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More Details on Damon Albarn's Congo LP
Dan the Automator, Actress, XL boss Richard Russell recording project now
Last month, we reported that modern Renaissance man Damon Albarn was planning to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo soon for "a project in which DJs and producers will record and sample Congolese music, and aim to complete a record in not much more than a week," according to the Guardian. Now, more details have emerged about that album, the making of which is underway as we speak.Earlier today, XL Recordings' Twitter noted that label boss Richard Russell is joining Albarn in the Congo as part of DRC Music (the current name for the project), along with Dan the Automator, Actress, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Kwes, Jniero Jarel, Marc Antoine, and Jo Gunton. The album will be a benefit for Oxfam. You can follow their efforts at DRC Music's Tumblr (which currently features pictures of the collective recording local band Tout Puissant Mukalo), Twitter, and Facebook, as well as Russell's Twitter feed.
Dan the Automator
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Monica Spiridon
The "Imperial Eyes" and the Borderland Issue*
Abstract: The article discusses the Romanian geopolitical position between three political powers, the Ottoman Empire, the imperial Russia and the Habsburg Empire, in the late 19th century.
Keywords: Romania; imperialism; political border
Paul Morand, a French traveler of the XIXth century, author of a book about the Romanian capital-city, used to say that more than a city, Bucharest was a meeting point. [Morand:1935]. Although he meant the city, his remark recommends itself as metonimic. From a purely geopolitical point of view, Morand's statement also points towards the interstitial [Bhabha, 1990a; 1990b] placement of Romania as a whole, between three greedy imperial powers (the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, the imperial Russia).
As an outcome of this borderland position, one Empire or another has been a permanent presence in Romania's political, historical and cultural destiny and no less in structuring the local mentality as well as collective perceptions. The extreme closeness of the Empires and the position of a small country, conscious of a permanent threat of being engulfed, have been decisive in influencing the national identity and its legitimizing devices. This very fact resulted in a series of consequences that deserve careful consideration, before any further debate (on such issues as post-colonialism or the post-soviet era) is entered into.
One of the very few foreign researchers specializing in Romanian history and working in the field of mentalities, Catherine Durandin, maintains that the Romanians never grew tired of defining their identity as a consequence, on every possible level, of the gap between themselves and an idealized Western Europe. [Durandin: 1995]. In this respect, the French historian fails to draw the full necessary conclusion: the proximity of Russia, with all its implications, has been the main measure in direct proportion with this gap.
How was this national identity conceived and represented before, during and after the imposed communist influence as a consequence of Romania's position at the crossroads of the Empires? This is the point I am going to deal with here. My approach will be fairly general and will only point to a few relevant issues in this matter.
The Romanian self-exiled writer Emil Cioran has placed the key issue regarding the debatable - and highly debated - condition of Romanian identity in an outstanding interrogation. Paraphrasing Montesquieu, his question sounds like this: "Comment peut-on etre Roumain?" Unfortunately, as Matei Calinescu points out later, Montesquieu does not also consider the case of a Persian asking himself: How can one be a Persian? [Calinescu.1983: 21]. In order to touch the sore spot of the Romanian national idea, we should lay a strong emphasis on its status as an emotional Counter-reaction. In Romania, national identity emerged by way of compensation, as retaliation to the unhappy consciousness of being a Romanian, epitomized by Cioran's question.
In coping with this collective insecurity - at the same time desire and doubt - one cannot ignore the mixed cultural heredity of Romanianness. The Western Roman linguistic legacy, on one side, and the Eastern Orthodox Christianity, on the other, have been the torn halves of the Romanian cultural identity.
In the Romanian culture, the paradigmatic anxiety brought about by the obsession with identity can be tracked down in various areas of reference. The collective perceptions of the national idea fostered conflicting ideologies, rhetorical devices and topoi of the social imaginary; fashioned literary programs; forged symbolic topographies and sites of memory.
During the first half of our century, the Romanian culture fostered various narrative scenarios relying on a total overlapping of history and collective memory, in the evocation of deep, sacred national origins: the holy memory of the holy nation [Norra.1989: 11]. On the agenda of the Romanian intellectual elites, genetic anxieties such as: Where are we coming from? And where is our symbolic cradle in Europe? Completely overshadowed the basic question: Who are we? On the level of mainstream perceptions, the epitome of the relationship oneself /the other was the implicit dictum: "Tell me where you are coming from, and I will tell you who you are."
Especially after the first World War, when The Greater Romania was born, the process of nation building and the intellectual arguments about identity had come to dominate the academic curricula at almost every level and in every particular discipline: history, philosophy, ethnography, literary history, art and so on.
This is why in the Romanian literature prestigious places, worshipped by the popular memory, have been shaped as national moulds. The Master tropes of nationalist literature were imperial spaces like Rome - the Western cradle of the Romanian Latinity - or Byzantium - the eastern mould of the Romanian orthodox Christianity. In the wake of a growing anxiety about national identity, literature has persistently built heterotopias [Foucault: 1986] prestigious models - as a Post-Byzantine Byzantium, the Forth Rome - , able to meet the requirements of legitimacy and to compensate for the discomfort of being a Romanian. It is also noteworthy that this persistent topographical leaning had been closely intertwined with an obsessive public concern about Orient and Occident, as alternative geopolitical and cultural horizons of the Romanian identity.
The 20 years between 1944 - the Soviet take over of Romania - and 1964 - Ceausescu' s advent - can be seen as a tireless battle of Nationalism against Marxism. [Vederey, 1991:11]. Nationalism eventually emerged the winner and National identity became the master cultural symbol, displaying highly structural properties. In this lapse of time, literature, history, collective memory had performed their converging parts in an overarching explanatory scenario. A discourse about unity and continuity (The Nation) had overcome the one about differentiation and change (Marxism).
During Ceausescu's dictatorship, the virtually hegemonic force of national ideology ended up as an aggressive complex of superiority called Protochronism. Its main cultural statement was a boastful rejection of any sources, models or forerunners, in almost all-intellectual areas, in favour of a paradoxical theory of local priority, allegedly ignored, because of the marginal status of Romania.
It is important to note that the same distressing question: How can one be a Romanian? Should be posited as the ultimate source of Protochronism. This time by way of compensation, being a Romanian becomes a privilege, a miracle and bliss. In Ceausescu's Romania, the "pride of being born Romanian" was the obsessive keynote of all official discourses
In attempting to identify the first roots of Protochronism it is probably necessary to go as far back as the decades between the two world wars and focus on Mircea Eliade, another displaced Romanian.
From this point of view, the Protochronist reaction is therefore ambiguous and double-edged. On the one hand, it is a clear statement of a deeply felt inferiority complex to the advanced Western Europe. On the other hand, it is a proud rejection of the imperial model of the Soviet occupant. In this case, the barbarity is that of the conqueror, the latter becoming from the carrier of civilization to be exact opposite. This is the explanation for the various elite intellectuals' (the prestigious Edgar Papu, for instance) brush with Protochronism.
To find the key to this delicate issue it is necessary to find appropriate codes to interpret Alterity, to be more specific the Western versus the Eastern Alterity. The relationship with the Soviet occupant needs explaining in the context of the equation between the civilizing West versus the aggressive East, barbarian, domineering so much so that it threatened to sever the umbilical cord connected to the European matrix. This perspective must be kept in mind when attempting to retroactively analyze the great diversity of the cultural output during the communist era.
In the second age of the national idea (Ceausescu's nationalist dictatorship), the previous cultural harmony and unity collapsed. History and memory fell apart. The official national history was relying on an integrated, dictatorial memory. A memory without a past - as Nora notices. [Norra.1989: 8]. An unbridgeable gulf was growing deeper and deeper between it and the living literary memory. The previous memory-nation, building sites of memory - lieux de mémoire - was the last occurrence of the joint venture memory / history.
As far as, for instance, the fictional output of the period is concerned, especially during the eighties, the youngest generation of Romanian authors tried by all available means to counteract the take over of memory by the official political and historical discourse. They set out on a spontaneous criticism of nationalist paradigms, undermining their ideological and aesthetic foundations as well as their rhetorical devices. Along with the authors' growing scepticism concerning older national representations, fictional topographies became more contradictory tot he points of confusion. Romanian writers move from the urban novel to the travel epic, which, in the European literature, had previously offered generous opportunities for the teaming-up of fiction and meta-literature.
The title of an original novel by Ioan Grosan: A Hundred Years at the Gates of the Orient mixes a twist on Gabriel García Márques's Cien anos de soledad and one Raymond Poincaré's famous remarks on the subject of Romania's borderland position: "Que voulez vous, nous sommes ici aux portes de l'Orient, ou tout est pris a la légere?" (What do you expect? We are here at the gates of the Orient, where everything is easy-going). Moreover, in contemporary Romania, this remark grew to become a stereotype excuse for various civic, moral and political deficiencies.
The chronicle of a return-trip from Romania to the pontifical Rome, in the early seventeenth century, is a mere excuse to playfully re-read, re-write and re-live a hundred years of traditional literary stereotypes and of collective perceptions in national identity. Highly emotional clichés of the inter-war discourses - such as "We, the Romanians, we are the descendants of Rome." are being turned upside down or simply ignored.
Authors like Grosan redefine previous identity hypotheses as obsolete scenarios of cultural memory. They grasp an essential process-taking place in the contemporary Romanian literature: the progressive retreat of identity paradigms into discourse. And, at the same time, they capture the passage of the arrogant national models and of their products into literary assets to be recycled.
From a different point of view, the literature of the eighties pays a special attention to the virtual ghetto-structure imposed by the Bolshevik occupation on Romania. Novelist, memoirist, historian, journalist (and, after 1989, political analyst and member of the senate) Stelian Tanase is the keen chronicler of a Bucharest that communism expelled out of history into a state of day to day survival routine: a place where any model degenerates, and where even deliberate imitation miserably fails. Corpuri de iluminat (Lighting Devices) 1990 is the anthology of the malformations, anomalies, left overs of both the people and the city. As suggested by the metaphor in the title of one of his novels - Playback -, the imaginary topography created by the novelist is a space of mystification and of perversion, where the technical method alluded to (a "playback") passes from the screen to real life. A city whose history has been forged, whose face has been disfigured by the shallow pharaonic models of the Ceausescu's era, the Bucharest described by Stelian Tanase is a version of the 30ties Moscow not unlike the Moscow imagined by Bulgakov.
For Tanase, due to Romania's position at the meeting point of several agonising empires, Romanian identity is to be found in the interstitial spaces between different ends. And this is strikingly obvious in Bucharest: "In Bucharest - Tanase stubbornly maintains - the end of several great empires meet. The histories of the Byzantine Empire, of the Ottoman Empire as well that of the Russian Empire virtually ended in Bucharest."[Paleologu, Tanase, 1996: 430].
Over the last couple of years, Tanase has been working on a massive novel (to average about 1000 pages) set in Bucharest. As the writer explains in his diary - Ora oficiala de iarna (The Official WinterTime) 1995 - the starting point of the book is 1683, the year of the first printing of the Bible in Romanian (the so-called Bible of Bucharest). The end of the story is set exactly three hundred years later, in 1983. (1983 is usually seen as the most radical turning point of Ceausescu's cultural policy: The ideological conference of Neptun-Mangalia) These dates are highly significant in themselves - both 1683 and 1983 simultaneously signify a beginning as well as an end.
Catherine Durandin is right reaching the conclusion that the Roman conquest of Dacia triggered a persistent axiological tension, later enhanced by various circumstances and in various contexts. Nevertheless, among those circumstances not listed, it is worth mentioning the assimilation of Romania's administrative and political structures by one Empire after another, from Turkey to the later Soviet Russia. In today's postcommunist era, Durandin believes this tension can be identified in an overemphasized collective aspiration towards the process of Euro-Atlantic integration.
Worth mentioning in passing is that the French historian chooses to go against the mainstream opinion in including Russia on equal footing with the Ottoman Empire among the pro-oriental Balkan pressures to which the Romanian culture was intensely subjected. In doing so, she ignores the essentially opposite nature of the Romanian historical reaction to the Turkish and respectively the Russian occupation. To mention only one of many, Eminescu in his articles displays a profound understanding of the issue, in preferring the former to the latter. Time doesn't permit here a detail analysis of his main arguments, however well founded. Enough evidence to support the above can be found in a few historical facts: the Turkish Empire never fully occupied Romania, neither did the Turks transform cities in Soviet raions, did they not impose repeated censorship on the local religions and they were never given the right to naturalize and to own land or properties in Romania. The Ottoman neighbours confined themselves to initially only confirming and they're nominating the princes of local extraction, and subsequently to nominating Fanariot (e.g. Greek) rulers.)
However, Durandin is correct in identifying a few of the main symptoms of a malady she never names nor examines closely and systematically. In my analyses I will call it "the imperial syndrome", accompanied as it was by interesting expressions in the Romanian cultural zone over decades, including the post-soviet era.
A nation surrounded on all sides by arrogant empires strategically organizes its identity-related history and ideology in the framework of secure stereotypes that would legitimate its right to existence and to public recognition. In Romania this strategy frequently became part of the more general Orient versus Occident antinomy [Spiridon: 2000b]. Such a process of authoritarian semantic structuring of the identity space evolved on several stages.
To pick one example of many available, a clear line can be drawn between the pre-soviet feverish quest for arrogant domineering models - inevitable creating an identity confusion and a creation pathos of identity debate, collective emotions, clichés and especially generating fierce polarization's - and the post-soviet occupation situation. During the communist period to follow, the identity, be it underground or officially accepted, failed to claim any models. The latter due to conscious rejection of any paradigmatic patronage and to the attempt to affirm an absolute national priority legitimized by the Protochronist dogma. As far as the underground is concerned, the cause is to be found in the purposeful deconstruction of the literary tradition displaying proud imperial models. See for instance Banulescu's - Cartea de la Metopolis (The Book of Metopolis) - or Sorescu's Raceala (A Cold) - parodies of the Post- Byzantine imperial arrogance in the Southern Romanian area.
At this point, I find it necessary to underline that my study is restricted to cultural projections, and namely to literary representation. On the ideological level, it is essential to distinguish between the two, because (and this is particularly true for the Romanian cultural environment) they have operated on parallel levels if not in totally opposite ways. [Spiridon: 2000a]. Apart from that, literature plays a key role in any society, a role transmitting network, irreplaceable and constantly used by ideologies. [Nemoianu: 1996].
A few concluding remarks.
The paragraphs above have the role of merely providing a general framework for an ongoing analysis [Spiridon: 2000c]. In as little detail as possible, I have tried to point out that imperial apprehensions followed by various types of the " post-imperial syndrome" are part of a complex series of identity phenomena present in the Romanian cultural history.
The imperial anxiety has been present more or less at all points in the Romanian history, as Catherine Durandin is very quick to notice. Post-imperial reactions however have been extremely diverse, if not contrasting.
I won't go into details here, but the mark left by imperial Rome has been gradually included and assimilated in the Romanian legacy and tradition, becoming one of the deepest and furthest reaching roots of the national identity.
The Byzantine legacy has been equally incorporated within the eastern branch of Christianity. Both have attracted a pronounced sense of pride, promptly illustrated in literature, which was also quick to come up with a parody of each, once the respective tradition grew obsolete.
Post-Habsburg Transilvania features a productive process of reanalysis of the crossroads hybrid that is Central European legacy.
As far as the traces of Turkish domination are concerned, they are subject to an extensive debate trenching on the issue of the Orient, of the Balkans etc. In any case, theorists such as Edward Said [Said: 1979] or Mary Louise Pratt [Pratt: 1992] are methodologically irrelevant in this respect, seeing as the Romanian Eastern dimension was one that took particular pride in itself. Moreover, this kind of orientalism only stretches as far as Greece, becoming a particular European orientalism.
Last but not least, the relationship with the Soviet Union can only be analyzed within the guidelines of this post-imperial framework, a topic that I don't intend to dwell on but to which the analysis I have attempted can be useful as a starting point.
Trying to force these distinctive details into the tight conceptual framework of post colonialism is, in conclusion, a sterile error of method.
Bhabha, Homi. 1990a. "The Third Space", in Identity, Community, Culture, Difference, Edited by J. Rutherford. London: Lawrence & Wishart: 207-21.
Bhabha, Homi.1990b. Nation and Narration. New York and London: Routledge.
Calinescu, Matei. 1983. "Comment peut-on etre Roumain ?", in Cadmos, VI: 23-25.
Durandin, Catherine.1995, L'histoire des roumains. Paris: Fayard.
Eliade, Mircea. 1986. Briser le toit de la maison. La creativité et ses symboles. Paris: Gallimard NRF.
Foucault, Michel.1986. "Of Other Spaces". Diacritics. 16: 22-27.
Morand, Paul. 1935. Bucarest. Paris: Plon.
Nemoianu, Virgil. 1996. Microarmonia. Iasi: Polirom
Norra, Pierre.1989."Between Memory and History. Les Lieux de Mémoire". Représentations, 26:7-25.
Paleologu, Alexandru, Tanase, Stelian.1996. Sfidarea memoriei, Convorbiri. Bucuresti: Ed. Du Style.
Pratt, Mary Louise.1992. Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. London: Routledge.
Romier, Lucien.1931. Le carrefour des empires morts. Paris: Hachette.
Said, Edward.1979. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books
Sarkany,Stephane. 1968. Paul Morand el le cosmopolitisme litteraire. Paris: Klincksieck.
Spiridon, Monica. 2000 a. "Inventing Romania: Nationalism and Literature in the 20th Century" in Interliteraria, 1, V: Culture and Nation at the Turn of the Millenium, Tartu: Kirjastus: 76-87.
Spiridon, Monica. 2000b. "Orient et Occident: Un stéréotype de l'identité culturelle roumaine au XXe siecle" in Eleni Politou-Marmarinou, Sophia Denissi (eds.), Identité et Altérité en Littérature, XVIIIe-XXXe siecles, III: Processus historiques, théoriques et esthétiques. Athens: Ed. Domos, 2000: pp. 207-235
Spiridon, Monica. 2000c. "Run-Away Identities: The Quest for the Other in European Travel Writings". in The Paths of Multiculturalism.Travel Writings and Postcolonialism, ed. by Maria-Alzira Seixo, John Noyes, Graca Abreu and Isabel Moutinho. Lisbon: Ediciones Cosmos, 2000:313-326
Verderey, Katherine.1991. National Ideology under Socialism. Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceausescu' s Romania. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press.
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Philadelphia Police: Triple Shooting Leaves 2 Teens, Man Critically Wounded In BelmontAll victims were rushed to the hospital and placed in critical condition.
10:00 PM48 Hours
Philadelphia Students, Teachers Rally For Healthier Schools As Lawmakers Push For $125 Million In Funding To Remediate Asbestos
By Howard Monroe December 18, 2019 at 6:19 pm
Filed Under:asbestos, Local, Local TV, Philadelphia News, Philadelphia School District
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Students, parents and teachers rallied in Harrisburg less than one day after another Philadelphia school was forced to close when high levels of asbestos were found inside. Franklin Learning Center is the fifth school that had to close this year, but more help may be on the way.
(credit: CBS3)
While students and parents were at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, lawmakers said they would push for $125 million in emergency funding to remediate asbestos in their schools.
Philadelphia students, parents, and teachers boarded buses Wednesday morning to demand money for asbestos and lead paint removal from their schools.
“Without major state investment, those problems aren’t going to go away,” organizer David Loeb said.
Their demands were partly answered as state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, a Democrat serving Philadelphia County, said she would introduce legislation for emergency funding. She’s calling for $125 million so schools can make environmental repairs.
“Make no mistake that the conditions that our students and educators and staff face right now is a public health emergency,” Fiedler said.
If it passes, Philadelphia schools will be eligible for $85 million in state grants for repairs.
Tamitra Foreman has a 10-year-old daughter who attends Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School in North Philadelphia. The Philadelphia School District closed the school earlier this school year after high levels of asbestos was found. She applauded the students and teachers who went to Harrisburg for standing up for themselves.
“We have to play our part as a community. We have to play our part and we have to speak up. If not, who’s going to speak up for us?” Foreman said.
The school district said they’re updating their environmental safety improvement plan and it should be available within the next few days.
Howard Monroe
More from Howard Monroe
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By: Phoebe August 14, 2011 August 4, 2013
life in Ireland, only us
So where did I leave off yesterday? Ah yes. Crappy camping trip, flooded tent, decided to call it a day and go home after a quick stop to see the Burren.
