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Justin Gatlin wins in Kingston; Merritt, Richards-Ross beaten
By Nick ZaccardiMay 3, 2014, 11:11 PM EDT
Justin Gatlin won his first 100m of the season in 10.11 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston on Saturday night.
Gatlin, 32, edged Jamaicans Andrew Fisher (10.21) and Nesta Carter (10.22) running into a headwind, according to TV announcers. Gatlin and Carter won silver and bronze behind Usain Bolt in the 2013 World Championships 100m. Bolt might not make his season debut until June.
“I knew to get ready for that wind in my face, so to drive hard, once I came up, just attack,” said Gatlin, who said he ran competitively in Jamaica for the first time in his career. “I think I’m a bridge for the gap of the generations. I dueled with Maurice Greene. I watched Michael Johnson run. I ran with the great Usain Bolt. Also, [Yohan] Blake. So I’m just very blessed to be here with the best crowd in the whole world.”
Jamaican Olympic and world 200m medalist Warren Weir was fourth in 10.30. American Walter Dix, won won sprint medals at the 2008 Olympics and 2011 World Championships, was seventh in 10.45.
Triple 2013 world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women’s 200m in 22.53, .08 better than U.S. champion Kimberlyn Duncan. Jeneba Tarmoh was third in 22.69.
“Tonight was all about seeing where I am and looking forward to the rest of the season,” said Fraser-Pryce, who was .26 off the world-leading time for 2014.
Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, an Olympic and world long jump medalist, won the women’s 100m in 11.19. 2008 Olympic silver medalist Kerron Stewart took second in 11.32. U.S. champion English Gardner was seventh in 11.50.
Olympic champions Sanya Richards-Ross and LaShawn Merritt were beaten in their 400m races. Richards-Ross, plagued by toe problems since the London Games, was fifth in 51.62. World indoor champion Francena McCorory prevailed in a world-leading 50.24.
Merritt was beaten at the lean by 2012 Olympic silver medalist Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic, 44.82 to 44.86.
“No disappointment,” Merritt said. “I’m a champion.
“I think I ran a little bit too conservative throughout the first part of the race. Then I just kind of ran to get tired.”
Two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez passed 2013 world champion Jehue Gordon after the final hurdle to win in 49.21. Gordon, who at 22 is 14 years younger than Sanchez, came in second in 49.32.
“I’m an old man,” said Sanchez, who slapped his chest before crossing the finish line, “but I’ve still got something left.”
2008 Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell won the shot put with a throw of 21.85m, a 2014 world lead and a distance that would have won the 2013 World Championship. Cantwell missed much of last season due to injury.
2012 Olympic bronze medalist Hansle Parchment won the 110m hurdles in 13.42 seconds in front of a home crowd, edging American world silver medalist Ryan Wilson by .03. World Championships bronze medalist Tiffany Porter of Great Britain took the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.92, one day after Lolo Jones ran a reported 12.89 in Bloomington, Ind.
American Curtis Mitchell, the world 200m bronze medalist, came in second in the 200m behind Jamaican Rasheed Dwyer, 20.53 to 20.54.
The meet lost two Olympic gold medalists earlier this week with the withdrawal of 2008 Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and 2012 Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix. Felix missed the meet due to a reported injury and was scheduled to next race at the Cayman Invitational on Wednesday.
Tyson Gay: ‘There’s a lot for me to tell’
Tags: Blessing Okagbare, Christian Cantwell, Curtis Mitchell, English Gardner, Felix Sanchez, Jamaica International Invitational, Jehue Gordon, Justin Gatlin, Kimberlyn Duncan, LaShawn Merritt, Nesta Carter, olympics, Sanya Richards-Ross, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, track and field, Walter Dix, Warren Weir
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to miss Olympic 200m, reports say
By Nick ZaccardiJul 4, 2016, 1:20 PM EDT
More: Track and Field
World’s fastest mom leads London Diamond League fields; stream schedule Olympic champions, world-record holder to miss USATF Outdoor Champs Anita Wlodarczyk, one of track and field’s most dominant, sidelined
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the two-time reigning Olympic and world 100m champion, will not contest the 200m at the Rio Olympics, according to reports.
Fraser-Pryce withdrew before the Jamaican Olympic Trials 200m final Sunday night, reportedly due to continued problems with a toe injury that has bothered her since at least early spring.
“No medical exemption was submitted for Shelly-Ann,” for a spot on the Olympic 200m team, the president of Fraser-Pryce’s track club said, according to Agence France-Presse.
On Friday, Fraser-Pryce finished second in the Jamaican Trials 100m to make the Rio team in that event and the 4x100m relay. Elaine Thompson, the world 200m silver medalist, won the 100m at Trials in 10.70 seconds, equaling Fraser-Pryce’s national record. Fraser-Pryce clocked 10.93.
Thompson also withdrew before the Trials 200m final, due to a reported hamstring injury, but did submit a medical exemption request, according to AFP.
Fraser-Pryce earned 2012 Olympic silver and 2013 World Championships gold medals in the 200m. She did not contest it at the 2015 Worlds.
MORE: Gatlin speeds up at Trials, but another gear needed vs. Bolt
*Correction: An earlier version of this post had Fraser-Pryce’s second-place time in the Olympic Trials 100m incorrect. It was 10.93 seconds, not 9.93.
Tags: Jamaica, olympics, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, track and field, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
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The Joy is Gone…
Jay Voorhees Creativity, Life October 1, 2010 3 Minutes
I first heard about Glee on Fresh Air, Terry Gross’s interview program on NPR. She was interviewing Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator and producer in the days leading up to the show premiere, and I was intrigued by what seemed to be a quirky premise. So my family has watched since the first episode, back when the dialogue and character development carried as much weight as the music. The show was filled with odd plot twists, eccentric characters, and snappy double entendre wordplay that kept one on one’s toes. And while there was certainly music, there was a certain earnestness and innocence to the performances that for some reason made the hairs stand up on my arms.
I knew things were heading down hill when the first “theme episode” appeared, featuring Sue Sylvester as Madonna. And yet, there was enough of a connection to the ongoing plot (and a drawing out of Sue’s character) that I was willing to put up with the theme in the service of the story line.
But after watching the Britney Spears episode a few minutes ago on my TIVO, it’s clear that Murphy and the gang have sold out, pushing for the big money of concert tours and I-Tunes sales to the expense of the story and character development. It’s bad enough that they created a forced and artificial story to justify the Britney performances, but those performances (with the exception of Toxic) really didn’t break any new ground. They were slavish imitations of the original music videos, albeit with Glee cast members in place of the pneumatic one. I could have had the same experience watching the old videos on You Tube, for the connective tissue of the remaining story was simply setup for the next video. All I needed was Martha Quinn or Adam Curry and I would have thought I was watching MTV from back in the day when they actually played videos.
Part of the reason for the bad script was the inclusion of even more songs in the episode. In the early days, the musical performances were limited to 2 or 3 songs at best. While I can’t fully remember the count, there were at least 6 songs in this 43 minute show, leaving very little time for plot and character development. It seems clear to me that the I-Tunes money machine by which Gleeks immediately spend their week’s allowance on the songs from the latest show has led for the push for more and more music, which ultimately imperils the show, for it ceases to be what originally made the show so compelling — flawed characters doing the best they could to navigate a difficult world.
It was these stories that in fact, often made me cringe during the first half of the first season, for the circumstances faced by the Glee Club direction Will Shuster, a nice guy surrounded by pressures that conspired against him, resonated at a deep level. It isn’t that I have any connection to the Shuster character in any way, it’s that the show pushed hard against the myth that nice guys always finish first, recognizing that social relationships more often succumb to the survival of the fittest rather than love of neighbor. The underlying drama that was hidden behind the sharp comedy and music performed with wide eyed innocence kept me engaged, wanting to see what would happen next.
The Britney show didn’t at all, in fact I found myself speeding through the videos to see if anything juicy would arise. It didn’t, and I walked away feeling very unsatisfied.
It bums me out that a show with so much potential seems to be selling out to the pressures of the marketplace so quickly. I had hoped that Murphy, the man behind Nip/Tuck, would hold out for something much more inventive and daring on commercial television. I wonder how much the Fox machine, led by Rupert Murdoch, is dragging this show into oblivion.
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2 thoughts on “The Joy is Gone…”
Bruce Reyes-Chow says:
Very much agree with you, but then last week’s Cheesus Christ episode reeled me back in. Damn those GLEEKS! *shaking fist at the sky*
Pingback: The View From the Sofa: I Take it Back « Only Wonder Understands
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Artist and Creative Team Bios
ARTISTIC TEAM
Director- Vincent Connor
Stage Manager - Fran Falcone
Costume Designer - Winfield Murdock
Hair & Make-Up Designer - Nicole Dupre
Scenic Designer - Grant Preisser
Chorus Master - Robin Stamper
Don Pasquale - Peter Strummer
Malatesta - Dennis Jesse
Norina - Bridgette Gan
Ernesto - David Margulis
One of America’s foremost character bass-baritones, Peter Strummer has earned a reputation for endowing his buffo characterizations with incredible depth and humanity. His signature portrayals have been described as “highly individual, each formidably different whether as Bartolo or Don Magnifico or Beckmesser or Pasquale.”
Engagements from recent seasons include the title role in Don Pasquale with Manitoba Opera; Reverend Baines in Elmer Gantry and Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Tulsa Opera; Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Fondazione del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma; Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème at Opera Lyra Ottawa and Opera Tampa; Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Austin Lyric Opera, the Atlanta Opera, and Kentucky Opera; Pasha Selim in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Arizona Opera; Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri at Austin Lyric Opera; Daland in Der fliegende Holländer in concert with the Syracuse Symphony; Sacristan in Tosca at Seattle Opera; Sulpice in La fille du régiment at Palm Beach Opera; and Magnifico in La Cenerentola at Shreveport Opera. In concert, he performed the baritone solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Israel Symphony Orchestra and Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
He has performed his signature roles of: Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia which he performed with Manitoba Opera, Nashville Opera, Arizona Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Carolina, Austin Lyric Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Opera Lyra Ottawa, and Calgary Opera; Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro which he has performed with Arizona Opera, Orlando Philharmonic, Palm Beach Opera, Baltimore Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Atlanta Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre; and Sacristan in Tosca which he has performed with the Canadian Opera Company, Manitoba Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Opera, Cleveland Opera, and Arizona Opera.
In addition he has seen performances of Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème, the Badger in The Cunning Little Vixen and Alcalde in La forza del destino with San Francisco Opera; Seattle Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle covering Alberich; Rashid in Haroun, the title role of Don Pasquale, and Candy in Of Mice and Men with New York City Opera; the Major Domo in Ariadne auf Naxos with Dallas Opera; Daland in Der fliegende Holländer with Arizona Opera; Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Michigan Opera Theater; Don Pasquale with Opera Lyra Ottawa and Florentine Opera; Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola with The Atlanta Opera; the title role in The Mikado at Opera New Jersey; as well as Alberich in Das Rheingold with New Orleans Opera.
Many of Mr. Strummer’s performances were recorded and broadcast throughout the world. His appearances with the Canadian Opera Company as Melitone in La forza del destino and as Sacristan in Tosca were aired on CBC Television, and his portrayal of Musikmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos with Florentine Opera of Milwaukee was made into a film, which was broadcast in the United States on PBS. His performance as Devilshoof in The Bohemian Girl with Central City Opera has been released on Voce Records.
Soprano Bridgette Gan, who has been praised as “outstanding” (Baltimore Examiner) and hailed by the Washington Post for her “gorgeous singing,” is quickly establishing herself as an exciting and upcoming lyric coloratura soprano in some of the country’s most renowned opera programs, stages, orchestras and competitions. Ms. Gan made a last minute acclaimed debut as Marie in Palm Beach Opera’s 2015 production of Le Fille du Régiment where critics called her performance “a tour de-force…vocally beautiful and consistent with a rich tone and sparkling high notes.” Shortly after, Bridgette debuted with the Center for Contemporary Opera in NYC as Jackie Kennedy in a new reading of Chandler Carter's opera “Bobby” and also made her Santa Fe Opera mainstage debut creating the role of Lila in their acclaimed world premiere of "Cold Mountain" which will soon be released as a commercial recording on Pentatone. Highlights of the 2015-2016 upcoming season include her solo debut with the Toledo Symphony in their "Rodgers and Hammerstein celebration" concert, a return to Florida as a guest artist in Palm Beach Opera’s “Opera on the Waterfront” concert, a debut with the South Florida Symphony as a soloist in their "And the Tony Goes to" concert tour and her role debut as Zerbinetta in Palm Beach Opera’s spring 2016 production of “Ariadne auf Naxos.”
Ms. Gan was a resident artist with Palm Beach Opera from 2013-2015 where she covered Musetta in La Bohème, Yadwiga in the world premiere of Enemies, A Love Story, sang Stella and Olympia (cover) in Les contes d'Hoffmann and Morgana in PBO’s “Opera in One Hour” production of Alcina. Also in 2014, Ms. Gan made her debut with the U.S Marine Chamber Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and was a first year member of the prestigious Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program where she performed Kitty in The Last Savage (Apprentice Scenes Showcase) and covered the lead role of Vlada (Madame Herz)/The Cook in The Impresario/Le Rossignol.
Previous seasons Ms. Gan has appeared with the Ash Lawn Opera Festival, the Pacific Opera Project, and Opera Theatre Saint Louis. Bridgette has also sung several roles with Central City Opera, including Venus and Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, as well as Madeline/Isabel in The Face on the Barroom Floor, Frasquita in Carmen, Celie in Signor Deluso.
Ms. Gan completed her Masters in Opera Performance from the Maryland Opera Studio. While with the studio, Bridgette portrayed Konstanze in their spring 2011 production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, where The Washington Post called her “a gorgeous Konstanze…has the kind of lovely and flexible voice that can navigate intricate coloratura one minute and deliver a subtle put-down the next.” In the Studio’s Fall 2010 production of Florencia en el Amazonas, Bridgette sang the title character of Florencia, also to great acclaim, noted for her “gorgeous lyric singing” (The Washington Post.)
Bridgette has distinguished herself in numerous prestigious vocal competitions throughout the country. Most recently she was a Grant nominee for the 2015 Sara Tucker Award, a prize winner in the 2013 Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition and the 2013 Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition. Bridgette has won prizes from the Gerda Lissner Foundation (2nd Place, 2011), Central City Opera (Young Artist Award, 2010), the Licia Albanese-Pucinni Competion (Grant Award, 2010), Opera Index Vocal Competition (Career Award, 2009), the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition (2009 Grand Winner and debut with the Orchestra in 2010), the National Opera Association Voice Competition (1st place, 2009), and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, (2007) among others.
Tenor David Margulis is emerging as a tenor with a bright future on international opera stages. He has been called “radiant voiced,” and been praised for his “clear, pleasing tenor.” Of his recent portrayal of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte in his mainstage début at Arizona Opera, Opera Today raved: “David Margulis was an energetic Tamino who was only momentarily laid low by Pollard’s iconic monster. He sang with sumptuous lyrical sounds conveyed on a well-honed legato.” This fall, he joins the prestigious Internationalen Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich where he will demonstrate his refined dramatic sensibilities in a variety of operas including Jonathan Dove’s musical fairy tale The Enchanted Pig, Rossini’s colorful comic opera Le comte Ory, Haydn’s rarely seen “heroic-comic drama” Orlando paladino, Mozart’s hilarious comic singspiel Der Schauspieldirektor, and Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame.
In recent engagements, Margulis made his main stage débuts as Borsa (Duke cover) in Rigoletto at Opera Santa Barbara, and in the The Impresario/Le Rossignol double bill at Santa Fe Opera. Margulis also participated in the inaugural New York Festival Song at North Fork program in Orient, New York with Steven Blier, performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for the opening night of the Phoenix Symphony’s season, and was seen at the Tucson Desert Song Festival performing on a program for the Ravinia Steans Music Institute on Tour with Kevin Murphy.
Additionally, Margulis has been engaged by some of the finest training programs in the country, where his assignments have included: Goro in Madama Butterfly and Léon in The Ghosts of Versailles at Wolf Trap Opera; Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Alfredo in La traviata, Steuermann in Die Fliegende Holländer, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Basilio/Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, and Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor at Arizona Opera; Young Servant in Elektra at Des Moines Metro Opera; Selimo in Maometto II at Santa Fe Opera; Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer at Opera Theatre St. Louis; and Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette at Seagle Music Colony. While a Fellow at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, he was privileged to work with some of the most respected coaches and conductors in the world, including Kevin Murphy, Malcolm Martineau, and James Conlon.
Mr. Margulis is earning a reputation as a champion of new works after being a part of numerous workshops of new pieces, including the workshop performance of Theodore Morrison’s first opera, Oscar, at The Santa Fe Opera and the workshop première of Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage at Arizona Opera. He has premièred several new works including the tenor solo in Robert Kyr’s Pacific Sanctus.
Mr. Margulis holds degrees from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, The University of Washington, and Florida State University. David is a three time Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Baritone Dennis Jesse has performed in a wide range of styles from grand opera to operetta and musical theater. He has appeared in numerous productions with New Orleans Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opéra Louisane, Arizona Opera, Eugene Opera, Knoxville Opera, Nevada Opera, Sacramento Opera, Pensacola Opera, Opera Idaho, Da Corneto Opera, Triangle Opera Theater, Amarillo Opera, Metro Lyric Opera, El Paso Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Southwest, Ohio Light Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Opera Lenawee, National Opera Company and Jefferson Performing Arts Society. His operatic credits include the roles of Rigoletto, Scarpia, Amonasro, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, as well as lead roles in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, I Pagliacci, Madama Butterfly, Faust, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, La Bohème, Cavalleria Rusticana, Carmen, Romèo et Juliette, Così fan tutte, L’Italiana in Algeri, L’Elisir d’amore, and The Crucible. An experienced concert performer, he has sung Elijah, Carmina Burana, Ein deutsches Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Messiah, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, The St. Matthew Passion, Haydn’s The Creation and had a Carnegie Hall performance of Schubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Te Deum and Regina Coeli. Mr. Jesse joined the faculty of Louisiana State University in 2005 and is an Associate Professor of Voice and he is a member of the faculty of La Musica Lirica, an intensive opera program in Novafeltria, Italy.
Attend the opera, ballet, symphony or turn on the television in Central Florida and you are more than likely to see the work of Opera Orlando’s resident Hair and Makeup Designer Nicole Dupré. With over 20 productions under her belt, Nicole has turned her passion into a beautiful career. Her work has been viewed in every Opera Orlando production since 2014 and will again be featured in all three Dr. Phillips Center offerings in the 2016-17 season: “Don Pasquale,” “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” and “Don Giovanni.”
For the Orlando Ballet she set a new standard of excellence for their production of “Don Quixote” and then surpassed all expectations through her creature creations for “Beauty and the Beast.” The Orlando Philharmonic has and will continue to ask Nicole to prepare the performers for their semi-staged opera presentations including the 2016-17 offerings of “Candide” and “The Elixir of Love.”
For television and film she numbers NBC, WESH 2, Golf Channel and Odyssey among her clients throughout Florida. As a licensed Esthetician, Nicole approaches her actors, singers and newscasters with a deep understanding of their specific needs. She also takes responsibility for creating the next generation of makeup artists and will be forming a training/mentoring program through Opera Orlando.
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Home New Zealand at War First World War Middle East Gallipoli and the Balkans The Ottoman Empire Page 9
The Ottoman Empire
Page 9 – Collapse of the Ottoman Empire, 1918-1920
Ottoman signatories of the Treaty of Sèvres
The armistice of 31 October 1918 ended the fighting between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies but did not bring stability or peace to the region. The British were in control of Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia (Iraq), and British, French and Greek forces stood ready to march across the Bulgarian border and occupy Ottoman Thrace and Constantinople. The Sultan, Mehmed VI, feared he would be deposed. The Allies, however, knew he was a figurehead and hoped that his retention would help ensure post-war stability.
Stability was badly needed. The Young Turk government led by Enver Pasha had collapsed in the days leading up to the armistice. Enver, Cemal Pasha and Talât Pasha had all fled the country to seek sanctuary in Germany. Across what was left of the empire civil infrastructure, already badly strained by years of war, began to disintegrate. Law and order broke down completely in many places. Simmering ethnic and religious tensions erupted into violence and large numbers of deserters turned to banditry and roamed the countryside. The Allies marched into Constantinople with the intention of taking control of large areas of Anatolia. Their pretext was the restoration of order, but this plan also reflected the terms of the peace settlement they were drafting. It was clear that the post-war Ottoman state would not even cover all of Anatolia. This prospect horrified most Turks, for whom Anatolia was their heartland.
In November 1919, there seemed to be little the interim Ottoman government could do to stop the Allies. The remnants of the two Ottoman armies destroyed by the final British offensive in Palestine and Syria were slowly reassembling under Mustafa Kemal’s command in Cilicia, north of Aleppo. In Mesopotamia the battered but still intact Ottoman Sixth Army regrouped north of Mosul and awaited orders. Far away to the south in Arabia, General Fakhri Pasha and his besieged garrison at Medina continued to hold out, having grimly defied Arab attacks for more than two years. Fakhri would not finally surrender until February 1919. The only Ottoman armies worthy of the name were those that Enver had sent to attack the Caucasus and northern Persia. They would take at least six months to march back to Anatolia and disband.
Treaty of Sèvres 1920
Squabbling among the Allies delayed the signing of the peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire, which was negotiated at Sèvres in France, until 10 August 1920. The treaty confirmed French and British possession of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq, in the guise of League of Nations mandates. Sharif Hussein ibn Ali was rewarded for his leadership of the Arab Revolt with international recognition of the Hejaz as an independent kingdom. The treaty effectively gave the Greeks possession of eastern Thrace and ‘Ionia’ (western Anatolia); the Italians got the Dodecanese Islands and a ‘zone of influence’ in south-western Anatolia. To the east, the Armenians were given an independent state taking in much of eastern Anatolia, while the Kurds were granted an ill-defined autonomous region and promised a referendum on independence. The Ottoman state's army was limited to 50,000 men and its navy to a dozen coastal patrol boats; it could have no air force at all.
It was at this point that Mustafa Kemal – better known as Kemal Atatürk – emerged as a leading figure. His brand of Turkish nationalism was very different from the pan-Turkic ideals of Enver Pasha. Kemal believed that the once-great Ottoman Empire had become a dead weight on the Turkish people, who now needed a homeland of their own. He and his supporters sought to establish a new Turkish state based on Anatolia, where most of the empire’s Turkish population had traditionally lived. To prepare for the struggle ahead, Kemal and other nationalists began hiding weapons from Allied disarmament teams and encouraged the formation of local Turkish civilian militias and political alliances between nationalist groups. They also attempted to divide the Allies through political intrigues.
The greatest military threat to the Turkish nationalists came from the Greeks, whose claims to western Anatolia, eastern Thrace and Constantinople were reinforced by the large ethnic Greek populations in those areas. On 15 May 1919 Greek troops occupied the ancient port city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir). More Greek forces arrived in the following months, gradually extending their control deep into the west Anatolian countryside. Clashes with Turkish civilians dogged their movements and greatly increased nationalist sentiment. Meanwhile, the Italians landed troops in south-western Anatolia to reinforce their claim on the area. This also played into the hands of the Turkish nationalists.
As Turkish attitudes began to harden, the interim Ottoman government came under increasing pressure from the Allies to suppress the nationalist groups. In the end they were reluctantly forced to act. In the face of this crackdown, on 23 April 1920 the nationalists convened a Grand National Assembly in Ankara, deep in central Anatolia. They elected Mustafa Kemal as its first president, effectively establishing an alternative government. This triggered a short but brutal civil war, which ended only when the details of the Treaty of Sèvres were publicised in August. The harshness of its terms destroyed what little credibility the interim Ottoman government had left. Turks of all political persuasions began to unite behind the Grand National Assembly, which completely rejected the treaty. A showdown with the Allies seemed unavoidable.
Previous: Page 8. The Arab Revolt, 1916-18
Next: Page 10. Birth of the Turkish Republic
Three wars in three years, 1911-13
Ottoman Empire enters the First World War
Ottoman Empire at war
The Armenians' suffering
Rise of Arab nationalism
The Arab Revolt, 1916-18
Collapse of the Ottoman Empire, 1918-1920
Birth of the Turkish Republic
The Ottoman Army
The Turkish soldier's experience
Weapons of the Ottoman Army
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ottoman army
kemal ataturk
We have 3 articles, related to The Ottoman Empire.
'Collapse of the Ottoman Empire, 1918-1920', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/ottoman-empire/collapse, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 13-Jan-2016
RELATED TO THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Turkish ambush kills New Zealand seaman
Central Powers
The Gallipoli campaign
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You Can Now Drink Much Earlier on Sundays in NYC
by Alexander Frane on Jun 28, 2016 in Culture
It may come as a shock to those living outside of New York, but, up until very recently, the sale of liquor on Sundays was prohibited before noon. If you wanted a mimosa or bloody mary with your brunch, you had better make it a late one. But now that ancient piece of legislation, a relic of the Great Depression, has been repealed.
The repeal came about with a deal between New York governor Andrew Cuomo—who called the bill “archaic”—and a number of legislative leaders. The new law allows for restaurants to serve alcohol on Sundays starting at 10 AM. While establishments were no doubt already doing so before this legislation, it is now officially sanctioned. Furthermore, on a self-selected 12 Sundays out of the year, likely holidays such as Mother’s Day, or on Sundays when European sports are shown in bars, alcohol can be served starting at 8 AM.
The measure is part of a push by the government to help strengthen businesses such as restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries. The bill comes alongside other measures, such as the allowance of the sale of wine growlers, looser restrictions, and less paperwork for craft manufacturers, and the authorization of gift-wrapped alcohol from stores. So grab a gift wrapped growler of champagne and head to your local Sunday to send off the weekend!
Photo via Flickr user Joe Schlabotnik
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“Constructivism” has several unrelated meanings, all based on the idea that something is being “constructed.”
In sociology and anthropology, constructivism is the view that social reality is constructed by human beings — structures such as race, class, and nationality are all social constructions rather than objective realities.
Sometimes, philosophers use the word “constructivism” to refer to this idea, but nearly every form of constructivism is highly controversial, as we’ll see throughout the article.
Constructivism is a complicated term for two reasons: first, it can refer to more than one idea. Second, these ideas can be applied in several fields, where they have different implications. So it makes more sense to think of constructivism as a family of concepts and approaches, not a single concept.
II. Types of Constructivism
It’s a little misleading to think of these as “types” of constructivism, because that would imply that they’re different variations of a single idea. But these two forms of constructivism are really different ideas altogether, though they happen to share the same name.
Social Constructivism: concepts are constructed by society. For example, in philosophy of science, the idea is that scientific truth is socially constructed; in moral philosophy, the idea is that moral truth is socially constructed; and so on. Social constructivism appears in many fields, but these are the most common.
Philosophical Constructivism: the job of philosophers is to do some kind of idea construction. This is most often applied to ethics (moral philosophy) and social/political philosophy, where the idea is that philosophers should have the job of building new ideas rather than just observing and analyzing the ideas that already exist in society.
This table lists a few of the possible meanings of “constructivism,” but it’s not a complete list! As you explore philosophy, you may find other uses of the word that are not found in this table. But these are the more common uses:
Social Construction Philosophical Construction
Epistemology (Philosophy of Knowledge) and Philosophy of Science Scientific knowledge is not absolute. All truth/knowledge is mediated through society and is an expression of social hierarchies, power, etc. —
Ethics/Moral Philosophy Moral truth is not absolute or eternal. It is a social construction, often created to preserve the power of social/political/economic elites. Moral truth cannot simply be found “out there” the way scientific truths are. We cannot discover morality. We must build it by reasoning and practicing philosophy together. This involves a group effort, but in the end we can hope to achieve broad agreement on moral questions.
Social/Political Philosophy Political structures are not “natural” or eternal. They are constructed by societies, and often designed to preserve the power of social/political/economic elites. Human beings have the power to design better social systems, and philosophy has a major role to play in this. Philosophers can debate the various visions for society and point out their flaws, all in an effort to construct a society that will be perfect, or at least noticeably better than the one we have now. If this collective conversation does not take place, societies cannot make social/political progress.
III. Constructivism vs. Realism
In most versions of constructivism, its opposite is realism. Whatever constructivism views as constructed, realism views it as “real.” According to Realism:
Epistemology/Philosophy of Science: knowledge is based on what’s out there in the world. Truths are absolute and do not change based on culture or history. The world we see around us is real, not constructed.
Ethics/Moral Philosophy: Moral truth is based on a single, objective standard, and is always the same regardless of what culture we may live in. Moral truth is revealed or discovered, not constructed
Social/Political Philosophy: Social and political structures are based on natural realities, not constructions.
There was a time in Europe when people believed that the royal families were biologically different from the rest of humanity, and this was why they had the right to rule over everyone else! Needless to say, this position is not very popular today.
Although realism is the opposite of constructivism, many people have combined them into a single view.
You might say that scientific knowledge is a combination of social constructs and “real” knowledge. Of course, the problem then is to figure out how you can tell the realities from the social constructions! Another possibility is to point out that social constructs are also realities of a different sort, and so reality and social construction depend on each other to exist.
IV. Quotes About Constructivism
“Knowing reality means constructing systems of transformations that correspond, more or less adequately, to reality.” (Jean Piaget)
Jean Piaget was a philosopher and highly influential educational reformer. His ideas have been adopted by the “constructivist” movement in education, which basically takes philosophical constructivism as a basis for educating children. Like constructivist philosophers, children in this model are taught to build new systems of understanding for themselves and their classmates, rather than just having knowledge handed to them fully-formed.
“It’s the invention of clothes, not nature, that made ‘private parts’ private.” (Mokokoma Mokhonoana)
Mokokoma Mokhonoana, the South African philosopher and social critic, is a strong proponent of social constructivism. He argues that nature does not dictate our social forms, and thus nature cannot explain them either. He criticizes attempts to “naturalize” things like privacy, sexuality, nations, and money, arguing that all of them are social constructs that didn’t have to be this way.
V. The History and Importance of Constructivism
Because constructivism is a family of concepts, not a concept, it’s hard to trace its history — you would have to tell two or three different stories at once! So rather than follow the story from beginning to end, it might make more sense to talk about a few philosophical “moments” that have inspired constructivist thinkers over the years. These different moments are not necessarily related in any particular way, but they’ve all played a role in shaping some version of constructivism.
Plato’s Cave
Plato’s famous “allegory of the cave” can be taken as an early form of social constructivism. Some scholars argue that this is not how Plato intended it, but nonetheless constructivist philosophers have often taken inspiration from the idea. Plato’s allegory goes like this:
Imagine a group of people sitting in a cave, facing the wall with their backs to the cave entrance. When people walk around outside the cave, they cast shadows which fall on the cave wall. The people in the cave don’t realize there’s anything behind them; they think the shadows are reality! The job of the philosopher is to set these people free, to turn them around so that they can see the reality, and understand that what they saw before was simply shadows.
On a constructivist interpretation, this allegory corresponds to the ways that society only shows us “shadows” of the truth. Some constructivists, however, argue that this doesn’t make sense because there is no “reality” beneath the social constructions: to them, it’s impossible to free the people in the cave because there is no way to escape from social constructions. Or, at the very least, it doesn’t make sense to imagine the philosophers being the ones who free them — after all, philosophy is just another social construction! Social constructivists disagree about whether there is any reality beyond the social constructions. They run the gamut from extreme constructivists, who believe that the constructions are the only reality, to more moderate constructivists who believe that the constructions are powerful, but that there is still a reality behind them that human beings can somehow access or understand even if only dimly.
Kant’s Categories
Kant is a major thinker for many constructivists, especially those who want to hold on to some amount of realism. Kant argued that all human thought is constrained by certain “categories,” and even though we never completely escape these categories, we can still gain accurate, real knowledge through them.
It’s a little like a pair of tinted goggles: when you look through them, they’ll distort your vision of the world, maybe making everything appear red. But just because they distort the world doesn’t mean you can’t see through them at all! You can still gain accurate knowledge of reality, for example noticing when there is a tree or a dog in front of you. It’s just that your knowledge is never completely accurate because the colors are distorted.
The job of philosophy, Kantians argue, is basically to try and understand what color the goggles are, so that we can correct our vision of the world accordingly. Kantian philosophers believe that we can understand the categories through a process of philosophical debate, and that once we understand what they are we will understand how our vision of the world is distorted.
This is an example of philosophical constructivism. If you imagine that the goggles are socially constructed, however, it would also be an example of social constructivism. (This was not Kant’s view — he thought the goggles were placed on the mind before birth.)
Gramsci’s Conflicts
Gramsci was an Italian revolutionary who did his philosophical work while rotting in a jail cell in Mussolini’s fascist Italy. Drawing on the insights of Karl Marx, Gramsci argued that social reality was constructed by and for the owning classes. The way we understand the world, Gramsci argued, is determined by media and education; and media and education are controlled by people with social and political power. Therefore, the powerful did not simply control wealth or the government — they controlled knowledge and understanding. In a philosophical sense, they controlled the minds of the working classes. In order to escape these social constructions, Gramsci believed, it was necessary for the working classes to band together and rise up against their oppressors. But this would never be possible until the working classes were able to see what the oppressors had been hiding.
It’s easy to imagine how Gramsci, as a victim of fascism, could take this kind of view toward authority. His insights, however, have inspired revolutionaries throughout the world to overthrow various kinds of social oppression.
VI. Constructivism in Popular Culture
[SPOILER!]
M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village is a horror movie similar to the social-constructionist version of Plato’s cave. The movie is set in a small village in Pennsylvania in the 1800s. No one is allowed to leave the village because the surrounding woods are full of man-eating monsters. But when a man in the village falls sick, the elders decide to send a young blind girl through the woods to get medicine for him. Despite being blind, the girl discovers that her entire village is a lie — it’s not the 1800s at all, it’s the present day, and the village was founded in the 1970s by a group of traumatized adults who wanted to escape from the horrors and pressures of modernity. Children raised in the village have no idea that their reality is a social construct, just like the people in Plato’s cave.
“Who controls the past, now, controls the future
Who controls the present, now, controls the past.” (Rage Against the Machine — “Testify”)
These lyrics are actually a quote from George Orwell’s 1984. The line is inspired by a constructivist view of history: whoever controls our understanding of history can control what direction we take in the future, and whoever has the most power in the present can control our understanding of history. This implies a constructivist view of history in which what we know about our past is a social construct dictated by the people in power. It’s similar in many ways to Gramsci’s philosophy.
Constructivism is a concept in…
a. Philosophy of Science
b. Political Philosophy
c. Ethics
This philosopher argued that all human beings see reality through a set of hard-wired “categories,” like someone looking through tinted goggles:
a. Plato
b. Kant
c. Gramsci
Constructivism has many meanings, but the two most important are _____ constructivism and _____ constructivism.
a. Social...cultural
b. Social...philosophical
c. Classical...modern
d. Rational...empirical
Moral truth cannot simply be “discovered” out there in the world like scientific truth. Instead, it must be worked out through a process of collective discussion and debate. This is an example of…
a. Social constructivism
b. Collective constructivism
c. Philosophical constructivism
Anonymous July 24, 2018, 8:10 pm Reply
Anonymous January 13, 2019, 7:19 pm Reply
fantastic 🙂 thankyou!
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Positivism is a philosophical system deeply rooted in science and mathematics. It’s based on the view that whatever exists can be verified through experiments, observation, and mathematical/logical proof. Everything else is nonexistent. In addition, positivists usually believe that scientific progress will eradicate, or at least sharply reduce, the problems facing mankind.
Positivists are almost always strong realists – that is, they believe that what we experience as reality is really out there in the world. In other words, they believe in objective truth. They also tend to deny the influence of things like theoretical and cultural biases that get in the way of science.
Positivism divides all statements into three categories: true, false, and meaningless (neither true nor false). A meaningless statement is one that isn’t clear enough to be tested through positivistic means. For example, “The color green sleeps angrily” is a meaningless statement. There’s no way you could test whether or not it’s true, which means it isn’t true or false. It’s just nonsense. This is an extreme example, of course, but many other sentences fall into this category when their terms are not clearly defined.
If a statement does have a meaning, then it must be either true or false. But that doesn’t mean we necessarily know which one it is. For example, “There are exactly 23.8762 billion domestic cats in the world” has a definite meaning, but no one can say for sure whether it’s true or not. It would be impossible to count all the domestic cats one by one, so no one can verify the statement. In principle, though, it could be verified through scientific observation – which just don’t have the actual means to carry out the study.
Note: Despite its name, positivism has nothing to do with “positive thinking” or optimism – it’s just a coincidence that they have similar names.
II. Positivism vs. Postpositivism
Positivism hit peak popularity in the early 20th century, but after that a new school – the postpositivists – started to notice problems with the theory.
Positivism is an attractive philosophy because it affirms the value of science and maintains a strong distinction between “true” and “false” (a distinction which many other philosophies muddy up!) However, there are also serious problems with it, notably the fact that positivism fails to acknowledge the cultural, political, and psychological factors that get in between the observer and the truth.
Even more importantly, positivism is self-defeating. Here’s a schematic of the postpositivist argument:
a. Positivism claims what is true can be verified by science and logical proof.
b. Positivism also claims everything else is either false or meaningless.
1. Claim “a” cannot be verified by science or logical proof.
2. Therefore claim “a” is either false or meaningless.
In other words, if positivism is true, then positivism is false! There is no objective basis for believing in objective truth!
Realizing this flaw, many people decided to abandon positivism altogether – they developed new schools of thinking that completely abandoned the positivist project. The postpositivists, however, still held on to many aspects of the older school. In particular, they still felt that the goal of philosophy should be to aim at objective truth. They believed that there was an objective reality, and felt that science was a flawed but still highly respectable means of understanding it, but they accepted that there were major complications in the process of knowing or understanding that truth. And, of course, they accepted that there was no objective basis for believing in objective truth.
Postpositivism has been so successful in critiquing positivism that there are very few fully-convinced positivists left today. You’ll notice throughout the article that the quotes and pop-cultural examples are mostly from people who are slightly critical of positivism – that’s because to find full-on positivist examples we’d have to reach back many decades!
III. Quotes about Positivism
“From the study of the development of human intelligence, in all directions, and through all times, the discovery arises of a great fundamental law, [which is that] each branch of our knowledge passes successively through three different theoretical conditions: the theological, or fictitious; the metaphysical, or abstract; and the scientific, or positive.” (Auguste Comte)
Auguste Comte was a French philosopher who lived in the early 19th century and was strongly associated with positivism (though he was more interested in sociology, a science that was just then getting under way, than he was in the natural sciences). In this short quote, he expresses the basic hope of positivism: that human knowledge will inevitably progress through predefined stages, never moving backward or evolving in unexpected directions. Notice, too, that he places religion at the bottom of his hierarchy, referring to it as a fiction. This skepticism of religion is common among positivists.
“Our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite.” (Karl Popper)
Karl Popper was probably the 20th century’s most influential theorist of the scientific method – even today, many scientists base their research on his theories. Despite being such an important scientific figure, however, Popper was skeptical about positivism. As an early postpositivist, he argued that there were limits to scientific knowledge simply because there are limits to what we as human beings can possibly know and understand. Thus, he thought that positivism placed too much faith in science without being attentive enough to its blind spots.
IV. The History and Importance of Positivism
The basic insight of positivism is as old as philosophy itself, and probably a lot older. That is, human beings have always understood that one of the best ways to know about reality is to observe it systematically, and ordinarily people believe pretty easily that the world around them is an objective reality.
The modern form of positivism, however, is defined by the modern form of science, which dates back to around the 17th century. European thinkers developed a system for testing and evaluating their ideas which was not completely new – it was strongly influenced by Indian and Islamic ideas developed in previous centuries – but which did include some striking new elements. For example, the European scientists decided that supernatural ideas could not be used to explain their observations, an idea that would become central in modern positivism.
Positivism reached its peak in the early 20th century, when philosophers in Britain and America were at the height of their efforts to integrate philosophy with the natural sciences. They were understandably impressed with the progress that science had made over the previous centuries, and believed that this progress was due to the inherent superiority of science over all other systems of thought.
As we’ve seen, the postpositivists punctured this bubble – at least partially. They showed that scientific thinking was not a perfect or complete system, and that it had to be supplemented with other non-scientific ideas. They didn’t disparage science or advocate abandoning it, but they did show some of the gaps in positivism and demonstrated the need for a new way of understanding the world that would integrate science with other forms of knowledge.
Today, we live in an age caught between two opposite forces: the continuing advancement of science, and a growing awareness of its limitations. On the one hand, our world is more deeply shaped by science than ever before – our smart phones and 4G networks are obvious evidence of scientific power, but so is the globe’s massive population, which can only exist thanks to revolutionary agricultural technologies provided by science. However, we also realize that science is responsible for death and destruction on a massive scale, and that our love of technology has not helped us develop greater love for our fellow human beings. So the allure of positivism is still there, since we all understand the power of the scientific worldview – but at the same time, we are much more aware of its dangers than the original postpositivists ever were.
V. Positivism in Popular Culture
Despite its ambiguous stance on science, the movie Avatar has some positivist underpinnings. For one thing, the nature-forces of Pandora are not spiritual beings – they’re flesh-and-blood superorganisms that could in principle be understood through science. So the movie basically takes a positivist stance on what sort of things exist in the world, but it still makes room for a semi-spiritual relationship to the natural world. In addition, the scientists in the movie are mostly good guys, with better values than the film’s villains, who are mainly corporate and military types.
In an episode of South Park, Cartman travels into the future to a time when positivism has taken over the world, replacing political and religious ideas with pure science. Although this future world has incredible technology, all the basic problems are exactly the same – war, bigotry, and stupidity are still rampant. The show is communicating a critique of positivism through humor, showing that the “progress” of science won’t solve all of humanity’s problems.
VI. Controversies
The Existence of God: True, False, or Meaningless?
For many people, the existence of God is a true-or-false question. Atheists say it’s false whereas theists say it’s true. But some positivists argue that the existence of God is neither true nor false – it’s meaningless. They argue that the word “God” is not clear enough for a true-or-false analysis, and that before we can ask whether God exists we have to get much more clarity on what the word “God” actually means.
Of course, “God” is not the sort of word that can have any easy definition. Whatever else they might disagree on, most religions agree that God is in some way beyond our understanding, which means it’s impossible to develop a clear, simple definition of the word “God.” From a positivist perspective, that means it’s impossible to establish whether or not God exists.
Historically, most positivists (and many postpositivists) have been atheists. They believe only in what science can demonstrate, and since science can’t demonstrate the existence of God they conclude that God does not exist. But notice that you can’t have it both ways – some positivists say that the existence of God is false, while others say that it’s meaningless, but it can’t be both at the same time. (In order to be false, a statement must have an established meaning.)
So, there are three possible positions for a positivist:
God exists, and this can be shown through science (an unusual position!)
God does not exist because science cannot show the existence of a god.
The word “God” has no meaning.
For positivists, all statements are either true, false, or . . .
a. Both true and false
b. Uncertain
c. Meaningless
d. Semi-true
Positivism is based on a strong confidence in . . .
a. Positive thinking
b. Science
c. Religion
Positivists tend to be skeptical of…
a. Science
b. Religion
c. Human goodness
How did post-positivism relate to positivism?
a. It critiqued positivism but held on to some of its features
b. It advocated abandoning positivism altogether
c. It was a continuation of positivism
Anonymous November 11, 2017, 2:54 am Reply
Anonymous June 10, 2018, 12:45 am Reply
This information was very helpful for me to understand what positivism and positivism means. Thanks.
Alto July 12, 2018, 10:34 pm Reply
super site site
Aleksandra Hristova September 14, 2018, 7:29 am Reply
Thank you so much. After 4 years in University finally I understand what positivism mean.
Here in Europe everything is too complicated.
Greetings from Bulgaria!
Anonymous November 23, 2018, 2:10 pm Reply
This was very important for me to Know about positivism
abdul December 22, 2018, 6:21 pm Reply
Very expressive and precise article on the subject of positivism and its history
Jackie February 23, 2019, 4:44 am Reply
Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing it.
Autumn Garlock February 26, 2019, 1:04 am Reply
cool article, real chill, A+, I am about to ace my research project
Abraham April 8, 2019, 12:41 pm Reply
very nice article!
mutsvene June 4, 2019, 10:26 am Reply
the article was rich
Michael Shiaka July 4, 2019, 4:30 am Reply
Nice write up, well explained
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John Cale - Circus Live (2007)
You might have gotten tired about hearing about John Cale after my review of his live show, but his new live album seems to stand out to me and really is pretty good. And as word has been sparse about it on this side of the ocean (since it hasn't yet been released in North America as far as I know), I figure I'll spread the word. It's actually a bit odd that John Cale doesn't get much respect in America. His input into The Velvet Underground is often overlooked in favor of Lou Reed, who may be cool, but isn't actually as cool or straight-up creative as John Cale. What can Lou Reed do? Play a mean guitar and sing like a rock star. John Cale, though, can play viola, keyboard, bass, guitar, probably anything, and sing like an angry punk or a melodic troubadour. Cale has worked with Brian Eno several times (such as the famous June 1, 1974 concert with Nico and Kevin Ayers, Cale's mid-70s Island albums, which featured Eno's synth all over them, and Wrong Way Up, a collaboration between the two), but Cale is an influential figure himself. As I mentioned in my review of the concert of his I saw, he arranged, produced, and played most of the instruments on most of Nico's albums, produced Squeeze's first album, the Modern Lovers' only album, the Stooges' first album, Patti Smith's first album (Horses), and Siouxsie & the Banshee's last album. Bauhaus loved to cover his obscurity "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores", Billy Bragg does "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend", David J (bassist of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets) does "Fear", "Antarctica Starts Here", and "Ship of Fools", Siouxsie & the Banshees do "Gun", and The Teardrop Explodes do "I'm Not the Loving Kind" (as I've mentioned before). Put simply, Cale rules.
I apologize right now for how ridiculously long this review is. It's a long album, after all.
Album: Circus Live
Release Date: 19 February 2007
Label: EMI
Disc 1:
01. Venus in Furs [originally performed by The Velvet Underground]
02. Save Us
04. Woman
05. Buffalo Ballet
06. Femme Fatale [originally performed by The Velvet Underground] → Rosegarden Funeral of Sores
07. Hush
08. Outta the Bag
09. Set Me Free
10. The Ballad of Cable Hogue
11. Look Horizon
13. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
01. Walkin' the Dog [Rufus Thomas Jr. cover]
02. Gun
03. Hanky Panky Nohow
04. Pablo Picasso [Modern Lovers cover] → Mary Lou
05. Drone – Into Amsterdam Suite
06. Zen
07. Style It Takes
08. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]
09. Mercenaries (Ready for War)
10. Outro Drone
Electric Rehearsal:
1. Model Beirut Recital [partial]
2. Sold Motel [partial]
3. Gun
4. Reading My Mind [partial]
5. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]
Acoustic Rehearsal:
1. Dancing Undercover
2. You Know More Than I Know
3. Gravel Drive
4. Chorale
5. Ghost Story
1. Jumbo in the Modern World [promo video]
2. Gravel Drive (Blathamix) [audio track]
3. Big White Cloud (2007 Version) [audio track]
The songs here were recorded by Cale and his live band during his 2004 and 2006 European tours, and it's interesting to compare the song selection with what I saw on his 2007 European tour. To be honest, all the songs come from a slightly bigger collection of songs that he liked to play these days. Looking at other setlists, you can clearly see he has a certain number of songs that form his basic repertoire and he picks a good count to do at any given moment. I'll mostly discuss what I think sounds particularly interesting here and maybe compare a little with the performance I saw.
The album opens with The Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs", which was written by Lou Reed but is mostly memorable for Cale's thick droning viola. The performance here is faithful to the recording, and it works well. Cale then proceeds to do "Save Us" and "Helen of Troy" from his Island years and then "Woman" from his latest album, 2005's Black Acetate. This sort of mix of old and new forms the basis of this album. "Helen of Troy" rocks pretty hard, even more so than the recorded version, and now that I've heard the live version several times, I prefer it to the original version. The female spoken parts in the original kind of annoy me now, and although I like the horn part in the recording, the riff works just fine on an effects-laden live guitar, too.
"Buffalo Ballet" is done quite faithfully and shows the sweeter, more melodic and acoustic side of Cale that shows up now and then. Later in the album, Cale does similarly low-key versions of "Set Me Free" and "The Ballad of Cable Hogue". All three are beautifully done and contrast well with the more rocking material. The concert I saw had a very large number of these types of songs, which I thought worked really well.
The first really interesting song is the medley of the Lou Reed-penned "Femme Fatale" (originally sung on the first Velvet Underground record by Nico) with Cale's obscure b-side "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores", a song perhaps better known a staple from Bauhaus' live performances. The medley skillfully interweaves the two songs, mostly playing around with the main riff of "Rosegarden" while alternating verses from both songs and changing the root of the riff as necessary for "Femme Fatale".
The newer song "Hush" doesn't seem to go anywhere and is the first weaker track. If you listen to the album so that there are gaps between each song, you can clearly hear the fade-out of the song (as it must have kept on going), but without the gap, it sounds like the band just suddenly shifts into the recent single "Outta the Bag", which is quite an improvement. They may have done it that way in concert, but depending on your playback system, the production either sounds kind of tellingly bad or really good. "Outta the Bag" has some weird sampled effects, but the song sounds rather good, and I love the wordless vocalizations over the ending jam, presumably done by Cale's backing musicians.
"Magritte" is a fairly good song introduced as being "about [his] favorite painter", which in itself is pretty cool, but the song is also one of the few Cale ever does on viola. It is followed by the thoroughly rocking "Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll", which is perhaps even better than the original. The piano sound and the guitar workouts work so well. The song goes on for a bit while everyone jams their heart out.
The second disc features more radical reworkings of classic Cale songs. "Walkin' the Dog" is an old standard by Rufus Thomas Jr. that a lot of people like to cover for reasons I fail to understand; I don't think the song is all that great, but I guess it's kind of fun, and Cale does a fairly good job with it. (He had previously released a version of the song on his first live album, Sabotage/Live in 1979.)
"Gun", which in the studio was a long, seriously rocking song with a two-man solo featuring Brian Eno throwing his effects board on the guitar solo, is here presented as an even longer piece, more atmospheric and slow. Considering the nature of the song, I think that's a poor choice as it drags too much and gets a bit boring. It's not too bad, though, and the best part of the rendition is that it seamlessly transitions into Cale's classic "Hanky Panky Nohow". I didn't even notice the seque the first time I listened until Cale started singing the chorus. The version here is very minimalist, but for the song it works well.
The "Pablo Picasso" → "Mary Lou" medley is also pretty good, albeit maybe a little indulgent in the extended jam that links the songs, but this is a rock band, after all. The medley rocks pretty hard, and it feels like the musicians are really into the songs. "Pablo Picasso" seems to be one of Cale's favorite songs to cover, which is interesting considering that it's a Modern Lovers song, and he produced the album the original recording is found on. I can't help but like Cale's sneering rendition of the repeated line, "Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole". The lyrics aren't really amazing, but the point that fame can lead people to overlook character flaws still comes through. This is the last song before the "Amsterdam Suite", and the main "set" appropriately ends with Cale repeatedly singing "goodnight" throughout the outro of "Mary Lou".
The so-called "Amsterdam Suite" is basically a fragment of a spacey acoustic set Cale did with a few different musicians in Amsterdam in 2004. (A video of the whole concert can be found here. [Edit 2014.06.16: Not anymore, apparently.]) When I first saw the tracklist, I hoped that the "song" "Drone – Into Amsterdam Suite" implied that Cale would do a version of his old song "Amsterdam", but such is not the case. It's just a long drone, just like the "Outro Drone". These two tracks are largely worthless (except to prove that "outro" is a word) but they do mimic the intro and outro of the concert I witnessed.
"Zen" goes by slowly and has a pretty, shimmering keyboard throughout. I think this song and Cale's homeland inspired the name of his biography, What's Welsh for Zen?, which is a great title. "Style It Takes" is from Cale's 1990 collaboration with Lou Reed, Songs for Drella, which was a song cycle dedicated to Andy Warhol, the "producer" of the first Velvets album. This particular song is a bit humorous and self-referential, and it sounds great due to some great keyboard, sound effects, and banjo.
"Heartbreak Hotel", the Presley standard, is done as a slow, atmospheric piece, devoid of the rocking guitars of Cale's normal version, although the version he played at the concert I saw was noticeably different from either version. This version is totally minimalist and barely holds together. It's cool that Cale is experimenting around, as it works okay here, but when I couldn't even make out a single word he sang in his pitch-shifted version at the concert I saw, I count that as a bit of a drawback.
"Mercenaries" largely has the same story as "Gun" or "Heartbreak Hotel", which can be seen as unfortunate or interesting. I've never heard the original version, because the studio recording was only released on a vinyl single and never reissued anywhere (since the master was lost), and the other common version is the live take on Cale's first live album, Sabotage/Live, which I cannot find a copy of anywhere. My understanding is that the original rocks out, with is quite contrary to this version. It's so slow and drawn out, which could be cool, but it feels like this song could have benefited from a bit more of something. [Edit 2014.06.16: I have since heard both of these earlier versions, and indeed, they are powerful rockers.]
So this is a long review. Anyhow, the whole thing comes with a DVD, too, which has some interesting material on it. The rehearsal features a bunch of songs that don't appear on the CDs, several of which were performed at the concert I saw. (You can even see the drummer playing his box as I mentioned in my live review! [Edit 2019.01.07: That instrument is called a cajón.]) Since these are rehearsals, a few of the songs break down or are edited, but you do get to see several full performances. There's also the requisite banter, but the best is when Cale dons his old ski mask as he used to in concert (and as seen on the cover of the Guts compilation.)
The electric rehearsal tracks include another protracted version of "Heartbreak Hotel" in yet another arrangement. This version rocks a bit harder but is still fairly abstract. The version of "Gun" is here done closer to the rocking original version, but they somehow play the song in three minutes instead of eight. The acoustic rehearsals include some solid renditions of Cale classics like "Dancing Undercover", "You Know More Than I Know", and "Ghost Story", which is a real treat. The "Jumbo in the Modern World" video is a CG-heavy affair featuring weird creatures that consume all beauty in the world and then each other, ending in the last surviving member vomiting up the entire world.
The two audio tracks are fairly interesting. "Outta the Bag (Blathamix)" isn't really very great, but I haven't actually heard the normal version, so I don't know how much is the song versus the mix. I suspect it's the mix that fails, as it's overly electronics-laden and it doesn't go anywhere. I accidentally listened to it once while fast-forwarding my DVD at 1.5 speed, and it sounds noticeably better and doesn't drag as much. "Big White Cloud (2007 Version)" is simply an update of the original, with a bigger atmospheric background. It isn't particularly revelatory, but it's certainly not bad.
The album was culled from Cale's 2004 and 2006 tours, but like the show I saw in 2007, Cale plays a wide array of material. He's got old Velvet Underground material, songs from his earliest albums, several songs from his famed Island years, and several songs from his last few albums. The mix is interesting and flows fairly well, and he re-arranges a lot of his songs, for better or worse. Perhaps even more than the concert I saw, the record relies on a bit more recent material than older, which makes sense as Cale does have older live albums with some of the same material, and he's only really re-arranged a limited number of his songs so many times. Still, it's a good listen, but I should warn that I adore Cale's 70s albums but know little about anything thereafter (and I love the Velvet Underground), so many of these songs were completely new to me. He's backed by a solid band, and he can rock out on request.
The album's actually a fair introduction to the man and his music, and it's a great album for a longtime fan. I only wish that his new arrangements of old songs were less dependent on just being long, droning space-versions. I know Cale loves his ambience and drones, but I think he could do some really more interesting things. Or just provide more variety. All the medleys, be they done that way live or just skillfully mixed in the album production, work really well. The two medleys that were clearly done live (that is, "Femme Fatale" → "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores" and "Pablo Picasso" → "Mary Lou"; I'm not entirely confident about the "Hush" → "Outta the Bag" or the "Gun" → "Hanky Panky Nohow" segues... they could have been done live or via post-production) are two of the best tracks on the album, and both were fairly cleverly arranged. Do note that slower songs are not necessarily bad: as I said before, "Buffalo Ballet" and "Style It Takes" (among others) succeed well with the more thoughtful approach.
The DVD is also makes for a fun little viewing. It isn't totally enlightening or anything, but you get to see the band having fun and playing parts of songs you don't hear on the CDs. Not fantastic, but it's there and it's not bad. The video is worth a watch, and the audio tracks are worth a listen. Unlike the CDs, which I think merit repeated listenings, the DVD probably has a more limited appeal.
CDs: B+
DVD: C+
Whole package: B
Full "Amsterdam Suite" performance as seen here [Edit 2014.06.16: Sorry, no longer available.]: B-
Posted by Patrick at 1:47 AM 2 comments:
Labels: 2007, John Cale, live album review, Velvet Underground
Falco - Einzelhaft (1982)
I think the first time I'd heard of Falco was when someone (probably one of my sisters) played his first major single, "Der Kommissar". (I remained rather unaware of his other big single ("Rock Me Amadeus") for a long time.) I've always liked the song a lot, and as I've been learning German for about six years now, it was also another part of the wonderful culture I have tried to connect myself with. (In fact, the only time I've heard the song on the radio was while in Germany three years ago.)
At some point before studying abroad in Vienna, I learned that Falco was not only an Austrian, but a true Wiener (that is, he's from Vienna; don't get the wrong idea), and I bought a 12" single of "Der Kommissar". While living in Vienna, I found a copy of his debut album, Einzelhaft (basically, "solitary confinement") for sale at a good price, so I bought it, and I really liked it. Shortly afterward, I decided to go to the Zentralfriedhof (Central Graveyard) of Vienna, where Falco, Mozart, and many other composers, authors, politicians, artists, and commoners are buried. Somehow I couldn't find Falco's grave, so I had to make a second pilgrimage after consulting a map that a fan made online. It's awesome:
Later, while in Graz, the second biggest city in Austria, I happened to find a reasonably-priced copy of Falco 3, which opens with "Rock Me Amadeus". I like Einzelhaft better, but Falco 3 sold better. Therefore, I'm going to review Einzelhaft and mention Falco 3 a fair amount at the same time.
Artist: Falco
Album: Einzelhaft ("Solitary Confinement")
Label: A&M (USA), Gig Records (Austria/Germany)
01. Zuviel Hitze ("Too Much Heat")
02. Der Kommissar ("The Commissioner")
03. Siebzehn Jahr ("Seventeen Years (Old)")
04. Auf der Flucht ("On the Run")
05. Ganz Wien ("All of Vienna")
06. Maschine Brennt ("Machine Burns")
07. Hinter uns die Sintflut ("Behind Us the Flood")
08. Nie Mehr Schule ("No More School")
09. Helden von Heute ("Heroes of Today")
10. Einzelhaft
If lyrics are any indication of character traits, Falco is a Vienna-loving drug user. "Zuviel Hitze", "Der Kommissar", and "Ganz Wien" are all clearly about drugs. "Zuviel Hitze" discusses overdosing (but is open to other similar interpretations): "es hat zuviel Hitze, und da friere ich" ("there's too much heat and I'm freezing") and "Staub zu Staub vergeht / ich komme viel zu spät" ("ashes to ashes die away / I'm coming much too late").
"Zuviel Hitze", though, simply cannot match either of the other songs discussing drug use. "Der Kommissar", a #1 single in at least seven countries, was the song that rocketed Falco to international fame. After the Fire, an otherwise forgettable American band, did a cover with fairly faithfully-translated lyrics that got to #3 in America, and one of Trent Reznor's first bands, Option 30, also did a cover with some hilarious vocal work from Reznor. The themes of the song are fairly straightforward: finding drugs and avoiding the police. The song has a good synthy feel and a fantastic guitar hook, and the chorus is irresistibly catchy: "dreh' dich nicht um / der Kommissar geht um / er wird dich anschauen / und du weißt warum / die Lebenslust bringt dich um / alles klar, Herr Kommissar?" ("don't turn around / the commissioner's around / he will look at you / and you know why / your lust to live will kill you / everything clear, sir commissioner?")
The key to "Ganz Wien" lies in the main chorus line: "ganz Wien / ist heut' auf Heroin" ("all of Vienna / is on heroin today"). The song pulses smoothly and rather slowly along, but it has a good rock feel and would make a good mid-tempo dance song. As per normal for Falco, synths abound and a good, distorted guitar adds texture. The song makes a few subtle specifically-Vienna references, such as the ball season there (the Opernball ("Opera Ball") is huge) and the U4, one of the original U-Bahn (subway) lines running through the city, partially along the Wienfluss (Vienna River).
"Siebzehn Jahr" is the only straight romantically-themed song the album, which to me is great. (I get really annoyed when bands can only sing about romance. It's a great theme to sing about, but so are many, many other things. For example, politics and history.) The girl of focus here is dating a film star and successfully manages to keep her youthful age a secret.
"Auf der Flucht" discusses two cities at different points in history: West Berlin, 1967, and Zürich, 1982. The title apparently refers to running away from the crises and problems in these places. I know the story of Berlin (the Wall, overzealous police force, entrapment due to Soviet influence on all sides, etc.) but I really don't know the Zürich story. Something about unsuccessful protests against some sort of financial situation... can anyone help me here? In any case, it's interesting and has a good driving synth riff. One must ask, though, why Falco didn't mention the Berlin-like situation in Vienna right after World War II (it was also divided between the four main Allied powers for ten years).
"Hinter uns die Sintflut" is about a scandal involving the discovery of an until then-successful money-laundering big-businessman. "Nie Mehr Schule" is a catchy and straightforward piece about having enough school and wanting to just have fun. "Helden von Heute", like "Ganz Wien", is more mid-tempo, but still driving, rockish, and danceable, with some staple synth-and-guitar work. The song appears at first to just be about being trendy and hip, but then mentions (in English) "no future" and then name-checks New Wave (clearly the movement Falco is a part of), but says of it, "ist heute das Wort für nichts Besseres mehr zu tun" ("[it] is today the word for having nothing better to do").
Review and Comparison with Falco 3:
If there's one thing you can say about Falco, it's that he loves Vienna. Keeping in mind that Wien is the German word for Vienna, consider that he has an album titled Wiener Blut ("Viennese Blood") and several songs about or mentioning the city ("Ganz Wien" ("All of Vienna"), "Vienna Calling", etc.). And if there's one thing you can say has changed about me since studying abroad, it's that I love Vienna. And it follows that I love Falco, but to be fair, his music isn't perfect.
There is something of a typical "Falco sound" (not too far from the typical New Wave sound...), and Falco doesn't really even try to avoid it. In fact, he appears to love it. However, to at least some degree, he is subject to the influence of whoever is (co-)producing and (co-)writing his music: Einzelhaft was a collaboration with Robert Ponger, but the far more poppy-sounding Falco 3 was a collaboration with Rob and Ferdi Bolland, who were clearly concerned with producing big hits. Falco 3 is loaded with plenty of hits ("Rock Me Amadeus" (a funky song about Mozart and how much of a punk he was), "Vienna Calling" (straightforward pop about.... nothing), "Jeanny" (which tries way too hard to be a big ballad), and "America" (humorously about selling records there, missing being there, and an American trying to buy a Wiener Schnitzel in Austria)), but ultimately feels very shallow. (Also... lame cover:)
Whereas the pop and gloss of Einzelhaft is redeemed by mostly clever lyrics, the novelty of being 95% German, and simply good music, Falco 3 fails to have any depth. There's too much English, too much poppyness without good reason, and the closing cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is so passive, elevator-music-esque, and forgettable that one has to wonder why Falco bothered. (A rewrite of the Cars' "Lookin' for Love" as "Munich Girls" works somewhat better.)
Einzelhaft is a fun romp through nearly campy nostalgia and novelty, but even beyond that, as a serious work, it is fairly good. Wikipedia mentions the influence of David Bowie's Eno-assisted Low album, but the connection is thin. (Wikipedia goes as far as to say that "Nie mehr Schule" borrows "Speed of Life"'s music and "Helden von Heute" is a rewrite of "Heroes", but I think neither are the case.) The music is very New Wave, with lots of synth and a good dose of guitar. The beat is always danceable, and weird sound effects can be found on the fringes. Also important is just how catchy the album is (something can't really deny about Falco 3, also).
Eventually I'll get around to checking out more of Falco's albums... he has several more, most of which were #1 smashes in Austria (and sometimes in Germany, too), but the two I've discussed here and probably the only two people know anything about in America. I half want Nachtflug ("Night Flight") just for the cover:
Should you ask which Falco album to buy, get Einzelhaft. It's more fulfilling, and as far as #1 singles go, "Der Kommissar" is better than "Rock Me Amadeus".
Einzelhaft: B
Falco 3: D+ (D is for "disappointing", remember. It isn't horrible, just... not as good as Einzelhaft.)
"Der Kommissar": A+
"Rock Me Amadeus": B+
Falco's grave: A+ (Literally the best I've ever seen.)
Note that you can find translations of many Falco songs (including most of Einzelhaft) at http://www.falco-calling.com/translat.htm.
Posted by Patrick at 8:04 PM 12 comments:
Labels: 1982, 1985, album review, Falco, German
Trent Reznor & Peter Murphy - Live Radio Shows 2006
I first got in to Nine Inch Nails in middle school, presumably from the influence of my sisters. The band and its core member, Trent Reznor, remained near the top of my list of favorite artists until mid-highschool, when I explored the post-punk scene that I now adore. That's not to say I don't like their/his old music; I still spin it now and then, it's just that other things have stolen my primary interest, such as Bauhaus, and by extension, their lead singer and later a semi-successful solo artist, Peter Murphy.
Then, in 2005, something wonderful happened. Bauhaus reunited to play a series of concerts (which I missed, but my old friend Julius did not, and he kindly lent me a recording of the Boston show he saw), and they had enough fun to do a second tour, sharing the bill with Nine Inch Nails. This wasn't the first time NIN had shared a bill with one of Reznor's favorite artists: in 1995, he shared the stage with David Bowie, who was touring his Brian Eno-produced album Outside.
I found that cool but didn't think too much of the NIN part until I started hanging out with Keagan, who reminded me about the band and their new records. My interest still wasn't entirely piqued until I caught word of a small set of radio shows the two bands did together.
I had heard rumor that during concerts the two lead singers would sometimes sing each others' songs, but I found no proof until I found a bootleg of the four radio shows the two did together. Sure enough, the two musicians sing each other's songs and play some oddball and/or fun covers on top of it all.
Artist: Trent Reznor and Peter Murphy, with guests
Session 1: 99x, Atlanta, Georgia, 7 June 2006
1. Head Like a Hole [originally by Nine Inch Nails]
2. Sanity Assassin [originally by Bauhaus]
3. Hurt [originally by Nine Inch Nails]
Session 2: DC101, Washington, DC, 13 June 2006, with TV on the Radio (the tour's opening act)
1. Dreams [originally by TV on the Radio]
2. Final Solution [Pere Ubu cover, previously covered by Peter Murphy]
3. Bela Lugosi's Dead [originally by Bauhaus]
Session 3: WBCN, Boston, Massachusetts, 23 June 2006, with Jeordie White and Atticus Ross (NIN's bassist and programmer/producer, respectively)
1. Reptile [originally by Nine Inch Nails] → Haunted When the Minutes Drag [Love & Rockets cover]
2. Warm Leatherette [The Normal cover]
3. Strange Kind of Love [originally by Peter Murphy]
4. Nightclubbing [Iggy Pop cover]
Session 4: First Midwest Bank Amphitheater, Chicago, Illinois, 1 July 2006, with the full NIN touring band
1. Dead Souls [Joy Division cover, previously covered by Nine Inch Nails]
2. Twenty Four Hours [Joy Division cover]
3. Warsaw [Joy Division cover]
4. Atmosphere [Joy Division cover]
These shows rock. The performances are all solid and the song choice could not be better. Most renditions are cleverly redone, and the singers do indeed trade songs. This is a one-of-a-kind thing. I will discuss individual tracks at length.
"Head Like a Hole" is done much slower and electronically, and Murphy does lead vocals. The original recording is sampled a few times. This song is a bit disarming as an opener – I find it less impressive than most of the later songs they do. It's still very interesting, but I guess the whole first set just isn't quite as fascinating as the later three shows.
"Sanity Assassin" was originally a somewhat obscure Bauhaus song, but Reznor sings and does a very electronic rendition. Murphy sings backup, but I don't know what else he's doing in the performance. "Hurt" is done with no samples or electronics, just Murphy's voice and Reznor's keyboard. It's not too exciting, but it is yet another rendition of the now-famous song. [Edit 2016.05.12: This version of "Hurt" was released as a single by Murphy in 2009.]
I don't know much about TV on the Radio, but "Dreams" is a cool song. (Side note: when I saw The Faint live in 2004, TV on the Radio was the opener on every show of the tour except in Lawrence, Kansas, where I saw them. My sister lent me their Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes album around the same time.) It's fairly post-punk, with some shoegaze-like drones. The original features both of the band's vocalists singing in different octaves, and the version here keeps the original higher vocal sound, but the deeper singer shares his parts with Murphy and Reznor. The shift between all the vocalists only makes the song more dynamic and interesting.
"Final Solution" is a weird Pere Ubu song (but the band itself is weird), and Peter Murphy did a great cover version on his first album in 1986. The version here is somewhere between the original and Murphy's version, but features Reznor on lead vocals. The sound is great - it's full and heavy, which is closer to the original version in some ways. The structure is more like Murphy's cover but this version is just a bit more intense, which works well here. I love some of the song's lyrics, like "Buy me a ticket to a sonic reduction / Guitar's gonna sound like a nuclear destruction" (whereupon the music dead halts for a moment before breaking into the chorus) and "Mama threw me out till I get some pants that fit / She just won't approve of my strange kind of wit". The ending is an extended drone, where the higher TV on the Radio vocalist emulates the wordless vocalizations skillfully.
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" was Bauhaus' first single and typically considered the first goth rock song. The song was nine minutes long (making everyone wonder why it was released as a single), but an edit was featured in The Hunger, starring David Bowie. This version is shortened to about five minutes, but TV on the Radio adds just the right feel of instrumentation and throws in some extra backing vocals for good measure.
"Reptile" was a NIN cover, but this version is sung by Murphy. The bassline is more prominent, but otherwise the song is similar to the original, but instead of the extended instrumental outro, the bass and guitar suddenly start playing Love & Rockets' "Haunted When the Minutes Drag". I love the song, but it's an interesting choice, since Love & Rockets is composed of all the members of Bauhaus except Peter Murphy. This version is even more spacey and droning than the original and has some great e-bow work.
"Warm Leatherette" is a cover of one of The Normal's few songs: the band was basically just Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records, and he released one single (b/w "T.V.O.D.") and a weird one-sided live album. Murphy sings this version over some dancy electronic instrumentation. (Of note: the song was inspired by J.G. Ballard's Crash, but is not alone in that: The Creatures (a side project of Siouxsie & the Banshees) released a single titled "Miss the Girl" with the same source of inspiration. Grace Jones has done a reggae cover of "Warm Leatherette", to add to the weirdness.)
"Strange Kind of Love" brings a change in mood, as Reznor states; Murphy sings his own song while Reznor or one of his bandmates plays a solo electric guitar, straightforwardly emulating the original version. "Nightclubbing" is one of Iggy Pop's most well-known songs. Murphy sings lead here, which isn't surprising, since he once did a cover of Pop's "Funtime".
The final show is straight Joy Division covers, which ends up working quite well. All four songs done are fairly similar to the original versions, but hearing these musicians do such solid covers is really delightful. Both Murphy and Reznor are clearly fans; Bauhaus covers "Transmission" live these days, and Reznor once covered "Dead Souls". This version follows the NIN cover, but throws some extra e-bow in and is sung by Murphy. Murphy also sings the amped-up versions of "Twenty Four Hours" and "Warsaw" and the wonderfully aptly-named "Atmosphere", which tends to be the fan favorite Joy Division song. (I applaud the choice of overlooking the excellent but well-known and oft-covered "Love Will Tear Us Apart".) [Edit 2016.05.12: Murphy later released a live version of "Transmission" with his own band as a single in 2009.]
Peter Murphy and Trent Reznor are both great musicians; both have been a part of bands that I have considered amongst my favorites. These shows could not have been more skillfully done, with the possible exception of the first, which lacks only a degree of the inspired mood of the other three shows. The song choices are excellent, spanning each musician's career and some of their favorite covers. The renditions are mostly solid; the sound is always great and the concept of trading each other's songs works out very well. My only complaint is that "Hurt" and "Strange Kind of Love" are too plain and lack any of the rearrangement found in the other performances. The Joy Division cover set is a welcome surprise, and although fairly straightforward, nonetheless a worthy tribute.
I highly recommend acquiring the bootleg recordings if you like any of the people involved. They aren't hard to find and the quality and unique nature of the performances make them well worth it. Also, check out the NIN website for video of the second and third radio shows. [Note (2014.06.09): The videos are apparently no longer available on the official website.] [Edit 2016.05.12: The audio recordings are all available on ninlive.com.]
Score: A
Labels: 2006, Bauhaus, bootleg review, Joy Division, Love & Rockets, Nine Inch Nails, Peter Murphy, Trent Reznor, TV on the Radio
Patti Smith - Twelve (2007)
I'm going to break away from strict reviewing narrative again for a moment to introduce a few changes to my blog here. First, I'm adding a new section to my reviews. As you may have noticed, they have so far consisted of a wandering introduction, factual information such as the setlist or tracklist, and a lengthy review. I am now going to try splitting the review into two parts. The first part will be a somewhat thorough analysis. This would be the section where I'll probably ramble the most and make the more obscure references. The second part will be the actual review, where I'll discuss the work or performance as a whole and make more general connections and commentary. Thus, the hardcore fan of whatever I'm writing about would ideally be interested in both parts, but a less dedicated reader may only want to weather the review. [Edit 2014.06.08: I gave up this format a long, long time ago, although some parts remain. These days I do whatever I feel like I need to do to get my ideas across.]
The second thing is that I want to begin rating these works and performances. I'd thought about it, but shied away until instigated. I'll be using letter grades. That means a "C" is average, "B" is fairly good, "A" is great, "D" is disappointing, and "F" is outright horrible. Pluses and minuses may be used too. (For reference, I'd give Morrissey an A, John Cale an A-, the Teardrops an A, and Smashing Pumpkins a B+.) [Edit 2014.06.08: See the About page for a better discussion of scoring.]
I'd also like to mention Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork is a music news and review website focusing on indie and alternative music. I'll say it now: I read their news section to keep up on what's going on, but I generally completely disagree with their reviews. Today's review will be a prime example.
Finally, to make it official, it is seriously a goal of mine to mention Brian Eno in each post. I'm not joking when I say he is basically the god/patron saint of good music. I may have to stretch sometimes, but his reach is far. Since he did favor a certain crowd, I may make connections through other musicians, and if I've already made that connection in a previous post, I won't explain the whole thing every time. Make sense? Feel free to propose other or better connections if you are aware of them. [Edit 2014.06.08: Obviously I stopped doing this at some point but I probably could still do it, if asked, for almost every review I've written.]
And now for the review. I'd heard about Patti Smith's Twelve a few months ago, and I was interested. I love Patti Smith even though I only have her debut album, Horses. It's such a great album that I almost fear disappointment in getting the following albums. The concerts from that period (circa 1975) are fantastic, too. The cover is great, the songs are great... it's one of my favorite albums.
Now, Twelve is a covers album, but Smith has always done covers of rock standards, straight from the start: Horses opened with an extended poetic discourse version of Them's "Gloria" and Chris Kenner's "Land of 1000 Dances" (made famous by Wilson Pickett) appears juxtaposed in the middle of one of Smith's extended originals. I promise I'll stop going on about Horses after one final comment: it was produced by John Cale (and John Cale → Brian Eno, as previously mentioned).
Artist: Patti Smith
Album: Twelve
01. Are You Experienced? [Jimi Hendrix cover]
02. Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Tears for Fears cover]
03. Helpless [Neil Young via Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young cover]
04. Gimme Shelter [Rolling Stones cover]
05. Within You Without You [George Harrison via the Beatles cover]
06. White Rabbit [Jefferson Airplane cover]
07. Changing of the Guards [Bob Dylan cover]
08. The Boy in the Bubble [Paul Simon cover]
09. Soul Kitchen [The Doors cover]
10. Smells Like Teen Spirit [Nirvana cover]
11. Midnight Rider [The Allman Brothers cover]
12. Pastime Paradise [Stevie Wonder cover]
I find it funny that I know a lot of these songs by other covers (Devo does "Are You Experienced", The Sisters of Mercy do "Gimme Shelter", Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds do "Helpless", Echo & the Bunnymen do "Soul Kitchen"), but these songs make for interesting choices for Patti Smith. She's hailed as a punk (and rightfully so, at least back in the 70s), but only "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is anywhere near punk here - and Smith does it acoustic! She may have tamed down, but she's still a great singer.
My other effectively useless but "interesting" comment is that every song Smith covers (except "White Rabbit") was sung by a male, and every single additional musician that appears on the album (except her own daughter) is a male. She's always been sort of a tomboy (again, see Robert Mapplethorpe's cover shot on Horses) and persevered as one of few women in the rock/punk movement, but she clearly has no problem working with countless other men and many of her idols are clearly also men. That's fine, but she's arguably not much of a feminist. [Edit 2014.06.08: What was I thinking!?]
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is the only new wave song she covers, and she admits in the liner notes that she isn't very familiar with the song or band. A pity, but she does a good job with the song. She does a low-key take, which is a consistent theme on the album, but the point comes across well and the song works.
"Helpless" is done pretty straight-up. It's not really an improvement on the original, but it's a fun version. Some accordion helps with the feel. "Gimme Shelter" is also done pretty straight but feels more suited to Smith's style. Neil Young and The Rolling Stones are both idols of hers, but a poetic reading of Young's "Down by the River" would have suited better than "Helpless", and that same logic makes "Gimme Shelter" work. Tom Verlaine (once the guitarist/singer of Television, whose first demos were produced by Eno) and Flea (bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) guest on the song. Both are effective but feel a bit underutilized. (Both also appear on "White Rabbit", where they are even less utilized.) Where's the ripping Verlaine guitar solos as seen on "Break It Up"?
"White Rabbit" contains a few little poetic additions, but "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has an extended little spoken poetic bit after the second chorus to add a bit of personal Patti touch. Beyond that, the song is one of the more developed covers. It's done with banjos, acoustic guitars, and a violin, and although it's a bit weird, it works well. "Within You Without You" is the other winning cover, taking Harrison's spacey Indian philosophical drone and making the song groove a bit more like a rock song, with droning acoustic guitars throughout. The original isn't a bad song; it is usually overlooked in favor of some of the bigger songs on Sgt. Pepper's, but Smith treats the song well with her tribute.
This may not be a great record, but it sure is enjoyable. Smith should probably stick to throwing rock standard covers in the middle of her songs and mashing some oddball poems in the mix too instead of doing straight covers, but still. Pitchfork, in a fit of what must be spite, gave Twelve a 2.7 (of 10). Many of the songs here are fairly straight renditions ("Midnight Rider", "Helpless", "Soul Kitchen"), but I love a lot of these songs anyway, and it's not like Patti ever does a bad version, just sometimes nothing special. It's a fun listen, though. Enjoyable, if only arty in the case of the few inspired and creative renditions ("Within You Without You", "Smells Like Teen Spirit"). Other reviewers bash "White Rabbit", but I think that and "Are You Experienced?" sound great, if not too far out there.
Patti Smith is getting old, and as my mother commented when I mentioned the album, it's amazing that she's still going and still sounds as good as she does. Watching her "My Generation" performance on SNL makes me remember how crazy/cool she was. She's mellowed out, and I wish she'd play more guitar again (but I suppose she has so many friends in the business she doesn't need to), but she still makes good music. I love her craziness, her poetricks, her spite, her weird covers, her androgyny, and so on. I need to buy more of her records. And clearly, I should write a separate review for Horses.
Labels: 2007, album review, Patti Smith
The Smashing Pumpkins - Live 2007.05.22 Grand Rex, Paris, France
The Smashing Pumpkins are back after seven years. They've played a handful of shows and their new album is due out in a month. I'm very excited, although I do have my doubts. Perhaps I should explain.
The Smashing Pumpkins were the band of my high school years. I might have been into Nine Inch Nails first, but the Pumpkins remain my favorite band. (This is slightly odd considering that most of my other favorite bands herald from the 80s post-punk scene: The Smiths, Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, etc.) I think a big part of it was that I got into them right as I was learning to play guitar. Several things converged: I had heard my sister Meredith play many of the songs years before, so there was a sort of nostalgic factor, the band has some of the best guitar work around, there was a guy who tabbed out just about every note ever played by the band (Brian "that tab guy" (obscured)), there are plenty of demos and rarities to hunt down, and their live performances were simply fantastic, only aided by the fact that they change around the sound of their songs all the time. I've spent years listening to their albums, outtakes, demos, b-sides, and live bootlegs, and I've learned to play guitar to almost all of them, and I've covered a countless number of their songs.
However, the big problem here is that I got into the band in 2001 or 2002 – about a year or so after they broke up. I later learned that Billy Corgan was playing guitar for New Order about that time, but they were touring Europe, so I wouldn't have been able to see them anyway. I was there for Zwan's inception and downfall, and I quickly snatched up Corgan's solo album and the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex album too. However, these albums, regardless of their merits, were commercial failures.
One must ask why Corgan and Chamberlin, half of the original members of the Pumpkins, bandmates again in Zwan, and guests on each other's solo albums, are also the only two original Pumpkins to be a part of the reformed band. I haven't heard the new album (Zeitgeist) or the new single ("Tarantula"), but I have downloaded bootlegs of their first and third reunion shows. The setlists are interesting: they are mostly old Pumpkins material with about two thirds of the new album and a new extended jam song not yet released called "Gossamer". It should also be noted that these concerts are about three hours long. (Their festival appearances are usually shorter and feature less older material.)
I really think Billy and Jimmy just like playing their old songs. Much as I love the band, where are James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky? I always liked Iha, but he clearly clashed to some degree with Corgan. Many early Pumpkins songs were cowritten by the two, but after the second album (Siamese Dream) Corgan wrote just about everything with the occasional b-side written by Iha (somewhat explained by the fact that Iha released a solo album in 1998, right before the fourth Pumpkins album, Adore). D'arcy left the band after recording the last album, Machina: the Machines of God and has effectively entirely disappeared. So if those two are entirely out, and half of the original band is good enough for a reunion, Corgan and Chamberlin could be playing material from any of the projects they've been in together – but they aren't. Zwan apparently has too many bad memories or something, and the solo projects must not have gelled well enough or something. But when it comes down to it, which of these configurations has the biggest name, the most fame, the most history, the most nostalgia, the best songs, the biggest fanbase, and the most number of albums sold? Not to be too hard on Corgan and Chamberlin's artistic integrity, but I have to question motives here. Clearly, they aren't going to stop making music. But I think they just want to play their old songs again, but perhaps even more, they want to have the name and fame of their old band back. (Compare the numbers: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, a double album, sold 4.5 million copies in America. Adore was thoroughly scorned but still sold 1.1 million copies, and even Machina sold around 600,000 copies, much more than Zwan's Mary Star of the Sea at something like 300,000-400,000 and Corgan's The Future Embrace at about 70,000. Then consider that if it was just the old songs, Corgan adamantly refused to play Pumpkins songs with Zwan or while solo.)
Anyway, I'll at least briefly discuss the sound of their latest live offerings as represented by their first reunion concert. [Edit 2014.06.18: Just to be clear, I didn't attend this concert, but listened via authorized bootleg.]
Band: The Smashing Pumpkins
Venue: Grand Rex
City: Paris, France
Main Set:
01. United States
02. Today
03. Stand Inside Your Love
04. Bleeding the Orchid
05. Doomsday Clock
07. Hummer
08. Starz
09. Tarantula
10. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
12. For God and Country
13. Thirty-three
14. Rocket
16. To Sheila
17. Glass and the Ghost Children
18. Cherub Rock
20. Tonight, Tonight
21. Neverlost
22. That's the Way (My Love Is)
23. Disarm
24. Zero
26. Shame
27. Silverfuck
28. Annie-Dog
29. Muzzle
So I can tell that the new album is going to be at least semi-political and something of a concept album. The cover is a picture of a drowning Statue of Liberty, the translated name of the title (Zeitgeist) means "spirit of the times", and the songs "United States" and "For God and Country" help clue me in. Anyway, though – the performance. It sounds great. Corgan continues to handle the songwriting, singing, and lead guitar and Chamberlin the drums, but a few new members have been drafted to fill in the extra rolls. It is unclear to me if they are actual members or not. (Past touring keyboardists, including Mike Garson, never were considered part of the band. However, to live up to my personal challenge, note that Garson was a part of David Bowie's band, and Bowie worked with none other than Brian Eno a few years later.) In any case, in the live environment, Ginger Reyes plays bass, Jeff Schroeder guitar, and Lisa Harriton keyboards. The old songs sound pretty similar and elicit a lot of applause (or at least so my bootlegs indicate). There are some differences here and there from recorded and past live versions, but nothing really too far out there. The middle of the show features a few songs done solo acoustic: the new "For God and Country", the slightly revamped "Thirty-Three", the old and now-and-then acoustically performed "Rocket", and "Winterlong", which was never played live in the old days, but was recorded on the free, download-only album Machina II. (It's a great album, and it's free. Seriously. But the Pumpkins only got around to playing a few songs from the album, since it was released shortly before their breakup.) [Edit: Actually, it wasn't on Machina II; it was on Judas 0, the b-sides and rarities disc that came with some copies of the greatest hits compilation Rotten Apples.] Also interesting to hear are "Home" (also from Machina II, but played live a few times back in the day) and "Untitled", the so-labelled "farewell song" of the band, never before played live. "Lucky 13", another unplayed Machina II song, has been played at other concerts of the current tour. "Silverfuck" retains its old hyper-extended free-form structure and even includes a tease of the Doors' "The End" like it sometimes used to in the live environment, but it is no now longer the show closer. In the shows they've played so far, it's either closed the first encore or been skipped. With the exception of this first show, the actual closer is the new song "Gossamer", which is something of a twenty-minute jam (not found on the new album), but I don't think it has quite the effectiveness of "Silverfuck", although I can tell that the new song is trying to copy the older song's dynamics and style. (This first show's closer was the fan favorite "Muzzle", but strangely preceded by the good song but oddball choice of "Annie-Dog".)
Speaking of new songs, I've now had the opportunity to hear three-fourths of the new album's songs. I won't discuss them too much until the album comes out, but they're not bad. I might even like them. I don't yet feel like they hold up to the old material, but I might very well change my mind. They mostly sound like a continuation of the sound of Machina or Machina II. I like most of the structures, but they don't sound as nuanced as some of the older songs, although I am aware that that may be due to live limitations. I'll definitely be buying the album when it comes out – no doubt about that. I may even get the probably-unnecessary deluxe version, just because how couldn't I? I think it'll be good. Maybe not great, maybe not as good as the old stuff, but I'm guessing probably better than Zwan, Corgan solo, or the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex (although, I repeat, each of those three projects is not without at least some merit – especially Zwan live). In talking with my friend Keagan a few months back, we discussed how much Corgan has riding on this. When the Pumpkins broke up, he tried a new band. When that didn't work, he tried going solo. When that didn't sell well, he decided to reform his old band. This had better work, for his sake – or well else where he go? I'd hate to see him become the old one-time rock star, releasing mediocre solo outings every few years. Maybe I just hope the album will be good. It'd be best that way.
[Retrospective Score: B+]
[Edit 2018.09.01: When the album came out, I wrote a lengthy review.]
Labels: 2007, bootleg review, Paris, Smashing Pumpkins
The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder (1981/2000)
[Edit 2017.08.30: This was my first-ever record review and it certainly shows. Despite some misgivings, I've left most of my idiosyncratic style intact and merely corrected a few inaccuracies. I also recommend reading the comments for some additional insights.]
Alright, I've got a couple things I want to write reviews for, but I need to listen through them more before I can really do that fairly. In the meantime, I'll write about an album that I've been listening to a lot lately. It's from 1981, so it's not exactly a new release or anything, but it is great, and it is often forgotten or overlooked. Nonetheless, I think it is a fantastic piece of music.
Band: The Teardrop Explodes
Album: Wilder
Label: Mercury
01. Bent Out of Shape
02. Colours Fly Away
03. Seven Views of Jerusalem
04. Pure Joy
05. Falling Down Around Me
06. The Culture Bunker
07. Passionate Friend
08. Tiny Children
09. Like Leila Khaled Said
10. ...and the Fighting Takes Over
11. The Great Dominions
Reissue (2000) bonus tracks:
12. Window Shopping for a New Crown of Thorns [Colours Fly Away b-side, 1981]
13. East of the Equator [Colours Fly Away 12" b-side, 1981]
14. Rachael Built a Steamboat [Tiny Children b-side, 1982]
15. You Disappear from View [Single, 1983]
16. Suffocate [You Disappear from View b-side, 1983]
17. Ouch Monkeys [You Disappear from View 12" b-side, 1983]
18. Soft Enough for You [You Disappear from View 12" b-side, 1983]
19. The In-Psychlopedia [You Disappear from View 12" b-side, 1983]
[The original, obviously superior UK artwork.]
The Teardrop Explodes were something of a post-punk or new wave band hailing from the same scene as Echo & the Bunnymen. The two bands are arguably quite comparable, and both bands' lead singer once were in a band together by the name of The Crucial Three (referenced in the song "The Culture Bunker"), but the band was so short-lived that they only wrote a few songs. One of them, "Read It in Books", was released by both bands as an early b-side before being re-recorded for both bands' debut albums (although retitled "Books" on The Teardrop Explodes' Kilimanjaro). Wilder is The Teardrop Explodes' second and more or less final album. (The unfinished remnants of a third album were belatedly released in 1990 as Everybody Wants to Shag.)
The band consists of Julian Cope (songwriting, vocals), Gary Dwyer (drums), Troy Tate (guitar), and David Balfe (keyboards). Cope would later have a long and semi-successful solo career, Tate would produce the initial sessions for the Smiths' debut album, and Balfe happened to be co-owner of Zoo, the label that the Teardrop Explodes were signed to. The album credits fail to assign specific instruments to the band members, so I don't really know who contributed bass, although several songs lack bass guitar and many may feature keyboard bass from Balfe. [Edit 2017.08.30: Julian Cope was the band's nominal bassist, but bassists James Eller and Alfie Agius are also credited as guest musicians.]
[The inferior US artwork, borrowed from the Passionate Friend 12" single.]
The original album is a mere forty minutes, which may have been a goldmine in the 80s but is nothing compared to George Harrison's 1970 debut, All Things Must Pass, at 106 minutes. To be honest, the comparison was just meant to be spiteful, and forty minutes is fine by me if the music's good enough, which in this case it certainly is. Each track is little different, but the entire slightly psychedelic package (come on, it was easy to guess just by looking at the title of the last bonus track) is quite good.
"Seven Views of Jerusalem" has a weird sort of funk groove and serves as a good example of a somewhat common theme in the album: weird instrumentation and instrumentals, obtuse lyrics (my favorite kind!), and non-straightforward drumming (often heavy on the toms). "Seven Views" might be about Jesus (who else could have seven views of Jerusalem, and what all could the oft-repeated title even mean?) but that still wouldn't explain what the line "I cut off my nose to spite my face" means. I'm not complaining – let me make that clear – I just have to wonder.
To start at the beginning, both "Bent Out of Shape" and "Colours Fly Away" (can you tell the band is British?) feature lots of keyboards, some horns and more difficult lyrics. They're a bit similar but serve as a good opening. I always love that psychedelic swirling sound heard in "Colours Fly Away", Siouxsie & the Banshees' cover of "Dear Prudence" and The Smashing Pumpkins' "Thru the Eyes of Ruby". It's better known in the guitar effects world as a phaser (or sometimes flange, which is different but similar), but I mostly just wanted an excuse to mention two of my favorite completely unrelated songs.
