In ethics, Von Hildebrand sought to make contributions based on phenomenological insights. Instead of ethics being based on the common good, he thought it should be based on "value." We don't experience the metaphysical concept of good. Rather, what we experience is value. What is a "value"? Well, in his hundreds (thousands?) of pages where he speaks of value, I dare say he never defined it (definitions are no good, remember?). If I were him, I would have to define value as a non-naturalistic quality in things that demands an adequate spiritual response on our part. I say "non-naturalistic quality" because it is a quality that is not reducible to any physical or ontological quality of a thing (like "6 feet-tall" or "red"), or to any combination of these (like "well-arranged" or "holding together"). Rather, it is a moral sort of quality that is rather independent of the physical/natural qualities of the thing in question (sort of like Platonic forms). So persons have value, and it is this value which means I have to respond in such a way that I treat that person with respect, "like an end-in-itself and not like a mere-means." In the most basic moral controversies, especially in the area of sexual ethics, Von Hildebrand ultimately reached more or less the same Catholic moral conclusions about the morality of physical acts that Thomists reach (contraception, abortion, etc. are intrinsically wrong; capital punishment is not intrinsically wrong), but he gets to those conclusions by using strange arguments (phenomenological analyses of experience) and the psychologial attitude he says should accompany those physical acts seems a bit rigoristic (e.g., sexual intimacy should always be accompanied by an attitude of response-to-persons, such that the married couple should always be thinking of the fact that everything done in that act is an act of self-giving).
Speaking about love, Von Hildebrand, inspired by Kant, adds to the traditional duo of intellect and will a third spiritual faculty whereby the soul gets in touch with things: "the heart." The "heart" is the affective "sphere" in man, whereby he affectively responds to the world. I don't only know my mother (this is the intellect, he would say), and chose to be good to my mother (through my will); I also love my mother. And this "love" is not a choice, so it is not done by the will; rather, it is an affective response to a "value," and it is done by the "affective sphere," or "the heart." Thus, Aquinas and the entire 700 year-old Thomistic tradition, which based its views, not on experience, but on Aristotle's logic, was too blind to see that, in addition to the intellect and the will, we also have a third "sphere," the heart. Their logic prevented them from seeing that over and above knowing and choosing, we can also love.
Thus, Von Hildebrand set about to correct all of Catholic philosophy by discarding whatever in it could not be corroborated directly with experience and by rewriting all of its conclusions so that they match our experiential perspective on the subject.
However, it must be acknowedged that Von Hildebrand had some intellectual virtue--and this may account for the fact that Pius XII calle him the "20th-Century Doctor of the Chuch." For example, his book, Liturgy and Personality, although vaguely founded on questionable philosophical grounds, is a profound meditation on the psychological aspects of the Sacred Liturgy and is, therefore, solid contribution to the earlier liturgical movement (before Bugnini showed up). Also, even though his philosophy was not exactly traditional, he nonetheless was very traditional in other respects; for example, dogma. He did not have the philosophy to understand or to explain dogma, but he did revere it and held it to be unchangeable. That is why he was outraged by the changes that took place during and after Vatican II, and that is why he became one of the first "traditionalist Catholics" and wrote two of the most powerful traditionalist books against the Vatican II novelties (The Devastated Vineyard, and The Trojan Horse in the City of God)--his widow, Alice, is an active promoter and writer for the traditionalist Catholic movement. So the Von Hildebrand legacy is not entirely negative; just his philosophy.
Von Hildebrand's School. Whatever his merits or demerits, Von Hildebrand has never been known worldwide as a great philosopher. Even "realist phenomenology" itself is a bit of an enygma within the secular philosophical world. But two other realist phenomenologists have contributed to making their school--and, therefore, Von Hildebrand--famous within the Catholc world: St. Edith Stein and Pope John Paul II. Edith Stein was a phenomenologist when she converted to Catholicism from Judaism. She converted to Thomism at the end of her life, but her work was mainly within the realist phenomenological school. Also, Pope John Paul II was a phenomenologist and, before becoming pope, wrote many articles "correcting" traditional Thomism as hard-headed and incomplete; even as pope, his speeches, writings, and even encyclicals, were permeated with the language, style, and assumptions of realist phenomenologists.
These three figures--St. Edith Stein, Pope John Paul II, and Dietrich Von Hildebrand--form the holy trinity of the realist phenomenological school today. A saint, a pope, and a man who was called by Pope Pius XII the "20th-century Doctor of the Church" give Catholic phenomenologists the confidence to continue ploughing over the ruins of Scholastic Thomism by questioning/denying well-established, Magisterium-sanctioned scholastic doctrines (they call them theories) and reinterpreting the dogmas that imply them so that they no longer mean Scholasticism is true.
For example, Thomists hold a hylemorphic view of man (where man is a rational animal made up of a rational soul/form and a body/matter, the two forming one substance). This is what the Council of Vienna meant when it defined the soul as "the form of the body." But realist phenomenologists hold a "personalist" view of man, where man is first and foremost a person, and his personhood is a spiritual reality--after all, it is this spiritual side of man that we primarily experience as "us," whereas from our subjective perspective the body seems like a thing out there. So they conclude that man is primarily a spiritual reality. In the words of Karol Wojtyla (future John Paul II): "I am not my body; I have a body." Put in scholastic terms, their view is that essentially we are souls/persons, and the body is an accident of that substance. The soul is loosely connected to the body, and it is certainly not its "form," at least in the sense that we've always understood it. Hence, the "personalist" view seems to run counter to the Council of Vienna's definition. It should be added that Von Hildebrand never went this far--he had a deep respect for dogma--even if he seems to assume this doctrine throughout his writings.
Another example, this time in metaphysics. Ever since St. Augustine--and one could argue that since Plato and Aristotle--the whole philosophical world has believed that evil is a privation of being that should be there (e.g., blindness is not a positive entity in the eye, but a lack of something positive that should be in the eye). This view is further reinforced theologically by the consensus of theologians and by its proximity to the definition of the Council of Florence that God created all things good, and that there is nothing positive that is evil in itself. But the phenomenologists (especially Crosby and his colleagues) say that the only reason why we believe evil is a privation is because we want to get away from the problem of having a good God creating evil in the world. By saying that evil is nothing and that, therefore, it doesn't need a Creator--they claim--we are just by-passing a very thorny issue in the easiest way possible. But they claim there is no justification for claiming evil is a privation other than that. If you examine evil in itself (phenomenologically) you will see--they continue--that evil in itself is not merely an absense, but a presence; not a negation/privation, but a positively evil entity. In fact, they say, non-being is not evil; only being can be evil. So our very experience of evil--think Hitler--corroborates the view that evil is a very positive evil thing, lurking there, present, as an antithesis to good, destroying good. How do they deal with the Church's dogma? Somehow they reinterpret it, such that it does not imply the evil-as-privation doctrine (which they call the "privation theory")--I forgot their contrived explanation about how it doesn't mean that.
The Future of Realist Phenomenology. Happily, this school is slowly dwindling. As with all things within the post-Vatican II Church, they don't last too long after they cease being "in style." The current lust-for-novelty that we are suffering from in the Church does mean one positive thing: everything but the most traditional will surely die out eventually.
Realist phenomenology (especially its doctrine called "personalism") is still a threat, but it is not, and will never be, as big a threat to Catholic thought as are other modernist philosophies and ideologies that haunt theology departments throughout the world. It used to be the reigning philosophy at the University of Dallas. At Franciscan University it is still strong, where it attracts many of the young, passionate Catholic minds of the US. (I was one of them.) It is also strong at the International Academy, which is very small, but does attract a handful of otherwise traditional Catholics which somehow think their traditionalism is compatible with their philosophy. Other Catholic universities (e.g., Catholic University, Ave Maria University, Angelicum, Fordham University--where Dietrich taught for some time) have each featured at least some aspect of realist phenomenology, in varying degrees.
Sadly, traditionalist Catholics tend to be ignorant of philosophical issues and find no problem in giving these philosophers their support--financial or otherwise--by buying and reading their books and passing them on as "solid Catholic literature"; by allowing them to publish in traditionalist Catholic publications, such as Latin Mass Magazine; by letting them speak in traditionalist Catholic conferences; etc. The best example of one of these philosophers who gets a whole lot of help from the trad movement is Alice Von Hildebrand (widow of Dietrich). She is one of the most popular faces in the movement and, therefore, gets a good ear in the trad movement, whether she speaks of the traditional Mass (on which she can give a good talk) or of philosophy (of which she cannot).
Let's make an effort to inform ourselves of the basic tennets of this school of thought, of its arguments and presuppositions, so we can help everyone to avoid its errors and better defend Scholastic Thomism as the philosophy of our Holy Mother, the Church. After all, Pope Pius XI (1923) said, ite ad Thomam, not ite ad Husserl.
Posted by Don Paco at June 25, 2007
Thank you for your excellent piece about von Hildebrand ; what fine Catholic writing,unemotional,calm,reflective and charitable. You say that "trads" in general have a poor grasp of the philosophical issues. If you were to recommend a small number of good general books explaining Thomistic philosophy & theology for the average "trad"-Dad [home schooling/single income] what would they be ? Most of us out there haven't the time and training,but wouldlike to have the names of good Thomistic books ; would you name some ? I hope that you received my private e mail a few\days ago. Alan Robinson [rpienne@eircom.net ]
My name is Brian. I'm a sophomore at Saint Mary's College of CA and I'm becoming a student of JPII's Philosophical & Theological Anthropology(Personalism). I hope to study at the International Academy someday. I think your article on von Hildebrand was well written. However I must disagree with your analysis on three points.
First, I believe your characterization of realist phenomenology's approach to Thomism is unfair and inaccurate. Rather than trying to displace or 'fix' St. Thomas, they saw a place for legitimate contribution. Without question John Paul the Great sought to create a complete view of man. In his view, Thomas' metaphysics alone couldn't complete the picture of man(something Thomas himself acknowledge when deciding not to complete his Summa). JPII's Personalism is not the result of his phenomenological thought alone, it is a combination rather of Thomistic Metaphysics, the epistemology of Phenomenological Realism and the truths of Divine Revelation as conveyed through Scripture and the Saints.
Second, I must say that I disagree with some fundamental presumptions that you seem to be making about the nature of Church teaching on Thomism. I don't think your dogmatic stance on his place in the Church is truly where the Church stands. You seem to be proposing Thomas' thought and therefore the Church's approach to philosophy and theology as a if they constitute a system. There is no 'Catholic way' to philosophize. There is no 'Catholic theology' qua system. There is only Truth. This is what John Paul means when he says in the encyclical Veritatis Splendor, that the Church does not 'intend to impose upon the faithful any particular theological system, still less a philosophical one'. Consistency is not the same as having a system. Marx had a system. Freud had a system. The Reform Church of Switzerland has a system. But Thomas is consistent. The difference can be seen when one challenges the views of Maxists or followers of Freud. Those thinkers created systems geared toward answering questions, like a machine. We just as them a question and the put their premises and assumptions together to give an answer. Completely independent of reality. Their conclusions always match their premise. And begging the question - raises no problem for them. Thomas and the Church are consistent not because of a system but because of a love of the Truth.
Finally, I must say that I am concerned about the type of traditionalism your philosophy is leading you toward. I find your criticism of the Holy Father and the Saint to be troubling. It sounds very much like the rhetoric of SSPX and other so called 'traditionalists'. When we begin to think that we know a better way to defend the Church's deposit of truth than our Holy Father, Christ's Vicar, I think we stand in a dangerous position. You can fall of the boat port or starboard. Left or Right. But either way you end up with the sharks. So long as we remain on the Barque of Peter there is only one thing needed: Charity.
Francisco Romero-Carrasquillo said...
Mr. Robinson,
Good Thomistic books? I'm assuming you're thinking good Thomistic books, for beginners, in English... I would recommend the following sequence:
I. For Philosophy, D.Q. McInerny's Books:
1) Being logical.
2) The Philosophy of Nature.
3) Philosophical Psychology.
4) A Course in Thomistic Ethics.
5) Metaphysics
6) Natural Theology
II. For Theology, the Fr. Laux series:
1) Chief Truths of the Faith.
2) Catholic Apologetics.
2) An Introduction to the Bible.
3) Church History.
5) The Mass and the Sacraments.
6) Catholic Morality.
III. For Theology as reference:
1) The Douay-Rheims Bible.
2) Denzinger, Sources of Catholic Dogma.
3) Aquinas, Summa Theologiae; and/or Glenn, A Tour of the Summa.
4) Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma.
I once wrote a post including a similar, but more amplified curriculum, along with a curriculum for studens of 'intermediate' level, which you can find here: http://iteadthomam.blogspot.com/2006/05/traditional-scholastic-curricula-in.html
-FJR.
Thank you for your generosity in providing the names of these books.I have the CATECHISM OF ST THOMAS AQUINAS BY THOMAS PEGUES O.P. and that is good, even though in the slightly awkward catechetical form.
Alan Robinson
http://www.iti.ac.at/publications/pdfs/Waldstein_DVH_and_Aquinas.pdf
Geremia said...
Is there reference for Karol Wojtyla saying: "I am not my body; I have a body"? Is not that Cartesian?
qwerty said...
I Believe JPII actually said the opposite, "I do not have my body, I am my Body." Unless he said it elsewhere, I just can't find it.
Don Paco said...
No, I'm pretty sure I quoted him right. And it was as Wojtyla, not as JP2 (i.e., before becoming Pope) that he wrote "The Acting Person."
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Ian Anderson expands on Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson expands on Jethro Tull Sept 16, 2014 12:28:23 GMT
Post by Gerrald Bostock on Sept 16, 2014 12:28:23 GMT
www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/ian-anderson-expands-on-jethro-tull/Content?oid=2899152
By Tom Lanham
Ian Anderson’s 2014 album “Homo Erraticus” tackles artistic, commercial and cultural themes.
Jethro Tull flautist-vocalist Ian Anderson's new self-released solo album, "Homo Erraticus," isn't easy to explain. Divided into three parts ("Chronicles," "Prophecies" and "Revelations"), it revisits 1972's "Thick As A Brick" character Gerald Bostock, a former child prodigy who has reappeared with lyrics based on an unpublished manuscript by amateur historian Ernest T. Parritt. Its recurring theme? Human migration. "But it's also about the movement of aesthetics, ideas, trade, commerce, plus art, entertainment and culture itself," says Anderson, 67, who also oversaw a four-disc 2014 reissue of Tull's 1973 classic "A Passion Play."
Are you pleased that Ron Burgundy repopularized jazz flute -- and your "Aqualung" -- in the film "Anchorman"? That's an interesting one. I saw "Anchorman," and of course it was fun and flattering to be utilized -- and satirized -- in that way. I enjoy getting the odd poke in the ribs from time to time. But I'm pretty sure that the movie's writers were also basing that character on Tony Snow, the late White House press secretary and journalist for Fox TV. I think the fact that he was a jazz-rock flute player in his spare time must have registered with a few people.
You're phoning from your office, on your farm in the southwest of England. What happens there each day? Well, I share my office with my wife, and she deals with more personal-related administrative stuff, and farming stuff. And I sit on the other side of the office and do the music-related stuff. She has a bigger desk than me, but we both have quite big computers, and we've been working with computer technology since '82, '83, when computers first came out. So we weren't left behind, in the way that many of our generation were.
How does office work help your rock career? I can sit and write music there using my Mac laptop, or -- worst-case scenario -- use my phone to record things. As long as these tools have been around -- which is quite a few years now -- they've made life much easier for working musicians. But the organizational side involves me staying at my desk and becoming a travel agent, planning exotic foreign trips, working out tour itineraries, and booking flights and hotels. We don't use tour managers anymore.
What if your drummer asks about that missing vegetarian in-flight meal he was promised? Well, I send out all the itineraries online for the guys to access. So he will have keyed that little box that says "special requirements." If you treat musicians like respectable human beings with common sense, remarkably, they usually rise to the occasion. But if you treat them like sheep? Hey, they become sheep
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Who is Kaori Momoi?
When ‘Faces of a Fig Tree’ debuted at The Berlin International Film Festival, it both surprised and exasperated critics. Based on a collection of vignettes written by Momoi herself, the film’s brash cinematography, kaleidoscopic sets, and cast of quirky characters seemed to overwhelm the story, itself, some thought. Still, the film won the festival’s prestigious NETPAC Award for best Asian film and soon after received invitations to over 10 additional festivals.
As ‘Faces of a Fig Tree’ toured, it increasingly won over its audiences and critics, garnering several awards in competition- culminating with Momoi winning both best director and best actress honors in Russia’s esteemed Vladivostok International Film Festival.
Although Momoi had previously helmed the short film ‘Aura’ and over ten other works where she chose to remain anonymous, Momoi’s feature-length directorial debut is a refreshing departure from traditional film, which bears rich fruit for lovers of the avant-garde.
Momoi most recently directed and starred in the film ‘Hee’ which debuted at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival in the Forum Section for experimental works.
· © 2019 Momoi Kaori Official Site · Designed by Press Customizr · Powered by ·
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Malaysia, Singapore reach agreement on joint railway project
Tuesday, September 04, 2018 08:38
Malaysia and Singapore have reached an agreement regarding Malaysia's request to postpone the High Speed Rail (HSR) linking the two countries without compensation.
Malaysia-Singapore High Speed Rail map (Source: Internet)
According to local media, Malaysian Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said that Singapore has agreed to put the project on hold "indefinitely", and there will be no need for Malaysia to pay compensation during the period.
He added that the project may be resumed when the Malaysian economy is improved, adding that in case the project is cancelled, Malaysia will have to make the compensation, which is around 500 million ringgit (123.1 million USD), to Singapore.
The governments of Malaysia and Singapore signed a legally-binding pact on the project in December 2016 under the administration of former Prime Minister Najib Razak with total investment of about 17 billion USD. Both sides called for tender last year.
The high speed rail project would cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes once in operation.
However, after taking office in May 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced the cancellation of the project as part of his policy to cut down the country’s debts. But the leader later said that the project will not be cancelled but postponed, adding that he sent a working team to Singapore for negotiations.-VNA
Malaysia Singapore high speed rail HSR agreement
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Home Women Veterans Historical Project [Male and female Marine, circa 1955]
[Male and female Marine, circa 1955]
Title [Male and female Marine, circa 1955]
Date approximate? yes
Subject headings United States--History--1945-
United States. Marine Corps--Women
Era Post World War II, Korea (1947-1963)
Service branch Marines--Women Marines
Item description A Woman Marine stands next to an unidentified male Marine at a rifle demonstration during the Brodhead Armory open house in Detroit, Michigan, circa 1955. She wears the Women Marines green and white seersucker summer service uniform and garrison cap.
Veteran's name Jones, Jane Caroline Beetham
Veteran's biography Jane Beetham Jones (1927-2011) of Detroit, Michigan, served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1952 to 1980 .
Jane Beetham Jones was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. In 1945 she graduated from Redford High School, where she was a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and briefly worked as a waitress on U.S. Coast Guard-supervised boats. Jones then attended the University of Minnesota on a scholarship for two years, while working summers at the "Detroit News". She remained at the newspaper as a full time replacement staffer until 1953, and also attended the University of Detroit for two years .
Jones joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 5th Infantry Battalion, in 1952 in Detroit. She attended boot camp at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, over the course of three summers. She continued to have summer tours, usually in the Public Information Office, at bases including San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Pensacola, Florida; Cherry Point, North Carolina; St. Louis, Missouri; and Tustin and El Toro, California. She also taught military history while stationed at Quantico, Virginia, and finished her career with the Air Reserve at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan, retiring in 1980 .
Jane Jones met her husband while with the Marine Corps in Detroit and married in 1960. Until his death in 1972, the Jones were stationed together during summer tours .
In between summer duties, Jones worked at a wine shop during the late 1950s; doing public relations for a glass replacement company from 1960 to 1965; and in public relations for Rockwell International from 1965 to 1970. After Jones left the reserves in 1980, she worked in public information for the City of Detroit until retiring from that position in 1992. Jones then relocated to Durham, North Carolina. She passed away on 1 September, 2011.
Place Detroit (Mich.)
Original format photographs
Source collection WV0356 Jane Beetham Jones Papers
Collection summary The collection contains a 2006 Oral History; Photographs; Newsletters, clipping and scrapbook. Newsletters and clipping contain articles that feature Jones in the Marines. The scrapbook contains photographs, additional clippings, and papers related to Jones's military service. Nineteen black-and-white photographs show a recruiting event at Broadhead Armory in Detroit in the early 1950s; a Marine Corps League convention; and Jones on the job in the late 1960s.
Additional rights information IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the rights holder noted above for permission to reuse.
Object ID WV0356.6.003
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Everyone will have their own presuppositions about this film as they come to watch it. We know its subject matter - a biopic of Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne). Diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease at 21 and given only two years to live, Hawking has defied every expectation placed on him - and continues to do so at the age of 73!
This film could have been a gush of slushy sentimentality. It could have blinded us with numbers when the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics collide. It could have painted a simple victory for Hawking and triggered the generation of feelings of sympathy for him as a victim. Instead, it is none of these things. What we get is a gritty love story - or three love stories. Firstly, Hawking's love of the pursuit of developing a single beautiful equation to explain everything, secondly the love shared between Stephen and Jane (Felicity Jones), and thirdly Hawking's love of life - however tenuous clinging on to it may be!
From the outset, the film very effectively captures the feel of Cambridge and life in the Academy in the swinging sixties when propriety and good manners existed alongside experimentation and pushing the boundaries. The courtship of the young couple is enchanting but as their love for one another grows so does Hawking's clumsiness and lack of coordination. As was recognised by yesterday's award of a Golden Globe, Redmayne's portrayal of Hawking in masterful. The physicality with which he embodies the degenerating frame of the Professor is incredible. Equal to this is Jones' portrayal of his first wife Jane (on whose book the film is based.). Felicity Jones allows the purity and beauty of her character to shine through in a way that is thoroughly engaging. The integrity and devotion with which she looks after her ailing husband whilst raising three children and harbouring her own academic career is above and beyond the call of any duty.
Don't get me wrong. The film doesn't present the main two main characters as whiter-than-white goody goodies. It presents them as complex, able and needy people who evidence inter-dependence through relationship in a compelling way. Even when temptation comes knocking through the allure of sexual seduction or popular acclaim, integrity and good old-fashioned honour prevail - at least in this account of the story.
An interesting point for me was the role of Jane's faith in God and how that influenced the thought and evolution of Hawking's theories. Initially she declines an invitation to play croquet with Stephen on a Sunday morning as she attends Church and has an active faith. Stephen claims physics leaves no room for God and so they gently agree to disagree. By the end of the film, whilst not a signed up church goer, Hawking does significantly modify his position. A great example of slow burn missional activity on the part of his wife! Long-term relationships do have the potential for change.
As you may gather, I rather liked this film.Both leads are utterly compelling and through their acting make a national treasure and global phenomenon more accessible in a heart-warming way. A couple of tissues are advised for the odd teary moment - but on the whole this film is thorough inspiring and uplifting. I'll give it 8/10.
The Possibilities are Endless
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Validating WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0 through Usability Testing with Disabled Users
Dagfinn Rømen1,2
1The Delta Centre, Norwegian Directorate of Health, 0130 Oslo, Norway, dagfinn.romen@helsedir.no
Dag Svanæs2
2Department of Computer and Information Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway, dag.svanes@idi.ntnu.no
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) have become the de-facto standard for accessibility on the Web. WCAG 1.0 has become significant both as a practical tool as well as an academic set of principles, and is presently the basis of Web accessibility evaluations and guidelines in many countries. WCAG 2.0 was released in 2008. The purpose of the reported study has been to validate empirically the usefulness of using the WAI accessibility guidelines as a heuristic for website accessibility. Through controlled usability tests of two websites with disabled users (N=7) and a control group (N=6), we found that only 27% of the identified website accessibility problems could have been identified through the use of WCAG 1.0. A similar analysis of conformance to WCAG 2.0 showed a marginal 5% improvement concerning identified website accessibility problems. We conclude from this that the application of the WAI accessibility guidelines is not sufficient to guarantee website accessibility. We recommend that future versions of accessibility guidelines should be based on empirical data and validated empirically.
As a part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) produced the first version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in 1999 (Chisholm et al. 1999).
It has since been widely recognized that special care should be taken to include web users with disabilities.
WCAG 1.0 has been widely used both as a design guideline and as a heuristic in website evaluations. A number of national evaluations of public websites have included criteria on accessibility from WCAG 1.0. WCAG 1.0 is used as a basis for policy-making and website testing when it comes to online accessibility in several countries, such as Korea (Hyun et al. 2005), Norway (Norge.no 2008), the Netherlands (Web Guidelines 2007) and Denmark (IT 2009). WCAG 1.0 is also the basis for the Unified Web Evaluation Methodology (UWEM) (Velleman et al. 2007). Since WCAG 2.0 (Caldwell 2008) was released in December 2008, it is expected that these organisations will migrate to the new W3C recommendation.
For a widely used guideline like WCAG it is reasonable to ask for empirical evidence that conformance to the guidelines will guarantee accessibility for disabled users. There have been surprisingly few attempts at validating WCAG empirically, and what has been done does not give conclusive evidence that following WCAG will result in accessible websites for all. WAI has never published any indications of what it would see as an acceptable level of match between actual problems encountered by disabled users and problems that can be identified with WCAG.
The purpose of the present study has been to validate empirically the usefulness of using the WAI accessibility guidelines as a heuristic for website accessibility. It is our belief that any discussion about improvements to WCAG must be based on empirical evidence on its usefulness for practical web design, development and evaluation.
2.1 WCAG 1.0
WCAG 1.0 was developed during the late 1990s and finalised as a W3C recommendation in May 1999. It consists of 14 high-level guidelines and 65 specific checkpoints. Each checkpoint has a priority level between 1 and 3 based on the checkpoint's impact on accessibility.
WCAG 1.0 defines the three priority levels as:
Priority 1: A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.
Priority 2: A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to accessing Web documents.
Priority 3: A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents.
Recognizing that WCAG 1.0 would become outdated, the W3C formed a working group in 2000 to develop WCAG 2.0 as the second version of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Since the year 2000, the Web has changed dramatically. It is no longer an HTML-only world. It has evolved into an exciting, compelling medium for providing innovative services. One of the major goals of WCAG 2.0 was to describe the requirements for Web content accessibility in technology neutral language so that it could be applicable to any W3C or non-W3C technology, such as CSS, SMIL, SVG, XML, PDF, or Flash in addition to HTML and XHTML. A second major goal of WCAG 2.0 was to ensure that the requirements are all objectively testable so that policy makers can adopt them unchanged (Reid 2008).
WCAG 2.0 became an official W3C recommendation in December 2008. Compared to WCAG 1.0, the guidelines are no longer technology specific and the requirements are organized around four general principles of accessibility, 12 guidelines and 61 success criteria. WCAG 1.0 Priority levels 1, 2 and 3 correspond to conformance levels A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest) in WCAG 2.0.
The four general principles of accessibility lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use Web content. Anyone who wants to use the Web must have content that is:
Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented (it cannot be invisible to all of their senses).
Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means that users must be able to operate the interface (the interface cannot require interaction that a user can not perform).
Understandable: Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable. This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding).
Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means that users must be able to access the content as technologies advance (as technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible).
If any of these are not true, users with disabilities will not be able to use the Web.
Under each of the principles are guidelines and success criteria that help to address these principles for people with disabilities. There are many general usability guidelines that are designed to make content more usable by all people, including those with disabilities. However, WCAG 2.0 only includes those guidelines that address problems particular to people with disabilities. This includes issues that block access or interfere with access to the Web more severely for people with disabilities.
Additionally, in order for a web page to conform to WCAG 2.0, five specific conformance requirements must be satisfied:
Conformance Level: One of the following levels of conformance is met in full (A, AA or AAA)
Full pages: Conformance (and conformance level) is for full web page(s) only, and cannot be achieved if part of a web page is excluded
Complete processes: When a web page is one of a series of web pages presenting a process (i.e., a sequence of steps that need to be completed in order to accomplish an activity), all web pages in the process conform at the specified level or better. (Conformance is not possible at a particular level if any page in the process does not conform at that level or better.)
Only Accessibility-Supported Ways of Using Technologies: Only accessibility-supported ways of using technologies are relied upon to satisfy the success criteria. Any information or functionality that is provided in a way that is not accessibility supported is also available in a way that is accessibility supported.
Non-Interference: If technologies are used in a way that is not accessibility supported, or if they are used in a non-conforming way, then they do not block the ability of users to access the rest of the page
In addition to the principles, guidelines and success criteria, there is a set of Sufficient and Advisory Techniques, which documents a wide variety of techniques for each of the guidelines and success criteria in the WCAG 2.0 document itself.
Because of the technology independent nature of WCAG 2.0, a number of WCAG 1.0 checkpoints have been deemed obsolete. Most of the dropped checkpoints relate to either outdated technology (ASCII-art), specific technology (mainly HTML) or clauses that have been met (W3C 2008). Instead, WCAG 2.0 sometimes refer to sufficient and advisory techniques.
2.3 ISO 9241-171
The international standard ISO 9241-171, Ergonomics on human-system interaction - Part 171: Guidance on software accessibility (ISO 2008), provides guidance on the design of the software of interactive systems so that those systems achieve as high a level of accessibility as possible. Designing human-system interaction to increase accessibility promotes increased effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction for people having a wide variety of capabilities and preferences. Accessibility is therefore strongly related to the concept of usability.
This part of ISO 9241 provides guidance for incorporating accessibility goals and features in the design as early as possible and addresses the increasing need to consider social and legislative demands for ensuring accessibility by the removal of barriers that prevent people from participating in life activities. This part of ISO 9241 is applicable to software the forms part of interactive systems used in the home, in leisure activities, in public situations and at work. For additional guidance on the accessibility of Web content, the standard refers to WCAG 2.0.
This part of ISO 9241 is based on the current understanding of the characteristics of individuals who have particular physical, sensory and/or cognitive impairments. However, accessibility is an issue that affects many groups of people. The intended users of interactive systems are consumers or professionals - people at home, at school, engineers, clerks, salespersons, Web designers etc. The individuals in such target groups vary significantly as regards to physical, sensory and cognitive abilities and each target group will include people with different abilities. Thus, people with disabilities do not form a specific group that can be separated out and then discarded.
Accessibility for interactive systems is defined as the usability of a product, service, environment or facility by people with the widest range of capabilities. Usability is the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. Specified users include people with very wide ranging abilities, and, very probably, some "people with disabilities". Specified users and people with disabilities are not separate groups.
The standard consists of 21 guidelines and 143 requirements, where 62 of the requirements must be met in order to claim conformance with this part of ISO 9241. The requirements deal with general issues, inputs, outputs and online documentation.
2.4 Related work
The study of 1000 websites conducted for the Disability Rights Commission (DRC 2004) found that 45 % of the problems encountered by disabled users could not be attributed to explicit violations of WCAG 1.0. A similar study of a sample of international museum websites found that the museum website with the highest conformance to WCAG 1.0 was the one that disabled users found most difficult to use (Petrie et al. 2005).
The study by Lopes and Carrico (Lopes et al. 2008) allowed them to verify that, despite being able to control several aspects of accessibility quality, template mechanisms such as those of Wikipedia cannot guarantee a high quality of user experience to the audiences covered by WCAG 1.0.
Harrison and Petrie (Harrison et al. 2006) focused on severity ratings of actual problems encountered in usability tests versus priority levels in WCAG. They did user testing of six websites with two visually impaired people, two dyslectics and two controls. The participants were asked to rate the severity of the problems they experienced on the websites. In addition, the researchers made independent ratings of the severity of the problems. When comparing these results to WCAG 1.0, the researchers found no significant relationship between WCAG 1.0 priority levels and either the expert ratings or the user ratings. Harrison and Petrie concluded that developers should obtain severity ratings from users or an expert rather than relying on those provided by the WAI guidelines.
Petrie and Kheir (Petrie et al. 2007) performed a study with 6 disabled (blind) and 6 non-disabled (sighted) people, where they gathered empirical data through usability testing of two commercial websites. In this study, the researchers also obtained severity ratings from the participants and the researchers. Problems encountered by the two user groups comprised two intersecting sets, with approximately 15 % overlap. There was high agreement between participants as to the severity of the problems, and agreement between participants and researchers. However, there was no significant agreement between either participants or researchers and the priority levels given by WCAG 1.0. This study thus confirmed the findings in (Harrison et al. 2006).
2.5 Research design
WCAG is an accessibility guideline, and an empirical validation must consequently exclude the usability problems from the problem set. The inclusion of a control group makes it possible to differentiate between usability problems and accessibility problems. To our knowledge, Petrie and Kheir's study is the first published empirical validation of WCAG 1.0 based on a comparison of the performance of disabled users and a control group. They defined usability problems as those experienced by both disabled users and the control group, while accessibility problems were those experienced only by the disabled users.
This fits well with the ISO definition of accessibility. ISO defines accessibility as "usability for users with disabilities". This broadens the definition of accessibility and makes it more understandable, without redefining the scope.
In (Rømen et al. 2008) we reported on a similar study where we attempted to validate WCAG 1.0 by identifying accessibility problems through a comparison of the performance of disabled users and a control group, followed by a WCAG 1.0 conformance analysis.
Petrie and Kheir's study covered only one kind of disability (blindness), while a complete validation of WCAG should include a number of other disabilities. In ibid. we included motor impairment and dyslexia in addition to visual impairment.
None of the earlier studies had attempted to give empirically-based concrete guidance on how WCAG could be improved. In addition to a quantitative analysis of WCAG conformance, we included a qualitative analysis of the most frequently encountered accessibility problems not covered by WCAG for each of the three disability groups.
Our main research questions in ibid. were related to WCAG 1.0:
How many of the accessibility problems encountered by the disabled users could have been identified through an analysis of WCAG conformance?
Of the accessibility problems not identified through an analysis of WCAG conformance, what are the most common problems for each of the three disability groups?
In addition to answering the above main research questions, we gave descriptive data concerning the correlation between problem severity and WCAG 1.0 priority.
In the present study we have extended the analysis to also cover WCAG 2.0. This adds the following research question to the two above:
Is there any difference in conformance between WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0?
3. Method
3.1 Participants
Seven disabled participants undertook the study together with six controls. Of the disabled participants, three were visually impaired (two blind, one severely weak-sighted), two were motor impaired with reduced dexterity and two were dyslexic. The visually impaired participants were all experienced users of a screen reader, either Jaws® (2 users) or Window-eyes® (1 user) and the two blind participants used a Braille display. Both of the motor impaired participants used a standard mouse and keyboard, while none of the dyslexic participants used any assistive technology.
The group of disabled participants was comprised of four male and three female and the able-bodied group of two male and four female. All participants were used to working with computers to perform tasks such as online banking, web browsing and word processing on a weekly basis.
The user groups were matched on computer literacy, but due to practical problems, the disabled users were on an average older than the control group. We do however not see this as a grave validity threat, as the role of the control group was not to compare performance to the disabled group, but to help differentiate between accessibility problems and usability problems.
3.2 Websites
The websites tested were those of two neighbouring municipalities in central Norway. Both municipalities were well known to the participants, and more importantly, both websites offered the same array of online services. The similarity in content, purpose and user-groups facilitated the design of comparative tasks.
3.3 Tasks undertaken
For each of the websites, the participants were asked to locate the mayor's e-mail address, find a price list for kindergartens in the municipality, locate an application form and download a document from a council meeting. The tasks and order of the tasks were identical for both websites and all thirteen participants (disabled and controls).
The websites were evaluated through individual usability tests, where the participants were asked to "think aloud" as they went through the tasks. After the completion of all tasks, a short interview was conducted to uncover further problems experienced by the participant that had not been expressed through the "think aloud" procedure.
The use of a mobile usability lab allowed us to perform the tests with the disabled users at their workplace or in their home. The disabled participants used their own computer and assistive technology. The test with the control group was done in a usability laboratory with a standard PC equipment. All tests were video and audio recorded after asking for the participant's consent.
4. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Terminology
In the following we will define a usability or accessibility problem as a situation in which a user is hampered in performing a given task by a deficiency in the website being tested. In our statistical analysis of the problems encountered we count problems in the websites and not problem categories. E.g. if the users experience problems reading link texts in two different parts of a site, this is counted as two website problems, even though the two problems belong to the same problem category.
Our rationale for focusing on website problems and not problem categories is that we want to measure to what extent WCAG can be used to improve the user experience for disabled users, and users experience website problems, not problem categories.
In a similar fashion we distinguish between problem instances and website problems. A problem instance is a situation in which a specific user experiences a website problem. A website problem can consequently give rise to a number of problem instances as more than one user can run into the same website problem.
4.2 Problem instances compared
The tests showed that the disabled participants on average experienced a significantly larger amount of problems compared to the controls. The disabled participants experienced on average 17.1 problems (total=120, N=7), while the controls experienced on average 9.3 problems (total=56, N=6).
The fact that the disabled users on average experienced close to twice as many problems as the controls tells us that despite the efforts of WAI and others, much is still to be done concerning web accessibility.
4.3 Website problems compared
When comparing data from all tests, we found that the total of 176 problem instances experienced by the 13 users were caused by a total of 80 website problems.
Of these website problems, 18 were encountered by the control group only, 15 were encountered both by the control group and the disabled users, while 47 were encountered by the disabled users only (Figure 1). Following Petrie and Kheir's definition, the users identified 47 accessibility problems and 33 (15+18) usability problems in the websites.
Figure 1. Website problems
The distribution of website problems in our data for the three groups disabled only, disabled and control, and control only matches surprisingly well that found by Petrie and Kheir in their tests. Our distribution is (59%, 19%, 22%) while their distribution was (62%, 14%, 25%). We interpret this positively concerning the validity of our study.
4.4 Website problem severity
The severity of the 80 website problems were classified according to Molich’s criteria (Molich 2000). In short, a critical problem is one that inhibits a user from performing a task; a serious problem is slowing down the user significantly, but the user is able to find a way around the problem; while a cosmetic problem just makes it a bit harder for the user to perform the task.
Of the 47 website accessibility problems identified, 6 were critical, 18 were serious and 23 were cosmetic. Of the 33 website usability problems, 3 were critical, 13 were serious and 17 were cosmetic.
4.5 WCAG 1.0 conformance
For each of the 80 website problems identified, we searched WCAG 1.0 for guidelines that could have identified these problems in a heuristic evaluation with WCAG 1.0.
Figure 2 shows the WCAG 1.0 conformance for all severity levels each of the three categories disabled only, disabled and controls, and controls only.
Figure 2. WCAG 1.0 conformance for all website problems.
Of the 47 website accessibility problems, only 13 were found to be due to violations of WCAG 1.0. This corresponds to a 27% match, i.e. more than two-thirds of the website accessibility problems identified by the disabled users would not have been identified by application of the WCAG 1.0 guidelines alone.
Of the six critical website accessibility problems, only one was found to be a violation of WCAG 1.0, i.e. five out of six critical problems would not have been identified with WCAG 1.0.
Concerning the 33 usability problems, seven could have been identified by application of WCAG 1.0. We interpret the latter not as a problem with WCAG 1.0, but only as a reminder that design for all also improves usability for able-bodied users.
Table 1 shows the distribution of priority levels for the website accessibility problems. We see that of the 47 accessibility problems, only one matched a priority 1 WCAG 1.0 guideline, and this was not a critical problem (serious). We also see that of the six accessibility problems that actually were critical (inhibiting the user), the one identified by WCAG 1.0 was priority 2.
Table 1. WCAG 1.0 priority levels vs. problem severity for website accessibility problems.
WCAG 1.0 priority
Not WCAG 1.0 5 12 17
Priority 1 - 1 -
Priority 2 1 4 3
Priority 3 - 1 3
This indicates that there is little or no match between WCAG 1.0 priority and problem severity. The results are in accordance with the findings of Harrison and Petrie (Harrison et al. 2006). Unfortunately, the numbers are too small to do a statistical test of independence.
Similar to WCAG 1.0, we searched WCAG 2.0 for guidelines that could have identified these problems in a heuristic evaluation with WCAG 2.0 (figure 3).
Of the 47 website accessibility problems, only 15 were found to be due to violations of WCAG 2.0. This corresponds to a 32% match, and is only a 5% improvement compared to WCAG 1.0 Still, more than two-thirds of the website accessibility problems identified by the disabled users would not have been identified by application of the WCAG 2.0 guidelines alone.
Of the six critical website accessibility problems, two were found to be a violation of WCAG 2.0, i.e. two out of six critical problems would not have been identified with WCAG 2.0 and seven of the 33 usability problems could have been identified.
Table 2 shows the distribution of priority levels for the website accessibility problems. We see that of the 47 accessibility problems, eleven matched a level A WCAG 2.0 guideline, but none was a critical problem (serious and cosmetic). We also see that of the six accessibility problems that were critical (inhibiting the user), the two identified by WCAG 2.0 were level AAA.
Where a problem could be solved by several success criteria, the success criteria with the lowest level (A) was counted. The lower level is easier conform to, and thus represents a problem that is easier to solve.
Level A - 6 5
Level AA - 1 1
Level AAA 2 - -
This indicates that there is still little or no match between WCAG priority and problem severity.
Examples of additional problems solved by WCAG 2.0:
Links not detected by screen reader. Fix: 2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception): All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. (Level AAA).
No instructions on how to use do an advanced search. Fix: 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions: Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. (Level A).
4.7 WCAG 1.0 + 2.0 conformance
By combining WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0, we searched for guidelines that could have identified these problems in a heuristic evaluation with both sets of WCAG (figure 4).
Figure 4. WCAG 1.0 + 2.0 conformance for all website problems.
Of the 47 website accessibility problems, 18 were found to be due to violations of both WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0. This corresponds to a 38% match. By combining both versions of WCAG, there is 10% improvement compared to WCAG 1.0 and 6% improvement compared to WCAG 2.0.
Of the six critical website accessibility problems, three were found to be a violation of both sets of WCAG, i.e. three out of six critical problems would not have been identified. There was an overlap of ten problems; where three would have been identified by WCAG 1.0 alone, and five by WCAG 2.0.
Concerning the 33 usability problems, 12 could have been identified by application of both WCAG 1.0 and 2.0. Similarly to the accessibility problems, there was an overlap between the two versions of WCAG, of two usability problems; where five would have been identified by WCAG 1.0 and five by WCAG 2.0.
This means that there would be something to gain by using both WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 in combination to solve a higher number of problems than by adhering to only one set of guidelines.
Table 3 shows the distribution of priority levels for the website accessibility problems.
Table 3. WCAG 1.0 + 2.0 priority levels vs. problem severity for website accessibility problems.
WCAG 1.0 + 2.0 priority
Not WCAG 3 10 16
Level A/1 - 6 5
Level AA/2 1 1 2
Level AAA/3 2 1 -
Document was only available in PDF-format. Fix: Checkpoint 11.1 Use W3C technologies.
Two problems related to links which did not have clearly identified targets. Fix: 13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link.
WCAG 2.0 has replaced checkpoint 13.1 with two success criteria, namely 2.4.4 "Link Purpose (In Context): The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context" (A), and 2.4.9 "Link Purpose (Link Only): A mechanism is available to allow the purpose of each link to be identified from link text alone" (AAA). However, both these criteria come with the clause "Except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general". WCAG 1.0 made no such reference to ambiguity, stating merely that the link target should be clearly identified. With this clause, there is no guarantee that links are identifiable, thus reducing usability for all users, given an extreme interpretation of the guidance provided in WCAG 2.0.
The number of accessibility problems that could have been identified through an analysis of WCAG (WCAG 1.0: 27%, WCAG 2.0: 32%, WCAG 1.0 + 2.0: 38%) answers our first research question.
4.8 Problems related to specific user groups
For each of the three disabilities we have identified the kind of problems that were most frequently experienced by this user group. The following answers the second research question.
4.8.1 Problems specific to visually impaired users:
Text and links that start with the same letter and almost read the same. These phrases are difficult to distinguish. This could be fixed by a simple guideline, such as "stating the most important information or word first", which is a common usability tip. This could much improve accessibility as well. There is no reference to this in WCAG 2.0.
Figure 5. 17 phrases starting with the text "Bystyre" (City council).
Links with identical spelling that point to different link targets (e.g. "Click here to go to A and here to got to B"). This could be fixed by the WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 13.1 "Clearly identify the target of each link". WCAG 2.0 has replaced checkpoint 13.1 with two success criteria, namely 2.4.4 "Link Purpose (In Context) and 2.4.9 "Link Purpose (Link Only), but these criteria state the clause "Except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general".
High number of links and redundant links. An example of redundant links is "read more" links that point to the same target as the hypertext itself. This requires extra effort from users who use screen readers. WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 have guidelines that refer to skip-links, but offer no advice on limiting the number of redundant links.
4.8.2 Problems specific to motor impaired users:
We often found that the surface area of a screen element/menu/button was larger than the actual clickable surface. In many cases only the text itself was clickable, while the surface area suggested a larger clickable surface (affordance). There is no reference to clickable surface in either WCAG 1.0 or 2.0, however ISO 9241-171 states requirement 9.4.3 "Provide easily-selectable pointing-device targets: Target size should be optimized to maintain adequate target selectability (...) from adjacent user-interface elements". Although not stated explicitly, one could argue that this also refers to clickable surface.
Figure 6. Clickable surface; affordance (right) vs. the real world (left).
Mouse-over menus. Menus that are dynamic, and cannot be locked into place, will disappear when the user no longer hovers the pointer over it. Navigation will be disrupted and users have to start from scratch. No reference in either set of WCAG.
Small font size and a high number of links placed closely together increases the risk of erroneous clicks. This is not mentioned in WCAG, but in ISO 9241-171 requirement 9.4.3.
4.8.3 Problems specific to dyslectic users:
Positioning of links and navigational mechanisms. Links that are placed far off to either side of the webpage are often missed by dyslectic users. No reference in either set of WCAG.
Figure 7. Website perception to users with dyslexia.
Web pages crowded with a lot of text and links become confusing and difficult to read and navigate. No reference in either set of WCAG. See further discussion:
A high number of links and a lot of text on a page was an issue for both the visually impaired and the motor impaired users, but affected these user-groups differently. The motor impaired users had problems with the surface area of the links and close grouping, making it difficult to click the correct link. Without the use of skip links the visually impaired users had to scan through the page sequentially and thus had to read each link and menu item before arriving at the main content of the page. The problem may be improved upon for the visually impaired by applying header elements in the code and skip links, as described in checkpoints already expressed in WCAG 1.0. This will only help visually impaired users who use a screen reader and not motor impaired users or dyslexics.
In addition to the above accessibility problems, the disabled users also experienced usability problems such as too many levels of navigation and lack of instructions for advanced functions or forms.
5. Discussion and conclusion
The current study has been an attempt to validate empirically the usefulness of using WCAG as a heuristic for website accessibility. We are aware that the low number of participants and websites pose threats to the validity of our findings. In addition, important disability groups have not been included (e.g. screen magnifier users, people with learning difficulties, and people with hearing impairments), and the web sites tested are to a large extent traditional html pages that fit better WCAG 1.0 than WCAG 2.0.
Through controlled usability tests of two websites with disabled users and a control group we found that only 27% of the identified website accessibility problems could have been identified through the use of WCAG 1.0. A similar analysis of conformance to WCAG 2.0 showed a marginal 5% improvement concerning identified website accessibility problems. In our analysis of the website accessibility problems, we found no correlation between WCAG priority and problem severity.
WAI has never said anything about what it considers an acceptable match with reality, but we assume the numbers presented here are well below that level. Despite the listed threats to validity in the tests, the extreme difference between what we have found and what one should expect of an accessibility guideline gives us no reason to doubt that WCAG has a large potential for improvement.
A lot of good has been added to WCAG in version 2.0, but some things have unfortunately been discarded when the new recommendation was made. The documentation is now technology independent and has become somewhat vague. Techniques only add to the size of WCAG and makes it more difficult to orientate for someone who is new to WCAG.
Combining WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0 gave a 38% match. To further increase accessibility, one could use a combination of WCAG 1.0, 2.0 and the ISO standard for accessibility. However, this only adds further to the complexity of the use of guidelines.
We conclude from our findings that the application of WCAG alone is not sufficient to guarantee website accessibility. However, the application of WCAG is a good start and could be regarded as minimum requirements for making accessible websites. To further improve website accessibility and usability, website developers should use a user-centered design approach and perform usability tests of their website with specified users. These specified users should include people with very wide ranging abilities.
We do not interpret our findings as a criticism of accessibility guidelines as such, but we recommend that future versions of such guidelines to a larger extent should be based on empirical data and validated empirically.
We would like to thank the test participants and the organizations representing the disabled users. Also thanks to Terje Røsand at NTNU/NSEP for highly valuable technical assistance.
Caldwell, B., Cooper, M., Reid, L and Vanderheiden, G. 2008. Web content accessibility guidelines 2.0. http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
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Disability Rights Commission. 2004. The Web - Access and inclusion for disabled people. London: TSO.
Harrison, C. and Petrie, H. 2006. Impact of usability and accessibility problems in e-commerce and e-government websites. In Proceedings of HCI 2006, Volume 1. London: British Computer Society.
Hyun, J., Choi, D. and Kim, S. 2005. An active step toward a web content accessible society. Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A), ACM New York, NY, USA.
ISO/IEC. 2008. Ergonomics of human-system interaction - Part 171: Guidance on software accessibility.
IT- og telestyrelsen. 2009. Bedst paa Nettet (Best on the Web). http://bedstpaanettet.dk/
Lopes, R. and Carrico, L. 2008. The impact of accessibility assessment in macro scale universal usability studies of the web. Proceedings of the 2008 international cross-disciplinary workshop on Web accessibility (W4A), 5-14.
Molich, R., 2000. Usable Web Design (in Danish), Ingenioren boger, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Norge.no. 2008. Kvalitetsvurdering av offentlige nettsteder (Quality assessment of public websites). http://www.norge.no/kvalitet/
Petrie, H. and Kheir, O. 2007 The relationship between accessibility and usability of websites. Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems CHI07, 397-406.
Petrie, H., King, N. and Hamilton F. 2005. Accessibility of museum, library and archive websites: the MLA audit. Retrieved July 16th 2008: http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/ policy/Diversity/Web_Accessibility.
Reid, L. G. and Snow-Weaver, A. 2008. WCAG 2.0: A Web Accessibility Standard for the Evolving Web. ACM New York, NY, USA.
Rømen, D. and Svanæs, D. 2008. Evaluating Web Site Accessibility: Validating the WAI Guidelines through Usability Testing with Disabled Users. Proceedings of the 5th Nordic conference on Human-computer interaction: Building bridges, Lund, Sweden, ACM Press.
Velleman, E., Strobbe, C., Koch, J., Velasco, C. A. and Snaprud, M. 2007. A Unified Web Evaluation Methodology Using WCAG. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume 4556, 177.
Web Guidelines. 2007. http://www.webrichtlijnen.nl/english/
W3C. 2008. Comparison of WCAG 1.0 Checkpoints to WCAG 2.0, in Numerical Order. http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/from10/comparison
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Save Buddhist Heritage
www.save-buddhist-heritage.org www.savebh.org
PROGRESS / UPDATED
December 2014 – International Buddhist Conference
FAQ – Q&A
BURMESE Petition
CHINESE Petition
ENGLISH Petition
JAPANESE Petition
KOREAN Petition
NEPALESE Petition
SHAN – TAI Petition
SRI LANKA Petition
THAI Petition
VIETNAMESE Petition
Lumbini – Please SIGN THE PETITION:
Burmese ——- Shan Tai —–中文签名请愿书 ——- English ——- 日本語 — ภาษาไทย —- Sri Lankan —- Tieng Viet —- Nepalese —- Korean 한국의 —- FACEBOOK —-
LUMBINI IS IN DANGER!
URBAN DEVELOPMENT – “NEW WORLD PEACE CITY” PLAN -
THREATENS THE BUDDHA’S BIRTHPLACE & ITS WORLD HERITAGE STATUS
Lumbini is the Buddha’s birthplace – an archaeologically rich and sacred site located in southern Nepal. It is one of the four major pilgrimage sites of Buddhism (one of the world’s great religions), which the Buddha himself identified in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta.
At such a significant site, devoted pilgrims have come to Lumbini for the centuries and continue to do so in the present time. Here they pay homage at the place where the Buddha was born – a place that now contains important archaeological evidence about the nature of Buddhist pilgrimage centers from the very earliest times.
A Master Plan for the Development of Lumbini, which was prepared by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, emphasizes the pilgrimage aspect of Lumbini. This was approved by the UN and the Government of Nepal in 1978. The plan includes a buffer zone of twenty-two square miles to support the serenity and protection of Lumbini.
In 1997, Lumbini was declared as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in recognition of its unique importance.
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?
On January 20, 2012, the Government of Nepal and the Government of the Rep. of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the preparation of the Lumbini World Peace City Preservation and Development plan. This new plan is to be designed within one and a half years by KWAAK E.S.P.R.I. and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This World Peace City for 200,000 inhabitants will be built inside the Buffer Zone.
This agreement has been signed without informing UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.
If you would like more information about the agreement between the Nepalese government and ….please read more here: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 PDF Link 3
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WORLD PEACE CITY BEING BUILT?
A negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage site, particularly in terms of identity, authenticity, and integrity. Lumbini could most likely be placed on UNESCO’s danger list, threatening its World Heritage listing.
Lumbini will be affected by increased air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution.
The loss of twenty-two square miles of a restricted and agricultural buffer zone, with human encroachment and the impact of urbanization on the ecosystem.
An increasing emphasis of the future development of Lumbini as a population centre – “World Peace City” – rather than as the Birthplace of the Buddha. Resources will be directed towards this urban development, and its ongoing infrastructure maintenance needs, neglecting the preservation of the sacred and historic qualities of Lumbini.
We strongly urge the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon and the Government of Nepal to drop the Lumbini World Peace City plan and continue to support Kenzo Tange’s master plan. This Lumbini World Heritage Site must be preserved for future generations.
LUMBINI BELONGS TO THE WORLD, EVERYONE HAS A VOICE IN THIS MATTER, PLEASE SIGN TO SAVE LUMBINI!!!
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Dotcom demands live-stream of extradition appeal
posted August 29, 2016 at 10:15 am by AFP
Internet mogul Kim Dotcom launched his appeal against extradition from New Zealand to the United States on Monday arguing for his case to be live-streamed to ensure a fair hearing.
The German national, who has permanent residency in New Zealand, faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted in the United States of video piracy, which US authorities say cost copyright owners hundreds of millions of dollars.
"My lawyers are currently in court making argument for live-streaming of my entire hearing," the Megaupload founder tweeted shortly after the hearing began in the Auckland High Court.
He had tweeted last week that Washington "has asked the New Zealand High Court not to allow live-streaming of my global interest copyright hearing. Worried?"
Lawyer Ron Mansfield told the court the case raised "unprecedented issues of public and international interest" and it would not be a fair hearing without live-streaming.
Dotcom, who was not at the court, was arrested in a dramatic police raid on his mansion near Auckland in January 2012.
In December last year, after a nine-week hearing, Judge Nevin Dawson found there was "overwhelming" evidence to support extradition of the 41-year-old and three other Megaupload founders.
Dotcom argued Megaupload was a genuine file-sharing site that did its best to police copyright infringement but had 50 million daily users and could not control every aspect of their activity.
At its peak, Megaupload was said to be the 13th most visited site on the internet, accounting for four percent of global web traffic.
Dotcom, who has accused US authorities of pursuing a vendetta against him on behalf of politically influential Hollywood studios, has announced plans to relaunch his Megaupload empire in 2017, exactly five years after it was shut down.
The FBI alleges Megaupload netted more than US$175 million in criminal proceeds and cost copyright owners more than US$500 million by offering pirated content.
Topics: New Zealand , United States , Courts , Extradition , Internet , Germany
NZ premier: ‘Barong’ a silly shirt
‘No to slut-shaming’
New Zealand’s first female Prime Minister headlines Ateneo School of Government's Women’s Month Forum
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A Misguided Legal Challenge, A Stubborn Prime Minister, And The Governor General Stuck In The Middle
Governor General David Johnston
If you've been paying attention
to national news at all over the
last few years you'd know the
Canadian Senate is currently
stuck in a never-ending scandal
regarding expenses. The scandal
has produced a number of
possible remedies. Prime
Minister Stephen Harper upped
the ante last week by saying he
would not appoint anymore
senators in an effort to try and
bring the provinces to the table
(their support being needed if
the Upper Chamber is to be
changed in any meaningful way).
Given how much the Senate Scandal has burned the Prime
Minister I can't imagine he is in any hurry to appoint anyone
else to that body. However, this strategy is already being
challenged in court by Aniz Alani, a BC lawyer. He is
seeking to get the courts to rule on whether the Prime
Minister is constitutionally required to name senators or not.
So what does the constitution say on the matter? Section 24
states that "The Governor General shall from Time to Time,
in the Queen’s Name, by Instrument under the Great Seal of
Canada, summon qualified Persons to the Senate; and,
subject to the Provisions of this Act, every Person so
summoned shall become and be a Member of the Senate and
a Senator." Note that the constitution refers only to the
Governor General, not the Prime Minister. This is a vital fact
being lost in the whole story. Mr. Alani's court challenge
focuses on whether the Prime Minister has to render advice to
the Governor General. However, this advice is a convention,
not a law or legal precedent. And as any student of Canadian
law will tell you the courts don't rule on conventions. So it
would appear that the main thrust of the court challenge will
fail. The courts may weigh in on another issue though. The
courts may well state that the Governor General must make
appointments to the Senate. This would be in line with what
the constitution actually says. The courts have already stated
that the Senate cannot be allowed to simply whither away
through non-appointment. Another ruling would cement this
principle.
So where would this leave us? If the Prime
Minister still refuses to advise the Governor
General we may witness the rarest of political
birds: the death of a convention. Governor
General David Johnston would be the one in the
position of having to create a new rule for Senate
appointments. Normally, when the Governor
General has to act outside of established convention it either
provokes, or is caused by, a constitutional crisis. In this case
the sheer unpopularity of the Senate and the slow pace of
Senate appointments gives His Excellency some breathing
room to find a solution. Here is how it would possibly go:
The Governor General tries to convince the Prime
Minister to reconsider and give him names. He might
even mention that by long tradition he has a Right to be
Consulted. His Excellency could warn the Prime Minister that
his actions were set to trigger a constitutional crisis. And His
Excellency could encourage the Prime Minister to appoint
new senators (hopefully men & women of higher moral fibre).
In short, the Governor General would make use of Bagehot's
Three Rights of the Crown.
If Prime Minister Stephen Harper still refused to
appoint senators the Governor General may decide to
wait him out. Perhaps the next Prime Minister would be
willing to advise the Crown on this matter. This strategy has
two flaws though. 1. The party most likely to take over from
the governing Conservatives doesn't want to appoint senators
either (for that matter they don't want the Senate to exist). 2.
The Governor General can't delay on this matter forever. They
may have to do something before a more cooperative Head of
Government appears.
With all options for maintaining the current convention
exhausted the Governor General (and it may not even be
David Johnston at this point) would have to act on their own.
They could act on their own accord in making appointments
but this is unlikely. A non-elected official appointed members
of an unelected chamber no one likes would cause too much
damage to the vice-regal office. It may even damage the
monarchy. Any occupant of the Governor General's office who
respects said office would shy away from this option. And this
is assuming the newly-appointed senators were high quality.
If they were caught misusing public funds the damage would
be magnified. There is no political 'victory' with senate
appointments. The Governor General would need a different
strategy.
The Governor General could request Parliament render
advice on senate appointments. However, with two of
Canada's main parties opposing senate appointments this
may not work. If not the last foreseeable resort would be to
ask the provincial premiers for advice. There is one last option
that might be open to the Governor General but I will leave
that to another article.
His Excellency's job may well be about to become quite a bit
more interesting. All because of an upstart lawyer, a stubborn
prime minister, and a scandal-plagued senate.
Supreme Court Will Not Hear Appeal Regarding Canada's Citizenship Oath
The Supreme Court delivered the final blow against an effort by three republicans to strike down Canada's citizenship oath as being unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has decided not to hear an appeal of the ruling delivered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. As per tradition the Supreme Court did not give their reasons for denying the application. Below is the summary from the Supreme Court of Canada website:
Michael McAteer, et al. v. Attorney General of Canada
Charter of Rights – Freedom of expression – Freedom of religion – Freedom of conscience – Right to equality – Citizenship – Legislation – Interpretation – Does a statutory requirement that compels a ceremonial oath or pledge have the purpose of “controlling expression” – Does this Court’s Amselem test apply to a freedom of conscience claim and, if so, how – What evidence or rationale does the government need to constitutionally justify its requirement for a ceremonial oath or pledge – Citizenship Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29, ss. 3(1)(c) and 12(3) – Syndicat Northcrest v. Amselem, [2004] 2 S.C.R. 551, 2004 SCC 47.
The three applicants are permanent residents of Canada. Although they wish to become Canadian citizens, they each object to the statutory requirement under the Citizenship Act to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen. Michael McAteer emigrated from Ireland and argues taking the oath would be a betrayal of his republican heritage and impede his activities in support of ending the Canadian monarchy. Simone Topey emigrated from Jamaica and claims that it would violate her religious beliefs as a Rastafarian to make an oath to the person who is the head of Babylon. Dror Bar-Natan emigrated from Israel and argued that it would violate his belief in equality of all persons to swear allegiance to a symbol of inequality where some must bow to others for reasons of ancestry. They seek a declaration that an oath requiring them to bear true allegiance to “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors” violates their rights under sections 2(a), (b) and 15(1) of the Charter and are not saved by s. 1.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the application, holding: i) there was no violation of sections 2(a) and 15(1) of the Charter; ii) the oath was a form of compelled speech that prima facie violates s. 2(b) Charter rights; and iii) the violation was justified under s. 1 of the Charter. The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the applicants’ appeal but allowed the respondent’s cross-appeal and set aside that part of the lower court judgment holding that the oath violates s. 2(b) of the Charter.
The Supreme Court is right to reject this appeal. The legality
of the oath has already been affirmed. Beginning in 1994
Charles Roach attempted to argue the oath violated sections
2(b), 2(d), and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. This latest attempt (starting in 2012) differs only
in the addition of a challenge based on section 2(a) of the
Charter (Freedom of Conscience). It would appear that
appealing to the Charter a piece at a time is not an effective
strategy for republicans. I somehow doubt this is the last
we've seen of particular waste of taxpayers money however.
It should be remembered that the Canadian Citizenship oath
is reciprocal with the Queen's Coronation Oath. The
Citizenship Oath provides that the new citizen "will be faithful
and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors..." and that they will "faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my
duties as a Canadian citizen." In return Her Majesty
promises in her Coronation Oath "to govern the Peoples of
Canada according to their respective laws and customs." As
long as one side of this arrangement carries out their duties
the other side is obligated to as well. It is an
acknowledgement that the state (personified by the monarch)
cannot act in an arbitrary manner. And that the state and the
citizen are in a direct, mutual relationship. There is a
sublime equality in that I feel.
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Women & Succession to the Throne
The Duke of Lancaster
Recently Parliament passed a law changing the rules of succession so that the first-born child of the sovereign would inherit the throne regardless of gender. While generally appreciated there are some arguments that making such a change without amending the constitution is unconstitutional. As such, while the law currently stands it could be challenged and struck down at a later date. Monarchists should wonder whether they want to leave such a loose thread for future republicans to unravel at an inopportune moment.
Interestingly there is a possible solution that allows the change to happen while at the same time not opening up a wretched constitutional battle. The old succession rules stated that the eldest male child of the sovereign inherits the throne. Fine. Have Parliament pass a law declaring that the eldest child of the sovereign is legally male, even if that is not the case. Preposterous? Not really. There have been multiple examples in history where similar 'legal fictions' have been applied. It may lead to certain circumstances where a women has to reign as a king but that isn't all that odd either.
Jadwiga of Anjou, King of Poland
For instance Jadwiga of Anjou, King of Poland, was a women. It was noted at the time that while the law made no provision for rule by a queen it also did not specify the king had to be male. Poland would do the same thing with Anna Jagiellon later on. Likewise the Netherlands constitution specifies the ruler is the king despite most of their monarchs over the last century having been women. Currently Queen Elizabeth II holds two titles that are typically thought of as masculine; Lord of Mann and Duke of Lancaster. So there is precedence for this.
It should also be noted that the term 'king' is not inherently gendered. King means "one who descended from noble birth". 'Queen' is actually more problematic as it is gendered (it variously means 'wife' or 'wife of a king'). Some Asian monarchies used/use gender neutral terms for their rulers (even if women are barred from the throne). The ruler of Japan uses 'Tennou' which, while translated as 'Emperor', literally means 'Heavenly Sovereign'.
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Engineering Excellence
About Us - Our History
Milton Keynes Pressings (MKP) was established as a family business in 1985, and after 30 years of growth now employs over 150 staff and services a wide variety of sectors. The Company’s progress has been built on supplying excellent customer service and solving engineering and manufacturing solutions, whilst remaining competitive in a global market place.
As the Company has grown, considerable investment has been made throughout the facility with the purchase of new presses, robotic plant and machine tools and the extension of the laser cutting facility. In order to allow flexibility, and ensure production remains as streamlined as possible with changing customer demands and schedules, the Company utilises a combination of a traditional Kanban manufacturing system with a more progressive MRP system.
The disciplines and accreditations required to be a first and second tier supplier into the automotive industry are employed throughout the organization for the benefit of all other sectors that MKP supply.
It has been vital to the development of the Company that the original engineering foundations have supported its growth. The roots of the Company can be traced back to 1974 when Ryeland Toolmakers (RT) was established as a press tool-making facility.
RT first operated from a small space in the Old Mill in Stony Stratford, sharing the building with other start up engineering businesses, before moving after nine months to a single story building of 1,000 sq. ft. close by. Two years later larger premises were required and a suitable building was found in Bletchley. In 1980 the Company had to move again because of space limitations and a factory of 5,000 sq. ft. was found. Ryeland now consisted of ten toolmakers and the Company was building itself a reputation for press tool-making expertise and starting to develop a large customer base, including many blue chip companies.
In the early eighties with two small try-out presses in the toolroom, an opportunity was presented to the Company to get involved in production. Three more presses were acquired and just by chance a small factory became available opposite. With the existing two presses a small production facility was established and production began. This part of the business was separated from Ryeland in 1985 and a new Company was incorporated and called Milton Keynes Pressings Limited (MKP). MKP started to expand quickly and new premises were sought and found on the Water Eaton Industrial Estate in Bletchley.
In 1989 MKP started to supply parts for the Vauxhall Frontera in Luton: this link with General Motors enabled MKP to quote for new business across the whole of GME global accounts.
Through the nineties expansion continued: Electrolux of Luton decided to close their in-house press-shop: MKP won the business and were able to acquire their presses at a modest price. By the late nineties, parts were being supplied to most GM plants around the world. Japanese manufacturing techniques were adopted with cellular manufacturing and Kanban systems becoming the accepted way to operate.
In 2001 MKP were awarded the Queens Award for Export: the highest award the Government can bestow on a British company.
In 2003 the assets of Cardale Engineering Limited were bought and moved to Milton Keynes. This purchase enabled MKP to gain immediate expertise in tube bending.
In 2004 the sheet metal facility of Maine Office Limited was purchased and moved to Milton Keynes.
In 2006 the assembly plant of Maine Office in Kings Langley was purchased. MKP had been a supplier to this company since the mid-eighties.
In 2010 the entire manufacturing facility for Maine Office was moved to Milton Keynes and established into existing factory space. The major challenge was moving, installing and refurbishing the powder coating plant which has had a major benefit to the whole Group.
In 2012 MKP was awarded the General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award. This means that MKP are in the top 5% of all GM suppliers in Europe and in the top 7% worldwide.
For our MKP Group brochure:
Milton Keynes Pressings Ltd,
43a Barton Road, Water Eaton Industrial Estate,
Bletchley, Milton Keynes
MK2 3EF
T: +44 (0) 1908 271940 F: +44 (0) 1908 648906
E: info@mkp.co.uk
The MKP Group benefits from a strategic location close to Junction 14 of the M1 Motorway.
© Milton Keynes Pressings Limited 2017 | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of use
Website Designed & Created by: Media Splatt Limited
Metal Stampings / Pressings
Welded Assemblies
Toolmaking
Welded Fabrication
About Us -Our History
© Milton Keynes Pressings Limited 2017 | All Rights Reserved
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Israel’s Big Bluff
How we'll go to war with Iran
by Justin Raimondo Posted on November 04, 2011 November 3, 2011
In the summer of 2008, an op ed piece by Benny Morris, an Israeli historian of note, warned:
"Israel will almost surely attack Iran’s nuclear sites in the next four to seven months – and the leaders in Washington and even Tehran should hope that the attack will be successful enough to cause at least a significant delay in the Iranian production schedule, if not complete destruction, of that country’s nuclear program. Because if the attack fails, the Middle East will almost certainly face a nuclear war – either through a subsequent pre-emptive Israeli nuclear strike or a nuclear exchange shortly after Iran gets the bomb."