While in the States last month, Josh bought a pair of motorcycle headsets, so we could talk while riding on a motorcycle. He decided for this trip to attach one to a hat so he could chat with one of the boys while we were driving. We made plans on having dinner at Burger King at the one rest stop on our way home.
And so we drove – Josh in the lead, me behind him with the kids in the car. The weather was nice, the road was narrow but I was feeling confident. We were all pretty happy to be headed home.
Fifteen minutes after getting on the road – chu-chunk. That’s the noise I heard. Chu-chunk. I knew I’d hit something and felt the car slowing down. “Tell Dad we’ve had an accident.” I told Sean, who was wearing the headset, as I watched Josh go around a curve and out of sight.
I was basically coasting at this point. There was no place to really safely pull over. One side was mountain, the other side, a cliff down to the ocean. I thought I could see a little bit of shoulder ahead, but then the car stopped. Later, I figured out it was because momentarily, I forgot I was driving a stick shift and forgot to engage the clutch. All I knew was I was stranded on the side of a very narrow road and there was something wrong with the car.
But a moment later, Josh pulled up and asked what was up. I told him I thought I hit something, though I wasn’t sure what as I hadn’t seen anything in the road. He went over to the passenger side. He might have said choice words. He then informed me that I had blown not one, but both tires on that side. He then asked if I could move the car back to where there was a slight bit of shoulder. I said no, the car wasn’t working for me (again, I was forgetting the whole clutch and gear shifting thing.)
So Josh got in, put it in reverse, moved it to the safest location almost off the road. We pulled out the rental papers, took note of the road assistance sticker on the window and began to play phone tag. Turns out all the Republic of Ireland numbers for our car rental agency were closed for the evening. Out of desperation, Josh dialed the Belfast number, which got us a human being.
Josh playing phone tag on the side of the road, both tires flattened
Eventually, we were told help would be on its way – in an hour. sigh. Then it started raining. At that point, we squished the four kids in the back so Josh could sit in the car too. After an hour, Josh started playing phone tag again. Eventually, a big yellow van came barreling down the road, whipped around and pulled up behind us.
Help had arrived.
The mechanic didn’t seem surprised at the damage. He said it was probably a rock that had fallen off the wall and we never saw it. Yes, we nearly experienced Death by Rock Wall. The good news was, he could fix the tires and it had stopped raining. The bad news, he had to take the tires with him, and Josh had to go with him to pay for the tires, which meant I got to sit on the side of the road with the kids. We hauled kids out, he jacked up the car, pulled tires off, propping up the front end with the same rocks in the wall that tried to do us in. Miriam got back in the car, but Maura wasn’t sure about the tilted vehicle. So Maura, Collin, Sean and I sat on a tarp on the side of the road.
Well, not at first. First, Collin got his video games out. Sean wandered and took pictures. Maura flipped out when Daddy drove off with the tires. So I told Collin to dig out the big bag of Twizzlers my friend Jenn sent us. Then Maura sat happily, wrapped in a blanket, on the side of the road with me.
Granted, when people driving by saw me and three kids and a car with hazard lights on, they tended to ask if we were okay, if we needed help. When I told one man that we hit a rock and blew out both tires, he said “Well that was bad luck.”
Collin – always my son – said “You don’t know the half of it.”
Eventually, I pulled out my cell phone and looked busy with it – because if you’re on the side of the road with a cell phone, people tend to think you’ll be okay. Which they did. Then I noticed that traffic – which wasn’t much anyway – began to dwindle to nothing. Maura, wrapped in a blanket, curled up and started drifting off. Finally Josh called to say the tires were fixed, they were on their way back. A half hour later, the big yellow van reappeared, whipping around the curve and around us. Later, Josh would tell me it was the scariest ride of his life – the guy was obviously a local, who liked to drive fast on the winding narrow roads.
Ten minutes later, tires were on and we were good to go. We toyed for a bit with just getting a hotel room in Galway, but decided to wait and see when we stopped for gas. When we did stop, Josh and I were feeling confident that we could just get home. We just wanted to go home.
In the back seat, Miriam asked “Can we just call it a night?”
Oh no my child. That would be too easy. And your parents haven’t proven themselves the biggest idiots ever. We must press on. Sure, it’s now ten o’clock at night, we missed dinner, we’re eating muffins in the car, and it’s going to rain on your father again. But calling it a night? Never!
So we pressed on. Through the dark of night, wind, and more rain. Josh nearly froze off his bike. I went cross-eyed trying to pay attention to the road and forced myself to sing along with my iTunes collection. But we managed to get home without any more issues. We steered kids to their beds, I abandoned Josh and hit my bed. Josh was still cold from his ride through the rain, so decided to have a whiskey and hot shower only to fall asleep on the couch.
And so ended this year’s attempt at a family vacation. We’ve decided to stick closer to home and do day trips for the rest of the week. Yesterday, we took the girls to Bray and Killiney to play on the beach. Today, we hiked down a valley to a lake, got muddy, almost lost Miriam in a mud puddle (she did lose her shoe but Sean retrieved it), then went to Powerscourt Waterfall, got ice creams and hiked about.
Eventually, we may go camping again. But not until we get a better tent. And a car big enough to fit us all. Hopefully the kids will want to try this again.
When a good vacation goes bad
Music Monday – Dog Days Are Over
4 replies to The long road home
Dottie says:
Out of curiosity, what made you guys choose to rent a car that was too small for everyone? Surely there must be a story to that right?
because it was about 600 cheaper for the week than renting a van.
Renee Anne says:
Here’s something interesting for you. Today is August 4, 2013….this showed up in my feed for new blogs today.
Go home Technology; you’re drunk!
Yeah, that was called “Phoebe can’t figure out the WP app on her phone” lol
Leave a Reply to phoebz4 Cancel reply
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Trial Fusion Gets A Release Date
NewsPC NewsPlaystation NewsXbox News
Developed by RedLynx in collaboration with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kiev and produced by Ubisoft, Trials Fusion has finally been given a release date.
Trial Fusion will be available on April 16th. It will be available for download on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and on Steam for PC for $29.95.
A physical copy of the game will be available at retailers as of the 17th and will include the base game and a season pass for $59.95.
First 15 Minutes of Just Cause 3
Mafia III Worldwide Reveal Trailer Released
Need for Speed Gamescom Trailer Released
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Gameplay Trailer Released
New Battlefront ‘Fighter Squadron Mode’ Revealed + Gameplay
Epic New Uncharted 4 Gameplay Shown Off
PlayStation Won’t Be At E3 Again This Year
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HomeAlertsNew EarningsAlert: New Earnings Report (9/4/19)-Copart Inc (NASDAQ: CPRT).
Alert: New Earnings Report (9/4/19)-Copart Inc (NASDAQ: CPRT).
September 4, 2019 John Lafferty New Earnings 0
Copart Inc (NASDAQ: CPRT) has reported earnings for its fourth fiscal quarter (ending July 31) of $0.67 versus $0.47 for the same period a year ago — an increase of 43%. Relative to the consensus estimate of $0.58, this was a premium of $0.09. For the latest four quarters through July 31, E.P.S. were $2.57 compared to $1.80 a year ago — an increase of 43%.
Recent Price Action
On 9/4/19, Copart Inc (NASDAQ: CPRT) stock increased 1.2%, closing at $75.66. Trading volume in this advance was normal. Relative to the market the stock has been exceptionally strong over the last nine months and has risen 2.5% during the last week.
Current PriceTarget Research Rating
CPRT’s future returns on capital are forecasted to be above the cost of capital. Accordingly, the company is expected to continue to be a major Value Builder.
Copart has a current Value Trend Rating of B (Positive). This rating combines very contradictory signals from two proprietary PTR measures of a stock’s attractiveness. Copart has a poor Appreciation Score of 30 but a very high Power Rating of 92, and the Positive Value Trend Rating results.
Rating Review
In light of this encouraging new earnings information and positive market action we are reviewing our current Overall Rating of B. We would continue to view the shares with optimism pending completion of this review in the next several days.
About John Lafferty 57444 Articles
During his career, John has developed valuation and stock rating methodologies, managed institutional portfolios and mutual funds, and provided equity research to institutional investors on thousands of companies. He has been Director of Research at PTR since its inception in 2004.
Rating Update: Stock Rating C-Neutral (9/4/19)-BG Staffing Inc (BGSF).
Alert: Major Price Decline (9/4/19)-Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ: ECPG).
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Santorum lumps McCain, Dole, H.W. Bush into losing clan of GOP moderates
CNN Political Reporter Shannon Travis
Pasco, Washington (CNN) – Rick Santorum continued to cast himself as a scrappy fighter against a mighty Republican "establishment" late Thursday – even lumping together former presidents and former presidential hopefuls into a losing clan of Republican moderates.
"You have an opportunity, here in Washington state, to join me …To say we want a conservative nominee for the Republican Party in the fall," Santorum told hundreds of supporters in Pasco, Washington, ahead of the state's caucuses on Saturday.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
"We want a conservative nominee because that's our best chance of winning. Look at the races in the last 30 years, we nominated a moderate: [John] McCain, [Bob] Dole, Gerald Ford. When George [H.W.] Bush ran for re-election back in 1992, after raising taxes and increasing spending. They all ran as moderates. We all lost," Santorum said.
"Every time we've run as a conservative, we've won," the candidate continued. "Why? Because Americans want a choice. If it's a difference between somebody, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, you know what, this country is going to probably going to stick with the person they know. We need to have a sharp contrast. Someone who paints a very different vision for America."
It's possible Santorum singled out those specific names because of their praise of GOP rival Mitt Romney. McCain and Dole have endorsed the former Massachusetts governor. And though the nation's 41st president has not officially endorsed a candidate, Bush called Romney the "best choice" for the GOP nomination in December.
During his speech, Santorum highlighted times he'd bucked his own party. And yet he did not play up his long history with the GOP "establishment." During his time in the Senate, he rose to the number three position in that chamber's GOP leadership.
During CNN's GOP debate in Phoenix, the former Pennsylvania senator even explained that "sometimes you take one for the team." In that specific reference, Santorum explained his "mistake" in voting for the No Child Left Behind education law that's unpopular with many conservatives.
Santorum frequently assails Romney as being less than truly conservative. But the tactic appears to be taking on increased urgency as both men vie for the delegates needed to win their party's nomination.
"We have an opportunity, here in the state of Washington, to nominate someone not just who can win the election," Santorum told the crowd. "We're going to need someone who's going to have to run a campaign that's actually about ideas instead of just trying to beat up your opponent."
It's a feat Santorum insisted he could accomplish.
"Why do I say that? Well first, I've actually run as a conservative and got elected in a state that we have to win in order to win the presidency. Gov. Romney has never run as a conservative in a general election."
Romney spokesman Andrea Saul said Santorum's comments are a sign he "can't accept the fact that he lost Arizona and Michigan."
"Four years ago, when he was speaking candidly, he said Mitt Romney would 'stand up for the conservative principles that we hold dear.' In comparison, Sen. Santorum admitted he 'took one for the team' in Washington by voting against those principles," Saul said in an email. "This is yet another case of Sen. Santorum abandoning principle for his own political advantage."
–Follow Shannon Travis on Twitter: @ShanTravisCNN
Seattle Times supports Romney as 'default choice' ahead of caucuses
Paul flier hits the other candidates
Gingrich robo call labels Santorum 'union bosses' pal'
Michigan results provoke accusations, ire
Filed under: 2012 • Bob Dole • George H.W. Bush • John McCain • Rick Santorum • Washington
Filthburger
jeeze, can't this guy go away? He's insane.
March 2, 2012 10:26 am at 10:26 am |
You stay in that race Rick–we love to see just how far Willard will go to the right to get to the Oval Office. Never saw a comedy like this GOP race in my life. That Blunt interview Willard had was spectacular-less than an hour for the flip-flop and the lame spin that the question confused him.
Bill in Florida
What Santorum doesn't say about Pennsylvania is that he got clobbered during his reelection bid. PA voters realized their mistake the first time around and voted him out of office.
This article spells out exactly what is wrong with Santorum and the GOP today. They've gone way to the right to the point where "compromise" is seen as a bad word in a world where compromise is the name of the game to get anything done. While he panders to a certain base, the fact of the matter is that most americans are somewhere in the middle. they care more about some issues than they do others and we are not all lock step about those issues. This is why the GOP is not going to succeed this election year.
Yeah you won Ricky. Then the people of Ohio found out what a nutcase you are, and sent your raggidy butt packing. Oh, and keep bashing your own party members that are well respected WW2 and Vietnam war heroes(Crusades don't count), that will get you over.
Randy, San Francisco
Santorum should expain why he lost his last US Senate race.
Jess C
And soon he can include himself on the "loser" list, just like Romney will in Nov.
Butch O'hare
Rick – buddy boy, you might want to think twice about bashing popular politicians who have a following. After having maligned JFK, John McCain, GH Bush, Bob Dole and Gerald Ford, do you really think that people who admired those individuals will want to vote for you? Dude, don't worry – you've got the Bible Belt locked up. If you want any chance of winning the nomination, stop trashing people!
"Someone who paints a very different vision for America."
Unfortunately for him, his vision is not acceptable for many citizens. A dominonist president is not good for the country.
Ricky is fighting for his political life. I expect he will be eliminated in the next round of primaries. We can only hope.
alkarrk
Hogswallop. Romney 2012!
Nothiga
Here is my plan on HOW I will reduce the deficits:
I will REDUCE taxes on "job creators".
I will PRESERVE medicare and social security.
I will NOT CUT a dime on military spending.
You can see I am SEVERELY conservative.
I hope you are NOT smart enough to.......
Wire Palladin, S. F.
Rick is just being stupid now. He had his chance, and he had to act like the ayatolla of the catholic church. Go home Rick, and let the Mittens fall where he may.
Santorum is mixed up between being a conservative being a Bible-Thumper... I would never vote for any Republican, but Santorum is as far right as it gets...McCain and Dole know that's not a winning ticket...Santorum just does not understand that Americans want fair and rational leaders, not extremes...Nobody will beat President Obama...When you listen to the President speak, it is hard to imagine how you can't agree with him when he speaks of envisioning an America where everyone has a fair chance...where young Americans can afford to go to college...Then you listen to Santorum and he supports an America where we are "probing" women against their will and trashing higher education as being to liberal for the America he envisions... Sadly...The rest running with Santorum for the nomination agree with his position in one way or another... This is a no-brainer folks....Obama 2012
Aww! Go ahead. I want the GOP to nominate the most conservative candidate they can, who will then lose to Obama in a landslide. This will be the best medicine yet for the GOP. If Romney gets nominated and loses to Obama, we will still have this stupid conversation "if only the GOP was more conservative". I am sick and tired of the far-right hijacking one of our major political parties. It is time to cut them off! Let them have their way, and let them burn down the house.
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PDF Icon PDF LinkAdvertising
Uptake and degradation of hyaluronan in lymphatic tissue
J R Fraser
University of Melbourne Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Vic. 3050, Australia.
W G Kimpton
Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3050, Australia.
T C Laurent
Institute of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden.
R N P Cahill
N Vakakis
https://doi.org/10.1042/bj2560153
J R Fraser, W G Kimpton, T C Laurent, R N P Cahill, N Vakakis; Uptake and degradation of hyaluronan in lymphatic tissue. Biochem J 15 November 1988; 256 (1): 153–158. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj2560153
Afferent lymph vessels entering popliteal lymph nodes of sheep were infused with [3H]acetyl-labelled hyaluronan of high Mr (4.3 x 10(6)-5.5 x 10(6)) and low Mr (1.5 x 10(5)). Analysis of efferent lymph and of residues in the nodes showed that hyaluronan presented by this route is taken up and degraded by lymphatic tissue. Labelled residues isolated in node extracts by gel chromatography and h.p.l.c. included N-acetylglucosamine, acetate, water and a fraction provisionally identified as N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate. Between 48 and 75% of the infused material was unrecovered, and had been presumably eliminated through the bloodstream as diffusible residues. Rates of degradation reached as high as 43 micrograms/h in a node of 2 g wt. infused with 56 micrograms/h. Some HA passed into efferent lymph and some was detected in the nodes, but fractions of Mr greater than 1 x 10(6) were not found in either. It is concluded that the amounts and Mr values of hyaluronan released from the tissues into peripheral lymph can be significantly underestimated by analysis of efferent lymph, i.e. lymph that has passed through lymph nodes. A substantial role in the normal metabolic turnover of at least one major constituent of intercellular matrix and connective tissue may now be added to the established functions of the lymphatic system.
© 1988 London: The Biochemical Society
Web Of Science (150)
Local inhibition of elastase reduces EMILIN1 cleavage reactivating lymphatic vessel function in a mouse lymphoedema model
Clin Sci (Lond) (June, 2016)
Intravital two-photon microscopy of lymphatic vessel development and function using a transgenic Prox1 promoter-directed mOrange2 reporter mouse
Biochem Soc Trans (November, 2011)
Steroid receptor coactivator-1 interacts with NF-κB to increase VEGFC levels in human thyroid cancer
Biosci Rep (June, 2018)
Identification of a prognostic 28-gene expression signature for gastric cancer with lymphatic metastasis
Biosci Rep (May, 2019)
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Autumn Qualification ODC #1
[ Global rules ]
Last change: 14.11.2019 10:06
1. Global Rules
1.2. Code of Conduct
1.2.1. Insults and offensive behaviour
1.2.2. Spamming
1.3. Matches, competitions, meetings
1.4. Game / client
1.5. Game Coverage
1.6. Internal Texts
1.7. Language
2. Fraud/deception
2.1. Deception
2.2. Other unauthorized offences
2.3. Cheating
2.3.1. Distribution of cheats
2.3.2. Cheating Sanctions
2.4. Match-Fixing/betting fraud
2.4.1. Match-Fixing Sanctions
2.5. Doping
2.5.1. Prescribed medication
2.5.2. Doping Sanctions
2.6. Competition manipulation and bribery
2.6.1. Competition manipulation and bribery Sanctions
2.7. Second and subsequent offences
3.1. Player
3.1.1. Multiaccounts
3.1.2. Nicknames, Team Names and URL Aliases
3.1.3. Photo
3.1.4. Country
3.1.5. Nationality
3.1.6. Account sharing
3.2. Teams
3.2.1. Changing team names
3.2.2. Team nationality
3.2.3. Players in team
3.2.4. Sponsors/partnerships
4. Penalty points
5. Participation in prize tournaments & pro qualifiers
6. Penalty Point Catalogue
The league administration has the right to decide outside or even against the rulebook in special cases to guarantee fairplay.
Every participant has to behave with respect towards the representatives of the ESL, press, viewers, partners and other players. The participants are requested to represent esports, the ESL, and their Sponsors honorably. This applies to behavior in-game and also in chats, messengers, comments and other media. We expect players to conduct themselves according to the following values:
Compassion: treat others as you would be treated.
Integrity: be honest, be committed, play fair.
Respect: show respect all other humans, including teammates, competitors, and event staff.
Courage: be courageous in competition and in standing up for what is right.
Participants must not engage in harassment or hate speech in any form. This includes, but is not limited to:
Hate speech, offensive behavior, or verbal abuse related to sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, or religion.
Stalking or intimidation (physically or online).
Spamming, raiding, hijacking, or inciting disruption of streams or social media.
Posting or threatening to post other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”).
Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes, unwelcome sexualized comments, jokes, and sexual advances.
Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Please refer to the AnyKey Keystone Code to learn more about good sporting behavior. Refer to the ESIC Code of Conduct for detailed conduct rules and penalties
Violation of this Code of Conduct will result in penalty points. In the case of repeat or extreme violations, penalties may include disqualification, or banning from future ESL events.
All insults that happen during an ESL-Match or on the ESL platform, may be punished. This includes ingame chat of the corresponding game, guestbooks, forums, Match- or News-Comments, ESL Messages, Match-Chat. Insults that happen on external messengers are not taken into account.
Penalties are no longer limited to Penalty Points and barrages, but may also contain the following depending on the incident, location and frequency of the insult:
Penalty Points & barrages are given for incidents within ESL-Matches
Insults or inappropriate behaviour within Comments or other options for contacting a player, will result in a Forum- & Comment ban
Severe incidents including, but not limited to the following points, may be punished in other ways:
Extremist statements
Threat of violence
severe insults
pornographic linkings
The right to appeal is only with the injured.
The excessive posting of futile, annoying or offensive contributions within the ESL is considered as spamming. Spamming on the website (forums, match comments, player comments, support- and protest pages, etc) is penalized as follows:
Written warning for the first offence
1 penalty point + 1 week comment ban for the second spamming incident.