"Pure Joy" is under two minutes, almost besting The Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get Want I Want" as my favorite song under that mark (but The Smiths' song has the added bonus of the obnoxiously long title), but packs a quick guitar riff with a speedy drum roll and vocal delivery to match. And the lyrics are still weird ("I've got a good car but it's not a good car / It won't take me to paradise for the day"). "The Culture Bunker" is a great piece about Cope's frustration with Liverpool music scene and Echo & the Bunnymen's success ("I feel cold when it turns to gold for you"). Horns (another consistent theme) and an extended instrumental without a real solo are again featured.
"Passionate Friend" was the big single. "Big" as in #25 on the UK charts. (For bands I like... that's not bad at all.) The song is quite catchy, and the lyrics more or less make sense. I still can't quite tell what's going on, but there seems to be some sort of failing romantic relationship. The bright sound and multiple hooks wouldn't lead you to that conclusion, though. There are so many Kinks-y vocal and guitar bits, and the horns! - it's just so happy, but lines like "When the love has boiled away" and "leaving you today" imply something less cheerful. However, I don't think anyone can explain the mention of Hanunoo, a language spoken in the Philippines. [Edit 2017.08.30: See comments for an alternate interpretation, although the official lyric sheet clearly reads "Hunnanoo".] "Tiny Children" was also a single, but god knows why, as it's the slowest song on the album and isn't really a catchy song. That's not to say it's bad, just not something I'd release as a single.
"Like Leila Khaled Said" returns to the Holy Land to mention the controversial Palestinian plane hijacker, but the opening line "You can smother me with kisses" makes me wonder just what Cope is really singing about. Thematically weird, but a good song nonetheless. "...and the Fighting Takes Over" features a fantastic rhythm guitar throughout the song, unaided by any drumming, that I totally want to learn. The song isn't as complex as most of the others, but the guitar is just so great that it more than makes up for it. The interplay with the vocal melody and the bass is simply fantastic.
Then comes the closer, "The Great Dominions". The song is fairly slow, has lots of weird sounds, and lacks any real instrumentation outside an enveloping Air-ish keyboard. (That's not entirely true, but the keyboard dominates under the lyrics.) I still don't know what this song is really about, but the continual repeating of lines like "Mummy, I've been fighting again" make it's placement after "...and the Fighting Takes Over" seem suspicious. The song is something of a fan favorite, and it is pretty great, so I don't blame the fans, whoever they are.
I won't talk about the bonus tracks too much; they take the weirdness/psychedelia a step farther for better or worse. "Window Shopping..." has some weird two-tracked vocals, "East of the Equator" is a long instrumental, "Ouch Monkeys" is a fairly good keyboard and drum-machine drenched song criticizing humankind, and "The In-Psychlopedia" is a fast-paced, punchy keyboard-driven song. The real highlight is "You Disappear from View", in fact a single released from the aborted third album sessions. It starts with this really cheesy/great 60s-ish horn, keyboard, and treble-heavy guitar bit and continues onward to be a fairly catchy clever song.
I also have to wonder about some of the songs that weren't released from that period. (Some later were on the Zoology (which rhymes with eulogy) compilation, but I don't have that yet.) I may or may not have bootlegs of a Berlin concert and every BBC radio session the band did, but I can say that "Log Cabin" has some good keyboards and seems to sound like a quality song. I think my favorite outtake that I've heard is a cover of John Cale's "I'm Not the Loving Kind", a fairly self-explanatory song that I've always thought was great and rather funny. Cale's version is from his Island years and thus features Brian Eno production/synthesizer/effects and a full dramatic take, complete with a female backing chorus. The Teardrops version (or at least the version they performed on Richard Skinner's radio program in May 1981) is just the lyrics and a keyboard, plus some drumming at the end. Great stuff. New goal: mention Brian Eno at least once in every review. (Should be no problem at all; I already did it in my John Cale review, and for Morrissey... well, you know, James opened for the Smiths back in the day, and they'd cover "What's the World?" now and then, and Eno produced 1993's Laid. There.)
So... that's enough rambling for the day. To be honest, I'm still missing the Teardrops' first album (Kilimanjaro) and I'm just on the cusp of getting into the band. But I like where I've started, and I'd easily say they stack up right next to Echo & the Bunnymen (a longtime favorite of mine).
[Retrospective Score: A]
[Edit 2017.08.30:] P.S. The album has since been reissued again (in 2013). This version includes the same bonus tracks as the 2000 version plus "Christ Versus Warhol", an extended live take on "Sleeping Gas" (the same version included with reissues of Kilimanjaro), and eight Richard Skinner session tracks (including "I'm Not the Loving Kind"). I highly recommend it.
Labels: 1981, 2000, album review, reissue, Teardrop Explodes
John Cale - Live 2007.03.06 Arena, Vienna, Austria
I still haven't gotten around to really telling people about this blog of mine, but I may as well write another post. Well, actually, I'm cheating a bit: I'm just going to revise a review I already wrote and submitted to the Fear Is a Man's Best Friend website (http://www.xs4all.nl/~werksman/cale/). If the name of the page didn't clue you in, I'm talking about ol' John Cale, former bassist, violist, and organist for the Velvet Underground, producer of Nico, Squeeze, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Modern Lovers, the Stooges, and others, collaborator with Brian Eno (effectively the god of music, or rather patron saint if that suits your tastes better), and veteran of 37 years of a solo career. So, here we go:
Venue: Arena Wien
City: Vienna, Austria
Setlist (thanks to Fear Is a Man's Best Friend):
01. Intro Drone
02. Evidence
03. Model Beirut Recital
07. Sold Motel
09. Reading My Mind
10. Hey Ray
11. A Day in the Life of the Common Cold → Big White Cloud
12. Hush → Outta the Bag
13. Chinese Envoy
14. Ghost Story
15. You Know More Than I Know
16. Dancing Undercover
18. Cable Hogue
19. Things
22. Fear Is a Man's Best Friend
24. Chorale
While studying abroad in Vienna, I happened to see a placard for this concert and I knew I had to go. My sister Meredith was in town that week, so we went together. We figured that I was probably the youngest person in attendance, but that hardly affected my enjoyment of the show, which I thought was rather awesome. There was no opening act, and the medium-sized venue (a former slaughterhouse, I'm told) was fairly crowded and anxious for the show to begin. After a long wait, a loud drone enveloped the building, and finally the band walked out. After the intro drone, the band started out in full-on rock mode: Cale on electric guitar, accompanied by three guys I didn't recognize on lead guitar, electric bass, and full drumset. I don't remember the setlist exactly, and I'm unfortunately still in the process of becoming familiar with all of Cale's material, so I can only guess at an approximate order and the precise content. [Edit: I have since found the correct setlist.] I think I remember five rocking songs before Cale moved over to the keyboard for the first time. The setlist was fairly varied. Cale focuses on his heyday, the mid 70s, but he threw in songs from all over his career (but sadly just one Velvet Underground song). I'll comment on a few specific parts.
Cale played two new, unreleased songs: "(A Day in the Life of a) Common Cold" and "Hey Ray". "Common Cold" I remember as fairly good, but despite the thorough introduction that "Hey Ray" got, I have to say it was the song I was least impressed with the whole night. The lilting lyrical delivery and choruses ticking off the years just didn't strike me strongly. I picked up on most of the cultural or historical references he was making in the song, but I just didn't like the way it coalesced. The other song that I felt didn't work too well was "Heartbreak Hotel", an Elvis Presley cover that normally rocks really hard both on album and in most live bootleg versions I've heard. This time, through, the song featured dense keyboards and such a strong pitch shifter on Cale's voice that I couldn't understand the lyrics and I wasn't even sure exactly what song it was. I think if the effect hadn't been quite so strong it would have worked really well.
About halfway through Cale started playing some of his more melodic old classics, such as "Big White Cloud", "Ghost Story", "You Know More Than I Know", and "Cable Hogue" (apparently referred to these days as "The Ballad of Cable Hogue"). These four in particular earned some serious applause from the audience. After setting down his electric guitar after the first five songs, Cale tended to favor his acoustic guitar and keyboard most the rest of the night. For about four or so of the various softer songs, the drummer came around to the front of his set for a while and sat down on a box [Edit 2019.01.07: specifically, a cajón]. It was well-mic'd and he knew what he was doing, because he kept a solid beat going just by beating on it the whole while. I was impressed by the effectiveness of the simplicity. Now and then the bassist would also trade his electric for an acoustic stand-up.
I had noticed at the start of the show that I didn't see a viola anywhere on stage, and I told my sister that I just knew Cale would have to bring one out. Sure enough, right before the encore, he pulled his viola out from behind an amplifier or something and went right into "Venus in Furs". Some of the audience members really got into it, despite the fact that it's not an easy song to dance to. Anyway, that was pretty cool.
After Cale left the stage, the audience kept cheering until he came back out for an encore. He went right into "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend", which got a great crowd response. (As it's one of my favorites, too, I was rather enthralled.) He followed the first chorus with a classical-styled interlude not present in the studio recording, and the bassist did a good job of capturing the noisy finish of the song as heard on record. They then rocked through a medley of "Pablo Picasso" (a Modern Lovers cover) and "Mary Lou", which featured some extended jamming. After that, the band left the stage, the audience applauded, and the lights came on, so me and my sister figured the show was over. She went to the bathroom and I went to pick up my camera, which had been confiscated at the door. While waiting for my sister, Cale came back out to do "Chorale", so I not only got to hear the beautiful finale, but I got to take a few blurry photographs. After that, my sister and I left for good, but for all I know he did another encore. I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm pretty sure that was the end, as I heard a loud drone much like the intro one as we left. All in all, it was a pretty great show. For the sake of public record, here is the better of the two photographs I took, but I warn that it really is not a great shot:
[Retrospective Score: A-]
Labels: 2007, John Cale, live review, Velvet Underground, Vienna
Trent Reznor & Peter Murphy - Live Radio Shows 200...
The Smashing Pumpkins - Live 2007.05.22 Grand Rex,...
John Cale - Live 2007.03.06 Arena, Vienna, Austria...
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Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / Rubblebucket - Live 2011.10.18 Old Rock House, St. Louis, Missouri
Another recommendation from a bandmate.
Artist: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Venue: Old Rock House
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Opening Act: Rubblebucket
Going into the performance knowing next to nothing about the opening act or the headliner, I figured it was best to be open-minded. When Rubblebucket climbed on stage, the eight members looked half-stoned, very young, mildly hipster, and surprisingly confident. With two percussionists, three brass players, a bassist, a guitarist, and a keyboardist, they did their best to fill up the venue with sound. They played a sort of dub/funk fusion, more in the line of jazz than rock or pop. Some of the spacier songs, particularly due to the vocals, reminded me of the Cocteau Twins or My Bloody Valentine.
The single female member split her time between a saxophone and ethereal singing. Unfortunately, in both cases, her output was drowned in the mix of tones, especially by the other brass players. I believe she was singing lyrics, but it sounded nearly wordless. Only when other musicians offered harmonies could I hear and appreciate her contributions. Most of the other instruments fit together fine, but I couldn't help feeling like the whole thing was overkill. The music was actually fairly good, but it was unfocused. Despite fairly good performances, the songs were scattered and there was no guiding light to offer direction for their motives. The set seemed to drag on endlessly, even though it was just an hour long.
Due to the venue's relatively small size, there is no real backstage, so the stage had to be entirely reconfigured for Trombone Shorty. Furthermore, the band had to wait in their tour bus until show time, at which point they poured through the doors, climbed on stage, and jumped right into a song. Shorty was backed by Orleans Avenue, who consisted of two percussionists, two saxophonists, a bassist, and a guitarist. (Sound familiar?)
Thankfully, Shorty got right to the point. He started strong on his trombone and led the band through a non-stop deluge of songs. Hardly pausing for breath between his intense solos, he also picked up a trumpet and took the mic to sing on a few songs. His own musicianship was matched by his band, particularly the guitarist and bassist. The guitarist had several incredible solos during the show, and while the bassist only took one, he also had the most consistently vibrant riffs of anyone in the band.
After about an hour of intense, high-quality jazz, the mood began to change. The jams and solos kept getting longer, Shorty spent more and more time at the mic than on his instruments, and the music loosened up a bit. The energy didn't fade, but the originality of the first hour began to recede, and the banality of most of Shorty's lyrics started to grate on me. Ultimately, it would seem that the more time he spends with his trombone, the better the quality of the material. Despite his reasonably good voice, his energy is much better spent as an instrumentalist.
Beyond that, the environment of the show just kept amping up. The main floor was packed with unselfconscious dancing, the music was violently loud (my ear plugs saved me from extensive auditory damage), and it became increasingly difficult to focus on the music with the encroaching claustrophobia. After over two hours, the band still did an encore, but I had to take a step back. By that point, the music had taken a turn for the decidedly funky. Not only did the beats get dancier, but the band even did a James Brown cover. At the very end, the musicians traded instruments for a final jam.
Unquestionably, all seven musicians are top tier performers, but at two and a half hours, it was hard to keep my attention in line. The music started out fantastically, but as Trombone began singing more and more, the quality went down and the drive began to waver. Although Shorty and his band were clearly a level above Rubblebucket, both needed to learn their strengths and focus their energy a bit. Nonetheless, I wish I hadn't been so distracted by the invasive environment, because Trombone Shorty's music was high quality, especially in his strong opening stretch.
Rubblebucket: B-
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: B+
Labels: 2011, live review, Orleans Avenue, Rubblebucket, St. Louis, Trombone Shorty
Beirut / Lætitia Sadier - Live 2011.10.09 The Pageant, St. Louis, Missouri
For what it's worth, this is a fairly new band to me. I barely knew anything about them, but my bandmates recommended the show to me and I figured I should go. I'm glad I did.
Artist: Beirut
Venue: The Pageant
Opening Act: Lætitia Sadier
Setlist (adapted from setlist.fm):
01. Scenic World
02. The Shrew
03. Elephant Gun
04. Vagabond
05. Postcards from Italy
06. The Concubine
07. Santa Fe
08. A Sunday Smile
09. East Harlem
10. Forks and Knives (La Fête)
11. Nantes
12. Port of Call
13. Cherbourg
14. Goshen
15. After the Curtain
16. Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
17. The Penalty
18. My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille
19. Gulag Orkestar
20. Serbian Cocek [A Hawk and a Handsaw cover]
I had heard that the opener, Lætitia Sadier, is/was a member of the currently-inactive band Stereolab. I think I'm supposed to like them, so I was curious what she would do. Despite the alternative/post-/experimental rock background of her band, her solo act is really just her and a guitar. I was pleased to see her go Billy Bragg-style and stick to an electric, but after a couple songs I realized that she was never going to alter the tone of her guitar nor her style, and I was left disappointed.
In fact, truth be told, I thought her entire performance was disappointing. Lætitia is a good singer, and she can certainly play guitar, but unfortunately her melodies, rhythms, and structures were decidedly minimalist and predictable. I wanted to like her; she seemed cool, and she seemed like she could be a good person to have in a band, but her solo music just wasn't very good. On two songs, she borrowed some of Beirut's musicians to back her up, and even if they didn't add much, the added complexity made those songs stand out far above the others. But the rest of her set faded into repetition.
Beirut currently functions as a six-piece, grounded in lead singer and ukulele/flügenhorn-player Zach Condon. The band entirely eschewed guitars in lieu of more interesting instruments. Perhaps most important was the presence of an accordionist, who provided the primary framework of the sonic continuum. A bassist (who preferred an electric stand-up over his bass guitar), a drummer, and two additional horn players/vocalists filled out the sound. A piano and a glockenspiel were also occasionally employed. I was impressed by how easily the band made music that one could call "indie rock" without relying on any of the instrumental clichés of the movement.
The music was great. It's been called folk or world music, and there are clear influences from these genres, but the band is really going in a different direction. It sounds like the band wants to make distinctly modern music but with a very keen awareness of the past – a past that goes far beyond just the English-speaking world of the 60s. The choice of instruments makes a genre hard to define, because the combination almost seems to come from every direction at once. However, Some sort of folk tendency does seem to shine through, but the music is too dynamic and complex to truly justify such a plain label.
The point is, Beirut can see what musicians around them are doing, and what musicians have done before, and they take the precise elements they like from each and reconstitute them in a beautiful fashion. They aren't breaking barriers or reinventing sound, but they know how to paint an aural picture that sounds delightfully fresh. For example, their rhythms were consistently unpredictable and quite varied. Despite the presence of a typical rock drumset, I never heard a cliché drumbeat – the percussive rhythms were always something delicately innovative. And to top it off, the whole production was incredibly well mixed. I don't know if it was the band's personnel or the venue's, but the show just sounded great. It fit together fantastically, and no instrument dominated the mix or was buried too deeply. The horn players knew exactly how far from the mics to stand and exactly how to keep a constant pitch. What an incredible performance!
The show was actually just a bit short, clocking in around 75 minutes. Nonetheless, they blasted through their setlist and played some twenty songs, all the while hardly pausing to talk. At the end of the set, everyone but Zach left, and he performed a song alone with his ukulele. After he left, the whole band returned quickly for a standard encore. After that, the audience began to head for the doors, but the house lights did not come on, and sure enough, the band came back for one more song.
For not knowing much about the band, I was thoroughly impressed and quite pleased. Even if the opener disappointed me, the main act was great. I highly recommend seeing this band live.
Lætitia Sadier: D
Beirut: A
Labels: 2011, Beirut, Lætitia Sadier, live review, St. Louis, Stereolab
The Music Game
I'd like to introduce a new feature of Patrick's Music Reviews: the appropriately-titled Music Game. Inspired by the Film Walrus' Movie Game, this is simply an exercise of one's creative ability to think of songs that fit a set of conditions. If you look on the right side of this blog, just below the description, you should see a subsection containing the game's basic interface. [Edit 2014.06.05: It is now located on its own page and linked from the top of the website.]
The rules are simple. Press the button that reads "Draw Cards". You will see three short words, phrases, or statements appear. Each of these items or cards represents a theme, topic, or other element distinguishable in modern music. The idea is simply to name a song that meet the criteria of at least two of the cards.
For example, I just drew "Subject of a documentary", "Reinvention or genre shift", and "City". How about David Bowie's "A New Career in a New Town" from 1977's Low? I don't know if it was ever the subject of a documentary (although Bowie certainly has been), but the instrumental song stands as part of Bowie's shift from glam, funk, and soul into experimental and electronic realms. And if the word "town" in the title isn't close enough to city, then what about the fact that the album is part of the classic Berlin Trilogy?
Anyway, the subject matter runs a wide spectrum, including lyrics, genres, statistics, history, personnel, and technical information. We've tried to keep any one card from being too obscure or difficult, but in knowing that challenging cards can sometimes be the most fun, we struck the balance of including some of these ideas but encouraging the pick-two-of-three concept.
Playing in a group is recommended, either by taking turns or by each throwing out suggestions. As such, there is no "winning" or even really any scorekeeping, although if you really are the competitive type (can you tell that I am not?), you could certainly devise such mechanisms. The key is to be creative and have fun. Liberal interpretation of the cards is welcomed, if not encouraged.
If a particular set of cards seems totally impossible, then try to name an artist or band whose material fits the descriptors. Alternately, if you want an extra challenge, try to name a song that fits every combination of two cards, or try to name a song that fits all three cards. As another example, I just drew "Dissonance", "10+ album band", and "Guitar solo". Almost too easy – how about anything by Sonic Youth? Take "Candle" off of Daydream Nation, as long as you can call that instrumental guitar noise break a "guitar solo", which I will.
Have fun! Feel free to leave comments or suggestions for improvements or alternate gameplay styles.
P.S. I know that the game is somewhat rockist, or at least biased towards certain genres and styles, but that's what the authors know the most about. You can certainly try to apply classical or jazz works to the cards, but it may not be easy. There's no reason not to try if you'd like, though.
P.P.S. I should explain the "we" I've spoken of: most of the credit for the game goes to the Film Walrus and Jim Sabo. Thanks guys!
Posted by Patrick at 8:53 PM 1 comment:
Labels: non-review
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / Rubblebucket - ...
Beirut / Lætitia Sadier - Live 2011.10.09 The Page...
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In 1983 Snyder made history by becoming the first Canadian to be crowned the PRCA’s World Champion bull rider. He qualified for the NFR three additional times, and was the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association’s champion in 1986.
In 1983 Cody Snyder made history by becoming the first Canadian to be crowned the PRCA’S World Champion Bull Rider. Snyder qualified for the NFR three additional times and was the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association champion in 1986. Cody Snyder Bullbustin’ Inc. is one of North America’s premier bull riding event organizations, featuring athletes from across the world. These world-class events have been aired on TSN2, Versus, NBC, CBS and Fox.
Born and raised in Redcliff, Alberta, Snyder grew up in a world where bull riding quickly became second nature to the World Champion. Snyder’s first official rodeo experience occurred at the age of five, when he rode a calf in a local competition. Running past a barrel, knocking him off; Snyder got up, dusted himself off, and never looked back.
Snyder started riding junior steers in rodeo competitions when he was only eight years old. By the age of twelve, he finally rode his first bull. By the age of fifteen, Cody was the Canadian Amateur Bull Rider Champion. Through 1980 and 1981, Cody gained the experience he needed to lead the Canadian Professional Rodeo bull riding standings in 1982, at the young age of nineteen.
In 1983, at the age of 20, and a virtual unknown on the professional rodeo circuit; Cody beat the odds to capture the world bull riding championship in Oklahoma City, as the first Canadian to ever win the title. He returned home to Alberta to a hero's welcome. Cody also won the Canadian Bull Riding Championship in 1996, and was named Cowboy of the Year by his peers in 1994.
Ten years later, Cody retired as one of Canada’s top rodeo competitors of all time. Snyder still holds the highest scored ride in Canadian rodeo history of 95 points occurring in 1983. Snyder was a four-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier. During his career he suffered a string of injuries including broken ribs, punctured lungs, broken collar bone, torn groin muscles, dislocated shoulders and a career ending wrist injury.
Upon his retirement in 1993, Cody never left the bull riding business. Along with his wife and business partner Rhonda Snyder, Cody created a bull riding production company called Cody Snyder Bullbustin’ Inc. To date, Bullbustin’ Inc. has produced over 400 events across North America.
Bullbustin has produced various events such as the PBR Canadian National Finals, charity events, private events, PRCA “Xtreme” events and many more. Over two million dollars has been raised for various charities across Canada since Bullbustin’ came to life 25 years ago. Snyder has been and dominant force in the growth and awareness of professional bull riding across the country, dedicating his time mentoring and developing the next generation of young bull riders who are shaping the sport.
Cody was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the Canadian Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005 and is a recipient of the prestigious Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Ring of Honor in 2006. Cody has travelled across that globe as he was selected as team Canada’s coach for the PBR World Cup in 2007 (Gold Coast, Australia), 2008 (Chiahuahua, Mexico) and 2009 (Barretos, Brazil).
You can catch Cody at celebrity autograph signings or as a color-commentator on OLN, ESPN, Rogers Sportsnet, TSN or CBC as the voice of experience bringing you coverage of the world's best rodeo and bull riding events. Cody was chosen as the colour commentator for the exclusive 11 event PRCA pro-rodeo winter tour on OLN in 2003 and 2004, as well as being the voice of the Calgary Stampede television coverage since 1997. He also produced and stared in his own half hour show called "I'll tell you what" with Cody Snyder following each performance of the Calgary Stampede.
--source: CodySnyderBullBustin.com
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From the Archive: Robert Frost's 1935 Letter
My dear Mrs. Bullock:
I thought I had written you of my approval. It is getting so I remember a letter as having been written when it has been no more than formulated in my mind. Of course I am in favor of America’s doing more for her poets than any other nation. I read a Phi Beta Kappa Eclogue on the subject once at Columbia University. And I have just come home from trying to plant in the right quarters at Washington the idea of a civil list for poets, musicians, and of artists here such as they have in England. I have no particular purchase to pry anything loose and am in no position alone. So let me join you in your good work.
Amherst Mass
In this 1935 letter from the archive, Robert Frost corresponds with Marie Bullock, founder of the Academy of American Poets, regarding America’s recognition of poets and artists of other disciplines.
Bullock, who had just founded the Academy of American Poets a few months prior to this letter, had reached out to Frost to tell him about the newly formed organization. She asked Frost to help her spread the story of the Academy of American Poets. In her letter she wrote:
We are making such splendid headway with the increasing
confidence and backing of those who feel as we do: that
this project, through its nationwide activities and the
integrity of its purpose, will do much toward stimulating
an interest in and a demand for fine poetry through the
We have radio programs planned to present poetry in a
new and compelling way to the American public,
awakening the hitherto rather dormant attitude toward
poets and their work.
Your moral approval of our project would be of utmost
value to us ...
A few days later, Frost replied positively in his letter, in which he also mentions his wish for “a civil list for poets, musicians, and of artists here such as they have in England.” While Frost is nothing if not the quintessential American—particularly New England—poet, perhaps he was a bit endeared to England for this reason. In the early 1900s, when Frost was in his early 30s and in the early years of his marriage and family life, he struggled to gain success through poetry. Frost worked on his farm in Derry, New Hampshire, during the day and wrote poems at night, but for years publications rejected his work. After years of frustrated efforts, Frost sold the farm and moved with his family to England in 1912. Within a few months, Frost had found a publisher and would publish his first two books of poems, A Boy’s Will and North of Boston, there. “I was only too childishly happy in being allowed to make one for a moment in a company in which I hadn’t to be ashamed of writing verse,” Frost told the poet F. S. Flint in 1913. It was then, in England, that he finally began to receive the critical acclaim he would become known for. By the time Frost returned to America in 1915, editors were clamoring to publish him.
The “Phi Beta Kappa Eclogue” Frost mentions in his letter is the poem “Build Soil—A Political Pastoral,” which he delivered on May 31, 1932, at Columbia University. Inspired by Virgil’s “First Eclogue,” “Build Soil” discusses the poet in society—how politics and poetry may come together—as well as socialism and his take on the country’s involvement in foreign affairs.
The fact that Bullock asked for Frost's "moral approval" of the Academy and its programming is telling; though this organization was in its infancy at the time, Frost was at the peak of his career, known as the most celebrated poet in America. He had authored three books by the time of this letter, and his fourth, A Further Range (Henry Holt and Company, 1936), would appear the following year and would win him a Pulitzer Prize—his third of four in his lifetime.
see more photographs and ephemera from the archive
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1939 Bolivarian Games Stamps (Ecuador) Set and Checklist
Posted on September 20, 2016 by Pre-War Cards
‘It’s In The Details’
Title Bolivarian Games Stamps (Ecuador)
Size 1″ x 1 1/4″
Images Color
Type Stamps
Number in Set
1939 Bolivarian Games Stamps (Ecuador) Overview
The first ever Bolivarian Games were held in 1938. A year later, this ten-stamp set was distributed in Ecuador, which was one of the six competing nations.
The stamps depict several of the sports in the event. A total of 20 sports were included in that first year. Many of the sports are popular in the United States, including tennis, volleyball, golf, soccer, swimming/diving, and boxing. The prize of the set, however, is a basketball stamp, shown here. Interestingly, while baseball was a sport in the games, it was one of those that was not produced in the set.
The games are held every four years to this day. Venezuela has dominated the competition almost every year. Six countries participated every year except for 1961 until 2013 when the games expanded to include 11 nations.
Stamps for other Bolivarian Games were later produced. However, these are the only ones in the pre-war era.
1939 Bolivarian Games Stamps (Ecuador) Checklist
Athletics (Track and Field)
Torch with Flame
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tagged with 1939 Bolivarian Games Stamps, Basketball, Boxing, Stamps, Tennis, Wrestling
Set Review
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Evidence-Based Policy in Antitrust: The Need for Ongoing Merger Retrospectives
Posted on April 20, 2017 by John Kwoka and Marc Jarsulic
The time has come to update our antitrust enforcement infrastructure.
John Kwoka
There is a renewed focus on the effectiveness of antitrust policy, specifically merger review. Growing concerns about the effects of increased concentration within industry sectors and additional indicators of declining competition are prompting leaders to question the efficacy of current antitrust enforcement practices.
While many ideas for antitrust reform have been floated by academics and policymakers, a less discussed but highly practical area for improvement would be to initiate a program for routine evaluation of the decisions and actions of each of the antitrust agencies.
In the regulation of industries such as airlines, railroads, trucking, cable, telecom, financial markets, and others, ex-post evaluation studies—reviews of policy intervention after their implementation—have informed and improved regulation and deregulation.1)See, for example, the large literatures cited in W. Kip Viscusi, John M. Vernon and Joseph E. Harrington, Economics of Regulation and Antitrust, Fourth Edition, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2005. Even when studies come to divergent conclusions, analyses have the effect of narrowing differences and focusing the attention of policymakers and researchers on the most consequential issues.
In contrast, antitrust enforcement, specifically merger review, has no institutionalized method for systematic analyses of the effects and effectiveness of past policies. While progress has been made on general empiricism and economic theory—both necessary for greater understanding of the likely competitive effects of mergers—neither carries the weight of evidence from consistent and ongoing measurement of merger outcomes. Such a program would have substantial benefits to the enforcement agencies, to competition, and to consumers, and is long overdue.
Growing concern about merger enforcement
Recent empirical research has demonstrated the importance of systematic evaluation of merger enforcement decisions. For example, a recent analysis by economist John Kwoka (2015) compiled and analyzed all of the high-quality merger retrospectives in the economics literature.2)John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy, MIT Press, 2015. His meta-analysis found that a substantial majority of these carefully studied mergers resulted in sizeable price increases, implying that merger enforcement has too often failed to identify or failed to remedy anticompetitive mergers. And the price increases have been substantial, averaging about 10 percent after controlling for all other factors. Other retrospectives, such as those by Matthew Weinberg (2008)3)Matthew Weinberg M. (2008), The Price Effects of Horizontal Mergers, Journal of Competition Law and Economics, vol. 4 (2), 433-447, available here. as well as Orley Ashenfelter et al. (2010)4)Orley Ashenfelter, Daniel Hoskens, and Matthew Weinberg, “Did Robert Bork Understate the Competitive Impact of Mergers? Evidence from Consummated Mergers,” Journal of Law and Economics, August 2014, available here. come to roughly similar conclusions.
Marc Jarsulic
A different approach is taken in a Federal Reserve Board paper by economists Bruce Blonigen and Justin Pierce (2016).5)Bruce Blonigen, and Justin R. Pierce. “Evidence for the Effects of Mergers on Market Power and Efficiency,” Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2016-082. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, available here. They use non-public plant- and firm-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau as well as merger data from Thomson Reuters to study the effects of all manufacturing mergers on both price markups and productivity during the period from 1997 to 2007. This study concludes that on average mergers lead to increased markups, while leaving productivity and efficiencies largely unchanged. Although the paper does not directly study individual merger decisions by the antitrust agencies, it provides additional evidence of the adverse effects of concentration on competition.
Studies such as these have been important in focusing policy attention on the role or antitrust and identifying how it can, and needs to be, strengthened. However, most of the studies on which these meta-analyses are based have been undertaken by academics who operate under the extreme handicap of data constraints. Lacking access to data from the merging parties, these researchers make do with data from public sources such as the trade press or government reports, or which are purchased from private sources. While still informative, this results in an unavoidable emphasis on cases where more data are available.
In order to construct a large and comprehensive database of experiences from which to extract insights and improve future practice, something more is required. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should immediately establish a program for systematic and continuous review of merger outcomes.
The case for ex-post evaluation of merger enforcement
A program for comprehensive and systematic ex-post evaluations of antitrust would have a unique potential to inform and improve policy actions. A more comprehensive effort would vastly increase the set of experiences and data on which to draw, and the range of questions that can be addressed. For example, do the agencies investigate many mergers that pose no competitive harm, as is often alleged, or rather, do they miss too many mergers that ultimately prove anticompetitive? When they determine a merger would be anticompetitive, do they take appropriate action, or are some policies—remedies, in particular—inadequate to preserving or restoring competition? Answers to such questions would likely improve the precision and accuracy of merger reviews and by extension, conserve on resources required to analyze future mergers.
Similarly, such an initiative would enable the enforcement agencies to better monitor sectors of the economy as a whole, rather than being limited to a case-by-case approach. Creating a robust history of price and other effects in particular industry sectors could also allow agencies to build a better evidentiary basis from which to pursue challenges (as we shall illustrate momentarily). Finally, as the database of record on mergers and competitive effects, it would permit the agencies to improve their own understanding of competitive practices and the economy more generally, potentially even bringing into the field new researchers—a badly needed resource.
Proof of the value of this approach lies in the history of the FTC’s challenges to hospital mergers. In the early 2000s, after suffering a series of legal defeats of its efforts to stop such mergers, the FTC initiated a series of reviews of consummated hospital mergers.6)Edith Ramirez, “Retrospectives at the FTC: Promoting an Antitrust Agenda,” ABA Retrospective Analysis of Agency Determinations in Merger Transactions Symposium, George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, June 28, 2013, available here. The intent was to step back from litigation until there was a better evidentiary basis from which to pursue challenges. That strategy in fact succeeded, with a string of successful court challenges.
More recently, the FTC published a review of 89 divestiture and conduct remedies between 2006 and 2012.7)Federal Trade Commission Bureaus of Competition and Economics, “The FTC’s Merger Remedies 2006-2012,” January 2017, available here. This is an extension of an earlier study on divestiture effectiveness that proved important in revising and strengthening that agency’s approach to merger remedies.8)William J. Baer, “A Study of the Commission’s Divestiture Process” (Federal Trade Commission, 1999), available here. There are also international examples of ex-post review of antitrust enforcement. Notably, in the United Kingdom the Competition and Markets Authority is charged as part of its antitrust mission with conducting and reporting annual ex-post evaluations of at least two of its past actions.9)United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, “CMA Impact Assessment 2015/16” July 14, 2016, available here. To date, two reports have been completed and made public.10)Ibid; United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, “CMA Impact Assessment 2014/15” July 21, 2015, available here. These initiatives, however, do not represent comprehensive programs of data collection and analysis. Instead, they are generally ad hoc efforts motivated by specific issues and lack the ability to answer broader questions or create large databases of past experience with antitrust enforcement.
As many respected antitrust professionals have noted, this is a glaring limitation of the current enforcement infrastructure. Dennis Carlton, former chief economist at the antitrust division of the Justice Department for example, has written that “the dearth of such [quantitative] studies and measures means that there is no reliable guide for determining whether our antitrust policy is too lax in some areas and too stringent in others.”11)Dennis Carlton, “Why We Need to Measure the Effect of Merger Policy and How To Do It,” Competition Policy International, 2009, available here. It should be noted that Carlton emphasizes the need for additional data for a complete analysis of agency decision-making—data on market definition, and information on internal agency predictions at the point in time where a decision regarding possible challenge is made. Merger studies address the former question, though often accepting established market definitions, whereas the latter are nonpublic. Similarly, William Kovacic, then-commissioner of the FTC, has urged greater attention on the evaluation of the economic effects of enforcement decisions especially by developing better quantitative measures of actual economic effects.12)William Kovacic, “Assessing the Quality of Competition Policy: The Case of Horizontal Merger Enforcement,” Competition Policy International, April 2009, available here. See also William Kovacic, “Using Ex Post Evaluations to Improve the Performance of Competition Policy Authorities,” Journal of Corporation Law, Vol. 31, No. 2, p. 503, 2006, available here. Most recently, Edith Ramirez, former chairwoman of the FTC, made a speech strongly endorsing the use of retrospectives.13)Edith Ramirez, “Retrospectives at the FTC: Promoting an Antitrust Agenda,” available here. The question that remains is how best to do this.
An overview of current practice
Today, mergers are reported to the agency and go through several stages, each of which generates considerable data and other information that can answer important questions such as likely competitive effects. The numbers are instructive. Each year the two agencies undertake around 50 substantial merger investigations—that is, merger proposals subject to so-called second requests for documentation and information necessary to conduct in-depth analyses.14)Between FY 2006 and 2015 for example, there was on average 47 investigations in which second requests were issued. See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015, August 2016, available here. These are selected on the basis of preliminary investigations indicating a substantial likelihood of competitive harm. Of these 50, about three-fourths are determined likely to create some competitive harms and trigger some enforcement action. The other 20 to 25 percent are cleared: that is, approved without change.15)John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy. Table 2.1.
Most of the mergers prompting enforcement action are in fact resolved not by court challenges but rather through remedies that essentially permit the merger to go forward subject to either divestiture or conduct constraints.16)For a discussion of remedy types, see John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy. A few additional mergers are either abandoned or substantially altered in response to likely agency challenge. Actual court cases challenging proposed mergers are infrequent, averaging no more than about three per year.17)John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy. Table 2.1.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these actions is rarely reviewed after the fact. Not doing so, however, is a missed opportunity, since each of these sets of experiences can shed valuable light on important questions about policy. Mergers that trigger a second request and serious investigation are appropriate to address questions such as the extent to which enforcement agencies investigate mergers that pose no competitive harm. Similarly, examining a sample of mergers that are not investigated—all reported mergers (about 1500 per year less the 50 subject to second requests)—can cast light on whether the agencies miss too many mergers that ultimately prove anticompetitive.18)See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015. Furthermore, examining the outcomes of mergers subject to remedies could provide insights into the effectiveness of certain remedies in preserving or restoring competition.19)If the question concerns mergers overall, of course, none of these suffices: the pre-merger notification requirement covers only mergers with a value in excess of about $80 million. Those total around 1500 per year at present, the vast majority of which are competitively harmless. See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015.
Instituting a regular ex-post evaluation of merger enforcement entails two principle challenges—data collection and resources.
With respect first to data collection, in some cases this need not be especially burdensome. Certain industries have reporting requirements that automatically provide crucial data. This includes several previously regulated industries, such as airlines, that are routinely subject to antitrust scrutiny.20)Most commercial airlines in the U.S. are required to report on a quarterly basis a ten percent sample of tickets. Information on passenger count, prices, and much else is compiled and released by the Department of Transportation. See United States Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, available here. In other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, mergers are quite frequent, so that there is considerable agency expertise in place—and perhaps even past retrospectives—that could be used to guide additional reviews. These considerations would significantly relieve the burden on the agency undertaking a review.
There would, of course, be less favorable circumstances. In some industries transactions are nonpublic and data would simply have to be secured from the parties directly, or possibly from a third-party provider. In the case of an industry without past retrospectives, more time and expense would necessarily be required. Even here, however, two considerations would help limit any burden.
First, there is a now-standard technique for ex-post evaluations that is relatively straightforward.21)See OECD Reference Guide on ex-post Evaluation of Competition Agencies Enforcement Decisions, April 2016. available here. This technique is called “difference-in-difference” and works as follows: Data on the price of the key products where the merger might increase market power would need to be collected before and after the event. If aspects of the product such as quality or costs or innovation were at issue, data on those too would need to be compiled. Then, in order to control for other possible influences on price (or quality, etc.), similar data would have to be collected on comparable products not affected by the merger—comparable in the sense of experiencing the same demand and cost forces, but not the merger. The difference in the price of the merged product would then be netted of any price change in the unaffected (but otherwise comparable) product, and the result attributed to the merger.22)Thus, if the pre-merger price of the product were 100 and its post-merger price rises to 110, this ten percent price increase would have to be adjusted for other factors. If the prices of comparable products not affected by the merger rose by three percent during the same time period, one can conclude that the merger is responsible for a seven percent price increase. This technique is known as difference in differences. This technique sharply limits data requirements as well as various pitfalls in econometrics and economic theory.
A second helpful factor in easing the agencies’ burden is that the standards for such an evaluation study would not be those of academic publishing. Rather, these studies would be oriented toward internal use, requiring fewer of the bells and whistles that characterize published work.
Of course, internal work might be subject to concern by outside stakeholders that the antitrust enforcement agencies are biased toward results that show the agencies succeeding in their mission. To counter this concern, studies could undergo outside peer review by an academic panel or an independent agency such as the Government Accountability Office.23)The OECD now organizes an annual program for review of evaluations undertaken by various competition authorities. See OECD, “Workshop on ex-post evaluation of enforcement decisions by competition authorities” available here. Alternatively, the agencies could publicize the data they collect and employ, enabling outside reviewers to replicate and thereby validate the basic results of the internal analysis.
As noted, there will be some cases where data must be compelled. There are at least two methods by which this may be done. First, the FTC has so-called 6(b) authority under which it can require a reasonable amount of data from firms for research purposes.24)Federal Trade Commission, “A Brief Overview of the Federal Trade Commission’s Investigative and Law Enforcement Authority” July 2008, available here. This authority is well established and regularly used, including in its own studies of remedies. Alone, it should prove sufficient for after-the-fact analysis of many mergers. The Justice Department lamentably has no equivalent authority but should investigate whether it might be able to employ some alternative method for compelling data for purposes of evaluating its policies. Secondly, both agencies could adopt a standard practice of requiring post-merger data in the substantial share of cases resolved through remedies and consent orders. Such a provision is necessary to evaluate the adequacy of the remedies imposed in future years, and as such, should be routinely included in such orders.
The second major roadblock toward instituting an ex-post review of antitrust enforcement is resources. While a permanent data collection and analysis effort may seem like a luxury to agencies that are already resource constrained, its creation would be a vital asset with outsized benefits for future policy making. Existing analytic infrastructure within enforcement agencies however, makes pinpointing the requisite investments particularly challenging. The FTC, for example, already has as many as 50 economists within the Bureau of Economics reviewing mergers and/or assisting antitrust investigations but has no formal robust data collection division or monitoring function.25)Federal Trade Commission, “About the Bureau of Economics,” available here. Similarly, while the DOJ has an Economic Analysis Group that analyzes the potential competitive effects of proposed mergers, it lacks any explicit mandate or system to collect and analyze outcomes and trends data.26)The United States Department of Justice, “Economic Analysis Group”, available here.
By contrast, other federal data collection efforts offer guidance for what would be required. The Federal Reserve, for example, has a large research staff which uses macroeconomic, financial market, and banking data to help calibrate monetary and regulatory policy.27)Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Economic Research & Data, available here. A separate example is the Office of Financial Research (OFR). Created under the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, OFR was established to be the principal data collector for the Financial Stability Oversight Council and its participating regulators. OFR monitors and evaluates the impacts of financial regulations, policies, and enforcement practice.28)Office of Financial Research, “Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2015-2019” available here. These models provide a sense of the likely scope and scale of the required investment.
The time has come to update our antitrust enforcement infrastructure. Numerous policymakers, academics, and institutions agree that we currently have an inadequate understanding of the effects of mergers and the effectiveness of merger policy. Similarly, several academic studies, largely limited to public data, have shown that merger enforcement has been far too permissive, allowing mergers that often prove anticompetitive. The consequences of permissiveness, such as increasing market power and consumer harm, may have broader implications for the economy overall, including effects on innovation and inequality. Regrettably, while other regulatory bodies have processes to monitor effectiveness and guide future decision-making, the same cannot be said of the antitrust enforcement practices at the DOJ and FTC. We are long past due for the creation of a comprehensive, systematic program of retrospectives of mergers and merger policy.
(Note: John E. Kwoka is the Neal F. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of Economics at Northeastern University, where he teaches and conducts research in the areas of industrial organization, antitrust, and regulatory economics.His recent research has focused on the effectiveness of merger policy in the U.S. Marc Jarsulic is the Vice President for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress. He has worked on economic policy matters as deputy staff director and chief economist at the Joint Economic Committee, as chief economist at the Senate Banking Committee, and as chief economist at Better Markets.)
Why This Blog? Stigler Center Talk: Bo Rothstein on What Makes Scandinavian Countries Non-Corrupt Market Power and Inequality: How Big Should Antitrust’s Role Be in Reducing Inequality?
1. ↑ See, for example, the large literatures cited in W. Kip Viscusi, John M. Vernon and Joseph E. Harrington, Economics of Regulation and Antitrust, Fourth Edition, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2005.
2. ↑ John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy, MIT Press, 2015.
3. ↑ Matthew Weinberg M. (2008), The Price Effects of Horizontal Mergers, Journal of Competition Law and Economics, vol. 4 (2), 433-447, available here.
4. ↑ Orley Ashenfelter, Daniel Hoskens, and Matthew Weinberg, “Did Robert Bork Understate the Competitive Impact of Mergers? Evidence from Consummated Mergers,” Journal of Law and Economics, August 2014, available here.
5. ↑ Bruce Blonigen, and Justin R. Pierce. “Evidence for the Effects of Mergers on Market Power and Efficiency,” Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2016-082. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, available here.
6. ↑ Edith Ramirez, “Retrospectives at the FTC: Promoting an Antitrust Agenda,” ABA Retrospective Analysis of Agency Determinations in Merger Transactions Symposium, George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, June 28, 2013, available here.
7. ↑ Federal Trade Commission Bureaus of Competition and Economics, “The FTC’s Merger Remedies 2006-2012,” January 2017, available here.
8. ↑ William J. Baer, “A Study of the Commission’s Divestiture Process” (Federal Trade Commission, 1999), available here.
9. ↑ United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, “CMA Impact Assessment 2015/16” July 14, 2016, available here.
10. ↑ Ibid; United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, “CMA Impact Assessment 2014/15” July 21, 2015, available here.
11. ↑ Dennis Carlton, “Why We Need to Measure the Effect of Merger Policy and How To Do It,” Competition Policy International, 2009, available here. It should be noted that Carlton emphasizes the need for additional data for a complete analysis of agency decision-making—data on market definition, and information on internal agency predictions at the point in time where a decision regarding possible challenge is made. Merger studies address the former question, though often accepting established market definitions, whereas the latter are nonpublic.
12. ↑ William Kovacic, “Assessing the Quality of Competition Policy: The Case of Horizontal Merger Enforcement,” Competition Policy International, April 2009, available here. See also William Kovacic, “Using Ex Post Evaluations to Improve the Performance of Competition Policy Authorities,” Journal of Corporation Law, Vol. 31, No. 2, p. 503, 2006, available here.
13. ↑ Edith Ramirez, “Retrospectives at the FTC: Promoting an Antitrust Agenda,” available here.
14. ↑ Between FY 2006 and 2015 for example, there was on average 47 investigations in which second requests were issued. See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015, August 2016, available here.
15, 17. ↑ John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy. Table 2.1.
16. ↑ For a discussion of remedy types, see John Kwoka, Mergers, Merger Control, and Remedies: A Retrospective Analysis of U.S. Policy.
18. ↑ See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015.
19. ↑ If the question concerns mergers overall, of course, none of these suffices: the pre-merger notification requirement covers only mergers with a value in excess of about $80 million. Those total around 1500 per year at present, the vast majority of which are competitively harmless. See Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice: Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2015.
20. ↑ Most commercial airlines in the U.S. are required to report on a quarterly basis a ten percent sample of tickets. Information on passenger count, prices, and much else is compiled and released by the Department of Transportation. See United States Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, available here.
21. ↑ See OECD Reference Guide on ex-post Evaluation of Competition Agencies Enforcement Decisions, April 2016. available here.
22. ↑ Thus, if the pre-merger price of the product were 100 and its post-merger price rises to 110, this ten percent price increase would have to be adjusted for other factors. If the prices of comparable products not affected by the merger rose by three percent during the same time period, one can conclude that the merger is responsible for a seven percent price increase. This technique is known as difference in differences.
23. ↑ The OECD now organizes an annual program for review of evaluations undertaken by various competition authorities. See OECD, “Workshop on ex-post evaluation of enforcement decisions by competition authorities” available here.
24. ↑ Federal Trade Commission, “A Brief Overview of the Federal Trade Commission’s Investigative and Law Enforcement Authority” July 2008, available here.
25. ↑ Federal Trade Commission, “About the Bureau of Economics,” available here.
26. ↑ The United States Department of Justice, “Economic Analysis Group”, available here.
27. ↑ Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Economic Research & Data, available here.
28. ↑ Office of Financial Research, “Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2015-2019” available here.
« Experts: Financial Rewards and Protections Are the Best Way to Incentivize Whistleblowers
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The Insider’s Guide to the Regulatory Game: Anonymous Source in the Pharma Industry in a Series of Columns on the Inner Workings of the Industry
Posted on March 14, 2016 by
Sitting across the table from me was Brad (not his real name), a top sales representative at a large pharmaceutical company. I asked him about the receipts for over $2000 in gift certificates to a Michelin star restaurant, expensed to the company, that were lying on the table.
Brad looked at me with a disarming smile. This wasn’t the first time someone was questioning him about his expenses. Everyone at the company understood how marketing to healthcare professionals at this company worked at the time—cash-stuffed envelopes, first class trips and spending sprees for top prescribers and their families, and daily catered sushi lunches for physicians and their staff. The line between what was allowed and illegal was gray.
Brad, like all other sales representatives, kept detailed notes of his interactions with doctors, noting in great detail their personal lives in an attempt to befriend and distract the physicians. Also in the notes was a glimpse into the type of interactions he had with them. Other than the personal information, there was boasting about the prescription of the medication by that physician’s friend or a key opinion leader in the field. As I was flipping through hundreds of his call notes, I paused and asked, “I noticed you told this physician that a KOL in his field was prescribing this product for children. Isn’t this drug not indicated for pediatric use?” The standard shrug and reply followed.
Also in the file were drafts of slide decks Brad had prepared for a physician to use at a leading medical conference, which covered the disease state and referred to the off-label use for the drug he was promoting. Brad smiled again. He was a top earner, with his physicians writing the largest number of prescriptions in his region, a feat for which he was handsomely compensated and recognized within the company with awards. Brad’s bonus incentives were designed in such a way that he was paid by prescription, regardless whether the prescription was for on-label or off-label use. If sales reps were paid by pill rather than prescription, would they be telling physicians that key opinion leaders in the field were writing prescriptions for higher doses?
A few years earlier, I had accompanied two young sales representatives for a “ride along” in Brooklyn. I was sitting in the back, stuck between the usual booty: boxes of samples, pens, books, gift cards, and stacks of pre-printed prescription pads—all to make the prescription process as swift and easy as possible for the physician. The two reps, energized by a recent drug launch party, were flooding physicians’ offices with free samples and stories of the miracle drug. Young, good-looking, energetic, and with magnetic people skills, drug reps are the direct interface between pharmaceutical companies and doctors, and they are key players in the well-oiled pharmaceutical marketing machine. Unlike in many countries in the rest of the world, sales representatives in the United States are not required to have medical degrees or PhDs and can interact with physicians directly in their offices. While many teaching hospitals are beginning to prohibit such interactions, the majority of hospitals and clinics still continue the practice.
My conversation with Brad was part of a standard preparation for an investigation by regulatory authorities into the marketing of the company’s drugs. Such investigations had become perfunctory for pharmaceutical companies, and the outcomes largely predictable: companies would pay an insignificant fine, just a few percent of the revenues of the offending drug, and one or two low-level sales reps would be fired. Even large fines are small compared to the profits brought by aggressive marketing. In 2012, GlaxoSmithKline paid a record-setting $3 billion to resolve various fraud allegations related to the marketing of their drugs, including off-label marketing and kickbacks connected to the promotion of Paxil, Wellbutrin, Advair, Lamictal, and Zofran. Just one of the drugs, Advair, remains the fifth top selling drug on the market today, grossing approximately $8 billion annually from 2011-2013 and $6.7 billion in 2014. The stock price of GlaxoSmithKline did not even move the day the news of the settlement came out and, in fact, was at the peak for the month on that day. The GSK settlement remains the highest pharma enforcement settlement, with only four additional settlements north of $1 billion.
The next highest settlement was for $2.3 billion with Pfizer in 2009 for off-label promotion and kickbacks related to the marketing of its four drugs, including Lyrica, Pfizer’s most profitable drug, which is ranked as one of the most profitable drugs overall and brought in over $5 billion in revenues in 2014 alone. While these large settlements grab headlines, most settlements are smaller, despite serious allegations of wrongdoing. In 2014, Shire paid $56.5 million to resolve an enforcement action related to the allegedly inappropriate marketing and promotion of several drugs, including the amphetamine Vyvanse, for which sales representatives had allegedly been underplaying its potential for abuse. According to the DOJ press release, Shire had made claims that Vyvanse would “prevent car accidents, divorce, being arrested, and unemployment.”
While regulation like the 2010 Sunshine Act and improved enforcement have ridden the industry of some of the most egregious behavior, companies still find creative ways to get the attention of the prescribers. Easily trackable kickbacks such as first class airfare and gift certificates for healthcare professionals have been replaced by less obvious benefits like small “research grants.” Through their representatives, companies continue to promote off label, provide kickbacks, and make misleading statements about the efficacy and safety of their drugs.
In some industries, the primary role of marketing is to educate consumers so that they can make better decisions (which ultimately benefit them and the company). In healthcare, however, aggressive marketing obfuscates, adding to the country’s overspending on it. All of this is supported by the drug companies’ legal infrastructure.
In 2014, the top 50 selling drugs generated revenue of $219 billion. For the largest companies, less was spent in total on R&D than on sales and marketing. Over the next few blog posts, I plan to dig into the specific marketing and legal practices of pharmaceutical companies. What makes drug advertising effective? How do companies prolong the use of patents to the detriment of patients? What is the impact of litigation? Is pricing connected to patient need or drug novelty?
Capture and Ignorance in Financial Regulation Stigler Center Talk: Deutsche Bank Whistleblower on the SEC and Revolving Doors Eliot Spitzer: The U.S. Never Had the Will and the Ability to Hold the Most Powerful to Account
« Can a CEO in Good Conscience Not Be a Crony Capitalist?
“There Is Regulatory Capture, But It Is By No Means Complete” »
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Samples of My Work for the Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology
Masters Psychology, Personality, Stress, Anxiety
Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, European
MA Clinical, Scholarship, Saudi Arabian
Sample 1st Paragraph Clinical Masters
I will be completing my undergraduate studies in Psychology at XXXX University this coming May, 2015. I hope very much to be accepted to begin your distinguished Master’s Program in Psychology at XXXX University so that I might continue studying in my field on a professional level. Throughout the course of my undergraduate studies, I have learned, to put it in the words of my favorite professor: “how to think… not what to think.” As a result of learning from her and many other professors, I have learned how to critically assess clinical research and what it means to be a good clinician. What I find most exciting about Psychology is the constant sense of discovery, understanding of one self and others, the smoke behind the mirrors, motivations resulting in justifications, why we act in the complex ways that we do, often for reason of which we are entirely unaware.
Most Western European countries have publicly funded healthcare systems. The World Health Organization ranks systems by performance. France’s health system is ranked No. 1 in the world, Italy is number two, San Marino number three, Malta is number four, Spain is number seven, etc.
The Euro Health Consumer Index 2014 ranking included 37 countries and 48 indicators, including patient rights and information; accessibility; range and reach of services provided and prevention. The Netherlands ranked first overall, followed by Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Iceland and Luxemburg.
Regarding mental health specifically, the mental health systems in Western European are characterized by a common trend of deinstitutionalization, with less in-patient treatments, more community services.
In the Mental Health Policy and Practice across Europe report on the future of mental health care, many of the policies and history of Western European mental health services are outlined, including policy directions for greater inclusion, implementing evidence base into mental health policy and practice, frameworks for the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorders in Europe.
In Norway, for example, there have been actions to promote the positive mental health of its people, like initiatives such as the national program for health-promoting workplaces. In their Government Program from October 2005, they prioritized support and services for children and adolescents with mental health problems and drug addiction.
PsyD Clinical, ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome
Master’s I/O, Workplace Mental Health
MA Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Center
MA Counseling, Children & Violence, Middle East
MS Applied Psychology, Bipolarity, Addictions
PHD Social Psychology, Gender, Stereotypes, Brazil
PHD Social Psychology, Thailand, Children
Masters Forensic Psychology, Online
Internship Clinical, Geropsychology, Russian, Jewish
Masters I/O, Workplace Injury & Recovery
Counseling Masters, Mental Health, Hispanic Mom
Masters Counseling Psychology, Korean Woman
Counseling Psychology Masters, China, Canada
Clinical Masters Personal Statements of Purpose
Clinical Psychology Masters Program Admission
Search by Degree, Special Interest, or Country of Origin
Sample 1st Paragraph Masters Clinical Psychology, Hong Kong University
I feel that I am a strong candidate for your competitive program in Clinical Psychology at the XXXX University of Hong Kong because I have excelled as a student and because I feel strongly that I have excellent personal preparation that will motivate me to excel both in your program and as a practicing psychologist, helping people to overcome their psychological problems and meet their challenges by regaining positives perspectives and attitudes through therapy and counseling as well as medication.
Sample 1st Paragraph MA Clinical, Personality& Psychopathology, Egypt
I am a young woman from Egypt who hopes to distinguish herself in your program by my desire to care for some of the most vulnerable members of our global society, refugee children fleeing the horrors of war in the Middle East. I am especially concerned with the many special needs of the Syrian refugees that have been pouring into Egypt for some time, in search of peace and safety. Egypt itself has been convulsing now in social turmoil for more than two years. Our acute levels of violence in Egypt itself, as well as the greater Middle East and spillover from the war in Syria, result in a great need for psychologists who are especially trained at helping children to survive and recover from violence and acute stress in their lives.
The Humanitarian Side of a Master´s in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychologists who dedicate some of their time to humanitarian work get a lot out of it. They may have new clinical experiences that challenge them, deal with cultural phenomenon they´ve never seen before, and renew their sense of motivation and realign their dedication to this fascinating profession.
Alison Schafer is a provisional psychologist. She is currently studying for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Swinburne University. Her research is focused on the influences of basic needs, social support and migration in South Sudan.
Alison works for World Vision, in the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs team. As part of this work, she´s been on various overseas missions and spent considerable time living and working in Sudan. She is also a World Vision technical advisor on a research project for psychological first aid in low to middle income countries, working alongside the World Trauma Foundation and the World Health Organization.
Alison has worked with World Vision Australia for over nine years. She was in a marketing/fundraising position to begin with, which shortly led to a role in communications for humanitarian emergencies.
After that, she started doing project management on World Vision Australia-funded programs, whilst she continued to develop her skills and knowledge in clinical psychology.
Today, her position remains in the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs team, with some project management work on the side. However, her role as technical advisor and leader for the World Vision partnership in the area of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programs in developing countries has now become her prominent role.
She is currently representing World Vision International as co-chair of the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group for MHPSS (alongside Unicef) and leading a World Vision International working group to develop the organizational responses to MHPSS needs in the field.
Professionally, this job has required Alison to understand the basics of psychological intervention, but it has also required her to undertake a personal investment in learning more about how mental health issues are embedded in culture, local beliefs and systems.
Alison says that it is important for someone in this role to: understand the basics of how the UN operates, International Human Rights Law, and international guidelines and principles for humanitarian aid; be able to analyze situations; and have a foundation of research experience that assists in the design, monitoring and evaluation of programs or interventions. Humanitarian roles require experience of living and working in cultures other than their own, and preferably in developing contexts.
Alison says that we cannot underestimate the importance of culture and tradition as a way to assist people to cope, or the enormous value of connecting them socially. This is a fundamental message for people working with culturally diverse groups anywhere, in a humanitarian context.
Is Alison´s experience as a clinical psychologist motivating? Wherever you are in your psychology career, we can help you move forward and take the spot in the world of humanitarian work you crave to occupy, by providing you with a winning personal statement of purpose. Please do let us know if you´d like to take advantages of the services we provide.
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Professor David Pannell, BSc(Agric), BEc, PhD
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment
http://www.davidpannell.net/
AREatUWA
dpannell66
david-pannell-9b773517
David Pannell is Professor of agricultural and resource economics in the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment at the University of Western Australia. He has a wealth of experience in the economics of agriculture, natural resources and the environment, including publication of seven books and 200 journal articles and book chapters. His research has been recognised with awards from the USA, Australia, Canada and the UK, including in 2009 a Eureka Prize – Australia’s most prestigious science prize. He enjoys communicating to a large audience, including through his widely-read blog, www.pannelldiscussions.net.
David is Director of the Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy; Distinguished Fellow and past president of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society; Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and was an ARC Federation Fellow (2007-2012). His research includes the economics of farming systems, agri-environmental policy; farmer adoption of innovative practices; the economics of land and water conservation; and risk in agriculture.
Agriculture, Economics and Nature
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Quiz: Can You Name the MLB Team If We Give You Three of Their Franchise Legends?
Can You Name the MLB Team If We Give You Three of Their Franchise Legends?
By: Jonnathan Chadwick
Image: Wiki Commons by Arturo Pardavila III
The origins of baseball aren't exactly known. Some say it stemmed from the game of Rounders that was played in England and Wales during Tudor times. Some say it's a variation of cricket, which dates all the way back to the 16th century, and others claim that it was based on the game of Stoolball, which was played in the British Isles during the 15th century. If you really want to find the first game that used a ball and a stick in similar fashion, you can go all the way back to the 14th century Romanian game of Oina. The origins of the game are such a mystery that in 2011, the MLB Commissioner appointed a Baseball Origins Committee to discover how the game started.
Nevertheless, by 1845 Americans in New York formed a club called the Knickerbockers and played a similar game. Once the Civil War started, the game traveled South and West and thousands of soldiers were playing it in between battles regularly. By 1869, the first professional baseball team - the Cincinnati Red Stockings - was formed, and over the next decade 15 teams would be created to create the National League. The oldest team in the National League still around today is the Boston Red Stockings, who later became the Boston Braves, then the Milwaukee Braves, and are today called the Atlanta Braves. Twenty years later, in 1901, the American League was formed and by 1903 both leagues joined forced to create Major League Baseball. It's America's game and it has created some of America's greatest sports legends. How well do you know them?
Which northeastern team did Ted Williams, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz play for?
Ted Williams, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz all played for the Boston Red Sox at different times in the storied history of the organization. Ortiz was integral in bringing a World Series championship to Boston after an 86-year drought.
For what team did Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig don pinstripes?
Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees. The Yankees are one of the most popular sports franchises in all of American sports. The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL is the only American team that is more valuable.
Where did Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and Madison Bumgarner play?
Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and Madison Bumgarner all played for the San Francisco Giants and as of 2019, Bumgarner is still active on the roster. Bumgarner has won three World Series championships (2010, 2012, 2014).
What team did Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson and Clayton Kershaw play on?
Sandy Koufax, Kirk Gibson and Clayton Kershaw all played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and as of 2019, Kershaw was still active on the roster. Kershaw is one of the league's best pitchers, but has a way to go to catch up to Koufax, who is one of the best pitchers in history.
What was the name of the team that Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Duke Snider played for?
Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Duke Snider played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Before the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, they were located in Brooklyn. They are best-known for being the team that drafted the first African American player - Jackie Robinson.
Which of these teams did Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa and Andre Dawson play on?
Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa and Andre Dawson played for the Chicago Cubs. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire were neck and neck in chasing the single-season home run record. McGwire won, but that record was later broken by Barry Bonds, who currently holds it.
Where did Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Chase Utley play?
Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Chase Utley played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Utley was a Phillies favorite and won a World Series with the team in 2008. He played both first and second base and was on the winning side of four no-hitters.
On what team did Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza and David Wright star on?
Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza and David Wright played for the New York Mets. Wright just retired last year and played his entire career for the Mets. He was such a fan favorite he was nicknamed "Captain America."
What team starred Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio?
Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio played for the Houston Astros. Ryan is considered one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball and holds the record for most no-hitters thrown with seven.
Which of these teams starred Matt Holliday, Todd Helton and Larry Walker?
Matt Holliday, Todd Helton and Larry Walker all played for the Colorado Rockies. Larry Walker was a National League home-run leader and MVP in 1997, but it was Holliday and Helton who led the team to its first World Series Appearance in 2007 where they lost to the Boston Red Sox.
Where did Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones and Greg Maddux play?
Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones and Greg Maddux all played for the Atlanta Braves. When you add John Smoltz and Tom Glavine to the mix, the Atlanta Braves organization is home to some of the best pitchers in MLB history.
What team did Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield and Jake Peavy play on?
Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield and Jake Peavy all played for the San Diego Padres. In 2007, Peavy won a Cy Young award, but Gwynn is probably the most remembered Padre of all time, winning eight batting titles in his career.
Which of these teams featured Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew and Torii Hunter?
Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew and Torii Hunter played for the Minnesota Twins. Puckett was a two-time World Series champion, 10-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner and had one of the highest batting averages in MLB history.
On what team did Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell play?
Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell all played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is one of two teams that play in the state of Philadelphia. Wagner has the most valuable baseball card, with one being sold for more than $3 million.
Where did Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome and Bob Feller play?
Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome and Bob Feller all played for the Cleveland Indians. Kenny Lofton was a six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He also stole 622 bases during his career and is known as one of the fastest players in MLB history.
What team did Mark McGwire, Lou Brock and Rogers Hornsby play for?
Mark McGwire, Lou Brock and Rogers Hornsby all played for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. Mark McGwire led the entire MLB in home runs with 70, which was the record until 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73.
For what team did Zack Greinke, Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson play?
Zack Greinke, Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson played for the Arizona Diamondback. In 2004, Johnson become one of only 23 people to have pitched a perfect game in the MLB. He pitched this game against the Atlanta Braves.
Which of these teams featured Giancarlo Stanton, Dontrelle Willis and Derrek Lee?
Giancarlo Stanton, Dontrelle Willis and Derrek Lee played for the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are a a fairly new team, having joined the National League in 1993 as the Florida Marlins. The franchise was started by the CEO of Blockbuster.
Who did Wade Boggs, B. J. Upton and Evan Longoria play for?
Wade Boggs, B. J. Upton and Evan Longoria all played for the Tampa Bay Rays. Longoria played for the Rays from 2008 to 2017, but is now a third baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Tampa Bay joined the MLB in 1998.
Where did Ian Desmond, Max Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman play?
Ian Desmond, Max Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman played for the Washington Nationals of Washington, D.C. The Montreal Expos was an MLB team from 1969 to 2004 and by 2005 they were renamed and relocated, giving birth to the Nationals.
What team did Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson play for?
Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson all played for the Oakland Athletics at different times. Eckersley was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004 but is most well-known for giving up a walk-off home run to Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series.
Which of these teams starred Bo Jackson, George Brett and Bret Saberhagen?
Bo Jackson, George Brett and Bret Saberhagen all played for the Kansas City Royals. Bo Jackson is one of the only players to have played two major American sports. He also played as a running back for the Oakland Raiders in the NFL.
On what team did Fred McGriff, Roberto Alomar and Roy Halladay play?
Fred McGriff, Roberto Alomar and Roy Halladay all played for the Toronto Blue Jays, which is the only Canadian team in the MLB. The Blue Jays organization entered the league in 1977. Montral had an MLB team until 2004.
Where did Ken Griffey, Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez play?
Ken Griffey, Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez played for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro holds the single-season records for most hits and most singles in a season. Griffey Jr. received more than 99% of first-ballot votes when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
For what team did Ty Cobb, Ivan Rodriguez and Al Kaline play for?
Ty Cobb, Ivan Rodriguez and Al Kaline all played for the Detroit Tigers. Cobb is considered one of the greatest professional athletes in the history of sports and he holds the record for highest all-time batting average in the MLB with a .367 BA.
What team did Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Pete Rose play on?
Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Pete Rose all played for the Cincinnati Reds. Rose became a manager for the Reds once his playing career ended, but was ultimately banned from baseball for betting on games in which he managed.
On what team did Gaylord Perry, Mark Teixeira and Adrian Beltre play?
Gaylord Perry, Mark Teixeira and Adrian Beltre played for the Texas Rangers. The Rangers organization was established in 1961 as the Washington Senators and they represented Washington, D.C. Then they moved to Arlington, TX in 1972 and have been there ever since.
Where did Cal Ripken, Jr., Frank Robinson and Mike Mussina play?
Cal Ripken, Jr., Frank Robinson and Mike Mussina all played for the Baltimore Orioles. Cal Ripken Jr. is nicknamed the Ironman and holds the record for consecutive games played with 2,632. It is considered one of the "unbreakable" records in the MLB.
Which of these teams starred Frank Thomas, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Paul Konerko?
Frank Thomas, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Paul Konerko all played for the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are infamous for taking part in the Black Sox scandal of 1919, where players allegedly accepted money to lose.
Where did Prince Fielder, Paul Molitor and Robin Yount play?
Prince Fielder, Paul Molitor and Robin Yount played for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers originally entered the MLB as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 but were quickly moved to Milwaukee in 1970 and have been there ever since.
What team did Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Trout and John Lackey play for?
Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Trout and John Lackey all played for the Los Angeles Angels, which is one of two MLB teams based in Los Angeles. Trout currently plays center field for the team and is the highest-paid athlete in the MLB.
Can you name what team Alex Rodriguez, Yu Darvish and Rafael Palmeiro played for?
Alex Rodriguez, Yu Darvish and Rafael Palmeiro all played for the Texas Rangers. Before Alex Rodriguez wore the pinstripes in the Bronx, he played shortstop for the Rangers. His free agency led to one of the biggest paydays in all of sports.
Which of these teams did Satchel Paige, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thorpe play for?
Satchel Paige, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thorpe all played for the Cincinnati Reds. Satchel Paige played in the Negro League for most of his career, but once MLB integrated, he joined the Cleveland Indians. At 42, he was the oldest MLB rookie.
Who did Cy Young, Doc Miller and Cliff Curtis play for?
Boston Rustlers
Cy Young, Doc Miller and Cliff Curtis played for the Boston Rustlers in the early 1900s. The team has since evolved many times and is today known as the Atlanta Braves. Young is known as one of the sport's greatest pitchers and the Cy Young award is named after him.
What team did Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra play for?
Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra all played for the New York Yankees and they're not just considered Yankee royalty, but MLB royalty. Mantle, Dimaggio and Berra have several awards and records among them.
Can You Name the NFL Team If We Give You Three of Their Franchise Legends?
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Show Us Your Mad Skills in This Baseball Legends Quiz!
Do You Know Which Position These NBA Legends Played?
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Quiz: Do You Know Enough to Complete All of These Common Phrases?
Do You Know Enough to Complete All of These Common Phrases?
By: Allison Lips
Image: Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images
Idioms of unknown or rarely mentioned origins dominate our everyday speech. From a young age, we are taught that a watched pot never boils, that few things are a piece of cake, you shouldn't bark up the wrong tree, and that a fool and his money are soon parted. You may occasionally find yourself between a rock and a hard place, that you'll often come close but no cigar, and that sometimes other people will burst your bubble.
Many times, these phrases make no sense in context, yet for some reason, we all have a general sense of what they mean. Rarely is someone literally talking about getting the short end of the stick or that they killed two birds with one stone. The former seems silly, while the latter sounds like animal cruelty.
When taking this quiz, don't make a mountain out of a molehill or make a scene. None of these questions are out of left field. If you know that this quiz is about common phrases, then we're on the same page.
Are you ready to swing for the fences or will you throw in the towel? Will you find that you're taking some shots in the dark with your guesses?
If you see a lot of opportunity for someone, you might tell them that the world is their what?
William Shakespeare coined "the world is someone's oyster." It first appeared in "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The humorous derivation, "the world is one's lobster," was first said on the British TV show, "Minder."
If you have a difficult situation with which you decide to deal directly, you can be said to take the ____________ by the horns.
Etymologists do not know the origins of "take the bull by the horns," which is sometimes said as "grab the bull by the horns." However, there are two theories: it originated with bullfighters or the American Old West. Both theories involve a man controlling a bull by literally "taking it by the horns."
If someone feels you are wasting your time doing something that has already been done, they may say that you are trying to reinvent the __________.
While the concept of reinventing the wheel isn't new, the phrase was coined in the 1970s. At the time, it was popular as a business and advertising metaphor for describing someone wasting time finding a solution for a problem that has already been solved.
An investment banker may tell you that you need money to make ____________.
The idea behind it "takes money to make money" is that you need money to make investments. If you invest wisely, you will see a return on your investment.
If you need help with something, you might say two _________ are better than one.
"Two heads are better than one" was first recorded in 1546. John Heywood used it in "A dialogue conteinyng to nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue."
When you're getting impatient, someone may tell you that all __________ things come to those who wait.
The phrase "good things come to those who wait" has been used in Guinness and Heinz commercials. The gist of the phrase is that patience is a virtue.
If you're getting ahead of yourself, someone may warn don't cross that ___________ until you come to it.
No one knows the origin of "cross a bridge until you come to it." However, the earliest known usage is from Henry Wordsworth Longfellow's "The Golden Legend." In 1951, Longfellow wrote, “Don't cross the bridge till you come to it, is a proverb old and of excellent wit.”
Do you have a habit of procrastinating? Then you should never put off until tomorrow what you can do when?
While the general consensus is that "never put off until tomorrow what you can do today" is about avoiding procrastination, no one knows who coined the phrase. it has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and Benjamin Franklin among others. However, there is not enough support that any of these men created the phrase.
While you may feel it's trite, other's feel that with age comes what?
Oscar Wilde said, "With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone." He also said, "I am not young enough to know everything."
Growing up, you were probably told if at first you don't ___________, try, try again.
The origins of "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" are unclear. However, it has been traced to "Teacher's Manual" by Thomas H. Palmer and "The Children of the New Forest" by Frederick Maryat.
If you dislike something before you get to know it, you may be told not to judge a book by its __________.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" originated in the mid-1800s. The first known usage was in a June 1867 issue of the newspaper, Piqua Democrat.
When someone is like their parents, you may say that the ___________ doesn't fall far from the tree.
Variations of the phrase, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," exist in German and Russian. Other phrases with a similar meaning are "chip off the old block" and "like father, like son."
When something isn't as good as something else, you could say it can't hold a _____________ to it.
The phrase, "can't hold a candle," was first used in the 1600s. The earliest known use is from 1641. Sir Edward Dering wrote in "The fower cardinal-vertues of a Carmelite fryar," "Though I be not worthy to hold the candle to Aristotle."
If you're taking a long time to explain a story, you may be told to cut to the _________.
"Cut to the chase" comes from the tendency for early silent films to end in chase scenes. Prior to the invention of film, the phrase was "cut to Hecuba," which is a reference to Hamlet and the practice of cutting long speeches before that scene.
You meet someone new and try to strike up a conversation. You may be said to be _________ the ice.
While "break the ice" is commonly attributed to 19th century ice breaking ships, it actually predates the practice. In 1678, poet Samuel Butler wrote, "To give himself a first audience, After he had a while look'd wise, At last broken silence, and the ice."
If you want to get on someone's good side, you may decide to ________ them up.
"To butter someone up" means to impress them with flattery. One origin story is that in ancient India people would throw butter balls at statues of their gods. The belief was that, in return, the gods would favor the devout and forgive them.
Are you unable to speak? It's possible that which animal got your tongue?
While some theories on "cat got your tongue" suggest it has origins in sailing and the cat o' nine tails, nothing suggests its true. The first known instance of the phrase in print was in an 1881 issue of "Ballou's Monthly Magazine." However, its appearance in "Ballou's Monthly Magazine" implies that kids were saying it before it entered adult language.
If something bad happened to you, someone may dismiss it by saying that's the way the __________ crumbles.
"That's the way the cookie crumbles" means that you must accept that something bad has happened. It has been used since the 1950s.
Money can buy many things, but it can't buy what?
Another saying says that money can't buy love. The general meaning behind these similar phrases is that money can buy material things, but money has no influence over your feelings.
If you're given a lot of work that no one else wants to do, you may feel like the low man on the ______________.
Pecking order
The low man on the totem pole is the least important person in an organization. If someone is increasing in stature, they are said to be climbing the ladder.
You probably don't want to open a can of ___________.
If you open a can of worms, you create a problem for yourself. When you "open a can of worms," your actions create negative consequences.
When you listen to someone who has no plans to do what they say, you may feel they are all bark and no ___________.
"All bark and no bite" first appeared in print in the newspaper, "The Banner." The newspaper published, "You see he was all bark and no bite. Well, it is the same with men and women, and boys and girls, as it is with dogs."
If you're extremely clumsy and prone to breaking things, you may be called a bull in a __________.
China shop
Bull ring
Frederick Marryat was the first person to write "bull in a china shop." It appeared in his novel, "Jacob Faithful." Its origins before there have not been discovered.
If something is unlikely to happen, you may say it will occur when _______ fly.
The phrase "when pigs fly" is sometimes used as "pigs might fly." "When pigs fly" has been in use since the 1600s.
When someone accidentally reveals a secret, they let the ________ out of the bag.
The earliest known usage of "letting the cat out of the bag" is from 1760. It appeared in an issue of "London Magazine."
When you're sick, you may say that you're feeling under the ___________.
"Under the weather" comes from old-time sailors. In "Salty Dog Talk: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expression," Bill Beavis and Richard G. McCloskey say that the full phrase is "under the weather bow." The weather bow is the side of the ship the bad weather affects the most.
When something happens infrequently, it happens once in a blue _____________.
In the 1800s, people started using the phrase, "once in a blue moon." A blue moon is said to be the second appearance of a full moon in a month. This occurs approximately once every 32 months.
When you have to do something you don't want to, you may be told to bite the what?
Rudyard Kipling was the first person to write down the phrase, "bite the bullet." He used it in "The Light that Failed," which was published in 1891.
If something is extremely complicated, you may have trouble wrapping your __________ around it.
Instead of "wrap your head around," you can say "wrap your mind around." If you successfully "wrap your head around" something, it means you understand something that is confusing or challenging.
When you miss the ____________, you're too late for something.
"Miss the boat" can mean to fail to take advantage of an opportunity or to not understand something. Other boat-related idioms are "in the same boat" and "rock the boat."
If you're talking about someone and they walk into the room, you may say, speak of the ___________.
The full form of "speak of the devil" is "speak of the devil and he will appear" or some variations thereof. It has been in use since the 1600s.
If you want someone to do a task they don't want to do, you may ___________ their arm to get it done.
By "twisting one's arm," you are coercing someone to do something. The term first appeared in the mid-1900s.
If someone you trust violates that trust, you may say that they ___________ you in the back.
Rubbed
Someone who stabs you in the back is engaging in backstabbing. Backstabbing entered English in the mid-1800s.
If you're trying to give up an addiction, you may decide to go __________ turkey.
The phrase "cold turkey" first appeared in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, it was specifically associated with quitting something addictive.
If someone has ___________ fingers, you may not want to trust them around your wallet.
Someone with sticky fingers has the tendency to steal. Its origins date to the late 1800s.
Can You Identify More Than 11 of These Common Phrases?
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Home Articles Understanding Rent-Seeking at South African Universities
Understanding Rent-Seeking at South African Universities
Prof Tim Crowe
A recent opinion piece by Dr Sean Muller focuses on potential negative consequences of ‘incentivization’ that promote “rent seeking behaviour” in university academics. Before I attempt to refute his thesis, it is necessary to ‘correct’ the author’s restricted definition of rent seeking: “the process by which private entities seek to use the state’s power to obtain or protect excessive economic surplus” and “compete for artificially contrived transfers”.
In fact, the idea of rent seeking:
“is simple but powerful. People are said to seek rents when they try to obtain benefits for themselves through the political arena. They typically do so by getting a subsidy for a good they produce or for being in a particular class of people, by getting a tariff on a good they produce, or by getting a special regulation that hampers their competitors”.
This idea, like that of “affirmative action”, is not inherently ‘wrong’. Both forms of social engineering can help redress past injustice and promote adaptive change. But, when perverted, both can have negative effects on university academics. Muller emphasizes these for alleged “rent seeking” in universities, especially those in post-colonial developing nations. Prof. David Benatar et al. do the same for affirmative action.
I also offer some constructive effects of academic incentivization in a post-liberation South African university environment.
The push to publish
In South Africa, since the 1970s, in order to encourage publication of research, universities receive cash for the publication of the results of its academic research in ‘approved’ journals/books. In some cases, some or all of this “subsidy” finds its way to the pockets of academics and/or postgraduate student authors. However, generally, it is used ‘wisely’ to subsidize university-wide processes at the discretion of senior management or allocated, in part, to the research accounts of academics and/or their departments. In principle, I see nothing wrong with this form of incentivization, other than all of the subsidy going directly to the academic personally. It encourages academics to conduct research that helps them to remain at the forefront of their disciplines and, especially, grad students to develop an ethos of “research is not done until it is reviewed by peers and published”. Yes, some research may be of little or no value. But its impact is filtered out by peer-reviewers or is simply ignored. What is important is that research is a sine qua non for reputable academics, even those who focus on teaching.
Other forms of incentivization
Two other performance-related metrics employed in some South African universities to hire, promote and otherwise reward academics that are the h-index (that aims to describe the productivity and impact of a researcher via citations) and her/his assessment through the rating system using international peers administered by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). Both the merits and deficiencies of these metrics are reviewed thoroughly by Prof. C.L. ‘Kit” Vaughan in On the Shoulders of Oldenburg (2015 – NRF, Pretoria – ISBN: 978-1-86868-111-2). I strongly support the use of NRF rating as a means of incentivization because it assesses research ‘quality’ by knowledgeable peers (and not ‘popularity’) every four years and has special awards for brilliant young researchers. Periodic review by peers is an excellent means of exposing the fraud, plagiarism, rigging and unethical arrangements referred to by Muller.
‘World rankings’ and ‘social importance’
The ‘relational’ problem of university world rankings for academics is clearly addressed by the NRF system that delineates applicants from “A” (world leaders) to “C” (established researchers) in comparison with the best-of-the-best. Young researchers are ranked “Y” (good but need development) and “P” (President’s Award = world class). There is even a category “L” for late-developing academics (e.g. women who dedicated their early years to raising children). Yes, many institutional ‘world’ rankings are “relative rather than [measuring] absolute quality” and focus on questionable metrics such as the number of Nobel laureates. But, this neglects mentioning the Center for World University Rankings which ranks university research by discipline and gives absolute scores. [For example, for ornithology, my discipline, the University of Cape Town ranks – at 90.22 – third in the world, six points behind the USA’s Cornell University.] So, “it’s [not] a zero-sum game”.
With regard to an academic’s or a university’s “social importance”, the “quality of teaching” and development of “high calibre academics for the future” can be assessed using course assessments by students, institutional recognition with Distinguish Teaching Awards and monitoring the success of postgraduates – what I call “academic fitness” (the number and percentage of supervised graduates who have successful careers). [For example, all of my 55 postgrads found relevant employment and 15 as professors or institutional directors – 15 women and 10 ‘blacks’.] Locally relevant research is also easily determined from examination of publication abstracts/summaries.
Vulnerability of ‘weak’ or ‘decolonizing’ institutions
If anything, the use of potentially ‘rent seeking’ incentives based on the various metrics discussed above should help to improve the ‘status’ and ‘relevance’ of academics and institutions. Kit Vaughan documents this well for formerly Afrikaans-medium universities which increased markedly in world rankings after the introduction of the NRF Rating System. With regard to decolonization, rent-seeking structures could be introduced that favour academics and departments who improve in their “academic fitness” with special regard to socio-economically oppressed students. They also could be used to identify weak and potentially racist academics who could be counselled or even retrenched. In Muller’s terms, “Academics who are not equipped to produce and publish work that makes a substantive contribution – intellectual or other” should be encouraged to develop, not rewarded.
Of course, such assessments and comparisons should, at least initially, be restricted to within universities. Initially, they could help to identify and promote strong individuals and departments. The ultimate goal is to have all universities competing at the same level.
But, you have got to start somewhere to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.
rent-seeking
Wits
Previous articleA rumble in the jungle (Part 1): colonialism
Next articleThe False God of Equality
Professor Tim Crowe is a descendant of oppressed Irish freedom-fighters from the United States working class. He is a first generation university graduate, non-settler immigrant alumnus, Elected Fellow and emeritus (40 years’ service) professor at the University of Cape Town. He is a Ph.D.-educated expert on evolutionary biology (covering everything from ‘race’ to deeply rooted evolutionary trees) and conservation biology (especially regarding sustainable and economically viable use of wildlife). He has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers/books and is regarded as the world’s leading authority on game birds (chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, etc.). About 70 of his graduated students have published their research and established themselves in their own right, including four professors.
Gillian Benade 2 June 2017 at 06:26 AM
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For which numbers does the order of reversing their digits and squaring not matter?
This was a question made up by a friend who doesn't have SE.
Let the function $r:\mathbb Z^+ \rightarrow \mathbb Z^+$ reverse the digits of a number (in base 10) that it is applied to. In addition, this function is not defined for numbers which start or end with 0s.
Eg. $r(0129)$ and $r(120)$ are not defined, but $r(129)=921$ and $r(2904)=4092$.
Find all 2-digit numbers $n$ which satisfy:
$${r(n)}^2=r(n^2)$$
Note: $r(n)^2 \equiv {(r(n))}^2$
No computer programs are allowed for this part of the question. I'll post my own solution if no one answers this in a while or comes up with the same solution.
Afterwards, I checked my answers using a computer program. I also extended the question to see if there were any answers which had more than 2 digits. I checked up to 1000000 and made an interesting observation about all of the solutions (which should be fairly obvious).
Can you prove this observation?
In addition, what happens if a base other than 10 is used?
A bounty will be awarded to a good answer(s) addressing the extension, although I'll accept an answer which solves the 1st part of the question.
mathematics computer-puzzle no-computers
Shuri2060
Shuri2060Shuri2060
$\begingroup$ Although I'll accept Ankoganit's answer for the 1st part and award Angkor for the 'observation' in the extension, the question of a different base has not been answered yet, and so this question is still open. $\endgroup$ – Shuri2060 Jul 31 '16 at 19:49
$\begingroup$ Have just added a few paragraphs regarding different bases. Please let us know if there's something more specific you're looking for. Nice question! $\endgroup$ – Angkor Aug 1 '16 at 8:56
$\begingroup$ You should probably clarify that the trivial case of symmetric numbers should be discounted. Otherwise, the lists get a lot longer: 11, 22, 33, ..., 101, 111, 121, ... $\endgroup$ – Engineer Toast Aug 1 '16 at 14:20
$\begingroup$ @EngineerToast Not necessarily. 33 does not work. $\endgroup$ – Shuri2060 Aug 1 '16 at 19:32
$\begingroup$ @QuestionAsker Ha, right, yes. I misunderstood the question and later re-read it to figure it out but I forgot to come back and delete my comment. Ignore previous statement and this one explaining it. $\endgroup$ – Engineer Toast Aug 1 '16 at 20:04
All such two-digit numbers are:
$11,12,13,22$ and their inverses.
We shall first prove a lemma:
Lemma: For any natural number $n$ with even number of digits, $r(n)\equiv -n\pmod{11}$.
Proof: Suppose $n=a_{2k-1}\cdot 10^{2k-1}+a_{2k-2}\cdot 10^{2k-2}+\cdots +a_1\cdot 10+a_0$, then $r(n)=a_0\cdot 10^{2k-1}+a_1\cdot10^{2k-2}+\cdots+a_{2k-2}\cdot 10+a_{2k-1}$. Now, since $10\equiv -1\pmod{11}$, we have $$n+r(n)\equiv \left(-a_{2k-1}+a_{2k-2}-\cdots-a_1+a_0 \right)+\left(-a_{0}+a_{1}+\cdots-a_{2k-2}+a_{2k-1}\right) \equiv 0\pmod{11}$$ which immediately implies our Lemma.
Now coming back to the puzzle at hand, we consider two different cases:
Case 1: when $n^2$ has four digits.
In this case, we have $r(n)^2\equiv (-n)^2\equiv n^2\pmod{11}$ and $r(n^2)\equiv -n^2\pmod{11}$, so $n^2\equiv -n^2\implies n^2\equiv 0\implies 11|n$. That leaves us with $7$ possible candidates: $33,44,55,\cdots, 99$. ($11, 22$ are excluded since their squares have $3$ digits.) It is easy to check that none of them work. So we have no solution in this case.
Case 2: when $n^2$ has three digits.
In this case, suppose $n=10a+b$, then $n^2=100a^2+20ab+b^2$ and $r(n)^2=(10b+a)^2=100b^2+20ab+b^2$. Since $n^2$ and hence $r(n)^2$ have three digits each, we must have $a,b\in\{1,2,3\}$. Further, $n^2$ and $r(n)^2$ have to be inverses of each other. Since last digit of $n^2$ is already $b^2$, the first digit of $r(n)^2$ must be $b^2$, which means there is no carry from the term $20ab$, so $20ab<100\implies ab<5$. This leaves us with the cases $(a,b)\in\{(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(1,3),(3,1),(2,2)\}$, and all of them work. So the solutions are precisely as indicated above.
AnkoganitAnkoganit
I think I have a general answer. First, the results:
All two-digit numbers that satisfy $r(n^2) = r(n)^2$, as found by Ankoganit, are:
11, 12, 13, 22, and their inverses.
All three-digit numbers are:
101, 102, 103, 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 202, 212, and their inverses.
All four-digit numbers are:
1001, 1002, 1003, 1011, 1012, 1013, 1021, 1022, 1031, 1102, 1103, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1121, 1122, 1202, 1212, 2002, 2012, 2022, and their inverses.
(Larger numbers are listed at the end.)
The key to the solution is...
...we need to avoid carry, which is the only asymmetrical aspect here.
To understand this, it is very useful to think of squaring a number in terms of long multiplication. If we take, for example, a four-digit number, $n = 1000d_4 + 100d_3 + 10d_2 + d_1$, we have for $n^2$:
$\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & & & d_4 & d_3 & d_2 & d_1 \\ \times & & & & d_4 & d_3 & d_2 & d_1 \\ \hline & & & & d_1 d_4 & d_1 d_3 & d_1 d_2 & d_1^2 \\ + & & & d_2 d_4 & d_2 d_3 & d_2^2 & d_2 d_1 \\ + & & d_3 d_4 & d_3^2 & d_3 d_2 & d_3 d_1 \\ + & d_4^2 & d_4 d_3 & d_4 d_2 & d_4 d_1 \\ \hline & D_7 & D_6 & D_5 & D_4 & D_3 & D_2 & D_1 \end{array}$
(In case you're not familiar with long multiplication: each line in the middle section represents the multiplication of one digit by all the others. Then we sum each column to get $D_1, ..., D_7$, and these constitute the result, $n^2 = 10^6 D_7 + 10^5 D_6 + ... + D_1$.)
As long as all $D_i$'s are single digits (smaller or equal to 9) it doesn't matter if we reverse the digits before or after the square (notice the symmetric structure of the middle section). But once a certain $D_i$ is larger than 9, we get carry to the next digit. If, for example, $D_4 = 2(d_1 d_4 + d_2 d_3) > 9$, it would affect digit 5 in $n^2$ and thus digit 3 in $r(n^2)$. But the carry will be from digit 4 to 5 for $r(n)^2$ and it will stay as digit 5. And so we wouldn't have $r(n^2) = r(n)^2$.
A simple example is $n=2112$: We have $D_4 = 2(d_1 d_4 + d_2 d_3) = 2(4 + 1) = 10$ and so we get carry of 1. $r(2112^2) = 4450644$ (with carry 'to the right') and $r(2122)^2 = 4460544$ (with carry 'to the left'), and they are not equal.
So we want to avoid carry. But what causes carry? Anything that causes $D_i > 9$. First of all, as you can see above, all digits appear as $d_i^2$ in one of the columns. So any digit which has $d_i^2 > 9$ causes carry and is thus forbidden. So all digits must be 1, 2 or 3, as other people already said.
Second, all pairs of digits appear twice as $d_i d_j$ in one of the columns. So any pair of digits which has $2 d_i d_j > 9$ causes carry and is thus forbidden. So we cannot have both 2 and 3 in $n$ (as $2 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 > 9$), nor can we have two 3's (as $2 \cdot 3 \cdot 3 > 9$).
These two rules are sufficient to construct all possible two-digit $n$'s, listed above.
Note that we only had to look at the columns of $D_1$ and $D_2$ to come up with forbidden two-digit $n$'s. For three-digit $n$'s we also look at the column of $D_3$. It tells us we need to avoid a sequence of three consecutive digits, $d_1$, $d_2$ and $d_3$, which have $d_2^2 + 2 d_1 d_3 > 9$. These are (given the former rules) the sequence 2-2-2 and the sequence 1-3-1. So we can construct all three-digit $n$'s, listed above.
For a four-digit $n$, we still have to avoid the three-digit sequences above (whether they come as $d_1, d_2, d_3$ or $d_2, d_3, d_4$) and we look at $D_4$ to get the forbidden four-digit sequences: 1221, 2112, 2122 and 2212 (which all have $2(d_1 d_4 + d_2 d_3) > 9$). We construct all four-digit $n$'s, listed above.