The Israeli government has been openly threatening Iran with attack for years, and we have learned not to take their outbreaks of war hysteria too seriously. During the last year of George W. Bush’s final term in office, there was heightened speculation that Tel Aviv was pressuring Washington to launch such an attack, and indeed it appears Vice President Dick Cheney argued for precisely that, albeit to no avail. Now the war talk has been revived by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, along with his defense minister, Ehud Barak, has not only been arguing within the Cabinet for such a strike, but has now supposedly moved into the implementation stage.
We are told by the Israeli media that there is a big debate going on, with two former top officials – Meir Dagan, recently retired as head of the Mossad, and Yuval Diskin, head of Shin Bet – going so far as to leak the specifics of Bibi’s scheme in order to torpedo the plan. Dagan is said to have remarked that the war plans are "the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard" – and he’s quite right.
The problem with this alleged plan is that Israel doesn’t have the military capacity to do the job and do it well: Iran’s nuclear facilities are enclosed within hardened sites, and are spread out to such a degree that Israeli war planes would have trouble reaching them. While the Israelis have recently tested a long-range missile that has the capacity to hit Iranian targets, the idea that they could take out all the intended targets in one fell swoop is simply a fantasy. Therefore, this alleged "debate" taking place within the Israeli leadership, complete with a phony "investigation" by Netanyahu into who leaked the nonexistent Israeli attack "plan," is a non-event. The whole thing, in short, is a bluff.
But who is being bluffed here? Not the Iranians, who are surely aware of Israel’s incapacity. The volume of the war hysteria is being turned up with one purpose in mind: the Israelis want the US to do their dirty work for them. This is a threat aimed not only – or even primarily – at Iran, but at us.
This has been their modus operandi throughout all the years of the "special relationship": it’s "special" because there is no reciprocity involved. Our unconditional support for the Israeli settler colony has always been an albatross hung ‘round our necks, and never more so than post-9/11, when the need for US allies within the Muslim world is vital. We support them financially, militarily, and politically, while getting absolutely nothing but grief – and more demands – in return.
Under the Bush administration, at least in the beginning, the Israelis had a free hand in Washington, at least as far as the White House was concerned. Their agents of influence permeated the national security bureaucracy and were in place when the 9/11 attacks occurred, ready and willing to carry out a policy that benefited Israel at America’s expense. This has always been Israel’s ace in the hole: the existence of a strong domestic lobby in America to push its interests to the exclusion of all else. While support for Israel is nearly reflexive in the GOP, in part due to the influence of Christian evangelicals of the dispensationalist persuasion, the lobby is also firmly entrenched in the Democratic party, especially in its Clintonian wing.
The lobby’s open hostility to the Obama administration – based on the mere possibility that there would be a more even-handed approach to the Middle East after Bush – culminated in Vice President Joe Biden’s disastrous visit to the Jewish state, where he was ambushed and humiliated by the Israelis.
However, the relationship soon jelled into a more traditional, less openly adversarial mode. Under the "team of rivals" rubric – pushed by plagiarist and court historian Doris Kearns Goodwin in her hagiographic book on Abraham Lincoln’s administration, and Bush idolator–turned–Obamaite Andrew Sullivan – the divisions in the winning Democratic coalition would be healed by replicating Lincoln’s historic compromise with his rivals, incorporating them into the Cabinet. This campaign was successful because it both flattered Obama, likening him to one of the giants of American history, and reduced his power in the key realm of foreign policy – the one area where he is perceived as "weakest," at least from the War Party’s perspective.
The ruling elite was prepared for "change" in all but one area, and so a bargain was struck: Obama would stick to domestic policy, where he would have his hands full anyway, and the Clinton gang would get to set the foreign policy agenda, with the ultimate authority – and responsibility – vested in the President.
With Hillary Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of State, the question of America’s relationship to Israel was turned over to the right-wing of the Democratic party, which has always been among the happiest hunting grounds of the Israel lobby. It was the Clinton administration, you’ll recall, that nearly freed convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, until a rebellion in the military-intelligence community made Bill back off: as a kind of compensation prize, the Israelis got a pardon for financier and reputed Mossad asset Marc Rich, Clinton’s last disgraceful act carried out in the Oval Office. Hillary’s record when it comes to the Palestinian question is down-the-line support for the official Israeli position, with only minor disagreements — such as occurred over the settlements issue — that are soon "resolved" in Israel’s favor.
The announcement of a "plot" by the Iranians to blow up a Washington restaurant with the Saudi ambassador in it was met by near universal skepticism, except where it counts – in Washington and the capitals of Europe. Yet this almost comical tall tale is just the first shot over the bow in the ongoing propaganda war: next week we’ll be hearing from that den of thieves known as the United Nations, whose nuclear watchdog agency will issue a new report on alleged Iranian nuclear weapons research, which promises to be more serious. The British, for their part, have announced their support for military action in advance, and the rest of the West, along with our Arab satraps, is bound to follow in their wake. It is left to the Americans, however, to give the command to strike – not the Israelis.
Israeli efforts to drag us into a war with Iran have so far been limited to provoking Tehran’s proxies in the region – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Syrian Ba’athists – into a direct confrontation with the US. The Netanyahu regime has abandoned this policy of indirection and gradualism, however, and instead opted for a direct assault on the problem: by constantly threatening to strike themselves, the Israelis are counting on their domestic lobby to push the Americans into acting preemptively.
This plan appears to be working. Although the last US intelligence assessment [.pdf] of Iran’s nuclear capabilities asserted with near certainty that Tehran had abandoned its weapons program in 2003, the War Party isn’t too concerned about making its case airtight: the Israel lobby has both parties, and Congress, in its hip pocket, and with Hillary leading the charge the "existential threat" to Israel’s very existence will be met with US force. It’s only a matter of timing.
The War Party, however, has another problem, and that is the objective factors which militate against another war at this time, number one being the imminent collapse of the world economic system, and specifically the instability of the banks. As the dominoes of the Euro-zone fall one upon the other, and the US banking system itself comes under threat, the question of how to finance this war, even while its economic consequences – starting with $200 a barrel oil prices – are visited upon our heads.
This problem can be solved, however, if the political consequences of this "perfect storm" of war and economic implosion line up with the stars. With America at war, the economic privations we will have endured anyway will be masked by the general numbness induced by the atmosphere of crisis. Your home has been foreclosed? You’ve lost your job, or you can’t get to your job because it costs $100 in gas to travel one way? Blame it on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the "nuclear madman" of the Middle East.
The very real financial crisis of the West will be resolved by the introduction of yet another crisis, in this case a completely manufactured and ginned up one. Imbued with new authority, the Obama administration will take full advantage of the wartime atmosphere to impose "emergency" economic measures, commandeering the economy in the name of "national security" and getting the Republicans to go along with it on "patriotic" grounds. We’ll be subjected to endless demands for bipartisan "unity" in the face of a foreign "threat," with both "left" and "right" factions of the War Party inundating the air waves and the blogosphere with war propaganda.
Can it be stopped? Looming economic disaster can’t be forestalled much longer: no matter how many band-aids they put on the cancer, the only cure for the underlying illness is the shock of deflation – and a meteoric plunge in the standard of living. The social and political consequences of such a descent would threaten the very foundations of our political system, and tear the fabric of society apart: war, in such a circumstance, is a unifying factor, one that directs the energy and anger of the populace outward, at some fake foreign "enemy," rather than at the real enemy, which is right there in Washington, D.C.
In the face of this, the supposedly "anti-government" ideology of the Republican "tea party" would vanish overnight, and aside from criticizing the President for not prosecuting the war with sufficient militance, the GOP would line up behind the commander-in-chief. A new comity would come to Washington. Cut the budget? Not in wartime! The only way the Republicans are going to allow a tax hike, which the Obamaites have been yearning for – and which Occupy Wall Street supports in the form of a "transaction tax" – will be if they call it a "war tax," or a "kill the Muslims tax." Such a meeting of the minds is in the works.
As both parties march us off to war with Iran, the reality of who holds the power in this country comes ever clearer in focus: the "team of rivals" that binds the Obamaites to the Clintons also includes to the Republican party establishment when it comes to the question of war and peace. All these factions compete with each other in seeing how low they can kowtow to the Israel lobby: Pat Buchanan’s quip that Washington is "Israeli-occupied territory" is right on the mark.
The Zionist project of a "Greater Israel" faces two big obstacles: Hamas and Hezbollah, backed by Syria and Iran. The Syrians are being taken care of in other ways, but the Iranians are a harder nut to crack. The only hope is to drag the US into a military confrontation with Iran, and let our GIs fight and die for Israel. The question is how to sell this to the American people. Even if the Iranians were to be so foolish as to weaponize their nuclear capabilities – and there is no convincing evidence that they are doing so – this would hardly constitute a credible threat to the United States, or even to Israel. After all, the US faced off with a nuclear-armed Soviet Union, which had enough nukes to extinguish all life on the planet: and yet the stand off lasted throughout the cold war, which never did get hot enough to allow for a nuclear exchange. Both sides were deterred by the horrific consequences of their own weaponry, and the world escaped the worst case scenario.
Indeed, by this measure, a nuclear-armed Iran is hardly an "existential threat" to Israel. For the equalization of the military balance of power would result in a tense but lasting "peace," and eliminate the possibility that Israel – which does have nuclear weapons, and plenty of them – would use nukes against Iran or anyone else in the region, without fear of retaliation in kind.
Such logic, however, is alien to the Washington mindset, which cannot frame the question objectively and has lost all sight of American interests when it comes to the Middle East. This is the result of the distortion of the policymaking process, which has fallen under the undue influence of foreign lobbyists who serve Israel’s interests above all. This is why the issue of Israel’s nuclear arsenal – the single most destabilizing factor in the Middle East – never comes up in our discourse.
The Israel lobby is hell-bent on war, and is likely to get it: but they have to be careful. To launch such a project in the midst of a presidential election season is a risky business. They must do everything in their power to prevent the election from becoming a referendum on the war question, and the simplest way to do that is to make sure both major candidates are securely in the War Party’s camp. That’s the only way they can win: by rigging the outcome.
What’s needed is a mass mobilization against this administration’s war plans, but frankly I see little hope of such a movement arising. The left in this country is so tied to the Obama administration that such a development is highly unlikely to get off the ground, and the right – except for the Ron Paul brigades – is certain to line up in favor of military action in defense of Israel, which they love more than their own country.
In short, we are headed for disaster. As Bette Davis once put it: fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!
Author: Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo passed away on June 27, 2019. He was the co-founder and editorial director of Antiwar.com, and was a senior fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute. He was a contributing editor at The American Conservative, and wrote a monthly column for Chronicles. He was the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement [Center for Libertarian Studies, 1993; Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000], and An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard [Prometheus Books, 2000]. View all posts by Justin Raimondo
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By Brandon on February 4, 2013 in Destroy, Disarm, Disrupt
An interesting use of force, compromising the attacker’s machine, but for the purposes of tracking instead of outright disruption/destruction.
“In 2007, the IT team of a Chennai-based drug maker detected heavy traffic on servers connected to its research lab. The company was developing an anti-asthma molecule, and it suspected that a hacker was stealing the research data.
Unable to trace the hacker, the company approached Mahindra Special Services Group MSSG, a security consulting firm, part of the Mahindra & Mahindra group. MSSG experts placed a dummy file containing a virus on the company’s R&D folder that appeared to contain research data, says Dinesh Pillai, MSSG’s CEO.
“When the hacker returned, he went straight for the dummy file and we traced him using the virus,” he says. The hacker turned out to be a 29-year-old Chandigarh resident who was hired by a rival drug maker. Experts say India remains highly vulnerable to cyber attacks on its critical infrastructure. “I do not even know the command and control system for dealing with cyber attacks in the country,” says Pillai.”
via Can cyber attacks on India’s critical infrastructure be thwarted? – Business Today.
India, Mahindra & Mahindra, malware
Cyber Assault is NOT Cyber War
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Subjects, society, style: changing evaluations of Watteau and his art
Walsh, Linda (1998). Subjects, society, style: changing evaluations of Watteau and his art. In: Barker, Emma; Webb, Nick and Woods, Kim eds. The Changing Status of the Artist. Art and Its Histories (2). London, U.K and New Haven, U.S.: Yale University Press, pp. 220–248.
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9...
This book focuses attention on the theme of the artist and especially the changing status of the artist in the early modern period. In a series of case studies—some devoted to a single artist and others dealing more broadly with artistic practice—the authors explore and question the widely held notion that the later fifteenth and sixteenth centuries witnessed the emergence of the modern idea of the artist.
After an introductory discussion of some of the fundamental assumptions in modern Western culture about the artist as genius, the book investigates artists in Renaissance Italy, the various claims for status that they made, and the claims made on their behalf. The book then expands traditional art history’s focus on Italy and examines artists and art production in Germany and the Netherlands during the later fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In two concluding case studies of Northern European artists of slightly later periods—Vermeer and Watteau—the authors consider factors that influence the status and reputation of artists during their lifetimes and after their death.
1999 The Open University
0-300-07740-8, 978-0-300-07740-7
Extra Information:
Course reader for OU module A216
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Arts and Cultures > Art History
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Arts and Cultures
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Jean Fone
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Crystal Bridges Museum Seeks Submissions for Massey Exhibition
From the dilapidated back road barn to the backyard oak scarred by last winter’s ice storm but still standing, Northwest Arkansas is rich with landscapes at risk of being lost. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is inviting residents of Northwest Arkansas to grab their cameras, get outdoors and capture the landscapes that are most meaningful to them – especially those threatened by development, disease and the ravages of age.
Photos of treasured sites in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties may be submitted for inclusion in ‘Looking at Our Landscape’, a juried community photography exhibition planned for spring 2010. Special consideration will be given to landscapes with historic or cultural significance that are accessible to the public and at risk of being lost. Selected entries will be presented in an online gallery, and forty works will be displayed April 1 – May 31, 2010 in an exhibition at the Massey, Crystal Bridges’ temporary gallery in downtown Bentonville.
‘Looking at Our Landscape’ is a regional response to “Heroes of Horticulture”, an exhibition featuring 12 celebrated photographers’ documentation of threatened heritage landscapes located throughout the United States. On display at the Massey January 14 – March 21, “Heroes of Horticulture” was organized by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in collaboration with The Cultural Landscape Foundation of Washington, D.C.
Given Northwest Arkansas’ rapid growth and development (the region’s population has nearly doubled since 1990, according to the University of Arkansas Center for Business and Economic Research), both exhibitions are timely in calling attention to historic and otherwise significant landscapes and the need to preserve them.
“Even as a relative newcomer to the area, I can see the rapid changes taking place,” said Chris Crosman, Crystal Bridges’ chief curator. “With Heroes and the follow up regional response, ‘Looking at Our Landscape’, we hope to raise awareness of the visual, historic, and cultural value of our own natural environment. Engaging community members in the creative process is also a goal for the exhibition,” Crosman said.
The deadline for submissions is February 5, 2010.
Category: Museum News
Museum of Art and History Presents Trains of Santa Cruz
Casino Luxembourg opens L.A. Raeven. Ideal Individuals
Heritage Program tours offer looks behind-the-scenes of history at Cincinnati Museum Center’
« Tellus Science Museum Passes 100,000 Planetarium Visitors in First Year
Hollywood Entertainment Museum’s 100 Year Collection Up for Auction to Save Education for At-Risk Youth »
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Tower Bridge London Facts
The Tower Bridge is located over the River Thames in London city, England. It is an iconic symbol of London and it gets its name after the Tower of London which is built close to the Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge comprises of two towers that are connected to each other with the help of two horizontal walkways. The Tower Bridge is at times referred to as the London Bridge. However, the truth is that the London Bridge is next to the Tower Bridge.
Nearest Tube Station to Tower Bridge is Tower Hill
The Tower Hill on the Circle and District Lines is the closest London underground station from the bridge. The closest Docklands Light Railway station is the Tower Gateway.
During the second half of the 19th century, there was a growth in the commercial sector in London. The expansion of commerce in the East End of London made it essential that a new river crossing is built downstream of London Bridge.
However, the construction of a fixed bridge was not an option as it would have prevented the tall-mastered ships from harboring the Pool of London which is located between the London Bridge and the Tower of London. In order to find out a solution to the issue, a committee was formed in 1876 and Sir Albert Joseph Altman was its Chairman. The Plan design submitted to the committee by Sir Horace Jones was selected in 1884.
The Architecture of Tower Bridge
The actual construction work of the bridge commenced in 1886, but it took around five years and 432 workers to complete the construction. A crucial contribution to the building of the bridge was provided by major contractors of that time. For laying the base of the bridge, two huge piers were sunk into the riverbed. The framework of the bridge was provided by the large quantity of steel. A layer of Cornish granite and Portland stones were used to protect the steel and gave the bridge its distinguishing identity.
The Bridge is 800 feet in length with its two towers, every 213 feet and built on piers. The space between the two towers, 200 feet, is divided in two equal bascules which can be elevated to an 83-degree angle so that the traffic from the river below the bridge can pass. The walkways within the bridge are 44 meters above the river. The original mechanism used for raising the bascules was powered with the help of pressurized water that was stored in many hydraulic accumulators. This system was replaced in 1974 by a new electro-hydraulic drive system.
Tower Bridge Opening
After the death of Jones, the architect in charge of constructing the bridge, George D. Stevenson was appointed in his place. Stevenson substituted the brick façade used by Jones with Victorian Gothic style. This change not only made the bridge a unique structure, but it was also used to harmonize the bridge with the Tower of London. The bridge was officially opened in 1894 by the Prince of Wales (Edward VII). Prior to the opening of the Bridge, the Tower Subway was the shortest route to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street.
The bridge even today used by thousands of commuters. It is an important crossing of the Thames. Safety measures like restricting the speed of the car or carrying a maximum of specified weight by trucks or other vehicles have been imposed on those who use this bridge. The use of the river for transportation has drastically reduced but that has not affected its popularity. The Tower Bridge of London continues to be an attraction for many people even today and remains one of the most unique constructions ever seen.
England Trains – Information on getting and reading your train ticket, the high speed, and regional train system; a link of train schedules.
More Info On- Bridge of Sighs Oxford City Walking Tour, London Attractions, Top 10 Things to See In London
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Ludmila Ultiskaya, Daniel Stein, Interpreter
4. January 1946, Wroclaw
LETTER FROM EFRAIM CWYK TO AVIDOR STEIN
Dear Avigdor,
Did you know I managed to find Dieter back in August last year? He is alive, but stuck in a monastery! When I heard he had become a monk I could not believe it. We were in Akiva together, we were Zionists, we were going to go to Israel, and suddenly this! A monk! After the war there are not that many of us still around. He is one of the lucky few, and all just to become a monk? When someone said he was in Kraków I went straight there. I was sure, and I still haven't changed my mind completely, he must have been tricked. To tell the truth, I took a pistol along just in case. I captured a good Walther a while back. (p. 36)
Russian writer Ludmila Ulitskaya's 2006 novel, translated ably by Arch Tait in 2011 as Daniel Stein, Interpreter, is not a true novel in the sense of a unified narrative. Instead, it is an epistolary narrative, told through dozens of real and fictitious letters that narrate the life and beliefs of an extraordinary man, Oswald Rufeisen, the model for the titular Daniel Stein. In these various letters, excerpts of speeches and even brochures, the broad parameters of his life and his conversion from Judaism to becoming a controversial Barefoot Carmelite monk living in Israel after the Holocaust are established. It is a challenging work, one that can excite and frustrate even the most curious and cautious readers.
Daniel Stein, Interpreter is divided into five parts, yet these are not as much chronological divisions as they are thematic ones. In them, real and fictitious characters based on actual people narrate in their letters to others (which in turn engender other conversations with still other readers, until each section concludes with a letter written by the author herself) their experiences in the past war, the Holocaust, their issues and crises of faith, and, sometimes in passing, their memories of this Jewish boy, Dieter/Daniel, who became a monk and who tried to re-create the Jewish Christianity of St. James of Jerusalem. It is a fascinating tale, but one that requires quite a bit of parsing as to determine what is being said and what is being withheld.
Daniel's character is one of the few things that are established solidly. He is a smart, sensitive soul, yet one who manages to act as a mediator between intransigent groups. He manages to survive the Holocaust by convincing the local Gestapo leaders that he is a Pole who is fluent in German and Yiddish and he uses this position of trust to shield over 300 refugees who have fled from their local ghetto to the surrounding forest, where they somehow manage to survive. This ability to communicate across linguistic, cultural, and religious divides serves him well later in life, as he tries to reconcile the various branches of Christianity with Judaic practices. For this, he becomes a thorn in the side of both the State of Israel, who granted him residency but refused to recognize him as a Jew, and the Catholic Church, whose leadership questioned in the 1980s if this monk preaching a return to Jewish Christianity should be muzzled. Daniel's efforts, quixotic as they may seem, are shown to have had a tremendous influence on the lives of several, including those who only came to know of him through the written and oral testimonies of others.
However, the other narrative threads, especially those related to how people choose their faiths or non-beliefs in moments of crisis, are more difficult to follow, as they are often not developed further. There were several, at least three, sub-narratives that in their own right could have made for intriguing, if not outstanding, novels. Yet here there are so many disparate elements suborned into the greater narrative of one man's transforming faith and ability to interpret the various languages of desire spoken by his congregants. It would have been nice to have seen more of this, as there are spaces of several letters where Daniel largely disappears into the background without much in the way of payoff later.
Yet despite these flaws, Daniel Stein, Interpreter is a powerfully constructed epistolary novel that largely works. Although some character/letter sets are more poignant than others, for the majority of them, the effects that this largely historical convert/monk had on their lives are palpable. The result is a story that promises to reveal new facets upon a re-read and is one well-worth visiting regardless of one's creed or belief system.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Ludmila Ulitskaya
Looking at my 2014 reading/reviewing goals, 2/3 into the year
Today marks the 242nd day of 2014. There are 123 days remaining in the year, so roughly 2/3 have already passed. Thought I would post an update on my 2014 reading/reviewing goals, note some changes, and lament one or two that have already failed. Here is a link to my original January 2 post on the topic.
1. Read (or re-read) at least 50 books each in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French.
As of right now (totals will change when I finish reading a few by midnight on the 31st):
Spanish: 37/50 - ahead of pace by 4
Portuguese: 21/50 - behind pace by 12 (might finish 1-2 by tomorrow night)
French: 28/50 - behind pace by 5
Italian: 27/50 - behind pace by 6 (should finish 2 by tomorrow night, however)
Since I'm planning on reading a lot more non-English literature in September and October, these totals will shift significantly. Portuguese is the only one in real danger of not being reached, but even there I have almost 60 print volumes and over 30 e-book editions.
2. Have 35% or more of my reading/re-readings this year be of works (co)-authored or (co)-edited by women.
Currently at 80/224 2014 reads, or 35.7%. Just above pace. Have two more books by women that I want to finish by tomorrow, so percentage may rise slightly.
3. To (re)-read and review each of the Premio Alfaguara winners, including those of the 1965-1972 incarnation.
I have only 8 out of 25 books left to review, so this is still very doable. Planning on reviewing more in September and October.
4. During the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup, reprise my 2010 "World Cup" series of posts by writing a combination of reviews of prominent writers from participating countries or summaries of national literature.
I wrote Group previews, but no real reviews of nationally-prominent writers of these 32 nations during that time. Partial fail.
5. Do an in-depth series of articles/reviews on a Southern writer.
Haven't started this yet, but likely to start reviewing Eudora Welty's novels in the coming month or two, along with a few more Faulkner reviews if I have the time. Thomas Wolfe, however, will likely be shunted to next year.
Newer Goals:
1. Write at least one post a day in 2014.
2. Write 150 reviews in 2014.
I've written 103 so far, so slightly above pace.
3. Read/review all the books listed in the 2014 Upcoming Releases post from January.
I've reviewed all but 20 of the books already released and am quickly closing the gap, writing at least 4-5 reviews/week for the past three months. Already have over 80 2014 releases read/reviewed.
4. Average at least a book a day read, as I've done since 2008.
Behind pace by 18 right now, but should catch up in the coming weeks. Be off work due to injury certainly has given me more time to read, plus I like to read more when it's cooler.
If you came up with reading goals, tell me how you're doing. Curiosity and all that.
Posted by Lsrry at 7:50 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2014 Reading
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Seconds
Many stories, whatever their medium of expression or genre of storytelling, often begin with real-life encounters with people and a simple "what if?" pondering that leads to a series of other questions that in turn engender a story. This was the case for Bryan Lee O'Malley (author of Scott Pilgrim) in his latest graphic novel, Seconds. In this story of a young, independent-minded, and occasionally obstinate woman, Katie, O'Malley explores the concepts of seconds, whether they be key seconds in one's life, the desire for second (or multiple) chances to make amends, or the second "doubles" that represent the roads we should (not) have taken, the paths that we wished we (never) had explored.
Seconds begins with Katie, who had been working at a small sit-down restaurant of that name, planning after four years of work there as the chef in charge, to establish her restaurant. She is someone is so involved in her projects that she is a bit intimidating to the staff who do not know her well and her aloofness, which covers up some of her insecurities, plays a major role in the events to come. As she readies for the move, stressing over things like the budget and the name for this upcoming restaurant (initially she chooses Katie's), she comes to know better a timid yet intelligent young woman named Hazel, who informs Katie (who incidentally lives in an upstairs studio apartment on the top floor of the building where Seconds is) that there is a house spirit there who is capable, through the use of magic mushrooms on the premise and the writing down of the mistakes one wishes to correct, of giving that person who has ingested the mushrooms a second chance to atone for a mistake. After Katie's ex-boyfriend (and former staff member) Max appears at the opening of her new restaurant, causing Katie to babble and to make a fool of herself, she stumbles back to her apartment and discovers the mushroom and on a whim, eats it and writes down her wish that she had never broken up with him.
What follows is a series of follies, as the alt-Katies (Katie keeps a memory of all of pre-mistake events, but does not recall the alt-changes until she wakes up on the day the change has reverted herself to) have made even further messes. O'Malley does an excellent job in telling this familiar story, as each alt-Katie's decision making, self-centered as many of them are, further fleshes out her character and those of the kitchen staff at Seconds. The result is an absorbing read where the reader may find herself turning the pages quickly to discover what happens next.
This fast-paced and familiar plot of using up "second chances" to discover just who you really are is augmented by several choices that O'Malley made for his secondary characters. While it would have been easy for him to populate his characters with strictly Caucasian people, the characters in Seconds resemble the people that you would find in most any restaurant or business today: people of various ethnic groups, a loving gay couple, overweight and malnourished people, people who are not move-star attractive. Furthermore, O'Malley does not place over-emphasis on this diverse cast of characters: they are people first and foremost and their loves and lusts, faults and virtues, are shown to be as natural as those of Katie herself. It is their interactions with her and how the alt-Katies respond to them, that make Seconds different from most other based-on-life graphic novels.
Although I am far from an expert on illustration, I did like the illustration style here. There seems to be a combination of North American and Japanese manga comic styles here, with vivid colors and wide eyes adding greatly to the effect. The lettering is a bit small, but the clever dialogue (often expressed in bracketed smaller print to underscore sotto voce commentary) fits the style employed here. The only quibble I had is that there could have been perhaps even more expression on the faces of the characters, but for the most part O'Malley and his team did an excellent job in rendering the characters and their situations.
Seconds is one of the best graphic novels I've read in the past few years. Its combination of a personal yet universal narrative with a "butterfly effect" alt-timeline story works very well. Its characters are dynamic and fleshed out superbly. It is one of those rare graphic novels that will appeal to audiences of various ages, genders, and ethnicities. It simply is a very good story that is illustrated well. If you like intelligently-written graphic novels, this is one worth reading.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Graphic Novels
Some late August Foreign Book Porn
Made my monthly trip to McKay's today. Found quite a few titles in translation in languages that I want to learn. Above are four Serbian translations: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Children of Hurin; Tolkien, The Silmarillion; Salvador Dali, I am a Genius; and Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Being somewhat of a Tolkien enthusiast (at least for his non-LotR works) and certainly one who enjoyed Gabo's most famous work, I was almost ecstatic to see these four books available for a grand total of $6.50. Will likely re-read these stories in tandem with these translations in the coming year or two, maybe sooner in the case of Tolkien, as I don't have published reviews of those two books.
More works in translations (and two in the original idiom, albeit one seems to have been modernized): Tolstoy's Anna Karenina in Italian; Gide's Les Faux Monnayeurs in the original French; three Dostoevsky short stories in Spanish translation; and a prose, modernized French edition of Tristan et Iseult. All of these for language practice (and the Dostoevsky because it was only 15¢). All this for $1.55.
Got lucky here and found the "first edition" (a limited edition published by arrangement before the mass release) of the English translation of Elsa Morante's Historia (I've already read the Italian original, but this is a leatherbound, gilt edition from The Franklin Library and it was a steal at $18 for its very good condition). Also found an Attic Greek-Brazilian Portuguese translation of the middle third of The Odyssey for $3 and Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek's most famous work, The Piano Teacher, in the original German for only 75¢.
Spending $29.80 in store credit (and having almost $7 remaining from the books I traded in) for these classics makes me very thankful that I can travel to a wonderful bookstore 1-2 times a month and always find surprises and excellent fiction for cheap rates. Now to find the time to work again on my languages so I can read the German and Serbian editions almost as quickly as I do the English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian books bought.
Labels: Book Porn
Kameron Hurley, The Mirror Empire
"Sorry," Roh said. "I'm Rohinmey Tadisa Garika, a student of Ora Dasai's. Forgot about Saiduan privacy. I meant no offense. We're very open here."
The sanisi sheathed his blade.
Roh had not gotten a good look at the sanisi back in the foyer. Now that he was up close, he realized he had made a false assumption. The sanisi was tall, far taller than any Dhai, and dark, with twisted rings of black hair knotted close to his head, though it looked like it had been shorn short not many months back. The ends were ragged. It was the sanisi's face, though, that made Roh pause. The hair that graced the sanisi's upper lip and the sides of the cheeks was soft and downy. Roh had seen pictures of Saiduan men, and they all had short but noticeable beards. (p. 38)
Epic fantasies, especially their opening volumes, are difficult books to review. The reviewer has to not only take into account that there likely will be no complete character or plot arcs, that there will be a suspension of events in order to build for the subsequent volumes. Then there is the necessary acclimation to created "worlds" and cultures, with alien-sounding character and place names and perhaps ways of life that differ considerably from those depicted in more realist stories. Although certainly not a prerequisite, there is often more mass violence (battles, assassinations, duels) in epic fantasies than in most other literary genres. If a reviewer has difficulties with some of these elements, it can make it much more difficult to enjoy the opener to an epic fantasy series even when the author has gone to some length to introduce elements, such as gender and race, that are often either neglected or presented in a fashion that would alienate those who are not males or are Caucasian.
For readers who want to find "something different" in epic fantasy, Kameron Hurley's first epic fantasy, The Mirror Empire, may appeal greatly to them. Over the course of 449 pages (I presume the Nook e-edition I read equates to the print pages), there is a lot that transpires within its pages: two seemingly parallel worlds starting to merge; a five-gender system in which "traditional" power/status structures are upended; three distinct cultures, each with its own dynamics, including a sordid pogrom taken up against one of those cultures; semi-sentient mobile plants who are a terror and people who use bears with forked tongues as a mount; and a magical system based on the waxing and waning of satellites. This should be excellent fodder for those who long for imaginative, inventive fantasy elements, but yet... Yes, but yet..., as there were several major flaws that kept me from enjoying The Mirror Empire.
Structurally, the opening chapters are a mess. Hurley has to expend a lot of pages to establish these series of subplots that it makes it not just a bit difficult to follow, but it also makes them rather prosaic. Introduce quickly a setting, don't devote the space to making these settings "organic" to the plot, move on to the next subplot setting, rinse, repeat. By the time the first quarter is over, everything is just so muddled. There are two main reasons this confusion is exacerbated, the prose and characterizations.
To be honest, Hurley's writing feels much more like an extended outline than a polished narrative at the syntactical level. The narrative is just too staccato. The descriptions are sparse, feeling perfunctory. This leaves the settings, which should be interesting with these inventive creatures like the acid-spitting plants and forked-tongued bear mounts, barren of anything of real interest. The fact that there are two portal worlds that seem to be bleeding into each other only makes this lack of scenery development all the more disappointing. There really was nothing that stood out here in terms of setting. The spartan prose also affects the dialogue, as those to often felt as though a bunch of high school Drama I students forced to take the class were just mumbling their lines, with little conviction behind them.
This makes the characterizations feel hollow, flat. Hurley tries to present a plethora of views and have certain scenes that underscore the different socio-gender power structures, but as can be seen in the scene quoted below, the potential falls short:
Zezili must have shown her disapproval in her face, because he interrupted before she could dissent, hurried on. "Just the daily papers from Daorian. I know your feeling about books, and Daolyn feels that way as well, but surely, what harm is there in papers? Just some news from outside? There was a silk merchant through here last week, she –"
"I regret that we have had no children," Zezili said. A sore subject indeed, in any company. "I have heard that a man assisting in the raising of children often finds some fulfillment from it, but I'm here to take life in Rhea's name, not give it."
"You should just dedicate your body to her as well, then," Anavha said. A bit too cutting for Zezili's taste.
Zezili's anger stirred. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" she said. "Having a sexless woman for a wife? Yes, you'd like taking solace in none but your own body. Because that's all I would allow you. My sisters have no use for you. Who will touch you then? Or will you content yourself to be a mad little thing, running after dajian effeminates?"
She saw Anavha clenching his fists, saw the anger in him, and saw it dissipate into tears. Rhea only allowed him tears. (pp. 66-67)
The first thing I noticed in this passage is that Hurley depends too much on description between the quotes. The pair's faces have to be described, as apparently the words alone cannot give an accurate depiction. Even worse, there are extraneous sentences, such as "A sore subject indeed, in any company.", whose incomplete fragments do not further the emotional establishment, but instead feel like placeholders for more direct, intense descriptors. This occurs so frequently in the narrative that this is not an isolated case, but instead is a prominent flaw in the narrative. The characters' emotions and thoughts are reduced to sounding almost robotic that this plethora of weak narrative intrusions.
These choppy, weak sentences made for a difficult reading experience. There was no elegance to these scenes. I could see the narrative bolts so often that it was difficult to put that aside and to concentrate on the unfolding story. This is a shame, for there were times that the story was interesting, that I was engaged, and that I wanted to see how these subplots involving power and resistance while so many strange, magical things were occurring would unfold. As I write this a day after finishing it, all that comes to mind is that there were a lot of things happening, but few things that meant much at all. Perhaps the fault is in the stars, or in my inability to connect with this complex series of plot and character developments. But perhaps it's as simple as a good story being held back by structural flaws that, if fixed, could have made The Mirror Empire a great epic fantasy opener. As it stands, this novel is just a hot mess.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Kameron Hurley
Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
In many ways, likability is a very elaborate lie, a performance, a code of conduct dictating the proper way to be. Characters who don't follow this code become unlikeable. Critics who criticize a character's unlikeability cannot necessarily be faulted. They are merely expressing a wider cultural malaise with all things unpleasant, all things that dare to breach the norm of social acceptability.
Why is likability even a question? Why are we so concerned with whether, in fact or fiction, someone is likable? Unlikable is a fluid designation that can be applied to any character who doesn't behave in a way the reader finds palatable. Lionel Shriver notes, in an essay for the Financial Times, that "this 'liking' business has two components: moral approval and affection." We need characters to be lovable while they do right. ("Not Here to Make Friends," p. 70, iPad iBooks e-edition)
I have been following Roxane Gay on Twitter ever since I read and reviewed her debut novel, An Untamed State, back in June. It is a different experience witnessing a writer and cultural critic holding forth on a variety of issues "in real time" before sitting down and reading her debut collection of thirty-eight essays, Bad Feminist. Many of the issues raised in her essays I first experienced in truncated form on Twitter, but in both media, what immediately becomes apparent is Gay's wit and honesty.
The essays that appear in Bad Feminist are culled from columns that have appeared in the past few years at places such as The Rumpus, Virginia Quarterly Review, and Salon, among others. Grouped into five categories ("Me," "Gender & Sexuality," "Race & Entertainment," "Politics, Gender & Race," and "Back to Me"), Bad Feminist's essays explore a variety of topics, ranging from the personal to cultural flash points such as the depiction of blacks in American cinema ("Surviving Django" and "Beyond the Struggle Narrative"). In these essays, Gay is not a polished, aloof critic. Instead, she allows her virtues and flaws to be on full display, showing an individual who is deeply engaged with her subject matter, sometimes to the point of self-conscious subjectivity. This, however, is not a flaw but a feature in her essays, one that makes Bad Feminist an absorbing read.
One shining example can be found in "What We Hunger For." Starting as an admission that she cannot critique The Hunger Games effectively due to her fannish attachment to it, Gay proceeds to write a passionate essay that touches upon a traumatic time in her life (a gang rape in middle school) before proceeding to tie this in to the question of "darkness" in contemporary YA fiction:
In June 2011, Meghan Cox wrote, in the Wall Street Journal, about how Young Adult fiction has taken too dark a turn, has unnecessarily exposed young readers to complex, difficult situations before they are mature enough to make sense of those situations. She wrote,
If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is. There are of course exceptions, but a careless young reader – or one who seeks out depravity – will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds.
She is correct in noting that there is darkness in some Young Adult fiction, but she largely ignores the diversity of the genre and the countless titles that aren't grounded in damage, brutality, or loss. More troubling, though, is the suggestion that somehow reality should be sanitized for teen readers. (p. 115)
The remainder of "What We Hunger For" discusses this desire for sanitizing YA literature, making it somehow "safer" for readers and how it is a misleading goal in light of those young readers, much more than what one might presume, who find solace and strength in these accounts of others battling difficulties and horrendous moments in order to come out on the other side. Gay argues her point persuasively, using personal experience to flesh out her points without ever denigrating those who believe otherwise. This ties in directly to the next essay, "The Illusion of Safety/The Safety of Illusion," in which Gay explores her unease about the notions that lie behind the usage of the label "Trigger Warning." She is compassionate toward those who have suffered traumatic flashbacks, but she nonetheless sees an issue of not feeling protected, not feeling safe, when such warnings are issued. It is a view with which I have a deep sympathy for, as what she says on it jibes with my experiences:
This is the truth of my trouble with trigger warnings: there is nothing words on the screen can do that has not already been done. A visceral reaction to a trigger is nothing compared to the actual experience that created the trigger.
I don't know how to see beyond this belief to truly get why trigger warnings are necessary. When I see trigger warnings, I don't feel safe. I don't feel protected. Instead, I am surprised there are still people who believe in safety and protection despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. (p. 122)
An interesting feature of Gay's essays is that while she sets up interesting discussion matters, she rarely, if ever, concludes them with strong, assertive stances. Instead, these pieces feel like conversation starters, presenting a topic through a deeply personal lens (albeit one that is informed with critical theory as well as knowledge of pop kitsch), but leaving enough "space" for the reader to leave his or her comment as an appendix. Several times, I felt like I wanted to write a response, to ask a question or inquire about the source material, and this sucked me further into Gay's essays than if they had been polished, academic affairs. Their structure betrays their original purpose as columns, many of which would have been online and have featured a Comments section. Some might not like this, but for myself, this works wonderfully because it allows the reader space to draw her own conclusions about the topics raised.
The breezy nature of these essays might not appeal to everyone, but for the most part, Gay displays a sharp, introspective mind that is constantly asking questions about the world and its peoples. The topics are engaging and while there might be a perceived dearth of firm conclusions, this actually ties into her opening and concluding sections, in which Gay explains why she has labeled herself as a "bad feminist." If Montaigne's Essais were the foundation for the essay genre, Bad Feminist is an excellent example of the early 21st permutation of that form.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Non-fiction, Roxane Gay
The Ceremony of Innocence: The OF Blog Turns 10
On August 25, 2004, I began this blog as an extension of the now-defunct wotmania's Other Fantasy section. Originally I intended to make only occasional posts of interviews and other content originating on that site, but after three years and barely any posts (I think there were only 1-2 posts/month done by myself and my former co-mods at OF), I decided to try my hand at reviewing current fantasy fiction, despite having not grown up as a primarily SF/F-reading fan. For a while, this was sufficient, as there were quite a few interesting works released in the wake of the past decade's New Weird moment and I hadn't had to deal with arguments about cover art related to hoods and chainmail yet.
But people change as they age. When I founded The OF Blog as OF Blog of the Fallen (a reference to Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series), I had just turned 30 the month before and I was planning on going back to college in order to work as a therapist instead of a public school teacher. As I write this now, having turned 40 and suffering from several pains that the intervening years have inflicted upon me, it is hard to believe that a quarter of my life has been devoted to maintaining this site. I have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of blogs start up and fail during this time. I've seen forums like wotmania go under, with successor sites failing to capture any of the energy and creativity of those early years of the 21st century. I was blogging before Facebook and Twitter rose to dominate the then-nascent "social media." I remember using MSN Messenger to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. So much is dust, now.
I had contemplated making a series of posts reflecting the changes that had occurred here, but I became more and more depressed in glancing through the archives. I saw glimpses of the arguments of the day: should a blog's focus be on current or overlooked works? Should we worry about the influence that publishers might have on us by sending us review copies? Are posts depicting "book porn" or cover art frivolous, detracting from a blog's "true" purpose?
How strange those arguments back then, 5-7 years ago, compared to those of today! This weekend, I was re-reading some of William Butler Yeats' poetry when I encountered these lines from "The Second Coming":
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Reflecting back, I feel as though this "ceremony of innocence," this writing about books and poems and stories real and imagined, as though all of this were just dandelion puffs floating away under the force of a cold wind. Today, I review as many books as ever (I just finished my 100th review for 2014), but there is little discussion about specific books here or anywhere else these days. Oh, there are discussions that have books as a tangent, discussions about authors and their socio-political views, some of which are perhaps worthy debates, but there really aren't places to discuss these specific stories. If I'm lucky, there might be a couple of comments left here in a given month or maybe a handful of retweets on Twitter or Likes on Facebook, but there really isn't any conversation about literature that appeals to me.
In their place are discussions of matters that make me uncomfortable to discuss. Not because I often disagree with the main ideas introduced by people I follow, because I don't, but rather because the way these ideas are presented are sometimes too strident for my academic-trained perspective. It is a good thing to see a wider variety of people writing stories that touch upon their personal experiences, but sometimes I just want more of a discussion of those stories and less a denunciation of those who likely aren't going to listen to their views in the first place. I am far from the best in a whole host of areas, but I seem to be lacking in the conviction that so many others have in their views being not just correct, but "right" ones.
It's hard being a dinosaur who has outlived his era. I don't want to see if my words spark any lightning; I am failing to rage against the dying of the light. There are days where I just want to retire to this little corner and write secretly, none reading my words, about a wide range of works. I don't want to think about whether or not Author X or Critic Y has said something non-progressive about Topic Z. At times, the arguments about identities, whether they be that of groups or of literary genres such as SF/F, divide without expanding the discussion to encompass a diversity of opinions. I care, but there's also a frustration that I'm not aware of enough discussion of excellent books that exist in a variety of genres due to this focus on authors at the expense of analyzing their works. With so many people being labeled as fools or worse, I wonder if those epithets could be applied to me for just being unready to commit at the drop of a hat to a cause or a position.
Then again, there are still worlds to visit and to describe. Maybe what's best is not to focus so much on matters outside of the realm of literature but to continue to accentuate what is enjoyable and delightful about the act of reading, about the power of poetry, about the music embedded in magical prose. This is something that I fear I often fail to capture in my posts, but perhaps I am mistaken. I shall endeavor to presume so and try to trudge on. The OF Blog may now be 10 and it may no longer be oriented toward SF/F, but it is still a place of expression and hopefully a newer perspective will emerge that will make this a place where others can find discussions that they haven't discovered elsewhere. In the meantime, I'll probably retire to being a voice crying in the wilderness, as surely some revelation is at hand. But it's alright, ma, it's life and life only...
Posted by Lsrry at 1:27 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Blog Stuff, Reflections
Rachel Pollack, The Child Eater
After dinner he was looking out of the window while he dried the dishes, and he noticed a pair of squirrels in the backyard. There was nothing strange about them. The place was full of squirrels, and chipmunks, and occasionally deer, but these were a grey and a red, like in the game, and they didn't dart back and forth, they just stood on their hind legs, facing each other, as if they were having a conversation. 'I'll be right back,' Jack said, and put down the towel.
Outside he didn't know what to do, so he just stood there and watched them. It startled him when they appeared to watch him back. They turned to stand side by side, and then they looked up at him. Though he knew it was crazy to think these actual squirrels could have anything to do with the game, and almost as crazy to talk to them, he said, 'I'm sorry I can't seem to win. To get you out of the maze.' The squirrels looked at him. 'I'll keep trying.' Then, feeling really dumb, and ashamed, as if he'd let down his dad in some way, he went back inside and finished drying the dishes. (pp. 19-20)
Rachel Pollack's latest novel, The Child Eater, is her first novel-length fiction since 2002. It is an interesting novel in that it contains elements in common with portal fantasies, most especially a force that threatens two worlds, without there ever being an actual crossing over from one world to another. It is a story of two boys, separated by time and dimensional space, who depend nonetheless on each other in order to defeat the eponymous "child eater" who has been terrorizing both worlds.
Pollack, in alternating chapters, focuses on the lives of two young boys, the wizard-to-be Matyas and a prescient boy on Earth named Simon Wisdom. Utilizing elements from tarot, including the Tarot of Eternity, to construct her tale, Pollack weaves together Matyas and Simon's lives to create a fascinating tale of ambition and redemption. The reader is first introduced to Matyas and we see him struggle to be admitted into training by the wizards. We see his burning ambition, his desire to become powerful and famous. In contrast, Simon is the product of a father who wishes to be normal and a mother who seems to be otherworldly. At the time of the story, she has been gone for a decade, presumed dead. Simon turns out to be prescient, able to read minds and to foretell the immediate future. This alarms his father and Simon is urged to suppress these talents, despite Simon being well-liked and admired by his peers.
Yet one day, similar to what happened to his father Jack, Simon begins to see an odd squirrel pair, a grey and a red (uncertain if this is the American Red or the more commonly-known Eurasian Red Squirrel), and he has visions associated with suffering and the desire for release. Meanwhile, Matyas finds himself drawing perilously close to a powerful wizard who has managed to hide his name from discovery, allowing him to indiscriminately prey upon young children and consume their souls. Pollack does a good job in developing these parallel stories, as there were only a few rare occasions where one story would lag or become too focused on scene development at the expense of character growth.
The plot progresses steadily between these two stories, as Matyas and Simon each discover on their own clues toward the resolution of the mysteries confronting them (ultimately the Child Eater). Pollack's use of tarot terminology at first was confusing to me, but after a few occurrences, the mysticism associated with tarot decks made better sense. By novel's end, there is a resonance between Matyas and Simon's stories that goes beyond the similarities of their struggles. Yet for me, the most fascinating thing about Pollack's novel is her choice of using squirrels as a medium between the two worlds that Matyas and Simon inhabit. This is not merely because of my long-standing references to my favorite rodents, but because there truly is a surprising depth to the mystery surrounding these appearances by the grey and red squirrel that is not resolved until the concluding chapters.
The Child Eater is a hard novel to evaluate, because Pollack does several things well, but nothing is ever really outstanding. The prose is adequate to the task, but there is little that is memorable about the dialogue or what the two protagonists reflect upon. The characterizations are fine, yet ultimately the two act in familiar fashion for those familiar with tales of young protagonists battling a threatening evil. Ultimately, if it were not for the squirrels, The Child Eater would be your typical run-of-the-mill portal fantasy, albeit a well-told one. But there are those intriguing, mysterious squirrels and they helped me engage enough with the story until their mystery was also explained, making this tale an enjoyable experience.
Posted by Lsrry at 12:34 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Rachel Pollack
Corrine Duyvis, Otherbound
In the world of the Dunelands, Amara was sleeping.
Striding through the Walgreens aisles, Nolan wished he could do the same—just curl up in bed, shut his eyes, see nothing but the insides of his eyelids.
No: see nothing but the insides of Amara’s eyelids. He hadn’t seen his own in years.
If he hurried, he could buy the notebooks and get home before Amara woke up. He stopped by the office supplies, adjusted his backpack, and hunted the shelves for the right kind: hard-backed, easy to stack, and with thick enough paper that his ink wouldn’t bleed through when his pen paused at the same spot too long.
“Can I help you find anything?” A perky salesclerk appeared to his right.
Nolan offered a smile. Not quite his teacher-smile, but close—he didn’t visit stores often enough to have a sales- clerk-smile. All these fluorescent lights and shoppers made him uneasy. If something happened in Amara’s world, he had nowhere here to hide. At least his school had bathrooms. Sometimes he even got to use a teacher’s office. When the disabled kid said he felt a seizure coming, teachers listened, if only out of fear that Dad would threaten to sue them again. (p. 9, iPad iBooks e-edition)
The first fantasies I remember reading, C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, were portal fantasies. There was something about being a young child and being whisked away to a different world, with different rules, customs, and beings. Oh to escape the tedium of fourth grade (on a very different note, Judy Blume was a godsend about that age) and the now-petty worries of pre-adolescence. No parents, no bossy adults, nothing but the freedom to explore and to have adventures. Yes, there is something very enticing about portal fantasies.
But what about those who in our too-real lives who do not have this freedom of movement? Would there be perhaps an even greater appeal to go somewhere else, be someone else, be in a place where your real-world difference is mitigated or at least not castigated as it is here? As a child, my interest in portal fantasies was selfish; I dreamed of places suitable for the likes of me. As an adult, however, with decades of experience with children limited here due to their physical appearance and presumed capabilities, I have come to see the greater appeal that portal fantasies and their escapist qualities have for those who have viewed differently because of their ethnic origin, physical appearance, or socio-sexual attachments. Therefore, when I read Dutch writer Corrine Duyvis's first YA novel, Otherbound, I was reminded at several points that there are children of all sorts and shapes who dream of traveling to somewhere magical, being the hero or heroine in a tale of their own.
Otherbound's premise is relatively straightforward: a Nahua-descended American boy, Nolan, has discovered that whenever he has seizures, he enters into the mind of a young servant, Amara. The opening chapter immediately makes it clear that this will not be a standard tale of a hero/heroine from afar entering through the portal to save the world in the fashion of great white hopes of countless tales. Duyvis is very careful to avoid the tropes of that field: communication, empathy, and cooperation are the core traits here.
The narrative does contain some touchstones for readers, especially in there being a nefarious enemy that threatens Amara's world of the Dunelands. But what Duyvis does with this is establish that Amara is a very independent girl whose life, difficult as it is, is hers and hers alone to live. We see, through her/Nolan's eyes her lovers, her bucking up against restrictive social confines, all things that have traditionally been muted or left out of most portal fantasies. In addition, Nolan is not just an occasional escapee to another world; his often-difficult life is shown in great detail. He is a tough yet sensitive individual, one who refuses to be defined by his two disabilities (he has had a foot amputated in addition to his seizures). The two, after Amara recovers from the initial shock of realizing that she has been observed her entire life by Nolan, figure out a way to work together to defeat the evil threat. There is no portal hero taking charge from the natives; Amara and Nolan's cooperation shows them to be equal in determination and in agency.
Duyvis narrates this tale with a clarity that is impressive for a debut novel. The scenes flow together nicely and while certain elements may be overly familiar to certain readers, for those middle grades readers, say 10-13, the reading experience may prove to be magical. Otherbound is also notable for its mixing in of "non-traditional" elements (non-binary gender, same-sex orientation, non-Caucasian protagonists, disabled individuals) in a fashion that feels organic and integral to the narrative without being too noticeable for being anything other than elements in a well-told tale.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Corrine Duyvis
Lily King, Euphoria
She rolled a pencil beneath her palm on the table and then she looked up at me. 'Helen and I were lovers,' she said.
'Ah.' This explained a few things.
She laughed at my 'ah' and told me they had met during Nell's first anthropology class with Boas. Helen, a decade older, was his graduate assistant. Their connection was instant and though Helen was married with a house in White Plains, she stayed in the city many nights a week. She had encouraged Nell to go and study the Kirakira, but wrote her angry letters accusing Nell of abandoning her. They she surprised her by meeting the boat in Marseille with the news that she had left her husband.
'But you had met Fen.'
'I had met Men. And it was awful. Before Helen, I would have said that the desire to possess others is more male than female in our culture, but I think temperament comes into it.' She tapped the pencil on our Grid.
'Was she bread to you?'
She shook her head slowly. 'People are always wine to me, never bread.'
'Maybe that's why you don't want to possess them.' (pp. 159-160, iPad iBooks e-edition)
When I began classes at the University of Tennessee in the early 1990s, I had the vague notion that I might complete a minor in Anthropology. Although I lacked a couple of classes of completing that by the time I graduated in 1996, I did enjoy the three classes that I did take in the field, especially the Cultural Anthropology class. Of particular interest to me as a cultural historian trainee was the value and perils of ethnologies, or the studies of particular cultural groups. One name that was repeatedly brought up was Margaret Mead and her pioneering work in New Guinea. Even then, she was a very controversial character. Her monographs on sexuality in New Guinea caused a firestorm of debate in early 20th century Anglo-American culture, where birth control could not be sent in the mail and the Comstock Laws were in full effect. What is known of her own life, her loves and passions, were also equally the stuff of legend and disdain, even into the present time.
In her first historical novel, acclaimed novelist Lily King takes a pivotal time in Mead's personal and professional lives, an expedition in early 1930s New Guinea with her second and future third husbands, Reo Fortune and Gregory Bateson (Fen and Bankson in the novel), and she fictionalizes accounts of that fateful expedition in order to highlight not just the tensions between the characters, but also between the three's Western perspectives and the cultural practices of the villagers they have been observing. Mead/Nell's interactions are the driving force of King's narrative and the convoluted dynamics of their relationships makes for an intriguing, sometimes fascinating read, even for those who are somewhat familiar with Mead's personal life.
Euphoria is told via Bankson's PoV, punctuated with entries from Nell's journals. It is an effective storytelling mode, as it allows for a contrast of the deeply personal with the more antiseptic, clinical approach associated with observation journals. As the story shifts between these two poles, the reader manages to get a clearer impression of what is truly transpiring than if either one of the two narrative modes had dominated. Yet there are times where there is a bit of a bleed-over, as Bankson's account of Nell's initial pregnancy during the expedition takes on an odd mixture of theoretical views of sex with personal disappointment of the lack of fruitfulness in his own relations with her:
I walked down the men's road. A cluster of pigs were muscling each other for a scrap of food beneath one of the houses and making a racket. There was very little light in the sky, but whether it was sunrise or dusk, I wasn't sure anymore. I had been spun around by them. I was seven hours away from my work, and had been for who knew how many days. Nell was pregnant. She and Fen had made a baby. When I was with them it was easy to convince myself that she hadn't fully made her choice yet. She played her part in that. Her eyes burned into mine when I had an idea she liked. She followed every word I said; she referred back. When I had written down Martin's name on the graph she'd passed her finger over the letters. I felt in some ways we'd had some sort of sex, sex of the mind, sex of ideas, sex of words, hundreds and thousands of words, while Fen slept or shat or disappeared. But his kind of sex with her produced a baby. Mine was useless. (p. 161)
The plot depends more upon character interactions than upon external events to drive the narrative. The tension between the three anthropologists simmers before threatening to explode, making for a quick read for the majority of the time. Yet there is more than just character tension developing within the narrative. Nell's journals, focused more on the people through which the three move, refers back to the historical Mead's accounts of her time in New Guinea, replete with the then-shocking revelations about sexual relations and family-kinship connections. Those brief entries serve as a counterpoint to Bankson's narrative, creating a multi-layered tale that works equally as a fictionalization of a key moment in a historical figure's life and as a social commentary on how Mead's views themselves perhaps have been superseded by subsequent ethnological research. Although there are a few places where Euphoria perhaps plays up the romantic tensions a bit too much, weakening the overall narrative in the process, on the whole it is a very solid effort, one that will encourage its readers to learn just a little bit more about the extraordinary anthropologist who inspired it.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Lily King
Niall Williams, History of the Rain
I know what that's like too, when the last thing you feel is the pinch in your arm and this might hurt just a little and you're off into the wherever depending on the length and breadth of your imagination. My father has a whole section of his library just for this. Here's Thomas Traherne (1637-74), poet, mystic, entering Paradise (Book 1,569, The Faber Book of Utopias, John Carey, Faber & Faber, London): "The corn was orient and immortal wheat which never should be reaped nor was ever sown...the dust and stones of the street were as precious as gold. The Gates were at first the end of the world. The green trees, when I saw them first through the gates, transported and ravished me... The men! O what venerable and reverend creatures did the aged seem! Immortal Cherubims! And the young men glittering and sparkling angels; and maids, strange and seraphic pieces of life and beauty! Boys and girls tumbling in the street and playing were moving jewels.'
Paradise has actual gates? (pp. 31-32)
Forget Marx's observation that religion was the opiate of the masses. For bibliophiles, the act of reading serves as a pallative, giving voice to our pains and providing, sometimes, a numbing agent for those pinpricks of the soul. In Niall Williams' 2014 Man Booker Prize-longlisted novel, History of the Rain, he explores the ways in which literature, both composed and collected, can communicate those awful little family secrets that mere conversations fail to do. It is an interesting approach to the staid family history genre, albeit one that depends in part upon the reader's familiarity with the books referenced.
Nineteen-year-old Ruthie Swain is an invalid, confined now to her family's County Clare home, replete with thatched roof and lack of certain modern amenities. Desperate to understand her family's history, especially that of her late father, a poet, Ruthie turns to his vast library of books in a search to understand not just the man her father was, but just how these thousands of volumes shaped him. As she reads and narrates her thoughts on her family and their literary influences, the diary-like tone of certain passages gives way to amusing anecdotes grounded in the literature she is perusing:
That's how I see it anyway. That's how I see it when I ask Mam 'How did you first meet Dad?' and each time she tells me the story of Not Meeting, of Passing by, and how it seems to me God was giving them every chance not to meet, and the singular nature of their characters will mean their stories will run parallel and never do a Flannery O'Connor. Never converge. (p. 180)
Over the course of a few hundred pages, Ruthie discusses the known facts of her parents' lives, of her father's existence as a failed poet and even worse farmer; of her mother's exasperation in dealing with him; of the impossibly high standards that her father, Virgil, holds himself to; of how her twin brother Aeney drowns and how that affected her father and his attempts to write publishable poetry. But most importantly, there is within the family notes and the scribbled margins of her father's books a reference to a poem, "History of the Rain," that might hold clues to understanding just how Ruthie's father came to be the enigma that he was for her.
Williams rarely tells the Swain family's history in linear fashion. Instead, he favors a more elliptical approach, in which the volumes that Ruthie mentions contains clues to not just what happened in her parents' lives and why they were reluctant to share those moments with her, but also why her father tried his level best to become a poet. This quest to understand familial past is not original, far from it, but Williams' use of literary references to a wide range of authors spanning the globe imbues the narrative with a secondary layer that enlivens it, making it feel fresher for its more universal approach to discussing the personal.
However, there are times where the dependence upon the literary perhaps goes too deep into the well. Ruthie's copious references to literary works at times felt a bit too much, as though she were not a fully-fleshed human but instead a literary quote generator that could spout a phrase suitable for any and all emotional moods. However, these moments thankfully are few in number and on the whole, Williams manages to integrate well the personal family history narrative with the use of literary references as a means of exploring the human condition. As the narrative unfolds, Ruthie arrives at the conclusion that there is a price to becoming different from others, a toll exacted for those poetic souls who seek to go so deep into this earth that they are transformed by this search for understanding. It is perhaps a little trite, but in light of the journey that Ruthie has narrated, it is a fitting one. History of the Rain works best if viewed as a bibliophile's relation of human thought to the real world, connecting our sorrows with those narrated by others. It may not be a perfect novel, but it is a very human tale, one that I enjoyed reading.
Labels: 2014 Booker Prize, 2014 Reviews, Niall Williams
Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Something was happening inside Dorrigo Evans as he watched. Here were three hundred men watching three men destroying a man whom they knew, and yet they did nothing. And they would continue to watch and they would continue to do nothing. Somehow, they had assented to what was happening, they were keeping time with the drumming, and Dorrigo was first among them, the one who had arrived too late and done too little and now somehow agreed with what was happening. He did not understand how this had come to be, only that it had.
For an instant he thought he grasped the truth of a terrifying world in which one could not escape horror, in which violence was eternal, the great and only verity, greater than the civilisations it created, greater than any god man worshipped, for it was the only true god. It was as if man existed only to transmit violence to ensure its domain is eternal. For the world did not change, this violence had always existed and would never be eradicated, men would die under the boot and fists and horror of other men until the end of time, and all human history was a history of violence. (pp. 352-353 iPad iBooks e-edition)
As a young child, I was fascinated with the two World Wars. I have two distinct memories related to this. My father, a Vietnam War veteran, very occasionally would talk about what he experienced in that latter war, namely witnessing the torturing of a Viet Cong prisoner by Korean soldiers. The other thing he would recollect was how a history professor of his had been in the Bataan Death March and how his harrowing stories of slave labor and brutal mistreatment by the Japanese affected him decades later. These stories have shaped my images of warfare, especially in relation to PoWs, as being an excruciating series of terrors punctuated with witnesses (if not direct experience) of torture and depraved behavior.
In his 2014 Man Booker Prize-longlisted novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Australian writer Richard Flanagan follows the lives of a group of Australian PoWs and their Japanese captors as they are charged with building the infamous Burma Railway. This railroad, known also as the Death Railway for the tens of thousands of forced laborers' deaths during its construction, and its construction has been described in many novels and movies, mostly famously in Pierre Boulle's The Bridge on the River Kwai. Boulle's account of the PoWs' experiences during the building of the infamous Bridge 277, however, does not accurately describe the sufferings experienced by the PoWs. In contrast, Flanagan's novel devotes much of its space to covering these depravities in substantial detail.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North, named after a haiku by a 17th century Japanese poet, is divided into five parts that chronicle the lives of several soldiers, most especially that of Dorrigo Evans, over the course of the twentieth century to the dawn of the twenty-first. At first, the action is slow in developing, as the prewar lives of Evans and other PoV characters only barely hints at the transformations to occur after their capture and forced labor on the Burma Railway. It is in the final three parts of the novel where the gradually building tension in the soldiers' lives blows up in spectacular ways. As Evans, a medical doctor, is placed in charge of a thousand man detail, he daily has to confront the awful decisions of survival and death that he is forced to make. He witnesses several brutal beatings, such as that quoted above, and these dehumanizing experiences change him and others around him, including some of his captors.
Flanagan asks a lot of his readers. Not only are these sufferings outlined in sometimes graphic detail (the discovery of a man who had just died from amoebic dysentery being but one example), but just when it would seem that the Japanese and Korean soldiers had been built up to be cruel, inhuman monsters, he turns around and has several chapters in the crucial middle section told from their perspectives. This, however, serves to create a larger dynamic here, that of how violence shapes lives. In the final two sections, following the end of fighting, Flanagan shows these now ex-soldiers and how they struggle to adapt to their new surroundings. The results are not always pretty, as denials and self-exculpations for what has transpired abound. Violence continues to haunt these men, even as some struggle to justify their actions in order to prevent themselves from being condemned.
As noted above, The Narrow Road to the Deep North starts very slowly. Although the character development established there eventually pays dividends, it was a very sluggish first couple of sections and it was not until nearly 200 pages into the novel that the story truly comes into its own. However, the second half of the novel is so powerful in its treatment of violence and how these soldiers try to cope with what is happening to and around them that it more than makes up for the slow pace of the beginning sections. Flanagan's prose is chilling at times, especially in his depictions of the punishments inflicted on the soldiers. Even more than this, it is how he turns these graphic portrayals around and makes of them a commentary on the human condition that makes The Narrow Road to the Deep North a worthy nominee for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.
Labels: 2014 Booker Prize, 2014 Reviews, Richard Flanagan
Karen Joy Fowler, We All Are Completely Beside Ourselves
Those weeks I spent with our grandparents in Indianapolis still serve as the most extreme demarcation in my life, my personal Rubicon. Before, I had a sister. After, none.
Before, the more I talked the happier our parents seemed. After, they joined the rest of the world in asking me to be quiet. I finally became so. (But not for quite some time and not because I was asked.)
Before, my brother was part of the family. After, he was just killing time until he could be shed of us.
Before, many things that happened are missing in my memory or else stripped down, condensed to their essentials like fairy tales. Once upon a time there was a house with an apple tree in the yard and a creek and a moon-eyed cat. After, for a period of several months, I seem to remember a lot and much of it with a suspiciously well-lit clarity. Take any memory from my early childhood and I can tell you instantly whether it happened while we still had Fern or after she'd gone. I can do this because I remember which me was there. The me with Fern or the me without? Two entirely different people. (p. 56)
What constitutes a family? Is it a grouping of genetically-related persons who lodge together in a common dwelling? Does the adoption of others into the home create family bonds? If so, what happens to a family's bonds when the adopted member is removed suddenly? These questions are just a few of the ones raised and addressed in Karen Joy Fowler's 2013 novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, recently selected for the 2014 Man Booker Prize longlist.
The story centers on the relationship that Rosemary Cooke, now in her early 20s in the narrative present of 1996-1997, formed in the late 1970s with Fern, who later was removed from the family in 1979 when Rosemary was five. Theirs was an unusual relationship, one that was in equal parts grand social experiment and extended familial bonding, and for the first section of the novel, the reader only learns just a tiny bit about what made this experiment special and how their separation affected the entire Cooke family. Fowler's story is built around a slow unraveling of the central mystery surrounding Rosemary and Fern's too-brief siblinghood and a direct discussion of that might ruin for some potential readers the magic of this tale.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is largely told from Rosemary's point-of-view. We see flashbacks to various key points in her young life, to how she struggled to conform to social expectations for kindergarteners and how her various social relationships reflected a lack in her life. Her parents, but especially her father, are shown in a negative light, as the experiment conducted by them has had a deleterious effect on all four remaining members of the Cooke family. But it is Rosemary's brother, Lowell, who is the most readily damaged by the sundering of the Rosemary-Fern relationship. He turns against his parents, against his society, and becomes what might be described as an eco-terrorist, one who is on the run from the FBI during part of the 1990s narrative sections. Fowler does an excellent job in fleshing out the other family characters with short, sharp observations that give each family member a backstory without the need for much description.
Fowler has carefully constructed the narrative, as Rosemary's reminisces combine with her current social interactions to create a contrasting before-after effect that leads to a gripping tale of loss and recovery. Fowler subtly shows these gradual changes in Rosemary after her separation from Fern and how over the intervening 17 years she has come to terms with the changes caused by that loss. Rosemary, like her parents and brother, is not the same as she was "before," but the "after" Rosemary, despite her closer relationship to Fern than what the rest of her family experienced, is somehow more resilient, less prone to the self-destructive behavioral changes that have afflicted the others. These less damaging changes enable Rosemary to deal well with Fern when she re-encounters her nearly two decades later in a very different social milieu. Their brief meeting is poignant without ever slipping into maudlin melodrama.
We Are Completely Beside Ourselves was my seventh-favorite 2013 US release and it is not surprising to see that it was nominated for the 2014 Man Booker Prize after its UK release. It is a touching story that displays a keen level of insight into what makes us social beings. Fowler's prose is carefully crafted to fit the characters and plot. The characterization, as I noted above, is top-notch and the plot moves steadily, with very few hiccups, towards its emotional denouement. It is a fitting nominee for this award, one that I would highly recommend to readers of a wide variety of literary genres.
Labels: 2014 Booker Prize, 2014 Reviews, Karen Joy Fowler
A few revived projects to supplement current reviewing goals
This weekend is going to be a very busy one, as I plan on writing six reviews between now and Sunday night (likely three each for Saturday and Sunday), as I have a reason for wanting to have written 100 reviews in 2014 by the 25th. Most, if not all, of these reviews will be for 2014 releases, as I want to have reviewed as many 2014 releases read as possible by late December and I still have another 50 unread books on my January list of 2014 releases (most of them not-yet-published here in the US).
I'm also considering reviving the aborted Faulkner and possibly Flannery O'Connor review projects from 2012/2013. I've noticed that those reviews, when I cross-post them over at Gogol's Overcoat, get the most consistent views of any reviews that I've written in the past three years. There's just something about having reviews of several volumes that appeals to me, even though I won't commit to a weekly review schedule like I attempted the past two years.
Also am likely to start writing reviews of individual sections of the Tim Cross anthology, The Lost Voices of World War I, for initial publication at my newest blog, World War I Literature, Art, and Cinema. It's about time that I added more content over there, as I've been putting it on the backburner in order to catch up with my 2014 releases reviews.
Oh, and there might be a poetry discussion or two somewhere in the near future as well...
Labels: Blog Stuff
Frances Hardinge, Cuckoo Song
Her head hurt. There was a sound grating against her mind, a music-less rasp like the rustling of paper. Somebody had taken a laugh, crumpled it into a great, crackly ball and stuffed her skull with it. Seven days, it laughed. Seven days.
'Stop it,' she croaked. And it did. The sound faded away, until even the words she thought she had heard vanished from her mind like breath from glass.
'Triss?' There was another voice that sounded much louder and closer than her own, a woman's voice. 'Oh, Triss, love, love, it's all right, I'm here.' Something was happening. Two warm hands had closed around hers, as if they were a nest for it.