2 penalty points + 2 week comment ban for the third spamming incident.
3 penalty points + 3 week comment ban for the fourth and any further spamming incidents.
The decisive factor therefore is the amount of active penalties for spamming.
In all competitions there should be a fair playing field for all players.
Every encounter, whether a ladder match or other competition must be played according to the rules until it is complete and the result on the ESL page entered, or at events the result sheet is completed. Any encounter that did not take place, should be deleted. Matches will be played only by admins to delete exceptions. Matches that did not take place will be considered fake matches and will be punished.
It is not allowed for participants to bet on matches in their own competition. Betting against yourself (in team leagues: against your own team) will get you (in team leagues: your team) disqualified and the betting player banned for at least.
Players and teams that are already qualified for or participating in an event (e.g. Pro League or any offline event) or the later stages of a tournament (e.g. Open/Challenger League) are not allowed to participate in any of its ongoing or upcoming qualifiers. In the case of a player or team breaching this rule, they will be disqualified from the current qualifier and may face further punishment, up to and including disqualification from the event.
In general, all programs which are not part of the original game, including custom-data and modifications, are not allowed in any ESL game. All external voice programs are allowed (e.g. Teamspeak, Ventrilo etc.). Scripts and changes to the game's configuration are allowed, unless they are partly or completely forbidden by the league specific rules. Programs that provide an advantage during game play (e.g. drivers that allow the removing of walls) are forbidden. Any programs that change the game itself are forbidden.
The ESL reserves exclusive right to the coverage of ESL matches. This includes all forms of transmission, including IRC Bots, Shoutcast-streams, HLTV and ESL-TV Broadcasts. The ESL can assign the coverage rights of a match or of several matches to a third party or to the actual players themselves. In this case, terms and conditions would have to be arranged with the ESL management before the match.
In general, the ESL will contact any player or team if they wish to broadcast one of their matches. If no contact is made, individual players are allowed to arrange their own broadcasts. Should the game take place on a server that ESL administrators have no direct access to, it must be made sure that enough slots are available for the according clients.
All texts written in either protest or support tickets, or written by the administrators to members of a certain league or tournament, cannot be published without the permission of the ESL.
The official language of this national section is English. All players should be able to communicate in English and to do so.
ESL is a member of ESIC, the Esports Integrity Coalition. The Esports Integrity Coalition is a not for profit members’ association established in 2015 by key esports stakeholders to deal with issues of common interest – in particular the threat that match manipulation and betting fraud and other integrity challenges pose to esports.
Membership of ESIC centres around key Principles that the members have agreed and they have also agreed to be bound by a Code of Ethics to govern their behaviour amongst themselves. ESIC is a historic coalition of businesses that are usually in competition with each other, but recognise that they are all threatened by attacks on the integrity of esports.
The attempt to deceive admins or other players with wrong or fake statements, information or data will not be tolerated.
Including but not limited to the abusing of bugs in the website.
These penalties are at the discretion of the responsible admin and are penalized according to severity.
All forms of cheating in ESL matches are forbidden and will be penalized by the ESL. Players found cheating outside of the ESL may be barraged on the ESL depending on the evidence available. Note, we do not accept publicly submitted demo or screenshot evidence in these cases. Should it become known to the ESL administrators that any form of cheating was used to the advantage of a player or a team during an ESL match, the ESL reserves the right to punish them to the full extent of the rules available. By breaking any rule a player risks being barred or completely excluded from a specific league or from all leagues. This also includes their team.
The use of programs (or "hacks") or other methods to circumvent, modify or in any way manipulate ESL Anticheat is forbidden. Any use of such programs or methods will be punished as cheating. Even testing of such programs or methods in a match not happening within the ESL will be punished.
Contributing to the distribution of cheats in any way is not allowed on ESL. This includes but is not limited to referring to the name, website or logo of cheats anywhere on ESL, such as player profiles, team profiles, forums, comments, guest book entries, etc.
Violating this rule will be punished from a warning up to exclusion from ESL.
Disqualification from the tournament, results voided, forfeiture of prize money, ban between 2 years and lifetime depending on age and level of player and nature/size of tournament and how the player cheated. Cheating at a professional level (i.e. where qualification for a professional event is at stake) should normally result in a 5 year ban, but, in aggravating circumstances, can result in a lifetime ban.
Engaging in any action that improperly influences the outcome of a game or match by any means.
Results voided, 5 year ban unless significant mitigating factors in line with the ESIC Anti-Corruption Code or, in the presence of aggravating circumstances, a longer ban, forfeiture of prize money and monetary fine (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification).
Any kind of doping is forbidden.
If players have an active prescription for a substance on the WADA list, they have to send proof to the tournament administration before the first day of the tournament (deadline in local time). They may still be subject to a doping test, but a positive result for the prescribed substance will be disregarded.
Mild cases of doping will be punished with a warning and possibly minor penalty points for the participant. Severe cases (i.e. use of drugs containing performance enhancing substances, like Adderall) will punished as followed: Results voided, ban of between 1 and 2 years, forfeiture of prize money (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification).
Bribing or attempting to bribe a referee or organizer or trying to manipulate the competition.
Results voided, ban of between 1 and 2 years, forfeiture of prize money and monetary fine (if discovered before the end of a tournament, disqualification)
For second and subsequent offences, participants should expect far harsher sanctions and in all likelihood a lifetime ban from esports.
An ESL Account can only be created if the user is at least six years old. When registering, each player must provide an up-to-date and correct email address and it is the player’s responsibility to keep this up-to-date. To play in a ladder, a method of contact must be available and visible to all users in your player profile.
Also, the permanent residence must be chosen according to the country he/she is currently living in. Should the country differ from his/her nationality, the player can add an additional flag in the setting.
Each player in the ESL must only have one account! If a player can not access his account and then creates a new one, then he/she must write a support ticket explaining in detail the reason for not being able to access the account.
We reserve the right to edit Nicknames and/or URL aliases, if they fail to comply with the following requirements.
Nicknames/aliases are forbidden if they:
are protected by third-party rights and the user has no written permission
resemble or if they are identical to a brand or trademark, no matter whether it has been
registered or not
resemble or if they are identical to a real person other than themselves
use names of Turtle Entertainment products
resemble or if they are identical to the names of Turtle Entertainment employees
are nonsense
In addition to the above, any nicknames/team names/aliases that are purely commercial (e.g. product names), defamatory, pejorative, offensive, vulgar, obscene, anti-Semitic, inciting hatred, or offending against good manners are forbidden. Using alternative spelling, gibberish or wrong spelling in order to avoid the requirements mentioned above is illegal. We reserve the right to extend, change, exchange or delete these rules if necessary.
It would be nice if a player's photo clearly shows the face of the player, for adding anything else (graphics, other people, other parts of body, etc.) please use the logo function. For anything else please use the gallery. Photos with weapons are not allowed!
A player's country must be set to their country of residence. Deliberately faking the country of residence is punishable.
If a player's country of residence is changed in order to avoid any country restrictions or if the player is trying to fake or abuse they will be punished with 2 penalty points. If the player does so and plays in a team match, the team will get 3 penalty points and the match is deleted.
A player's nationality must be set to their nationality that is proven by a current passport. Deliberately faking nationality is punishable.
Each ESL account is strictly personal and cannot be shared with other ESL users and / or other players that don't have an ESL account. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a ban of up to 6 months.
The original registrant must always be the final user of the account, which cannot be lent or transferred in any case. This will be considered as account sharing or multi account and pursued according to the ESL rules.
A team's name does not have to be unique, but the ESL reserves the right to refuse clans with the same or similar names as a well-known clan (e.g. If you named your team “Schroet Kommando" or “Schroet Commando” etc, that would not be allowed).
Names which are restricted by law will not be accepted and will be deleted and punished with penalty points if found. Also, names which go against all forms of etiquette and good manors will not be accepted.
If a team deletes its account because of a certain amount of active penalty points and registers a new account, the penalty points will be transferred to the new account if the team rejoins the same ladder. Furthermore 1 additional penalty will be added for the attempted deception.
The logo must represent the team and have some reference to the team's name or to the team's short handle. Copyrighted logos, or logos which go against etiquette and good manors will not be accepted.
A team can change its name at any time. This also applies when a team is restructured.
Changing a team's name in order to fool other teams is forbidden. Extremely long names, or consistent changing of team names is prohibited and can be punished with penalty points.
In general, during matches of ESL national sections, at all times in-game a team must have more than 50% of its players that are residing in or have the nationality of the country or countries that the national section represents.
A player may only play for one team in a tournament or league. Participants in an EPS may not also play in the EAS underneath it.
In tournaments or leagues that require Premium or Trusted then only players with this status are eligible to play. In general players that are marked inactive or honorary on a team page are not eligible to play.
If a homepage is required for a tournament or league then a every player that is on the team account must also be on the homepage.
The ESL administration reserves the right to prohibit or remove teams with sponsors or partners that are solely or widely known for pornographic, drug use or other adult/mature themes and products from partaking in ESL Play events at any time.
If a player or team disregards or violates one or more of the rules of the league, this can have various consequences depending on the severity of the offence.
As a rule, the penalty points are deleted after a certain period of time. There are different clearance periods depending on the amount of points:
1-2 penalty points: 2 months
7 penalty points: 6 months
12 penalty points: 2 years
In addition to penalty points, players and teams may be barred (also known as frozen, locked and barraged) if they have accumulated a certain amount of penalty points:
After obtaining 4 penalty points: 1 week barrage
After obtaining 8 penalty points: 2 weeks barrage
After obtaining 10 penalty points: 1 month barrage
Barred players and teams must finish playing their open matches. They cannot challenge nor be challenged. Barred players may not take part in team matches with exception of 2on2 teams.
Penalties (penalty points/barrages/bans) given on ESL subplatforms (e.g. ESL Europe, ESL America) are valid on all ESL subplatforms.
Unless otherwise explicitly permitted, it is not allowed for employees of Turtle Entertainment, its subsidiaries or partners, volunteer or contractor staff or employees that are in some way connected to a respective tournament including sponsors, publishers or game developers, to participate in prize winning tournaments, qualification for prize winning tournaments or pro qualifiers.
Prize winning means any tournaments with physical (e.g. hardware) or money prizes. Those prizes will be offered under the raffle conditions, which regulates claiming and receiving prizes. Tournaments with only virtual ESL awards, such as ESL Premium or awards are exempt.
If in doubt, please contact support.
In general, a player and the team can receive up to 6 penalty points per match, unless a single violation has a higher punishment. A team is only punished once per violation, regardless of how many players. Where a player or team receives penalty points for multiple violations, the penalty points are added together.
Rule violation
Number of penalty points
No show1 Team: 3; Player: 2
Reject compulsory challenge Normal: 1
Intense (top 10): 2
Abort match Player / Team: 2
Use of ineligible player
Inactive barrage Player / Team: 3
Barraged Player / Team: 6
Unregistered player Player / Team: 3
Missing Premium (where required) Player / Team: 3
Missing Trusted (where required) Player / Team: 3
Ringer/Faker Player / Team: 6
Playing with wrong gameaccount Player / Team: 3
Playing without a registered gameaccount Player / Team: 3
Unsportsmanlike behaviour
Multiple/Fake accounts Warning / 1-4 penalty points
Deception Player / Team: 1 - 4
Fake result Player / Team: 4
Fake match media Player / Team: 6
Fake match Player / Team: 6
Cheating Player: 12 / Team: 6
1In cup and league matches default wins are given instead of a match deletion and penalty points.
Matches get only deleted if the team/player violating the rules won the match.
All content appearing in this document is the property of Turtle Entertainment GmbH or is being used with the owner's permission. Unauthorized distribution, duplication, alteration or other use of the material contained in this document, including without limitation any trademark image, drawing, text, likeness or photograph, may constitute a violation of the laws of copyright and trademark and may be prosecuted under criminal and/or civil law.
No part of the content of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system, except for personal use, without the written permissions of Turtle Entertainment GmbH.
All content in this document is accurate to the best of our knowledge. Turtle Entertainment GmbH assumes no liability for any error or omission. We reserve the right to change content and files on our website at any time without prior notice or notification.
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PVA/Veterans
MS/ALS
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PN Online
Bryce Winters gets ready for Kids Day during the 35th Annual NVWG. Photo Christopher DiVirgilio
By John Groth
Department of Veterans Affairs secretary participates in Kids Day at NVWG
Usually, Bryce Winters doesn’t like pictures.
But Tuesday afternoon, the 9-year-old wanted to pose for as many as he could – especially showing off his muscles at the 35th National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) Kids’ Day in Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
“These ones were fun – because they were with my friends, cheerleaders, new friends,” says Winters, who has spina bifida and lives in Burleson, Texas.
Winters, along with other children, bonded with wheelchair veterans, participating in events including basketball, softball and an obstacle course. When they finished, parents, veterans, cheerleaders and Paralyzed Veterans of America staff formed a human tunnel for them to wheel through and cheer their success.
Another big name also joined them Tuesday. This time, it was Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald, who like Evander Holyfield the day before, attended his first NVWG.
McDonald posed for pictures, watched Kids’ Day, along with wheelchair softball, power soccer and wheelchair rugby events.
McDonald was impressed after seeing the veterans interact with children in wheelchairs.
“[I learned] the power of this event to help the veterans physically but also to help them spiritually by realizing they can do a lot more,” McDonald says.
McDonald says he’ll participate in the slalom, a wheelchair obstacle course, on Wednesday.
“I think it’s tougher than the obstacle course I had to do at West Point to graduate,” McDonald says.
McDonald wasn’t the only person to check out Kids Day for the first time. Army veteran Twila Adams participated in her first Kids Day. It will not be her last.
A Charlotte, N.C., resident, Adams, 56, is attending the NVWG for the eighth time – and finally could volunteer for Kids Day. Adams, who served in the Army from 1980-1991 in transportation management, loved helping children in the events and thought it was awesome.
“To see their faces light up, to hear some of them say ‘well, I can’t do that’ and for all of us to rally around and say ‘just try, we got you’ and watch them succeed, it’s amazing,” says Adams, who sustained a C4/C5 injury in a car accident in 1994 in Charlotte and is an incomplete quadriplegic.
Army veteran Dan Rose liked Kids Day so much last year, he volunteered to help out again. Rose, 30, served as a combat engineer from 2003-11. He sustained a T4 injury from an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011.
Rose likes Kids Day because it lets them show the children there’s a whole world of adaptive sports out there and they try to help give them that initial push to compete.
“[I like] just seeing the kids kind of get comfortable with the crowd and everything around and just to see them enjoying themselves and just kind of getting lost in the sport or activity,” says Rose, from Madison, Wis. “It’s awesome just to see them having fun. It’s impossible not to have a good time when you’re doing it with them.”
For more information, visit Wheelchair Games online.
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Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm
Takema Kato, Kouji Yamada, Hidehito Inagaki, Hiroshi Kogo, Tamae Ohye, Beverly S. Emanuel, Hiroki Kurahashi
Division of Molecular Genetics
Faculty of Rehabilitation
Faculty of Medical Technology
We analyzed de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm derived from normal healthy males as a function of the age of the sperm donors (from 25 to 51). Translocation-specific polymerase chain reaction demonstrated no age-dependent increment in the frequency of the rearrangements.
Fertility and Sterility
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
Spermatozoa
Kato, T., Yamada, K., Inagaki, H., Kogo, H., Ohye, T., Emanuel, B. S., & Kurahashi, H. (2007). Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm. Fertility and Sterility, 88(5), 1446-1448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
Kato, Takema ; Yamada, Kouji ; Inagaki, Hidehito ; Kogo, Hiroshi ; Ohye, Tamae ; Emanuel, Beverly S. ; Kurahashi, Hiroki. / Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm. In: Fertility and Sterility. 2007 ; Vol. 88, No. 5. pp. 1446-1448.
@article{f1ed48b89e5c4c3e980c8831688b6bf2,
title = "Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm",
abstract = "We analyzed de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm derived from normal healthy males as a function of the age of the sperm donors (from 25 to 51). Translocation-specific polymerase chain reaction demonstrated no age-dependent increment in the frequency of the rearrangements.",
author = "Takema Kato and Kouji Yamada and Hidehito Inagaki and Hiroshi Kogo and Tamae Ohye and Emanuel, {Beverly S.} and Hiroki Kurahashi",
doi = "10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019",
journal = "Fertility and Sterility",
Kato, T, Yamada, K, Inagaki, H, Kogo, H, Ohye, T, Emanuel, BS & Kurahashi, H 2007, 'Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm', Fertility and Sterility, vol. 88, no. 5, pp. 1446-1448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm. / Kato, Takema; Yamada, Kouji; Inagaki, Hidehito; Kogo, Hiroshi; Ohye, Tamae; Emanuel, Beverly S.; Kurahashi, Hiroki.
In: Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 88, No. 5, 01.11.2007, p. 1446-1448.
T1 - Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm
AU - Kato, Takema
AU - Yamada, Kouji
AU - Inagaki, Hidehito
AU - Kogo, Hiroshi
AU - Ohye, Tamae
AU - Emanuel, Beverly S.
AU - Kurahashi, Hiroki
N2 - We analyzed de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm derived from normal healthy males as a function of the age of the sperm donors (from 25 to 51). Translocation-specific polymerase chain reaction demonstrated no age-dependent increment in the frequency of the rearrangements.
AB - We analyzed de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm derived from normal healthy males as a function of the age of the sperm donors (from 25 to 51). Translocation-specific polymerase chain reaction demonstrated no age-dependent increment in the frequency of the rearrangements.
U2 - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
DO - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
JO - Fertility and Sterility
JF - Fertility and Sterility
Kato T, Yamada K, Inagaki H, Kogo H, Ohye T, Emanuel BS et al. Age has no effect on de novo constitutional t(11;22) translocation frequency in sperm. Fertility and Sterility. 2007 Nov 1;88(5):1446-1448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.019
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Shohel Amin
Associate, Faculty Research Centre for Built & Natural Environment
Lecturer, School of Energy, Construction and Environment
The stochastic modeling of the turning decision by left-turning vehicles at a signalized intersection in a university campus
Amin, M. S. R. & Alecsandru, C., 1 Jan 2015, Numerical Methods for Reliability and Safety Assessment: Multiscale and Multiphysics Systems. Kadry, S. & El Hami, A. (eds.). 1 ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing, p. 707-720 14 p.
Stochastic Modeling
A performance-based Pavement Management System for the road network of Montreal city—a conceptual framework
Amin, S. & Amador, L., 2014, Asphalt Pavements. Kim, Y. R. (ed.). London: CRC Press, Vol. 1. p. 233–244 12 p.
Pavement overlays
Patient rehabilitation
The Pavement Performance Modeling: Deterministic vs Stochastic Approaches
Amin, M. S. R., 28 Aug 2014, Numerical Methods for Reliability and Safety Assessment: Multiscale and Multiphysics Systems. Kadry, S. & El Hami, A. (eds.). 1 ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing, p. 179-196 18 p.
Measurement errors
Deterioration
Contact Shohel Amin
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Mancini out, stadium wide WiFi in
Home > Blogs > Purple WiFi > Mancini out, stadium wide WiFi in
As Roberto Mancini departs Manchester City FC, there is a new arrival in the shape of stadium wide WiFi for its supporters.
Following close on the heels of the announcement by Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC is rolling out high-density WiFi at its Etihad stadium, allowing fans to use their mobile devices to surf the web and to share their live event experiences.
In the coming weeks, the 47,000-seat stadium will be wired up with Cisco’s Connected Stadium Wi-Fi solution. The high-density WiFi network will be delivered by mobile operator O2, which will equip the Etihad Stadium with technology that significantly improves mobile phone connectivity, allowing fans to make calls and send text messages without interruption.
Fans will also be able to use the service to surf the web on their mobile phones and share their live event experiences or to interact with football fans around the world via social media platforms.
“We’re a Club that is passionate about innovation and which prides itself on constantly looking for ways to enhance our supporters’ experience at the Etihad Stadium.” said Tom Glick, Chief Commercial & Operating Officer for Manchester City Football Club.
“Live games and concerts are highly enjoyable social events and we are delighted to be able to offer supporters a system that allows them to better utilise their own mobile devices when at the Stadium.
Given one of the key benefits is social media engagement, I feel the addition of a social Wi-Fi layer would offer significant incremental benefits here; the fan benefits from a better user experience of easy login, no new passwords to remember and the club gains a more insight about its fans and visitors as well as increased exposure (through Likes/Follows and Posts) via its social media channels.