And so we go on and on. Any $k$-digit forbidden sequence is also forbidden for $n$'s with more digits.
Note that when we get to 5 digits, three-digit forbidden sequences don't have to be consecutive. They can come as $d_1$, $d_3$ and $d_5$, and appear as $d_3^2 + 2 d_1 d_5$ in column 5. More generally, every forbidden sequence is forbidden whenever the digits are equidistant (not necessarily at distance 1), as they all contribute to the same column. We take this for granted when it's a pair of digits, but it is true generally.
BTW, the lack of carry means all possible $n^2$'s (and $r(n)^2$'s) are of an odd number of digits. Ankoganit showed that no four-digit $n^2$'s are possible, but in fact this is true for any even number of digits.
Different base: These rules are easily converted to any base, since the key is still avoiding carry. For base-$D$ (of $D$ 'digits'), we have $r(n^2) = r(n)^2$ iff:
all digits of $n$ satisfy $d_i^2 < D$,
all pairs of digits of $n$ satisfy $2 d_i d_j < D$,
all 'equidistant' triplets of digits of $n$ satisfy $d_j^2 + 2 d_i d_k < D$ (with $d_j$ in between $d_i$ and $d_k$),
So, for example, in base-17, the possible digits are $0, 1, 2, 3,$ and $4$. Then, the pairs $(3, 3)$, $(3, 4)$ and $(4, 4)$ are forbidden. Also, the triplets $(2, 1, 4)$, $(2, 2, 4)$, $(2, 3, 2)$, $(1, 4, 1)$, $(1, 4, 2)$, $(2, 4, 1)$ and $(2, 4, 2)$ are forbidden, and so on.
In bits (base-2), both 0 and 1 are allowed. But the pair $(1, 1)$ is not, so all $n$'s must have a single 1 at most. So the only $n$'s that work are powers of 2 (which all have $r(n^2) = 1$). But, in fact, $r$ is not defined when the first or the last digit is 0, so strictly speaking, the only possible $n$ in base-2 is 1...
For whoever is interested, these are all (base-10) $n$'s of five to seven digits that satisfy $r(n)^2 = r(n^2)$:
$10001, 10002, 10003, 10011, 10012, 10013, 10021, 10022, 10031, 10101, 10102, 10103, 10111, 10112, 10113, 10121, 10122, 10201, 10202, 10211, 10212, 10221, 11002, 11003, 11011, 11012, 11013, 11021, 11022, 11031, 11102, 11103, 11111, 11112, 11113, 11121, 11122, 11202, 11211, 12002, 12012, 12102, 12202, 20002, 20012, 20022, 20102, 20112, 20122, 100001, 100002, 100003, 100011, 100012, 100013, 100021, 100022, 100031, 100101, 100102, 100103, 100111, 100112, 100113, 100121, 100122, 100201, 100202, 100211, 100212, 100221, 100301, 100311, 101002, 101003, 101011, 101012, 101013, 101021, 101022, 101031, 101101, 101102, 101103, 101111, 101112, 101113, 101121, 101122, 101201, 101202, 101211, 101212, 101301, 102002, 102011, 102012, 102021, 102022, 102102, 102111, 102121, 110002, 110003, 110011, 110012, 110013, 110021, 110022, 110031, 110102, 110103, 110111, 110112, 110113, 110121, 110122, 110202, 110211, 110212, 110221, 111002, 111003, 111012, 111013, 111021, 111022, 111031, 111102, 111103, 111111, 111112, 111121, 111202, 111211, 112002, 112012, 112102, 120002, 120012, 120102, 120112, 121002, 121102, 122002, 200002, 200012, 200022, 200102, 200112, 200122, 200202, 200212, 201012, 201022, 202012, 1000001, 1000002, 1000003, 1000011, 1000012, 1000013, 1000021, 1000022, 1000031, 1000101, 1000102, 1000103, 1000111, 1000112, 1000113, 1000121, 1000122, 1000201, 1000202, 1000211, 1000212, 1000221, 1000301, 1000311, 1001001, 1001002, 1001003, 1001011, 1001012, 1001013, 1001021, 1001022, 1001031, 1001101, 1001102, 1001103, 1001111, 1001112, 1001113, 1001121, 1001122, 1001201, 1001202, 1001211, 1001212, 1001301, 1002001, 1002002, 1002011, 1002012, 1002021, 1002022, 1002101, 1002102, 1002111, 1002121, 1002201, 1002202, 1002211, 1010002, 1010003, 1010011, 1010012, 1010013, 1010021, 1010022, 1010031, 1010101, 1010102, 1010103, 1010111, 1010112, 1010113, 1010121, 1010122, 1010201, 1010202, 1010211, 1010212, 1010221, 1011002, 1011003, 1011011, 1011012, 1011013, 1011021, 1011022, 1011031, 1011101, 1011102, 1011103, 1011111, 1011112, 1011113, 1011121, 1011122, 1011201, 1011202, 1011211, 1012002, 1012011, 1012012, 1012101, 1012111, 1020002, 1020011, 1020012, 1020021, 1020022, 1020102, 1020111, 1020112, 1020121, 1020122, 1021002, 1021011, 1021021, 1021102, 1021111, 1022002, 1030011, 1031011, 1100002, 1100003, 1100011, 1100012, 1100013, 1100021, 1100022, 1100031, 1100102, 1100103, 1100111, 1100112, 1100113, 1100121, 1100122, 1100202, 1100211, 1100212, 1100221, 1100311, 1101002, 1101003, 1101011, 1101012, 1101013, 1101021, 1101022, 1101031, 1101102, 1101103, 1101111, 1101112, 1101113, 1101121, 1101122, 1101202, 1101211, 1101212, 1102002, 1102011, 1102102, 1102111, 1110002, 1110003, 1110012, 1110013, 1110021, 1110022, 1110031, 1110102, 1110103, 1110111, 1110112, 1110121, 1110202, 1110211, 1111002, 1111003, 1111012, 1111013, 1111021, 1111022, 1111031, 1111102, 1111103, 1111111, 1111112, 1111121, 1111202, 1111211, 1112002, 1120002, 1120012, 1120102, 1121002, 1121102, 1122002, 1200002, 1200012, 1200102, 1200112, 1200202, 1201002, 1201012, 1202002, 1210002, 1210102, 1210202, 1211002, 1212002, 1220002, 1220102, 2000002, 2000012, 2000022, 2000102, 2000112, 2000122, 2000202, 2000212, 2001002, 2001012, 2001022, 2001102, 2001112, 2001122, 2001202, 2001212, 2010012, 2010022, 2011012, 2020012, 2020022,$ and their inverses.
AngkorAngkor
$\begingroup$ I like this explanation. It gets at the "why" very nicely. $\endgroup$ – Dan Russell Jul 25 '16 at 16:53
$\begingroup$ This is a very nice answer which not only addresses the 'observation' that further solutions only use the digits 0, 1, 2 and 3 and the question of different bases, but also explains why certain 'sequences' aren't allowed, and shows how to construct further solutions. Well done! $\endgroup$ – Shuri2060 Aug 1 '16 at 20:06
Partial answer:
the equation holds for numbers using digits 1, 2 and 3, where the product of the digits is less than 5. (It might hold for more numbers, though.)
Let $n = 10a + b$.
$n^2 = 100a^2 + 20ab + b^2$
$r(n)^2 = 100b^2 + 20ab + a^2$
If $a^2 < 10$, $2ab < 10$ and $b^2 < 10$, it's easy to see that $r(n^2) = r(n)^2$.
Further observations:
In other cases, $n$ or its reverse has a square with 4 digits. It's hard to prove (without just examining every single case), so I'll leave it for others to finish.
GlorfindelGlorfindel
$\begingroup$ First cast to break the product of digits barrier, I believe, would be $n=2022\rightarrow n^2=4088484$, and $r(n)^2=2202^2=4848804$ $\endgroup$ – Jonathan Allan Jul 23 '16 at 12:45
$\begingroup$ @JonathanAllan yes, but I was only investigating the base case (two digits). The formula becomes different for larger $n$, using the binomial coefficients. $\endgroup$ – Glorfindel Jul 23 '16 at 12:47
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Ochsner Cancer Institute
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Drunks, deer, automatic doors — LRT operator Peter Dornan’s ‘train’-ing for…everything
BY Matt Harrison. Photos: Remi Theriault
POSTED May 31, 2018 10:07 am
My eyes dart, rapidly checking both the view from the cab but also a dashboard of signals; my left hand nervously grips a handle that goes backwards and forwards — and right now it’s pushed far forwards, enabling me to force a 160,000 kilogram train to speeds upwards of 80 km down a track between Rideau and Parliament LRT stations.
Suddenly, my stomach sinks: up ahead there’s a deer on the track. Worse, it’s standing next to a drunk who’s swaying back and forth and who might, at any moment, topple over onto the track.
Panicking, I slam the handle back, hoping to slow the train in time to avoid hitting both.
Peter Dornan seeing a virtual-reality view of an underground portion of the Confederation Line track. Photo: Remi Theriault
While the million-dollar light rail simulator is realistic — to the point of giving LRT operators in training a highly accurate view of the tracks and stations (even the weather) they will eventually be driving on – thankfully it’s not real enough to show the gruesome results of the impact that just [virtually] occurred. I breathe a sigh of relief and extricate myself from the seat in the light rail cab
Taking my place at the helm of the simulator is Peter Dornan, 58, an experienced OC Transpo bus driver and one of 35 EROs (electric rail operators) training in the simulator, which is housed inside a separate building that’s next to OC Transpo’s Belfast Road HQ. He’ll be one of the first cohort of EROs on the trains this fall.
Meet your conductor: Peter Dornan, 58, an experienced OC Transpo bus driver and one of 35 electric rail operators training in the OC Transpo simulator. Photo: Remi Theriault
I had the opportunity early this spring to meet Dornan and drive the simulator, the experience of which was like playing a life-sized video game. But the simulator is more than just a consul and a screen: a replica of an actual train car has been built, complete with seats, windows, and doors. At either end of the train car are two cabs, wherein EROs are instructed on either the electric train for the Confederation Line
More than just a consul and a screen: the simulator is a replica of an actual train car, complete with seats, windows, and doors. Photo: Remi Theriault
After Dornan unlocks the doors into the Confederation Line cab, I squeeze next to him and the consul, outfitted with knobs and gauges like the cockpit of an aircraft. The cab’s ‘windows’ are in fact a digital — yet highly detailed — concave screen that shows we are at the Pimisi Station, near Booth Street. People are standing on the platform milling about as Dornan closes the doors and exit the station.
With his left hand, he pushes the handle forward while positioning his right above a series of buttons — the most important being the ‘big red shiny button’: the emergency stop.
As we pull out of Pimisi, I brace myself against one of the walls because it feels like we’re moving, even though the simulator is not physically in motion. My mind is tricked because, as Dornan notes, what we’re seeing is “as the train track appears in real life.” I almost feel motion sickness, but Dornan, who’s been at this since October 2017, doesn’t react. “Some of the operators got motion sickness until they got used to the simulator,” Dornan says in a thick Scottish accent.
Approaching Bayview Station, Dornan looks for the station indicator sign, which is located in the dividing wall between the east and west tracks. He’ll attempt to line up that marker so that it appears in the centre of his left-side window (right if he were driving west) — this will align the train perfectly to the platform. While it might seem simple, trust me, it’s not (I failed twice).
I watch as Dornan monitors a variety of signals, controls the speed, and watches out for the unexpected.
Dornan, who’s been training as an ERO, is a new kind of ‘driver’ — new, at least, for Ottawa. As such, we wanted to know more about what he’ll be doing and the kinds of challenges he’ll be facing. And since 10,000 of us will be travelling per hour at peak times somewhere along the line, it might just help us feel more secure knowing what’s happening going on inside that cab.
The experience of training on the simulator is like playing a life-sized video game. Photo: Remi Theriault
Who’s ‘driving’?
“It’s similar in some respects to driving a bus, because you’re still aware of your surroundings and ready to react to what’s going on around you. But with the automatic mode, there’s much more computerization, so the responsibility is taken from me until I see something that requires me to act. That might be any possible problems ahead of me, issues with the track, overhead lines, trespassers, animals…
What else might happen — jumpers?
“I’m being trained for all kinds of scenarios… At some point in your career, the possibility exists that this will happen. I think there’s not much you can do if someone is determined to do that. We have to be aware at all times that this possibility exists and, if possible, stop the train before it happens. At this point in the training, it’s more about how we, as human beings, deal with it. I’m not any more anxious about this possibility than when I was driving a bus for 36 years.
Restricted access to the driver?
“The doors will be locked (to the cab where the driver sits) at all times when in operation. There will be instances where I will have to leave the cab — for example, if there is a problem with a door or if there’s an issue on the track, but anytime I have to get out of the cab, I need to contact control [O-Train headquarters]. I have to ask them for permission to leave and explain why it’s necessary — this includes needing to go to the washroom!
What about disputes, harassment, and medical emergencies?
“There’s the passenger intercom [located throughout each train car] and if someone alerts me to a situation using this, I then radio control and OC Transpo has special constables who attend to that.
What can you do (or not do) while driving?
“Just like a bus, you have to be alert at all times. You can’t be using any phones, radios, etc. When you’re in the cab, your focus is on the train’s movement and the safety of the passengers.
What kinds of weather could shut the train down?
“There’s no weather condition that I’m aware of where we’d stop the train.
What will you miss (or won’t) about driving a bus?
I thought I was going to miss the interaction with passengers, but I must admit, at the moment, I’m just loving this. What I won’t miss about driving a bus is all the fare issues. By the time people get onto my train, all of the fare issues — the biggest bane of the bus driver’s life — have already been taken care of.”
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Dissertation - Other
Observations on Filariasis in Western Samoa
Fitzgerald, Norman W
Cite this item: Fitzgerald, N. W. (1955). Observations on Filariasis in Western Samoa (Dissertation, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/4858
The following investigations were carried out when the writer was research assistant to the Research Expeditions sent to Western Samoa in 1953 and 1954 by the Medical Research Council of New Zealand. The members of these expeditions were Dr. D.D. McCarthy, Mr. M.J. Marples, Mr. D.F. Bacon and Mr. N. Fitzgerald. Part of this thesis has been published (McCarthy & Fitzgerald 1955) and part is incorporated in the N.Z.M.R.C. Report of the Expedition to Western Samoa in 1951.
Degree Name: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Degree Discipline: Preventive and Social Medicine
Rights Statement: Digital copy stored under Section 55 of the NZ Copyright Act
Research Type: Dissertation
Format: 23 leaves. Illustrated.
Preventive and Social Medicine [116]
Dissertation - Other [4]
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Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History
Oxford Research Encyclopedias African History
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Women played a central role in the development of Pan-Africanism. It can even be claimed that it was a woman, the South African Alice Kinloch, who initiated the modern Pan-African movement at the dawn of the 20th century. In the early 21st century it has become fashionable, mainly in some academic circles in the United States, to use the term “Black Internationalism” as an alternative to Pan-Africanism. This phrase was also first coined by a woman, Jeanne Nardal, an influential and important Martinican writer in Paris in the 1920s, who used the term internationalisme noir to refer to the growing links between “Negroes of all origins and nationalities.” There is no doubt that she also used the phrase to refer to the growing Pan-Africanism of the period, and therefore it is difficult to see what distinguishes the two terms.
There has never been one universally accepted definition of exactly what constitutes Pan-Africanism. It has taken different forms at different historical moments and geographical locations. What underlies the manifold visions and approaches of Pan-Africanism and Pan-Africanists is a belief in the unity, common history, and common purpose of the peoples of Africa and the African diaspora and the notion that their destinies are interconnected. In addition, many would highlight the importance of the liberation and advancement of the African continent itself, not just for its inhabitants but also as the homeland of the entire African diaspora. Pan-Africanist thought and action is principally connected with, and provoked by, the modern dispersal of Africans resulting from the trafficking of captives across the Atlantic to the Americas, as well as elsewhere. The largest forced migration in history, and the creation of the African diaspora, was accompanied by the emergence of global capitalism, European colonial rule, and anti-African racism.
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We’ve All Gone Solo #4 (Ken Hensley)
One of my favorite real-life Spinal Tap moments is when Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron announces on their 1973 live album that the next song features keyboardist Ken Hensley on the “Moog Simplifier.” This was eleven years before the film so you know it’s legit, not like some band today cheerfully calling out “Hello Cleveland!” when they know perfectly well they are in Pittsburgh. The Heep were a solid second-tier English hard rock outfit of that era, never quite achieving the full thunderdome aura of Zeppelin, Sabbath or Deep Purple. But they seemed like decent blokes and were quite capable of slugging it out night after night in the mid-sized venues of those halycon days. They could serve up the straight-ahead stompers like their hit “Easy Livin’”, break out the Simplifier for grandiose proto-power ballads like “Circle of Hands” or get the crowd shaking with a then-trendy 50s rock medley.
Ken Hensley in 1973
Ken Hensley, seated stage left at his Hammond organ piggybacked with a Mini-Moog, was maybe overshadowed a bit by lead guitarist Mick Box and the dramatic singing of Byron. Yet in a way, he was the band’s MVP. The Hammond was a big part of their sound but he could also play a mean guitar when called for or take the occasional lead vocal; above all he was Heep’s principal songwriter. So it’s little surprise that he tested the solo waters early. In 1971, a year when U.H. released two studio albums, Hensley found time to repair to Germany for a one-off project called Weed, recorded with a local band there called Virus. But it’s a Hensley solo LP in all but name with Ken doing all guitars, keys and vocals.
Leading off is a great spring-has-sprung number called “Sweet Morning Light.” Since at least the time of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” symphony, this theme has almost always been a cue to employ a light touch. Here we get a cobweb-clearing blast of noise before the Teutonic central riff kicks in. Winter is over by decree of the metal gods!
All in all, “Weed” is a pretty dope album, if you will. Though he doesn’t stray very far from the Heep template, Hensley is a confident performer who lays it all out 70s style. There are rockers, a brooding acoustic guitar number (“Lonely Ship”), a piece that starts with a hushed piano solo before the band barges into the room (“My Dream”), the Procol Harum-ish “Before I Die” and the title cut, a vigorous jam-band instrumental.
Yet in 1971, Uriah Heep’s most successful phase lay just ahead of them, so the heels were cooled a bit on the solo work (though 73’s “Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf” is also recommended). At the end of the 1970s, with the group’s classic line-up splintered, Hensley left U.H. and entered into various bands and did further solo records. But after David Byron’s death in 1985, Hensley went into semi-retirement, eventually re-emerging and collaborating with a long line of British rockers with whom he came up with in the day: the guy would even go on to write a my-life-in-music rock opera called “Blood on the Highway.” Heep were always an item on the Continent (a Cold War-era Bulgarian hippie movement was named after their 11-minute warhorse “July Morning”) and Hensley has found recent success summer gigging in places like Norway where genres like progressive metal flourish. Apparently, being Big in Scandinavia has replaced the old Big in Japan fallback once enjoyed by the likes of the Runaways, the New York Dolls and, for that matter, Spinal Tap.
“Lady in Black” is one of Hensley’s most notable turns as lead singer with Uriah Heep.
Posted in Rock on Record, We've All Gone Solo and tagged Blood on the Highway, Ken Hensley, Moog, Seventies Rock, Uriah Heep, Weed 1973 album on March 4, 2015 by Rick Ouellette. Leave a comment
← We’ve All Gone Solo #3 (Nicky Hopkins)
“The Case of the 3-Sided Dream” and a Musical Life Well-Lived →
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BRICS will create a bank to end hegemony of Europe and the U.S.
The bank will be the headquarters for trade in multiple currencies which do not include the dollar or the euro as references.
By LUIS MIRANDA | THE REAL AGENDA | MARCH 27, 2013
The first day of the fifth annual summit of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) was dedicated to the bilateral relations of its members, and it served to meet the intent of the five members on Wednesday who issued a joint statement on the commissioning of a bank, which would serve as a counterweight to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The BRICS consider both institutions excessively controlled by Europe and the United States.
Issues such as decision-making or the contribution of each member are yet to be decided, which will likely prevent the release of the specific plans for the bank today, ahead of the meeting of Finance Ministers.
The creation of a joint fund of foreign exchange reserves will be another issue on the table, and the establishment of a self-study center and a business council of the BRICS.
Furthermore, the investments that BRICS make in Africa will be one of the key issues to be addressed at the summit today. “The association of the BRICS and Africa for the development, integration and industrialization” will be the slogan used to bring everyone together during the discussion.
The South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, stressed the importance of economic relations between the five and the mainland during his speech to businessmen from all members in the Business Forum of the BRICS.
“The African continent is recognized as the second fastest growing after Asia,” Davies recalled, citing the need for infrastructure as one of the attractions for investing in Africa at this time of economic crisis in Europe and the U.S..
A study by the Standard Bank, the BRICS trade with Africa rose last year to 340,000 million dollars, far exceeding the number of exchanges between the five economies of the group.
Moreover, the currency swap agreement reached by Brazil and China has a value of 30,000 million dollars, said the president of the Brazilian Central Bank, Alexandre Tombini, in the South African city of Durban. “The objective is to facilitate trade between the two countries regardless of international financial conditions,” said Tombini.
The agreement is valid for three years and protects trade between the two economies against dollar fluctuations and international financial turmoil.
The Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega told reporters that, along with their counterparts from the BRICS, he proposed to the presidents of their countries to create an agreement of the same type in a multilateral way among all partners.
In the intense round of bilateral meetings which marked the first day of the summit, South African President and summit host, Jacob Zuma, met with colleagues from China, Xi Jinping, Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Brazil, Dilma Rousseff. For his part, the president of Brazil did the same with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Rousseff meets today with the president of China, the largest trading partner of Brazil, according to Brazilian sources who are part of the country’s delegation in South Africa.
Moreover, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) today took an opportunity to urge the BRICS to stop the Syrian conflict and to require an “immediate cessation” of “indiscriminate” violence against civilians. In a statement, HRW called for India, Brazil and South Africa to “pressure” to Russia and China, which have good relations with Damascus to “suspend weapons sales and assisting the Syrian government.”
BRICS countries account for about 42 percent of the world’s population and nearly 45 percent of the labor force on the planet, according to the group’s own figures. In 2012, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounted for 21 percent of world’s GDP and trade between them reached a total of 282,000 million.
Filed under English, Politics, World Tagged with africa, Brazil, BRIC, BRICS bank, china, Economy, financial, foreign currencies, IMF, india, russia, South Africa, trade, World Bank
More Austerity as a “Solution” to Austerity?
By KEVIN ZEESE and MARGARET FLOWERS | IT’S OUR ECONOMY | FEBRUARY 21, 2013
As the economy shows signs of recession, the leeches return. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles have issued a new report calling for even deeper austerity. It is not what the economy needs as it stagnates and sputters toward a possible new collapse. Their report combined with President Obama’s State of the Union, the sequestration and Republican dogma are all combining to bring on another round of budget cuts, which will only make recession more likely.
It is important to put the current economic debate in context. Dr. Jack Rasmus, an economist who gets it right more than any other we are aware of, provides the framework with his in-depth analysis of the US GDP over the last 15 months. He summarizes the present dismal situation:
“Nearly the entire European Union, including its core economies of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are all now clearly mired in recession. The Euro southern periphery is in a bona fide depression. Japan has entered its third recession since 2008. China, India, and Brazilian growth rates have fallen by half. And the US in the fourth quarter 2012 has come to a virtual economic standstill, the second time in two years in which a quarterly GDP recorded virtually no growth.”
Rasmus predicts “The dual strategy of capitalist politicians across the globe—of QE and money injections into the banks and financial system combined with austerity for the rest—has clearly failed and will continue to fail even more visibly.” Rasmus foresees a double dip recession, with the shrinking US GDP of the last quarter as a harbinger of things to come.
Simpson and Bowles come into this situation recommending the wrong prescription – more cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other social programs, as well as closing corporate tax loopholes. They want to cut $2.4 trillion from the federal deficit over the next decade, $1.5 trillion more than President Obama has called for and this is on top of the $2.7 trillion in reductions that have already been implemented causing the most rapid fall in deficit to GDP ratio since World War II. All of this means an ‘Obama recession’ becomes more likely.
No doubt Republican dogma of shrinking federal government and low taxes deserve a lot of the blame, but President Obama does as well. His State of the Union address kept the Grand Bargain of cuts to essential programs along with closing corporate tax loopholes on the table.
Dr. Richard Wolff cuts through the rhetoric of “fiscal cliff,” “austerity” and “market” to pinpoint who benefits from austerity, writing that those who own the “US public debt are easy to list: large banks, insurance companies, large corporations, wealthy individuals and central banks around the world. Austerity justified as satisfying ‘the market’ in fact serves those US creditors first and foremost.”
Multiple commentators have noted President Obama’s sly language on Medicare cuts and his silence on protecting Social Security. Symptoms of a sick health care system continue to show. Executive salaries at non-profit hospitals continued to rise despite a frail health care system. And though the US ranks dead last in male life expectancy and near the very bottom in prevention of premature deaths, infant mortality, total health care coverage, number of practicing doctors, and prevention of deaths due to heart disease among developed nations; we may begin to look better in the international rankings soon – not because health care is improving here but because bankers are now demanding privatization of European heath care systems which will bring their outcomes down too.
The more we learn about Obama’s Treasury Secretary appointment, Jacob Lew, the less hopeful we are of decent policies coming from his leadership. Confirmation hearings have brought out his Romney-like economics: personal investment in the Cayman Islands, creating foreign tax havens for customers when he was at Citi, and that prior to Citi, when he was an executive at NYU, he steered students to expensive Citigroup loans. Of course, we remember his $950,000 bonus when Citigroup was bailed out. It seems impossible for Americans to trust Lew’s economic ethics and plutocratic economic behavior.
All this talk about austerity comes as we learn that the Federal Reserve continues to bailout the big banks, not only by pumping $85 billion each month into banks through Quantitative Easing, but court documents revealed that the Fed also forgave $7 billion in mortgage security losses by Bank of America. Bailouts continue but outside of the public eye and should lead to more calls for Fed transparency, which is unlikely to come from the two Wall Street parties.
And, austerity comes at a time when new census analysis shows that during the Obama ‘recovery’ only the rich got richer; the poorer got poorer. According to a new analysis by Emanuel Saez. perhaps the leading economist on incomes in the world, from 2007-2009 the “average real income for the bottom 99% . . . fell sharply by 11.6%, . . . by far the largest two year decline since the Great Depression.” And new data covering 2009-2011 indicate that “Top 1% incomes grew by 11.2% while bottom 99% incomes shrunk by 0.4%. Hence, the top 1% captured 121% of the income gains in the first two years of the recovery.” [Emphasis added.] We got a glimpse into the rigged system this week when it was reported that Facebook, which made $1 billion in profits, will be paying no income taxes, indeed will receive a $429 million refund. Why? Tax deductions allowed for executive pay in stock options.
And, don’t believe that the rich getting richer will create jobs. The claim that the wealthiest are job creators has been proven to be a myth. Another myth exploded in this week’s news was that it was important to pay CEO’s exorbitant pay to prevent their unique talents from being lured away. Both myths are not consistent with the facts.
What will another economic collapse cost us? The GAO issued a report this week that indicated the last collapse cost the US economy $22 trillion; that is about 1.5 years of total GDP. And, most of that came on the back of homeowners suffering from the housing collapse.
What is the alternative? Countries that are breaking from the Washington Consensus are showing the way. This week an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research of Ecuador found “government’s taking control of the Central Bank, implementation of capital controls, increased taxation of the financial sector, and other regulatory reforms. It concludes that these played a major role in bringing about Ecuador’s strong economic growth, increased government revenue, a substantial decline in poverty and unemployment, and other improvements in economic and social indicators.” Unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent, the lowest level in 25 years and poverty has been cut 27 percent below its 2006 level.
The report gives us hope finding: “Ecuador’s success shows that a government committed to reform of the financial system, can – with popular support – confront an alliance of powerful, entrenched financial, political, and media interests and win.” By the way, Raphael Correa won re-election on Sunday by a landslide with more than 60% of the vote in a race with 8 candidates. Is there any US politician that wants to get on the side of the people?
Filed under English, Politics, Special Reports Tagged with austerity, Barack Obama, budget cuts, economic collapse, Economy, Economy of the United States, Erskine Bowles, gross domestic product, Jacob Lew, Obama, recession, United State, United States public debt
Panamanian people temporarily defeat sale of Colon Free Zone land
By LUIS MIRANDA | THE REAL AGENDA | OCTOBER 25, 2012
Not even the heavy hand with which President Ricardo Martinelli governs Panama was able to stop The People there from protesting the sale of publicly owned lands. The strength of a movement supported by social and trade unions last week twisted the arm of the government and obligated Martinelli to reverse a law that sought to sell the lands over which Panama host its Colon Free Zone.
Panamanian authorities no longer promote the privatization of land in the Colon Free Zone (CFZ), which has offered trade tax exemption — the highest in America — for the past 43 years. The Colon Free Zone is located in the strategic Caribbean end of the Panama Canal.
Despite the assurance from President Martinelli, who stated that Panama will not sell the lands, protesters decided to keep on watching any move that may hint the opposite situation from the part of the government. The protesters remain on the streets of the city of Colon, which is located 80 kilometers north of Martinelli’s offices. The strength of the opposition to the sale of public lands has already left three people dead.
A message sent through Twitter directly President Martinelli, attempted to ensure that the movement does not grow any larger, after protesters paralyzed the Free Zone in recent days. “If the people do not want the lands sold, the sale will be repealed,” wrote Martinelli on Tuesday night, after checking the ineffectiveness of the efforts of his ministers.
On Monday, part of the Panamanian cabinet failed in their attempt to negotiate with the protesters to stop violent clashes between activists and police. “Some people have died,” he said José Ricardo Fabrega, a Panamanian Minister when commenting on the impact of the conflict generated around the so-called Law 72.
Not even the curfew decreed by President Martinelli was enough to stop the people from showing their opposition to the sale in this port city, which is famous for its Free Zone, a market for foreigners in the middle of an environment of poverty that affects most of the the Panamanian citizens. As much as a third of the people in Panama are considered as living in poverty today.
Workers and residents shut down the dollars factory this week, which is a platform of foreign traders (Arabs, Lebanese, Indians and Venezuelans) who perform services for Colombia, Venezuela, Central America and the Caribbean. The population of the Colon Free Zone knows of the coexistence with smuggling and that the biggest gains stay in private hands despite the fact that the economic activity in the region accounts for 7% of GDP.
Most of the 31,000 workers who run the Colon Free Zone come from the capital, but still defended it with ‘teeth and nails’. It was a chance to win a pulse against Martinelli and for that the people counted with the support from trade associations from all around the country. That support helped Panamanians succeed in the effort to avoid the acquisition of these public lands by foreign interests.
The 87 characters written by Martinelli, who was visiting Japan on the other side of the world, represent the surrender. This time it was not enough to have 42 congressional allies. Additionally, police repression and the use of military tactics did not work out either. In fact they only served to raise the anger of the protesters
The power of the business class became too small when compared to the popular response, which is driven by anger against the president. Some of the last polls show that as much as 75% of Panamanians believe that Martinelli is governing only for the rich classes and favoring foreign investors.
The damage done on Martinelli’s image is clear. The President is about a year and a half from leaving office, since the Panamanian constitution does not allow reelection. But despite the constitutional ban, builders’ unions and transporters, who are key parts of the Panamanian economy, remain alert.
College students went to the streets on Wednesday and blocked some major roads of the capital. Meanwhile, a new government delegation prepares to return to Columbus and negotiate with local protesters following the path laid out by Martinelli on his tweet.
The Free Zone was established in 1948 to commercially exploit the site of the Panama Canal. Since then, thousands of companies around the world have a base of operations there. The area receives over 250,000 visitors a year and has 1,751 companies.
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Filed under English, Latin America, Politics Tagged with Colon Free Zone, Economy, foreign investments, Free Zone, Law 72 Panama, panama, president Martinelli, public land sale
Japan is reeling between economic and nuclear crises
The earthquake that shook Japan last year is not the only origin of the shock waves the country is now experiencing. The economic crisis has also shaken the Asian nation. During the first semester of the current fiscal year, the Japanese had a historic fall in exports, which in turn resulted in the largest fiscal deficit.
The financial crisis in the Euro zone and North America, greatly decreased the amount of products that Japan was able to send abroad which together with the costly imports of crude oil gave the island’s economy a double punch right on the face. The explosion and collapse of the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima complex not only caused the contamination of most of the food and water on the island, but also meant that Japan had to increase imports of oil to satisfy its energy needs.
In the period from April to September, the trade deficit in what is considered the third world economy, surged 90.1 percent year on year and stood at 3.22 trillion yen (31,200 million euros), the highest since 1979, when the Ministry of Finance began compiling the results of this indicator.
Behind this decline was the drop in exports, a pillar that supports about 40% of Japan’s gross domestic product and has been handicapped primarily by lower demand due to the global economic crisis. Japanese exports fell sharply especially in Europe, where they were down 16.1%, with significant losses in countries like the UK (-26.3%), Italy (-31.4%) and Germany (-11, 7%), and Japanese traditional sectors such as semiconductors, electronic devices or vehicles.
Japan posted its first trade deficit in this period with the European Union, which registered at 92,100 million yen (890 million euros), according to preliminary data released Tuesday. In the case of Spain, in the spotlight because of its debt crisis, Japan closed the fiscal semester with a trade deficit of 59.259 million yen (573 million euros), the result of a fall in exports of 19.3%, while imports increased by 13.7%.
To this scenario, Japan had to add the difficult situation with China, which is Japan’s largest trading partner. The two countries began a territorial dispute that resulted in the worst bilateral tension in years and is reflected in the decline in demand for Japanese products in the Chinese mainland.
In the first six months of the current fiscal year, exports from Japan to the second largest economy contracted by 8.2% over the same period last year, while imports rose 2%. The consequence was a growing deficit of 1, 53 trillion yen (14,800 million euros). The drop was even more pronounced in the month of September, when the conflict with China escalated and there was a wave of demonstrations against Japan all over China. Some protestors even attacked Japanese-owned companies.
Sales for that month, which originated in Japan, suffered a setback of 14.1%, while imports increased by 3.8% over the same month of 2011. The general decline in Japanese exports was also influenced by the strengthening of the yen, which is seen by many investors as a refuge in times of economic uncertainty. The value of the Yen caused Japanese manufacturers to get a smaller return for their products.
The slowdown in exports stopped Japan’s economic recovery after the setback at the devastating tsunami and nuclear accident in March 2011. Imports from Japan increased between April and September by 2.6% year on year to 35.38 trillion yen (EUR 342.537 million), largely due to an increase of almost 10% on the purchase of energy resources.
Japan used to get around 30% of its power from nuclear plants, but after the Fukushima explosion, and with nearly all of its nuclear plants out of service, the country had to buy more oil to power up its thermal power plants. Crude oil imports increased by 8.3% in the first half of the fiscal year, while purchases of liquefied natural went to 24.3%.
Unfortunately, the crisis is all but ending for Japan. New reports as recent as last week, state that Unit 4 from the Fukushima Nuclear Complex, which currently holds more than 1,500 nuclear fuel rods, is near complete collapse. If the total decimation of the nuclear reactor is completed, the deadly radiation would make it imperative to evacuate the whole island. The amount of radiation could be so serious, that it could make much of the world completely uninhabitable.
As reported on NaturalNews.com:
“According to the Secretary of former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the ground beneath Unit 4 has already sunk by about 31.5 inches since the disaster, and this sinking has taken place unevenly. If the ground continues to sink, which it is expected to, or if another earthquake of even as low as a magnitude six occurs in the region, the entire structure could collapse, which would fully drain the cooling pool and cause a catastrophic meltdown.”
As it turns out, Japan’s economic problems are not necessarily what is attracting the attention of the country and the rest of the world.
Filed under Asia, English, World Tagged with crisis, deadly radiation, deficit, Economy, exports, fukushima, imports, Japan, nuclear energy, radiation, yen
If no one believes in the recovery, why are Europe and the world Trying?
I don’t know you, but I’m sick and tired of hearing about the financial collapse. The financial crisis we are now in was predicted long ago, and those predictions were correct. So why hasn’t it happened? First of all, it is happening. In fact it began a while ago. While many people expected to have a sudden collapse, which dragged the world into a whole, the fall of the international financial system was not planned to take place that way. Second of all, the financial collapse was planned to occur slowly and painfully, not only because the elites that planned it are financial sadists, but also because that is the only way to carry out their plan successfully.
The slow financial collapse allows the perpetrators to slowly bite off pieces from the grand pie, inflicting lethal but manageable pain and damage into the world’s economic and financial systems. This tactic in turn prepares the field for further deterioration and acquiescence from the public and the governments who they control. The kind of financial terrorism carried out by the largest financial entities in the history of the world, which are controlled by the smallest amount of people ever, makes it possible to successfully materialize the elite’s dream to create the most powerful monopoly of money and resources while they present themselves as the saviors.
The truth however, is that they are not saving anyone but themselves. While they buy off politicians and buy up land and essential resources for pennies on whatever currency they want, governments continue to fail to hold them accountable for their crimes. In fact, the bureaucrats in governments are faithful accomplices of the elites. Only one country has been able to partially defeat these monopoly men, and that country is Iceland. After kicking the bankers out, Iceland is now racing on the path of recovery, with a growing economy that simply sparked to life after telling the bankers that the illegal debt they had put under Iceland’s name was not theirs.
Iceland did what no other country had the guts to do: let the banks fail. Four years later, the country is being praised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That’s right. One of the most important globalist organizations who are out to destroy countries like Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain, congratulates Iceland for doing the right thing. The Icelandic people did not need to go through austerity programs, they did not lose millions of jobs and neither did they have their pensions or retirement accounts looted by the bankers. “The recovery has been quite impressive. GDP growth has picked up in the last couple of years and is now running around three percent a year,” says Franek Rozwadowski, a visitor from the IMF.
On the other side of the road there are countries like Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, all of which chose to follow the bankers’ path to destruction. Spain has increased its debt dramatically in a supposed effort to curb the government’s deficit, imposed massive austerity measures, looted pension and retirement accounts, cut public jobs, accumulated a 24% unemployment rate, “rescued” its banks at least twice, adopted deadly economic policies as ordered by Brussels, but still is on its way to the financial precipice. The same model has been used by Greece, Italy and Portugal, who are following Spain on their way to social collapse. It is estimated that the Spanish debt will reach 23 billion euros by the end of the year, with no hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The main reason for this is that the pact completed between the Spanish government and Brussels never intended to take Spain out of the dark tunnel. As explained in the documents obtained from the World Bank, the collapse of most European nations is part of a well-crafted plan that the elite has applied over and over again throughout the world. It happened in small countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, mid-size countries like Argentina, and now in larger economies like Spain, the United States, France, Italy, Greece and others.
As it turns out, the so-called bailouts are not such things. They are more like acquisitions. As explained by Journalist and researcher Greg Palast — who broke the story about the World Bank’s plan — the idea is to secretly repossess the assets of every country in the world. This is achieved through a bribery system in which the global bankers buy off the politicians in different countries so that they adopt IMF and World bank policies that intend to destroy their economies. Once the policies have been adopted, the bankers begin to slowly but surely subtract the resources of those countries unnoticeably, mainly through financial aid programs and trade agreements.
The mistaken belief that a recovery will come out of the current austerity measures and financial bailouts stems from the well engineered propaganda campaign orchestrated by the banking system and the main stream media, who have gone from denying that there is a crisis to accepting there is one and that the same bankers who caused it, who planned it, are going to be the saviors. Little do most people know that the kind of crisis we are now going through is part of the plant to carry out a planet wide extortion scheme through which the globalist banking elite once again walks away with significant amounts of resources.
The difference is that this time the looting is not limited to once small or mid-sized nation, but to several large countries in Europe and the world. Greek islands are now for sale to the best bidder, because the country cannot pay its debt. Guess who will come to the rescue? The monopoly men will come and buy the islands for cents on the Dragma. The same situation will happen in Spain, once Mariano Rajoy requests the financial rescue. So if you are asking yourself why is it that the economy isn’t getting better despite the continuous assurances that everything on the books is being done to get to that point, the truth is that the banker plan does not contemplate a recovery. At least not one where everyone will have the opportunity to thrive.
Read the complete interview given by Greg Palast after learning about and getting the World Bank’s secret documents that detail how the global financial entities destroy nations.
Filed under Africa, Asia, English, Latin America, North America, Politics, World Tagged with austerity measures, banker acquisition, Economy, financial collapse, financial crisis, France, greece, Greg Palast, iceland, IMF, portugal, recovery, spain, unemployment, World Bank
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A New Declaration of Independence For Free Men
I decided to read through the grievances and indictments of the representatives of the colonists when penning the Declaration of Independence. As I read through each one, I was surprised to find that not much has changed. The king has simply become a federation of central “federal” government – a monarchy now re-branded as an oligarchy. And I have found that this federal government is and has acted worse, with leaps and bounds, in its tyranny over the States, once colonies, and the people in general. And so I have re-written this Declaration of Independence with just three changes, since most of the declaration needed no such change.
Change #1 was to simply replace the names of “Great Britain” and its “King” with the Federal “government” and its many “presidents”. With this simple alteration, the document shines brightly with the same tyranny of current affairs.
Change #2 was to change the context of this declaration to that of the disposition of one man claiming his own sovereign independence from all forms of government, while still pledging his love, respect, and devotion to natural law to his fellow natural man.
Change #3 was to simply update the list of indictments and grievances to reflect a situation that is much worse today than was even technically possible back then – and yet many current indictments and grievances are not even included here today.
Perhaps, after reading through these new indictments, you may find that we have vastly more reasons today to abolish this government than the colonists ever did way back in history…
Though most of this original declaration remains the same with perfect clarity and assimilation to that of today’s tyrannies, those changes that I have made are in bold, with the former words crossed out for reference.
A Free Man’s Declaration Of Independence
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. And the people should naturally and politically expect, as amongst themselves, that their chosen form of government does no harm to the people or to their property, both collectively and individually, as natural law so dictates.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, and that this be the highest form of law over that of man, whatever that belief be to each individual, so long as natural law be protected and practiced within, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, specifically all contractual obligations to it and to its own monopolized monetary debt system, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies States, and the individual people in general; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain the presidents and congresses of this United States, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States and of free men. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
(Note: The following indictments and particulars have been changed for the modern disposition of government. The original indictments have been included here in italics and then replaced to show that modern concerns and tyrannies are in all cases equal if not worse than when the original Declaration was penned in the late 1700’s. Old grievances are in italics, followed by current grievances.)
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
Government has exempted itself from its own laws that so govern the people, breaking them with perfunctory legal privilege as any King or dictator might. Many of these laws that do govern the people do not promote or assist in the public good, and are not wholesome or necessary for the good of the people.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
Government ignores and often breaks State laws; especially those propositions and amendments passed in elections by the vote of the people without need or want of government approval. It knows no boundaries or borders in its attempts to enforce violently its federal laws despite the people’s and the individual State’s will. Its federal courts lay waste to the people’s will of law, falsely claiming judicial due process and the authority of the constitution, though these courts indeed are often not constitutional and often act unlawfully.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
Government has created the 14th Amendment and other like acts and legislation, creating in all men, many at birth without informed consent, an involuntary “citizen” in commerce as residents of Washington D.C, where all of the people’s power is entrapped by implied and manufactured consent into a federal legislature that represents government and corporations, and no longer the people. Government has in the past and present ignored State’s secession attempts, and forbids the inception of new States or countries within its self-appointed and militarily offensive and defensive jurisdictional borders. Government has required municipal incorporation and corporate charter for all districts and cities of people in order to govern themselves, forcing compliance to its federal and now international laws via forced citizenship, a right formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
Representatives of each state must travel and live outside of the 50 states united, to the District of Columbia, Washington D.C, to meet for legislative purposes. This legislative body lives and works outside of their state of origin, forced to work and act in the District of Columbia; not his or her state of representation, and are subsequently stripped of any responsibility for their personal actions both ethical and legal, as representatives and employees of that government. This unusual governance is only trumped by these representatives’ voluntary involvement and participation in the United Nations and in its obedience and promotion of international uniform laws and codes and Agenda 21 policies, which do not meet the principles of the American people or of its constitution. The government often stands in abeyance of the constitution in lieu of international standards and practices. And government itself decides through committees of its own members on the ethics and lawfulness of its own deeds, without judicial review or public involvement, as an unregulated oligarchy – regulators with no regulation or supervision; no punishment for crimes.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people.
Any attempt by the people, including those of the confederate side of the civil war, who long for a true representative house on behalf of the people, are halted, dissolved, and the people fined and/or incarcerated for opposing with manly firmness of governments invasion upon the rights of those people. Government forbids alternative and competitive currencies, and protects the wrong doings and invasions of the people’s rights by its representatives and officers under color of law.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
Through the political party system, those who would truly represent the people are shut out of the electoral and election system, due to laws that allow for this exclusion, and that are incapable of annihilation but by the so-called representatives of the people, which are of a vast controlling majority members of these same political parties. The borders of the States are continuously left insecure, even as the States and the individual people are halted, by color of law, by this federal government from protecting those borders, again, through legislation by that same government. Meanwhile, government’s constitutionally forbidden standing armies are in foreign lands in times of peace, protecting profitable international trade under the guise of spreading democracy to people’s that do not seek such governance nor have requested it or this government’s army’s presence there. The people’s taxes are not requested for such military campaigns, but are instead apportioned by the congress, sometimes with the creation of new debt in that apportionment, against the overwhelming will of the people.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
Government has created unreasonable bounds, fees, and hurdles for the purposes of legal immigration into this country, while failing in its duties to enforce the already established laws relating to illegal immigration and the employment of such foreign men, women, and under-age children with no legal status; causing to suffer the remainder of its natural born citizenry to lower wages and a lack of equitable employment. It refuses to equitably halt the hiring of these non-natural born foreigners, who cross our borders freely, by the corporations who do so unlawfully. This has created an unprecedented dependence of the natural-born citizenry to that same government for sustenance. Also, this government has permitted and indeed required the equitable hiring of foreigners with unconstitutional work permits, through its homeland security program entitled “E-Verify”, which forces employers to hire illegal workers with such permits and limits said employers from both dismissing those foreign (illegal) workers and from hiring whom that employer so chooses; so creating a system of government-protected and forced unnatural equality punishable by fines and purposeful interference of government in that private venture, including removal of license to do business and to employ.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
-And-
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
Government has assigned all authority of the judicial to the Executive branch, via the “Justice Department”, thus never having acted according to its constitution, creating this judicial “department” with no actual independent third branch of government as a check and balance structure in the “Act of 1789”. Whereby justices of that misnamed “supreme court” are appointed not by the people, but by that Executive officer (president) and approved by congress, not the people. The administration of government’s courts has been handed over to a private association called the BAR association, which unconstitutionally has ties of a contractual nature with the International BAR Association, including uniform administration with many foreign countries, and that purposefully avoids the “common law”. A president, being a member of that BAR association, is an unacceptable conflict of interest. As well, since many in the congress are also a member of the BAR and also of their perspective private associations called political parties, which indirectly elect that president through the electoral college, the constitutional intent of a “separation of powers” and of “checks and balances” in no way can be met by this government. This government fails to recognize the ultimate power of the people, ignoring in totality any grand jury findings and indictments that are made by these lawful juries of the people. In short, with regards to the government, the legal system is indeed lawless.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
Government, via the congressional process and via consent or approval of the Executive branch, has erected numerous New Offices, including all Executive Departments and their unelected, appointed Secretaries, as well as the Executive’s recently appointed “Czars” – a government not elected but appointed. Congressional creation of such Offices as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other known and Unknown Offices are unacceptable and unconscionable in an open and transparent constitutional government of the people, and these organizations act without the consent of the people as independent agencies of government not constitutionally enumerated, and certainly against that document’s and the people’s intent. Confiscation of property, financial harassment, debtor’s prisons, and other methods of harassment and tyranny have truly eaten out the substance of a free people, whom have been forced into a contractual debt servitude to this government against their will and without their consent.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
Government has created a standing army, with several branches of that service, and with several secretive, covert, and unlawful smaller agencies within that standing and active army, despite being in a time of peace. This standing army numbers in the multi-millions of men and women, whom draw a salary from the people’s taxation, and is now engaged in multiple congressional undeclared wars and occupations of other countries, many without navy or air assets or the ability to defend themselves. These unlawful and unconstitutional invasions and occupations are utilized under emergency power declarations of the Executive Officer (president) without necessity or legitimacy, and without the will or consent of the people or of the legislature needed to declare war. And in its worst action, government’s armies are now standing within the borders of these states united, with Executive Orders and other legislation in place to stand against the people of this homeland. This egregious and aggressive placement of troops within the places where the people co-habitate is unacceptable and stands alone as a cause for disillusion of this government.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
With the disbandment of lawful and constitutional militias, in its stead was created an Executive controlled military power as a standing army in times of peace against the intent of the constitution, that is independent of congressional powers and utilized at the presidents “privilege” under His emergency powers. For its use, no voter or congressional approval is needed. Thus, the military is independent of and superior to the Civil Power, not held accountable for its actions in death, harm, and pillage; nor in the personal responsibility of its members, which are protected under color of law. An army of men with no responsibility for their actions abroad is no substitute for an honorable volunteer militia with the purpose of protecting the American lands and its people at home from such government military intrusions, both foreign and domestic.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
Government has accepted numerous treaties of international laws and organizations, not the least of these being that of the United Nations as a member. Government’s Executive Officer has accepted titles from foreign bodies to become leader of these international organizations while serving as president at home in violation of all standards of tradition and law. And He has accepted, and congress has given its Assent to these international laws and codes, knowing full well the goal of unification of United States law into the international standards set by these foreign bodies is with the ultimate intent of snuffing out this great established country and its laws as subordinate to outside ones. Government has long enough pretended in its legislation and in the public opinions of its fictional courts that the people are subject to any thing that government demands and the courts approve, without the consent of its people.
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
Government’s acceptance of foreign troops into these states united for training and other purposes, its use of United States troops to forcibly guard and search the people in public places, as well as its inclusion of its own troops in N.A.T.O and United Nations and other international organizations for the purposes of undeclared war-for-profit operations abroad, does not meet the standards of consent of the people, its constitution, and in many cases its congress.
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
Military courts and tribunals are not sufficient for the purposes of liberty and justice for all people of the world. For, no Army should be in a position to judge for itself the competency or legality of its own actions. No man should stand trial before such a military establishment without the protections of his country and his natural rights. And no man should have immunity for his actions at home or abroad, acting with impunity in the taking of another’s life, liberty, property, and happiness. Yet this is the state of government’s unlawful, unconstitutional, standing army.
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
Government is guilty of trading with the enemy, by its own enumerated standards and laws, in its trade with China and other nations who self-proclaim to be communist in nature. Its promotion of international trade with foreign nations, many of which this government has invested into the building and operation of those foreign economies, has created hardships and unemployment standards in this country bordering on criminal, creating starvation and poverty previously unknown to such a wealthy land of natural resources, many of which are now imported at the expense of the people who might otherwise harvest the land. Government’s promotion of corporate and quasi-governmental corporation monopolies and its extrication of basic anti-trust laws have all but monopolized foreign trade within government and its investment-held corporations. Government stands in a severe conflict of interest, as a main shareholder of all major and influential corporations, receiving benefits and emoluments (royalties) for such investments, and creating legal loopholes to promote corporate greed and opportunity instead of protecting the people of the nation from that corporate greed and opportunity. In this nation, where the shareholder has more rights than the common man, government’s allowance of such standards and protection of corporate harm against its people, are reason enough for its dismissal.
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
The very act of retaliation, exaction, extortion, punishment, incarceration, eminent domain, confiscation, and other forms of the imposition of forced taxation imply the lack of acknowledgment of the people’s lack of consent to be unfairly taxed. No fair nation, by which freedom, justice, and liberty for all shall be its moniker, should have the ability to create debtors prisons or to legalize extortion and exaction for the purposes of collections of either just or unjust taxation.
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
Government courts, being relative and beholden to the Rules of Court Procedure rather than to the constitution or common law, as well as upholding the copyrighted legal precedents and opinions of the BAR Associations of the Law Society, have deprived the people of a sense of justice delivered via an educated jury of our peers, placing into conviction those who attempt to educate such people in such juries. When a judge, his prosecutor, the defending attorney, the court clerk, and any police officers involved in any case all work for the same municipal corporation, which stands to profit via the exaction of monies in that case, the concept of a fair trial becomes obsolete. And when a judge may overrule a jury in its final lawful decision, justice doth not prosper.
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
Government military tribunals now act falsely as lawful courts, utilizing rendition and other forms of kidnapping and torture methods in its justification of self-proclaimed justice. These war crimes see no punishment because government never declares war, cowardly killing or vanishing its dissenters and its critics under color of law, into established foreign military installations, prisons, and torture houses. It then profits from the forced labor of its incarcerated inmates, a commerce of souls in servitude to a corrupt, for-profit, prison system approved by congress and the Executive branch.
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
Government continues to make uniform its federal laws and legal codes, including international ones, and has encroached beyond measure into the free initiative of the individual States to depose such central tyranny of law. Government now encroaches on an international scale, deposing foreign governments and replacing those lawful leaders with arbitrary governments and military or corporate men who have United States interests above their own people’s interests, just as the people of these states united have suffered for too long. Government’s spread of it’s own form of democracy through military force is out of bounds with its constitutionally enumerated purposes.
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
Indeed, government has systematically encroached upon and dismissed many of our most cherished laws and institutions, often replacing them with pretenders that act differently while still operating under the same name. Our constitutional form of government in its intent has been absolutely altered in its most fundamental forms; now unrecognizable in its jurisdictions and in its self-proclaimed authorities. No resemblance to the original intent of said constitution is apparent within the halls of government, and its actions against the people deposing their enumerated rights are proof enough that this government now and for many decades has operated outside of the authority granted to it by the people’s consent and by the constitution itself. And government’s encroachment and avocation of independent State laws is alone a cause for its dismissal, as it fundamentally usurps the forms of state and local governments.
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever
From the time of the Civil War, military governments have replaced lawful constitutional ones under “reconstruction” acts and amendments, suspending lawful legislatures under a permanent state of the Martial’s of law (military rule), after government declared for itself the power to legislate through military force. This military rule has not been lifted, and peace never declared through treaty; martial law continuing under the Libor Code structure and government military occupation, with military bases in all 50 of these states as occupying forces. Government has created its own Legislation that no longer requires the vote of the people, only our cooperation by unlawful force of our consent and fine and imprisonment for our lack of said consent.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
Government has declared all citizens as “enemies of the State”, and in 1933 the Senate concluded that, through emergency powers under the amended Trading With The Enemy Act, that: “Under these powers the president may: seize property; organize and control the means of production; seize commodities; assign military forces abroad; institute martial law; seize and control all transportation and communication; regulate the operation of private industry; restrict travel, and in a plethora of particular ways, control the lives of all American citizens.” (Senate Report 93-549). And so, in government’s preoccupation with its emergency powers authorities, with which it declares itself all powerful through martial law (Title 32, Sections 501.1, 501.3, 501.4), it has tread deeply on that of the individual freedoms and liberties of all citizens, while making impossible for most the true pursuit of happiness in this nation through its relentless regulation of that pursuit. Let it be so declared that in history, not one dictatorship is developed out of free will of the people dictated, and that most important to the establishment of such is the abrogation of property rights, the dictatorial right to seize private property at will, the forced governmental right to organize and control all forms of production, transportation, and other infrastructure of that country including the restriction of movement and travel of its citizens, and most importantly the systematic control of the media that would otherwise criticize that dictatorship. This government has succeeded in surpassing even the most powerful of dictators and kings in its tyranny, even as most of its subjects are unaware of its dictates.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
No longer the protectorate of the people, this government has allowed for its military and other corporations, through government contract, to ravage the pristine lands, waters, coasts, and towns of this nation, and indeed the world. Government’s Navy patrols the international seas, its armies patrol the international borders, its air force patrols the international skies and the voids of space, and its Marines conduct secret operations unknown to the people. Its sonar and scalar weapons testing has devastated the marine life, and its testing, radiation, and pollution has ravished the animal and human habitats and caused untold extinction levels. Government has forced its restrictions on food and medicines, making natural healing and curative medicine all but illegal, while allowing patents that monopolize the treatment of symptoms for curable diseases as that industries main investor.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
With multiple millions of men, women, and children killed by this governments standing armies in the foreign lands it invades without the consent of the people, without its permission, and without lawful reason, this government’s works of death, desolation, and tyranny seem boundless. Its use of cruelty, perfidy, and other deceptions against adults and children via its self-proclaimed legal tools of torture, rape, pillage, humiliation, subjugation, and rendition without personal responsibility of its men in uniform, resembles the most barbarous of dictators and ages of kings, not the least of which being the very King for which this country was founded against. The long line of blood-related presidents of this United States have all proved totally unworthy as the Head of a civilized nations, not the least of which is their current president and cousin.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
Government has offered military service to foreigners as an inducement of gaining favor and citizenship in the United States. In such offer, government has enlisted foreign mercenaries to fight against their own country of origin in return for citizen status. It has also made it treasonous for its own fighting men to withdraw consent for the unlawful acts expected of them while in service of this government, and treats such honorable acts of courage with court-martial and dishonorable merits. And government has enacted laws and regulations to this effect that will require its military men and women in time of “governmental need” to take up arms against their own citizenry; against their own brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. For this treasonous act alone, it is reason enough to declare an abolishing of this government.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Government has divided the people, through lack of education and through promotion of false education and indoctrination, creating domestically large groups of insurgent men and women of good conscious, who believe in the ideals of the intent of this nation, and whom will fight for that intent on behalf of all good peoples of this nation and of the world, even as this government demonizes and oppresses these groups of people in their efforts to educate others and organize peacefully. Government has allowed the atrocities of merciless Indian concentration camps called “reservations”, stripping the dignity and well being, life, liberty, and happiness from these Native peoples. There is no reason for the people to believe that, as dissenters and insurrectionist freedom-fighters, that they should be treated with any more regard or respect than those of these Native American peoples, or as those of the Confederacy were treated in their lawful pursuit of separation from government’s tyranny and control. And against rational and lawful constitutional concerns, this government has allowed duel-citizens of Israel and the United States to infiltrate its Agencies, its government, its media, its corporations, its infrastructure, and its citizenry, who have excited this domestic unease amongst us. And as international citizens, it endeavors to bring the inhabitants of our country and all countries against that of its own proclaimed enemies, with its well-known use of sabotage and psychological warfare for its destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions, ethics, morals, and values, but for the sole benefit of that of its own international Jewish people. When appointed officers of the government are foreign born citizens of another civilization and country, and are knowingly appointed as such by government itself into high positions of power within that government, then the government itself can no longer be considered sovereign or of the people.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Alas, every attempt at correction of these grievances, from petitions to demands, from court decisions to governmental decrees, and from any other form, have been unanswered or ignored, or have been made trivial in governments corrupt court system. Letters are answered by form letters. Emails are copied and sent into the digital nether. And petitions are ignored entirely, all having no legal authority on government’s decisions. In short, petitions are not accepted, complaints are not taken, and redresses are not issued. This brightly lit beacon signifies that these complaints of these oppressions will certainly be answered by nothing more that repeated injury to the people by this government, under the false assumption and manufacture of that same people’s consent to this tyranny. When a government no longer listens or responds lawfully to the complaints and requests of its majority or its minority, and when that government punishes its people for such efforts, that government is no longer a representative government. A president and a congress, under a military rule, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
We have not been wanting in attentions to our British brethren federal government, from whom all past presidents and the current one have been bloodline cousins of themselves and to the current queen of England. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us as free people and as body politics within the individual states. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We I, therefore, the Representative of the united States of America myself and all contracts thereof, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our my intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies myself as a natural born man with God-given rights above that of men and their corporate governments, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies states are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, Israel, and the Federal Government, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, Israel and the Federal Government, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do, including the succession from this corrupt Union. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we I mutually pledge to each other our all fellow free men my Lives Life, our Fortunes my support in all things necessary to protect our lives, liberties, natural rights, and our mutual pursuits of happiness, and our my sacred Honor.
Among other free men,
by realitybloger on December 28, 2012 • Permalink
Posted in Declaration of Independence
Tagged 1776, bush aipac, clinton aipac, constitution of the united states, declaration of independence, new declaration and new constitution, obama aipac, president cousins, rahm emanuel zionist jewish duel israeli citizen, related to queen, what is a declaration, what is independence, who signed the constitution, why celebrate independence, zionism in united States government
Posted by realitybloger on December 28, 2012
https://realitybloger.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/a-new-declaration-of-independence-for-free-men/
Understanding The 2012 Electoral College
Why I Quit Hollywood
http://theunitedstatesconstitution.blogspot.com/2006/12/legal-status-of-indian-tribe.html?m=1
Native Americans and the Constitution
Certainly would be a much different and peaceful country had we indeed followed the Native Americans example.
Peace, Rachel
Ter ber
OUTSTANDING!! Folks send to everyone on your e-mail lists. For most Americans this will be the 1st time they have read it. Clint you have a gift.
Let's Get Honest
Thanks for this, which reminds me of a group http://lonang.org
“LONANG is an acronym for the Laws of Nature and (of) Nature’s God, a phrase first used in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, 1776. The phrase is also a plural contraction; a somewhat shorthand way of saying “the law of nature and the law of nature’s God.”
I talked with this person (by email) whose background I THINK includes having been a Christian lawyer watching and documenting the heirarchy behavior in so-called Chr. nonprofits. Accordingly, there’s a link on the site, similar in intent, http://lonang.org/reclaimthechurch.htm. (not that I particular care as a non-attender, non-subscriber). We should care, though given who the govt has been funding.
Re: Domestic Insurrections (above), that’s the heart of the Hegelian Dialectic (Unfreeze/Change/Refreeze) in operation today. Comparing how Africa was treated by the British imperialists (not to mention German — and their shared royal lines), Cecil Rhodes, and all that — Rhodes was expert at inciting wars one side against the other within South Africa as well. The Germans also then did this, and afterwards, rewarded those that sided with them by near-extinction in concentration camps also. This is late 1800s early 1900s, we’re talking about. America was used in this providing the ammunition technology to mow down people (FYI, people are people, no matter where they live) halfway across the world. This then helped enable the diamond cartel.
Another valuable lesson I learned from looking at the Brits in this continent was what we’ve been learning over here, thanks to these gentlemen — what you call “government” was first just a “corporation.” (Dutch East India, British South Africa Corp., SDG (German Southwest Africa), United States of America, Inc.
Interesting that this pledge is to fellow free men, and at the time there were slaves, whose labor helped build the nation’s infrastructure, and there were also wives, (and other females) none of who could vote or (??) inherit property, but who were free to labor (in more than one sense of the word).
Would you like to comment on where some of these people figure in your thinking now? Because it may make a difference where I pledge MY time, etc. this coming 2013, regardless of how much I endorse your writing and reasoning… Again, the repetition of “men” sounds different if you’re not one. Just asking:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
” I mutually pledge to all fellow free men my Life, our Fortunes my support in all things necessary to protect our lives, liberties, natural rights, and our mutual pursuits of happiness, and my sacred Honor.
Why omit half the human race– including your mother (presumably), any sisters, and all wives and mothers of the other free men you are pledging to then I’m a little concerned about what else those natural rights might imply. Maybe I should seek out “free women,” and name a pledge as well? (or be considered a subset not any more worth mentioning than the slaves and “merciless savages” long ago)
This may complicate the mating and reproduction process somewhat….
This is a fantastic declaration otherwise, but if you’re single (it would seem) and unaware yet, women exist — they are not men — the issue is going to come up anyhow.
Generally speaking “free men” will probably need some of us to pursue this freedom sooner or later (at least for more than one generation, if not for a wonderful human activity sometimes resulting in reproduction), so I suggest acknowledging we exist as a good start. Offering this grammatical choice would, believe me, make a difference.
The feminist movement did nothing if not attach emotion where there is none to be had. This was a purposeful delusion…
But for your benefit, I’ll explain the science and legality behind the term “man” and “men”, as was defined in my previous posts.
When speaking of the “natural” life of this earth, we are all men. Just as a horse is a horse despite its sex, so to is one of the human species a man despite its sex. When “civil” rights were created, their design was not to create equality among all men (and female men), but was instead to make all men (black, white, male, or female) equally subject to the legal codes. This political equality under the law is not natural law. It does nothing but make all people equal slaves, equal in their “right” to be punished for breaking that law of government. This included giving the “right” to vote to “women”. As a female, you are scientifically (naturally) speaking a man. You are a man of female sexual orientation. As a “person” – the corporate and equally subjected citizen – you are given the privilege by government of a legal status of political equality to all other citizens. For you, this is called being a legal “wo-man”. This is not your natural state as a female of the species human, it is strictly a legal designation based on your sexual organs, assigning you the equal status as that of manhood.
Thus, when I pledge my love, devotion, protection, respect, etc. to all free “men”, I am using the proper legal and natural language to signify all of humanity (mankind), despite race, creed, color, or sexual orientation. It is only the ignorance of most people to this that allows the civil law to replace natural law. If I were to pledge this love to all the horses on earth, I would not make the distinction between horses and wo-horses. A mare is a horse, just as a woman is a man, legally speaking.
Not easy to digest at first, but I actually learned this from a female man before I researched it fully.
It is these types of emotional retardation’s of logic and reason that will always get in the way of moving forward. Political correctness, as with feminism and racism, is a counter-intuitive psy-op designed to divide and conquer.
Also remember the difference: I did not use the word “freedom” in this declaration, because “freedom” is a political right (privilege) granted by government which legally means – you must obey the government’s written laws to be free.” Whereas a “free man” has no laws of man, only natural law (do no harm), and inherits this free nature from God and not other men. A free man is an “outlaw”, not bound by codes that go against God’s natural law.
I hope this helps in your journey.
dennisleewilson
LGH>”Interesting that this pledge is to fellow free men, and at the time there were slaves…”
Prior to the mid 1800’s (when England quit slavery, before Lincoln’s war) when were there NOT slaves? The American Founders did not invent slavery, they inherited it from BEFORE the ancient Greeks and Romans.
I will answer this by a link. I do not want it unanswered, but am taking a time out. This is a visceral issue, but I have also other responsibilities today, and haven’t decided whether to answer in detail (that part is already written), or simply let it go — and go my (separate) ways. I am glad to have brought it up, though, and seen your response above.
Anyone who doesn’t detach from their straw man (yes, I used generic there) will be affected by the polarization of gender, income, race and the ridiculous pretense that Republicans and Democrats are more different than they are.
English language more than others is very context-specific. As a direct result of exercising my natural (unalienable) rights after having married — in the only way available to me that didn’t involving violating my natural inclination to neither kill, nor be stalked down and myself killed, AND my natural inclination to protect my (his and my) offspring but what we now do understand (via birth certificates, and experientially) are actually not ours “legally,” so to speak — I called upon help from law enforcement and filed a restraining order. This was literally the first acquaintance with the inside of any courtroom (although we filed a marriage certificates), approaching age 50.
Pardon me if, responding to ten years more of being treated in AND out of the courtrooms specifically and only (in matters of opportunity, money and power balance) on the basis of my chromosomes (XX, not XY), and everything else being laid aside — obviously gender counts legally nowadays, as it did before feminism — in many context, I point out that I am not a man, although I am human, homo sapiens, and a good deal more.
I will possibly reply on the blog listed in this comment (I have three+ blogs and sometimes in commenting change which one is most website (blog listing) is responsive to the issue.
As always, I am on the same page, so far as I’m aware, as CAFR1.com and many other related sites in fiscal and legal matters. I just have a vastly different experience — and potential insight — by virtue of gender.
All I can say is that if you accept the status of woman, as a citizen, you will be treated accordingly. Equality is nothing that can be legislated, nor can respect, dignity, love, and anything good. These either are or are not in mankind. If anything, civil and woman’s rights were the most detrimental thing to happen to blacks and females. It’s just hard to see that when you are rewarded with government benefits (not natural ones) for playing the part of this legal status – becoming equal slaves with the house-slaves (males) by force, extortion, and imprisonment.
Clint, there are some things you aren’t going to experience without going through them or knowing closely someone who was.
It’s almost a new year. I’d like to affirm, I at least believe I’m on the same side of most of the major issues you have here, and will continue to publicize the CAFR matters, Strawman, and your writing.
On the other hand, I ask you to respectfully acknowledge (although it’s hearsay to you, obviously) the position some of us are in — among them, myself. I have faced down potentially lethal situations in my own home, with NO one to stand between me and a loaded gun with a person talk of suicide. I had children with this individual, and lived as a half-fugitive forr many years, in part becuase there had been threats if I stayed, and threats if I did not stay. I never stopped surviving (for the most part) working taking care of young and growing children — and seeking help and a way out of this that didn’t include having a baby in a battered woman’s shelter (the 2nd) and going onto welfare.
I am not every badass feminist you ever ran across -I am myself. I am also about a generation older than you and a parent, which seems to put a little different perspective on things. I was not seriously confronted with any gender issues until the marriage, and was then forced to face them, as the violence was directed at me because of my gender.
If you haven’t raised children, it’s possibly hard to understand what it’s like to have them removed overnight improperly and by and large because years ago, one took legal action (being the only known actionat the time) to stay alive and keep them alive.
My wifi hotspot is closing up. As I said above, I need a bit of a time out on this matter. It is a life and death issue, and I am not willing to debate it much longer on this forum. However I am not in need of any further condescension on your part. I do read, I am intelligent, and I am also about a generation older than you (which alone doesn’t mean a lot, but perhaps you might want to take into account, it may put a different perspective on conversations).
Robert M. Deatrick
Mr. Richardson, you may consider me to be “Among other free men”, readily proffering my signature to such a long-awaited and much-needed declaration as this indeed presents itself to be.
Sincerely, Robert M. Deatrick, born 1971 in Mt. View, CA.
Love reading your stuff Clint. 99% I agree with. However, doesn’t natural law grant all of us dominion? How then can we demand that immigrants be denied any access to any area of God’s kingdom on earth? Seems to me that all immigration laws are from mammon.
I would agree. Unfortunately, sometimes when you speak of law you must form it into their version of it. It becomes a point of neutrality then, when looking outside in and seeing the lack of law enforcement and quite the opposite, using that thing to subvert the lawful society. Inadvertently, this makes communication in the Babel we call English next to impossible without falling into the pitfalls designed into it. After a while, you figure out that there is no such thing as a romantic language, and that each one was crafted as a form of control in legal manipulation (a spell through spelling).
Inverse to this, “immigrants” whom are illegal actually have more rights than citizens, for an immigrants rights are natural, a citizen’s are strictly political (of government). This is why I want to ditch my own city-zenship in the proper way. You are correct about mammon, for the words “illegal” and imigrant” are both a legal status. But how can one have a status forcefully?
Answer: Illegals are deported for one and only one reason – the United States is a military dictatorship.
A New Declaration of Independence For Free Men « A NATION BEGUILED
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All posts tagged vatican declares budget deficit
CAFR SCHOOL: The Vatican Is Broke?
In a small blurb on a back page of the Salt Lake Tribune was this little gem of a story, referencing a recent Associated Press article. I laughed out loud when I read it, and I think you will too…
Link–> http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/54456425-68/vatican-million-euro-deficit.html.csp
Vatican posts $19 million deficit, worst in years
By NICOLE WINFIELD
First Published Jul 09 2012 01:28 pm • Last Updated Jul 10 2012 12:17 am
“Vatican City • The Vatican has registered one of its worst budget deficits in years, plunging back into the red with a (euro) 15 million ($19 million) deficit in 2011 after a brief respite of profit.
The Vatican on Thursday blamed the poor outcome on high personnel and communications costs and adverse market conditions, particularly for its real estate holdings.
Not even a (euro) 50 million gift to the pope from the Vatican bank and increased donations from dioceses and religious orders could offset the expenses and poor investment returns, the Vatican said in its annual financial report…”
Note here that we can all learn from this official statement from the Vatican in a big way. For this is exactly the same scam that all governments are claiming around the country, some even now in bankruptcy proceedings. So let’s list these similarities:
1) The Vatican is a corporation, as is each individual and Federal government entity.
2) The Vatican and government operate both in the non-profit and for-profit realm.
3) Both have an Annual Financial Report, and both have a budget report.
4) Both the Vatican and the Government have real estate holdings, as well as stock investments, foreign currency holdings, and both invest heavily into the world-wide corporate structure and fund its liquidity.
5) Both promote their debt, while hiding their investment asset balances.
6) Both have a central bank, which bails it out in moments of need, and then expects Catholics/taxpayers to pay the bill despite its liquid investment holdings.
7) Both openly lie by omission to the people of Earth, while in a position of trust, referring to a deficit while completely ignoring its investment holdings – as if these fund balances don’t even exist.
8) Both use the “depreciation” of capital assets (land holdings, buildings, etc.) to show on their financial reports a liability against other assets, in order to decrease reportable value of these investment assets.
9) Both create budgets that are falsely imploded with such things as future liabilities so as to justify its raising of taxes and its request for tithing.
10) Both create separate sub-corporations with their own financial statements as for-profit entities, but do not use those profits for the benefit of the people.
11) Both call the people “customers”, not people.
12) Both lay off employees with the excuse of budget shortfalls, still not dipping into their vast trillions in liquid investment capital.
13) AND BOTH OWN AND CONTROL THE MEDIA THROUGH STOCK INVESTMENT AND COERCION, AND USE IT TO HIDE ALL OF THIS FROM THE PEOPLE BY KEEPING THEM ENTERTAINED WITH EVERYTHING BUT THIS INFORMATION.
In this truly ironic statement by the Vatican we can see perhaps the best example ever of how a government corporation lies by the act of utter and ridiculous disassociation and nondisclosure of its true wealth. And yes, the Vatican is a corporation, and it is the government of Vatican City – as a “nation state”. It just happens to call itself a church.
Associated Press story continued…
“The Vatican said it ran a (euro) 14.9 million deficit in 2011 after posting a surplus of (euro) 9.85 million in 2010. The 2010 surplus, however, was something of an anomaly. In 2009 the Vatican ran a deficit of (euro) 4.01 million, in 2008 the deficit was (euro) 0.9 million and in 2007 it was nearly (euro) 9.1 million.
The Vatican city state, which mainly manages the Vatican Museums and is a separate and autonomous administration, managed a budget surplus of (euro) 21.8 million. That’s largely due to a spike in revenue from the museums: More than five million people visited the Sistine Chapel and other works of art in the Vatican museums last year, bringing in (euro) 91.3 million in 2011 compared to (euro) 82.4 million a year earlier.
And the Vatican could also cheer that donations from the faithful were also up last year despite the global economic crisis: Donations from Peter’s Pence, which are donations from the faithful to support the pope’s charity works, rose from $67.7 million in 2010 to $69.7 million last year. That money, however, doesn’t figure into the Vatican’s operating budget, though contributions from dioceses, religious orders and the Vatican bank do.
The Vatican bank, known as the Institute for Religious Works, is able to make such a big contribution to the Vatican’s budget each year based on investments.
Draining the Vatican’s finances were the high costs for its main job of spreading the faith via Vatican media: Vatican Radio, the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican television all have significant expenses and little or nothing in the way of revenue. Vatican Radio, however, is expected to save hundreds of thousands of euros a year in energy costs each year after it cut back short and medium-wave transmissions to Europe and the United States from its main transmission point in Rome.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi, who runs the Vatican radio and television departments and is also the Vatican spokesman, stressed that layoffs among the 2,832 Holy See personnel aren’t in the offing, although he acknowledged that savings must come from elsewhere.
During the meeting of cardinals who oversee the Vatican’s finances this week, he said, there was a “request for prudence and savings.”
“I’m not an expert,” he said of the deficit. “Yes, it’s bigger than in past years, it’s true.” But he noted that the amounts on a global scale aren’t alarming. “Certainly they indicate a need to pay attention and see the criteria the Vatican’s assets are administered.”
–END ARTICLE
I’ve written extensively on the trillions in government investments that are covered up in the same way and completely ignored on the budget report while being reported on the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).
The Vatican is no different. In fact, it is the extreme example of the government (nation state) hoarding of wealth that would benefit the people of the world.
Think about it for a moment…
Just one of the thousands upon thousands of artifacts, paintings, sculptures, precious metal coins and treasures, and every other trinket and parchment of knowledge that the Vatican holds within its bowels – just the value of one of those literally priceless artifacts could feed the entire world, let alone cover a 16 million euro deficit in the selectively presented budget report of the Vatican politicians.
And so, I’ve come up with a few propaganda slogans that I think might help the Pope, the Black Pope, and his financial officers continue to fool the useful idiots that keep donating to this massive for profit country called the Vatican…
“We can’t sell our assets. They are priceless.
There is not enough money in the world to buy just one.
Therefore, we are declaring bankruptcy.”
“The Saints organized a union,
and they are demanding health benefits.
Please give.”
“Where in God’s name did I put my savings account?”
“I’m sorry, but God just called.
He says we’re broke.
I could go on… and on and on and on… but you get the point. The organization of corporate religion is not a Christian one. And the Vatican is a corporate camel with no chance of fitting through even the largest gauge needle.
In the end, if you understand what has been written here, then you understand the entirety of the government investment scheme. And you understand that the people of America are wealthy beyond imagination, but that wealth is being hidden in plain sight while government creates welfare programs to sustain the poverty level while collecting even more taxes from the poor – never fixing the very problem of poverty because that is the only thing that will create wealthy men and corporations.
Welcome to America… a potential heaven on earth, kept in purgatory by government obfuscation and hoarding of its actual wealth.
by realitybloger on July 13, 2012 • Permalink
Tagged cafr, CAFR1, cafrman, catholic deficit, catholic sex abuse, clint for president, clint richardson, clint4p, Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, pope deficit, the corporation nation, vatican declares budget deficit, what is a cafr, what is religion
Posted by realitybloger on July 13, 2012
https://realitybloger.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/cafr-school-the-vatican-is-broke/
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Posts tagged: Children’s Recordings
By Recorded Sound Archives, May 1, 2019 1:38 pm
In celebration of children’s book week, discover our children’s collection of recordings featuring stories, lullabies, nursery rhymes and more.
This collection of children’s music was produced mostly during the 1940s and 1950s, a time when vinyl replaced hard shellac as the basic material used in the making of phonograph records. The innovation of vinyl allowed manufactures to produce kid-friendly recordings that could be handled without adult supervision. These recordings became an extremely popular form of entertainment for children in the days before families had television sets.
Here are the Recorded Sound Archives we have over 480 children’s recordings for you to choose from.
Discover our Superstorm Sandy Restoration Project which features over 380 children’s recordings that were donated by Peter Muldavin as a result of Hurricane Sandy, along with our Vintage children’s collection with over 130 recordings for you to choose from!
Please note, due to copyright some of these recordings may only play for 45 second snippet to give the user a taste of what this music sounded like back in the day, if you are interested in full access consider applying for Research Station Access. Access to Research Station is limited to educators, students and serious researchers.
On-line music collections, Vintage Collection, Vintage Recordings Pre-1950 | 1940s, 1950s, children, children's book week, Children's Recordings, children's songs, Kiddie Records, songs for kids, vintage childrens music
FAU Sound Archives Rescues Vintage Kiddie Records Damaged by Hurricane Sandy
By In the News, January 27, 2014 1:40 pm
By Fire Ant, New Times Palm Beach
The entrance to the Recorded Sound Archives at FAU is guarded by the remnants of hi-fi history. Walnut-paneled gramophones from the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties line one wall. On shelves across the way, postwar portable sound systems and reel-to-reel tape decks compete for shelf space with 78 rpm and 45 rpm records from historic labels long gone – Decca (now owned by Vivendi), RCA Victor and Okeh (now owned by Sony).
Now in its third year, the archive is dedicated to the preservation and digitization of vintage audio — music as recorded on vinyl and, before that, shellac discs, which degrade over time as needles bounce through grooves. One of the few institutions of its kind — with more than 100,000 items in its collections of jazz, Judaica and the 78 rpm records that predated the long-playing album — the archive has become an invaluable resource for musicologists and historians from around the world.
The archive’s latest addition is a trove of 786 vintage kiddie records from the collection of “Kiddie Rekord King” Peter Muldavin, perhaps the world’s leading expert on early children’s recordings. A Manhattan resident, Muldavin had the records stored in his mother-in-law’s Long Island garage when Hurricane Sandy struck two years ago. The storm surge left many of the discs mud-stained and warped, while the waterlogged record sleeves and artwork became mildewed and moldy.
With very little commercial value left for Muldavin, he reached out to the RSA. “To collectors the quality of everything counts — the packaging, the labels,” RSA director Dr. Maxine Schackman told us. “We welcomed his donation with open arms. For us, the cultural value was still there.”
Still, in addition to audio digitization, the colorful packaging that was so much a part of the kiddie records’ appeal is also being repaired and restored (to the extent possible), then digitally scanned. About one-third of the Muldavin donation has been digitized so far, the sound cleaned of crackles and hisses in the process, distilled to the nostalgic essence of what seems (and sounds) like a more innocent time.
The kiddie records database should be complete early this year. Because of copyright issues, though, access to the sound files will be restricted. Academics and other researchers will be able to listen over the Internet through a password-protected website or, by appointment, at one of the archive’s listening stations.
Dr. Schackman hopes to make song samples from the kiddie records available to the general public, as has been done with earlier RSA donations. The idea, she says, is “to make the forgetten music unforgettable.”
By Fire Ant — an invasive species, tinged bright red, with an annoying, sometimes-fatal sting — covers Palm Beach County. Got feedback or a tip? Contact Fire.Ant@BrowardPalmBeach.com.
Original Source: http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/countygrind/2014/01/fau_sound_archives_rescues_vin.php
Media Coverage, Restoration & Preservation, Vintage Collection, Vintage Recordings Pre-1950 | browardpalmbeach, Children's Recordings, Fire Ant, Muldavin, new times, Recorded Sound Archives
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http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304914904579435592981780528#printMode
THE SATURDAY ESSAY
The Future of Brain Implants
How soon can we expect to see brain implants for perfect memory, enhanced vision, hypernormal focus or an expert golf swing?
GARY MARCUS and
March 14, 2014 7:30 p.m. ET
Brain implants today are where laser eye surgery was several decades ago, fraught with risk, applicable only to a narrowly defined set of patients – but a sign of things to come. NYU Professor of Psychology Gary Marcus discusses on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty.
What would you give for a retinal chip that let you see in the dark or for a next-generation cochlear implant that let you hear any conversation in a noisy restaurant, no matter how loud? Or for a memory chip, wired directly into your brain’s hippocampus, that gave you perfect recall of everything you read? Or for an implanted interface with the Internet that automatically translated a clearly articulated silent thought (“the French sun king”) into an online search that digested the relevant Wikipedia page and projected a summary directly into your brain?
Science fiction? Perhaps not for very much longer. Brain implants today are where laser eye surgery was several decades ago. They are not risk-free and make sense only for a narrowly defined set of patients—but they are a sign of things to come.
Unlike pacemakers, dental crowns or implantable insulin pumps, neuroprosthetics—devices that restore or supplement the mind’s capacities with electronics inserted directly into the nervous system—change how we perceive the world and move through it. For better or worse, these devices become part of who we are.
Neuroprosthetics aren’t new. They have been around commercially for three decades, in the form of the cochlear implants used in the ears (the outer reaches of the nervous system) of more than 300,000 hearing-impaired people around the world. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first retinal implant, made by the company Second Sight.
Both technologies exploit the same principle: An external device, either a microphone or a video camera, captures sounds or images and processes them, using the results to drive a set of electrodes that stimulate either the auditory or the optic nerve, approximating the naturally occurring output from the ear or the eye.
Another type of now-common implant, used by thousands of Parkinson’s patients around the world, sends electrical pulses deep into the brain proper, activating some of the pathways involved in motor control. A thin electrode is inserted into the brain through a small opening in the skull; it is connected by a wire that runs to a battery pack underneath the skin. The effect is to reduce or even eliminate the tremors and rigid movement that are such prominent symptoms of Parkinson’s (though, unfortunately, the device doesn’t halt the progression of the disease itself). Experimental trials are now under way to test the efficacy of such “deep brain stimulation” for treating other disorders as well.
Electrical stimulation can also improve some forms of memory, as the neurosurgeon Itzhak Fried and his colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, showed in a 2012 article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using a setup akin to a videogame, seven patients were taught to navigate a virtual city environment with a joystick, picking up passengers and delivering them to specific stores. Appropriate electrical stimulation to the brain during the game increased their speed and accuracy in accomplishing the task.
But not all brain implants work by directly stimulating the brain. Some work instead by reading the brain’s signals—to interpret, for example, the intentions of a paralyzed user. Eventually, neuroprosthetic systems might try to do both, reading a user’s desires, performing an action like a Web search and then sending the results directly back to the brain.
How close are we to having such wondrous devices? To begin with, scientists, doctors and engineers need to figure out safer and more reliable ways of inserting probes into people’s brains. For now, the only option is to drill small burr-holes through the skull and to insert long, thin electrodes—like pencil leads—until they reach their destinations deep inside the brain. This risks infection, since the wires extend through the skin, and bleeding inside the brain, which could be devastating or even fatal.
External devices, like the brainwave-reading skull cap made by the company NeuroSky (marketed to the public as “having applications for wellness, education and entertainment”), have none of these risks. But because their sensors are so far removed from individual neurons, they are also far less effective. They are like Keystone Kops trying to eavesdrop on a single conversation from outside a giant football stadium.
A boy wearing a cochlear implant for the hearing-impaired. A second portion is surgically implanted under the skin. Barcroft Media/Getty Images
Today, effective brain-machine interfaces have to be wired directly into the brain to pick up the signals emanating from small groups of nerve cells. But nobody yet knows how to make devices that listen to the same nerve cells that long. Part of the problem is mechanical: The brain sloshes around inside the skull every time you move, and an implant that slips by a millimeter may become ineffective.
Another part of the problem is biological: The implant must be nontoxic and biocompatible so as not to provoke an immune reaction. It also must be small enough to be totally enclosed within the skull and energy-efficient enough that it can be recharged through induction coils placed on the scalp at night (as with the recharging stands now used for some electric toothbrushes).
These obstacles may seem daunting, but many of them look suspiciously like the ones that cellphone manufacturers faced two decades ago, when cellphones were still the size of shoeboxes. Neural implants will require even greater advances since there is no easy way to upgrade them once they are implanted and the skull is sealed back up.
But plenty of clever young neuro-engineers are trying to surmount these problems, like Michel Maharbiz and Jose Carmena and their colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley. They are developing a wireless brain interface that they call “neural dust.” Thousands of biologically neutral microsensors, on the order of one-tenth of a millimeter (approximately the thickness of a human hair), would convert electrical signals into ultrasound that could be read outside the brain.
The real question isn’t so much whether something like this can be done but how and when. How many advances in material science, battery chemistry, molecular biology, tissue engineering and neuroscience will we need? Will those advances take one decade, two decades, three or more? As Dr. Maharbiz said in an email, once implants “can be made ‘lifetime stable’ for healthy adults, many severe disabilities…will likely be chronically treatable.” For millions of patients, neural implants could be absolutely transformative.
Assuming that we’re able to clear these bioengineering barriers, the next challenge will be to interpret the complex information from the 100 billion tiny nerve cells that make up the brain. We are already able to do this in limited ways.
Based on decades of prior research in nonhuman primates, John Donoghue of Brown University and his colleagues created a system called BrainGate that allows fully paralyzed patients to control devices with their thoughts. BrainGate works by inserting a small chip, studded with about 100 needlelike wires—a high-tech brush—into the part of the neocortex controlling movement. These motor signals are fed to an external computer that decodes them and passes them along to external robotic devices.
Almost a decade ago, this system was used by a tetraplegic to control an artificial hand. More recently, in a demonstration of the technology’s possibilities that is posted on YouTube, Cathy Hutchinson, paralyzed years earlier by a brainstem stroke, managed to take a drink from a bottle of coffee by manipulating a robot arm with only her brain and a neural implant that literally read (part of) her mind.
For now, guiding a robot arm this way is cumbersome and laborious, like steering a massive barge or an out-of-alignment car. Given the current state of neuroscience, even our best neuroscientists can read the activity of a brain only as if through a glass darkly; we get the gist of what is going on, but we are still far from understanding the details.
In truth, we have no idea at present how the human brain does some of its most basic feats, like translating a vague desire to return that tennis ball into the torrent of tightly choreographed commands that smoothly execute the action. No serious neuroscientist could claim to have a commercially ready brain-reading device with a fraction of the precision or responsiveness of a computer keyboard.
In understanding the neural code, we have a long way to go. That’s why the federally funded BRAIN Initiative, announced last year by PresidentBarack Obama, is so important. We need better tools to listen to the brain and more precise tools for sending information back to the brain, along with a far more detailed understanding of different kinds of nerve cells and how they fit together in complex circuits.
The coarse-grained functional MRI brain images that have become so popular in recent years won’t be enough. For one thing, they are indirect; they measure changes not in electrical activity but in local blood flow, which is at best an imperfect stand-in. Images from fMRIs also lack sufficient resolution to give us true mastery of the neural code. Each three-dimensional pixel (or “voxel”) in a brain scan contains a half-million to one million neurons. What we really need is to be able to zero in on individual neurons.
Zooming in further is crucial because the atoms of perception, memory and consciousness aren’t brain regions but neurons and even finer-grained elements. Chemists turned chemistry into a quantitative science once they realized that chemical reactions are (almost) all about electrons making and breaking bonds among atoms. Neuroscientists are trying to do the same thing for the brain. Until we do, brain implants will be working only on the logic of forests, without sufficient understanding of the individual trees.
One of the most promising tools in this regard is a recently developed technique called optogenetics, which hijacks the molecular machinery of the genes found inside every neuron to directly manipulate the brain’s circuitry. In this way, any group of neurons with a unique genetic ZIP Code can be switched on or off, with unparalleled precision, by brief pulses of different colored light—effectively turning the brain into a piano that can be played. This fantastic marriage of molecular biology with optics and electronics is already being deployed to build advanced retinal prosthetics for adult-onset blindness. It is revolutionizing the whole field of neuroscience.
Advances in molecular biology, neuroscience and material science are almost certainly going to lead, in time, to implants that are smaller, smarter, more stable and more energy-efficient. These devices will be able to interpret directly the blizzard of electrical activity inside the brain. For now, they are an abstraction, something that people read about but are unlikely to experience for themselves. But someday that will change.
Consider the developmental arc of medical technologies such as breast surgery. Though they were pioneered for post-mastectomy reconstruction and for correcting congenital defects, breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures such as face-lifts and tummy tucks have become routine. The procedures are reliable, effective and inexpensive enough to be attractive to broad segments of society, not just to the rich and famous.
Eventually neural implants will make the transition from being used exclusively for severe problems such as paralysis, blindness or amnesia. They will be adopted by people with less traumatic disabilities. When the technology has advanced enough, implants will graduate from being strictly repair-oriented to enhancing the performance of healthy or “normal” people. They will be used to improve memory, mental focus (Ritalin without the side effects), perception and mood (bye, bye Prozac).
Many people will resist the first generation of elective implants. There will be failures and, as with many advances in medicine, there will be deaths. But anybody who thinks that the products won’t sell is naive. Even now, some parents are willing to let their children take Adderall before a big exam. The chance to make a “superchild” (or at least one guaranteed to stay calm and attentive for hours on end during a big exam) will be too tempting for many.
Even if parents don’t invest in brain implants, the military will. A continuing program at Darpa, a Pentagon agency that invests in cutting-edge technology, is already supporting work on brain implants that improve memory to help soldiers injured in war. Who could blame a general for wanting a soldier with hypernormal focus, a perfect memory for maps and no need to sleep for days on end? (Of course, spies might well also try to eavesdrop on such a soldier’s brain, and hackers might want to hijack it. Security will be paramount, encryption de rigueur.)
An early generation of enhancement implants might help elite golfers improve their swing by automating their mental practice. A later generation might allow weekend golfers to skip practice altogether. Once neuroscientists figure out how to reverse-engineer the end results of practice, “neurocompilers” might be able to install the results of a year’s worth of training directly into the brain, all in one go.