'Don't let them laugh at me,' she whispered. She swallowed, and found her throat dry and crackly as bracken. (Ch. 1, introductory paragraphs, Kindle e-edition)
The cuckoo bird is famous (infamous?) for its ability to mimic the appearance and sound of dozens of other birds in order to lay its eggs in a "host's" nest. In certain Eurasian legends, it has served to represent the myth of the changeling, of a replaced body that mimics the voice and actions of an original child, but with subtle differences that serve to warn others that this is a nefarious replacement. For centuries, changeling tales have appeared in various European folk tales, usually representing a hidden monster or a looming disaster.
Frances Hardinge's latest YA novel, Cuckoo Song, is a mystery tale that appropriates several of the motifs associated with these cuckoo/changeling tales to create a quasi-historical story that is fascinating. The story begins with young eleven-year-old Triss waking up one day after being unconscious for a week, feeling strangely out of sorts, As she tries to come to terms with what has unfolded in her family in post-World War I England, a series of nefarious actions take place, some of which surround a mysterious doll that seems to speak to Triss. As she begins to question what is going on, not to mention wondering why she is oh so hungry all the time, a series of revelations occur that shed light on these mysteries. It seems there are more monsters out there than what might presume.
The Cuckoo Song depends heavily on its plot structure to carry the story. Triss begins the story ignorant of her past and as she fills in the gaps in her memory, pieces of the central mystery are set in place. Hardinge does a good job in doling out information, as there are few apparent infodumps over the course of this story. Related to this balanced plot pace is the development of Hardinge's characters. Triss and her family members are fleshed out nicely over the course of this 416 page novel, with their development tied directly to new information discovered. While at times the mysterious element was overplayed, at least in that character development was too closely tied to corresponding plot developments and not allowed to develop organically, on the whole these characters are dynamic enough that it is easy to overlook this minor flaw.
Enjoyable as the plot was, if there was a major flaw in Cuckoo Song, it might be that the plot progressions are too pat and predictable. There were times that I skimmed through chapters, sensing that the information provided within could have been pared down some while still maintaining a nice plot-centered origins mystery. Yet while this high degree of predictability may have dampered my own enjoyment slightly, for others more able to keep their focus on the current developments instead of trying to anticipate each upcoming major development, the story, prose, characterization, etc. will likely prove to be intriguing enough to make Cuckoo Song a very enjoyable reading experience.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Frances Hardinge
Paula Bomer, Inside Madeleine
I don't want to jump out any window. I just want to breathe something that makes me feel like living. They pump the air in here out of machines. It stinks like Play-Doh. Open a window, please – I won't jump – I'm not a suicide patient. I just don't eat.
My neighbors don't eat either. Eye socket girls. Nurses drag them with their IVs to the scale. Some girls get weighed once a day, others, two or three times. Liquids pump into our bodies through plastic tubing, adding pounds to our emaciated frames. We don't like the pounds. We look voraciously at one another. We envy the protruding bones of someone who is that much closer to not being here at all.
You may think that I don't know I'm emaciated. I know every curve and angle of my rib cage. I know my breasts have disappeared completely and my nipples lay flat against my chest. I am aware that the new girl has hair growing out of her face. This girl's body sprouts hair like moss on a tree stump, everywhere, to keep itself warm, to protect itself. I know about these things. I'm aware of the effects of my disease. ("Eye Socket Girls," p. 10 iPad iBooks e-edition)
Paula Bomer's third book, the collection Inside Madeleine, is one of the more direct books on women's issues, particularly body image, that I have read. The eight stories are raw, sometimes visceral stories of women fighting, often failing, to maintain their sense of identity despite the plethora of pitfalls that await them. These were not easy stories to read, but Bomer manages for the majority of them to make them compelling reads, leaving me feeling like I was rubbernecking, looking at the carnage of her characters' lives.
The opening story, "Eye Socket Girls," sets the tone for the tales that follow. Set in a hospital ward for anorexic girls, the first-person narrator pulls no punches when it comes to describing how she and others like her ended up in treatment. The passage quoted above, taken from the introductory paragraphs, makes it quite clear that this will not be a pitiable character, but instead a more vindictive one who is convinced by that starving herself, she is defying a system that judges young women by impossible standards. As she continues her narration, the topic switches to a rather uncomfortable topic:
That's why people fight us. No one likes to see a young girl win. We're supposed to be nice, well-behaved things. Pliable, fearful things that cry a lot, especially when we have our periods. I don't get my period anymore. I haven't bled since I was fourteen. (p. 12)
This is not the standard cautionary tale and in the next story, "Breasts," the third-person protagonist, Lola, also confounds reader expectations by her uses of her "assets" ending not in trouble, but instead in something more ambiguous. This is a motif that Bomer returns to several times in the stories that follow, that of a young woman defying social conventions and often, albeit sometimes with visible and metaphorical bruises, making her way through a society that seems bound and determined to see them fail.
Despite the mostly-excellent stories of the first seven tales, it is the novella-length eponymous concluding story that makes Inside Madeleine a memorable read. It is a tale of a young woman some might call a slut, Madeleine, and how she utilizes her body to get what she wants. A slightly chubby (this is emphasized at several points early in the story to set up the conclusion) middle school girl, she tries to befriend some high school boys at a local skating rink by going down on them. As word of her "talents" spreads, her demeanor changes to an outwardly haughty yet vulnerable young woman. It is her interactions with a socially nondescript boy her age, Mark, and their tumultuous relationship over the intervening years that makes this story a fascinating read. Bomer pulls no punches, as both Madeleine and Mark have their own issues with manipulation until finally the story spirals down to a conclusion that connects Madeleine's tale, albeit thematically, with others in the collection. It is a powerful denouement, one that the reader will not forget anytime soon.
Bomer's prose sparkles in most of these tales, as her characters feel alive and defiant thanks to her ability to string emotion and setting together with monologues that seethe with frustration and the desire to spite those who presume to keep them down. The characterizations are top-notch and the plots surprise without feeling illogical or disjointed. While the middle tales are not as memorable as the ones discussed above, the novella "Inside Madeleine" alone would make this collection one worth reading. Inside Madeleine is destined to be one of those rare collections that I'll revisit several times in the years to come.
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Paula Bomer
Joshua Ferris, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour
I encouraged my patients to floss. It was hard to do some days. They should have flossed. Flossing prevents periodontal disease and can extend life up to seven years. It's also time consuming and a general pain in the ass. That's not the dentist talking. That's the guy who comes home, four or five drinks in him, what a great evening, ha-has all around, and, the minute he takes up the floss, says to himself, What's the point? In the end, the heart stops, the cells die, the neurons go dark, bacteria consumes the pancreas, flies lay their eggs, beetles chew through tendons and ligaments, the skin turns to cottage cheese, the bones dissolve, and the teeth float away with the tide. But then someone who never flossed a day in his life would come in, the picture of inconceivable self-neglect and unnecessary pain – rotted teeth, swollen gums, a live wire of infection running from enamel to nerve – and what I called hope, what I called courage, about all what I called defiance, again rose up in me, and I would go around the next day or two saying to all my patients, "You must floss, please floss, flossing makes all the difference."
A dentist is only half the doctor he claims to be. That he's also half mortician is the secret he keeps to himself. The ailing bits he tries to turn healthy again. The dead bits he just tries to make presentable. He bores a hole, clears the rot, fills the pit, and seals the hatch. He yanks the teeth, pours the mold, fits the fakes, and paints to match. Open cavities are the eye stones of skulls, and lone molars stand erect as tombstones. (pp. 3-4)
If you had told me before reading Joshua Ferris's Booker Prize-longlisted novel To Rise Again at a Decent Hour that a story centered around a depressed dentist whose love for Red Sox baseball was only matched by his failure to maintain any relationship would be one of the funniest novels released this year, I would have looked askance at you. But it is true, this novel tackles some potentially drab situations (in addition to the above, add the search of an atheist for some sort of meaning) and manages to find brightness within them. It is an impressive accomplishment.
Paul O'Rourke on the surface has an ideal life. He is a very successful New York dentist, having a large practice located in a posh Park Avenue office complex. However, the rest of his life is a shambles, much of it due solely to his self-destructive behavior. His obsession over religion and meaning, trying on religious customs as though they were thrift store clothing despite his constant declarations that he is an atheist, his repetitive and borderline creepy conversations with former and current employees, his rapid cycling through of hobbies, all of these show a person on the edge of a complete and total breakdown. Yet as he keeps circling around his core problems, reluctant to tackle what truly is the cause of his insomnia and mild depression, his observations are genuinely funny. Yet Ferris's humor, like much great comedy, does not detract from the root pain and suffering. Instead, Paul's humorous observations (including an insane tying in of a dental patient to Ross and Rachel from Friends) about what he experiences happening around him serves to accentuate his inner ennui, his desire to fit in and to find some meaning, any meaning in his life.
Paul's world, jumbled and rudderless as it is, is turned upside-down when it turns out that someone has created Facebook, Twitter, and a webpage using his dental practice name. Furthermore, these pages contain religious tracts of an obscure group known as the Ulms, who claim ancestry from the few survivors of the first biblical genocide, that of the Amalekites. As this "other Paul" makes status updates and tweets despite Paul's protests, Paul finds himself more and more drawn into what is unfolding. People relatively close to him, from family to former lovers, find this "new" Paul fascinating in ways that the maladroit Paul just cannot be. Paul himself begins to find, if not answers, then at least possibilities, to some of the issues, particularly faith-related ones, that have troubled him for years.
For most of the narrative, the story balances precariously between being intense and tedious. It is a testimony to Ferris's ability to turn a phrase that moments devoted to the minutiae of matters such as the 2011 Red Sox September collapse end up being wry, attention-grabbing moments that sustain the story through a middle part that is less well-developed than the introduction and conclusion. There is nothing actively bad about this middle section, but in Ferris's showing the reader precisely how Paul's depression and self-defeating actions have constrained his life, the narrative at times too closely resembles this repetitive downward spiral. However, even in these less interesting moments, there are still moments of profound silliness that break up the monotony of these scenes, making them more bearable for readers.
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour succeeds primarily because Ferris's prose is outstanding. It isn't just his clever wit and juxtaposing Paul's foibles with his monologues, but it is seen in how he mixes in controversial elements like non-faith and religious sentiment to create sparks that kindle a reader's interest rather than burning away any further desire to read. The revelations toward the end about who is behind the "other Paul" online identity is handled well and the implications of that revelation tie in nicely with the novel's thematic explorations of non-faith and the desire to create meaning out of life. This is not to say that the ending is predictable. If anything, it is a conclusion that, while fitting for Paul's character and situation, does not follow standard conventions and yet, somehow, it all works. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour is sharp, smart, and yet has a compassionate take that makes the humorous elements feel more humane and less biting than they could be, considering the serious topics that are the targets here. It certainly is a fitting nominee for the Booker Prize and is one of the better humorous novels that I have read in years.
Labels: 2014 Booker Prize, 2014 Reviews, Joshua Ferria
Looking at my 2014 reading/reviewing goals, 2/3 in...
Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep Nort...
Karen Joy Fowler, We All Are Completely Beside Our...
A few revived projects to supplement current revie...
Felix Gilman, The Revolutions
Cara Hoffman, Be Safe I Love You
Richard Powers, Orfeo
Paul Kingsnorth, The Wake
The (Rabid) Squirrel of Truth: Terry Goodkind, Se...
Nadifa Mohamed, The Orchard of Lost Souls
Lorrie Moore, Bark
William T. Vollmann, Last Stories and Other Storie...
Catherine Lacey, Nobody is Ever Missing
Some review plans for the rest of August
Katherine Addison, The Goblin Emperor
Mary Rickert, The Memory Garden
Joanna Rakoff, My Salinger Year
Do works hated in adolescence improve with age?
Ian Cameron Esslemont, Assail
Siri Hustvedt, The Blazing World
Women in Translation Month
Lev Grossman, The Magician's Land
Joyce Carol Oates, Carthage
July 2014 Reads
J.R.R. Tolkien, Beowulf: A Translation and Commen...
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Possession is no longer a must
Parreira on Russia 2018
The head coaches and technical directors of all 211 member associations, as well as the technical experts of all six confederations, have been invited by FIFA to the FIFA Football Conference to be held in London on 23 September 2018. So far, over 150 coaches, including FIFA World Cup winner Didier Deschamps (France), Zlatko Dalic (Croatia), Roberto Martínez (Belgium), Gareth Southgate (England), Tite (Brazil), Stanislav Cherchesov (Russia), Joachim Low (Germany), Hajime Moriyasu (Japan), Aliou Cisse (Senegal) and Luis Enrique (Spain) are expected to attend.
Ahead of the conference, the head of FIFAs Technical Study Group (TSG) and 1994 FIFA World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira shares his initial views about the technical and tactical outcome of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be one of the key points on the agenda of the one-day London event.
You coached at six World Cups, though the action on the pitch has never been analysed in such depth as it will be at the London conference that follows Russia 2018. How can your colleagues from participating and non-participating countries benefit from what comes out of the conference?
Its a great initiative to bring all these great footballing names together. The conference is a unique occasion and we have to make the absolute most of it. Sharing information and experiences is vital to the continued development of football, and there is no one better than coaches when it comes to giving opinions. The World Cup is always an opportunity to assess the state of football and new trends, the new things that come in and should be used again. The people who took part in it have something to say about the problems they faced, the things that worked and what they felt and saw. And the people who werent there can pick up that information. Its a really valuable dialogue because everyone benefits from it.
If you had to choose one football memory from Russia, what would it be?
Youve got me there (laughs). There were a few but Id have to say the final. And Im not just talking about the match itself but arriving at the stadium, the whole build-up show, the teams walking out onto the pitch, the pre-match formalities, the music, the fans, all the photographers in action. I love all that ritual and it shows that the World Cup and the buzz that comes with it really is different. There wasnt a goal or a move in particular. It was that sense of occasion that well never forget, and the game and the presenting of the trophy. Thats what Ill remember. Obviously theres a cultural side to it, the tourism and the food, but the whole footballing dimension is unique. I took part in eight World Cups, was involved in two finals, and Ive seen how its grown. It gives me goosebumps.
Before Russia 2018 you said, “Its talent that makes the difference”. Is that how it turned out?
Thats never going to change. You cant win the World Cup with talent alone, but you cant win it without talent either, as long as they play for the team. They say that teams win trophies and that talented players win matches. They can do the unexpected, the out of the ordinary. There was a lot of expectation surrounding [Lionel] Messi and Neymar, but unfortunately they couldnt do everything the fans were hoping for from them. Cristiano Ronaldo is a different kind of talent and he really applies himself in a technical sense. Mbappe showed he was a great player, while Belgium had Hazard, who was the outstanding player of the competition along with Modric. Hazard was also in with a very good shout of being named player of the tournament, but Modric got the nod for his all-round work.
Whats the main lesson learned from Russia 2018 from a technical and tactical point of view?
You cant compare different eras of the game and say, “it was a more beautiful game before” or “it was more tactical before”. Theres no such thing as more beautiful football or uglier football. Football changes. Possession of the ball is no longer a must. The teams were more concerned with playing in smaller spaces, in staying compact and getting into the opposition half as quickly as possible, and they won as teams, with individual talents playing for their teams.
Having worked in the Middle East, are you particularly looking forward to Qatar?
The story starts all over again now, with the qualifiers and a long road ahead. Its a four-year cycle and if youre involved in it, it can be a long process. Teams have already begun their preparations and embarked on processes of renewal. France have a solid foundation and Brazil are going to bring in new players. Its a challenge and a fascinating task for coaches. Im going to keep pushing for football to continue its development, and theres no doubt that Qatar will get its preparations right and that the stadiums will be fantastic. Every World Cup has something special about it. Its going to be interesting to see how the fans are going to interact in a far smaller country than at previous World Cups. Theyll also have the chance to visit the surrounding region. Its going to be a party and its going to be fun.
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Upazila chairmen
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April 2nd 2011
ENERGY SECURITY: What Australia must do before the oil runs out
EDITORIAL: Nuclear panic: the first casualty is truth
China leading the way with safe nuclear energy
JAPAN: Why Japan will recover from Sendai quake-tsunami
NATIONAL AFFAIRS: Water Act won't work: Harvard professor
CANBERRA OBSERVED: Gillard's line on same-sex marriage, euthanasia
EUTHANASIA: SA euthanasia bill sidesteps safeguards
DEVELOPMENT AID: Australia funding abortions in Mongolia
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Good intentions not enough to defeat Gaddafi
UNITED NATIONS: Gender diversity battle at UN women's session
CULTURE: Hollywood's war on our children
FAMILY AND CIVILISATION: The growth and decline of the Roman economy
FEMINISM: How feminism demeans women and destroys families
CINEMA: Stalin's forgotten victims remembered: Peter Weir's The Way Back (rated M)
BOOK REVIEW: Obama, the questions mount
UNITED NATIONS:
Gender diversity battle at UN women's session
by Babette Francis
News Weekly, April 2, 2011
UN Woman is a new international entity with a billion-dollar budget, created by merging four major United Nations agencies focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The 55th session of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held in New York in February/March this year, was the first under the auspices of UN Women.
CSW 55, as the recent UN session was called, had the ostensibly wholesome theme: “Access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, including the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work”. The session’s “agreed conclusions” document, after two weeks of negotiations, was also wholesome, apart from a recommendation on childhood sex education and omission of parental rights.
That the final document was as good as this was thanks to the firm leadership of the Holy See (Vatican) delegation which vigorously contested issues such as the European Union’s definition of “gender” as a fluid, changeable social construct, not biologically determined as male and female. The Holy See insisted “gender” be defined rigorously because sexual rights activists expand the definition of “gender” in UN documents to include a diversity of “genders”.
Consequences of such redefinition would be monumental as it could change the meaning of thousands of UN documents. Activists would use this expanded definition in their respective countries to try to strike down laws governing such things as heterosexual marriage which they see as discriminating against diverse sexual orientations.
During negotiations, the EU and its supporters tried to quell fears by reassuring pro-family countries from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Russia that “we know what the definition is”. To which one delegate retorted, “If it’s really not a problem, then why can’t we plainly state what it means?”
Finally, the Holy See and pro-family nations modified many of the paragraphs in the “agreed conclusions” that included “gender” by either adding the phrase “men and women” or ensuring that the context in which the term “gender” was used would not easily lend itself to be understood as anything other than male and female.
The Holy See delegation stressed that in international law the only binding definition of gender is in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which states that “the term ‘gender’ refers to the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society. The term ‘gender’ does not indicate any meaning different from the aforementioned definition”.
Which is just as well for us, as the Australian Human Rights Commission is currently promoting federal anti-discrimination legislation for no fewer than 19 different genders. (See News Weekly, November 13, 2010).
Another victory for pro-family countries was defeating a EU resolution endorsing “The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights”, which call for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, legalised prostitution, protection for “men having sex with men”, mandatory graphic sex education for children and penalties for people who criticise homosexuality.
At one NGO side-event, the suggestion was made that the requirement to disclose HIV status to a sexual partner was an infringement of the human rights of those who are HIV-positive.
At a panel discussion on combating “homophobia and transphobia”, Diane Schneider of the National Education Association (NEA), the US’s largest teachers’ union, called for graphic sex education to be taught in the classroom. She said, “Oral sex, masturbation and orgasms need to be taught in education.”
She argued that comprehensive sex education is “the only way to combat heterosexism and gender conformity”. She explained, “Gender identity expression and sexual orientation are a spectrum”, and said that those opposed to homosexuality “are stuck in a binary box that religion and family create”.
Since the theme of CSW 55 was promoting girls’ success at science and technology, is Schneider aware that girls are far more likely to succeed in education if they do not get involved at an early age in sexual activity?
The low point of CSW 55 was the election of Iran, with US support, as a member of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women. Iran executes more people than any country except China, and has just hanged a Dutch-Iranian woman. How does this square with CSW’s mandate for promoting women’s empowerment?
On a happier note, this year there were a large number of pro-life and pro-family NGOs, including Family Watch International, Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council and Real Women of Canada, who organised side-events.
Our own Endeavour Forum Inc. ran an informative event on the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link, and Nigerian women who work in cancer-support were particularly interested.
The highlight of CSW 55 was the presentation of the International Protect Life Award to Chile, honoured for reducing maternal mortality while protecting the right to life of the unborn. The award was presented by Dan Ziedler, the award committee’s co-ordinator, to Chile’s ambassador to the UN, Octavio Errázuriz, who affirmed Chile’s commitment to the protection of both mothers and unborn children.
Babette Francis is Australian and international co-ordinator of Endeavour Forum Inc., an NGO having special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC).
Jerome Appleby, “Sexual ‘diversity’ now AHRC’s obsession”, News Weekly (Australia), November 13, 2010.
URL: www.newsweekly.com.au/articles/2010nov13_cover4.html
Lauren Funk, “‘Schools need to teach about orgasms’, says NEA to UN”, C-FAM (New York: Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute), Vol. 14, No. 12, March 3, 2011.
URL: www.c-fam.org/publications/id.1798/pub_detail.asp
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Robert Capa, Skier sunbathing in front of the Matterhorn Zermatt Switzerland 1950
© Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Magnum Photos
Mountains - Magnum Photos
Werner Bischof » René Burri » Robert Capa » Carl de Keyzer » Elliott Erwitt » Harry Gruyaert » Alex Majoli » Steve McCurry » Martin Parr » Alec Soth » Chris Steele-Perkins » Alex Webb » & others
The Matterhorn, Alps, Switzerland, 1990 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos
Mountains have long fascinated photographers from all over the world. The archives of Magnum Photos – the biggest name in photojournalism since its creation in 1947– contain images of some of the world’s highest peaks. Magnum Photos is not known for landscape photography, but the theme runs through the agency’s 80-year history. Many of its members have become important figures in the history of photography: Werner Bischof, René Burri, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raymond Depardon, Elliott Erwitt, Martine Franck, Susan Meiselas, Martin Parr and Alec Soth, to mention only a few. But the agency as a whole has also had a major impact, through its dedication to politically engaged photography. These photographs are not only a testament to a very human fascination with mountains all over the world, but also to the veneration and fear that they can inspire. Up until the 20th century, mountains seemed to be indestructible, but today, we see mountain habitats overused and endangered. Part of the exhibition is devoted to renowned Swiss photographer Werner Bischof, and presented in partnership with the Werner Bischof Archives in Zurich. During the Second World War, Bischof was unable to leave the country but took long regular trips to the Alps, often alone. His love for the mountains never faded. He later roamed the world and never stopped seeking high altitudes. In 1954, two years after an expedition to the Himalayas, he traveled to the Andes, where he died in a road accident. At the age of 38, Bischof was the first Magnum photographer to pass away. The mountains –which fascinated him so much – had the last word.
On the road to Cuzco, near Pisac, Peru, May 1954 © Werner Bischof / Magnum Photos
The exhibition was developed by the MBAL in close collaboration with Magnum Photos. It received the generous contribution of Zenith. It is accompanied by a book published by Prestel. A version of the exhibition will also be on display from 17 July 2019 to 7 January 2020 at Forte di Bard, near Aosta, Italy.
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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee”
The Gary Null Show – 10.14.15
Sam Husseini is the communications director for The Institute for Public Accuracy, a non profit organization founded by Norman Solomon that supports progressive and grassroots organizations and movements by giving them a public voice. He is also the founder of VotePact.org, a collaborative venture to unite disenchanted Democrats and Republicans to unite to create a third party. Sam’s articles on politics, foreign affairs and the media have appeared in Counterpunch, Consortium News, the Washington Post, The Nation, and many others. Prior to joining the Institute, he was the media director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and started Washington Stakeout, which brings the difficult questions to politicos outside the Sunday talk shows. The Institute of Public Accuracy’s website is Accuracy.org
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeArab AmericanCouncil on American–Islamic RelationsIbrahim HooperIslamophobiaMuslimNonprofit organizationRepublican Party United StatesUnited KingdomUnited States
Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark Joins Lawsuit against Bush, Cheney, Et Al for Illegal War in Iraq By Claire Bernish
A lawsuit against members of the Bush administration for their role in the invasion of Iraq recently received noteworthy support from an internationally prominent group of lawyers—including a former U.S. attorney general. The group is asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the class action suit on grounds that the U.S.-led war was an illegal act of aggression …
2003 invasion of Iraq501(c) organizationAmerican Institute in TaiwanAmerican-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeAssistant SecretaryCondoleezza RiceHillary ClintonUnited StatesUnited States Secretary of StateWorld War II
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Modern classic triumph motorcycles
Modern classic triumph motorcycles. 2019 Triumph Street Twin and Street Scrambler: Tech and Power Upgrades Highlight the Range 2019-01-18
Friday, January 18, 2019 1:36:45 AM Lucien
With an 850cc engine, the Commando has also proven to be a popular racing motorcycle. A group of French designers teamed up with the Chinese manufacturer Shinray to create a cool line of retro-styled machines. Made for only three years between 1970 and 1973, the Slash 5s, as they came to be known, were eventually replaced by the 6 series of motorcycles. Now considered a vintage ride, the Honda Rebel came equipped with 234cc V-twin engine that allowed it to reach top speeds of up to 70 miles per hour on city streets. A popular racing motorcycle in its day, the Black Shadow had a 998cc engine that made it difficult for riders to control. That said, the Speed Twin is an impressive bike on paper.
Triumph Motorcycle Reviews
This is a classic bike in every sense of the word. Most of the big motorcycle manufacturers had paid attention to the growing trend and they all decided that there was a huge demand for a , and that was the beginning of the end for the old school scrambler. Every single seat is handmade after your specifications. Their are a ton of aftermarket products available to tailor the bike to your imagination. The complete package is a bike with a dry weight of 432 lbs, making it 22 lbs lighter than a Thruxton and 60 lbs lighter than a Bonneville T120 while having performance numbers similar to the Thruxton. It has a new frame that has more in common with the Thruxton R performance cafe racer than it does with the Street Twin, plus new front cartridge forks and twin rear shocks with adjustable preload.
10 Modern Takes On The Classic Scrambler Motorcycle
The Bonneville engine family built specifically for the modern classic riding style, with more torque, more immediate and exciting power delivery and a richer sound you can really feel and hear. When Ducati first unleashed their 804cc, 75 hp, v-twin, scrambler back in 2015, we thought it was a cool quirky motorcycle that would maybe enjoy some sales success for a few years. The Triumph Thruxton family includes the café racer. The Triumph brand is well known for a wide range of motorcycles but is perhaps best known for their Scrambler and Triple line. The updates for the Street Scrambler and Street Twin are nothing groundbreaking, but they take good motorcycles and make them a little better. Depending on which model you choose this new generation engine comes in two distinctly different set-ups. Owing to high production costs, the Moto Guzzi was only produced between 1955 and 1957.
Great thinking bud, I can't poke any holes in a plan that involves getting as far away from civilization and hospitals to ride something that can be a tad fickle. Honda Rebel In terms of modern era bikes, the Honda Rebel, first produced in 1985, is hard to beat. If we were making a list of the outright best retro buys, the Bonnie would be a winner, but this is about looks and on that front there are more convincing alternatives. . Ken's bike is the only one on the list that is substantially faster than my Bonneville was, not to mention that it also looked and sounded better. Triumph Bonneville For some gearheads, the British company Triumph is the first and last name in motorcycles.
Also, the 900cc parallel twin engine now revs 500 rpm higher than before giving it a slightly higher redline. Designed by a group of engineers who left Mercedes-Benz, the Norton Commando was produced for 10 years until 1977 when production stopped. Indian Chief First built in 1947, the Indian Chief is one of the coolest looking motorcycles ever made. The Triumph Bonneville family is a timeless icon of motorcycling. Ken's bike sounds like an angry bear having noticed you poked her cubs with a stick, which becomes a lot scarier when you see that sportbike rear tire and those beautiful gold rear shock reservoirs hanging off the back. Armed with a V8 engine, the Moto Guzzi is today considered a masterpiece of automotive engineering.
However, Herald know quite a bit about Chinese motorcycles, having imported their scooters for years, so they know what companies are good, and which ones are bad, and most importantly, what parts need replacing as soon as they arrive in the crate. Some special model Vipers also had extra-large three gallon gas tanks. Their similarities might end up confusing potential buyers. In our eyes, that award goes to… 1: Moto Guzzi V7 Special Nailing down exactly what makes a naked bike look good is surprisingly difficult. However, the bike continued to make a name for itself on race tracks around the world for years afterwards, and is today a much-desired motorcycle among discerning collectors worldwide. The engine is also woefully neutered, meaning that with a few dollars and few small upgrades, you an increase the bikes performance quite a bit.
Built around a 1,200cc engine, the Indian Chief could hit 85 miles per hour in third gear. Essentially, Triumph have taken their 900cc Street Twin and have re-purposed it into a cool scrambler motorcycle that has got us all worked up. Thus the scrambler was born. To remedy the issue, Triumph will notify affected owners, and Triumph dealers will replace the original securing guide for the clutch cable and main harness with an updated one, free of charge. Like I said, just a small bias. All with truly modern capability, including ride-by-wire, for sharper responsiveness and liquid cooling for amazing fuel economy, 36% improvement on the Street Twin alone.
2019 Triumph Street Twin and Street Scrambler: Tech and Power Upgrades Highlight the Range
Sure, there are alloys instead of wires, but even they are in the style of 1970s designs. We used Ken's bike in and I, the bonehead that I am, forgot to take pictures of his motorcycle for our website. It also has four camshafts and eight baby carburetors. The iconic Bonneville T120, T120 Black,T100 and T100 Black, the fun and accessible Street Twin, Street Scrambler and Street Cup. This motorcycle was built for the U. Personally, if it were my money, I'd take the V7 Stone over the racer as I prefer the riding position, tank finish, and price, but all of the models in this lineup are beautiful.
Best Retro Motorcycles Available Right Now
Beyond that, not much is new for the Street Twin and the Street Scrambler. In terms of looks, the Special is the best of the V7 range — gaining wire wheels and more interesting paint over the cheaper Stone and yet looking restrained and subtle when placed next to the over-chromed Racer. Dare we say the Speed Twin is a bit redundant? The Triumph Street Twin is another favorite. In the mid-1980s, this bike redefined reliability and fuel efficiency among motorcycles. The Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled While any version of the modern Ducati Scrambler motorcycle range should be featured on this list, we decided to choose the one that is the closest thing to a genuine scrambler. Lightweight and easy to handle, the Rebel was also very good on gas, and the relaxed riding position made it a popular touring bike.
Triumph Custom works and parts for your Modern Classic motorcycle
According to the recall documents, the clutch cable on these motorcycles may come in contact with the main harness sheath and cause damage to the wiring. Many of these motorcycles can be found in museums around the world or in the personal collections of the super rich and wealthy admirers. It feels like riding a Japanese standard motorcycle, albeit somewhat of a heavy one. And the Guzzi V7 Special has it all. However, the version that most collectors want to get their hands on is the very first Bullet that was made in 1931. However, the Slash 5s were extremely advanced for their time with electric starters and telescopic forks. They make a motorcycle with a sidecar and if that isn't enough for you, I don't really know what to tell you.
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Category: Dennie Warren
20/20 Play Actor & Crew Bios
Actors Crew / Personnel
Nadeem Anjum Kari Barclay
David-Henry Bennett Stardust Doherty
Matt Hoe More coming soon…
Hima Menon
Geeta Rai
Jess Thompson
Dennie Warren
Nadeem Anjum (SOCHE)
Nadeem (he, his, him) is from Calcutta and first started acting in college. Since then, Nadeem has focused on improv with the South Bay Improv group and had his U.S. acting debut with the Theatre Makers as Gorilla in “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and as a wealthy entrepreneur in “Ecopocalypse” (2018).
David-Henry Bennett (ELLIS)
David-Henry (he, his, him) is a native of Atlanta who started acting at the age of 3. He has acted in many roles, both comedic and dramatic and is currently studying his final year for an MFA in Acting at Academy of Art University. He plans to work in television and stage after graduation. David-Henry is also a dancer and writer. He also want a career in education as a means of giving back. He feels that acting is a way of expressing things we don’t normally get to express and allowing ourselves to be in harms way as a way of sharing with people how they can heal. David-Henry first appeared with Theatre Makers as Cow in “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and as a wandering indigent in “Ecopocalypse” (2018).
Matt Hoe (ENSEMBLE)
Matt (he, his, him) first performed at a Fringe Festival in Edinburgh at the age of 16 and is happy to be back, this time in San Francisco. Matt also acted in the Theatre Makers productions of “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalype” (2018). Matt is a multimedia artist and virtual reality developer. He co-founded Virtual Bytes, an art, education and research collective creating virtual reality experiences and research that utilize neuroscience concepts to explore the mind/body connection. He is passionate about using his background in creative media and technology to develop virtual reality experiences that challenge our preconceptions about the world around us, and help us connect to each other in new ways. Matt also serves on the Board of the Ritual Art Troupe.
Hima Menon (TV NEWS HOST)
Hima (she, her, her) is very happy to be part of Theatre Makers. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area where she is currently training with The Meisner Technique studio. She is passionate about art in any form and loves to be part of theatre productions as much as possible. She is a software engineer by the day but strives to complete her training one day and submit more of herself to art. She has been part of a few art projects around the Bay Area and hopes to be able to contribute more as time progresses. “20/20” is Hima’s debut with Theatre Makers.
Geeta Rai (MASTER OF CEREMONIES)
Geeta (she, her, her) is a Bay Area Theater and Film Actor whose recent theater credits include Naatak’s “Rabbit Hole” and “EnActe Arts, Go to Your Room, Mother!”. Her theater education includes the Trinity College of London’s Speech and Drama Curriculum and Foothill College Acting Coursework. When she is not on stage/set/auditioning, she helps manage a theatre non-profit that promotes South Asian themed theater and children education programs. She is excited to perform at the Fringe Festival in San Francisco. “20/20” is Geeta’s debut with Theatre Makers.
Jess Thompson (ANNA)
Jess (she, her, her) studied Social Work in her graduate program and Acting and Psychology in her undergraduate program. Jess currently works as a therapist with low-income high school students. She is excited to merge her passions for theatre and social justice. “20/20” is Jess’ debut with Theatre Makers.
Dennie Warren (OCTAVIA, VP)
Dennie (she, her, her) has appeared in a wide variety of films, television series, and plays, as a featured actor and as an extra. Dennie is excited for her theatrical debut to be a role in “20/20” with Theatre Makers.
Crew / Personnel
Kari Barclay (CO-WRITER)
Kari (he, his, him) is a director, playwright, and researcher completing his PhD in Theater and Performance Studies at Stanford University. Originally from Washington, DC, he has made work regionally and in New York at venues including the San Francisco Mime Troupe Studio, Round House Theater, and Manbites Dog. His original play, “Can I Hold You?”, was one of the first plays about asexuality performed in the U.S. and enjoyed runs in San Francisco and Brooklyn. Kari is a co-writer of the Theatre Maker play “20/20”. More at kari-barclay.com
Stardust Doherty (DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER)
Stardust (ze/per/herm) is a playwright, composer, musician (oboe and English horn), and English teacher. Stardust is focused long-term on the True of Voice musical dance theatre production and is a co-organizer of the Theatre Makers Meetup, as well as other playwrighting and composing projects. Stardust serves on the Board of Ritual Art Troupe, as well as two other non-profit organizations, the Online Policy Group and the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra. Stardust formerly worked at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Verified Voting Foundation, and at various high-tech companies during a prior career. Stardust began directing plays with per Shakespeare adaptation “A Midwinter Afternoon’s Nightmare” and the original “Bush Faeries: The Musical” (2018) staged at Breitenbush Community Hot Springs winter radical faerie gatherings. Along the way, there was an agit prop production of “Occupy San Francisco Employee Retirement System” (2013) in response to the bankster housing crisis. Stardust is a co-writer with Iryna Lymar and director of the Theatre Maker plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018) and “Ecopocalypse” (2018) and co-writer with Iryna Lymar of “You Too” (planned 2019) and the director of and a co-writer with Kari Barclay of “20/20” (San Francisco Fringe Festival 2019).
Author adminPosted on June 18, 2019 July 10, 2019 Categories 20/20, actors, bios, crew, David-Henry Bennett, Dennie Warren, Geeta Rai, Hima Menon, Jess Thompson, Kari Barclay, Matthew Hoe, Nadeem Anjum, Stardust Doherty, Theatre MakersLeave a comment on 20/20 Play Actor & Crew Bios
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John Cale Quotes
"John Davies Cale", Order of the British Empire/OBE is a Welsh people/Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band the Velvet Underground.
Though best known for his work in rock music, Cale has worked in various genres including drone music/drone and classical music/classical, and studied music at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Since departing from the Velvet Underground in 1968 he has released approximately 30 albums. Of his solo work, Cale is perhaps best known for his album Paris 1919 (album)/Paris 1919, and his cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)/Hallelujah", plus his mid-1970s Island Records trilogy of albums: Fear (John Cale album)/Fear, Slow Dazzle (album)/Slow Dazzle and Helen of Troy (album)/Helen of Troy.
Cale has produced or collaborated with Lou Reed, Nico, La Monte Young, John Cage, Terry Riley, Hector Zazou, Cranes (band)/Cranes, Nick Drake, Mike Heron, Kevin Ayers, Brian Eno, Patti Smith, The Stooges, Lio, The Modern Lovers, Art Bergmann, Manic Street Preachers and frontman James Dean Bradfield, Super Furry Animals, Marc Almond, Element of Crime, Squeeze (band)/Squeeze, Happy Mondays, LCD Soundsystem, The Replacements (band)/The Replacements and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
If you enjoy these quotes, be sure to check out other famous musicians! More John Cale on Wikipedia.
I started off doing rock 'n' roll, and then I went back, a couple of albums ago, into writing rock 'n' roll songs, and now this is a show with a straight-up rock 'n' roll band.
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Rhetorical Mimesis and the Mitigation of Early Christian Conflicts
Examining the Influence that Greco-Roman Mimesis May Have in the Composition of Matthew, Luke, and Acts
Brad McAdon
Eugene, OR:
Pickwick Publications
, January
In his Rhetorical Mimesis and the Mitigation of Early Christian Conflicts: Examining the Influence that Greco-Roman Mimesis May Have in the Composition of Matthew, Luke, and Acts, Brad McAdon engages the disputes of early Christianity and situates them within the Greco-Roman mimetic tradition. McAdon’s thesis is that Matthew and Luke “digested, absorbed, and imitated” their sources, much the way Virgil’s Aeneid did with respect to the Homeric epics (72). McAdon adopts and adapts Dennis MacDonald, Thomas Brodie, and Adam Winn’s criteria for intertextuality in an attempt to mitigate their shortfalls. These criteria are: (1) external plausibility (on the basis of dating); (2) significant similarities; (3) evidence of intimate familiarity of source; (4) intelligibility of differences; and (5) weight of combined criteria.
In part 1, McAdon discusses the prevalence and importance ofmimesis/imitation in Greco-Roman literature and education. He asserts that scholarship has ignored the role of mimesis in the composition of the New Testament (35). Rather than representing slavish imitation or word-for-word copying, mimesis in ancient documents often entailed the transformation of one’s sources, fitting them into a new context and agenda as they suited the author’s purposes (25). McAdon supports this robust discussion with a detailed appendix that offers a distillation of fourteen authors’ discussions of mimesis/imitatio stretching from the 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE. Part 1 exhibits strong support for McAdon’s reading of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, to which parts 2 and 3 pertain. In this reading, Matthew uses Mark as a source and Luke uses both Mark and Matthew; the authors transform their sources in order to cover up scandals and controversies in the early Christian communities.
Part 2 engages the controversy surrounding Jesus’s relationship with his family, with a focus on the circumstances surrounding Jesus’s birth. Chapter 3 advances a rhetorical analysis of the Beelzebul controversy in Mark 3:20-35, and the slurs against Jesus’s family in Mark 6:1-6. Matthew and Luke transform the Markan narrative by removing or displacing references to Jesus’s family from the Beelzebul controversy. Matthew and Luke make efforts to remove potential slurs against Jesus’s family presented in Mark 6:1-6 by referring to Jesus as “the carpenter’s son” (Matt. 13:55) and “Joseph’s son” (Luke 4:22), rather than the “the carpenter, the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3). In their displacements and the language used to describe Jesus’s relationship with his family, McAdon asserts that Matthew and Luke paint over the tension between Jesus and his family.
The scandal and controversy of Jesus’s familial relationships extends to chapters 4 and 5, which pertain to the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. These chapters consume the largest portion of part 2, evinced by the discrepancy in chapter lengths between chapter 3 (twenty-three pages) and chapters 4 and 5 (forty-five and forty pages, respectively). In these chapters, McAdon asserts that the Infancy Narratives are a cover-up for Mary’s pregnancy prior to her marriage to Joseph. McAdon believes that Mary’s pregnancy is the product of adultery, and suggests that the “genealogy, grammatical constructions, appeals to divine authority and legitimacy, imitations and transformations of authoritative texts” make the cover-up evident (75). McAdon rejects other possibilities for Mary’s pregnancy, including Joseph as Jesus’s natural father and rape. He bases the former on the lack of evidence of Joseph prior to the Matthean tradition, the reference to Joseph as the “husband of Mary” in Matthew, and on the sidelining of Joseph in Luke’s Infancy Narrative. McAdon discounts the latter given that he does not think it applies to the Matthean narrative (101). For McAdon, the only historical kernel in Matthew’s Infancy Narrative is that Mary “was pregnant when she should not have been” (98). Luke goes further than Matthew to exonerate Mary by omitting the women from Jesus’s genealogy, portraying Mary as God’s favored, and omitting Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy. While McAdon admits significant variations between the two Infancy Narratives, he asserts their similarities outweigh the differences and are sufficient to establish dependence (145). These similarities include foretelling of Jesus’s birth, the visitors to Jesus’s birth, and the presence of genealogies. In these counter-narratives, McAdon deciphers efforts to defend Mary in the midst of her untimely pregnancy, and to soften the tension between Jesus and his family of origin.
In part 3 McAdon argues that the author of Acts attempts to cover up the Petrine-Pauline controversy in the early church. He posits that Galatians 1-2 is the source for Acts 7:58-15:30, on the basis of conceptual, verbal, and structural similarities. The author adopts and expands his source to give the illusion of peace between the leaders of Jerusalem and Paul (180). In many of the cases in which McAdon sees dependence, he admits the discrepancies between the accounts and appeals to the author’s capacity to transform his sources (216-17). McAdon highlights a few similarities in rare wordings, vocabulary, and structure to support his claims, but he offers relatively little explanation for the significant components of the narrative in Acts that have no counterpart in the Pauline corpus.
McAdon’s contribution is his attentiveness to the ways in which the Gospel traditions are deeply embedded within Greco-Roman mimesis. Readers interested in Historical Jesus conversations and the capacity of rhetorical criticism to answer the question of how the early church reacted and responded to conflict may find some helpful suggestions in McAdon’s work. At the same time, McAdon takes interpretive liberties and departs from consensus positions in order to make his argument, which may be uncomfortable for some readers. For example, he argues that Luke 1-2 represent a later redaction to the Gospel intended to combat Marcionism. This suggestion necessitates dating Luke 1-2 to 120 CE, if not later. In addition, given McAdon’s attentiveness to Greco-Roman mimesis, and his high estimation of Luke’s level of education, it is surprising that he does not engage Greco-Roman literature—such as historiography or bioi—sources with which Luke was likely to have come into contact. McAdon’s requirement that readers depart from consensus positions and take interpretive liberties in order to answer the question of how the early church responded to scandal and conflict ultimately raises more questions than it answers.
Amanda Brobst-Renaud is Assistant Professor of Theology at Valpariso University.
Brad McAdon is Associate Professor of English at the University of Memphis where he teaches Histories of Rhetoric (especially Greco-Roman), Rhetorical Theory, the Bible as Literature, and the History of the Bible as a Book, as an Artifact.
Christian sacred texts
Greco-Roman, mimesis, rhetoric
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Average teacher salary nationwide down 4.5 percent, NEA report finds
Wisconsin’s average teacher salary drops to 33rd in the nation
From the National Education Association
The national average teacher salary, adjusted for inflation, has decreased 4.5 percent over the past decade, according to the annual NEA Rankings and Estimates released Monday.
Wisconsin’s average teacher salary dropped to 33rd in the nation, down from 18th in the nation just seven years ago, according to the report. Wisconsin’s average teacher salary was $51,469 in 2017-18, compared to the national average of $60,477.
The report’s findings underscore why educators from Arizona to California to Texas and beyond have united in a national #RedforEd movement to advocate for the resources and learning conditions that help all students succeed.
“Across the nation educator pay continues to erode, expanding the large pay gap between what teachers earn and what similarly educated and experienced professionals in other fields earn,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “Educators don’t do this work to get rich, they do this work because they believe in students. But their pay is not commensurate with the dedication and expertise they bring to the profession.”
NEA also collects data on teacher starting salaries and every year, the data show that starting teacher salaries are too low and, for the last decade, still lower than pre-Recession levels. This year is no different. The 2017-18 average teacher starting salary is $39,249. After adjusting for inflation, beginning teacher salaries have decreased by 2.91 percent in the last decade. Wisconsin’s average starting teacher salary was $38,181, which is 25th in the nation and below the national average.
The states where teachers have lost the most ground include Wisconsin and Michigan, where Scott Walker and Rick Snyder gutted bargaining rights and stripped union protections. Both governors were voted out last election. Teacher pay also has dropped dramatically in Indiana, where lawmakers require school districts to replace objective salary schedules with harmful merit pay systems.
Teachers are paid 21.4% percent less than similarly educated and experienced professionals, according to a recent Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, which found that the “teacher pay gap” reached a record high in 2018. This difference between teacher pay and other college-educated professionals’ pay is partly due to the persistent gender gap in wages — across all full-time jobs in the U.S., women earn about 80 percent of men’s salaries. Historically, teaching has been a profession made up mostly of women. Today, 76.6 percent of educators are women.
The report also reveals that 63 percent of reported public school districts still offer a starting salary below $40,000. Nearly 300 districts pay first-year teachers less than $30,000 a year. And it’s not just first-year teachers: in some states, teachers will never earn professional pay. In 1,025 school districts, even the highest paid teachers, most with advanced degrees and decades of experience in the classroom, are paid less than $50,000.
“How can we recruit and retain quality teachers for our students if we don’t pay them what they’re worth?” asked Eskelsen García. “It is time to show respect to those professionals who dedicate their lives to students and building the future of our communities. Professional work deserves professional pay.”
The NEA report provides comparative state data and national averages on a host of important public education statistics, teacher salaries, student enrollment, and revenue and expenditures for the most recent school year.
Highlights from this year’s report and NEA’s salary data:
The national average teacher salary increased from $59,539 in 2016-17 to $60,477 in 2017-18.
Average teacher salaries in 2017-18 ranged from a high of $84,227 in New York to a low of $44,926 in Mississippi.
If one does not adjust for inflation, the national average teacher salary has increased by 11.2 percent since 2008-09. However, after adjusting for inflation, the national average teacher salary has decreased by 4.5 percent over the past decade.
Sixty-three percent of reported public school districts still offer a starting salary below $40,000.
Expenditure per Student
The U.S. average per-student expenditure in 2017‒18, based on fall enrollment, was $12,602. The following states had the highest per-student expenditures: New York ($23,894), District of Columbia ($21,001), and New Jersey ($20,171). Idaho ($6,809), Utah ($7,187), and Arizona ($8,123) had the lowest.
In 2018-19, expenditures per student are projected to increase by 2.5 percent to $12,920, up from $12,602 in 2017‒18. This compares with a 2.7 percent increase in total current expenditures.
Over the last decade, the average per-student expenditure has risen by 20.6 percent from $10,715 to $12,920. After inflation adjustment, the expenditure per student in enrollment has increased by 3.3 percent.
School Revenues
School funding continues to be state and local oriented. In 2016–17, 47.0 percent of public school revenue came from state funds, while 47.1 percent came from state funds in 2017–18. Local funds contributed similar percentages in both 2016‒17 (45.1 percent) and 2017‒18 (45.4 percent). In those two years, federal funds constituted 7.9 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively, of K-12 education revenue.
“If we’re serious about every child’s future, let’s get serious about doing what works,” said Eskelsen García. “We cannot recruit and retain the committed, qualified educators that students deserve without making a major investment in raising salaries. In order to ensure that every student has a qualified teacher in the classroom and caring professionals in schools, we must make a better investment in our educators.”
Click the following link for an interactive map showing individual state data and rankings: http://neatoday.org/redfored/#map
Find out more about Wisconsin teacher salaries at weac.org/salaries.
NEA has produced the Rankings and Estimates report for more than 70 years. The complete report can be found at: http://www.nea.org/home/44479.htm
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Toronto 21 22 24 34 101
Philadelphia 29 29 29 25 112
5:00 PM PT6:00 PM MT7:00 PM CT8:00 PM ET0:00 GMT8:00 5:00 PM MST7:00 PM EST4:00 UAE (+1)02:0020:00 ET7:00 PM CT23:00 , May 9, 2019
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,525
Butler does it, leads 76ers past Raptors to force Game 7
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
By DAN GELSTON
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jimmy Butler lived up to his Jimmy Buckets nickname.
With "Jimmy! Butler!" chants ringing from the rafters, he helped Philadelphia force a seventh game against Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals, hitting big baskets in bunches and scoring 25 points in the 76ers' 112-101 victory over the Raptors on Thursday night.
"I play to win," Butler said. "Right now, this is what I have to do in order to give us a great chance at winning."
Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. The Milwaukee Bucks await the winner.
Kawhi Leonard, who scored 30-plus points in the first four games in the series, was finally tied up early by the Sixers and hit 29 points well after the game was out of hand.
Leonard and the Raptors had no answers for Butler and All-Star guard Ben Simmons. Simmons broke through and scored 21 points - more than his combined total of Games 4 and 5 - and helped show the Sixers still had some fight after a brutal Game 5 loss.
"It was amazing focus. Everybody was locked in," Simmons said. "We knew what was at stake."
Joel Embiid had played through a bad left knee and a stomach bug for most of the playoffs and the entire team had reason to be ill after the Raptors crushed the Sixers by 36 in Game 5.
"I knew I had to come in with high spirits," Embiid said. "If I've got to play 45 minutes and push myself out there, that's what I'll do."
Embiid had a burst of energy late in the third when he blocked a driving Leonard, and Simmons capitalized with a basket for an 18-point cushion. Embiid, who gingerly walked into the postgame press conference with his left knee packaged in ice, had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Embiid didn't do much early in Game 6, but Butler and Simmons built some needed separation.
Butler about did it all, and showed in the first half why the free agent will command a max contract - $188 million over five years - in the offseason.
Butler, disgruntled in Minnesota before he was traded to Philadelphia in November, scored 19 points in the half and all of them seemed worthy of the highlight reel. He took a bit of a trick shot when he rebounded his own missed jumper and was fouled by Kyle Lowry on an off-balance attempt. The basket was good and so was the free throw. Butler stole the ball from Leonard and capped the half with a fast-break dunk for a 58-43 lead.
"Game is simple. I shoot the ball when I'm open," Butler said. "Sometimes I shoot it when I'm not open."
He forced his way open in the first half, making 9 of 15 shots in the first and he gave the Sixers the confidence they needed to know another game wasn't going to turn into a rout.
"He was all over that game," coach Brett Brown said. "The mood in the locker room, you could sense the serious side. They got the moment and I think he got it as much as anybody and led us."
Simmons was called out by Butler about the need to attack the basket and play more off screens to become the triple-double threat he was in the regular season and not the non-factor he was against the Raptors. Simmons did it all early (eight points, five assists in the first quarter) and the Sixers got the outside shots to fall - an early domination that happened even as Embiid was held scoreless until he hit a 3 early in the second quarter.
Simmons had no turnovers and six assists in 34 minutes.
"What he did today was lot of the reasons he was an NBA All-Star at age 22," Brown said.
Raptors: Missed 14 of 17 3s in the first half. ... Scored four fast-break points in the first half.
76ers: Hall of Famer Julius Erving had a lengthy courtside pregame chat with Simmons. ... The Sixers borrowed a page from the Eagles' Super Bowl run and had Chris Long and Lane Johnson ring the ceremonial Liberty Bell. Long and Johnson wore their dog masks used when they embraced the underdog theme in the 2018 postseason.
EMBIID EFFECT
There was one cause for concern late in the fourth when Embiid was whistled for a flagrant 1 foul when hit Marc Gasol in the face and now faces a one-game suspension if he earns another in the playoffs. Embiid, playing in garbage time because he has no reliable backup, has three flagrant fouls in the postseason.
"It's annoying. It's stupid," Embiid said. "I saw the video of it. It doesn't look that bad. I guess I've got one more and I'm gone for one game so I've got to look out for it."
Embiid missed the entirety of Toronto's 12-0 run that cut a 19-point lead to seven and had fans booing as the All-Star big man took a breather. Embiid couldn't afford to rest, backup Boban Marjanovic checked in at minus-15 in just 4 1/2 minutes of playing time in the half.
The Sixers and Raptors are playing each other in Game 7 for the first time since Philadelphia won the 2001 East semifinal. Lowry, who scored 13 points, knows he'll have to contribute more to get the Raptors to their first conference final since 2016.
"I think I could have pushed a little bit more, tried to get in the paint a little more," Lowry said.
Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. The Raptors are 2-1 at home in the series.
"It's not unlike where we've been a couple of times already this series," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
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Welcome to my legislative website! I am proud to serve as the State Senator from Illinois' 29th District, representing portions of the North Suburbs of Chicago in Lake and Cook Counties.
It is truly my honor to represent you in Springfield. Please do not hesitate to contact my office with questions or ways I can better serve you.
Julie Morrison
Supreme Court ruling makes case for state action on redistricting reform
DEERFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) is renewing her push for redistricting reform in Illinois after suffering a setback last week from the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The recent ruling by the Supreme Court shows the important role states play in ensuring our redistricting process is fair, transparent and free from political influence,” Morrison said. “I remain determined to ensure that Illinois will reform the way legislative districts are drawn.”
In its ruling, the Supreme Court found that claims of partisan influence in the drawing of legislative districts is a political issue that the courts cannot resolve. The ruling left open the ability for states to establish their own system of drawing district boundaries.
Morrison is the sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 4, which would establish a 16-member commission that would be in charge of redistricting Congressional districts as well as State House and Senate districts in Illinois. Under Morrison’s proposal, commission members would be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the most senior Justice not of the same party as the Chief Justice.
Morrison's proposed Constitutional Amendment - if passed by the General Assembly - would then go before voters, who would need to approve the measure at the ballot box in order to amend the Constitution.
“In the months ahead, I will continue working with my colleagues on developing a solution that I hope will end up being a template for states across the nation on how to end gerrymandering,” Morrison said.
Redistricting Reform
SJRCA 4
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The New Industrial Revolution
Home/Observations
Schools promotion of engineering ineffective and wasteful
Observations, Opinion
Britain does a poor job in conveying modern views of engineering to young people and encouraging more of them to choose it as a career, according to a hard hitting assessment of the decades-old struggle in Britain to update public perceptions of the discipline. "The lack of engineers in positions of influence in society is mirrored by a lack of understanding of the importance of engineering and the role engineers play, compounded by our inability to communicate that engineering is exciting," says an authoritative report by a top barrister and civil engineer. In the study Prof John Uff highlights "the importance of marketing [of engineering related subjects] in addressing misperceptions and prompting enquiry" but says this is inadequately addressed in many schemes operated either by the engineering profession or educational groups. "STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] options are, for some young people, loaded with perceptions of limitations," the report says. Uff lays much of the blame at the door of Britain's 35 official engineering institutions – of which the three biggest commissioned his inquiry. The institutions are said in the study to be "inward facing, elitist and insular" and "do little to engage with the wider engineering community or with society at large". The professor singles out for rebuke the promotional body EngineeringUK. "Serious criticisms have been voiced as to the performance and outcomes achieved by EngineeringUK in its educational activities, which are criticised as ineffective, particularly the campaigns to inspire school children to take up STEM studies… The UK remains woefully behind international competitors in recruiting potential engineers." The report says: "Allowing for the fact that EngineeringUK has only been operating since 2010, the question still arises why, despite some two decades of
By Peter Marsh|October 6th, 2017|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
Britain climbs the world manufacturing league table
Britain has improved its position among the world’s top manufacturing nations, moving up the league table to its strongest position since 2008 The UK was the world's eighth-biggest nation by manufacturing output in 2015 – the most recent year for which internationally comparable data are available – with just over 2 per cent of total output, according to calculations by Made Here Now based on the latest figures from the United Nations' statistical database. The numbers underline the relative strength of Britain's position in world manufacturing, even in the face of the rapid advances over the past 20 years by developing nations led by China, which claimed the largest share of world manufacturing in 2015 followed by the US, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India and Italy. "This performance reflects the renaissance that manufacturing is currently undertaking through a consistent focus on innovation, research and development and high-value skills," said Terry Scuoler, chief executive of the EEF manufacturers' body. Made Here Now plans to highlight the opportunities ahead, focusing especially on the potential role for younger people, whom many companies say they want to recruit to develop skills and technologies in fields such as digital factories, artificial intelligence and 3D printing. While some industry experts fear that the UK's planned exit from the European Union will weaken British manufacturing, others believe that Brexit provides the opportunity to boost the sector, perhaps helped by the government's much vaunted new industrial strategy. The UN data provide a snapshot of different countries' relative strengths in manufacturing output, registered as shares of total value-added production calculated at 2015 dollar values. The figures provide a unique way to compare the performance of countries since 1970. In 2015 world manufacturing output came
By Peter Marsh|February 3rd, 2017|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
A gaze into the future for the world steel industry
Book Review: Steel 2050: How Steel Transformed the World and Now Must Transform Itself. Rod Beddows has an immense amount of knowledge and experience about the steel industry and this comes through in this book. He has achieved one of the prime aims he has set out to accomplish: to give a young person just setting out in the sector a primer about the business's evolution and key ideas for the future. He does this very well. I liked the historical material about how the steel industry has reached its current position of being a key supplier to just about every part of the global economy - but with technology and experience having driven down prices so much that the industry today struggles to make any money. There are some good points too about how the industry needs to change: for instance how it has to do better at offering a good service to its customers. In this book, Beddows has also produced some valuable insights into how steel is used that challenge conventional ways of looking at this. For instance, he analyses "steel intensity" as it is usually measured. This is done by consulting statistics about shipped material. Steel intensity per person is normally regarded as the total amount of steel in a basic metal form that is used each year in a country by head of population. That fails to give the full picture, says the author. The right way to do this is to count several factors often ignored by the statisticians. They include steel contained in goods that may be imported. That means the steel is used indirectly by consumers and industry in a specific nation, without anyone in that country
By Peter Marsh|November 3rd, 2016|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
Made Here Now will showcase British manufacturing
A new website to tell the world about modern UK manufacturing has been launched in the setting of a stunning 3D-printed model of London. The project has received support from 47 organisations from business, government and public life. Behind it is the aim to use the best writing, photography and design to paint a more upbeat picture of UK industry than is often seen in most mainstream media. A key aim of www.madeherenow.com is to use a fresh approach in an effort to tempt more young people into the sector. According to many involved with manufacturing industry, children and teenagers are often dissuaded from considering manufacturing as a career choice due to its poor image. The launch took place at New London Architecture in London, against the backdrop of a superb 1:2000 model of London, made using modern techniques including 3D printing. The model was made by Pipers, a small design and events company based in London. The idea of the website was conceived about a year ago. It is a collaboration mainly involving me and two digital agencies based in Manchester - INVENTID and Nine Sixty. The response I picked up at the launch about the website was overwhelmingly positive. "It seems people think MADE HERE NOW is fresh and informative and gives new insights into the sector," I said at the time of the launch. "People interested in manufacturing have for years complained about its poor image. With MADE HERE NOW we may have reached a turning point. It's a great platform to start with as we build the website into something bigger and even better." The first version of the website features four exemplar companies that opened up their operations to Made
By Peter Marsh|April 21st, 2015|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
The new industrial revolution – all is explained
On a visit to Seoul to take part in discussions on 21st century manufacturing, I was faced with a number of questions about the ideas in my book “The New industrial Revolution: Consumers, Globalisation and the End of Mass Production". I gave three lectures, two of them at events organised by the Korean Development Institute and the Korea Information Society Development Institute, and the third to a group of students taught by Prof Keun Lee, a prominent Korean economist at Seoul National University. Prof Lee is an authority on industrial policy and “economic catch-up” – how developing nations can close the gap in living standards and incomes with the richer parts of the world. He brought his students to a meeting that I addressed at the Seoul Science and Technology Policy Institute. In these three events, by far the toughest set of questions came from Prof Lee’s students, some of whom are pictured with me here. Here is an edited version of questions and answers from the encounter with the students - along with extracts from other conversations I had in Seoul. (You can see here the slides from the STEPI lecture.) Can you summarise what you mean by the “new industrial revolution”? Over the past 300 years, manufacturing industry has provided the world with the tools for most of its economic growth. There have been four previous industrial revolutions, starting with the changes in late 18th century England driven by advances in areas such as textile engineering and steam power. Subsequent revolutions were about shifts in communications capabilities led by advances such as railways; new science-based disciplines including chemicals and electricity generation; and the post-World War Two development of the electronic computer. The new
By Peter Marsh|November 11th, 2014|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
New manufacturing policies for the developing world
In uncertain economic times, many countries are looking to manufacturing to provide useful growth and employment. Barack Obama and David Cameron in the US and UK are both long-time converts to the "pro-manufacturing" argument. Narendra Modi, India’s new-ish prime minister, has espoused a "Make in India" programme to give his country a lift. In Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has instituted the "Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan" to do much the same. A key to all this interest is that the "manufacturing" most nations are interested in is different to the sort of production operations that dominated in the past. Old-style manufacturing in the shape of big, inflexible, polluting factories is not what these countries have in mind. More important are small, nimble companies applying new technologies and business methods. These can be applied to suit the requirements of customers both at home and thousands of kilometres away. A set of new themes are important. They include: “tailoring” goods to meet individual needs; blending different technologies to create new products with outstanding properties; using the power of the internet plus other digital techniques to provided new capabilities; combining production with services; and running factories so as to have a minimal negative impact on the environment. Uniting the old and the new elements is one unchanging characteristic. Manufacturing is at heart very simple: it's about adding value to the world’s limited stock of materials to make useful things. Perhaps this is why the topic remains fascinating, several thousand years after manufacturing in its earliest forms started up. In the light of this interest, it seemed a good time for the Vienna-based United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to organise a five-day training workshop to explore some of the themes. Unido
How the new industrial revolution could help a Detroit – and wider US – upturn
Observations, Opinion, Uncategorized
Detroit and the state of Michigan have been in the headlines a lot over the past few years - mainly as a result of a welter of grim economic news including the city's slide into bankruptcy. But more recently have come some signs of a significant improvement in the fortunes of the region, driven partly by indications of greater optimism and investments by local manufacturers including the big car companies. Among the Michigan manufacturers that have been hiring more workers and expanding production is Fullerton Tool, whose chief executive Patrick Curry is pictured here. Cheered by receiving positive news about their fortunes from Mr Curry and other local business people, I made a speech at an event in Detroit on September 17 examining the health of Michigan-based manufacturing. The event was organized by the Detroit Manufacturing Renaissance Council, an offshoot of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council. In the chair was William Jones, chief executive of Focus: Hope, a Detroit community development and human rights group. For background, read this good article by William Hemphill on the manufacturing renaissance movement in the US. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD MY PRESENTATION HERE Detroit Manufacturing Renaissance Council seminar on future for US & Michigan manufacturing, Detroit Read about details of an earlier talk in Chicago at a previous meeting organized by the Chicago manufacturing renaissance council.
By Peter Marsh|August 31st, 2014|Categories: Observations, Opinion, Uncategorized|0 Comments
Why Americans love manufacturing: and how to improve it
Manufacturing Renaissance Councils: Models for Success? By Thomas Hemphill Americans generally agree that they want their nation to remain the global leader in manufacturing. According to Leadership Wanted: U.S. Public Opinions on Manufacturing, a 2012 national survey, 90% of respondents rated manufacturing as “important” or “very important” for their economic prosperity and America’s standard of living. This survey reinforces the importance of the manufacturing sector to the good health of the American economy. While continuing to expand its productivity over the last two years, the U.S. manufacturing sector has only modestly expanded its employment base. Since December 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported an increase of 231,000 manufacturing jobs, for a total of 12,028,000 employed in the sector. Yet the need to develop a long-term, stable supply of next-generation employees for advanced manufacturing industries is a challenge that needs to be undertaken now—not later. With an anticipated surge in retirements from an aging workforce over the next few years, the demand for high-skilled workers will be needed for replacement and continued expansion. There has also been a recent groundswell of business, government, labor, and academic support for the creation of a U.S. manufacturing strategy.... Read full article
By Peter Marsh|August 31st, 2014|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
Fashion: A better business model
Inditex has become the world’s largest fashion retailer. But how long can its dizzying expansion last? By Tobias Buck, Financial Times, June 18, 2014 A few weeks from now, young women all over the world will decide that what they really want to wear this summer is a long, flowing trenchcoat with a buckle belt and soft shoulders. They don’t know it yet. But Manuel Ruyman Santos knows, and Inditex knows, and €17bn in sales says they will be right once again. For the moment, the trenchcoat is a prototype, hanging on a clothes rack at Inditex´s sprawling headquarters in Arteixo, northern Spain. But Mr Ruyman Santos, one of the designers of the new garment, is confident it will be a success. Soft trenchcoats have sold well in recent months, so he knows the new creation will tap into a broader trend. For Inditex, the biggest fashion retailer in the world, the success or failure of one trenchcoat is of marginal importance. It is just one of 18,000 individual designs made every year for its chain of Zara shops alone. Add in the group’s seven other brands – from upmarket Massimo Dutti to casual Pull & Bear – and the number rises to more than 30,000. The new coat is nothing but a tiny thread in a much bigger story – but one that illustrates how a small family-owned clothes manufacturer on the edge of Spain turned into one of the most striking corporate success stories of recent years. The rise of Inditex holds valuable lessons.... Read full article
By Peter Marsh|July 2nd, 2014|Categories: Observations, Opinion|0 Comments
The world struggles to keep up with the pace of change in science and technology
By Peter Marsh, Financial Times, June 17, 2014 Among the many champions of their own specific area of science and technology, at least Jennifer Holmgren, chief executive of Lanzatech, has something to shout about. The Illinois-based company is developing a chemical treatment capable of turning the carbon-rich waste gases of many industries into valuable chemicals and fuels. Ms Holmgren estimates that if all the waste gases of the global steel business alone were treated using her company’s process, the world would instantly find a way to create a fifth of the annual fuel requirement of the global aircraft fleet. The Lanzatech technology “challenges our perceptions of waste and will have a game-changing impact on the way we think about commodity sourcing and supply”, Ms Holmgren says. The ideas under development at Lanzatech are just one instance of the range of technology-based concepts that look capable of transforming people’s lives over the next 30 years. The statistics behind the trends are impressive. This year, according to projections by Battelle, the US science and technology development group, the world will spend about $1.6tn on research and development in a range of engineering-related disciplines from robotics to social media. The numbers of people working in technology-related research now stands at more than 7m, with growing numbers in countries such as China, India and Brazil that have only in the past 15 years started to register in the top league of technology. Read full article
By Peter Marsh|July 2nd, 2014|Categories: Observations|0 Comments
Peter Marsh
新工业革命
Observations & Opinions
Chinese car group bets its future on green taxis
UK manufacturers plot new routes to innovation
3Cs point the route to success in 21st century industry
Innovation champion who was a hidden force in electronics, football and the arts: an appreciation of the life of Eddie Davies
Polish-Canadian brings new verve to UK engineering education
Email: petermarsh307@gmail.com
Web: www.petermarsh.eu
Copyright 2014 Peter Marsh | All Rights Reserved | Website design – Charles Worrall | Main photographer – Jerry Mason
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Tag: Bible
Working Women in the Bible
“The Bible mentions women who worked in commercial trade (Prov. 31:16a, 24; Acts 16:14), in agriculture (Josh. 15:17-19; Ruth 2:8; Prov. 31:16b), as millers (Exod. 11:5; Matt. 24:41), as shepherds (Gen. 29:9; Exod. 2:16), as artisans, especially in textiles (Exod. 26:1 NIV; Acts 18:3), as perfumers and cooks (1 Sam. 8:13), as midwives (Exod. 1:15ff), as nurses (Gen. 35:8; Exod. 2:7; 2 Sam. 4:4; 1 Kings 1:4), as domestic servants (Acts 12:13, etc), and as professional mourners (Jer. 9:17). Women could also be patrons (Acts 16:40; Rom. 16:1-2), leaders (Judg. ch 4-5; 2 Sam. 20:16) and ruling queens (1 Kings 10:1ff; Acts 8:27). One Bible woman even built towns (1 Chron. 7:24). Many women, and men, worked from home, yet the Bible nowhere criticises women who worked outside the home, in the public sphere.”–Marg Mowczko
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on March 1, 2019 March 1, 2019 Categories UncategorizedTags Bible, economics, scripture, womenLeave a comment on Working Women in the Bible
Jubilee, Mt. Sinai, Humility, and Pride
Parshat Behar begins: “G-d spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai . . .” There is a well-known Midrash that explains that Mount Sinai was the lowest of all the mountains, and so G-d chose it to teach us a lesson in humility: If you want to be a vessel for the Torah, you must feel yourself to be lowly and humble.