There are a huge number of opportunities offered by providing in-stadium WiFi from sponsorship of the splash page login, at seat ordering, betting, ‘in the moment’ engagement and most importantly, the added intelligence about the fan base and just as importantly non-match day visitors. Strong WiFi Analytics are essential to really understand what fans are doing on-line as well movement around the stadium, dwell times in particular areas and recency and frequency of visitors.
Of course, Stadium WiFi requires significant investment so maximising the opportunities and return on investment to the club and its partners is critical to make it viable. This is a good win for Cisco/O2 and it is clear that more clubs will follow. Will they realise the full potential? We shall have to wait and see.
Written by Dave Musgrove on 13/05/2013
Categories: Purple WiFi
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10 Biggest Rock + Metal Loudwire Videos of 2019
Loudwire / YouTube
Thank you so much for making 2019 the most successful year in Loudwire YouTube history. Beyond our back catalog of videos getting a steady stream of views, we had a batch of new clips break a million views as segments such as Gear Factor, Wiki Fact or Fiction and Loud Lists gave Loudwire 200 million video views this year.
Let’s break down our biggest videos of 2019, as watched by you!
Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale Plays Her Favorite Riffs
At the 2019 Louder Than Life festival, Gear Factor host Squiggy caught up with Lzzy Hale, frontwoman for Loudwire’s Rock Artist of the Decade Halestorm. Playing through her Friedman rig, Lzzy took us through riffs from artists such as Black Sabbath, Slash and Joan Jett along with her own band.
Sum 41 React to Their Classic Music Videos
Sum 41’s early music videos bring a feeling of nostalgia that rivals even Blink-182. With a notable resurgence coming from their 2019 album, Out for Blood, Sum 41 took some time to look back, dropping by Loudwire Studios to watch “In Too Deep,” “Still Waiting,” “Fat Lip” and more from their two-decade videography. The guys even revealed Rodney Dangerfield was offered a role in “In Too Deep,” how they filmed “Pain for Pleasure” by accident and more.
Why’s Rammstein So Popular?
With the release of Rammstein’s “Deutschland,” the German band laid claim to the biggest metal video of the year and, arguably, the best one of the decade. With over 91 million views in just eight months, some still question why the band is so massive, so we sought to answer that query. If you don’t “get” Rammstein, check out our 10-point argument on exactly why the metal legends are filling stadiums worldwide.
10 Times Musicians Outclassed Interviewers
An “interview gone wrong” remains a guilty pleasure on YouTube. 99.9 percent of talks with artists go well, but the odd confrontational chat can often be far more entertaining. Whether it’s Marilyn Manson explaining away a fear-mongering Bill O’Reilly or Chris Cornell defending the “noise” of Soundgarden in the early ‘90s, the musicians won these exchanges. If you want to see it go the other way, however, check out this video. Fun Fact: 10 Times Marilyn Manson Outclassed Interviewers is the first Loudwire video to get over 10 million views on YouTube.
10 Hilarious Security Guard Reactions to Music
With reaction videos somehow getting even bigger in 2019, unsuspecting security guards became living memes thanks to YouTube. It all started with one guard’s unspoken hatred for Dance Gavin Dance, which was hilariously caught on film earlier this year. Of course, that led to us making a Loud List compilation of other security guards either rocking out to music or looking like they smelled a wet fart.
10 Times Joey Jordison Was the Best Drummer on Earth
Joey Jordison may no longer be a member of Slipknot, but his legacy is firmly in tact. The legendary percussionist brought an undisputed technicality to ‘90s nu-metal, inspiring a generation of young artists who wanted more than simple grooves. Joey remains one of the few metal musicians beloved by the masses and respected by metal purists thanks to his overwhelming skill and masterful compositions. You can find more speed freaks in our extremely popular 10 Stupidly Fast Drummers and 10 Stupidly Fast Bassists Loud Lists.
The Doors’ Robby Krieger Plays His Favorite Riffs
At NAMM 2019, we ran into a true guitar icon, The Doors’ Robby Kreiger. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was kind enough to plug in his SG for us and explain his history through riffs. Kreiger went through classic riffs from Elvis and a host of Doors tracks. He even explained that he chose the Gibson SG model because, “I was on an acid trip one time and it reminded me of the Devil.”
Steve-O - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?
Of our many interview guests in 2019, Jackass legend Steve-O was our very biggest. In the return of ‘Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?’ host and Loudwire OG Graham Hartmann went through the stuntman’s full online history, proving and disproving what was written about Steve on Wikipedia. The episode has almost two million views in just four months and an additional video on how Steve-O got sober, and stayed sober, has nearly a million itself.
Top 10 Rock Star 'Simpsons' Cameos
Who would’ve guessed so many people liked The Simpsons? After all, it’s probably the most successful and iconic TV show of all time. Throughout the decades, TV’s favorite yellow family have run into countless rock stars, so we counted down the 10 best moments. But which cameo took the No. 1 spot?
Top 10 Craziest Slipknot Moments
Looks like we’re not the only ones who love Slipknot! Our biggest video of the year is our Loud List compilation of insane Slipknot moments. If you’re into the masked nine setting each other on fire, passing out onstage, breaking bones, performing massive stage dives and jumping the fuck up, you’ve gotta join the 2+ million maggots who have watched the craziest Slipknot moments ever. Be sure to check out Rammstein’s craziest moments as well.
2020’s Most Anticipated Rock + Metal Albums
Source: 10 Biggest Rock + Metal Loudwire Videos of 2019
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Branch&Rank for Efficient Object Detection
International Journal of Computer Vision, Springer, December 2013 (article)
Ranking hypothesis sets is a powerful concept for efficient object detection. In this work, we propose a branch&rank scheme that detects objects with often less than 100 ranking operations. This efficiency enables the use of strong and also costly classifiers like non-linear SVMs with RBF-TeX kernels. We thereby relieve an inherent limitation of branch&bound methods as bounds are often not tight enough to be effective in practice. Our approach features three key components: a ranking function that operates on sets of hypotheses and a grouping of these into different tasks. Detection efficiency results from adaptively sub-dividing the object search space into decreasingly smaller sets. This is inherited from branch&bound, while the ranking function supersedes a tight bound which is often unavailable (except for rather limited function classes). The grouping makes the system effective: it separates image classification from object recognition, yet combines them in a single formulation, phrased as a structured SVM problem. A novel aspect of branch&rank is that a better ranking function is expected to decrease the number of classifier calls during detection. We use the VOC’07 dataset to demonstrate the algorithmic properties of branch&rank.
Lehmann, A., Gehler, P., VanGool, L. Branch&Rank for Efficient Object Detection International Journal of Computer Vision, Springer, December 2013 (article)
Extracting Postural Synergies for Robotic Grasping
Romero, J., Feix, T., Ek, C., Kjellstrom, H., Kragic, D.
Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 29(6):1342-1352, December 2013 (article)
Romero, J., Feix, T., Ek, C., Kjellstrom, H., Kragic, D. Extracting Postural Synergies for Robotic Grasping Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 29(6):1342-1352, December 2013 (article)
Markov Random Field Modeling, Inference & Learning in Computer Vision & Image Understanding: A Survey
Wang, C., Komodakis, N., Paragios, N.
Computer Vision and Image Understanding (CVIU), 117(11):1610-1627, November 2013 (article)
In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of Markov Random Fields (MRFs) in computer vision and image understanding, with respect to the modeling, the inference and the learning. While MRFs were introduced into the computer vision field about two decades ago, they started to become a ubiquitous tool for solving visual perception problems around the turn of the millennium following the emergence of efficient inference methods. During the past decade, a variety of MRF models as well as inference and learning methods have been developed for addressing numerous low, mid and high-level vision problems. While most of the literature concerns pairwise MRFs, in recent years we have also witnessed significant progress in higher-order MRFs, which substantially enhances the expressiveness of graph-based models and expands the domain of solvable problems. This survey provides a compact and informative summary of the major literature in this research topic.
Wang, C., Komodakis, N., Paragios, N. Markov Random Field Modeling, Inference & Learning in Computer Vision & Image Understanding: A Survey Computer Vision and Image Understanding (CVIU), 117(11):1610-1627, November 2013 (article)
Multi-robot cooperative spherical-object tracking in 3D space based on particle filters
Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 61(10):1084-1093, October 2013 (article)
This article presents a cooperative approach for tracking a moving spherical object in 3D space by a team of mobile robots equipped with sensors, in a highly dynamic environment. The tracker’s core is a particle filter, modified to handle, within a single unified framework, the problem of complete or partial occlusion for some of the involved mobile sensors, as well as inconsistent estimates in the global frame among sensors, due to observation errors and/or self-localization uncertainty. We present results supporting our approach by applying it to a team of real soccer robots tracking a soccer ball, including comparison with ground truth.
Ahmad, A., Lima, P. Multi-robot cooperative spherical-object tracking in 3D space based on particle filters Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 61(10):1084-1093, October 2013 (article)
Vision meets Robotics: The KITTI Dataset
Geiger, A., Lenz, P., Stiller, C., Urtasun, R.
International Journal of Robotics Research, 32(11):1231 - 1237 , Sage Publishing, September 2013 (article)
We present a novel dataset captured from a VW station wagon for use in mobile robotics and autonomous driving research. In total, we recorded 6 hours of traffic scenarios at 10-100 Hz using a variety of sensor modalities such as high-resolution color and grayscale stereo cameras, a Velodyne 3D laser scanner and a high-precision GPS/IMU inertial navigation system. The scenarios are diverse, capturing real-world traffic situations and range from freeways over rural areas to inner-city scenes with many static and dynamic objects. Our data is calibrated, synchronized and timestamped, and we provide the rectified and raw image sequences. Our dataset also contains object labels in the form of 3D tracklets and we provide online benchmarks for stereo, optical flow, object detection and other tasks. This paper describes our recording platform, the data format and the utilities that we provide.
Geiger, A., Lenz, P., Stiller, C., Urtasun, R. Vision meets Robotics: The KITTI Dataset International Journal of Robotics Research, 32(11):1231 - 1237 , Sage Publishing, September 2013 (article)
Visualizing dimensionality reduction of systems biology data
Lehrmann, A. M., Huber, M., Polatkan, A. C., Pritzkau, A., Nieselt, K.
Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 1(27):146-165, Springer, July 2013 (article)
pdf SpRay [BibTex]
Lehrmann, A. M., Huber, M., Polatkan, A. C., Pritzkau, A., Nieselt, K. Visualizing dimensionality reduction of systems biology data Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 1(27):146-165, Springer, July 2013 (article)
Unscented Kalman Filtering on Riemannian Manifolds
Soren Hauberg, Francois Lauze, Kim S. Pedersen
Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision, 46(1):103-120, Springer Netherlands, May 2013 (article)
Soren Hauberg, Francois Lauze, Kim S. Pedersen Unscented Kalman Filtering on Riemannian Manifolds Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision, 46(1):103-120, Springer Netherlands, May 2013 (article)
Simultaneous Cast Shadows, Illumination and Geometry Inference Using Hypergraphs
IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI), 35(2):437-449, 2013 (article)
Panagopoulos, A., Wang, C., Samaras, D., Paragios, N. Simultaneous Cast Shadows, Illumination and Geometry Inference Using Hypergraphs IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI), 35(2):437-449, 2013 (article)
Modeling Shapes with Higher-Order Graphs: Theory and Applications
Wang, C., Zeng, Y., Samaras, D., Paragios, N.
In Shape Perception in Human and Computer Vision: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, (Editors: Zygmunt Pizlo and Sven Dickinson), Springer, 2013 (incollection)
Publishers site [BibTex]
Wang, C., Zeng, Y., Samaras, D., Paragios, N. Modeling Shapes with Higher-Order Graphs: Theory and Applications In Shape Perception in Human and Computer Vision: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, (Editors: Zygmunt Pizlo and Sven Dickinson), Springer, 2013 (incollection)
Random Forests for Real Time 3D Face Analysis
Fanelli, G., Dantone, M., Gall, J., Fossati, A., van Gool, L.
International Journal of Computer Vision, 101(3):437-458, Springer, 2013 (article)
We present a random forest-based framework for real time head pose estimation from depth images and extend it to localize a set of facial features in 3D. Our algorithm takes a voting approach, where each patch extracted from the depth image can directly cast a vote for the head pose or each of the facial features. Our system proves capable of handling large rotations, partial occlusions, and the noisy depth data acquired using commercial sensors. Moreover, the algorithm works on each frame independently and achieves real time performance without resorting to parallel computations on a GPU. We present extensive experiments on publicly available, challenging datasets and present a new annotated head pose database recorded using a Microsoft Kinect.
data and code publisher's site pdf DOI Project Page [BibTex]
Fanelli, G., Dantone, M., Gall, J., Fossati, A., van Gool, L. Random Forests for Real Time 3D Face Analysis International Journal of Computer Vision, 101(3):437-458, Springer, 2013 (article)
Markerless Motion Capture of Multiple Characters Using Multi-view Image Segmentation
Liu, Y., Gall, J., Stoll, C., Dai, Q., Seidel, H., Theobalt, C.
Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 35(11):2720-2735, 2013 (article)
Capturing the skeleton motion and detailed time-varying surface geometry of multiple, closely interacting peoples is a very challenging task, even in a multicamera setup, due to frequent occlusions and ambiguities in feature-to-person assignments. To address this task, we propose a framework that exploits multiview image segmentation. To this end, a probabilistic shape and appearance model is employed to segment the input images and to assign each pixel uniquely to one person. Given the articulated template models of each person and the labeled pixels, a combined optimization scheme, which splits the skeleton pose optimization problem into a local one and a lower dimensional global one, is applied one by one to each individual, followed with surface estimation to capture detailed nonrigid deformations. We show on various sequences that our approach can capture the 3D motion of humans accurately even if they move rapidly, if they wear wide apparel, and if they are engaged in challenging multiperson motions, including dancing, wrestling, and hugging.
data and video pdf DOI Project Page [BibTex]
Liu, Y., Gall, J., Stoll, C., Dai, Q., Seidel, H., Theobalt, C. Markerless Motion Capture of Multiple Characters Using Multi-view Image Segmentation Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 35(11):2720-2735, 2013 (article)
Viewpoint and pose in body-form adaptation
Sekunova, A., Black, M., Parkinson, L., Barton, J. J. S.
Perception, 42(2):176-186, 2013 (article)
Faces and bodies are complex structures, perception of which can play important roles in person identification and inference of emotional state. Face representations have been explored using behavioural adaptation: in particular, studies have shown that face aftereffects show relatively broad tuning for viewpoint, consistent with origin in a high-level structural descriptor far removed from the retinal image. Our goals were to determine first, if body aftereffects also showed a degree of viewpoint invariance, and second if they also showed pose invariance, given that changes in pose create even more dramatic changes in the 2-D retinal image. We used a 3-D model of the human body to generate headless body images, whose parameters could be varied to generate different body forms, viewpoints, and poses. In the first experiment, subjects adapted to varying viewpoints of either slim or heavy bodies in a neutral stance, followed by test stimuli that were all front-facing. In the second experiment, we used the same front-facing bodies in neutral stance as test stimuli, but compared adaptation from bodies in the same neutral stance to adaptation with the same bodies in different poses. We found that body aftereffects were obtained over substantial viewpoint changes, with no significant decline in aftereffect magnitude with increasing viewpoint difference between adapting and test images. Aftereffects also showed transfer across one change in pose but not across another. We conclude that body representations may have more viewpoint invariance than faces, and demonstrate at least some transfer across pose, consistent with a high-level structural description. Keywords: aftereffect, shape, face, representation
pdf from publisher abstract pdf link (url) Project Page [BibTex]
Sekunova, A., Black, M., Parkinson, L., Barton, J. J. S. Viewpoint and pose in body-form adaptation Perception, 42(2):176-186, 2013 (article)
Class-Specific Hough Forests for Object Detection
Gall, J., Lempitsky, V.
In Decision Forests for Computer Vision and Medical Image Analysis, pages: 143-157, 11, (Editors: Criminisi, A. and Shotton, J.), Springer, 2013 (incollection)
code Project Page [BibTex]
Gall, J., Lempitsky, V. Class-Specific Hough Forests for Object Detection In Decision Forests for Computer Vision and Medical Image Analysis, pages: 143-157, 11, (Editors: Criminisi, A. and Shotton, J.), Springer, 2013 (incollection)
Image Gradient Based Level Set Methods in 2D and 3D
Xianhua Xie, Si Yong Yeo, Majid Mirmehdi, Igor Sazonov, Perumal Nithiarasu
In Deformation Models: Tracking, Animation and Applications, pages: 101-120, 0, (Editors: Manuel González Hidalgo and Arnau Mir Torres and Javier Varona Gómez), Springer, 2013 (inbook)
This chapter presents an image gradient based approach to perform 2D and 3D deformable model segmentation using level set. The 2D method uses an external force field that is based on magnetostatics and hypothesized magnetic interactions between the active contour and object boundaries. The major contribution of the method is that the interaction of its forces can greatly improve the active contour in capturing complex geometries and dealing with difficult initializations, weak edges and broken boundaries. This method is then generalized to 3D by reformulating its external force based on geometrical interactions between the relative geometries of the deformable model and the object boundary characterized by image gradient. The evolution of the deformable model is solved using the level set method so that topological changes are handled automatically. The relative geometrical configurations between the deformable model and the object boundaries contribute to a dynamic vector force field that changes accordingly as the deformable model evolves. The geometrically induced dynamic interaction force has been shown to greatly improve the deformable model performance in acquiring complex geometries and highly concave boundaries, and it gives the deformable model a high invariancy in initialization configurations. The voxel interactions across the whole image domain provide a global view of the object boundary representation, giving the external force a long attraction range. The bidirectionality of the external force field allows the new deformable model to deal with arbitrary cross-boundary initializations, and facilitates the handling of weak edges and broken boundaries.
Xianhua Xie, Si Yong Yeo, Majid Mirmehdi, Igor Sazonov, Perumal Nithiarasu Image Gradient Based Level Set Methods in 2D and 3D In Deformation Models: Tracking, Animation and Applications, pages: 101-120, 0, (Editors: Manuel González Hidalgo and Arnau Mir Torres and Javier Varona Gómez), Springer, 2013 (inbook)
Non-parametric hand pose estimation with object context
Romero, J., Kjellström, H., Ek, C. H., Kragic, D.
Image and Vision Computing , 31(8):555 - 564, 2013 (article)
In the spirit of recent work on contextual recognition and estimation, we present a method for estimating the pose of human hands, employing information about the shape of the object in the hand. Despite the fact that most applications of human hand tracking involve grasping and manipulation of objects, the majority of methods in the literature assume a free hand, isolated from the surrounding environment. Occlusion of the hand from grasped objects does in fact often pose a severe challenge to the estimation of hand pose. In the presented method, object occlusion is not only compensated for, it contributes to the pose estimation in a contextual fashion; this without an explicit model of object shape. Our hand tracking method is non-parametric, performing a nearest neighbor search in a large database (.. entries) of hand poses with and without grasped objects. The system that operates in real time, is robust to self occlusions, object occlusions and segmentation errors, and provides full hand pose reconstruction from monocular video. Temporal consistency in hand pose is taken into account, without explicitly tracking the hand in the high-dim pose space. Experiments show the non-parametric method to outperform other state of the art regression methods, while operating at a significantly lower computational cost than comparable model-based hand tracking methods.
Publisher site pdf link (url) [BibTex]
Romero, J., Kjellström, H., Ek, C. H., Kragic, D. Non-parametric hand pose estimation with object context Image and Vision Computing , 31(8):555 - 564, 2013 (article)
Recognizing human motion using parameterized models of optical flow
Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y., Ju, X. S.
In Motion-Based Recognition, pages: 245-269, (Editors: Mubarak Shah and Ramesh Jain,), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA, 1997 (incollection)
Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y., Ju, X. S. Recognizing human motion using parameterized models of optical flow In Motion-Based Recognition, pages: 245-269, (Editors: Mubarak Shah and Ramesh Jain,), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA, 1997 (incollection)
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Cascading Process to Improve Forecasting and Warning Services
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The World Weather Watch Present and Future Perspectives
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Science takes centre-stage at COP24
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WMO climate statement: past 4 years warmest on record
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The long-term warming trend has continued in 2018, with the average global temperature set to be the fourth highest on record. The 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years, with the top four in the past four years, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Other tell-tale signs of climate change, including sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification and sea-ice and glacier melt continue, whilst extreme weather left a trail of devastation on all continents, according to the WMO provisional Statement on the State of the Climate in 2018. It includes details of...