That won’t happen in the next decade or maybe even in the one after that. But before the end of the century, our computer keyboards and trackpads will seem like a joke; even Google Glass 3.0 will seem primitive. Why would you project information onto your eyes (partly occluding your view) when you could write information into your brain so your mind can directly interpret it? Why should a computer wait for you to say or type what you mean rather than anticipating your needs before you can even articulate them?
By the end of this century, and quite possibly much sooner, every input device that has ever been sold will be obsolete. Forget the “heads-up” displays that the high-end car manufactures are about to roll out, allowing drivers to see data without looking away from the road. By the end of the century, many of us will be wired directly into the cloud, from brain to toe.
Will these devices make our society as a whole happier, more peaceful and more productive? What kind of world might they create?
It’s impossible to predict. But, then again, it is not the business of the future to be predictable or sugarcoated. As President Ronald Reagan once put it, “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”
The augmented among us—those who are willing to avail themselves of the benefits of brain prosthetics and to live with the attendant risks—will outperform others in the everyday contest for jobs and mates, in science, on the athletic field and in armed conflict. These differences will challenge society in new ways—and open up possibilities that we can scarcely imagine.
Dr. Marcus is professor of psychology at New York University and often blogs about science and technology for the New Yorker. Dr. Koch is the chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.
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Gripen E/F Test Aircraft Debutes in Switzerland
Gripen News
Defence and security company Saab’s Gripen E/F Test Aircraft has now been introduced to the Swiss people. It took place yesterday during the Swiss Air Force spectacular annual flight demonstration at the Axalp-Ebenfluh shooting range.
Saab took the aircraft toSwitzerland on invitation of Armasuisse, which is responsible for the acquisition process of a new fighter to replace the Swiss Air Force´s fleet of F-5 Tiger. The Swiss Government officially declared their type selection of Gripen as the replacement in November of last year.
Every year, the flight demonstration at the Axalp event attracts thousands of spectators that hike up the mountain for hours to reach the shooting range, which is situated at more than 2 000 meters above sea level. This year was no exception, it is estimated that approximately 7 000 people witnessed the event.
The Gripen E/F Test Aircraft was flown by a Swiss pilot in the front seat and with a Saab test pilot in the back seat.
- We have been flying with two Swiss pilots during a week for the Axalp event and the aircraft has performed excellently. We are now looking forward to continue the test flight programme in cooperation with Armasussie and the Swiss Air Force, says Richard Ljungberg, Chief Test Pilot at Saab.
The flights at Axalp was a good opportunity to show Gripen inSwitzerland, both to the public and politicians.
- This week we gave the Swiss people, including media and key stakeholders from the Security Commission (SiK), the opportunity to see, touch, and feel the aircraft. It was truly a magnificent week and we proved that the Gripen, is as we all know, outstanding, says Richard Smith, Campaign Leader Gripen Switzerland.
Gripen E/F, the next generation Gripen, is an advanced and modern fighter aircraft system that meets the demands of tomorrow’s air defence from countries around the world. Saab keeps building on experiences from previous versions of Gripen which have a proven track record with five air forces. The next generation Gripen will have a dramatically enhanced performance. The Gripen E aircraft delivered toSwitzerlandwill be a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft system with advanced capabilities. The new software and hardware (e.g. the new AESA radar) of the next generation Gripen E have been tested and demonstrated in the Gripen E/F test aircraft.
Saab Press Centre,
presscentre@saabgroup.com
This information was brought to you by Cision
http://feed.ne.cision.com/client/saab//Commands/File.aspx?id=1817251
The following files are available for download
Gripen Maritime
Gripen C/D
Gripen E/F
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Tag Archives: Carl Hagelin
Post-Game Report: 2/23 vs. Washington
Posted on February 23, 2019 by Ian Ott | Leave a comment
(34-21-7) 0 1 1 – – 2 33
Today’s win improved the Sabres to 6-2-0 in afternoon games this season.
With his third career hat trick, Sam Reinhart recorded his seventh career multi-goal game. He now has a career-high 16 multi-point games this season.
It was the Sabres’ first hat trick since Oct. 20, 2018 at Los Angeles (Jeff Skinner) and the first at KeyBank Center since Dec. 15, 2017 vs. Carolina (Jack Eichel)
The Sabres are now 21-11-5 this season when Reinhart records a point and 30-4-7 in his career when he records at least two.
Reinhart now has six points (4+2) in his last five games and 32 points (10+22) in 31 home games this season.
He also has seven points (4+3) in his last five games against Washington, including three goals and two assists in three games against them this season.
Jack Eichel established a new career high in points with his first assist today. He finished the game with two assists, giving him a career-best 66 points (19+47) through 58 games played this season.
Rasmus Dahlin’s goal today gives him four points (2+2) in three career games against the Capitals.
Matt Hunwick’s assist on Reinhart’s second goal was his first point as a member of the Sabres.
Carter Hutton recorded his fourth career assist on Reinhart’s empty-net goal. It was Hutton’s first assist since Jan. 7, 2017 vs. Dallas.
Today’s Goaltenders
Holtby L .892 4.09
Sabres Hutton W .939 2.00
Capitals Holtby 21-16-4 .908 3.04
Sabres Hutton 16-17-4 .912 2.76
Sabres forward Jeff Skinner
Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton
Capitals head coach Todd Reirden
Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky
Capitals forward Lars Eller
Capitals forward Carl Hagelin
Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby
Tagged Andre Burakovsky, Braden Holtby, Carl Hagelin, Carter Hutton, Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Lars Eller, Phil Housley, Sam Reinhart, Todd Reirden, Washington Capitals
Post-Game Report: 4/19 vs. NYR
Posted on April 19, 2013 by Ian Ott | Leave a comment
1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total SOG
Rangers (23-17-4) 3 4 1 – – 8 29
Sabres (19-20-6) 0 3 1 – – 4 28
With the loss, the Sabres have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
Rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk scored his first NHL goal with 40 seconds remaining in the game.
The Sabres have now scored a power play goal in three consecutive games for the second time this season. They are 5-for-13 on the power play in their last three games.
Buffalo’s first and second goals, scored six seconds apart, were two seconds short of tying the franchise record (:04 seconds, Lee Fogolin and Don Luce, 10/17/74 vs. California). Nathan Gerbe scored twice in a five-second span on Jan. 21, 2011 vs. NYI.
The seven-goal period was the highest-scoring period in a Sabres game since Jan. 1, 2011 vs. BOS (1st period, 4-3 BOS). The Sabres won the game, 7-6.
Sabres forward Thomas Vanek:
On the first period: “It was a close game, if you look at it, until a minute to go in the first, and then [after the] first minute of the second it’s 5-0 [and it’s] pretty much game over.”
On compete level: “For 19 minutes, I thought we played a tight game, back and forth, 5-on-5, and then we quit. It’s tough.”
Sabres defenseman Mike Weber:
On giving up three goals in the last 1:30 of the first period: “It’s deflating. Obviously bounces happen, we feel that we played extremely well in the first period up until that last minute of play. Again, flukey bounces, like you said, two off shin pads then one rolled off [Ryan Miller’s] stick there. We should have been able to come in, we’ve been a resilient team all season long, and we should have been able to come in the room like we did, talk it out and get ready to go in the second period, but again we didn’t come out ready and they get a couple more, two, three more.”
On losing to a team that is playing the second night of a back-to-back: “That’s a team we have been waiting for, this is a huge game, this is a game that coming into it we should have been all over them. We should have been loud, our intensity should have been up and, again, we let bounces get the best of us and from there it was quicksand, we got trapped in our zone, myself included right there on the point. We got stuck in quicksand there and it just kept getting worse and worse for us.”
On being eliminated from playoff contention: “It’s extremely disappointing. This is not what our team is about. Our team identity is about doing the right things and winning games. The past two seasons, it’s been a disappointment. We are a team that should be in the playoffs every season. We are a team that should be competing for the Cup every season. Again, another disappointment and I don’t even know what to say, just that I am sorry.”
Sabres forward Drew Stafford:
On being eliminated from playoff contention: “We still had a fighting chance and once again, it is easy to look back at games where maybe you could have gotten the points and stole some games. It’s unfortunate that we put ourselves in a situation tonight and for the way that the game went, there is not much else to say.”
On playing for pride and each other for the rest of the season: “That’s all we have. The character that is in this room, there is no quit; it’s just really frustrating right now. Obviously, the emotions of that game, it’s just tough to take. Once again, like I said earlier, it’s hard to put it on one game, we had so many opportunities earlier in the season to get points and we failed and we didn’t meet the expectations that we set for ourselves and it is just unfortunate. Now it is just about being professional and having some pride.”
Rangers forward Brad Richards:
On getting the two points they needed: “Well it was a weird game, in a good way, kind of. I’m just trying to stay with it and positive and sometimes the game treats you in weird ways.”
On how easy goals seem to be coming for the Rangers: “Yeah, it was a just a weird night with a lot of goals. With those two starting goalies, you wouldn’t expect the game to end 8-4, but it happens sometimes and we will take it.”
On entering the first intermission with a sudden 3-0 lead: “We were doing some good things, [despite playing in] back-to-back [games] we weren’t sitting back. We were getting some bounces and obviously it snowballed. It was definitely good to break it early on the road and get a lead. It is still not over and we have a long ways to go but back-to-back wins is keeping us feeling good, so its good.”
Rangers forward Carl Hagelin:
On what two quick goals do for a team’s confidence: “It gives us confidence, obviously, but we need to make sure not to get sloppy. It’s easy to get too focused on the offensive part when you score that many goals but we have a lot of humble guys in here that knows what it takes to win games and it comes down to playing well defensively. At any time we can get off to a good start and I think we played really well the first 10 minutes too, even though we didn’t get a goal. We kept playing hard and then the puck goes in, so that is what we have got to keep doing and get off to a good start.”
On whether the Rangers got sloppy after getting the 6-0 lead: “ I don’t know. There was maybe a little bit of sloppiness and some good shots from their guys too and maybe that happens if you’re up 6-0, but I think guys were working hard so I wouldn’t say we were too sloppy.”
On whether the back-to-back games provided the urgency that the Rangers needed: “Absolutely, you can see that these guys were working hard, were blocking shots, were doing the right thing and that’s why we had the puck more than we have [lately].”
Rangers forward Ryane Clowe:
On Brad Richards: “Well you know, Richie is a big part of this team. I had played against him a lot when he was in Dallas and when he’s on, he’s on. He’s a tremendous player. Tonight he gets a lot of pucks and shots and I thought that was a key for him. I almost went through the same thing this year, I didn’t have the starts we wanted but I got a lot of confidence through my game, which I’m sure Richie does, and when you get in that rut your confidence gets slow and you have to fight your way through it which he did because he has been really hot the past couple games.
On the end of the first period: “It was a crazy end and a crazy start to the second, so it was probably one of the weirdest games. You were shooting pucks towards the net and they were going in. It was wild; it was a wild one and I don’t even know if I have been a part of a game with that many goals before. It was a wild one, that’s for sure.
Tagged Brad Richards, Carl Hagelin, Drew Stafford, Mike Weber, New York Rangers, Ryane Clowe, Thomas Vanek
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Europe's news agencies blast Google, Facebook for 'plundering' content
Google is working on reducing gender bias in translations, offering both masculine and feminine words in some languages
Europe's biggest news agencies accused Google and Facebook of "plundering" news for free on Tuesday in a joint statement that called on the internet giants to share more of their revenues with the media.
In a column signed by the CEOs of around 20 agencies including France's Agence France-Presse, Britain's Press Association and Germany's Deutsche Presse-Agentur they called on the European Parliament to update copyright law in the EU to help address a "grotesque imbalance".
"The internet giants' plundering of the news media's content and of their advertising revenue poses a threat both to consumers and to democracy," the column said.
European Parliament lawmakers are to set to debate a new copyright law this month that would force the internet giants to pay more for creative content used on their platforms such as news, music or movies.
A first draft of the law was rejected in July and the plans have been firmly opposed by US tech firms, as well as advocates of internet freedom who fear that the regulations could lead to higher costs for consumers.
"Can the titans of the internet compensate the media without asking people to pay for access to the internet, as they claim they would be forced to? The answer is clearly 'yes'," the column said.
The joint statement from the agencies, which are major suppliers of news, photos and video, said Facebook reported revenues of $40 billion (34 billion euros) in 2017 and profits of $16 billion, while Google made $12.7 billion on sales of $110 billion.
"Who could reasonably argue that they are not in a position to make fair payment for the content they use?" the agencies asked.
"What we are really talking about is introducing a fair payment by those who have ripped off the news. For the sake of Europe's free press and democratic values, EU lawmakers should press ahead with copyright reform," they added.
- 'Neighbouring rights' -
The column marks a new lobbying effort by media groups, backed by artists such as Paul McCartney, to sway European lawmakers as they prepare for a second vote on September 12.
The fight is over two parts of the planned law.
The first is Article 13, which would make platforms like Google-owned YouTube legally liable for copyrighted material to prevent content producers from seeing their work posted without pay.
The second is Article 11, which would create a so-called "neighbouring right" meaning that newspapers, magazines and news agencies would have to be paid when Google or other websites link to their stories.
"Without paying for it, internet giants such as Google and Facebook use vast quantities of news that is produced at great cost by press publishers and news agencies," added the joint statement on Tuesday.
Critics argue that the reform would lead to blanket censorship by tech platforms because of copyright problems, reducing their role as a hub for creativity, especially YouTube.
They say it would also restrict the usage of memes and remixes by everyday internet users who often use content without securing the rights.
The column was signed by the heads of TT in Sweden, STT in Finland, Belgium's Belga and APA from Austria, as well as other media groups across the European continent.
High Court warns Najib on making further Facebook posting over ongoing trial
Beyond the mat: Fuelled by passion alone, can Malaysia’s sole wrestling promotion stay afloat?
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Seashells Provide More Evidence of Ocean Acidification
Posted on November 27, 2012 by Matt Wood
This weekend I saw an article from Reuters about a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience showing more evidence of the impact of ocean acidification on marine animals. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), among others, sampled surface waters from around Antarctica and found that it was corrosive enough to dissolve the shells of a species of sea snails:
[A]lthough the snails did not necessarily die, it increased their vulnerability to predators and infection which could affect other parts of the food chain.
“The corrosive properties of the water caused shells of live animals to be severely dissolved and this demonstrates how vulnerable pteropods are,” said lead author Nina Bednaršek, from the NOAA.
“Ocean acidification, resulting from the addition of human-induced carbon dioxide, contributed to this dissolution.”
This brings to mind my conversation last year with Cathy Pfister about her work studying pH levels in the coastal waters around Tatoosh Island in Washington state. She and her colleagues Timothy Wooton and Sophie McCoy used California mussel shells to measure historical pH levels in the water, and found that they were dropping an order of magnitude faster than expected in the last decade, making the water more acidic. (Their work on Tatoosh Island was also profiled in the New York Times in October) Now Pfister and her team are studying how lower pH levels affect shelled organisms, but like the sea snails in the Nature Geoscience study, they’ve already noticed that newer mussel shells from that area are much thinner than ancient ones donated by the local Native American tribe. If the shells can tell us anything, it’s that the ocean is becoming a harder place to live.
About Matt Wood (531 Articles)
Matt Wood is a senior science writer and manager of communications at the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences Division.
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Winestate Magazine - 12 Month Subscription
SKU #IS-804
Quantity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
Winestate is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the promotion of a greater appreciation and enjoyment of wine.
Winestate is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the promotion of a greater appreciation and enjoyment of wine. Its readers are both discriminating consumers and trade buyers who read the magazine for its in-depth tasting information and features, keeping it on hand as a permanent reference guide for beverage selection. It is Australasia's biggest selling buying guide to wine, beer and spirits. In each issue, more than 1500 wines are evaluated by teams of experts. Opinions are expressed on factors such as cellaring potential and serving suggestions with food. Educational features and comprehensive descriptions of styles and areas of production provide a strong learning base for the consumer. Winestate is published 6 times a year, please allow up to six to eight weeks for your first delivery.
Subscribe today and get every issue conveniently delivered free to your door.
More Information -see below
A 12 month subscription to Winestate Magazine has 6 issues. Please allow up to 7-10 weeks for your first delivery. If your first issue has not arrived within this time frame, please call 1800 331 794.
If buying the magazine subscription as a gift, at checkout please include your details in the billing section and the recipients' details in the shipping section. Only you as the buyer will be sent an order confirmation email so remember to let the lucky recipient know of the generous gift they will receive.
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Tuesday — June 7th, 2016
ULTRA Worldwide Continues to Dominate South American Festival Landscape
Full Event Calendar Announced:
Road To ULTRA Peru — October 7, 2016
Road To ULTRA Chile — October 8, 2016
Road To ULTRA Bolivia — October 14, 2016
Road To ULTRA Paraguay — October 15, 2016
ULTRA Brasil – October 14 & 15, 2016
After announcing expansion plans into Brasil earlier in the year, The World’s Most International Festival Brand, ULTRA Worldwide, has officially confirmed its final plans for their 2016 South America Tour.
With plans already well underway for the first edition of ULTRA Brasil in Rio de Janeiro (October 14 & 15), this year’s colossal takeover will now see ULTRA light up an additional FOUR countries across the continent from October 7-15, 2016.
No stranger to the region, Road To ULTRA will be returning to Lima (Peru), Asunción (Paraguay), Santa Cruz (Bolivia), and Santiago (Chile) for another round of spectacular shows, before the historic finale in “Cidade Maravilhosa”—Rio.
The first Road to ULTRA event will be held in Peru on October 7, where mile-long queues and over 20,000 diehard fans hit the beaches of Lima less than one year ago. RTU Peru 2016 will bring an unmatched fervor to the capital, igniting the dance-crazed country with next level stage production and top-notch talent.
RTU Chile is the next stop on the tour, relocating from the 2014 RTU location of Ritoque to the Ciudad de Santiago. Powered by the same innovative team that produces the World’s No. 1 Dance Music Festival, ULTRA Miami, the thriving metropolis of Santiago will be shaken to its very core, no doubt leaving Chilean Ultranauts yearning for more.
In 2015, Bolivian national radio station RQP hosted a competition to crown the country’s best electronic music festival. Naturally, the public voted RTU Bolivia as the nation’s favorite! As a result, RTU Bolivia will be returning in 2016, arriving in Santa Cruz on October 14 to entertain upwards of over 10,000 fans.
Last but by no means least, RTU Paraguay will touch down in the bustling capital city of Asunción for the final stop of the Road To ULTRA outing, on October 15. Situated in the heart of Asunción, just off the Paraguay River, this return edition promises the out-of-this-world stage design, state of the art pyrotechnics, and the first class lineup that characterizes every ULTRA event across the globe.
In a historic moment for ULTRA Worldwide, the South American tour concludes with the first ever Rio de Janeiro based edition of ULTRA Brasil taking place on October 14 & 15.
Tier 1 and 2 tickets for this blockbuster event have already SOLD OUT months in advance, despite the mostly unreleased lineup. Tickets are now back on sale, and with the only known headliners being Carl Cox and Martin Garrix, anticipation for this debut event is at an all time high.
For more information about tickets and lineups for all Ultra Worldwide events, stay tuned to www.roadtoultra.com and www.umfworldwide.com
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Tony Wan
Tony Wan is Managing Editor at EdSurge where he frets over stories, semantics and snappy headlines. He was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in Education in 2014. Prior to joining he co-founded a startup that developed a game best described as “Zelda with math.” He once wanted to be a history professor but had enough of dark, cold archives after finishing his M.A. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, and B.A. in History from the University of California at San Diego.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Events featuring Tony Wan
Where School Safety, Security, & Surveillance Meet at Hilton Austin Downtown Salon H
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Mental health is topic of emergency debate in legislature
Opposition believes there's a crisis in the system
By Emma Meldrum
November 14, 2015, 12:44 pm ADTLast Updated: November 16, 2015, 4:39 pm
Premier Stephen McNeil answers questions before the opening of the fall session of the House of Assembly Emma Meldrum
Members of the House of Assembly debated a “mental health crisis,” in Nova Scotia as they opened the legislature for the fall session Thursday.
The legislature unanimously passed a motion for an emergency debate on the topic. Progressive Conservative Party leader Jamie Baillie requested that other matters be set aside so that the province’s mental health system could be discussed.
Speaker of the House Kevin Murphy agreed that the issue was worthy of debate.
“It is a matter of grave concern to Nova Scotians,” he said.
Before and during question period, many MLAs spoke about the difficulty of accessing mental health services.
“The government continues to say there is no crisis in mental health, but the people who rely on and need the mental health unit at Aberdeen know the Liberals are wrong. There is a crisis,” said Progressive Conservative Pat Dunn. He said that the closure of the mental health unit at the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow was devastating.
Progressive Conservative Alfie MacLeod said the suicide rate rose in the province between 2000 and 2011.
“When will the government recognize there is a crisis and help the people who need it?” MacLeod asked.
Chris d’Entremont, another Progressive Conservative, accused the government of cutting spending on mental health. The Liberals dispute this.
“We have put more money into mental health,” Minister of Health and Wellness Leo Glavine said. He cited the SchoolsPlus program (which helps deliver support services to students) and a 24/7 crisis line as examples of government investments into the system. Glavine said that these programs and others have helped many Nova Scotians.
Premier Stephen McNeil said the government would respond to weaknesses in the system.
Progressive Conservative MLA Eddie Orrell said one weak spot is the system in colleges and universities. He said that teens and young people moving away for school are particularly at risk of depression.
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(Redirected from Daily Telegraph)
For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia).
The Daily Telegraph is a British daily morning broadsheet newspaper, which began in 1855. The newspaper was started by Arthur B. Sleigh in June 1855 as the Daily Telegraph and Courier, and since 2004 has been owned by David and Frederick Barclay.
In January 2008, the Telegraph was the highest selling newspaper among British broadsheets and former broadsheets, with selling an average of 842,912 copies each day. This compared to 617,483 for The Times, 358,844 for The Guardian, and 215,504 for The Independent.[1] In August 2010 the paper sold 673,010 copies, against 494,205 for The Times.
↑ Audit Bureau of Circulations Ltd These figures do not include the numbers of free copies of each paper given away at hotels, railway stations, and in airplanes.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Daily_Telegraph&oldid=6479454"
1855 establishments in Europe
Newspapers published in the United Kingdom
1850s establishments in the United Kingdom
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King Kong (character)
This article is about the character. For the original movie, see King Kong. For the 1976 movie, see King Kong (1976 movie). For the 2005 movie, see King Kong (2005 movie).
King Kong as he first appeared in 1933
King Kong is a giant movie monster, resembling a huge gorilla. The character first appeared in the 1933 film King Kong. The movie is a classic adventure-fantasy.[1] The film was remade in 1976 and once again in 2005. The character has become one of the world's most famous movie icons.[2] Kong has inspired countless spin-offs, comic books, team ups with other monsters and more.[3] There was even a stage play.[4] His role in the different movies varies, ranging from a rampaging monster to a vegetarian who only wants to be left alone.[5]
↑ Tim Dirks. "King Kong (1933)". American Movie Classics Company LLC. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
↑ The Apes of Wrath, ed. Richard Klaw (San Francisco, CA: Tachyon, 2013), p. 81
↑ Keith Phipps (23 February 2012). "King Kong 1976". Onion Inc. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
↑ Boland, Michaela (2009-02-09). "Global Creatures takes on "Kong"". Variety.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
↑ Tom Snyder. "Monsters, Madmen and Heroes: How Peter Jackson Emasculated King Kong". CBN.com. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to King Kong (character).
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_Kong_(character)&oldid=6549075"
American adventure movies
Fictional animals
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ScHoolBoy Q Reveals “Oxymoron” Tracklisting
By Peneliope Richards|2014-02-03T13:53:51-04:00February 3rd, 2014|Categories: Rappersroom, Rappersroom News|Tags: ScHoolboy Q|0 Comments
With almost three weeks until it drops, ScHoolBoy Q has released the tracklist for his forthcoming album, Oxymoron. The 15-track compilation includes features from the likes of 2 Chainz, Tyler, The Creator, Raekwon, and array of others. It's sort of a given that some other TDE members would make an appearance on the albun; to see where look at the full tracklist below.
Oxymoron arrives on February 25th.
In addition to the album, Q will kick start the U.S. leg of his world tour on March 1st in Providence, R.I. and wrap April 27 in Baltimore, MD before heading to Europe on May 1st. Visit Ticketmaster for dates.
1. “Gangsta”
2. “Los Awesome” (feat. Jay Rock)
3. “Collard Greens” (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
4. “What They Want” (feat. 2 Chainz)
5. “Hoover Street”
6. “Studio” (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)
7. “Prescription/Oxymoron”
8. “The Purge” (feat. Tyler, the Creator & Kurupt)
9. “Blind Threats” (feat. Raekwon)
10. “Hell of a Night”
11. “Break the Bank”
12. “Man of the Year”
13. “His & Her Friend” (feat. SZA)
14. “Grooveline Pt. 2″ (feat. Suga Free)
15. “F*ck LA”
Toronto Artist Jahkoy Enjoys Everything California Has To Offer On ‘California Heaven’ ft. Schoolboy Q
ScHoolboy Q – Man Of THe Year
SchoolBoy Q – Banger (MOSHPIT)
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The 10 Greatest “Live” Rock Guitar Solos
via Daniel Shiel/YouTube
Is there anything better than a face-melting guitar solo? It’s not just about the axeslinger taking center stage but it’s more about him displaying his sheer mastery of the instrument. And of course, we’ll also take into consideration the solo itself – the originality and its complexity.
The following solos have become templates for every guitar player. In their own way, they became standards by which others were measured. And even today, they continue to influence the musicians who followed them. Let’s check them out.
10. Eric Clapton – “I’m So Glad” (Cream, “Goodbye”)
Featured in Cream’s final album, Goodbye, “I’m So Glad” was recorded live at The Forum, Los Angeles on October 19, 1968. Originally recorded by Skip James, when he heard Cream’s version and how it was well-received, he said:
“That piece is absolutely gonna stand.”
Eric Clapton’s virtuosity is in full display once again proving why he’s hailed as a guitar hero.
9. Alex Lifeson – “La Villa Strangiato” (Rush, “Exit… Stage Left”)
One of the most underrated guitarists of all time, Alex Lifeson perfectly exemplifies that you can have the best of both worlds as a shredder – that is, have the technical skill and feeling. Being a shredder doesn’t always mean lightning fast fingers, that’s part of it sure, but another thing that Lifeson accomplished in this solo is how he managed to squeeze the listener’s soul.
8. Jimi Hendrix – “The Star Spangled Banner” (Jimi Hendrix, “Live At Woodstock”)
We don’t normally include two pieces from the same artist in every list but it’s Jimi Hendrix, the guy even guitar heroes look up to, so we’re more than glad to make an exception. With his performance of the National Anthem at Woodstock, he proved that you don’t need words to make a statement – a guitar solo can be just as powerful and effective.
7. Eddie Van Halen – “316” (Van Halen, “Live: Right Here, Right Now”)
Eddie Van Halen steered away from his usual start-to-finish wild solo. Instead, he starts out slow and it gradually builds up. That’s understandable given that this is actually one of the most personal songs he’s ever made. This was created as a tribute to his son Wolfgang’s birth who was born on March 16, 1991. Get it? 316 is March 16.
6. Randy Rhoads – “Suicide Solution” (Ozzy Osbourne, “Tribute”)
Randy Rhoads was a force of nature. Just listen to that guitar solo and tell us that isn’t the meanest, heaviest, and most monstrous tone you’ve ever heard. The man was an absolute beast at the guitar.
5. David Gilmour – “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd, “Pulse”)
Did the people in the audience realize just how lucky they were to witness this magnificent solo? To David Gilmour, it’s just another performance but to everyone else, this is one monumental feat – it truly is on another level. Anyone who thinks he’s overrated needs to see this video because only Gilmour can pull this off. It grips your soul and it’s almost like a religious experience.
4. Duane Allman – “Statesboro Blues” (The Allman Brothers Band, “At Fillmore East”)
You know you’re doing it right when you’ve rendered Eric Clapton speechless. Allman was only 24 years old when he passed away but he left this world a legend. He had several exemplary works but this one stands out. He elevated the whole song with his solo!
3. Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Pride and Joy” (Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Live at Carnegie Hall”)
If you’re looking for THE best version of this epic tune, this is it. It’s heavy, it’s badass, it’s SRV at his absolute best. And many have tried but no one can ever play like him. It’s not just the strings he used or even his style, it’s the man himself and the music oozing out of his fingers.
2. Jimmy Page – “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin, “The Song Remains The Same”)
It’s the solo that made several men pick up the guitar and start playing. To say that this is Jimmy Page’s finest guitar work is debatable only because for him, excellent is the minimum requirement and he always managed to up the ante with every solo. But it’s clearly one of the greatest solos in existence. When he was asked about it though, Page admitted it was “very good.” However:
“Is ‘Stairway to Heaven’ my best Zeppelin guitar solo? No, but it’s pretty damn good.The solo was done very quickly. In actual fact there were already layers underneath. The bottleneck you can hear was on before the solo…
“If everyone else says it’s my best solo then that’s great, that’s good, but there are others that I prefer.”
1. Jimi Hendrix – “Machine Gun” (Jimi Hendrix, “Band of Gypsys”)
Jimi’s brilliance and genius showed through with his solos. The sheer amount of power on “Machine Gun” alone is enough to convince us that he was not from this world. It’s like the rock gods convened and decided to give us a taste of greatness like this.
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Deceased = Gorski, Sigmund Albert, Jr.
Gorski, Sigmund Albert, Jr.
Birth: Thursday, October 09, 1947 in New Brunswick, New Jersey
Residence: Huntingtown, Maryland
Death: Friday, April 13, 2018 at the age of 70
Laid to Rest: Saturday, April 21, 2018 in the Jesus the Good Shepherd Cemetery, Owings, Maryland
Condolences: Click to View or Post
Sigmund Albert Gorski, Jr., of Huntingtown, MD, passed away on Friday, April 13, 2018, at the age of 70. Sigmund was born in New Brunswick, NJ on October 9, 1947. He was the oldest of three children born to Sigmund and Nellie [Kanoy] Gorski. The family moved to Greensboro, NC when Sigmund, Jr. was an infant.
He graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro in 1969 with a BS degree in biology, chemistry, and physics. In August, 1969, he joined the faculty of Queen Anne School, a college preparatory school in Upper Marlboro, MD, as the Chair of the Science Department and remained there in various instructional and leadership capacities for nearly 40 years. In 1971, he married Jimmie Danner of Winston-Salem, NC, whom he met while both were in college. The couple lived briefly in Landover, MD, before moving to Bowie, MD. In 1979, they moved to Huntingtown, MD and had one son, Sigmund Albert Gorski, III "Al" in 1990.
Frequently seen as a visionary by his colleagues in the sciences at the secondary and college levels, Sigmund, Jr., created interdisciplinary courses and integrated the latest technology into science courses in his department and in those around Maryland. The curricula he developed in ecology were recognized by the State of Maryland, as well as the Association of Independent Maryland Schools. For his work as the State Science Fair Coordinator, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the late Gladys Spellman, Member of Congress.
Sigmund, Jr., achieved two Master's Degrees in Science Education and in Technology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He also attended and presented at numerous state and national professional conferences. He was selected for the Martin Marietta Graduate Fellows Program, a partnership of business, industry, and education, and went on to serve on the advisory board for the program. His next venture was working for a federal contractor. He was fortunate to join JMA Solutions in 2011 and worked there for seven years in various capacities including project manager and Facility Security Officer. He made many friends at the company and developed skills and expertise in areas new to him. He considered himself very fortunate to be a part of the JMA family.
Sigmund Jr., was a man of many interests and many gifts. His nature photography won awards in both local and national contests. He was a spectator of many sports and a player and coach of baseball and soccer. When his son, Al, became interested in scouting, Sigmund's own interest was rekindled from his earlier days as a scout. He drew a great deal of pleasure from his years as an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 903 in Huntingtown as he worked with others to help boys in the troop achieve their goals in scouting. In 2009, he received the Western Shore District Service Award from the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.
As Chair of the Citizens' Advisory Board on Natural Resources for Calvert County, the decisions of his committee were used to advance an understanding of the importance of conservation. On the board, he met Alan Hayes, who became a longtime friend. Together the two created Volanz Aerospace, a non-profit corporation formed to provide space science and space-related high technology education and research opportunities. Volanz was recognized by NASA for the execution of the Astronaut Glove Challenge during NASA's Centennial Challenges. Spaceflight Institute, an intensive program of learning, confidence building, and teamwork within a space motif, was designed by Volanz for students with a high interest in space exploration. In 2014, a crowning achievement was the opening of the Spaceflight Museum, specializing in manned spaceflight operations, at the Arthur Storer Planetarium in Prince Frederick, MD.
Sigmund, Jr., is survived by his wife, Jimmie Gorski, of Huntingtown, MD, and son Al of Durham, NC; two sisters: Susan Marks (Darrell) of Pinehurst, NC and Kathy Parcell (Jerry) of Clemmons, NC; nieces Kelly [Marks] Russell (Terrell) of Chapel Hill, NC and Corey Deese (Joshua) of Pembroke, NC and nephew, Jason Parcell (Vickie) of Clemmons, NC; uncle, Jack Kanoy (Harriett) of Greensboro, NC and an aunt, Katherine Snyder of Richmond, VA, as well as by many cousins.
A loving husband, father, son, brother, nephew, and uncle; a dedicated and innovative educator; a concerned and vocal citizen; and a steadfast friend, Sigmund Gorski, Jr., remained a devout Christian throughout his life, loyal to his Catholic faith. His family invites friends to Lee Funeral Home Calvert, 8200 Jennifer Lane, Owings, MD 20736, on Friday, April 20, from 3 to 5 and 6 to 8:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 21, at 11:00 am at Jesus the Divine Word, 885 Cox Road, Huntingtown, MD 20639. Inurnment will follow at the Jesus the Good Shepard Cemetery, 1601 W. Mt. Harmony Road, Owings, MD. Memorial contributions can be made in Sigmund's name to the Knights of Columbus, Jesus the Divine Word Council #14775, P.O. Box 1151, Huntingtown, MD 20639.
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soulipsis
What sense in chaos.
Trump Calls for Deportations w/o Hearings or Judges, Ignorant of Centuries of Case Law
June 26, 2018 / soulipsis
Trump Calls For Deportations Without Hearings Or Judges
jonathanturley.org/2018/06/25/trump-calls-for-deportations-without-hearings-or-judges/
jonathanturleyJune 25, 2018
President Donald Trump escalated the debate over immigration this weekend in calling for the deportation of people who “invade our Country”, without hearings or judges. The call would raise serious questions under both U.S. and international law. It would be a denial of the most basic protections of due process for those with credible claims for asylum. The position is both extreme and untenable if he is referring to any and all cases. It also undermines otherwise strong arguments being asserted for expedited procedures for dealing with the influx of undocumented persons.
This weekend, Trump tweeted “We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came.”
The shift of Trump from a civil to a criminal emphasis in enforcement is well within his authority. Moreover, it is true that the Obama Administration also separated families in this fashion, though the numbers were smaller. Indeed this weekend Obama Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson admitted that they did separate children from their families and that “catch and release” was not an option — a position ostensibly close to the current policy but one that did not produce the same protests from Democratic politicians. He called for family detention centers to avoid the release of undocumented persons.
However, the refusal of any hearing or judge could raise some serious constitutional and international law concerns. We are a party to the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol in dealing with refugees — obligating us to take in those with a well-founded fear of being persecuted in the future “on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” There is also the Refugee Act of 1980. Someone asserting asylum is entitled to a hearing to present their case and not simply a perfunctory dismissal.
There continues to be a good-faith debate over the procedures, that must be afforded at our borders. Specifically, there has been a long debate over the full extent of constitutional claims that can be raised by undocumented individuals in our country unlawfully. The due process protections under the Fifth Amendment and the 14th Amendment are often raised in support of basic hearings and reviews. In Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886) the Supreme Court held that legal immigrants such as Chinese immigrant Yick Wo afforded basic rights and stressed a territorial standard: “The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is not confined to the protection of citizens…. These provisions are universal in their application to all persons within the territorial jurisdiction, without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality, and the equal protection of the laws is a pledge of the protection of equal laws.”
The Supreme Court in Yamataya v. Fisher (1903) considered a case involving an undocumented immigrant and, while ruling against him, did apply due process standards to his case.
Under current procedures, undocumented persons are dealt with under either §1225(b)(1) or §1225(b)(2). Section 1225(b)(1) allows for deportations for those who enter through fraud, misrepresentation, or without valid documentation. Under the first provision, deportation can be ordered by ICE officials “without further hearing or review” under an expedited removal process. §1225(b)(1)(A)(i). If Trump were speaking of that group, he would be correct so long as there is not an asylum claim. There can be a return without a hearing or judge. Only about 15 percent of undocumented persons have hearings and the Obama Administration aggressively pursued expedited deportations without hearings. However, if an alien “indicates either an intention to apply for asylum . . . or a fear of persecution,” the ICE officials must make a threshold determination if the claims is credible, and, if it is credible, “the alien shall be detained for further consideration of the application for asylum.” §1225(b)(1)(B)(ii).
Other federal law mandate specific protections. Under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 it is mandated that “the alien shall have the privilege of being represented, at no expense to the Government,” and “the alien shall have a reasonable opportunity to examine the evidence against the alien, to present evidence on the alien’s own behalf, and to cross-examine the witnesses presented by the Government …”
Continue reading.
← Israel and Trump Regime Working to Suppress Database of Companies Active in Settlements on Stolen Palestinian Land
Brexit Sounds Like What You’d Expect from 40 Years of Neoliberal Education Policy →
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Miami Symphony serves up familiar delights from Mendelssohn to Rodrigo
By Richard Yates
Harpist Kristi Shade performed Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” Sunday night with the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
The Miami Symphony Orchestra played a highly enjoyable program Sunday evening at New World Center in Miami Beach, featuring the talents of the versatile maestro Eduardo Marturet and harp soloist, Kristi Shade.
Maurice Ravel’s Ma Mère L’Oye (Mother Goose) demonstrates the composer’s sumptuous orchestral palette. The whimsy of varied fairy tales provides the backdrop for a suite of sonic curiosities, where Ravel seems to have a surprise up his sleeve at every turn.
The first piece, “The Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty,” takes its title from an ancient Renaissance processional dance. As the music starts, a quiet exchange between the flutes and a solo clarinet sets the tone for Ravel’s expressive woodwind writing. The Miami Symphony winds demonstrated warmth and emotion in their rendering of Ravel’s music.
The story of Tom Thumb is illustrated, complete with a little jest in the sounds of birds eating the crumbs he left to find his way. To do this, the concertmaster plays glissandos in the high harmonics, which is answered by birdsong in the piccolo and flute.
The color completely changes in the third piece, “Empress of the Pagodas.” Here, there is a wash of sound with string tremolos, punctuations in the harp, celesta, and percussion. This is the most active of the movements, and it showed off the Miami Symphony’s clean sound and rhythmically tight ensemble playing. In the fourth section, “Beauty and the Beast,” Daniel Andai’s superbly rich violin solo provided the most beautiful moment near the end of the movement.
The MISO musicians rendered a moving portrait of “The Enchanted Garden,” though this music really should be heard with a larger string section to make its full effect.
Joaquín Rodrigo’s celebrated Concierto de Aranjuez, originally a concerto for guitar, was performed in a version for harp and orchestra, retooled by the composer in 1974. Kristi Shade, having studied at the University of Miami, returned to play a richly stirring performance.
Some of the articulation may have been lost from the original version for guitar, the music still projects those well-loved phrases with sensuality, sadness, and vigor. In the familiar Adagio movement, Shade played a subdued cadenza that offered a contemplative moment before the impassioned return of the orchestra with the main theme.
The final work on the program was Felix Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony (No. 4). The Romanticism of the symphony bounds forth with the jubilance of the first movement’s sunny theme, which sustains the energy for the rest of the work. The Andante and Moderato movements showcased Miami Symphony’s fine wind playing, especially the solos for clarinet and oboe. The horn call of the Moderato led to a rich quartet with horns and bassoons melding in a gorgeous sustained moment. Finally, the exciting Saltarello, a fast dance originally from Medieval Italian courts, created a crafty foil with the initial dance from the opening of the concert.
Though the program was on the traditional side, the Miami Symphony came across demonstrating their visible enthusiasm for the music and the excellent abilities of the ensemble.
Richard Yates is currently pursuing his doctorate in music composition at The University of Miami. He has performed as a tenor in San Francisco Bay Area choral ensembles and holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and Boston Conservatory in composition and conducting.
One Response to “Miami Symphony serves up familiar delights from Mendelssohn to Rodrigo”
Posted Mar 04, 2013 at 3:19 pm by Fred Jonas
I couldn’t agree with you more, Mr Yates. “A good time was had by all,” as they say.
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Why and when should I open an office in Silicon Valley?
Emil Eifrem / November, 2017
Emil Eifrem, CEO and Founder of Neo Technology shares a couple of reason to why so many entrepreneurs choose to build their startup in Silicon Valley.
Why and when should I open an office in Silicon Valley? I have a theory around centers of gravity for every industry. I think that if you’re in finance, you should relocate to New York or to London. If you’re in fashion Paris probably, like if you’re in entertainment or movies, Hollywood. You don’t have to go there but the way that I think about it is that you just get a lot more compounding effects of being near the central gravity. I liken it to running uphill versus running downhill. You do the same activity, the same motion, in Malmo Sweden, if you’re building a graph database startup, as you do if you’re here in the Valley, but you just get way more milages if you’re near the central gravity of your industry.
I think that’s the key aspect of why we chose to relocate, at least our headquarter to the Valley. I think that comes down to your ultimate goal of your startup. So, for us, we want to build a big, independent company and, you know, at the stage where we are 5000 people, obviously all of these wouldn’t be in one single location. At that point, it’s going to be a global organization. At that point, we’re going to have to deal with being highly distributed across time zones, across continents and all those things. So, if that is going to happen eventually we might as well built this into the DNA in the early face, right. So we became distributed across 9 times zones when we were 10-11 people, which is super painful. We’re about 120 people now, I think, and we have a growing pain, so we have a 200 people personal organization because we’re so highly distributed. But I think eventually, that skillset is going to pay off because, at the end of the day, we need to be a global and distributed organization in order to achieve what we want to achieve with the company.
Emil Eifrem, Neo Technology
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Tag Archives: Allard
The Most Elegant at d’Elegance: Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival
Pebble Beach, California. Amelia Island, Florida. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Three of the most distinguished Concours events in the country. Pebble Beach is the creme de la creme in the world of Concours d’Elegance events. Amelia Island is a very close runner-up. And now, Hilton Head Island is making a name for itself in these, the most exclusive of collector car and motorcycle venues. It is not by accident that these three Concours events are held in resort towns where the wealthy tend to congregate and show off their two and four wheeled prize possessions to the masses.
With the weather reading sun in the sky perfect for the event, Roo and I left the Upstate South Carolina foothills and zoomed straight across our home state to the island resort of Hilton Head. The stunningly beautiful Port Royal Golf Club is the venue for Hilton Head’s Concours d’Elegance, and it does not disappoint.
Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance and Motoring Festival is somewhat unique. It is actually three events in one. First is the Aero Expo, where vintage and new aircraft and automobiles from the same era as the aero-plane, are displayed. This event is held a short shuttle ride away at the Hilton Head airport. Second, is the large Car Club Showcase, where automobile and motorcycle clubs display their vehicles on the greens and fairways of the Port Royal Golf Club. Then on the final day of the weekend, the by invitation only Concours d’Elegance takes center stage. All three events are judged and awarded ribbons, culminating with the prestigious Best In Show on Sunday.
Saturday morning, brimming with excitement and anticipation, Roo & I took the shuttle trolley to the Port Royal Golf Club. In true Southern style, we walked through the tunnel of Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and knew we were in for a beautifully spectacular event.
THE AERO EXPO – WINGS & WHEELS
We missed this event on our last visit. My bad. Mismanaged my time. But this time around, the Aero Expo was our first stop off.
Vintage and new aircraft mated with Concours cars of the same era. A great concept. I love small aircraft, and as a motorcyclist, I can appreciate the skill set that the pilots of these machines must have to fly safely.
It wasn’t all vintage. Honda had it’s new light jet plane here.
Here is a gallery of some of the beautiful aircraft that were on display:
1943 Boeing PT-13D
1944 North American Aviation TF-51D Mustang
1943 DeHavilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
2009 Team Rocket Aircraft F-1 Rocket
2016 Waco YMF-5D
1943 Boeing PT-13D/E 75
1974 Beechcraft Baron 5B
1937 Spartan Executive
Walking through the entrance gate and onto the golf course, we were treated to these beautiful vintage autos from a long bygone era, on the green.
1912 Hudson Speedster
1929 Packard Dietrich
1908 Touring Cadillac
THE CAR CLUB SHOWCASE
The car club showcase celebrates it’s fourteenth year at the Hilton Head Concours. National and local car club members enter their cars at this prestigious event, wowing us spectators and some of the judges also. Clubs here include BMW, Ford, Ferrari,Cadillac LaSalle Club, Georgia Corvair Club and many others. Included in the Car Club Showcase is the “Life on the Orient Express” exhibit, showcasing the cars of the 1920’s and 1930’s that the wealthy were driving while everyone else was grappling with the Great Depression. So here is a sampling of the clubs and their cars in the Car Club Showcase (not all clubs are represented here).
CAR CLUB SHOWCASE
We’ve never seen an M1 anywhere prior to this. As we strolled along the line of M1’s, I said to Roo “These are BMW’s? They look so ………. Italian! Those of you who are BMW connoisseurs know the story. For those of us who are not ………………….
The M1 was to be BMW’s first Supercar in 1974. As designed, BMW lacked the capacity to build the M1 in-house, so Motorsport contracted with Lamborghini (Ah! There’s the Italians!) for 2000 cars in 1976. Right after the first prototype was built, Lamborghini collapsed and BMW scrambled for a replacement outfit. Enter Ital Engineering, TIR (an Italian bodyworks firm) for the fiberglass body, and Italdesign for the initial assembly. Long story short, that is why the M1’s look like 1970’s era Lambos! And we love the design!
Who doesn’t love a Sunbeam? They’re so cute! (OK. That was Roo). These are cool little cars and have quite the following. There were so many of them here at Hilton Head, they could have staged their own show!
These cars are stunningly beautiful. Not knowing anything about them, for the longest time we thought they were French built. We have since come to learn they are distinctly American, produced in the 1940’s and ’50’s.
Two American Classic Car Clubs: Mustang and Thunderbird
A pony and a bird. Two cars that came to symbolize and change the automotive landscape of 1950’s and ’60’s America.
Ford’s pony car claimed new notoriety once Carroll Shelby put his name on it
Ford’s Thunderbird didn’t quite live up to it’s sports car moniker, but the porthole on the hardtop became a unique symbol of the 1950’s T-Bird.
Next post: Life on the Orient Express at Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance and Motoring Festival.
Posted in Car Events | Tagged Allard, BMW M1, Concours d'elegance, Hilton Head Motoring Festival, Port Royal Golf Club, Shelby Mustang, Sunbeam, Thunderbird, vintage aircraft, vintage cars, vintage motorcycles | 2 Replies
Hilton Head Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance Part 4
Port Royal Golf Club, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
After the excitement of Roo helping the BMW win Best in Category, we moved on to the next category of motorbikes: 1954- 1973. Maybe Roo could do the same favor for one of these motorcycles.
This BMW did win without Roo’s help.
Remember these? These bikes have there own cult following.
An interesting enduro custom on a Spanish Bultaco
Next up was the motorcycle preservation class. This class is made up of motorbikes that have not been restored other than to replace missing parts and to get the engine in running order. In other words, “as is.” Some bikes in this class have been found in pristine condition, having been meticulously cared for by their owner(s) through the years. Others, not so much.
Interestingly, Preservation Class in motorcycle and automobile events is gaining steam with collectors and buyers. Instead of squeaky clean, spit and polish, shiny chromed out perfection, people are turning their interest more towards the worn look. Tatstes change, and will change again, I suppose.
Roo always finds a way to get in the picture (that’s her by the pole).
Very well preserved.
Now that’s what I call “as is.” Yes, it does run!
Bidding the motorbikes farewell for now, we moved on to a special class of automobiles, that were, and are still, way out of my class, but lit the Sports Car fire in me when I was but 13 years old.
At the beach near my hometown with my family, dad parked the car and we walked toward the entrance to the beach. On the way through the parking lot sat a car that I immediately fell in love with. At 13 years old, I was already into cars, and couldn’t wait to get my license. This car made my knees shake, it was so gorgeous. As I got older, I thought this automobile was the sexiest, most beautiful, piece of art on four wheels, until I discovered Italian cars. But this vehicle still electrifies me and turns my head whenever I see one.
At the time, the Jaguar E-Type exemplified beauty, sleekness, flowing lines, and with that V-12 motor, speed and power.
As Jaguar had it’s own section of fairway, all other English marques had to share some golf course real estate.
Austin Healeys always attract the attention of gawkers. This 3000 Mk III is flawless.
A very interesting English Sports Car came into view, one we had never heard of before or even seen photos of in magazines. But what a stunner! To some, it may look like a cartoon car, and in a way it does (picture Roger Rabbit at the wheel), but it is beautiful none the less……….
What would English Sports Cars be without the marque most folks associate with English Sports Cars:
The Italians
Ah! The Italians. Beautiful women, wonderful food, fantastic wine. But there is something more in the vehicles they manufacture. How the Italians infuse beauty and sex appeal into their automobiles and motorcycles is anyone’s guess. But they do, and only they do. Ever hear anyone describe a Triumph or BSA as sexy? No. How about a Ferrari or Moto Guzzi? Oh yes! Nuff said.
Most cars and motorcycles produced in the 1980’s were ugly ducklings and truly forgettable. Everything was square: headlights, tail lights, instrument gauges, body styles. I’m surprised the wheels escaped “squaredom.” Not so this black beauty. Ferrari stayed true to it’s roots of beauty, power, and sex appeal.
Ferrari and Testarossa are always spoken of in the same breath.
You might call this the “practical Ferrari.”
Uh Oh! I knew it had to happen. Roo has found a Ferrari that meets her criteria of “cute” and kind of “nerdy”, with the power to bring out her inner Mario Andretti. This is one beautiful automobile.
The afternoon was waning, and soon it would be time for the judging of the 2015 Concours d’Elegance Best in Show. But first, we had one more exhibit to visit, showcasing cars that most of us today can actually relate to, and may have owned in years past.
The Muscle Car Era in American automobile production was relatively short lived, but had a tremendous impact on the American car culture scene. Most folks, when they hear the term “muscle car”, think of cars in the 1960’s and 70’s. In reality, the era of the muscle car began way back in the 1930’s, when “moonshiners” would “hop up” their cars for increased horsepower to outrun the Federal Revenuers during Prohibition. These were all “home grown” modified.
However, production by the “big three”, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, wouldn’t begin until the late 1950’s, when they started building power plants that could generate tremendous horsepower and would make dad in his sedan feel like a race car driver. The thrill of driving was about to begin.
Most of us today think of the Muscle Car Era as the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. However, by then, the era of big horsepower and speed was in decline. The golden age of American Muscle Cars was actually from the early 1960’s to 1967. Even pop culture got on the muscle car wagon with the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and others singing songs like “She’s so Fine, My 409; Little GTO; My Rocket 88; Dead Man’s Curve, and others. The cars in this exhibit showcased the Golden Age of American Muscle.
This car was huge, and gave new meaning to the “performance family car.”
Probably more than any other marque at the time, Pontiac came out with what would be known as the most recognizable muscle car of the era. Affectionately known as “The Goat”, the GTO put Pontiac on the muscle car map for good.
Ford still had it’s Thunderbird, but it didn’t create much of a stir with the muscle crowd. While it was still a looker, it didn’t match up to performance standards. Ford was slipping behind.
Dodge, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile were all big players in the muscle car wars at this time: Dodge Chargers and Challengers, Chevy Camaros, and Oldsmobile’s iconic Cutlass 442, were all squeezing Ford out of the game. Ford decided to pull out all the stops with its original Pony car: The Mustang. By this time the Mustang was nothing more than a cute ride for high schooler’s to impress the girls with. But Ford had big plans for the little Mustang, and enlisted the body and engine design of the man whose name alone became synonymous with the American muscle car era: Carol Shelby.
The new design would be known as the Shelby Cobra, and it would catapult the Mustang into one of the leading muscle cars in the late 1960’s. The badge on the Mustangs needed no explanation. When you saw the Cobra, you knew it was a Carol Shelby design.
Mustangs on the Midway
This is the Shelby design that did it for the lowly Mustang and put Ford right back in the muscle car “race.” It didn’t disappoint. Sales soared, and the little pony car, now known as the Shelby Mustang, became a household name.
By the late 60’s, American Muscle was on the decline. Interest in monster horsepower performance for the street was losing ground. The oil embargo of the early seventies was the death nell of the muscle car, along with cheap Japanese imports. American Muscle was gone.
Or was it? Today, the American muscle car is back. Baby Boomers pining for the cars of their youth sparked the resurgence of the muscle car. Modern “retro” versions of those iconic cars of the 60’s are everywhere. Look on the roads of America today and you see modern versions of Dodge Challengers and Chargers, Chevrolet Camaros, and Chrysler 300’s. Best of all, Ford has brought back the Shelby Cobra Mustang in it’s modern Shelby GT 350, a pure beast of a car. All are beautiful while pushing out huge gobs of torque and horsepower with modern technology. American Muscle is back in full force!
It was now time for us to make our way to the far end of the Motoring Midway for the main, and, final event of this years Concours:
2015 Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance Best In Show
I don’t envy the job of these judges, nor do I understand how they choose a Best In Show from all these exemplary vehicles. I know they have strict protocols and checklists to go by, but some subjectivity must creep in, I imagine. For them, it is a labor of love. So, here’s how it played out:
The Runner’s Up
1957 Ghia Dual-Ghia Convertible – Founder’s Award (3rd place)
1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster – People’s Choice Award (2nd place)
1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Phaeton
There was no Best In Show for the motorcycle categories. These were the three winners:
1968 Triumph Rickman Metisse
1939 BMW R51 (with a beautiful woman’s help)
1965 BMW R69S
The sun was setting on the Port Royal Golf Course as we made our way to the Clubhouse and exit. We didn’t want to leave. This was our first Concours, and we were impressed and looking forward to coming back here and to others in the region. Matter of fact, St. Augustine, Florida has a motorcycle only Concours d’Elegance each spring. See you there, perhaps?
Posted in Motorcycle Travel | Tagged Allard, American muscle cars, Austin Healey, BMW motorcycles, Bultaco, Carol Shelby, Ferrari, GTO, Hilton Head, Hodaka, Jaguar E-Type, Jawa, Shelby Mustang GT 350, South Carolina, Triumph Rickman Metisse, vintage motorcycles | 5 Replies
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Species Associazione comprises eight professionals active in the field of nature conservation, ecological research and environmental education. It is governed by a board of directors with a term of three years. Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p includes three members of Species Associazione.
Debora Barbato
Biologist, PhD in Earth, Environmental and Polar Sciences at the Univ. of Siena with a thesis on the biodiversity and ecology of terrestrial mollusks. After a period of research and training abroad (Queen’s University Belfast, UK), she gained practical experience in modeling and statistical analysis of ecological data. Expert in urban biodiversity and soil ecology, she took part as a malacologist at numerous Citizen Science events in collaboration with WWF, various Italian universities and scientific museums. She has carried out environmental education activities both in schools and in museums (Museo del Bosco, Siena) through organization of cultural events. Member of the working group “CoSMoS – Collecting Snails, Monitoring Snails” for the monitoring of the land molluscan communities of the Po Delta and the Eastern Po Plain in collaboration with the Museum of Natural History of Ferrara. She counts several scientific and popular publications.
Cristina Dottarelli
Naturalist and environmental tour guide. Master’s degree in Environmental Management and Conservation at the Univ. of Siena with thesis in bird population survey in the Nature Reserve of Lake Burano. Experiences in radiotracking and census of roe deer, population studies of wild boar and survey of turtles. She gained many years of experience in environmental education for children in the schools. She collaborated in the monitoring project of flora and fauna in Vorno (LU). She coordinated the environmental education school project in the province of Siena 2012-2013 and the project LIFE11 BIO/IT/000072-LIFE STRADE for Species SC a.t.p..
Member of Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p. and vice director and administrator of Associazione Species.
Andrea Benocci
Naturalist, PhD in Evolution Biology at the Univ. of Siena, advanced training in UK and Tanzania. He has many years of experience in macology and ornithology and provides consultancy services for private and public offices. He collaborated with the Natural History Museum of the Accademy of Fisiocritici for the preparation of animal samples and exhibitions on environmental issues, training programs for students, environmental education activities for children and guided tours for visitors of the museum. He collaborated in the project LIFE11 BIO/IT/000072-LIFE STRADE for Species SC a.t.p.. Author of several scientific and popular publications. He speaks Italian, English, French and basic German.
Member of Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p. and secretary of Associazione Species.
Silvia Francucci
Naturalist and environmental tour guide with a master’s degree in Environmental Management and Conservation at the Univ. of Siena. She collaborated with the Province of Siena and the Ornithology Centre of Tuscany (COT) for the survey of owls in the protected areas of Siena Province. She has many years of experience in radiotelemetry tracking surveys and GIS on mammals and birds. She collaborated in the project “Life Nature Biarmicus” on red kites at Mount Amiata (Tuscany). For Species she managed the CdeRN (Education center of the protected areas of Siena Province) at Monticiano. Organized many environmental education activities for children and adults. From 2013-2018 she spent volunteering periods abroad (Philippines, Costa Rica, Panama, Indonesia and Lebanon) collaborating with non-profit organizations in the field of biodiversity conservation. She coordinates, on behalf of Species SC a.t.p., the environmental education project commissioned by SEI Toscana S.r.l since 2017. Speaks English and German.
Daniele Cavazzoni
Naturalist and environmental tour guide. Three-year degree in in Natural Sciences and Master’s Degree in Environmental Management and Conservation at the Univ. of Siena. He started working abroad as an Environmental Guide for an international tour operator, widening his boundaries and knowledge of the natural world. He continued his travels in the tropical zone working in different structures, cooperating with local associations for the development of rural communities in Africa and guiding tourist activities (safaris, bike rides and boat trips). Since 2013 he has continued his tour guide activity in Tuscany collaborating with various agencies and leading groups from all over the world to discover the Tuscan nature.
Isabelle Minder
Zoologist and environmental tour guide, graduated in Zurich (Switzerland). PhD at the Univ. of Siena on foraging behaviour and resource selection of roe deer. She collaborated with the Univ. of Siena and Florence, CIRSeMAF, Ev-K2-CNR, COT, WWF-Oasi and several National Parks and Regional Parks of Italy for analyses of faecal and stomach samples of carnivores and herbivores, radiotracking and GPS telemetry based surveys of ungulates, bird census and feasibility studies in reintroduction programs. For Species she coordinated the environmental education school project in the province of Siena 2008-2012 and the monitoring project of flora and fauna in Vorno (LU). Actually she works for the public office of nature conservation of the cantone of Zurich (Switzerland) for the management of protected areas and collaborates remotely in the various projects of Species. She speaks German, Italian and English.
Member of Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p. and director of Associazione Species.
Martino Danielli
Naturalist and environmental tour guide. Graduated in Natural Sciences at the Univ. of Florence and was involved in a mycological research of the Univ. of Siena. He has collaborated as an environmental tour guide with Alpresort, National Geographic Adventure and actively collaborates with Smithsonian Travel. He is an active volunteer of WWF Italia organizing initiatives in schools and municipalities of the province of Siena to inform and raise awareness on the problems of nature, the environment and consumption and lifestyles. He participated in the Summer School and Winter School on wildlife monitoring techniques and other courses in various naturalistic areas. In 2015 – 2016 he collaborated in teaching in the Museum of Natural History in Florence. Passionate about ornithology, mycology, zoology and ecology of large mammals.
Laura Ulivieri
Archaeologist and environmental tour guide, three-year degree in archeology at the Univ. of Siena and master’s degree in Archeology at the Univ. of Florence. She participated in excavation campaigns in Populonia and Montelupo Fiorentino. She has many years of experience in environmental education and tour organization. She coordinates the environmental tour sector of Species a.t.p. Speaks Italian, English and German. Passionate about hiking and knowledge of local traditions.
Associazione Species
Viale Mazzini 95
53100 Siena (Si)- Italia
Species Servizi e Consulenze a.t.p.
Via dello spuntone 53 53034 Colle di Val d'Elsa (SI)
info_species@species.it
CF e partita Iva
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Published Jul. 2018
Meet the greatest Dallas Cowboys fan out there
/Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer
Dallas Cowboys fan Carolyn Price poses for a portrait at her house in Lancaster on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.
By Barry Horn , Staff Writer Contact Barry Horn on Twitter: @bhorn55
(Editor's note: This originally ran on January 6, 2017.)
Chloe Mitchell has heard the voice rumble her way for as long as she can remember. Sometimes when she was growing up, it would come thundering down the street, calling her home. Sometimes it echoed across the southern Dallas County neighborhood. To say it could have come from the other side of the Trinity River would be hyperbole. Maybe.
Indeed, the voice is loud. It's raspy. It's cutting-edge. It's unique.
"Electrifying," is the 36-year-old Mitchell's description for the signature sound she insists she can still hear echo in her sleep.
The voice belongs to the grandmother who helped raise her, Miss Carolyn Price.
It has become the calling card that has lifted Miss Price, a home health care administrator, to the lofty status of the Cowboys' No. 1 fan. To be sure, no one this side of the Jones family, Cowboys players, coaches and anyone else on the payroll has been as invested in the team's 2016 season and looming playoff run.
"The bandwagon is getting full," Miss Price said in a relative whisper, sipping a hot Starbucks drink at the dining room table of her Lancaster home on a recent chilly morning. "But people know who has been supporting the team through the not-so-good times."
The volume is foreign, but the voice remains unmistakable. Maybe you've heard Miss Price call all the familiar names. Perhaps you've been jolted by her gravelly staccato as it belches out "T-O-N-Y-R-O-M-O" (one word) along the sideline at Cowboys training camp. Maybe you've heard it rise above the crowd noise generated by the other 90,000-plus fans at AT&T Stadium.
Possibly, you discovered it through your television speakers. After years of relative anonymity outside the immediate Cowboys family, Miss Price was introduced to America by HBO's Hard Knocks at training camp back in 2002. Her one-of-a-kind, high-decibel "Q-U-I-N-C-Y," love calls aimed at quarterback Quincy Carter, sent shock waves through living rooms across America.
Six years later, when Hard Knocks returned to the Cowboys' training camp, it was Romo's name that became Miss Price's calling card.
But in truth, Miss Price has been calling out Cowboys players since the franchise's birth in 1960. From original Cowboys such as Bob Lilly to rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, she has serenaded them all.
By the way, it's the players who respectfully christened her "Miss Price." To a man, that's what they call her, though former Cowboy Marcus Spears had the temerity to call her "Miss P."
Carolyn Price is greeted by Cowboys rookie Rico Gathers before a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, November 20, 2016.
Carolyn Price greets Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett before a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, November 20, 2016.
Carolyn Price cheers the team on before a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, November 20, 2016.
She's a regular at AT&T Stadium just as she was in bygone eras at Texas Stadium and the Cotton Bowl. While the cost of a ticket has risen exponentially over the decades, that's a small price to pay for fame. She says her employer helps with the cost of tickets.
And have voice, will travel. She lovingly has supported the Cowboys from the stands in hostile outposts, from Philadelphia (nice fans, she says) to Seattle (not so nice).
Rare are the road games where she doesn't lead the fans' send-off committee at the team hotel, where she stays on her own dime. For home games, she's out of her house six hours before kickoff. She spends lots of time at pregame tailgates. After all, who wouldn't want to host the fans' voice of America's Team?
"God's gift," Miss Price calls her voice. She says she nurtures it with regular doses of mouthwash and nothing else. Honey? Hot tea? Voice spray? Liquid sandpaper? They never cross her lips.
Although it may sound to some like a smoker's voice, she says she never has touched tobacco and avoids alcohol.
"It's just the voice the Lord gave me," she said.
Miss Price's priorities, she says, are "God, family, Cowboys." Her Lancaster home just off Interstate 35 provides proper witness. It brims with religious symbols, photos of more than three dozen of her closest relatives, many of whom she helped raise, and all sorts of autographed Cowboys memorabilia.
No less an authority than Charlotte Anderson, the Cowboys' executive vice president and chief brand officer, declares Miss Price the franchise's "No. 1 fan," unparalleled in dedication.
"Through thick and thin, her enthusiasm can be felt and heard at all times," Anderson said. "She brings her support and love of the team with her everywhere she goes. Her smile, her voice, her loyalty and her colorful Cowboys attire are staple items at all games and events Cowboys-related."
Jerry Jones artistic rendering and Dallas Cowboys memorabilia in a room at Dallas Cowboys fan Carolyn Price's home in Lancaster on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys memorabilia in a room at Dallas Cowboys fan Carolyn Price's home in Lancaster on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Former L.A. Rams running back Eric Dickerson in a photo with Dallas Cowboys fan Carolyn Price at her home in Lancaster on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Such has Miss Price's "gift" gravitated through Cowboys culture that fellow fans have elevated her to a celebrity of sorts. They clamor for her to record personalized shout-outs for cellphone ring tones.
To say that Miss Price loves being referred to as the team's No. 1 fan would be a massive understatement. She revels in the fame her voice has brought.
Raymond Ortiz, another ardent Cowboys fan, named his first son "Dallas Cowboys Ortiz," his second "Cowboy Landry Ortiz" and sports tattoos of players as well as owner Jerry Jones. Still, he says no one rivals Miss Price in Cowboys fandom.
"I concede No. 1 to her," he said. "I'm just another die-hard fan."
So as not to offend anyone, Miss Price has adopted the tried-and-true method of referring to everyone she meets by the same endearing name. "Baby," she calls all comers.
When fellow Cowboys fan Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, approached her on the AT&T Stadium field for a hug before a game in the wake of November's presidential election, she asked him to relay a message to the president-elect.
"I said, 'Baby, tell Trump to do good. To be cool,'" she recalled.
Then she wrapped Christie in a grandmotherly embrace before both forces of nature went their separate ways.
Miss Price said she first learned that Dallas was getting a team that would be called the Cowboys from an older brother back in 1960. At the time, she was a member of the pep squad at Booker T. Washington High School. She cheered for all of the school's teams. Cheering for one more team couldn't hurt.
While her mother worked as a domestic in the big houses up in Highland Park, young Carolyn watched over eight brothers and sisters in the family's home in the projects, not far from Booker T.
"We'd go to the Cotton Bowl, sneak in and cheer for the Cowboys," she said. "They were our team."
Her father died when Carolyn was 12. Her mother died when she was 17, leaving Carolyn the family matriarch.
Years later, when her older sister Clara Jean was murdered in Oak Cliff, Carolyn took in her three children.
One of those children, a daughter, was later also murdered. Clara Jean's granddaughter, De'Leacia Lucas, then moved in with Miss Price.
Miss Price "took me in and became my mama," said Lucas, 41. "Living with her, I thought the world revolved around the Cowboys. When we weren't watching game, we were watching tapes of games."
Download your own Cowboys shout-out ringtone by superfan Carolyn Price
Along the way, Carolyn Mopping wed Willie Price. It was not, she says, a happily-ever-after marriage. Before they divorced, they had a son who died in childbirth and another who died at age 2. There was also a daughter, Charmayne, who gave Carolyn her only grandchild, Chloe.
In 1986, when Chloe was 6, a car accident forced her to move away from her mother and into Carolyn's house.
"When I moved in, there were lots of kids in her house," Chloe Mitchell said. "It was like I just became another child of hers. She raised so many of us. It was like, every time you'd look up, there was someone new from the family moving into the house."
High on Miss Price's priorities was that all the children for whom she cared go to church three times a week.
"She told us to make every day count," said Mitchell, the No. 1 fan of the No. 1 fan. "She said 'nothing comes to someone who sleeps but a dream.'"
But it was in the Cowboys, Miss Price said, she found her dream team.
"When I walk into the stadium," she said, "it's like I'm in a whole different world."
Have the Cowboys been an escape of sorts?
Miss Price remains uncharacteristically silent for what seems like minutes.
"I think they are," she said softly, tears welling.
Coming into her own
Miss Price loved Tom Landry's Cowboys, but their No. 1 fan back in those days was "Crazy Ray," who led cheers in cowboy attire. Not long after Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989, Wilfred Jones, a.k.a. Crazy Ray, began slowing down because of failing health. That left an opening for Miss Price's ascension.
Miss Price is open about everything except her age. "Baby," she said, "let's just say I'm a baby boomer. I was born between 1945 and 1950."
Close enough.
Send us your Dallas Cowboys fan stories
When she ran into Bob Lilly, an original Cowboy, in the AT&T Stadium parking lot earlier this season, he told her he remembered her and her voice as he stood near the tunnel in the Cotton Bowl on long-ago Sundays. "But we've both grown up some since then."
Miss Price interpreted it in her own way but took no offense. "I mean," she said, "I was probably half as large back then."
When Tony Dorsett tried to lift her in mid-hug recently, she chastised him. "You're sick," she scolded. "I'm bigger than you. Put me down."
When she broached the subject of her size with Danny White in the same parking lot, he told her she was "still beautiful."
After Emmitt Smith was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, he left the stage and hugged Miss Price. She has the photo to prove it. Her cellphone provides a "who's who" of Cowboys posing alongside her.
The Dallas Morning News has the photo to prove Larry Allen made a beeline to Miss Price for a hug after he was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
/Brad Loper/Staff Photographer
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor inductee Larry Allen hugs fan Carolyn Price prior to the start of the Cowboys/Seattle Seahawks game in NFL football action at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas Sunday, November 6, 2011.
"So many of the players are babies living away from home," she said. "They come here as young men. I remind most of them of their mothers, grandmothers or aunties. Doesn't matter how much money they make, they all have feelings. They all like support."
She is distracted in mid-thought to read a text message from Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr. He was inviting her to an event later in the day.
One of her favorite Cowboys is Jason Witten, who always is good for a hug and some conversation.
"I once asked Jason who in his life I reminded him of?" she said. "I asked him if his family had a maid when he was growing up."
Witten sheepishly replied he was the product of a humble upbringing, and the two shared a hearty laugh.
But Miss Price may be fondest of Romo, who she believes has been the most valiant Cowboy, but too often over the years has been surrounded by lesser players. Now Romo finds himself a reserve, sitting behind Prescott, who has fallen under her spell.
It poses quite the dilemma.
"I've been with him through the tough times and good times," she said of Romo. "He always has a signal for me, a wink or a wave. I would like to see Tony play in the Super Bowl. I'd like to be up 32-7 in the middle of the fourth quarter and have Tony come in to finish the game.
"That would truly be any real Cowboy fan's heaven."
Other superfans
Raymond Ortiz
He's a 41-year-old father of three. He and his wife, Elizde Martinez, named their sons, aged 9 and 3, "Dallas Cowboys" and "Cowboy Landry." Their daughter, also Elizde, is nicknamed "Little Star."
Ortiz says he suffers from a brittle bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, and doesn't have a steady job. But while Elizde works as a hairstylist, he usually can be found driving around Dallas in his 1999 "tricked-out" silver-and-blue Suburban that he dubbed "Mr. Cowboy." It sports a painting of Tom Landry on the hood.
Cowboys Life rim sits in the driveway as fans watch an away game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at the home of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz during a Dallas Cowboys watching party at his house in Dallas on Sunday, December 11, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz (center), Luis Guerrero "Lui the Great", Rap artist, of Dallas (right) and Albert Chavez (behind Raymond), of Dallas cheer on the Dallas Cowboys after an interception with Cowboy and during a Dallas Cowboys watching party at his house in Dallas on Sunday, December 11, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) in blue shirt brother of Cowboy
Fans watch an away game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at the home of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz during a Dallas Cowboys watching party at his house in Dallas on Sunday, December 11, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Raymond Ortiz talks to his son Cowboy Landry Ortiz during a Dallas Cowboys watch party for the Giants game at his house in Dallas on Sunday, December 11, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Then there is his similarly painted 2003 Chevy Tahoe he calls "The Playmaker." Naturally it has the likeness of Michael Irvin painted on the hood.
His wife's more sedate 1978 silver El Camino simply calls for those who see it to "Respect The Star."
His dream, he says, is to have one of his cars in a Cowboys Super Bowl parade.
Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz shows his chest tattoo featuring Dallas Cowboys rookies Ezekiel Elliott (21) and Dak Prescott (4) as well as Peggy Prescott done by tattoo artist Edgar Chaez at Ink House Tattoos in Irving on Thursday, December 8, 2016.
Mari Lopez (left) of Irving watches as Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz gets a tattoo of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on his side from tattoo artist Edgar Chavez at Ink House Tattoos in Irving, on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz gets a tattoo of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on his side from tattoo artist Edgar Chavez at Ink House Tattoos in Irving, on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Tattoo of an autograph from former Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson on the bicep of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz at Ink House Tattoos in Irving on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys themed SponegeBob SquarePants tattoo on the arm of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz as he gets another tattoo at Ink House Tattoos in Irving on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
1,2, 3, Cowboys Life tattoo on the arm of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz as he gets another tattoo at Ink House Tattoos in Irving on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Cowboys Life Family tattoo on the leg of Raymond "Cowboy" Ortiz as he gets another tattoo at Ink House Tattoos in Irving on Thursday, December 8, 2016. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
New across his chest this year is a tattoo of Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott bookending the Dallas skyline. The latest addition is a likeness of Jerry Jones tattooed on his left arm.
"I do this all for my love of the Cowboys," he said.
/Courtesy of Tony Holmes
Sporting his Terrell Owens pro bowl jersey, Cowboys superfan Tony Holmes (center) gets fired up at a 2008 Cowboys-Redskins game at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas.
Tony Holmes
He lives in his native Virginia, smack in the heart of Washington Redskins country. Still, he has been a Cowboys season ticket holder since the mid-1990s.
Airfare prohibits him from attending all Cowboys home games, so he carefully chooses which to fly in for. He says, however, he can't imagine missing next week's playoff game.
He is a regular at Cowboys road games in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
At 46, he said he traces his enthusiasm for the Cowboys to a Super Bowl XII party almost 39 years ago. That's when he fell hard for a fellow Tony -- Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett
On the job at shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Va., the production foreman likes to stir things up by wearing one of the jerseys from his extensive Cowboys wardrobe.
When he feels particularly mischievous, he wears the full Cowboys uniform, helmet and all. The last time he did it, he says, he caused a huge traffic jam in front of the plant.
Although his fiancée is not quite the Cowboys fan he is, he says she has accepted it.
"It's a lot of fun," he said about his rooting for the Cowboys. "I like standing out."
Stoney Kersh
It all started back when he was 4 years old and living in the mid-cities. Someone gave him a Cowboys blanket and a pack of football trading cards that included a Bob Lilly.
Now, 45 years later, he has parlayed the blanket and cards into a collection of Cowboys memorabilia that fills his Arlington house, its attic, garage and a rented storage unit.
Along with wife Diana, he works at the Smucker's plant in nearby Grand Prairie. But their obsession can be found 1.6 miles west of their home, down Randol Mill Road, at AT&T Stadium.
He notes that he moved to Arlington first, and the Cowboys followed several years later.
Inside his home, he has a treasure-trove of Cowboys memorabilia, which includes a toilet where you can lean on an old Texas Stadium seat back.
The value of the overflow collection? He says he has no idea. How do you put a price tag on a life's obsession?
Dallas Cowboys fan Stoney Kersh poses for a portrait in his house in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys fan Stoney Kersh adjusts a train on a track for a display with a replica of AT&T Stadium at his home in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of a Dallas Cowboys Bob Lilly electric football fame at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of various Dallas Cowboys themed Wheaties cereal boxes at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys themed commode with a custom toilet seat featuring a Texas Stadium seat back at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of a Dallas Cowboys picnic basket at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys themed motorcycle at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas Cowboys fan Stoney Kersh adjusts one of his Dallas Cowboys themed trains at his house in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of an Arizona Cardinals Emmitt Smith glove at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of Dallas Cowboys items dating back to the 1960's at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Detail of a Dallas Cowboys themed steins at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)Stoney Kersh Dallas Cowboys Museum in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
View of a section of Stoney Kersh's home in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)Stoney Kersh Dallas Cowboys Museum in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Various Dallas Cowboys game pins on display in the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington, on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Covered patio with a replica of the ring of the honor and field at the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Texas stadium chairs next to a custom grill in the backyard of the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
Various Dallas Cowboys centric Sports Illus https://signup.e2ma.net/<wbr>signup/1856897/1799873/" width="510" height="500" frameborder="0"> trated magazines on display in the home of Stoney Kersh in Arlington, on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)
He is happy to let fellow Cowboys fans ogle inside his home free of charge. On game days, he shuttles those in need of a ride to the stadium.
He has been to Cowboys home games over the years but has never been a season ticket holder. The drought ends next season.
He won 2017 season tickets from a Texas Lottery scratch-off game.
"I still don't believe it," he said. "I won't believe it until I get the tickets in my hands."
And then, once the tickets are used, they will be carefully placed alongside his other treasures.
"It's an amazing thing," he said of his lottery winnings. "Truly amazing."
Twitter: @bhorn55
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Superiorpapers.com > Epistemology of the closet (critical analysis)
Epistemology of the closet (critical analysis)
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s Epistemology of the Closet is an argument about the socially imposed binary oppositions that limits the people’s freedom and understanding, especially when it comes to human sexuality. The society has limited our concept of sexuality with just the homosexual or the heterosexual, and for Sedgwick, this is just too simplistic. The question that this argument raises then is what comprises human sexuality. The fact that it is society puts in an “A or B” situation is just too simple, something that Sedgwick does not accept because sexuality is such a complex idea.
By carefully analyzing and examining the Queer Theory, only then can we start understanding the human sexuality in-depth, as well as understand other important revelations in Sedgwick’s Epistemology. Reading through Sedgwick’s compilation, we can see that there are several contradictions that are often misunderstood by the modern society, and that language plays an important role when it comes to sexuality. She presents that labeled speech is a manifestation or proof of the nature of a person’s sexuality. One of the major concepts that relates to the Epistemology of the Closet is the Queer theory.
Upon understanding it, we can say that it is a process of learning, discovering or “uncovering” the underlying meanings, differences and similarities, and the relationships of power in large cultural setting, which others often misunderstood and simplify. It aims to disprove the modern theory practice of dividing concepts into comparative binaries like secrecy/disclosure, feminine/masculine, and a lot more (Masterson). According to queer theorists, queers represent a third sex, which eventually breaks the comparative binary placed by society over our understanding of sexuality.
In relation to this, it is said that there were two perspectives when it comes to sexual identity and desire: the minoritizing view and the universalizing view (O’Farrell). The minoritizing perspective states that certain individuals are indeed born gay, and those who find them interesting or share an interest with them are the ones who were born with deviant traits. On the other hand, the universalizing perspective states that homosexuality encompasses those persons who have a wide range of sexualities (Sedgwick).
In Epistemology, Eve Sedgwick points out that in making sense of the modern sexual understanding arise two major contradictions (Sedgwick). The first one is that the minoritizing view stands in opposition against the universalizing perspective. Sedgwick doesn’t wholly believe in any of the two, but instead believes in segments of each view. The second contradiction is that same-sex relationships provide structural boundaries but on the other hand, they also advance separation.
Another topic that Sedgwick highlight in the Epistemology is about language usage or labeling, when it comes to human sexuality. One example given is about the term homosexuality, which Sedgwick points out that it is a loaded term, which seemed to have a bit more of male bias. She points out that this may be because of the etymology of homo, which in Latin would mean man, or that when it comes to societal discourse regarding this concept, greater attention were given to men at this point (Sedgwick).
Another ambiguous term that Sedgwick points out is the term “gay,” which she said would produce mixed results. One example is how some women do not identify themselves with the term “gay” at all, instead they call themselves lesbians. On the other hand, some women would identify themselves as “gay women,” thus giving no sense to the term lesbian. Because of the ambiguity of these terms, Sedgwick points out that there is obviously a language conflict in this concept, and instead of helping clear out misunderstandings regarding human sexuality, it would just further cloud up minds.
Sedgwick again, associates this to the problems related to the modern binary opposition regarding homosexuality and heterosexuality. There another concept that Sedgwick focuses on, and it is the most important lingual distinction posed by the Epistemology. She forces her opinion that homosexuality is more just an act of speech. A person acknowledges homosexuality when she dresses-up like the opposite sex, acts like it also, and declares that he/she indeed is a homosexual. Admitting one’s homosexuality is an important part of being a homosexual, as Sedgwick puts it.
Then, if we are to think through what Sedgwick said, homosexuality may be a state of mind, and that as one admits of being so, then it validates being a homosexual. But in my opinion, homosexuality to its strictest sense may not be only limited to lingual distinction. One may have a strong sexual desire for the same sex, but does not dress up and act like what Sedgwick’s homosexual did. Without language or lingual distinction, this one would not be a homosexual according to Sedgwick standards, but one can say that homosexuality is about the feelings of desire towards the same sex.
Again, I may just be clouded by my initial understanding of what a homosexual is, which is why Sedgwick points out that binary oppositions can really be confusing. For one person, someone may be a homosexual, and for another he may be not. What this tells us, and what Sedgwick tells us is that human sexuality is indeed a very complex idea or concept, and unlike how the society has simplistically put it, it is not just about “A or B” with sexuality.
One important thought that Eve Sedgwick’s Epistemology of the Closet has brought up, is that trying to define sexuality would also mean trying to understand the concepts relating to the queer theory. The contents of Sedgwick’s Epistemology lead us to the understanding and application of the queer theory. As a queer theorist, she tries to explain and sort out the anti-intellectualism and re-naturalizing of identity categories, especially those that involve the mainstream gay culture, as it is often misunderstood by the society, and is often taken too lightly.
Epistemology boldly and uniquely attempts to let the readers understand and bring forth intellectual arguments regarding the world and life of gays. By trying to understand Eve Sedgwick’s Epistemology of the Closet, readers somehow seek the roots of the modern understanding of the homosexual and heterosexual dichotomy. Sedgwick successfully pointed out that we are indeed limited by the standard binary oppositions today, as it greatly limit our freedom and understand regarding such concepts.
This means that the modern understanding of homosexuality and heterosexuality is just too simplistic, that it often overlooks the important details of the concepts. Eve Sedgwick’s Epistemology has helped us understand these ideas, and it has proven that indeed, modern sexual contradictions have resulted to modern misunderstandings, often causing confusion and limited knowledge. Sedgwick also pointed out that language is a strong force that affects human sexuality, and that labeled speech are manifestations of the nature of a person’s sexuality.
Sedgwick successfully utilized the queer theory in uncovering the meanings of the abovementioned ideas which are often masked by modern culture’s misunderstandings.
Masterson, Mark Anthony. “Epistemology of the Closet Review”. 2006. International Gay & Lesbian Review. October 29 2008. <http://gaybookreviews. info/review/2658/556>. O’Farrell, Mary Ann. “Queer Theory 101. ” Outburst Magazine. Spring (1997). Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Epistemology of the Closet. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press, 1990.
Orientalism Critical Analysis
A Reflection on Melissa Fryrear’s The Seeds that Grew
South Park’s Representations of Homosexuality
A Critical Discussion Of The Play
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Eduzaurus.com > Historical Accounts
Historical Accounts
Formally referred as Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, the Warsaw Pact of 1955 is wrote for the purpose of integrating the military, economic and cultural strategies of the socialist countries located in Central and Eastern Europe excluding Yugoslavia. It was signed in May 14, 1955 in the Polish Capital of Warsaw following a three-day convention with signatories being USSR, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, East Germany, Romania and Czechoslovakia.
Albania earlier withdrew from membership in 1961 due to difference in beliefs particularly in interference of Soviet Union in Hungary and also it chose to support China over Soviet Union in 1968 separation of Sino-Soviet alliance. With reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, the closing assembly of the Pact’s members finally happened in 1991 at Prague that ended Warsaw Pact of 1955. The framework behind the drafting of the Pact is derived way back from Soviet’s experience in World War II particularly how it fought against German troops.
Being the dominant country in the Pact enabled its proven-effective “command and control procedure” to guide its allies towards a coherent offence and defense stance. Also contributed by the same war, the Soviet’s leadership in the Pact is attributed by its military presence in the national territories of almost all Pact members except Albania and Czechoslovakia. To complete the evidence to prove the significance of the Pact, the Soviet used its bilateral treaties to its allies to encourage membership and creation of its East European alliance blockade against enemies.
These events all contributed to the shaping and eventual signing of the Pact. In the initial years of the Pact’s execution, it is held merely as diplomatic tool although it gained success in encouraging Europe to remove American military presence in the continent, shaking West-nation relationships and impressive guile of Soviet over Western pressures. As expected, the Soviet Union largely exploited its dominance and membership in the Pact to mobilize its plans and strategies.
It succeeded control over member-allies, majority of the Pact’s leaders are Russians and obtained ability to violate the Pact’s explicit and implicit rules with minimal contention. The last feature also served as starting point of military aggression of Soviet not to supposedly Western perpetuators but more on the Pact’s members. One illustration is the Revolution inflicted in Hungary in 1956 where Soviet troops interfered and eradicated the hostility.
Another, when Czechoslovakia wanted to distance from the Pact and protect its sovereignty in 1968, Soviet troops led the invasion with far larger combatants being sent compared to other members. Lastly, the Soviet pressured Poland to sustain the latter commitment on the Pact. In these cases, the same Pact that promised non-interference on internal affairs of its members diluted this principle. Discussion of the Pact’s Contents
The Pact reflected the counter-measure of the Soviet-headed faction against the creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 and its active move in militarizing West Germany that can ignite warfare across Europe and persuading Middle East countries to attack Soviet Union including its allies. The NATO protagonists that the Pact is directly addressing are USA, Great Britain and France. It is intended to maintain peace in Europe and desired to gather the support of all European countries regardless of political and cultural structures.
As the Pact used the doctrine of the United Nations, it is eager to protect the independence of potential and pre-determined members. It created two administrators; namely, the Political Consultative Committee and Unified Command of Pact Armed Forces which are responsible for the non-military and military activities of the Pact respectively. There are eleven articles stated in the Pact. The first article affirmed the use of violence in settling international peace in accordance with United Nation Standards.
The second article specified the principle of the precedence in the commitment to reduce armed assault and abolition of biological weapons of mass destruction. The third article addressed the issues of coordination among members in reaching a decision. The fourth article asserted mutual military assistance if one of the members are attached by outside forces. The fifth and sixth articles are both intended to establish the Pact administrators mentioned above.
The seventh article barred Pact members to enter associations and treaties which may be bilateral, multilateral or even international in nature if it against the tenets of the present Pact. Perhaps the most controversial, the eight article barred members to participate in internal affairs of another. The ninth, tenth and eleventh articles stated the eligibility of inspiring members, ratification closures and duration (e. g. twenty years). Impact to USA
The Pact gave USSR the same international leadership that can level with the US. According to Albanian authorities, USSR and US interests are engraved in both Warsaw Pact and NATO respectively. The supposed war particularly observed in Cold War is merely intended to create a motivational issue to strengthen military forces of both super powers. This included deployment of troops within the boundaries of allies that mobilize the Soviet Power on Europe especially on the eastern part.
As a result, the prominence of USA as the most influential nation in the global scene is demoted by the creation of the Pact which gave rise and supported the leadership of USSR not only in the Eastern Europe but more importantly in the international arena. Further, the Pact disrupted the intention of USA to promote capitalism in the communist countries that resulted to slower mobilization of US-based companies. Even after the dissolution of the Pact in 1991, its implications on the US can be argued.
The military strategy of the Soviet is superior to the US version of NATO that led to acceptance of some countries in the developing world to support USSR in its ideologies that includes Yemen and Ethiopia. The Pact fostered standardization not only of armaments, where the concept of NATO dwells, but beliefs among sovereign countries. As a result, political and economic elements are included in every decision and cooperation among the Pact members. The inability of US to maintain the top-most position in influencing international relations is seen as loophole in NATO.Generally, this weakness trickled difficulties of efficient control over the resources of US outside its borders.
Bonds, R. (1980). The Soviet War Machine, Salamander Books; London. Douglass, J. (1980). Soviet Military Strategy in Europe, Pergamon Press; New York. The Avalon Project. Retrieved on December 6, 2007 on www. yale. edu/lawweb/avalon/intdip/soviet/warsaw. htm Fordham. Retrieved on December 6, 2007 on www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/1955warsawpact. html
The Soviet Domination of Eastern Europe
Was the policy of containment correct for the U.S. to follow after WWII?
Historical fact
Some People Never Change
Sample Essay of Eduzaurus.com
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Home » Knowledge Base » An Investigation into the Effects of Underwater Piling Noise on Salmonids
An Investigation into the Effects of Underwater Piling Noise on Salmonids
Title: An Investigation into the Effects of Underwater Piling Noise on Salmonids
Authors: Nedwell, J.; Turnpenny, A.; Lovell, J.; Edwards, B.
Journal: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America
Acoustical Society of America, Plymouth University, Subacoustech Ltd
Stressor:
Wind Energy general, Offshore Wind
Nedwell, J.; Turnpenny, A.; Lovell, J.; Edwards, B. (2006). An Investigation into the Effects of Underwater Piling Noise on Salmonids. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 120(5), 2550-2554.
Underwater piling was undertaken in 2003 in Southampton Water on the South Coast of England. Monitoring was simultaneously undertaken of the waterborne sound from impact and vibropiling and its effects on brown trout in cages at increasing distances from the piling. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) were used as a model for salmon (Salmo salar), which were the species of interest but were not readily available. No obvious signs of trauma that could be attributed to sound exposure were found in any fish examined, from any of the cages. No increase in activity or startle response was seen to vibropiling. Analysis using the dBht metric indicated that the noise at the nearest cages during impact piling reached levels at which salmon were expected to react strongly. However, the brown trout showed little reaction. An audiogram of the brown trout was measured by the Auditory Brainstem Response method, which indicated that the hearing of the brown trout was less sensitive than that of the salmon. Further analysis indicated that this accounted for the relative lack of reaction, and demonstrated the importance of using the correct species of fish as a model when assessing the effect of noise.
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WHO says Malaria related deaths drops in Africa
April 24, 2019 Admin2 SundiataPost Health Comments Off on WHO says Malaria related deaths drops in Africa
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, – The African Regional Office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that malaria-related deaths in the region have dropped from 555,000 to 403,000 between year 2010 and 2017.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing to mark the 2019 “World Malaria Day”.
Moeti, who was represented by Dr Clement Peter, the WHO Nigeria Officer-in-Charge, said that the number of new cases in the region has also reduced from 206 million to 200 million within the seven years.
She however said the region still has the highest burden of the disease globally, even though some countries are making significant effort and showing feasible results in reducing the number of new cases and deaths.
Moeti urged the Federal Government and leaders of African countries to continue to accelerate progress, saying “ as there are still gaps in implementing preventive measures to control the disease’’.
She said there would be acceleration in the pace of progress to achieve a 40 per cent drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020 compared to 2015 levels.
“This will propel countries along the road to elimination and contribute to the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals such as improving maternal and child health.
“The number of malaria-related deaths fell from 550,000 to 403,000 in the same period.
“Two countries in the region; Ethiopia and Rwanda, are among 20 countries globally that experienced a significant decrease in malaria cases and deaths by more than 20 per cent in 2017 compared to 2016.
“The statistics for Nigeria shows some progress. In 2010, the burden was 40 per cent but in 2015 the burden has dropped to 27 per cent.
“I am sure that if we do another study for Nigeria for the period between 2015 and 2018, we might see different figures which mean we are making progress with the support of partners.’’
Moeti said that half of the people who were at risk of malaria across sub-Saharan Africa are now sleeping under insecticide-treated nets in 2017 as compared to 30 per cent in 2010.