This, however, leads to the question: If G-d wanted to teach us a lesson in humility, why give the Torah on a mountain in the first place? Wouldn’t a valley be a better representation of humility?
The answer is that we need both: the greatness of a mountain, but the humility of Sinai.
This dichotomy is expressed beautifully in the Parshah itself.
One of the main mitzvahs featured in the Parshah is the Yovel (Jubilee). Every 50 years, the figurative reset button is pressed. All Jewish slaves are set free, and all land that was sold since the previous Yovel is automatically returned to its original owners.
What is the point behind this reset? Why did the Torah institute such a mechanism, where all transactions become undone and everything reverts back to its original status? … —Sholom Kesselman (www.chabad.org)
Read the rest of the story.
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on May 18, 2017 June 3, 2017 Categories UncategorizedTags Bible, economics, jubilee, Sholom Kesselman, sinai, torahLeave a comment on Jubilee, Mt. Sinai, Humility, and Pride
Charles E. Jefferson: ‘Woe to you military experts, blind guides’
One hundred years ago today, on April 6, 1917, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to go to war against Germany and the U.S. officially entered World War I. This evening the U.S. president launched missile strikes from navy warships in the Mediterranean Sea on the airbases of the Syrian government in retaliation for the Syrian president using chemical weapons, likely using sarin gas, on civilians two days ago. Despite the Hague Declaration of 1899 and the Hague Convention of 1907, which forbade the use of “poison or poisoned weapons” in warfare, more than 124,000 tons of gas were produced by the end of World War I.
Below is an excerpt from What the War is Teaching, a collection of addresses given by Rev. Charles E. Jefferson at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1916:
“This then is the work of the Christian minister in the present world crisis. He must resist with every ounce of his strength the power of the military experts. Jesus met the hierarchy of his day without flinching. His followers must do the same. Let ministers and laymen all say:
‘Woe to you, military experts, blind guides. You bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne upon men’s shoulder’s, and you do not move them with one of your fingers.
‘Woe unto you, military experts, blind guides, you shut up the kingdom of God against nations, and you open up the empire of suspicion and fear and hate; nations are feeling after righteousness and peace and joy, and you block their way.
‘Woe unto you, military experts, blind guides, you devour widows’ houses and other women’s houses and men’s houses, you devour the proceeds of industry, and the resources of nations, you devour the money which might be spent on social uplift and for the fighting of the evils which sap the life of mankind.
‘Blind guides and fools, you work everlastingly on the outside of the cup and the platter and turn men’s attention away from that which lies within. You talk unceasingly about the material defenses, fortifications made of concrete and steel and neglect those interior and spiritual defenses without which a nation is doomed ….’”–Charles Edward Jefferson, What the War is Teaching (1916)
Charles Edward Jefferson was born in Cambridge, Ohio, on August 29, 1860. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University. He was ordained by the Congregational Council in Chelsea, MA, September 29, 1887. He found a home as pastor of the Broadway Tabernacle Church in New York City from 1898 to 1929, then was honorary pastor from 1929 until his death in 1937. His writings are archived at the Congregational Library and Archives in Boston.
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on April 6, 2017 Categories UncategorizedTags 100 years, Bible, charles e. jefferson, chemical weapon, Christian, military experts, Ohio Wesleyan, peace, sarin, Syria, Trump, war, What The War Is Teaching, WWILeave a comment on Charles E. Jefferson: ‘Woe to you military experts, blind guides’
Trump’s Museum Christianity vs Jesus’ Inflammatory Gospel
In a 2012 CBN interview, Trump said fans often send him Bibles. He keeps every one of them “in a very nice place,” he said.
“There’s no way I would ever throw anything, to do anything negative to a Bible,” Trump said. “I would have a fear of doing something other than very positive, so actually I store them and keep them and sometimes give them away to other people but I do get sent a lot of Bibles and I like that. I think that’s great.”
Matthew 10:34: “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God.” (The Message translation)
Which one will you follow–Trump or Jesus?
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on November 26, 2016 November 26, 2016 Categories UncategorizedTags Bible, Matthew 10, TrumpLeave a comment on Trump’s Museum Christianity vs Jesus’ Inflammatory Gospel
Hot Off the Press! Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice
The book is out! Great work by the one of the most innovative Christian movements today. How do we bear forward the gospel at the end of the Anthropocene? Love the watershed you’re with (to paraphrase Crosby, Stills, and Nash).
Order lots of these books here.
My poem “Prophecies from the Watershed Conspiracy” is included in the foreword, along with an essay by Denise Marie Nadeau, a French and Mi’kmaq Canadian and dance movement therapist, who has made the Nibi ceremony for the protection of water.
This collection introduces and explores “watershed discipleship” as a critical, contextual, and constructive approach to ecological theology and practice, and features emerging voices from a generation that has grown up under the shadow of climate catastrophe.
Watershed Discipleship is a “triple entendre” that recognizes we are in a watershed historical moment of crisis, focuses on our intrinsically bioregional locus as followers of Jesus, and urges us to become disciples of our watersheds.
Bibliographic framing essays by Myers trace his journey into a bioregionalist Christian faith and practice and offer refections on incarnational theology, hermeneutics, and ecclesiology. The essays feature more than a dozen activists, educators, and practitioners under the age of forty, whose work and witness attest to a growing movement of resistance and reimagination across North America.
Contributors reread both biblical texts and churchly practices (such as mission, baptism, and liturgy) through the lens of “re-place-ment.” It’s a comprehensive and engaged call for a “Transition church” that can help turn our history around toward environmental resiliency and social justice, by passionate advocates on the front lines of watershed discipleship.
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on October 22, 2016 October 22, 2016 Categories UncategorizedTags Bible, bioregion, climate, creation, environment, Jesus, Millennials, scripture, transition churchLeave a comment on Hot Off the Press! Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice
Video: One-Hour Bible Study on Gay Christians in the Church
Matthew Vines speaks on the theological debate regarding the Bible and the role of gay Christians in the church. Delivered at College Hill United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas on March 8, 2012. A one-hour bible study on homosexuality and the Bible. Matthew Vines looks at 6 critical scripture verses. Well worth the time. The transcript is also available.
“In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul writes about marriage and celibacy. He was celibate himself, and he says that he wishes that everyone else could be celibate as well. But, he says, each person has their own gift. For Paul, celibacy is a spiritual gift, and one that he realizes that many Christians don’t have. However, because many of them lack the gift of celibacy, Paul observes that sexual immorality is rampant. And so he prescribes marriage as a kind of remedy or protection against sexual sin for Christians who lack the gift of celibacy. “It is better to marry than to burn with passion,” he says. And today, the vast majority of Christians do not sense either the gift of celibacy or the call to it. This is true for both straight and gay Christians. And so if the remedy against sexual sin for straight Christians is marriage, why should the remedy for gay Christians not be the same?”–Matthew Vines, The Gay Debate
“If you are uncomfortable with the idea of two men or two women in love, if you are dead-set against that idea, then I am asking you to try to see things differently for my sake, even if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m asking you to ask yourself this: How deeply do you care about your family? How deeply do you love your spouse? And how tenaciously would you fight for them if they were ever in danger or in harm’s way? That is how deeply you should care, and that is how tenaciously you should fight, for the very same things for my life, because they matter just as much to me. Gay people should be a treasured part of our families and our communities, and the truly Christian response to them is acceptance, support, and love.”–Matthew Vines, The Gay Debate
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on April 2, 2012 April 2, 2012 Categories UncategorizedTags 1 Corinthians 7, Bible, celibacy, College Hill United Methodist Church, gay, gay marriage, homosexuality, Kansas, Matthew Vines, video, WichitaLeave a comment on Video: One-Hour Bible Study on Gay Christians in the Church
In the Wake of Japan Disaster, Must We Accept Nuclear Power?
The U.S. Navy reported today that it had detected low levels of airborne radiation at the Yokosuka and Atsugi bases, about 200 miles to the north of the Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactors. They are moving ships out of range.
“While there was no danger to the public, Commander, Naval Forces Japan recommended limited precautionary measures for personnel and their families on Fleet Activities Yokosuka and Naval Air Facility Atsugi, including limiting outdoor activities and securing external ventilation systems as much as practical,” a statement said. “These measures are strictly precautionary in nature. We do not expect that any United States Federal radiation exposure limits will be exceeded even if no precautionary measures are taken,” it added.
News reports, scientists, nuclear energy corporate officials, and government spokespersons are reiterating that the nuclear reactor meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, is not like Chernobyl. It’s more like Three Mile Island. Apparently, this is supposed to allay public concern.
For anyone who lived down-wind of the Three Mile Island reactor when the radioactive core was breached on March 28, 1979, this news is anything but comforting. (Read “In the Valley of the Shadow: Ten Years after the Accident at Three Mile Island” by Joyce Hollyday.)
The arguments made by the nuclear industry today are that huge improvements have been made in the safety and efficiency of nuclear energy production — much of which is true. But the nuclear corporations still have no answer to radioactive waste or the multi-generational devastation to all living creatures when the unforeseeable occurs — as has happened in Japan.
Below, Sojourners reprints a commentary by Vince Books written at the time of the Three Mile Island disaster. Vince actually worked on the construction crew of the plant and eventually became a committed advocate against nuclear power:
The Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed) is proud. Proud of progress on that island. Proud to be helping to solve America’s energy problems. And proud to be splitting atoms, heating water, forcing steam, turning generators, and producing electricity. It is, however, Met-Ed’s other contributions that will long be remembered. These include iodine 131, cesium 137, strontium 90, and plutonium, to be followed perhaps by an assortment of cancers and birth defects. Met-Ed is leaving more than footprints on the sands of time.
The residents of central Pennsylvania are sleeping. Or at least they were when something went terribly wrong out there on Three Mile Island. It was 4 a.m. March 28, 1979. There was a mal-function in the secondary cooling system of Unit 2. More malfunctions followed, and the trouble was compounded by what appeared to be human error. Inside the four-foot thick concrete walls of the containment building the Unit 2 reactor was heating up and beginning to destroy its fuel. A plume of radioactive gas was released. The wind was blowing north. Continue reading “In the Wake of Japan Disaster, Must We Accept Nuclear Power?”
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on March 15, 2011 Categories UncategorizedTags 1979, Bible, Chernobyl, Dick Thornburgh, Fukushima, Japan, Jesus, Jim Rice, Joyce Hollyday, March 28, Navy, nuclear power, Pennsylvania, radiation, Sojourners, Stars and Stripes, temptations, Three Mile Island, Vince BooksLeave a comment on In the Wake of Japan Disaster, Must We Accept Nuclear Power?
Where Do You Read the Bible?
St. Mary's Nashville www.justinwrightphoto.com
A shout out to John Deacon over at A Visitor’s Guide to the Homeless for clipping my Sojourners’ column Loving the World. Here’s a nice quote from John’s site:
“Exegesis is the exercise of studying the scriptures with the intent of finding their original meaning and context. It is to interpret based on what the writer would have meant rather than to interpret based on what the reader subjectively ‘reads into’ the text. (i.e. ‘eisegesis)
Hermeneutics is the meaning a community finds in scripture which becomes evident in the way they live. As I reflected back on this morning’s study, I thought of how context does affect how the Bible is understood. How much closer we are to its original meaning (i.e. exegesis) when we are among people for whom ‘imprisonment’ is something more than merely imagined (i.e. eisegesis). Which hermeneutically speaking, means we can’t experience the real meaning of the scriptures without the poor.” —John Deacon
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on October 28, 2010 Categories UncategorizedTags Bible, hermeneutics, homeless guide, John Deacon, SojournersLeave a comment on Where Do You Read the Bible?
Joan Chittister on Biblical Women Leaders
In the run-up to the Sept. 26 “Sunday Without Women,” here’s an excerpt from Benedictine leader Joan Chittister on the power of women in the Bible.
Finding role models to live by in Scripture, if you are a woman, is slim picking. I spent a fair amount of my young life looking for them, in fact. I heard a great deal in church and school about the kings, Solomon and David. They taught us about the faithful ones like Job and Joseph, for instance, who, despite their sufferings, never cursed God. But they said precious little, hardly a word, about women. Except about Delilah, of course, who had tempted Samson, leading to his ruin, and about Eve, who had tempted Adam and left us all in ruin.
Such teaching left girls with very male images of what it meant to be loved by God, or “made in the image” of God. Abraham and Moses and any number of men–such as Noah, Jacob, Daniel, Isaac, Joshua, and Isaiah, to name a few–had been entrusted with the work of God. But you didn’t hear much about women at all, except, of course, for Mary, “the mother of God,” who was clearly too exalted, too divinized to be a real model for real women. Women, it seemed, were also-rans where the work of salvation was concerned.
It takes years for a woman to realize how effective, how distorting, that exclusion can be to a woman’s sense of herself before God. What had become clear to me, over the years, is that men got us to heaven; women went along. Men were the doers of God’s will; women were everybody’s “helpmates,” but never their leaders. Women, in fact, were seldom or never the carriers of the vision. They were almost never the speaker of God’s word. I admit to being disappointed by it all.
As a result, I did what most girls did. I looked to male figures and male saints and male spiritual leaders, for direction, for the interpretation of what, if anything, God expected of me in life. But somehow or other, little or none of it fit. Worse, all of it reminded me of a woman’s secondary status, even where God was concerned. There was something not right about that.
Then, one day, I discovered, almost by accident, the books of Ruth and Judith – two women who were strong leaders and committed followers of the Word of God. But these books had never been read in my church. I had never heard anyone even preach a sermon on them. I never saw any pictures of these two women hanging anywhere on sacred territory. But there were their stories, full and entire, right in the middle of the Bible. They were not pieces of religious fancy. These were, the priest told me, solemnly, “the Word of God.” Suddenly, things began to change.
If anything in Scripture prepares us for the Jesus who walked with women, taught women, and commissioned women, these stories are surely it. They prepare us to see, if only we will open our eyes, the place and power of women in the Work of God. They enable us to realize the message of redemptive presence that comes through the stories of the women around Jesus–Mary, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, the woman in the house of the Pharisees and all the women of all the house churches in the New Testament.
The books of Ruth and Judith are signs to us all. They are signs to men of the ministry, that they must share equally with women. They are signs to women of the ministry, for which they, too, must take clear and conscious responsibility, knowing, indeed, that God is with them, in them, calling them on, as witnesses, ministers and leaders–for all our sakes.–Joan Chittister, OSB
From Joan Chittister’s introduction to the book Judith and Ruth (Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2010)
Author Rose Marie BergerPosted on September 20, 2010 Categories UncategorizedTags Benedictine, Bible, boycott, Chittister, Judith, Ruth, womenLeave a comment on Joan Chittister on Biblical Women Leaders
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The Smiley Smile Message Board | Non Smiley Smile Stuff | General Music Discussion | Country Music
Pages: 1 ... 10 11 12 13 14 [15] 16 17 18
Author Topic: Country Music (Read 63621 times)
bringahorseinhere?
Re: COUNTRY MUSIC
https://www.amazon.com/Volumes-One-Two-OLD-DOGS/dp/B06XSJNZS4/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1495605053&sr=1-8
what a great idea to re-release these on one album!
"Too dumb for New York City, too ugly for L.A."
Quote from: bringahorseinhere? on May 23, 2017, 10:53:14 PM
Do you know this?
Old Dogs - 1 of 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1YTcLQdBM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdvcRLQwgts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOgjpX9Cjoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GfGBDs6rWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJNPxOkUG5Y
« Last Edit: May 26, 2017, 11:30:30 AM by Rocker » Logged
a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.
- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys
PRO SHOT BEACH BOYS CONCERTS - LIST
To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.
- Jack Rieley
Gertie J.
listening to kane brown now, pretty good, nice 'new' country
dj, blogger, and hanger-on
Quote from: Rocker on May 26, 2017, 11:30:03 AM
ahhh yeah! isn't that all wonderful? these guys are so fun together.
I miss Waylon.
I remember years ago trying to get the VHS of the original performance of
the first 'old dogs' album, but could never trace a copy down, pre internet then.
it was on youtube in a very bad copy, but seems to have been removed, but
I remember it was all 4 of them, sitting on stools I think, singing to an audience.
it was kind of 'staged' as if they were doing a tv show from memory, but I never
was able to get a copy of the video.
the Old Dogs were great!
If you are a petitition guy:
Induct Jerry Lee Lewis into the Country Music Hall of Fame
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/induct-jerry-lee-lewis-into-the-country-music-hall-of-fame.html
GEEEZ!!! How can Jerry NOT already be in the CMHF??
that's a joke.
Flashback: See Tammy Wynette, Brian Wilson Harmonize on 'In My Room'
Posthumously released performance features fragile country icon with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys on the band's 1963 classic
http://www.rollingstone.com/country/videos/brian-wilson-in-my-room-see-him-sing-with-tammy-wynette-w488838
It's always kinda chilling to me what a great album/project this could've been... and then seeing or hearing the result
« Last Edit: June 21, 2017, 12:46:39 PM by Rocker » Logged
it's pretty cool to see how Brian Wilson and Tammy Wynette could
even be in the same room together, and yet record a song together.
it just shows how much Brian's tunes have an effect on all cultures
of music, even 'country'. it's such a heartbreaking recording where
two different worlds collide, but both have experienced the same
torture. now only if 'stars and stripes' followed more in this path
it would probably have more love from the fans.
Quote from: bringahorseinhere? on June 21, 2017, 07:10:26 PM
I think the problem was the choice of material and the choice of country artists. Regarding the latter, they obviously did go with what was current after they had Willie so they could rush out the album (maybe not littary but you know what I mean). If only they got to the real big country stars and had put a little thought into the song choices; in fact there were some names floating around and iirc Al recorded the accoustic "California saga" as a demo for Merle Haggard (it really does sound like Hag's style). I posted this more than once but here's a setlist I came up with:
California saga - Merle Haggard
Let the wind blow - Johnny Cash
God only knows - George Jones
Got to know the woman - Jerry Lee Lewis
Forever - Kris Kristofferson
Honkin' down the highway (like the version on "Caroline Now!) - Bobby Bare
The Trader - Waylon Jennings
Add to that Glenn Campbell (why was he not on vol. 1? I think a participation from him should've been a given). Maybe someone could take "Hold on dear brother" or "We got love".
While looking through some old postings I saw that someone mentioned Ronnie Milsap was considered for "Surfer girl" and Steve Earle for "Shut down", while Hank jr.'s and The Oak Ridge Boys' names were also floating around.
But you see it would've taken work, making sure that you actually get a country sound and arrangements. That didn't happen on Vol 1. And songs like "Shut down" probably wouldn't have worked very well. But maybe Jerry Reed could have worked up something.
I can hear most of the performances of my list in my head. You just need someone who actually knows a little about country music (I'm not tooting my own horn) and the Beach Boys to get a interesting list. Conncections were there: Around this time Don Was was producing both the Highwaymen's last (and best) album and Waylon Jennings' "Waymore's blues Part II" and also he was working with Jerry Lee Lewis on the Killer's "Young blood" album.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2017, 08:04:52 AM by Rocker » Logged
Quote from: Rocker on June 22, 2017, 08:03:55 AM
Yes Yes! 100 percent agree! Most of the artists used were pretty mediocre at best.
I got to like some of Toby's stuff years later, but this is terrible seeing him demolish 'be true to your school'.
You mention 'waymore's blues part II', that's one of my favourite Waylon albums, and a return to RCA.
You are right, imagine if they could have had Glen, Johnny (I could see him doin 'til I die'), probably too morbid
for what they were going for, Jerry Lee, Merle, George Jones was always great with a humourous song, he would
have been a better choice for 'long tall texan' or a cat like Buck Owens.
Then you have some other greats like Bobby Bare, Alan Jackson, Marty Stuart, George Strait and i'll go as far
to say even Garth Brooks, who has a great way of interpreting material...
yeah wow, Hank Jr! that could have been phenomenal or a land mine haha
I even thought about Charlie Rich, but he had just passed on, such a shame losing that guy.
The idea was certainly there, but it just didn't quite hit the mark... I still give it a blast now and then
I got to correct myself. It wasn't Don Was working on the Killer's Young Blood album but Andy Paley. But that takes nothing away from the point I was making. But sorry for the mis-info.
I kinda like Doug Supernaw on "Long tall texan". But yeah, if I'd have to choose between him and Buck Owens, I'd go with the latter. George Jones in my head is reserved for God Only Knows. Man, what he could've done with that song.....
ahhh Andy Paley, I didn't know that. I've got Jerry's 'Youngblood' album.
havn't heard it in years! I remember it being hard to track down, but finally
found a copy. Guess it wasn't a huge seller
Loretta Lynn: ‘Willie Ain’t Dead Yet and Neither Am I’
Country legend postpones album until next year, cancels tour dates as she recovers from May stroke
http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/loretta-lynn-postpones-release-of-new-album-w491954
Various: At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight (20-CD)
At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight
20-CD boxed set (LP-size) with 224-page hardcover book (LP-size), 559 tracks. Total playing time 1,506:37 mns.
AT THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE TONIGHT -
HANK WILLIAMS, ELVIS PRESLEY, JOHNNY CASH, JIM REEVES, JOHNNY HORTON, GEORGE JONES, WEBB PIERCE, JUNE CARTER, FRANKIE MILLER, FARON YOUNG, and many more.
These 20 CDs comprise over 25 hours of music captured on-stage in the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s at KWKH’s legendary Louisiana Hayride radio show. Staged live in Shreveport, the Hayride featured national country music stars, soon-to-be legends, regional break-outs, and talented newcomers.
Most of this music has not been heard since the day it was broadcast.
FABULOUSLY RESTORED SOUND!
• 529 ‘live’ tracks including previously unknown recordings by Hank Williams.
• 11 ‘as live’ studio-recorded transcriptions, including Kitty Wells, Johnnie and Jack, Hank Williams, and Curley Williams.
• 19 studio-recorded commercial discs, including hits by Slim Whitman, the Browns, Mitchell Torok, Jim Reeves, Mac Wiseman, and Carolyn Bradshaw.
• 167 artists in total, including Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce, Faron Young, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Rose Maddox, Frankie Miller, Cousin Emmy, June Carter, Roy Acuff, the Bailes Brothers, the Oklahoma Wranglers, Norma Jean, the Browns, the Carlisles, the Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Newman, Ray Price, Roger Miller, Ferlin Husky, Warren Smith, Wynn Stewart, Grandpa Jones, Rusty and Doug Kershaw, Slim Whitman, and the Wilburn Brothers.
• Hayride regulars including James O’Gwynn, Curley Williams, Red Sovine, Betty Amos, Harmie Smith, Buddy Attaway, Margie Singleton, Tony Douglas, Jack Ford, Werly Fairburn, Jeanette Hicks, Goldie Hill, Tibby Edwards, Hoot and Curley, Martha Lynn, Claude King, David Houston, Jerry Jericho, Bob Luman, Jimmy and Johnny, Merle Kilgore, Jimmy Martin, Johnny Mathis, Jimmy Lee, Charlie Walker, Billy Walker, and Dee Mullin.
• All backed by the ultra-talented Hayride staff bands, including Felton Pruett, Jimmy Day, Floyd Cramer, Sonny Trammell, James Burton, D. J. Fontana, Shot Jackson, Sonny Harville, Dobber Johnson, Buffalo Yount, Don Davis, and Tillman Franks.
Time was when the Louisiana Hayride show at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana was the place for country music fans to be on a Saturday night. Just sixty cents for adults (thirty for kids) bought the finest night’s entertainment anytime, anywhere.
This set is a front-row seat as Hank Williams takes to the stage, first as a relative newcomer and later as a troubled superstar. Elvis Presley brings rockabilly to the airwaves before anyone knew what he or his music was about. A parade of home-grown and out-of-town country hitmakers tussle with one another for encores, and encourage unknown newcomers who would wow the audience with their songs and performances most nights.
This is the first time the true magic of the iconic Louisiana Hayride has been revealed through extended excerpts from the three-hour Saturday night shows held every week from 1948 to 1960 and occasionally thereafter.
These long-buried musical performances are brought to life in chronological order interspersed with some of the announcements, intros, ads, comedy routines and mistakes that went to make up a live show in those days. Not least, we can hear Elvis Presley’s epoch-changing music as it was originally heard--as part of a country variety show.
Eighteen CDs chronicle the weekly Hayride. Two bonus CDs sample some of the post-1960 shows together with commercial recordings made in the KWKH radio studios, promotional discs and transcribed shows from KWKH’s early days.
More Than 24 Hours Of Original Live Recordings
https://www.bear-family.com/various-artists-at-the-louisiana-hayride-tonight-20-cd.html
Willie's son Lukas and his band appeared on Colbert last night:
Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real Perform 'Find Yourself'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL2-BDBB4hk
Not really "country" but I thought it might be interesting for some
Country Star Don Williams Dies At 78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAwEVcm5ms
Don Williams - Tulsa Time 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6MbPWzIFUk
Quote from: Rocker on September 09, 2017, 01:10:50 AM
I'd never heard of him before today, to my eternal shame (just not a country fan, I guess). Dutch radio considered him important enough to mention his death on the hourly bulletin this morning. Rest in peace, sir.
bonnie bella
Two country singers lost today, Don Williams and also Troy Gentry, who died in a tragic helicopter accident.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXg8E0kzF1c
Willie Nelson To Release Second ‘Willie’s Stash’ Archival Album
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/willie-nelson-second-willies-stash/?utm_source=ka&utm_medium=fa&utm_campaign=FB:Hank%20Williams%20-%20Country%20Legend-Editorial
Quote from: Rocker on September 01, 2017, 12:45:20 PM
Previously unreleased:
Hear Hank Williams' Rare Live 'Jambalaya' From Massive New Box Set
http://www.rollingstone.com/country/premieres/hank-williams-jambalaya-hear-rare-live-version-w508444
I never saw this stuff before. It's kind of an animated biography of some legendary artists, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Johnny Paycheck and a look at their on-the-road lives:
Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus
Johnny Paycheck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS9HXEuG9-U
Jerry Lee Lewis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAmw5ojnpvU
George Jones & Tammy Wynette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVa9uoGkT9g
And here's a trailer for the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPTT6Kp3Ob8
« Last Edit: October 14, 2017, 08:23:25 AM by Rocker » Logged
Quote from: Rocker on October 14, 2017, 07:23:34 AM
I've yet to check out the show, but given this, and the amount of country music guest stars that used to appear on King of the Hill, I'm thinking Mike Judge is a pretty big country music fan.
Quote from: KDS on October 17, 2017, 06:05:27 AM
It's very good. I just watched the second episode of the George & Tammy segment. Looking forward to more
I don't think this was posted yet.
Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI9oVs4julc
Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis dead at 85
http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/11/19/mel-tillis-dead-country-music-hall-famer/852933001/
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Arrow Season 3 Episode 15 Review
by Logan Ludwig | in Reviews | Mon, 2 March 2015
The League of Assassins has loomed large over the third season of Arrow. Malcolm’s attempts to escape the death sentence he’s been saddled with has been the motivating factor for much of the season’s overarching story, and yet, “Nanda Parbat” is one of the first times the show has depicted the league in full force. Nyssa has been popping up here and there since the second season and there have been more than a couple agents of the League who have appeared from time to time to deal out their bloody form of justice, but the series has never truly delved into the group. There’s been conversation after conversation about just how dangerous the League is, and while there have been hints of the League’s power it has been hard to truly connect with those dire warnings since the League has been primarily talked about rather than wholly engaged with.
One of the problems with talking about the League as frequently as Arrow has is that it can make it hard to care about the group. The old adage is true: “show don’t tell.” And, while Arrow has shown us the League from time to time, it’s done a whole lot more talking about them. After a certain point, the talking becomes dull, and when most of that talking revolves around dire warnings about impending death it starts to feel like that doom is never actually going to arrive. Sure, we know the League has teeth, but if they rarely show up to bite in and tear the show’s world to shreds it feels like they’re not really a threat so much as an abstract plot motivator.
At first, “Nanda Parbat” starts to fall into this same trap, rehashing material about whether the league is dangerous enough to justify the deal with the devil that the Queen siblings have made. Thankfully the episode sets up this material here to actually pay it off as Thea decides to give Malcolm up to the League, allowing them to capture him and return him to Nanda Parbat for his punishment. It’s good to see the assassins in action once more and what’s better is that the show takes the opportunity to show the assassins on their home turf.
By relocating the action to Nanda Parbat itself the series gets to devote more time to Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s has been used sparingly so far this season, making just three appearances over the first fifteen episodes, and, much like the rest of the League, his character has suffered from not physically appearing on screen frequently. There’s obviously a balance that needs to be struck here. Ra’s is a mysterious figure who works from the shadows, so he can’t be on screen with the same frequency as a villain like Deathstroke was last year, but his appearances have been too infrequent to truly allow him to make an impression on the series despite the fact that he ran Oliver through with a sword in his last outing.
“Nanda Parbat” goes a long way towards solving this problem by actually giving Ra’s some real attention. In particular, it gives Ra’s screen time where he’s allowed to do more than just show his prowess as a warrior. Matt Nable carries the right air of ancient supremacy for the character and the speeches he’s given in this episode allow Nable to invest Ra’s with a real sense of world weariness. Nable’s compelling when he’s allowed to do more than just brandish a sword and he finally gets to do that here, building to the end of the episode when he reveals that he doesn’t intend to kill Oliver but instead desires to appoint him as successor to the title of Ra’s al Ghul.
The reveal itself isn’t necessarily shocking. It’s one of the only things Ra’s could do in the scenario other than killing Oliver, but Nable’s delivery puts the moment across elegantly. Paired with his earlier storytelling about encountering a magician in the 1800’s, “Nanda Parbat” lends an actual sense of depth and sadness to the character, allowing him to become more fully rounded and thus more real to the audience. Ra’s has been a threat absent any real character, a boogeyman meant to motivate the characters, but here we finally start to get a sense of who this man is and what he desires.
The lack of clarity when it came to the League has been something that has caused problems for this season. In fact, while Ra’s and his desire to exact vengeance upon Malcolm Merlyn was clearly one of the most important aspects of the season, it was never entirely clear just how important or unimportant Ra’s would be to the overall story being told. He was a threat, certainly, but it was hard to say if he was an out and out villain to be defeated or a stepping stone along the way to the ultimate threat that the team was likely to face.
“Nanda Parbat” doesn’t entirely resolve that issue, but it does at least serve to finally flesh out Ra’s character. Now that the audience knows what Ra’s wants it’s much easier to understand the larger tale being told. It’s not hard to guess that Oliver will ultimately turn down Ra’s offer and it’s similarly safe to assume that said refusal will result in some sort of greater conflict between Team Arrow and the League. There isn’t time for much else, so with only a third of the season left to go, hopefully things have finally started coming into focus.
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Logan Ludwig spent his youth immersed in comics, films, and TV. When he went to college those passions only deepened as he pursued a degree in Film Studies from Wesleyan University. After graduation he continued to work and follow those passions, which has led him to writing about all of those media on his blog, http://watch-up.tumblr.com/, and wherever else will have him.
See more, including free online content, on Logan Ludwig's author page.
Also by Logan Ludwig:
Can Thanos Come Snap Comics TV Shows?: Titans Disappoints
Spotlight on Green Arrow
Moving Target: The History and Evolution of Green Arrow in Current Previews Catalog
Sequart Releases Moving Target: The History and Evolution of Green Arrow
Berlanti Drops the Ball on CW-DC Universe
Why CBS Would be Right to Cancel Supergirl: A Ratings and Narrative Analysis
The Flashback Paradox: How Comic Book Television Deals with Remembrance of Things Past
Reinventing Widescreen: Sorrentino’s Green Arrow
This is Your Comic on Drugs
DC Continues to Revamp Superhero Looks
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: News and First Look
Supergirl Set for Monday Nights on CBS: Images, Cast, and Trailer Released
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San Gorgonio Pass Historical Society
Banning/Beaumont
Beaumont Events
Beaumont People
Beaumont Places
Banning Events
Banning People
Banning Places
Cabazon/Calimesa
Cabazon Events
Cabazon People
Cabazon Places
Calimesa Events
Calimesa People
Calimesa Places
Morongo/Whitewater
Morongo Cahuilla Events
Morongo Cahuilla People
Morongo Cahuilla Places
Whitewater Events
Whitewater People
Whitewater Places
Yucaipa Events
Yucaipa People
Yucaipa Places
Urban Legends of the San Gorgonio Pass
Urban legends are a form of contemporary folklore, with the stories often having elements of horror, humor, or mystery tinged with an element of fear. Familiar urban legends speak of giant alligators living in the sewers of cities or tell stories of vanishing ghost hitchhikers along the highway. Urban legends are rarely traceable to a single source but instead are often embellished through the years as they are repeated from individual to individual. Most urban legends are not considered to be factual although there is often a thread of truth within the origin of the legend. Some urban legends are used as morality tales to keep children from disobeying a parent, such as the Mexican urban legend of La Llorona, “The Crying Woman.” No child wants to be caught outside after dark and risk an encounter with La Llorona.
The San Gorgonio Pass has its share of urban legends unique to this area. It’s important to keep a humorous perspective when reading about these local urban legends. They are presented for entertainment purposes only. Many of the legends involve various “hauntings” that will be explored in more depth in an article later this Fall. Most of those who contributed stories for this article preferred to remain anonymous. Some of the research on local urban legends has been gathered through the years as patrons of the Banning Public Library have visited the library and told their stories. The library staff has often been asked questions regarding the veracity of these stories. Current research has been supplied by responses to our last question in the Record Gazette. Following are some of the urban legends of the San Gorgonio Pass: It has been reported that a man-like creature roams the foothills between Cherry Valley and the Morongo Reservation. One woman, who has had numerous encounters with this beast, has described it in terms commonly used for a Bigfoot or Sasquatch, although she characterized it as having more human features. Several sightings occurred along Noble Creek which runs north and south, bordering Bogart County Park. Three sisters who were raised in the Noble Creek area near the present day Cherry Valley Fire Station #22, have all had experiences with this creature. They describe it as having reddish hair, some of it very long, and a face that has a man’s characteristics.
The size of the monster is large but not more so than a large man. In the 1960's, the creature chased one of the sisters down the wash until it was confronted by an uncle of the terrified girl who shot the beast in the stomach. They described the sound it made as being the type of groan a man would make in pain as it stumbled back up the wash. It was such a human-like reaction the uncle was concerned he had indeed shot a man.<p> Subsequent checks with the Beaumont Police Department and local hospital turned up no evidence of anything reported. The sisters and their family had numerous encounters with this creature during the 1950's, 60's and 70's. They at one time kept a clump of long red hair that had been snagged on a barbed wire fence around their property in east Banning, again along the foothills. This occurred after the creature had awakened the family in the middle of the night trying to gain access to some of the animals that were kept in a pen behind their house. It was chased off and “flew” over the fence, leaving the hair remnant behind. They described its leaping ability and overall physical strength as being “supernatural.” Stories of the creature have continued into the year 2008. A security guard at the Cabazon Outlet Mall had an encounter while picnicking with his wife along a pond in a park campground. It was getting dark and they were the only ones left in the park. As they were preparing to leave he heard some rustling in the bushes near the picnic table they were using. He shined a powerful flashlight into the brush and saw two shining eyes staring at him. A large upright animal moving quickly ran away from them into the hills. The security guard, who prides himself on his bravery and ability to handle any situation, said he had never been so frightened in his life. Whatever it was that he saw chilled him to the bone. An often repeated local urban legend, possibly connected to this Bigfoot-type creature, is that a severed human hand was found in the Bogart Park area a few years ago. The case was never solved and no one came forth to claim the hand. Several stories have been told about local areas reported to be haunted. The San Gorgonio Memorial Park Cemetery has an alleged ghost in one section of the cemetery to be investigated more in the future.
La Llorona formation located south of Desert Center Ca. Courtesy of John Grasson
Other alleged hauntings include a building on the corner of Highland Springs and Ramsey. The story is told that the location used to be a children’s orphanage that burned to the ground about 100 years ago. Many people have reported seeing a woman and sometimes a child in burned clothing walking around the site late at night accompanied with a strong smell of smoke. Extensive research has not substantiated the existence of an orphanage at that location. The Beaumont Public Library may have a ghost patron. A library worker told me his story about a frightening experience late one night in the older section of the library. As he was vacuuming he heard loud knocking coming from an inside door of a small office under the stairs. The door had been locked for a very long time and he had no key for it. It stopped for awhile and he continued working until the knocking started again. Fearing someone had been trapped inside the locked room he called out but got no response. He decided to call the police and three Beaumont Police Officers showed up to investigate the locked room. They located an ex-employee who had a key for the lock and after she brought the key to them they slowly opened the door and turned on a light to reveal an empty room. The spirit may have been let out because our storyteller often hears footsteps and other noises coming from the second floor of the library when he works there late at night.
There used to be a section of town in Banning known as Sapo, Spanish for “frog.” Sapo was a Mexican-American community near downtown Banning, south of Livingston. Most of the community was demolished by the construction of the I-10 freeway in 1961. Sapo was the site of another local urban legend about the “Floating Lady.” Many long time residents of Sapo have told stories of a woman who floated just off the ground, gliding up and down the streets and alleys of Sapo. Cabazon has been the location for many local urban legends. There have been reports of UFOs in the skies above Cabazon and one unsubstantiated report of a meteorite crashing to the ground near the wash at the bottom of the foothills. Another local resident reports seeing bursts of flames resembling those from a gas source dotting the foothills above Cabazon. The bursts are short ones and seem to come from several areas among the rocks. One of the most interesting urban legends of Cabazon is the one of the circus train that allegedly derailed in Cabazon in the 1950's or 60's. Several members of the circus chose to remain behind after the train and track were repaired. They settled in Cabazon and kept many of the circus animals. I spoke with a retired Post Office worker who remembers a troupe of these circus workers who would walk to the Cabazon Post Office with several of the animals on leashes. She particularly remembered a bear on a leash walking along with the troupe. They were described as “little people” and at the time despairingly called “Circus Midgets.”
They reportedly built a small castle out of the abundant rock in the area. After numerous attempts I finally found the rock castle on property located between Esperanza and Dolores Avenues, one day after it had been destroyed by fire. It was in the middle of a scorched grove of Eucalyptus trees and all that remained was the chimney, the doorway and a few feet of the rock wall. The doorway was very low and I had to duck to get under it. Inside the still smoldering structure were remnants of chairs and tables built to the size of children’s furniture. The caretaker of the property confirmed that it had been a rock castle built by “little people.” Does anyone remember these Cabazon residents or know what became of them?
This article wouldn’t be complete without the legend of a buried treasure. On October 29, 1862, a stagecoach transporting twelve hundred dollars locked in an express box, stopped at the Isaac W. Smith Ranch (now Highland Springs Resort). As the teams were being changed out the man in charge, Henry Wilkinson, discovered the express box was missing. Wilkinson suspected one of the ranch hands named Gordon was the most likely thief and tried to force a confession out of him by hanging him by the neck, just off the ground. The tactic backfired when Gordon wouldn’t confess and after being cut down he drew a knife and killed Wilkinson and another ranch hand. He was later found innocent of the robbery and killings but the robbery was never solved and the express box was never found. It was thought to have been buried close by. Since the 1860's, the location of the Smith Ranch and subsequent Highland Springs Resort has been developed to include many structures. Was the express box ever unearthed during any of this construction? We will keep adding to our library file of urban legends of the San Gorgonio Pass. Thanks to all anonymous contributors to this article. We welcome any additional information our readers may want to share. (Banning Record Gazette, July 8, 2011, by Bill Bell)
This article is courtesy of Bill Bell and the Record Gazette newspaper.
Written by john grasson
View all posts by: john grasson
Airports in the San Gorgonio Pass
Snow Creek Camp – Oasis For Desert Traveler
Famous Celebrities of the San Gorgonio Pass
Photographers of the San Gorgonio Pass
Cabazon
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Una McCormack - Shastrix Books
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Una McCormack
I am a big fan of Una McCormack’s tie-in novels, and so when I saw that she had written an original work I made sure to pick it up and read it immediately.
The novella tells the story of a journalist in a universe where a galactic colonial power seems to be in its end days, and through the story of her life we also see the story of the civilisation.
McCormack’s world building is excellent, with a slow reveal of more about the civilisation through an elongated flashback, and character interaction, and leaves me feeling like there are plenty of other potential opportunities to explore this world - though I didn’t feel they were lacking from this story.
Very much recommended.
The Way to the Stars
The fourth novel based on the latest Star Trek series, Discovery, is the first written by a woman, and I’m slightly surprised that sums wasn’t asked to write one sooner, both because the show has made a point of focusing on its female characters and creators, and because Una is probably the best Star Trek novelist currently writing.
This book tells some backstory for the character Tilly, a cadet when we first meet her on TV, but here a high schooler. It draws on a number of character moments dropped into the series, particularly Tilly’s relationship with her mother, and creates an excellent story intertwining coming-of-age, boarding school, space adventure and much more.
My favourite of the Discovery novels so far - not the same sort of adventure as the earlier three - but much more fitting for Tilly and in keeping with McCormack’s usual trick of telling a character story that’s incredibly engrossing. A must read for anyone who loves Discovery and Tilly, and recommended for everyone else too.
Enigma Tales
Una McCormack, probably my favourite of the current crop of Star Trek authors, returns to Cardassia for this excellent and deliciously Cardassian tale.
Doctor Pulaski is visiting Cardassia to receive an award, but events start to unfold in interesting ways as Garak moves toward retribution for the crimes his people committed during the occupation of Bajor, and new details about those crimes start to come to light.
I can hardly believe how complex this story is, weaving in threads from across DS9 and earlier novels with the richness of Cardassian society. Both drawing on previous adventures and doing some worldbuilding of her own, McCormack paints an amazing picture of a world growing form its past. I love some of the clever symbolism that weaves in around flowers, art and literature, particularly the focus on the enigma tales, and how these reflect back into the plot. I also loved the setting in a Cardassian university, clearly something the author is well aware of herself, and this really comes across as something there's a deep understanding and appreciation of.
The presentation is good too. The chapters are long, and interspersed with letters written by Garak, which serve to develop both character and, subtly, plot. The tone is quite casual in places (especially the start) which gives another feeling of Cardassia, as it's reminiscent of Garak's storytelling in the TV series.
In case it's not clear, I think this book is great, and I hope for many many more from McCormack. I would strongly recommend reading David Mack's novel 'Control' first though, as one of the plot strands here follows on directly from that novel.
Buy book: Buy ebook:
Finally! A new DS9 novel! But is it? We're well into the second DS9 relaunch by now, and there's a big continuity gap sitting in the wings waiting to be filled in between the two. This story really focuses on three known characters, all of them based in or around DS9, but really Ro, Crusher and Pulaski are all Next Generation characters.
The story is about separation from family, a theme which fits really nicely with the selection of characters that McCormack has pulled together, and the numerous plot strands that weave together here. It's also about strong female characters, though I only realised that a few days after is finished reading it. I'm not sure if that says more about the author's subtlety or my own blindness to such factors, and if the latter whether that's a positive thing or a negative.
So I must admit that I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a bit more DS9 focused, and that the plot was really a gathering of multiple parallel strands rather than a single main narrative. However Isis enjoy the visit to the station and find McCormack to be one of the best writers of real character in Trek.
I look forward to more from the series, from the author, and more Cardassians please!
The Crimson Shadow
The second book in The Fall, the latest 24th Century Star Trek mini-series, runs for the most part concurrently with the first book, 'Revelation and Dust'. It follows Garak, Cardassian ambassador to the Federation, as he heads back to his home planet for the ceremonial signing of a treaty.
This is a very different story from the previous novel, much more about the politics and intrigue on Cardassia, and diplomacy between the various powers, whereas the the first book was much more action oriented. I found it interesting and enjoyable that the style differs so much between the two books, something that I've noticed a lot more recently in Star Trek novels than when I first started reading them in the late 90s - a welcome addition.
McCormack's novel reflects events in the real world masterfully, and has made me think more than anything else I've read for a long time, and yet as well as this she fills the tale with humour and 'easter eggs', many of which I expect I missed.
I found reading this that I wanted to pause between chapters to digest what I'd read, rather than rush ahead, although this plan went out the window as I got to the second half and couldn't stop reading. Her handle on Garak and other Cardassians is as strong as always and I've really enjoyed what she's done with them and their culture in this story.
An excellent novel, and a great continuation of the series - I look forward to the rest keeping this standard up.
The Never-Ending Sacrifice
Following on from the second-season Deep Space Nine episode 'Cardassians', Una McCormack's tale follows the life of Rugal, a Cardassian teenager brought up by Bajorans but sent back to live with his biological father. It's a different take on a civilization that was not explored in as much detail as it could have been on television, and gives an interesting alternative perspective on the events of the TV series.
The narrative moves at an excellent pace, easily keeping things in line with the main DS9 storyline throughout, and presents an interesting study of the character and how he grows. McCormack has an excellent grip on her ward and the various other well known characters that appear. Her Cardassia deserves to be the definitive one and she adds layers of texture to the culture that enrich it beyond anything I've read elsewhere.
There are parallels with twenty-first century Earth in the narrative, as well as moments of humour that had me tittering as I read on my commute. It's a perfect example of what Star Trek should be, and I've really enjoyed reading it - why I've waited so long since it was published I don't know.
It's surprising, shocking, tender and revealing. A must read for DS9 fans.
Buy book:
Brinkmanship
The eighth story in the Typhon Pact arc, set several years past Star Trek Nemesis, focuses on the Tzenkethi, and their relationships with the Federation and its allies, as well as the Venette Convention, a non-aligned peaceful group whose home lies between the major powers'. The plot follows three strands and focusses on diplomacy and exploring the alien cultures in more detail.
My favourite parts of the novel are those set on Ab-Tzenketh itself as we explore their culture in more depth than ever before and it is revealed to be far more fascinating than I had imagined. McCormack really excels at world building and this makes the novel far more than just another run-of-the-mill adventure.
While it's good too see more of the USS Aventine under Ezri Dax, in places these parts of they story did seem a bit tacked on and I had expected that there might be more of a focus on this crew than the novel actually included. Despite the cover image, the Enterprise portion of the plot is told mainly from the point of view of Doctor Crusher, which is a refreshing change as she has had comparatively little page-time recently. Writing this, I've only just noticed that this makes all the main characters of this novel females, which is also an interesting difference to the norm.
Although I sped through reading it in study two days, this is another excellent Trek novel. I'm really enjoying the way they are going at the moment and hope this can continue. I also look forward to reading more from Una McCormack who has fast become one of my favourite Trek authors.
Unreviewed books
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the network architecture lab @
the columbia university
graduate school of architecture, planning, and preservation
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Situated Technologies: Beneath and Beyond Big Data
Celebrate the publication of the final pamphlet in the Situated Technologies Pamphlets Series, “Modulated Cities: Networked Spaces, Reconstituted Subjects,” by Helen Nissenbaum and Netlab Director Kazys Varnelis on April 28 with "Beneath and Beyond Big Data."
A symposium with David Benjamin, Usman Haque, Natalie Jeremijenko, Omar Khan, Laura Kurgan, Helen Nissenbaum, Trebor Scholz, Mark Shepard, Anthony Townsend, and Kazys Varnelis
Rose Auditorium, The Cooper Union
3 AIA and New York State CEUs
This symposium brings together contributors to the Situated Technologies Project throughout its first six years to address current issues surrounding situated technologies and the increasing entanglement of data, technology, and the built environment, and attempt to identify future trajectories for their evolution.
The day will begin with a conversation between pamphlet authors Helen Nissenbaum and Kazys Varnelis, moderated by Trebor Scholz, addressing the redefinition of privacy in the age of big data and the networked, geo-spatial environment, and questioning the implications for the construction of contemporary subjectivity. Usman Haque, Natalie Jeremijenko, Mark Shepard, and Anthony Townsend will then present a series of case studies on open data and the process of making data public, focusing on distributed sensing initiatives and contrasting them with centralized programs managed by government agencies. Finally, David Benjamin, Omar Khan, and Laura Kurgan will identify the challenges of developing data literacy among the next generation of architects, addressing these issues through an expanded architectural curriculum for the 21st century.
Tickets are free for League members and students with a current ID; $20 for non-members. Members may reserve a ticket by e-mailing: rsvp@archleague.org. Non-members may purchase tickets here. Purchased tickets are available for pick-up at the venue check-in desk and are non-refundable.
AIA and New York State Continuing Education Credits will be available.
About the Situated Technologies Project
The Situated Technologies Project, co-organized by Omar Khan, Trebor Scholz, and Mark Shepard in partnership with the Architectural League, explores the implications of ubiquitous computing for architecture and urbanism: How is our experience of the city and the choices we make in it affected by mobile communications, pervasive media, ambient informatics, and other “situated” technologies? How will the ability to design increasingly responsive environments alter the way architects conceive of space? What do architects need to know about urban computing and what do technologists need to know about cities? The project began with a 3-day symposium in fall 2006 and continued with the publication of the Situated Technologies Pamphlets, a nine-part series of conversations between leading practitioners and researchers from architecture, art, technology, sociology, and related fields. In fall 2009, Toward the Sentient City, an exhibition curated by Mark Shepard and organized by the League, presented five newly commissioned installations and projects that explored the evolving relationship between ubiquitous computing, architecture, and the city. A book based on the exhibition is available from MIT Press.
Architecture and Situated Technologies Symposium–Podcasts
Situated Technologies Pamphlets
Toward the Sentient City
Sentient City: Ubiquitous Computing, Architecture, and the Future of Urban Space
For more information, visit www.situatechtechnologies.net.
David Benjamin is an architect and a principal of The Living. He teaches at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation where, with Soo-In Yang, he is co-director of the Living Architecture Lab. The Living received a New York Prize Fellowship from the Van Alen Institute and was a winner of the Architectural League’s Young Architects Forum. The Living’s project with Natalie Jeremijenko, “Amphibious Architecture,” was one of five commissioned projects for the Architectural League exhibition, Toward the Sentient City.
Usman Haque is the director of Haque Design + Research Ltd, which specializes in the design and research of interactive architecture systems. He is also founder of Pachube.com and CEO of Connected Environments Ltd. His project, “Natural Fuse,” was one of five commissioned for the Architectural League exhibition, Toward the Sentient City.
Natalie Jeremijenko directs the xdesign Environmental Health Clinic at New York University. Previously she was on the Visual Arts faculty at UCSD and the Faculty of Engineering at Yale. Her project with The Living, “Amphibious Architecture,” was one of five commissioned for the Architectural League exhibition, Toward the Sentient City.
Omar Khan is an architect and Chair of Architecture at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, where he is also Director of the Center for Architecture and Situated Technologies. Khan is a co-organizer of the Situated Technologies Project and co-author, with Philip Beesley, of “Situated Technologies Pamphlet 4: Responsive Architecture/Performing Instruments.”
Laura Kurgan is Associate Professor of Architecture at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, where she is Director of the Spatial Information Design Lab and the Director of Visual Studies. Her recent research includes a multi-year SIDL project on “million-dollar blocks” and the urban costs of the American incarceration experiment, and a collaborative exhibition on global migration and climate change.
Helen Nissenbaum is Professor of Media, Culture and Communication, and Computer Science, at New York University, where she is also Senior Faculty Fellow of the Information Law Institute. Her book Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life accounts for privacy threats posed by IT and digital medial systems in terms of the theory of contextual integrity. She is co-author, with Kazys Varnelis, of Situated Technologies Pamphlet 9: Modulated Cities: Networked Spaces, Reconstituted Subjects.
Trebor Scholz is a scholar, artist, organizer, and chair of the conference series The Politics of Digital Culture at The New School, where he also teaches in the Department of Culture and Media Studies. Scholz is co-organizer of the Situated Technologies Project and is co-author, with Laura Y. Liu, of Situated Technologies Pamphlet 7: From Mobile Playgrounds to Sweatshop City.
Mark Shepard is an artist, architect, and researcher whose post-disciplinary practice addresses new social spaces and signifying structures of contemporary network cultures. Shepard is co-organizer of the Situated Technologies Project and is co-author, with Adam Greenfield, of Situated Technologies Pamphlet 1: Urban Computing and Its Discontents. He was also curator of the exhibition Toward the Sentient City.
Anthony Townsend is Research Director at the Institute for the Future, where his research focus is on the impact of new technology on cities and public institutions, and the role of technology in economic development. Anthony was named one of Planetizen’s “Leading Thinkers in Urban Planning & Technology” and “Top 100 Thinkers” tracking the Internet of things by Postscapes. His project, “Breakout,” was one of five commissioned for the Architectural League exhibition Toward the Sentient City.
Kazys Varnelis is the Director of the Network Architecture Lab at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. He is editor of books includingNetworked Publics (MIT Press, 2008), The Infrastructural City: Networked Ecologies in Los Angeles(Actar, 2009), and The Philip Johnson Tapes (The Monacelli Press, 2008). He is co-author, with Helen Nissenbaum, of Situated Technologies Pamphlet 9: Modulated Cities: Networked Spaces, Reconstituted Subjects.
Submitted by admin on Tue, 2012-04-03 05:54
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The Trail Went Cold – Episode 5 – Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos
April 13, 2016 November 24, 2017 Gill
October 1, 2003. Naples, Florida. A Mexican national named Felipe Santos gets into a minor traffic accident and mysteriously disappears after being taken into custody by the police. Three months later, another Naples man named Terrance Williams also vanishes without explanation after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop. What makes this story so unusual is that both men were last seen being taken into custody by the same police officer: Corporal Steve Calkins. Was this all just a very bizarre coincidence or was Calkins responsible for the disappearance of both men? Join me for a new episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, as I examine one of the most controversial missing persons cases of recent memory.
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/trailwentcold.podbean.com/mf/web/45yni5/TWC-Episode5-FelipeSantosTerranceWilliams.mp3
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 4 – Rhonda Hinson
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 6 – Laureen Rahn
12 thoughts on “The Trail Went Cold – Episode 5 – Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos”
Please, please, please get your podcast up on the Stitcher app!!! the itunes mobile app is awful for organizing podcasts.
Love your show!!!!
Your timing is perfect, Jesse! We just got it put on Stitcher last night 🙂
http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-trail-went-cold?refid=stpr
Calkins killed them both. It’s pretty obvious.
The starlight tour would make sense with why he moved the car and left the keys outside of it as well; when Terrance finally got back he wouldn’t have to contact anyone to be able to reclaim his car. Once he realized there were too many witnesses, he rethought the scenario and had the car towed.
It’s possible I’m just easily buying into the theory though, since I know of someone sent on a “starlight tour”.
The Starlight Tour theory is ridiculous. I’ve only ever heard of this being done in Canada, first of all. It’s pretty much an urban myth as far as I’m concerned. But let’s just say it was a case of a ST one bad. Twice. Was there a time frame on the day of both disappearances where the sheriff was unaccounted for? Did it correspond with the time when said parties went missing? A little research, Robin would clear that theory up quickly.
As I said in a prior post, this is an open and closed case of a cop who killed two minorities. It’s been happening in the US more and more lately. I think you even posting this story and giving multiple theories is irresponsible.
LM says:
When investigating crimes/disappearances, multiple theories should always be looked into, even if one theory is believed by most. Far too many miscarriages of justice have been caused by the police only investigating leads that aid their theory (including several cases where public pressure almost force police to convict their first suspect).
(For the record though, I do believe these particular cases were not handled correctly, and that things would have turned out different if Santos and Williams were last reported in the company of a person who was not a police officer.)
Mauve_Avenger says:
Cops killing minorities isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s just getting more attention because everyone’s got a camera now.
I’m leaning towards serial killer cop. Just because serial killers as a whole tend to be highly intelligent and good at covering their tracks, doesn’t mean that ALL serial killers are that smart. I could buy a cop being arrogant enough to think that he could do something this brazen and not face any consequences because- let’s face it- it wouldn’t be the first time. I’m sure if the department hadn’t fired him, there would have been another mysterious disappearance, and he may have been smart enough to keep his name out of it next time. As for the starlight tour theory, if you think that there’s not at LEAST one victim of this who would not only speak out but try to sue the department for that, you don’t know America. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I don’t think it’s very likely.
Police have history of getting away with some shady stuff, especially against minorities. I wouldn’t be shocked to find that this officer killed those two men, and I would say even now that he’s off the force, someone should keep an eye on him.
Jonesm says:
The way you’ve dismissed both of these killings as an accident because this cop was respected, by your estimation, makes me sick. You do a lot for victims, please don’t alienate so many people by marginalizing these men.
Southern Belle says:
First off, starlight tours have happened historically in the south for decades. Having lived in Florida and having experiences in the everglades, i can assure you that if a starlight tour took place and the missing men were unaware or unaccustomed to being in the everglades it is very likely that they could have fallen into a marsh or been attacked by gators. being in the dark near marshes in Florida is extremely dangerous especially depending on the time of year. Male gators are extremely aggressive and have been know to attack without provocation.
Sherrif departments in the South have history of working with the KKK and other Racist organizations. Literally arresting young black men on false or Trumped up charges. Then releasing them in the middle of the night after tiping off the local KKK.
Also I think a lot people in America have a narrow idea of what a racist is. They think White supremacy Is just some guy wearing a Confederate flag shirt living in some trailer park. They don’t understand structural and institutional racism are in place due to some of this countries most respected and reveared leaders. America was started by revolutionaries and slave owners. We need to embrace and accept that so we can truly move forward with race relations.
rlaro says:
i don’t see how a “starlight tour” makes more practical sense than a direct homicide for this case. in the same amount of time for the officer to drive and abandon the victims at a remote location, he could shoot them with his other gun (or kill by some other means) and toss the body in a swamp (or just in some nearby temporary hiding place). There is no obvious motive but there is also the leopold & loeb motive — wanting to experience killing a man, and then again, which would make him a budding serial killer who used his position as a cop. Maybe he wasn’t too bright, or he just didn’t think he would be suspected and/or didn’t expect that these individuals would be missed. He doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt just because he did not get in trouble before. Countless murderers were considered the nicest guys until they got caught
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At least 14 killed in Taliban attack on Afghanistan police training centre
Taliban World
October 24, 2017 The Society Mirror
A Taliban attack on a police training centre in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province has killed at least 14 people, including civilians.
Health Ministry spokesman Waheed Majroo said dozens were also wounded in the attack on Tuesday in Gardez, the provincial capital.
He said the city hospital reported receiving 130 wounded in the attack, which included a suicide bombing.
Hamza Aqmhal, a student at the Paktia University, told The Associated Press that he heard a very powerful blast.
He said it shattered glass and broke all the windows at the building he was in which he says is more than a mile from the training academy.
Mr Aqmhal said he was slightly injured by the glass.
A Paktia politician, Mujeeb Rahman Chamkni, said the provincial chief police, Toryalai Abdyani, and several of his staff were among those killed in the attack.
He said most of the casualties were civilians who had come to the centre, which also serves a government passport department.
Afghanistan’s strategic landscape is changing as regional powers forge links with the Taliban and vie to outdo each other in what’s being seen as a new “Great Game”.
Fifteen years after the US-led intervention in Afghanistan, competition for influence – reminiscent of that rivalry between the Russian and British empires in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, and that during the Cold War in the 1980s – is intensifying, complicating an already precarious security situation.
Suspicion and mistrust remain the biggest obstacle to stability in strategically-located Afghanistan, which has the potential to destabilise the wider region.
Pakistan, considered the main supporter of the Afghan Taliban, has been accused of playing a double game. But Afghan and Western officials as well as Taliban sources have also spoken about the Taliban’s clandestine links with Iran for the past few years.
And recently it emerged that Russia’s ties with the Taliban were warming too.
In December the top US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Nicholson, criticised Russia and Iran for establishing links with the militants, which both countries have confirmed.
The US has also pursued contacts with the Taliban in recent years but those efforts have not brought peace. Several regional powers, most notably Russia and Iran, criticise the US and its allies for “failing” in achieving its original objectives of eliminating violent extremism and drugs in Afghanistan.
Three major factors have contributed to the shifting of regional alliances:
The emergence of so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan;
Changes in the approach of the new Afghan government;
Tensions between the US and regional players such as Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan.
The US’s decreasing military role in Afghanistan and a resurgent Taliban had contributed to creating a sense in regional capitals that Afghanistan’s fate was up for grabs. The political infighting in the central government in Kabul also raised concerns about political stability both inside and outside the country.
Over the past two years, alarm in Russia and former Soviet Central Asian republics grew as militancy spread to northern Afghan provinces close to their borders as well as to China’s Xinjiang region.
Conspiracy theories in Russia, Iran and China paint IS as an American or Western creation aimed at destabilising their countries.
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Time Out's ultimate guide to Beijing's Summer Palace
Our walkthrough tour of the spectacular palace's biggest and best sights
By Patrick Moore Posted: Monday May 1 2017
Along with the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace is undoubtedly one of Beijing’s hottest attractions, offering a different experience for visitors in every season. Whether you’re coming to whizz across its frozen lake in winter, soak up some sun in the spring or summer, or admire its splendid autumn colours, the palace makes for a fantastic day out.
As far back as the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), the site of Beijing’s Summer Palace was used as a spot for retreat, relaxation and even residence by imperial families and their entourage. Successive dynasties made their alterations and additions to its gardens, lakes, halls and pavilions, but it was during the late Qing dynasty and the regency of Empress Dowager Cixi (1861-1908) that it gained its current grandeur.
It’s also a whopper of a complex – one trip might not be enough to see it all – so get to ready to flex those legs and follow us through on a tour of the palace’s best.
The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (仁寿殿)
Though the vast park has several entrances, the most popular and perhaps most logical starting point is the east gate. Once you’ve grabbed your tickets and skirted round a few tour groups, you’ll be greeted by the first of many impressive structures to come, The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity.
Even when the young Emperor Guangxu came of age and formally took power in 1889, Empress Dowager Cixi continued to influence political goings-on from her ‘retirement’ residence here at the Summer Palace; it was in this lavishly decorated building that state affairs would be handled, and officials from far and wide greeted.
Inside, the hall’s centrepiece is an ostentatious throne surrounded by a series of peacock statues and golden ornaments, and backed by a mirrored screen engraved with over 200 variations of the character ‘寿’ (shòu) – ‘longevity’ or ‘long life’, a recurring theme throughout this palace that was rebuilt as a place for retirement and relaxation.
Dragon and phoenix statues
As you face the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, note the pair of bronze phoenix and dragon statues perched either side of the door; traditionally, the phoenix, representing the empress, sits outside the central dragon – the emperor – yet here, it is the phoenix who takes the central position, representative of the power that Empress Dowager Cixi held.
The Garden of Virtue and Harmony (德和园)
Heading to the right of the administrative Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, you’ll very quickly be met by the Garden of Virtue and Harmony – the imperial leisure complex that is home to the imposing Grand Theatre.
Peking opera was an imperial favourite, and Cixi was such an avid fan that during the rebuilding of the Summer Palace in the 1890s, she requested the construction of a performing space that to this day remains one of the country’s largest, and is still considered among its most impressive. Its three tiers are connected by a series of trapdoors, while various winches and other special effects fittings would have made for some exceptionally intricate histrionics.
Directly opposite is the ornate Hall of Nurtured Joy, where the Empress Dowager would have occupied the best seat in the house; other guests – by invitation only – would have perched to the sides of the stage.
If you didn’t buy the all-inclusive through ticket, this is a paid attraction that will set you back 10RMB, but one that is worth popping into.
The Hall of Joyful Longevity (乐寿堂)
After you’ve gone back out through the in door of the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, take a right and continue west until you reach the Hall of Joyful Longevity, and the unmissably huge rock plonked in front of it.
Over the course of its existence, this siheyuan-style courtyard largely served as a residence, and was first built in 1750 under the direction of Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother’s 60th. A century later, it was one of the many palace structures burned down by French and British forces, but was rebuilt in 1891 for Empress Dowager Cixi.
What is that great big rock?
As for the the eight-meter-wide, four-metre-tall stone that sits in the courtyard of the Hall of Joyful Longevity, it’s a rock with a mixed history and an even rockier reputation. First discovered to the southwest of the city in modern-day Fangshan district by Ming dynasty official and stone enthusiast Mi Wanzhong (1570-1628), he squandered his whole fortune trying to transport it back to his city residence. Ultimately, his ruin left him with no choice but to abandon it halfway.
From this point, the Blue Iris Stone gained its unofficial name of Baijiashi (败家石) – roughly ‘the stone of family financial ruin’. When Qing emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) first came across it, he too was so enamoured that he wished to have it moved to here at the Summer Palace – a move that his superstitious mother opposed, fearing it would bring financial ruin to their family, too.
After telling his mother that the stone resembled a formerly famous fungus revered for its supposedly miraculous life-extending powers, she acquiesced, and the stone arrived. Today, many suspicious visitors still consider it bad luck to photograph the stone, fearing their own bankruptcy.
Water calligraphers
There’s no convenient way to see it all here, so you’ll need to double back on yourself, past the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity to reach our next destination, the Heralding Spring Pavilion. On the path just before the pavilion, however, you will come across the elegant handiwork of the water calligraphers who paint fleeting character artworks on the pavings.
The Heralding Spring Pavilion (知春亭)
The Heralding Spring Pavilion is a pleasant little canopy that juts out over the water and offers near-panoramic views across the lake all the way to the western mountains – perhaps even the best views; it was given its name as it was appreciated as the top spot in the whole palace to admire the bursting colours of spring, on Longevity Hill, in the park's western reaches and further ahead on the mountains.
In addition to the pavilion itself, the rocks around its small spit of land make for a nice little scenic perch, if you're already in need of a quick pause.
Wenchang Gallery (文昌院)
Next up is the Wenchang Gallery, an exhibition of some of the stunning relics and heirlooms kept at the Summer Palace by generations of imperial families. Thousands of artefacts are collected in its darkened hall, including priceless porcelains, jades, enamelwares, bronzes and furniture, with some reportedly dating back as far as the distant Shang dynasty (c.1600-1046 BC).
The Spacious Pavilion (廓如亭)
It’s now time to head south, so take a left out of the gallery and make for the Spacious Pavilion, which, as its name suggests, is the palace’s largest. Step inside and look up – the colourful and intricate woodwork is pretty impressive, right?
The Bronze Ox (铜牛)
Just before the pavilion is a bronze statue of an ox dating back to 1755, which proudly looks out over the Kunming Lake. Inscribed upon its back is an 80-character poem written by the Qianlong Emperor that, like much of the palace’s contents, is an ode to longevity.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥)
You will have already caught sight of this one on the way down, but now’s your chance to get a good close-up ogle at the Seventeen-Arch Bridge before heading across it to South Lake Island. The steep 150-metre crossing is lined by hundreds of lion statues, but it saves its best for clear summer evenings, when the setting sun strikes against its many arches to create one of the park’s most spectacular sights.
South Lake Island (南湖岛)
The shady South Lake Island is home to a number of interesting sights, including the Hall of Embracing the Universe, an imperial favourite for gazing at both the surrounding scenery, and further into the starry night sky. You’ll get some of your best snaps across the lake to Longevity Hill from here.
If you’re not pushed for time – or energy – head back across the bridge, and continue south for a ramble around the entire Kunming Lake. Otherwise it’s time to set sail and skip to stop 17, via a pleasure cruise back to the park’s northern shores. A variety of options are available around the park, and at different price points, including self-driven motorboats and pedalos, or quicker passenger crossings.
The southern end of Kunming Lake
If you chose the leg-stretching option, you’ll soon realise that the Kunming Lake is rather large – around 6 kilometres in circumference, in fact – but a jaunt to its further reaches is rewarding; the tourist hubbub is centred largely around the northern Longevity Hill, so this area is the reserve of the intrepid, as well as the season ticket-holding old Beijingers who come here to relax. It’s perfect for a midday picnic.
The West Causeway (西堤)
Continue up the West Causeway, the narrow corridor of land built to imitate a similar feature at Hangzhou’s famous West Lake. It’s a relatively quiet strip that’s home to a series of charming bridges and pavilions, and is lined by leafy shade-giving trees and colourful flowers in spring and summer.
The view to the west
If the pollution has been kind to you, you’ll have already taken in clear views of the city’s spectacular western mountains already, as well a protruding tower perched on a hill before it.
What you’re gazing at is Jade Spring Hill – previously home to a spring that produced fine water appreciated by many an emperor – crowned by the Jade Peak Pagoda, a seven-storey, 30-metre structure that is unfortunately no longer open to the public.
The Jade Belt Bridge (玉带桥)
Your saunter along the West Causeway culminates at the Jade Belt Bridge, a dramatically steep and arching marble structure that will probably test your tiring legs by this point. But we’re just getting going…
This type of crossing is known as a ‘Moon bridge’, and is a feature of many Chinese and Japanese gardens; when viewed from slightly further away, its high arch reflecting on the water below it creates the illusion of a circle, evoking the full moon. The high arch was also jacked up to such great heights to allow the Qianlong Emperor’s elaborate dragon boat to comfortably pass beneath it.
The Marble Boat (清宴舫)
Keep on following the path around to the right until you reach the Marble Boat, an intriguing piece of architecture with a history to match. The original that stood here was burned down by the British and French in 1860 during the Second Opium War, and the current boat – a stone-based structure with a European-inspired two-storey wooden pavilion atop it – dates back to 1893.
Ironically, this completely immobile ‘paddle steamer’, like most of the Summer Palace, was rebuilt with funds diverted by Cixi from an intended reinforcing of the nation’s naval fleet – boats that could actually, you know, move and what not.