COP24 action on Climate and Health
Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement could save about a million lives a year worldwide by 2050 through reductions in air pollution alone, and the value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at global level, according to a new report from the World Health Organization.
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Climate science and action showcased at COP24
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Climate science took centre stage as the annual United Nations climate change negotiations, which heard repeated calls for action to rein in global temperature increases or risk irreversible impacts.
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Global CO2 emissions are expected to rise by more than 2% in 2018 because of renewed growth in coal use, and continued growth in oil and gas use, according to the latest data from the Global Carbon Budget. Emissions rose 1.6% in 2017 after a temporary slowdown from 2014 to 2016, according to the Global Carbon Project. This year’s publication included contributions from 76 scientists from 53 research institutions, including from the World Climate Research Programme community.
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The annual United Nations climate change conference has opened with calls for urgent action to prevent runaway climate change and devastating impacts for the planet.
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El Niño/La Niña Update
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El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicators in the tropical Pacific have generally remained at neutral levels into the early part of the second quarter of 2014; however, though it is still too early to assess the strength of any such event, a majority of models indicate that an El Niño may develop around the middle of the year.
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The March 2013 Cold Wave Over Europe
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An Orbituary for Jean-Michel Lefèvre
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The Indian Ocean Data Rescue Initiative
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Ingrid and Manuel Retired
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The Pronk Pops Show 393, January 5, 2015, Story 1: Dallas Cowboys Win 24 -20 Over Detroit, Dallas Citizens Pockets Picked By City five-cent environmental fee for each single-use bag — plastic and paper bags! — It Is A Tax Stupid — Vote Out of Office All Representatives Who Passed This Tax — Videos
Posted on January 5, 2015. Filed under: American History, Baseball, Basketball, Blogroll, Books, Budgetary Policy, Business, Cereal, City, College, Communications, Corruption, Crime, Diets, Disasters, Economics, Education, Employment, Environment, Federal Government, Food, Football, Government, Government Spending, History, Investments, Language, Law, Media, Milk, Nutrition, Philosophy, Photos, Politics, Radio, Resources, Scandals, Sports, Success, Tax Policy, Taxation, Taxes, Unemployment, United States Constitution, Videos, Wealth, Wisdom | Tags: 5 Cent Tax Per Bag, 5 January 2014, An Inconvenient tax, Bag Tax, Ban on Plastic Bags, City of Dallas, Dallas, Dallas City Council, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Texas, Democrats, Environment, Garbage, Green Dallas, Green Movement, James Delingpole, Jerry Jones, Litter, Mind Your Own Business, Paper Bags, Paper of Plastic, picking people’s pockets, Plastic Ban, Plastic or Paper, Progressives, Raymond Thomas Pronk, Richland Chronicle, Richland College, Single Use Bag, Texas, The Pronk Pops Show 393, Waste, Water melons, Watermelons: The Green Movement's True Colors |
Pronk Pops Show 379: November 26, 2014
Pronk Pops Show 366: November 7, 2014
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Story 1: Dallas Cowboys Win 24 -20 Over Detroit, Dallas Citizens Pockets Picked By City five-cent environmental fee for each single-use bag — plastic and paper bags! — It Is A Tax Stupid — Vote Out of Office All Representatives Who Passed This Tax — Videos
An Inconvenient tax: picking people’s pockets
By Raymond Thomas Pronk
Warning, when you check out, be on the lookout for pickpockets.
The latest green movement cause du jour is the banning or taxing of disposable plastic and paper bags. These laws or city ordinances are designed to nudge or coerce customers to bring their own reusable tote bag when they shop for groceries and other merchandise.
A number of United States cities including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Austin and now unfortunately Dallas have either banned or taxed disposable plastic and/or paper bags or so-called “single-use carryout bags.” According to the Earth Policy Institute, over 20 million people are currently covered by 132 city and county plastic bag bans or fee ordinances in the U.S.
For decades most American and European businesses have provided their customers bags, at no additional charge, to carryout and transport their purchase. In the 1980s businesses began to give their customers a choice of paper or plastic.
On March 26, 2014, the Dallas City Council passed an 8 to 6 City Ordinance No. 29307. It requires business establishments that provide their customers “single-use carryout bags” to register with the city annually each location providing these bags and charge their customers an “environment fee” of 5 cents per bag to promote a “culture of clean” and “to protect the natural environment, the economy and the health of its residences.”
Give me a break. It is a new tax to raise millions in new tax revenue for the City of Dallas. Who are the elected Dallas-8 council member watermelons (green on the outside, red on the inside) that ordained this tax on the people and businesses of Dallas? The names of the Dallas-8 are Tennell Atkins, Carolyn R. Davis, Scott Griggs, Adam Medrano, Dwaine R. Caraway, Sandy Greyson, Philip T. Kingston, and Mayor Mike Rawlings.
The Dallas-8 are led by council member Caraway, who wanted to completely ban plastic and paper single-use carryout bags. Instead they decided to shake down Dallas businesses and their customers with a new highly regressive tax. Caraway refuses to call it a tax and claims the new ordinance which went in effect on January 1 is “a ban with a fee, such as other cities are doing across the United States.”
The eight-page ordinance includes the definition and standards that reusable carryout bags must satisfy: “A reusable carryout bag must meet the minimum reuse testing standard of 100 reuses carrying 16 pound.” Reusable bags may be made of cloth, washable fabric, durable materials, recyclable plastic with a minimum thickness of 4.0 mil or recyclable paper that contains a minimum of 40 percent recycled content.
All of the above reusable bags must have handles with the exception of small bags with a height of less than 14 inches and a width of less than 8 inches.
Business establishments can either provide or sell reusable carryout bags to its customer or to any person.
The city ordinance exempts some bags from the single-use carryout definition including:
Plastic bags used for produce, meats, nuts, grains and other bulk items inside grocery or other retail stores,
Single-use plastic bags used by restaurants to take away prepared food only where necessary to prevent moisture damage from soups, sauces, gravies or dressings,
Recyclable paper bags used by restaurants to take away prepared food,
Recyclable paper bags from pharmacies or veterinarians for prescription drugs,
Laundry, dry cleaning or garment bags,
Biodegradable door-hanger and newspaper bags, and
Bags for trash, yard debris and pet waste.
The Dallas 5 cent paper and plastic bag tax or environment fee applies only to single-use carryout bags defined as bags not meeting the requirements of a reusable bag.
Businesses that violate the ordinance can be fined up to a maximum of $500 per day.
Lee Califf, executive director of the American Progressive Bag Alliance, a bag manufacturing group, said “This legislation applies to a product that is less than 0.5 percent of municipal waste in the United States and typically less than 1 percent of litter in studies conducted across the country;” “Placing a fee on a product with such a minuscule contribution to the waste and litter streams will not help the environment: but it will cost Dallas consumers millions more per year on their grocery bills, while hurting small business and threatening the livelihoods of the 4,500 Texans who work in the plastic bag and recycling industry.”
Stop the shakedown of Dallas businesses and their customers. Repeal the inconvenient tax on paper and plastic disposable bags by voting out of office the Dallas-8 city council members who voted for this tax, Dwaine Caraway. Support your Texas state representatives in passing a new law that would prohibit cities such as Dallas and Austin from banning or taxing paper and plastic carryout bags.
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Carryout Bag Ordinance
Disponible en español NEW⇒Tiếng Việt
On January 1, 2015, the Carryout Bag Ordinance will start in Dallas.
Retailers offering single-use bags to customers must:
Register ELECTRONICALLY HERE; works best on Chrome or Firefox (if you need to register using a paper form via USPS, clickhere)
Assess a five-cent environmental fee for each single-use bag; the environmental fee is not subject to sales tax
Print total number of bags and fee on each receipt
Keep records available for inspectors
Post signs in controlled parking lots reminding customers to bring their bags
Post signs in the store, within six feet of each register, per the ordinance SAMPLE HERE
The full link to the Code Compliance carryout bag website, with forms and additional information, is here
Retailers offering only reusable bags, as defined by the ordinance, have different requirements.
All retailers should look at their operations and determine if their bags are single-use, reusable, or exempted from the single-use definition. Consult the full ordinance for all details pertaining to the ordinance and what is expected for each type of bag including thickness, language on the bag, durability, signage, and other considerations.
Customers, you are encouraged to bring your bagand keep your change.Single-use carryout bags have a five-cent per bag environmental fee. A single-use bag can be paper or plastic.Reusable bags do not have the environmental fee, though stores may charge you to offset costs. Reusable bags stores offer can be made from cloth or other washable woven materials, recyclable paper, or recyclable plastic so long as they meet certain requirements. However, any bag you bring with you to use is considered reusable since you are reusing it.There are some bags that are exempted from the single-use bag definition:
Laundry, dry cleaning or garment bags;
Biodegradable door-hanger and newspaper bags;
Bags for trash, yard debris or pet waste;
Plastic bags used for produce, meats, nuts, grains and other bulk items inside grocery or other retail stores;
Recyclable paper bags from pharmacies or veterinarians for prescription drugs; and,
Recyclable paper bags used by restaurants to take away prepared food.
Single-use plastic bags used by restaurants to take away prepared food only where necessary to prevent moisture damage from soups, sauces, gravies or dressings.
Remember to recycle the bags you can recycle appropriately.
Many wonder why the City passed this ordinance. The Dallas City Council passed the ordinance to help improve the environment and keep our city clean. The City is currently spending nearly $4 million dollars to remove litter from our community to keep it beautiful and thriving.
The Carryout Bag ordinance is intended to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags to carry goods from stores, restaurants, and other locations to reduce the number of bags that can end up loose in the environment as litter.
To help you understand, we have created this list of frequently asked question.
The carryout bag ordinance outlines the City’s “desire to protect the natural environment, the economy and the health of its residents,” and the “negative impact on the environment caused by improper disposal of single-use carryout bags.” The Dallas City Council approved the ordinance on March 26, 2014.
The ordinance takes effect on January 1, 2015.
Retailers and customers should be ready and know all the details. This website and the City’s Code Compliance Services website have details to help retailers prepare. The links to the Code website on DallasCityHall.com are below.
Some are still unclear how the ordinance may impact them.
Businesses will have to register each location with the City in order to offer single-use bags. No registration is necessary if a business is only offering reusable bags or bags that are exempted from the single-use bag definition in the ordinance. Businesses must be registered before distributing single-use carryout bags starting January 1, 2015. Businesses are required to collect a five-cent environmental fee for every single-use bag used by a customer.
Customers will be charged a five-cent environmental fee for each single-use bag, paper or plastic, they receive from retailers. Again, reusable bags and bags exempted from the definition of single-use bags do not carry the environmental fee. You can avoid the environmental fee by bringing your own bags with you. The five cent fee assessed for the single-use bag is not subject to sales tax.
Will I still be able to get plastic carryout bags?
Yes, provided your retailer chooses to offer them and collect the environmental fee.
Can I bring my own reusable bags to carry out items I purchased?
Yes. Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags to carry out their items instead of paying the five-cent environmental fee per single-use plastic or paper bag.
If I reuse a single-use carryout bag, will I have to pay the fee again?
Whatever bag you bring — tote bag, golf bag, diaper bag, satchel, purse, or produce bag — if you bring it with you to reuse, you do not have to pay the environmental fee.
A portion of the fees will be used to pay for enforcement of the ordinance and for public education efforts. Stores keep 10 percent of the five-cent fee to help offset administrative costs.
Does this ordinance apply to all businesses?
All retailers that offer single-use carryout bags in Dallas are subject to this ordinance.
What about non-profits or charities?
If the non-profit or charity offers food, groceries, clothing, or other household items free of charge to clients, they may still use single-use carryout bags for the specific function of distributing those items. However, the ordinance will apply to any bags used at the point of sale for any goods sold through the non-profit or charity.
Additionally, any non-profit or charity that collects goods for donation from the public or which leaves informational material for the public must be sure any door-hanger bags left for collecting those goods or providing that informational material are biodegradable.
Does the ordinance include all bags?
The ordinance applies to single-use paper or plastic carryout bags used by businesses as defined in the ordinance language.
What if businesses don’t follow the ordinance?
Businesses that violate the ordinance could face fines of up to $500 per day.
How will the ordinance be enforced?
City Code Compliance inspectors will respond to complaints and provide proactive enforcement.
How can the City know if businesses aren’t complying with the law? Will they be doing more inspections?
There will be proactive enforcement and periodic audits. Additionally, the City will respond to complaints from residents.
Will the ban on single-use bags at city facilities apply to retailers at American Airlines Center, city museums, the Omni Dallas Hotel, and Fair Park?
Yes. The City Attorney’s Office will work with Code Enforcement to determine which facilities are affected and how.
Whom should I contact if I have additional questions?
Call 3-1-1, the Office of Environmental Quality, Code Compliance or email us atgreendallas@dallascityhall.com.
NEW⇒ Where can I find the forms?
Forms and more information are available on the Code Compliance website dedicated to the Carryout Bag Ordinance here.
http://greendallas.net/carryout-bag-ordinance/
Dallas City Council OK’s fee-based ordinance that says retailers must charge five cents for carryout bags
Robert Wilonsky Follow @RobertWilonsky Email rwilonsky@dallasnews.com
Published: March 26, 2014 12:02 pm
For months Dwaine Caraway has insisted he had the votes to pass at least a partial ban on the single-use carryout bag. He was right: By a vote of 8-6 the Dallas City Council passed the so-called “environmental fee ordinance,” which bans single-use carryout bags at all city facilities and events while still allowing retailers to use plastic and paper bags.
But beginning January 1 retailers will have to charge customers who want them “an environmental fee” of five cents per bag, and they will get to keep 10 percent of that money. The ordinance also says retailers who want to keep handing out plastic and paper bags will have to register with the city and keep track of bags sold.
The city says the money raised from the bag fees will help go toward funding enforcement and education efforts that assistant city manager Jill Jordan told the council could cost around $250,000 and necessitate the hiring of up to 12 additional staff members.
Wednesday’s vote came a year after council member Dwaine Caraway asked the city attorney to draft an ordinance that completely banned the bag. The council member says the ordinance passed today was a compromise born out of “a fair process” that included environmentalists, bag manufactures and retailers. Several of his colleagues wanted to send the proposed ordinances back to committee for further debate. But Caraway wanted a vote now.
“You get to a point where it’s time to make decisions, decisions that will have a great impact on the city of Dallas and our environmental status … and the beautification of our city,” he said. The process has “been pretty tough. it’s been back and forth. We listened and listened fairly.”
But six of his colleagues disagreed: Sheffie Kadane said the fee-based ban will result in a lawsuit from retailers and manufacturers. Rick Callahan called it a “government intrusion.” Jennifer Staubach Gates said it wouldn’t do any good, because in five years the reusable bags supported by the environmentalists will end up in landfills too. And Jerry Allen said the three options being considered by council, including a full-out ban, represented “a lack of clear conviction,” which he found disappointing.
And then there was Lee Kleinman, who on Friday indicated he supported the fee-based ordinance. Five days later he’d changed his mind and said he no longer cared what happened in his colleagues’ districts.
“I would personally probably stay more focused on my own district, which does not have the same trash problems as others,” he said, to the amazement of some of his southern sector colleagues. “Why should I care if someone is shopping like at Southwest Center Mall and they want a plastic bag? If people in that community are satisfied with the conditions around that mall, why should I utilize my position in North Dallas to improve those conditions? I should just focus my energies on North Dallas redevelopment projects and not help another improve quality of life in other areas of the city.”
That entire speech is above, thanks to my colleague Scott Goldstein.
Vonciel Jones Hill, who has said in the past she opposes any ban or bag tax, was no present for today’s vote. Monica Alonzo also voted against it, but said nothing.
In a statement released following the vote, the American Progressive Bag Alliance said it’s “a move that will fail to accomplish any environmental goals while jeopardizing 4,500 Texas jobs and hurting consumers.”
Its executive director, Lee Califf, said in a statement that “the vote to approve a 5-cent plastic and paper grocery bag fee in Dallas is another example of environmental myths and junk science driving poor policy in the plastic bag debate.”
But it’s not clear if the state will allow Dallas’ new bag “ban” — or bag tax, more appropriately.
Attorney General Greg Abbott is going to weigh in on the legality of bag bans, following a request by state Rep. Dan Flynn of Canton on behalf of the Texas Retailers Association. Jerry Allen asked Dallas City Attorney Warren Ernst if the state allows bag bans.
“We are ready to defend that position,” Ernst said. “If it’s the will of the council to pass the ordinance, we’ll defend that as a legal action by the city.”
Allen was not convinced, insisting “there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty.” Ernst appeared to agree.
Those council members opposed to the ordinance said Dallas needs to do a better job of enforcing its litter laws. Jordan told the council that the city spends $4 million annually on trash pick-up, “and we still have litter.”
In the end, said council member Scott Griggs, “this is just one step. We tackle the bags then we can move on to Styrofoam and other issues that cause trash. This is a large elephant we’ll have to take on as a city and a council.”
Kroger’s Gary Huddleston, also of the Texas Retailers Association, shared a hug with Dwaine Caraway following today’s council vote.
Following the vote, Gary Huddleston, head of the Texas Retailers Association, said he wasn’t sure whether his organization would sue the city. He noted that they are awaiting the attorney general’s ruling on the legality of a fee.
“It will affect the retailers in the city of Dallas and it will affect our customers,” Huddleston said. “They’ll have to pay for their paper and plastic bags or they bring in their reusable bags.”
“We personally believe the solution to litter in the city of Dallas is a strong recycling program and also punishing the people that litter and not punishing the retailer,” Huddleston said.
The fee means that businesses will have to institute additional programming and training in order to enforce ordinance and track the fees. Customers will “have to pay a nickel a bag, whereas maybe they use that nickel to buy more product in my store.”
But Huddleston’s concerns didn’t stop him from hugging Caraway outside chambers. The two men smiled and embraced in front of television cameras.
The council member said he was pleased with the result of more than a year of work. He refused to call the fee a “tax.”
“It’s a ban with a fee, such as other cities are doing across the United States,” Caraway said.
He said it’s important for residents to know the ban does not cover a variety of bags, such as those in the produce section of grocery stores or at restaurants
“Folks need to understand that these are single-use carryout bags,” Caraway said. “These are simply those thin, flimsy bags that take flight and that are undesirable and bad for the environment.”
Staff writer Scott Goldstein contributed to this report.
http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/dallas-city-council-approves-partial-fee-based-ban-on-single-use-carryout-bags.html/
Dallas Will Charge Fees for Plastic Bag Use
By Josh Ault and Ken Kalthoff
The City of Dallas has implemented new rules for plastic grocery bags, imposing a 5 cent fee on single-use plastic or paper grocery bags. The rules go into effect in January. (Published Wednesday, Mar 26, 2014)
Thursday, Mar 27, 2014 • Updated at 5:56 AM CST
The Dallas City Council has passed a proposal ordering retailers to charge a fee for one-time use plastic bags while partially banning them from city-owned facilities.
In a 8-6 vote, the council passed the ordinance requiring retailers to charge customers a $0.05 fee if they request single-use plastic or paper bags.
Dallas Plastic Bag Ban Vote Wednesday[DFW] Dallas Plastic Bag Ban Vote Wednesday
The Dallas City Council is expected to vote on plastic bag ban issue on Wednesday. (Published Monday, Mar 24, 2014)
Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway accepted the compromise of a bag fee after spending a year fighting for a ban on single-use bags.
“This is an opportunity for us to clean our city, to clean our environment and to move forward, and to be like the other cities across the country and around the world,” Caraway said.
Zac Trahan with Texas Campaign for The Environment said Austin and eight smaller Texas cities have taken stronger action by banning single-use bags, but he still supported the Dallas regulations.
“It’s still a step in the right direction because it will still result in a huge reduction in the number of bags that will be distributed,” he said.
The ordinance also requires those retailers to register with the city and track the number of single-use bags sold.
The retailer would keep 10 percent of the environmental fee with the remainder going to the city to fund enforcement and education efforts.
Lee Califf, the executive director of the bag manufacturers’ group American Progressive Bag Alliance, released the following statement after the ordinance was passed.
“The vote to approve a 5-cent plastic and paper grocery bag fee in Dallas is another example of environmental myths and junk science driving poor policy in the plastic bag debate. This legislation applies to a product that is less than 0.5% of municipal waste in the United States and typically less than 1% of litter in studies conducted across the country. The City Council rushed through a flawed bill to appease its misguided sponsor, despite the fact that 70% of Dallas residents opposed this legislation in a recent poll.