“This is indicating some success in behaviour change and outreach campaigns, the progress still needs to be sustained.
“In spite of the progress experienced in the region, the 2018 ‘World malaria Report” revealed an increase of 3.4 million cases of malaria in 2017 in the 10 highest burden countries in the region.
“Alarmingly for Africa, 15 countries that contributed 80 per cent of the worldwide malaria burden except India were in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“In addition to India, 10 out of the 15 countries accounted for 70 per cent of the global malaria cases and deaths.’’
Moeti called for renewed political commitment among governments in the region, increased investments on malaria prevention and control, allocation of adequate resources, work across sectors and strengthening of cross-border collaboration.
She urged governments in the region to mobilise all necessary internal and external resources and ensure intersectional collaboration to eliminate malaria.
The theme for this year’s commemoration of world malaria day is “Zero Malaria Starts with me”.
Moeti said the theme stresses the need to empower individuals across the world to make a personal commitment to saving more lives and helping communities and economies thrive by eliminating malaria.
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New Exhibition Showcases Steuben Glass Collection Commissioned to Advance US Diplomatic Relations
ASIAN ARTISTS IN CRYSTAL: STEUBEN GLASS AT SUNNYLANDS OPENS JANUARY 28
January 11, 2015–A collaboration between the U.S. State Department, the Steuben Glass company, and artists from nations in Asia and the Middle East became a diplomatic and public relations success in the 1950s as the United States engaged in a program of cultural diplomacy. Asian Artists in Crystal, a set of 36 glass objects made by Steuben and engraved with designs submitted by artists from 16 countries, might also have been the first international museum blockbuster, pre-dating by 20 years the Treasures of Tutankhamun, considered the museum exhibition that ushered in the era of blockbuster shows.
The entire series, purchased by Walter and Leonore Annenberg in 1971 for their home in Rancho Mirage, will be on exhibition at Sunnylands Center & Gardens from January 28, 2016 through May 28, 2017. This is the first time the collection has left the house since it was installed there in a William Haines-designed custom gallery more than 40 years ago. Asian Artists in Crystal: Steuben Glass at Sunnylands is the only known complete collection of the series. The 36 crystal works will be exhibited with photographic reproductions of a selection of the original drawings, which are held by the New York Public Library. The exhibition is on view when Sunnylands Center is open: Thursday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm. Admission is free.
According to Janice Lyle, director of Sunnylands Center & Gardens, the Sunnylands exhibition was planned for 2016 to mark the 60th anniversary of the opening of the exhibition at the National Gallery in January 1956. “The exhibition also coincides with our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the historic house,” explains Lyle, “But more importantly, it focuses attention on the use of art and culture for diplomatic purposes, something the Annenbergs promoted throughout their lives together.” Among many other accomplishments in this area, Leonore Annenberg was one of the founders of the Foundation for Art in Embassies Program (FAPE), which provides permanent works of American art to embassies across the world.
Following World War II, the world was philosophically divided between the free market capitalism of the United States and the increasing strength of Communism as embodied by the USSR. The two countries had emerged as competing powerful nations. As the world entered a “cold war” era, the United States began a systematic effort to burnish its reputation and solicit friendships among countries in the Far East. Among the diplomatic methods used was this unique cultural exchange, resulting in the collection Asian Artists in Crystal.
The diplomatic effort paired Asian artists with master engravers and glassmakers at Steuben. The results were then exhibited at two of the most prestigious art museums in the United States—the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The entire series then toured throughout Asia and the Middle East from 1956 to 1958 when more than 490,000 people—from school children to presidents and royalty—were introduced, perhaps for the first time, to the United States. This ambitious undertaking, with the State Department as a partner, provided a way to open dialogue, build allies, and strengthen influence in countries that were unfamiliar with, curious about, and even ill-informed about the United States.
An 80-page exhibition catalog includes historic photos of the collection, relevant photos from the original museum exhibitions and of the original drawings, and essays by Warmus and Sunnylands librarian and archivist Frank Lopez, the exhibition’s curator. The catalog is available for $15 in the Sunnylands Gift Shop.
On January 28 at 2:00 pm, Mr. Warmus a former curator at the Corning Glass Museum, will be the featured speaker at the Rancho Mirage Public Libraryas part of the Sunnylands Series. He will speak about the endeavor after World War II that brought together the United States Department of State, the Steuben Glass Company, and 36 artists from 16 Asian and Middle and Near Eastern countries for diplomatic purposes.
Admission to the library is free, seating is first come, first served.
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Home Entertainment Movies REVIEW: Does ‘Smallfoot’ bash religion?
REVIEW: Does ‘Smallfoot’ bash religion?
Children’s movies never have been fully innocent, but the past few years have brought us an unusual number of films with questionable plots – especially if you’re a Christian parent.
The 2016 Disney film Moana had beautiful scenery and catchy tunes to accompany its worldview of polytheism, animism and reincarnation. The 2017 Disney/Pixar movie Coco was entertaining from beginning to end, assuming you could overlook its affirmation of the Day of the Dead and communication with the deceased.
The movie never says the words “religion” or “God,” but the savvy moviegoer will quickly connect the dots.
And now we have Smallfoot, which opens this weekend and tells the story of a young yeti (read: abominable snowman) named Migo who lives in a village of other yetis and sets out to prove that “smallfoot” creatures (read: humans) actually exist.
It’s a Warner Bros. Animation movie that I enjoyed, even if I cannot fully endorse it. Let me explain.
Migo and his fellow yeti villagers have been told their whole lives that humans don’t exist. They know this because the yeti “Stones” say so. Written on these Stones is the yeti law that explains what’s right and what’s wrong. It tells them how to live and what to do. It even includes the yeti creation story (their world was formed when it fell out of the backside of a sky yak).
But when Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) randomly sees and interacts with a smallfoot – it’s a pilot who had parachuted from a crashing plane – no one believes him. And because there’s no evidence (the pilot and plane fell off the mountain), he has no proof.
“Are you saying a Stone is wrong?” the village leader, the Stonekeeper, asks.
Because Migo refuses to lie about what he saw – others believe he saw a yak — he gets banished from the village.
Thus, Migo sets out to prove that humans do exist and that the Stones are wrong. Other yetis support his endeavor. One says to a reluctant Migo: “It’s not just about tearing down old ideas. It’s about finding new ones.” When the Stonekeeper finally admits that the Stone traditions were invented to protect the yetis (it’s too complicated to explain here), he says in a rap, “What’s true and not true is in the eye of the beholder.” Migo says that junking the Stone teachings may be scary “but it’s better than living a lie.”
The movie never says the words “religion” or “God,” but the savvy moviegoer will quickly connect the dots. The yetis’ beliefs – their religion — was repressive and make-believe. The next generation will fix everything!
I doubt Smallfoot was intended to have an anti-religion theme. In fact, the movie is being promoted to faith audiences thanks to its other themes: friendship, forgiveness, courage, truth-telling and exploration. Those should be applauded.
To the filmmakers credit, my 10-year-old son and I laughed throughout the film and walked out entertained. The Stones-religion angle went over his head.
But the plot may trouble some families. The good news is that Christianity can withstand our tough questions. Unlike the yeti leader, we should encourage our children to ask questions! (My favorite site for answers:GotQuestions.org.) This, of course, is because Christianity is true.
I can’t recommend Smallfoot. If you go, though, you may want to be prepared to talk about it on the ride home.
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Rated PG for some action, rude humor, and thematic elements.
With the new controversial sex education guidelines and vaccine exemptions for public school children being severely limited on everyone’s minds, parents nationwide are rethinking...
“Extraordinary” Movie – One Night Event, September 7
REVIEW: Is ‘Avengers: Endgame’ OK for kids?
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AN UNTHINKABLE WORLD CUP
Filed under: ISIS executes boys for watching soccer, Uncategorized | Tags: 1972 Munich Olympics, 2015 Asian Cup, Al-Yarmouk, Australia, Black September, Brisbane, Doha, FIFA, FIFA Executive Committee, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, Israel, Japan, Jordan, London, Madrid, Mosul, New York, Persian Gulf, Qatar, South Korea, Sydne, Tokyo, U.S., Zurich
ISIS militants executed 13 teen-aged boys in Islamic State-controlled Mosul for watching the 2015 Asian Cup first-round match between Iraq and Jordan.
The youngsters were caught in the Al-Yarmouk district taking in the match being televised from Brisbane, Australia. Accused of violating Sharia law, they were rounded up and, after their crime was announced over loudspeaker, machine-gunned to death in a public execution. Family members did not immediately recover the bodies out of fear of murder by ISIS gunmen. [January 12]
Comment: The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar. The tiny Middle Eastern state on the Persian Gulf was selected host nation in a vote of the FIFA Executive Committee in 2010 that had a strong odor to it and left runners-up the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Korea dumbfounded. Since then, concerns over the heat in Qatar in June and July–the traditional World Cup months–have stirred speculation that the event would be shifted to December-January for the first time ever, a move that would turn many of the world’s club schedules upside down. And, most recently, the release of the report of an investigation into suspicions that the Qataris bought the Executive Committee has been stonewalled by FIFA. But if matches played in 107-degree temperatures and bald corruption aren’t enough to prompt FIFA to reconsider its decision to risk its prime jewel (a.k.a., its prime cash cow), perhaps it’s this heinous execution in Mosul.
As the Qatari delegation asked of the Executive Committee in its final pitch to become the ’22 host nation, “When?” When would a World Cup be awarded to a region that is as passionate about soccer as any on the planet? But the turmoil in that part of the world continues to grow, and with it the fear that if ISIS is ultimately defeated over the next few years, another extreme Islamist force will take its place. And, as these ISIS monsters demonstrated, while soccer is blithely called a religion around the world, to a few on the edge of sanity, to them it’s an anti-religion.
That raises the formerly unthinkable prospect that a World Cup could be a prime target of terrorists–namely, Qatar ’22. Previously, it was easy to believe that the World Cup was immune to any sort of attack because of soccer’s sky-high popularity. The Black September massacre of Israeli wrestlers at the 1972 Munich Summer Games shattered the image of the Olympics as a joyous festival of global goodwill–and turned the planet against the terrorists behind it. But today’s terrorists doesn’t care. We’ve seen through the beheadings and the summary execution of boys that they have no public relations department and don’t want one. If they enrage soccer fans around the globe, they’ve made their point in the strongest possible terms. Worse still, they may be able to reach New York, London, Madrid, and Tokyo, but striking in their own backyard is so much easier. And that should be cause for concern at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. This latest atrocity was committed in Mosul. That’s only 910 miles from Doha, the capital of Qatar.
For the record: Iraq, whose soccer triumphs have united the country like nothing else, beat Jordan that day, 1-0, and later finished second in its Asian Cup group to advance to the quarterfinals, where it edged arch rival Iran on penalty kicks, 7-6, after a 3-3 draw. The Iraqis succumbed in the semifinals to South Korea, 2-0, in Sydney.
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Satellite Images Show a Research Center in Syria Before and After Airstrikes
This satellite image, taken Monday morning, shows the Barzah Research and Development Center in Damascus after it was struck by coalition forces on Friday.
satellite image © 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company
By Casey Quackenbush
Before dawn on Saturday, a coalition of U.S., U.K. and French forces launched more than 100 missiles targeting three chemical facilities in Syria in retaliation for an apparent chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians on April 7. New satellite images show a glimpse of the damage done by the strike.
A photograph released Sunday by DigitalGlobe, an American company that specializes in space imaging, appears to show what remains of the Barzah Research and Development Center in Damascus after being struck. According to a Pentagon official, targets were selected that participated in the research, development and deployment of chemical weapons.
Here’s what the Barzah site looked like before and after the strike:
The Barzah Research and Development Center in Damascus, Syria, before it was struck by coalition forces on Saturday.
Satellite image © 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company.
A total of 76 missiles were launched on the Barzah site, according to Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Department of Defense Joint Staff Director. “This is going to set the Syrian chemical weapons program back for years,” McKenzie said in a press briefing.
Syria condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of the international law,” according to Syria’s official SANA news agency.
Syria has been locked in a civil war since 2011 that has killed at least 350,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Write to Casey Quackenbush at casey.quackenbush@time.com.
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While denying that Skolasajf this year had been hit by staff shortages, the Education Ministry would not comment on complaints about the educators’ working conditions and overcrowding in classes.
These issues were raised on Tuesday in a statement by the Union of Professional Educators, which called on the government to address the situation with urgency.
This year over 12,000 children have applied to participate in Skolasajf, which is being offered in 59 centres by the Foundation for Educational Services. About 800 child support workers and 800 play workers have been engaged.
In a statement, the UPE said turnout from educators wanting to take part in the voluntary scheme was low due to the unattractive working conditions and a “meagre” rate of €5.91 per hour.
Moreover, it expressed concern that the situation had been made even worse by the large intake of children, which resulted in overcrowded classes.
In view of this, the union called on the Education Ministry and the FES to ensure that adequate facilities would be in place, and that class sizes would not exceed the limit set by law.
The UPE, which was only set up a few months ago, also took a dig at the Malta Union of Teachers, accusing it of not taking action in the past over this issue.
Contacted by Times of Malta, an MUT spokesman clarified it had raised the issue in a meeting with the FES in an attempt to find a solution. While confirming that it too had received complaints of overcrowding and understaffing, he said its objective was to be in a position to negotiate a collective agreement for FES employees in order to improve working conditions. However, it expressed its disappointment that it had asked for official recognition months ago but received no feedback.
“It is evident that the Ministry for Education is not interested in improving the conditions, as the recognition process is the first step towards an agreement on improved conditions,” the MUT spokesman told this newspaper.
Times of Malta sought the reaction of the Education Ministry on the issues of overcrowding, working conditions and staff shortages. In a terse reply a spokeswoman said that according to the FES there were no staff shortages at all. FES confirmed this in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
The ministry made no reference whatsoever to the other issues raised by this newspaper.
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Estate Artwork
Select an Artist Sarah ArnoldDoris Winchell BakerLisa Bloomingdale BellRichard Bunkall (1953-1999)Armand CabreraAndrea CangemiC.M. CooperJane CoulombeBruce Sanford DayBridget DuffyArthur EgeliShirley FlynnAnna FranconeEllie FreudensteinPatrick HarperSam Hyde Harris (1889 - 1977)Robert Heindel (1938 - 2005)Donald HildrethAbby Williams HillRichard HumphreyJennifer HurleyFrank LaLumiaPaulette LeeM Kathryn MasseyCecilia MiguezArthur MortimerRon PekarMark RobertsSusan E. RodenMartha Saudek (1923-2015)Anna Lee Stacey (1865-1943)Beatrice Stuart (1917 - 2003)Zolita SverdloveValerie Johnson TrimarchiAgostino Zaliani
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Tirage Fine Art Gallery was proud to be one of the sponsors of "Who is Sam? Sam Hyde Harris (1889-1977)" at the Pasadena Museum of History in 2007. This landmark...
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Mark Roberts graduated from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with a degree in graphic design. Late, he received his formal fine art education at...
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Agostino Zaliani
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« ‘It was my job to get Mike Rinder’s trash’ — A former Scientology spy begins to spill her guts
When two political longshots spar over Joy Villa and Scientology, everyone wins »
Joy Villa’s ex talks about her domestic violence arrest and the child she put up for adoption
By Tony Ortega | January 8, 2018
Cory Duncan first contacted us several months ago when he saw our articles about his ex-girlfriend Joy Villa, and how the Scientology “celebrity” was skyrocketing to fame because she’d worn a “Trump” dress at the Grammy Awards last February.
He had some pretty interesting things to say about his relationship with Villa, which took place about ten years ago, and which resulted in the birth of a baby girl.
It was only recently, however, that Duncan got back in touch with us and gave us more solid information, which we were able to confirm through public records. And so, for the first time, we’re getting a much more complete picture about Joy Villa and her past before she became a major Scientology donor and the poster woman for the “Make America Great Again” movement.
It’s actually a fascinating journey.
We’ve emailed Joy several times, hoping that she would help us complete that picture as well, but she hasn’t responded to messages we’ve sent over several months.
Duncan’s account, however, is backed up by multiple public records, including Joy’s 2007 arrest in Van Nuys on a domestic violence charge, when she attacked Duncan on a public street and right in front of a policeman.
She was 21 at the time.
Duncan himself was 27, and had only recently moved to Los Angeles from his native Arkansas, where, by his own admission, he’d had a very difficult time growing up, got involved in drugs, and as a result was the victim of violence. He moved to LA to get away from that environment, and by then he had already been diagnosed as suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression, and was getting treatment for it. And at first, he says, LA’s streets were a nightmare for him as he tried to find his way.
Not long after he arrived, however, he made friends with some people who showed him how he could make minimum wage by simply sitting in the audience at television shows. And he was making $8.50 an hour sitting in the crowd watching the taping of America’s Got Talent when he first met Joy Angela Villa, who was also getting paid to be an audience member.
“She had dreadlocks, and lip piercings. She was wearing a Guns N’ Roses T-shirt over a mariachi dress, and snakeskin boots — and she pulled it off. She was so rock and roll,” he says, still enjoying the memory.
And then, a few weeks later, as unlikely as it might be in a city like Los Angeles, the two randomly ran into each other again, and again they hit it off. This time, though, Joy took him home, Duncan says. And he stayed for about a month.
“It was a scene. I was sleeping on the couch. Joy was in her room, her younger sister Veronica had a room. Her dad, Joseph, had a friend, a black guy, who lived there too, and a German woman was living in the garage.”
Joseph Mario Villa was 72 when he died in 2012. A US Army vet who served in Vietnam, he’s buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Southern California, and Duncan tells us Joseph was of Italian extraction and definitely pronounced his last name as “vill-uh,” and not the Spanish pronunciation “vee-ya.” Joy’s African-American mother, Mildred Pierce, who went by her middle name, Angela, was a troubled woman who suffered from severe schizophrenia and who died in 2009 at only 52. When Angela Villa came over, which was infrequent, it was incredibly stressful for Joy, Cory says.
“You couldn’t take Angela anywhere, because she’d be telling people that there were demons coming out of the walls. Joy took it very hard,” he says.
Cory and Joy kept looking for audience work and work as extras — “background actors,” in Hollywood parlance — but soon Joseph wanted to know what their plans were. “He wasn’t really happy about us being a couple. And Joy, when she gets upset, watch out. She actually freaked out and kicked his window out — they had a bay window, and she just busted it. Joseph was really angry, so Joy and I decided we’d go stay with some people she knew, a couple in North Hollywood.”
It was while they were in North Hollywood that they had another visit from Joy’s mother, Angela, who once again was nearly out of control.
“We were a couple in our 20s trying to make it in Hollywood while trying to care for Joy’s schizophrenic mother. It wasn’t easy,” he says. “Joy had even written a song about how hard it is to have a schizophrenic mom. Joy was a really big Christian at the time, by the way. We attended a church in Burbank. And one day, we were in Van Nuys, trying to cash an $800 check for Angela that a man had written to her for her car. Angela couldn’t cash it — she didn’t have proper ID.”
It was August 20, 2007, and Joy was extremely stressed out by the situation. And while the three of them were crossing a road in Van Nuys, Joy and her mother got into a physical altercation in the middle of the street.
“I ran over to pull them apart, and Joy grabbed my arm and pulled so hard, she dislocated my shoulder,” Cory says. His shoulder searing in pain, he screamed in agony. “Joy was freaking out, and she just slugged me. And a Van Nuys cop just happened to be sitting right there, watching the whole thing.”
When the police officer responded, Corey says, Joy was still out of control. “She was spitting on the cop and on me and on her mom. When Joy has a fit, it’s epic.”
Court records show that Joy was booked under California penal code 273.5(A), which is domestic violence with injury to a spouse. It can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor. She was also charged with a misdemeanor criminal trespass violation, a catchall charge.
“They told me her bond would be $50,000. I called her aunt in Virginia, who said she was getting Joy an attorney. But when I went to the courthouse the next day, there was no attorney,” Cory says. “Joy was there in an orange jumpsuit. I started pleading with the judge, saying I was from Arkansas and that this woman was all I’ve got. She lowered the bond from $50,000 to releasing Joy on her own recognizance. But it scared the crap out of Joy.”
Eventually, the domestic violence charge was dropped as Joy pleaded no contest to the trespass charge and was sentenced to three years probation and a fine of $400, the court record shows.
Despite that brush with the law, Cory and Joy kept looking for their Hollywood break, finding themselves on sets for group scenes, like when they took part in an imagined marijuana political event in a first-season episode of Showtime’s Californication. In the episode, “Fear and Loathing at the Fundraiser,” you can briefly see Joy in her dreadlocks, handing out political pamphlets. They were also in the background for scenes in ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money, UPN’s Girlfriends, and several films. And throughout it, they were hoping, like everyone around them, to break through to something bigger.
[Joy appears for a moment as an extra in a 2007 first-season episode of Californication.]
“No person in Hollywood has a plan for the future other than to be famous. No one there thinks of anything else,” Cory says. The same was true for him and for Joy, he adds.
“We used to joke about infiltrating the Church of Scientology,” he says, acknowledging that for many wannabes in Hollywood, Scientology was always beckoning, always promising a leg up.
“It was supposed to be a way into Hollywood. I even did one of their short films. That was so weird,” Cory says. “It was a shoot at a house in Beverly Hills filled with all of these skinny, spacey people. Mainly there were a lot of women there. They were filming a movie about the ‘reactive mind.’ I actually play a father in that, and I was only 27 at the time.”
When they were between gigs, they tried a number of other ways to bring in money. One thing they turned to repeatedly was canvassing, getting paid to get signatures on various political initiatives and for political parties.
Joy was a “die-hard Democrat,” Cory says — “she said George Bush was scum” — but they both knew that Republican causes paid huge premiums if they could get African-Americans to sign petitions and give over their information. “You would get $4 for a white person, but they’d pay $30 for a black person,” he claims. “And Joy knew it. She considered it a challenge. She didn’t care that it went against her own politics, she just knew if we could get black people to sign up for Republican causes, it made a lot more money. You would sign up three black people and it would be a full day’s pay,” he says.
But most of the time, they were chasing their Hollywood dream.
And then, suddenly, everything stopped.
In November, Hollywood’s writers went on strike, and all production was halted. For small time players like Cory and Joy, there was simply no work to be had.
“We were hearing about a writers’ strike, but we had no idea how much it was going to affect us. We left Hollywood and ended up going to Washington state. Joy knew a woman named Terry up there, in Olympia. We thought it was a good idea to get away from the Hollywood environment for a while.”
But things were no easier there, and they actually broke off their relationship for a few weeks. Joy went to Seattle, and then found some work modeling for a website. “It was like Suicide Girls stuff. Girls getting naked and posing all over each other. There was no actual sex. A lot of the photos you’re seeing people post now come from that period. But she wasn’t a sex worker. She wasn’t actually working as a dominatrix. She was just posing in photos like that,” he says.
He admits that he was uncomfortable with some of the shots which had violent imagery, but as the year ended, they reconciled and moved in together again.
And it was on New Year’s Eve, as 2008 began, that Cory believes he and Joy conceived their child.
“I was pretty sure I had got her pregnant, so we went to the Planned Parenthood in Tumwater, Washington. Yes, she was pregnant. We signed up for state support and I signed on as the father and she as the mother. And I went to all of her doctor’s visits with her.”
While they were living together in Washington, they had been living on his state support for his mental health diagnosis. And he says it was difficult because Joy insisted on buying expensive groceries for her vegan lifestyle. “You would go to the store and we had to buy all of these specialty things, and a single bag of groceries would cost like $160. After she got pregnant, I told her she had to stop being a vegan for the sake of the baby. She started eating chicken,” he says.
Despite the state’s support, Cory says they didn’t like the place where they were living and decided to pick a better spot for raising a child. So then they went to Arkansas and moved in with Cory’s father.
Cory admits that for Joy, it was a demoralizing change. “It really took it out of her. She felt so out of place,” he says. “And I end up getting picked up by the police. I had a previous warrant from 2004.”
Cory had been previously married (he has two children from previous relationships), and his ex-wife had filed charges, claiming that he had threatened her, which he denies. “But I never took care of it, so by the time they picked me up on it, it was pretty serious. I ended up spending nine months in jail.”
Joy didn’t wait around for him to get out. Cory learned that Joy had left when he got a notice after the September 2008 birth of their daughter from an adoption agency in Southern California. “I was still in jail. The notice asked that if I was the father, I needed to contact them right away. And I filled it out right away,” he says.
He wasn’t released from jail until February 2009. He called the adoption agency, and he says he got no information about what had happened with his daughter. When he contacted Joy, she told him that her attempts at a music recording career were beginning to bear fruit — she had achieved some notoriety in Thailand, Cory says — but she didn’t respond to his questions about their daughter.
“I never heard from her again,” Cory says.
He has since learned their daughter’s name, and that Joy entered into an “open” adoption so she can still see the girl from time to time (which she has mentioned in interviews). But Cory has been unable to get any other information about the girl and hasn’t seen her.
It irks him, he says, that in interviews Joy has said that she had a child with an abusive “drug addict,” which he denies. “We argued, but I never abused her,” he says.
“Whenever I try to contact her about it, she never responds. She’s banking on the idea that I’m not a millionaire and can’t sue her,” he says.
Not long after Joy left Cory, she got involved in Scientology around the year 2010. We first began to notice her in 2014, when her antics as a no-name Scientology celebrity just couldn’t be ignored. Over the next few years, we noted that she seemed desperate to get noticed for something — anything — and was using Scientology to make it happen.
At the 2015 Grammy Awards, she showed up wearing a dress made of snowfence that was comical for how little of her it covered. It had been dreamed up by a friend, Andre Soriano, who followed that up the next year with something even more revealing that might have come from the movie Barbarella.
[Joy Villa’s Grammy dresses, by Andre Soriano, from 2015 (left) to 2017 (right)]
She soon became one of the most active, most involved Scientologists we had ever seen, appearing in Scientology publications and in social media put out by Scientology’s various front groups. Meanwhile, she kept trying various gimmicks to get noticed — at one point, in 2015 for example, “training” her waist to be scarily small, and then in 2016 winning an award for vegan bodybuilding.
And increasingly, she showed up at Scientology events with longtime church member Thorsten von Overgaard, a wealthy Danish photographer and fancy dresser who is 21 years her senior. In October 2016, Joy and Thorsten became “Patron Meritorious” donors for having given at least $250,000 to the church, and they were married at Scientology’s holiest site, the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida, on Christmas Day 2016.
Joy has reached the state of “Clear” in Scientology, which can take years of work up the “Bridge to Total Freedom” and requires many hours of “auditing” — Scientology’s form of counseling — which involves having a subject “remember” their experiences in past lives going back millions of years and on other planets. Recently, we spoke with Dani Lemberger, a former Scientologist who still ascribes to the tenets of L. Ron Hubbard’s teachings, and he assured us that someone like Joy Villa attaining the state of Clear would require many hours of whole track auditing going back millions or billions of years.
Former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder, meanwhile, has asserted that any Scientologist who goes as far as Joy Villa has would have been convinced to give up what are called “other practices” as they absorb Hubbard’s teachings that the world’s other religions are all false, and that Jesus Christ, for example, is an invention, a figment of the imagination. “There was no Christ,” Hubbard can be heard to say on a 1968 recording.
Still, the incompatibility of Joy Villa’s involvement in Scientology with her past as an ardent Christian would never have been of interest to anyone except for what she did at the 2017 Grammy Awards celebration, when for the third time she showed up wearing an Andre Soriano creation. This time it was the infamous “Make America Great Again” pro-Trump dress which instantly launched Joy into stardom.
Joy’s otherwise unknown music suddenly became a hot seller — in a recent interview, she seemed miffed when the host failed to point out that she had even outsold the Red Hot Chili Peppers with her EP, “I Make the Static.”
What a heady trip she was going through — marrying a wealthy man and rocketing to record sales success with the admiration of the “MAGA” movement in the space of just two months. And since then, Joy hasn’t stopped for a moment, pushing her way into the White House itself and even suddenly getting political aspirations, with a few bumps along the way, like having to stop saying she was 26 years old and admit that she was, in fact 31.
But when the president himself is endorsing your ambition to run for Congress, it can go a long way.
Last month, Joy launched an exploratory committee to run for Congress. We are still the only website to point out that if you go to her political website and click on her donate button, it reveals that the congressional district she is eyeing is Florida’s 27th on the south side of Miami, which will be wide open this year because Republican incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who has held the seat since 1989, has announced that she won’t seek reelection in November.
Joy faces an uphill battle in the Miami district, which went for Hillary Clinton by 19 points in 2016, and which will likely see a blue wave this year — which is probably why Ros-Lehtinen is getting out while she can.
The more he reads about Joy Villa’s political aspirations, her marriage to a wealthy photographer, and her antics on behalf of Scientology, the more enraged Cory Duncan says he gets.
“I just want to know my child. Joy gets to see our daughter now, who calls her ‘mama-Joy,’ and she says she’s told our daughter about me and I’m sure it’s not good. That’s not fair,” he says.
“I would give my left leg to just hug my daughter. And I would tell her, not one minute have I ever not loved you. I have never forgotten about her.”
Cory is 36 now, living on disability in Arkansas. “I’m on medication that’s really working well for me now. And I want some answers. I don’t know if my daughter is in a family that’s involved in Scientology or not. I’d like to know if that’s the case,” he says. “I don’t even have a current photo of her.
“I just want Joy to understand that my family is really affected by this, and for her to call me a drug addict really upsets them,” he says. “I don’t wish her ill. I just don’t want her telling people such bad things about me. I’m not the guy I was a decade ago. And I just want to have access to my daughter.”
Make your plans now!
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 8, 2018 at 07:00
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
January 8th, 2018 | Category: Joy Villa
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How to Manage “Mansplaining”
If you’re a woman, you likely already know what “mansplaining” is, because it is pervasive and damaging. Simply put, it happens when a man of any age decides to explain something, usually at length, that either does not require an explanation or is painfully obvious. Worse-case scenarios mansplaining happen when men who know very little take it upon themselves to explain something to women who know a lot.
In the recently released film, Hidden Figures, based on a book by the same title, mansplaining is represented at length. Hidden Figures tells the story of the African American women mathematicians who worked at NASA in the 1960s and helped the United States win the space race. As one might expect, the women at the center of Hidden Figures were subject to excessive mansplaining throughout their careers, since most of their male colleagues simply assumed that they couldn’t possibly know anything about mathematics, though that is why they were employed by NASA in the first place.
While one might assume that mansplaining in the workplace was brought under control by the 1970s when the feminist movement started to transform the workplace, in fact, it remains live and well. Women interviewed for this article reported widespread mansplaining in various workplaces. “I’m a university professor and yes, even when I’m teaching first-year courses, I always have boys, just out of high school, attempting to explain key concepts in my field to me during my lectures! It’s totally ridiculous, but someone has taught them that this is acceptable,” explains Dr. Chris Steadman, a professor of psychology who also has her own clinical practice. Dr. Candice Stein, an emergency room doctor, has had similar experiences with interns: “I’ve been supervising interns for decades, but I always have one or two young men telling me how to do things in the ER…this fall, one actually told me that I should do something differently because he had seen it done that way on Grey’s Anatomy! Can you believe it?”
Managing Mansplaining with a Hotline
Like it or not, mansplaining appears to be a global phenomenon but in some nations, it is considered a grave enough problem to bring in frontline support. In Sweden, long known for its progressive politics on gender, the nation’s largest union recently established a mansplaining hotline (albeit only on a temporary basis). The hotl ine encouraged women to call when male colleagues gave them unsolicited and patronizing lectures on topics they already fully understood. While the main point was to curtail mansplaining, the union noted that mansplaining, which can prevent women from speaking up, can also negatively impact women’s advancement in the workplace and therefore, negatively impact equal pay. But did the hotline work?
At least one call center operated reported,“Many of our calls are from men who talk for a very, very long time. It blocks the line, and makes it impossible for other people to come forward.” However, a spokesperson from the union that started the hotline explained that many of the men who called were in fact looking for help on how to stop mansplaining. Whether or not one has the resources to start a hotline, the good news is that every organization can address the mansplaining problem.
Why Managing Mansplaining is Good for Business
As widely reported over the past twenty-four months, women continue to lag behind men in many industries, including the high-tech industry. Indeed, even once women are hired, they often fail to receive the promotions given to their male colleagues and there is growing evidence that promotional decisions are often deeply impacted by culture rather than performance. By creating a culture where mansplaining is tolerated, organizations create a culture where it is considered acceptable for male employees to condescend to women, regardless of their age, knowledge or experience. The flip-side of the coin is that in such workplaces, women who do speak up are often perceived to be taking up too much space or considered too masculine or aggressive, and this too can hurt their chances of being promoted in a timely manner.
While there is no one way to fix the mansplaining phenomenon–and as demonstrated during the 2016 election, no reason to conclude that even the most excessive mansplaining will hurt one’s chances of succeeding–there is a growing awareness that from the classroom to the boardroom, it is a gender equity issue that deserves direct attention.
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December 5, 2016 Updated :February 8, 2018
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Hildur the Fairy Queen
Here's an Icelandic version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses tale; this one is a slightly morbid tale set at Christmastime!
Once there was a farmer who settled in the mountains. He had a housekeeper named Hildur who kept to herself but performed her duties well and was kind. Though the farmer was kind as well, he had trouble keeping shepherds, because one after another, they were all found dead in bed on Christmas morning. Hildur did not go to the Christmas mass like everyone else, but stayed at home to tend to her duties and prepare for the Christmas feast.
Finally the farmer decided not to employ any more shepherds, until a man came to him and offered his services for the winter. The farmer protested that those who had filled that same position met with a sad fate, but the man insisted he would still care for the sheep.
So he stayed with the farmer that winter, although on Christmas Eve thought it wise to stay awake. During the night, he saw Hildur approach him. He pretended to be asleep and felt her put a magic bridle in his mouth. She mounted his back and they rode to a chasm in the earth. There she dismounted; in order to follow her the shepherd rubbed his head against a stone until the magic bridle came off.
He followed Hildur, and noticed she did not act like the same housekeeper he knew. He took a magic stone out of his pocket that would make him invisible as long as he held it, and kept close behind her.
Finally they reached a great palace, where a great crowd of people came to meet her and a man dressed in purple in gold came to meet her, calling her his wife. The crowds called her their queen and treated her with respect. Two children ran into her arms and called her Mother. Hildur was given royal attire and together with her king sat down at a big feast, which was followed with dancing. But Hildur and the king did not dance, they sat and talked, and seemed to the shepherd to be very sad. At one point Hildur gave one of her children one of her rings to play with; after the child was done playing with it the shepherd snatched it up.
"Fairy Feast", Arthur Rackham
Finally Hildur made preparations to leave, which was met with protests by all except an old woman alone in the corner. The King begged her to stay, but Hildur said, "I cannot stay here, in consequence of the spell by which your mother has bound me, and who knows if I shall ever see you more." She told him that she had killed so many men that she would certainly be found out and punished, even though she had done it against her will.
The shepherd went back to the bridle and pretended to be asleep again as she rode him back to the farm. The farmer came in early in the morning, anxious to see whether or not this shepherd had survived through Christmas morning, and rejoiced to see him alive and well. He asked if anything strange had happened during the night.
"Nothing, except that I had a very wonderful dream." He then told the story of what had happened. Afterwards Hildur said, "If you tell the truth, show us some token to prove what you say."
The shepherd showed the ring. Hildur then said that he had delivered her from the spell that had been placed on her by her mother in law and told them the full story. She was a lowly fairy maid, but the fairy king fell in love with her. The marriage displeased his mother, who bound Hildur by a spell to become a servant in the world of woe, and every Christmas Eve, to kill a man, the only night she was allowed back to the fairy kingdom. She was to do this until she was convicted of murder and put to death, unless she should meet a man courageous enough to go with to the world of Fairies and bring back evidence. She thanked and blessed the shepherd for being the first man who dared venture into the dark roads that lead to Fairyland, but longed for her true home, and disappeared, never to be seen again in the world of mankind.
The shepherd later married and became a wise and successful farmer, but he always attributed his wealth to Hildur the Fairy Queen.
Found in Surlalune's Twelve Dancing Princesses: Tales From Around the World; summarized by me
First image above, an illustration of Hildur, found on Wikipedia. No illustrator credited, but this excerpt from the same page is interesting:
"There are four Icelandic holidays considered to have a special connection with hidden people: New Year's Eve, Twelfth Night (January 6), Midsummer Night and Christmas night.[44] Elf bonfires (álfabrennur) are a common part of the holiday festivities on Twelfth Night (January 6).[45][46][47] There are many Icelandic folktales about elves and hidden people invading Icelandic farmhouses during Christmas and holding wild parties.[48] It is customary in Iceland to clean the house before Christmas, and to leave food fo the huldufólk on Christmas.[49] On New Year's Eve, it is believed that the elves move to new locations, and Icelanders leave candles to help them find their way.[50] OnMidsummer Night, folklore states that if you sit at a crossroads, elves will attempt to seduce you with food and gifts; there are grave consequences for being seduced by their offers, but great rewards for resisting."
Posted by Kristin at 10:50 PM No comments:
Labels: Christmas, fairies, The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Christmas as time for Storytelling
Hey-remember when I said I was engaged? Well, the wedding is now less than a month away! Which means that in addition to working, I will be doing much wedding planning, moving to a new Chicago suburb, and doing this thing called Christmas. So don't be surprised if I'm extra scarce around here for a while...I will hopefully have more time for reading and posting around mid-January when we get back from the honeymoon!
In the meantime:
Christmas, at least in Victorian England, was seen as a time set apart for telling stories. I have a book from my library from 1881 titled "Yuletide Stories" which I originally thought would be Christmas themed, but are in fact fairy tales from different parts of Europe. Dickens wrote a series of stories, each supposedly told by a different person in a group gathered around a Christmas tree.
Christmas was also used as an idealized image of the telling of folk and fairy tales. When the Grimms published their collection, they tried to romanticize them by emphasizing the image of an old woman reciting the tales word for word, when really most of the tales were told by young friends of theirs. When the Grimm collection was translated into English, Edgar Taylor, the translator, fleshed out this image even more.
from The Illustrated London News, 1848
In the epigraph to his first volume, he writes, "Now you must imagine me to sit by a good fire, amongst a companye of good fellowes, over a well spiced bowle of Christmas ale, telling of these merrie tales which hereafter followe." Sounds pretty cozy...
Taylor went on to name a fictitious narrator, Gammer Grethel, and invent a history for her:
"Gammer Grethel was an honest, good-humoured farmer's wife, who, a while ago, lived far off in Germany.
She knew all the good stories that were told in that country; and every evening about Christmas time the boys and girls of the neighborhood gathered round to hear her tell them some of her budget of strange stories.
One Christmas, being in that part of the world, I joined the party; and begged her to let me write down what I heard, for the benefit of my young friends in England. And so, for twelve merry evenings, beginning with Christmas Eve, we met and listened to her budget."
Even though there was no Gammer Grethel, we can try to revive the tradition of spreading fairy tales at Christmas time!
EDIT: Woops! Forgot to credit my source! Jennifer Schacker, National Dreams: The Remaking of Fairy Tales in Nineteenth Century England
Posted by Kristin at 11:18 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Christmas, Victorian fairy tales
Afanasyev-unsung hero of Russian folklore
The brothers Grimm are pretty well known for gathering tales from around Germany (although their methods may not have been the most accurate). And in general, their work was well-received-their Kinder Und Hausmarchen was popular among scholars as well as casual readers and children. Although a few people thought their tales were inappropriate, they solved that problem by making the tales more appropriate according to standards of the time.
Collecting folktales, a seemingly innocent occupation, was not as easy to do in other parts of the world. In Russia, for years oral storytellers were very popular. Storytelling was an actual occupation, as people would give them food and drink for accompanying them at their monotonous tasks and entertaining them. From peasants to nobility (such as Count Leo Tolstoy and Ivan the Terrible), children would fall asleep listening to stories. This embracing of storytelling was not always universal, like when tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered all the storytellers to be rounded up and their tongues cut out. He proclaimed in 1649: "Many persons stupidly believe in dreams, in the evil eye and birdsong, and they propound riddles and tell fairy stories. By idle talk and merry-making and blasphemy, they destroy their souls."
A. Lopatine
However, for most of Russian history oral tales were a way of life. Written tales, however, were a different story. The Russian Orthodox Church was very strict in its censoring. They believed that written language should be reserved for sacred religious writing and not for pagan stories. An Englishman, Samuel Collins, managed to publish some Russian tales he had collected in London in 1671, but it was a long time before Russian tales were published in Russia.
The great author Pushkin was condemned for trying to imitate the fairy tale in his writing. In 1838 five Russian stories were published by Bogdan Bronnitsin. But it was Alexander Afanasyev (1826-71) we have to thank for giving us such a complete collection of Russian tales-in fact, the largest group of fairy tales in the world.
Afanasyev published eight volumes of tales. Students of fairy tale history may be aware that the Grimms had seven editions of their KHM, but the core stories remained the same. They added and deleted a few tales, but mainly edited the stories that were already in the collection. Afanasyev, however, published new tales in each collection, totalling 640 tales. Also unlike the Grimms, he did not alter or edit the tales he received. He did not record most of them himself, but other friends and colleagues sent him tales. His tales also cover a vast distance and include many Russian districts, whereas the Grimms mainly gathered from their family friends, who were not even necessarily German in origin.
Afanasyev's first volumes were not all well-received-the Moscow Metropolitan Filaret claimed the tales were "blasphemous and immoral. They offend pious sentiment and propriety. Religion must be safeguarded from such profanity." Afanasyev unapologetically retorted, "There is a million times more morality, truth and human love in my folk legendds than in the sanctimonious sermons delivered by Your Holiness!"
S. Kamanin
To make matters worse, the freeing of the peasants from serfdom in 1861 created much violence and discontent in all classes, all over Russia. This included even more severe censorship. In 1860 Afanasyev's publisher was raided and one of his manuscripts destroyed. Afanasyev left the country for a while, and in Europe he had greater ability to publish things that would have been banned at home.
Upon returning, he was evicted from his house and dismissed from his job. He was forced to work as an assistant clerk in a court. He kept working on his own projects, and 1865 the press censorship was reformed and he was able to resume publishing works, although not genuine folktales. Sadly, he was ill and his living and working conditions were hard on him. He died in relative obscurity and in poverty at the age of 45.
Makes me all the more grateful for freedom of the press!
*Information from "Russian Fairy Tales and their Collectors" by James Riordan. Found in A Companion to the Fairy tale, edited by Hilda Ellis Davidson and Anna Chaudhri
Posted by Kristin at 8:12 PM No comments:
Labels: Russian folklore, the brothers Grimm
Dickens and Bluebeard
Dickens is loved by fairy tale enthusiasts; the fact that he was enamored with Little Red Riding Hood as a child is fairly well known. He also claimed that "it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected" and in general advocated for the genre. Yet he also claimed that fairy tales should not be altered from their "original form." Anyone who has studied fairy tales will know there's really no such thing as an "original" version of any tale, and probably most of us also agree there are good reasons to adapt fairy tales to changing cultures. Yet we may understand the same frustration when fairy tales are interpreted in a way we don't think does them justice, or when fairy tale variants become so prevalent the older versions get lost and fewer and fewer people are familiar with a tale's history. Dickens claimed, "With seven Blue Beards in the field, each coming at a gallop from his own platform mounted on a foaming hobby, a generation or two hence would not know which was which, and the great original Blue Beard would be confounded with counterfeits."
Dickens referred to Bluebeard in five of his novels, including Pickwick Papers, Bleak House, and Hard Times, and his journalism. In his The Uncommercial Traveller of 1860, in the essay "Nurse's Stories," Dickens recalls being told the tale of Captain Murderer, a variation of Bluebeard. The story is of the eponymous Captain who, when courting a woman, always asked if she could bake a pie crust, and instructed those who couldn't how to do so. A month after the wedding, he gave her a golden rolling pin and silver pie board, and butter and eggs and everything she needed, except for the pie filling. When his bride would ask why she saw no meat, he would reply, "look in the glass." She would then look up just in time to see her head cut off. Finally one bride, whose twin sister had already fallen victim to Captain Murderer, gained revenge by taking poison before she was killed. When the cannibalistic Captain eats the last pie, he turns blue and spotty and explodes.
Often adults debate as to how harmful it is to tell violent stories to children. Dickens would have landed on the Keep Violence Far From Children side:
"Hundreds of times did I hear this legend of Captain Murderer, in my early youth, and added hundreds of times was there a mental compulsion upon me in bed, to peep in at his window as the dark twin peeped, and to revisit his horrible house, and look at him in his blue and spotty and screaming stage, as he reached from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. The young woman who brought me acquainted with Captain Murderer had a fiendish enjoyment of my terrors, and used to begin, I remember-as a sort of introductory overture-by clawing the air with both hands, and uttering a long low hollow groan. So acutely did I suffer from this ceremony in combination with this infernal Captain that I sometimes used to plead I thought I was hardly strong enough and old enough to hear the story again just yet. But, she never spared me one word of it...Her name was Mercy, though she had none on me."
Source: Bluebeard: A Reader's Guide to the English Translation by Casie E. Hermansson
Illustrations of Captain Murderer by Rowan Barnes-Murphy
Posted by Kristin at 9:52 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Bluebeard, Dickens
Rosaspina Vintage
Rosaspina Vintage's 2013 Fall/Winter Collection is inspired by "the 60s and my favorite childhood fairy tales," says creator Ale.
I wasn't too surprised to see a Little Red Riding hood cape; it's one of the most obvious ways to connect fairy tales to fashion. However, all the items are named for a fairy tale character. After the obvious ones came some that don't quite have the fame of LRRH or haven't been turned into Disney princesses. It was fun to see inspiration taken from Gerda, The Little Match Girl, and even the Nightingale.
Briar Rose pinafore
Gretel dress
Little Match Girl blouse and Nightingale shorts
Gerda skirt
It's a pretty collection (way out of my price range though) but it's fun to think of dressing in a way that is inspired by fairy tale characters, while not being costume-y.
Labels: fashion, Hansel and Gretel, Little Match Girl, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow Queen, The Nightingale
Fairy tales and Arranged Marriages
Fairy tales have been intertwined with messages against arranged marriages for hundreds of years now. The French salon fairy tales of the 1700s were largely written by feminists encouraging marriage for love; the whole notion of love at first sight which many people today criticize in fairy tales was a way of promoting the idea that women could marry young men their own ages they considered attractive, instead of older, abusive husbands, as was sadly so often the case. The whole Animal Bridegroom series of fairy tales is thought to have been largely encouragement to girls who were about to be married off to men that might seem monstrous.
Clearly the world has changed since then. Arranged marriages are getting pretty rare these days, and the average person expects to marry for love (with a few exceptions, like the Indian and Orthodox Jewish cultures, where arranged marriages are more common). Which is why is always surprises me that the message in popular YA novels and other fairy tales seems to have stayed the same. It's no longer a provocative message, but someone merely preaching to the choir. I thought as much when I saw Disney/Pixar's Brave. No, I don't think you should force your daughter to marry, but the movie isn't watched by young princesses being forced to wed princes they don't love, but mostly young girls years away from marriage who were probably planning on choosing a spouse anyway.
I'm not saying parents are perfect these days and don't impose their will inappropriately, but the message can go too far, especially when the media acts like it's giving us this revolutionary message which it's really not. There's still a lot to be said for trusting the wisdom of parents and those who have been around longer. Though parents can make choices selfishly, young and inexperienced people in love can also act very foolishly and make decisions they regret.
It's not a fairy tale, but I just finished reading Kristin Lavransdatter, a book written in the 1920s but set in medieval Norway. The book is about the life of a woman who rejects the man her parents arrange for her to marry and marries for love instead. I'm so used to the modern "arranged marriage=bad" message that I was expecting the book to have the same message, but it doesn't. In fact what I love about the book is it shows how complex any marriage situation is-the marriages that were approved of and those that were chosen by the couples. Neither is all good and neither is all bad; no character in the book is without flaws yet no one is without redeeming value. The book explores very messy relationships over time, and it's really a good book to have read right before getting married.
It would be nice to get more fairy tale interpretations like this. It seems these days its either the same happily ever after versions for children, which end at the wedding with happiness implied, or the twisted, dark versions being redone for adults. What about versions that are realistic without being entirely depressing or going for shock value? Books and movies that challenge you and encourage young, single people to choose their relationships wisely?
By the way, this interesting article by Ezriel Gelbfish recognizes that while not all arranged marriages are successful (and let's face it, many love marriages aren't either), statistically they tend to work. Fairy tales are cited as one of the reasons love marriages fail: “We grow up on fairy tales and movies in which magical forces help people find their soul mates, with whom they effortlessly live happily ever after...The fairy tales leave us powerless, putting our love lives into the hands of the Fates.”
Labels: French salon fairy tales
Villeneuve's Epilogue to BATB, part II: Letter from the Beast to Beauty
Finally! I'm excited to share the second letter which is part of Villeneuve's epilogue to Beauty and the Beast. You can read about the first in my archives, Letter from Beauty to the Beast.
As a reminder, these were translated for me by a friend, but he admitted it was very difficult work, and he is not a professional translator. But I am very grateful he was willing to take on this project! I'm not going to try to provide commentary, much of it is very confusing to me, and parts are more clear if you've read the full Villeneuve story, but it's extremely interesting to read Villeneuve's own musings on the idea of an animal bridegroom. So without further ado, here are what I found to be the most interesting excerpts:
"I ask myself why the ancient myths are permeated with such monsters, to the point where these fables that you like appear to me suddenly as a work of mourning among the gods that we have been tempted to lose. There are beasts everywhere and it would suffice during a short weakness – or refusal - for the heroes to change their appearance and that, the angels that they promise to be, they find turned into beasts. Most of these gods, bewildered on the shores of the sea where from all the aspirates that fall into ruin, do any of them choose to seduce their Beauty to make herself a beast, and not human? There would be, then, in the Beast, evidence that a human is not inclined toward him or rather to the Monster – his former form in the fables – would be the image that authorizes to speak of delinquency. The essence of man is uncertain, a nothingness at all is able to destroy it. This fiction in which we are engulfed, is probably only the result of a long story where the supernatural prepares the Beast to explain the naked form of desire. I do not want to seek revenge for my beastness by playing the role of a scholar but nonetheless, when the desire to do violence, a god does not hesitate to disguise itself as a swan or as a bull and the young woman herself from the relentless Sun to deliver not far from here her body to become another bull that came forth from the deep sea.
We were thusly made, you the Beauty and me the Beast, at this time of prior history – the universe that was the habitat of the strange fairy-tales of our story --, where humans and beasts were one and the same, before the original sin when we did not yet long for the gods and they for us. This fragment of time that we lived brought us into a porous universe, where fairy-tales themselves, antiquated remnants of wandering goddesses in the lands of the sky in rural clothing, are subjected to strange tests that require that, flying-beings as they are, the come “as snakes” to the underground world to obtain their full enlightment under the rulership of the “Mother of Times”, the great Black, the primitive night giving birth to mediocre sleep and terrible Death that brought us into time.
I was the Beast and also that other thing – because our earlier states never disappear entirely --, the unknown of your nights, the one who charmed you and that you feared having lost when you returned to the place of your father. You did not know then that I was not able to be that one or the other – the Monster – in your place. These nights, that we received as ordinary
in the world of humans, did I only dream them? Were you there already my wife, as Psyché was in Love in Obscurity? I lost all memory of this dark period where I was the Beast and your Unknown One, whom you knew perhaps as it seems to suggest the narrator of our story. Had she read Apulée too much? We forget that all images are by nature deceitful, that they shape themselves only in order to assemble contradictions and gather them together: beast at the end of the day, I came in the night to trouble you in my previous form so that, by you, I rid myself of my facial image and my scales so as to be changed as human.
In light of that, you had pass through my appearance, that of the Beast, that you hold as my previous being. I would say openly – but you would mock my intension -- that the Beast ticket that would authorize the woman to be woman and that for her that is a necessary image. Also is it likely that she would consent to being her Beast-ness. If my scales, the gnashing of my teeth and my terrible voice do not frighten you any longer as on the first evening, your disdain to enter this lower world will continue. Your absence had to lack to the point of causing me to lose my life for you to risk becoming animal-like like me. That, which you do not want to admit, was in your bed and you will one day accept it because you did in fact accept to sleep with me. My scales melted in sleep and my body lost its heaviness. It was at the price of a snoring that surprised you and which, probably, worried you. Every metamorphosis requires a releasing of physical characteristics. In the morning, your Beast confessed being the Unknown-one."
*Illustrations by Margaret Tarrant
Labels: Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast-significance and meaning, Madame de Villeneuve
Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives at Museum of Science and Industry
I got to see the Museum of Science and Industry's Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit!
I was already prepared from reading in the Chicago Tribune that the exhibit focused on movie props and animation, not on storylines or specifically fairy tales. But of course, no display of Walt Disney's life would be complete without reference to fairy tales. In the article, Steve Johnson also pointed out his disappointment that the museum didn't go more into Disney's life, "the good and the bad." I was surprised by this initially, because this is not a display somewhere in Disneyland, but put on by a respected and unbiased museum-until I saw that the whole thing was put on by D23, Disney's official fan club. And really to be fair, only so much can fit into one exhibit, and it's a science museum after all, so it makes sense they would focus on animation.
And animation is where Disney shines most when we look back-this form of storytelling would be very different today if it weren't for Walt Disney. It's rather unfortunate that someone so innovative and forward thinking couldn't be more progressive when it came to his portrayals of women in fairy tales. In my opinion, Disney's movies really aren't that bad in and of themselves, especially compared to much of the media coming out at the same time (although you will find many who vehemently disagree with me on that)-what's really telling is looking at each fairy tale's history, and how in that sense, his ideas seemed almost backwards. And while we could have expected a little more from him, at the time critics and fans alike absolutely loved his movies-there were even fan letters from other celebrities and presidents. I don't know enough history to fully understand the attitudes of the time, but it's safe to say people had different expectations from there entertainment in Walt's early career than we do today.
Of course you won't find any of that in this museum. The only thing they mention about storyline is how Walt invented the storyboards. But, aside from that, it was still really interesting. I'd read about the multiplane camera before, another invention of the Disney company (although not actually Walt himself, as the exhibit made it seem), but only had a vague idea of how it worked. But now I understand what it is and appreciate the creativity that went into creating it.
I also really enjoyed seeing movie props, like the costumes from Mary Poppins, and the storybooks used for the openings of the first Disney Princess movies.
I also thought it interesting to see how, in the span of Disney's creations, though the creators of this exhibit lauded his genius as storyteller, I'd say at least 50% of his movies were taken from either fairy tales or well-known books. It's a little more challengin to create your own masterpiece then to interpret a story that is already well-loved...but whatever your personal opinions of Disney, you can't deny how influential he was. From his earliest laugh-o-grams to the present, fairy tales were integral to Disney's success, and in turn his interpretations of the tales placed him as one of the most significant people in the history of fairy tales (one fan letter the museum displayed, I think from Cecil B. Demille, said that "Germany had its brothers Grimm, and America its Disney!"). I'd recommend the exhibit to anyone else in the Chicago area who has a soft spot for Disneyana!
Labels: animation, Chicago, Disney
Post-Victorian Little Red Riding Hood
Over a year ago I did a post on the history of Little Red Riding Hood, and how the story that began as purely a bawdy, entertaining folktale had become adapted as a children's story that was meant to instruct the younger generation on the proper way to behave, according to Victorian standards.
Since Perrault's and the Grimms' famous versions, many versions continued to be produced that followed the same patterns: Red Riding Hood breaks an admonition her mother gave her, thus making it a story about the dangers of disobeying, and she is rescued by a man. In Jack Zipes' The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood he gives us a glimpse into the next wave of Little Red Riding Hood stories-at the beginning of the twentieth century, writers began to play around with and parody what were by then familiar tales. These stories tend to fit into several categories.
Political statements
Fairy tales were used by those on all sides of the political spectrum. Werner von Bulow wrote a racist essay (published by the Swastika Publishing House, which should give you a clue) using the motif of Little Red Riding Hood as, essentially, Nazi propaganda. But there were others, like Ulrich Link in 1937, who used irony to critique Nazism through the same fairy tale. In his story, Little Red is a member of the League of German Maidens, and when the wolf is killed he is "distributed among the Reich's nutrient producers and made into meat in his own juice." Zipes points out that the traditional way of using the tale to promote conformity (stressing the young girl's need to absolutely obey elders) is exaggerated to critique Nazi conformism.
LRRH was also used to critique fascism (Evgenii Shvarts in 1937) and totalitarianism in H.I. Phillips' version, told "as a Dictator would tell it." In Phillips' story, the narrator portrays Little Red as the aggressor, and thus justifies the wolf's actions, making him the true hero.
Margaret Kassagep's story criticizes how common crime had become in West Germany in her 1980 story, where Red and her friend Wolfi both kill the grandmother to take her money.
James Thurber presented a very different Little Red Riding Hood than the public was used to in his 1939 Little Girl and the Wolf. She is not deceived, or even phased, by the wolf. My favorite line: "she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge." After that, the little girl calmly takes out a gun and shoots him.
O.F. Gmelin's 1978 tale features a clever girl that cuts her own way out of the wolf's belly. Angela Carter's 1979 story presents a "strong-minded child" that fends for herself and tames the wolf.
Many other versions since then have heroines that are not gullible, and/or fend for themselves without needing the aid of a hunter to come rescue her. Sometimes she is on her own, and other times she and her grandmother conspire together to overthrow the wolf (which, I might add, is what happens at the end of the Grimm version after they got rescued the first time.)
Ecological statements
In some versions, the wolf's animal nature is embraced rather than condemned. Similar to modern interpretations of Beauty and the Beast, the animal characters are seen as representing sexuality, and modern females can embrace their wild side rather than repressing it.
But there are other reasons for this as well. Now that wild animals do not present a danger to our everyday lives we don't really see them as a threat-if anything they are romanticized. They can also represent getting in touch with Nature.
Traditional versions
Of course, the traditional version that emphasizes the importance of not straying from the path is still being circulated in children's books that take out anything that might be considered too violent. The storylines brought to us by Perrault and the Grimms will not entirely disappear for a while yet.
*Illustrations by Jennie Harbour
Posted by Kristin at 4:48 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Jack Zipes, Little Red Riding Hood
Surlalune's Beauty and the Beast collection available!
My blog followers will know I'm a big fan of Surlalune's fairy tale collections, and I'm not the only one who's excited about the newest book, Beauty and the Beast Tales from Around the World. Surlalune has been providing posts about the features of the book and Once Upon a Blog has already covered it too, so I just want to quickly highlight it.
Not only will the book feature, obviously, different versions of BATB from around the world, but readers have asked me where they can get an English translation of the Villeneuve version. I've tried to dig into the Villeneuve version and have talked about it here, but the problem is, it's extremely hard to get an English translation of the text, and I've lately discovered that the only one I've found, by Jack Zipes, is not even the most accurate.
Now, for the first time, accurate English translations of Villeneuve's Beauty and the Beast will be available to the general public at a resonable price. You can read more about them at Surlalune, but Heidi Anne Heiner has included translations by Dowson and Planche. This will definitely be on my Christmas wishlist and I'll probably be posting more from it after then!
Labels: Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast-versions, Madame de Villeneuve
Fairy Tale Commercials playlist
I just saw a new Gieco commercial featuring Jack and the Beanstalk. Couldn't find it on youtube yet, but I did find this playlist featuring 47 different fairy tale-themed commercials. Cinderella and Red Riding Hood are definitely the most commonly used. Some of them are recent and some are old, going back to the 80s and 90s, and a couple from the 1930s! Advertisements are some of the most globally viewed takes on fairy tales, so they give us an idea of what the general population has been exposed to in terms of fairy tale parodies, as well as what companies think will appeal to everyone. And, some of them are just plain entertaining! Enjoy-
Labels: advertising, television
A Turkish Variant of The 12 Dancing Princesses
The Magic Turban, the Magic Whip, and the Magic Carpet
"Once upon a time that was no time..." there were two brothers. The younger was lazy and lived off of his older brother. One day he was wandering and found three youths quarreling with each other. Their father had left them a magic turban, which made the wearer invisible; and a carpet which, one struck with the whip, would fly the rider far away. The three youths were arguing over who should inherit the gifts.
The lazy brother told them that he would shoot an arrow, and whoever brought back the arrow first would receive all the gifts. But as soon as the other brothers left to fetch the arrow, he put on the turban, sat on the carpet, struck it with the whip, and asked to be where his older brother was.
He found himself in a large city and soon learned that the Sultan's daughter disappeared every night from the palace, and whoever could discover where she went would win her hand. So he went to the palace and pretended to be asleep while watching the Sultan's daughter, who stuck a needle into her heel, took a candle, and went out a side door.
The youth followed, with the turban on his head. The maiden came to a spirit and sat on his head, and they were about to leave, when the youth jumped on as well. The spirit complained that the maiden was too heavy, and the Sultan's daughter protested, "thou art very odd tonight, for I am neither bigger nor smaller than I was yesterday."
The group came to a garden where the trees were made of silver and diamonds. The youth broke off a twig, and the trees wept and said, "There's a child of man here who tortures us!"
The maiden then realized that maybe the soul of the youth was pursuing them. Later they came to a garden where the trees sparkled with gold and precious stones. The youth plucked another twig, and the trees again wept, and the damsel and spirit were afraid.
Then they came to a fairy castle, where slaves greeted the princess and they brought her a pair of slippers covered with diamonds and precious stones, but the youth snatched one away and put it in his pocket. The maiden could not find the other shoe, so sent for another pair, but another shoe went missing, so she finally went on without shoes.
Shoes from here
She came to a black Peri, "one of whose lips touched the sky, while the other lip swept the ground." He angrily asked the princess why she was late, and she told him about the youth coming and there being trouble on the way, and the Peri said it was all a fancy. He ordered a slave to bring them sherbet, but the youth grabbed the hand of the slave handing it to her and the diamond cup fell and broke into pieces.
The princess was afraid and wanted to go back, but the Peri ordered other slaves to bring them food. The Peri got impatient when food and forks and spoons began to disappear, so maybe it was best if the Sultan's daughter did go home early. He wanted to kiss her, but the youth pulled them apart. The Peri called for the spirit to carry the princess home, and they left. The youth took a sword from the wall and chopped off the head of the Peri. The earth groaned and a voice cried, "Woe to us, a child of man hath slain our king!"
The youth went to the carpet and it carried him back to the palace, where he pretended to snore as the princess came back.
The next morning the youth had all the people called together, and he told them the full story of where the Princess had gone. The princess denied it, but the youth brought forth the enchanted twigs, slippers, and spoons and forks. The youth saw his older brother and insisted he should claim the princess and half the kingdom.
The princess was overjoyed, for the Peri had carried her off and put her under a spell, from which she was now free. She and the elder brother were married, and had a great banquet that lasted for forty days.
*Full tale found in Surlalune's Twelve Dancing Princesses: Tales From Around the World
Labels: The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Cinderella's Pumpkins: Part 4
Image from here
Can't find this image again to credit the source! If anyone knows where it's from please let me know in the comments!
Ah, October! In Tales of Faerie Land, that means looking at the creative ways people carve pumpkins into Cinderella's magical coach! See posts from 2012, 2011, and 2010
Labels: Cinderella, Halloween
Female leads as a Marketing Tool
Surlalune posted from an article about the upcoming "Frozen" movie by Disney, which has fairy tale enthusiasts disappointed by its lack of having anything at all to do with its original inspiration, Andersen's "Snow Queen". But I feel like I've been reading/hearing a lot lately about people complaining about lack of strong female leads in entertainment and this one quote really struck me:
"It is a telling sign of how far gender parity has fallen in the last decade when something like this or Brave is considered noteworthy, especially as the female-driven animated features like Mulan or Anastasia used to come and go without comment in the mid-to-late 1990′s."
I think I never really got what all the fuss was about, because in my mind I had never noticed a lack of strong female leads. I have no problem relating to male protagonists, such as Harry Potter or the cast of Lord of the Rings, but also as a girl I was drawn to the classic girl stories such as Alice in Wonderland, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, etc-and of course the classic Princess fairy tales. But the quote above made me realize that some of my most formative years were some of the most successful in terms of promoting female leads-so much so that it wasn't considered something to brag about. Can I just say that I am so disappointed Anastasia doesn't have the continual marketing that Disney princesses do and none of my students even know that movie? It hurts my heart. I swear every single girl my age can sing all of "Once Upon a December" word for word even if she doesn't admit it. Despite its historical inaccuracies it got me interested in reading about Russian history in a way that no history class ever did.
A musician friend of mine in college and I were once complaining about how we didn't like recitals or concerts that promoted only female composers. It meant that the music was chosen primarily because of the gender of the composer, not because of the quality of the music. If the music is excellent it should be featured regularly alongside the works of Bach, Beethoven, and the other male giants of the music world. It almost comes across as patronizing rather than empowering.
The same thing applies to entertainment. The world is full of males and females and so should entertainment be. If you're looking for strong female casts of characters you can certainly find them but sadly it seems our culture has become less female-empowering over time. The more we pat ourselves on the back for fecently featuring a gender that encompasses 50% of the world the sadder the situation is.
But there's also good news here. I think that if we give our young girls enough positive female role models, it's not going to destroy their self-esteem if they are also exposed to some of the most passive versions of fairy tale princesses. I grew up seeing strong and independent females as well as those who mainly waited around for their prince to come, and I didn't see the latter as representing the ideal state of the female, as many critics claim is their result. I spent my single years getting educated and pursuing my talents and hobbies (including researching fairy tales) and working in a job I love. And that's the goal of feminism, right? Equal opportunities for both genders?
What kinds of female role models did you grow up with and how do you think they influenced you, looking back?
Labels: gender roles in fairy tales
Hipster Witch
Like this? Check out Hipster Princesses
Image found here
Labels: Humor, Snow White
Fairy Tales: So hot right now
"The current Hollywood vogue for fairytales has been partly inspired by the bicentenary of Grimms Fairy Tales...but Bill [Gray, University of Chichester] suggests the economic downturn may be a factor too. He says, 'These so-called fairy tales are often about surviving a (murderously) dysfunctional family in a harsh situation. Don't forget the Grimms created their book while Germany was an occupied country under French rule. Life was harsh; people did starve to death. The sort of scenario we see in Hansel and Gretel is not too far-fetched.
"'So-called fairy tales both take you out of the harsh demands of real life, but are also about finding solutions, finding hope, in hard times. And the cinema is itself a magical shelter from a bleak world-and yet can also be more than just escapism.'"
-from Faerie Magazine, Issue 24 (Either I'm blind or they didn't cite an author for that article) (Be sure to check out Heidi Anne Heiner's, AKA Surlalune's, piece on "Cinderella Through the Years")
I caught bits and pieces of the new Hansel and Gretel movie while my in-laws were watching it a few weeks ago. I agree with Christie of Spinning Straw into Gold that, while it's not one of the most significant versions of a fairy tale, it's a fun movie to watch (but definitely rated R for a reason-I would NOT recommend for younger audiences). But I was surprised that afterwards my future mother-in-law said, "That was cool! I wonder how many other fairy tales they're going to turn on their heads like that?"
We who follow the world of fairy tales know that they're EVERYwhere in media, just check out Once Upon a Blog and see how many fairy tale movies are currently in the works, but those who don't pay attention may be just picking up on the trend. Her comment reminded me that what is cliche to some of us (such as the idea of creating a "twisted" fairy tale, where some traditional plot point or character's status as good or evil is challenged) is dependent on the type of entertainment we consume. Those who don't typically seek out modern versions of fairy tales are being exposed to them, and wanting more!
Posted by Kristin at 12:16 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Hansel and Gretel, movies, Quotes, the brothers Grimm
Cocteau and Disney's Beauty and the Beast as Gay Advocates
Jerry Griswold claims in his The Meanings of Beauty and the Beast: A Handbook that the two major film versions of "Beauty and the Beast", by Jean Cocteau (1946) and Disney (1991), "essentially present it as a gay version." When I read that I wondered how in the world you could conclude that from seeing the movies. With all the modern versions challenging society's views of gender roles and sexuality, these movies seem to be some of the more traditional ways of telling the story.
While I don't think a gay advocacy is obvious from plot points themselves, there is some very telling information about the creators of the films I had never heard before.
Griswold provides movie summaries; for the purpose of this post I'll just assume you're familiar with the movies' basic plots.
Cocteau: Griswold claims that Cocteau makes an effort to show a negative correlation with male heterosexuality. For example, he amplifies the horrific/creepy elements of the story. The tale is often thought to portray the anxieties a woman faces before intimacy with a man, so therefore to increase the horror is to indicate that the horror of heterosexual intimacy never really goes away. Also, when Belle sees the Beast outside her bedroom just after a hunt, paws smoking, and he is ashamed, that supposedly means that "what is ugly and repulsive...are male sexual desires and giving into them."
I think the logic there is pretty weak. But what I do find interesting is the ending. I was always bothered by the fact that the Beast turns into the Avenant character, who is clearly a villain. Griswold seems the whole ending scene as intentionally ridiculous-from the cheesy lines to the costumes. Audiences tend to be disappointed at the ending, and Griswold thinks this intentional, which I think makes more sense than taking the ending at face value. Cocteau may have been making light of the traditional storybook ending, man + woman = happily ever after.
Also fascinating-Cocteau was suffering from several "painful and disfiguring skin problems" during the shooting of the film, including boils, carbuncles, eczema, and impetigo, so he may have found himself relating to the Beast physically. Not only was he homosexual, but his lover was Jean Marais, who played Avenant/the Prince. Definitely changes how you view the film to know that.
Disney: Throughout the film, Belle's character is looked upon suspiciously by the other townspeople, and their reactions are close to reactions to gay people: "strange," "funny," "peculiar," "odd," "very different from the rest of us." Now on the one hand, I wouldn't connect that to people's reactions to homosexuals specifically because pretty much anyone who's been through puberty can relate to feeling out of place and awkward in some way and the media definitely knows that. So many popular movies/books/tv shows revolve around a main character who is awkward and unpopular, and therefore everyone instantly feels a connection. Of course it's perfectly appropriate to read into the gay experience as one way to relate to Belle, I'm just not sure if I conclude with Griswold that the Disney version is "essentially a gay version." Although the lyricist, Howard Ashman, was gay, so we can assume he had experienced some of the same misunderstandings as Belle.
In his analysis of both films, Griswold sees the chauvinist male characters (Avenant and Gaston) as messages about the dangers of male heterosexuality. Sure there's dangers, but that doesn't mean all male heterosexuals are dangerous.
Griswold sees the Beast and Gaston as inverses of the other. One is essentially good at heart and ugly in appearance, the other handsome in appearance but evil at heart. Echoing the Cocteau film, the Beast can't transform into the Prince until after Gaston dies. Griswold suggests interpreting the title "Beauty and the Beast" to being about Gaston and the Beast, which is a very interesting thought. He even says that the Beast is in danger of becoming Gaston-abusing his power and masculinity, which reminds me of Snow White and how she is in danger of becoming her stepmother, as many people have recently been interpreting that fairy tale.
So while "Beauty and the Beast" won't pop up in your Netflix cue under the gay and lesbian film sub genre, the Otherness of the Beast can definitely be a way to see the Otherness of the gay community. I have to admit this is not an area I feel qualified to write about-I am very attracted to my fiancé Tony and none of my close friends are gay, but I'd be interested to hear what this fairy tale means to people who are ostracized for being gay, if they feel a special connection to the story.
And as always there's much more in the book, this is just a summary of a few main points, I highly recommend it to any BATB fans.
Labels: Beauty and the Beast, Disney, gender roles in fairy tales, movies
Villeneuve's Epilogue to BATB, part II: Letter fro...
Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives at Museum of...
Surlalune's Beauty and the Beast collection availa...
Cocteau and Disney's Beauty and the Beast as Gay A...
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Tag Archives: husband
“Attagirl, Sandra!” v. “Stupid Jerk!”
I am sad about Sandra Bullock. And I know — at least on some level — it’s a ridiculous thing to say…but, at the same time, I’ve sorta felt a certain affinity with her…at least as far as relationships are concerned. And I find these revelations about Jesse James incredibly disheartening.
In the Barbara Walters Oscar Special this year, Babs showed a clip of an interview with Bullock from, like, ’94 when she was filming A Time to Kill in Mississippi (the same time I was there!) and Walters asked why she wasn’t married or whether she ever wanted to get married or something like that. And Bullock’s response was that she was afraid that getting married meant giving up her identity and she said she wasn’t ready. And…I totally get that. After working so long on forging a career and figuring out what you want and what makes you tick, who in their right mind would want to just become somebody’s wife? (Which is not to say that you can’t have a successful marriage and a career or whatever…I just mean that I understand once you have a career of your own that is fulfilling and that makes you happy, you’d be reluctant to give it up for a ring and you’d want to be careful about the partnership you choose…)
And, I mean, anyone who has read anything I’ve written over the past year or so — maybe longer? — knows that these are issues I’ve struggled with…and, heck, I don’t even have a real career to cling to — I merely *aspire* to have a career to cling to…and to be the kind of person who at, say, 39 (or whatever) is totally comfortable saying, “I’m happy with me and my life,” and who doesn’t feel at all incomplete for not having a better half. Sandra Bullock didn’t get married until she was 40! Which is, like, unheard of, isn’t it? (My Sunday morning ritual has become checking out the Wedding announcements in the NYT and seeing how many of the brides are younger than me. [I’d say it’s about 50/50.] But there was one bride in Brooklyn a few weeks ago who was 42 and who had a procession from her apartment to the church with all her bridesmaids dancing and singing and the quote was something like, “When you get married at 42, it’s something to celebrate.” And I guess the point is I really admire any woman who doesn’t succumb to fear or pressure or whatever and grab the next schlub that comes along so she can say, “Hey — look! I have a husband!” […which reminds me of When Harry Met Sally when Carrie Fisher tells Meg Ryan that she shouldn’t wait too long to get back in the game because one guy they knew said he needed more time before dating again and then he died and Meg Ryan says, “What are you saying? That I should grab on to somebody in case he’s about to die?” and that nameless redhead says, “At least you could say you were married!”])
And the part that *really* makes me sad for Sandra Bullock (…and if I was to be a real drama queen, I could perhaps say all of womankind…) is that she said she couldn’t have played her Oscar-winning role in The Blind Side a few years ago — that it was having a family and someone who had her back in real life that enabled her to play Leigh Anne Tuohy. And even Oprah mentioned how sweet it was when the camera panned to a teary-eyed Jesse James in Bullock’s Oscar acceptance speech…and it just seemed like one of those situations that proved it was all totally worth the wait. She spent her 20s and 30s working on her career and herself…and then in her 40s, she found love. And it was a good love — one that gave her family and support and real happiness. And that’s where it’s supposed to end happily ever after! There shouldn’t be any tattooed chicks or text messages or eleven-month-long trysts! How can that be? How could he possibly stand next to her on the red carpet and listen to her laud him for his support and get teary-eyed and look like he was proud of her and that he was happy he was the guy who got to be in her life…and then go home and text some broad that he’d been thinking about her? It, in a word, sucks.
And it frankly makes me wonder whether there is any hope at all. It seems like sometimes men make it so easy to throw up our hands and declare them all pigs. (I was watching an episode of The Golden Girls in which Blanche was upset because a man — who actually later went on to play the husband of the lady who killed herself and now does voiceovers on Wisteria Lane — appeared looking for George Devereaux because he was his father. And Blanche was upset by this revelation that her husband knocked up some chick in Dallas in the ’60s. So…as she was sitting at the kitchen table with Dorothy and Rose, she asked something like, “Why do men cheat?” and Dorothy said there were two explanations: One, that men are victims of an evolutionary process that deems it impossible for them to control their natural proclivities; and, Two: Men are scum.)
But, seriously — just look at all of them in the news recently: (as if I even need to mention this first one…) Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Dave Letterman, Eliot Spitzer, and (maybe) David Patterson…, just to name a few. And it’s certainly not limited to famous people. I can easily peruse the Hall of Fame o’ Bad Men in *my* life for plenty of real world examples: take the Penis-Revealer with the Long-Term Girlfriend Who I Really Genuinely Cared About…or Mr. I’m-Getting-A-New-Roommate-Oh-Wait-Did-I-Forget-To-Mention-I’m-Sleeping-With-Her-And-Eventually-Plan-To-Marry-Her-?. And, sure, there are subtle nuances in both cases…and, depending how you define “cheating,” maybe it’s not “cheating” at all. But, at the very least, they both suck in their own special ways.
And then there’s the example of my married guy friend. And he’s, like, the most doting husband I’ve ever seen — flowers, dinners, jewelry, trips, the whole nine yards. And, for a long time, I held him up as, like, the example of the perfect husband. And then not too long ago, I was out with him and excused myself for a moment and, when I came back, he was in the middle of a flirtatious exchange with a female bartender. And, I mean, it’s not like he *did* anything — he was merely cooing things like, “Will you be here next time to take such good care of me? I sure hope so…” and no one was overtly hurt by his sweet nothings, so what does it matter? But, at the same time, I am absolutely 100% certain that he would not have behaved this way had his wife been present…which makes me feel like something was not quite right. And, sure, I suppose we all do it to a certain degree — sort of like Mo’Nique’s explanation to Babs about her open marriage — but if *this* guy — arguably the World’s Most Doting Husband — can’t be trusted not to have his brain turn to jelly in the presence of a moderately attractive female, can *any* of them be trusted? Or, deep down inside, are they all Jesses, Tigers, Johns, Marks, Daves or Eliots?
Perhaps we’re all destined to be — I’m borrowing from the New York Post’s headline — Blind-Sided. It’s depressing. (I started to read Why Men Cheat in Esquire, but got upset…men cheat because they must? Really? So…I didn’t get very far…)
And…brief aside: I did a lot of flying in the last couple of months of 2009. And flying sometimes makes me nervous…so my deal with myself is that I can buy lots of trashy celebrity magazines to read on the plane. And…in one issue of Us Weekly, there was a Sandra Bullock quote that I liked so much I ended up cutting it out and taping it to my bathroom mirror (…it was, if you recall, sort of a tough time for me…and I sorely needed inspiration): “I complete me. I’m just lucky that after I completed myself, I met someone who could tolerate me.” And the magazine explained that it was in reference to her “strong marriage.” And I just can’t keep it up there anymore, can I? Every time I look at it now instead of, “Attagirl, Sandra!” I think, “Stupid jerk!”
And this isn’t to say that Sandra doesn’t still complete herself…and that she won’t have a happy ending after all. She may stick with James and remain blissfully happy after he does a stint in sex rehab or whatever; or she may leave him and end up with one of Hollywood’s most eligible 40-something bachelors…and her new hubby will be the Angelina to James’ Aniston and he’ll spend the rest of his life as the posterchild for the Lonely Man; or she may adopt a kiddo and start her own family and swear off men forever. It’s a terrible, awful thing that happened…but, at the same time, she’ll go on, blah, blah, blah. And the thing that I really loved about The Blind Side was its message that family is whoever you love — not necessarily those you were born into… — which I suppose would make it even more poignant if she ends up telling James to take a hike and adopts a million babies. (But I can’t see how this *couldn’t* still be an enormous blow to your ego…and I was *just* saying to a friend — before any of this happened — that it seems to me like it would be really hard not to have a certain complex, knowing that your husband’s ex-wife was a porn star. And now…? Sheesh. Poor Sandra…)
Bottom line: As an unmarried woman of a certain age, I found her story hopeful — like, I’m going to continue to work on me…and I’m going to have faith that when it’s right, Mr. Wonderfulpants will fall from the sky… — and I guess her story still *is* hopeful, in a way. But…not in the way I thought it was…
Filed under Brooklyn, feminism, Mississippi, Ole Miss
Tagged as A Time to Kill, Barbara Walters, Barbara Walters Oscar Special, Betty White, Blanche Devereaux, Blind Side, Blind-Sided, career, Carrie Fisher, Dave Letterman, David Patterson, Dorothy, doting husband, Eliot Spitzer, Esquire, fulfillment, Golden Girls, Hall of Fame o' Bad Men, husband, identity, Jesse James, John Edwards, Leigh Anne Tuohy, marriage, Meg Ryan, Mississippi, New York Times, Oprah, Oscars, pigs, posterchild for the Lonely Man, Rose, Sandra Bullock, schlub, scum, tattooed chicks, text messages, Tiger Woods, trysts, Us Weekly, wedding announcements, When Harry Met Sally, Why Men Cheat
Avoiding Post-AP English Syndrome, Using Expired Scone Mix, Descending Upon My Proposal Like a Beast, Going Through a Cream Phase…and Still Rooting For Team Melissa
Alright, so, I’ve been getting LOTS of amazing feedback…which, for a writer frequently plagued by self-doubt, is really wonderful to hear (although, folks, don’t be shy! Feel free to comment *right here* so, you know, any future employers/publishers can feel the love, too…)…although, in true LL style, it sort of worries me as I fear I’ll get Post-AP English Syndrome again…which, for those of you who haven’t known me since high school, is basically what happened after my AP English teacher told me I was a good writer and I went off to college and felt all sorts of pressure to *be* a good writer and it backfired and I’d spend weeks and weeks on individual papers and get Bs — Bs! — and, about a year later, I finally threw in the towel and said, “To heck with it! If I’m going to get Bs, I’m not going to spend weeks and weeks writing these damn things…” and I wrote a paper the night before it was due…and I was so, so embarrassed by the, you know, word-vomit that I turned in…and that very paper turned out to be the turning point and my professor asked me to stay after class because he thought I could get it published. End Writer’s Block.
So, long story short, I worry my blog will all of a sudden become crap and I will find myself incapable of writing about anything anymore if I let this go to my head and/or try to write anything that I think people will like. Although, in all fairness, Post-AP English Syndrome was — cringe — about ten years ago. So…perhaps I have matured since then. We’ll see.
I haven’t really cooked or baked anything since returning to New York to tackle the New Year (I *did* make eggnog scones from a mix that was given to me last Christmas(-ish) by the Luxury Spot…which were okay…and the only other things worth noting about it are: 1) I like the name of the bakery — Sticky Fingers — and would like to come up with something comparable for my book; and 2) the mix said it was best by 07/03/09, which I *assumed* meant merely that they would have turned out fluffier last summer and not that I would, you know, die after consuming them now…but I’m very much in starving artist mode, so I took a chance.
And, really, the past week has been all about the freelance scramble — drumming up projects, applying for jobs, working on the book proposal — which I absolutely HATE and which stresses me out even more than, you know, baseline…and I feel like I’m constantly working, but never really getting anywhere — there’s ALWAYS a pitch I could be writing or a job I could be applying for (…even if it doesn’t sound all that interesting…)…and there’s always some editing that could be done on my proposal…and, while we’re at it, there’s always some editing that could be done on my 90,000-word draft, too. And…I keep extending my proposal deadline to accommodate…but feel like if I do it any more, it will be 2011 and I’ll still be saying, “My proposal is almost done!” So…this week is it — I’ve given myself an ironclad deadline. No excuses. It’s going out to agents no matter what. (I had a little freakout when I realized that all agents seem to want something different — some want the first chapter, some want the first three…some want the first five to ten pages…some want the first four to seven…and here I’ve been working on a proposal that weighs in at about 100 pages now…and it sounds like I’m going to have to pick it apart — like some sort of vulture! — and cater it to each agent specifically…although a friend pointed out that the agents likely appear finicky just so, you know, they know that you’re really specifically sending it to *them* rather than just sending out a blanket email to see who will bite. [Although a blanket email with my 100-page proposal would be SO much easier…and yield a much faster sense of accomplishment! But…I guess if I’ve waited this long…])
So…simple math — 20 agents in five days. Totally doable. And then no more of this starving artist business with expired scone mix. Lisa Lacy is going places.
Annnd…there are really only two other bloggable things on my mind: National Pie Day and The Bachelor.
First things first, as noted, I’m poor…and I really can’t afford to bake 14 pies and a cobbler to celebrate January 23 in high style like I did last year. (I have also officially given up on Internet fame…) At the same time, I feel like I can’t let January 23 go by unnoticed (plus, I really like traditions…and wish my family had more. When I was in Chicago, I ended up crashing K’s family’s New Year’s Day homemade pizza party…which is something they’ve done every January 1 for the past 30-ish years…and I love stuff like that…)…but this then begs the question — if I’m only going to make ONE pie to acknowledge National Pie Day, what’s THE pie to make? I have my mother’s peeler/corer/slicer, but I feel like I’m over apple for the time being. And I still have cans of pumpkin…but I also feel like pumpkin is too blasé. I’m actually sort of feeling a lemon meringue or a banana cream might be nice — if not totally evocative of the pie genre as a whole. And this is after making a chocolate cream pie for Christmas…so maybe it means I’m going through a cream phase. I don’t know — I’m open to suggestions. (And — ooh — hey, look: ANOTHER excuse to comment. Lucky!)
And…no good way to segue from cream pies to reality TV (I Googled — there isn’t…), but…I’ve totally been watching Jersey Shore because I’ve been working on a story about it (although, now that I think about it, I guess I’ve already mentioned it…but, since then, I learned that one of my J-school classmates totally interviewed Vinny when we were in RW1 together. It’s my six degrees of separation…)…but my other guilty TV pleasure is The Bachelor. And…I admit that I was genuinely into it in the Jason Mesnick era. I couldn’t believe DeAnna didn’t choose him and felt so sorry for him…but don’t even get me started on the whole Melissa/Molly debacle…and, I mean, sure — things have worked out really well for Melissa since then…and even though Jason looked like a big scumbag at the time, it probably *is* better that he followed his heart when he did, blah, blah, blah. But…I worry a little that maybe Melissa was so eager to show the world that she isn’t a Sad Sally that she jumped into this marriage with Tye. And I could be wrong — all I know about Melissa is what I’ve seen on ABC…but I also wonder if it says something about, you know, modern times (not Medieval Times) or whatever that she needs a husband to make it look like her life is complete and she can’t be independent with a successful career and hold her head up high on her own. *That* would be something. (Although, admittedly, it’s not an easy thing to do. Especially when Stupidface who let you go is right there with his new ladyfriend — who is clearly nowhere near as awesome as you are — and you have to smile through gritted teeth and tell them both how good it is to see them…even though all you really want to do is shoot laserbeams out of your eyes to vaporize them.) So, I mean, I wish Melissa and Tye the best…and I hope it doesn’t turn out to be a Charlie-Sheen-sort of situation. (I was *also* thinking about how Denise Richards must feel a little vindicated and/or be experiencing some good ol’ schadenfreude as news leaks about Charlie post-Christmas. I just hope Jason and Molly don’t find themselves in a similar position. Happy or not, I think they’re a little too smug.)
Okay — one more embarrassing paragraph on The Bachelor and we’re done. SO much to love this season…if not the Bachelor himself. He’s okay, I guess…but he didn’t really win any bonus points in my book for going back to warn Jillian about Love Don’t Come Easy. Seemed a little much to me…although I guess it established a nice segue for this season. Regardless…I totally thought the big scandal was that two *contestants* had hooked up in the house, drumming up all this girl-on-girl intrigue…and not just that one of the ladies had an affair with a crew member. Seems so droll in comparison…and I’m actually kind of surprised ABC hasn’t thought of a lesbian affair already. Perhaps next season. (“It’s okay, Jake, I swing both ways!” Can you imagine??) Back to the stuff I love: LOVE the tagline “On the Wings of Love.” (He’s a pilot! Get it?) I loved the plane flying over Jake’s head when he parked his motorcycle at the beach. I loved it when he said he’d never had 25 women fighting over him before and so seatbelts needed to be fastened. And I loved it when he threw the rose in the fire after learning of Rozlyn’s indiscretion. But the most memorable part was undoubtedly the Cambodian chick from Santa Rosa, Calif. (current home of Guy Fieri, former home of yours truly) who told Jake — first in Cambodian! — that he could park his plane on her landing strip any time. I mean, admittedly, you need to think of something to say that separates you from the pack — I get that. And I *might* be tempted to lead with my first and last name and a wink-wink with its pornographic implications…should I ever find myself getting out of a limo in an evening gown to meet the Bachelor on Episode 1. But…words fail, Channy. As much as I’d like to believe in the power of reality TV show love, I hope for her sake that the show is scripted and someone put her up to it.
Tagged as 14 pies and a cobbler, ABC, agents, amazing feedback, apple pie, Bachelor, banana cream pie, best by, Charlie Sheen, Chicago, chocolate cream pie, Christmas, comments, crap, cream phase, deadline, DeAnna Pappas, Denise Richards, draft, editing, eggnog scones, expired mix, freelance scramble, Guy Fieri, high school, husband, independent woman, Internet fame, ironclad deadline, J-school, Jake, January 23, Jason Mesnick, Jersey Shore, Jillian, landing strip, laserbeams, lemon meringue pie, little freakout, Love Don't Come Easy, Luxury Spot, Medieval Times, Melissa Rycroft, mix, modern times, Molly, National Pie Day, New Year, New Year's Day homemade pizza party, On the Wings of Love, peeler/corer/slicer, pie, Post-AP English Syndrome, proposal, pumpkin pie, reality TV, Rozlyn, RW1, Sad Sally, Santa Rosa, scandal, schadenfreude, self-doubt, starving artist, starving artist mode, Sticky Fingers, stresses me out, Stupidface, Team Melissa, traditions, Tye, Vinny, vulture, word-vomit, writer's block
Julie and Meat/Infidelity
I had hoped to actually post this before Cleaving’s December 1 publication date as I have friends in high places (…sorta…) and got an early copy of Julie Powell’s second book…and wanted to rub it in your collective faces a little bit. (But in the nicest way possible.)
But, alas, it is now December 5, and for all you know, I could have spent the last four days feverishly reading it and composing dark lies.
But *that*, I suppose, is sort of beside the point.
I had *heard* Cleaving got bad reviews…and I understand why. I hadn’t actually read any of the critics until I sat down to write *this.* But as I was reading the book, I definitely thought, “People are not going to like this…”
And because of the kinship I felt with Julie in Julie and Julia (and that I still felt — albeit to a lesser degree — in Cleaving), I’m going to go out on a limb and play a little devil’s advocate here. Which is not to say I liked the entire book. I initially thought it was hard to get into — the text really just goes back and forth between Knives/Meat and Marriage Falling Apart/Affair over and over again. Neither topic is really pleasant to encounter…(especially for those of us who saw Chris Messina valiantly play the role of Eric in this summer’s movie…)
But first I’ll tackle the meat: I’m hardly a vegetarian (those vegan blog posts last year were really just a buddy at HuffPo hooking an unemployed girl up…), but, put lightly, some of those butchering passages were really hard to read. (It was sort of like when I was watching something on TV with my parents about bison that mysteriously died in a national park..and it turned out that they were already sick…and because of the cold weather, they got trapped in some sort of gassy something-or-rather out on the plains…so, it was unfortunate, but they would have died anyway. And the national parks guys proved this by cracking open one of the bones and showing this really gooey bone marrow…and my mother and I saw it and immediately exclaimed, “EWW!” and my dad just said, “What? It’s bone marrow.”) So…Point #1: I may eat steak, but that doesn’t make it easy to read about how a cow *becomes* steak. Which maybe means I *should* be a vegetarian…but that’s a topic for another post.
Point #2: After such phenomenal success with her first book, I sort of have to give Powell props for not following a similar pattern and writing the same thing again, but with Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume Two. I would imagine the temptation would totally be there with something that has already been established as a successful model…*especially* when that model has been turned into a Nora Ephron movie and you KNOW that plenty of people will buy the second book on name recognition alone.
I think London’s Sunday Times put it best, actually, in this review that asked how Powell could possibly top herself after Julie and Julia…and then answers itself: “The answer is, of course, that she couldn’t. But she has had a jolly good stab at it — literally.”