The Long Corridor (长廊)
We’re now getting to the best bits of the tourist goodie bag, so continue east into the Long Corridor. This 728-metre-long walkway was built in 1750 by the Qianlong Emperor to allow his resident mother to take sheltered strolls whatever the weather, and is adorned with over 14,000 intricate paintings, which depict famous Chinese legends, historical battles, landscapes and wildlife.
Up Longevity Hill (万寿山)
Follow the corridor to its centre; it’s now time to start climbing that big old hill you’ve been admiring all this time. The 60-or-so-metre-tall Longevity Hill is a man-made mound of packed earth, taken from the excavation that created Kunming Lake, and they sure did make it steep – you’ll work up a sweat on the various in-your-face staircases that head towards the top.
Its shape – a hill – means that getting round to all the sights stationed on either side of it is fairly demanding, but it’s worthwhile undertaking.
Baoyun Bronze Pavilion (宝云阁)
About halfway up Longevity Hill, veer off to the left down a sloping track that leads to one of the palace’s best anomalies. Nestled amongst the reds, blues and greens of its surrounding buildings, the 207-tonne, blackish-green Baoyun Pavilion sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s made entirely of bronze and has a sombre and sinister air about it. Heavy metal in more ways than one.
The view back to Beijing
You’ll need to head back on yourself, and back up a few more steps to reach the park's finest lookout, at the entrance to the Tower of Buddhist Incense. It's a fantastic viewpoint over the park and beyond – on a clear day, the views back into downtown Beijing are simply spectacular.
The Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁)
You've reached the centrepiece of the park, the Tower of Buddhist Incense. The elaborately decorated three-tiered structure is as magnificent close up as it has been from afar, not to mention the equally impressive five-metre-tall Thousand-Handed Guanyin Buddha that stands inside it.
The Sea of Wisdom (智慧海)
To the rear of the tower sits another striking Buddhist monument, the Sea of Wisdom, the highest building in the palace, whose glazed green and yellow façade adorned with innumerable repeating buddhas makes for quite the sight. Inside, it’s home to buddha statues big and small, who perch imposingly in the dimly lit hall.
The Four Great Regions (四大部州)
What goes up must come down, and it’s time to do just that, scaling down the back of Longevity Hill via the Four Great Regions. A complete change of style and scenery, it’s a series of temples that mixes the whites and reds of Tibetan architecture with traditional Chinese styles, housing plentiful shimmering buddhas and even more steep steps along the way. Of course, you can do the whole route in reverse, but when you get a look at some of these staircases, going down seems the much better option.
Suzhou Street (苏州街)
After reaching the base of the Four Great Regions, you're now on the home strait to the finish line. Heading north, you'll shortly arrive at a bridge over not-so-troubled water, and a strip of traditional-looking structures lining the banks.
Originally built during the time of the Qianlong Emperor to resemble the canals and architecture of the southern city of Suzhou, and all to impress one of his homesick concubines, the strip suffered substantial damage at the hands of French and British forces in 1860 and was only restored and opened to the public in 1990. It now houses a string of shops and boat rides upon its 300-metre-or-so canal.
Suzhou Street is a paid attraction, with entrance a cool 10RMB for those who didn't opt for the through ticket. It's an interesting little change of scenery from what you've been seeing so far, though if you're tired of walking (and of boat trips), it's also a largely missable attraction lined mainly by overpriced souvenir shops.
Beigongmen (北宫门)
Before you exit via the northern gate, Beigongmen, take a look back at the impressive Four Great Regions clasping to the hillside in its entirety. Take a breather, take one last snap, and head for the hills. Metaphorically, that is. No more hills, please.
Conveniently, you won't need to head back to Xiyuan subway station to head back into the city; Beigongmen station (also Line 4) is just a two-minute walk to the east of the gate. Onto the next attraction!
When to go The peak season (April 1-October 31) sees a fairly consistent stream of visitors, so weekdays are your best bet for a pleasant trip. Public holidays? Forget it.
Pack a picnic You’re likely to be here for a few hours, and all that walking is hungry work. Come prepared, otherwise you’ll find yourself paying premium for some strictly average sustenance.
Price Be sure to buy the 60RMB access-all-areas ticket, which includes entrance to four paid attractions, including the Wenchang Gallery and Tower of Buddhist Incense; all are 10RMB each otherwise, with park entry 30RMB. Off-peak: Entrance 20RMB, 5RMB for paid attractions; through ticket 50RMB.
Opening times Apr 1-Oct 31, 6.30am-8pm (last entry 6pm); Nov 1-Mar 31, 7am-7pm (last entry 5pm). Paid attractions in the park, such as the Tower of Buddhist Incense and Wenchang Gallery, shut early than the rest of the park; peak season, 5pm; off-peak, 4pm.
Getting there Take subway Line 4 to Xiyuan station (Exit C2) to reach the East Gate of the park.
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Gawin Kirkham (The Open-Air Preacher’s Handbook, written by Gawin Kirkham 1890)
A Leader Is Essential
The Choice of a Place
The Order of Service
Open-air Pulpits
The Value of Helpers
The Art of Attraction
The Art of Preaching
The Bible in the Street
Voice Culture
The Cultivation of Reverence
How to Deal with Interruptions
The Conclusion of the Whole Matter
We are told that “open-air preaching can be learned only by doing it.” No doubt that is mostly correct, just as the art of swimming can be learned only in the water. But as the swimmer can learn more readily by a few plain directions, so the street preacher acquires his art more easily when aided by the experience of others. It is hoped, therefore, that the following hints will be found useful to those who desire to “purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13).
Someone should take charge of the meetings and choose the place, the hymns,and the speakers. It is not necessary that he should be a practiced speaker or a good singer, but he should be able to arrange and control. It is desirable also to have a leader of the singing, so that the preachers do not strain their voices in attempting high notes. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
In villages, a preaching station is more easily chosen than in towns. The village street or the village green may be occupied, or a farmer will lend a field. But “field-preaching” is not so popular now as it was in the days of Wesley and Whitefield. As a rule, it is desirable to be so near the houses that those who do not care to come out may yet hear inside. But in towns, it is not desirable to select the busiest thoroughfares, unless it is on Sunday when there is less traffic. A side street just off the main street is best. Large open spaces are not suitable, unless the helpers are numerous and the singing attractive. A passage should always be kept clear on the sidewalk so that pedestrians do not need to go into the middle of the street. “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification” (Romans 15:2).
If the preacher is alone, like Jonah in Nineveh, he may begin by reading a chapter from his Bible, choosing a familiar and striking portion for this purpose. Or he may talk confidentially to two or three children until the curiosity of the grown-ups is awakened and they gather round. Or he may hand a few tracts to the strollers and idlers, encouraging them to come and hear.
But if he has helpers, they had better sing first. Then a brief lesson may be read and a brief prayer offered. But if the people are not likely to stay for reading and prayer, speaking may begin after the first hymn. The addresses, as a rule, should be brief—say, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour—with singing between, and the meeting limited to an hour. But the wise leader will not confine himself to any definite order, as one of the charms of an open-air meeting is its freedom. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
The curb is a sufficient elevation when speaking to a handful of people, but it is an immense advantage to stand on a stool, chair, or raised platform when speaking to an ordinary street crowd. The speaker can thus spare his voice and be better heard than when he is on the same level as the people. The common sense of street preachers is sadly lacking when they will not thus aid their voices by standing head and shoulders above the people. Besides, this method is a scriptural one, for we read in the account of the great open-air meeting in “the street that was before the water gate” (Nehemiah 8:1, 3) in Jerusalem that “Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose” (v. 4), and thus “opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people)” (v. 5). It is worthy of observation that that is the only place in the Bible where a “pulpit” is mentioned, so that the street preacher is fairly entitled to its use on the best authority. “Jotham…stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried” (Judges 9:7).
One of the most interesting sights to men and angels is a solitary preacher, crying like John the Baptist in the wilderness, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). But it is more to the preacher’s comfort and the good of the work to have a band of helpers. Some can sing, while others can give tracts. They help to gather a crowd, to maintain order among the children, to keep the pavement clear, and to cheer the preacher by their presence and their prayers. In commencing a meeting, instead of standing behind or at the side of the preacher, these helpers should face him, as if to form part of the audience, and encourage others to gather behind them. But, as a rule, they should not interfere with a disturber, as that is better done by the leader; nor should they be allowed to give tracts at the meeting while the service lasts. This latter course sadly distracts the attention of the hearers, though it is a very common proceeding on the part of kind and active helpers. Christians should be encouraged to stand at open-air meetings, even if they cannot sing—ladies especially. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
The preacher has first to secure and then to retain his hearers. Since “music has charms,” good singing should be cultivated, and the singers should understand that harmony and sweetness are far more important than mere noise. Ladies render important service in street choirs. Solos, duets, trios, and quartets may occasionally be introduced, but the singing should be in harmony with the preaching and not merely a pretty performance to please the ear. It should be appropriate, lively, abundant, and entirely under the control of the leader of the meeting.
The distribution of hymn sheets is helpful in keeping a crowd together. A picture or diagram with lyrics is good for variety. Reed organs are the most common at open-air services, but a cornet is the most effective for leading the singing. Prettily painted banners are pleasing to the eye, and when they have on them the name of the church or mission from which the workers come, they are useful in directing the people where to worship inside. A duplex lamp placed on a tripod is a great help in meetings after dark, though a street lamp may be made to do duty where a special one cannot be had. But these arts of attraction must be in harmony with the apostle’s rule: “/ am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some”(I Corinthians 9:22).
Whatever means may be used to draw the people together, it will depend largely upon the preacher himself whether they are retained. Cold, formal, measured, precise preaching will not do. Nor will what may be called “a good sermon” indoors necessarily do outside. Life, fire, and energy are essential, just as our powder is essential to carry the shot. There is an indefinable style needed for open-air preaching that can be acquired only by practice. The preacher’s temptation is to rely too much upon impulse and surroundings, and so to neglect his studies. But if he is to be successful he must study; and his studies must include books, and men, and nature. The exhortation of Paul to Timothy is as important for the outdoor preacher as for the regular pastor—“Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee…Meditate upon these things, that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:13-15).
The preacher’s chief weapon must always be the Word of God, wielded by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible must be sparingly used in the street. The lesson may be read from it; but in preaching, it is better to quote from it than to be perpetually giving chapter and verse, especially if this involves turning over the leaves to look for them. There is a powerful magnetism in the human eye; and the preacher’s eye should rarely be taken off his hearers if he wishes to retain his hold of them. But the preacher who has the greatest knowledge of the Bible and the ability to quote appropriate texts correctly—other things being equal—will be the most successful. It is a good thing to set young preachers to read the lesson, as it encourages them afterward to speak. Those who would bless and save their fellow creatures must heed the Lord’s commission to Ezekiel: “And thou shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (Ezekiel 2:7).
But while the Word of God is the preacher’s chief weapon, the human voice is the medium by which that weapon reaches the people. How many books have been written on the art of speaking—and yet how few really effective speakers there are! The voice is soon injured in the open air unless it is used with care. Generally, the young preacher starts in too high a key and in too loud a tone. He forgets the oft-repeated advice “Begin low, speak slow. Aim higher, take fire.”
Aware of this danger, John Wesley said to his preachers, “For the sake of Christ, don’t scream. There is no doubt that the moderate and steady use of the voice outdoors strengthens it and also the chest of the speaker. Yet there are times when— owing to some condition of body, atmosphere, or both—the voice of the most practiced speaker fails. It is then the height of folly to continue using it. It should rest, and only by that process will it be regained. Or if it becomes a little husky by speaking, it may often be recovered by singing, taking care to sing the part that is easiest. Spurgeon has a valuable lecture, entitled “On the Voice,” in the first volume of his Lectures to My Students. If preachers would take the trouble to enunciate their words more distinctly, they would speak with far less labor and with more effect. “Lift up thy voice like a trumpet” (Isaiah 58:1).
It is true that we do not go into the streets to worship, but to proclaim the Gospel; nevertheless, if we are to commend “ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2), there must be reverence in this open-air temple, as much as in a consecrated building. This is best accomplished by realizing the Lord’s presence. “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). This realized presence prevents the spirit of trifling and levity, which are, alas, far too common at open-air assemblies, on the part of both the preacher and his helpers. It was this realized presence that produced such a marvelous effect at the meeting “in the street that was before the water gate,” as described in Nehemiah 8:6, when the people “bowed their heads, and worshipped the lord with their faces to the ground.”
There is another aid to reverence in the attitude of the preacher. How many preachers fail to mark 1 Corinthians 11:4: “Every man praying or prophesying [i.e., preaching], having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.” This is a plain direction, which should be adhered to except in very severe weather, or by those who are liable to take cold easily. A further aid to reverence is the attitude in prayer. Happily it is the custom almost universally for the preacher and his helpers to uncover their heads during prayer, and this act is a sermon in itself. There are so many disturbing elements outdoors that the promoters should do all in their power to produce a becoming solemnity at street meetings. “Let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3).
But with the best arrangements and the wisest proceedings, interruptions will occur. If the police interfere, it is more seemly to give way than to have a dispute by standing on our rights. If a thoroughfare is blocked, the police may interfere by virtue of the authority vested in them; but even if they are wrong, it is better for the preacher to complain to their superiors than to contend with them in the presence of a crowd, since he represents the Gospel of peace. If a homeowner complains, however frivolous the objection, the police are bound to remove the preacher on such complaint being made. He cannot legally be arrested, but he may be summoned before a magistrate for resisting lawful authority. If a drunkard interferes, it is generally useless to argue with him. The police should protect the preacher by removing him; but sometimes a kindhearted helper may persuade him to walk away. If the interruption is by a Catholic or an infidel, it means discussion; and if the preacher begins a discussion, there is an end of the preaching. Men who have studied these questions in all their bearings may discuss them, for truth has nothing to fear from error; but the ordinary preacher shows his wisdom by continuing his preaching and declining discussion. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
(Ecclesiastes 12:13). As the object and end of preaching is the glory of God and the salvation of sinners, the methods that are most likely to bring about this end should be pursued. Prayer, preaching, and perseverance will work wonders by the blessing of God. If one plan fails, another should be tried. Young preachers should not be discouraged, for it may be some time before they can determine the question whether the Lord means them to be open-air preachers or not. They should be urgent in season and out of season, seeking to pluck brands out of the fire. Success is more likely to be attained by connecting the outdoor meeting with an indoor one.
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Before his untimely death in 2016, David John Cameron MacKay, FRS FInstP FICE, was the Regius Professor of Engineering in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and former chief scientific adviser to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change.
A Brief Eulogy For a Friend of SCGI
By Tom Blees
Back in 2008, when Prescription for the Planet was published, there was another book on energy that was published that caught my eye. It was by a Cambridge physics professor named David MacKay, called Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air. I was impressed not only with the content of the book but at the fact that David was offering it as a free download if one wanted just an electronic version. As a first-time author myself who still was laboring under the fantasy that a person can make money selling books, this seemed a rarely-seen expression of commitment to use one’s work to educate the public. I wrote to David and we struck up a friendship, and following his example I too began to offer my book for free, as did our recently departed SCGI board member, Joe Shuster. Both books will continue to be available for free here on our website. I thought this would be a good time to explain that David was the inspiration for that.
Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air
by David MacKay
I’m concerned about cutting UK emissions of twaddle – twaddle about sustainable energy. Everyone says getting off fossil fuels is important, and we’re all encouraged to “make a difference,” but many of the things that allegedly make a difference don’t add up.
Twaddle emissions are high at the moment because people get emotional (for example about wind farms or nuclear power) and no-one talks about numbers. Or if they do mention numbers, they select them to sound big, to make an impression, and to score points in arguments, rather than to aid thoughtful discussion.
This is a straight-talking book about the numbers. The aim is to guide the reader around the claptrap to actions that really make a difference and to policies that add up.
Download/read the book
Saving the Planet by Numbers
When it comes to saving the planet, "every little bit helps!" Or does it?
Maybe if we all do a little, we'll achieve only a little. Newspapers and television programmes are full of suggestions on how we can be more green. But how can we tell what works?
Can we cut fossil fuel consumption enough to save the planet? As I argue in this week's More or Less on BBC Radio 4, what we need is a single unit of measurement. I would like to suggest measuring energies in kilowatt-hours, and measuring how fast activities use or produce energy in kilowatt-hours per day.
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The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
A History of Western Philosophy
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Wuthering Heights: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives
History Is All You Left Me
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
History of Wolves
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
Frankenstein: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives
History of the Peloponnesian War
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
The History of the Hobbit, Part One: Mr. Baggins
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
A Briefer History of Time
Fire & Blood (A Targaryen History, #1)
Killing Jesus: A History
A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation
The History of Bees
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The Appeal of Breathing
Lydia Peelle first published the story “Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing” in One Story back in 2007. The story was picked up by Pushcart Prize XXXII. It then became the title story in Peelle’s debut short story collection, published this year by HarperCollins; it’s gotten good reviews. Peelle was recently named one of the five writers under 35 by the National Book Award (a distinction celebrated by One Story). All of these seemed like good reasons to read the story. I couldn’t get it from One Story (it’s sold out), so I read it in her book.
The story is narrated by a hopeless woman whose life has turned rather messy. Her husband left her recently; we find out he had been cheating on her for years (looking for fun women, he said), and even then they still see each other on occasion and have meaningless sex. She has an office job, which dully consumes her days.
The story is kick-started by a chance encounter with a herpetologist in a crowded, cold bus. The herpetologist is a university professor, and he invites her to visit him at his office. She does, and her interest in reptiles blooms. She is drawn to them, to the heat, to the professor’s dark basement. She helps him feed all sorts of reptiles. He gives her a copy of his book (published thirty years back). She is intrigued by reptile adaptation, by the struggle for survival, by the way human beings are destroying reptile habitats. At one point, deep in her awe for these creatures, she tells the herpetologist she loves him; he says no, she doesn’t. We hear no more about the herpetologist after that, and so we don’t know if, say, he refused to see her anymore because of that incident.
Through her fascination with reptiles, the narrator starts to grasp transcendental matters. “I’ve witnessed,” she says, after a snake dies in her hands, “a slight parting of the curtain that hangs over the unknown” (110). A little later, she catches “a glimpse of the infinite. Then I am inside of it, for one suspended moment—tiny, inconsequential, and utterly free” (113).
That’s the story. The title is admittedly weird—and admittedly catchy. It comes from a chapter on evolution in the herpetologist’s book (105). The struggle to breathe bobs up thrice in the story: the narrator says she was “holding [her] breath” (99), she was seized by a “sudden desire to breathe” (107), and she manages to “catch [her] breath” when staring a dark pool filled with salamanders (112). And there’s something else: the narrator says that years ago she tried to commit suicide by drowning in a river.
The herpetologist gets some great lines. For instance: “Trust the body, not the mind […]. The body loves itself” (103). (Speech is italicized in the story, sans quotation marks.) And here’s one of the most revealing lines of the story, also said by the professor: “All these diverse adaptations, with one common goal […]. To live to see tomorrow” (101).
Peelle slaps biological facts thickly on some pages, without ruining the pace or smothering the story. In fact, all that information is justified (because the narrator is interacting with a herpetologist and she’s also reading his book). Besides, those tidbits are quite interesting. The story has no explicit literary allusions (none of that “make it literary” that the older Pynchon —in Slow Learner— criticized of the younger Pynchon). There may be at least one reference burrowed deep in the text. At some point, the herpetologist says this about a toad: “She knows no such word as ‘should.’ She knows only ‘can’ and ‘do’” (106). Okay, this might be a stretch, but that last sentence brought me directly to a line I love in Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great I: “‘will’ and ‘shall’ best fitteth Tamburlaine” (3.3.41).
The text plays effectively with its layout. The story is divided into twenty-two titled sections, with names like “Shell,” “Navigation,” and “A Raft.” These sections move the story along well, but the very fact of having these divisions is significant; the narrator tells us that, in her bouts of insomnia, “I lie in bed and page through my list of dread and regret, starting with my childhood and ending with polar ice caps. Everything in between I file into something like schoolroom cubbies, marked with labels like disaster and desire” (96). And that is more or less what we get in the story, sections with labels like “Deficiency” and “Perpetuation.” In her One Story interview, Peelle says she was inspired by the categories of biology textbooks, and thus with the thrill of the “organization of chaos.” The playfulness also comes through when the narrator takes a field guide page about a frog and assembles it into a poem (109).
The language is rich and evocative. I liked, for instance, the “voices tinkling” at a party (104), and the array of sensuous descriptions of snow and the weather. (Was this why the book was shelved under Poetry at the bookstore where I hunted it down?) Then again, there are some glitches in the language that left me puzzled. For instance, the word “looms,” such a particular and descriptive word, looms twice in a same paragraph (97-98). And “the wind slicing through my clothes” (97), a description I liked the first time around, came back to my disappointment a couple pages later: “The cold air is slicing through my clothes” (100). A friendly reader could’ve suggested making such simple changes.
All in all, I liked the story. I wasn’t awestruck, but it was good. The narrator seemed like a somewhat muffled and dampened Lorrie Moore character (leave it to Moore to pull off glittering lines and so much humor from despairing characters such as Peelle’s). Also, Peelle’s story reminded me a lot of Claire Vaye Watkins’s story “Graceland,” published recently in Hobart 10 (its narrator is also keenly concerned with animal life and environmental disasters, and floats on feebly through the narrative). Of course, Peelle published her story first, which makes me think Watkins’s piece used Peelle’s as its inspiration. Even then, I still find Watkins’s story brilliant, all of it so elegantly woven together, its narrator’s inner conflicts masterfully projected on an entropic world.
Lydia Peelle Short story
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Tag Archives: aecio neves
Brazil, Minas Gerais
Neves struggles to puncture the Dilma-Marina show
September 25, 2014 Kevin Lees 1 Comment
A month and a half ago, when Brazil’s investor class proclaimed its doubts about the reelection of president Dilma Rousseff, no one stood to gain more than Aécio Neves.
The grandson of a distinguished pro-democracy activist, Neves (pictured above) represents the next, post-lulista generation of Brazil’s center-right politics. Three decades younger than Brazil’s last conservative president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and more charismatic than former São Paulo governor and mayor José Serra, Neves brought to the race a strong pedigree and an accomplished record as an economic reformer as the two-term governor of the powerful, sprawling state of Minas Gerais.
That was before the airplane crash that killed former presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, which suddenly catapulted his running mate, the popular Marina Silva, into the presidential race.
Where Neves once had credible hopes of becoming Brazil’s next president, he now seems likelier to play a kingmaker role in what’s shaping up to be a fiercely contested runoff between Rousseff and Dilma.
RELATED: Why Marina Silva must now step up for the Brazilian left
Within days, Silva leapt to the lead in polls for the race to become Brazil’s next president. Though Rousseff has now recovered a first-round lead in many polls, Neves is still languishing in third place, far behind both Rousseff and Silva, a reverse from the summer, when Neves held a solid second-place position against the late Campos, who was leading a coalition anchored by the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB, Brazilian Socialist Party) that, until recently, supported the Rousseff government.
Polls show that the October 26 runoff will be incredibly tight between the two women, and many officials within Neves’s party, the center-right Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB, Brazilian Social Democracy Party), popularly known as the tucanos (‘toucans’) was already talking a month ago about how they’ll support Silva, a former environmental minister under Rousseff’s mentor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the runoff. Armino Fraga, a former central bank president known for stabilizing the Brazilian real in the early 2000s, who returned to the fray to help elect Neves, is now being floated instead as a possible finance minister in a potential Silva administration. Fraga, for now, refuses to serve in any administration other than Neves’s. Continue reading Neves struggles to puncture the Dilma-Marina show →
aecio nevesanastasiaanastasiadesbrazilian social democracy partybrazilian socialist partycardosodemocratsdilma roussefffragalulalula da silvamarina silvaminas geraisnevesnunespimentelPSBPSDBPTrousseffserrasilvatancredo nevesworkers party
Brazilian Socialists finalize Silva-Albuquerque ticket
August 21, 2014 Kevin Lees Leave a comment
One week after the tragic airplane crash that ended the life of Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos, his party has quickly minted a new ticket for the October general election.
As widely expected, Campos’s running mate Marina Silva agreed to run in Campos’s place as the candidate of the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB, Brazilian Socialist Party), which only last year broke with its longtime alliance with the governing Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT, Workers Party), the party of Brazil’s incumbent president Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
For her part, Silva is a former PT legislator and environmental activist, who served as Lula’s environmental minister between 2003 and 2008 before she broke with Lula. She subsequently joined the Partido Verde (PV, Green Party) to run for president four years ago — winning nearly 20% of the vote against Rousseff in the first round of the 2010 election.
In 2014, difficulties in registering a new party forced Silva to shelve, however reluctantly, her presidential ambitions and she joined the Brazilian Socialists. Campos, the former popular governor of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, named Silva as his running mate.
That all changed last week with the air crash in São Paulo state that killed Campos and brought the Brazilian election campaign to a halt as Rousseff, Silva and the rest of Brazil’s political class paused to mourn Campos.
RELATED: Campos, Brazilian presidential candidate, dies in plane crash
With 10 days to select a new candidate, and with just weeks to go before the election’s first round on October 5, the PSB chose Silva over the weekend to lead its ticket, on the condition that Silva, who hasn’t always been the most disciplined candidate in the past, and who is a newcomer to the PSB, will continue to honor the party’s electoral program and regional alliances. Technically, like Rousseff and center-right challenger Aécio Neves, Silva will head a coalition of parties in the presidential race. Silva’s coalition, though dominated by the PSB, also includes five smaller parties, such as the Partido Popular Socialista (PPS, Popular Socialist Party).
The whirlwind of events brings to the presidential race a candidate who, ironically, garnered much more support than Campos ever had. Continue reading Brazilian Socialists finalize Silva-Albuquerque ticket →
aecio nevesalbuquerquebrazilian social democracy partybrazilian socialist partycamposdilma rousseffeduardo camposlulalula da silvamarina silvamensalaonevespernambucoPSBPSDBPTrenata camposrousseffsilvaworkers party
Brazil, Pernambuco
Eduardo Campos, Brazilian presidential candidate, dies in plane crash
August 13, 2014 Kevin Lees 2 Comments
Eduardo Campos, a popular former two-term governor of the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco, and a former minister of science and technology nearly a decade ago under former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, died at age 49 today in a tragic airplane crash while campaigning in the coastal state of São Paulo earlier today.
Campos was one of seven people on board the small plane, all of whom died when the aircraft crashed into a neighborhood in the port city of Santos, reportedly due to poor weather.
Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s president, and Campos’s rival in the upcoming October presidential election, called for a three-day period of national mourning and suspended her own campaign activities.
Campos (pictured above) was selected as the presidential candidate of the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB, Brazilian Socialist Party). Once a supporter of Lula da Silva and his successor, Rousseff, the Brazilian Socialists, under Campos’s leadership, left Rousseff’s broad government coalition last November, and the party has been gaining support in recent years.
Polls generally showed that Campos trailed Rousseff, who is seeking reelection as the candidate of a wide coalition headed by her own Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT, Workers Party), as well as the more center-right candidate, Aécio Neves, the candidate of Serra’s center-right Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB, Brazilian Social Democracy Party). The most recent Ibope survey, dated August 3 to August 6, gave Rousseff 38%, Neves 23% and Campos 9%, though the race was expected to narrow as more Brazilians paid increasing attention to race.
Accordingly, Campos and his popular running mate, Marina Silva (who was not on the flight with Campos), were capable of building a serious campaign alternative to both Rousseff and Neves, with possible banks of support among urban progressives in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Brasília; rural voters from Campos’s Nordeste region, who have tilted tilting more to the left in recent years; and former lulista supporters disenchanted with the growing centrism of the Worker’s Party.
The PSB, and the wider coalition that had united to support Campos, has ten days to decide how to replace Campos, but Silva would almost certainly be the best to carry forward Campos’s legacy, and she’s by far the most well-known candidate who could so quickly replace Campos.
RELATED: Rousseff holds weak lead as reelection challenge
looms in Brazil
Late last year, Campos formed an alliance with former presidential candidate Marina Silva, a former environmental minister, green activist, evangelical and prominent Afro-Brazilian figure who won nearly 20% of the vote in the last presidential election in 2010.
Though Silva was running as Campos’s running mate in the current election, and she even formally joined the Brazilian Socialists to do so, many of her fans believed that Silva — and not Campos — should have led their joint ticket. Running on the strength of Campos’s legacy, her own popularity and the broad leftist platform that the PSB and its allies espouse, Silva’s candidacy could upend the race into a close three-way contest.
Campos comes from a long line of Brazilian politicians in Pernambuco, where his grandfather, Miguel Arraes, served three times as state governor, in addition to serving as mayor of Recife and as a member of the Brazilian parliament, despite a 15-year exile during Brazil’s military government of the 1960s and 1970s. Continue reading Eduardo Campos, Brazilian presidential candidate, dies in plane crash →
aecio nevesairplane crashbrazilbrazilian social democracy partybrazilian socialist partycamposdilma rousseffeduardo camposlula da silvamarina silvanevespernambucoPSBPSDBPTrousseffsantossilvaworkers party
14 in 14, Brazil
14 in 2014: Brazil general election
December 31, 2013 Kevin Lees 2 Comments
13. Brazil general election, October 5 (presidential runoff on October 26).
Though Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff holds a wide polling edge that favors reelection, her broad support is not necessarily deep, as demonstrated by the massive anti-government protests in 2013 that resulted from increased public transportation fees and eventually targeted Brazil’s stagnant economy, poor job opportunities and political corruption. An economy that was not long ago soaring grew by just 0.9% in 2012 and is expected to grow by a hardly stellar 2.5% in 2013. What’s more, Rousseff (pictured above) still has to get through most of 2014 — and there’s plenty of time for the opposition to upend her lead. She’s running for what would be the fourth consecutive presidential term for the social democratic Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT, Workers Party), itself testament to the enduring popularity of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Her prospects became more difficult in October 2013, when former presidential candidate Marina Silva decided to join forces with the candidate of the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB, Brazilian Socialist Party), Eduardo Campos, the two-term governor of Pernambuco state in northeastern Brazil. Though it unofficially supported Lula da Silva’s reelection in 2006 and formally supported Rousseff in 2010, the PSB left Rousseff’s government in September 2013.
Though Campos is (for now) the presidential candidate, his running mate is by far a much more popular figure nationally. One of Brazil’s most prominent politicians of African descent, Silva served as Lula da Silva’s environment minister between 2003 and 2008, where she earned a reputation as a staunch defender of Brazil’s fragile rain forests and often found herself at odds with the more business-friendly instincts of others within her own government. Running as the candidate of Brazil’s Partido Verde (PV, Green Party), she won 19% of the vote in the first round of the October 2010 presidential election, and she was trying to found a new ‘sustainability party’ in 2013 before obstacles made that path impossible. Campos, who likewise served in Lula da Silva’s administration as minister for science and technology between 2004 and 2008, became Pernambuco’s governor in 2007 and was reelection with 82% of the vote in 2010.
The combination makes for an amazingly balanced ticket. Campos’s geographic base is Brazil’s northeast, while Silva has more support in the south and southeast. Campos is popular among business interests and could credibly appeal to conservatives who chafe under the increasingly regulatory intervention of Rousseff’s administration, while Silva is popular among younger Brazilians who are disenchanted with politics as usual. They’re both opposition candidates who nonetheless have ties to Lula da Silva, bringing some continuity with Brazilian policy over the past decade. Together they could build a credible anti-Rousseff coalition from among voters to her left and to her right, especially in a runoff.
Brazil’s center-right Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB, Brazilian Social Democracy Party) will likely be represented by Aécio Neves, who served as governor of Minas Gerais, the second-most populous state in Brazil and home to Belo Horizonte, from 2003 to 2010. As governor, Neves cut the state’s budget and promoted investment, transforming the state’s fiscal outlook in a way that attracted national and international regard. In 2010, he was elected to the Senado Federal (Federal Senate), the upper house of Brazil’s Congresso Nacional (National Congress), and in 2013, he became the leader of the PSDB, making him the favorite to become its 2014 presidential contender as well.
With so much time until the election, the presumed candidates aren’t fully settled — and parties don’t have to make decisions until 2014. Silva and Campos could change places on the ticket, for example. Conceivably, Rousseff could step aside for former president Lula da Silva, though he announced early in 2013 that he wasn’t running and that he was supporting Rousseff for reelection. If Neves falters on the campaign trail, José Serra, the former São Paulo mayor, São Paulo state governor, planning minister and health minister could replace him on the ticket. But at age 71, Serra is seen as yesterday’s man — he lost the 2002 presidential race to Lula da Silva by a wide margin and lost a second bid in the October 2010 race to Rousseff by a margin of around 56% to 44%. What’s more, he lost a comeback bid to return as mayor of São Paulo in October 2012 by a similarly wide margin.
Brazil will also elect one-third of its Senate (27 out of 81 seats) and all 513 members of the Câmara dos Deputados (Chamber of Deputies), the lower house of the National Congress. Despite over a dozen major parties with at least 10 deputies, the parties align into a ‘lulista’ bloc and a center-right bloc, which gives Rousseff a majority in both houses, including 50 senators and 325 deputies. Other parties who support Rousseff’s government, however, are still undecided as between Rousseff and Campos, including the second-largest party in the National Congress, the big tent Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro (PMDB, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party), and the center-right Partido Progressista (PP, Progressive Party).
Next: US Midterms
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Wanderland Wonderings
Tales of Adventure and Ordinary Life
How I Got Here – Marathon Training: Week 1
February 5, 2019 ~ admin ~ Leave a comment
So here it is, after a lot of faffing around, getting injured and planning ahead, I’ve officially started training for my first full marathon. 26.2 miles!!
If you had asked me even 5 years ago I’d have said there was no way I’d even be capable of running a marathon, let alone have the commitment to train properly. I am not a runner, I don’t even like sports. I spent my high school gym classes yelling at the teacher and making jokes about how terrible I was. I once broke my toe because I played basketball with no shoes on, that’s how seriously I took the whole thing…
Fast forward to 2013, I was looking for something that summer, some self-confidence boosting, lose weight fast scheme that would take my mind off exams and give me something productive to do with my time. Enter, running.
I bought my first pair of running shoes at a discount warehouse store with no more thought than whether or not they were good value. I “ran” about 20 minutes per day around a lake near my house, and had no idea what I was doing. I made the rookie error of trying to sprint because it felt comfortable for my legs, only to stop, panting and wheezing, after about 100m. Slowly I got the hang of it, and built up to a solid 3km, where I stayed for the best part of a year. Meanwhile, I got into going to the gym and built up my fitness, but it never occurred to me to run longer because even after all this time, 3km still hurt.
In April 2014 one of my very good friends ran the Paris Marathon. I went along for moral support and I was blown away by how wholesome and motivational the whole experience was, even from the side lines. There were thousands of people, blaring music and just the most enthusiastic feeling in the air. If you ever lose faith in humanity, please go watch a marathon. Of course, it helped that the sun was shining, but still! Watching her cross the finish line after 5 hours of pain, and months of training, made me feel like there was nothing you couldn’t do if you put your mind to it.
Luckily for me, that friend is a big enabler, and when I told her I was interested in lengthening my running distance, and maybe running a 10km, she told me if wasn’t enough. She found a half-marathon in my area in September and said if I signed up she would come visit me and we would do it together. Who says no to that?? So, I registered for the Dublin half marathon 2014.
I spent the summer training, which was an exercise in itself given I was working in Tel Aviv at the time, the heat almost killed me, even running at night. I had no training plan whatsoever, nor any structure to my life. I was working full time and partying more than I should have been. I would just go out and see how far I could go basically (spoiler alert: bad plan). The furthest I went was 18km, and I only did it once. The day arrived and I survived, finishing in 2hrs and 30 minutes. I ran alone as my friend couldn’t make it in the end, but there was no way I was going to let that stop me. It was easier than I had anticipated to start with, I was 8km in before the suffering began. I hit a hell of a runners high around 12km and legitimately danced to Ellie Goulding for a while, but then my ipod Nike app told me I was at 20km, about 5 minutes before the mile-markers told me that I was only at 18km, and my heart broke. I lost all my spirit, and walked a lot. I somehow managed to run across the finish line thanks to a girl I had met about 300m earlier, and smiled in my finishers photo. My lack of nutrition plan hit me immediately, I felt freezing cold, nauseous and angry within 20 minutes and just wanted to go home, until I had a plate of nachos shoved in my face, then I felt a lot better. I had no real pain issues afterwards, somehow managing to go on a night out after a shower and a nap.
I quickly caught the bug, and had signed up for the Berlin half within a few weeks, it was in March so I gave myself a couple of months off, before getting back to it in December. Once again, I had no training plan and it caught up with me in no time. First day back, I got on the treadmill and slammed out 8km. The next day I couldn’t walk down stairs, at all. I had a classic case of runner’s knee. And with help from a physio, I got through it, but Berlin never happened. I was told that I shouldn’t run long distances anymore and that it would happen again, so I spent two years limiting my running to 5km, I did a lot of strength training and cycling, I also climbed a mountain but that’s a different story.
By the end of 2016 I was in the best shape of my life, but I couldn’t stop thinking about running., Which is entertaining and confusing in and of itself because most of running is pain.
I was living in New York and I didn’t have access to a proper gym, so a lot of my old routines were of no use to me, and I was in a rut. Coincidentally, the New York marathon route went right under my window, and thus once again I was enticed by the atmosphere of it all. I hatched a plan. For the first time, I was going to follow a training plan, exactly! I found a 3-month schedule which had me running 3 times per week. I stuck to it religiously, getting up at 5am to run before work, completely disregarding my cycle commute (one hour each way) as real exercise. However, as life caught up to me, I missed a couple of weeks and tried to compensate by running 4 times per week instead (mistake). In February I ran a trail half marathon in a forest an hour outside of Washington DC. It was a tiny race, there were maybe 10 of us running the full distance, and I finished second to last. The weather was unexpectedly boiling, so I went from training in the snow, to getting sunburnt on race day. On top of that there was very little in terms of support, water and Gatorade only every 6km or so. I have no idea how long it took me, but I survived. The drive home killed me though, I spent an hour in the car with little to no movement. I jumped in an ice bath the minute I walked in the door, but the damage was done, I was in a lot of pain. My left hip was suffering.
I flew to Europe the next day wearing compression socks. I gave myself a week and a half off, walking everyday but no other exercise. When I finally jumped on the treadmill, I almost cried after 3km. I was done, yet again. I took 6 months off, apart from one ill-advised 20km run that I didn’t train for at all, and ran entirely out of sentimentality. My hip kicked my ass, but I survived and finished in 2hrs and 40 minutes, which I was pretty proud of considering.
In September 2017, I was in pretty bad shape, apart from some yoga over the summer I hadn’t really done any exercise in months. I felt the pull, and within a week I was back on it. I played it extra cautious, took 6 months to train and spent the first weeks running a single mile. Though this was my most effective and injury-proof method, I felt the training burnout pretty intensely by the end. I just didn’t care about running anymore. This was also my first training cycle done entirely outside, with only 2 treadmill runs the entire time. Initially I hated it, I find it a lot easier to push myself on a treadmill, and a lot easier to talk myself into going into a gym than out into the cold/dark/rain. Either way, it all worked out well, and I completed the March 2018 Rock and Roll half marathon in Washington DC with no injuries, or problems of note.
Once again, I gave myself time off to recover, which probably turned into too much time. It took me a month to gather the heart to run again, I was just so over it, I didn’t see the point in pushing myself back to it for no reason. At this point I was studying for the New York Bar Exam, and was in serious need of an outlet for my nervous energy. I just ran, with no plan, no goal, and no external aspirations. I ran because my brain needed me too. As work intensified I signed up for a 10-mile race to keep myself accountable. On the 1st of July 2018 I ran 10 miles in 38-degree heat, full sunshine.
That was the last race that I ran. I have been running on and off since, but nothing to that level of intensity. I hiked Macchu Pichu in August, and I like to believe that it kept my fitness up, but mostly I did yoga, running to class and back, and cycled with my Dad.
Which, long story very long, brings us to now.
I have signed up to run the Midnight Sun Marathon 2019, in Tromso Norway on the 22nd of June. My program is 23 weeks long, running 3 times per week, including a half marathon along the Great Wall of China half way through (may or may not be a horrific, injury inducing mistake). Shit is getting real. My main goal is to survive, though the time cut off is 5 and a half hours, so I would like to finish before that.
I know that you’re supposed to cross train and all that, but realistically, I probably won’t. I’d like to aim to do some kind of yoga and some kind of strength work once per week, but knowing me, odds are that will not happen. I’ll have to manage with just walking a hell of a lot (I live in London so that’s a given), and cycling to work once I get my life together to sort that out.
– I still have yet to figure out nutrition, so my first goal is to integrate gels on runs longer than 10km.
– Secondly, I want to get my 5km consistently below 30 minutes.
– Thirdly, I want to be consistent in following my plan, and miss as few runs as possible.
I don’t have heart wrenchingly emotional story about how I found running, and I haven’t discovered some hidden talent leading me to set world records. I am a very mediocre runner who often chooses wine or sleep over my training, and has spent two years saying I’ll try and break the 2-hour half marathon, without even pretending to put in the requisite effort. But running has taught me that I can push myself, and achieve something that feels impossible. It calms my raging brain, and gives me purpose. This is not going to be easy, or pretty, and it very well might kill me, but this is the story of how I am going to run a marathon.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Top 18 Books I Read in 2018
January 29, 2019 ~ admin ~ Leave a comment
The Lost City of Z – David Grann
Non-fiction. A fascinating cross-over between biography, historical fiction, and adventure novel. It was a gripping true story about Percy Fawcett’s journey into first South America, then obsession. It brilliantly made me feel like I was there in the jungle too.
The House on Pooh Corner – A.A Milne
Classic. While we think of this traditional children’s book as juvenile or simplistic and therefore uninteresting to an adult, I found it refreshing, hilarious and sassy. I’m glad I finally read it, especially as an adult, so that I could experience the multi-layered humour and sarcasm that underpins so many children’s classics.
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie
Mystery. Definitely a classic for a reason. I love the old format of her stories, always traditionally formulaic. The predictable nature of the build-up somehow doesn’t take anything away from the story. Having seen several TV adaptations, it was still interesting and worthwhile to go back to the original source material.
Vicious – VE Schwab
Fantasy. This book was like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I devoured it in a single sitting. I’ve heard it described as X-Men meets Frankenstein, and it’s great because I love both of those things. It wasn’t romance heavy, which is something I always appreciate, and its full of morally grey characters, which always adds depth. Short chapters keep the pacing fast and switching between timelines at the right moment leaves you on the edge of your seat.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Historical fiction. I was very ready to be disappointed by this book, given all the hype surrounding it. There were a lot of things that I didn’t enjoy, especially how I felt that certain characters often came off as unconvincing and slightly cringe, I also predicted the plot twist and so the last-minute reveal did nothing for me. However, despite its flaws, I devoured this book in one day, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It definitely left you wanting more every minute, and excited to see how it all came together at the end.
Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
Contemporary. For an embarrassingly long time, I confused this book with Middlemarch, and associated it with Victorian England, and so put it off. Mistake! This is a really, interesting and unique read. Our main character (and narrator) is Cal, a hermaphrodite, who discusses family, self-discovery, and American culture over the span of almost a century. I love a good sprawling family history that comes back to impact the characters in various ways.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
Classic. Once again, a classic that I put off for far too long, only to be really impressed. The naivete of the narrator allows for a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour, and sass, that would probably not be as well received from an adult’s perspective. A really interesting and compelling analysis of American society that doesn’t weigh you down.
Classic. This a Victorian classic with a lot more to it, it’s very accessible, and I believe would be a good place to start for anyone wanting to delve into the genre. Considered on of the first ever mysteries, it’s very atmospheric and builds suspense almost without you noticing. As someone who doesn’t tend to enjoy thrillers, I was totally engrossed.
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
Science fiction. While I lived this story, and the wealth of pop culture that permeates it, I cannot deny that there’s a lot of cringe at times. I alternated between finding the main character super embarrassing and being really impressed by him. Loved the references, loved the idea, mindless entertainment at its best. Please don’t judge this book by the movie!
The Century Trilogy – Ken Follet
Historical fiction. I’m obsessed with Ken Follet, this was the second epic trilogy of his that I have read, and I loved it. It’s a very intense work of historical fiction covering the intertwined lives of many different characters during the period spanning WWI all the way to the 1980s. Incredibly rich world, crazy level of detail and research that makes you feel like you’re there alongside the characters. This was especially true as I have lived in two of the most prevalent settings, Wales and Washington DC.
Native Son – Richard Wright
Historical fiction. I found this fascinating, a difficult book discussing race, poverty, and the criminal justice system in America in the 1930s. Really interesting approach, because the main character does an undeniably horrible thing. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s say it makes you think.
The Book of Dust – Philip Pullman
Fantasy. I feel like I’m biased in favour of this book, given its connection to the Dark Materials series, that I was very into as a child. What I love about prequels is that they cover a multitude of sins, because any mention to the earlier (later) story makes you feel like you’re in on a secret, and that rush can often make up for a less compelling plot this time around. Feels like a classic fantasy, doesn’t try too hard as the world is already so well expanded in the original series. I think that it could be read first without too much difficulty.
Anne of Green Gables – L.M Montgomery
Classic. Are you seeing a pattern with the children’s classic here? Anne is my new favourite sass queen. The whole atmosphere reminded me a lot of Pippi Longstocking. Super uplifting and entertaining while broaching some serious issues. I wish I had read it as a kid.
The Raven Cycle – Maggie Steifvader
Fantasy. I have never wanted so badly to be a part of a fictional friendship group. I love the whole vibe in this entire series, the casual mysticism that surrounds the story and the kooks of each character. I predicted one of the plot twists (a rare occurrence) so it didn’t shock me, but I’m not mad about it. The plot itself is a weak point, but it’s made up for by the wonderful character development and lyrical writing.
Stardust – Neil Gaimen
Fantasy. I have loved the movie for years, so I thought it was time to explore the original material. I have a difficult relationship with Neil Gaiman as I so terribly want to love him and yet, just don’t. Overall, I found it really cleverly written, I’m a sucker for interconnecting plot lines that all come together in the end. Let’s be real, I wish I wrote it.
Unbecoming – Rebecca Scherm
Contemporary. This is a difficult one to describe, half heist mystery, part love story, and part coming of age novel…Initially, I wasn’t grabbed by the story, but I soon realised that couldn’t put it down. The double timeline was very effective as it built up the past and I was dying to know what had happened to lead our characters into their current lives.
The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas
Contemporary. Everyone has been talking about this book lately, and justifiably so. It’s very powerful and provides a refreshing and much needed perspective on a gripping subject that we’ve all heard a lot about lately. I really enjoyed the opportunity to see things through Starr’s eyes. The ending wasn’t all that I wanted, but I suppose that’s true of real life as well.
Radio Silence – Alice Oseman
Contemporary. It’s really difficult to describe why I liked it, but there was an element of weirdness that stuck out for me (in a good way). The characters actually feel like real believable people and their decisions make sense, which I don’t often find to be the case. Good representation (I’ve never seen demi-sexuality in a book before) and I liked the strong focus on friendship as a defining relationship rather than a backdrop for romance.
Kilimanjaro Packing List
This list has been created for a 6-Day Marangu Route Trek, obviously modify for more/less days on mountain. I had never hiked before and was resistant to buying a lot of specific gear. All of my cold weather stuff was my ski gear, and I found that it worked very well. Some of these items were rented from our tour company. The bag I used was actually an old tennis bag, all that matter is that it’s water-resistant and doesn’t have a metal frame as the porters will be carrying it on their heads.
Most importantly: DO NOT PANIC, almost anything you forget can be rented at the base of the mountain. Don’t over think it, as long as you have good hiking boots, odds are you’ll be fine.
Note: Base layers should be made of a moisture-wicking fabric; not cotton!
2 sports bras
2 workout style tops (I brought one short sleeved and one long)
3 long-sleeved thermal tops (works best if one can be layered under another, to allow flexibility in your temperature management)
3 fleece layers (again, great for layering over the thermals. Keep one 1 exclusively for sleeping, having clean pjs is a great morale booster)
Underwear (personal preference as to how many, most people re-use, wearing them inside out the second time)
1 pair workout leggings (optional, can be good for the first day through the rainforest, or for layering, I brought them but didn’t use them)
2 pair Thermal Tights
1 pair water-resistant hiking pants (I used these every-day except summit night, with various layers underneath)
1 pair ski pants (used for summit night, really convenient as easy to layer and totally waterproof)
1 ski jacket (waterproof, windproof) Mine had removal layers and so could be adjusted to temperature which was great. A lot of people will say that you need down, I didn’t find that to be the case.
1 pair thin gloves (to wear in the evenings or when the temperatures start to drop)
1 pair thick ski gloves (necessary for summit night)
Hand-warmers
3 pairs hiking socks (important that they keep your feet dry and blister-free, I discovered merino wool on this trip and have never looked back) Comfortable feet can make or break the experience.
2 pairs thermal socks (ski socks worked well for me)
Hiking Boots (water-proof, preferably coming up above your ankles)
Camp shoes (to wear in the evenings and give your feet a rest, sneakers are fine, I wore sandals with socks simply for ease of getting them on and off)
Woolly hat
Buff (multi-functional piece that can be worn around your neck or you head, really useful and adaptable)
Electrolyte tablets or salt pills (to help with recovery)
Whatever snacks you think will help keep you going when you have no appetite (no chocolate as it will melt and freeze). I’d recommend a mix of salty and sweet so as not to get sick of one.
I brought bouillon cubes to dissolve in my water because I’m a salt fiend, others brought fruit flavoured syrup, whatever works and will keep you drinking.
Gummy bears (for summit night, yummy, don’t freeze, easily shareable, and make everyone happy)
Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
Blister kit (varies from person to person, I use a needle and thread to drain them, then a plaster)
Anti-Diarrhea meds and antispasmodics (for stomach trouble)
Antiseptic (cream or spray whichever you prefer)
Diamox (altitude medication)
Malaria pills (depending on what time of year you go and where else you’re traveling, ask your doctor)
1 dose broad spectrum anti-biotics (just in case)
Vaccination card, blood type card and a clean syringe (just in case)
Toothbrush and mini toothpaste
Baby Wipes (always useful as shower replacement, or for any mess)
Hair ties and pins (the last thing you’ll want is hair in your face)
Ziploc bags (I loved these, used them for everything from separating my gear in my duffel bag, to water protection for electronics)
Bin bags (really useful for extra water protection, or segregating dirty gear)
Waterproof backpack cover (better safe than sorry, they fold up really small, lifesaver)
Water container (3L, either reusable bottles or a camelback, must be able to hold hot water)
Bag locks (handy to have, can be useful, especially if you leave bags at the hotel during the hike)
Kindle (very convenient as it holds charge and doesn’t weigh you down, honestly though you won’t really have a lot of time for reading)
iPhone or music device (really helpful to keep motivation up on summit night, also audiobooks are good when you can’t sleep)
Solar charger or spare battery packs (no plugs on the mountain, anything you want to keep using will need an alternative charging mechanism)
Money (tips and emergency)
Proof of medical insurance, and any bookings, also flight details
Travel Adaptor (for use at the hotel)
You don’t have access to your main bag during the day, so you’ll survive each hike on what you’ve got in your daypack. Weight is pretty much dependant on what you can handle and how much you’re willing to suffer, my bag was 30l and I never had any problems. This is all really personal and will probably change from day to day.
Water (3L, I carried it in 3 reusable bottles, others used camelbacks)
First Aid: Lip balm, ibuprofen, plasters, diarrhoea pills
Pack lunch (your cook will give you this each morning)
Rain Jacket and backpack cover (always! Trust me, the day you forget there’ll be a thunderstorm)
Camera/phone (be sure to keep it accessible, otherwise you’ll miss out on great shots)
Weather dependant extras (sun hat, gloves, fleece, sun cream…etc)
No need to worry about bringing these as they are readily accessible for rent at the base.
Gaiters (a plastic protection worn around your ankles to keep things out of your shoes, I didn’t see the appeal at all, but ended up loving them! Also, as a girl, they kept me from peeing on the bottoms of my trousers more than once)
Down jacket (I didn’t use one, but if you’re really worried about having one, you can)
The Nostalgia Diaries, Part 2: 10 Things I Won’t Miss about America
December 17, 2018 ~ admin ~ Leave a comment
Apart from the subway in New York City, there really just is no comparison to the European system. Fundamentally if you want to make the best of your time in the US, you need to be able to drive. The Dc metro goes on fire more than I’m comfortable with considering that it’s a tiny metal capsule running underground. On a larger scale, I never thought I’d miss Ryanair! Low cost flights really just aren’t a thing, and while I know it’s partially because the distances are larger it’s very frustrating considering how much there is to see in the United States.
Intense Patriotism
While this is of course a generalisation, American society has a tendency to be very proud of itself. For starters there are flags absolutely everywhere, and I have never heard a national anthem so frequently. Not to mention freedom, and the requirement that every public speaker say “God bless the United States of America”. It can also extend to a resistance to criticism that can discourage debate or input from outsiders. While countries like Denmark and Israel do something similar, it still grates a little after a while.
There are just so many ads on TV. It’s as if for every 10 minutes you watch of a program, you have to spend the same amount of time on ads (including during the news) with weirdly elaborate storylines like nothing I’ve ever seen. Also, they advertise drugs. At some concert venues they even have big screens that run ads between the bands.
This is a big double-edged sword for me. Why do I need to bring a jumper to the cinema and the supermarket?? I spent my entire master’s year trying to figure out the correct number of layers that I needed to be comfortable in the classroom. Also, I’m emotionally attached to the existence of radiators in houses, so HVAC is a strange concept that took a lot of getting used to. Why is it so loud? And where am I supposed to put my wet shoes to dry when it’s raining?
Queuing for a table at a restaurant that doesn’t allow reservations
There isn’t much to elaborate on here, I hate queuing, and I’m a sucker for planning. Please just let me book a table instead of hovering around the door for 20 minutes!
I think every European who has ever spent time in America is familiar with this one. It’s awkward and weird and involves maths. Mostly I just hate the game that you have to play where we pretend it’s an optional extra, while knowing full well I’ll get chased down the street if I don’t give enough. I’d say please just pay your staff, but in several states now the mandatory minimum wage for servers has been raised and yet the culture persists. Also, I have to tip the hairdresser? Seriously?
Traditional news as I grew up with, just doesn’t really seem to exist. Instead, there are 24/7 panel discussions, where journalists ask other journalists their opinions on local American issues, mostly politics. There’s also a general lack of international news unless it’s a hot button issue. Finally, each channel has a distinct political affiliation and I just hate having to watch three separate channels to try and get an unbiased overview. While it can be more engaging, sometimes you just want a vaguely bland person to tell you what happened, no opinions necessary.
Obligatory small-talk with strangers
While I was aware of this stereotype going in, I had no idea how pervasive it would be. Everyone from the supermarket checkout staff to your Uber driver wants to have a slightly over-sharey discussion about life. I am a somewhat grumpy European, please stop asking me how my day is, you don’t care. Also, I have no idea how to react to your telling me that your estranged twin brother is visiting this weekend. It’s stressful, where are the boundaries? Who knows??
Needless Busy-ness
A big pet peeve of mine comes from the intensely work-driven side to the US. I don’t know if it stems from the idea of the American dream, or the vast difference in the social safety net, but it’s everywhere. There seems to be an overall rejection of taking holidays or days off (the tech sector is changing this, but it’s not pervasive). Not only do employers offer less vacation time in the US and limit your sick days, but people feel unable to take them for fear of being outed as replaceable in their absence. Additionally, everything must serve a purpose and so for many, the idea of a casual hobby is considered entirely wasteful. I know several people who, upon realising that they didn’t have any hobbies, got second jobs instead. The idea of rest as fuel for productivity is deeply unpopular, and as you can imagine, it makes things very stressful.
Crappy chocolate
To end on a light note, there is simply no decent chocolate to be found in the US. Though I can’t entirely complain about this because it definitely helped me keep lower my junk food intake. I will never understand the love people have for Hersheys, just no. Why is it so waxy? How can it simultaneously be waxy and dusty? It’s a sad, sad mystery. In fairness though, I grew up in Belgium, so America just never had a chance!
The Nostalgia Diaries, Part 1: 10 Things I’ll Miss about America
December 8, 2018 December 8, 2018 ~ admin ~ Leave a comment
As I get ready to leave the US for good, I can’t help reflecting on my 4 years here (on and off), and how it’s really the little things that make life different all over the world. With a hefty does of generalising and triviality, these are 10 things that I’ll miss about everyday life in the United States.
Free and guilt free. They’re everywhere and I love it, the supermarket, the mall, protests marches, even restaurant’s you’re not eating at. Of course, there are places that will turn you away, but as someone with a tiny bladder, it’s such a weight off my shoulders to be able to ask to use the restroom without dying of shame. In Belgium, a lot of times they aren’t available, or you have to pay which requires the forethought to carry coins.
Ever-Flowing Tap Water
This is a funny one because paying for water never bothered me growing up, I simply sucked it up or brought my own with me. However, since being in the US I’ve really gotten used to the never-ending stream of it at restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Also, why is the US so obsessed with ice?
Defined Seasons
While of course it varies daily, and DC just had the rainiest summer in forever, overall, it’s so nice to be able to divide the year into four categories with individual colour schemes and atmospheres. To know that in August we wear shorts because its roasting hot and in February you’ll need your gloves because its freezing, rather than just 50 shades of rainy and grey most of the year, which is what I grew up with in Belgium.
I have a tumultuous relationship with American temperature regulation, but sometimes it’s really nice to be able to sleep in a reasonable temperature when its 35°c outside.
I grew up in a country where almost all shops are open 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday. While I believe that there’s a lot to be said for restricting consumerism and all that, it’s a lot more relaxing to organise your week when you know that you can get whatever you need on Sunday or go to the supermarket at 11pm if you need to.
The Abundance of Non-Standard Foods
As someone with a lot of allergies and dietary restrictions, the fashionable nature of niche foods (vegan, gluten free, paleo, hybrid…etc) in the US is pretty convenient. While they aren’t all good (or even logical, see chocolate hummus) it’s definitely nice to know that if I’m craving cheesecake, there’s a dairy-free, gluten free one waiting for me in the frozen section. Equally, it makes eating out in restaurants more feasible for me than in a lot of countries that I’ve previously lived in.
This is another case of over-generalisation, I don’t mean to say that we don’t have online shopping in Belgium, it’s just not as ubiquitous or as easy. For example, we don’t have Amazon, and so have to order from the UK or France, we also don’t have Prime, so delivery is slower and more expensive. It’s just not considered such a staple of behaviour at home.
Essentially Unlimited Data
This took me a while to figure out, as a very late and reluctant convert to the world of smartphone, I had no idea how much data was reasonable and so got a ½ gig plan. When I was living in New York I never had any problems with it, used google maps and YouTube whenever I needed to and thought no more about it. It was only when I moved back to Belgium and ran out of data within a week that I realised I hadn’t been staying within my ½ gig and that it had just kept ticking over from 4G into 3G with no more said about it. Talk about becoming accustomed to standard!
Random Discounts and Sales
In Belgium, we have officially regulated sales periods twice per year, once in January and once in July. Otherwise, it’s pretty trick to reduce prices. So, imagine how I felt when I moved to the US and got 10% off at a store because there was a line for the checkout desk. While I know that there are a lot of issues with sub-standard products being reduced, and dodgy representations as to the original prices, I definitely still get a buzz when I walk into GAP and get handed a 25% off voucher.
I grew up in a country where the menu was considered a sacred text, not to be messed with. I don’t care if you don’t like mushrooms sir, the chef designed it that was and it’s terribly arrogant of you to assume that you know better. So as a picky child, who then turned out to have a lot of allergies, even thinking about asking to change a dish used to break me out in a cold sweat. However, the blazé approach to customer service in the US has absolutely spoiled me in this way, and I’m now totally unafraid to change everything completely.
Washington DC: Things to See that Aren’t Monuments
“Washington is a town that creates myths for its own existence”- Karl Rove
“Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm” – JFK
FROM THE FIRST DAY that I arrived, I have loved Washington DC. A city built on a swamp, it’s beautiful and complex, with a rich history and of course a great political buzz. I also love the monuments and the museums that define the skyline and make-up every single available postcard. When I first arrived, I was so overwhelmed by being able to go for a run around the tidal basin, I couldn’t stop taking photos. One of my favourite views has got to be coming in to land at Washington National Airport, when the plane makes wide circles encompassing the Washington Monument and the Capital, as well as the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, getting ever closer like zooming in through a camera lens.
However, there’s so much more to this great city, and it often gets overshadowed by all the imposing white marble. So here you have it, my top DC attractions that do not contain the words monument, memorial, or museum.
In this popular and eclectic neighbourhood, made very photogenic by the brightly coloured façades. you’ll find everything from vintage shops and hookah bars, to a gluten free bakery, and countless bars. Some of my favourite stops include Jack Rose for a rooftop terrace and up-market whiskey, Pitango for gelato (their dairy-free chocolate is to die for!), and for a real taste of what it’s like to be a student at 3am on a Saturday: Jumbo slice pizza. Madam’s Organ, a popular blues bar, is actually the site of the original Children’s Supermart store, opened in 1948, which later became known as Toys “R” Us. The Diner and Tryst both offer some wonderful brunch options for all types of foodies, including vegan and gluten free. There’s truly something for everyone in this quirky neighbourhood.
The Wharf
DC’s newest place to be, the revamped Wharf is chock-full of restaurants (especially fish), bars and general atmospheric bustle, in the summer, strolling along the piers surrounded by other people’s conversations feels positively Mediterranean. With the presence of The Anthem, the area has also firmly cemented itself into Washington’s music scene, and there’s always something going on. The area is also home to the Maine Avenue Fish Market, the oldest continuously operating open-air fish market in the United States, dating from 1805, where you can have your purchases cooked before your eyes. While the wares are no longer served directly from the fishing boats, it’s definitely still a world away from the big city – but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the smell!
A new take: While the historic and fashionable area of Georgetown itself needs no introduction, I’d like to emphasise some different ways to enjoy the neighbourhood.
The Georgetown waterfront is one of the oldest parts of the city. Now a park, it began life as a Colonial port and has transitioned via many roles including industrial hub and literal dumping ground. It presents a lovely view of the Kennedy Center and Roosevelt Island. Complete with several restaurants and coffee shops it’s great for an evening out, but also a summer picnic for the family. You can also grab a water-taxi here and take the scenic route across to the Wharf.
You can also get adventurous and (between April and October) head out along the Potomac itself. The Key Bridge Boathouse offers lots of different activities including kayaking, paddle boarding, workshops and tours.
Trails: Hiking and Cycling
There are also several beautiful trails ideal for running, cycling, or simply a quick walk allowing you to re-connect with nature before heading back to M street for some more shopping. Most notable are the C&O Canal Towpath, a waterfront dirt track which continues all the way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Capital Crescent Trail which will take you straight to Bethesda, Maryland (and right to the front door of a lovely French coffee shop) in just over 10 miles of paved path. The C&O Canal also includes the Incline Plane, a stone platform and plaque marking the ruins of a boat elevator dating back to the 1870s, which was highlighted as the best of American engineering at the 1878 World’s Fair (along with the Brooklyn Bridge). It ran for 14 years, until a flood severely damaged the towpath and bankrupted the Canal Company.
Exorcist Steps
Located just a few streets away from the Georgetown university campus and tucked into a corner between a brick wall and a hedge, they’re easy to miss. But for fans of the classic horror movie The Exorcist, the hunt is worth the dramatic view down this imposing staircase, the site of the film’s climax. I recommend visiting at night for full effect. Don’t worry about getting too scared though, there’s a petrol station at the bottom to bring you right back into reality, and it’s entirely possible you’ll run into one of Georgetown’s sport’s teams running up and down it.
In the North West corner of the city, sits a favourite spot for wealthy families who were looking to build mansions in the early 1900s. Originally called Millionaires Row, most of the houses have since been taken over by DC’s large contingent of diplomats. In 1974, following some controversy about demolition in the area, it became protected, its formal name being the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District. It’s a lovely walk, along wide roads with plenty of gorgeous architecture to admire and who doesn’t love a good game of “which flag is that again?”
Free walking tours are available. There is also a free open day that takes place each year on a Saturday in May, where the Embassies open their doors to the public; hosting events, providing traditional food and drink, and exploring some aspects of their national cultures. The entire neighbourhood takes part and it’s a wonderful occasion to witness.
Where trendy meets historic, Dupont Circle was constructed in the 1880s and quickly became a popular neighbourhood for the wealthy. Following World War II, the area struggled, but it was revived in the 1970s and became known for its bohemian atmosphere, similar to New York’s Greenwich Village. In 1975, a local bookshop (Lambda Rising), ran the world’s first gay-oriented television advertisement. Today it includes such sights as the Sunday morning Farmers Market, the Board Room (a bar for people who want to re-create a cosy night at home), and Kramer Books (a bookshop containing a restaurant).
The Cairo
One of the historical oddities of the area is a 12-storey apartment block built in the 80s. It dwarfs the area, drove residents mad, and ultimately led to the imposition of the city’s famed height restriction. While many believe the rule to be aimed at preserving the imposing nature of the monuments and the capital, the reality comes down to angry neighbours, which I find makes it that much more endearing. While the subject of considerable wrath, and the catalyst for not one but two acts of Congress, I shall be forever grateful to the Cairo for ensuring that DC stays unique among major US cities in its walkability, and lack of looming high-rises.
Dupont Underground
When the Dupont Circle Streetcar station opened in 1949, it was the first underground station in DC. Shut down in 1962, it served as a potential nuclear shelter during the early years of the Cold War, until 1975 when the tunnels were sealed off and abandoned. After a failed stint as a food court in the 1990s, the tunnels were opened to the public in 2016, with guided tours now available. As with metro tunnels everywhere, art has crept in, but here it has done so in a uniquely organised manner. Dupont Underground is a self-described cultural organization aimed at developing a multidisciplinary platform for creative expression, transforming the tunnels into a public infrastructure to support creative exchange, contemporary art, and an ongoing conversation about the city. They run exhibitions and host events such as comedy nights and concerts, where the unique acoustics of the environment make for a truly inimitable experience.
For those who need a break from the city, it turns out you don’t actually have to leave. In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed the patch of neglected, overgrown farmland that sits in the Potomac between Georgetown and Arlington, into Theodore Roosevelt Island. Comprising 88 acres of trails, swamp and general wilderness, it was designed to mimic the natural forest that used to cover the island, and nowadays you’d never know the difference. It’s beautifully ungroomed, great for running, hiking and admiring the view while pretending that you don’t live in a capital city.
[Though there is technically a memorial to the President near the entrance to the island, you can totally ignore it without sacrificing any part of the experience, so I’m bravely declaring that it still belongs on this list]
Its accessible by footbridge from the Mount Vernon cycle path, and there’s parking available there. Bikes are not allowed (its enforced, I learned the hard way as a foolish tourist), though dogs are welcome.
Gravelly Point
Just outside of DC proper, in a lovely park next to Washington National Airport, is a unique and quirky spot used for plane watching, acknowledged as one of the best in the United States. Though I always associated airports with harsh, concrete environments, most often in the middle of nowhere, Reagan is nestled against the Potomac. This only serves to enhance the escapist atmosphere that comes with sitting on the grass watching planes come swooping in to land, the roaring engines echoing in your ears and stealing the air from your lungs. Great for a Sunday afternoon, the park has a very relaxed, family friendly atmosphere, surrounded by joggers, cyclists, and children. I know of at least one successful first date that took place there. It’s easily accessible along the Mount Vernon Trail cycling path.
Down In N’Orleans
November 25, 2018 December 2, 2018 ~ admin ~ Leave a comment
“America only has three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” – Tennessee Williams
“Everything in New Orleans is a good idea” – Bob Dylan
A CITY ON DEATH ROW, like an aged rock star who will continue to be beautiful and talented long after their skin has turned to leather and their voice has given out, the realities of New Orleans are not the realities. Because it’s not the impressive stink or the horrifying crime rates or the tourists that stay with you, it’s not the centuries of death and violence and tragedy that have cursed this town that touches your soul, it’s the music and the magic, the food, the freedom and that something in the air that makes your spine tingle. Unlike other old cities that can make you feel inferior in the face of their experience, like you are an unworthy guest in a place shaped by those more deserving, New Orleans makes you feel like you are a part of the never-ending story. It invites you in and tells you to make yourself at home in its glittering decrepitude.
It strikes me as a uniquely paradoxical place, oozing that lazy-Sunday-morning vibe that is so unique to the American South, combined with a feverish sense of life and celebration that turns every day into a party. It’s a city so full of amazing history, ranging from the good to the bad and the quirky as hell.
Garden District – Mostly residential area, quieter and more relaxed than the French Quarter. It was developed in 1832 for the “nouveau riche” Americans who wanted to separate themselves from the Creoles in the FQ. Gorgeous neighbourhood of elegant houses, and in typical New Orleans style there’s a 19th century cemetery planted right in the middle of it.
Magazine Street – Great place for a wander, running from the FQ down to the Zoo. Lots going on, from antique shops and hipster galleries, to hot dog stands and artisanal bakeries.