“Placing a fee on a product with such a minuscule contribution to the waste and litter streams will not help the environment; but it will cost Dallas consumers millions more per year on their grocery bills, while hurting small businesses and threatening the livelihoods of the 4,500 Texans who work in the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry. Councilman Caraway may view this vote as a victory for his political career, but there are no winners with today’s outcome.”
Several Council Members opposed any new restrictions.
Rick Callahan said grocery bags are only a small part of the Dallas litter problem and better recycling education is needed.
“Banning something or adding a fee, putting more regulation on business is not the answer,” Callahan said.
The ordinance does ban single-use plastic or paper bags at city-owned facilities and events.
It still allows distributing multi-use, or stronger, paper or plastic bags for free so stores can get around charging the fee by offering better bags.
The ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Dallas-Council-to-Consider-Plastic-Bag-Ban-252427601.html
Dallas’ new plastic bag fee: for and against
By Steve Blow
After more than a year of considering a ban on disposable shopping bags, the Dallas City Council voted instead last week to impose a 5-cent “environmental fee” on each bag.
In previous columns, Steve Blow had opposed a ban, while Jacquielynn Floyd had supported it. Today, they debate the council’s new approach.
Steve: Leave it to the Dallas City Council to take a bad idea and find a way to make it worse. I thought a ban on shopping bags was a bad idea, but slapping a new tax on Dallas shoppers is even more pointless.
This isn’t just a new tax, it’s a new mini-bureaucracy at City Hall. There’s talk of hiring 12 new people to run the program. And I’m sure someone is already writing a job description for a Deputy Junior Assistant City Manager for Retail Packaging Assessment and Oversight.
Good grief. I had little faith that a ban would accomplish much. I’m even more dubious about a bag tax — except as a tool of government growth.
Jacquielynn: Dude, it’s a nickel. Nobody’s getting taxed into bankruptcy here.
I hope, in fact, that this modest 5 cents is enough to assign at least minimal value to these awful bags. The reason they end up on fences, in fields and as tree garbage is that they’re so free and plentiful.
Almost everybody collects them every day — yet they have virtually no value. It’s human nature to take something for free, then toss it or lose track if you don’t need it.
Like it or not, this is the direction cities are headed. Los Angeles has had a ban in effect for more than a year. New York and Chicago are talking about either banning or limiting plastic bags.
I don’t think this is a case of forcing people to bow to the authoritarian rule of government overlords — we’re asking for a very minor change in their habits. It makes environmental sense, like other conservation and recycling measures that have become routine.
Steve: They don’t end up as litter because they’re free and plentiful. They end up as litter because a few dopes among us litter. A nickel is not going to transform those dopes into responsible citizens. Anyone careless with trash is not going to suddenly become careful with 5-cent trash.
On a fundamental level, this issue chaps my inner libertarian. I don’t think “government regulation” is automatically a dirty word. But I firmly believe the need must be obvious and compelling before we add more regulation.
Jack, you may be fixated on plastic bags as you drive around, but I promise they make up a small percentage of the litter that’s out there. I see more cups than anything. Will we be required to carry around reusable cups next? Or pay a cups tax?
Jacquielynn: Steve, I agree that clueless dolts dump all kinds of garbage, from burger wrappers to moldy old sofas.
Plastic bags are a particular problem, though, for the very qualities that make them such a successful consumer product: They’re cheap, durable, lightweight and water-resistant. They’re mobile, easily blown into trees, creeks, fences and even for miles out into rural areas. A farmer who lives outside Dallas told me this week he hates plastic bags because when they land on his property, baby calves can choke on them.
Most of us don’t have calf problems, but the bags’ weightlessness makes them vulnerable to any breeze. Even if they’re responsibly discarded, they’ll blow out of open trash cans, trucks, you name it.
They’re not just a blight — they’re a highly contagious blight.
Steve: Oh, c’mon. How am I supposed to rebut choking baby calves?
I will point out that Washington, D.C., has a real paradox on its hands. It implemented a 5-cent fee on disposable bags in 2010. And in a survey last year, residents reported using 60 percent fewer bags.
But get this: Tax revenue from the bags has been going up, not down as was expected. The city had originally projected to collect $1.05 million in fiscal 2013. Instead, bag fees topped $2 million.
The dollars don’t lie. More bags are being used after four years. Sure, some people will switch to reusable bags. But this sure isn’t going to make plastic bags disappear. Is a regressive new tax really worth it?
Jacquielynn: I’d be happy to sidestep the entire “tax” issue by banning bags outright. If you want groceries, make sure you have a way to get them home.
But if cities aren’t ready to take that step, and they actually see a windfall out of bag taxes, maybe that should be dedicated to cleanup efforts.
Ideally, though, stores wouldn’t have the things at all. They can make boxes available (a la Costco). They can sell heavier plastic multiple-use bags for 25 or 50 cents. Shoppers buying just one or two items could learn to use the flexible appendages at the ends of their arms to carry stuff away.
The mail I’ve received from angry readers makes it plain that a lot of people loathe this plan, whether you call it a ban or a tax.
But I just don’t think we’re asking for a dramatic change in the way we live our lives. If we don’t stop assuming that everything we send to the landfill magically disappears, the landfill is going to start coming to us. Do you really want to live in a city that has garbage in the trees?
Steve: No, it’s not a drastic change. Just a needless one. And I’m looking out my office window at six or seven trees with nary a bag in sight. Except for a few spots, the litter problem has been overblown.
I just wish we had tried a major public-awareness campaign before imposing more taxes and more regulation. 1. Recycle bags where you get them. 2. Try reusable bags. 3. Don’t litter, you dope.
Jacquielynn: On those points, we’re in wholehearted agreement.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20140329-dallas-new-plastic-bag-fee-for-and-against.ece
Attorney General asked to weigh in on bag bans
Don’t bag it. Butt out. That’s the message Wednesday to Attorney General Greg Abbott from supporters of efforts to ban the use of plastic bags in Texas. The Attorney General has been asked to determine whether or not city ordinances like the one in Austin go too far and violate state law. While Abbott was told to back off, the state lawmaker who asked the Attorney General to get involved explained why he made the request.
It’s no longer legal in Austin for a retailer to provide customers with plastic bags. Wednesday, those who want to keep the bag ban on the books gathered at the state capitol to send a message.
“We call on the Attorney General today to keep his nose out of local government’s business of protecting the health of their residents and local communities, and leave well enough alone,” said Robin Schneider who is the Executive Director of Texas Campaign for the Environment.
The group is filing a legal brief to convince the Attorney General that cities in Texas have the Home-Rule authority to out-law plastic bags. Austin is among nearly a dozen towns that have passed bag ban ordinances. Wednesday is the deadline to weigh in before the Attorney General issues an opinion. The question is whether or not a municipal ban violates the state health and safety code.
The state lawmaker who requested the legal opinion, state Rep. Dan Flynn (R) Vann said his concern is not necessarily about the use of plastic bags but about the perceived abuse of power.
“The last this particular law was looked at was about 20 years ago,” said Rep. Flynn.
The Republican from Van heads up a House Committee created to make government more transparent. According to Flynn, he made the request for a legal opinion after getting several calls asking for clarification.
“It’s not about Austin, it’s all about state authority and the power grab by some cities over state law, that’s just about the easiest way to say it.”
When a ban on plastic bags was approved in Austin, the lack of a similar, free, option spurred much of the opposition. Shoppers are required to buy their own reusable cloth of thick plastic bags. Some stores in Austin do provide paper bags but typically charge for them,” said Flynn.
“They’re not charging in Fort Stockton,” said Darren Hodges, Mayor Pro Tem of that west Texas town.
The Fort Stockton city council worked with local retailers before being one of the first to pass a ban. According to Hodges, free biodegradable bags are offered to Fort Stockton shoppers. That kind of option, he agreed, could help reduce back lash in communities considering similar action.
“It’s best to get with your big bag people and work with them on something that they can live with, at least get everyone involved in the process and see if you can move forward,” said Hodges.
An A.G. ruling against bag bans will not strike down any ordinance. It could provide a legal foot-hold for any group that takes a city to court.
The Dallas city council, earlier Wednesday, considered its own bag ban. Instead of out-lawing them, in a close vote, the Dallas council passed an environmental fee ordinance, which is essentially a new tax.
Starting next year shoppers in Dallas will be charged 5-cents for every plastic and paper bag that they use.
In reaction to the Dallas council vote, the American Progressive Bag Alliance issued the following statement:
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/25082745/attorney-general-asked-to-weigh-in-on-bag-bans
Plan B Updates
Plastic Bag Bans Spreading in the United States
Janet Larsen and Savina Venkova
Los Angeles rang in the 2014 New Year with a ban on the distribution of plastic bags at the checkout counter of big retailers, making it the largest of the 132 cities and counties around the United States with anti-plastic bag legislation. And a movement that gained momentum in California is going national. More than 20 million Americans live in communities with plastic bag bans or fees. Currently 100 billion plastic bags pass through the hands of U.S. consumers every year—almost one bag per person each day. Laid end-to-end, they could circle the equator 1,330 times. But this number will soon fall as more communities, including large cities like New York and Chicago, look for ways to reduce the plastic litter that blights landscapes and clogs up sewers and streams.
While now ubiquitous, the plastic bag has a relatively short history. Invented in Sweden in 1962, the single-use plastic shopping bag was first popularized by Mobil Oil in the 1970s in an attempt to increase its market for polyethylene, a fossil-fuel-derived compound. Many American customers disliked the plastic bag when it was introduced in 1976, disgusted by the checkout clerks having to lick their fingers when pulling the bags from the rack and infuriated when a bag full of groceries would break or spill over. But retailers continued to push for plastic because it was cheaper and took up less space than paper, and now a generation of people can hardly conceive of shopping without being offered a plastic bag at the checkout counter.
The popularity of plastic grocery bags stems from their light weight and their perceived low cost, but it is these very qualities that make them unpleasant, difficult, and expensive to manage. Over one third of all plastic production is for packaging, designed for short-term use. Plastic bags are made from natural gas or petroleum that formed over millions of years, yet they are often used for mere minutes before being discarded to make their way to a dump or incinerator—if they don’t blow away and end up as litter first. The amount of energy required to make 12 plastic bags could drive a car for a mile.
In landfills and waterways, plastic is persistent, lasting for hundreds of years, breaking into smaller pieces and leaching out chemical components as it ages, but never fully disappearing. Animals that confuse plastic bags with food can end up entangled, injured, or dead. Recent studies have shown that plastic from discarded bags actually soaks up additional pollutants like pesticides and industrial waste that are in the ocean and delivers them in large doses to sea life. The harmful substances then can move up the food chain to the food people eat. Plastics and the various additives that they contain have been tied to a number of human health concerns, including disruption of the endocrine and reproductive systems, infertility, and a possible link to some cancers.
California—with its long coastline and abundant beaches where plastic trash is all too common—has been the epicenter of the U.S. movement against plastic bags. San Francisco was the first American city to regulate their use, starting with a ban on non-compostable plastic bags from large supermarkets and chain pharmacies in 2007. As part of its overall strategy to reach “zero waste” by 2020 (the city now diverts 80 percent of its trash to recyclers or composters instead of landfills), it extended the plastic bag ban to other stores and restaurants in 2012 and 2013. Recipients of recycled paper or compostable bags are charged at least 10ȼ, but—as is common in cities with plastic bag bans—bags for produce or other bulk items are still allowed at no cost. San Francisco also is one of a number of Californian cities banning the use of polystyrene (commonly referred to as Styrofoam) food containers, and it has gone a step further against disposable plastic packaging by banning sales of water in plastic bottles in city property.
All told, plastic bag bans cover one-third of California’s population. Plastic bag purchases by retailers have reportedly fallen from 107 million pounds in 2008 to 62 million pounds in 2012, and bag producers and plastics manufacturers have taken note. Most of the ordinances have faced lawsuits from plastics industry groups like the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Even though the laws have largely held up in the courts, the threat of legal action has deterred additional communities from taking action and delayed the process for others.
Ironically, were it not for the intervention of the plastics industry in the first place, California would likely have far fewer outright plastic bag bans. Instead, more communities might have opted for charging a fee per bag, but this option was prohibited as part of industry-supported state-wide legislation in 2006 requiring Californian grocery stores to institute plastic bag recycling programs. Since a first attempt in 2010, California has come close to introducing a statewide ban on plastic bags, but well-funded industry lobbyists have gotten in the way. A new bill will likely go up for a vote in 2014 with the support of the California Grocers Association as well as state senators who had opposed an earlier iteration.
Seattle’s story is similar. In 2008 the city council passed legislation requiring groceries, convenience stores, and pharmacies to charge 20ȼ for each one-time-use bag handed out at the cash register. A $1.4 million campaign headed by the ACC stopped the measure via a ballot initiative before it went into effect, and voters rejected the ordinance in August 2009. But the city did not give up. In 2012 it banned plastic bags and added a 5ȼ fee for paper bags. Attempts to gather signatures to repeal this have been unsuccessful. Eleven other Washington jurisdictions have also banned plastic bags, including the state capital, Olympia. (See database of U.S. plastic bag initiatives and a timeline history.)
(Click for a live map)
A number of state governments have entertained proposals for anti-plastic bag legislation, but not one has successfully applied a statewide charge or banned the bags. Hawaii has a virtual state prohibition, as its four populated counties have gotten rid of plastic bags at grocery checkouts, with the last one beginning enforcement in July 2015. Florida, another state renowned for its beaches, legally preempts cities from enacting anti-bag legislation. The latest attempt to remove this barrier was scrapped in April 2014, although state lawmakers say they will revisit the proposal later in the year.
Opposition to plastic bags has emerged in Texas, despite the state accounting for 44 percent of the U.S. plastics market and serving as the home to several important bag manufacturers, including Superbag, one of America’s largest. Eight cities and towns in the state have active plastic bag bans, and others, like San Antonio, have considered jumping on the bandwagon. Austin banned plastic bags in 2013, hoping to reduce the more than $2,300 it was spending each day to deal with plastic bag trash and litter. The smaller cities of Fort Stockton and Kermit banned plastic bags in 2011 and 2013, respectively, after ranchers complained that cattle had died from ingesting them. Plastic bags have also been known to contaminate cotton fields, getting caught up in balers and harming the quality of the final product. Plastic pollution in the Trinity River Basin, which provides water to over half of all Texans, was a compelling reason for Dallas to pass a 5ȼ fee on plastic bags that will go into effect in 2015.
Washington, D.C., was the first U.S. city to require food and alcohol retailers to charge customers 5ȼ for each plastic or paper bag. Part of the revenue from this goes to the stores to help them with the costs of implementation, and part is designated for cleanup of the Anacostia River. Most D.C. shoppers now routinely bring their own reusable bags on outings; one survey found that 80 percent of consumers were using fewer bags and that over 90 percent of businesses viewed the law positively or neutrally.
Montgomery County in Maryland followed Washington’s example and passed a 5ȼ charge for bags in 2011. A recent study that compared shoppers in this county with those in neighboring Prince George’s County, where anti-bag legislation has not gone through, found that reusable bags were seven times more popular in Montgomery County stores. When bags became a product rather than a freebie, shoppers thought about whether the product was worth the extra nickel and quickly got into the habit of bringing their own bags.
One strategy of the plastics industry—concerned about declining demand for its products—is an attempt to change public perception of plastic bags by promoting recycling. Recycling, however, is also not a good long-term solution. The vast majority of plastic bags—97 percent or more in some locales—never make it that far. Even when users have good intentions, bags blow out of outdoor collection bins at grocery stores or off of recycling trucks. The bags that reach recycling facilities are the bane of the programs: when mixed in with other recyclables they jam and damage sorting machines, which are very costly to repair. In San Jose, California, where fewer than 4 percent of plastic bags are recycled, repairs to bag-jammed equipment cost the city about $1 million a year before the plastic bag ban went into effect in 2012.
Proposed plastic bag restrictions have been shelved in a number of jurisdictions, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, in favor of bag recycling programs. New York City may, however, move ahead with a bill proposed in March 2014 to place a city-wide 10ȼ fee on single-use bags. Chicago is weighing a plastic bag ban.
In their less than 60 years of existence, plastic bags have had far-reaching effects. Enforcing legislation to limit their use challenges the throwaway consumerism that has become pervasive in a world of artificially cheap energy. As U.S. natural gas production has surged and prices have fallen, the plastics industry is looking to ramp up domestic production. Yet using this fossil fuel endowment to make something so short-lived, which can blow away at the slightest breeze and pollutes indefinitely, is illogical—particularly when there is a ready alternative: the reusable bag.
A Short History of the Plastic Bag: Selected Dates of Note in the United States and Internationally
1933 Polyethylene is discovered by scientists at Imperial Chemical Industries, a British company.
1950 Total global plastics production stands at less than 2 million metric tons.
1965 Sten Thulin’s 1962 invention of the T-shirt bag, another name for the common single-use plastic shopping bag, is patented by Swedish company Celloplast.
1976 Mobil Oil introduces the plastic bag to the United States. To recognize the U.S. Bicentennial, the bag’s designs are in red, white, and blue.
1982 Safeway and Kroger, two of the biggest U.S. grocery chains, start to switch from paper to plastic bags.
1986 Plastic bags already account for over 80 percent of the market in much of Europe, with paper holding on to the remainder. In the United States, the percentages are reversed.
June 1986 The half-million-member-strong General Federation of Women’s Clubs starts a U.S.-wide letter writing campaign to grocers raising concerns about the negative environmental effects of plastic bags.
Late 1980s Plastic bag usage estimated to catch up to paper in U.S. groceries.
1989 Maine passes a law requiring retailers to only hand out plastic bags if specifically requested; this is replaced in 1991 by a statewide recycling initiative.
1990 The small Massachusetts island of Nantucket bans retail plastic bags.
1994 Denmark begins taxing retailers for plastic bags.
1996 Four of every five grocery bags used in the United States are made of plastic.
1997 Captain Charles Moore discovers the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” in the remote North Pacific, where plastic is estimated to outweigh zooplankton six to one, drawing global attention to the accumulation of plastics in the ocean.
2000 Mumbai, India, bans plastic bags, with limited enforcement.
2002 Global plastics production tops 200 million metric tons.
March 2002 Ireland becomes the first country to tax consumers’ use of plastic bags directly.
March 2002 Bangladesh becomes the first country to ban plastic bags. Bags had been blamed for exacerbating flooding.
2006 Italy begins efforts to pass a national ban on plastic bags; due to industry complaints and legal issues, these efforts are ongoing.
April 2007 San Francisco becomes the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags, later expanding to all retailers and restaurants.
2007-2008 The ACC spends $5.7 million on lobbying in California, much of it to oppose regulations on plastic bags.
June 2008 China’s plastic bag ban takes effect before Beijing hosts the Olympic Games.
September 2008 Rwanda passes a national ban on plastic bags.
2009 Plastics overtake paper and paperboard to become the number one discarded material in the U.S. waste stream.
July 2009 Hong Kong’s levy on plastic bags takes effect in chains, large groceries, and other more sizable stores; it is later expanded to all retailers.
August 2009 Seattle’s attempt to impose a 20ȼ fee on both paper and plastic bags is defeated before it can take effect by a referendum financed largely by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
December 2009 Madison, Wisconsin, mandates that households recycle plastic bags rather than disposing of them with their trash.
January 2010 Washington, D.C., begins requiring all stores that sell food or alcohol to charge 5ȼ for plastic and paper checkout bags.
2010 Major bag producer Hilex Poly spends over $1 million in opposition to a proposed statewide plastic bag ban in California.
2010 Plastic bags appear in the Guinness World Records as the world’s “most ubiquitous consumer item.”
October 2011 In Oregon, Portland’s ban on plastic bags at major groceries and certain big-box stores begins.
May 2012 Honolulu County approves a plastic bag ban (to go into effect in July 2015), completing a de facto state-wide ban in Hawaii.
July 2012 Seattle’s plastic bag ban takes effect nearly three years after the first tax attempt failed.
March 2013 A bag ban takes effect in Austin, TX.
September-October 2013 During the Ocean Conservancy’s 2013 Coastal Cleanup event, more than 1 million plastic bags were picked up from coasts and waterways around the world.
January 2014 Los Angeles becomes the largest U.S. city to ban plastic bags.