I like that — “a jolly good stab.” We should all be so lucky…
But…it *is* gross. And disconcerting. And, as noted, I basically agreed with everyone who didn’t like it…until D — the man with whom she is having the torrid affair that threatens her marriage — disappears. That was the moment Julie became a sympathetic character to me…and I started to identify with her more and more…and even recognized some of my own behavioral patterns in the things she does for him…even though she knows she’ll never hear from him. This may officially make me a crazy person, but…1. Who among you didn’t think that anyway? And…2. I totally understand that compulsion…and that desire to maintain a connection with someone no longer in your life. Small case in point: There is perhaps no one (aside from myself) who loved my cat more than the Bartender. And so, for example, when I finally got the cat fixed and the vet told me that he was the most well-endowed feline she had ever neutered, I *knew* the Bartender would appreciate the story…perhaps more than anyone else. And so I emailed him about it…even though I knew he wouldn’t respond. I guess part of me is stubborn enough and/or hopeful enough that somewhere out there, he read my message and it made him happy and he remembered that we had good times together. (But when I read Christine Muhlke’s review in the NYT, I felt really bad about myself. I can’t help but feel she’s calling me pathetic, too: “Powell’s not kidding about the ‘obsession’ part: she pathetically texts and e-mails into the ether for almost a year, then fleshes her longing into a book that doesn’t spare the reader a single full-frontal flashback.” [For the record though, I spared y’all plenty of full-frontal flashbacks. So count your blessings.])
However, when I told my friend J that I sort of got Julie’s sadness about D, she said, “But you don’t have a husband!!” which is a fair point. And, Julie, as much as I’d like to defend you (you’re the one, after all, who gave me hope that it *is* possible to be at a point in life in which you feel absolutely nothing is going right, but you can still suck it up and make positive changes and turn everything around…), I gotta say that it *is* hard to have real, total, complete sympathy for you knowing that you have Eric at home. And, sure, he goes out and has his own affair, too…but…I found myself asking, “Why not just get a divorce?” repeatedly. And, sure, he’s been a part of your life for a super-long time and you know each other so well that you’re basically the same person and you always know what the other one is thinking…which is why you can’t hide the affair from him in the first place, but also why you can’t bear to part with him, and…well…I don’t know. It just sort of gets to a point where it seems like a tough decision needs to be made…but nobody is willing to make it and it kinda feels like you guys are making your own beds. Either get divorced or don’t, but, for the love of god, stop complaining about the uncertainty. (Which, ultimately, she does.) (And all of this, “But I love/know him more than I love/know myself…”-business sort of makes me think of the fourth book in the Twilight series and that half-vampire baby that resulted from Bella and Edward’s union. UGH. But, again, another post for another day.)
Point #3 is that when you write something like this, you have to be honest. (Or at least that’s what Dale Maharidge taught me…) And, sure, some of Cleaving is a little saucy and/or, you know, what kids these days (or kids from days of yore) might call TMI…but, at the same time, I also think it’s kind of brave. She wrote about a topic that clearly does not paint her in a positive light…but she doesn’t gloss over any of it. She sort of offers herself up — flaws and all. And that takes guts. And to touch on Point #2 again briefly, all the saucy stuff takes her further out of her Julie and Julia Comfort Zone…and I gotta give her props for being brave enough to do that, too. (But, then again, I don’t know how much of it was actually flexing writing muscles and how much of it was, “See?? I can write naughty words! And lots of ’em!”)
I also think confidence plays a big role in all of this…and it is where, again, I feel a certain kinship with Ms. Powell. I was just at a little J-school classmate reunion-y thing, in fact, when I was talking about making slow progress on my book and one of my classmates grabbed me by the arms and shook me a little and said, “You’re so talented! Do you know that? You have to know that and acknowledge it and understand that someday you’re going to do great things!” and it was sort of like, “Yes! Sure. Okay!”
I like the way the NYT put the confidence issue best: Muhlke writes that D’s enduring power over Julie exists, in part, because his presence in her life “instills the confidence that being played by Amy Adams in the movie apparently did not.” And…I don’t know. But I get that, too. And, heck, I can only assume money is no object for her now and I don’t really see anything wrong with looking around and saying, “Hey! I have a lot of freedom!” and then trying butchering on for size and going to Argentina, Ukraine and Tanzania…in order to clear her head or spark something within her or simply to delay the inevitable. Obviously she’s still a person trying to figure out who she is and what makes her tick…and I’m not sure we should all be so quick to judge. She has an amazing opportunity sans financial pressures to actually figure out all that stuff on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs…that a lot of people never get to do. I have no idea what I’d do with myself if I didn’t have to worry about paying rent or bills or anything (aside from blogging for all of you, natch). While visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, I went to a thrift shop with my mother and found a giant silver clock that was lined with velvet and contained a hologram of the Last Supper and some fake flowers. And it was just the most amazing clock ever…but there was a slight imperfection in the velvet lining…so I bought some additional fake flowers and glued them on the inside and then I decided I might as well touch up the silver paint while I was at it, too…and I pretty much had the time of my life. So…perhaps I would fix up old clocks. But would I really be fulfilled by that forever and ever? I have no idea. (See? Creating a fulfilling life for oneself is a toughie.)
Bottom line: I think there’s a lot of be said about pursuing your passion no matter what. And I hate to get up on a feminist soapbox, but…I don’t think it’s totally unreasonable to point out that women face this tinge of selfishness when they want to do something purely for themselves that men never do. A man can pursue whatever career/passions he wants and he can still be a model family man. But a woman who puts her career and/or other passions at the forefront at the expense of family and/or children isn’t such a sympathetic figure. And that’s not really fair. (I am tempted to ask the “What if Julie was a man?”-question and bring up powerful men and *their* affairs and follow *that* thread for awhile…but I think Access Hollywood quite thoroughly beat me to that punch last week.)
And, I mean, I totally understand Julie’s excitement in having her own apartment. (Did Virginia Woolf not write that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”?) I’m really not good at sharing spaces. In fact, I think my own apartment may be the ONE thing I’ve done right in my life to date. So…yet another thing that makes me get Julie. If only Eric didn’t exist at all, she might be one of my favorite people ever…(or perhaps I should say, “The idea of her…” I just Googled and found an interivew on YumSugar and realized that she *is*, in fact, a real person and thought, “Yikes! What if she reads this?” Which she won’t…but, still…)
My final plus: It’s hard to travel on your own. Heck, I have trouble eating or going to movies by myself. (That’s one of the good things about working from home — I can go see movies in the middle of the day in the middle of the week and absolutely no one is in the theater…) So — even though I agree with the reviewers that her post-apprenticeship jaunts around the world *do* seem to have been tacked on without a firm idea about how they contribute to the book as a whole — I also think it’s really great she was brave enough to fly all over the world on her own.
The NYT felt otherwise — “She travels to Argentina, Ukraine and Tanzania, a 100-page exercise in self-indulgent writing, in which she dwells on how attractive the locals find her and how much Malbec, Cognac or goat’s blood she can drink…” — but, I mean, c’mon. What is memoir (or foodoir) if not an exercise in self-indulgence?
Filed under blogs, books, Brooklyn, dishes, entrees, feminism, hot dogs, pork, vegan
Tagged as A Room of One's Own, Access Hollywood, Argentina, bad reviews, Bella Swan, bison, bone marrow, bravery, butchering, Chris Messina, Christine Muhlke, Cleaving, confidence issue, Dale Maharidge, devil's advocate, Edward Cullen, Eric, fake flowers, feminist soapbox, foodoir, friends in high places, half-vampire baby, honesty, how a cow becomes a steak, Huffington Post, husband, jolly good stab at it, Julia Child, Julie and Julia, Julie and Julia Comfort Zone, Julie Powell, kinship, Knives/Meat, Last Supper, liver, maintaining connections, making your own bed, marriage, Marriage Falling Apart/Affair, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, meat, memoir, money is no object, name recognition, National Parks, New York Times, Nora Ephron, Obsession, own apartment, pathetic, phenomenal success, powerful men and affairs, self-indulgent writing, selfishness, steak, Sunday Times, Tanzania, thrift shop, Tiger Woods, TMI, torrid affair that threatens her marriage, travel, Twilight, Ukraine, uncorrected proof, unemployment, vegan, vegetarian, Virginia Woolf, Wall Street Journal
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TOPICA Presented at Global Economic Symposium GES 2014
The Global Economic Symposium (GES 2014) was organized by the Academy of Kiel (Germany) and the world’s leading corporations. It was held at the Shangri-La Hotel, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Septmber 6th to the 8th, 2014. Dr. Pham Minh Tuan, one of Vietnam’s first delegates, was a guest speaker in attendance.
Over 200 delegates participated in GES 2014, including 21 ministers, leaders of major corporations and representatives of media outlets worldwide. Furthermore, among attendees included four Nobel Prize winners from distinguished universities.
GES 2014 focused on the theme of “Restructuring the economy and social change” with 46 discussion sessions on the matter. The main discussion revolved around potential solutions to the challenges being faced with the world’s rapidily growing science and technology, social change and shifts in global economic order. One such discussion was held with Dr. Pham Minh Tuan and the former Labor Minister and Chief of the Swedish Ministry of Education Malaysia office who approached the topic of education in the digital era.
GES 2014 with the participation of over 200 delegates from over 30 countries
The topic of GES 2014 is “Restructuring Economies, Transforming Societies”
As Representative of TOPICA Edtech Group – the only unit of Southeast Asia that provides technology and online services for bachelor degrees with high quality universities; Dr. Pham Minh Tuan spoke about the impact of E-Learning in the education system of Southeast Asia. Dr. Tuan's speech captivated the attention of attendees.
Dr. Pham Minh Tuan - Founder of TOPICA Edtech Group made a speech at GES 2014
Tuan stated that about 2 years ago, hundreds of leading universities worldwide had focused their attention on the development of e-learning for students. Many schools offer courses open to the masses, such as, Harvard, Stanford, and many others. Some universities also offered e-learning programs for bachelor degrees, as well as masters programs. Such schools included Berkeley, Georgia Tech and Maryland.
E-learning brings chances of high quality education with reasonable cost for global students, including those in developing countries. The biggest challenge for universities in South East Asia is how to construct technical facilities, local faculties, student support and making use of US universities’ open lectures, while maintaining retention and effectiveness.
According to Professor Edward Lazear, Human Resource and Economics Professor of Stanford University and Adam Smith winner, ”E-learning has existed for a long time. In my university, Stanford E-learning has been used for technical majors for the last 20 years. Stanford Business School have just joined in, as have the others. It is a matter of viral effect, the trend started, and the next decade will answer how far it will go. I never doubted that E-learning would be a positive strength and it would fly”.
In the discussion, participants were really impressed by TOPICA, Vietnam’ pioneer of exporting E-learning abroad, especially for AMA University, the biggest university of the Philippines. By now, TOPICA is the only South East Asian provider of online Bachelor degree programs, synchronization technology and service. TOPICA also supplies Topmito, the world’s first program allowing English speaking exercises through Google Glass, computers, and mobile devices. They also supply Casec, English ability testing system CASEC which was founded based on research of STEP and developed by Japan Institute for Educational Measurement (JIEM). TOPICA Founder Institute (TFI) is the only Accelerator in Vietnam investments of millions of US dollar.
In regards to inviting TOPICA to be the speaker at GES 2014, the Organizer’s representative, Dr. Jörg Dräger, also the Board of Directors participant of Bertelsmann Stiftung Group, Germany, said, ”We are looking for organizations with experience and success at education in Asia. That’s why we invited TOPICA. I believe that we could learn from TOPICA many lessons in extending education in environments like Vietnam, the Philippines and perhaps India, where approach and cost are big problems and we need to bring high quality education to a lot of people. After today’s meeting, we are really impressed with what TOPICA have been doing”.
Additional information about Dr. Pham Minh Tuan
Head of General Assembly and CEO, TOPICA Edtech Group
Young Global Leader 2012 (YGL), World Economic Forum (WEF)
Commissioner of Asian Pacific Information Network (APIN) Assembly
Commissioner of Vietnam Central Youth Association Committee
Former Dean of Finance and Banking, Hanoi Open University, Deputy Head of Advanced Technology Institute, Hanoi University of Technology
Former Visiting Scholar, University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Former Head of General Assembly, Noi.vn
Worked in McKinsey Consulting and Strategy Group (Budapest), Extramedia (New York, Singapore), Integra Software (Budapest)
PhD of Information Administration and Master of IT, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE)
Master of Business Administration, New York University (NYU)
Source: Dantri
E-learning Press
Thailand - An Important Market for Topica Edtech Group’s Southeast Asian Expansion
How E-Learning Benefits Individual Departments
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A. L. Vijay
Born 1979-06-18 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
A. L Vijay, credited by his mononym Vijay, is an Indian film director who works in the Tamil film industry. A disciple of Priyadarshan, he debuted as director with films like Kireedam and critically acclaimed Madrasapattinam. Vijay later directed big budget films Deiva Thirumagal and Thaandavam, starring Vikram in both films. Prior to directing films, Vijay was a successful advertisement filmmaker with his banner Venus Ad Films, completing more than 100 ad films. His State Bank of India commercial won CNBC’s Best Corporate Advertisement Award in 2009. Vijay has claimed that "advertisements teach you how to translate a story idea onto screen with maximum impact in minimum time" and is influenced by the ad works of Priyadarshan, Prahlad Kakkar and Babu Shankar. In 2003, he began his career in feature films by joining Priyadarshan as an assistant director in his films.
Devi(L)
Desh Prem the Real Hero
Idhu Enna Maayam
Saivam
Thalaivaa
Thaandavam
Deiva Thirumagal
Madrasapattinam
Poi Solla Porom
Kireedam
Thalaivi
Story, Screenplay
Screenplay, Story
Story, Screenplay, Dialogue
Screenplay, Dialogue
Screenplay, Story, Dialogue
Dialogue, Screenplay, Story
Dialogue, Screenplay
Oru Naal Iravil
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'Parks and Rec' character reassures America after election
Parks and Rec character reassures America -... vulture.com
Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation has written a letter of hope to America.
by Siobhan Dunlop
11 November 2016 13:20 Fri 11 Nov 2016 13:20:26 GMT
In the aftermath of the US Election, the kind and upbeat public servant from NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" Leslie Knope has written a letter to America, offering reassurance and hope for the future, especially to young female fans. Donald Trump's victory in the American election has caused a lot of shock and fear around the world and now even fictional characters must step onto the stage to try and bring hope to millions.
Knope's letter on Website Vox
Knope's letter originally appeared on the website Vox and features references to other popular characters in the show such as her best friend Ann and the fan favourite Ron Swanson. The letter opens referring to the "confusion, and despair, and disbelief" of the present political moment for many and how Leslie Knope, a cult figure famed for her cheery aspiration in local government, shares in those emotions too.
She goes on to share an anecdote about a school election (won by a T. Rex named Dr. Farts with no real policies) that is very in-keeping with the character's in-show style of reassurance and justification. The letter, credited to one of the "Parks and Recreation" writers on Vox, combines the show's fun and positive tone with a real kind of reaction to the election and a message of hope.
The second part of the letter begins with the paragraph "No.
I do not accept it." in reaction to the idea that American has become the hate-filled landscape that Trump seems to advocate. Indeed, many people have questioned how Trump became president and what that means for the state of America and its people. Knope's letter does not accept hate, but suggests a vision of working together for the future that may be fictional, but may just also be what a lot of people in America and around the world need to hear right now.
Addressing young women
The letter addresses young girls, many of whom will see Leslie Knope as a television role model, telling them "our president-elect is everything you should abhor and fear in a male role model". The show that features Michelle Obama in a cameo before it ended displays how it can still be a beacon of hope for women in a political world that often seems to discredit and demean them, particularly in light of this election.
The concluding message that 'you are the future' provides a typically Leslie Knope motivational message, usually directed at other characters in the show, but in this case for anyone who needs to hear it. Politics is not over.
The character, played by Amy Poehler, has been a popular one since the show began. Though fictional characters cannot themselves change the world, but in light of this shocking and fear-inducing election, it is perhaps characters like Leslie Knope that are needed even more: characters whose realistic positivity can help to cheer up 2016.
Siobhan Dunlop
English graduate with an MA in Shakespeare. Blogs about books (fiendfullyreading.tumblr.com) and vegetarian cookery (trashvegetarian.wordpress.com)..
Follow Siobhan on Twitter
Read more on the same topic from Siobhan Dunlop:
'Post-truth' given Oxford Dictionaries word of the year title Harry Potter play's magical success at Evening Standard Theatre Awards Ant and Dec sign new deal with ITV
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Home Analysis Scottish independence and defence – A look at the numbers
Piper with 4 SCOTS.
Scottish independence and defence – A look at the numbers
This article was submitted by Alastair Cameron, a former British Army officer and the founder of Scotland in Union. He is writing here in a personal capacity. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the UK Defence Journal. We aim to encourage debate around defence as part of our new ‘Views on Defence’ series, a look at opinions of major political parties and other organisations in the UK in the run up to the Modernising Defence Programme defence review being released.
In May 2018, the SNP published their new ‘Growth Commission’ report. The wide-ranging document was produced by a commission appointed by the party, and led by Andrew Wilson, a former SNP MSP and founding partner of PR firm Charlotte Street Partners.
The report proposes various policies as a path to Scottish independence, and suggests how a separate Scotland could manage its fiscal position. It makes a range of assertions about how a separate Scotland would manage, and has been billed as a new blueprint for independence. As part of that process, a separate Scotland would of course have to take responsibility for the defence and security of the new country.
Yet another Growth Commission blog?
Since the publication of the SNP’s ‘Growth Commission’ report, many commentators have discussed the assertions, recommendations and inconsistencies in the 354-page document.
Experts, such as those at the Institute of Fiscal Studies, have noted the austerity which Scotland would experience if it were to follow the report’s recommendations [1]. Others have provided analyses of specific areas of the report, [2] including its apparent incompatibility with EU membership [3]. However, as far as I am aware nobody has yet looked in detail at the report’s claims and assertions about defence spending in a separate Scotland.
Of course, nobody who knows me would be surprised to hear that I think there are many reasons why Scotland, and the UK, would suffer if Scotland were to leave the UK: defence is only one of many area for consideration. However, I believe it is worth looking at what the SNP’s new flagship report says (or doesn’t say) about defence strategy, policy and costs. I don’t want to position this as anything other than a theoretical exercise, but if the SNP’s assertions are not reviewed and challenged, they could become orthodoxy. [4]
Defence matters
The basic contract between citizen and state is for people to provide support to the machinery of state (usually through taxes, but in some countries the support could include labour as conscripts) in exchange for the state’s guarantee of security [5]. In extremis, this means defending the country’s borders against invasion, but it can also extend to defence diplomacy; contributions to alliances; dealing with natural disasters at home or abroad; or specific military missions to support citizens, such as when UK armed forces rescued hundreds of oil workers from Libya in 2011 when civil war broke out.
Pictured is an RAF C-130 Hercules, the type that helped evacuate Britons from Libya.
At present, all of the UK benefits from the collective defence of our country, including our shared airspace and surrounding seas, thanks to capable and integrated armed forces and intelligence networks. These help to protect all of us from threats such as terrorism, cyber security and organised crime. Our UK defence policy and capability keeps Scotland safe, and enables us to exert influence and support peace, security and disaster relief in other parts of the world. Scottish units and individual Scots play important roles in the British armed forces, and have done so for hundreds of years [6]. As part of the UK, we are also leading members of NATO, influential players in allied intelligence networks and have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
The UK currently spends over £35 billion a year on defence, [7] including investing in ship-building in Scotland. There are currently about 18,000 Ministry of Defence personnel in Scotland, of whom about 14,000 are serving army, navy and air force personnel [8], and it is reasonable to assume that this will rise once the entire UK submarine fleet is based at Faslane. There are benefits to the local economies around these bases, as companies provide direct services to the bases, and as a result of economic activity by the forces personnel and their families. [9]
HMNB Clyde at Faslane.
An independent Scotland would need to create its own military and security forces and infrastructure. So, can the ‘Growth Commission’ report convince us that we’d be more secure if Scotland were to separate from the UK? That is surely an important test for the report, and a significant challenge for the SNP when it comes to defence and security.
The Growth Commission report’s defence paragraphs are in Part B of the report, which is snappily entitled: ‘The Framework & Strategy for the Sustainable Finances of an Independent Scotland’. Some commentators have suggested that many of the Growth Commission’s recommendations could be followed with Scotland still in the UK. Part B of the report, though, is overtly an ‘if we were independent’ pitch, making it an attempt to replace the ‘White Paper’ of the 2014 campaign.
That ‘White Paper’ made some specific claims about troop and equipment numbers, but without much in the way of financial calculations to back them up, other than to claim a defence budget of £2.5bn would be adequate. Given that budget, the SNP’s claims that a separate Scotland would have 15,000 armed forces personnel, and equipment including two frigates and a squadron of Typhoons were at best optimistic [10]. The degree of accuracy was always suspect, and some comprehensive analyses at the time cast doubt on the realism of the SNP’s plans. [11]
Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth.
The Growth Commission report takes a slightly different tack, effectively starting with the assertion that defence spending would be 1.6% of GDP. It also states that the armed forces would number 12,600. However, there is a disconnect between the two paragraphs in the report: one is based on a % share of GDP, and the other is based on a population share (see below). This chopping and changing could be called trying to have one’s ration pack and eat it. Whether this is due to sloppy drafting, or deliberate obfuscation, only Andrew Wilson and his team can answer.
The next question should be: where does 1.6%, or indeed 12,600, come from anyway? On what threat assessment is it based? What assumptions about the land, air, sea (surface/ subsurface) and space capabilities a separate Scotland would need to counter a range of threats? What assumptions on the proportion of reserves to regulars? What assumptions about whether Scotland would be a member of NATO? I’m not sure the Growth Commission report really needs more padding – it’s already a 50-page report squeezed into 354 pages – but shouldn’t there be some strategic basis for the numbers articulated?
Absent any strategic statements in the report, let’s consider from where the 1.6% figure might come. My guess is that it’s a number which is simply (1) less than currently the case, so that some notional savings can be banked (2) not very far from 2%, so that people who think we should be in NATO might imagine a separate Scotland could join the alliance. There’s even a possibility that it’s in there to imply, for those that want to read it that way, that there’s a dividend from not having nuclear weapons – even though cutting Scotland’s ‘share’ of Trident would save less than c£200m a year, [12] and thus isn’t that relevant to overall budgetary considerations. If anyone has some better insights into the origins of the figures, by the way, I’d be delighted to hear from them.
Moving target range
There are some other defence-related lines in the report which appear to have been drafted by a PR agency rather than a defence economist. For example, there is a suggestion that there would be benefits at the point of separation because defence activities to which Scotland contributes currently take place outside Scotland [13]. Is the implication of this really that soldiers shouldn’t go on defence missions outside their home country, or that the putative (Royal?) Scottish Navy would only patrol within coastal waters? Perhaps the SNP don’t value our current garrisons in Cyprus, Gibraltar, the Falklands and elsewhere; but are they really suggesting that we wouldn’t have strategic bases and multinational exercises outside Scotland, and that this would be a sensible way to make savings, or to afford home-based forces?
HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves the port of Gibraltar.
Similarly, there is a broad assertion that in general a separate Scotland could save money by doing less, because it would be small [14]. There might be some merit to this, if we are prepared to accept less influence (e.g. in the UN) as part of the cost of doing less. Indeed, we could even take this to conclusions such as: ‘if we don’t have any early warning aircraft or surveillance satellites, we won’t need any intelligence analysis of their output, so we can save money on analysis’. However, I am unconvinced by the ‘smallness’ argument, mainly because there will be a huge loss of economies of scale. If we needed to train one squadron of fighter pilots, we would still need pretty much the same training operation as if we had six squadrons; or if we needed a forces postal service, it wouldn’t be a tenth of the cost if our forces are a tenth of the size; specialist and senior levels of training would need to be contracted out, unless a top heavy training structure was established, and the bill would add up.
Two British F-35Bs, arguably the most advanced combat aircraft in the world.
In another section of the report, there is an estimate that average pay for armed forces personnel would be just over that of a private soldier, at about £20,000 a year [15]. In this section, which is in itself interesting for the way it claims the tax benefits of public sector employees (perhaps assuming that otherwise these people wouldn’t be employed at all), it is actually prudent to low-ball the average. However, this assumption about average pay shows a lack of research and insight: the fully loaded ‘capitation’ rate for a private soldier is actually about £35,400 a year,[6] and the average UK armed forces person costs well over £50,000 a year. Even reverse engineering from this estimate makes the average base salary over £30,000 a year [17].
Soldiers of 2 SCOTS.
For the Growth Commission report to float the £20,000 figure at all implies a disregard for the value of military personnel; a misunderstanding of the real world of defence budgets; and a blindness to the need to recruit high calibre people into the armed forces. Perhaps, of course, the SNP really are saying that the Scottish armed forces are simply going to pay their people less. If so, it seems optimistic to expect people to transfer from the UK armed forces to the new Scottish Defence Force, with fewer opportunities, for less money; particularly if the option of remaining in the UK forces was open to them.
The report also makes a nod to some kind of ‘buy local’ policy for defence, with the assertion that spending, ‘likely to be heavily focused on procurement’, would have ‘potentially very significant positive effect on domestic growth and jobs’ [18]. Many countries support their domestic defence industries, including in the awarding of armed forces equipment contracts (for example, the policy of Royal Navy warships being built in the UK), but we should bear in mind the likely impact of separation on Scotland’s defence industry. For advanced weapons, an independent Scotland would be unlikely to benefit from the technology transfer partnerships which the UK has with the US, for example. Buying materiel locally in Scotland is unlikely to provide the kind of technologically advanced equipment that is currently available to the UK armed forces.
HMS Forth in build at Govan. Photo Ian Dick, ‘HMS Forth’ via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
My final point on the origin and details of the defence numbers in the report is that budget allocations are a political choice. The report asserts that there savings possible following a budget review. In defence, these could be hard to make without cutting capability further. Given the need to reduce Scotland’s deficit (a need which the report acknowledges, even if there are flaws in how it calculates the reduction) [19], I suspect even the 1.6% assumption might come under pressure if a populist government sought to provide more immediately popular hand-outs for its citizens. Of course, we could simply say that we won’t support UN operations, or come to the aid of allies, or rescue our citizens stuck in war zones.
“But those rules wouldn’t apply to us”
During the 2014 campaign, the SNP said that Scotland would be in NATO, but at the same time the Yes campaign repudiated nuclear weapons. However, NATO relies on nuclear deterrence, provided by some of its members for the benefit of all, as the ultimate guarantee of security against a potential nuclear-armed foe. A separate Scotland might choose not to operate nuclear weapons (indeed, it would almost certainly lack the money, facilities and expertise, given other assumptions around spending), but it would need to be open to hosting other countries’ nuclear weapons and it would need to commit to a nuclear alliance [20] if it wanted to benefit from NATO’s collective defence.
The language used in the report suggests that Scotland would be in NATO (for example, in comparing defence spending relative to GDP to that of other NATO countries [21]), but without actually saying Scotland would join. This is similar to the report’s sections on the EU, which imply but never say directly that somehow a separate Scotland would get a special deal and might be able to join the EU without committing to joining the Euro. In both cases, this is probably wishful thinking.
My guess is that the report is deliberately unclear because it wants to appease the Scottish Green Party (on whom the SNP currently rely in Holyrood), just as it’s unclear on the EU because many Scottish nationalists are anti-EU [22] – and also because it’s obvious that 1.6% of GDP is below the 2% expected threshold for NATO members.
Troops from the Welsh Cavalry on a NATO deployment.
With regard to NATO, I suppose the SNP might claim that we’d get a special deal. I would merely ask why they think that would be the case – not based on existing members as examples, but based on the circumstances which would prevail at the time of separation. Is it really likely that the alliance would make a special exception for a Scotland which has just weakened one of its most significant members? Specifically and locally, NATO is unlikely to look kindly at separatists who have managed to undermine the alliance’s ability to project force into the strategically important ‘Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap’ area.
A Royal Navy Astute class submarine with a Type 45 Destroyer in the background.
I know I’m not the only person who is sceptical about NATO receiving an independent Scotland with open arms, just because we’re Scottish, or something like that.
Wha’s like us? Damn few (or actually: nobody)
Given my scepticism about the origins of the Growth Commission report’s assumptions and presumptions about defence, I’m a bit wary of going further into the detail to analyse them, as it might imply I think there are some realistic scenarios presented. However, I think it is still perhaps instructive to consider what the figures could mean if we did take them at face value. Let us do that by indulging in the Growth Commission report’s favourite tactic of comparisons with other countries. (Spoiler: no other country is really that much like an independent Scotland would be, particularly when it comes to defence).
Because of the way the Growth Commission report flits between % of GDP, population share, and absolute numbers (and also leaps forward to 2021), it’s a bit of a challenge to decide which factor to pick as a comparator. Given that the report is mainly about the economy, let’s use the 1.6% of GDP figure as our starting point. Obviously picking countries with similar % of GDP defence budgets is pretty useless, as the total sizes of their economies are very different, but just for the record: Nepal, Bulgaria, Norway, Honduras and the Seychelles all spend 1.6% of GDP on defence [23].
Soldiers from 1st Battalion the Irish Guards assist in training South American forces.
Let’s be a bit more realistic, and consider what 1.6% of GDP would mean in monetary terms, today (remember, this is still a theoretical exercise – obviously Scotland isn’t independent today, but if we’re to do a comparison we will need to compare with other countries today). The Scottish Government’s National Accounts publication gives Scotland’s estimated GDP as £152.1bn to £165.4bn, so we’ll take the highest number and start from there. 1.6% of £165.4bn [24] is £2.65bn (rounding up, again).
If we’re going to compare with other countries, we need to deal with currency conversion. We could do that simply by converting to a common currency (say US dollars) at current exchange rate, giving the notional independent Scotland a defence budget of $3.49bn [25]. This would put it close to Morocco ($3.46bn), South Africa ($3.6bn), Bangladesh ($3.6bn), Ukraine ($3.6bn) and Finland ($3.6bn).
If we want to be a bit more rigorous, we should consider what the money buys. This means we should use some kind of ‘purchasing power parity’ (PPP) conversion, and also that we should probably only use advanced economies as comparators, as they would have similar salary costs and similar equipment types. This means we are not going to compare a notional separate Scotland with a country with thousands of poorly paid conscripts and a fleet of cheap ex-Soviet T55 tanks (even if we think that might be what we’d end up with). This approach will probably do for our purposes, and is certainly no less precise than large chunks of the Growth Commission report.
The destroyed remains of Iraqi T-55 Main Battle Tanks (MBT) litter an Iraqi military complex West of Diwaniyah, Iraq.
Ideally we would use some kind of defence-kit-and-soldiers-specific purchasing power parity (PPP) ratio, but for now we can use the World Bank’s PPP rates (based on dollars)[26] and assume they are sufficient. Using the UK pound as though it was a separate Scotland’s currency for our PPP conversion rate (which is not without issues if we are talking about an independent Scotland, as it is likely to flatter Scotland), Scotland’s US dollar defence spending would be $3.77bn.
So, which advanced economies spend about $3.77bn a year on defence?
Country Currency 2017 Defence budget local currency (bn) PPP conversion rate Defence budget US$ at PPP (bn)
Denmark Kroner 25.17 7.356 3.42
Finland Euro 3.21 0.897 3.58
Switzerland Franc 4.56 1.215 3.75
Separate Scotland (UK pound used) 2.65 0.702 3.77
Czech Republic Koruna 52.5 12.898 4.07
Belgium Euro 3.97 0.808 4.91
(Sources: Expenditure in local currency: SIPRI data tables (https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex), except for theoretically separate Scotland, which is calculated in this paper. PPP conversion rates: World Bank (https://data.oecd.org/conversion/purchasing-power-parities-ppp.htm )
Looking at these countries, we could then compare troop and equipment numbers and capabilities, but let’s not go too far into that, for one simple reason: none of these countries is really similar to what an independent Scotland would be like. To take an obvious example, Switzerland and the Czech Republic really don’t need any attack submarines, or anti-submarine capability (and Belgium doesn’t have a lot of coastline, either), but Scotland would feel the lack of these maritime capabilities even in a purely defensive situation and probably should invest in them, even at the expense of (say) armoured forces.
If we did push ourselves to make comparisons, Denmark (18,800 personnel in armed forces [27]) and perhaps Finland (12,000 regular personnel, with total armed forces strength of 230,000 on full mobilisation [28]) are probably the best available examples. Setting aside the earlier point that the nationalists seem woolly on their commitment to NATO, Denmark is a NATO member, and Finland’s defensive posture is aligned with NATO members’ concerns about Russia (a concern that some senior SNP politicians seem not to share).
The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. Photo by Stefan Schäfer, Lich [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons.
However, that’s really about as far as the value of whole-country comparisons can get, and why I won’t go further into hypothetical discussions of numbers of ships, tanks or helicopters at this stage: entire-single-country or basket-of-country comparisons are spurious. If the SNP think we should have Finland’s approach to conscription and potential full mobilisation of the adult population, for example, they really ought to point that out in their assumptions. Of course we could learn from any country in defence matters, just as we can learn from other countries and regions of all sizes when it comes to domestic policies, but we can’t really ever say that we’d be like another country when it comes to defence.
Warriors in Helmand Province, Afghanistan of B Coy 2 Scots.
A final word on comparisons: even comparable numbers of troops and equipment wouldn’t tell the full picture anyway. UK soldiers, sailors and air force personnel have long traditions of moaning about their kit, but in general the UK has extremely capable equipment, which helps our forces to project power and influence globally. Studies consistently rank the UK as one of the most globally influential countries. [29] None of the comparators above, or indeed any of the ‘Small Advanced Economies’ lauded in the Growth Commission report come close to the influence that the UK can currently wield, and thus the influence that Scots can exercise via the UK [30].
Still Better Together – and not just selfishly so
In conclusion, once again the SNP has failed to address the important question of defence with the attention it deserves. The prime duty of a government is to protect its people, from a variety of threats, and military forces play a hugely significant part in that duty; but the Growth Commission report appears to treat defence as a muddled afterthought.
I find the defence paragraphs in the Growth Commission report no more convincing that the defence sections of the ‘White Paper’. They appear to have numbers plucked out of thin air, without a viable strategic concept and strategy to back them up. Even if taken at face value, they undervalue our forces and don’t amount to much. They fit into a broader scheme where independence is the answer, regardless of the question or the consequences, and where the weakening of the UK is not only accepted but desirable.
Troops from 5 SCOTS are inserted into West Freugh Airfield by a French Airforce C160 Aircraft during Exercise Joint Warrior.
In strategic terms, there is no doubt that the UK’s defences would be weakened if Scotland left. This applies in terms of basing locations as well as in size and soft-power influence. If Scotland left the UK, other powers might take the opportunity to question whether the UK should still have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and the UK’s contribution to NATO would certainly be diminished. We should ask ourselves who would benefit from this negative impact, and whether they are the kind of regimes we would like to see with greater influence.
A Typhoon overflies the RAF’s newly installed Air Defence Radar at Saxa Vord, on the Island of Unst, Shetland.
Within the UK, Scots are territoriality secure in an uncertain world, able to project power and influence on a global scale, and make a full contribution to NATO. People from Scotland serve proudly in the UK armed forces, taking advantage of the opportunities, challenges and rewards which such service offers. Thanks partly to our defence commitments, activity and potential, we can exert influence in the UN Security Council and other international bodies, and we have the capability to act alone if we had to.
Nothing in the Growth Commission report convinces me we would be better off if Scotland left the UK, and this is as true in defence as it is in other areas. If the nationalists want to use defence policy assertions to persuade more people to support their cause, they will have to do better than this.
[1] IFS: ‘Weak public finance position implies more austerity for an independent Scotland’ https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/13072
[2] Some excellent work has been done by many people in this area. I recommend commentary from Kevin Hague (http://chokkablog.blogspot.com/ ), Fraser Whyte (https://whytepaper.wordpress.com/) and Neil Lovatt (http://rwbblog.blogspot.com/) in particular.
[3] Scottish Centre on European Relations: ‘Banquo’s Ghost: the Growth Commission, the EU and Scottish Independence’ https://www.scer.scot/database/ident-6762.
[4] I will restrict myself to defence spending excluding intelligence and security agencies, but it may be worth noting in passing that the assumptions about these agencies in the Growth Commission report are similarly glib (Para B5.13, on Pg 257). There is £50m for IT, and otherwise a simple assertion that all costs will be covered somehow. Given the previous record of government IT and organisational projects (in general, and in Scotland in particular), this probably needs a large dose of salt as well. For an excellent overview of the likely challenges for intelligence and security in a notional independent Scotland, I recommend this blog from ‘Thin Pinstriped Line’: https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/2014/04/for-your-scottish-eyes-only.html
[5] As Adam Smith observed, in ‘The Wealth of Nations’: ‘The sovereign’s first duty, protecting the society from the violence and invasion of other independent societies, can be performed only by military force.’ (In Book V, Chapter 1, Part 1. The expense of defence.)
[6] Even before the 1707 Act of Union, Scots were assisting other parts of the UK militarily. The Royal Scots, the oldest line infantry regiment in the British Army, was formed in 1633 when Sir John Hepburn raised a body of men in Scotland for service in France (http://www.theroyalscots.co.uk/history/),while the Scots Guards trace their origins to 1642 (https://scotsguards.org/history/overview/).
[7] Summarised in UK Government publication: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652915/UK_Defence_in_Numbers_2017_-_Update_17_Oct.pdf
[8] In 2015, the official number was 17,500 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474517/PUBLIC_1446799504.pdf). More recently, the UK Government has published a total of 17,980. (https://www.deliveringforscotland.gov.uk/life-in-scotland/armed-forces/# )
[9] This is particularly true for regular units; obviously, reserve forces’ families would be present in their local areas in any case, though their economic activity is increased by the pay that reservists receive.
[10] This BBC article provides a useful summary of the White Paper’s claims: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29135269
[11] For example, the UK Government’s ‘Scotland Analysis: Defence’ (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/248654/Scotland_analysis_Defence_paper-FINAL.pdf), the Henry Jackson Society’s ‘In Scotland’s Defence?’ (http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/HJS-In-Scotlands-Defence-Report-LOW-RES.pdf), and a series of blogs from Thin Pinstriped Line (starting with https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/2013/11/assessment-on-proposals-for-scottish.html).
[12] Fraser Whyte explains in his blog (https://whytepaper.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/gers-reserved-and-non-identifiable-spending/): ‘It is well documented that between 5 and 6% of the entire defence budget is spent on running Trident. That works out as, at most, £181m a year for Scotland (in 2012, Alex Salmond put it at £163m). Even assuming this money could be spent elsewhere, these are not huge sums when seen in the context of £66,388m public expenditure. There’s a good reason the SNP always use the cumulative figure over 40 years. Whenever someone claims that ‘savings like Trident would take care of the deficit gap’, remember that the entire Trident spend constituted just 1.5% of Scotland’s deficit from 2013/14.’ This is also quoted in the ‘Save the Royal Navy’ blog: https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/scottish-nationalism-continues-to-cast-a-shadow-over-the-royal-navy/.
[13] Growth Commission report, Para B4.53, Pg 250: ‘A significant proportion of defence spending allocated to Scotland is spent outside Scotland’.
[14] Growth Commission report, Para B4.49, Pg 259 refers to ‘areas where lower levels of spending may be required in a small country relative to a big country (for example, defence and foreign affairs)’.
[15] Growth Commission report, Para B5.24, Pg 260.
[16]According to ‘Military Manpower Capitation Rates 2016-17’ (http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2015-0883/Capitation_Rates-Military_Manpower_2015-16-Redacted.pdf), Page B-1.
[17] Using the latest figures from the UK MOD, we can calculate average annual cost per person as over £54,000, as follows: total pay bill for armed forces (excluding civilian staff) is c£9.8bn (MOD Annual Report and Accounts, 2016-17, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629775/MoD_AR16-17_print.pdf, Pg 110). Divided by total number of armed forces personnel (149,370 Regular, 31,360 Reserves – ibid, Pg 64), this gives £54,096 on average per person. As this is a loaded cost, it cannot be compared directly with the assumption in the Growth Commission report (though that exposes another weakness in the report, which is that it seems to assume all pay rates are cost, which no business or government department should do). A common rule of thumb is to multiply salary by around 1.5 (various sources, including https://www.commercialdesign.com.au/explanation.htm and http://web.mit.edu/e-club/hadzima/how-much-does-an-employee-cost.html). If we use this factor, then average base pay can be assumed to be £36,064.
[19] See http://chokkablog.blogspot.com/2018/06/growth-commission-simple-mistake.html and https://whytepaper.wordpress.com/2018/06/04/errors-in-growth-commission-report/ .
[20] NATO’s ‘Strategic Concept’ states that as “long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance”. (https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_68580.htm). No NATO country currently has a policy of not allowing nuclear-armed vessels to dock.
[21] Growth Commission report, Para B4.53, Pg 250. It is perhaps fair to point out that many NATO members spend less than 2% of GDP on defence, but that’s not the same as assuming Scotland would be given a free pass on entry. As an aside, there’s some more poor drafting, or deliberate PR agency style obfuscation, in this section: the report takes comparisons of % of GDP, but then uses language of absolutes, when it claims ‘would place Scotland as 8th highest in NATO’ – 8th highest by % of GDP: yes; 8th highest: no.
[22] Polling after the EU Referendum showed that 36% of SNP voters voted for the UK to leave the EU. http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2016/06/how-the-united-kingdom-voted-and-why/
[23] Source for many of the comparisons in this section is the excellent Stockholm Institute for International Peace Research (SIPRI) website and database. Data tables and downloads for all countries are available at https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex.
[24] The Scottish Government, ‘Quarterly National Accounts Scotland, Q4 2017’ (http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00535575.pdf ), Pg 3.
[25] Using rate as published on 20 June 2018 by the Bank of England, which was 1.318 dollars to the pound. (http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/Rates.asp?TD=20&TM=Jun&TY=2018&into=GBP&rateview=D )
[26] https://data.oecd.org/conversion/purchasing-power-parities-ppp.htm
[27] Defence Command Denmark (https://www2.forsvaret.dk/eng/Pages/English.aspx )
[28] Finnish Ministry of Defence, Defence Report 2017 (http://www.defmin.fi/files/3688/J07_2017_Governments_Defence_Report_Eng_PLM_160217.pdf )
[29] For example: in 2016 European Geostrategy judged the UK to be the only ‘Global Power’, behind the USA as a ‘Super Power’ (reported in UK Defence Journal: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/study-finds-uk-is-second-most-powerful-country-in-the-world/ ). In 2017, polling by IPSO MORI found the UK came fourth in a list of countries by positive global influence (though not specifically relating to defence): https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/britain-remains-positive-global-influence-post-brexit. In 2018, research conducted for US News by Y&R’s BAV Group and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania described the UK as the third most influential country; defence capability was a factor in the analysis (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/international-influence-full-list#close-modal ). There is of course an element of subjectivity in these kinds of reports, but the pattern is consistent.
[30] Some of the ‘SAEs’ listed in the Growth Commission report (Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland) are included in my comparison table; others (Austria, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore and Sweden) are not, because their defence expenditure isn’t close to the amount I have calculated for that of a putative separate Scotland. As an aside, and perhaps of interest in a defence context: the Growth Commission’s list of ‘SAEs’ is based on the IMF’s criteria, but there is one notable absence. Israel was included in Professor David Skilling’s analysis carried out for the Growth Commission, but is oddly missing from any list in the SNP’s final report, suggesting that the politicians edited it out.
Superb article with loads of detail to absorb. The only comment I would make is that even without counting high Barnett Formula funding the rUK would be some £15 Bn a year better off as we would not be funding Ms Sturgeons annual deficit. Which when you look at the total UK deficit for this year means 8% of the UK population is adding some 45% of the UK deficit. We are leaving the Eu and that only costs 313 Bn a year …. I believe it is utter madness for Scotland to leave the UK never mind the economic… Read more »
I agree. This is a really good article and highlights well the lack of consideration the SNP has given to an independent Scotland’s defence posture/strategy/policy/goals.
Just to point out, there isn’t a soul in Scotland that would disagree with an English parliament being established and there hasn’t been since 1997. That there isn’t one in existence is on the shoulders of UK political parties.
(Chris H) **£13 Bn a year **
Pacman27
The key question for me on devolution is: Who is stopping you being Scottish. Too many have taken Braveheart seriously, there are a lot of disaffected northern English people whose lives have been blighted down the centuries, it isn’t just the Scots. The Welsh also dont moan as much. The UK is much better with Scotland within it, but that doesn’t mean it can freeload forever, there are other parts of the country that needs the sort of funding that Scotland gets and I am very much pro Scottish, but it is getting to a cry wolf situation and Sturgeon… Read more »
(Chris H) Pacman27 – Good to agree with your points there. One thing that has always intrigued me is that as a Brexiteer I am called a ‘a little Englander’ and yet the 1 Mn Scots who voted as I did aren’t ‘Little Scotlanders’ or the Welsh ‘Little Walesers’. And we are never allowed to call the SNP ‘Little Scotlanders’ for wanting exactly the same separation as I wanted from the EU. Increasingly but with much sadness I want them to leave even if that does damage the UK. They are not happy being British so time to Man Up… Read more »
Chris H I am a Brexiteer Unionist Scot. Please do nit tarnish us all with the same brush. We don’t want to leave, hence the 2014 referendum result. The majority of peoples kiving in Scotland are fed up listening to them too.
Chris Knobjockey
And so would we.
Colin Miller
Something that most people will not know also is that the Scottish Government in the run up to 2014 referendum stated in a letter that they count the Cadet Forces (yes the 12-20 year old Army, Air and Sea cadets) as an integral part of the front line defence of the country…..
This will probably explain their ability to save money!
before anyone calls BS I saw the letter and it was signed by a Mr Salmond……
Never underestimate and 13 year old with a semi automatic rifle and a lot of caffeine though. Would scare even the most battle hardened spetznaz.
They should go. As long as they’re in the union they’ll keep blaming the English for all their problems, which is far easier than taking the tough decisions needed to fix them. The mistake was made in 1707, allowing them to keep their separate and distinct institutions which has always meant there was a sizeable sentiment of being somehow different to the rest of the UK. The growth & resulting wealth of the British Empire in the 18th & 19th century kept a lid on those sentiments but since the 1950’s and end of Empire, those sentiments have returned with… Read more »
SoleSurvivor
“The mistake was made in 1707, allowing them to keep their separate and distinct institutions which has always meant there was a sizeable sentiment of being somehow different to the rest of the UK.”
Jesus Christ ?
We didn’t allow or not allow them anything, it was a negotiated union by two kingdoms under the same monarch, not an English invasion ffs
We did that with Ireland, got rid of their institutions and their identity, banned the Irish language, and look what happened there, that builds an even bigger resentment.
I’ve heard it all on this site now.
Hey dumbass, you said it yourself ‘negotiated union’….
They demanded the right to keep their separate institutions and we agreed to that demand, BIG mistake.
I’m not sure why you’re calling me a “dumbass” You have now said it yourself “agreed” not “allowed” Or are you proposing that we should of put on the table the abolishment of the Scottish church and any other institution that can be regarded as Scottish? Mac there was next to no Scottish public support for the union at the time, the men who voted for union in Scottish parliament became very rich indeed, and called the union the saviour of the church in Scotland to try soften the blow to the public Scotland actively talked about union with the… Read more »
As I say above, this really is an excellent contribution, Alastair. I think I’ll probably be the only poster on this website who voted Yes in 2014 (I wouldn’t do so now, just as an aside). As someone who advocated for, watched and listened to a lot of the pro-indy camp arguments in the years leading up to the referendum, I certainly never had the impression that anyone – anyone – was interested in defence issues. (Apologies to ex-RM Keith Brown, who I assume had some substantive words to offer, just giving my impression of those years…) The only talk… Read more »
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it would be absolute madness to break our island up into tiny irrelevant little countries. It would break my English heart actually, I cannot believe people are even talking about this. Together we are the equal of a France or a Germany, separate we will be like a pathetic Holland or a Belgium. Listen, there is no us and you, there is only us, British people, this entire island is ours. Anything that promotes separatism and antagonism (and there is a lot of it) should be suppressed, it is toxic and… Read more »
Daniele Mandelli
Agree Stephen.
British and proud!
Me too Daniele. There is no reason on earth why being a Scot and a Brit should be mutually exclusive. The ONLY people to benefit from a break up of the UK would be our enemies. We have been bonded over centuries by geography, history, institutions, language(broadly!) and conflict. I was born in London but my family-parents uncles aunts grandparents cousins are all Ulster Scots-Black, Caruth, Houston,Johnston with touches of Wales(Griffiths) and English blood. I respect the desire of some Scots for independence and do not doubt that Scotland could be a successful small country but a break would diminish… Read more »
(Chris H) Stephen – Excellent points made and I am totally with you on the ‘British and proud’ aspect. Indeed i spoil my Census Return by adding ‘British’ to the ‘English’ question as I feel a discrimination as others have the options of ‘British Scottish’, ‘British Welsh’ or ‘British Irish’. The issue at the heart of this is that a large proportion of 8% of our UK population are not proud of being British. In fact they are ashamed to be associated with us English despite our generous funding of their part of our UK. The even sadder part of… Read more »
Some great points made guys and a very interesting article ( I had to read it twice for that information to sink in). I too am a patriotic sort and proud to be British, the Scots leaving us would be hugely damaging to our Union and to Britain’s place in the world and despite SNP ministers and supporters claiming a wonderful new country with a golden future … The reality would be quite different! They could forget the huge social spending they get now, it would be way beyond their ability to finance it, unless of course they do the… Read more »
PaulSergeant
Nationalist backlash – I have voted SNP, still do but 4th, 5th, or 6th preference. My home is Scotland but I am accused of being English. I deny it. I am a Yorkshireman.
I judge this report on a small section. The population proportion of UK forces for Scotland is quoted as 12,500. The idiot then asks where is the source of 12,500? This report has no credibility.
Glasgow – central belt then. Seriously, differences of opinion apart, I can not take seriously the argument that Scotland has world influence through the UK when Scotland does not have influence within the UK. Fishing is a well known example. Scotland and the Isles have about 2 thirds of the UK coastline and fishing is traditionally important but the UK has given away about 2 thirds of the fish. Such arguments are not necessary to denigrate SNP defence plans. I agree with Ross when he says the SNP has no interest in defence. It is interesting to speculate what a… Read more »
dadsarmy
Righty, firstly I’m on completely the opposite “divide” from the authero who if he doesn’t mind I’ll call Alastair. Naturally I despise Scotland in Union though to be more honest I would welcome sensible fact-based opposition to Independence so that people can make up their minds on information rather than misinformation and hyperbole. I’m sure Alastair would say the same. The second thing to say is that I agree with other posters, the SNP showed little interest in defence, a part of the reason I post quite vigorously about it in Scottish media these days, though I might claim a… Read more »
“If we needed to train one squadron of fighter pilots, we would still need pretty much the same training operation as if we had six squadrons” The counter-argument to this, and probably others, is that Denmark, Norway and New Zealand (and Sweden) manage it (Air Forces and Navies), why couldn’t Scotland? And for instance if Scotland either didn’t inherit Typhoons, and got or later replaced the Typhoons with the Gripen E/F (or converted C/D), SAAB do provide training. “Pay”. Yes, the papers (apart from one pair I only discovered after the Ref) are short of logistics, support, civilian personnel, requisitions,… Read more »
Andrew Newbury
My concern is that whilst Independence is a matter for the Scottish people, Leaving the UK wouldn’t Scotland have to rejoin, but in doing so would lose EU Vetos capability ( Handy in case of Emergency LOL) also NATO Veto’s (if joining NATO). United Nations they would also lose the ability to Veto…… If they joined the EU they would have 6 MEP’s short change in the EU and the Scottish voice would be lost. And final point if the EU did get an army surely Scotland would find European Troops on its door step and also have to pay… Read more »
“two frigates and a squadron of Typhoons were at best optimistic ” Nope. Not comparing Denmark and Norway on the basis of comparing budgets and what they have, factoring in %GDP of their spend compared with the planned %GDP of iScotland – I did the maths, and it’s 4 frigates not 2, though not the full T26 I daresay. And the squadron was I think 12 Typhoons as a share of all the RAF fighters at the time including Tornados (would now be F35-B). Incidentally, the updated budget should be higher for 2021 than the £2.5 billion for 2016, and… Read more »
“Not comparing” ho hum, kind of a typo. You know what I mean.
Wonder if anyone will read these comments, as I’m late to the party? Busy again!
Berry Andrew
An independent Scotland will just rent out Faslane to England so that it can wave its Trident missiles phallically
and does not have to plunge immediately into the withdrawal symptoms of no longer being a major power.
How long will they rent it out?
Well, until you can afford the enormous cost of a faslane equivalent in England –
more austerity, anyone?
and find a populated area ‘willing’ to take the radiation risk.
Happy days!
I’ve got one thing to add to this. Many iScotland defence reviews look at Scotland as a mini-UK. This is not the case, and clearly wouldn’t be. We would be a small nation with a population of 5.31 (growing) people, with a population density of 1/4 that of the rUK as a whole, roughly 1/3rd the area of the UK on land, and 1/2 in terms of sea. Our priorities would be to protect our airspace and maritime including the EEZ. Scotland would not be intervening unilaterally anywhere on the planet, even if Tuvalu beat us at football, it would… Read more »
Why would Scotland need much of a military, look at the Irish state, they don’t have a defense that would stop anyone going to the UK from their side.
Some may identify as British or UK, some also identify as English, Scottish or Welsh republicans. Many in England would be royalists.
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Home Health Non-drinkers miss work more than moderate drinkers, Study Says
Non-drinkers miss work more than moderate drinkers, Study Says
Rick Nesser
In a new study, it revealed that the people who are said to be drinking moderately are found to miss work less than the people who don’t drink or touch alcohol. This study shows heavy drinkers usually complain about the sick health whereas moderate drinkers don’t have any issues.
This study was conducted by the team of researchers who are from Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has conducted this study to find the U-shaped relationship which is between absenteeism and alcohol consumption. The results of the study were published in the journal Addiction.
In this study, over 40,000 people from Finland, France, and the United Kingdom have taken part. These participants then asked about their drinking habits, and they revealed how much they consume alcohol an how many days they have taken off from work for the past 4-7years. This survey was done at two different times.
In this survey, the researchers have classified this more than 40,000 person into five categories. These categories range from non-drinkers to the people who drink moderately and then to heavy drinkers. The study has classified men as heavy drinkers who consumed at least 34 servings of alcohol and women who take more than 11 servings of alcohol are considered to be heavy drinkers.
For the tag of moderate drinkers, the men who take 1-34 servings of alcohol per week is said to be moderate drinkers and women who take 1-11 servings of alcohol per week are said to be moderate drinkers. The amount of alcohol was based on European sizes of alcohol.
The results that come after the study are shocking and surprising. It said that the non-drinkers and heavy drinkers are usually take off from work due to mental disorders, digestive system problems, musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory problems.
According to the lead author of the study, Jenni Ervasti said that there are some diseases or treatment, prevent the use of alcohol and it may be explained by excess risks among the abstainers. The participants who are at-risk of drinking usually causes health problems which are selected out from the labor market or unemployed.
Ervasti added by saying that the results are very surprising as non-drinkers and heavy drinkers missed many work days. The researchers said that these findings are limited as it is done in Europe and the lifestyle along with drinking habit in other places of the world is different, and the result may vary too.
Non drinkers
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Rick Nesser was born and raised in Great Falls. Rick has worked as a freelance journalist for nearly a decade and written for Tribune Media, TODAY and Joystiq. As a journalist for United News Desk, Rick covers health and fitness related news supplements.
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Supplies for Cocaine and heroin hit record high
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Home » Boston » South Boston
State Police: Woman raped on Carson Beach
By adamg on Tue, 08/07/2018 - 8:18am
Updated with new info from State Police.
State Police report finding a woman who told them she had been raped around 4:30 a.m. on Carson Beach by a man who was among a group of people who had gathered near the bathhouse - all of them "most likely members of the homeless community," according to police.
State Police say a passerby noticed the woman "in distress" shortly before 6 a.m. and called them. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and observation, State Police say.
Detectives are working on a possible description of the suspect, they add.
Carson Beach
Homeless Lives Matter
Whether the victim was homeless or wealthy is irrelevant. She was the victim of a sexual assault and needs to be treated with dignity and compassion. Treating homeless victims of sexual assault differently from other victims of sexual assaults will only lead to more violence against those who need help the most. How about checking the surveillance cameras at the bathhouse that were installed years ago when inner city kids used to hang out behind the bathhouse.
Just because this woman is
Just because this woman is homeless doesn't that it doesn't matter that she was raped. I hope she gets the help she needs.
Practice comprehending what
Practice comprehending what you read. The victim was not homeless, the rapist was. Key points in the reporting.
Just because the rapist was homeless
doesn't give him the right to go around assaulting and violating women and girls, which is precisely what rape is.
ambiguously worded
By Bob Leponge on Tue, 08/07/2018 - 10:42pm.
Not obvious to me from the article or the linked report that they are saying the victim is homeless. "All" could refer to victim plus attackers or just attackers
I was the person who called
By Sean L Avery on Wed, 08/08/2018 - 9:33am.
I was the person who called the police that morning. Not that it matters, but my sense was that the woman who was sexually assaulted by a homeless man was also homeless herself. She smelled of alcohol and had no purse, cell phone, or anything. I hope she is receiving the care she needs in the hospital.
By Boston_Bloke on Wed, 08/08/2018 - 6:11pm.
Well thank you for doing your part to assist someone in need. If each of us just helped one other person each day, imagine what a better world it would be
If that's true, you're going
If that's true, you're going to be called as a witness. It's best you stop posting about this publicly.
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The Supreme Court of Ohio
& The Ohio Judicial System
Your browser either does not support JavaScript or you have scripting disabled. Please use your browser's back button or the navigation located at the bottom of the page.
Sharon L. Kennedy
Work Continues on Monument Restoration - Marietta Times (July 4, 2019)
Ohio Supreme Court Issues Four Cases Protecting Public's Right to Know - CBA Report, Cincinnati Bar Association (March 2019)
Women’s History Month: Female Justices Proof of Social Change - March 29, 2019
More Justice News »
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December 7, 2012 - present
Last day of current term: December 31, 2020
On November 4, 2014, Justice Sharon L. Kennedy was re-elected to a full term on the Supreme Court of Ohio in a decisive victory winning all 88 counties and garnering 73 percent of the vote. Justice Kennedy first joined the court in 2012, having been elected to fill an unexpired term.
Prior to her term on the Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy served at the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division beginning in 1999. From 2005 until December of 2012, Justice Kennedy served as the administrative judge of that division. During her time as administrative judge, she improved the case management system to ensure the timely resolution of cases for families and children. Working with state legislators she championed a "common sense" family law initiative to reduce multiple-forum litigation for Butler County families.
When Butler County faced tough economic times, Justice Kennedy organized concerned elected officials in a county-wide Budget Work Group. Seeing the need to bring private sector financial know-how to the government, she worked to create the Advisory Committee to the Budget Work Group. Justice Kennedy served as the facilitator and led discussions between county officials and private sector leaders to analyze county finances, study and implement cost saving measures, and present business driven fiscal policy to the county commissioners.
In 1991, after obtaining her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Justice Kennedy ran a small business of her own as a solo practitioner. While in private practice she served the legal needs of families, juveniles, and the less fortunate. As special counsel for Attorney General Betty D. Montgomery, Justice Kennedy fought on behalf of Ohio’s taxpayers to collect monies due the State of Ohio. As a part-time magistrate in the Butler County Area Courts, Justice Kennedy presided over a wide array of civil litigation and assisted law enforcement officers and private citizens seeking the issuance of criminal warrants for arrest.
Justice Kennedy began her career in the justice system as a police officer at the Hamilton Police Department. She was assigned to a rotating shift, single-officer road patrol unit working to protect and serve the citizens of the City of Hamilton. From the routine, to the heart-pounding, to the heart-breaking, she has seen it all. During her time as an officer, Justice Kennedy also worked undercover operations, implemented crime prevention programs, and later, as a civil assistant, assisted in drafting police policy and procedure for the Accreditation Program.
Throughout her career Justice Kennedy has served on numerous boards, developed and facilitated programs to address the needs of young people, and worked with judges across the state. As a dedicated jurist she has received multiple awards of recognition including: The AMVETS Department of Ohio 2018 Past Department Commanders’ Civil Servant of the Year Award; The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Silver Good Citizenship Medal, May 5, 2018; Leadership Ohio Community Leadership Award, 2016; The University of Cincinnati College of Law Nicholas Longworth, III Alumni Achievement Award, May 17, 2014; Northwest High School Distinguished Alumnus Award, April 25, 2014; named one of 13 professional women to watch by The Cincinnati Enquirer, March 17, 2013; Excellence in Public Service, June 2009; Judge of the Year, 2006; Above the Fold Award, 2002; and the Furtherance of Justice Award, 2001. Justice Kennedy was also featured in Trends in the Judiciary: Interviews with Judges Across the Globe, Volume II, published by CRC Press in February 2015.
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Casa Loma Real Estate
Welcome to the area of Casa Loma, a luxurious landscape with lush greenery on every quiet street. The area stretches from St. Clair Avenue West to Macpherson Avenue and from Avenue Road to Bathurst Street, making an almost even square. Behind the museum is the Ardwold Gate, a street that many changemakers used to call home. It still boasts a mix of traditional Georgian and Colonial-styled residences with one or two Modernist designs amid lush surroundings.
This charming area has tree-lined streets and beautiful homes known for their privacy. A favourite neighbourhood among Toronto’s most affluent residents, Casa Loma has a prestigious atmosphere despite being a short distance from downtown. Residents will appreciate its quiet streets that make the neighbourhood family friendly. Casa Loma is home to a expansive park, known as Sir Winston Churchill, which boasts tennis courts and numerous walking and biking trails. With a laid-back atmosphere, this neighbourhood is perfect for those seeking a quiet escape from urban life.
Residents will find enriching academic establishments, such as the Waldorf Academy that nurtures the curiosity and creativity of young minds from pre-kindergarten to middle school, the three-storey Hillcrest Community School that welcomes children at the junior kindergarten level up to the sixth grade, as well as one of the George Brown College’s campuses that allows students to pursue fashion, architecture, and much more.
Residents can use the subway system, getting off at Dupont Station that is down the street from Spadina Park and the Casa Loma castle on the southern part of the area. For residents wishing to reach the northern part of Casa Loma, they travel by subway and get off at St. Clair West Station. From here, they have access to the TTC system on St. Claire Avenue West that has multiple stops going west to Bathurst Street and east towards Avenue Road, both of which also have their own north-south bus lines. Students and faculty can take advantage of the 127 bus that passes right next to the George Brown College Casa Loma campus on Davenport Road and Kendal Avenue as well as the Waldorf Academy on Davenport Road and Madison Avenue.
Activities & Amenities
The northern section features Nordheimer Ravine—located in Sir Winston Churchill Park—where residents will find many ideal picnic spots in this tranquil oasis, as well as ten tennis courts, a children’s playground, and an off-leash area for dogs. Nearby is the Spadina Museum that residents call “Toronto’s Downtown Abbey” as it showcases the Austin family’s various contributions to the city in the first half of the twentieth century, with archives ranging from commerce to culture. If residents are looking to quench their thirst for Toronto history or have a school paper to do, they can turn to the City of Toronto Archives for more documents on the people, businesses, and organizations that have made this city what it is today.
Susan Macarz
Cedarvale/Humewood
Known for his many projects in Ontario including the development of the Cedarvale area, Sir Henry Mill Pellatt built the castle named Casa Loma around 1912. He named his romantic medieval castle and stables after the 25 lots he had purchased at the start of the project. Despite having to sell it to the city before its completion, Sir Henry’s castle landmark is enjoyed by thousands of visitors when they take the tour of the oak paneled rooms with high chimneys and majestic carvings. Many followed in Sir Henry’s footsteps, building homes in the area that exhibit the same grandeur, but on a smaller scale.
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Temporary injunction entered against Title IX proceeding against U.Va. student for off-campus incident involving non-student
In Doe v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, Senior Judge Conrad entered a temporary injunction brought against a student of the University of Virginia based on an off-campus incident with a non-student.
When the Virginia sheriff detains people for the ICE
In Rios v. Jenkins, Senior Judge Conrad dismissed for failure to state a claim a section 1983 action challenging the policy of the sheriff of Culpepper County to detain persons arrested for misdemeanors for up to 48 hours at the request of the ICE.
On the constitutionality of the Virginia statute prohibiting the sale of alcohol to habitual drunkards
In Manning v. Caldwell, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judges Motz and Keenan, joined by Chief Judge Gregory and Judges King, Wynn, Floyd, Thacker, and Harris, reversed the dismissal for failure to state a claim in a constitutional challenge based on vagueness to the provisions of Va. Code 4.1-333, which allows a Virginia court to enter an order prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to a person who has been adjudged to be a habitual drunkard.
Judge Keenan also wrote a separate opinion, joined by Judge Motz and Judge Thacker, responding to the dissent.
Judge Wilkinson wrote a dissenting opinion, joined by Judges Niemeyer, Agee, Richardson, Quattlebaum, and Senior Judge Duncan.
Judge Wilkinson wrote a separate little opinion responding to Judge Keenan, his fellow Virginian.
Judge Diaz wrote a separate dissenting opinion, saying that the vagueness claim on the merits was no good.
The whole thing is 83 pages, some of it more accessible and some of it less accessible.
Fourth Circuit affirms dismissal of claim based on unreliability of untrue statements made by former Governor McAuliffe and President Clinton's late brother-in-law
In Bi v. McAuliffe, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judge Wilkinson, joined by Judges Niemeyer and Duncan, affirmed the dismissal by Judge Hilton of the fraud claims of a group of Chinese investors against Terry McAuliffy and Tony Rodham.
The opinion concluded that the allegations of misrepresentations were sufficient, but the plaintiffs failed to allege sufficient facts to show reasonable reliance, since many of them didn't speak English and also there were writings distributed to the investors that disclaimed what McAuliffe and Rodham were saying in their sales talks.
On Judge Fred Rowlett
Before my big trip to Orlando and my little trip to Pittsburgh, I got to see the swearing-in of Judge Fred Rowlett.
Judge Rowlett was a law clerk for Judge Williams in the Abingdon federal courthouse the first time I went there in the summer of 1986, before I started law school, and I think Julie Campbell Dudley was there with him. He was the one who first explained to me that a clerkship was really worthwhile, that a lot of what he learned in law school didn't really come together until his clerkship.
We had some cases while he was practicing in Abingdon. He was always very friendly and very generous as opposing counsel. Once or twice a year I would see him out on the mean streets of Abingdon, at some event or another, and he always joined us at the law clerk parties.
When he was working for then-Judge McClanahan on the Court of Appeals, I asked him what that was like, and he explained to me that all of life passed through the Court of Appeals. After Judge McClanahan became Justice McClanahan, and I went up to the Supreme Court on a few odd family matters, she never sat on my cases, but usually I would catch his eye somewhere in the room before I went out the door, and he would be smiling, probably because I'd said something goofy.
For more than thirty years, I have known Fred Rowlett as a good-humored legal scholar, the sort of fellow I aspire to be on a good day, and so I am well-pleased to see him in a black robe.
On the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Mountain Valley Pipeline cases
The Roanoke paper had this article about the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by the landowners who lost a decision before Judge Dillon of the W.D. Va. that was affirmed by the Fourth Circuit about the taking of their property for the Mountain Valley Pipeline before the valuation of the take was completed.
On the Class Action Fairness Act
Today in Dominion Energy, Inc. v. City of Warren Police and Fire Retirement System, the Fourth Circuit in a decision by Judge King, joined by Judge Thacker, and with Judge Motz dissenting, reversed the decision of the District Court in South Carolina regarding the removability under the Class Action Fairness Act of two class action cases filed in state court in South Carolina. The plaintiffs were shareholders of a company that was merged into the defendants, and brought suit claiming breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the merger.
The decision first addresses the standard for allowing an appeal from a remand order under the Act, on which the Fourth Circuit had not previously ruled.
The decision goes on to address whether the fiduciary claims fell within one of the exceptions to removability under the Act, including the exception for claims about the internal affairs of a corporation and the exception for claims about securities.
Judge Motz in her dissent agreed with granting the petition for appeal but disagreed on the application of the securities-related exception.
This opinion made a bunch of law for the Fourth Circuit, picking and choosing between the law of the other circuits, and it pertains to the proper role of the federal courts, and so it might be the kind of case that will be reheard en banc and make it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.
One part of the opinion was the discussion of the words, "relates to," with this interesting paragraph:
"Importantly, the Supreme Court has explained that a statutory phrase such as 'relates to' — which is contained in the internal affairs exception — is generally 'unhelpful' to a reviewing court because a clever person can conjure up 'infinite relations' among things. See N.Y. State Conference of Blue Cross & Blue Shield Plans v. Travelers Ins. Co., 514 U.S. 645, 656 (1995); see also Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Pettit, 164 F.3d 857, 861 (4th Cir. 1998) ('Taken at its face value, the term ‘relates to’ has no logical boundary. In one way or another, everything relates to everything else.' (citation omitted)). Accordingly, when presented with such a phrase, the Court has directed the inferior federal courts to assess and implement the purpose and objective of a statute containing that phrase. See Maracich v. Spears, 570 U.S. 48, 59-60 (2013) ('Unless commanded by the text . . . [statutory] exceptions ought not operate to the farthest reach of their linguistic possibilities if that result would contravene the statutory design.'); N.Y. State Conference, 514 U.S. at 656 ('We simply must go beyond the unhelpful text and the frustrating difficulty of defining [‘relates to’], and look instead to the objectives of the . .. statute.')."
On waiver of the Eleventh Amendment
In Pense v. Maryland Department of Public Safety, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judge King joined by Judges Motz and Wynn held that the District Court's ruling that the State of Maryland had waived its Eleventh Amendment protection from being subject to suit in federal court under Maryland's Fair Employment Practice Act was immediately appealable and also wrong.
I was thinking about this kind of issue recently in connection with "local" school boards in Virginia, and why are they not protected by the Eleventh Amendment as in some other states.
What's wrong with juvenile court, anyway
I've written a few posts about withdrawal of appeals from the Juvenile Courts, and also the amendments to Va. Code 20-79(c), and I think that there is an increasing bias in some circles that I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't taken an interest against the Juvenile Courts.
The reason for this bias among the family law practitioners is because when both parties have retained counsel a dispute over custody or child support is better addressed in the Circuit Court.
I'm on the board of Southwest Virginia Legal Aid. At our last retreat back whenever it was last fall in Blacksburg, John Litchfield from Blue Ridge Legal Aid gave a powerful presentation about how the paradigm of litigants with retained counsel is the reality in less than one out of ten civil cases.
The slides from his presentation about the Justice Gap can be seen here.
When the odds are that one side or both sides have no lawyer, they need to be in Juvenile Court, not Circuit Court.
Another view of the old Abingdon courthouse
The Library of Congress has this famous photo of Abingdon, including this view of the old courthouse and the Cummings farm behind it.
What to my wandering eye should appear
In a recent opinion by Justice Kelsey I saw the word "discernable."
This post says yeah but no.
I looked around some more. In recent years, the appeals courts in Virginia use "discernable" over "discernible" about half the time.
In another opinion by Justice Kelsey when he was on the Court of Appeals appears the phrase "indiscernible and not discernable."
There is a reason for this usage, I just don't know what it is.
Withdrawal of appeals, revisited
I listened with interest to the oral argument in the case of Spear v. Omary.
The statutes authorizing the withdrawal of appeals from the juvenile court are new and untried, and they are the work product of the Boyd-Graves conference.
Section 16.1-106.1(F) lists some things that might or might not happen "[u]pon the withdrawal of an appeal from a juvenile and domestic relations district court."
One is this: "the circuit court shall, upon request of a party who did not appeal the judgment or order, determine whether, as a result of the appeal, a party has a right to additional relief in the circuit court which has accrued since the appeal was noted."
A second one is this: "the circuit court shall also order its clerk to disburse any cash bond ...."
A third one is this: "the circuit court shall enter such order as may be appropriate to conclude all matters arising out of the petition or motion filed in the juvenile and domestic relations district court and the appeal in circuit court."
Finally is this: "Unless the circuit court orders that the case remain in the circuit court, the case shall be remanded to the juvenile and domestic relations district court for purposes of enforcement and future modification and shall be subject to all the requirements of § 16.1-297."
The Court is wrestling with the fourth thing, what happens if the circuit court's order on the withdrawal of the appeal says nothing about a remand. Item No. 4 seems to be materially different from Nos. 1 ("the circuit court shall, upon request"), 2 ("the circuit court shall"), and 3 ("the circuit court shall"), as opposed to No. 4.
Justice Kelsey seems to think the drafters left some words out if their intent was to create a remand by operation of law in the absence of express language in the circuit court's order. Justice McCullough might have been leaning the other way, that a construction that requires an express remand makes much of No. 4 meaningless.
The justices asked some questions about what happens in real life. I hope that whichever side loses the case will file for rehearing and get amicus briefs from the specialty bar groups to address the Supreme Court's questions at the argument.
The legislation that re-created the post-Civil War Western District of Virginia
In 1871, Congress split the U.S. District Court for Virginia back into two districts, Eastern and Western, with court sessions to be held in the Western District at Lynchburg, Abingdon, Harrisonburg, and Danville. (Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Big Stone Gap were added later.) The original act did not mention Dickenson County, which was not formed until 1880.
Posted by Steve Minor at 5:30 AM No comments:
The old Abingdon federal courthouse
Here is an old postcard with the image of the Abingdon federal courthouse as it was before 1945.
Here is a photograph of the same building taken in 1901.
Here is another postcard view, with awnings and the flagpole.
Temporary injunction entered against Title IX proc...
When the Virginia sheriff detains people for the I...
On the constitutionality of the Virginia statute p...
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The discussion over the past few months related to the Middle East has obviously been of the events generally known as the Arab spring, and surrounding that discussion has been the issue of whether or not the violence and conflict have roots in a youth bulge. A report today from the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, DC indirectly suggests that the youth bulge may not have been such a big issue after all. Here's why: An increasing fraction of the labor force in Jordan is composed of Sri Lankans and Filipinos (actually Filipinas--see below), rather than Arabs, who have traditionally made up the immigrant labor force.
Unskilled and semi-skilled migrant workers from the Arab region have been filling labor shortages in Jordan for decades, shaping its labor market and sustaining its economy. Although Arab nationals still account for a majority of migrant workers in Jordan today, the migration flow to Jordan has changed in recent years with the growing importance of non-Arab migrants from Asia.
Jordan’s census data suggest that the non-Arab Asian population’s share of the total foreign population more than doubled from 7 percent in 1994 to 15 percent in 2004. Among economically active migrants, non-Arab Asians comprised an even larger share, reaching nearly 30 percent by 2004.1A significant proportion of this new migration flow from Asia comes from Sri Lanka and the Philippines, which together account for nearly a third of the total.
The fact that Jordan needs immigrant labor suggests that there is not a bulge of youth in that country who are otherwise unemployed. The fact that other Arab countries cannot fill the jobs suggests that they, in turn, do not have an excess of young people to send off to a neighboring country. The only caveat is that a large fraction of these Asian immigrants are women engaged in domestic labor. "Filipinos and Sri Lankans who received work permits in 2009 were mostly female." It is likely that cultural prohibitions within the Arab world prevent Arab women from taking jobs such as these, and so women from other societies are recruited instead. Another possibility, of course, is that governments and recruiters recognize that it is easier to exploit and send home people from more distant places than it is to do with your neighbors.
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EAST DALLAS, TX
Lisa C. Maxwell
EAST DALLAS, TEXAS. East Dallas occupies an area in the city of Dallas bounded by Central Expressway to the west, Mockingbird Lane to the north, Loop 12 to the east, and Fair Park to the south. The Beeman family settled there in the 1860s, but only in 1872 did William H. Gaston begin promoting the forty-acre tract east of the city. Only four families settled there at the time, but with the coming of the railroads in 1872–73, a number of floaters came to work on the railroad and set up houses in the undeveloped area between Dallas and East Dallas. Gaston persuaded the railroads to go through East Dallas by giving them $5,000 and free right-of-way through his property. The Houston and Texas Central arrived at the Union Depot in East Dallas on July 16, 1872, and the Texas and Pacific on February 22, 1873. In the 1870s East Dallas became a popular recreation destination on the streetcar lines that ran from Dallas to the state fairs and the horse-racing track.
On September 9, 1882, East Dallas was incorporated on a site of 1,400 acres. Some residents believed the town should be called Gaston rather than East Dallas. The town had an aldermanic form of government. The next year it passed a tax ordinance that raised money for city services. East Dallas was considered the most luxurious place to live in Dallas County; 90 per cent of its houses had running water pumped from deep wells by 1889. The main thoroughfares were well maintained, and a speed limit of eighteen miles an hour was set to slow down swift horses. The first schools were built in 1883 for 400 white students and sixty black ones. In 1886 the first all-brick schoolhouse in Dallas County was built in East Dallas. In 1887 another boom occurred in East Dallas when the Texas State Fair and Dallas Exposition at Fair Park opened (see STATE FAIR OF TEXAS). In the late 1880s East Dallas reached a population of 6,000.
In 1889 state senator R. S. Kimbrough sponsored a bill to remove the charter of East Dallas so it could become part of Dallas. Some claimed that those who revoked the charter did so to make Dallas the largest town in Texas; according to the 1890 census, they were successful. Under the new charter of East Dallas, the city of Dallas took over all the debt of East Dallas in addition to its streets, schools, and public buildings. On December 31, 1889, the day before East Dallas officially became part of Dallas, the city council of East Dallas passed $45,000 in street improvements, which Dallas was forced to finance.
Sam Hanna Acheson, Dallas Yesterday, ed. Lee Milazzo (Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1977). Gerald D. Saxon, Reminiscences: A Glimpse of Old East Dallas (Dallas Public Library, 1983).
Handbook of Texas Online, Lisa C. Maxwell, "EAST DALLAS, TX," accessed July 18, 2019, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hte14.
Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Awards and More
Hall of Fame Honor
TTI Executive Associate Director John Epps is inducted into the National Asphalt Pavement Association's Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame. From left to right: Jim Roberts, president and CEO of Granite Construction, Inc.; Jon Epps; Larry Lemon, chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association; and Jay McQuillen, vice president of Granite Construction, Inc.
Texas Transportation Institute Executive Associate Director John Epps was inducted into the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame in February at the 56th annual meeting of the association in Orlando, Fla., in February 2011.
The hall of fame was “established to recognize and honor individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the asphalt pavement industry leading to innovations in the production and placement of asphalt pavement, in the usage of asphalt as a paving material, and in the general advancement and recognition of the industry.”
The honor recognizes Epps’ significant contributions to the asphalt pavement industry throughout his 40-year career.
TTI Executive Associate Director John Epps is inducted into the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame. From left to right: Jim Roberts, president and CEO of Granite Construction, Inc.; Jon Epps; Larry Lemon, chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association; and Jay McQuillen, vice president of Granite Construction, Inc.
TRB Appointments
Paul Carlson
Katie Turnbull
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Executive Associate Agency Director Katie Turnbull has been appointed chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Technical Activities Council (TAC). The TAC provides leadership for the 200 TRB standing committees. It fosters communication across committees, coordinates annual meeting spotlight themes and cross-cutting issue sessions, helps identify critical transportation issues, and promotes research and outreach initiatives.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as TAC chair,” notes Turnbull. “Participating in TRB has greatly enriched my professional development, and I look forward to making sure others have the same opportunities.” Turnbull, who will serve a three-year term, is the first TTI researcher to serve as TAC chair.
Additionally, Paul Carlson, research engineer and head of TTI‘s Operations and Design Division, has been appointed to serve as chair of TRB‘s Operations and Preservation Group. In this capacity, he will also serve as a member of the TAC.
TTI Welcomes Returning Advisory Council Member
Linda Watson
TTI is pleased to welcome Linda Watson back to the TTI Advisory Council. Watson was named president and CEO of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in July 2010. In this role, she manages Capital Metro’s day-to-day operations. Capital Metro serves 10 communities and has a budget of $164 million, 1,500 employees and 500 vehicles.
Most recently, Watson served as CEO of Central Florida’s Regional Transportation Authority, LYNX. She was a member of the council previously but resigned in 2004 when she moved to Florida. She formerly served as general manager of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority and assistant general manager of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Watson is a past chair of the Transportation Research Board and currently serves on the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, among several other board positions. She graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in urban and regional affairs, and was recently honored as a distinguished alumnus of the university.
State Research Champion Award
Gary K. Trietsch receives the 2010 TTI State Research Champion Award from TTI Agency Director Dennis Christiansen.
The 2010 Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) State Research Champion Award, sponsored by Trinity Industries, was presented to Gary K. Trietsch at a reception in Houston Nov. 30, 2010. Trietsch was a strong supporter of research throughout his 40-year career with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), including serving as district engineer for the Houston District and director of TxDOT‘s Maintenance and Operations Division. This commitment continues with his ongoing participation in the TTI Advisory Committee.
“Gary is well known for his innovative thinking, creative approach to problem solving and focus on results,” noted TTI Director Dennis Christiansen in presenting the award. “His leadership within TxDOT helped advance numerous research projects that have contributed to mobility, safety and improved operation of the state’s transportation system.”
Tooley Receives ARTBA’s Steinberg Award
Melissa Tooley (right) receives the S.S. Steinberg Award from ARTBA RED Board Member Teresa Adams.
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) honored Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Director of External Initiatives Melissa Tooley with its 2010 S.S. Steinberg Award Jan. 24.
“Some people ask what happened, some people watch what happens, and some people make things happen. Melissa Tooley makes things happen.” The sentence appears on an ARTBA news release announcing the award. The quote is from an industry peer describing Tooley, who is also director of TTI‘s University Transportation Center for Mobility.
Tooley accepted the award in Washington, D.C., during the 90th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board.
The Steinberg Award is named after the founding president of the ARTBA Research and Education Division (RED) and recognizes an individual who has made remarkable contributions to transportation education.
“It is a huge thrill to receive the Steinberg Award, and all that it represents,” Tooley said of the honor. “There is no greater tribute than to be recognized by my peers, especially in an organization like ARTBA.”
Zimmer Receives ASTM Award
Dick Zimmer
ASTM International presented Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Specialist Dick Zimmer with a Meritorious Service Award after 32 years with the organization. Zimmer began serving on the group’s Vehicle Pavement System Committee (Committee E-17) in 1978.
The Meyer-Horne Outstanding Achievement Award was named after NASA Engineer Walter Horne and Penn State Mechanical Engineering Professor Wolfgang Meyer, early pioneers in pavement friction research.
TTI Honors Bob Skinner at TRB
TRB Executive Director Robert Skinner (center, holding plaque) was presented with the TTI Director's Research Champion Award in a Washington, D.C., ceremony. Also pictured (left to right) are TTI Agency Director Dennis Christiansen, Dianne Skinner, TTI Director Emeritus Herb Richardson and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Executive Director John Horsely, also a Research Champion Award recipient.
Robert Skinner, the executive director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), was honored by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in Washington, D.C., Jan. 23 at TRB‘s Annual Meeting. The TTI Director’s Research Champion Award was presented to Skinner for his support of transportation research.
“There is no better example of a transportation research supporter,” Agency Director Dennis Christiansen said of Skinner, who has been the TRB executive director since 1994. “Under his leadership, TRB has expanded its scope and increased its stature. He is a true research champion.”
In addition to his TRB duties, Skinner serves on numerous university advisory groups and special transportation study boards.
“I greatly appreciate this award. I have had the opportunity to work with terrific people and organizations over the years,” Skinner told those attending the reception. “All of TRB shares in this award, and I thank TTI and Trinity Industries very much for the recognition.”
Implementation: Where the Research Meets the Road
Issue Overview
For more information about these news items or other media inquiries regarding TTI research, please contact,
Rick Davenport
Filed Under: Texas Transportation Researcher, Volume 47, Number 1 Tagged With: Advisory Council, State Research Champion Award, TRB
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Glenn Isbell
Glenn Isbell, Executive Vice President of Customer Support and Services, Bell Helicopter Textron
With nearly 100 product support engineers and a global network of field service representatives, supply outlets, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul centers, Glenn Isbell is responsible for the strategic alignment, growth, and oversight of all services and support of commercial rotorcraft in the hands of Bell customers. “Basically, from the point of aircraft delivery forward, for the next 30, 40, 50-plus years, we own the relationship, and it’s my job to help enable the customer’s business or the operation of the aircraft. We work through fleet readiness issues and safety initiatives. We have maintenance conferences around the world just to help people understand how best to maintain or more efficiently maintain the aircraft.”
This customer focus helps shape Bell’s engineering, including for the 505 light, 429 medium, and 525 super-medium commercial helicopters. According to Isbell, “the more we’re able to focus on the business our customers are in and how we can enable them, the better off we will be. The focus is on availability, economics. Everybody wants to fly farther and fly faster, but if it costs you a million dollars on a non-recurring basis, a lot of people will take a lot less.” He added, “The price point is something you will see us focus on a lot, and then the operating costs.” High speed is a selling point of the US military’s V-280 Valor program, but Isbell noted, “In general, speed is a variable along with multiple other variables in the equation. Useful load, cabin layout, dependability, and reliability — all that goes together.”
Isbell started his Bell career over 20 years ago in what was then the rapid-prototyping New Product Development Center. “I spent the first 10 years just doing prototyping. I think I got to work on 19 aircraft in the first 10 years.” The new product engineer went on to serve as director of systems engineering and engineering operations, and subsequently became the vice president of the center, which by then had been renamed Xworx.
His current product support role still has a dynamic engineering component. “It’s the opposite end of the business I hired into, but there are a lot of similarities. It’s the same pace as the development side because the customers are operating at a very close pace to what we’re doing on the prototyping side.” He added, “The global business aspect of this customer support job is quite fascinating as well.”
Practical Engineering
Growing up in Huntsville, Texas — between Dallas and Houston — Isbell was drawn to engineering. He offered, “My dad is a civil engineer, so I tended toward the engineering realm early on. I took stuff apart all the time. Sometimes I got it back together; sometimes I didn’t.” Texas A&M offered a distinguished engineering education. “I liked mechanical engineering because it was pretty broad, and I didn’t really know at that point fully what I wanted to do. I wasn’t geared toward aviation at a really early age. I think the main thing that really shifted me was when I interviewed at Bell. I saw the assembly lines, and I saw the products. I just kind of fell in love with the place.”
Bell’s New Product Development Center then had about 20 engineers, a machine shop and some mechanics dedicated to rapid prototyping. “The first ones I got to work on [were] the 427 prototypes. I went up to Canada for a six-month stay in 1997, working on the shop floor literally to help build prototypes and work through any engineering issues we had — very hands-on liaison-type work. I built the static test article and got involved in the testing side and the flight side.” Later projects included flight test modifications for the then-BA609 tiltrotor and the electrical and armament systems for the Marine Corps H-1 Upgrade.
“The biggest job that I did was the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter [ARH], all the prototypes we did for that project,” recalled Isbell. “I loved it all, that pace. I had full-build responsibility for a dual-pilot 427 aircraft that we had. I had to schedule my wedding around the first flight in 2000. We had a 427, cut the nose off, added a 430-style nose and a different instrument panel, and got an STC [supplemental type certificate] in five months or so. That was pretty rewarding. It was the first one I got to own completely, and I learned a lot on that project. We’re still flying it at our Flight Research Center as a chase aircraft.”
Isbell also changed the way Bell designs and builds aircraft in a digital environment. “I got pulled out of the Xworx environment around 2007 or 2008 and we were on a mainframe system that was paper-based. Everybody was filling out pieces of paper to make engineering changes. We were doing an SAP [brand enterprise application software] implementation, but in order to get SAP right, we had to get the bill of materials right from the beginning. I was the program manager and kind of the engineering technical lead for the Enovia PLM [Product Life-cycle Management] system that managed all the product data, the release flow, the signature cycle. In addition, we enabled CATIA V6 [engineering and design software].
“I realized at that point: I like creating things. I used to think I’d like to be an aircraft-only guy, but then I realized creating a system was as rewarding or close to as rewarding as the aircraft side. What we really did was enable everybody to have visibility of the design process and to engage earlier. Before the product is released, we already understand how it’s going to be built and how it’s going to be put together. We also expose downstream to the engineering community how it’s going to be built.” Isbell noted, “We were able to get a lot of benefit on the 525. Everything fit and worked. On V-280, we installed the engine for the first time in six minutes. Part of it was the tools. Part of it was the deep level of coordination between the design guys that were looking at functionality and the manufacturing folks that were looking at manufacturability.”
As vice president of Business Optimization, Isbell developed Bell’s strategic direction and worked to make the business more competitive. “What I was looking for was a small, hand-picked strategic team to look at how we are going to transition if we have a bigger commercial load than military — and how are we going to lean out our business.”
Isbell noted, “Generally, this is where we’re different from the other OEMs. We do almost all of our manufacturing in North America. All the core components are still done in Dallas. We do the assembly in Montreal. We do a lot of customizing in Piney Flats, Tennessee. Obviously, almost all of our manufacturing is done here. We’re still very rooted in North America. A lot of the other OEMs have just spread work across the world. We are still very much a build-in-North America-and-export-the-products [company]. What we try to have is a global presence. From a maintenance standpoint, from a spares standpoint, operational support is regional at least. We support globally, but we are manufacturing domestically. We do have global suppliers, but from a Bell footprint, it’s almost all North America.”
Global customer support nevertheless draws on Bell support facilities in Singapore, Prague, Amsterdam and elsewhere. “It’s generally a network of all the parts, supply, and logistics to get those parts delivered, as well as the technical expertise across the different regions as well.” Bell recently opened a Bell 429 training academy in Valencia, Spain, with a level D simulator. “We will probably have more expansion globally as we go forward. It’s region-by-region analysis.”
Customer support also continues to drive product engineering. “Your dynamic components are a big cost driver from a parts standpoint,” acknowledged Isbell. “Parts are about 20–25% of the operating cost or so. In the past designs, we had a lot of timed-life components. At 2,500 or 3,000 hours, there was a big bill coming. That’s something everybody accepted over time, but it was still a big event for them. On the 429, we shifted to a lot of on-demand parts, and we’ve done quite a bit of upgrades recently on dynamic components. We’re always monitoring the high-time aircraft for issues, so we can have a fix before the bulk of the fleet gets to that point. We’ve just continued to push for longer life of components on some of the newer aircraft. On the 525 specifically, we’re pushing the operating-cost-per-seat-mile down to be best-in-class. That was definitely one of the core design parameters of the aircraft.”
Health and usage monitoring systems have yet to find favor on light helicopters. “They tend to be relatively expensive, so they’re not widely used,” observed Isbell. “That is something from a Bell standpoint and an industry standpoint … we need to be focused on, something at a lower price point that will be much more widely distributed. On the newer designs, like the 525, we’re trying to have more of a self-detection capability on the aircraft that will help us and help the operator identify what’s coming up and what those costs are.”
Bell exhibited its the FCX-1 mock-up at the AHS Forum to highlight a range of promising vertical flight technologies. Isbell offered, “I think some of the pilot-augmented flight capabilities — how smart can we make the aircraft — I believe that specifically is very key. How does the aircraft synthesize data in a way that helps the pilot direct and command the aircraft and not manage all the systems on the aircraft?”
Isbell was elected this year as the Secretary/Treasurer of the AHS International Board of Directors. New business directions took him away from advanced technology, but Isbell says, “I’ve started this year getting back into the more technical part of the business, which I really like. I think any time you can connect the right technical people internally and across the industry, [it] helps move the industry forward.”
Vertiflite Leadership Profile: Vertiflite September/October 2017
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7 Original Woodstock Acts Who Should Return for Woodstock 50
posted by Andrew Magnotta @andrewmagnotta - Jan 10, 2019
Woodstock wasn't the first music festival ever, but it certainly was the most influential.
Many performers from the original "three days of peace and music" have Woodstock to thank for launching their careers. Others were sanctified as legends thanks to their incredible Woodstock sets.
Woodstock co-creator Michael Lang announced with Q104.3 New York's Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein on Wednesday morning that he's bringing the iconic festival back for its 50th anniversary this summer!
Lang said that in the spirit of the original festival, Woodstock 50 will be an eclectic and "contemporary festival" but with some "very interesting performances" and "representation of the original acts." He added that the festival will also be aimed at promoting modern day activism with a number of significant non-profit groups present.