Recommendation: The scenic streetcar that runs like clockwork along St Charles Street is surprisingly still the best way to get around that part of the city. At $3 for a 24hr pass, it’s insanely cheap as well as being completely adorable; a must see!
French Quarter – Oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans, founded in 1718. Home to the infamous Bourbon St and the oldest Cathedral in America (St. Louis) as well as the oldest bar and the most haunted house. In the most predictably tourist-y way, this is my favourite part of the city. Don’t get me wrong, it’s busy and messy and full to the brim of tourists wanting to see the exact same things as you, but it’s got a wonderful welcoming atmosphere and there is always always something going on.
Recommendation: Free Tours by Foot.
NB- -The typical American “no open container rule” doesn’t apply in the Big Easy, thus drinking on the street is not only acceptable, it’s also easy and encouraged by bars themselves, most places serve drinks in plastic cups so you can pop in to pick one up on your walk-about, or take anything you don’t finish with you to-go. But be warned, the caveat to the rule is no glass!
LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar – One of the oldest bars in America, it was allegedly owned by famous pirate Jean Lafitte in the 1800s. Although I’m sure the choice of candles over electric lighting was a tactical and financial one, it certainly lends legitimacy and a great atmosphere. There is also a wonderful piano player who works on requests and he can play anything (like seriously, I requested the Little Mermaid and he did it). However, given its fame it does have slightly more expensive “tourist-hub” prices ($6 for a gin and tonic compared to the standard $4).
GLUTEN FREE ADVENTURES
Theo’s Neighbourhood Pizza: It’s a little out of the typical tourist way being at the far end of Magazine Street, but it’s well worth the trek. GF crust is the best I’ve had so far.
Juan’s Flying Burritos: While there are no explicitly GF options listed on the menu, once you go with a corn tortilla instead of flour it’s all fair game. Tasty and well-priced Mexican option.
Evangeline: Simple and tasty southern cooking, they only have a couple of GF options but are also very accommodating to it, I had a burger and they made it for me without the bun, no problems at all.
FARE Food Apothecary: Specialising in gluten and dairy free baked goods I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I found this place on Magazine Street. However, with the extra effort of no-added sugar, I was slightly let down by the flavour of my cupcake.
Although I couldn’t actually eat any of this stuff because of intolerances, they came highly recommended, and my friends thoroughly enjoyed the lot!
Magazine Po-boy Shop
Café du Monde
Salon by Sucré
Felix’s Oyster House
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Home » Review » Movie » Comes a Bright Day
Comes a Bright Day
By Dustin Jansick @DJansick on September 17, 2012
It showed Aboud does have potential as a director but Comes a Bright Day was perhaps just a bit too ambitious for the rookie filmmaker.
British filmmaker Simon Aboud makes his full length debut as a director and writer of the indie film Comes a Bright Day. The film is a bizarre blend of genres when a romantic love story unfolds during a life threatening hostage situation. There was even some comedy sprinkle in. But the hodgepodge of themes felt exactly like that, a jumbled mixture of dissimilar themes that did not mix well.
Sam Smith (Craig Roberts) is hotel bellboy or as he describes it, a bag carrier and general bitch for the rich. One day his manager sends him on an errand that takes him to a jewelry store. Before he does that he makes a quick stop at a local café where he meets a girl named Mary Bright (Imogen Poots) who catches his eye. The two exchange a few words before leaving. It just so happens that the two would meet again in just a few short moments.
Upon entering the jewelry store he has already made up his mind that he would like to date her. Fate is on his side as she works at the jewelry store that he was sent to go to. But fate also had something else in store for him when two guys with guns show up to rob the place. Suddenly they become involved in a hostage situation.
The gunmen assumed that the robbery would be a quick smash and grab and did not take in account to be trapped inside the store surrounded by police. Now confined to the store they must come up with another plan. In the meantime, Sam and Mary continue to get to know one another despite the inopportune setting. Sam soon finds out that Mary is planning on leaving the country in less than a month, which assumes they make it out of this situation alive.
Although Craig Roberts plays a similar role to his character in Submarine, the performance did not match. His deadpan delivery and play-it-cool attitude did not work as well here. He never acted like his life was in danger unlike the rest of the cast who were way more believable (especially Imogen Poots). He just did not seem to fit properly in this film.
Where Comes a Bright Day shines the most is the camera work. The majority of the film was restricted to a single room which can be difficult to pull off. Aside from the limited setting, the film was impressive with presenting well composed shots. Production quality as a whole was the only area that the film was proficient in.
You have to appreciate Aboud’s bold attempt of making his first feature film that combines such different genres but it did not work as feature film. I think it would have been better suited to be condensed down into a short film. Comes a Bright Day had too many issues to be a film that can be recommend to watch. The one thing that the film did accomplish is that it showed Aboud does have potential as a director but Comes a Bright Day was perhaps just a bit too ambitious for the rookie filmmaker.
Comes a Bright Day Movie review
Ukrainian Sheriffs (Hot Docs Review)
Fraud (Hot Docs Review)
Sonita (Hot Docs Review)
TIFF 2012 Day 11: Penance
The last day of TIFF was comprised of only one film for me, but its length could easily make up three separate movies. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Penance premiered on TV earlier
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Territorial evolution of Nevada Information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_evolution_of_Nevada
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Treaty of Paris in 1789
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Anglo-American Convention of 1818
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Adams-Onís Treaty took effect in 1821
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Compromise of 1850
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Nevada Organic Act in 1861
An enlargeable map of the United States after the first Utah annexation in 1862
An enlargeable map of the United States after Nevada Statehood in 1864
An enlargeable map of the United States after the second Utah annexation in 1866
An enlargeable map of the United States after the Arizona annexation in 1867
An enlargeable map of the United States as it has been since 1959
The following outline traces the territorial evolution of the U.S. State of Nevada.
Historical territorial claims of Spain in the present State of Nevada:
Nueva California, 1768–1804
Gran Cuenca, 1776–1821
Alta California, 1804–1821
Adams–Onis Treaty of 1819
Historical international territory in the present State of Nevada:
Oregon Country, 1818–1846
Anglo-American Convention of 1818
Historical territorial claims of Mexico in the present State of Nevada:
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848
Historical political divisions of the United States in the present State of Nevada:
Unorganized territory created by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848–1850
Compromise of 1850
State of Deseret (extralegal), 1849–1850
Territory of Utah, 1850–1896
Territory of Nevada, 1861–1864
Nevada Organic Act, March 2, 1861 [1]
Western 53 miles of the Utah Territory is transferred to the Territory of Nevada, July 14, 1862
Nevada Enabling Act, March 21, 1864 [2]
State of Nevada since 1864
Nevada Statehood, October 31, 1864 [3]
Another 53 miles of western Utah Territory is transferred to the State of Nevada, May 5, 1866
Northwestern corner of the Arizona Territory is transferred to the State of Nevada, January 18, 1867
Nevada portal
History portal
Historical outline of Nevada
History of Nevada
Territorial evolution of the United States
Territorial evolution of Arizona
Territorial evolution of California
Territorial evolution of Idaho
Territorial evolution of Oregon
Territorial evolution of Utah
^ Thirty-sixth United States Congress (March 2, 1861). "An Act to organize the Territory of Nevada" ( cgi-bin). Retrieved June 5, 2009.
^ Thirty-eighth United States Congress (March 21, 1864). "An Act to enable the People of Nevada to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the Admission of such State into the Union on an equal Footing with the original States" ( cgi-bin). Retrieved June 5, 2009.
^ Abraham Lincoln (October 31, 1864). "By the President of the United States of America, A Proclamation Admitting the State of Nevada to the Union". Retrieved June 4, 2009.
State of Nevada website
Nevada History
State of Nevada
Carson City (capital)
Nevada Territory
Eagle Valley
Las Vegas Valley
Pahranagat Valley
Trout Creek Mountains
Truckee Meadows
Storey
Washoe
Cities and
Amargosa Valley
Battle Mountain
Beatty
Gardnerville Ranchos
Lovelock
Primm
Tonopah
Winnemucca
Former counties
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Territorial_evolution_of_Nevada&oldid=905584099"
Pre-statehood history of Nevada
Former regions and territories of the United States
Outlines of territorial evolution of U.S. states
Wikipedia outlines
Histories of territories of the United States
TERRITORIAL EVOLUTION OF NEVADA
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Woman Who Bought A Ring For 12 Dollars 30 Years Ago Finds Out It’s Worth A Fortune
By Anastasia
We’ve all gone to garage sales in search of a hidden bargain, some little-overlooked trinket that will make us an instant fortune. Sadly, most of the items we find at garage sales are just junk. However, for one lucky woman in the UK, her purchase at a boot sale (a form of a garage sale), turned out to be a very special surprise.
Over three decades ago, now fifty-five-year-old Debra Goddard picked up the ring by chance. All these years she believed that the stone in the ring was made of glass. She kept in buried in a jewelry box for years, not bringing it out until her elderly mother fell prey to fraud and lost all her money.
Debra took it to a jeweler, hoping that the ring would be worth at least a few hundred pounds. There, she recieved the shock of her life when she was told it was actually a 26.27-carat diamond.
During an interview, Debra said, “When I went to the jeweler he nearly fainted and said, ‘Do you know what this is? It’s a diamond.’ I sat up all night looking at it, wondering what to do.”
Following her good fortune, she took the ring to Sotheby’s, a high-end auction house, where the diamond was confirmed to be legit, and its worth was calculated at a whopping £740,000. After paying various auction costs, Debra earned £470,000 from the final sale. A pretty decent windfall.
“It turned out to be the nearest you can get to perfection. It was like when Del Boy would tell Rodney, ‘This time next year, we’ll be millionaires.’ It proved right. It’s karma for the bad things that happened in our lives and my mum being robbed of everything.” Debra added.
Debra, who works for a charity and has fostered over 20 kids through the years, has used her auction earnings to spoil her mom June Boyle, 72, with all kinds of gifts.
“She’s had holidays in Barbados, seen Tom Jones, seen Celine Dion in Vegas and bought a fur coat,” Debra says. “The money isn’t important to me.”
Since this lucky encounter, Debra has gone on to write a book, hoping to use any sales to further her charity work. She has also set up a vintage jewelry company that scours boot sales for other possible treasures.
She says, “I volunteer with a runaway kids’ charity. If this book makes money, I want it to go to them and youth leaders.”
A very good example for us all to remember to always pay it forward.
Woman Left Humiliated By Nail Salon After They Refused To Touch Her Hands
By talan
Puppy Escapes From Home, Then Rings Doorbell To Get Back In
Woman Adopts A Tiny Kitten That Turns Into One Of The Biggest Cats In The World
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Sun, 2018-Mar-04 00:42 UTC
The featured article for Sunday, 4 March 2018 is Miriam Makeba.
Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, actress, United Nations goodwill ambassador, and civil-rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she was an advocate against apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa.
Born in Johannesburg to Swazi and Xhosa parents, Makeba was forced to find employment as a child after the death of her father. She had a brief and allegedly abusive first marriage at the age of 17, gave birth to her only child in 1950, and survived breast cancer. Her vocal talent had been recognized when she was a child, and she began singing professionally in the 1950s, with the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers, and an all-woman group, the Skylarks, performing a mixture of jazz, traditional African melodies, and Western popular music. In 1959, Makeba had a brief role in the anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa, which brought her international attention, and led to her performing in Venice, London, and New York City. In London, she met the American singer Harry Belafonte, who became a mentor and colleague. She moved to New York City, where she became immediately popular, and recorded her first solo album in 1960. Her attempt to return to South Africa that year for her mother's funeral was prevented by the country's government.
Makeba's career flourished in the United States, and she released several albums and songs, her most popular being "Pata Pata" (1967). Along with Belafonte she received a Grammy Award for her 1965 album An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba. She testified against the South African government at the United Nations and became involved in the African-American civil rights movement. She married Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Black Panther Party, in 1968. As a result, she lost support among white Americans and faced hostility from the US government, leading her and Carmichael to move to Guinea. She continued to perform, mostly in African countries, including at several independence celebrations. She began to write and perform music more explicitly critical of apartheid; the 1977 song "Soweto Blues", written by her former husband Hugh Masekela, was about the Soweto uprising. After apartheid was dismantled in 1990, Makeba returned to South Africa. She continued recording and performing, including a 1991 album with Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie, and appeared in the 1992 film Sarafina!. She was named a UN goodwill ambassador in 1999, and campaigned for humanitarian causes. She died of a heart attack during a 2008 concert in Italy.
Makeba was among the first African musicians to receive worldwide recognition. She brought African music to a Western audience, and popularized the world music and Afropop genres. She also made popular several songs critical of apartheid, and became a symbol of opposition to the system, particularly after her right to return was revoked. Upon her death, former South African President Nelson Mandela said that "her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us."
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:42 UTC on Sunday, 4 March 2018.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Makeba.
This has been Brian. Thank you for listening to featured Wiki of the Day.
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Mikael Bundsén
Mikael Bundsén (°1989, Goteborg, Sweden) makes films and photos. By putting the viewer on the wrong track, Bundsén wants the viewer to become part of the art as a kind of added component. Art is entertainment: to be able to touch the work, as well as to interact with the work is important.
His films are characterised by the use of everyday objects in an atmosphere of middleclass mentality in which recognition plays an important role. By taking daily life as subject matter while commenting on the everyday aesthetic of middle class values, he often creates work using creative game tactics, but these are never permissive. Play is a serious matter: during the game, different rules apply than in everyday life and even everyday objects undergo transubstantiation.
His works are based on inspiring situations: visions that reflect a sensation of indisputability and serene contemplation, combined with subtle details of odd or eccentric, humoristic elements. By creating situations and breaking the passivity of the spectator, he tries to create works in which the actual event still has to take place or just has ended: moments evocative of atmosphere and suspense that are not part of a narrative thread. The drama unfolds elsewhere while the build-up of tension is frozen to become the memory of an event that will never take place.
His works are on the one hand touchingly beautiful, on the other hand painfully attractive. Again and again, the artist leaves us orphaned with a mix of conflicting feelings and thoughts. By manipulating the viewer to create confusion, he often creates several practically identical works, upon which thoughts that have apparently just been developed are manifested: notes are made and then crossed out again, ‘mistakes’ are repeated.
His works are given improper functions: significations are inversed and form and content merge. Shapes are dissociated from their original meaning, by which the system in which they normally function is exposed. Initially unambiguous meanings are shattered and disseminate endlessly.
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Category: 8Books
8Books Review: “Fresh Off the Boat,” by Eddie Huang
All I kept thinking while I was reaching Eddie Huang’s memoir, Fresh Off the Boat, was that the one word people need to know to describe it is…bombastic. It’s not a word I use a lot, or probably that most people use a lot, but there’s something about Huang’s tone as he writes–like you’re just sitting around with him talking story. Something about it that makes me feel like I should call him Eddie.
I warn you, before I begin, not to make any comparisons or assumptions about the book based on the popular and much-written-about television series. They’re different beasts. Really. The book is profane, it’s enthusiastic, it’s straight forward, it’s not trying to skim over anything.
Let me give you a taste:
My brothers and I shared three comics, two dinosaurs, and one copy of Coming to America between the three of us. There was one blue one dinosaur that Emery and I both liked, and this big shitty orange dinosaur that neither of us wanted to play with. My kindest act as a brother was to let Emery play with the blue one. That was the apex of my accomplishments as a good older brother. I mean, damn, I ate all the kid’s food, he should at least get the blue dinosaur.
This is very much a memoir that’s both narrative in terms of dealing with major life events (friendships, freak-outs, trips, the like) but also throws in bits of reflection, advice, and soul here and there. Eddie never backs down from what he’s saying and you can see the thread throughout, that he goes with what he wants and feels and there’s never any apologies. Yes, sometimes it gets him into trouble, yes, sometimes his choices might not jive with you, but in the end, it’s a very human story. And it’s refreshing in being so blatantly unapologetic. I basically plowed through it on the subway, even being stopped once by someone who works with Eddie on VICE’s Fresh Off the Boat series (now apparently called Huang’s World) who was hyped to see the book being read. And the waiting list at the New York Public Library is at least 100 people long.
Continue reading “8Books Review: “Fresh Off the Boat,” by Eddie Huang”
Author LilyPosted on March 17, 2015 March 17, 2015 Categories 8BooksLeave a comment on 8Books Review: “Fresh Off the Boat,” by Eddie Huang
8Books Review: Across a Green Ocean, by Wendy Lee
Wendy Lee’s debut novel Across A Green Ocean presents the story centered around two siblings, Michael and Emily Tang, struggling to find their identity as the children of immigrants and after the passing of their father. When Michael finds a letter to his father sent from China, he decides to avoid his problems in the US–his unwillingness to come out to his family, his recent layoff–by finding the mysterious sender. In the process, he hopes to learn something of his equally mysterious father. His sister Emily pushes against her mother Ling’s yearning for grandchildren, throwing herself into her career as an immigration lawyer.
Touching on familiar themes of loss, identity, family, and immigration, Lee spins a deeply emotional and transnational tale. At various points honing in on the relationship between two specific characters–be it Ling and Emily, Emily and her husband, or Michael and his father’s childhood friend–the novel allows its characters to grow within these ascribed roles.
Overall, Across a Green Ocean is lyrical in what one might call an easy page turner (and by easy I don’t mean simplistic, but rather smooth and well paced). Not overly cheery in content, it is also not overly grim with a networked plot that flows swiftly without stalling–jumping time periods and focal characters without giving the reader whiplash.
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Author LilyPosted on March 3, 2015 March 3, 2015 Categories 8Books2 Comments on 8Books Review: Across a Green Ocean, by Wendy Lee
8Books Q&A: Romeo and Juliet vs. Zombies, with Koji Steven Sakai
Our very own Koji Steven Sakai has just released his very first novel (massive applause!) throwing a fantastical twist on that famous Shakespearean play. In Romeo and Juliet vs. Zombies, “Romeo and Juliet must fight to overcome hoards of zombies that include Tybalt, Mercutio, and even Juliet’s nurse. Sakai’s version of the beloved tale forces Romeo to fight for Juliet’s respect…even if that means picking up a sword that (gulp) could actually hurt someone.” The eBook came out just last week with a print version arriving this week.
AND, because he’s one of us, we get to ask him all kinds of questions. So, your exclusive (ish) author interview with 8Asians’ most awesome screenwriter —
How did you decide what to write about? What was your inspiration?
I admit I have a terrible infatuation with Romeo and Juliet. Not only because it’s truly the only Shakespeare I could actually get through, but because it has spoken to me in different ways at different times in my life. When I was a teenager and believed in silly notions such as “true love” (please don’t judge me), I thought it was romantic. But as I got older, I see it for what it is—silly infatuations of hormonal teenagers. And that’s why I’ve written multiple screenplays about it. Four to be exact.
And then there’s my love for post-apocalyptic zombie stories. There’s something about the end of the world and a horde of reanimated corpses trying to feed on people’s brains that just makes me smile and feel good about myself and my life.
So for me, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies was the first time that I was able to marry my two passions into one project.
Why zombies in particular? Why not other fantastical creatures?
I love all fantastical creatures—especially vampires, aliens, ghosts, and demons. But there’s something about zombies that gets my heart racing. The easy answer is that zombies are a metaphor for the masses of unthinking people, but I don’t think that’s quite it for me. I see zombies as representing something even more primal. To me, I’m fascinated with the question of whether I could survive an apocalypse—zombie or otherwise. Do I have what it takes to live?
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Author LilyPosted on February 24, 2015 February 17, 2015 Categories 8BooksLeave a comment on 8Books Q&A: Romeo and Juliet vs. Zombies, with Koji Steven Sakai
8Books: Free Kid’s E-book for Chinese New Year, ‘The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall’
If you’re an Asian American parent like me, you probably struggle to find books for your kids that have the right blend of age appropriateness and entertainment while still offering a glimpse into the history and culture of your ancestry. Just in time for Chinese New Year, a new children’s e-book is available on Amazon. While the topic isn’t Chinese New Year, it does tackle the topic of why the Great Wall exists in China. The book is titled “The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall” and is written by Jillian Lin. During the introductory period on February 19 and 20, 2015 you can get the book for free. After the 20th it will be priced at $2.99.
As a kid’s book, I really liked the historical story telling, but some of it may not be appropriate for the really young ones (especially the part about attempted murder of the emperor, and the many who died building the wall), but is a good early reader if your child already has a good grasp of morals and understanding around life and death.
I was especially appreciative of the end of the book which offered additional facts in a “Did you know?” section. The drawings were colorful, and well done.
My own daughter liked the book, but mostly because she’s already fascinated with the terracotta warriors after seeing the exhibit last year at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the book covers that history as well. The Great Wall isn’t something she has a particular interest in, but now that she’s read the book, I’m going to go back and show her the pictures I have of myself on the Great Wall, from when I visited back in 1995 and in 2002.
The only other thing I would have like to see in the book and didn’t would have been incorporation of some Chinese characters into the story. I’m always looking for kids books that help teach some of the simpler Chinese characters to reinforce my daughter’s Chinese school experience. Overall worth a download if you’re looking for something to share with your child for Chinese New Year.
Author TimPosted on February 19, 2015 February 20, 2015 Categories 8Books, Books, Entertainment, FamilyLeave a comment on 8Books: Free Kid’s E-book for Chinese New Year, ‘The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall’
An 8Books Valentine: Free Download of Asian American Erotic Romance Series
Happy Valentine’s Day book nerds! Starting today until February 16, the Irvine Lovers Club is giving away five Asian American erotic stories. Each of the stories acts like a book chapter, following Korean American Claudia Kim on her steamy adventures set in Orange County California. The series aims to change the sad lacking of Asian Americans in the erotic romance genre.
Or, as the publishers have written:
Hating on Valentine’s Day is a tired and rusty sentiment. How about this year we try something new and embrace the treat-yo’-self aspect of the day? If you don’t want to celebrate with $60 flowers and an overpriced seafood dinner, the publishers of Irvine Lovers Club are offering a cost-effective alternative.
Maybe the best part about this series is its origin story. The author Karina Hahn is fictional. A group of Asian American friends gathered in California to collaboratively plot out the stories, using a ghostwriter. One of the contributors explained, “We figured that Jhumpa Lahiri and Chang Rae Lee are doing an amazing job in contemporary literature, but Erotic Romance (think 50 Shades) is a category that Asian Americans are sorely underrepresented in. I’m the first one to admit that this is not serious or fine literature. It’s just supposed to be fun and trashy…like eating doughnuts.”
Maybe this kind of reading is not up your alley, or maybe it is, or maybe it’s free and you might try it out. So here’s to self love, friend love, romantic love, and to loving books.
Author LilyPosted on February 12, 2015 February 10, 2015 Categories 8Books2 Comments on An 8Books Valentine: Free Download of Asian American Erotic Romance Series
8Books Review: “How Much Do You Love Me?” by Paul Mark Tag
“How Much Do You Love Me?” by Paul Mark Tag is the kind of novel I usually hate.
Here’s the Amazon.com synopsis:
It’s December 1941, and the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor. Politicians fuel anti-Japanese hysteria and campaign to segregate Japanese Americans. During this period of hate and racial frenzy, Keiko and James, a Japanese American and a Caucasian, fall in love and marry. Before long, James goes off to war and Keiko to an internment camp.
Sixty years later, Keiko has a stroke and lies near death, while James suffers from Alzheimer’s. Coincidentally, a chance incident makes their daughter, Kazuko, born in the camps, suspect a family secret. Fighting the clock before her mother’s death, she races to unravel the mystery. What she uncovers represents nothing short of the epitome of human love and self-sacrifice. But beyond Kazuko’s dramatic discovery, only the reader knows that this is only half the story.
When I read that synopsis and saw that it was a love story about a Japanese American girl and a Caucasian guy – I immediately thought “Snow Falling on Cedars.” I unconsciously rolled my eyes and shook my head. Why do all the fictional stories about the Japanese American internment camps involve a love story between a white guy and Japanese American woman?
I figured that I didn’t even have to read the book. I could just bash it based on premise alone.
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Author Koji Steven SakaiPosted on January 29, 2015 January 28, 2015 Categories 8Books, History4 Comments on 8Books Review: “How Much Do You Love Me?” by Paul Mark Tag
8Books Review: “Chop Suey, USA” by Yong Chen
Reading Yong Chen’s new book Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America is an education. In some ways, it seems more like an encyclopedia or a peak into the brain of a man who has read and retained an almost overwhelming number of books. Chen’s books is filled to the brim with details about the history of Chinese American food. Beginning with a brief history of the culinary realm in China, the books delves into the rise and development of Chinese restaurants, Chinese cookbooks, and the Chinese American population generally. He places credit for the proliferation of Chinese restaurants in the US not in Chinese foods’ innate tastiness, but rather to both Chinese immigrant entrepreneurship and trends within our nation’s development. Sound complicated?
It is, a little bit. Chen’s book is not for someone looking for a nice airplane read about chop suey and egg foo young. Rather, this is a complex addition to the history of Chinese food in the United States. Chen hopes to answer the question: Why did Chinese food become so popular in America?
But in answering it, the book does not confine itself only to the history of Chinese restaurants, and also looks at this question from a national and global perspective — from the emergence of Chinese restaurants just as a developing middle class was looking for cheap options for eating out, to the first cookbooks to emerge in dynastic China. For anyone who wants to understand in depth where Chinese food fits into the large arc of American history, this one is a winner.
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Author LilyPosted on January 13, 2015 January 13, 2015 Categories 8Books, Food & Drink, HistoryTags books, chinese food, history3 Comments on 8Books Review: “Chop Suey, USA” by Yong Chen
8Books Review: “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng
I’ve been putting off writing this review for weeks, but this book is special and you should seriously think about reading it. Celeste Ng’s debut book, Everything I Never Told You is a stirring novel about a family unraveling.
Ng begins her novel in the present day with a family on the brink of finding out that their teenage daughter, Lydia, is dead. The Lee Family: Lydia, her mother, father, and two siblings. Their lives circled around Lydia, their unconscious center of gravity.
The story of this interracial family plays with chronology, ricocheting between moments in each parent’s childhood, Lydia and her sibling’s childhood, the parents’ relationship, the near present, and the realities of life after they all learned that Lydia had drowned.
How had it begun? Like everything: with mothers and fathers. Because of Lydia’s mother and father, because of her mother’s and father’s mothers and fathers…Because more than anything her mother had wanted to stand out; because more than anything, her father had wanted to blend in. Because those things had been impossible.
Ng’s narrative voice is straightforward and honest. There is very little verbal fluff. Complexity is instead added through unpacking the layers of each characters, the unsaid things that frame how each family member thinks of themselves, and in turn, those around them. From the obvious big decisions to the subtle and subconscious, Ng focuses on how each of these people has, in a way, been built from their lives. Tying together a past that heavily influences the present and the entire trajectory of their lives.
There are moments where these kinds of heavily intertwined plot lines that flow across time feel contrived and the characters fitting into a common mold, but in the main, Ng’s presentation of family relations, of generational gaps, parental pressures, and sibling dynamics rings resonant. I certainly don’t believe that this is a book for Asian Americans in a limiting sense, but I know that as an Asian American, certain pieces of this story felt particularly true and not often found in novels. A subtle integration of iconic stories — in this brief sentence, about the paper son system that Chinese immigrants used after being first excluded in 1882 — woven into broader questions about belonging.
He had never felt he belonged here, even though he’d been born on American soil, even though he had never set foot anywhere else. His father had come to California under a false name…
To her sentences capturing the insipidness of treatment of otherness and reactions to how society reacts to you that are not exclusive to any one individual’s or group’s experience:
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” It wasn’t until he heard the horror in the teacher’s voice–“Shirley Byron!”–that he realized he was supposed to be embarrassed; the next time it happened, he had learned his lesson and turned red right away.
In an interview, Ng notes that her own suburban childhood influenced the story line but that it is certainly not autobiographic. She used the feeling of “negotiating between two cultures” into her characters’ actions. These are forces that clearly shape the family’s emotions and decisions, drawing readers in as they grapple with Lydia’s death and what led up to it, each pursuing their own theories and in turn revealing themselves to be complicated, problematic, and also sympathetic.
And if my recommendation is not enough, Everything I Never Told You is featured in the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2014 and Amazon’s Best Books So Far list for 2014.
Check out more from 8Books–8Asians’ almost book club.
Author LilyPosted on December 17, 2014 December 15, 2014 Categories 8Books1 Comment on 8Books Review: “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng
8Books Review: “Who We Be” by Jeff Chang
Race. Multiculturalism. Diversity. Culture. Big words that it sometimes seems we talk around and around. Jeff Chang’s new book Who We Be: The Colorization of America–released today–takes a big step in helping to provide a vocabulary and a history to America’s long relationship with this complex topic through images and ideas.
By teasing out the development and evolution of conversations on race from the 1960s through to today’s “post-racial” moments, Chang guides us through the back story of the different ways that the United States has talked about race, color, whiteness, and other topics. Though the book is a bit lengthy and looks like a lot to take on, Chang uses art and culture as his (ready and accesible) entry points to think about visuals as both overt and subtle influencers — about artists and culture makers who have provoked conversations and confrontations behind bigger iconic moments in American history, and about people of color asking for visibility and acceptance however they defined it.
In the introduction of Who We Be, Chang lays it out:
We can all agree that race is not a question of biology. Instead it is a question of culture and it begins as a visual problem, one of vision and visuality. Race happens in the gap between appearance and the perception of difference. It is about what we see and what we think we see and what we think about when we see. In that sense, it’s bigger than personal affinities, preferences, tastes, and bonds.
Through liberal and conservative moments, progress and setbacks, Chang unfolds his narrative over a wide range of subjects, from art, advertisement, and history, to the definitions of words, crises of whiteness, crises of color, and questions of representation and presence. He builds on the project begun in Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop which looks at the history of hip-hop, its creators and influencers. So what makes this book, among all the books being released today, worth reading?
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Author LilyPosted on October 21, 2014 October 19, 2014 Categories 8BooksLeave a comment on 8Books Review: “Who We Be” by Jeff Chang
8Books Review: ‘Pioneer Girl: A Novel’ by Bich Minh Nguyen
8Asians is participating in the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s Book Dragon Book Club. Posts on 8Asians will be cross-posted on their website where you can also check out other reviews and author interviews. This month’s book is Pioneer Girl, by Bich Minh Nguyen.
There’s a point in Pioneer Girl: A Novel when its heroine, Lee Lien, a recent PhD in literature stuck living at home with her mother and grandfather while she works in the family restaurant, realizes something about the literary mystery she’s been trying to solve.
Is her mother’s gold pin, left behind by an elderly American woman journalist in the early 1960s in her grandfather’s café in Vietnam, actually an heirloom that had belonged to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie books? Was that journalist in fact Rose Wilder Lane, Laura’s daughter? What is this pin worth, and what will Lee do with it next?
The story of the pin that Lee has constructed, from her grandfather’s stories, her own research, and a stolen paper or two, is fantastic and almost too good to be true. But it is not really hers to share. Sure, she has driven from Illinois to Iowa to Missouri, and flown out to San Francisco for what she assumes will be a happy ending to the story of the pin. But the pin doesn’t solve the problems she has with her family, notably her reticent mother and her estranged brother, Sam.
Back in Illinois, Lee’s ma waits for her daughter to come to her senses, to settle down, and take her place behind the register at the family restaurant. She had raised Lee to live a more stable life, which doesn’t involve driving all over the Midwest engaged in research. But ma‘s own life in America, which was largely spent moving from one small town to the next, seeking work in a stream of Chinese buffets before she can find and finance her own business, is the precursor to Lee’s own journey. Ma isn’t enjoying the kind of success she might have envisioned when she and her father, Lee’s kind grandfather, escaped Vietnam for a new life in America. She wonders why neither Lee not her estranged brother Sam can understand the allure of the restaurant she struggled to open, waiting for the day her son and heir will take it over.
The melodrama that I (perhaps unfairly) expected before reading this book came from multiple viewings of The Joy Luck Club, the film adaptation of Amy Tan’s best-selling novel about a quartet of Chinese mothers and their very American daughters. If I wasn’t cheering when a daughter finally stood up to an emotionally stunted husband, or crying when a mother tells her daughter that she takes the worst quality crab because she has the best quality heart, I was rolling my eyes at how easily I could be manipulated emotionally.
Continue reading “8Books Review: ‘Pioneer Girl: A Novel’ by Bich Minh Nguyen”
Author jasminePosted on August 21, 2014 August 20, 2014 Categories 8Books, Books, EntertainmentTags book, book review, novel2 Comments on 8Books Review: ‘Pioneer Girl: A Novel’ by Bich Minh Nguyen
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The Olympic Trials
For those of you who are living under a rock, let me begin by announcing that the trials for the 2012 Olympics in London began yesterday. Now, I have always loved the Olympics; they are awe-inspiring, gripping, and fascinating to watch. As a non-athlete, I watched them in the past with a sense of unreality.
"How do these people exist? How can you possibly do a perfect cartwheel on a balance beam, when I can't even do one on solid ground? How do divers change their positions in mid-air like that? Are these people aliens?!"
Well, this year I hit a milestone. It marks the first time I will be watching the Olympics as an athlete myself. For the first time, I will watch runners tearing up the track and, instead of thinking, "Oh look, more circles to complete..." I will think, "HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THOSE PEOPLE MOVE!"
I plan to make another post (if not a couple more) on the Olympics when the games officially begin. But watching the trials last night lit something wonderful in me which I needed to share. I will do my best to put it into words.
I suddenly feel I kind of...understand. I have always loved the Olympics, but now I get it. I understand the amount of training and sheer force of will that allows these few athletes to trump any others. I understand what it means to run a 10k on a track, in the rain, in racing flats, in front of TV cameras, in under 30 minutes. I understand that even finishing last in that trial is an amazing feat. I understand that falling, as Rogers did, and still finishing 2nd is utterly astounding, even if her time didn't end up qualifying her for London. I understand the utter insanity of running for 3 hours (completing 28 miles) on a Monday to train for a 10k on a Friday that means nothing (as Flanagan did, running the race for "fun" [training] but choosing not to compete in London in anything short of the Marathon).
I understand the tears, the collapse, the hugging, the shaking limbs. As I posted as a status last night as I watched in awe, I am overcome with warmth and affection as I watch the runners congratulate each other on finishing. The camaraderie is overwhelming and joyous. Runners understand the pain, sweat, and hard work that has gone into their preparation, and although running is individual, all the runners are connected through that effort. As Hastings said after she qualified for London, she received all kinds of support from the most random people during her training, but it was just what she needed.
Runners don't tear down their competitors. They cross the line, turn around, and cheer on the rest. This is not a sport where players connive behind their teammates' backs, or even insult their opponents. Running is a humbling sport, and perhaps the most grueling of the summer Olympics.
The men and women in the trials took my breath away. I have never watched the Olympics through this lens before, with a deeper connection. It's at once motivating and truly daunting. The athletes have honed their bodies into the perfect condition for their one sport. The sprinters boast powerful thighs; they're a little more compact and take off like bullets, shockingly fast. The long-distance runners tend to be leaner, longer, more whittled down. The divers have formed their bodies into the perfect combination of long swimmers' muscles and powerful quads and cores.
I am so excited for the Olympics this year, but in a more honest way than before. In a way that says I won't stop caring once they're over. As a fellow athlete - so much further down the totem than these fine specimens, but still existing somewhere in their world - I find I'm taking an interest that goes beyond summer entertainment.
I actually feel invested this year. It's a funny feeling; I feel a little silly caring so much. But I finally get what I've been missing, and looking forward to this year's Games is just one more step in my own journey to becoming the runner I want to be.
Labels: athletes, motivation, Olympic trials, Olympics, reasons, runners, summer, tribe, why
Annie Crow June 25, 2012 at 11:35 AM
So true! I remember watching the 2008 Olympics in a whole new way, for the same reason. Makes it so much more fun, too.
Ali July 13, 2012 at 6:42 PM
It really does...There's a whole new level of appreciation and entertainment now!
The Danger of Pinterest Fitness
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II. Gender Imprisonment A. Punishment Sex Ratio 3. Punishment Trends
Punishment in Convict-Settled Australia in Comparative Historical Perspective
Australia’s criminal justice system in the mid-nineteenth century imposed more punishment than did the U.S. and England & Wales. In Australia in 1858, the first year for which aggregate punishment statistics can be constructed, the overall prevalence of life-disposing punishment in Australia (execution and imprisonment) was 378 persons per 100,000 population. Executions accounted for 24% of persons absence in punishment. In the United States in 1858, punishment prevalence was 75 persons per 100,000. Executions accounted for only 6% of persons absent in punishment in the U.S. The overall prevalence of punishment in England & Wales in 1858 was 232, or about 60% of that in Australia. Execution accounted for only 2% of punishment in England & Wales in 1858. Compared to another overseas area of English settlement, the U.S., and compared to England & Wales itself, mid-nineteenth-century Australia punished more extensively and used execution more frequently. Available data, while incomplete, suggests that this difference was even more pronounced earlier in the nineteenth century.
Convicts transported from the United Kingdom accounted for a large share of European settlement of Australia in the first half of the nineteenth century. Transportation of convicts from the United Kingdom to Australia began in 1787. Transportation peaked at about 6000 convicts per year in the 1830s. After 1852, transportation decreased sharply. It ended in 1867. From 1786 to 1852, about 150 thousand convicts were transported to Australia. Australia’s total population in 1852 was about 500 thousand. Transported convicts and their offspring were a major share of Australia’s population in the first half of the nineteenth century.
The predominance of men among transported convicts and punishment’s bias toward men helps to explain relatively extensive punishment in mid-nineteenth century Australia. From 1787 to 1852, the aggregate sex ratio among convicts transported to Australia was about 5 males per female. In 1830, males were about three times as numerous as females in Australia. In 1852, males outnumbered females by 45%. Males were more likely to be punished than females, and more likely to be punished severely. For example, in the Australian state of Victoria from 1842 to 1967, males were more likely to be charged with a capital offense, more likely to be convicted, and more likely to be executed. A plausible estimate for the sex ratio of punishment in Australia about 1858 is 6 men per woman absent in punishment. That figure, along with the difference in population sex ratios in Australia and the United States, can account for most of the mid-nineteenth-century difference in the prevalence of punishment between Australia and the United States.
Sex Bias in Criminal Justice System of Victoria, Australia, 1842-1967
charged with capital crime
convicted of crime (% of charged)
executed for crime (% of charged)
persons executed
Source: Douglas and Laster (1991) p. 156, data available in executions Australia dataset.
males 2256 24.6% 7.9% 178
females 335 13.5% 1.5% 5
In a sex-sensitive comparative perspective, convict-settled Australia punished surprisingly little. Today, persons imprisoned are often re-imprisoned. Differences in individual criminal propensities and recidivism are major issues in criminology. Adjusting for population sex ratios makes the prevalence of punishment in Australia and the U.S. nearly the same. That leaves little room for criminal effects of Australia’s distinctive convict settlement. Moreover, adjusting for population sex ratios, both Australia and the U.S. in the mid-nineteenth century had a much lower prevalence of punishment than did England & Wales.
← Exceptional Increase in Imprisonment in U.S. Since 1980
Punishment Sex Ratio in England and Wales Since 1750 →
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Crnomelj (Municipality, Slovenia)
Last modified: 2003-02-14 by ivan sache
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by Zeljko Heimer
Description of the flag
Slovenia: Municipal flags
Crnomelj may have already adopted a flag and coat if arms before the 1990s, but I have no definitive information on those.
In 1992 the flag and coat of arms were prescribed by decision Odlok o simbolov obcine Crnomelj, adopted on 25 March1992, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, nr. 18, pp. 1432, 10 April 1992. with effect on 18 April1992.
In 1996, the decision Odlok o simbolov obcine Crnomelj was adopted on 30 April1996, and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, nr. 71, pp. 6088-9, 13 December1996, with effecton 21 December1996, superseding the previous Decision.
The new decision did not changeanything of importance but some minor procedural things regarding use rights and fine amounts for misuse.
The flag is rectangular in ratio 1:2, horizontally divided green-white-green, with the municipal coat of arms in the middle. The size of the coat of arms is 2/3 of flag height. The green is defined as light green. There is no mention of the vertical flag , but it seems that it is used, with thecoat of arms rotated upright.
Zeljko Heimer, 28 September 1999
The municipal coat of arms is the coat of arms of the city - black outlined in red, with a red city tower with doors opening, three windows in first floor and four "points" at the top. The base for this representation is a civic seal from 1587. In all the representations I have seen the shield was shaped in the form adapted for car licence plates, but it is possible that the official shape is somewhat different.
Zeljko Heimer; 28 September 1999
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Family Endows Scholarship in Memory of Barry Don Weyer Jr.
JONESBORO – Today, May 14, Barry Don Weyer Jr. would have celebrated his 21st birthday as he prepared for his senior year at Arkansas State University.
For Barry Don, the summers were shorter than for most students. An equipment manager for the Red Wolves football team, he reported for work a few days before the players came in for summer camp.
"Barry gave his heart and soul to the ASU Red Wolves football team," said his parents, Mechelle and Barry Don Weyer Sr. of Brookland. "He started working as an equipment manager while still in high school (at Greene County Tech) during his senior year, not knowing if he would even earn a position with the team."
Indeed he did earn the position and gave his tireless dedication to the Red Wolves before his untimely death in June of last year.
"He would do anything to help anybody," his parents said as they fondly recalled their son's interest in music, video games, his friends and his dog. "Whether it was talking, listening, or working, he would help, regardless. He wanted to see people succeed."
To perpetuate the memory of Barry Don Weyer Jr. and his dedication to Red Wolves football, his parents are establishing a scholarship endowment in his name at Arkansas State. Numerous relatives and friends also have donated to the fund.
"A-State football was his passion," they recalled. "We would be so proud for someone to get a scholarship to Arkansas State in his memory and his honor," his parents said.
Barry Don’s career goal was to become a college football coach, and he had declared a double major in the spring of his sophomore year in order to thoroughly prepare himself.
Red Wolves Head Football Coach Blake Anderson expressed his appreciation, on behalf of the athletics department.
"Barry Don was a valued, respected and loved member of this football program. I think this scholarship endowment is a tremendous way to honor and remember him, while also helping provide a great educational opportunity to a young person,” Anderson said. “We continue to try to honor him with how we act – what kind of teammates we are to each other, how we treat people in the community, and the kind of effort we give when we go about our business on and off the field."
Equipment managers in any Red Wolves sport will be eligible for the Weyer Scholarship. Applicants, who must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average, will submit a statement on career plans and a letter of recommendation from the respective coach, with final selection made by a committee that includes the athletics director, the ASU Alumni Association director and members of the Weyer family.
Barry Don Weyer Jr.
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Maori All Blacks to play Fiji in two-match series
allblacks.com 14 May 2019
The pride of the Maori All Blacks haka will face the fierce Fijian cibi when the two sides play in a home and away two-match series this year, New Zealand Rugby announced today.
Tickets on Public sale May 21 on AllBlacks.com
The Flying Fijians will have first home-advantage when the Maori All Blacks – assembling for the first time since their Americas end of year tour last year – head to Suva, Fiji, for their season opening match on Saturday 13 July.
QUICK TAP: SUPER RUGBY ROOKIE WATCH ROUND 13
Both teams head to Rotorua, New Zealand where one team will look to even the ledger as the two teams face off again at Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday 20 July.
New Zealand Maori Rugby Board Chair Dr Farah Palmer said the two-match series was a great opportunity for both Maori and Fijian rugby fans to celebrate their identities and great rugby.
“This is truly exciting. We know that the Maori All Blacks’ style of rugby is very popular around the world, and the team are often-sought ambassadors for the game.
“Pitting the Maori All Blacks against a Flying Fijian side on a mission for Rugby World cup 2019, and with passionate supporters behind both teams, will be the perfect formula to create an epic encounter.
“Here, we have two teams that play an exciting and attractive style of rugby. The Maori All Blacks have had some classic matches here in the past and we know they have a huge support base in Rotorua.
Dr Palmer acknowledged the efforts of Bay of Plenty Rugby and Rotorua Lakes Council whose joint bid made it very difficult to look anywhere else to host the second match.
“They are really embracing this opportunity to make the celebration of Maori and Pasifika rugby stretch over a whole week of activities.”
?? OPINION | Former England five-eighths Stuart Barnes discusses what the All Blacks will bring to the table in 2019.
FULL STORY ?? https://t.co/OyqHAytY2B pic.twitter.com/uX7UlcNeRM— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) May 7, 2019
Fiji Rugby Chief Executive John O'Connor said:
"I’m delighted to say that the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians have been given such a great opportunity to play two test matches against Maori All Blacks on the 13th and the 20th of July. It is indeed a timely boost for the Flying Fijians as we will prepare for the Rugby World Cup in Japan later in the year.”
“Fiji Rugby is looking forward to hosting the Maori All Black here on the 13th of July at ANZ Stadium in Suva. It will be an ideal opportunity for fans to come in numbers and witness not only the Flying Fijians but also a powerful Maori All Blacks side.”
“We are on track with our preparations and no doubt the Maori All Blacks visit will be a memorable one for the team itself and the fans here.”
Bay of Plenty Rugby chief executive Mike Rogers says the Maori All Blacks have a rich rugby history beginning with their first match played in the city more than 100 years.
“It’s also a significant occasion for home town hero and Maori All Blacks Head Coach Clayton McMillan, it will be the first time the team has played in his home town under his tutelage.
“We are excited to host both teams – and while we know the Fijians are fiercely loyal – and vocal – supporters of their team – the Maori All Blacks is a very special team for us and this is a unique opportunity to watch them play at home,” Rogers said.
Home-grown Maori All Blacks Head Coach Clayton McMillan said the Maori All Blacks had long wanted to play strong international sides.
“Fiji recorded that historical win against France during their end of year tour, and so they come into this year in impressive form. I think they will be a great challenge for us playing in their back yard, and here in Rotorua, a place that is very special to me.
“For us, there’s a sense of unfinished business as we probably left our rugby public less than satisfied after our last home game against the British and Irish Lions in 2017. I know we’d certainly like to make that up to Maori All Blacks supporters,” he said.
Under 20 Curtain raiser
A Fijian Under-20 side and a New Zealand Maori Under-20 side will be the curtain raiser.
Both teams arrive in the city one week prior to the match and Councillor Charles Sturt, who leads the Rotorua Lakes Council sport and recreation portfolio, says there will be a number of different Maori and Pacifica events leading up to the match.
‘’We’re thrilled Rotorua has been chosen to host this match. Rotorua has declared its commitment to becoming a bi-cultural district and Te Arawa culture is a core fabric of our local community so we have a special affinity with the Maori All Blacks.
‘’We also have a strong Pacifica community in Rotorua, and we will have a number of events outside of the game to celebrate all things Pacifica.
“And, of course, we have a very proud history of producing some of New Zealand’s rugby greats who have played for both the Maori All Blacks and the All Blacks.
“Rotorua is known as a great place for hosting great events and I’m sure the local community and rugby fans from elsewhere will show their support for this game.’
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Stories from Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Police seeking man after shooting at Alpena gas station (Local News ~ 05/15/13)
ALPENA -- Sheriff Bob Grudek said police are searching for a man suspected of firing multiple shots at an Alpena gas station in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Grudek would not release the name of the suspect or many details about the case. The shooting happened between 2 and 3 a.m., the sheriff said, at the 24-hour gas station near the intersection of Highways 62 and 412, close to the Boone County line...
Beginning writers' first challenge: Finding time (Column ~ 05/15/13)
Beginning writers have a lot of challenges. They have to learn the mechanics of storytelling, such as how to create believable characters and dialogue. They have to figure out exactly what story they want to tell -- their own, someone else's, or a fiction...
EDITORIAL: Are you listening, Eureka Springs School Board? (Editorial ~ 05/15/13)
Less than a year ago, we took the Eureka Springs School Board to task for the failure of its three new board members --who ran in the 2011-12 school year with the promise to be "open and inclusive" -- to live up to that campaign promise. Apparently, not only have things not changed since that editorial, they've gotten worse this year...
The late Charles Nelson honored by state Funeral Directors group (Local News ~ 05/15/13)
BERRYVILLE -- Charles M. Nelson was inducted posthumously into the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association Hall of Fame recently. Nelson died at age 67 on May 2, 1997. He left his business, Nelson Funeral Service Inc., to his family, and grandson Bobby Thurman currently owns and operates the family business...
Carroll Electric sets its annual meeting for May 23 (Local News ~ 05/15/13)
BERRYVILLE -- Carroll Electric Cooperative Corp. has announced its annual meeting will be held Thursday, May 23, with registration starting at 9:30 a.m., and the meeting at 10 a.m., at the Carroll County Fairgrounds. Members should have received notice, which was mailed out May 9. Enclosed is a ballot for board election...
Womack to local GOP: 'Fight for the soul' (Local News ~ 05/15/13)
Editor's note: The printed version of this article included a few inadvertent errors, including an incorrect title for Womack. Carroll County News apologizes for the mistakes; they have been corrected here. CARROLL COUNTY -- U.S. Rep. Steve Womack told local Republicans they were in the midst of a "fight for the soul" of the nation last Friday night, a fight that would soon be brought to their doorsteps...
Quorum Court to consider opposition to SWEPCO plans (Local News ~ 05/15/13)
CARROLL COUNTY -- Justices of the Peace will consider Friday whether to join the already swelling chorus opposed to the construction of a new power line across Carroll County. The project, proposed by investor-owned Southwestern Electric Power Company, is currently pending before the Arkansas Public Service Commission...
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Why India and Tamil National Alliance oppose Chinese housing project in North Lanka By Editor -Newsinasia
Colombo, June 24 (newsin.asia): India and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have told the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government’s decision to award to a Chinese company a contract to build 40,000 houses for war-displaced people in the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces is flawed, impractical and unsuited to the climate and culture of the area.
Sources in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said that they had been told about India’s objections by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe himself.
The contract was given by the Ministry of Rehabilitation which is under Minister D.M.Swaminathan who belongs to Prime Minister’s United National Party (UNP) and is a loyal follower of Wickremesinghe’s to boot.
The TNA shares the government of India’s views on the unsuitability and untenability of the contract, party sources added.
However, both Indian and TNA sources stated that the objection is not to the award of the contract to China, or any other country for that matter. The objection is to the project model and the housing model opted for; and the opaque manner in which the contract was awarded ,they said.
It remains to be seen if the powers-that-be in Colombo will take into account India’s objections and revise or jettison the contract.
Firstly, the Lankan government had abandoned the tendering process and had suddenly announced the decision to give the project to a Chinese company.
Secondly, the government had adopted the “contractor driven” model, which in India’s experience, had not worked in the Northern province. India had built 46,000 houses for war refugees there and knows the problems of house building in that location.
The “contractor driven” model which India had started off with (to build 1000 houses), had to be abandoned because the beneficiaries had complained about the contractors.
In the “owner-driven’ model, which was adopted in the second phase to contruct 45,000 houses, the beneficiary got funds from the Indian government housing scheme and technical help from designated experts. The beneficiary used family and locally available labor and material, thus giving a boost to the local economy.
Thirdly, the materials and house design suggested by the Chinese are not suited to the climatic and cultural environment in the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces ,the Indians and TNA leaders said.
The Chinese have proposed that the pre-fabricated houses use ALC concrete panels using fly ash from the Norocholai coal fired power plant.
But the TNA has pointed out that fly ash is an environmental risk.
According to The Sunday Times the Resettlement Ministry under D.M. Swaminathan decided to establish two factories to produce fly ash based panels and other housing material. Land has already been identified for this purpose in the Mankulam and Batticaloa areas in the North and East respectively.
But the move to set up a factory using fly ash led to protests from locals in Batticaloa. The protesters said the ash is toxic, the paper pointed out
According to a TNA MP, the Chinese design is unsuited to the place and the culture of the people because there was only one door in the model house shown to visiting TNA MPs.
“The single door is in the front of the house, when Tamil houses typically need two doors, with one at the back leading to the backyard and one at the front for people to enter. Cross ventilation in a warm climate is a must and two doors provide it. Secondly, in Tamil culture, there are things which you don’t bring in or take out through the front door. Therefore a house has to have two doors,” the Tamil leader explained.
The fourth flaw in the Lankan government’s scheme is the time frame given to complete the project. Indian sources point out that it is virtually impossible to build 40,000 by the end of 2019, which is the target set.
Clearly, the ruling United National Party (UNP) is trying to get the houses done before the January 8 2020 Presidential election and the August 2020 parliamentary elections.
And if the houses are to be built within the narrow time frame, imported Chinese labor will have to be used in large numbers. This will not only deprive the project of a an element of local participation but also pose a security threat to India given the fact that the Northern Province is only a hop, step and jump away from South India.
ArelorMittal prefabricated house using steel but no bricks or cement. Project abandoned after public said it was not habitable.
Indian sources said that India is very keen that the severe housing shortage in the war-devastated areas (which is estimated to be over 100,000), be addressed as early as possible. But they added that India is concerned about the sustainability of the government’s scheme.
India had earlier funded 50,000 houses in the country on a grant basis. Of these 46,000 were in the North and East and 4,000 to the upcountry or the Central Province. Another 10,000 houses have now been pledged to the hill country in Central Sri Lanka.
India had expressed interest in participating in the latest housing program in the North and East, and had even talked to some Indian companies to get them to bid for the contract. At least one of the companies is keen on examining the possibilities.
“And finance is no problem, whatever the amount,” an official said. “While a grant is ruled out, an Exim Bank loan with an affordable interest rate will be made available,” he added.
The Sunday Times reported that the Lankan Resettlement Ministry last month secured cabinet approval for the China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Co Ltd and its country representative Yapka Construction (Pvt) Ltd to construct 40,000 prefabricated concrete houses for the war-affected in the North and East.
They are the same parties selected by the Disaster Management Ministry to build 10,000 houses for landslide victims in Badulla in Central Sri Lanka.
In addition, 25,000 brick-and-mortar houses are to be constructed by a consortium of humanitarian agencies led by UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society.
The projects will be funded through private commercial loans at a base price of Rs 1.28 million per house.
In March this year, the government had asked the TNA to send some of its MPs to see a model Chinese house. Four MPs saw the house and reported that it was acceptable. This was communicated to the government.
But MP, M.A.Sumanthiran, said that he would reserve his verdict till he was satisfied that there was no fraud, irregularity or corruption involved.
Sumanthiran had earlier filed two cases to halt the ArcelorMittal project to build 65,000 pre-fabricated houses. He argued that traditional brick and mortar houses would be more suitable climatically, and that they could be built at a fraction of the cost. He withdrew the cases only when the project was officially abandoned.
(The featured image at the top shows a Lankan Tamil refugee family standing in front of their house built under the Indian owner driven scheme)
Courtesy: newsinasia.com
Why India and Tamil National Alliance oppose Chine...
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Prefab Sprout: Crimson / Red
This is a fine 'comeback' album for Prefab Sprout. I was surprised to hear all the similarities to their earlier material, that 80's production is prominent. But it's not their best album, nor their worst. It's kind of a lost B-sides collection, except these are new songs. That's what it sounds like if you're a fan already. There are police sirens and sound effects throughout the record, making this a trippy little pop album, but essentially it's exactly what a fan would expect from the group. I don't think that's bad, but I would have liked to hear how they would sound in a more modern setting. I applaud them for keeping 'their' signature sound, but the material isn't up to par as their classics. Like all reunion albums, if that's what this is considered, it's passable and listenable, but missing some ingredients that made their early releases so special.
Labels: 2013, album, Crimson / Red, Prefab Sprout, review
masterpiece.
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Welcome to Coleman's Funeral Services
You're Not Alone, We're in this Together
Providing Compassionate, Sensitive, Professional Funeral Services
Mr. Coleman was born in Philadelphia, PA and educated in the Philadelphia public school system. He has a Master of Human Services degree from Lincoln University in Oxford, PA, and an Associate of Science degree from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, GA. He is a member of Christian Stronghold Church in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Coleman began his career in funeral service working at the Charles A. Reid Sr. Memorial Funeral Home in Augusta, GA. After completing his studies at Gupton-Jones College, he returned to Philadelphia and interned at the Len Ellis Funeral Home. Mr. Coleman has been licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors since 2006. He started his own business, Coleman’s First-Call Service in 2009; transporting human remains, facilitating funeral arrangements, and directing funerals. In 2011 he expanded, developing Coleman’s Funeral Services a full service funeral establishment.
Edited by Antonia Clanton
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FULL ARTICLE- North Korean Nuclear Attack on The United States - A Threat Analysis
Published in WMD/HazMat
NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES
A THREAT ANALYSIS
North Korea is gonna Nuke us into the stone age!!!!!
There has been a lot of saber rattling in East Asia as of late between the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) also known as North Korea(NK) on one side and the United States (US), Republic of Korea (ROK) also known as South Korea, and Japan on the other side. The pundits love to scurry about with their hands in the air proclaiming that the sky will fall at any minute and there's nothing that we can do about it!
After many conversations on social media, campfire discussions, and morning coffee mutterings I've been coerced by friends and family to "just go ahead and say it so we can all hear it."
Therefore, lets forget about what the media and politicians are saying for the moment, and look at this objectively. I'd like to share with you my findings from my research, mostly from open source, the rest from my experience as an EOD Technician assisting the WMD Counter Proliferation efforts of the United States.
Please Remember, due to the secretive and insular nature of North Korea, accurate information is incredibly difficult to glean from unclassified sources, so some of this article will likely be taken by some as conjecture.
I would also like to apologize for my shameless use of others research data, graphics and photos. I googled them and used them, if you didn't want them shared, they shouldn't be on the internet without a watermark! Besides, they were all really good stuff!
This is NOT a technical analysis. It is NOT for use by anyone in a technical or tactical capacity. I will NOT divulge classified information, no matter how hard you may ask. I still consult for the DoD on occasion and that would be a bad thing for me professionally, so let's all agree to keep this on the "Low Side".
Guess What .... The North Koreans are NOT going to nuke us into the stone age!
There, I said it, the cat's out of the bag!
Let us begin with acquainting everyone with the the big picture and the NK Nuclear Weapons Program. You'll need a basic understanding of a couple points related to nuclear weapons and the particulars of the NK Weapons Program before we move along.
1. Nuclear Yield
The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of energy released when that particular nuclear weapon is detonated, usually expressed as a TNT equivalent (the standardized equivalent mass of trinitrotolulene which, if detonated, would produce the same energy discharge), either in kilotons (Kt - thousands of tons of TNT), or in megatons (Mt - millions of tons of TNT).
For reference, the "Little Boy" device used on Hiroshima in 1945 had an estimated yield of 13-18Kt, but lets remember that the effects of that are on a city made mostly of wood and paper.
The largest device ever detonated was the "Tsar Bomba", tested by the USSR in 1962 with a firing yield of 50Mt. As designed, it was capable of a full 100Mt yield, but even the Soviets thought that might be a bit much for our planet and dialed it back.
2. NK Yield Development
is approximately on par with US development in the mid-1950s, they just broached the 100Kt milestone within the last few years. Further development is hampered by sanctions that will continue to slow the pace of their system development.
The most recent weapon test is reported by the DPRK as their first "Thermonuclear", multi-stage weapon. It's yield has been estimated at 150-300Kt, though it is certainly physically too large to employ practically.
3. NK Weapon Structure Miniaturization
is approximately on par with US development in the mid to late 1950's. This progress is seriously hampered by sanctions and the technological leaps necessary to develop a multi-stage weapon that is also small enough to be employed practically. This, not Yield, is the greatest measure of Nuclear/Thermonuclear weapon development.
4. NK Missile Technology
has moved ahead at a rapid pace, though there were several accidents, mishaps, and failures in the last 30 years. Developmental assistance from both Iran and China, and weapons sales to anyone who will pay cash has fueled the NK regimes dreams of becoming a regional nuclear power. Toss in an entirely disposable workforce and a wholly unscrupulous, power hungry leadership intent on doing everything in their power to retain that power, and you have a recipe for hostilities.
5. Who is calling the shots in the DPRK you ask?
.... Well, it's This guy!
Kim Jong-un or as I like to call him, "lil-Kim" has been something of an introvert, ruthless as they come and an absolute thug during his time as Supreme Leader (hence the Thug-Life nickname). Because of the nature of his quiet upbringing, and the insular society of the DPRK, facts about "lil-Kim" are scant. Educated in a private Swiss boarding school where he wanted to be an NBA all star (sorry dude, you're only 5'7"), he is reported as being quite socially awkward, with an explosive personality.1
He had his Half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, assassinated using a binary version of VX Nerve Agent in February 2017 in front of the whole world in Kuala Lumpur Airport! A shining testament to his warm and fuzzy character.
It is clear that the behavior of Kim Jong-un, specifically very recently, shows paranoia and a perceived target in the US, a great length of time being isolated from the rest of the world, producing an increase in stress levels, causing anger and aggression; and with an entire army and nuclear arsenal at his disposal, Kim Jong-un would likely crack under further pressure, having been backed into a corner2.
He likes long walks on the beach, executing Generals that displease him with anti-aircraft guns, and mass incarcerations!
Of note, there is also the possibility that "lil-Kim" may NOT be the only one truly calling the shots. The real possibility exists that one of the DPRKs hardline senior Military Leaders, Choi Ryong Hae, may be fueling this fire and using "lil-Kim" as a mouthpiece to further his own ends!3
1. http://personality-politics.org/the-personality-profile-of-north-korean-supreme-leader-kim-jong-un
2. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/war-west-kim-jong-un-psychological-profile-phil/
6. Other Players in the Game
The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has been patron to the DPRK since the beginning. Unfortunately, the DPRK seems to have become more of a liability and an embarrassment to the PRC Government over the last few decades. The official stance of the PRC is that if "lil-Kim" starts the fight he is picking, they will sit back and watch. But if the US, ROK, or Japan start swinging first, they will support the DPRK with much more than hopes and prayers.... I think we can all agree that would be bad. The upside is this, the Chinese at heart are businessmen, the hardline Communists of the Revolution and the Great Leap Forward have all died off, replaced by the pragmatic and Capitalistic new generation. They know as well as anyone that going to war, especially on the side of a madman like "lil-Kim", is just bad for business!
Japan doesn't want this fight, but they are also not going to sit back and let the DPRK take pot shots at them either. Tokyo has stated that they will contribute bases, air and sea power and their own Defense Systems if it becomes necessary. The US has based several Patriot and THAAD Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems around Japan. One thing to remember, there is a long term hatred by the Korean people for Japans brutal colonial rule of them from 1910-1945.
The Republic of Korea is split, one half of the population would love to reunite the Korean people no matter the loss of life and the other half would like to just ignore "lil-Kim" and go on with their booming business of international commerce while "those people in the North" eventually just starve, and then reunite with whoever is left. The US maintains several forward Airbases and a single Army Brigade Combat Team in South Korea, with several Patriot and THAAD ABM systems now, as well as the ROK Military, one of the toughest militaries around today!
Russia is oddly neutral in this case, neither supporting nor condemning the DPRK. Though they trade daily with the DPRK for hard currency in violation of UN Sanctions. What was unforeseen was the Russian Defense Ministers statement recently that Russia would not condone the flight of any missiles or aircraft from either side over their territory, any violators would be immediately shot down. The Russians maintain a large contingent of S-300/400 ABM Capable systems in Kamchatka and Vladivostok, all capable of easily swatting down anything in the air in or near Russian airspace.
7. The Set Up
The Korean peninsula is virtually surrounded by one of the most advanced, integrated ABM networks ever to gaze down on the Earth. Not to mention, the entire territory is likely under the continuous scrutiny of several dozen Spy Satellites at any given moment. If allied commands see an imminent launch, there is a chance they may institute a preemptive attack on the launch site with cruise missiles or some other form of first strike weapon. Though with the added dynamic of China, they may be forced to forego such a strike. Beginning it's flight, any missile would be immediately spotted by the fully integrated Ground/Sea/Air/Space Satellite radar and control system known as AEGIS (brought to you by our friends at the US Navy).
The system isn't just on US Ships, both Japanese and ROK Navies are also AEGIS integrated, so all of the radars, on all of the ship, on all of the land platforms, on all of the missiles, on all of the satellites...... All talk to each other!
(yep, one step closer to Skynet folks! Good thing it's all built by the lowest bidder!)
Any Missile or aircraft would immediately contend with land based Medium Range Patriot-PAC-3 and Long Range Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Missile Systems in South Korea and Japan. The combined Navies in the area have been at the forefront of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) over the last 4 decades and AEGIS would certainly launch several volleys of BMD SM-6 missiles from ships stationed throughout the region. Were a missile capable of making it's way past this cloud of flying metal, it would be targeted by radar tracking satellites and one or more Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Strategic ABM missiles would be launched from Vandenberg AFB, CA and Fort Greely, AK. These Kinetic Kill Systems are meant to intercept targets outside the Earths atmosphere at the apogee of their flight. Anything that gets past these, must descend into the atmosphere and again face a withering fire from SM-6 firing Cruisers and Destroyers along the coastlines of Washington, Alaska, Guam and Hawaii that know what's coming for them. Followed by even more THAAD and Patriot land-based systems in each potential strike area.
Not exactly the friendly skies!
Threat Scenario Analysis
I've Decided to approach this from a Threat Analysis point of view, laying out several likely scenarios posited recently, then discuss the likelihood of success, counters, and ramifications to such threats. I will be modeling the terminal end of each strike utilizing the "NukeMap" tool online. It's a wonderful prediction tool, I highly recommend you play with it and it's sister tool "MissileMap". Each Strike will be modeled and hyperlinked to the model for you to see.
NK Attack Scenario 1 - Nuclear Ballistic Missile Attack upon the Continental United States
The DPRK has had some great successes recently in Missile Technology, notably in the form of the TAEPODONG-2/HWASONG-14 Platform, reported to have a maximum ballistic flight range of 10,000 miles. That makes great reporting, but it's inaccurate, the range reported is without a payload. Adding a Nuclear payload to the system would certainly reduce the missiles range to no more than 8,000 miles, barely putting the continental US into range, mostly just the Pacific North-West, North of Portland. The Likelihood of the DPRK attempting this sort of an attack is LOW for several reasons. First and foremost, the sheer volume of ABM systems now emplaced around the Korean peninsula is prohibitive. Next, they have relatively few of these Ballistic Missile platforms in an operational state at the moment (but growing in number daily). And finally, these platforms cannot handle the weight of the Nuclear devices "lil-Kim" wants them to deliver, 10-20Kt is about it for the moment.
For sake of argument, let's assume one of these systems makes it to the Continental US. The ramifications of one of these getting through to Seattle would be a catastrophe for the area, but not nearly as bad as you might think. A Seattle Surface Burst from a 10Kt weapon would cause approximately 18,000 immediate deaths and approximately 50,000 injuries, of which, we can assume approximately 10,000 would die at a later time from their injuries and exposure to various radioactivity. On the other hand, the death toll and damage caused by retaliatory strikes to North Korea would end their civilization.
As discussed previously, the chances of a successful missile launch and a flight of 8,000 miles to a target in the Continental US are remote at best. The NK Generals are no fools, they know full well that the time for this course of action is long past. The odds of one of their missiles just making it out of their own airspace is just to slim, and to what benefit for the DPRK?
NK Attack Scenario 2 - Nuclear Ballistic Missile Attack on South Korea and Japan
This Scenario has a bit more possibility of success just because the targets are so much closer.
In the case of Seoul South Korea, the flight time for a missile could be as low as 2 minutes. That's a VERY short reaction time for any ABM system. As a missile could have as low as an 80km flight to Seoul and would be able to avoid the higher altitude ABM systems such as THAAD and GMD, it's chances of survival increase greatly. It would still have to contend with Patriot and AEGIS threats as well as the possibility that South Korea may be installing the combat proven "Iron Dome System" purchased from Israel including C-RAM, Short Range Missiles, and Energy Weapons into an integrated defense chain.
The ramifications of these strikes would be the targeting of two of the most densely populated cities on the planet, with Millions exposed to the effects of the strikes.
A Seoul Surface Burst would likely kill nearly a quarter of a million people instantly, with over half a million injured and dying.
An attack on Japan would also be capable of a much lower flight trajectory, but have a flight time of over 10 minutes, ample exposure time for the multitude of ABM Systems to do their work.
Were it to successfully get through the chain of missiles, a Tokyo Surface Burst would cause similar, if not higher casualties than an attack on Seoul, the only saving grace being that the majority of the fallout plume would fall on the Pacific Ocean.
Again, both scenarios play out as a Zero-Sum Game for North Korea. The chances of success are still small, and retaliatory consequences would be severe. We are left with a very clear picture that a Ballistic Missile Launch by the DPRK would only be a final desperate act of a madman.
NK Attack Scenario 3 - EMP Device Attack upon the United States
Two possibilities have been posited regarding this scenario. A ballistic Missile delivered device, and a Satellite borne device already in orbit.
The likelihood on this is beyond slim. I can't even begin to count the zeros before you hit the first number in the percentages.
First, the scientific basics of a High-altitude Electro Magnetic Pulse (HEMP) device. The generally accepted threshold for a weapon that can perform this role is approximately 1.18Mt minimum yield for a weapon designed specifically to optimize this effect, detonated at approximately 30-100km above the surface of the target area. A modern, advanced weapon of this magnitude still weighs in at several hundred pounds, by comparison, the US W59 Warhead for the Minuteman-1 Missile (circa 1961) with a yield of 1Mt weighs in at a slim 550lbs, and the US had a lot of years of practice at weapons miniaturization before we got to it.