April 2014 Members of the European Parliament back new rules requiring member countries to cut plastic bag use 50 percent by 2017 and 80 percent by 2019.
April 2014 Over 20 million people are covered under 132 city and county plastic bag bans or fee ordinances in the United States.
Source: Compiled by Earth Policy Institute, www.earth-policy.org, April 2014.
Selected Plastic Bag Regulations in the United States
Boulder, CO Boulder grocery stores charge 10ȼ for plastic and paper bags. The city’s reasons for applying the fee to both were that plastic bags are difficult to recycle and paper bag production is also energy- and water-intensive. Stores keep 4ȼ and the rest of the money goes to the city to cover administrative costs, to provide residents with free reusable bags, and to otherwise minimize the impacts of bag waste. Just six months after the fee began in 2013, the city announced that bag use had dropped by 68 percent.
Chicago, IL The Chicago City Council has visited the idea of limiting plastic bags giveaways several times over the last six years. In 2008 a proposed bag ban was rejected in favor of a bag recycling program. A bill banning plastic bags at most retailers is under consideration.
Dallas, TX Plastic bags and bottles make up about 40 percent of all the trash in the Trinity River that provides water to over half of all Texans, including those living in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, according to estimates by Peter Payton, Executive Director of Groundwork Dallas, a group that does monthly cleanups in the watershed. In March 2014, a 5ȼ fee on plastic and paper bags at all grocery and retail stores, along with a ban on plastic bags at all city events, facilities, and properties, was approved by the City Council. It will go into effect in January 2015. Nine tenths of the revenue generated from bag sales will go to the city.
Hawaii In April 2012, Honolulu County joined the counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii in banning non-biodegradable plastic bags. This amounts to a de facto statewide bag ban—a first for the United States. The ordinances state that plastic bag use must be regulated “to preserve health, safety, welfare, and scenic and natural beauty.” Retailers have until mid-2015 to comply.
Los Angeles County (Unincorporated), CA In July 2011, a ban on plastic bags in large stores took effect in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, home to 1.1 million people. In January 2012, that ban expanded to include small stores, like pharmacies and convenience marts. Nearly 800 retail stores are affected. This was the first in California to add a 10ȼ charge for paper bags; since its enactment, all other California municipalities have included a paper bag charge. In December 2013, the Department of Public Works announced that the ordinance had resulted in a sustained 90 percent reduction in single-use bag use at large stores.
Los Angeles, CA In June 2013, the City Council of Los Angeles voted to ban stores from providing plastic carryout bags to customers, as well as to require stores to charge 10ȼ for paper bags. Large retailers are affected in January 2014; smaller retailers are affected in July 2014. The city was spending $2 million a year cleaning up plastic bags.
Manhattan Beach, CA After passing a plastic bag ban in 2008, the city became the first to be sued by the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition—a group of plastic bag manufacturers and distributors—for not preparing an environmental impact report as required under the California Environmental Quality Act. The Coalition claimed a shift from plastic to recycled paper bags would harm the environment. Two lower courts sided with the Coalition and ruled that a report was required, but in 2011, on appeal, the California Supreme Court said that any increased use of paper bags in a small city like Manhattan Beach would have negligible environmental impact and therefore a report was unnecessary. This precedent allowed many California cities to proceed with banning plastic bags without such a report.
Nantucket Island, MA Nantucket, a small seasonal tourist town, banned non-biodegradable plastic bags in 1990. Facing a growing waste disposal problem, the town envisioned building a facility where as much material as possible could be diverted from the landfill to be recycled or composted; such a facility would only be able to accept biodegradable bags.
New York City, NY Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a 5ȼ tax on plastic bags in 2009, but the idea was later dropped in a budget agreement with the City Council. In March 2014, the City Council began to consider a proposal mandating a 10ȼ charge per plastic and paper bag at most stores.
San Francisco, CA San Francisco was the first U.S. city to regulate plastic bags. The original ordinance, which was adopted in April 2007, banned non-compostable plastic bags at all large supermarkets and chain pharmacies. In October 2012 the law was applied to all stores, and in October 2013 the law expanded to restaurants. The Save the Plastic Bag Coalition sued the city, contesting the extensions to the ban, but those were upheld by the First District Court of Appeal in December 2013. In April 2014, the Supreme Court of California denied the Coalition’s first appeal, allowing the city to keep its bag ban.
Santa Monica, CA Santa Monica has banned plastic bags from all retailers since September 2011. Grocery, liquor, and drug stores may offer paper bags for 10ȼ each, while department stores and restaurants may provide paper bags for no fee. Because the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition had sued other cities for not conducting an environmental impact review prior to the announcements of their bag bans, Santa Monica conducted a review and thus avoided a lawsuit. Plastic bags for carryout food items from restaurants and reusable bags made from polyethylene are allowed.
Seattle, WA In July 2008 the Seattle government approved a 20ȼ charge on all paper and plastic checkout bags, but opponents collected enough signatures to put the ordinance up for a vote on the August 2009 primary ballot. The Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax—consisting of the American Chemistry Council’s Progressive Bag Affiliates, 7-Eleven, and the Washington Food Industry—spent $1.4 million on the referendum campaign (15 times more than fee supporters), and voters chose to reject the ordinance. It took until July 2012 for the city to enact its current ban on plastic bags and place a 5ȼ fee on paper bags. Seattle residents are largely in favor of the ban, and attempts to gather signatures to repeal it have not been successful.
Washington, DC In January 2010, Washington, D.C., began requiring a 5ȼ charge for plastic and paper carryout bags at all retailers that sell food or alcohol. Businesses keep a portion of the fee, and the remainder goes to The Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund. A survey conducted in early 2013 found that four out of five District households are using fewer bags since the tax came into effect. Almost 60 percent of residents reported carrying reusable bags with them “always” or “most of the time” when they shop. Two thirds of District residents reported seeing less plastic bag litter since the tax came into effect. One half of businesses reported saving money because of the fee.
http://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2014/update122
The Pronk Pops Show 285, June 25, 2014, Story 1: Tea Party Candidates Get Knocked Downed But Not Out — it is not who wins or loses but how you play the game — Lost But Won — Make The Rest Of Your Life, The Best of Your Life — Live Your Dreams — Videos
Posted on June 25, 2014. Filed under: Baseball, Basketball, Blogroll, Business, Communications, Economics, Football, Golf, Law, Philosophy, Photos, Politics, Polls, Pro Life, Radio, Regulation, Resources, Running, Scandals, Sports, Success, Terror, Videos, Wealth, Wisdom | Tags: 2014, Chris McDanie, June 25, Mississippi, Tea Party, Thad Cochran, The Pronk Pops Show 285 |
Pronk Pops Show 253: April 30, 2014
Pronk Pops Show 240: April 9, 2014
Story 1: Tea Party Candidates Get Knocked Downed But Not Out — it is not who wins or loses but how you play the game — Lost But Won — Make The Rest Of Your Life, The Best of Your Life — Live Your Dreams — Videos
Lost But Won ► Motivational Video
Dream – Motivational Video
Best of the Best of Motivational Speeches
Cochran Campaign Illegally Robocalls Black Democrats Against “Racist” Tea Party
Stop the Tea Party RoboCall
Mississippi primary: Thad Cochran celebrates victory against Tea Party rival – video
How Another Tea Party Candidate Lost — Thad Cochran’s Win
Cochran Wins Mississippi Senate Race
Cochran vs. McDaniel: Racist Tactic Emerges in Mississippi GOP Primary Fight
Robocall Recruiting Dem Votes For GOP Sen. Cochran Bashes Tea Party, Claims Racism
The GOP Senate primary in Mississippi continues to intensify with the surfacing of a robocall aimed at potential voters that strongly criticizes the tea party and urges the listeners to vote against state Sen. Chris McDaniel in Tuesday’s runoff vote.
In the automated message appearing to target black Democrat voters in Mississippi, the female voice on the line claims that tea party challenger Chris McDaniel would lead to more obstruction in Washington and create more “disrespectful treatment” to the nation’s first African-American president.
“The time has come to take a stand and say NO to the tea party,” the message says. “NO to their obstruction. NO to their disrespectful treatment of the first African-American president.”
The robocall, which was first obtained by freelance journalist Charles C. Johnson from a local resident, goes on to urge listeners to go to the next polls Tuesday and vote against McDaniel. The only option in voting against McDaniel is to vote for incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran as they will be the only two names on the ballot.
“If we do nothing, tea party candidate Chris McDaniel wins and causes even more problems for President Obama,” the message continues. “With your help we can stop this. Please commit to voting against tea party candidate Chris McDaniel next Tuesday and say NO to the tea party!”
Some experts have argued that it is technically illegal for voters affiliated with an opposing party to vote in another party’s primary in Mississippi.
The Cochran campaign is denying that they have any connection with the robocall and declared it to be a “stunt” coming from allies of McDaniel.
“It’s an obvious, transparent stunt by McDaniel and his allies,” Jordan Russell, a spokesman for Cochran, told The Daily Caller Sunday.
The McDaniel campaign is claiming otherwise.
“It is clear that Mississippi Republicans have rejected Thad Cochran’s liberal voting record and it’s sad to see Thad Cochran resort to courting Democrats simply to hold onto power,” McDaniel spokesman Noel Fritsch told TheDC.
This isn’t the first allegation that there are efforts to get out Democratic votes for Cochran in Tuesday’s vote.
This is only the latest incident in controversy surrounding efforts to get out Democratic votes for Cochran in the runoff that includes a black preacher — who is a strong supporter of the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat — actively trying to get members of his community to vote for the sitting senator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUx7YVPKbBY
Cochran Holds Off Tea Party Challenger in Mississippi
By JONATHAN WEISMAN
With an unusual assist from African-American voters and other Democrats who feared his opponent, Senator Thad Cochran on Tuesday beat back a spirited challenge from State Senator Chris McDaniel, triumphing in a Republican runoff and defeating the Tea Party in the state where the movement’s hopes were bright.
“We all have a right to be proud of our state tonight,” Mr. Cochran said at his victory party in Jackson, Miss. “This is your victory.”
Mr. McDaniel, speaking in Hattiesburg, was angry, and he did not hesitate to say so. “There is something a bit strange, there is something a bit unusual about a Republican primary that’s decided by liberal Democrats,” he said.
He accused Mr. Cochran of abandoning the conservative movement. “So much for principles,” he said.
Mr. McDaniel, an uncompromising conservative, relied on the muscle of outside groups and the enthusiasm of conservative voters who are weary of Mr. Cochran’s old-school Washington ways.
The 76-year-old senator ran a largely sleepy campaign until the primary on June 3, when he was edged out by Mr. McDaniel but won enough votes to keep his opponent from outright victory. Mr. Cochran, who is seeking his seventh term, used the past three weeks to turn out Democratic voters — especially African-Americans — to make up that deficit.
Thad Cochran celebrated his victory with supporters after the primary.CreditEdmund D. Fountain for The New York Times
A surge of voters showed up on Tuesday in African-American precincts and in Mr. Cochran’s other strongholds to surprise Mr. McDaniel, 41, who just Monday night declared his campaign had gone from impossible to improbable to unstoppable. Early Wednesday, with all but one precinct reporting, Mr. Cochran’s lead over Mr. McDaniel was a little more than 6,000 votes. Recounts are not required under Mississippi law, although Mr. McDaniel could seek to challenge the results through the courts.
Mr. Cochran’s victory was powered in part by African-Americans in areas of north Jackson whose turnout shattered that seen in those precincts in the primary. Turnout jumped fivefold at New Hope Baptist Church, and sevenfold at Green Elementary School, where only 14 voters came out on June 3 but about 100 showed up on Tuesday.
Their high numbers came despite pledges by conservative political action committees to monitor turnout in Democratic areas targeted by Mr. Cochran’s campaign. Both the N.A.A.C.P. — which sent its own poll watchers — and the United States Justice Department expressed concerns about the possible intimidation of black Democrats, but no irregularities were reported to Mississippi election officials. The state has no party registration, and anyone could vote in the Republican runoff who had not voted in the Democratic primary, which was won by former Representative Travis Childers, 56.
It was an extraordinary end to a wild campaign, with a Republican standing up for the rights of black Democrats, and with Tea Party groups from the North, especially the Senate Conservatives Fund, crying foul.
Also sure to inflame the right: a center-right super PAC, Defending Main Street, which contributed over $150,000 to Mr. Cochran during the runoff, received $250,000 from Michael Bloomberg in the same period, according to a source close to the former New York City mayor.
Mississippi – U.S. Senate
Thad CochranIncumbent 191,508 50.9%
Chris McDaniel 184,815 49.1
100% reporting
Mr. Bloomberg also contributed $250,000 to Mr Cochran’s super PAC, Mississippi Conservatives, before the primary.
For months, the contest between Mr. Cochran and Mr. McDaniel was viewed as this year’smain event in the six-year clash between conservative activists and Republican incumbents. Money and celebrities poured into Mississippi from all over the country, with the establishment determined to make the state a Tea Party Waterloo. For their part, conservative groups were hoping for one major victory for the season.
But after the surprise primary defeat this month of Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House majority leader, the Mississippi contest took on greater significance. Outside conservative groups hoped to emerge with a second victory that would propel challenges in Tennessee, where Senator Lamar Alexander was widely expected to win, and perhaps in Kansas, where Senator Pat Roberts appeared to have recovered from an early stumble overwhether he lived in Kansas or the Washington area.
Instead, establishment Republicans and a surprisingly high number of Democrats helped deliver a come-from-behind victory for a senator known for his soft-spoken patrician air and his ability to bring home millions in dollars of federal spending.
Mr. Cochran shifted his campaign message from polishing his conservative credentials to extolling his record of keeping Mississippi flush with federal cash. He also attacked Mr. McDaniel for his vows of austerity, especially in education.
Senator Thad Cochran addressed supporters after winning Tuesday’s primary election.CreditEdmund D. Fountain for The New York Times
Those attacks seemed to work with voters — at least enough to spook Democrats, and even some Republicans, who are accustomed to the protection and seniority of a long line of Congress members going back almost 100 years, including Senators John C. Stennis, James Eastland and Trent Lott and Representatives Sonny Montgomery and Jamie L. Whitten.
Jeanie Munn, who lives in Hattiesburg, said Mr. McDaniel “represents a threat to the state.” She cited a vote he cast in the State Senate against a new nursing school building at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Roger Smith, a black Democrat who said he was being paid to organize for Mr. Cochran, said, “I don’t know too much about McDaniel other than what McDaniel’s saying: that he’s Tea Party, he’s against Obama, he don’t like black people.”
“You’re going to get one of the white guys in there,” he said. “You got to make a choice.”
In downtown Hattiesburg, Democratic voters trickled out of the Court Street United Methodist Church, saying they had voted for a Republican for the first time in their lives — Mr. Cochran. Heath Kleinke, 38, held his 4-month-old baby and said he wanted her to get a good education in Mississippi, something he believed would be made more difficult if Mr. McDaniel were to make good on his proposal to cut federal funding.
Continue reading the main storySlide Show
A Senator Turns Back a Challenge in Mississippi
Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi celebrated his victory over a Tea Party-backed challenger, Chris McDaniel, at a party in Jackson on Tuesday.
Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times
“The fact that he openly criticizes Thad Cochran for talking to Democrats riled me up from the beginning,” added Mr. Kleinke, a graphic designer.
White Democrats also turned out for the senator. Dorothy McGehee, 88, a lifelong Democrat who registered blacks to vote in the civil rights era, found herself putting out Cochran yard signs in Meadville, Miss., and begging her friends to vote.
Kino Sintee, 17, and three black friends waved “Thad” signs on a street corner in a black Hattiesburg neighborhood. They said the preacher from Mount Olive Baptist Church asked them to help out.
“They’re talking about taking everything away from us,” he said. “People still need stuff.”
For months, the contest between Mr. Cochran and Mr. McDaniel was viewed as this year’s main event in the six-year clash between conservative activists and Republican incumbents.CreditWilliam Widmer for The New York Times
Michael Davis, 44, said it was his “duty” to stop Mr. McDaniel. “If anyone wants to tell me I’m stealing the election or something ludicrous like that, it doesn’t work that way,” he said.
In Tupelo, Miss., John Armistead, 73, a die-hard Democrat, and his wife, Sandra, 69, a Republican, put aside their differences on Tuesday, and both voted for Mr. Cochran.
“Even though he votes with the Republicans on virtually everything, I’ve never seen Cochran as being so partisan,” Mr. Armistead said. “As a Democrat, that’s important to me. McDaniel is very partisan and will align himself with the right-wing, partisan-type people.”
Those crossover votes from Democrats left many of Mr. McDaniel’s supporters seething.
“Our whole system is corrupt,” said a glum Alicia Holloman of George County as the last results trickled into the McDaniel party at the Hattiesburg Convention Center. “We deserve to be called the most corrupt state in the nation.”
Her husband, Michael, was more circumspect.
“You should be able to vote the way you want to vote. It’s fair,” he said. “But when you’re on the losing side, it stinks.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/us/politics/thad-cochran-chris-mcdaniel-mississippi-senate-primary.html?_r=0
The Pronk Pops Show 285, June 25, 2014, Story 2: The Obama Recession Kicks In With First Quarter 2014 Real Gross Domestic Product of -2.9% — Videos
The Pronk Pops Show 285, June 25, 2014, Story 3: IRS Credibility Problem In Free Fall — Cover-Up and Stonewalling Continues — Republicans Are Still Not Asking The Right Questions To The Right Witnesses (IRS IT Supervisors) — Provide Us The Server Hard Drive Copies of Lois Lerner’s Emails — House Select Committee Needed Months Ago! — Games People Play — Videos
Pronk Pops Shows 1-50, Podcasts or Download–Give It A Listen–Videos
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Pronk Pops Show 50:October 19, 2011
Pronk Pops Show 48:October 5, 2011
Pronk Pops Show 47:September 28, 2011
October 20, 2011 10:06 AM PDT
Pronk Pops Show 50, October 19, 2011
Segment 0: Ron Paul’s Economic Plan for Restoring America to Peace and Prosperity–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/pronk-pops-show-50-october-19-2011-segment-0-ron-paul%E2%80%99s-economic-plan-for-restoring-america-to-peace-and-prosperity-videos/
Special Guest Interview: Stephen Levine: Chasing and Photographing Thunderstorms
Segment 1: Republican Presidential Candidate Debate in Las Vegas–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/pronk-pops-show-50-october-19-2011-segment-1-segment-1-republican-presidential-candidate-debate-in-las-vegas-videos/
Segment 0: Let a 1,000 Apples Bloom: Creating Unbelievable Products, Wealth and Jobs–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/pronk-pops-show-49-october-12-2011-segment-0-let-a-1000-apples-bloom-creating-unbelievable-products-wealth-and-jobs-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=2155&preview_nonce=f67fe5a59f
Segment 1: President Obama Beats 62 Year Record Held By Reagan: Unemployment Rate Over 8% For 32 Months and Over 9% For 27 Months!–Average Weeks Unemployed Hits All Time High of 40.5 Weeks!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/pronk-pops-show-49-october-12-2011-segment-1-president-obama-beats-62-year-record-held-by-reagan-unemployment-rate-over-8-for-32-months-and-over-9-for-27-months-average-weeks-unemployed-hits-al/
Pronk Pops Show 48, October 8, 2011
Segment 0: President Obama In Dallas Tuesday Oct. 4: Collecting Contributions For $1,000,000,000 Propaganda Campaign And Demanding His Jobs Bill Be Passed–More Taxes, More Spending, More Deficits, More Debt, More Unemployment–No Hope, No Change, No Jobs, No Thanks–”How’s That Hopey-Changey Stuff Working Out For Ya?”–Videos
For addition information and videos:
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/pronk-pops-show-48-october-5-2011-segment-0-president-obama-in-dallas-tuesday-oct-4-collecting-contributions-for-1000000000-propaganda-campaign-and-demanding-his-jobs-bill-be-passed%E2%80%93/
Segment 1: Gungate: What did you know and When Did You Know About Operation Fast and Furious And Project Gunrunner– Attorney General Holder and President Obama?