Many of the original Woodstock artists remain active today; here are a few that we'd love to see bridge the gap between Woodstock '69 and Woodstock 2019.
1. Santana
Carlos Santana's eponymous Latin jazz/rock fusion jam band was almost completely unknown when it took the stage early in the afternoon on Day 2 of Woodstock '69. That all changed by about 3 p.m. that day when the band took its bows.
About two weeks after Woodstock, Santana's debut album was released and quickly became a massive hit. Carlos himself has sustained his success over the decades with a fruitful solo career and a number of massive pop collaborations. Two years ago, he reassembled one of the early versions of his band to celebrate its 50th anniversary and release the critically lauded Santana IV album.
Santana will probably be on tour this summer anyway. We'd love to see the band return to Woodstock in a headlining slot!
2. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
The odds of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reuniting after years of bickering to play Woodstock is pretty unlikely. However, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young all remain active in music. The odds of at least one of the four legendary singer/songwriters being available for Woodstock 50 seem pretty good.
3. Joan Baez
A symbol of female activism and artistic persistence, Baez's Gospel, folk, soul and rock 'n' roll set at Woodstock '69 remains one of the festival's most iconic performances. The singer/songwriter is already being recognized this year with a Grammy nomination for her latest album, Whistle Down the Wind. The ideals she has passionately embodied for the past five decades would go over great at Woodstock 50.
4. Arlo Guthrie
The "Alice's Restaurant" singer has activism in his genes. The son of folk music icon Woody Guthrie, Arlo is a New York native who has been preaching peace and love for more than 50 years. In addition to the countless songwriters he's influenced, he's also passed his gifts on to his daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie with whom he's touring this year. Since Woodstock 50 is all about bringing together a new generation of activists, any Guthrie would be a welcome addition.
5. John Fogerty
While Creedence Clearwater Revival isn't coming back, Fogerty has been playing more CCR music than ever during his solo concerts in recent years, and fans are loving it. Put Fogerty back on that Woodstock stage and let him play some of those perfect Southern Rock hits like "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary."
6. Dead & Company
Not only was the Grateful Dead one of the original Woodstock's headliners, but anyone who's ever been to a big outdoor concert has The Dead to thank for helping drag forward advancements in live sound technology.
The Dead's Woodstock '69 set was cut short when its amps blew. Wouldn't it be great for the surviving members (maybe even with Phil Lesh back for just the night!) to return to Woodstock and have everything sound like it's supposed to?
Woodstock 50 is basically what every Deadhead has been training for all these years, anyway. And John Mayer's role in the Dead & Co. only adds to contemporary mission of the anniversary festival.
7. The Who
If any artist wants a Woodstock redo, it would probably be The Who. The band admittedly didn't really understand what it was getting into when it agreed to perform at Woodstock '69. In addition to the fact that the foursome didn't completely jive with with America's hippie movement, the show ran so late that The Who's Saturday evening set got pushed all the way back to 5 a.m. Sunday morning.
And if they weren't cranky enough by the late/way-too-early call time, the band's set was interrupted by Youth International Party leader Abbie Hoffman who commandeered the stage for an impromptu political speech. While it was a frustrating ordeal, to this day the band fondly remembers playing "See Me, Feel Me" as the sun rose.
Just think how well a classic like "My Generation" would go over at Woodstock 50!
You can watch Q104.3's Woodstock 50 announcement and full interview with Michael Lang below!
Photos: Getty Images
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Home "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta"
"Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta"
For those of you who aren't familiar with Say Yes to the Dress, it originated as a 30-minute reality show that takes place in Kleinfelds in New York City, a well-known idal salon specializing in upscale wedding dresses. They have a staff of female consultants that work with two or three ides during the course of the half-hour, plus a fabulous male fashion consultant, Randy, who always seems to know exactly which dress the ide should wear. Here's a clip:
I've always loved the show, even though basically all of the dresses they show are way out of my budget. From what I've seen, even if someone did come in with a low budget, the consultants did their best to work with the ide and not belittle her.
However, the first clip I saw from the Atlanta show was titled "Champagne on a Beer Budget," and it left a bad taste in my mouth. The consultants at the Atlanta boutique, Bridals by Lori, were aghast that a ide only wanted to spend $1,500 on a dress -- so far as to tell her that she would not find what she wanted with that paltry budget.
I have no gripes with people who want to spend thousands of dollars on their wedding dress -- there was a gorgeous Paloma Blanca dress I wanted that cost $2,000. I decided, however, that it didn't make sense for me to spend $2k on a dress I would wear for an evening. I was lucky, though, that no idal consultant I went to gave me grief when I told them what I wanted to spend. If they had, I proably would have turned around and walked out -- and this makes me hesitant to watch Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.
What do you think? Will you watch the new show?
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Appendix 3 Mary Kirwin November 16, 2008
Filed under: FamilyHistory — Tony @ 11:06 am
Tags: Dedicoat, Kirwin
MARY KIRWIN
A Much-put-upon Woman
The information about Mary Kirwin comes mainly from the N.S.W. State Archives (Shipping Lists, Reel 2461), from the book “Old Convict Days”, by William Derecourt, from various birth and wedding certificates and from family lore.
According to the Shipping List, Mary Kirwin was fifteen years of age when she arrived, in the company of 243 orphan females and other immigrants, in Sydney, 29 June 1850, on the ship “Maria”. She had been a farm servant in County Carlow, Ireland, and her parents, both deceased, were named Timothy and, I think, Martha. Mary was “C. of R.”, i.e. Church of Rome, or Roman Catholic. She could neither read or write; her health was good and no remarks were recorded for her.
According to that information, Mary Kirwin must have been born in about 1835. And apart from that information, everything wlse in this chapter has been told in the previous chapter or can be found in “Old Convict Days”, the memoirs dictated by her husband, William Day, Derecourt or Dedicoat, in 1892.
I do not know what she did immediately on arrival but by March 1852 she was employed by Bartholomew and Ann Mahoney at the “Crispin Arms”, 112 Clarence Street, Sydney. It was, according to Derecourt in “Old Convict Days” a “house of call for sailors and soldiers, and from first appearances rather a rough shop, although the landlady seemed a jovial hearty woman”. Derecourt calls her Mrs. Marley in his book, but on Mary Kirwin’s marriage certificate and in a directory of the time the name is given as Mahony.
William Derecourt says Mary Kirwin – whom he never names – was a “good-looking” girl, and having eyed the girl during the meal, said to his companion: “That girl shall be my wife some day soon. You keep an eye on her as I start for the diggings tomorrow morning, and this day month I shall be down again and marry her”. She was “about sixteen years old”, and all of this was said “without [my] having spoken to her”. Henry, Derecourt’s companion and the son of the proprietress, must have kept an eye on her for she was ready and waiting one month later, Thursday, 3rd April, 1852. As we have seen in the previous chapter, the interval was greater than one month, more likely having been six or eight months.
Derecourt returned from the Turon, walking to Penrith, taking a coach to Sydney and staying for the rest of the day at the “Dog and Duck” in the Haymarket. He proceeded up Brickfield Hill to King Street where at the confectioner’s shop he had a wedding cake made, “and a good one for three pounds”. He made his way to Mrs. Marley’s Crispin Arms, “to my intended to whom be it remembered I had not yet spoken a dozen words”.
He entered “to their surprise” and in the presence of the girl’s mistress he said “Are you quite ready”? “Without further hum or hah, she said Yes”. Though she was “content and agreeable” to what he wanted, she wished to know about his religion, as she was a Catholic. “Oh”, he said, “you can be married in any church you like. I’m sort of Protestant, or in truth a Ranter, but I’m not particular, and if we get married and have any family the boys shall be Protestants and you can bring the girls up in your own persuasion”.
They went next day to St. Mary’s Cathedral, but it being Lent the priest would not allow them to get married because “the rules of the church forbade it”. So, nothing daunted, they went on the Saturday to Dean Cowper, a Church of England parson, who directed them to St. Philip’s, Church Hill.
There were the usual questions and “she must have the consent of her parents”. “I told him they were in Ireland and how could I get their consent”. There were further problems: “You’ll have to be called three times in church, and we can only call twice in one day”. William was not greatly bothered by rules: “let us be called twice and I will give you five pounds for a licence”.
And so the “next evening, in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Marley, the master and mistress of the girl, I went to the church and after the service the ceremony was performed and we returned home to the Crispin Arms”. That was Sunday, 6 April 1852. Dean William Cowper, Church of England Chaplain, in the presence of “Batw Mahony and Ann Mahony her x mark”, at St. Philip’s, Sydney, married William Day, bachelor, and Mary Kirwin, spinster, both “of this parish”.
The Monday was spent at Ashton’s Circus, “the clown at which was an old acqaintance of mine”, says Day. After the circus performance “my friend with his companions and instruments arrived, and the dancing, mirth and fun soon became fast and furious”. Day was a generous man: he provided a bicker of she-oak (ale) for the bar customers, took precautions so that there would be no disputes over costs, and about 2 a.m. retired”.
Day was confident of himself, having made preparations for marriage before he got Mary Kirwin’s consent. He said he was “determined to have a wife and at first sight took fancy to this one”. Had he been refused he would have gone to the Registry Office and “the girls being assembled [I] would have declared myself in want of a wife, showing plenty of gold and notes”. He never dreamt of failure; besides, he says, being “quite respectably togged out in my newly-purchased sailor’s garb, and with my expectations did [you] think for a moment I would be long without a wife?”
Day went off to Sofala a few days later and made arrangements for Mary Kirwin to come in a month or so.
The marriage could not have been an easy one for Mary Kirwin. She gets scant mention in the book, and it is hard to know what kind of woman she was, since all the information is told from Day’s point of view.
On one occasion Mary complained to him: “It does not look well of you working in the company of an unmarried girl”, which he had been; so William responded to her implied request. On another occasion he was digging away underground and his wife came to the top of the shaft and called him. Up he came, asked what she wanted, she “seemed like one bewildered, and stammering and stuttering had only time to say ‘I -‘ when the whole ground under which I had been working sank bodily down, burying tools and everything I had below under hundreds of tons of dirt”. When he asked Mary why she had called, she said she had “no particular object in going to the shaft and she knew not what possessed her to call me”.
Their first daughter, Mary Ann, was born 10th April 1853 and was christened 1 May 1853 by William J. K. Piddington, a Wesleyan minister on the Bathurst Circuit. William’s profession is given as tinsmith – one of his many professions, he being gunsmith, lockmaker, carpenter, digger and jack of all trades. She was later to marry, under the name of Derecourt, John Seach.
Their second daughter, Matilda or Mathilde (according to different certificates) was born 4th August 1854. She was christened a Roman Catholic by Fr. Kums in the parish of Sofala (the records are in the Catholic Church at Kandos.) Her father’s occupation was given as digger. She eventually married, as Derecourt, James Cross.
Day was a successful digger, making at this time thirty or forty pounds per night. “Upon its being known that I was lucky”, he says, “some of my gossiping neighbours, getting on the vain side of my wife, persuaded her to employ a girl to help look after the two children and assist in the house affairs”. He tried to dissuade her but, “as all the world may guess”, unsuccessfully – “the more I argued and remonstrated the more bent she became on accomplishing her desire”.
One can hardly blame the lass, mother of two children at the age of nineteen, living in the rough conditions of the gold fields. She was uneducated and not greatly experienced, whereas husband William had learnt to fend for himself at a very early age, having wandered around the Birmingham area for some years, in and out of jobs and scrapes, until he was eventually transported for stealing a waistcoat. Ten years in Van Diemen’s Land, a wide variety of experiences in the Adelaide area, plus a worldly wisdom, a physical strength of some note and an ability to handle men and situations which is awe-inspiring, all those things must have made him a formidable husband and more than a handful for Mary Kirwin.
Mary, nonetheless, got her servant girl and William got a lesson on the dangers of boasting. He brought the servant back from Sydney by several stages and whiled away the time by a “good deal of blowing and gassing”. Unfortunately “my wife wormed out of her quite innocently, all particulars of my proceedings in Sydney, and getting on the soft side of her, heard of all my boastings in the coach on our passage over the Blue Mountains”. The results were inevitable: William, “merry as a cricket”, was in the midst of displaying to his wife a real “darling of a two pound bonnet”, when up she sprang “with the fury of a tiger cat, snatched the millinery from my hands, gathered up all the other presents and toys without a word and bundled them into the flames of the hearth”. There was more, but suffice it to say that he soon got the message and he says “foolish boasting was ever to prove a thorn in my side”.
There were other children.
Julia, our great-grandmother, was born at Sofala in 1855, but I can find absolutely no record of her birth. Place and year of her birth are derived from her death certificate and her brother Richard’s birth certificate. She was to marry, also as Derecourt, Malcolm McLean.
Elizabeth, or Betsy, was born 3rd December 1857 at Ironbarks. “William Day, 40, gunsmith, of Birmingham, and Mary Curwin, 34, of Dublin. Previous issue: 4 children. Informant: William Day, father, Ironbarks”. This certificate illustrates perfectly the unreliability of all the certificates associated with Day. In 1857 he was thirty-five (his age is uncertain, but the best approximation of the year of his birth is 1822 or 23.) Mary was twenty-two, and there were only three other children: he seems to have included Betsy among the “previous issue”. Betsy seems to be dead by 1864, as is shown in the previous chapter.
At this time, between 1857 and 1859, Mary Kirwin must have turned to drink. How serious the matter was is hard to gauge. Day introduces his former manager on the Turon, one Robert Wilson, who married a wife considerably younger than himself and could not control her. It appears she and Mary Kirwin took to drinking together. “After a time”, says Day, “I found my wife had been induced to join her in her cups; indeed on one occasion I found the two dancing on the floor ‘Jack the Lad’, to their own music and no dinner cooked. Before the advent of Wilson’s wife my old woman was noted as a hard working woman, attentive to her household duties, and a kind and affectionate mother; but now these orgies were of a daily occurrence and how to mend matters puzzled me. I got maddened to such a pitch at their increasing drunken fits that I was almost tempted to bundle both of them down a hole”.
His response was to go along with Wilson’s plan to hold up the Bathurst Mail, which they did 24th June 1859 (though who planned the escapade is open to conjecture.).
The long and the short of that little episode was that he ended up in the Bathurst Court, tried and convicted by Judge John Dickinson, and sentenced to seven years’ hard labour, in spite of the fact that “he had a wife [Mary was present in court] and four children and his wife was again near her confinement”. (From The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 24 September 1859).
Mary was delivered of her fifth child and first boy, Richard, 4 November 1859. “Father: William Day, confine(d) at Cockatoo, 40 England. Mother: Mary Kirwin, 24, Dublin, Ireland. now of Ranken Street, Bathurst. Married April 1851, Sydney N.S.W., four children, Mary Ann 6, Matilda 5, Julia 4, Elizabeth 2, none dead”. And although Mary could sign only with x her mark I would say that she was a more careful informant than husband William.
Though he makes no mention of such deeds in his book, he is accused informally by Edward Montague Battye, Superintendent of the Western Mounted Patrol, in a letter dated Hartley 28 June (1859), of several other crimes. “William Day”, he writes, “is known to me and I believe him to have been one concerned in the Mudgee Mail Robbery on two occasions – the highway robbery of W. Phillips in 1855 if not in the murder of Trooper Codrington in Wyagdon Hill”. (This letter is to be found in the N.S.W. State Archives Ref. 9/6424, among the Witnesses’ Depositions at a preliminary trial held at Hartley 30 June/l July 1859. The same reference to Codrington’s murder appears in The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, Wednesday, 20 June 1859, to be found in the Mitchell Library). These accusations may or may not have any substance. If they do, then Mary Day had married herself a very difficult man whose behaviour lends some excuse to her own.
What happened to Mary Kirwin and her five children while William was confined at Cockatoo? References are scanty. In his book, Day writes “After dinner I got my noble friend to write a letter to the kind friend who had taken charge of my children in my trouble, receiving in due time a favourable and most consolatory letter”. Now we know that by 28 November 1859 the four girls had been sent to the Very Reverend Dean Grant for transfer to the Catholic Orphan School at Parramatta. This action was to cost her the affection of her children who as they got older turned their backs on her – at least, Julia did, but I cannot speak for the others.
Later on, Day wrote a letter, stating the grounds of his petition, his good deeds, etc., to his wife from Cockatoo Island, penned on Frank Gardiner’s back as we have seen. The story of how he made a brush from a “favourite cat’s” tail, how he made paint from red lead and his own blood, how the letter was was inscribed on Gardiner’s back “occupying from the shoulders to below the waist”, is equal to anything that occurs in romantic literature. However, Gardiner apparently delivered the message, as “I had a letter from my wife telling me that Gardiner had given her all the particulars, which should be attended to”. It is reasonable to assume that he was able to get some message to Day’s wife by some means or other because she eventually petitions the Governor for his early releas. The petition bears some fruit and he was released 21 December, 1865.
Nothing more is mentioned of his wife in the book. He makes reference to “my daughter, then living at a Mr. Greninger’s near Braidwood”. She was involved in one daring escapade in which the bushrangers Clarke saved her from the attentions of a one-eyed ruffianly member of their gang. They were active around the mid 1860s. Just which daughter this was, there is no way of telling, though it is almost certain that it was Mary Ann, the eldest. Day, once he is off Cockatoo Island makes no reference to either his wife or children; he refers simply in a couple of episodes to “my daughter”. The book fades away in unconnected memories.
What happened to Mary Kirwin? I simply do not know any more at this stage than is conjectured in the previous chapter. I summarise what I wrote in Chapter Five. She may well have died and been buried as Derecourt in Sofala in October 871. Someone of the name Derecourt was buried in Sofala in October 1871, and as the children are accounted for as above and as Bill Day had changed his name to Derecourt at this time, it is possible that the someone was his wife Mary. The microfiche records of death have several other possibilities for Mary Day including “Mary Day died 1890 aged seventy-four, at Camperdown, widow”, and “Mary Day, 3rd February 1867, buried at Camperdown, born England, fifteen years in N.S.W.”
There is the family story that on some unspecified occasion Mary Kirwin came to visit her daughter Julia in Sydney. Julia would not believe that the woman was her mother, until Mary produced a prayer-book which appeared to serve as proof. Even then Julia refused to have anything to do with the woman because of her apparent abandonment of them as children.
I had always assumed that Julia was married at the time, but if this visit had taken place when the girl was only about ten or twelve, ie, about 1867, then the Mary Day who died of Phthisis 3 February 1867 and buried at Camperdown Cemetery, could have been her mother. This woman had been in the Colony for 15 years, though the death certificate indicates that she came from England and gives no indication of marriage or children. If the girl had been about fifteen or sixteen, then the 1871 Derecourt burial in Sofala still could have been Mary Day. On the other hand, if Julia was a married woman when the supposed visit occurred, then the Mary Day buried at Camperdown in 1890 could have been her mother, who being born in 1835, would have been 55. I am inclined to believe that 1871 burial in Sofala was Mary Day’s under the name Derecourt; but that is by no means certain.
What happened to the children? Elizabeth (Betsy) is assumed to be dead by 1864 (as shown in the previous chapter) and of Richard I know absolutely nothing. Matilda married James Cross in 1874 about six weeks before her younger sister Julia married Malcolm McLean, both at the Elizabeth Street (Sydney) home of Rev. Dr. James Fullerton according to the rites of the Presbyterian Church and the custom of the time. I guess that they were close, as Julia was a witness to Matilda’s wedding. Matilda was apprenticed at the age of thirteen (1867) to Mrs Cnnor of Shoalhaven. It is reasonable to assume that the other two girls were similarly apaprenticed – Mary Anne to the Greningers and Julia to a family in Surry Hills where she later met the Cordial man, Malcolm McLean. Of Matilda, however, nothing else – none of the descendants I have had any contact with knows anything of either Matilda’s descendants or of the later history of Richard. Mary Ann married John Seach in All Saints Cathedral, Bathurst, 4th January 1879. Mary Ann and Julia evidently kept some contact as I have a picture of them, probably taken in the late teens of this century as Malcolm McLean (d. 1920) is in the picture.
There is just that one scrap of family lore that says that Mary Kirwin was not well able to look after the children, so they spent some time in an orphanage, whence William would retrieve them from time to time. The implication was that Mary was an inadequate mother and that William was “often away”. The truth would appear to be slightly different. No wonder the woman could not cope, having five children aged two to six when her husband was sent to Cockatoo island. And if he was the rogue that is pictured in Battye’s letter, robber and murderer, it is less wonder. The orphange story is true: the four girls certainly were placed in the Catholic Orphan School at Parramatta, which had been taken over in 1859 by the recently founded Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Sisters Magdalen, Gertrude and Agnes but nothing is known of how long they were there or how they were treated or where they moved to from there. It is reasonable to assume that Mary Ann chose to return to Sofala, via Braidwood, and married at the age of twenty-six, and that Betsy died aged about six. Matilda married at the age of twenty and her sister Julia married about two months later aged nineteen (1874).
Mary Kirwin: from Irish farm servant to wife of ex-convict, bushranger and accused murderer, and the mother of five children. Mary Kirwin had it tough. An emigrée from who knows what conditions of poverty to a harsh country, married in hope at seventeen, bearing five children in six years to a man who sounds, for all his self-proclaimed sensitivity, like a hard man and a chauvinist. She is left high and dry when he is imprisoned on Cockatoo Island – four little girls aged six, five, four and two, and a baby yet to be born. She is forced to send the girls to an orphange, costing her their affection and love, and maybe one of them her life. She probably returned from her confinement with Richard in Bathurst to Sofala where she probably died in 1871. She seems to have travelled to Sydney with her prayer book to find her daughters, only to be rejected. From here we can only assume that her future was desolate and that her last few years were spent in misery and even rejection. Her situation may even have been compounded by a worsening of the drunkenness which had begun some years into her marriage, increasing her sense of hopelessness and isolation. It is not a happy story. Was she a pretty Irish lass gone to ruin? A photo of Julia, possibly taken on her wedding day in 1874 shows a pretty young woman, but a photo of her and her sister Mary Ann taken some time before 1920 shows two quite worn women. Yet Julia’s daughter Lily, our grandmother, had real beauty.
There is much conjecture in all this attempt to discover a real person behind the few facts, yet Mary Kirwin lives on in her descendants; and I, for one, regard her plight with sufficient sympathy to dedicate this history to her conjointly with Bridget Horan, whose story is still to be told.
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Backshore Glossary of Hiking Terms
Backshore: the area of the shoreline acted upon by waves only during severe storms. The West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island runs for much of its 77 kilometre length along a very distinct backshore route. Often visible are signs of winter storms that have recently dislodged enormous trees from the rugged coastline. A backshore can range from as little as a few centimetres high to hundreds of metres high. The backshore route along the West Coast Trail is often as subtle as a sandy beach edged by a slightly higher border of grass and forest. Other areas of the trail the backshore is a vertical, solid rock cliff with crashing waves cutting into it far below. This image(below) is an example of a backshore along the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island.
The image below shows the result of centuries of backshore erosion at Mystic Beach on the Juan de Fuca Trail in Victoria.
Mystic Falls on the Juan de Fuca Trail. Backshore erosion continues to cut at the soft, sedimentary layers of the cliff.
Caves created by continuous backshore erosion near Mystic Falls. With the frequent rainy weather on the coast of Vancouver Island, these backshore caves provide shelter. Along the West Coast Trail these types of caves are often the preferred locations to spend the night. The Juan de Fuca Trail is an incredible part of Vancouver Island. Wild and beautiful, and accessible. All along the 47km length there are convenient access points. It's wild, and beautiful, and varied, and deep in the wild rainforest of the coast. From the beautiful flowers of Victoria to the wild and majestic forest of the Juan de Fuca Trail, the drive just to get to it is beautiful.
There are four main trailheads for the Juan de Fuca trail. From Victoria China Beach is 70km, Sombrio Beach 95km, Parkinson Creek 100km and Botanical Beach 110km. The trail can of course be hiked from either end or in parts. Starting at Botanical Beach and timing the tides correctly allows for a great way to start the trek as you can see the first five or so kilometres at the wonderful beach level. With the various access points to the Juan de Fuca Trail, you can do several day trips and never walk the same section twice. All the sections are quite distinct from the rest. Some trails are wild and overgrown, others are focussed on amazing tidal pools, and still other sections are centred around wide, sweeping beaches. You can even find good surfing at Sombrio Beach.
Glossary of Hiking Terms Whistler Hiking Trails
Bar: A ridge of sand or gravel in shallow water built by waves and currents. Tsusiat Falls along the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island has an excellent example of a bar. An enormous and ever changing sand bar created from the waterfall meeting the Pacific Ocean. Often this bar is a dozen metres high and 400 metres long as it runs parallel to the ocean before flowing into it. Similar to a barrier beach, however a bar is more pliable and recent than a barrier beach, which tends to have long-term plant growth on it.
Barrier Beach or Island: a land form parallel to the shoreline, above the normal high water level. Characteristically linear in shape, a barrier beach extends into a body of water. In Garibaldi Provincial Park at Garibaldi Lake there is an excellent example a barrier beach leading toward the Battleship Islands. The West Coast Trail has an ever-moving barrier beach at the famous Tsusiat Falls camping area. The broad falls cascade off a sheer cliff and cut a constantly changing path to the ocean. The barrier beach can only be reached by a precarious log crossing or by wading across the rushing flow of water. A barrier island can be quite beautiful. An excellent example is Sea Lion Haul Out Rock along the West Coast Trail. This enormous, flat topped, solid rock barrier island sits just a few dozen metres from the trail. Hundreds of sea lions make their home here and provide a constant show for passing hikers.
Bench: a flat section in steep terrain. Characteristically narrow, flat or gently sloping with steep or vertical slopes on either side. A bench can be formed by various geological processes. Natural erosion of a landscape often results in a bench being formed out of a hard strip of rock edged by softer, sedimentary rock. The softer rock erodes over time, leaving a narrow strip of rock resulting in a bench. Coastal benches form out of continuous wave erosion of a coastline. Cutting away at a coastline can result in vertical cliffs dozens or hundreds of metres high with a distinct bench form. Often a bench takes the form of a long, flat top ridge. Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Park is an excellent example of a bench. The Musical Bumps trail on Whistler Mountain is another good example of bench formations. Each "bump" along the Musical Bumps trail is effectively a bench.
Bergschrund or abbreviated schrund: a crevasse that forms from the separation of moving glacier ice from the stagnant ice above. Characterized by a deep cut, horizontal, along a steep slope. Often extending extremely deep, over 100 metres down to bedrock. Extremely dangerous as they are filled in winter by avalanches and gradually open in the summer. The Wedge glacier at Wedgemount Lake is a great and relatively safe way to view bergschrund near Whistler. At the far end of Wedgemount Lake the beautiful glacier window can be seen with water flowing down into the lake. From the scree field below the glacier you can see the crumbling bergschrund separate and fall away from the glacier. Up on the glacier you fill find several crevasses. Many are just a few centimetres wide, though several metres deep. Hiking along the left side of the glacier is relatively safe, however the right size of the glacier is extremely dangerous as the bergschrund vary in width and can be measure only in metres instead of centimetres. Hikers venturing up the glacier are advised to keep far to the left or only at the safe, lower edges near the glacier window.
Bivouac or Bivy: a primitive campsite or simple, flat area where camping is possible. Often used to refer to a very primitive campsite comprised of natural materials found on site such as leaves and branches. Often used interchangeably with the word camp, however, bivouac implies a shorter, quicker and much more basic camp setup. For example, at the Taylor Meadows campground in Garibaldi Park, camping is the appropriately used term to describe sleeping there at night. If instead you plan to sleep on the summit of Black Tusk, bivouacking would be more accurately used. In the warm summer months around Whistler you will find people bivouacking under the stars with just a sleeping bag. The wonderful, wooden tent platforms at Wedgemount Lake are ideal for this.
Bushwhack: a term popularly used in Canada and the United States to refer to hiking off-trail where no trail exists. Literally means 'bush' and 'whack'. To make your own trail through the forest by whacking or cutting your way through. Often used to plot a new trail and trail markers are used to mark various routes until a preferred route is found. In Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park, bushwhacking may also refer to an early season trail that is littered with fallen trees from winter storms. Existing trails can also become overgrown and require bushwhacking to navigate through. The Brew Lake trail in Whistler requires some bushwhacking for some of the overgrown trail. A bushwhacker is a term used to describe someone who spends a lot of time in the wilderness.
Buttress: a prominent protrusion of rock on a mountain, often column-shaped, that juts out from a rock or mountain. They are often so distinct as to be named separately from the mountain they protrude from. Buttresses often make a viable bivouacking option on an otherwise steep mountain. Numerous in the mountains surrounding Whistler, the term buttress is frequently heard while hiking, scrambling, ski touring and climbing.
Cairn: a pile of rocks used to indicate a route or a summit. The word cairn originates from the Scottish Gaelic word carn. A cairn can be either large and elaborate or as simple as a small pile of rocks. To be effective a cairn marking a trail has to just be noticeable and obviously man-made. In the alpine areas around Whistler, above the treeline, cairns are the main method of marking a route. In the spring and fall when snow covers alpine trails, cairns mark many routes. An inuksuk(aka inukshuk) is the name for a cairn used by peoples of the Arctic region of North America. Though an inuksuk can take many forms similar to a cairn, it is usually represented by large rocks formed into a human shape. The word inuksuk literally translates from two separate Inuit words, inuk "person" and suk "substitute". The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler used the inuksuk for the logo of the games. Today you will find several giant rock inuksuks in Vancouver and Whistler at various places. In Whistler there is an impressive inuksuk, several metres high a the peak of Whistler Mountain.
Chimney: a gap between two vertical faces of rock or ice. Often a chimney offers the only viable route to the summit of a mountain. An example of this is Black Tusk in Garibaldi Provincial Park in Whistler. The final ascent of Black Tusk requires climbing a near vertical chimney with crumbling rock all around.
Cirque Glacier: formed in bowl-shaped depressions on the side of mountains.
Cirque: a glacier-carved bowl or amphitheatre in the mountains. To form, the glacier must be a combination of size, a certain slope and more unexpectedly, a certain angle away from the sun. In the northern hemisphere, this means the glacier must be on the northeast slope of the mountain, away from the suns rays and the prevailing winds. Thick snow, protected in this way, grows thicker into glacial ice, then a process of freeze-thaw called nivation, chews at the lower rocks, hollowing out a deep basin. Eventually a magnificently circular lake is formed with steep sloping sides all around. Cirque Lake in Whistler is a wonderful example of a cirque lake.
Class 1,2,3,4,5 Terrain Rating System: a rating system to define hiking, scrambling and climbing terrain levels of difficulty. Separated into 5 levels of difficulty ranging from class 1 to class 5. Class 1 is easy hiking, to class 5 terrain, which is very difficult terrain requiring ropes. Class 5 Terrain: technical climbing terrain. Rope required by most climbers. If you are looking at a vertical rock wall, you are effectively looking at class 5 terrain. A typical gym climbing wall is replica of a class 5 terrain rock wall. Class 4 Terrain is one grade easier than class 5 terrain. Class 4 terrain is defined as very steep terrain which rope belays are recommended. Though experienced climbers will find class 4 terrain relatively easy and safe to navigate, novices to climbing will find class 4 terrain difficult, frightening and dangerous. The Lions in North Vancouver requires climbing a short section of class 4 terrain to reach the summit.
Col: a ridge between two higher peaks, a mountain pass or saddle. More specifically is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks. Sometimes called a saddle or notch. The Wedge-Weart Col is a popular destination at the summit of the Wedge Glacier in Garibaldi Park.
Cornice: a wind deposited wave of snow on a ridge, often overhanging a steep slope or cliff. They are the result of snow building up on the crest of a mountain. Cornices are extremely dangerous to travel on or below. A common refrain of climbers is that if you can see the drop-off of a cornice, you are too close to the edge. Cornices are dangerous for several reasons. They can collapse from hiking across or they can collapse from above. A third danger to consider is the fact that they can often trigger a massive avalanche that extends a considerable distance from its starting point.
Crevasse: is a split or crack in the glacier surface, often with near vertical walls. Crevasses form out of the constant movement of a glacier over irregular terrain. Crevasses are both revered for their dramatic beauty and feared for their inherent danger. Crevasses are often dozens of metres deep and less than a metre wide. The fear of slipping into one of these ever-narrowing chasms is well founded. When learning about safe glacier travel and roping techniques, extracting someone from a crevasse is a huge part of the training. Crevasses are sometimes hidden by recent snow and thus instantly plunging through a a snow bridge is a constant worry during glacier travel.
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PD Church
Hope Stands
The PD Podcast
Episode 86: Introducing the Power and Value of Being a Content Creator Within Your Ministry
Join Tony and Lisa as they explain their 10 year journey of creating one of the most successful marriage podcasts and how you too, can create content that listeners need to hear!
GO DEEP INTO THE DIMES DROPPED, CONNECT WITH THE SPEAKER, AND CHECK OUT THE LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Website: oneextraordinarymarriage.com
Instagram: @oneextraordinarymarriage
Tony DiLorenzo Instagram: @TonyMDiLorenzo
Alisa DiLorenzo Instagram: @AlisaDilorenzo
Episode Quotable
Alisa DiLorenzo
We tell people now, If you're starting a podcast, be committed to having the first 10 to 20 shows ready to go when you launch because we're in a binge culture. – Alisa DiLorenzo Click To Tweet
It creates what we're also desperate for right now, which is connection. We know a lot of people, but do we have those real connections? - Alisa DiLorenzo Click To Tweet
The enemy will talk you out of why this is a good idea. The enemy will say, No one's going to listen and no one wants you to do this and all of this kind of stuff. You just need to say, You know what? Shut up. - Alisa DiLorenzo Click To Tweet
Tony DiLorenzo
I just normalize it. I cut the front, I cut the back and I sent it out because again, everything is overproduced and I think that's what's happening in podcasting as well now. It's becoming overproduced. So I like us just being real. - Tony… Click To Tweet
Grab your reading glasses and download the PDF here.
Episode 86 Transcript
Mingo Palacios:
Welcome to the Purpose Driven Church Podcast where we sit down with leaders in and around the church to discuss current trends and challenges and how the five purposes of the local church matter today more than ever.
Hey everybody, welcome to the Purpose Driven Podcast, Mingo here. Happy 2019. As we are making our way super quickly in and through January, today, another great episode unlike any other because we’re actually having a conversation all about the power and the value of bringing a podcast to your ministry. Now I’m assuming because you are listening to this, that you are savvy about being a consumer of podcasts, but today we’re going to talk about the value of actually being a creator, a content creator. Maybe you’re inside of a ministry, maybe you lead one and you think that’s just the job of your pastor. Maybe you’re a pastor and you’re thinking, “Man, I actually would love to see what it would look like, explore the idea of creating content.” Well, we’ve invited some really great friends. I’m going to give them the chance to introduce themselves and the massive influence that the Lord has allowed them to have through their own personal podcast. Your guys’ story almost a decade worth of podcasting together. Why don’t you say hi to our listenership today. Thanks for joining us on the show.
Tony DiLorenzo:
Yeah. Hello everybody. My name is Tony DiLorenzo and I’m here with my beautiful wife Alisa.
Alisa DiLorenzo:
I love it. And you guys run what podcasts? Just if people, if you’ve got the voices for radio, you’ve got the voices for podcasts, what is the podcast that you guys have been hosting and fostering and cultivating for the last almost 10 years together?
So the show is called, “The One Extraordinary Marriage Show”.
I love it. “The One Extraordinary Marriage Show”. And just for credential sake, right? Everybody wants to know, tell me how legit this actually is. How many episodes have you guys put under your belt?
462 with that show.
I love it. Yeah. 462. And you guys started, you said in your garage?
In our garage January 10th of 2010.
I love it. Now for the sake of just a little bit more context, what was it like when you guys decided to get going? Certainly was a lot more difficult then, than it is now. Right? I love it. You’re squeezing each other’s hands because this is a true statement. What was it like when you guys got started and then, you know, what have you kind of discovered along the way as you have really been faithful to steward a vision through this podcast?
Yeah, so I’m gonna just put this out there. When we first started, we had no clue what a podcast was. So right now it’s in our everyday lexicon. Nine years ago, 10 years ago, we didn’t know what that was. So we had a friend of ours who mentioned it to us, brought it up to us. I was like, “Man, that sounds amazing.” I ended up hiring a coach to get us started. So I got all the equipment, started learning how to even get it up on iTunes back in the day. And I remember this box coming with all of our equipment and I was like, “Alisa, here it is. We’re going to start podcasting.” And she just looked at me and sort of said, “Uh huh.” And that box sat around for what, three months you would say?
In our hallway, we had to step over it every day.
It was a great reminder every day. [laughing]
It was a great reminder and finally I said, “Are we doing something with this or is it the most expensive paperweight I’ve ever purchased in my entire life?” And that’s when we opened the box and we set up all this equipment. I remember being so awkward. I, I wish we had the outtake video.
Or reel of that first show.
Did you start with video? I mean, did you do that together simultaneously or you just went for audio recordings?
We just went for audio. It just would be really funny if we could see how awkward we were.
Because when you start something new, it’s always awkward.
Yes. It’s so true. It’s just like small, it’s ugly like a little bird, right? You’re like, “Eventually one day you’ll fly, you’ll look gorgeous. But in this moment you don’t even look fit enough to eat.” Right?
And Alisa says, she was like, I’m going to do 10 episodes maybe and then we’ll just call this good.”
And lo and behold, you know, 462 episodes later, we have found honestly our purpose for where we’re supposed to be here in this life and in touching marriages and in reaching out to them.
So excellent. Do you guys have like a ministry background? Just for the sake of like our listenership, if they don’t know your podcast, if they don’t know you guys, did you, prior to launching your podcast, were you guys leading in a ministry? Were you leading in a marriage ministry pastoring anywhere? What’s your background?
We weren’t. We were planted in a church at that point in time where we were leading a small group and that’s really where the catalyst was. We were leading a small group and Tony had said, and this is about a year before we started the podcast, “What if we did a small group study on sex?” Because we were speaking to married couples and whatnot in this group. And, and I remember thinking, “We’re not even having sex.” Right?
[laughing]
And so it was like, “What are we going to do? What are we going to talk about?”
Rated PG-13, this episode just went there. I love it.
Right? Because you know, we were just in this place of being roommates.
And so it was out of, you know, stepping into this place of saying, “You know what? We are going to talk about sex in the church just in our small group.” We got really bold with our couples and said, “We’re doing this 60 days of sex challenge” during the same time that we’re doing the small group. But it was out of that when we were asked to speak at the churches marriage conference and we shared our story about going through and transforming our marriage, that people started asking us, “What’s next?”
And I’m thinking, “What do you mean what’s next?” And it was out of that where our first book came. And as we were doing the first book, people started saying, “Okay, but what else?”
I love it. So this is kind of a story of supply and demand even, where you guys put something on the table and it was consumed. There was a great response to it and there was a demand of something more.
Yeah. And it was just growing it over time but when we first started, there was no podcast app on your phone. I mean, people had a search for us. And so we really felt like, “Man.” I remember one of the first people who ever reached out to us was from Alaska. And I saw that and I remember just sharing it with Alisa. It was an email. I’m like, “Look at this babe. Somebody from Alaska is reaching out to us because they heard us and we’ve touched their life and their marriage.” I go, “We can’t stop now. We’ve got to just keep going. Let’s just keep going.”
Well for our listeners, you know, the idea I think, and this is the same boat I was in. I was so excited to put something new out and a part of this podcast origin, Rick had been the originator of the Purpose Driven Podcast. And so I felt like I was stepping into some major shoes, right? And you listened to those original episodes. All people who are hallmarking pastors, they are influencing, I would argue, much of the global church today. And you know, I wrestled with the idea like if what we do, what we have to say in the shadows of that kind of great ministry footprint, does that even matter? And I think that there’s a lot of people probably who will be listening to this are running honest and good and impactful local ministries who it may even be wrestling with the idea, is a podcast even going to matter? So here’s what I want to put on the table for our listeners today as we get going. What are the unexpected values of attaching a podcast to a ministry, right? Are there things that obviously you guys were running a ministry and this was supplementing it and it really became the shining star out of it. And then the second question is going to be, what are some of the things, maybe two or three things, that you can maybe identify or things that you can recommend for people to get started smart and started healthy? Maybe some things that you can help accelerate their efforts. So, question number one, what really are, I mean, you guys, just detailed, a little bit about your story, but if a pastor or a ministry leader is listening and goes, “Man, it looks like it’s a lot of work to start.” What would you tell them as way of potential benefit concerning what they’re doing?
Well, I think it brings a depth to what you’re doing. I mean, what we learned over the years is that people have developed a relationship with us, it’s not just, you know, you see somebody on a Sunday. You may hear them because you can listen to a podcast any day of the week at any point in time. I can be out jogging with somebody on a Tuesday and out mowing the lawn with them on a Thursday night and maybe while they’re sitting there rocking their baby, you know? And so you have this opportunity to be a part of someone’s life, not just on a Sunday.
That’s good. It’s a proximity; an intimacy and you guys talk about intimacy so much. But it really is that literal intimacy of having like a pseudo connection with somebody and we’re talking about the opportunities or ways to develop an exchange of opinions, words, processes that it’s really not just a one way channel anymore. It once was.
Nope. And it’s not any more. And I think the biggest thing too, for us as ministry leaders that we really need to remember and where we are now in our time in place where everybody’s so connected, really, people want you to be open, honest, and transparent with them. They want you to be real with them, and so just being on the platform and speaking and preaching, there’s a lot of power there. There’s a one way exchange. I love being in my church. I love hearing my pastors preach, and yet there’s this thing where when you’re behind the microphone and you can get into something that maybe really impacted you and it could be, even if you’re following your sermon, you know, and you’re going like, “But this is the outtake to all of that.”
Right. This is the application; this is my beside thought process on this, the unscripted, yet collected thoughts going deeper into something. Certainly that’s a benefit for sure for somebody. I think of like the initial startup costs. You guys have helped, I’m assuming, several other people kind of navigate the genesis of their own efforts. For somebody who has never even like explored the idea of launching a podcast, what would you say is like the general costs, and I’m not even thinking dollars and cents. What kind of commitments need to be made in order to have a successful podcast effort?
Well, you actually hit on that word, right? Commitment, right? You do a one and done and you’re expecting it to transform the world?
Not going to do it. Yeah. I mean, we tell people now, “If you’re starting a podcast, be committed to having the first 10 to 20 shows ready to go when you launch because we’re in a binge culture.”
Yeah. Good.
Somebody finds you and they want to consume your material and they connect with you. They want to listen, you know, all day, every day.
And so if you’re like, “Well, I’ve got two shows.” They’re going to be like, “Eh.”
They’ll consume it and they’ll move on.
Right. Next.
That’s the tragedy in it is that you may not not get listened to, the tragedy is you might get listened to and forgotten about.
Exactly. And for weekly, we have a 30 minute show as well each and every week and we’ve done this for nine years now. And so I’m thinking about Alisa and I have time where we’re just going about our week and we’re thinking about what’s happening in our marriage and other marriages and so it’s the thought of the idea and then from the idea process it goes into Alisa’s hands and she does our show notes. We’re still discussing what does this look like. We’ll go even to our Instagram folks and we do a ton of polls over there now. Like, when we’re trying to get a read of what we’re doing or the topic we’re covering, we like to have some numbers and just hear back from the One Family. And so we’ll put something out over there. We’re monitoring that for 24 hours and then we do the actual recording and that’s 30 minutes and then your backside of you know, production or whatever you’re going to do to get it out there.
I’m wondering if somebody is listening and going, “I might be able to afford the time and I might have the clarity of thought to piece together several episodes, maybe put together a series” the manpower at the most basic level, what would you say it requires of you, and I have my own answer because we’re managing this podcast, but for as long as you guys have done it, what do you think the bare minimum would be if somebody is thinking about launching.
How many hours you work?
Yeah or I would say if you’re putting a 30 minute show together a week, I mean is there a staff?
2 hours.
Do you have to hire staff for it? Did you guys manage it yourself? Did you edit yourself?
Here’s the way I’ve run our podcast from the beginning. It is unedited. It is unscripted other than we know what we’re talking about. But I do not go in, we do not go in and take out all the “ums” and “uhs” and this or there may be some silence when Alisa and I are talking or things that are made. I get in there.
Just very raw.
Very raw.
I just, I normalize it. I cut the front, I cut the back and I sent it out because again, everything is overproduced and I think that’s what’s happening in podcasting as well now. It’s becoming overproduced. So I like us just being real.
Real polished.
This is who we are. You’re going to put out your pastoral or your preaching message. Great.
Yeah. Your pastoral content is by nature going to be polished.
Well, and you’re going to have your team, you know, as they’re cutting it, they’re doing all of that. That’s all their production team at your church.
But if you’re going into the podcasting space, you may actually want to consider being a little more raw.
That’s good.
Right? Like allow, I mean, Tony just referred to the One Family, that’s what we call our tribe.
Right? And so they know that there are times when Tony and Lisa get behind the microphone and there are tears flowing in a show or we’re irritated with one another or we’re laughing at something that the other person said and they connect with that. And there’s that vulnerability that as you put a podcast out there, you actually allow people to see more than just who you are on a Sunday.
Yeah. That’s so good.
Or how you show up when you’re leading your ministry, but you allow them into a place where a lot of folks won’t get to see you.
And it creates what we’re also desperate for right now, which is connection. We know a lot of people, but do we have those real connections?
I think really it’s like you’re taking the first step, for transparency. I know as leaders, you lead by example, you lead by doing, you lead by showing and really plotting the course. And if it’s something I can’t think of a single ministry leader who wouldn’t put transparency and connectedness off of the top five values inside of their ministry, this is such a great engine to create that. And it actually puts the burden on the leader to do it first. How oftentimes do we want to ask the question but then throw it to the audience, right? You get transparent first. This is such a great almost like, it’s like accountability. Like it allows you and it gives you an opportunity to first speak to your own transparencies, your own thoughts, and then allow that to be the, you know, the catalyzer or the catalyst for your listener audience, your family. I love, that you call him that to really see you in a light maybe they wouldn’t catch you. And you guys, are you still leading a bible study? Are you still leading in like in any physical way where you’re gathering people together? I assume your show has afforded you some speaking opportunities. But what’s that day to day look like? Did it, did you have to exchange one for the other?
So we actually now over, you know, many years, because again, nine years we’ve gone from, you know, where we were leading a small group to we are now in the assimilation directors at our church and we oversee six different teams in addition to doing the One Extraordinary Marriage Show and everything we do, they are raising two kids, you know. So it’s really been interesting to see how literally from small beginnings, God has not just expanded the show but stretched our capacity.
You know, as we’ve taken on this mantle of going after marriages and really creating a place for marriages to get healthy, we’ve been afforded more opportunities to interact with people, to grow people, to develop who they are.
And we also put on our own One Conference. So that’s where we get to meet with the One Family. This year we’re going to have two different conferences, one in North Carolina, one here in San Diego. And that’s where they can come in, we can hang out. And it’s truly a blessing because we do all of this. And when we started it was only over the airwaves or people were just listening. But now when you get to see them and you get to hug them and we get to tell him we love them and we get to see the transformation that’s happening in their lives. And they already know who we are.
Of course. Yeah. They’ve built like this rapport with you guys through the process.
They know us and we just get to get to know them more at those moments. And it’s, I love it personally.
I love it. And you guys have never been like radio, like professionals prior to this, right? [laughing] No?E
No media background.
None whatsoever.
Okay, so that should be permission giver number one. We’re all about giving permission on our podcast.
You don’t have to have a radio like degree. You don’t have to be in broadcasting to try. And we have had several conversations kind of in a roundabout way on our podcast about the easy ways to get started. You don’t need a studio, you don’t need condenser microphones and pop filters. You can literally get somewhere together with the technology advancements today. Instagram gives you live opportunities.
Facebook gives you them we’re using it right now. Youtube is giving it to you. Soon Linkedin is going to give you those opportunities. There’s no excuse outside of probably fear and time commitment to not create an alternate approach or an additional offering of content for people that you’re trying to serve inside your ministry.
Yeah, absolutely.
Stay committed. That’s the big one. Stay committed. I think today there’s too many folks in their ministry, they get frustrated because they haven’t seen any movement in three months.
Oh, that’s good. Oh, and you wrote three months and everybody’s like, “No! I have to do it more than that?” We live in such a microwave generation. Right? That instant return on minimal investment. Let’s talk about that. When you wanted to quit, are there key things? If somebody, maybe there’s a listener who had started one and it got real dusty. Maybe they didn’t see the 1000 views, you know, 1000 downloads that they wanted, give me some advice for somebody maybe in the valleys of their podcasting efforts.
Wow. Episode 84, 85.
That was the first time for us.
Tony wanted to quit. He called me one day and he’s like, “I’m done.” And he had just partly because it is the two of us and we’re talking about our marriage, we’re very transparent and he was taking a lot of criticism for something he had said or done. And I was on the phone, I said, “Are you willing to pay for marriage counseling?” Because we’re either going to do this show or we’re going to start paying someone to help us have a conversation. But you know, when you’re in that place of, you know, the valley of thinking, “Is this not working?” Remember why you started it in the first place.
You didn’t start it to get a thousand downloads. You didn’t have, I mean, where we were then we started our show because we wanted to impact one marriage.
One that was it.
And we still don’t know whose marriage that is. So we get up every morning and we record once a week because that’s our mission. The numbers are great. And you know, everybody wants to talk about numbers, but you started for a reason. God has put a calling on your life. He’s given you a voice and He’s given you a message. And so you don’t just stop because you’re like, “Oh yeah, I’m not seeing it.” Right? Right. You stop when God tells you to stop. You keep going through that and you say, okay, you know what you press in.
And you talk to people and you develop that backbone, that strength to say, “You know what? Even when it’s hard, yet, keep going.”
Yeah. That forges character; that’s something off the show notes. It’s something that you get to walk away with because you decided to continue to go. That’s that perseverance.
And you learn through that, right? Because you continue to grow. God expands you now you can handle more. So if you were to just start your podcast and all of a sudden you’ve got 20,000 downloads and people are hitting you up, you might not be ready for that.
Yeah that’s so good.
But as you go through that growth, and for us that was a stage for me. I was getting criticized and I had to really check myself and I had to understand, am I going to take that criticism and slink away and allow the devil to win or am I going to rise up and go, “No. My calling on my life is like Alisa said, we want to touch one marriage.” That might not be the marriage. And yet there’s this marriage out there that needs to hear our voice, that needs to hear our story, that needs to hear what’s going on so they can have breakthrough. And we’ve had that happen thousands and thousands of times.
Alisa, I love that. I love that you just started with just that. That goes beyond a podcast. That really is advice for every ministry in every season where you feel like you’ve hit a hard place and you’re not sure you’ve got it inside you to get over it. I’ll just tell you real easily. You probably don’t have it inside you. It’s really Christ working in and through that situation. So recognize your inability to accomplish it and give it over to Jesus and allow him to do what you can’t do on your own. For this conversation, just the value add, what would you guys tell a ministry leader? I know we talked about transparency, we talked about the need to be able to commit to it. I’m hoping they are taking notes and saying, “Okay, who’s going to help me commit to the consistency side?” I think I can think of a few people who can help draw that transparency. As a pastor, I know it’s easy for me to put like the stage me on a microphone, but I’ve invited critical people into my world. Robert and Liz are some of those people to be those speakers of truth when the microphone is on and go like, “Ah, you’re going to take me there. And now I can’t shy away from that. For somebody who is now on the verge of saying, “I think I want to commit to at least trying this.” What word of encouragement do you have for them? Looking at the last few minutes of our time together.
Wow. Um, Gosh. Well, what do you have babe?
I would say do it. Right? If you’ve got that calling, if you’ve had that little thought in the back of your head, you know, you’re hearing from God, “This is what I need you to do” then it doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be fully produced. It doesn’t have to be, it doesn’t have to be the, the final pinnacle.
What you imagined it could be an all of its splendor and all of its glory.
We were sitting in a garage in you know, a puffy North Face coat with a heater at our feet.
The visual is amazing.
Shivering. And that show we attempted to be fully scripted because we didn’t know what we’re doing. If you had told me then where I was going to be nine years later, I would have laughed in your face because I just, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but I knew that there was a reason we had to start this. And I had to be in agreement with Tony on doing this, but do it. You can die. The enemy will talk you out of getting your voice out there. The enemy will talk you out of why this is a good idea. The enemy will say, “No one’s going to listen and no one wants you to do this and all of this kind of stuff. You just need to say, “You know what? Shut up.”
I’m going to go do this because there’s a message that only you can deliver and if you don’t deliver it, who loses out?
Who loses out? I feel like we just had church right now. I’m ready to like, I’ll become a member.
Let’s go. Let’s go.
You’re part of The One Family.
Yeah. I just became a member. Tony, anything to add to that or is there something unique and distinct that came to your mind from just pulled the trigger? That’s what I heard on this side of the table. Don’t worry about it’s uh, it’s polishness. If there’s something God’s put in your heart, you need to be faithful to make your steps happen in the process. What would you say?
Gosh, I do have to follow that. It is, “Just do it,” and really when I’ve worked with people on the podcast, it’s the perfectionism that stops on. Yeah. And I would say you have to break free of that perfectionism and have some fun with it.
That’s good. Have Fun, it’s so important.
Just allow yourself to be you. And don’t worry if there again, are there “oohs” and “ums” and ticks or whatever, it’s okay. Get working on it. You’re going to grow through that.
I love it. That’s good. Well, we could have this conversation for so, I feel like we could build a series around the value of adding a podcast to your ministry. And maybe down the line we’ll get you guys as a guest again. If people wanted to follow up and be a part of the One Family, first let’s talk about where they can find your podcast. What are the keywords they can search to find it. And then I want to give people an opportunity to find you personally, maybe through social media or something like that, if they had more questions about podcasting as a vehicle. But maybe it’s just to be encouraged in their own marriage. I’m certain somebody is going to hear this and go, “Man, this is actually exactly what I’ve been looking for. What are those ways?
So show, One Extraordinary Marriage Show. You can find it on Itunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, wherever you’re looking One Extraordinary Marriage Show. Visit us at oneextraordinarymarriage.com. That’s where we have everything else. If you want to follow us on social, we are really active on Instagram. So, @oneextraordinarymarriage, I’m @TonyMDiLorenzo.
And I’m @AlisaDilorenzo.
I love it. Guys, thank you so much for coming and just sharing a small piece but such an impactful piece of your guys’s marriage, your life and your ministry together. I hope if you’re listening to this show that you walked away feeling encouraged and that you felt a bit bolder than maybe when you started. My prayer is that you’d go rummaging through whatever stuff you have access to and determine whether or not God is actually calling you to start this portion of your ministry. Not for the sake of being known more, but just being faithful to the message that God’s put in your heart. If there’s something that He is giving you clarity on by way of a ministry, a podcast could be the exact vehicle you need to know about in order to see that ministry come to life. So, hopefully this gave you some of that insight. Please connect with the one amazing one epic family about what it looks like to do that well. And a special shout out to Robert and Liz Cortes and the RebelFish Local family for letting us record inside of their studio. We love you guys. We’ll talk to you guys soon.
Episode 38: Father & Son Duo Kelly and Ryland Walter Talk About Succession
Episode 87: Making Your God Sized Dreams Reality
Episode 85: Carrying Out Stewardship
Episode 84: Why Art Matters – Part 2
Purpose Driven Church
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Posted on April 25, 2010 by Patrick Zabriskie
By contributor Patrick Zabriskie
Stars: ★★★☆
Summary: So ridiculous it had to work.
Perhaps there is benefit to the unusual equation.
It’s rare that I believe a film will be good on a gut feeling. Typically I like to read reviews, talk to people who have seen it, and then actually watch the film myself before labeling it as enjoyable or bad.
Not so with ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’.
I had no reason to like it. Just watching commercials for it, it should have looked too ridiculous for me to believe it would have been good. I should have wanted to denounce it as a stupid, ‘Hangover’-with-a-gimmick, rip off film that would go for cheap laughs and cheat me out of ten bucks. I should have had a bad feeling about this film. But I didn’t, and that has made all the differences.
Yes, I saw all of the commercials for it, and I said to myself, “Self, we have to see this movie! And we also have to stop referring to our self in the third person!” Okay that didn’t really happen, but the point is that I had a good vibe out this movie, and I convinced a group of friends of mine, who unfortunately did NOT share my optimism, to see it. Long story short, we all were thoroughly entertained.
So, (in case the blatant title and all the commercials didn’t tell you the gist of the plot) four guys whose lives are decidedly crappy get whisked away through the power of “some kind of hot tub time machine” back to 1986, to a very memorable and pivotal weekend they spent together. Hilarity ensues as they relive it, deciding whether or not to change their actions and change the future, and in the end renew their fraying bonds of friendship with each other.
It’s not that this movie isn’t dumb. It’s not that it isn’t a ‘Hangover’-with-a-gimmick film. Believe me it is. But what saves is that the filmmakers say, “Yes, we know it’s ridiculous and stupid, but just go with us on it and we promise we’ll make you laugh all the way through.” And they do. Really, it’s surprisingly witty dialogue and jokes that work more than half the time that make this film entertaining. I couldn’t help but smile when they talk about the recent bomb of ‘Wild Hogs’ when mentioning male bonding, or how one of the time travelers changes the future and becomes a member of Motley Crue.
So, if you’re a fan of spoofs and time travel, give this film a watch. You’ll be surprised at how much you laugh.
(Note from James: From what I understand, however, the film is very much R-rated, so I’ll leave it at that.)
Posted in Better, Comedy, R-rated Movies | Tagged art, entertainment, film, hot tub time machine, movies, Opinion, Reflections, review, reviews, Thoughts | Leave a comment
Attack Of The Clones (Episode II)
Posted on April 23, 2010 by James Monroe Treakle
Stars: *** out of 4
Summary: Still plagued with problems similar to its mixed predecessor, ‘Clones’ shows us just a little more of what we wanted to see, and when it works, it works.
Thank God for Drew Struzan.
Review: As the ‘Star Wars’ Prequels carried on, Lucas kept pushing technological innovation, enabling the crew to achieve a vision of the space opera that is much closer to Lucas’ original conception of it. Circa 1974, Lucas had written a spectacular and veritably impossible-to-make film called ‘The Star Wars’, which included hundreds of elements that would show up in all of the final films. The technology necessary to transfer this rough draft to the screen in a convincing manner wouldn’t exist until the early 2000s. Along with its wild action and splendor came story elements, especially in the second Prequel, ‘Attack Of The Clones’.
The Jedi protagonists, Anakin and Obi-Wan, inherited the relationship between the “Jedi Bendu” master and apprentice in the original ‘The Star Wars’. Their bickering, Anakin’s desire to be free of Obi-Wan’s wise restrictions, etc. are all there. This works pretty well in the ’74 script, but seems kind of out of place in this film because Anakin and Obi-Wan have been master and padawan for about 12 years, while in the ’74 script the apprentice had been transferred from the tutelage of his dying father to this new master, and was bitter about it. No such bitterness aught to be here. This criticism aside, once again, the master-apprentice relationship is the strongest interplay of the movie. The other relationships are somewhat lacking, or just bad. In particular, and infamously, the romance between Anakin and Padme, which is pretty badly written. The weakest aspect of Lucas’ original ’74 ‘The Star Wars’ draft was the dialog, and it comes back from the dead to torment the Prequels.
Thankfully, though, the technology had finally caught up with Lucas’ idea of what the action should look like and feel like. The visceral scope and feel of the birth pangs of the Clone War are pretty spectacular. Their main weakness is a lack of the warm character interplay familiar to the Original Trilogy. Part of this weakness is again the dialog, especially in how the actors choose to deliver it. It comes across as either stilted or overblown, most of the time, and the actors who seems most comfortable with the material and sound more convincing are Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Frank Oz (Yoda), and Christopher Lee (Count Dooku). These folks are good enough at their trade that performing against a soulless blue screen — a major drawback to the new tech — doesn’t hamper them too much, even when the writing lets them down.
The best part of the movie, the part worth seeing, is Obi-Wan’s travels across the galaxy to unravel the mystery of the Kaminoans and their clone army. The action is much, much closer to the tight, visceral tone of the Original Trilogy in his scenes, and he’s a likable guy going up against a well-done enigma.
Philosophically, the film suffers a bit, because the romance is so trite (despite being of great importance to the story), the clone army isn’t examined in the ethical light that it should have been, and the Separatists bad guys are never given a sympathetic light that would have explored the degeneration of the Republic. Nevertheless, I will do what I must. I’ll try to dig in and infer things from the narrative.
The forbidden romance seems to be an attempt to explore the ancient struggle of love vs. duty, which also shows up in classic works like ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’. Is following one’s feelings, especially love, more imperative than performing one’s previous high obligations? A possible solution is to suggest that the particular duty be judged in a utilitarian manner, which, in addition to being hilariously ironic if you know anything about ethics, would allow a person to weigh the benefits of either path without a blind devotion to his duty, or his love.
The clone army is pitted against the Separatist’s mechanical army. The clones, being human beings, can react rationally and creatively to any number of situations, despite being genetically altered to be obedient without question. The droids are easily taken by surprise and require a great deal more control from their flesh-and-blood masters. The clone army contrasts with the droids while shedding light on something more terrifying, something directly connected to the rise of Darth Vader and the Empire: The blending of machines and mechanical principles with sentient beings, a kind of “Anti-Force”. The clone army are created with mechanical manipulation, they eventually lead to the creation of the Empire (which dominates and manipulates people as if they were mechanical), and the Empire is also created with the help of Darth Vader, who is transformed into a person who is mostly machine. The enemy droids themselves are just a part of the Sith gambit to capture the Republic. To contrast with the Sith use of machines to manipulate life, Lucas holds up the pristine planet Naboo in the Prequels, and the planets Yavin, Endor, and Degobah in the Original Trilogy. They each are tied to characters that represent biological communion with the Force and oppose the Empire, the Sith, and the perverse use of machines. Here’s what I think Lucas is saying: Biology and spirituality are symbiotic, but machines should never have this kind of relationship with biological beings.
The Separatists, an evolution of the villains from Episode I, are the great dupes of the Prequels. They’re portrayed as unsympathetic and unjustified in their separation from Republic control. The only time that a major character makes a statement that shows some understanding of their point-of-view is in Episode III. The Separatists are basically greedy. There’s no indication (in this film) that they have a good reason for waving goodbye to the Republic. So, we’re never able to explore in greater detail the real underlying problems with the present system that Darth Sidious exploits.
I’m surprised I was able to get that much out of it. This is a good movie, but it could’ve used a rewrite.
(Future me: Actually, I had a chance to read the whole second draft of this movie, and was very impressed. It dragged on at a couple points, but was overall much better than the final film. Ironically, the rewrite might have hurt it this time, though it was probably necessitated by length.)
Posted in Action/Adventure, Better, Lucas, PG Movies, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Tagged art, culture, entertainment, fanboy, film, george lucas, hate, love, Media, movies, Opinion, philosophy, prequel, Reflections, religion, review, reviews, star wars, Thoughts | Leave a comment
The Phantom Menace (Episode I)
Summary: Though suffering from lackluster characters and a plot that lacks common sense, ‘The Phantom Menace’ still manages to get back some of ol’ ‘Star Wars’ charm.
Such a great poster. Hey, if they had released just the poster and not the movie, it would've pleased the fans more and would've spawned more wild mass guessing than is reasonable for any franchise.
Review: I admit it. I’m a sucker for ‘Star Wars’. I’m a huge fan of the Original Trilogy, but I was also one of those people whose childhood was jazzed up considerably by the anticipation and experience of the new Prequels, and who then ungratefully proceeded to denounce them as inferior. I think it’s totally fair to say that the Prequels are inferior, but in a stunning twist, I’ve finally made peace with my generation’s installments of the beloved space saga. I don’t hate them anymore. In fact, I like them. A lot. The trick is to recognize what exactly Lucas was going for. It’s supposed to be his own kind of ‘Flash Gordon’ or ‘Buck Rogers’, not an airtight, gritty sci-fi movie along the lines of ‘Blade Runner’ or something. These are family-oriented fantasy films, so ‘kiddy-ness’, in varying doses, is to be expected. The bad writing is another issue, but we’ll tackle that film-by-film.
‘The Phantom Menace’, while a great, accessible sci-fi adventure in the same vein as the Original Trilogy, has one central weakness: It lacks a strong dramatic train of thought. The Originals all had their great focuses that fueled the action. This first Prequel starts off with a pretty good pace and suspense, but this kind of erodes, only to return at the end of the film. It gets bogged down. The podrace sequence is pretty cool and dangerous, but should have been less of a detour. It is necessary to the plot, but lacks the tightness and character impact that practically every moment has in ‘A New Hope’. This signals the beginning of a problem that plagues all three Prequels, that of a sense of unpolished scripting that could’ve been fixed by a rewrite or two, or three. Episode IV, by contrast, was practically overwritten, and was fully mature as a story. It’s not that George Lucas is a bad storyteller, but I suspect that he was unwilling to replicate the painful process that created the Original Trilogy, which I can’t blame him for.
Anyway, nevertheless, the film is pretty strong. Liam Neeson plays the best character in the piece, as Obi-Wan’s master, Qui-Gon. Actually, that master-apprentice relationship is the best written part of the movie, with a pretty good conclusion in their duel with Darth Maul. Which segues me to the villains, the weakest aspect of the film, and of the Prequels in general. Darth Maul makes an excellent Sith villain, mysterious, dangerous, and used like a potent seasoning. The shadowy Darth Sidious, later the Emperor in the Originals, is great. The problem is, they’re mostly in the background in this film, and the up-front bad guys — the Trade Federation — are pretty darn lame. They are not intimidating in the least, and suck the urgency right out of the movie.
The other supporting characters are also pretty weak, especially the dreaded Jar-Jar Binks, who isn’t that bad, except for being slathered all over the movie like barbeque sauce. Young Anakin and his mother, Shmi, are actually an exception to this rule. They do pretty well — despite slowing the pace down far too much.
Philosophically, here’s my take on it. An interesting — and very controversial — addition to the Force mythos is the idea of a biological connection to it through “midi-chlorians”, apparently symbiotic creatures that live inside of everyone’s cells in differing concentrations. There is some complaint that this saps the mysticism out of the Force/person relationship, but it can be argued that this was a pretty clever way of showing synchronicity between science and spiritually in ‘Star Wars’. Because the midi-chlorian count in Anakin’s blood is the determining factor of his special identity, this shows that this new take on the Force is a subtle but central theme in ‘The Phantom Menace’. Lucas has said that part of his motivation for making ‘Star Wars’ was to reintroduce a mythological and religious logic to youth of his generation. Since he’s continued to be interested in educating young people, it may be that ‘The Phantom Menace’ includes this theme in order to combat a burgeoning anti-spirituality, embodied in “The new atheism” of my generation. It certainly seems consistent with Lucas’ understanding of fantasy that transforms real paradigms.
The next major theme I want to cover is the titular threat, ‘The Phantom Menace’. There are several interpretations of what this refers to, the most common — and possibly canon — guess being that it is Darth Sidious, the evil Sith pulling the strings to topple the Republic. Or, I would suggest, it refers to Anakin Skywalker. Lucas has stated that the story of ‘Star Wars’ is all about Anakin, and since this is the chronological first in the series, it would make sense to refer to the protagonist. Yoda states, when young Anakin is brought before the Jedi Council, that he senses a dark and evil future for the boy, or, one could say, a phantom menace. This nagging fear of Anakin’s evil fate will eventually swallow up the story of the Prequels, as it rightly should, so even though Darth Sidious becomes the mechanism by which Anakin is brought into his destiny, it’s reasonable to conclude that the phantom menace is Anakin himself.
Anyhow, this is actually a pretty good and fun ‘Star Wars’ movie. It’s arguably the most kid-friendly (the intense climatic lightsaber duel notwithstanding). Certainly, there’s no good reason to be bitter about it or condemn George Lucas to fanboy hell for “ruining your childhood”.
Posted in Action/Adventure, Better, Lucas, PG Movies, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Tagged art, culture, entertainment, fanboy, film, george lucas, hate, jedi, love, Media, movies, Opinion, philosophy, Reflections, religion, review, reviews, sith, star wars, tao, Thoughts | Leave a comment
Patrick’s Top Ten Directors (Without An Order)
Well, apparently I’ve been called out on the Silver Mirror for a top ten directors. Here we go. My Top Ten Directors (again in no particular order):
I feel a little guilty about stealing a little of James’ top ten thunder here, but it’s a proven fact that Sergio Leone is made of pure awesome. His movies are violent, comical, and (surprisingly) touching. He doesn’t allow himself to get boxed in by labels or genres. Even if you’re not a fan of spaghetti westerns or gangster films, you can’t help but watch his movies and smile just a little.
This man is the Steven Spielberg of animated films. Movies like ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’ show powerful story telling and an incredibly beautiful sense of art, all the while delivering a powerful and yet not anvilicious message. He shows that animation isn’t just for kids, it’s for adults too.
Rob Reiner knows how to make a good movie. Well, as a matter of fact, he knows how to make a lot of different kinds of good movies. He’s done everything from horror movies like ‘Misery’, to dramas like a ‘Few Good Men’, to fantasies like ‘The Princess Bride’, to family movies like ‘Stand by Me’, to comedies like ‘This is Spinal Tap’. Few directors have such a resume.
The excellence of Akira Kurosawa cannot be understated. He is the mastermind behind Japanese epics full of action, slow motion, quick cuts, and badass samurais. He’s not too well known in the U.S. of A., but he ought to be, considering that such famous films as ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’ wouldn’t have existed without his work.
What can I say? This is the man who made ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner’, and ‘Gladiator’. He’s a master of despotic story telling that still shows a surprising amount of action. Let’s hope his next film, ‘Robin Hood’, lives up to his other classic works.
John Carpenter is a master of horror and suspense. He has scared audiences to death with films like ‘Halloween’ and ‘The Thing’. He’s also responsible for the arguably coolest character in the history of film, ‘Escape from New York’s’ Snake Plisken (“Call me Snake”). Badass!
I think action directors are very underrated. John McTiernan helped resurrect the then-ridiculous genre in the late 80’s and early 90’s with such classics as ‘Die Hard’, ‘Predator’, and ‘The Hunt For Red October’. He’s made his fair share of bad films, but when it comes to action films, you can count on him to deliver.
Woody Allen is great about telling very personal stories that also manage to make you laugh your ass off. His insights are unique and yet relatable at the same time. His movies about everyday people caught up in the struggle of day-to-day life are forever entertaining.
Not only is he a badass actor, but a master director as well. He shows seemingly hard-hearted people slowly learn to open up to others, and it’s a powerful effect. Films like ‘Unforgiven’ and ‘Gran Torino’ mix subtly and raw power. As the Smashing Pumpkins might put it, he is a bullet with butterfly wings.
Don Bluth dominated my childhood. Films like ‘The Land Before Time’ and ‘The Secret of NIMH’ I still love to this day. There’s a certain mysticism he employs in his films that is, well, empowering. The characters in his movies are always just a little more real than in other animated stories, and it makes them that more relatable and really less “kiddy”. That’s the great staple of his animated films. They aren’t just for kids, they really are for all ages.
Posted in Special Feature Articles | Tagged akira kurosawa, art, clint eastwood, culture, don bluth, entertainment, film, hayao miyazaki, john carpenter, john mctiernan, Media, movies, Opinion, philosophy, Reflections, religion, review, reviews, ridley scott, rob reiner, sergio leone, Thoughts, woody allen | Leave a comment
Elements Of The Screen: The Movie And The Game
Hey, folks! It’s time for another article in the ‘Elements’ series!
This one’s more or less in response to Roger Ebert’s article “Video Games Can Never Be Art”, and therein I express my dismay at his point-of-view, and I attempt to explain how the evolving artistic world of video games better illustrates what a movie ought to be.
Click here to make the leap: The Movie And The Game
Posted in Silver Mirror Updates | Tagged art, culture, entertainment, film, gaming, Media, movies, Opinion, philosophy, Reflections, religion, review, reviews, roger ebert, Thoughts, video games | 1 Comment
Classic Review: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Stars: ***1/2 out of 4
Summary: It is indeed a triumph of escapist entertainment, that cemented the ‘Indiana Jones’ legend.
This poster, like Led Zeppelin, gets me pumped. I think I'll go out, and kick ass or something.
Review: Back in the day, this installment of the Lucas/Spielberg adventure film series was the most controversial among fans. Some people loved it for its guts (in the sense of gumption) and its gore (not in the sense of Al) and its rousing sense of catharsis. Others hated it for its darkness, horror sequences, and its difference in style from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. Of course, it has been retroactively absolved of its sins by the fan community at large since the release of the similarly controversial ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’. Nevertheless, here’s where I stand in the argument.
The first thing that must be done in the viewer’s mind before experiencing ‘Temple of Doom’ is the realization of a simple fact: This film is not ‘Raiders’. All four ‘Indiana Jones’ movies have their own rules, textures, and stories that distinguish them rather largely, even though they are (arguably loosely) connected by inner continuity. The second thing is that the viewer must not go in unprepared for the film’s darkness. I do sometimes wish they had stuck with the original title, ‘Temple of Death’, because the frankness and implications of it are more in line with the film’s tone. The tone, however, is the film’s greatest cinematic weak point. It swings very broadly from a zany sense of comedy-adventure akin to mainstream 1930s films of the same vein, and a bleak, horrific atmosphere more akin to horror films of the 1980s. The clashing sensibilities of these two tones is what has made the film so controversial.
What the movie communicates, though, by contrasting the two, is Indy & Co’s journey into (basically) Hell and back. The established lightness of the film gives the heroes something to go ‘back’ to once the conflict is over. ‘Temple’ does take risks, but it takes them only so far. If you’re prepared for what’s going to happen, the horror sequences, while disquieting, only serve as a backbone for Indy’s roaring rampage of revenge on the villainous Thuggee cult, which is what we’re hoping to see. The bad guys nearly triumph, but the good guys do win in the end. As a distinct story, this is what makes ‘Temple’ worth seeing: It’s an update of the classic myth of the hero’s journey into the underworld. Though ‘Temple’ has Hindu sensibilities on account of its Indian setting, the story has a pronounced Christian flavor. The notion of Christ’s decent into Hell to rescue the captives is, in a way, mirrored by Indy’s rescue of the slave children. To quote St. Cyril’s words about Christ, ‘For having destroyed hell and opened the impassable gates for the departed spirits, He left the devil there abandoned and lonely’. In the same way, the only thing left in the devastated and emptied Temple of Doom is the lonely statue of Kali, with no one to worship it or satisfy a demonic blood lust. There’s a purely human hope expressed in seeing the Hero return from Hell with a train of freed captives. We have to believe that even the most horrible things that exist can be destroyed by a bond of love and nobility.
The controversial nature and timeless tone of ‘Temple’ cemented what ‘Raiders’ had begun. Indy’s legacy was established, though the series now had the scent of smoke.
Posted in Action/Adventure, Horror, PG Movies, Reviews of the Classics, Spielberg | Tagged art, Christ, Christianity, culture, easter, entertainment, film, george lucas, hell, Media, movies, Opinion, philosophy, Reflections, religion, review, reviews, steven spielberg, Thoughts | Leave a comment
James’ Five Most Anticipated Films Of 2010
Hey folks. Here’s the five movies due to be released this year that I am most looking forward to. Pretty much what the title said. Oh, and they’re in no particular order.
Here’s the why. I haven’t seen any of director Joe Carnahan’s stuff, but I like the look of this. I’m a massive fan of the old show, and I sure hope Joe is too. At least he picked the right actors. I think. TBR June 11th.
Here’s the why. The original ‘Tron’ was strangely awesome, mostly due to its leading cast. That’s why the new one has my attention, as they brought back Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner. The User abides. TBR December 17th.
Here’s the why. Jerry Bruckheimer, producing, knows what makes a genre movie work. Judging by the trailer, they went as all out on this one as they did on the ‘Pirates’ movies, in terms of casting and visual impact, so it may be the first really decent — or good — video game adaptation. Well, I’ve heard some decent things about other video game adaptations, but if this is one is really fun, it will probably be the benchmark. TBR May 28th.
Here’s the why. It’s Christopher Nolan’s latest “mid-Batman” movie. ‘Cuz, you know, he made ‘Batman Begins’, then ‘The Prestige’, which was quite good, then ‘The Dark Knight’, now ‘Inception’, then ‘Batman 3’ or whatever. I’m thinking it’s going to run along the same kind of quality. TBR July 16th.
Here’s the why. ‘Cuz it’s just so cool. TBR May 7th.
Yeah, I know these are all action movies, and most of them have a sci-fi/fantasy bent. I’m an 18-year-old male who enjoys things like shooting guns, smoking pipes and wishing I had a girlfriend. Sue me.
Posted in Special Feature Articles | Tagged art, culture, entertainment, film, Inception, Iron Man 2, Media, philosophy, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, religion, review, The A-Team, Tron Legacy | Leave a comment
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electronic dance music
Coachella 2018 Lineup Release
Not 48 hours into the new year and the Coachella 2018 lineup drops. Last night at 4:15 PT Coachella released their lineup on social media and as always people have opinions, me included. Since last year I expected the 2018 lineup to be the best since 2014. If you know me, you know that I believe 2014 had the best lineup to date and every year after has been incomparable. 2018 had so much potential. There were so many bands who released new music in 2017 that did not play the festival plus a handful of other greats expected to release new music this year. But when rumors spread just before Christmas about the headliners, I knew this year wasn’t going to meet my expectations.
Going into 2018 everyone knew Beyoncé was supposed to headline. She was supposed to headline last year but dropped out shortly after the announcement of her twin pregnancy paving the way for Lady Gaga to take her spot. The biggest question was who would accompany her on top of the poster. On December 20th, Consequence of Sound reported that Eminem and The Weeknd were slated to join Beyoncé as the 2018 headliners, much to my dismay. Here’s why. The Weeknd headlined Coachella in 2015. Was he supposed to be a headliner? No. However he played in the headliner spot. Jack White, the headliner for that night, took an early spot for whatever the case may be leaving The Weeknd to close out the night.
In my opinion Eminem is a pretty cool choice for a headliner. He fits that formerly popular/still popular angle. He’s a rapper and for the past few years Coachella has plugged that genre (or R&B) into one of their headlining spots. Plus he just released a new album. Here’s the issue: Beyoncé already filled that genre spot this year. I mean come on! The entire headlining lineup is rap/R&B. This is the first time in the history of the festival that a rock band isn’t headlining. Disappointing.
In fact, looking at the lineup, rap/hip-hop/R&B has taken over the festival this year. I think Louis Tomlinson’s (of One Direction fame) reaction on Twitter summarizes my feelings exactly. He stated, “Just seen the Coachella lineup …. Where the fuck are all the bands!? It’s a festival!?” Yes Louis, you’re right. Where are all the bands?! All I see are rappers, R&B singers, or electronic DJ’s. As I went through the lineup last night making a list of who I would see for my annual Coachella preview, there were names lacking for each day and more “possible” acts to see than definites. For Friday, I only listed 4 acts. Four. It’s a headshaker, for sure, given that this year had some high expectations. Anyway, let’s get down to this lineup analysis.
The Headliners: The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Eminem
I already summarized my thoughts on all these acts above. So re-read that.
The Other Highly Billed Performers: SZA, Kygo, Jamiroquai, St. Vincent, the War on Drugs, Vince Staples, Haim, Tyler the Creator, David Byrne, alt-J, Post Malone, Fleet Foxes, Odesza, Portugal. The Man, Migos, A Perfect Circle, Cardi B, Miguel, Soulwax, Jean-Michel Jarre, Daniel Caesar, Kali Uchis, Los Ángeles Azueles, Deorro, Chromeo, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, BØRNS, Louis the Child, Angel Olsen, Jungle, blackbear, MØ, King Krule, Illenium, Kamasi Washington, French Montana, 6lack, Vance Joy, Russ, LANY
As always, there’s a few names in this group that I’m pretty excited about. If I were attending this year, I’d definitely be hitting up Kygo, St. Vincent, Haim, alt-J, Fleet Foxes, Odesza, Portugal. The Man, BØRNS, Illenium, and LANY. There’s a few that I’d definitely check out here too if there were no overlaps like David Byrne, Post Malone, Chromeo, Jungle, MØ, and Vance Joy. I’m mostly excited about Haim and alt-J. Even though I’ve seen both live before, they’re fantastic and two of my favorite bands. Odesza is an incredible electronic act and I can attest from seeing them live last month. I’ve seen BØRNS live before as well and it was so enjoyable. After working St. Vincent in November and listening to her VIP Q&A, I’ve gained a new respect for Annie Clark and her music. I was able to stay for half of her show but would love to see her again. The others I’ve never seen live.
As I said in my 2017 music recap blog post, I would be reviewing Portugal. The Man soon. It might now be even sooner than I thought. I’ve been stoked on their latest album since buying it on vinyl in NYC and I’d love to see them live especially since knowing about them since college. Since getting into electronic music, I’ve always been partial to tropical house, making Kygo an artist I would love to check out. I also got into Illenium’s latest album for a short time two months ago making him another electronic act I’d want to see. I’ve listened to LANY a few times over the past few years so they’re a group I’d love to see too. If you’re looking for the most indie band at Coachella this year, I’d have to say that would be Fleet Foxes. I’ve liked them for a while now and would definitely want to see them live.
As for the others that I’d like to check out, I’ve seen Jungle and Vance Joy before. Both played in 2015 when I attended and I made it to both sets. I even saw Vance Joy at Panorama last summer. They’re always a solid set. I was super hyped about Jungle in 2015, but this time around they’re not a definite for me. They’ve got new music out, which I plan on checking out soon They just didn’t make a huge impact on me last time. I’ve casually listened to Chromeo and MØ so I would casually see them. Post Malone is burning up right now. I’m not into rap, but Post Malone has a song that is more indie than rap that I enjoy. I think I’m solely interested in seeing this dude play live because of the hype surrounding him right now. David Byrne is the most intriguing to me. Honestly I had no idea who he was until I did a little research. After I found out, it felt like I failed at music so excuse me for that one. As the lead singer and guitarist of the Talking Heads, I would love to hear his set. He’s got a solo career going, but you know he’ll be playing some Talking Heads covers. Who knows maybe there’s a reunion in store?! I mean who doesn’t like the Talking Heads?!
The Rest: Maceo Plex, Alan Walker, the Neighbourhood, Alison Wonderland, Kelela, REZZ, Bleachers, Black Coffee, SuperDuperKyle, Justin Martin, Belly, TroyBoi, Dreams, Perfume Genius, PVRIS, Moses Sumney, LÉON, Greta Van Fleet, Tank and the Bangas, Cash Cash, Whethan, Skip Marley, Elohim, Detroit Love (Carl Craig, Kyle Hall, Moodymann), Benjamin Clementine, Carpenter Brat, the Blaze, Knox Fortune, MHD, Slow Magic, Avalon Emerson, Fazerdaze, Moon Boots, HITO, Helado Negro, the Buttertones, the Regrettes, Boogarins, the Marias, Señor Kino, Tash Sultana, BROCKHAMPTON, Marian Hill, Alina Baraz, First Aid Kit, Snakehips, Highly Suspect, Wizkid, Jorja Smith, Alvvays, the Black Madonna, Tom Misch, Django Django, X Japan, Benjamin Booker, Flatbush Zombies, Ekali, Yaeji, Party Favor, Big Thief, Jason Bentley, Oh Sees, Sigrid, Busy P, the Bronx, AC Slater, Sudan Archives, Jackmaster, Otoboke Beaver, Chloe x Halle, Sir Sly, Hundred Waters, Pachanga Boys, Bedouin, Cherry Glazerr, Mild High Club, Priests, Ron Gallo, Declan McKenna, Bane’s World, KITTENS, the Drums, Aminé, Jessie Ware, Jamie Jones, Kamaiyah, San Holo, FIDLAR, DeJ Loaf, Petit Biscuit, Ibeyi, LP, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Princess Nokia, AURORA, Noname, Jacob Banks, Chris Liebing, Jidenna Hayley Kiyoko, Barclay Crenshaw, LION BABE, Giraffage, Talaboman, THEY., Cuco, Joseph Capriati, Hannah Wants, Nothing But Thieves, John Maus, Kölsch, Japanese Breakfast, MAGIC GIANT, Omar-S, Michael Mayer, Westside Gunn + Conway, Buscabulla, Peggy Gou, Snail Mail, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, B Boys, the Delirians
My favorite name that showed up on the Coachella lineup this year is in this group, Hayley Kiyoko. As you know, I saw her last year in what I consider to be one of the most epic nights in music for me, seeing 2 shows in one night. One of those was Hayley Kiyoko and she played in a small venue in Philadelphia. I was beyond excited to see her name on the poster and so stoked that she’s playing Coachella this year in time with releasing her debut album. Another band that’s on my must see list is in this group too, The Neighbourhood. I’ve been digging The Neighbourhood since 2013 and I’ve never seen them live. They’re a must-see for sure. There’s a few on this list that I’d want to catch if I had time too. Bleachers, Tash Sultana, Sir Sly, Declan McKenna, and Marian Hill are the big ones among that bunch.
As a whole I feel like this is the smallest group of bands I’ve been interested in since starting my Coachella previews in 2015. I had such high hopes for this year’s festival and it all came crashing down last night. Some names I would have liked to see on this year’s lineup include Arctic Monkeys (as a headliner or part of that second line of acts), Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Foster the People, Lana Del Rey, Cold War Kids, Halsey, Phoenix, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, ARIZONA, the 1975, Sigala, Cigarettes After Sex, Passion Pit, The Kooks, AWOLNATION, and either The Killers, Arcade Fire, or Kings of Leon as a headliner (most likely The Killers though). There’s probably more bands as well, but those are a few off the top of my head.
I started doing a bit of research on this year’s lineup compared to my favored 2014 lineup. I plan on editing this post later today or tomorrow with my findings. Until then, you should start listening to some bands on this lineup. There’s plenty I know nothing about and a few that I do. Maybe you’re stoked on this lineup. Maybe you’re not. The fact is that Coachella is in 3 months and the prep officially began yesterday. One thing is certain though, regardless of who is on the lineup and the amount of complaining done, people are still gonna go to Coachella. It’s the festival to be at. It’s Coachella. You’re bound to have a great time because although I strongly believe music festivals should be about the music, Coachella is more than music. It’s art. It’s atmosphere. It’s good food. It’s being with people you care about and have a good time with. It’s hot days and cool nights. It’s palm trees, and mountains, and desert. It’s fashion. It’s celebrities. It’s social media. It’s sponsors. It’s ferris wheels and hip merch. Mostly it’s the best kind of positivity and vibes you’ll ever experience. So Coachella 2018, I’m ready for you! Here’s to hoping I can be part of the magic again.
(EDIT: I spent the last hour or more doing some research and the numbers I came up with are unreal. I analyzed the 2014 Coachella lineup vs. the 2018 Coachella lineup. I looked at the first 3 lines of each poster plus the headliners and I grouped performers in 4 categories, Rap/R&B, Electronic, Pop, Rock/Indie. In 2014, out of the 165 acts, there were 71 featured on the first 3 lines of the poster including the headliners. Out of those 71, 14% were Rap/R&B, 28% were Electronic, 6% were Pop, and 37% were Rock/Indie. In 2018, out of 165 acts, there are 69 featured on the first 3 lines of the poster including the headliners. Out of those 69, 33% are Rap/R&B, 25% are Electronic, 9% are Pop, and 33% are Rock/Indie. Compared to 2014, the number of Rap/R&B acts have more than doubled. Is Rap/R&B back on the rise and I didn’t know about it? If you asked me, I would tell you no. So what’s the deal this year? What’s even more shocking is that I also compared the number of Bands to Artists for each year. I defined “Band” as a group or single performer with a backing band that plays classic instruments (guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, etc. as opposed to electronic equipment). Artists included rappers, R&B singers, electronic DJ’s, and pop singers. In 2014, out of 71 acts, 55% were Bands and 45% were Artists. In 2018, out of 69 acts, 30% are Bands and 68% are artists. To me those numbers, are staggering. Louis Tomlinson noticed it and he’s right. The bands have decreased this year in favor of the artists. So seriously Coachella, WHERE ARE THE BANDS?! And why are you straying from what made you amazing in the first place? #Coachella2018thefestivalthatcouldhavebeen)
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged A Perfect Circle, Alina Baraz, alt-j, andrew mcmahon in the wilderness, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, ARIZONA, AWOLNATION, Beyonce, Bleachers, borns, Cardi B, Chromeo, Cigarettes After Sex, Coachella, Coachella 2014, Coachella 2014 Lineup, coachella 2018, Coachella 2018 lineup, Coachella 2018 lineup analysis, Coachella 2018 lineup release, Coachella 2018 preview, Coachella 2018 the festival that could have been, Coachella analysis, coachella bands, coachella festival, coachella lineup, Coachella lineup analysis, Coachella lineup release, coachella preview, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2018, coachillin, cold war kids, David Byrne, Declan McKenna, EDM, electronic, electronic dance music, electronic DJs, electronic music, Eminem, fest life best life, festival season, festival season 2018, fleet foxes, foster the people, Haim, Halsey, Hayley Kiyoko, hip-hop, hip-hop music, Illenium, indie, indie music, indie pop, indie pop music, indie rock, indie rock music, Jack Antonoff, Jamiroquai, Kings of Leon, Kygo, Lana Del Rey, LANY, lineup release, live music, Louis the Child, Louis Tomlinson, Mairan Hill, MØ, mgmt, Migos, Miguel, Music, music festival, music festivals, Odesza, Party Favor, Passion Pit, phoenix, pop, pop music, Portugal. The Man, Post Malone, R&B, r&b music, rap, rap music, Russ, Sahara Tent, Sigala, Sir Sly, st. vincent, SZA, Talking Heads, Tash Sultana, The 1975, the killers, the kooks, The Neighbourhood, The Talking Heads, the War On Drugs, The Weeknd, Tyler the Creator, Vampire Weekend, vance joy, what happened to Coachella on January 3, 2018 by prostreetcross. Leave a comment
2017: The Best Year in Music Recap
Last year around New Year’s, I wrote about how music saved 2016. It was a pretty shitty year for the country and in the grand scheme of things. Although people would say 2017 might not have been the best for some similar reasons, I would have to argue. 2017 was a great year. Personally, I worked more events than last year, worked new festivals including my all-time favorite, Coachella, had the opportunity to work a few different roles, saw tons of incredible live music, made new friends, got closer to friends I already had, and figured out what my ultimate goal is. Overall yes there were several bad and upsetting events that happened especially in America. There were even a few hiccups in my own life. However, despite the bad, there were plenty of instances of hope. As for music, as much as I thought it was the best part of 2016, it doesn’t hold a candle to this past year.
So many artists released new albums this year. I mean I guess that’s pretty standard for every year but this year was special for me. It was all of my favorites (minus Florence and the Machine) putting out new albums. I also discovered so many more great bands thanks to the incredible people I met and grew closer to this year.
I could do a detailed recap of all the music I loved from this year, but I wrote about it so many times so I’ll give you all the links in a ranking of my favorite albums of 2017.
My 2017 Top 10 Favorite New Albums
10. Zombies on Broadway -Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
The follow-up to Andrew McMahon’s debut had a handful of hits. I never reviewed this album and I’m so sorry because it was a good one, making it #10 on my list.
9. Something to Tell You -Haim
Although Something to Tell You wasn’t quite what Days Are Gone was for me, I was super stoked to hear some new music from the Haim sisters. The new album had a few great jams like “Little of Your Love” and “Want You Back” which helped it earn my #9 spot.
8. Lust For Life -Lana Del Rey
As advertised, Lust for Life was an album for the fans. In my opinion it wasn’t Lana’s best nor her worst. “Coachella – Woodstock on My Mind” and “Beautiful People, Beautiful Problems” featuring Stevie Nicks were two of my favorites, but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for by one of my favorite artists, putting Lana at #8.