The DPRK still haven't achieved the Megaton Threshold for their weapons systems yield development. It's not an easy line to achieve either! They lack the ability to miniaturize a 300Kt weapon for practical use, so a multi-Megaton device of several hundred kilos additional weight is out of the question for the lift platforms the DPRK currently possess.
Even if the DPRK could load a weapon of the appropriate magnitude onto a platform, it is still an 8,000-mile flight across the North Pacific getting shot at the entire way.
The DPRK has also had a tough time getting into the Satellite game, their Unha Launch vehicle so far has a 50% success rate launching from the DPRKs only launch site in North Phyongan Province near the PRC border. Thus far, the two "Bright Star-3" platforms the DPRK has successfully put into orbit are Earth and Weather Observation systems. Both weigh in at approximately 220lbs and have been observed for what they are, by both South Korea and the US Space Command. This weight puts the DPRK platforms well below the mass necessary to house a Megaton range EMP Device.
Both platforms operate between 499 and 584 kilometers above the Earth, well outside HEMP envelopes, and it is reported that they will likely be incapable of maintaining their orbits for their full 2-year lifespan. That alone should speak volumes about the quality of what the DPRK are launching.
The DPRK is just NOT capable of employing a Strategic HEMP weapon system at this point in time.
NK Attack Scenario 4 - Submarine Launched Nuclear Ballistic Missile Attack on the United States
The Korean Peoples Navy has ONE, count them with me, one Ballistic Missile Submarine, the Sinpo Class. Reportedly there are a total of six to be built, but it is unknown the status of the other five boats.
The SINPO Class is armed with either one or two NK-11 Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) which are strikingly similar to the PRCs JL-1 SLBM (thanks again China!). The exact warhead for the missile is unknown, but is likely in the 10-20Kt range.
The Sinpo is powered by a Diesel-Electric plant, similar to those used by all submarines before the advent of nuclear powered subs, so it will need to surface or raise it's snorkel on occasion to run it's engine and power it's batteries, as well as to provide the crew with air. Running on electric power does make these boats very stealthy, so detection is difficult. The sub has an estimated range of 1,500 nautical miles, so there is no way it's going to make it to the US without a couple refueling stops along the way.
These are, however, a threat regionally to South Korea and Japan. The coastlines are heavily broken with thousands of inlets for this type of boat to hide in, allowing a patient sub commander to bide his time and chose his own time to attack Japan or the ROK. But it's a one shot deal, as soon as he launches his missile, everyone will know exactly where he is at, so they must get it right the first time, because the boat likely won't make it back to port, much less get a chance to rearm and strike again.
An SLBM missiles flight time is short, just a few minutes, so if the boat were able to get into position off the coast of Seoul, the chance of intercept would be about even.
This scenario is a credible threat, which is why the ROK have installed their own version of the SOSUS sonar listening nets and are likely tracking this boat full time via satellite. If hostilities begin, this boat would be on the "Kill Immediately" list for the navies in the area.
NK Attack Scenario 5 - Covert Nuclear Device Attack upon the United States
This is the scenario that truly concerns me. If the DPRK were to shield the interior of a standard 40-foot Shipping container with sufficient lead to defeat all but direct radiological survey instruments. Load in one of their 300Kt devices with a self-contained firing system, and slip it on board a cargo ship headed for the US, then who cares how bulky it is or how much it weighs, it's getting delivered to it's target by a cargo ship after all.
For this scenario, we will assume that the container is aboard ship and before detailed inspections, the device is functioned just as it passes under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
The immediate fatalities from the detonation would not be that severe, less than 10,000. The injuries would exceed 150,000 initially with approximately 20% of those dying within a week. The Fallout plume stretches across Sacramento all the way to Lake Tahoe. The resulting chaos in the surrounding cities would cause thousands more deaths and injuries. The United States would also have lost a major West Coast port facility.
The ramifications of detonating a Thermonuclear device directly on the increasingly fragile San Andreas fault cannot be overlooked. The fault stretches 1,200 kilometers from Baja to Northern California where it extends into the Pacific Ocean. Granted, the critical areas of the fault are hundreds of miles beneath the surface, but the possibility of a nuclear initiated earthquake are compelling.
Before anyone thinks the DPRK could get away with purporting this sort of act with impunity, lets discuss the concept of nuclear isotopic marking. All nuclear material will have a unique signature based upon where the raw material was mined and where it was refined. Within hours of a detonation, a Nuclear Contamination survey team as part of the National Emergency Response Group would have a sample of the nuclear material used in the weapon and would quickly identify it's origin, leading directly back to the DPRK. Have I mentioned that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories is just a 10-minute helicopter ride from the damage zone?
While this scenario is plausible, there are significant resources in play to defeat such a plan. The likelihood of success is still low, but significantly higher for those for a successful Ballistic Missile attack.
Based upon my research and expertise, the DPRK is playing a losing game, this is evidenced by the increasingly desperate statements made by the irrational personage of "lil-Kim". The facts are this, the DPRK is starving, they have sunk everything into their own private arms race, their allies are increasingly stepping back from them, and their potential enemies just grow stronger and better armed. With "lil-Kims" desperation, an "all or nothing" perception, and no one to control or challenge his dictatorial behavior, there is a dangerously high probability that Kim Jong-Un would launch a nuclear attack on anyone who he believes is about to take away everything he has, regardless of it's remote possibility of success.
Although, the seeds planted by his sister during the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea may bear fruit, but I would doubt it highly. I believe that he is merely stalling for time, and looking for some way to get out of the corner he's painted himself into. Will this lead to a unified Korea? Who knows, hope springs eternal. What I do know is that it will NOT happen with "lil-Kim" calling the shots.
Were I a betting man, I'd bet a months pay that the Kim dynasty is not long for this world.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to see more of this style, please Rate it and let us know what you'd like to hear the CAG SME's opinions on?
Look out for the WMD Effects and Protection Series coming soon here at CAG MAIN!
CAT's eat RAT's: Tourniquet Comparisons
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IndependenceTraining.COM
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California Students Are Racially Diverse, But Higher Ed Faculty is Still Predominately White and Male
A new report from The Campaign for College Opportunity shows that there is an extreme lack of diversity among faculty at colleges and universities in California.
The report, Left Out: How Exclusion in California’s Colleges and Universities Hurts Our Values, Our Students, and Our Economy, reveals that while students at college and university campuses are increasingly diverse, the leaders that serve them are not.
“The findings of this report are not about demographics, they are about helping our education leaders and state policy makers understand that this issue of a lack of diversity is tied to student success,” said Paul Granillo, President and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.
Some of the more stark findings include:
Within the University of California (UC) system, where 26% of the student body are Latinx, there are ZERO Latinx leaders in the UC Office of the President. Additionally, only 11% of college leaders, 7% of tenured faculty, and 5% of Academic Senators are Latinx.
Only 8% of senior leadership within the UC system are Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islanders even though AANHPI represent 39% of the student body.
Only 7 women sit on the 26-member UC Board of Regents.
Latinx make up only 10% of faculty, 15% of college leaders, and 9% of Academic Senators within the California State University (CSU) system; yet account for 43% of the student body.
Out of 20 CSU Trustees there are only 4 Latinx, zero AANHPI’s and only seven women.
There is only one woman on the CSU Chancellor’s Office leadership team out of nine.
Only 6% of tenured faculty and 5% non-tenured faculty at California Community Colleges are African American.
Within the California Community Colleges, where 44% of the student body are Latinx, only 15% of the faculty, 14% of Academic Senators and 17% of college leaders are Latinx. There are zero members of the Board of Governors that are AANHPI and only two that are Latinx out of 17.
“The release of Left Out needs to be California higher education’s defining moment,” said Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges, Dr. George R. Boggs, had this to say about Left Out, “If we really want to attract and retain a more racially and gender diverse faculty, staff, and administration, college leaders at all levels need the courage to make some changes in how searches and selection processes are conducted, and we need to be more engaged in mentoring promising and diverse future colleagues."
View the full report and read what college, state and national leaders are saying about it.
Use the “Left Out Tool” to access individual data profiles on 114 California Community Colleges, 23 California State University campuses and 9 University of California undergraduate campuses.
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All You Need to Know About 2017 Lamborghini Egoista – Specs & Release Date
August 9, 2016 Autos Wind 0 Comment
One of those wanting to have info about every latest car expected to be released in the near future? You are at the right place, where you got a chance to know about the all-new 2017 Lamborghini Egoista, a concept car that was launched to celebrate Lamborghini’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. According to its designer Walter de Silva, the new car is designed with modern needs in mind and combines everything required to make it one of the best super cars.
Specs – Exterior
The 2017 Lamborghini Egoista brings you a whole-new design inspired by a bull who’s about to strike. It would be no less than a treasure for car enthusiasts who know the value of Lamborghini. It looks like a modern aircraft designed to rule the roads. The framework is developed to improve stableness and down force.
See Also – Best Cars Coming in 2017
The Lamborghini Egoista sports an exclusive one seating cockpit that looks similar to a fighter jet and features a detachable front door. The all-inclusive cabin is dominated by a sophisticated orange, with moderate greyish and black illustrates.
Engine & Specs
Featuring a 5.2 liters V-10 engine, it sets out a striking 600 horsepower, which is 20 to 30 percent more found in Gallardo. It’s expected that the engine will be coupled with a Dual clutch automatic manual transmitting. It’s also said that it can reach up to 60 miles per hour velocity in just 3 sec.
Release Date & Price
Since it’s a concept car, chances are less that we can see it running on the road. You could have a peek at this amazing car at Lamborghini Gallery in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Below is the video of 2017 Lamborghini Egoista that you’ll surely like to watch for a detailed look.
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How Well do you know Road Rules Across Europe? →
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> KOKKINAKIS v. GREECE - 14307/88 - Chamber Judgment [1993] ECHR 20 (25 May 1993)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/1993/20.html
Cite as: [1993] ECHR 20, (1994) 17 EHRR 397, 17 EHRR 397
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COURT (CHAMBER)
CASE OF KOKKINAKIS v. GREECE
(Application no. 14307/88)
In the case of Kokkinakis v. Greece*,
The European Court of Human Rights, sitting, in accordance with Article 43 (art. 43) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention")** and the relevant provisions of the Rules of Court, as a Chamber composed of the following judges:
Mr R. Ryssdal, President,
Mr R. Bernhardt,
Mr L.-E. Pettiti,
Mr J. De Meyer,
Mr N. Valticos,
Mr S.K. Martens,
Mr I. Foighel,
Mr A.N. Loizou,
Mr M.A. Lopes Rocha,
and also of Mr M.-A. Eissen, Registrar, and Mr H. Petzold, Deputy Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 27 November 1992 and 19 April 1993,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the last-mentioned date:
The case was referred to the Court by the European Commission of Human Rights ("the Commission") on 21 February 1992, within the three-month period laid down in Article 32 para. 1 and Article 47 (art. 32-1, art. 47) of the Convention. It originated in an application (no. 14307/88) against the Hellenic Republic lodged with the Commission under Article 25 (art. 25) by a Greek national, Mr Minos Kokkinakis , on 22 August 1988.
The Commission’s request referred to Articles 44 and 48 (art. 44, art. 48) and to the declaration whereby Greece recognised the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (Article 46) (art. 46). The object of the request was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its obligations under Articles 7, 9 and 10 (art. 7, art. 9, art. 10).
In response to the enquiry made in accordance with Rule 33 para. 3 (d) of the Rules of Court, the applicant stated that he wished to take part in the proceedings and designated the lawyer who would represent him (Rule 30).
The Chamber to be constituted included ex officio Mr N. Valticos, the elected judge of Greek nationality (Article 43 of the Convention) (art. 43), and Mr R. Ryssdal, the President of the Court (Rule 21 para. 3 (b)). On 27 February 1992, in the presence of the Registrar, the President drew by lot the names of the other seven members, namely Mr R. Bernhardt, Mr L.-E. Pettiti, Mr J. De Meyer, Mr S.K. Martens, Mr I. Foighel, Mr A.N. Loizou and Mr M.A. Lopes Rocha (Article 43 in fine of the Convention and Rule 21 para. 4) (art. 43).
Mr Ryssdal assumed the office of President of the Chamber (Rule 21 para. 5) and, through the Registrar, consulted the Agent of the Greek Government ("the Government"), the Delegate of the Commission and the applicant’s lawyer on the organisation of the proceedings (Rules 37 para. 1 and 38). Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar received the applicant’s and the Government’s memorials on 12 August 1992. On 17 September the Secretary to the Commission informed the Registrar that the Delegate would submit his observations at the hearing.
On 13 August the Commission had produced various documents, as asked by the Registrar at the Government’s request.
In accordance with the President’s decision, the hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 25 November 1992. The Court had held a preparatory meeting beforehand.
There appeared before the Court:
- for the Government
Mr P. Georgakopoulos, Senior Adviser,
Legal Council of State, Delegate of the Agent,
Mr A. Marinos, Judge
of the Supreme Administrative Court, Counsel;
- for the Commission
Mr C.L. Rozakis, Delegate;
- for the applicant
Mr P. Vegleris, dikigoros (lawyer) and Emeritus Professor,
University of Athens, Counsel,
Mr P. Bitsaxis, dikigoros (lawyer), Adviser.
The Court heard addresses by Mr Georgakopoulos and Mr Marinos for the Government, Mr Rozakis for the Commission and Mr Vegleris and Mr Bitsaxis for the applicant, as well as replies to its questions.
AS TO THE FACTS
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
Mr Minos Kokkinakis , a retired businessman of Greek nationality, was born into an Orthodox family at Sitia (Crete) in 1919. After becoming a Jehovah’s Witness in 1936, he was arrested more than sixty times for proselytism. He was also interned and imprisoned on several occasions.
The periods of internment, which were ordered by the administrative authorities on the grounds of his activities in religious matters, were spent on various islands in the Aegean (thirteen months in Amorgos in 1938, six in Milos in 1940 and twelve in Makronisos in 1949).
The periods of imprisonment, to which he was sentenced by the courts, were for acts of proselytism (three sentences of two and a half months in 1939 - he was the first Jehovah’s Witness to be convicted under the Laws of the Metaxas Government (see paragraph 16 below) -, four and a half months in 1949 and two months in 1962), conscientious objection (eighteen and a half months in 1941) and holding a religious meeting in a private house (six months in 1952).
Between 1960 and 1970 the applicant was arrested four times and prosecuted but not convicted.
On 2 March 1986 he and his wife called at the home of Mrs Kyriakaki in Sitia and engaged in a discussion with her. Mrs Kyriakaki’s husband, who was the cantor at a local Orthodox church, informed the police, who arrested Mr and Mrs Kokkinakis and took them to the local police station, where they spent the night of 2-3 March 1986.
A. Proceedings in the Lasithi Criminal Court
The applicant and his wife were prosecuted under section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 making proselytism an offence (see paragraph 16 below) and were committed for trial at the Lasithi Criminal Court (trimeles plimmeliodikio), which heard the case on 20 March 1986.
After dismissing an objection that section 4 of that Law was unconstitutional, the Criminal Court heard evidence from Mr and Mrs Kyriakaki, a defence witness and the two defendants and gave judgment on the same day:
"[The defendants], who belong to the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect, attempted to proselytise and, directly or indirectly, to intrude on the religious beliefs of Orthodox Christians, with the intention of undermining those beliefs, by taking advantage of their inexperience, their low intellect and their naïvety. In particular, they went to the home of [Mrs Kyriakaki] ... and told her that they brought good news; by insisting in a pressing manner, they gained admittance to the house and began to read from a book on the Scriptures which they interpreted with reference to a king of heaven, to events which had not yet occurred but would occur, etc., encouraging her by means of their judicious, skilful explanations ... to change her Orthodox Christian beliefs."
The court found Mr and Mrs Kokkinakis guilty of proselytism and sentenced each of them to four months’ imprisonment, convertible (under Article 82 of the Criminal Code) into a pecuniary penalty of 400 drachmas per day’s imprisonment, and a fine of 10,000 drachmas. Under Article 76 of the Criminal Code, it also ordered the confiscation and destruction of four booklets which they had been hoping to sell to Mrs Kyriakaki.
B. The proceedings in the Crete Court of Appeal
Mr and Mrs Kokkinakis appealed against this judgment to the Crete Court of Appeal (Efetio). The Court of Appeal quashed Mrs Kokkinakis ’s conviction and upheld her husband’s but reduced his prison sentence to three months and converted it into a pecuniary penalty of 400 drachmas per day. The following reasons were given for its judgment, which was delivered on 17 March 1987:
"... it was proved that, with the aim of disseminating the articles of faith of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect (airesi), to which the defendant adheres, he attempted, directly and indirectly, to intrude on the religious beliefs of a person of a different religious persuasion from his own, [namely] the Orthodox Christian faith, with the intention of changing those beliefs, by taking advantage of her inexperience, her low intellect and her naïvety. More specifically, at the time and place indicated in the operative provision, he visited Mrs Georgia Kyriakaki and after telling her he brought good news, pressed her to let him into the house, where he began by telling her about the politician Olof Palme and by expounding pacifist views. He then took out a little book containing professions of faith by adherents of the aforementioned sect and began to read out passages from Holy Scripture, which he skilfully analysed in a manner that the Christian woman, for want of adequate grounding in doctrine, could not challenge, and at the same time offered her various similar books and importunately tried, directly and indirectly, to undermine her religious beliefs. He must consequently be declared guilty of the above-mentioned offence, in accordance with the operative provision hereinafter, while the other defendant, his wife Elissavet, must be acquitted, seeing that there is no evidence that she participated in the offence committed by her husband, whom she merely accompanied ..."
One of the appeal judges dissented, and his opinion, which was appended to the judgment, read as follows:
"... the first defendant should also have been acquitted, as none of the evidence shows that Georgia Kyriakaki ... was particularly inexperienced in Orthodox Christian doctrine, being married to a cantor, or of particularly low intellect or particularly naïve, such that the defendant was able to take advantage and ... [thus] induce her to become a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect."
According to the record of the hearing of 17 March 1987, Mrs Kyriakaki had given the following evidence:
"They immediately talked to me about Olof Palme, whether he was a pacifist or not, and other subjects that I can’t remember. They talked to me about things I did not understand very well. It was not a discussion but a constant monologue by them. ... If they had told me they were Jehovah’s Witnesses, I would not have let them in. I don’t recall whether they spoke to me about the Kingdom of Heaven. They stayed in the house about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. What they told me was religious in nature, but I don’t know why they told it to me. I could not know at the outset what the purpose of their visit was. They may have said something to me at the time with a view to undermining my religious beliefs ... . [However,] the discussion did not influence my beliefs ..."
C. The proceedings in the Court of Cassation
Mr Kokkinakis appealed on points of law. He maintained, inter alia, that the provisions of Law no. 1363/1938 contravened Article 13 of the Constitution (see paragraph 13 below).
The Court of Cassation (Arios Pagos) dismissed the appeal on 22 April 1988. It rejected the plea of unconstitutionality for the following reasons:
"Section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938, substituted by section 2 of Law no. 1672/1939 providing for the implementation of Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution and enacted under the 1911 Constitution then in force, Article 1 of which prohibited proselytism and any other interference with the dominant religion in Greece, namely the Christian Eastern Orthodox Church, not only does not contravene Article 13 of the 1975 Constitution but is fully compatible with the Constitution, which recognises the inviolability of freedom of conscience in religious matters and provides for freedom to practise any known religion, subject to a formal provision in the same Constitution prohibiting proselytism in that proselytism is forbidden in general whatever the religion against which it is directed, including therefore the dominant religion in Greece, in accordance with Article 3 of the 1975 Constitution, namely the Christian Eastern Orthodox Church."
It also noted that the Crete Court of Appeal had given detailed reasons for its judgment and had complied with the 1975 Constitution in applying the impugned provisions.
In the opinion of a dissenting member, the Court of Cassation should have quashed the judgment of the court below for having wrongly applied section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 in that it had made no mention of the promises whereby the defendant had allegedly attempted to intrude on Mrs Kyriakaki’s religious beliefs and had given no particulars of Mrs Kyriakaki’s inexperience and low intellect.
II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE
A. Statutory provisions
1. The Constitution
The relevant Articles of the 1975 Constitution read as follows:
"1. The dominant religion in Greece is that of the Christian Eastern Orthodox Church. The Greek Orthodox Church, which recognises as its head Our Lord Jesus Christ, is indissolubly united, doctrinally, with the Great Church of Constantinople and with any other Christian Church in communion with it (omodoxi), immutably observing, like the other Churches, the holy apostolic and synodical canons and the holy traditions. It is autocephalous and is administered by the Holy Synod, composed of all the bishops in office, and by the standing Holy Synod, which is an emanation of it constituted as laid down in the Charter of the Church and in accordance with the provisions of the Patriarchal Tome of 29 June 1850 and the Synodical Act of 4 September 1928.
2. The ecclesiastical regime in certain regions of the State shall not be deemed contrary to the provisions of the foregoing paragraph.
3. The text of the Holy Scriptures is unalterable. No official translation into any other form of language may be made without the prior consent of the autocephalous Greek Church and the Great Christian Church at Constantinople."
"1. Freedom of conscience in religious matters is inviolable. The enjoyment of personal and political rights shall not depend on an individual’s religious beliefs.
2. There shall be freedom to practise any known religion; individuals shall be free to perform their rites of worship without hindrance and under the protection of the law. The performance of rites of worship must not prejudice public order or public morals. Proselytism is prohibited.
3. The ministers of all known religions shall be subject to the same supervision by the State and to the same obligations to it as those of the dominant religion.
4. No one may be exempted from discharging his obligations to the State or refuse to comply with the law by reason of his religious convictions.
5. No oath may be required other than under a law which also determines the form of it."
The Christian Eastern Orthodox Church, which during nearly four centuries of foreign occupation symbolised the maintenance of Greek culture and the Greek language, took an active part in the Greek people’s struggle for emancipation, to such an extent that Hellenism is to some extent identified with the Orthodox faith.
A royal decree of 23 July 1833 entitled "Proclamation of the Independence of the Greek Church" described the Orthodox Church as "autocephalous". Greece’s successive Constitutions have referred to the Church as being "dominant". The overwhelming majority of the population are members of it, and, according to Greek conceptions, it represents de jure and de facto the religion of the State itself, a good number of whose administrative and educational functions (marriage and family law, compulsory religious instruction, oaths sworn by members of the Government, etc.) it moreover carries out. Its role in public life is reflected by, among other things, the presence of the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs at the sessions of the Church hierarchy at which the Archbishop of Athens is elected and by the participation of the Church authorities in all official State events; the President of the Republic takes his oath of office according to Orthodox ritual (Article 33 para. 2 of the Constitution); and the official calendar follows that of the Christian Eastern Orthodox Church.
Under the reign of Otto I (1832-62), the Orthodox Church, which had long complained of a Bible society’s propaganda directed at young Orthodox schoolchildren on behalf of the Evangelical Church, managed to get a clause added to the first Constitution (1844) forbidding "proselytism and any other action against the dominant religion". The Constitutions of 1864, 1911 and 1952 reproduced the same clause. The 1975 Constitution prohibits proselytism in general (Article 13 para. 2 in fine - see paragraph 13 above): the ban covers all "known religions", meaning those whose doctrines are not apocryphal and in which no secret initiation is required of neophytes.
2. Laws nos. 1363/1938 and 1672/1939
During the dictatorship of Metaxas (1936-40) proselytism was made a criminal offence for the first time by section 4 of Law (anagastikos nomos) no. 1363/1938. The following year that section was amended by section 2 of Law no. 1672/1939, in which the meaning of the term "proselytism" was clarified:
"1. Anyone engaging in proselytism shall be liable to imprisonment and a fine of between 1,000 and 50,000 drachmas; he shall, moreover, be subject to police supervision for a period of between six months and one year to be fixed by the court when convicting the offender.
The term of imprisonment may not be commuted to a fine.
2. By ‘proselytism’ is meant, in particular, any direct or indirect attempt to intrude on the religious beliefs of a person of a different religious persuasion (eterodoxos), with the aim of undermining those beliefs, either by any kind of inducement or promise of an inducement or moral support or material assistance, or by fraudulent means or by taking advantage of his inexperience, trust, need, low intellect or naïvety.
3. The commission of such an offence in a school or other educational establishment or a philanthropic institution shall constitute a particularly aggravating circumstance."
B. Case-law
In a judgment numbered 2276/1953 a full court of the Supreme Administrative Court (Symvoulio tis Epikratias) gave the following definition of proselytism:
"Article 1 of the Constitution, which establishes the freedom to practise any known religion and to perform rites of worship without hindrance and prohibits proselytism and all other activities directed against the dominant religion, that of the Christian Eastern Orthodox Church, means that purely spiritual teaching does not amount to proselytism, even if it demonstrates the errors of other religions and entices possible disciples away from them, who abandon their original religions of their own free will; this is because spiritual teaching is in the nature of a rite of worship performed freely and without hindrance. Outside such spiritual teaching, which may be freely given, any determined, importunate attempt to entice disciples away from the dominant religion by means that are unlawful or morally reprehensible constitutes proselytism as prohibited by the aforementioned provision of the Constitution."
The Greek courts have held that persons were guilty of proselytism who had: likened the saints to "figures adorning the wall", St Gerasimos to "a body stuffed with cotton" and the Church to "a theatre, a market, a cinema"; preached, while displaying a painting showing a crowd of wretched people in rags, that "such are all those who do not embrace my faith" (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 271/1932, Themis XVII, p. 19); promised Orthodox refugees housing on specially favourable terms if they adhered to the Uniate faith (Court of Appeal of the Aegean, judgment no. 2950/1930, Themis B, p. 103); offered a scholarship for study abroad (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 2276/1953); sent Orthodox priests booklets with the recommendation that they should study them and apply their content (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 59/1956, Nomiko Vima, 1956, no. 4, p. 736); distributed "so-called religious" books and booklets free to "illiterate peasants" or to "young schoolchildren" (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 201/1961, Criminal Annals XI, p. 472); or promised a young seamstress an improvement in her position if she left the Orthodox Church, whose priests were alleged to be "exploiters of society" (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 498/1961, Criminal Annals XII, p. 212).
The Court of Cassation has ruled that the definition of proselytism in section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 does not contravene the principle that only the law can define a crime and prescribe a penalty. The Piraeus Criminal Court followed it in an order (voulevma) numbered 36/1962 (Greek Lawyers’ Journal, 1962, p. 421), adding that the expression "in particular" in section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 (see paragraph 16 above) referred to the means used by the person committing the offence and not to the description of the actus reus.
Until 1975 the Court of Cassation held that the list in section 4 was not exhaustive. In a judgment numbered 997/1975 (Criminal Annals XXVI, p. 380) it added the following clarification:
"... it follows from the provisions of section 4 ... that proselytism consists in a direct or indirect attempt to impinge on religious beliefs by any of the means separately listed in the Law."
More recently courts have convicted Jehovah’s Witnesses for professing the sect’s doctrine "importunately" and accusing the Orthodox Church of being a "source of suffering for the world" (Salonika Court of Appeal, judgment no. 2567/1988); for entering other people’s homes in the guise of Christians wishing to spread the New Testament (Florina Court of First Instance, judgment no. 128/1989); and for attempting to give books and booklets to an Orthodox priest at the wheel of his car after stopping him (Lasithi Court of First Instance, judgment no. 357/1990).
In a judgment numbered 1304/1982 (Criminal Annals XXXII, p. 502), on the other hand, the Court of Cassation quashed a judgment of the Athens Court of Appeal (no. 5434/1981) as having no basis in law because, when convicting a Jehovah’s Witness, the Court of Appeal had merely reiterated the words of the indictment and had thus not explained how "the importunate teaching of the doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect" or "distribution of the sect’s booklets at a minimal price" had amounted to an attempt to intrude on the complainants’ religious beliefs, or shown how the defendant had taken advantage of their "inexperience" and "low intellect". The Court of Cassation remitted the case to a differently constituted bench of the Court of Appeal, which acquitted the defendant.
Similarly, it has been held in several court decisions that the offence of proselytism was not made out where there had merely been a discussion about the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, where booklets had been distributed from door to door (Patras Court of Appeal, judgment no. 137/1988) or in the street (Larissa Court of Appeal, judgment no. 749/1986) or where the tenets of the sect had been explained without any deception to an Orthodox Christian (Trikkala Criminal Court, judgment no. 186/1986). Lastly, it has been held that being an "illiterate peasant" is not sufficient to establish the "naïvety", referred to in section 4, of the person whom the alleged proselytiser is addressing (Court of Cassation, judgment no. 1155/1978).
After the revision of the Constitution in 1975, the Jehovah’s Witnesses brought legal proceedings to challenge the constitutionality of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938. They complained that the description of the offence was vague, but above all they objected to the actual title of the Law, which indicated that the Law was designed to preserve Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution in force at the time (the 1911 Constitution - see paragraph 12 above), which prohibited proselytism directed against the dominant religion. In the current Constitution this prohibition is extended to all religions and furthermore is no longer included in the chapter concerning religion but in the one dealing with civil and social rights, and more particularly in Article 13, which guarantees freedom of conscience in religious matters.
The courts have always dismissed such objections of unconstitutionality, although they have been widely supported in legal literature.
III. THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES IN GREECE
The Jehovah’s Witnesses movement appeared in Greece at the beginning of the twentieth century. Estimates of its membership today vary between 25,000 and 70,000. Members belong to one of 338 congregations, the first of which was formed in Athens in 1922.
Since the revision of the Constitution in 1975 the Supreme Administrative Court has held on several occasions that the Jehovah’s Witnesses come within the definition of a "known religion" (judgments nos. 2105 and 2106/1975, 4635/1977, 2484/1980, 4620/1985, 790 and 3533/1986 and 3601/1990). Some first-instance courts, however, continue to rule to the contrary (Heraklion Court of First Instance, judgments nos. 272/1984 and 87/1986). In 1986 the Supreme Administrative Court held (in judgment no. 3533/1986) that a ministerial decision refusing the appointment of a Jehovah’s Witness as a literature teacher was contrary to freedom of conscience in religious matters and hence to the Greek Constitution.
According to statistics provided by the applicant, 4,400 Jehovah’s Witnesses were arrested between 1975 (when democracy was restored) and 1992, and 1,233 of these were committed for trial and 208 convicted. Earlier, several Jehovah’s Witnesses had been convicted under Law no. 117/1936 for the prevention of communism and its effects and Law no. 1075/1938 on preserving the social order.
The Government have not challenged the applicant’s figures. They have, however, pointed out that there have been signs of a decline in the frequency of convictions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, only 7 out of a total of 260 people arrested having been convicted in 1991 and 1992.
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION
Mr Kokkinakis applied to the Commission on 22 August 1988. He claimed that his conviction for proselytism was in breach of the rights secured in Articles 7, 9 and 10 (art. 7, art. 9, art. 10) of the Convention. He also relied on Article 5 para. 1 and Article 6 paras. 1 and 2 (art. 5-1, art. 6-1, art. 6-2).
The Commission declared the application (no. 14307/88) admissible on 7 December 1990 except for the complaints based on Articles 5 and 6 (art. 5, art. 6), which it declared inadmissible as being manifestly ill-founded. In its report of 3 December 1991 (made under Article 31) (art. 31), the Commission expressed the opinion that
(a) there had been no violation of Article 7 (art. 7) (by eleven votes to two);
(b) there had been a violation of Article 9 (art. 9) (unanimously); and
(c) no separate issue arose under Article 10 (art. 10) (by twelve votes to one).
The full text of the Commission’s opinion and of the two separate opinions contained in the report is reproduced as an annex to this judgment*.
AS TO THE LAW
Mr Kokkinakis complained of his conviction for proselytism; he considered it contrary to Articles 7, 9 and 10 (art. 7, art. 9, art. 10) of the Convention, and to Article 14 taken together with Article 9 (art. 14+9).
I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 9 (art. 9)
The applicant’s complaints mainly concerned a restriction on the exercise of his freedom of religion. The Court will accordingly begin by looking at the issues relating to Article 9 (art. 9), which provides:
"1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.
2. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others."
The applicant did not only challenge what he claimed to be the wrongful application to him of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938. His submission concentrated on the broader problem of whether that enactment was compatible with the right enshrined in Article 9 (art. 9) of the Convention, which, he argued, having been part of Greek law since 1953, took precedence under the Constitution over any contrary statute. He pointed to the logical and legal difficulty of drawing any even remotely clear dividing-line between proselytism and freedom to change one’s religion or belief and, either alone or in community with others, in public and in private, to manifest it, which encompassed all forms of teaching, publication and preaching between people.
The ban on proselytism, which was made a criminal offence during the Metaxas dictatorship, was not only unconstitutional, Mr Kokkinakis submitted, but it also formed, together with the other clauses of Law no. 1363/1938, "an arsenal of prohibitions and threats of punishment" hanging over the adherents of all beliefs and all creeds.
Mr Kokkinakis complained, lastly, of the selective application of this Law by the administrative and judicial authorities; it would surpass "even the wildest academic hypothesis" to imagine, for example, the possibility of a complaint being made by a Catholic priest or by a Protestant clergyman against an Orthodox Christian who had attempted to entice one of his flock away from him. It was even less likely that an Orthodox Christian would be prosecuted for proselytising on behalf of the "dominant religion".
In the Government’s submission, there was freedom to practise all religions in Greece; religious adherents enjoyed the right both to express their beliefs freely and to try to influence the beliefs of others, Christian witness being a duty of all Churches and all Christians. There was, however, a radical difference between bearing witness and "proselytism that is not respectable", the kind that consists in using deceitful, unworthy and immoral means, such as exploiting the destitution, low intellect and inexperience of one’s fellow beings. Section 4 prohibited this kind of proselytism - the "misplaced" proselytism to which the European Court referred in its Kjeldsen, Busk Madsen and Pedersen v. Denmark judgment of 7 December 1976 (Series A no. 23, p. 28, para. 54) - and not straightforward religious teaching. Furthermore, it was precisely this definition of proselytism that had been adopted by the Greek courts.
A. General principles
As enshrined in Article 9 (art. 9), freedom of thought, conscience and religion is one of the foundations of a "democratic society" within the meaning of the Convention. It is, in its religious dimension, one of the most vital elements that go to make up the identity of believers and their conception of life, but it is also a precious asset for atheists, agnostics, sceptics and the unconcerned. The pluralism indissociable from a democratic society, which has been dearly won over the centuries, depends on it.
While religious freedom is primarily a matter of individual conscience, it also implies, inter alia, freedom to "manifest [one’s] religion". Bearing witness in words and deeds is bound up with the existence of religious convictions.
According to Article 9 (art. 9), freedom to manifest one’s religion is not only exercisable in community with others, "in public" and within the circle of those whose faith one shares, but can also be asserted "alone" and "in private"; furthermore, it includes in principle the right to try to convince one’s neighbour, for example through "teaching", failing which, moreover, "freedom to change [one’s] religion or belief", enshrined in Article 9 (art. 9), would be likely to remain a dead letter.
The requirements of Article 9 (art. 9) are reflected in the Greek Constitution in so far as Article 13 of the latter declares that freedom of conscience in religious matters is inviolable and that there shall be freedom to practise any known religion (see paragraph 13 above). Jehovah’s Witnesses accordingly enjoy both the status of a "known religion" and the advantages flowing from that as regards observance (see paragraphs 22-23 above).
The fundamental nature of the rights guaranteed in Article 9 para. 1 (art. 9-1) is also reflected in the wording of the paragraph providing for limitations on them. Unlike the second paragraphs of Articles 8, 10 and 11 (art. 8-2, art. 10-2, art, 11-2) which cover all the rights mentioned in the first paragraphs of those Articles (art. 8-1, art. 10-1, art. 11-1), that of Article 9 (art. 9-1) refers only to "freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief". In so doing, it recognises that in democratic societies, in which several religions coexist within one and the same population, it may be necessary to place restrictions on this freedom in order to reconcile the interests of the various groups and ensure that everyone’s beliefs are respected.
According to the Government, such restrictions were to be found in the Greek legal system. Article 13 of the 1975 Constitution forbade proselytism in respect of all religions without distinction; and section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938, which attached a criminal penalty to this prohibition, had been upheld by several successive democratic governments notwithstanding its historical and political origins. The sole aim of section 4 was to protect the beliefs of others from activities which undermined their dignity and personality.
The Court will confine its attention as far as possible to the issue raised by the specific case before it. It must nevertheless look at the foregoing provisions, since the action complained of by the applicant arose from the application of them (see, mutatis mutandis, the de Geouffre de la Pradelle v. France judgment of 16 December 1992, Series A no. 253-B, p. 42, para. 31).
B. Application of the principles
The sentence passed by the Lasithi Criminal Court and subsequently reduced by the Crete Court of Appeal (see paragraphs 9-10 above) amounts to an interference with the exercise of Mr Kokkinakis ’s right to "freedom to manifest [his] religion or belief". Such an interference is contrary to Article 9 (art. 9) unless it is "prescribed by law", directed at one or more of the legitimate aims in paragraph 2 (art. 9-2) and "necessary in a democratic society" for achieving them.
1. "Prescribed by law"
The applicant said that his submissions relating to Article 7 (art. 7) also applied to the phrase "prescribed by law". The Court will therefore examine them from this point of view.
Mr Kokkinakis impugned the very wording of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938. He criticised the absence of any description of the "objective substance" of the offence of proselytism. He thought this deliberate, as it would tend to make it possible for any kind of religious conversation or communication to be caught by the provision. He referred to the risk of "extendibility" by the police and often by the courts too of the vague terms of the section, such as "in particular" and "indirect attempt" to intrude on the religious beliefs of others. Punishing a non-Orthodox Christian even when he was offering "moral support or material assistance" was tantamount to punishing an act that any religion would prescribe and that the Criminal Code required in certain emergencies. Law no. 1672/1939 (see paragraph 16 above) had, without more, stripped the initial wording of section 4 of its "repetitive verbiage"; it had retained all the "extendible, catch-all" expressions, merely using a more concise but equally "pedantic" style designed to ensure that non-Orthodox Christians were permanently gagged. Consequently, no citizen could regulate his conduct on the basis of this enactment.
Furthermore, section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 was incompatible with Article 13 of the Constitution.
The Government, on the other hand, maintained that section 4 defined proselytism precisely and specifically; it listed all the ingredients of the offence. The use of the adverbial phrase "in particular" was of no importance, as it related only to the means by which the offence could be committed; indicative lists of this kind were, moreover, commonly included in criminal statutes.
Lastly, the objective substance of the offence was not lacking but consisted in the attempt to change the essentials of the religious beliefs of others.
The Court has already noted that the wording of many statutes is not absolutely precise. The need to avoid excessive rigidity and to keep pace with changing circumstances means that many laws are inevitably couched in terms which, to a greater or lesser extent, are vague (see, for example and mutatis mutandis, the Müller and Others v. Switzerland judgment of 24 May 1988, Series A no. 133, p. 20, para. 29). Criminal-law provisions on proselytism fall within this category. The interpretation and application of such enactments depend on practice.
In this instance there existed a body of settled national case-law (see paragraphs 17-20 above). This case-law, which had been published and was accessible, supplemented the letter of section 4 and was such as to enable Mr Kokkinakis to regulate his conduct in the matter.
As to the constitutionality of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938, the Court reiterates that it is, in the first instance, for the national authorities, and in particular the courts, to interpret and apply domestic law (see, as the most recent authority, the Hadjianastassiou v. Greece judgment of 16 December 1992, Series A no. 252, p. 18, para. 42). And the Greek courts that have had to deal with the issue have ruled that there is no incompatibility (see paragraph 21 above).
The measure complained of was therefore "prescribed by law" within the meaning of Article 9 para. 2 (art. 9-2) of the Convention.
2. Legitimate aim
The Government contended that a democratic State had to ensure the peaceful enjoyment of the personal freedoms of all those living on its territory. If, in particular, it was not vigilant to protect a person’s religious beliefs and dignity from attempts to influence them by immoral and deceitful means, Article 9 para. 2 (art. 9-2) would in practice be rendered wholly nugatory.
In the applicant’s submission, religion was part of the "constantly renewable flow of human thought" and it was impossible to conceive of its being excluded from public debate. A fair balance of personal rights made it necessary to accept that others’ thought should be subject to a minimum of influence, otherwise the result would be a "strange society of silent animals that [would] think but ... not express themselves, that [would] talk but ... not communicate, and that [would] exist but ... not coexist".
Having regard to the circumstances of the case and the actual terms of the relevant courts’ decisions, the Court considers that the impugned measure was in pursuit of a legitimate aim under Article 9 para. 2 (art. 9-2), namely the protection of the rights and freedoms of others, relied on by the Government.
3. "Necessary in a democratic society"
Mr Kokkinakis did not consider it necessary in a democratic society to prohibit a fellow citizen’s right to speak when he came to discuss religion with his neighbour. He was curious to know how a discourse delivered with conviction and based on holy books common to all Christians could infringe the rights of others. Mrs Kyriakaki was an experienced adult woman with intellectual abilities; it was not possible, without flouting fundamental human rights, to make it a criminal offence for a Jehovah’s Witness to have a conversation with a cantor’s wife. Moreover, the Crete Court of Appeal, although the facts before it were precise and absolutely clear, had not managed to determine the direct or indirect nature of the applicant’s attempt to intrude on the complainant’s religious beliefs; its reasoning showed that it had convicted the applicant "not for something he had done but for what he was".
The Commission accepted this argument in substance.
The Government maintained, on the contrary, that the Greek courts had based themselves on plain facts which amounted to the offence of proselytism: Mr Kokkinakis ’s insistence on entering Mrs Kyriakaki’s home on a false pretext; the way in which he had approached her in order to gain her trust; and his "skilful" analysis of the Holy Scriptures calculated to "delude" the complainant, who did not possess any "adequate grounding in doctrine" (see paragraphs 9-10 above). They pointed out that if the State remained indifferent to attacks on freedom of religious belief, major unrest would be caused that would probably disturb the social peace.
The Court has consistently held that a certain margin of appreciation is to be left to the Contracting States in assessing the existence and extent of the necessity of an interference, but this margin is subject to European supervision, embracing both the legislation and the decisions applying it, even those given by an independent court. The Court’s task is to determine whether the measures taken at national level were justified in principle and proportionate.
In order to rule on this latter point, the Court must weigh the requirements of the protection of the rights and liberties of others against the conduct of which the applicant stood accused. In exercising its supervisory jurisdiction, the Court must look at the impugned judicial decisions against the background of the case as a whole (see, inter alia and mutatis mutandis, the Barfod v. Denmark judgment of 22 February 1989, Series A no. 149, p. 12, para. 28).
First of all, a distinction has to be made between bearing Christian witness and improper proselytism. The former corresponds to true evangelism, which a report drawn up in 1956 under the auspices of the World Council of Churches describes as an essential mission and a responsibility of every Christian and every Church. The latter represents a corruption or deformation of it. It may, according to the same report, take the form of activities offering material or social advantages with a view to gaining new members for a Church or exerting improper pressure on people in distress or in need; it may even entail the use of violence or brainwashing; more generally, it is not compatible with respect for the freedom of thought, conscience and religion of others.
Scrutiny of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 shows that the relevant criteria adopted by the Greek legislature are reconcilable with the foregoing if and in so far as they are designed only to punish improper proselytism, which the Court does not have to define in the abstract in the present case.
The Court notes, however, that in their reasoning the Greek courts established the applicant’s liability by merely reproducing the wording of section 4 and did not sufficiently specify in what way the accused had attempted to convince his neighbour by improper means. None of the facts they set out warrants that finding.
That being so, it has not been shown that the applicant’s conviction was justified in the circumstances of the case by a pressing social need. The contested measure therefore does not appear to have been proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued or, consequently, "necessary in a democratic society ... for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others".
In conclusion, there has been a breach of Article 9 (art. 9) of the Convention.
II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 7 (art. 7)
Mr Kokkinakis also relied on Article 7 (art. 7), which provides:
"1. No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence under national or international law at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the criminal offence was committed.
2. This Article shall not prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the general principles of law recognised by civilised nations."
In his submission, for a criminal provision to be compatible with this Article (art. 7) it must be sufficiently precise and clear (see paragraphs 37-38 above). This was not the case, he said, with section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938.
The Court points out that Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1) of the Convention is not confined to prohibiting the retrospective application of the criminal law to an accused’s disadvantage. It also embodies, more generally, the principle that only the law can define a crime and prescribe a penalty (nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege) and the principle that the criminal law must not be extensively construed to an accused’s detriment, for instance by analogy; it follows from this that an offence must be clearly defined in law. This condition is satisfied where the individual can know from the wording of the relevant provision and, if need be, with the assistance of the courts’ interpretation of it, what acts and omissions will make him liable.
It appears that this was indeed so in the present case; on this point the Court refers to paragraphs 40-41 of this judgment.
In conclusion, there has been no breach of Article 7 (art. 7) of the Convention.
III. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 10 (art. 10)
The applicant further relied on his freedom of expression, as secured in Article 10 (art. 10). His conviction, he said, struck not only at the dissemination of his religious opinions but also at that of general socio-philosophical opinions, since the Crete Court of Appeal had noted that he had talked to Mrs Kyriakaki about the politician Olof Palme and had expounded pacifist views.
Having regard to its decision on Article 9 (art. 9) (see paragraph 50 above), the Court, like the Commission, considers it unnecessary to examine this complaint.
IV. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 14 TAKEN TOGETHER WITH ARTICLE 9 (art. 14+9)
In his memorial of 5 August 1992 the applicant also claimed to be the victim of discrimination contrary to Article 14 taken together with Article 9 (art. 14+9). He submitted that discrimination arose from the defects in section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 or from the use made of it.
Although not raised before the Commission, this complaint relates to the same facts as do those made under Articles 7 and 9 (art. 7, art. 9); having regard to the conclusion in paragraph 50 above, however, the Court holds that it is unnecessary to deal with it.
V. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 50 (art. 50)
Under Article 50 (art. 50) of the Convention,
"If the Court finds that a decision or a measure taken by a legal authority or any other authority of a High Contracting Party is completely or partially in conflict with the obligations arising from the ... Convention, and if the internal law of the said Party allows only partial reparation to be made for the consequences of this decision or measure, the decision of the Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the injured party."
At the hearing the applicant sought, firstly, compensation in the amount of 500,000 drachmas (GRD) for non-pecuniary damage.
The Court considers that he has sustained such damage and that, notwithstanding the Government’s opinion to the contrary, a finding of a breach is not sufficient to compensate him for it. Making its assessment on an equitable basis as required by Article 50 (art. 50), it awards him GRD 400,000 under this head.
For costs and expenses relating to the proceedings in Greece and before the Convention institutions Mr Kokkinakis sought the sum of GRD 2,789,500, of which he provided particulars.
The Government judged this amount to be excessive. More especially, they contested the need (a) for the applicant to be represented by two lawyers in the Greek courts and before the European Court and for him to be defended by Athenian lawyers in the Cretan courts; and (b) for Mr Kokkinakis to have attended the Court of Cassation hearing.
Like the Delegate of the Commission, the Court nevertheless finds the claim reasonable, and consequently allows it in full.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT
1. Holds by six votes to three that there has been a breach of Article 9 (art. 9);
2. Holds by eight votes to one that there has been no breach of Article 7 (art. 7);
3. Holds unanimously that it is unnecessary to examine the case under Article 10 (art. 10) or under Article 14 taken together with Article 9 (art. 14+9);
4. Holds unanimously that the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months, 400,000 (four hundred thousand) drachmas in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 2,789,500 (two million seven hundred and eighty-nine thousand five hundred) drachmas in respect of costs and expenses.
Done in English and in French, and delivered at a public hearing in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 25 May 1993.
Rolv RYSSDAL
Marc-André EISSEN
In accordance with Article 51 para. 2 (art. 51-2) of the Convention and Rule 53 para. 2 of the Rules of Court, the following separate opinions are annexed to this judgment:
(a) partly concurring opinion of Mr Pettiti;
(b) concurring opinion of Mr De Meyer;
(c) dissenting opinion of Mr Valticos;
(d) partly dissenting opinion of Mr Martens;
(e) joint dissenting opinion of Mr Foighel and Mr Loizou.
R.R.
M.-A.E.
PARTLY CONCURRING OPINION OF JUDGE PETTITI
(Translation)
I was in the majority which voted that there had been a breach of Article 9 (art. 9) but I considered that the reasoning given in the judgment could usefully have been expanded.
Furthermore, I parted company with the majority in that I also took the view that the current criminal legislation in Greece on proselytism was in itself contrary to Article 9 (art. 9).
The Kokkinakis case is of particular importance. It is the first real case concerning freedom of religion to have come before the European Court since it was set up and it has come up for decision at a time when the United Nations and Unesco are preparing a World Year for Tolerance, which is to give further effect to the 1981 United Nations Declaration against all forms of intolerance, which was adopted after twenty years of negotiations.
In the first place, I take the view that what contravenes Article 9 (art. 9) is the Law. I agree with acknowledging its foreseeability. But the definition is such as to make it possible at any moment to punish the slightest attempt by anyone to convince a person he is addressing.
The reasoning adopted by the majority with the intention of confining themselves to the particular case is tantamount to supervising the national court in respect of the degree of severity of the sentence passed, whereas what is in issue is the very principle of the punishment and it is not the European Court’s function to rule on the degree of severity of sentences in domestic law. The Court must abide by its decisions in the cases of Dudgeon v. the United Kingdom (judgment of 22 October 1981, Series A no. 45, pp. 18-19, para. 41) and Norris v. Ireland (judgment of 26 October 1988, Series A no. 142, p. 16, para. 33): the mere threat of applying a provision, even one that has fallen into disuse, is sufficient to constitute a breach.
The expression "proselytism that is not respectable", which is a criterion used by the Greek courts when applying the Law, is sufficient for the enactment and the case-law applying it to be regarded as contrary to Article 9 (art. 9).
The Government themselves recognised that the applicant had been prosecuted because he had tried to influence the person he was talking to by taking advantage of her inexperience in matters of doctrine and by exploiting her low intellect. It was therefore not a question of protecting others against physical or psychological coercion but of giving the State the possibility of arrogating to itself the right to assess a person’s weakness in order to punish a proselytiser, an interference that could become dangerous if resorted to by an authoritarian State.
The vagueness of the charge and the lack of any clear definition of proselytism increase the misgivings to which the Greek Law gives rise. Even if it is accepted that the foreseeability of the law in Greece as it might apply to proselytes was sufficient, the fact remains that the haziness of the definition leaves too wide a margin of interpretation for determining criminal penalties.
It may be asked whether the very principle of applying a criminal statute to proselytism is compatible with Article 9 (art. 9) of the Convention.
Criminal policy could be implemented by means of the technique of creating specific criminal offences covering coercive acts and the activities of certain sects which truly attack human freedom and dignity. Minors can be protected by means of precise criminal provisions. The protection of adults can be achieved by fiscal and welfare legislation and by the ordinary law on misrepresentation, failure to assist persons in danger and intentional or negligent injury (even physical).
At all events, even if the principle is accepted, it should not lead to the retention of legislation that provides for vague criminal offences which leave it to the court’s subjective assessment whether a defendant is convicted or acquitted. In its judgment in the Lingens v. Austria case (8 July 1986, Series A no. 103) concerning freedom of expression the European Court noted its misgivings about the freedom left to the courts to assess the concept of truth.
Interpretation criteria in relation to proselytism that are as unverifiable as "respectable or not respectable" and "misplaced" cannot guarantee legal certainty.
Proselytism is linked to freedom of religion; a believer must be able to communicate his faith and his beliefs in the religious sphere as in the philosophical sphere. Freedom of religion and conscience is a fundamental right and this freedom must be able to be exercised for the benefit of all religions and not for the benefit of a single Church, even if this has traditionally been the established Church or "dominant religion".
Freedom of religion and conscience certainly entails accepting proselytism, even where it is "not respectable". Believers and agnostic philosophers have a right to expound their beliefs, to try to get other people to share them and even to try to convert those whom they are addressing.
The only limits on the exercise of this right are those dictated by respect for the rights of others where there is an attempt to coerce the person into consenting or to use manipulative techniques.
The other types of unacceptable behaviour - such as brainwashing, breaches of labour law, endangering of public health and incitement to immorality, which are found in the practices of certain pseudo-religious groups - must be punished in positive law as ordinary criminal offences. Proselytism cannot be forbidden under cover of punishing such activities.
Certainly proselytism must not be carried on by coercion or by unfair means that take advantage of minors or persons legally incapacitated under civil law, but such lapses can be alleviated by the ordinary civil and criminal law.
In the second place, even if the Court had not found a breach in respect of the statute, it could, in my opinion, have worded its decision differently by adding a few definitions so that the scope of the decision would be properly understood.
Commentators and the member States may regret that, on such a serious matter, on the eve of the United Nations World Year for Tolerance, and given the United Nations Declaration against religious intolerance, the Court has failed to make explicit its interpretation of proselytism in relation to freedom of religion under Article 9 (art. 9).
The reasoning could also have better reflected the fact that Article 9 (art. 9) applies also to non-religious philosophical beliefs and that the application of it must protect people from abuses by certain sects; but here it is for the States to legislate so that any deviation leading to attempts at brainwashing are regulated by the ordinary law. Non-criminal proselytism remains the main expression of freedom of religion. Attempting to make converts is not in itself an attack on the freedom and beliefs of others or an infringement of their rights.
The Government admitted that Law no. 1363/1938 had not been repealed after the adoption of the 1975 Constitution. They argued that several judgments of the Supreme Administrative Court had afforded religious freedom effective protection, but the fact remains that the courts can always apply the Law in the same way as it was applied in the Kokkinakis case. The Strasbourg institutions cannot, however, monitor compatibility with Article 9 (art. 9) on the basis of the degree of severity and the proportionality of the penalty.
Even without criticising the Greek courts’ decision in itself, in respect of the content of the conversation and the verification of the evidence, one may note that in the decisions no dividing line is drawn, in terms of the law or the Constitution, between bearing witness, proclaiming one’s faith or religious persuasion, and coercion. The two dissenting judges in the Greek courts drew attention to the thinness of the reasons given for the decisions.
In his memorial in reply in the proceedings before the Commission, the applicant made two significant points:
"1. The formal proclamation of freedom of conscience in religious matters and its manifestations dates from after the prohibition of ‘proselytism’ in the various Constitutions. It was introduced in the Constitution of 3 June 1927 (Article 1 para. 1 (c)) and is included today among the ‘personal and social’ fundamental rights listed and, as in the Universal Declaration and the European Convention, specifically described as ‘human rights’ (Constitution of 9 June 1975, Articles 13 para. 1, 25 and 28. There is therefore an anomaly, if not a flagrant contradiction, in the actual text of the Constitution. While the decrees of 1938-39 issued under the dictatorship aggravated matters by making convictions and the purely verbal exercise of a religion a criminal offence - for which no provision has ever been made in criminal law (as already noted) -, there are cogent reasons for at last acknowledging that these provisions are incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Constitution in force: the exercise or harmless expression or even the suspicion of a sentiment which discloses a religious conviction - as in the Kokkinakis case - cannot amount to an offence! This is how the Constitution should have been applied by the legislature and the administrative and judicial authorities. And this, without any doubt, is above all how the European Convention must be obeyed, and applied by its own institutions.
2. The respondent Government point to certain judicial decisions which they claim show toleration of the existence and religious activities of believers other than those of the Orthodox Church and, in an isolated case which is ultimately of secondary importance, of an adherent of the religion professed by the applicant. It will be noted, firstly, that the existence of such judgments in itself demonstrates that there are intolerant administrative practices; secondly, that the cases in point and the solutions adopted under liberal-sounding recitals are not identified; and thirdly, that no decision has been cited which repudiates this parasitic criminal legislation that allows of sporadic but none the less virulent persecution of non-Orthodox Christians, since unfortunately no such decision has ever been given. All the decisions have recognised the validity and applicability of the 1938 decrees.
There is no question of embarking here on a discussion of the Constitutional merits of ‘proselytism’ in Greece as tendentiously defined in the emergency Laws of 1938/39, since the only issue arising before the European Convention institutions is whether the provisions of these enactments and the application made of them to the detriment of the applicant, until domestic remedies were exhausted, amount to breaches of the Convention for which the Greek Government are responsible."
The Greek Government relied on statements of principle supporting freedom of religion.
On this point the European Court’s reasoning does not seem to me to provide sufficient criteria for assessing the relationship between legislation on proselytism and Article 9 (art. 9).
Spiritual, religious and philosophical convictions belong to the private sphere of beliefs and call into play the right to express and manifest them. Setting up a system of criminal prosecution and punishment without safeguards is a perilous undertaking, and the authoritarian regimes which, while proclaiming freedom of religion in their Constitutions, have restricted it by means of criminal offences of parasitism, subversion or proselytism have given rise to abuses with which we are all too familiar.
The wording adopted by the majority of the Court in finding a breach, namely that the applicant’s conviction was not justified in the circumstances of the case, leaves too much room for a repressive interpretation by the Greek courts in the future, whereas public prosecution must likewise be monitored. In my view, it would have been possible to define impropriety, coercion and duress more clearly and to describe more satisfactorily, in the abstract, the full scope of religious freedom and bearing witness.
The forms of words used by the World Council of Churches, the Second Vatican Council, philosophers and sociologists when referring to coercion, abuse of one’s own rights which infringes the rights of others and the manipulation of people by methods which lead to a violation of conscience, all make it possible to define any permissible limits of proselytism. They can provide the member States with positive material for giving effect to the Court’s judgment in future and fully implementing the principle and standards of religious freedom under Article 9 (art. 9) of the European Convention.
CONCURRING OPINION OF JUDGE DE MEYER
Proselytism, defined as "zeal in spreading the faith"*, cannot be punishable as such: it is a way - perfectly legitimate in itself - of "manifesting [one’s] religion".
In the instant case the applicant was convicted only for having shown such zeal, without any impropriety on his part**.
All that he could be accused of was that he had tried to get Mrs Kyriakaki to share his religious beliefs. Mrs Kyriakaki had let him into her house and there is nothing to show that she asked him at any point to leave; she preferred to listen to what he had to say*** while awaiting the arrival of the police, who had been alerted by her husband, the cantor****.
DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE VALTICOS
I regret that I cannot share the opinion of the majority of the Court and I regret just as much that they could not accept my view. My disagreement concerns both the scope of Article 9 (art. 9) and the assessment of the facts in this case.
As regards the scope of Article 9 (art. 9), I am unable to interpret the words "freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest [one’s] religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice, and observance" as broadly as the majority do. As with all freedoms, everyone’s freedom of religion must end where another person’s begins. Freedom "either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest [one’s] religion", certainly means freedom to practise and manifest it, but not to attempt persistently to combat and alter the religion of others, to influence minds by active and often unreasonable propaganda. It is designed to ensure religious peace and tolerance, not to permit religious clashes and even wars, particularly at a time when many sects manage to entice simple, naïve souls by doubtful means. But even if the Chamber considers that such is not its purpose, that is, at all events, the direction in which its conception may lead.
At this stage a misunderstanding must be removed: it has been maintained that conversations during which a person merely sets out his religious beliefs cannot constitute an attack on the religion of others. In reality, the position in the instant case is quite different. In another case being heard by another Chamber (the Hoffmann case*) the Commission states in its report (paragraph 27) that the complainant, who is also a Jehovah’s Witness, made visits once a week to spread her faith. In the case of this sect, therefore, what is involved is indeed a systematic attempt at conversion, and consequently an attack on the religious beliefs of others. That has nothing to do with Article 9 (art. 9), which is designed solely to protect the religion of individuals and not their right to attack that of others.
I may add that the term "teaching" in Article 9 (art. 9) undoubtedly refers to religious teaching in school curricula or in religious institutions, and not to personal door-to-door canvassing as in the present case.
This brings me to the present case.
There are three aspects to it: national law, the facts properly speaking and the court decisions.
First of all, the Law: is it precise or does it contain an element of ambiguity, of excessive generality, which might allow of arbitrariness in the application of it as a criminal statute? In my view, there is no room for doubt. The Law deals with, as an offence, "proselytism", which is of course a Greek word and, like so many others, has passed into English and also into French, and which the Petit Robert dictionary defines as "zeal in spreading the faith, and by extension in making converts, winning adherents". This is a far cry from merely manifesting one’s belief, as covered by Article 9 (art. 9). Someone who proselytises seeks to convert others; he does not confine himself to affirming his faith but seeks to change that of others to his own. And the Petit Robert clarifies its explanation by giving the following quotation from Paul Valéry: "I consider it unworthy to want others to be of one’s own opinion. Proselytism astonishes me."
Whereas the term "proselytism" would, in my view, have sufficed to define the offence and to satisfy the principle that an offence must be defined in law, Greek criminal law, for the avoidance of any ambiguity, gives an illustration of it which, while intended as an explanation and an example (no doubt the commonest one), none the less constitutes a meaningful definition, and that is: "By `proselytism’ is meant, in particular, any direct or indirect attempt to intrude on the religious beliefs of a person of a different religious persuasion, with the aim of undermining those beliefs, either by any kind of inducement or promise of an inducement or moral support or material assistance, or by fraudulent means or by taking advantage of his inexperience, trust, need, low intellect or naïvety."
This definition of, if one may so term it, rape of the beliefs of others cannot in any way be regarded as contrary to Article 9 (art. 9) of the Convention. On the contrary, it is such as to protect individuals’ freedom of religious belief.
Let us look now at the facts of the case. On the one hand, we have a militant Jehovah’s Witness, a hardbitten adept of proselytism, a specialist in conversion, a martyr of the criminal courts whose earlier convictions have served only to harden him in his militancy, and, on the other hand, the ideal victim, a naïve woman, the wife of a cantor in the Orthodox Church (if he manages to convert her, what a triumph!). He swoops on her, trumpets that he has good news for her (the play on words is obvious, but no doubt not to her), manages to get himself let in and, as an experienced commercial traveller and cunning purveyor of a faith he wants to spread, expounds to her his intellectual wares cunningly wrapped up in a mantle of universal peace and radiant happiness. Who, indeed, would not like peace and happiness? But is this the mere exposition of Mr Kokkinakis’s beliefs or is it not rather an attempt to beguile the simple soul of the cantor’s wife? Does the Convention afford its protection to such undertakings? Certainly not.
One further detail must be provided. The Greek Law does not in any way restrict the concept of proselytism to attempts at the intellectual corruption of Orthodox Christians but applies irrespective of the religion concerned. Admittedly, the Government’s representative was not able to give concrete examples concerning other religions, but that is not surprising since the Orthodox religion is the religion of nearly the whole population and sects are going to fish for followers in the best-stocked waters.
Probably in recent years there have been rather too many prosecutions and the police have been rather too active, but more recently there has been a substantial drop in the number of such prosecutions, and in the present case there was no official prosecution - it was the victim’s husband who, on returning home and discovering what the home preacher was up to, raised his voice, which was a strong one, to call the police.
I should certainly be inclined to recommend the Government to give instructions that prosecutions should be avoided where harmless conversations are involved, but not in the case of systematic, persistent campaigns entailing actions bordering on unlawful entry.
That having been said, I do not consider in any way that there has been a breach of the Convention.
PS. Having read certain separate opinions annexed to the judgment, I must express my regret at a number of exaggerations which go so far as to make reference to totalitarian regimes.
I should also like to sound a note of caution with regard to the opinion that "attempting to make converts is not in itself an attack on the freedom and beliefs of others or an infringement of their rights". Certainly that is an expression of moderation and common sense and the Chamber (perhaps even the plenary Court should have dealt with it) very rightly warned against abuses where proselytism is concerned. But faith can sometimes be blind and attempts to spread it can be overzealous. Acts of faith have sometimes culminated in autos- da-fé and questioning on the subject has led to inquisitions, while the names of certain saints have remained associated with excesses committed on their feast days. In matters of faith as in so many other matters, respect for the human person must always be upheld.
At a time when sects enjoying varying degrees of recognition and, sometimes, even adherents of recognised religions resort, under the influence of fanaticism, to all kinds of tactics to obtain conversions, sometimes with tragic results, as has been seen again recently, it is regrettable that the above judgment should allow proselytising activities on condition only that they should not be "improper". Can a convention on human rights really authorise such an intrusion on people’s beliefs, even where it is not a forceful one?
PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE MARTENS
1. I concur with the Court that there has been a breach of Article 9 (art. 9), but for reasons other than those relied on by the Court. I moreover differ from the Court in that I consider that there has been a breach of Article 7 (art. 7) as well.
2. I likewise agree with the Court that the Article 9 (art. 9) issue is by far the more important one, and I would have welcomed it if the Court had held - as, in my judgment, it could very well have done - that in view of its findings with respect to Article 9 (art. 9) it was not necessary to examine the applicant’s complaints under Article 7 (art. 7).
I would have preferred the Court to have chosen that course, since that would have enabled me to follow suit; whereas now, being unable to agree with the Court’s findings with respect to Article 7 (art. 7), I am bound to discuss whether that Article has been violated by the wording or the application of a criminal provision the very existence of which, in my opinion, violates Article 9 (art. 9).
However theoretical such an exercise may seem, it cannot be escaped. And since it may serve as an introduction to my discussion of the Article 9 (art. 9) issue, I will start with explaining my position with regard to Article 7 (art. 7).
3. Before doing so I would, however, point out that although both parties have - rightly - elevated the debate to the plane of important principle, it should not be forgotten that what occasioned this debate was a normal and perfectly inoffensive call by two elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses (the applicant was 77 at the time) trying to sell some of the sect’s booklets to a lady who, instead of closing the door, allowed the old couple entry, either because she was no match for their insistence or because she believed them to be bringing tidings from relatives on the mainland. There is no trace of violence or of anything that could properly be styled "coercion"; at the worst there was a trivial lie. If resort to criminal law was at all warranted, a prosecution for disturbance of domestic peace would seem the severest possible response.
HAS ARTICLE 7 (art. 7) BEEN VIOLATED?
4. In general I subscribe to what the Court says about Article 7 (art. 7) in the first part of paragraph 50 of its judgment, albeit that, unlike the Court, I think that the requirement that a legal definition of a crime be drafted as precisely as possible is not a consequence but part and parcel of the principle enshrined in Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1).
I am, furthermore, convinced that this requirement serves not only (as the Court suggests in the second part of paragraph 50) the aim of enabling the individual to know "what acts and omissions will make him liable", but is intended - in accordance with its historical origin - also and primarily to secure the individual adequate protection against arbitrary prosecution and conviction: Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1) demands that criminal law should be compatible with the rule of law.
5. The more I have thought about it, the less I have remained satisfied that section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 defines the offence of proselytism with the degree of precision required by Article 7 (art. 7) thus understood.
The first - and, as regards protection against arbitrariness, the most suspect - imprecision lies in the words "in particular": those words virtually permit prosecution for acts that fall outside the definition given. Secondly, the punishable act (as defined) is not "intrusion on the religious beliefs" (whatever that may be), but "any direct or indirect attempt" at such intrusion, which not only considerably broadens the definition but also greatly enhances its essential vagueness. A final point to note is the dangerous ambiguity of the requirement "with the aim of undermining those beliefs": is it at all possible to distinguish between proclaiming one’s own faith to others and trying to convince those others that their tenets are "wrong"?
These deficiencies are such that, in an atmosphere of religious intolerance, section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 provides a perfect and dangerous instrument for repressing heterodox minorities. The file suggests that in the past it has indeed been used for this purpose, whilst at present such use, to put it mildly, does not seem to be wholly excluded. This aspect is all the more serious as the present situation in the south-eastern part of Europe shows that the region is not at all immune to the rise of fierce religious intolerance which is sweeping over our modern world.
This is why I am not impressed by the argument that the above deficiencies of the text are "cured" by case-law, especially of the highest Greek courts. It may be, for instance, that since 1975 the Court of Cassation, reversing its former case-law, has eliminated the consequence of the words "in particular" and that the Supreme Administrative Court’s definition at least endeavours to take into account the above distinction between proclaiming one’s religion and trying to convince another of the shallowness of his own tenets. However, recent history has taught us that if the political or religious atmosphere in a country changes, the case-law of even the highest courts may change too. Such case-law cannot, therefore, supplement guarantees against arbitrariness which the text of the law does not provide.
6. As the Court points out, Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1) also enshrines the principle that criminal law should be restrictively interpreted. This principle fulfils the role of a secondary safeguard against arbitrariness. Accordingly, the broader and vaguer the text of the relevant provision, the more important this secondary safeguard. The more important also the supervision by the Convention institutions.
As the Commission has consistently stated, the Convention institutions are empowered under Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1) to verify whether, on the facts of the case, the national courts could reasonably have arrived at a conviction under the applicable rule of municipal law: the Convention bodies have to be satisfied that the conviction not only was based on a pre-existing (and sufficiently precisely worded) provision of criminal law but also was compatible with the principle of restrictive interpretation of criminal legislation. The greater the doubt of the Convention institutions as to whether the provision applied meets the requirement of precision, the stricter should be their supervision of its application.
7. In the present case the applicant complained of "what he claimed to be the wrongful application to him of section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938". One of the points in issue was whether the facts established against the applicant justified a conviction under that section (see paragraph 60 of the Commission’s report). It is true that this issue was addressed mainly in the context of Article 9 (art. 9), but, the Court being master of the legal characterisation to be given to the facts before it, there is room for scrutinising whether or not the Greek courts did respect the principle of restrictive interpretation of criminal legislation.
8. Let me say at once that upon examination of (the translations of) the full texts of the judgments of the Greek courts submitted by the parties, I have come to the conclusion that this question must be answered in the negative.
Before developing the three grounds on which my conclusion is mainly based, I cannot help noting one telling, but in the present context immaterial, feature of the file: although both the applicant and his wife have consistently denied the version of the facts given by Mrs Kyriakaki, his conviction was primarily, and without more, based on that version and consequently rests for all practical purposes on the testimony of one sole witness.
9. The first ground referred to above concerns the following.
Section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 requires an intention to convert the victim to the perpetrator’s beliefs (as the word "proselytism" implies), or at least to undermine the victim’s beliefs. The applicant, however, denied having had that intention. He pointed out that his intention was merely to "witness", that is to proclaim the gospel as understood by his sect. There is, of course, a fundamental and in the present context crucial difference between, on the one hand, acquainting someone with an opinion or a belief and, on the other hand, trying to convince him of its truth. The Greek courts simply ignored this difference, not even troubling to state on what evidence they based their opinion - which is necessarily implied in their finding the applicant guilty of "proselytism" - that he intended to convince Mrs Kyriakaki of the rightness of his beliefs and of the wrongness of hers.
The inevitable conclusion must therefore be that the applicant’s conviction was based on the view that the mere proclaiming of religious beliefs differing from those of the person addressed implies intention to convert within the meaning of section 4. This is, however, clearly incompatible with the principle of restrictive interpretation of criminal legislation.
10. My second ground concerns a related point. The relevant judgments reveal that the Greek courts had no more than an extremely vague notion of what the applicant exactly had said to Mrs Kyriakaki.
From what both Mrs Kyriakaki and her eavesdropping husband testified before the magistrates at first instance it might be inferred that the applicant had somehow referred to the coming of the heavenly kingdom. On appeal, however, Mrs Kyriakaki could not remember whether this was mentioned and neither did her husband give any particulars about what he had overheard. The evidence included an equally vague reference to the paradise story and Mrs Kyriakaki’s testimony that "they talked to me about Christ".
One is forced to question how the Greek courts were able to conclude, as they did, that the applicant (intentionally) attempted to make Mrs Kyriakaki change her beliefs without establishing - at the very least - what exactly he had said to her and that what he had told her was incompatible with what she believed.
Here again I find that in juxtaposing the facts with the text of section 4 one cannot but conclude that the applicant’s conviction is incompatible with the principle of restrictive interpretation of criminal legislation.
11. My third and final ground corresponds to the criticism expressed by the anonymous dissenters in the Greek courts: the sole evidence for the applicant’s (intentionally) taking advantage of Mrs Kyriakaki’s "inexperience, her low intellect and her naïvety" (as the Crete Court of Appeal put it) was her testimony that she did not fully understand everything that the applicant read to her and told her. On appeal she even said in so many words: "They talked to me about things I did not understand very well."
This sufficed for the Greek courts to hold that the applicant had (intentionally) "abused" Mrs Kyriakaki’s "inexperience in doctrine" and "exploited" "her spiritual naïvety" (as the Court of Cassation put it). That can only mean that the applicant’s conviction was based on the view that the mere proclaiming of one’s faith to a heterodox person whose experience in religious matters or whose mental capacities are less than those of the proclaimer makes the latter guilty under section 4. Again one is forced to conclude that the manner in which the Greek courts applied section 4 was incompatible with the principle of restrictive interpretation of criminal legislation.
12. My conclusion is that section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 is per se incompatible with Article 7 para. 1 (art. 7-1) of the Convention and that its application in the present case has given rise to a further violation of that Article.
13. The Court’s judgment touches only incidentally on the question which, in my opinion, is the crucial one in this case: does Article 9 (art. 9) allow member States to make it a criminal offence to attempt to induce somebody to change his religion? From what it said in paragraphs 40-42 and 46 it is clear that the Court answers this question in the affirmative. My answer is in the negative.
14. The basic principle in human rights is respect for human dignity and human freedom. Essential for that dignity and that freedom are the freedoms of thought, conscience and religion enshrined in Article 9 para. 1 (art. 9-1). Accordingly, they are absolute. The Convention leaves no room whatsoever for interference by the State.
These absolute freedoms explicitly include freedom to change one’s religion and beliefs. Whether or not somebody intends to change religion is no concern of the State’s and, consequently, neither in principle should it be the State’s concern if somebody attempts to induce another to change his religion.
15. There were good reasons for laying down in Article 9 (art. 9) that freedom of religion includes freedom to teach one’s religion: many religious faiths count teaching the faith amongst the principal duties of believers. Admittedly, such teaching may gradually shade off into proselytising. It is true, furthermore, that proselytising creates a possible "conflict" between two subjects of the right to freedom of religion: it sets the rights of those whose religious faith encourages or requires such activity against the rights of those targeted to maintain their beliefs.
In principle, however, it is not within the province of the State to interfere in this "conflict" between proselytiser and proselytised. Firstly, because - since respect for human dignity and human freedom implies that the State is bound to accept that in principle everybody is capable of determining his fate in the way that he deems best - there is no justification for the State to use its power "to protect" the proselytised (it may be otherwise in very special situations in which the State has a particular duty of care, but such situations fall outside the present issue). Secondly, because even the "public order" argument cannot justify use of coercive State power in a field where tolerance demands that "free argument and debate" should be decisive. And thirdly, because under the Convention all religions and beliefs should, as far as the State is concerned, be equal.
That is also true in a State where, as in the present case, one particular religion has a dominant position: as the drafting history of Article 9 (art. 9) confirms (see, for example, La Convention européenne des Droits de l’Homme, by J. Velu and R. Ergec, Bruylant, 1990, p. 581, para. 708), the fact of one religion having a special position under national law is immaterial to the State’s obligation under that Article.
To allow States to interfere in the "conflict" implied in proselytising by making proselytising a criminal offence would not only run counter to the strict neutrality which the State is required to maintain in this field but also create the danger of discrimination when there is one dominant religion. The latter point is tellingly illustrated by the file that was before the Court.
16. In this context the Court suggests that some forms of proselytism are "proper" while others are "improper" and therefore may be criminalised (paragraph 48).
Admittedly, the freedom to proselytise may be abused, but the crucial question is whether that justifies enacting a criminal-law provision generally making punishable what the State considers improper proselytism. There are at least two reasons for answering that question in the negative. The first is that the State, being bound to strict neutrality in religious matters, lacks the necessary touchstone and therefore should not set itself up as the arbiter for assessing whether particular religious behaviour is "proper" or "improper". The absence of such a touchstone cannot be made good (as the Court attempts to do) by resorting to the quasi-neutral test whether or not the proselytism in question is "compatible with respect for the freedom of thought, conscience and religion of others". This is because that very absence implies that the State is lacking intrinsic justification for attributing greater value to the freedom not to be proselytised than to the right to proselytise and, consequently, for introducing a criminal-law provision protecting the former at the cost of the latter. The second reason is that the rising tide of religious intolerance makes it imperative to keep the State’s powers in this field within the strictest possible boundaries. However, the Court achieves quite the reverse in attempting to settle those boundaries by means of so elusive a notion as "improper proselytism", a definition of which the Court does not even attempt to give.
17. Should the judgment be otherwise where proselytism is combined with "coercion"? I do not think so.
Coercion in the present context does not refer to conversion by coercion, for people who truly believe do not change their beliefs as a result of coercion; what we are really contemplating is coercion in order to make somebody join a denomination and its counterpart, coercion to prevent somebody from leaving a denomination. Even in such a case of "coercion for religious purposes" it is in principle for those concerned to help themselves. Accordingly, if there is to be a legal remedy, it should be a civil-law remedy. The strict neutrality which the State is bound to observe in religious matters excludes interference in this conflict by means of criminal law. Unless, of course, the coercion, apart from its purpose, constitutes an ordinary crime, such as physical assault. In such cases the State may, of course, prosecute under the applicable provision of (ordinary) criminal law and a defence based on freedom to proselytise may properly be rejected if that freedom is clearly abused. There is, however, no justification for making coercion in religious matters a criminal offence per se.
18. Is there no such justification even for making proselytism practised by means of serious forms of spiritual coercion a criminal offence? Cannot such justification be found in the methods of conversion used by some of the numerous new sects which have emerged these last decades, methods which are often said to be akin to brainwashing? Should not the State be entitled to protect its citizens - and especially its minors - against such methods?
Even if the use of such objectionable methods of proselytising had been established, I would have hesitated to answer this question in the affirmative, since it is evidently difficult to establish where spiritual means of conversion cross the borderline between insistent and intensive teaching, which should be allowed, and spiritual coercion akin to brainwashing. I am not satisfied, however, that the existence of such offensive methods has been established. In 1984 the author of a study on these new sects, made at the request of the Netherlands Parliament, concluded after extensive research that, as far as the Netherlands were concerned, there was no such evidence. The author stressed that everywhere the new sects had provoked violent reactions including persistent allegations about such methods, but that Governments had up till then declined to take measures.
I would add that there probably are methods of spiritual coercion akin to brainwashing which arguably fall within the ambit of Article 3 (art. 3) of the Convention and should therefore be prohibited by making their use an offence under ordinary criminal law. But in this context also I would stress that there is no justification for making a special provision in the law for cases where such methods are used for the purpose of proselytising.
19. To summarise: even if the Government’s thesis that section 4 of Law no. 1363/1938 is intended to prevent conversions being made by coercion were compatible with the wording of that provision (which it is not), that justification would fail.
20. For these reasons I find that Greece, which, as far as I have been able to ascertain, is the only member State to have made proselytism a criminal offence per se, in so doing has violated Article 9 (art. 9) of the Convention.
JOINT DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGES FOIGHEL AND LOIZOU
We regret that we are unable to agree with the opinion of the majority of the Court as we take a different approach to the issues raised in this case. Article 9 para. 1 (art. 9-1) guarantees to everyone the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest one’s religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance. We are concerned here with the freedom one has to teach one’s own religion.
The relevant Greek law making proselytism a criminal offence reads as follows:
"By ‘proselytism’ is meant, in particular, any direct or indirect attempt to intrude on the religious beliefs of a person of a different religious persuasion, with the aim of undermining those beliefs, either by any kind of inducement or promise of an inducement or moral support or material assistance, or by fraudulent means or by taking advantage of his inexperience, trust, need, low intellect or naïvety."
This definition of the offence of "proselytism" cannot, in our view, be considered to constitute a violation of Article 9 para. 1 (art. 9-1). It is only when it takes this kind of intrusive form as opposed to genuine, open and straightforward teaching of a religion that it is a criminal offence.
The term "teach" entails openness and uprightness and the avoidance of the use of devious or improper means or false pretexts as in this case in order to gain access to a person’s home and, once there, by abusing the courtesy and hospitality extended, take advantage of the ignorance or inexperience in theological doctrine of someone who has no specialist training and try to get that person to change his or her religion.
This is all the more so as the term "teach" has to be read in the context of the whole Article (art. 9) and in conjunction with the limitations prescribed by paragraph 2 (art. 9-2), in particular that of the protection of the rights and freedoms of others, which no doubt includes a duty imposed on those who are engaged in teaching their religion to respect that of others. Religious tolerance implies respect for the religious beliefs of others.
One cannot be deemed to show respect for the rights and freedoms of others if one employs means that are intended to entrap someone and dominate his mind in order to convert him. This is impermissible in the civilised societies of the Contracting States. The persistent efforts of some fanatics to convert others to their own beliefs by using unacceptable psychological techniques on people, which amount in effect to coercion, cannot in our view come within the ambit of the natural meaning of the term "teach" to be found in paragraph 1 of this Article (art. 9-1).
For the above reasons we find in the circumstances of this case that there has been no breach of Article 9 (art. 9).
* The case is numbered 3/1992/348/421. The first number is the case's position on the list of cases referred to the Court in the relevant year (second number). The last two numbers indicate the case's position on the list of cases referred to the Court since its creation and on the list of the corresponding originating applications to the Commission.
** As amended by Article 11 of Protocol No. 8 (P8-11), which came into force on 1 January 1990.
* Note by the Registrar: for practical reasons this annex will appear only with the printed version of the judgment (volume 260-A of Series A of the Publications of the Court), but a copy of the Commission's report is available from the registry.
* Le Petit Robert, vol. 1, 1992 édition, p. 1552.
** Paragraph 49 of the judgment; paragraphs 71 and 73 of the Commission's report.
*** Paragraphs 9 and 10 of the judgment; paragraphs 22-25 of the Commission's report.
**** Paragraph 7 of the judgment; paragraph 21 of the Commission's report.
* Note by the Registrar: Hoffmann v. Austria judgment of 23 June 1993, Series A no. 255-C.
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Kim: D | Grade It Now!
Revamped? More like ReCrapped
As the show opens, we see Derek Barnes working at a computer as he tells us via voice-over that his brother had a website called occultresearch.com, and that said brother hired Derek as his lead investigator. As we close in, we learn that he is recording this speech into his computer. This is what's known in the trade as "a framing device." Derek says that his job is simple: "To get out into the world, and gather the truth behind these strange, bizarre stories, and post them on the site." Derek didn't really care about the stories, but it was fun and a chance to work with his brother, until "the night [he] walked into that roadside bar." And isn't that how all good stories start? Walking into a roadside bar? Well, except for the "good" part. The roadside bar in question has a neon sign of a scantily clad women, and as DVO (Derek voice-over) tells us that "nothing in [his] life would ever be the same again," a plume of flame shoots out of the sign's right breast. Huh? What kind of crazy-ass bar is this? Plus, please. Couldn't the writers come up with anything less hackneyed than "nothing in my life would ever be the same again"? This does not bode well for this show.
Inside the bar, men are drinking and women are dancing on a stage. Derek is telling a waitress that she doesn't understand, and she launches into possibly the worst faux-Southern accent ever, saying, "If I hay-ed a daah-lerr ev'ry tahm I herd thay-at!" Derek continues to pester the poor waitress (while checking out her ass), saying that he's heard rumors about "dancers who burned up on stage" and "went up in flames in the middle of a lap dance." Now, I'm not too familiar with the gentlemen's clubs, but don't lap dances normally take place offstage? Not to be all nit-picky, but as you will see, this is but one example of the lazy writing on this show (or at least this episode). I'm sure we've all heard the stories about how the head guy left the show, because Fox wanted the show to be less "edgy," and then they had to reshoot scenes for the pilot to make the tone lighter. So keep that in mind, too. Anyway, the waitress has completely lost the Southern accent and is all, "Why do you want to know?" and Derek gives her a business card with the website's URL on it. She asks if Derek is a "computer geek," and Derek says that his brother is the geek. He's "just a surfer trying to keep corn flakes on the table." Okay, here's how much of a "computer geek" I am: when he said "surfer", I thought he meant "web surfer" and I didn't get it. But as you have probably figured out, he meant surf-in-the-ocean surfer. And P.S. -- who talks like that? "Corn flakes on the table"? The waitress is impressed for some reason. Derek's cell phone rings, and he answers it, "This had better be life and death." Shouldn't that be "life or death"? It's Adam, and Derek is all "slow down" but trying to get off the phone so that he can hook up with the waitress. Eventually, Derek pretends that the call is breaking up to end it, reassuring himself that his brother will understand. Derek checks himself out in the mirror, but then something weird happens, and if the special effects were better, I could tell you what happened. Instead, it just looks like Derek turns into a mummy for a second. This freaks Derek out, and another problem I have with his characterization is that for someone whose day job is to investigate the paranormal, he is pretty easily freaked out. You'd think he would develop some immunity. Anyway, he calms down and goes off with the waitress, as the camera zooms in on a painting of a house in the background.
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DRC: Protesters killed in anti-Kabila protests
At least five people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN, as authorities cracked down on banned protests against President Joseph Kabila.
Witnesses told news agencies security forces on Sunday fired live rounds and tear gas in the capital, Kinshasa, to disperse demonstrators demanding an end to Kabila’s 17-year rule.
The Catholic church had called for rallies around the country despite a government ban on all demonstrations since September 2016, when anti-Kabila protests turned violent.
MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, said at least five people were killed on Sunday in Kinshasa and 33 others injured nationwide. Dozens of people were also reportedly arrested.
« I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights, » protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters news agency where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.
A 16-year-old girl died after shots were fired from an armoured vehicle at the entrance to a church in the Kitambo area of the capital, Jean-Baptise Sondji, a former minister and government opponent, told AFP news agency.
A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitaries fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame cathedral in Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck with flying tear gas canisters, he told Reuters.
The latest round of anti-government protests on December 31, 2017 turned deadly, with protest organisers saying a dozen people were killed after taking to the streets to demand that Kabila step down.
In office since 2001, Kabila’s constitutional term ended in December 2016, but he stayed on.
Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.
DRC authorities have said a vote would be held on December 23, 2018. But analysts, as well as Kabila’s opponents, accuse him of wanting to stay in power.
Michael Tshibangu, a UK-based political analyst and president of the Association for Development and Democracy in Congo, said in early January the swift and forceful repression of December’s protests showed « how determined [Kabila] is to stay in power ».
« Everything we’re seeing today shows that the DRC is going backwards. Kabila is in the process of establishing a dictatorship, » Tshibangu told Al Jazeera.
The flare-up in violence has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich DRC could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease. — Al Jazeera
Mail&Guardian, 22.01.18
© Congoindépendant 2003-2018
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Dust Mitigation Project Receives Research Award
Brandon Hall, an aerospace engineering senior and Clark School ambassador, has received this year's NASA Academy Research Award at Goddard Space Flight Center, which goes to a project that made a significant contribution to GSFC research.
The project, "A Dust Mitigation Vehicle" is a prototype paving system for the Moon that utilizes only resources available in-situ. Hall has been working with Goddard engineer Dr. Eric Cardiff for over a year developing and testing the prototype vehicle.
Lunar dust contamination is one of the paramount problems that need to be addressed before NASA returns to the surface of the Moon. One way to reduce the problem is to remove the source of the dust by paving the surface. Cardiff and Hall's dust mitigation vehicle uses only the native solar flux present in-situ in order to create a hard, dust-free surface for lunar operations. This project was in conjunction with Hall's participation in the NASA Academy, a program that represents an immersive and integrated multidisciplinary exposure and training for students with career aspirations of critical importance to the national aerospace program.
Hall and Cardiff will be presenting their research in Cape Canaveral, Fla., this October for the annual meetings of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, the International Lunar Conference 2008, the Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon, and the Space Resources Roundtable.
Hasan Receives Multiple NASA Awards
Aerospace Senior Named Mather Scholar
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February 15, 2014 - Interview in the News & Observer's Triangle Mom2Mom Feature
Meet: Bridget Mora
Posted by Stacy Chandler on March 3, 2014
As her son was getting therapy for Asperger’s syndrome, Bridget Mora of Chapel Hill often found herself swapping information with other parents in the waiting room and writing long emails sharing the information and resources she’d found in the course of her family’s journey. Her husband suggested she gather everything into one place that was accessible to everyone, and the CHART (Chapel Hill Autism Resources and Tools) website was born. CHART offers list of books, therapists, local events and other resources to help families dealing with autism connect with sources of help as well as with each other. We talked to Bridget about how CHART got started, what people should know about autism and ways North Carolina could improve life for autistic people and their families.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself, and about your family.
A: My husband, Peter, works for First In Families of North Carolina, a nonprofit that serves families and individuals affected by developmental disabilities. I work from home as a customer service manager for an international company and as a freelance writer; I am very fortunate to have a flexible job that allows me to care for my son after school. I also volunteer for the Autism Society of North Carolina Orange Chatham Chapter, Central Carolina First In Families, and the Special Needs Advisory Council for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. You might say I have a hard time turning down a good cause!
Our son, Holden, is 6 years old and in kindergarten. He is a bright, funny, lively, active boy with an amazing mind. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (high functioning autism) at age 3 ½. We also have a delightful little “therapy cat” named Milky. Holden loves all cats – his current plan is to save the snow leopards in Mongolia when he grows up.
Q: When did you start CHART, and why?
A: We started CHART (Chapel Hill Autism Resources and Tools) in the fall of 2011. The blog was my husband’s idea. Over the course of our journey with our son, we have learned a lot about local autism and sensory resources (and read a lot of books!). I frequently met other moms in the waiting room of therapists’ offices and would end up writing them long emails sharing information. Finally my husband suggested that we gather all of the resources we had found together in one place where everyone could access them. And CHART was born!
Q: Do you think the Triangle is a fairly autism-friendly place? How could it improve?
A: Overall, I do think that the Triangle is a pretty autism-friendly area. We have a tremendous wealth of world-class autism experts in the area, both in research and private therapy. There is a good support network (especially for moms) and nice range of inclusive activities for families offered through the Autism Society of North Carolina, TEACCH, and other local organizations.
However, the lack of access to services is a tremendous problem across North Carolina, and it is driving families out of the state to places where their children can get needed therapies. Although we have incredible resources in the Triangle, many families simply can’t afford them. The problem is two-fold: the waiting list for the Innovations Medicaid waivers (formerly known as CAP) is over 10,000 people long. And private insurers are not yet required to cover autism treatment in North Carolina. Hopefully that will change this year: an autism insurance reform bill passed the N.C. House of Representatives in 2013; if the state Senate passes it into law this year, it could be truly life changing for so many families.
Q: What do you wish people who haven’t dealt with autism knew about children with autism and their families?
A: To withhold judgment on the behavior of the children and the parenting style of the adults. Effective parenting of a child with autism may look different than people are used to. For example, a parent might strategically ignore negative behavior and heavily reinforce positive behavior; that could look like “condoning” misbehavior to the untrained eye, when in fact it is a more effective way to teach appropriate behavior than punishment. I would also like for people to understand that when a child with autism is doing really well in a situation, it probably means he is also working extremely hard at that moment.
Q: What's your favorite thing to do with the whole family in the Triangle?
A: We had an awesome time at a Carolina football game in the fall (go Heels!), and love to eat pizza from Alfredo’s in Chapel Hill. Holden also plays in a flag football league and his dad coaches; I keep the stats.
Q: What's your favorite thing around here to do when you get a few hours to yourself?
A: To shop by myself or with a friend, especially for organizing supplies. A trip to the Container Store is pretty much my idea of a dream afternoon.
Q: What's the best parenting trick you've picked up?
A: My son has always had a terrible time sleeping, so I’d say the best trick I have picked up is to stick with a very consistent bedtime routine every single night. We are also very consistent about the time he goes to bed, even on holidays and vacations.
Q: What's the best advice someone has given you about being a mom?
A: That the best way to help my son calm down is for me to remain calm.
Q: What's your least favorite part and most favorite part of being a mom?
A: The least favorite part is easy: lack of sleep! My favorite parts about being a mom are almost too many to count, but I would say I especially cherish reading books and snuggling with my son. It is also very exciting to see the thoughts and ideas that come from our son’s remarkable brain – he never ceases to surprise and amaze us. An unexpected benefit of being a mom is how parenthood has helped my husband and I learn how to be a true team. Our marriage and our partnership have been strengthened by the unique joys and challenges of raising a unique child.
February 15, 2014 - Radio Interview on Carolina Connection: Families Fight for Autism Coverage
Did you know that 34 states + the District of Columbia have passed autism insurance reform laws? Did you know that North Carolina is not one of them?
I wrote an op-ed for The Charlotte Observer about the need for autism insurance two years ago, and unfortunately we are still awaiting a law in this state. Listen to my radio interview on Carolina Connection to hear the latest in the fight for autism coverage in North Carolina.
May 30, 2013 - Article published on CNN.com about the reaction of the public to autistic behaviors:
Like many parents of a child with autism, we were distressed to hear of the poor treatment a little boy and his mother received in a Michigan salon. This CNN article is our response to the incident, and will hopefully provide some tips for members of the public on how to better respond when they see a child becoming upset.
Writer Bridget Mora's 5-year-old son, Holden, is one of an estimated 1-in-88 children in the United States who has autism.
Opinion: Let's talk about autism in public spaces
By Bridget Mora, Special to CNN
updated 3:07 PM EDT, Thu May 30, 2013
Editor's note: Bridget Mora is the mother of a 5 ½-year-old son with an autism spectrum disorder. A resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she is a member of the board of the Autism Society of North Carolina Orange Chatham Chapter. She also blogs about autism.
(CNN) -- Ashley Bays took her toddler into M Spa Salon in Portage, Michigan, for a simple haircut but left with a "severe tongue lashing," according to a witness whose Facebook post about the event went viral.
Customer Vanessa Hunt wrote about her outrage at watching salon owner Michelle Mott allegedly dress down Bays and 2 ½-year-old Grayson because the child cried during his haircut.
"At the conclusion of this woman's tantrum to the mother the mother said through tears, 'I'm so sorry, he's autistic,'" Hunt wrote in a post that has been shared more than 35,000 times. Attorneys for the salon said in a statement to mlive.com that Mott reacted reasonably to safety concerns caused by the boy's behavior.
Many toddlers cry during a visit to the hair salon, but the experience can be particularly challenging for individuals with the sensory sensitivities that are common in autism. I know, because my son is one of them.
Haircuts require a patient stylist, a special list of instructions, books to read and a fresh shirt to change into immediately afterward. If it weren't for the promise of a lollipop at the end of the haircut, he might not go into the salon at all.
The noise and feel of the clippers can be painful, the smells of dyes and permanents overpowering, the water sprayed on their hair upsetting and the sound of hair dryers panic-inducing. However, Bays, a longtime client of the salon, had found one hairstylist she trusted to cut her son's hair -- no small thing, as parents of children with autism can attest.
The incident at M Spa Salon has brought a much larger issue to the public eye than merely the allegedly nasty behavior of one business owner: Parents of children on the autism spectrum struggle with public judgment on a daily basis.
Sometimes kids with autism exhibit behaviors that draw attention to themselves, ranging from self-soothing repetitive motions to a full-blown meltdown in an overwhelming situation. The reaction of the bystanders can go a long way toward defusing panic or exacerbating it, which is what happened when Mott reportedly yelled at Ashley and Grayson Bays until they both left the salon in tears.
"I've never experienced anything else like this before. I understand if she doesn't want children in the salon, but she could have handled it a lot differently. She could have pulled us to the side. She was very insensitive that he does have special needs," Bays later said.
Just as a negative reaction can make matters worse, thoughtful words and actions can help. The hairstylist who joined the family outside to complete the child's haircut stands out as an unsung hero in the unfortunate M Spa Salon drama.
Another recent example was the kindness of a waitress at a Chili's Bar and Grill in Utah who replaced the "broken" hamburger of an autistic girl without batting an eyelash. Small kindnesses can go a long way.
So what should a person do if they witness a child with autism (or frankly any child) in distress? According to Amanda Benson, LCSW, an autism specialist at The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program, the most useful thing that bystanders can do is ask the parents: "Is there something I can do to make this easier for you?"
"The parents will know what will best help their child," Benson said, such as dimming the lights, moving to a quieter space or offering a preferred toy as a distraction. In the specific case of a haircut, the child might be more comfortable with scissors only or conversely only with clippers. Because autism encompasses such a broad spectrum, there is no single solution that will work well for all individuals.
Bystanders should refrain from judgment. Effective parenting techniques are different for children with autism than for typically developing kids. Because attention is often a strong behavioral reinforcement for individuals on the spectrum, parents may strategically ignore inappropriate behaviors, while providing positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior.
Bystanders can help by offering an empathetic smile for the parent or a word of praise for a child who is trying his best. Some parents of autistic children carry small cards to hand out explaining autism to strangers who stop and stare, or sneer.
Without acceptance of the whole spectrum of human development, people with disabilities are inevitably excluded from society. Given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the autism prevalence in the United States to be 1 in 88 (and more recent studies suggest that figure may be as high as 1 in 50), business owners are going to have to become better educated about how to serve individuals with special needs. Not only are they their customers, as in the case of the young Grayson, but people with autism are entitled to the same access to public spaces afforded all other Americans.
March 28, 2012 - Op-ed published in Charlotte Observer about the importance of enacting autism insurance reform in North Carolina:
N.C. lagging on insurance for autism
By Bridget Mora and Robert Weiner
Special to the Observer
Posted: Wednesday, Mar. 28, 2012
The Autism Society of North Carolina’s annual conference, the largest autism gathering in the state, takes place in Charlotte tomorrow and Friday. Bringing to light a disability that has seen a rapid rise (in part because of better diagnoses), the conference may serve as a wake-up call that over 50,000 people in North Carolina and their families are now personally impacted by autism.
According to the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, the rate of autism in North Carolina is 1 in 97, above the national rate of one in 110. Yet North Carolina lags behind 29 other states in the U.S. that have already passed autism insurance reform laws.
It is time for the North Carolina legislature to follow the lead of neighboring states like South Carolina and Virginia, and pass the autism insurance reform bills which are languishing in committees (House Bill 826 and Senate Bill 115).
An estimated 1.5 million Americans have an autism spectrum disorder, but most Americans have no understanding of what it is. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects brain function, emotional development, and social interaction. It affects every facet of daily living, including the ability to communicate, succeed in school, hold a job, maintain friendships, and live independently.
While autism is not curable, it is treatable, especially with early diagnosis and treatment. The American Academy of Pediatrics stresses that intervention in children as young as 18 months old can dramatically improve lifetime prognosis.
Individuals with autism in North Carolina currently face discrimination by health insurance policies that specifically exclude treatment for autism and developmental disabilities. Because state law does not mandate coverage, most companies deny coverage.
To the families of the more than 50,000 individuals with autism in North Carolina, this is an outrageous exception to medically necessary health coverage. Would we accept it if other chronic medical conditions like diabetes, cancer, or heart conditions were excluded from treatment?
With appropriate intervention, many children with autism can grow to be independent adults who contribute to society and have a meaningful quality of life. Without intervention, individuals are far more likely to require lifetime support from their families, the school system, and the government.
Later life can be filled with employment and social difficulties for adults as they age. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 only 28.6 percent of individuals aged 16 to 64 with a disability were in the labor force. The lost productivity and earning potential costs everyone.
The cost of therapy for autism is more than a typical family or individual can afford, up to $50,000 per year. Parents have a reasonable right to expect that their health insurance premiums will cover necessary services for their children, something which the Coverage For Treatment of Autism Disorders bill would address.
Insurance lobbyists have tried to use scare tactics to convince state legislatures that the cost of adding autism coverage to existing health plans would increase premiums by 1 to 3 percent for all subscribers. However, studies have proved that to be false. In states that have tracked the costs of claims following the enactment of autism insurance laws, the average premium increase is only 31 cents per month. For less than the cost of an apple a month, North Carolina’s children with autism can be helped. Even that cost will be overwhelmingly paid back to society by productivity.
The current versions of the Coverage For Treatment of Autism Disorders bills were introduced to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2010 by a coalition of autism advocates, state legislators, and organizations. Legislators across the state need to know the importance of the Coverage For Treatment of Autism Disorders bill, and vote to end discrimination against people with autism.
Bridget Mora is a chapter Board Member of the Autism Society of North Carolina, and the mother of a four-year old son with Asperger’s Disorder. She is also the author of http://www.chartnc.blogspot.com/,a blog dedicated to sharing information and resources for autism in the Triangle region. Robert Weiner is a former chief of staff of the U.S. House Health Subcommittee and House Aging Committee. For more information, contact the Autism Society of North Carolina at 919-743-0204.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/28/3131573/nc-lagging-on-insurance-for-autism.html#storylink=cpy
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Display News
Warner Creek Restoration in Boyle Park
We are pleased to share an update on the Warner Creek Restoration Project - a project completed in 2013, to restore a 300-foot long section of ephemeral creek channel within Boyle Park, adjacent to Elm Street in Mill Valley. This section is a tributary to Warner Creek, which empties into Richardson Bay.
Click here to see the before - during construction - and after photos.
Marin County submitted the Boyle Park Creek Restoration Project as part of the North Bay Watershed Association’s grant application with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Marin County oversaw the $370,000 construction contract in coordination with Mill Valley’s Department of Public Works. The project was funded through a generous grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund with support from the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. Another key group involved in the project was the North Bay Watershed Association, a group of 15 regional and local public agencies in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties that focus on water issues.
Working together, the City coordinated a full restoration, through a combination of revegetation and reconstruction of the creek channel into a step-pool channel morphology.
The 300-foot reconstructed channel was divided into four sub-reaches, each with varying slopes and features. The channel was first cleared of non-native vegetation in preparation for the reconstruction. To the extent possible, native trees and shrubs were incorporated back into the revegetation plan. Trees identified for removal included one acacia tree, five plum trees, one willow, and the stump of one bay tree. Revegetation included native trees, shrubs, and grasses selected to complement the existing native vegetation and to provide ecological function.
The project is now in its 5th year of monitoring. Mill Valley Public Works’ Parks crew weeds the area twice per year to assist growth of the natives. Each winter, storms create cascades of water through the reach. The Marin County team monitored the site over the last five years and has proclaimed the project a success!
Many thanks to the key members of the Marin County team: Joanna Dixon, Marin County Associate Civil Engineer and Chris Choo, Marin County Principal Watershed Planner.
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Voices of Elk Grove - Is The Ghost of John Danielson Haunting Elk Grove City Hall?
Current News, Government & Politics
http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2018/02/voices-of-elk-grove-is-ghost-of-john-danielson.html
Febraury 18, 2018 |
The name of a notorious former Elk Grove city manager popped up at the Wednesday, February 14 meeting of the Elk Grove City Council. That name was John Danielson.
For new Elk Grove residents or those who do not recall, Danielson was the city manager during the city's formative years. During his time as city manager, Danielson, along with his sidekick and city attorney Anthony Manzanetti, conducted business in a way that many would characterize as self-serving.
Although she did not go into detail during her public comments at least week's meeting, Elk Grove resident Lynn Wheat brought up one of Danielson's reputed transgressions. In this case, it was when Danielson wrote himself a check for $7,625 for closing costs on the purchase of his primary residence.
As readers will note, the check was written on November 14, 2002, but it was not until three years later that this incident, which the then city council members were unaware of, surfaced. The information was revealed after a public records request.
The person requesting the information thought it was strange that the check which Danielson made payable to himself, was written on what looked like a personal-style check. Further, it did not have a warrant number of the check which is standard procedure.
The person who requested the information, who asked not to be identified for this story, adds the following:
"Shortly thereafter, I requested all the checks written from the special little checking account which I received after many attempts. I also asked to get a copy of Danielson’s contract to verify what is written on the check, “closing costs per contract.” That request was denied.
I called then-Council Member Jim Cooper to ask him about it. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about and that the city council never approved paying for the closing costs on Danielson’s house.
After going public with the Danielson check, suddenly the little personal checking account disappeared, and all checks were then processed by the city’s accounting department, coded with warrant numbers and appeared in the check register. "
While Danielson and Manzanetti's playbook was full of chicanery that is a separate story in itself, it was in the context the Wheat made her comments. As can be seen in the video below, Wheat presented a copy of Danielson's check during her presentation.
As Wheat pointed out, she was not suggesting current city manager Laura Gill is involved in Danielson-style hijinx. Instead, she urged the city council to deny a request from Gill and her staff that would have permitted her to make purchases offers up to $500,000 without their approval.
Fortunately, the city council heeded Wheat requests, and perhaps their own better judgment, and denied the proposal. There are a few take aways from this recent exercise.
First is the city council should recall that there are still some people in the community who not only have long memories, they are willing to use the tools at their disposal to dig deeper.
The second takeaway is this - as our requestor found, it took tenacity to find out the truth of how Danielson was wrting checks, unchecked if you will, for his benefit on the backs of Elk Grove taxpayers.
One final note - as readers may also recall, the City of Elk Grove has been involved in litigation seeking to block numerous documents from a public information request regarding dealings between the city, the Howard Hughes Company, the Wilton Rancheria, and Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming regarding the Wilton Rancheria's proposed $500 million casino. As was the case with Danielson, we cannot help but wonder what the City of Elk Grove is trying to cover up?
Between the request made by city staff to increase the city manager's authority and the stonewalling of public documents regarding the casino deal, the ghost of John Danielson is alive and well and hanging out in Elk Grove City Hall.
Government & Politics 4981537088511040907
D.J. Blutarsky said...
"In the 6 ½ years that he worked for Elk Grove, Danielson created wealth for himself at the rate of $746,000/year. When he left Elk Grove in April 2008, at the age of 52, he was set for life financially,”
"Sophia Scherman asked why questions about Danielson’s compensation were now being raised. When told that the inquiry stemmed from assertions made in the California Public Pay Institute’s article, Scherman said, “the details are not in there, and that’s why I’m not commenting.”
Elk Grove Mayor Pat Hume – elected in 2006 - couldn’t be reached for comment by press time.
Elk Grove Citizen
We've gone from this to "retail leakage". Things are looking up in The Grove!
D.J., how right you are! I also have that detailed article which I forwarded to Elk Grove News. It is worth a full read given what transpired at the last council meeting and the $500K check approval request.
If Lynn Wheat had not come forward and gave the request "sunshine," would the Council have just rubberstamped the approval? They certainly did that with the $400K for "spatial needs" request, even though no bids were before them to justify such an exorbitant expenditure.
As the saying goes, "If we don't learn from our mistakes. . . ."
In regards to the $400K for "spatial needs"....was that not just a ballpark figure thrown out?
Now that the City Council has brought this to my attention, I wonder if it would be possible to incorporate residents' spatial needs and perspectives (i.e., local knowledge) into planning processes and plans?
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THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY ANNOUNCES SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS
July 02, 2014 / EspectaculosAlDia
WILLY CHIRINO, CESAR COSTA, CARLOS DO CARMO,
DUO DINAMICO, LOS LOBOS, VALERIA LYNCH,
AND NEY MATOGROSSO TO BE HONORED WITH
THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY®
ANDRE MIDANI AND JUAN VICENTE TORREALBA
TO RECEIVE THE TRUSTEES AWARD
MIAMI (July 1, 2014) — Willy Chirino, César Costa, Carlos Do Carmo, Dúo Dinámico,Los Lobos, Valeria Lynch, and Ney Matogrosso will be honored with The Latin Recording Academy®'s Lifetime Achievement Award, and André Midani and Juan Vicente Torrealba are the recipients of the prestigious Trustees Award. The Special Awards honorees will be acknowledged at an invitation-only ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino as part of the weeklong 15th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® celebration. For breaking news and exclusive content, join The Latin Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.
"As we prepare to celebrate our first 15 years, the Latin GRAMMY Awards® not only continue the tradition of recognizing outstanding artists for their career achievements but honor their exemplary contributions to the world of Latin music," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "It is with great pride that we pay homage to this diverse and exceptional group of honorees along with commemorating the indelible musical heritage they have bestowed upon us and the roads they have paved for the advantage of new generations. They are each truly masters of their genres and we look forward to welcoming them to the roster of iconic artists we have honored before them."
Lifetime Achievement Awards: This Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers.
Emigrating from his native Cuba at age 14, singer, songwriter, musician, and producer Willy Chirino has built a musical career lasting more than four decades. Recognized as the creator of the "Miami sound" a fusion of Cuban music, rock, jazz, Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms — he has recorded more than 30 albums and composed more than 100 songs ― some recorded by legendary artists such as Celia Cruz, Gipsy Kings and Raphael. While devoted to his music (he won the 2005 GRAMMY® for Best Salsa/Merengue Album for Son Del Alma) he's also a compassionate philanthropist. He launched the Willy Chirino Foundation in 1996 and has gone on to receive numerous honors for his humanitarian work including the United States Legion of Honor, Billboard's Spirit of Hope humanitarian award, and the Hispanic Heritage Award from the U.S. Department of State. His song "Nuestro Día (Ya Viene Llegando)" has become an anthem of hope for the Cuban émigrés.
Mexican singer, actor, producer, radio host, author, and mentor César Costa is the epitome of an music impresario. Beginning his career in 1958 as the lead singer of the musical group Los Camisas Negras, Costa's solo career continued after the group disbanded. Costa's success as a solo artist led to his first starring film role with the legendary Libertad Lamarque in 1962'sEl Cielo Y La Tierra, which led to the launch of his personal production company, Costa Films. Throughout his career, he has recorded more than 35 albums that achieved record-breaking sales in Mexico, Europe, and Central and South America; starred in 17 films and three extremely successful television shows; authored an autobiography, Llegar A Ser; hosted the radio program "De Costa A Costa;" and led the creation of the Fundación Académica de la Industria de la Música, an effort to provide post-graduate training in the music industry for more than 500 professionals. In 2004 he was appointed UNICEF National Ambassador, a role in which he still actively serves. He continues to tour, to the great pleasure of his fans.
Hailing from Portugal, Carlos do Carmo is one of the greatest fado singers of his time. His mother, legendary singer Lucilia do Carmo, was a great influence on his career, which has lasted more than 50 years. While fado has been the core of his music, Carlos do Carmo's distinctive style of singing is marked by the special timber of his voice along with his personal affinity for French pop balladry and Brazilian bossa nova, creating an unmistakable and definitive sound that distinguishes him as one of the most iconic voices of Portuguese music. Among his vast repertoire of songs, do Carmo is most recognized for "Lágrimas De Orvalho," "Lisboa Menina E Moça" and "Canoas Do Tejo." He has received international acclaim and has performed to sold-out crowds in landmark venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, the L'Olympia in Paris and Carnegie Hall in New York. He played a key role in making fado part of UNESCO's World Heritage Cultural Patrimony via his countless concerts, recordings and participation in director Carlos Saura's 2007 film Fado. He continues touring actively.
Singers, composers, producers, and actors Ramón Arcusa and Manuel de la Calva, known as Dúo Dinámico, beginning their career in Barcelona, Spain in 1958, the Spanish pop super team scored, influenced and entertained generations of fans in Spain with popular hits such as "Quince Años Tiene Mi Amor," "Quisiera Ser," "Perdóname," "Mari Carmen," "Esos Ojitos Negros," "Amor De Verano," and "Resistiré," propelling their popularity throughout Spain, Mexico and Latin America, and leading to starring roles in four films. The international dynamic duo produced hit records for Julio Iglesias, Miguel Gallardo, José Vélez and Paloma San Basilio. Nino Bravo, José Feliciano and Camilo Sesto also sang their songs. One of their greatest compositions, "La, La, La," performed by Massiel won the 1968 Eurovision Song contest in London, resulting in the first win for Spain at the festival. "Quisiera Ser," a musical based on their songs, played for a year in Madrid in 2007. Today, they continue to perform and tour within their country.
Emerging from East Los Angeles, Los Lobos (Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano, David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, and Steve Berlin) gained notoriety for their mix of traditional Mexican and popular American genres of music. The three-time GRAMMY-winning group's eclectic blend of rock and roll, country, folk, R&B, blues and norteño music resulted in their signature style of "Chicano rock." Inspired by the L.A. music scene of the '80s and working with GRAMMY-winning producer T-Bone Burnett, their rendition of the Mexican classic "Anselma" garnered the group their first GRAMMY for Best Mexican-American Performance in 1983. The band recorded several Richie Valens songs for the 1987 biopic La Bamba, with their soundtrack earning double platinum status and exposing the band to an emerging, new market of Latin music aficionados. Los Lobos have recorded more than 20 albums and have collaborated with artists such as Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Tom Waits, and Bobby Womack. They continue to create music that resonates with the audiences throughout the world.
Not only is singer/actress Valeria Lynch one of Argentina's cultural treasures, in 1988 she was regarded by The New York Times as one of the five best voices in the world. She began her career by singing commercial jingles and performing in underground clubs in Buenos Aires. In the '80s, Lynch rose to stardom by starring in the rock opera Evita for one year in Mexico. Her Eva Perón captivated audiences and intrigued the public who discovered her unique singing style and strong vocals. It was during this decade that she also released signature hits such as "Mentira," and "Amiga Mia," along with her triple-platinum album,Energía. She has collaborated with artists such as Jeffrey Osborne, Barry Manilow and José José; starred in several stage productions; hosted the television programs "Soñando Con Valeria" and "Mas Te Vale"; received numerous awards and recognitions both in Argentina and abroad; has recorded 30 albums; toured the entire globe; and performed more than 5000 concerts worldwide. She continues to perform in Latin America, and is both the founder and director of Escuela de Comedia Musical Valeria Lynch and Congreso Internacional de Musicales y Óperas Rock.
Ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the three greatest Brazilian singers of all time,Ney Matogrosso has recorded nearly 50 albums over a career that spans more than four decades. Influenced by the glam-rock movement of the '70s, Matogrosso became a member of the group Secos & Molhados. With his uncommon countertenor voice, energetic stage performances and eccentric costumes, he and the group became an overnight sensation. However, the union was short-lived and Matogrosso embarked on a solo career, garnering extraordinary success with hit singles such as "Homem Com H" and "Bandido Corazón." Leaving his androgynous glam-rock persona behind, in 1986, Matogrosso began working with emerging composers Cazuza and Victor Ramil and revisited the traditional roots of Música Popular Brasileira. Forever regarded as challenging preconceptions and prejudices through his satiric and ironic performances, he has evolved into a very serious and well respected artist through his interpretations of classic standards. Matogrosso continues to tour and perform throughout Brazil and Europe.
Trustees Award: This Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording during their careers.
The accomplishments of music executive, visionary and author André Midani have influenced and set successful trends that record labels have tried hard to replicate for decades. Beginning his career in sales at the French division of Decca Records in Paris in 1952, his love for music propelled him to a career in Brazil amid its new and burgeoning music scene. At EMI-Odeon (Brazil), he managed and led the launch of the bossa nova, creating a worldwide sensation in the global music market. In 1961 he founded Imperial Records, the first seller of door-to-door vinyl records ever created, with offices in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico. His impressive résumé includes roles as president/general manager of several Latin American and North American entertainment divisions for companies such as Philips/PolyGram (Brazil), Capitol Records (Mexico), and Warner Music (Brazil and the Latin American Region). He has developed the artistic careers of Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Caetano Veloso, Luis Miguel, Mana, Café Tacvba, and Jorge Ben Jor among others. Midani is an acclaimed lecturer, cultural ambassador, leader of international organizations and producer of documentaries and artistic festivals.
One cannot discuss the beauty of Venezuela's traditional llanera music without mentioning singer, composer and musician Juan Vicente Torrealba. Learning to play the guitar, cuatro and harp at an early age, he has created some of the most legendary melodies in his beloved country's musical heritage. In 1947 he founded the group Los Torrealberos with his brother and son, proudly and passionately playing the folk music of the plains people. The following year he launched his solo career and has performed to crowds in Latin America, Europe, the United States, and Mexico ever since. Renowned for his mastery of the harp, he created the rich musical compositions "Madrugada Llanera," "La Paraulata" and "Concierto En La Llanura." He has recorded 130 albums, written more than 300 compositions and received numerous awards and accolades. His biography, Remembranzas, is scheduled to be released this year.
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @LatinGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "Latin GRAMMYs" on Facebook , and join the Latin GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.
July 02, 2014 / EspectaculosAlDia/ Comment
JENNI RIVERA... Se coloca en el #1 ...
GERARDO ORTIZ CONFIRMADO PARA LA 7° ...
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Menu | Rating System | Guest Book | Archived Reviews:
The Jerks Win Again
The Karl Hendricks Trio
29.July.2003
PostLibyan and Tracers
Brendan's Introduction:
My Minions have so many quirks that sometiems it's not even funny. One of them revolves around Karl Hendricks, a singer-songwriter from Pittsburgh, and several of them going out of their way to track him down at the Merge Records 10th Anniversary Festival.
Anyway, he's got a new album, and here are PostLibyan and Tracers thoughts on it.
Tracers:
Overall, it's Karl. Musically I don't think he's grown much with this album. If you line all his releases up end to end to end and there is a consistency. As usual, there are some great song titles on The Jerks Win Again. However, this album doesn't seem as bitter as some of his others.
PostLibyan:
Well, before i get into an overall statement on the disc, i like to go over the tracks. Here are my thoughts on the songs here. First up, Chuck Dukowski Was Confused. This song totally rocks. Karl is singing his heart out and his guitarwork is great. All around, this is one of the best rockers i have listened to in quite some time.
Damn straight. I like this one a lot myself. Plus you've got to like anything with Chuck Dukowski in it.
Brendan:
For those of you who are staring blankly at your monitor now, Chuck Dukowski was a bassist with Black Flag. They were a punk band in the 80's. If you don't know them by all means go do some research now. Chuck did in fact, "write the best song on Damaged" as Karl points out.
Track two is New Wave Situation, which is a cool title. The song is decent and i have no real comments on it.
Next is The Night Has No Eyes, and this song gets old. It is just too long, and my advice to Karl is "chill it with the guitar freakouts already". Sheesh.
Then comes The Overweight Lovers. I like this song, but i don't want to. I mean, i'm not the sveltest person in the world, and this song paints the picture of unhappy lonely fat people. I hate the use of the easy stereotype. But, it is a catchy song with good drumming.
It reminds me a lot of the mopey-ness of the Misery and Women album, combined with the fuller sound of...what was the one with Nogales by Tuesday?
That would be 1996's For A While It Was Funny, which i think is Karl's most recent album, before this one of course.
Yeah, that one. There is a sonic similarity.
But you're right i like this song, and you're also right that I don't necessarily want to like it.
Then comes one we can all enjoy shamelessly, I Think I Forgot Something - My Pants. This is a damned funny song with wacky lyrics. Everytime he sings "I think I forgot something / My pants" i chuckle because it is so unexpected. All that plus the song features strong rhythm and nice guitar.
Did you notice on the credits that he gives credit for song titles to various
people?
No, i missed that.
Well, one of the people he credits is his daughter, who I think is still a toddler. I think this may be the song inspired by his daughter. That would make sense, don't you think?
I guess so.
It's the only song title that would make sesne coming from a toddler. Of course the idea of toddler talking about Chuck Dukowski is also hysterical in and of itself....
True, but if any kid is going to know her Black Flag, it's bound to be Karl's daughter!
Anyway, up next is Thank God We Have Limes, and much like the second track, i love the title, but the tune is a kind of generic. Contrast this with The Ballad Of Bill Lee, which is a fun catchy tune. How can you not like a song that starts with the line "They called me a commie fag"?
And then finally, after a mere 8 tracks, Karl wraps it up with The Summer Of Warm Beer. There is a painfully long guitar hero style solo in the middle that more or less dominates this song. When the melody comes back it's a good little pop song with Karl's typical great lyrics. I especially like the line "I'm the crown prince of bailing water from an already sinking ship". However, that solo. Ugh. It ruins it for me.
Yeah you're right about the guitar parts, but i lie the poppinesss of it.
It's a decent song, but it just gets tiring in the middle. Reminds me of Band of Susans, who did some great stuff but often lost me during the guitar freakouts. This is opposed to Sonic Youth or Landing, who do not lose me during the guitar freakouts.
That's a product of innovation/not sounding like anything else. Karl's guitar solos have a certain "by the numbers" quality. I also hear it in some of the drumming, but since he doesn't have the "drum solo" thing, it isn't as distracting. I find that the rote-ness of the music seems to have a direct correlation with the amout of confession in the singer/songwriter genre. It's like you can either be creative with the music or creative with the lyrics, but rarely can someone be both.
Ooh! Good one. We'll call this "Tracer's Law of Conservation of Singer/Songwriter Innovation". And it makes sense to me in this contect. It seems like Karl is insisting on "normal rock song structure" which makes things seem slightly formulaic, and does tend to drag the length of a song out. Think about it -- there are fewer songs on this disc than on any other Karl album.
Now for a few overall comments. Firstly, in a way, this is confessional singer-songwriter stuff: folk music really. Except that it is with electric guitar (and Karl apparently just got a new fuzz pedal) and lots of drumming. There is a reflective tone to the lyrics, but the instrumentation is more forceful.
I think you're right about that confessional aspect of it, but that's always been a Karl trademark. What is different is that the songs here do have more of a tradional "rock" strcuture, which makes some of them seem too long. I contrasted this to one of my favorite Karl songs, Romantic Stories from the War (off Misery and Women). That's a very very long song (i think 5 or 6 minutes), but since it doesn't have the requisite guitar solo, etc., it seems much shorter. Does that make sense?
Yeah, that does make sense.
Okay, another point i want to make is that, listening to this album i hear an influence in Karl that i have not heard before. And this is the much revered Billy Bragg. Karl's guitarwork (especially on <i>Chuck Dukowski Was Confused</i>) and general song writing show a slight bit of Braggishness. This is a good thing, really.
Good point. I hear that really well on The Ballad of Bill Lee.
Overall, i would give The Jerks Win Again a 4. It breaks no new ground, and in fact gets a little tiring at 2 points, but there are some good songs on here.
Yup, I'd agree. It's got more of the same, as I said before. But for me more of the same equals pretty durn good.
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Census Guide
Find what you're looking for quickly
Censuses 1790 - 1870
Indexes 1790 - 1870
Indexes 1880 -1930 --Soundex, Miracode, and Online
Special Schedules
Other Census
Select Finding Aids
View PDF Version
The federal census is a basic tool for post-Revolutionary War United States research, and is often the first step in identifying information about a newly-discovered ancestor. The census not only provides a statistical cross section for the entire country, it also supplies a family status report at the end of each decade. The Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library holds all of the federal population schedules that are currently available, and all statewide indexes and soundexes. This pathfinder is a guide to the use of the census. For additional information, please consult with a staff member.
The censuses of the years 1790-1840 are characterized by a lack of definite information about household members. The head of the household is the only name supplied, with other household members enumerated only by age category and sex. Head of household is usually the primary male (the oldest or the main property holder), but can be the primary female (again, the oldest or main property holder), often a widow. Starting with the 1850 census, information more useful to the genealogical researcher began to be gathered. Everyone within the household is named, and information including, but not limited to, age, birthplace, occupation, color, literacy and property values is given. The category headings are often difficult to read on the census sheets. There are several sources which list the various categories by year. One of these sources, Twenty Censuses: Population and Housing Questions, 1790 –1980, is listed in the "Select Finding Aids" section of this pathfinder. Other forms and charts are also available at on various Internet sites including Cyndi’s List (www.CyndisList.com) and Everton Publishers’ website (www.Everton.com) as well as at both the Reference Desk and the Microtext Assistance Desk.
The Historical Genealogy Department has indexes for all states through 1870. The census book indexes are grouped by year on shelves in the Microtext area. They are not necessarily in order by state within the year. To use these book indexes, locate the year grouping and then the book for the state of interest. The indexes are in alphabetical order by last name of the head of household. Persons with surnames differing from that of the head of household are usually listed separately in the index. After the name, the county abbreviation, page number, and township, district or other minor civil jurisdiction, where applicable, will be given. Proceed to the microtext card catalog and look in the drawer for the appropriate year, state and county to find the census roll number. Census rolls are stored in microtext cabinets by year. If assistance is desired, contact a staff member. The Historical Genealogy Department has only a few county-specific census indexes. These are not located on the browsing shelves with the other indexes. To find them, look in the online catalog under the name of the county. In addition to state indexes, the Historical Genealogy Department has the Accelerated Indexing Systems (A.I.S.) Census Searches. This source indexes censuses and some tax lists for large portions of the United States, which may prove useful if a researcher is unsure of what state to search. There are nine divisions by year and area:
Search 1 . . . .
1600-1819, US
1850-1860, Southern States
1850, New England and Northern States
1850-1906, Mid-West and Western States
Search 7 A . . .
1850-1907, US (incorporates searches 5 through 7)
Mortality Schedules
These census searches are available on microfiche and are arranged in alphabetical order by surname. They provide a state, county and page number citation for the head of household. It should be noted, however, that this source is several years old and little is included for 1860 and 1870. A significant number of census indexes are available online at U.S. GenWeb sites. In addition to these indexes, increasing numbers of U. S. GenWeb sites are also making digitized copies of actual census sheets available to researchers as well as full census transcriptions. Moreover, large publishers in the genealogical field are mounting both indexes and digital copies of federal census records on their subscription websites. The Historical Genealogy Department provides access to at least one major online genealogy subscription database so that the growing numbers of online indexes and digital census records are available to our patrons. Ask a staff member for assistance in accessing these online resources.
The censuses for the years 1880-1930 differ in two ways from the earlier censuses. First, much more information is given in these years, including relationship of each person in the household to the head of household, and the birthplace of the parents of each person. Second, some of the indexing is vastly dissimilar to the earlier years. As with the earlier years, if the column headings across the census pages prove to be unreadable, researchers should consult a staff member for a chart which lists the categories. It should be noted that the census of 1890 was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in Washington. D.C., and is not available. The fragments of that census which do survive are available at this library on five rolls of microfilm. They include a few pages for each of the following states: Alabama, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas. This set includes an everyname index on two rolls of microfilm stored with these five rolls. Ask a staff member if assistance is desired. It is important to note as well that directories (geographic, occupational, ethnic, and organizational) can be successfully used as census substitutes. This is particularly true for the 1890 time period. Many cities and rural areas published directories in the late 1880s and early 1890s. These can often be used to locate individuals and families who typically would have been tracked in the 1890 federal census. Used in conjunction with state census records where they exist, city directories can help fill this 1890 census void.
When indexes exist on microfilm, these censuses are indexed by the soundex system (or miracode for some of the 1910 census). The soundex indexes by the sound of the surname, instead of the spelling, to reduce the problems created by spelling errors on the part of the enumerators and variant spellings used by family members. The first letter of the surname is used with a three-number code representing the next three consonants of the name. The numerical values of the letters are assigned so that letters which sound alike, and therefore could be mistaken for one another, are given the same numerical value. Vowels (a, e, i, o, and u) and vowel-sounding consonants (h, y, and w) are eliminated from the coding process. The letters and their corresponding numbers are:
1 -- b, f, p, v
2 -- c, g, j, k, q, s, x, z
3 -- d, t
4 -- l
5 -- m, n
6 – r
If the name contains more letters than needed, drop the ending letters.
Anderson = Andrsn = A536 (drop the sand n)
VanDuessen = Vndsn = V532 (drop the n)
If there are not enough consonants in the name to form the code, add zeroes to complete it.
Lundy = Lnd = L530
Maas = Ms = M200
Ray = R = R000
It is important to note that when two letters of the same value are together, not separated by a vowel,the second letter is ignored.
Stalling = Stlng = S345
Scott = St = S300
McCoy = Mc = M200
Different names can have the same soundex code number.
Schmidt = Smd = S530
Smith = Smt = S530
Snead = Snd = S530
The soundex and miracode are available on 16mm microfilm in the Microtext area, and may be used on any of the microfilm readers. Once the soundex code number is determined, find the soundex drawers in the microtext catalog for the census year of interest. Select the roll which contains the code number needed for the state being searched. On the film, each family is represented on an index card. The soundex code is in the top left corner of each card. Advance the film to the beginning of the desired code. All surnames within that code will be interfiled in order by first name of the head of household. A researcher may wish to view all cards within a particular code or proceed directly to all cards with a particular first name. It is possible to differentiate between people of the same name by studying the other identifying data on the soundex card: names and ages of other members in the household, birthplaces and county of residence. Persons with a surname differing from that of the head of household will usually be listed separately in the soundex. While a great deal of information is supplied on the soundex card, proceeding to the actual census is advisable. From the soundex card, obtain the name of the county and three of the four numbers in the upper right corner: E.D. (enumeration district), sheet, and line. In the microtext catalog, check the appropriate census year's catalog drawer for the roll number of the state and county. If there is more than one roll indicated for the county, the catalog will list the enumeration districts that appear on each roll. Load the census roll onto a reader and advance to the proper county. On the census, the counties are divided into enumeration districts, which are usually in numerical order within the county. Within the enumeration district, search for the sheet/page and line number desired. The 1880 soundex lists only households with children 10 (ten) years and younger, although everyone is listed on the census itself. It is vital to note that in addition to being indexed by soundex, the 1880 census has been completely transcribed and published online and on CD-ROM by the Genealogical Society of Utah. The online version of this important census can be found at www.FamilySearch.org . The CD-ROM version, which offers more robust searching capabilities, can be found under the EResources link on the library’s homepage at www.ACPL.Lib.in.us. The electronic index to the 1880 census on CD-ROM allows for multiple truncation searches as well as searching by neighbors. It is a tremendous research boon for all who use it. There are only two years in this later block of federal census records that are completely indexed by the soundex—the 1900 and 1920 censuses. The soundex indexes for these two census years list all heads of households and those persons living in a household with a surname different from that of the head of household. Some states of the 1910 census are indexed by soundex, and other states are indexed by miracode. Miracode is a slightly different form of soundex. The code numbers are formed in the same way, but the cards are arranged differently. The county is in the upper left corner, and the numbers in the upper right corner represent the volume (which is not needed), enumeration district and visitation number. Locate the census roll in the same way as with soundex, and search for the enumeration district. Within each enumeration district, families are in order by visitation number, the handwritten number closest to the name on the left side of the census sheet. Only twenty-one (21) states were soundexed or miracoded for 1910. They are:
Several additional state indexes for 1910 have recently been published in print or electronic form. There are two sources which may assist the researcher in locating people in states without an index. The Cross Index to Selected City Streets and Enumeration Districts, 1910 is on microfiche, and matches specific enumeration districts to street names and house numbers. This source is available for larger cities only. The Census Enumeration District Descriptors, which is on microfilm, will describe specific areas covered in each enumeration district. An older street map is helpful in using this source. For both of these sources, it is necessary to know the address of the person sought, which may be obtainable from a city directory. The Historical Genealogy Department has city directories for much of the United States, both in book and microtext form.
Only twelve (12) states were soundexed for 1930. They are:
Kentucky (part)*
Tennesee
West Viginia(part)**
* These Kentucky counties are indexed: Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Kenton, Muhlenberg, Perry, and Pike.
**These West Virginia counties are indexed: Fayette, Harrison, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, and Raleigh.
Some of the states for the time period 1880 to 1930 may have book indexes instead of, or in addition to, the soundex or miracode. Increasing numbers of states for these census years also have online indexes available at subscription websites. As an example, a full name index to the 1930 census is available on the Internet at www.Ancestry.com. Indeed, the electronic indexes to the 1880 through 1930 censuses will likely be the first choice for most researchers endeavoring to use these records. When using any index, whether print or online, it is important to remember (a) all possible spellings should be considered when searching and (b) no index is perfect—they all contain both errors of commission and errors of omission. Still, most indexes are of great benefit to the savvy researcher.
There are several special schedules which were attached to certain years of the Federal census. These are Slave Schedules, Mortality Schedules, Agricultural and Manufacturing Schedules, Defective, Dependent and Delinquent classes, and the Special Census of Union Civil War Veterans and Their Widows. Slave Schedules list slaves in the southern states for the years 1850 and 1860. They are arranged in order by state and county with some states having published indexes to facilitate searching for data about a particular owner. Very little information is supplied beyond the owners' names, and sexes and ages of the slaves, although occasionally the slaves were named. Mortality Schedules list those residents of a county who died during the twelve months prior to the taking of the census. If the census was taken on 1 June 1850, the enumerator would ask who in the household had died between 1 June 1849 and 31 May 1850, and would gather information on name, age, sex, birthplace, occupation and cause of death. With few exceptions, Mortality Schedules survive only for the census years of 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Most are indexed in book form. These indexes are located with other census indexes on shelves in the Microtext area. Others may be indexed on microfiche. This library has the Agriculture and Manufacturing Schedules only for the state of Indiana for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. These are arranged by county on microfilm. They are not indexed, although information provided by the population schedule will enable the researcher to locate the desired citation on the agricultural or manufacturing schedules. The schedules for other states may be obtained from the National Archives. Another special schedule entitled Defective, Dependent and Delinquent Classes was only taken in conjunction with the 1880 census. It lists blind, deaf-mute, idiotic, insane, and permanently disabled persons. This census also includes inhabitants in prison. All of these individuals are identified by name and place of residence. These individuals are listed in the regular population census. These special censuses should be consulted when you notice a checkmark in the columns listed on the regular population schedules. The Historical Genealogy Department only has these schedules for Delaware, Illinois, and Indiana. The last special schedule is the 1890 Special Census of Union Civil War Veterans and their Widows. This was meant to list only Union veterans and widows, but occasionally Confederate veterans were included. All the schedules for Alabama through Kansas and approximately half of those for Kentucky counties were destroyed before the remaining schedules were transferred to the National Archives. [The Kentucky counties that are available for the 1890 Special Census are: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bracken, Breathitt, Campbell, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Scott, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe and Woodford Counties; and certain federal, state, and local institutions throughout the state.] The Kentucky counties listed above as well as the states of Louisiana through Wyoming and the District of Columbia can be found in this special census. Some of these surviving schedules are indexed either in book form or on microfiche. Check the list in the Microtext area to see which states are indexed.
While the federal censuses are the most commonly used population schedules, it is important to remember that some states also took a separate census, often in the middle of the decade (years ending with “5.”) The Historical Genealogy Department holds many of the state censuses. A relatively complete listing of state and territorial census records on microfilm is listed in follows. Please note that schedules may not have survived for every county in a particular state and census year.
1825,30,35,45,55,65
1836,38,44,46,47,49,51,52,53,54,56, 59,60,81,85,88,89,91,92,95
1827,30,34,45,50,54,64,70,74,80,84,94
1857,65,75,85,95,1905
1792,1805,08,10,13,16,18,20,22-25,30, 33,37,40,41,45,50,53,60,66
1815,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55,60,65, 70,75,80,92,1905,1915,1925
1842,45,49,50,53,54,55,56,57,58,59
1865 (with index),75,85
1856,57,58,60,71,73,74,75,77,78,79, 80,81,83,84,85,87,89,91,92,98
1836-42,46,47,55,75,95,1905
For the most up to date list of state censuses in microtext form, check the microtext catalog drawer labeled "State Census" for state, county and year. Most of the state censuses on microtext are not indexed. Searchers also will want to check the online catalog under the name of the county for state censuses in book form. Periodicals also may list census material, including federal, state and town incorporation censuses. The PERiodical Source Index is an invaluable source for locating these articles.
Bourne, Delia Cothrun. “Federal Census Research: Guidelines and Hints.” Indiana Genealogist, v. 5,no. 1, March 1994. Fort Wayne, IN: Indiana Genealogical Society. 1994. /Gc 977.2 In 2015 /
Burroughs, Tony. “The Original Soundex Instructions.” National Genealogical Society Quarterly, v.89, n. 4, December 2001. /Gc 929 N218n/
Else, Willis I. The Complete Soundex Guide: Discovering the Rules Used by the Census Bureau andthe Immigration and Naturalization Service When These Organizations Indexed Federal Records. Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 2002. /Gc 929 EL76c/
Jackson, Ronald Vern and Hazel M. Ahl. United States Federal Census Place Enrollment....Schedules 1790 -1830. Salt Lake City. UT: 1991. /Gc 929.11 J13u v.l/
Kemp, Thomas Jay. The 1930 Census: A Reference and Research Guide. North Salt Lake, UT: HeritageQuest, 2002. /Gc 929 K32ni/ Useful maps and finding aids not found other guides.
Kirkham, E. Kay. A Handy Guide to Record-Searching in the Larger Cities of the United States.Logan. UT: Everton Publishers. Inc., 1974. /Gc 929 K63h/ Lainhart, Ann S. State Census Records. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992. /Gc 929 L14s/
Smith, Leonard H., Jr. United States Census Key 1850, 1860, 1870. Clearwater, FL: Owl Books,1986. /Gc 929 Sm6u/ Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Matthew Wright. Finding Answers in U.S. Census Records. Orem, UT: Ancestry Publishing, 2001. /Gc 929 Sz71fi/
Thorndale, William and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Census 1790 -1920. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987. /Gc 973.003 T39ma/
Twenty Censuses: Population and Housing Questions, 1790 -1980. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Commerce, 1979. /Gc 321.0973 Un3t/
Warren, Jim. Minnesota 1900 Census Mortality Schedule. St. Paul, MN: Warren Research & Marketing, 1992. /Gc 977.6 W24m/
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Santiago Rusiñol – Gardens of Silence
September 27, 2016 roxana waxArtistsgardens, haven, modernism, silence
Santiago Rusiñol i Prats (25 February 1861 – 13 June 1931) was a Spanish painter, poet, and playwright. He was one of the leaders of the Catalan modernisme movement. He influenced Pablo Picasso as a modern artist, and also left a number of modernist buildings in Sitges, a town in Catalonia.
Rusiñol was born in Barcelona in 1861, to a family of industrialists in textiles with origins in Manlleu. Despite the fact that he was the heir to the family’s lucrative operations, by the time he was a teenager Rusiñol already showed a strong interest in painting and travel.
His training as painter started at Centro de Acuarelistas de Barcelona under the direction of Tomás Moragas. Like so many artists of the day, he travelled to Paris in 1889, living in Montmartre with Ramon Casas and Ignacio Zuloaga.
Much of his work in Paris belonged to the Symbolism painting style. While there, he also attended the Gervex Academy, where he discovered his love for modernism. After returning to Spain, he settled in Sitges, founding a studio/museum named Cau Ferrat. When back in Barcelona, he was a frequent client of the café Els Quatre Gats, noted for its association with modernisme and the young Pablo Picasso. He went to Mallorca with the painter Joaquin Mir Trinxet, where they met the mystic Belgian painter William Degouve de Nuncques in 1899.
He was most known for his plays, and landscape and garden paintings. He died in Aranjuez in 1931 while painting its famous gardens.
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