7. Woodstock -Portugal. The Man
I owe the love of this album to our self-planned Hipster Day in NYC when we went to Brooklyn, checked out cool street art, and spent time in a record store where I purchased the album on vinyl. Who would have thought 2017 would have re-introduced me to Portugal. The Man? After a banger like “Feel It Still” it, it happened though. I never reviewed this album or this band on my blog yet, but don’t worry it’s coming soon. My recent hype and appreciation for Portugal. The Man’s hit album helped it reach the #7 spot on my list.
6. American Dream -LCD Soundsystem
American Dream was the highly anticipated comeback album from LCD Soundsystem. It might not be Sound of Silver, but it’s got plenty of great tracks that will be played at LCD’s show until they decide to break up for good this time.
5. A Moment Apart -Odesza
Odesza was a new discovery for me this year. When this album was released, I had never listened to them so I wasn’t anticipating the release nor planning an album review (I linked my general blog post from a few weeks ago instead). It took a special trip that included an Odesza concert to force me to listen to the album, but it was definitely worth it as it comes in as my #5.
4. Ultralife -Oh Wonder
2017 became the year that I really fell for Oh Wonder. I owe it to Coachella, Denise, and a shitty work schedule, yet I’m so grateful it worked out that way. Their new album picked up where their self-titled debut album left off and added a few new hits to their repertoire making Ultralife my #4 top album this year.
3. GALLERY -A R I Z O N A
After discovering A R I Z O N A last year, listening to almost every new single they released, and loving each and every one, their debut album had to be high on my list. The album is basically a compilation of each single plus a few new tracks. I don’t even own the album, but I’ve spent a lot of time listening to their songs. Again, I linked up my general blog post from this year about the band.
2. Melodrama -Lorde
If I wasn’t biased, this would hands down be the best album of the year. Every song on Melodrama is fantastic. The album was the kind of sophomore album bands and artists dream of, but not many can achieve. Lorde crushed it with this one giving her second full length my #2 spot.
1. Sacred Hearts Club –Foster the People
Like I said, I’m biased on this. I’ve always said Foster the People was one of my favorite bands, but this album made me fall in love with them all over again. It’s not quite Torches, but it’s close. “Sit Next To Me” became my favorite song of the year. Seeing them live twice and up close was everything I needed. They’re always my #1.
Honorable Mentions: I See You -the xx, Relaxer -alt-J, Wonderful Wonderful -The Killers, Everything Now -Arcade Fire, L.A. Divine -Cold War Kids, Masseduction -St. Vincent
So there you have it My Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2017…the Best Year in Music, at least in my opinion. 2018 has a lot to live up to. There’s sure to be plenty of good music this year, but it’ll be hard to beat all the new stuff from my favorites. Still we have a few to look forward to. I heard some rumors about upcoming albums from Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, and MGMT. Hayley Kiyoko will be releasing her debut album this spring and the 1975 is supposed to drop their third full length album. Chrvches and Bastille are also on radar for some new albums. As you can see there’s still good things to come. Plus the Coachella lineup drops this week and you know what that means. So thanks 2017 for being so special. 2018…”just come over here and sit next to me” because I’m ready for you and all the music you have to offer.
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 2017 music, 2017 music review, 2018 music rumors, A Moment Apart, A R I Z O N A, album review, album reviews, alt-j, alt-J Relaxer, American Dream, andrew mcmahon, andrew mcmahon in the wilderness, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Zombies on Broadway, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, ARIZONA, arizona the band, Bastille, chvrches, Coachella, coachella 2018, coachella bands, coachella festival, coachella lineup, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2018, coachella valley music festival, cold war kids, dance punk, dance punk music, EDM, electronic, electronic dance music, electronic music, Everything Now, Everything Now Arcade Fire, feel it still, foster the people, Foster the People Sacred Hearts Club, Foster the People SHC, Gallery, GALLERY A R I Z O N A, Haim, Haim sisters, Haim Something To Tell You, Hayley Kiyoko, I See You, I See You the xx, indie, indie dance, indie dance music, indie music, indie pop, indie pop music, indie rock, indie rock music, indietronic, indietronica, L.A. Divine, L.A. Divine Cold War Kids, Lana Del Rey, Lana Del Rey Lust For Life, lcd soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem American Dream, Lorde, Lorde Melodrama, Lust For Life, Masseduction, Masseduction St. Vincent, Melodrama, mgmt, Music, music review, New music 2018, New Music 2018 rumors, Odesza, Odesza A Moment Apart, Oh Wonder, Oh Wonder Ultralife, pop, pop music, Portugal. The Man, Relaxer, Sacred Hearts Club, SHC, Something To Tell You, st. vincent, The 1975, the arctic monkeys, the best year in music, the killers, the xx, Ultralife, Vampire Weekend, Wonderful Wonderful, Wonderful Wonderful The Killers, Woodstock, Woodstock Portugal. The Man, Zombies on Broadway on December 31, 2017 by prostreetcross. 1 Comment
Gravity Can’t Hold Us Down
This Friday I’m attending my second ever electronic show. I probably wouldn’t be going to this show if it wasn’t for my friend’s love of electronic music and Odesza (the group we’re seeing) and the little vacation we’re going on. Nevertheless, it’s happening and because of it, I got into the electronic group.
Odesza is comprised of electronic music duo Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight. Mills and Knight met while they were both students at Western Washington University and began making music together as Odesza during their senior year. The band name was made out of an alternate spelling of Mills’ uncle’s ship that sunk.
Odesza’s self-released first album Summer’s Gone was released on September 5, 2012, two months before they played their first show. Their first EP My Friends Never Die was released a year later. In the fall of 2013, the group opened for Pretty Lights and then embarked on their first headlining tour the following year. It was a quick start for Odesza who gained popularity through streaming sites like Soundcloud and Spotify and by word of mouth.
In September 2014, Odesza released their second full length album In Return and played a sold out headlining tour that fall in support of it. The group also began playing music festivals as well beginning with Sasquatch! Music Festival in Gorge, Washington in 2013. They have since gone on to play Coachella, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Governor’s Ball, and several others.
This past September Odesza released their third full length album A Moment Apart and announced a world tour in support which began on September 14th in Auckland, New Zealand, after a preview of the new live show in May at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. The tour has since made their way into the United States and the album was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album. The track “A Line of Sight” feat. Wynne and Maisonair was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. The group was previously nominated in 2015 for Best Remixed Recording, Nonclassical for “Say My Name (RAC remix)”.
As electronic artists, Odesza fits in the sub genres of electropop, indietronica, chillwave, and future bass. Their style is sort of like a blend between electronic music, indie music, and pop music filled with synth lines and subtle rises and falls of energy and bass. Their new album has a several collaborations which account for the vocals on their tracks. Their songs create this dreamy, nostalgic type of feeling regardless of whether the tracks have vocals or not though.
I first heard of Odesza in late 2015 when a family member who I hadn’t talked to in years asked if I liked them after I told him I was attending an alt-J concert in the coming month. I told him that I didn’t and he told me how awesome they were. Then we started talking about something else and I never even checked them out. To be fair, at the time I was dealing with a lot of other things so I just kind of forgot about it. I first listened to Odesza in late September-early October of this year, shortly after the new album release. I liked the song “Higher Ground” and added it to my workout/new music playlist on Spotify. It was only about 2 weeks later that my friends and I had planned a trip to New York City and bought tickets to see them in Brooklyn.
Since purchasing tickets, I’ve listened to Odesza a lot more. We received a free copy of the new album with our tickets so when that came in the mail I put the CD in my car for a while. I also recently purchased their sophomore album too and have been binge listening to it. It’s safe to say that I definitely became a fan. I’m beyond stoked for Friday night. I can’t wait to see what kind of energy they’ll bring by playing in a large scale venue like the Barclays Center, but I’m sure it’ll be epic. I’m also just stoked to see this band play with my friend and to witness her fully in her element as an electronic music fan.
I highly recommend checking out Odesza, but especially this new album. There’s a reason it was nominated for a Grammy. Even after listening to In Return several times, there’s just something special to A Moment Apart that Odesza’s been working towards since their inception. You’re bound to find at least one song you like. It’s that good and it’ll only be a matter of time before Odesza hooks you for real.
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 2018 Best Dance Recording nominee, 2018 Best Dance/Electronic Album nominee, 2018 Grammy Awards, 2018 Grammy nominee, 2018 Grammy nominees, A Moment Apart, BeachesBeaches, Best Dance Recording, Best Dance Recording nominee, Best Dance/Electronic Album, Catacombkid, chillwave, chillwave music, Clayton Knight, EDM, Ehrenmann, electronic, electronic artist, electronic artists, electronic dance music, electronic music, electropop, electropop music, future bass, future bass music, Grammy, grammy awards, grammy nominated, grammys, Hans Peter, Harrison Mills, how Odesza got their name, In Return, indietronica, indietronica music, Odessa, Odesza, Odesza Barclays Center, Pretty Lights 2013 fall tour, Sasquatch Music Festival, Sasquatch Music Festival 2013, Seattle band, Seattle bands, Seattle electronic artists, Seattle Washington, SoundCloud, spotify, synth, synth line, Western Washington University on December 12, 2017 by prostreetcross. 2 Comments
Legendary Venues: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
It’s been over 75 years since Red Rocks Amphitheatre opened in Morrison, Colorado. The venue first opened on June 15, 1941, but had been hosting open-air music performances since the early 1900’s when John Brisben Walker envisioned the geological phenomenon as a place for live music.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is much different than any other music venue in the world because it’s the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect outdoor theater ever. What creates this natural perfection are two 300 foot rock structures known as Ship Rock to the south and Creation Rock to the north. The amphitheater sits between these monoliths that date back 160 million years and contain dinosaur fossil fragments from the Jurassic period. Both are bigger than Niagra Falls. There’s also a rock structure behind the stage (east) known as Stage Rock. Besides the incredible rock formation, the amphitheater overlooks downtown Denver, which creates one of the most beautiful, picturesque views offered at a music venue.
The city of Denver purchased Red Rocks from Walker in 1928 and hired Denver architect, Burnham Hoyt to design the area into a music venue while including the preservation of the land’s natural elements as part of the transformation. The construction took 12 years but was well worth the finished product that has since attracted musical acts from all over the world.
The Beatles concert on August 26, 1964 is considered to be one of the first notable rock concert performances in Red Rocks history. Another notable performance was the Jethro Tull concert in 1971 which resulted in a 5 year ban of rock concerts at the venue. Fans without tickets to the event attempted to barge through police lines and throw rocks at officers resulting in the deployment of tear gas to control the riot, which eventually carried into the venue affecting all in attendance.
The unique venue attracts bands across music genres from rock to pop to electronic to jam bands. Many bands have recorded performances at the famous venue as well. It has also been used in film and television. Then, in 2015, it became a national landmark.
I’ve never had the pleasure of going to Red Rocks. I’ve actually never even been in Colorado. After I began traveling around the country for work though, I learned about Red Rocks and it’s been high on my list of venues to see/work at ever since. I’d be beyond honored to work an event in such a place and I’d even be more awestruck by seeing a concert there. I’m not even sure if I can imagine what it’s like to be there. It sounds like such a spectacular venue. I think it’s one of those places you have to experience to understand how special it is even if pictures and descriptions already convince you. It’s one of those places where a picture really doesn’t do it justice. If Red Rocks isn’t the definition of legendary venue, I don’t know what is. It’s legacy has spanned the test of time and it continues to be a favored venue of many bands and artists. It’s definitely a place that concert and music lovers need to experience at least once or even countless times.
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 7 wonders of the world, alternative, alternative music, amphitheater, amphitheaters, Burnham Hoyt, classic rock, classic rock music, Colorado, Concert, concert venue, concert venues, concerts, Creation Rock, Denver, Denver Colorado, EDM, electronic dance music, electronic music, indie rock, indie rock music, jam bands, jam music, John Brisben Walker, legendary music venue, legendary music venues, live music, Morrison, Morrison Colorado, Music, music venue, music venues, national landmark, national landmarks, pop, pop music, Red Rocks, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, rock, Rock music, Ship Rock, Stage Rock, U.S. amphitheaters on November 24, 2017 by prostreetcross. 1 Comment
The Film Playlist: We Are Your Friends
While at my cousin’s house over the weekend, we watched another movie that easily makes The Film Playlist. It’s been a while since I wrote about a movie for this series so let me explain. The Film Playlist is a blog series I started about movies that are about music. It’s been about a year since I added anything to it, but as soon as we started watching We Are Your Friends this past weekend, I knew I had to write about it this week.
The 2015 drama stars Zac Efron, Wes Bentley, Emily Ratajkowski, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer, and Jonny Weston. It was written by Max Joseph and Meaghan Oppenheimer based off a story by Richard Silverman. Joseph also directed the film which marked his directorial debut. The movie is about an electronic music DJ named Cole Carter (Efron) who is trying to work his way up in the music industry. It’s also partly a coming of age story because Cole and his friends are young adults trying to figure out their lives in the midst of partying at night clubs, selling drugs, and being part of the electronic music scene. While booked to play a gig at a club one night, Cole meets the headliner, who was once a hot commodity in the electronic music world, James Reed (Bentley). Reed in a way becomes a mentor for Cole once he realizes his talent and helps Cole to understand how to create music that doesn’t sound like every other electronic song.
As soon as we started watching this film Friday night, I knew I would love it. The plot is average though. It’s nothing out of the ordinary or exceptional. I strictly loved it for the fact that it was about music and electronic music in particular. I’ve never seen another film that surrounds the electronic music scene. It was cool to see scenes about creating electronic music and also scenes featuring EDC Vegas, which is an electronic music festival done by one of the leading electronic festival promoters Insomniac Events. The soundtrack for the film was excellent. Its feature track “We Are Your Friends” by Justice featuring Simian is where the film got its title from. It also features songs by Years and Years with Gryffin, AlunaGeorge with Tchami, Seinabo Sey with Kygo and Deorro ft. Erin McCarley.
If you’re expecting an award winning film, that’s not what We Are Your Friends is. It’s really just a fictional coming of age film that surrounds the electronic music industry. If you’re at all into electronic music, I suggest you check it out. It’s a film you don’t have to think much about and can purely enjoy, especially if you have a love for music, especially electronic music.
Posted in Entertainment, Film, Music, Uncategorized and tagged Alex Shaffer, AlunaGeorge, Club, club music, Cole Carter, coming of age, coming of age drama, coming of age film, coming of age movie, dance music, Deorro, DJ, drama, drama film, drama movie, EDC Vegas, EDM, EDM scene, electronic, electronic dance music, electronic DJ, electronic DJs, electronic music, electronic music scene, Emily Ratajkowski, Entertainment, Film, films, films about music, Gryffin, Insomniac Events, James Reed, Jonny Weston, Kygo, Max Joseph, Meaghan Oppenheimer, Movie, movies, movies about music, Music, music films, music movies, Richard Silverman, Seinabo Sey, Shiloh Fernandez, Tchami, the film playlist, We Are Your Friends, We Are Your Friends film, Wes Bentley, years & years, Zac Efron on November 8, 2017 by prostreetcross. Leave a comment
American Dream: Album Review
Summer 2017 has almost reached its conclusion. There’s only a few weeks left, but after Labor Day, pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage, temps start decreasing, and sweaters and flannels cover the upper torsos of most. Summer isn’t officially over until September 22nd, but still we’re less than a month away.
That being said this summer was epic for both me and the rest of the music world. I worked all over the country, had amazing experiences, made new friends, and strengthened relationships with old friends. It was incredible. It was also incredible because a plethora of new albums were released this summer by so many of my favorite bands and artists. Before the end of summer though, there’s one more highly anticipated album that was just released. The album was a long time coming for NYC alternative dance band, LCD Soundsystem. So after 7 long years, an apparent break-up, a final show at Madison Square Garden and a film to tell its tale, a Christmas song, and a comeback no one ever thought was happening, American Dream is here.
American Dream is the 4th full length album from James Murphy and his posse. This album is more melodious than their previous works, yet it combines the great electronic/techno indie dance style that LCD Soundsystem is known for. If you’re looking for that classic LCD sound, look to the songs “tonite”, “call the police”, “emotional haircut”, and “other voices”. Songs like “change yr mind” and “how do you sleep?” combine a dance style with more melody, as they both start slow and build to a pace where you’re able to get into the groove.
LCD Soundsystem records have been known to include a slower song or something with more melody on more than one occasion. “New York I Love, But You’re Bringing Me Down” or “All I Want” are perfect examples of this. Each are on separate albums though. The latest from LCD Soundsystem incorporates 4 of these kind of tracks with “oh baby”, “i used to”, “american dream”, and “black screen”. “i used to” and “black screen” remind me of songs I’d hear from bands like Brand New or Circa Survive. They have an alternative rock/post-hardcore feel where all that’s missing is Murphy adding some screaming to his vocals. “oh baby” and “american dream” are filled with love, longing, and nostalgia lyrics reminiscent to the waltz style track “New York I Love You…”.
Normally I hate when bands change their sound, but in this case LCD Soundsystem hasn’t really changed much. They’re still playing the same style of music that made them famous in the mid to late 00’s. They’re just progressing. They got older even though they were never that young to begin with. They’re the same, but new. Anyway, to me, this record is one that no one ever thought they’d hear and LCD Soundsystem is back with a vengeance.
I urge you to check out this album. I first started listening to LCD Soundsystem in 2012 (yes after they broke up!) but fell in love with them all over again last summer after preparing for and seeing them live at Lollapalooza. They’re different than most bands I’m into and most bands you might listen to, but they combine an EDM style of music with an indie style. You just can’t help but want to dance yrself clean when you listen to them.
Almost every show on their upcoming tour is already sold out and they haven’t even begun to play shows yet. There’s no question that the rest of the shows will sell out in due time. So if you plan on seeing the revival of LCD Soundsystem on their touring circuit this time around, you either have to grab a ticket to one of the few remaining shows quickly, buy an overpriced resale ticket, or you’re S.O.L. Fortunately I have tickets to their upcoming tour and plenty of time to indulge in this new masterpiece of an album. Their American shows begin in mid-October so for those looking to see a live performance you have plenty of time as well as long as you start today. Check out American Dream as soon as you can!
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged album review, alternative, alternative dance music, alternative music, alternative rock, alternative rock music, American Dream, brand new, Circa Survive, dance band, dance music, dance punk, dance punk music, dance yrself clean, EDM, electronic dance music, indie, indie dance, indie dance band, indie dance music, indie dance punk band, indie music, James Murphy, LCD, lcd soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem album review, LCD Soundsystem American Dream, LCD Soundsystem fall tour, LCD Soundsystem new album, LCD Soundsystem tour, Lollapalooza, Lollapalooza 2016, madison square garden, Music, Nancy Whang, new album, new music, new music 2017, New York City bands, NYC bands, Pat Mahoney, post-hardcore, post-hardcore music, Shut Up and Play the Hits, techno, techno music on September 1, 2017 by prostreetcross. 2 Comments
Coachella Band Preview: Empire of the Sun
The first weekend of Coachella is 3 weeks away. Yes three weeks is what separates us from the hot sunny Indio Desert, the greens of the Empire Polo Fields swarming with festival-goers, palm trees swaying to the cool breeze and rad tunes, epic sunsets over the mountains, and the sweet sounds of music from incredible artists entering our ears. I only have a few band previews left before the annual festival begins and time is of the essence so I better get to it.
Empire of the Sun is an electronic/alternative rock band from Sydney, Australia. The band formed in 2007 as a collaboration between Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore. Both had worked together on music for each other’s bands before forming Empire of the Sun. Those bands each performed different styles of music. Steele brought the alternative rock genre to their new band and Littlemore brought the electronic dance music. Their first album, Walking on a Dream, was released in 2008 with the first single of the same name debuting about a month before the album’s release. Both the single and album were charted in the top ten of the ARIA charts. Although their only intention was to create a studio album, they decided to do live performances in response to the album’s success. However the live shows did not include Littlemore, who decided to opt out of touring early on. By the end of 2009, the band received 7 ARIA Awards for the album including Album of the Year.
2010 was the year the band embarked on the festival circuit playing Glastonbury and Lollapalooza for the first time and by the end of the year Littlemore and Steele discussed creating a new album for the band. Production on the album began in 2011 and Littlemore stated he would go out and tour in support of this one. 2011 also involved a North American tour for the band, which included a stop at Coachella.
The duo released their second album, Ice on the Dune, in June 2013. The new album brought more touring throughout 2013 and into 2014. The band made their second stop at Coachella in 2014 and headlined the Sahara Tent. Their music was also featured in the film Dumb and Dumber To, which came out in late 2014.
The band continued to tour into 2015 while simultaneously working on their third album. Their third and latest album was just released this past October. 2016 also marked the first time that the band broke on to the Billboard charts. It was their 2008 hit “Walking on a Dream” that earned the band the number 3 spot on the Alternative Music charts after it was used in a U.S. Honda commercial in early 2016.
Their music, as I said, is a combination of alternative rock and electronic music. It can’t be described much better than that, although some may say the band fits genres like synthpop or glam rock. I feel like their sound has stayed consistent over the course of three albums so if you love the song “Walking on a Dream” or only know music from that album, you’re bound to dig some of their more recent stuff.
I discovered Empire of the Sun in 2011. There’s no significant story of how so I’m guessing it was through a recommendation from Youtube or Pandora because I listened to similar music on either channel. Of course the first song I heard was “Walking on a Dream”. Throughout the past few years I’ve heard their other stuff here and there and I’ve liked it. I’ve also heard the song “Walking on a Dream” multiple times in various circumstances throughout the same time period. It’s no surprise it’s their biggest hit. I never got into them as a band though. Nor have I been dying to see them live, but I’ll tell you why I would definitely check them out at Coachella.
Music festivals give you an opportunity to see bands live who you might like but not like enough to buy a ticket for a touring show making Coachella the perfect time for someone like me to check them out. Empire of the Sun does some pretty cool live performances too. The performances are as much of a visual art as they are a musical art. They wear elaborate costumes, have dancers or other performers, and display mesmerizing visuals often seen as part of electronic shows. They play Friday at Coachella. They’ve already headlined the Sahara Tent at the festival once before so that might happen again. As long as their set doesn’t overlap with some other great performers, it’ll definitely be a spectacle worth seeing. Here’s a few songs to know if you go:
Standing on the Shore
Two Vines
Concert Pitch
To Her Door
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 2009 ARIA Awards, alterantive rock music, alternative electronic rock, alternative electronic rock music, alternative rock, ARIA Awards, ARIA Awards 2009, ARIA Charts, Australia, Australia electronic music, Australian bands, Billboard, Billboard Alternative Charts 2016, Billboard charts, Coachella, Coachella 2017, coachella bands, coachella festival, coachella preview, Coachella Stage, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2017, dance music, Dumb and Dumber To, EDM, electronic, electronic alternative rock, electronic alternative rock music, electronic dance music, electronic music, electronic rock, electronic rock music, Empire of the Sun, Empire Polo Club, Empire Polo Fields, festival, festivals, glam rock, glam rock music, glastonbury, Gobi Tent, Ice on the Dune, indie music, indio, indio california, indio desert, Lollapalooza, Luke Steele, Main Stage, Mojave Tent, Music, music festival, music festivals, Nick Littlemore, Outdoor Stage, palm trees, Pandora, rock, Sahara Tent, Sydney Australia, synthpop, synthpop music, Walking on a Dream, youtube on March 23, 2017 by prostreetcross. Leave a comment
Coachella Band Preview: Lady Gaga
If you’re reading this, I doubt you’re confused by the title of my blog because you probably know a thing or two about what happened regarding Coachella over the past week. In case you are confused though, let me explain.
As you know from the lineup announcement in the beginning of January, Lady Gaga was not on it. However, a month after the lineup dropped, Beyoncé made a public announcement that she was pregnant with twins. This started some speculation that she might not play Coachella. At the time of the announcement though, it seemed like she was fully committed to the annual festival. Then, her doctors intervened. Last week, shortly after I posted my last blog (because if it was before I would have mentioned it), AP (Associated Press) broke the news that Beyoncé would not play Coachella this year following the advice of her doctors to keep a less rigorous schedule. The announcement did state that Beyoncé will play Coachella next year in 2018, which in my opinion takes away from the anticipation of the lineup release somewhat. I guess since she was a major headliner and a bunch of the Beyhive probably bought tickets this year to see her, Coachella promoter, Goldenvoice, threw them a bone.
After the announcement was made last week, more speculation occurred over who would replace Queen Bey. Lady Gaga was one of the first acts I thought of as her replacement and this was without being influenced by rumors popping up all over the internet and social media. To me it seemed pretty logical, she’s a highly billed female pop performer, much like Beyoncé. She’s also about to embark on a world tour in support of her most recent album Joanne, which has been widely praised. It just made so much sense that she would replace Beyoncé. I saw some other names pop in the meantime though from Daft Punk to Rihanna. I also saw Lady Gaga’s name thrown around too, which made me feel like my guess wasn’t too far off. By Tuesday evening, it was confirmed. Lady Gaga would replace Beyoncé as Coachella’s Saturday night headliner and Gagachella was born.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, grew up in Manhattan’s Upper East Side in an affluent Catholic family. Despite attending an all-girls Catholic school growing up, she felt like she never fit in to that kind of crowd. She was always involved in music and the arts as well. She started taking piano at age 4. She played open mic nights and acted in school musicals as a teenager. She was even granted early admission to NYU’s theater program, but dropped out during her sophomore year to pursue her music career.
Her stage name, Lady Gaga, was inspired by Queen’s song “Radio Ga Ga” and a T9 accidental text message. In the years before she released her first album, she played Lollapalooza along with Lady Starlight as “Lady Gaga and Lady Starlight”. The duo also performed on the New York underground scene, which was when Lady Gaga began to incorporate pop and glam rock into her electronic dance music style.
After finally securing a record deal with Interscope/Geffen, her debut album, The Fame, was released in 2008. The album included many successful singles and earned her a Grammy Award for Best/Dance Electronica Album. Her song “Poker Face” won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording as well. Gaga’s first tour was in support of The Pussycat Dolls in 2009, but shortly after she embarked on her own headlining world tour. In November of 2009, she released an 8 song EP entitled The Fame Monster, which included the hit single “Bad Romance” as well as a few other successful singles. The Fame Monster earned Lady Gaga 8 MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. She also embarked on another world tour appropriately named The Monster Ball Tour.
Lady Gaga released her second studio album Born This Way in May 2011. The album produced several successful singles, 3 Grammy nominations, and a resulting world tour similar to her other music. Around this time was when Gaga formed her relationship with Tony Bennett which paved the way for their eventual album together, Cheek to Cheek, which was released in 2014 and earned them a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. However, the joint album was not released before her third studio album Artpop. It came out in November of 2013. Artpop is the least successful of Lady Gaga’s albums thus far and was received with mixed reviews. Despite its lack of success, it still sold about 2.5 million copies worldwide (as of July 2014).
Lady Gaga released her latest album, Joanne, this past October. Following its release, she performed at three small scale venues to promote the album. This was known as the Dive Bar Tour. Shortly before Joanne‘s release, it was announced that Lady Gaga would be headlining the 2017 Super Bowl LI Halftime Show. The halftime show became the most viewed music performance in history. Following the show, Lady Gaga announced her latest world tour plans in support of Joanne which now includes a pre-stop at one of America’s most well-known music festivals.
When Beyoncé was announced as a headliner, I had no intention of writing a preview for her because I’m not a Beyoncé fan. Honestly, I’m not a Lady Gaga fan either so the reason I decided to write this might be a mystery so I’ll explain. I’m not a fan of mainstream pop music (Adele being the only exception). In fact I used to get annoyed over Lady Gaga’s music when it first came out in 2008. The truth is though despite not being into Lady Gaga’s music, she’s had so many hit singles that I do know a lot of her music. I don’t listen to the radio normally, but I would hear her songs regardless. I’d hear them in public locations, from friends, on television, and yeah I guess on the radio when I wasn’t in control of it.
There’s been random times in my life over the last 9 years that Lady Gaga’s music has been a part of too. My friends and I sang a self made-up parody of “Alejandro” at the beach one summer, “Bad Romance” played on a music-playing amusement park ride one time when all of our previous times on this ride had death metal songs we didn’t know or like (“Bad Romance” kind of saved us), and “Applause” became one of the theme songs of my first trip to California due to its overplay and my cousin being in control of the radio. There’s probably other moments I’m not thinking of too. Also I can’t forget that my mom is a huge fan of Lady Gaga and her music. She owns almost all, if not all, of Gaga’s albums. I have to admit, I even like Joanne. Because of all the exposure, I almost feel like a fan by association and no lie her Super Bowl performance had me crushing the end of my cardio work out. So no, I’m not a true Little Monster, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Gaga live if I had the opportunity.
As I said before, Lady Gaga plays Saturday night in replacement of Beyoncé. It’s her first time playing the festival and also the first time since 2007 that a female solo artist will be headlining. Being known for her crazy and outlandish costumes/outfits in her early performing days as well as becoming a major pop performer, I’m expecting her Coachella set to be epic and to have some intense production quality. No one will want to miss her performance on Saturday night, unless of course you’re a major fan of whoever is playing at the Sahara Tent. Here’s some songs to get you ready, although you might already know them:
A Million Reasons
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Artpop, Beyonce, Beyonce replacement, california, Cheek to Cheek, club music, Coachella, Coachella 2017, coachella bands, coachella festival, Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2017, dance music, Dive Bar Tour, electronic dance music, Gaga, Gagachella, Geffen, Geffen Records, grammy awards, grammys, indio, indio california, indio desert, Interscope, Interscope Records, Joanne, lady gaga, Lady Gaga and Lady Starlight, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Lady Starlight, Little Monsters, Lollapalooza 2007, mainstream pop music, Music, music festival, music festivals, pop music, Radio Ga Ga, Stefani Germanotta, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Super Bowl LI Halftime Show, The Fame, The Fame Monster, The Monster Ball Tour, Tony Bennett on March 2, 2017 by prostreetcross. Leave a comment
Coachella Band Preview: Kungs
Another week down, 11 more to go. It doesn’t feel like it at the end of January, but Coachella will be here before you know it. That’s why it’s time to preview another band performing in Indio this year. Like last week though, this week’s preview doesn’t feature a band (maybe I should change the name on these previews). It’s an electronic artist named Kungs.
Kungs is a French DJ whose real name is Valentin Brunel. He’s also only 20 years old (and freshly 20 might I add because his birthday was in December)! He grew up interested and involved in music with influences from his parents especially his dad who introduced him to rock n’ roll as well as other genres. By the age of 17, he began writing his own material and posting it to the internet. His remixes of Bob Marley’s “Jammin'” and Lost Frequencies’ “Are You With Me” as well as his Lana Del Rey “West Coast” cover ft. Molly have several million views on SoundCloud and Youtube. What turned into his breakthrough hit was released almost a year ago. It’s called “This Girl”, which he remixed. It was originally a 2009 song by Australian funk band Cookin’ On 3 Burners. It turned into a massive hit worldwide and paved the way for Kungs and his debut album Layers. The album was just released on November 4th.
Kungs electronic style is mostly house music. His particular style blends different genres of music together, which is what he aimed for on his debut album. I listened to the album a few weeks ago right before the Coachella lineup dropped and each song brings a different vibe. Besides “This Girl”, two of my favorites are “Don’t You Know” ft. Jamie N Commons and “Melody” ft. Luke Pritchard of The Kooks. I feel like both of those songs blend house with rock and indie rock, which might be why I like them so much. The album is so good that I actually took a little break while writing this to buy it online. So worth it. It’s that good.
I first heard Kungs via Instagram. A girl I follow posted a video with “This Girl” playing in the background. I didn’t take an interest in the song and it was kind of just “background music” for me. A few weeks later I found myself stuck with part of the song in my head and I couldn’t figure out where I knew the song from. It took me about a day before I realized it was the song from that Instagram video. Then about 2 weeks after that I stopped to visit my cousins before heading to the NWSL Semifinal. At dinner on the night I visited, my cousin started telling me about a song he was currently addicted to. It was, of course, “This Girl”. I didn’t recognize the song title or artist when he told me the name (cause I actually didn’t know who the artist was or what the song was called from that Instagram video), but once he played it I realized what I was listening to. The following week I added the song to my workout playlist and to my iTunes too. I was hooked on it ever since. Like I said I listened to Kungs’ debut album a few weeks ago and loved what I heard. I can’t wait to have the album in my grasp. Until then, I plan on doing some serious listening on Spotify.
Along with Coachella, Kungs is booked to play Europe’s biggest electronic music festival, Tomorrowland. I highly recommend seeing him play Coachella this year more than any other artist or band I preview. He’s already blowing up and there’s no doubt if he continues making solid music he’ll just get bigger. He’s not a highly billed artist at Coachella this year either and in my opinion there’s something special about seeing a band or artist before they reach headlining status. That’s not to say he won’t be given a spot later in the day. The kid has already opened for David Guetta on tour so I wouldn’t put it past him. He plays Friday. Here’s what you should know if you plan on seeing him (and you should!):
This Girl ( vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners)
Melody (ft. Luke Pritchard)
Don’t You Know (ft. Jamie N Commons)
Crazy Enough (ft. Richard Judge)
Are You With Me (Kungs Remix)
I Feel So Bad (ft. Ephemerals)
Honestly, just listen to Layers and you should be good.
Posted in Music, Uncategorized and tagged 2017 Coachella, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella artist preview, coachella band preview, coachella festival, coachella preview, Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival, coachella valley arts and music festival, coachella valley arts and music festival 2017, Cookin' on 3 Burners, David Guetta, deep house, deep house music, Don't You Know ft. Jamie N Commons, EDM, electronic, electronic dance music, electronic music, French DJ, French electronic artist, French electronic artists, French electronic music, French musicians, genre-blending, happy house, happy house music, house, house music, indie, indie music, indie rock, indie rock music, indio california, indio desert, Instagram, Kungs, Kungs debut album, Kungs vs. Cookin' On 3 Burners, Layers, Melody ft. Luke Pritchard, Music, music blog, rock, Rock music, rock n' roll, SoundCloud, spotify, This Girl, This Girl (Kungs vs. Cookin' on 3 Burners), This Girl Cookin' On 3 Burners, This Girl Kungs, Tomorrowland, Tomorrowland 2017, Tomorrowland Music Festival, Valentin Brunel, youtube on January 26, 2017 by prostreetcross. 1 Comment
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Blacktip reef sharks are fast, pursuit predators that prefer reef fishes, but also feeds on stingrays, crabs, mantis shrimps and other crustaceans, cephalopods, and other mollusks. In the Maldives, this species has been documented feeding cooperatively on small schooling fishes, herding them against the shore and feeding en masse. Feeds heavily on sea snakes in northern Australia. A large individual (1.6 m) was observed attacking a green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, in North Male’ Atoll, Maldives.
The Caribbean reef shark is found throughout tropical waters, particularly in the Caribbean Sea. This shark’s range includes Florida, Bermuda, the northern Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. It is one of the most abundant sharks around the Bahamas and the Antilles. Although Caribbean reef sharks are found near reefs in southern Florida, surveys using long-line gear off the east coast of Florida reveal that Caribbean reef sharks are extremely rare north of the Florida Keys.
While scientists are still trying to determine exactly how many of theses species exist, we do know that many of these sharks lose their lives from getting caught in fishing nets. Not only does it significantly reduce their population, it compromises the fragile ecosystem around coral reefs. Many new laws and regulations are being put into place to protect this ever important fish.
$eaworld biodiversity bluefin tuna Climate Change clownfish coral reefs crabs cuttlefishes deep sea dolphins endangered extinction fins fishes frogfishes ghost pipefish global warming Indonesia jellyfish mantas mantis shrimp marine biology Marine Conservation Marine Mammals Marine Protected Areas Marine Science morays nudibranchs octopuses oil spill orca overfishing Papua New Guinea phytoplankton plastics polar bears pollution scuba seafood sea horses sea level rise sea turtles sharks shrimp whales
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Although they only grow to about 1.6 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) in length, these sharks are the apex predators on the very delicate coral reefs. That means, around coral reefs, they are the top of the food chain. The significants of this goes largely unnoticed, but theWorld Wildlife Fund has classified the Reef Shark as one of the most important species on the entire planet!
Grey reef sharks are often curious about divers when they first enter the water and may approach quite closely, though they lose interest on repeat dives.[4] They can become dangerous in the presence of food, and tend to be more aggressive if encountered in open water rather than on the reef.[13] There have been several known attacks on spearfishers, possibly by mistake, when the shark struck at the speared fish close to the diver. This species will also attack if pursued or cornered, and divers should immediately retreat (slowly and always facing the shark) if it begins to perform a threat display.[4] Photographing the display should not be attempted, as the flash from a camera is known to have incited at least one attack.[3] Although of modest size, they are capable of inflicting significant damage: during one study of the threat display, a grey reef shark attacked the researchers' submersible multiple times, leaving tooth marks in the plastic windows and biting off one of the propellers. The shark consistently launched its attacks from a distance of 6 m (20 ft), which it was able to cover in a third of a second.[14] As of 2008, the International Shark Attack File listed seven unprovoked and six provoked attacks (none of them fatal) attributable to this species.[29]
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Blacktip reef sharks, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824), are small sharks measuring up to 1.8 m with short, bluntly-rounded snouts, oval eyes, and narrow-cusped teeth. They have 2 dorsal fins and no interdorsal ridges. Juveniles (< 70 cm) are yellow-brown on their dorsal (upper) sides, white on their ventral (under) sides; adults are brownish-gray and white, respectively. All their fins have conspicuous black or dark brown tips, and posterior (rear) dark edges on their pectoral fins and their upper lobe of their caudal (tail) fins. The prominent black tips of their first dorsal fin contrasts with a light band below it; a conspicuous dark band on their flanks which extends to their pelvic fins. Maximum weight: 24 kg; frequents depth ranges from the surface to 75 m.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the Caribbean reef shark as Near Threatened; its population has declined off Belize and Cuba from overfishing and exploitation continues in other regions. They are also threatened by the degradation and destruction of their coral reef habitat.[1] Commercial fishing for this species is prohibited in United States waters.[4] They are protected in the Bahamas due to their significance to ecotourism, as well as in a number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off Brazil and elsewhere. However, enforcement against illegal fishing is lacking in some of these reserves, and many areas in which this species is abundant are not protected.[1]
Reproduction is viviparous; once the developing embryos exhaust their supply of yolk, the yolk sac develops into a placental connection through which they receive nourishment from their mother. Mating is apparently an aggressive affair, as females are often found with biting scars and wounds on their sides.[4] At the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas off Brazil, parturition takes place at the end of the dry season from February to April, while at other locations in the Southern Hemisphere, females give birth during the Amazon summer in November and December.[4][12] The average litter size is four to six, with a gestation period of one year. Females become pregnant every other year.[8] The newborns measure no more than 74 cm (29 in) long; males mature sexually at 1.5–1.7 m (59–67 in) long and females at 2–3 m (79–118 in).[4]
During mating, the male grey reef shark will bite at the female's body or fins to hold onto her for copulation.[13] Like other requiem sharks, it is viviparous: once the developing embryos exhaust their supply of yolk, the yolk sac develops into a placental connection that sustains them to term. Each female has a single functional ovary (on the right side) and two functional uteruses. One to four pups (six in Hawaii) are born every other year; the number of young increases with female size. Estimates of the gestation period range from 9 to 14 months. Parturition is thought to take place from July to August in the Southern Hemisphere and from March to July in the Northern Hemisphere. However, females with "full-term embryos" have also been reported in the fall off Enewetak. The newborns measure 45–60 cm (18–24 in) long. Sexual maturation occurs at around seven years of age, when the males are 1.3–1.5 m (4.3–4.9 ft) long and females are 1.2–1.4 m (3.9–4.6 ft) long. Females on the Great Barrier Reef mature at 11 years of age, later than at other locations, and at a slightly larger size. The lifespan is at least 25 years.[4][20][24]
These biotic reef types take on additional names depending upon how the reef lies in relation to the land, if any. Reef types include fringing reef, barrier reefs, as well as atolls. A fringing reef is a reef that is attached to an island. A barrier reef forms a calcareous barrier around an island resulting in a lagoon between the shore and the reef. An atoll is a ring reef with no land present. The reef front (ocean side) is a high energy locale whereas the internal lagoon will be at a lower energy with fine grained sediments.
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One useful definition distinguishes reefs from mounds as follows: Both are considered to be varieties of organosedimentary buildups – sedimentary features, built by the interaction of organisms and their environment, that have synoptic relief and whose biotic composition differs from that found on and beneath the surrounding sea floor. Reefs are held up by a macroscopic skeletal framework. Coral reefs are an excellent example of this kind. Corals and calcareous algae grow on top of one another and form a three-dimensional framework that is modified in various ways by other organisms and inorganic processes. By contrast, mounds lack a macroscopic skeletal framework (see stromatolite). Mounds are built by microorganisms or by organisms that don't grow a skeletal framework. A microbial mound might be built exclusively or primarily by cyanobacteria. Excellent examples of biostromes formed by cyanobacteria occur in the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and in Shark Bay on the coast of Western Australia.
This sturdy shark is abundant in the Caribbean, and because of its average features, is often confused with other requiem sharks. Usually growing 6.5 to 10 feet long, these are the apex predator of their food web. They have been found ‘sleeping’ in caves and on the ocean floor, behavior that is still unexplained. There has been concern over eating these sharks because of the build-up of toxins in their flesh, but now they are valued for tourism more than food, which brings its own safety issues.
Corals, including some major extinct groups Rugosa and Tabulata, have been important reef builders through much of the Phanerozoic since the Ordovician Period. However, other organism groups, such as calcifying algae, especially members of the red algae Rhodophyta, and molluscs (especially the rudist bivalves during the Cretaceous Period) have created massive structures at various times. During the Cambrian Period, the conical or tubular skeletons of Archaeocyatha, an extinct group of uncertain affinities (possibly sponges), built reefs. Other groups, such as the Bryozoa have been important interstitial organisms, living between the framework builders. The corals which build reefs today, the Scleractinia, arose after the Permian–Triassic extinction event that wiped out the earlier rugose corals (as well as many other groups), and became increasingly important reef builders throughout the Mesozoic Era. They may have arisen from a rugose coral ancestor. Rugose corals built their skeletons of calcite and have a different symmetry from that of the scleractinian corals, whose skeletons are aragonite. However, there are some unusual examples of well-preserved aragonitic rugose corals in the late Permian. In addition, calcite has been reported in the initial post-larval calcification in a few scleractinian corals. Nevertheless, scleractinian corals (which arose in the middle Triassic) may have arisen from a non-calcifying ancestor independent of the rugosan corals (which disappeared in the late Permian).
This species is commonly found in shallow waters on and near coral reefs and occasionally in brackish waters. Juveniles are typically found in extremely shallow water (±15 to 100 cm) inside lagoons, often swimming along the shoreline; adults typically occur on shallow parts of the forereef, often moving over the reef crest and onto the reef flat at flood tide. Individual adults inhabit a relatively small home range of ±2.5 km2 and appear to reside close to their home reef but occasionally cross deepwater channels between adjacent reefs.
Juvenile Caribbean reef sharks are preyed upon by larger sharks such as the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and the bull shark (C. leucas). Few parasites are known for this species; one is a dark variegated leech often seen trailing from its first dorsal fin.[4] Off northern Brazil, juveniles seek out cleaning stations occupied by yellownose gobies (Elacatinus randalli), which clean the sharks of parasites while they lie still on the bottom.[10] Horse-eye jacks (Caranx latus) and bar jacks (Carangoides ruber) routinely school around Caribbean reef sharks.[11]
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Reef sharks play a major role in shaping Caribbean reef communities. As the top predators of the reef and indicator species for marine ecosystems, they help maintain the delicate balance of marine life in reef environments. Reef sharks are highly valued for their meat, leather, liver oil, and fishmeal, which make them prone to overfishing and targeting. Yet, their importance for the tourism industry makes them more valuable alive than dead. In 2011, Honduras declared its waters to be a permanent sanctuary for sharks, making fishing for these species completely forbidden.
Grey reef sharks were the first shark species known to perform a threat display, a stereotypical behavior warning that it is prepared to attack.[3] The display involves a "hunched" posture with characteristically dropped pectoral fins, and an exaggerated, side-to-side swimming motion. Grey reef sharks often do so if they are followed or cornered by divers to indicate they perceive a threat. This species has been responsible for a number of attacks on humans, so should be treated with caution, especially if they begin to display. They are caught in many fisheries and are susceptible to local population depletion due to their low reproduction rate and limited dispersal. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this species as Near Threatened.
The Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) is a species of requiem shark, belonging to the family Carcharhinidae. It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil, and is the most commonly encountered reef shark in the Caribbean Sea. With a robust, streamlined body typical of the requiem sharks, this species is difficult to tell apart from other large members of its family such as the dusky shark (C. obscurus) and the silky shark (C. falciformis). Distinguishing characteristics include dusky-colored fins without prominent markings, a short free rear tip on the second dorsal fin, and tooth shape and number.
Caribbean reef sharks are prohibited from being caught by commercial fishers in U.S. waters, however harvest of these sharks may be permissible in other countries. During the past few decades, an increasingly popular (and even more controversial) commercial aspect of the Caribbean reef shark has emerged. To increase clientele, many dive-boat operations have come to include shark-feeding dives as a part of their agenda, with some of the most popular sites being main habitats of Caribbean reef sharks. Although new regulations prohibit such feedings off the coast of Florida, no such restrictions have been placed on operations in Bahamian or other Caribbean waters.
The snout is rather short, broad, and rounded, without prominent flaps of skin beside the nostrils. The eyes are large and circular, with nictitating membranes (protective third eyelids). There are 11–13 tooth rows in either half of both jaws. The teeth have broad bases, serrated edges, and narrow cusps; the front 2–4 teeth on each side are erect and the others increasingly oblique. The five pairs of gill slits are moderately long, with the third gill slit over the origin of the pectoral fins.[4] The first dorsal fin is high and falcate (sickle-shaped). There is a low interdorsal ridge running behind it to the second dorsal fin, which is relatively large with a short free rear tip. The origin of the first dorsal fin lies over or slightly forward of the free rear tips of the pectoral fins, and that of the second dorsal fin lies over or slightly forward of the anal fin. The pectoral fins are long and narrow, tapering to a point.[2] The dermal denticles are closely spaced and overlapping, each with five (sometimes seven in large individuals) horizontal low ridges leading to marginal teeth.[4]
Blowhole Cliffed coast Coastal biogeomorphology Coastal erosion Concordant coastline Current Cuspate foreland Discordant coastline Emergent coastline Feeder bluff Fetch Flat coast Graded shoreline Headlands and bays Ingression coast Large-scale coastal behaviour Longshore drift Marine regression Marine transgression Raised shoreline Rip current Rocky shore Sea cave Sea foam Shoal Steep coast Submergent coastline Surf break Surf zone Surge channel Swash Undertow Volcanic arc Wave-cut platform Wave shoaling Wind wave Wrack zone
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« Vedic Rus by Vsevolod Ivanov
The only man in the world who can touch a polar bear »
3D illustrations by Miki Sato
Animated image of 3D illustrations by Miki Sato, Japanese artist from Ontario, Canada
Japanese artist Miki Sato graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with a degree in Illustration. She is a freelance illustrator who currently resides in Ontario, Canada. Toronto based illustrator works with different surfaces and textiles. In particular, she creates layered, three-dimensional images and collage-style illustrations.
Feet in water. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
A child with sheep. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Flower collage. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Collage of 3D flower illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Black napkin. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Always wanted to be a nurse. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Paper illustration by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
A girl in a flower wreath. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Flying a kite. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
A boy and a girl. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Birds. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
A car in the tree. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Hares. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Landscape. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Winter forest. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Autumn tree in the interior. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Christmas time. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
Balloons. 3D illustrations by Japanese artist Miki Sato, Ontario, Canada
source www.mikisatoillustration.com
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Tag Archives: Natasha Lennard
Chelsea Manning, First Amendment, Freedom of the Press
June 20, 2019 lisa
New Brief, new statement: June 20, 2019 Lawyers Say Chelsea Manning Lacks Financial Capacity to Pay Fines
New! June 2! Letter from Chelsea Manning – Now in HTML!
In it, Chelsea explains the history of grand juries, after reflecting long and hard on the reasons for her resistance, at the request of Judge Anthony Trenga (original in PDF)
Timeline of Developments: Chelsea’s Resistence To A Grand Jury Subpoena
RECAP PAGE FOR ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS IN THIS CASE
Chelsea lost her Appeal in the 4th Circuit, challenging the District Court’s finding of contempt. Here’s the statement from her legal team.
To keep up with developments, please follow the Chelsea Resists Twitter feed here. Donate to her Legal Fund here.
Updated Index:
Past Written Statements by Chelsea’s Legal & Support Teams
Chelsea’s March 8th Statement
Solitary Confinement Statement by Chelsea’s Support Committee
Daniel Ellsberg on Democracy Now: Chelsea Should Be Released
Video of Chelsea Speaking outside the courtroom on March 8th – before her contempt hearing on Friday, March 8, 2019, when she was taken into Federal Custody.
Chelsea Resists Legal Defense Fund
Chelsea Resists Twitter feed
Address for writing Chelsea in Jail
Dos and Don’ts for Writing Chelsea in Jail (IMPORTANT)
Daniel Ellsberg’s Statement of Support via the Freedom of the Press Foundation
Daniel Ellsberg on Democracy Now (Video)
Glenn Greenwald on Democracy Now (Video)
References (Accurate Press Articles)
Solitary Confinement Statement From Chelsea’s Support Committee – March 23, 2019
Chelsea is being held in solitary confinement. See the definition of solitary confinement compared to the jail’s own definition of the “Administrative Segregation” conditions under which Chelsea is being held:
Chelsea’s statement March 8th (from her Twitter account):
** Chelsea was taken into custody today for resisting a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia
Chelsea provided the following statement: pic.twitter.com/tWjEOFyhYn
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) March 8, 2019
“I will not comply with this, or any other grand jury. Imprisoning me for my refusal to answer questions only subjects me to additional punishment for my repeatedly-stated ethical objections to the grand jury system.
The grand jury’s questions pertained to disclosures from nine years ago, and took place six years after and in-depth computer forensics case, in which I testified for almost a full day about these events. I stand by my previous public testimony.
I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been historically used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech.”
Daniel Ellsberg’s Statement of Support
From the Freedom of the Press Foundation website:
“Chelsea Manning is again acting heroically in the name of press freedom, and it’s a travesty that she has been sent back to jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury. An investigation into WikiLeaks for publishing is a grave threat to all journalists’ rights, and Chelsea is doing us all a service for fighting it. She has already been tortured, spent years in jail, and has suffered more than enough. She should be released immediately.”
Chelsea’s Legal Defense Fund here:
Chelsea Resists Legal Defense Fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/chelsea-manning-needs-legal-funds-to-resist-a-grand-jury-subpoena
Address for writing Chelsea in Jail:
Chelsea Elizabeth Manning
William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center
Statement from Chelsea Manning Regarding Grand Jury and Consequences Associated with Her Refusal – March 7, 2019:
Statement from Chelsea Manning Regarding Grand Jury and Consequences Associated with Her Refusal
“Yesterday, I appeared before a secret grand jury after being given immunity for my testimony. All of the substantive questions pertained to my disclosures of information to the public in 2010—answers I provided in extensive testimony, during my court-martial in 2013. I responded to each question with the following statement: ‘I object to the question and refuse to answer on the grounds that the question is in violation of my First, Fourth, and Sixth Amendment, and other statutory rights.’
“In solidarity with many activists facing the odds, I will stand by my principles. I will exhaust every legal remedy available. My legal team continues to challenge the secrecy of these proceedings, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my refusal.”
Past Statements by Chelsea & her legal and suport team:
May 31, 2019: Chelsea Manning’s Legal Team Files Motion to Reconsider Sanctions
May 23, 2019: Statement from Chelsea Manning and Her Lawyer Regarding Today’s Superseding Indictment
May 16, 2019 (afternoon): Statement from Chelsea Manning’s Lawyers Regarding Chelsea Being Remanded Into Custody
May 16, 2019 (morning): Statement from Chelsea Manning’s Legal Team Regarding Today’s Grand Jury Hearing
May 10, 2019: Chelsea’s video statement
May 10, 2019: Full Transcription of Chelsea’s video statement
May 9, 2019: Statements from Chelsea and her legal team: Chelsea Manning Released from Alexandria Detention Center After Grand Jury Lapses
May 6, 2019 – Chelsea Manning and her Attorneys File Motion Declaring She will Never Cooperate with Grand Jury https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/05/chelsea-manning-and-attorneys-file-motion-declaring-she-will-never-be-convinced-to-cooperate-with-the-grand-jury/
April 22, 2019 – Chelsea Manning and Her Attorneys Respond to 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling Affirming Contempt and Continuing Her Detention https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/04/chelsea-manning-and-her-attorneys-respond-to-4th-circuit-court-of-appeals-ruling-affirming-contempt-and-continuing-her-detention/
April 1, 2019 – Chelsea Manning’s Lawyers Ask Court to Release Her, Pending Appeal, Citing Abuse of District Court Discretion https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/04/chelsea-mannings-lawyers-ask-fourth-circuit-to-release-her-pending-appeal/
March 29, 2019 – Lawyers for Chelsea Manning Ask Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to Void Charges of Civil Contempt https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/03/chelsea-manning-grand-jury-appeal/
March 23, 2019 – Lawyers and Supporters Condemn Chelsea Manning’s Ongoing Detention Under Solitary Confinement Conditions https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/03/lawyers-and-supporters-condemn-chelsea-mannings-ongoing-detention-under-solitary-confinement-conditions/
March 8, 2019 – Chelsea Manning’s Support Committee: Manning’s Detention for Refusal to Provide Grand Jury Testimony is Pointless, Punitive, and Cruel http://www.balestramedia.com/chelsea-press-releases/2019/3/8/chelsea-mannings-support-committee-mannings-detention-for-refusal-to-provide-grand-jury-testimony-is-pointless-punitive-and-cruel
March 6, 2019 – Statement from Chelsea Manning Regarding Grand Jury and Consequences Associated with Her Refusal https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/03/statement-from-chelsea-manning-regarding-grand-jury-and-consequences-associated-with-her-refusal/
March 5, 2019 – Chelsea Manning Continues to Challenge Grand Jury Subpoena, Motion to Quash Denied, Remains Under Seal http://www.balestramedia.com/chelsea-press-releases/2019/3/8/chelsea-manning-continues-to-challenge-grand-jury-subpoena-motion-to-quash-denied-remains-under-seal
References: (work in progress – will keep adding to this)
1. Why Chelsea Manning Decided to Go to Jail in Protest, March 8, 2019, by Dell Cameron for Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/why-chelsea-manning-decided-to-go-to-jail-in-protest-1833164311
“Manning, whose right to remain silent was supplanted as part of the grand jury process, was subpoenaed last month in the U.S. Justice Department’s not-so-sealed investigation into Julian Assange. Her defiance of this secret inquisition, however, is not about protecting the WikiLeaks founder at all.
Manning says she is resisting because she, like many other politically minded Americans, believes grand juries are an illegal instrument designed to aide prosecutors on fishing expeditions; a tool for stripping witnesses of their constitutional rights that has been historically used against peaceful political activists by men in power who would have them labelled “terrorists” and “enemies of the state…”
“Manning’s association with WikiLeaks nearly a decade ago was dissected in exhaustive detail during her 2013 court-martial, in which all manner of evidence about her brief contact with WikiLeaks, including the transcripts of their conversations, was presented. But now she is meant to regurgitate that story based on her own flawed memories while under the threat of prolonged incarceration if she finds any reason to refuse.
“We hope she changes her mind now,” the prosecutor, Tracy McCormick, told the Associated Press.
Although Manning is constitutionally protected from double jeopardy—from being charged twice for the same crime—her political right to silence has effectively been stripped away…”
2. Chelsea Manning Fights Subpoena — Showing How Federal Grand Juries Are Unaccountable Tools of Repression – By Natasha Lennard, March 2 2019 https://theintercept.com/2019/03/02/chelsea-manning-subpoena-grand-jury/
“Manning’s decision to fight her subpoena is an act of resistance against government repression and in defense of a free press.”
3. Chelsea Manning’s Lawyers Say No Formal Accusation She Gave False Statements During Court Martial (By Dell Cameron For Gizmodo)
4. Court Unseals Documents Regarding Chelsea Manning Subpoena (Documents are available via Lawfareblog)
5. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Chelsea’s Appeal & Bail Motion last Monday, April 22. Here are statements from Chelsea and her team: https://www.sparrowmedia.net/2019/04/chelsea-manning-and-her-attorneys-respond-to-4th-circuit-court-of-appeals-ruling-affirming-contempt-and-continuing-her-detention/
6. Chelsea has been let out of her solitary confinement conditions (Administrative Segregation), the definition of which, is nearly identical to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture’s definition of solitary confinement.
Chelsea ResistsDaniel EllsbergDell CameronGizmodoGlenn GreenwaldGrand Jury SubpoenasNatasha LennardSolitary ConfinementThe Intercept
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Home » Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters' Local 255 President Receives George E. Norcross Jr. Humanitarian Award
Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters' Local 255 President Receives George E. Norcross Jr. Humanitarian Award
EDISON, NJ Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) Local 255 President and Council Representative, John Robinson, received the 22nd Annual George E. Norcross Jr. Humanitarian Award for outstanding community service, presented by the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO in Collingswood, New Jersey.
The award ceremony, a part of the 123rd Annual Peter J. McGuire Labor Day Observance, provided scholarships to students of labor union families in the Southern New Jersey area. Immediately following the scholarship presentations, event attendees visited the Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken for a wreath laying ceremony at the Peter J. McGuire Memorial. New Jersey Congressmen Donald Norcross, New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy were among the dignitaries who attended the event.
Robinson, a 24-year member of Local 255 and the NRCC, feels honored to have received an award that is connected to the celebration of Peter J. McGuire. McGuire co-founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in 1881.
Aside from serving as a Council Representative within the NRCC, Robinson is also active in his community through his roles in Gloucester County as a school board representative and member of the County planning committee.
"Receiving the Humanitarian Award is one of the highest honors that I've received as a Union Carpenter and a member of the community," said Robinson. "Being in the Brotherhood is not only about being a Carpenter, but it is about advocating for important issues and being a voice within the community."
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TX - ASCE - TBPE Midland Regional Advisory Council
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National Workshop for State & Local Transportation Advocates
Lockheed Martin Invests $350M in State-of-the-Art Satellite Production Facility
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ABU DHABI GLOBAL MARKET AWARDED INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION BY INVESTORS IN PEOPLE FOR WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE
ADGM awarded international accreditation by investors in people for workforce excellence
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre of Abu Dhabi, has been awarded accreditation by the internationally-recognised "Investors in People" Standard for its commitment to high performance through excellence in people management. It is the first such recognition achieved by a financial centre and regulatory organisation in the Middle East region.
ADGM, comprising three independent authorities: the Registration Authority, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and ADGM Courts, is established to support the acceleration of Abu Dhabi’s economic vision of providing a well-diversified, sustainable economy. It enables registered local and international companies and entities to operate efficiently and confidentially within an internationally-recognised regulatory framework that has its own independent judicial system and legislative infrastructure based on the Common Law.
Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results. Underpinning the Standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry. It enables organisations to benchmark its working model against the best in the business on an international scale.
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: "We would like to congratulate the Human Resources Department of Abu Dhabi Global Market. "Investors in People" accreditation is a clear indication of a great employer, an outperforming place to work and a clear commitment to success. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) should be extremely proud of their achievement."
Commenting on the industry recognition, Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, Human Resources Director of ADGM, said: "We are honoured to be the first International Financial Centre and regulatory organisation in the region (Middle East) to be endorsed with the "Investors in People" accreditation. The award cited that ADGM has punched above its weight and exceeded international industry standards with its efforts and practice to maintain a high-performance workforce. We will continue to lead and introduce innovative measures that harness the talent of our people to deliver greater business results for the long term. In addition, to foster a culture of excellence and appreciation that motivates our human capital in ADGM to sustain great performance in a conducive environment."
For more information about Investors in People, please visit www.investorsinpeople.com.
About Abu Dhabi Global Market
Based in Abu Dhabi, home to one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds and one of the highest concentrations of high-net-worth-individuals in the world, ADGM's strategy is anchored by Abu Dhabi's key strengths including private banking, wealth management, asset management and financial innovation. Comprising three independent authorities: the Registration Authority, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and ADGM Courts, it enables registered financial institutions, companies and entities to thrive and operate within an international regulatory framework based on Common Law.
About Investors in People
Investors in People is the Standard for people management. The international people management Standard defines what it takes to lead, support and manage people well for sustainable results.
Based on a tried and tested framework and a rigorous process of assessment, organisations that meet the Investors in People Standard proudly display their accreditation to the world because they understand that it's people that make the difference.
Since 1991, the standard has evolved to keep pace with modern practices. The current sixth generation was launched internationally in 2015."
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Capitol Hill Goes To The Dogs
By Austin Price
For Abby the Shih Tzu mix, Tuesday was a big day. Until last Friday, when she was picked up by animal shelter Homeward Trails, she had been roaming the streets of Washington. On Tuesday, however, Abby got a chance to find a new home at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Paws for Celebration adoption drive (yes, that was a mouthful) in the Cannon Caucus Room.
Abby, just 1 year old, wasn’t alone. About 50 other dogs, and some cats, from seven animal shelters around D.C. wandered around the room as swarms of people ate “pupcakes” (cupcakes with pictures of dogs on them) and bent down to pet the animals, while some applied to adopt a new pet.
Among the throng of guests were members of the media who were seen ogling the dogs (we weren’t the only ones). Hannah Jeffrey, a Houston Chronicle intern, could barely tear herself away from Abby (her hands are seen around the pooch’s neck on the next page), and was soon on the phone asking her parents for permission to adopt the dog. Jeffrey applied for adoption despite her parents’ hesitation, hoping photos of her with the dog could sway their decision.
Other media outlets represented include HuffPost, Reuters, Roll Call, Scripps Howard and U.S. News & World Report.
Jessica Johnson, ASPCA’s senior manager for grassroots advocacy, said the planning started about a month and a half ago. All the shelters at the event had a hand in making it come together.
In addition to the Paws for Celebration event last year, ASPCA also organized a similar Paws for Love event in February. Johnson said it’s a way to give Capitol Hill a much-needed break.
“There’s a lot of tension in Congress sometimes, and this is an event where members from both sides of the aisle can come together and they can agree on dogs and cats,” Johnson said.
Many Hill staffers, along with journalists, were among the throngs of people petting the dogs and asking for their names.
Since the dogs were only able to bark, staff and volunteers from the various shelters and ASPCA gave us the animals’ names and stories.
Here are a few that we met.
This is Abby as she met a potential new owner.
Peanut (left) and Butter, both Chihuahuas, have been together their entire lives and will be adopted as a pair.
Sneakers is listed as a Terrier mix, but no one is sure what breed he is.
Happy is an eight-year-old Pomeranian who has mild hip dysplasia, but he keeps a positive outlook on life.
Rollie Pollie Ollie was one of the few felines on Capitol Hill today.
Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va), co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, spoke to the crowd while holding Butter, who stole the show. Moran encouraged everyone present to adopt a pet, noting that one of his staffers did just that.
Nancy Perry, ASPCA’s vice president of government relations, said events like these are only part of the organization’s involvement in the legislative process. Perry said ASPCA works with the government regularly on more serious issues, such as horse-slaughtering and animal fighting.
She said that this was the lightest event of the year, and that the organization had taken every step in the planning process to ensure the room wouldn’t be damaged.
“It’s a beautiful room, so we spread plastic on the floor to make sure the Cannon Caucus Room doesn’t sustain any serious damage,” she said.
The room appeared to be handling the event quite well, and suffered only from serious cuteness.
http://adweek.it/2kGqabd
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Morning light on the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinoi
- Image ID: RYCB34
Nicola Patterson / Alamy Stock Photo
Image ID: RYCB34
Location: springfield, Illinois.
abolishing of slavery, abraham, architectural dome, architecture, blue, building, capital, capitol, city, day, dome, downtown, exterior, famous, flag, government, historic, history, house, il, illinois, landmark, lavish, legislature, lincoln, midwest, monument, morning, obama, old, ornate, politicians, politics, rotunda, scene, sky, skyline, slavery, springfield, state, statue, style, tourism, travel, united, urban, usa, winter
Sunrise light paints the United States Capitol on the morning that A United States Military Honor Guard will carry the casket of former Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, up the stairs of the Capitol in Washington, DC on August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. McCain, a United States Military veteran and longtime Senator, will lay in state inside the Capitol Rotunda for one day prior to being laid to rest on September 1, 2018 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Credit: Alex Edelman/CNP | usage worldwide
Watercolor batik painting on rice paper of exterior of State Capitol in Harrisburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sunrise light paints the United States Capitol on the morning that A United States Military Honor Guard will carry the casket of former Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, up the stairs of the Capitol in Washington, DC on August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. McCain, a United States Military veteran and longtime Senator, will lay in state inside the Capitol Rotunda for one day prior to being laid to rest on September 1, 2018 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Credit: Alex Edelman/CNP /MediaPunch
August 31, 2018 - Washington, District of Columbia, U.S. - Sunrise light paints the United States Capitol on the morning that A United States Military Honor Guard will carry the casket of former Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, up the stairs of the Capitol in Washington, DC on August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. McCain, a United States Military veteran and longtime Senator, will lay in state inside the Capitol Rotunda for one day prior to being laid to rest on September 1, 2018 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Credit: Alex Edelman/CNP (Credit Image: © Alex
The beautiful waterfront in downtown Olympia, Wa. on a summer morning.
A police officer stands watch at a set of doors covered in notes supporting protesters and condemning Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at the state Capitol on March 2, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Protests over a budget restructuring bill slashing benefits and eliminating most collective bargaining rights for state employees entered their third week as about 100 protesters remained camped-out inside the Capitol. UPI/Brian Kersey
This is the State Capitol Dome taken in morning light.
Spectators gather in the early morning light waiting for President Barack Obama to be sworn-in for a second term as the President of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during his public inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2013. UPI/Pat Benic
Early morning light on the California State Capitol, Sacramento California.
Lansing Michigan The Michigan state capitol building on an early winter morning
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Mother’s assault on toddler not what it seemed
By KIERAN FINNANE
It was a case that attracted widespread reporting and commentary back in June: a young mother was arrested and charged for an alleged assault on her 16-month-old son. The details of the allegation, made by the child’s father and revealed by a police media release at the time, were shocking: the father said his wife had hit the child over the head a number of times with a can of soft drink, picked him up by one leg and slammed him into the ground three times and then into a fence, before holding his head under her arm and punching him to the head.
In court last week there was no-one in the public gallery to hear the evidence about what happened – apart from the Alice Springs News. In the witness box the father stuck broadly to his original story while the young woman firmly denied most of it, admitting only to shaking the pram in which she was pushing the child and slapping him on the cheek three times. She also admitted to threatening to kill the child, with the words “I’ll kill your son”, but she said, “I didn’t do action”.
The father’s story was very similar to his account of another alleged assault on the child six months ago on Elcho Island. The mother again disputed most of the alleged facts, admitting only to drawing the child by one leg across a bed in order to pick him up and later, while screaming, holding him tightly to her with her arms and legs in an attempt to prevent anyone from taking him (“they might think I would do silly stuff”). She did finally hand him over to a relative.
She denied having been drinking or having smoked ganja on both occasions and the court heard no evidence that she had done so, other than the father’s account. However she pleaded guilty to both “aggravated assaults”, the aggravation being that the victim was a child and she was an adult.
Magistrate John Neil wondered what the basis for her guilty plea was in relation to the Elcho Island incident as on her own evidence “at its highest” it did not seem to be an assault. The young woman’s lawyer was wondering too: he’d been under the impression that the Crown would have further witnesses, as other statements had been taken.
In the end all that was before the court were two often conflicting accounts given under oath, with some elements in common.
Mr Neil found his way between them, in the end satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that, on Elcho Island, the way in which she held the child, while screaming, was adverse to the child’s interests and the way in which she had pulled him across the bed involved excessive force. These acts constituted an assault. He could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that any of the father’s other allegations in this instance had happened, given that the defendant firmly denied them.
In relation to the Alice Springs incident Mr Neil found that the young woman had used the child to put pressure on her husband, by harming and threatening to harm the little boy. He noted deficiencies in her account: she put her admitted acts of shaking the pram, slapping the child and uttering the threat as all happening while she followed her husband who was on his way to call the police. Clearly something had happened to cause him to be going to call the police, said Mr Neil.
Under questioning the woman had reversed the chronology to have herself slapping the child before her husband left the house to call the police. Mr Neil accepted that explanation, unable to be satisfied “to the requisite standard” of events having been otherwise. He found beyond reasonable doubt that the shaking of the pram – which had the “potential to do harm” – and the slaps to the face amounted to violence perpetrated on the child. He said any slap on the face is “inappropriate at best” and “wildly reprehensible at worst”.
A psychiatric report had been provided to him. On its basis he said the young woman has “significant emotional issues” but is not mentally ill. “Most worryingly” the report suggested that she does not have good insight into the needs of the child and showed little remorse. This lack of insight points not only to what she did do but to what she might do, he said. “That’s what’s so worrying.”
The young woman is apparently not open to counselling and no orders were made in this regard.
He sentenced her to 14 days for the earlier incident and two months for the later one, to be served concurrently. However these sentences come on top of an eight month sentence she is currently serving for other unrelated offences (committed before the birth of her child), for which she was only arrested and charged after her arrest for the assault on the child.
The child is now in the care of his father, with the Department of Children and Families “keeping an eye on the situation”.
‘Cursed’ food sparks fight – twice
Sitting through this hearing was like being a fly on the wall in a ghastly domestic dispute. The young woman’s husband was colourful in his accounts and was allowed fairly free rein, including many times getting to his feet, trying to talk directly to his wife, and telling the woman’s lawyer that he could read his mind and knew “white people’s tricks”. The young woman mostly sat with her back turned to him, but every now and then she left fly, including calling him a liar, despite her lawyer’s attempts to keep her quiet.
The husband hardly covered himself in glory – not that that is relevant to the court’s business (“I have no interest in offences that may have been committed by the first witness,” said Mr Neil). Both incidents happened during the day and both times, the husband was sleeping, while his wife was out getting food. On both occasions when she came back, he was not satisfied with the food.
In Alice Springs it was a cold winter’s day. They were in a house with no power and there was nothing for breakfast. At about 10 in the morning the young woman left the house in Van Senden Avenue to look for food, pushing the little boy in his pram. She went first to Yipirinya Hostel, a couple of blocks away, to see if an uncle could give her “feed and money” but “he got none”. Her aunt told her to go to Abbott’s Camp – some 12 blocks away – to see her aunt’s mother.
It turned out this woman was at the Gap Hotel. She waited for her at BP shop: “Aunty, this little boy hungry, he got no feed.” The woman took her to shop at Piggly Wiggly’s and she walked back to Van Senden Avenue with five shopping bags. By now it was about 3pm. She said she pushed the pram inside, with the shopping. She was tired and asked her husband, who was still in bed, to cook for her. That’s when he got “wild at me”, saying that the “feed had been cursed”.
In the witness box her husband said he asked where she had found the food. He said she answered, “Why you want to know?” He repeatedly asserted that for a “black Aborigine man” these are “very bad words”. They put in his mind the idea that the food might be poisoned, that his wife might be trying to kill him. (“That’s all you think about!” his wife threw back in the court. “You make up stories!”) He said she looked “wild from my words”, accusing him of thinking her “families are blood-suckers” and she was “chucking” the food all over the floor.
So they were back to where they started, cold and hungry. And now they were also fighting.
She said she tried to hurt him but he was “too powerful”, that was why she used their son to put pressure on him to go and “look for feed”.
On Elcho Island, his country, despite a restraining order against him, it appeared the couple were living together. On the day of the assault there was also a shopping trip that preceded the argument between the couple. This time, the young woman had money, it was “payday week”. She told the court what she had bought – flour, Weetbix, milk, sugar, eggs, etc. The prosecutor suggested she had also bought some marijuana. She admitted that she had bought one bag. She also said she had kept $30 in her pocket for playing cards and that her husband was “sulky” with her because she hadn’t given him money for Kava (a natural sedative that at strength can be ‘psychoactive’, inducing feelings of happiness). She firmly denied that she had smoked that day – she was saving it for later – and she denied having had a drink. In Alice Springs, similarly, she denied being under the influence: “No smoke, no ganja, nothing”. When she went around “looking for feed” she was “a normal person”.
Her husband said she was heavy smoker and drinker, sniffed petrol at times, she did what she wanted to do and he couldn’t stop her.
In his descriptions of the assaults on their son, he suggested she had used the boy as “a shield” to block him, the husband, from hitting her. He wanted to hit her to make her behave.
She said that on Elcho Island, after she had pulled her son to her by his leg and taken him up to her shoulder, her husband had used a belt to “whack” her in the face because he “felt I did it [pulling the child] rough way”.
Asked by the woman’s lawyer why, on Elcho Island, he was just “looking” at what his wife was allegedly doing and did not try to intervene, the husband said that it was his wife’s “problem, not mine”. In Alice Springs as she was allegedly slamming the child into a fence, he said he was “running away” – to the public phone.
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More US children are getting fatter
The number of obese children in the United States has more than doubled in the last 20 years, a government report released on Friday said.
Around 20 million children are obese
The Report on America's Children, by the National Institutes of Health, the Census Bureau and other agencies, shows the number of overweight children aged 6 to 18 has more than doubled since 1980.
There are now an incredible 20 million obese children in America.
Edward Sondik, director of the National Centre for Health Statistics, said that the girth of America's children is a major concern.
"In 1980, six percent of children aged 6 to 18 were overweight. For 2000, it is 15 percent. That's two-and-a-half times what it was just 20 years ago,” he said.
"Even more striking than that, if you look at the figures for black children, 22 percent of them are overweight. And among Mexican-American children, 25 percent are overweight."
He added that doctors are now finding diabetes and heart disease in children, when 20 years ago those were only adult diseases.
Poor diet
Analysts say that the obesity epidemic among children has been caused by a combination of poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
However, it isn't all bad news about America's children
Dr Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said the report also contradicts some strongly-held beliefs about the nation's kids.
He said: "Half the American adults surveyed believe that teen pregnancy is getting worse.
"In fact, teen births have declined every year since 1991. For girls aged 15 to 19, the birthrate fell from 62.1 percent per 1,000 teens in 1991 to 43 per 1,000 in 2002.
"This is a statistic that is moving in the right direction."
Violent crime down
He added that violent crime among teens is down, too.
"Most people, about two-thirds, believe that crime is going up among America's children," he said. "But the picture painted by this report, based on actual data, paints the opposite picture."
The report says victims reported 17 violent crimes per 1,000 juveniles aged 12 to 17, or 413,000 juvenile crimes in total.
"This is a 67 percent drop from the 1993 high and the lowest rate recorded since the national victimization survey began in 1973," the report reads.
Meanwhile, smoking and alcohol use is also down among most groups, the report finds.
Among eighth-graders aged 13, 14.5 percent reported they smoked every day, about the same as 2001. Among 12th graders 17 percent did, a decline of two percent from last year.
And from 2001 to 2002 the percentage of 10th- graders who reported binge drinking fell to 22 percent from 25 percent. But the proportion of 12th-graders, aged 17 and 18, stayed steady at 29 percent.
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US general: No Iraq troop cut in 2006
The top US general in Iraq has cast doubt on his previous forecasts of a substantial cut in American forces in 2006.
General Casey (L) had previously indicated a substantial pullout
General George Casey said on Thursday that the war-torn country was in a period of heightened uncertainty that made it "too soon to tell" if troops can be brought home.
In March and again in July, the man who commands the 147,000 US troops in Iraq has predicted a "fairly substantial" reduction in American forces in early 2006 if Iraq's political process goes positively and progress is made in developing Iraqi security forces.
Pentagon officials said that meant a reduction of perhaps 20,000 to 30,000 troops.
But after briefing US lawmakers behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, Casey was more cautious when asked whether the troop reduction was still possible.
"I think right now we're in a period of a little greater uncertainty than when I was asked that question back in July and March," Casey told reporters.
Noting that Iraqis vote on a draft constitution in a 15 October referendum and, if they endorse it, then elect a new government on 15 December, the general added: "This constitutional referendum and whether it is supported by the Sunnis to a large degree, I think, is something that we just have to watch to see how that comes out."
"So until we're done with this political process here, with the referendum and the elections in December, I think it's too soon to tell."
The draft constitution largely reflects the views of the Shia Muslim community and the Kurds leading the US-backed Iraqi government rather than the views of Sunni Arabs who controlled Iraq under deposed President Saddam Hussein.
Iraq's insurgency draws the bulk of its support from the Sunni Arab community.
"There was nothing that we heard today to suggest that we are coming out of Iraq soon," Illinois Democratic Senator Richard Durbin told reporters. "There is no indication from the president or the leadership that they have a plan that will
bring our troops home soon."
"And in terms of the capability of the Iraqis to fend for themselves, defend their country, there's been no clear indication from this administration that they have the stand-up capability to do that. And until that happens, there is no end in sight," Durbin added.
Violence in Iraq continued unabated. There have been 1922 US military deaths in the two and a half years since US-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003 in a war whose primary justification offered by Bush was ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found.
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Myanmar democracy drive 'falters'
Protest leaders reported to be being held by the military as demonstrations abate.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reports from Yangon on the aftermath of mass protests in Myanmar.
There is no white flag being flown by the protesters, but it appears that their latest push for democracy here seems to have ended for now.
The streets are back to normal in Yangon. The barricades have been removed, the pagodas have been re-opened to the public and there is an air of relaxation.
We understand that in the last few days there have been massive pushes by the government to arrest agitators and people they consider a threat.
We have heard that more than 1,000 people are being held in poor conditions at the government technology institute near the airport.
Disappearances reported
There are reports that people have disappeared, which contrasts with the government statement that the military has only killed nine people.
Myanmar protests
• Military strengthens grip
• Protesters 'not afraid to die'
• Abbots tread fine line
• Bloggers tell their story
• Speaking out on Myanmar
• The monks' demands
• Myanmar's media in exile
• Protest timeline
The social and economic issues which caused this push to the streets are still there.
The fuel subsidies are just the tip of the iceberg. Mynamar is a country in decay. It used to be the rice bowl of Asia and now it has been overtaken by its neighbours.
The government maintains it produces about 29 million tons of rice every year but says the country only needs 19 million tons.
Yet people are hungry. The World Food Programme is trying to help about half-a-million people but is only scratching the surface.
Many children here are malnourished. A great number don't go to school beyond five years.
'Air of foreboding'
There's a real air of foreboding here and such issues may come back to haunt the government in the future.
Some of the people I've spoken to have their finger on the pulse and they have admitted the protests are probably over for now.
One of the reasons is that the monks who were leading the protests, and who are so revered here, have disappeared.
Two or three thousand senior monks have been arrested and are being held in detention. They've got to be released at some stage. Will they come back to the streets?
One of the ideas I have heard is that senior monks could be disrobed in some kind of Buddhist excommunication, making them civilians who may then be persecuted by the military.
It's going to take some very brave people, who are prepared to make some big sacrifices, to take on the generals.
It may be a week, it may be a month, it may be a year - but the people won't remain quiet forever.
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Netanyahu in Egypt to discuss peace
Israeli PM meets Mubarak ahead of the indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The peace talks were suspended in December 2008 when Israel launched an offensive on Gaza [AFP]
'Proximity talks'
Netanyahu's visit came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity two days after the Arab League voiced its support for the so-called "proximity talks."
The Arab League agreed for the talks to go ahead after the Palestinians received US assurances that the construction would be shelved, an official of the pan-Arab organisation said.
The indirect talks the result of several months of US diplomacy, were set to start in March but scuttled after Israel announced it would build 1,600 new homes in east Jerusalem.
Mubarak, a strong backer of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has supported the Palestinian demand for a complete settlement freeze in occupied Palestinian territories and east Jerusalem before direct talks can resume.
Settlement halt
Israel has offered a limited halt to settlement construction in the West Bank that did not include building in east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed in 1967.
The Palestinians want the West Bank and Gaza for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
The Netanyahu-Mubarak meeting comes ahead of another visit by George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East.
He is expected to meet Abbas on Friday and the Abbas-led Palestine Liberation Organisation is expected to endorse the indirect negotiations proposal the following day.
The latest diplomatic developments raise hopes of a resumption of Middle East peace talks that were suspended in December 2008 when Israel launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Netanyahu was to raise with Mubarak issues he considers crucial to Israel's security in the event of a peace deal, such as a demilitarised Palestinian state and control of borders and airspace.
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All Star Flags October, 2013 | All Star Flags
Half-Staff Colorado Flags – Honoring Scott Carpenter
Thursday, October 31st, 2013
American Flags and Colorado Flags to fly at half-staff Saturday, November 2nd in the State of Colorado in honor of Scott Carpenter. Carpenter was a US Navy veteran who served as a pilot from 1949-1958. In 1959 Carpenter joined NASA as part of Project Mercury. He was the fourth American in space and the second to orbit the Earth. Some of his awards include: Navy Astronaut Wings, Navy’s Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and NASA Distinguished Service Medal. There is a middle school in Colorado and an elementary school in New Jersey that both bear his name.
#FlagsHalf-Staff
#AmericanFlags
#ColoradoFlags
Posted in Flag Half-Staff Announcements | No Comments »
Half-Staff Missouri Flags – Honoring Ike Skelton
American Flags and Missouri Flags to fly at half-staff Monday, November 4th in honor of former Congressman Ike Skelton from Missouri. Skelton began his public service in the Missouri State Senate in 1970 and served through 1976. In 1976 he was elected to Congress where he served 17 terms. He was presented the Conspicuous Service Medal by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
#MissouriFlags
Half-Staff American Flags – Honoring Thomas Foley
American Flags to fly at half-staff throughout the United States Tuesday, October 29th in honor of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Thomas Foley. Rep. Foley was a Democrat who represented Washington state for 30 years beginning in 1964. The also served as Speaker of the House from 1989 to 1995. He later went on to serve as the US ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2001.
From the Office of the President:
As a mark of respect for the memory of Thomas S. Foley, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions on Tuesday, October 29, 2013. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff on that day at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
Half-Staff Pennsylvania Flags – Honoring Patrick Quinn
American Flags and Pennsylvania Flags to fly at half-staff Saturday, October 26th in the State of Pennsylvania in honor of US Army Staff Sergeant Patrick Quinn. Staff Sgt. Quinn died as a result of injuries suffered from an enemy attack while he was serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Quinn was a Green Beret and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado. Quinn joined the US Army in 2006 and had served a previous deployment to Iraq in 2008-09. Some of Staff Sgt. Quinn’s awards include: Four Army Commendation Medals, The Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Two Army Good Conduct Medals, The National Defense Service Medal, The Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 Campaign Stars), The Global War on Terror Service Medal, Two Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, the Army Service Ribbon, Two Overseas Service Ribbons, Special Forces Tab, Parachutist Badge, The Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Purple Heart (posthumously), the Bronze Star Medal(posthumously), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (posthumously) and the NATO Medal(posthumously).
#PennsylvaniaFlags
Half-Staff Kansas Flags – Honoring Patrick Hawkins
American Flags and Kansas Flags to fly at half-staff Wednesday, October 23rd in the State of Kansas in honor of US Army Sergeant Patrick Hawkins. Sergeant Hawkins was an Army Ranger who died as a result of injuries suffered while serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Hawkins was assigned to B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia.
#KansasFlags
Half-Staff Alaska Flags – Honoring Joe Montgomery
Alaska Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, October 17th in honor of former Alaska Rep. Joe Montgomery. Rep. Montgomery was a former B-17 pilot in WWII and served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1979 to 1983.
#AlaskaFlags
Half-Staff Hawaii Flags – Honoring Cal Kawamoto
American Flags and Hawaii Flags to fly at half-staff Thursday, October 17th in the State of Hawaii in honor of former state Senator Cal Kawamoto. Former Senator Kawamoto was a former fighter pilot who served his country for 20 years in the US Air Force. He later went on to serve in the state senate from 1994 to 2004.
#KentuckyFlags
Half-Staff Kentucky Flags – Honoring Angel Lopez
American Flags and Kentucky Flags to fly at half-staff Wednesday, October 16th in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in honor of US Army Spc. Angel Lopez. Spc. Lopez died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Spc. Lopez was assigned to the 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, KY.
Half-Staff Kentucky Flags – Honoring Thomas Baysore Jr.
American Flags and Kentucky Flags to fly at half-staff on Tuesday, October 15th in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in honor of US Army Staff Sgt Thomas Baysore Jr. Staff Sgt. Baysore died of a result of injuries suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit during combat operations in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was a squad leader assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY. Staff Sgt. Baysore was serving on his third deployment with his first having come in March of 2003 to Iraq and his second in 2005 to Afghanistan.
US Army Staff Sgt. Thomas Baysore Jr received some of the following awards during his career: three Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, one Valorous United Award, one Army Superior Unit Award, four Army Good Conduct Medals, one National Defense Service Medal, three Afghanistan Campaign Medals, one Iraq Campaign Medal with Arrowhead, one Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, one Army Service Ribbon, one NATO Defense Medal. U.S. Army Basic Recruiter Badge-Gold with three Star Sapphires, one Combat Infantryman’s Badge, one Expert Infantryman’s Badge, one Air Assault Badge, one Parachutist Badge, Parachutist Badge with Distinguished Device, Bronze Service Star, one Expert Marksmanship Badge. Additionally, Thomas was also awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his ultimate sacrifice to his country.
Columbus Day: History and Flags 2013
All Star Flags takes a look at the history behind Columbus Day, the present day controversy surrounding the holiday and the flags associated with Christopher Columbus and his famous expeditions.
#ColumbusDayFlags
#ColumbusFlag
#HistoricalFlags
Posted in All Star Flags News | No Comments »
All Star Flags – Our Work
All Star Flags News
All Star Flags Product News
All Star Flags Special Offers
Flag Half-Staff Announcements
Copyright 2019 All rights reserved. | Site Managed by Venue Communications, Inc.
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Q&A: Orin Smith
Brewing Success at Starbucks
by Julia Hanna
Food and Beverage-Beverage
Strategy-Business Strategy
Innovation-Innovation Leadership
A native of rural Chehalis, Washington, Orin C. Smith (MBA '67) was an EVP for Danzas, an international freight shipping company, when Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz approached him in 1990 to join the fledgling company. Schultz, Smith recalls, was "personable, creative, impatient, and innovative — the quintessential entrepreneur." When Schultz purchased the Starbucks name and assets in 1987 for $3.8 million, the company, founded in 1971, had six retail stores that sold whole bean coffee, tea, and spices. Three years later, there were forty-five Starbucks stores selling the specialty coffee drinks that would win the brand international recognition. Smith liked the café concept and the enthusiastic workers behind the counter; he took a substantial cut in pay to sign on as EVP and CFO. Today, the company operates approximately 4,800 stores around the world, with three new locations opening every day.
In addition to coffee, Starbucks offers tea, pastries, and gift packages; distributes coffee-flavored ice cream and beverages to supermarkets; and maintains the retail Web site starbucks.com. Smith oversaw the company's IPO in July 1992, was named president and COO in 1994, and became CEO in 2000, when Schultz positioned himself as the company's chief global strategist. Revenues for 2000 reached $2.2 billion, while quarterly reports for fiscal 2001 are already exceeding last year's record performance.
Smith spoke to the Bulletin last summer at Starbucks' Seattle headquarters, where work was under way to repair damage done by February's 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Despite this activity — to say nothing of the high-octane pace of Starbucks' growth — Smith was calm and seemingly unflappable, quite the opposite of the caffeinated whirlwind one would expect to head a company that has revolutionized the way Americans drink coffee. In his spare time, he enjoys golf and skiing, and names a Seattle Starbucks location in his Capitol Hill neighborhood as his favorite store. Customers might even enjoy a double-tall-nonfat latte prepared by Smith himself. "Every quarter I spend at least a day or two behind the counter as part of our 'Adopt a Store' program for senior executives," he explains. "It keeps us connected to the spirit of
the company."
How did you decide to go to HBS?
It's a pretty simple story, actually. I took a year off from the University of Washington to work as an engineer for Boeing. At that time there were rows and rows of engineers sitting at desks, as far as you could see — it looked like an assembly line. After six months or so, I decided I didn't want to be one of those guys, I wanted to be the one who told them what to do! So I shifted from my engineering orientation into business.
How do you explain Starbucks' success?
In the past, coffee was treated as a commodity, with quality secondary to cost. So when we offered a terrific product in an appealing environment, with all the sensory experiences of the smell of coffee, the theater aspect of people-watching, and the general ambience, it was extremely attractive to customers. Also, a key aspect of our strategy is to be preemptive; we get there ahead of the competition, and if we're a little late, we accelerate our development.
Which markets does Starbucks plan to enter next?
Right now we're focused on partnership developments in Europe. We're in most countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East already — we even have some presence in China, in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Expanding into Europe is a bigger challenge than we've faced before because the coffee there is already of very high quality. We offer a much different experience from a European café, however, and our specialty beverages will attract the younger crowd. The older generations may be reluctant participants, but other American concepts have encountered this and have been enormously successful with young consumers. I believe that will be true in our case.
How would you describe the Starbucks company culture?
It is highly aspirational and very people-oriented. Starbucks gives stock options to all employees (we call them partners); we were also the first in this industry to provide health-care benefits to part-time workers. We have a consulting firm poll our workers every year to find out how they feel about the company, and they've told us that they've never seen such a positive response in an organization of this size — the degree of satisfaction is "best of class."
Many of your customers use Starbucks as a regular hangout or informal office — a "third place" between home and work. How has this aspect of the stores evolved over time?
In the beginning, we knew on an intuitive level that Starbucks was about far more than a cup of coffee. But we didn't expand on that understanding until the early 1990s, when we realized that the entire environment was important, particularly the personal connection between our partners and the customer. Regular customers are known by name, and the partners remember how they like their beverage; there's an exchange that takes place. We also made the stores more comfortable by increasing their size and adding soft chairs, even fireplaces. Approximately five hundred of our stores are set up to provide wireless access to the Internet; later this year, we'll expand this capability to the majority of our stores and begin allowing customer use. In addition, customers will be able to order beverages and access content relating to events and news in their immediate area.
What is Starbucks' attitude toward coffee farmers and the environment in developing countries?
We became involved with Conservation International (CI) because it has targeted 25 "hot spots" where conservation is crucial. These areas account for about 1.2 percent of the land mass on the planet but between 60 and 70 percent of its biodiversity — primarily, the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. Almost half the land under cultivation is used for growing coffee in this area. How coffee is farmed has an important impact on the environment. CI recognizes the need in this situation for an environmental strategy, without ignoring economic realities for the families who live in these areas.
Most people concerned about Third World poverty don't understand that one of the most important things we've done is to popularize high-quality coffee and persuade the customer to pay a higher-than-average price for it. This enables us to pay two to three times what traditional coffee companies are paying for their coffee in order to purchase the highest quality coffee beans. Working with CI, we have been successful in helping farmers increase the quality of their coffee. Since we pay more for high-quality coffee, it isn't necessary for farmers to increase the cultivation area and boost production by chopping down forests. At our CI project in Chiapas, Mexico, the incomes of farmers in the area are up by 55 percent, and we plan to expand the program to five other countries over the next couple of years. It's a win-win situation.
Describe your own coffee-drinking habits.
I started out drinking instant coffee in college, because I needed to stay awake and cram for exams. Over time, I drifted into the Maxwell House–Folgers category. Coffee served a purpose — it was a beverage I drank for its aspect as a stimulant. After I started working at Starbucks, I switched to the caffe latte — it's the "training wheels" introduction to our coffee — then moved on to Starbucks drip coffee. Once in while, I'll have a frappuccino as a special treat.
— Julia Hanna
Orin Smith
Class of MBA 1967, Section D
✉ Send a Message
A Jolt for the African Coffee Industry
Re: Chijioke Dozie (MBA 2008)
HBS Alumni News
Re: Cynthia Fisher (MBA 1990)
The CEO Who is Perking Up Peet’s Coffee
Re: Dave Burwick (MBA 1989)
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