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/pronk-pops-show-48-october-5-2011-segment-1-obamas-gungate-what-did-you-know-and-when-did-you-know-about-operation-fast-and-furious-and-project-gunrunner%E2%80%93-attorney-general-holder-and-pr/
September 28, 2011 04:57 PM PDT
Pronk Pops Show 47, September 28, 2011
Segment 0: Ron Paul On U.S. Foreign Policy–Mutually Assured Destruction vs Mutually Assured Respect –Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/pronk-pops-show-47-segment-0-ron-paul-on-u-s-foreign-policy-mutually-assured-destruction-vs-mutually-assured-respect-videos/
Segment 1: Herman Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll: The Cain Mutiny–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/pronk-pops-show-47-segment-1-herman-cain-wins-florida-straw-poll-the-cain-mutiny-videos/
Segment 2: Republican Presidential Debate, September 22, 2011–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/pronk-pops-show-47-september-28-2011-segment-2-republican-presidential-debate-september-22-2011-videos/
Segment 0: Obama’s Solargate: Solyndra Stimulus Spending Cost Taxpayers An Estimated $535 Million–Crony Capitalism Campaign Contribution Corruption–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/pronk-pops-show-46-september-21-2011-segment-0-obamas-solargate-solyndra-stimulus-spending-cost-taxpayers-an-estimated-535-million-crony-capitalism-campaign-contribution-corruption-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=2027&preview_nonce=62baed34f8
Segment 1: Eat The Rich!–Vote Obama In 2012 For More Spending, More Taxes, More Deficits, More Debt, More Unemployment, More Recession–No Hope–No Change–No Deal!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/pronk-pops-show-46-september-21-2011-segment-1-eat-the-rich-vote-obama-in-2012-for-more-spending-more-taxes-more-deficits-more-debt-more-unemployment-more-recession-no-hope-no-change-no/
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/pronk-pops-show-46-september-21-2011-segment-2-ron-paul-on-u-s-foreign-policy-mutually-assured-destruction-vs-mutually-assured-respect-videos/
Segment 0: Obama Proposes Tax Increases To Pay For Jobs/Stimulus Spending Package–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/pronk-pops-show-45-september-14-2011-segment-0-obama-proposes-tax-increases-to-pay-for-jobsstimulus-spending-package-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=2001&preview_nonce=1a7248d513
Segment 1: Republican Debate September 12, 2011–Tea Party–CNN–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/pronk-pops-show-45-september-14-2011-segment-1-republican-debate-september-12-2011-tea-party-cnn-videos/
September 08, 2011 10:22 AM PDT
Pronk Pops Show 44, September 7, 2011
Segment 0: Union Thug Hoffa Threatens To Take Out The Tea Party At Labor Day Rally–Obama “Proud” of Hoffa–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/pronk-pops-show-44-september-7-2011-segment-0-union-thug-hoffa-threatens-to-take-out-the-tea-party-at-labor-day-rally%E2%80%93obama-%E2%80%9Cproud%E2%80%9D-of-hoffa%E2%80%93videos/
Segment 1: No Hope: Consumer Confidence Craters–No Change: Official Unemployment Rate Above 8% and Total Unemployment Rate Above 15% For Entire Obama Administration–Great Obama Recession Economy (GORE)–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/pronk-pops-show-44-september-7-2011-segment-1-no-hope-consumer-confidence-craters-no-change-unemployment-rate-above-8-for-entire-obama-administration-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=1982&preview_nonce=59be205bae
August 31, 2011 03:19 PM PDT
Pronk Pops Show 43, August 31, 2011
Segment 0: Remembering The 9/11 First Responders–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/pronk-pops-show-43-august-31-2011-segment-0-remembering-the-911-first-responders-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=1925&preview_nonce=fe14e323f6
Segment 1: The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index Craters: 59.2 In July To 44.5 In August–Lowest Since April 2009!
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/pronk-pops-show-43-august-31-2011-segement-1-the-conference-boards-consumer-confidence-index-craters-59-2-in-july-to-44-5-in-august-lowest-since-april-2009/?preview=true&preview_id=1930&preview_nonce=08e5256d62
Segment 2: U.S. Economy On The Verge Of A Recession–Second Quarter GDP Growth Rate Revised Down From 1.3% to 1.0%–Bernanke Advocates Fiscal Stimulus–No QE3 For Now–Consumer Confidence Craters–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/pronk-pops-show-43-august-31-2011-segment-2-u-s-economy-on-the-verge-of-a-recession-second-quarter-gdp-growth-rate-revised-down-from-1-3-to-1-0-bernanke-advocates-fiscal-stimulus-no-qe3-for-no/
Segment 3: Obama’s Approval Rating On Economy Hits New Gallup Poll Low Of 26%–Republican Presidential Candidates Romney, Perry, Paul and Bachmann Attack Obama’s Job Creation Record–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/pronk-pops-show-43-august-31-2011-segment-4-obamas-approval-rating-on-economy-hits-new-gallup-poll-low-of-26-republican-presidential-candidates-romney-perry-paul-and-bachmann-attack-obama/
Segment 0: Malcolm Gladwell–Outliers: The Story of Success–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/pronk-pops-show-42-august-24-2011-segment-0-malcolm-gladwell-outliers-the-story-of-success-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=1870&preview_nonce=218c3e949e
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/pronk-pops-show-42-august-24-2011-segment-1-obamas-approval-rating-on-economy-hits-new-gallup-poll-low-of-26-republican-presidential-candidates-romney-perry-paul-and-bachmann-attack-obama/?preview=true&preview_id=1872&preview_nonce=5af449005a
Segment 0: 2011 Iowa Straw Poll: Bachmann knocks off Pawlenty, Paul builds momentum, Perry crashes party—Show me the money!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/pronk-pops-show-41-august-16-2011-segment-0-2011-iowa-straw-poll-bachmann-knocks-off-pawlenty-paul-builds-momentum-perry-crashes-party%E2%80%94show-me-the-money-videos/?preview=true&preview_id=1802&preview_nonce=da6c20c0ed
Segment 1: Beyond Top Tier–First In The Hearts and Minds Of The American People and Founding Fathers–The One–Ron Paul–Restoring Liberty, Peace and Prosperity–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/pronk-pops-show-41-august-17-2011-segment-1-beyond-top-tier-first-in-the-hearts-and-minds-of-the-american-people-and-founding-fathers-the-one-ron-paul-restoring-liberty-peace-and-prosperity/
Segment 2 : It’s Time For A Permanent, Pervasive and Predictable Stimulus Package–The FairTax–Launching A Peace and Prosperity Economy–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/pronk-pops-show-41-august-17-2011-segment-3-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-a-permanent-pervasive-and-predictable-stimulus-package%E2%80%93the-fairtax%E2%80%93launching-a-peace-and-prosperity-economy/
Pronk Pops Show, August 10, 2011
Segment 0: The Warfare and Welfare Economy Worsens With 30 Americans Killed and Over 45 Million Americans On Food Stamps–American People Want A Peace and Prosperity Economy–A Paycheck Not Food Stamps–Stop Out Of Control Spending On Government Interventions Abroad and At Home–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/pronk-pops-show-40-august-10-2011-the-warfare-and-welfare-economy-worsens-with-32-americans-killed-and-over-45-million-americans-on-food-stamps%E2%80%93american-people-want-a-peace-and-prosperity-e/?preview=true&preview_id=1702&preview_nonce=c9b76309ce
Segment 1: More GORE–Great Obama Recession Economy–Government Treasury Securities Downgraded From AAA to AA+ With A Negative Outlook By Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency–Too Little Too Late–The Austrian School of Economics Was Right!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/pronk-pops-show-40-august-10-2011-segment-1-more-gore-great-obama-recession-economy-government-treasury-securites-downgraded-from-aaa-to-aa-with-a-negative-outlook-by-standard-poors-rat/
Pronk Pops Show 39, August 3, 2011
Segement 0: Will Tea Party Caucus Vote As A Block Against Democratic and Republican Establishment Compromise Bill On Raising National Debt Ceiling By $900 Billion, Adding Over $7,000 Billion To National Debt In The Next Ten Years Plus A Huge Tax Hike in 2013?–The American People Would Like To Know!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/pronk-pops-show-38-august-3-2011-segement-0-will-tea-party-caucus-vote-as-a-block-against-democratic-and-republican-establishment-compromise-bill-on-raising-national-debt-ceiling-by-900-billion/
Segment 1: The Second Obama Recession Starts Or The Great Obama Depression Continues–The Growth Rate of Gross Domestic Product Declines For Four Consecutive Quarters–The Economy Has Peaked And Entered A Period Of Stagflation–Rising Prices, Unemployment And Obama Misery Index!–Ron Paul To The Rescue?–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/pronk-pops-show-39-august-3-2011-segment-1-the-second-obama-recession-starts-or-the-great-obama-depression-continues%E2%80%93the-growth-rate-of-gross-domestic-product-declines-for-four-consecutive/
Pronk Pops Show 26, May 5, 2011
Segment 1: How Did Bin Laden Bankrupt America?–Was Osama Bin Landen Executed For Bankrupting America?–Yes, President Obama Wants The Credit For Bankrupting America!–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/pronk-pops-show-26-may-3-2011-segment-1-how-did-bin-laden-bankrupt-america%E2%80%93was-osama-bin-landen-executed-for-bankrupting-america%E2%80%93yes-president-obama-wants-the-credit-for-bankrup/
Segment 2:Segment 2: President Obama Is The Reason Your Gasoline Prices Are Going Up!–American People Favor Drilling For Oil and Gas!–Drill Baby Drill–Videos
https://pronkpops.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/pronk-pops-show-26-may-3-2011-segment-2/
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Action Alerts PLUS: A Dizzying Market Mix
Earnings, Trump and the Fed keep investors on their toes.
By JIM CRAMER AND THE AAP TEAM Feb 05, 2017 | 02:00 PM EST
Stocks quotes in this article: DHR, AAPL, ARNC, FB, NXPI, MMP
This commentary was excerpted from the Weekly Roundup sent to subscribers of Action Alerts PLUS, a charitable trust co-managed by Jim Cramer and the AAP staff. Click here to learn about this actively traded stock portfolio.
Markets traded roughly flat this week as a flurry of earnings, macro-economic data and political developments required investors to balance near-term expectations. While earnings have been mostly positive thus far, increased uncertainty regarding the timing and scale of the new administration's policies has caused the market to stall somewhat as investors await definitive action. A strong, but not too strong, jobs report on Friday helped boost stocks, which had already been piling on momentum on expectations for the implementation of an executive order aimed at rolling back Dodd-Frank and other financial regulations. As we continue to move through the coming weeks, investors will have one eye fixed on the administration's policy decisions and the other eye weighing earnings and macro data.
For this week, Treasury yields were volatile as investors reacted to the Fed statement on Wednesday (more below) and the jobs report on Friday (more below). In similar fashion, the dollar was largely weaker versus the euro due to the lowered expectations for a rate hike in the foreseeable future. Gold, on the other hand, trended higher as increased uncertainty caused investors to shore up their portfolios with some safe-haven assets. Oil prices moved higher, but failed to definitively break out of the $50-$55 range.
Fourth-quarter equivalent earnings have been relatively positive versus expectations thus far, with 68% of companies in the small sample reporting a positive EPS surprise. Within the Action Alerts PLUS portfolio, Danaher, Apple, Arconic, Facebook, NXP Semi and Magellan Midstream reported earnings this week.
Danaher (DHR) reported a top- and bottom-line beat with its fourth-quarter results. For the quarter, revenues of $4.58 billion (up 6% year over year or 7.5% on constant currency) came in above consensus of $4.53 billion and EPS of $1.05 (up 15.5% year over year) beat consensus of $1.03. Digging deeper into the quarter, revenue growth was strong at +6% year over year in total, with +4% from acquisitions, +3.5% from core growth and -1.5% from FX headwinds. The performance still beat expectations, despite incrementally higher currency impacts. The core strength was led by life sciences (+4%) and environmental and applied solutions (+4%), but was somewhat offset by softness in dental (+0.5%), which had been anticipated given management's commentary at the recent analyst day. Diagnostics came in roughly in line for the quarter at 3% revenue growth.
Apple (AAPL) reported blowout results for its fiscal first quarter after Tuesday's close, with revenues of $78.35 billion (up 3.3% year over year) beating consensus of $77.26 billion and EPS of $3.36 walloping consensus expectations of $3.22. The all-important iPhone unit sales number of 78.29 million units beat consensus of roughly 77 million. Importantly, the average selling price of $695 was a record for the iPhone maker, demonstrating the company's continued ability to leverage its premiere worldwide brand despite stiff competition in domestic and emerging markets. Total iPhone revenues came in better than consensus expectations. On the back of these solid iPhone results, Apple finally returned to revenue growth in the quarter following three consecutive quarters of revenue declines.
Arconic's (ARNC) fourth-quarter results missed just slightly on the top and bottom lines. Revenues for the fourth quarter came in at $3 billion, narrowly missing consensus of $3.003 billion, and EPS of $0.12 came in one cent below consensus. The transportation and construction solutions performed best on a comparisons basis, with revenues of $456 million up 3% year over year and adjusted EBITDA of $75 million up 75% year over year. Engineered products and solutions' revenues came in roughly flat with the prior year, while adjusted EBITDA of $265 million was up 9% year over year. Global rolled products struggled, with revenues down 9% year over year and adjusted EBITDA flat year over year.
Facebook (FB) reported a top- and bottom-line beat with its fourth-quarter results after Wednesday's close. Revenues of $8.81 billion (up 51% year over year) topped consensus expectations by roughly $300 million and EPS of $1.41 beat consensus of $1.31. Advertising revenues of $8.63 billion were up 53% year over year, beating consensus expectations of $8.3 billion despite what was considered a tough comparable from the strong performance in the fourth quarter of 2015. Mobile ad revenue, representing approximately 84% of the total, up from 80% in the fourth quarter of 2015, demonstrated the continued execution by management on this key growth strategy. Importantly, advertising revenue increased sequentially and year over year in all of FB's main geographies of operation, indicating that growth is widespread as global advertisers look to tap into consumers in all markets across the globe. Digging deeper into user engagement metrics, FB again beat consensus across the board. Daily active users (DAUs) were 1.23 billion, an increase of 18% year over year, compared with consensus of 1.2 billion. Monthly active users (MAUs) were 1.86 billion, a surge of 17% year over year, edging out consensus of 1.84 billion. Importantly, DAUs as a percentage of MAUs -- a metric that provides a peek into consistent engagement -- were 66% in the quarter, consistent with prior quarters this year despite the consistent growth in MAUs and overblown concerns of increased competition.
NXP Semiconductor (NXPI) reported a bottom-line beat with its fourth-quarter results. Revenue of $2.44 billion (down 1.2% sequentially) was in line with Street expectations and company guidance, while adjusted earnings of $1.76 a share topped consensus of $1.65. The beat on the bottom line was driven by better-than-expected gross margins of 51.1% and lower operational expenditures, which helped the company earn operating margins of 29.3%, roughly 100 basis points above guidance. Importantly, management continued to execute on synergies from the Freescale acquisition, which should help drive solid results moving forward. By segment, the company delivered roughly in-line results on the top line, with automotive and secured infrastructure showing strength while secured connected devices and secured identification solutions declined in the quarter.
Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP) reported a top- and bottom-line beat in its fourth-quarter 2016 results, as revenue of $614.9 million came in above consensus of $602.8 million, and earnings of $1.04 a share came in above consensus of $0.96. The company's strong bottom-line performance was better than prior guidance of $0.91 due to better-than-expected results in its core fee-based business. Importantly, MMP generated $277 million of distributable cash flow (DCF) in the quarter, above consensus expectations of $256 million. DCF is one of the key determinants of sentiment for a master limited partnership (MLP), as it reflects the ability of the partnership to cover its payouts. MMP continues to expect 8% distribution growth in 2017 and also initiated an 8% growth target for 2018. The increases in distributions will be covered by 2017 DCF of $1 billion (in line with consensus), resulting in a 1.2x coverage ratio (i.e., the ability of the partnership to cover its payouts with its DCF -- the higher, the "safer"). This guidance assumes average oil prices of $55 per barrel in 2017.
On the economic front, the week kicked off strongly with a bullish housing indicator. The National Association of Realtors reported that pending home sales rose 1.6% in December, besting expectations for a 1.1% gain and improving from a 2.5% drop in November. Over the past 12 months, pending home sales were up a lighter 0.3%. The stronger-than-expected report comes after last week's housing data (see our Weekly Roundup from last week) had come in with declines in various pockets but also followed a very strong housing-starts report from earlier in the month. As we have noted, housing data tend to be volatile month to month. Either way, the housing market appears to have some support moving forward, although the major concerns hinge on continued price increases and tight inventory.
On Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that its manufacturing index hit 56 in January, up 1.5% from December and above expectations for a reading of 55. The survey showed that the overall economy grew for the 92nd straight month. As a reminder, any reading above 50 indicates an expansion while any reading below 50 points toward a contraction. January's reading is a great start to the year and adds to the cautious optimism underlying the outlook for the economy under the new administration. Of the 18 manufacturing industries tracked in the survey, 12 reported growth in the month. The previously defeated sector had shown weakness in prior years as companies were damaged by the energy sector's demise and the strong dollar, but performance has improved in recent months as oil prices have stabilized. Manufacturing looks to continue its expansion through 2017 after finishing off 2016 with the strongest growth in two years.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve, coming out of its two-day policy meeting, decided to keep benchmark interest rates unchanged at 0.5% to 0.75%. Recall that the committee had increased rates for the first time in a year back in December.
While investors largely expected the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged, the commentary regarding the progress of the macro economy was most important. Prior to this most recent press release, investors placed roughly a 25% probability that rates would be hiked at the Fed's next meeting, in mid-March. The committee has been consistent in its plan to "gradually" raise interest rates throughout the balance of the coming years, and reiterated that view in its commentary released on Wednesday.
As for changes in this statement compared to recent months, the Fed did remove a concern aimed toward declining energy prices and the subsequent effect on inflation. Oil prices have been steadily rising since November, trickling down to gasoline prices and helping inflation tick higher in recent months. Although prices have stabilized in recent weeks, we are way off the lows seen in February 2016. The Fed expects its preferred inflation gauge to rise toward 2% over the "medium term."
Importantly, the committee also specifically noted that "measures of consumer and business sentiment have improved" recently, as reflected in the stock market rally following the election. Increasing confidence has been coupled with continued strength in the labor market, supported by the ADP payrolls report also announced on Wednesday.
All in, the Fed's statement was virtually in line with expectations, although investors still question when the next hike will come, given that the committee failed to provide any specific guidance. In previous commentary, Fed Chair Janet Yellen has noted that changes to the plan will not anticipate the new administration's policies as the Fed prefers to see tangible evidence of the impacts of how President Trump's moves will trickle down in the economy. The Fed cannot predict when and on what scale these policies will come, so it has remained appropriately vague in terms of detailing its exact strategy moving forward. The statement reiterated that monetary policy remains "accommodative" as the risks to the economic outlook remain "roughly balanced."
Similar to investors, the Fed appear to be in a wait-and-see mode as the new administration begins to move forward with its first 100 days in office. In the meantime, investors will look ahead to Yellen's speech before Congress in two weeks and we will continue to follow the economic data points. In general, the outlook has not changed: While we can keep track of the data (jobs, housing, inflation, etc.), the market remains on its toes, waiting to see how new policies (or the lack thereof) will affect the macro economy in the short, medium and longer terms.
Prior to the nonfarm payrolls report on Friday, the Department of Labor reported on Thursday that initial jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 28 were 246,000, a decrease of 11,000 claims from the prior week's revised numbers and 5,000 claims lower than expectations. The overall trend remains strong with claims having remained below 300,000 -- the threshold typically used to categorize a healthy jobs market -- for an astounding 100 straight weeks, the longest streak since 1970. Claims have remained under 275,000 since the middle of November. The four-week moving average for claims (used as a gauge to offset volatility in the weekly numbers) rose 2,250 claims to 248,000 last week. The consistently low claims data support continued strength in the labor market, although these figures were not included in the survey period for the jobs report released on Friday.
On Friday morning, the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in January, better than expectations for around a 175,000 job increase. The unemployment rate was reported to have grown to 4.8%, slightly higher than both expectations and December's figure of 4.7%, as new Americans entered the workforce looking for employment. The labor participation rate rose to 62.9%, up from 62.7% in December, perhaps indicating additional slack in the labor market moving forward.
While the jobs numbers in January were strong and above expectations, the prior two months' data were revised down by a total of 39,000 jobs. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for November was revised down from 204,000 to 164,000 jobs, whereas the change for December was revised up slightly from 156,000 jobs to 157,000 jobs. Over the past three months, the economy has still averaged a strong 183,000 jobs created per month, roughly in line with the 187,000 average per month in 2016. The labor market continues to move through a historically long stretch of job creation following the recession, which ended in 2009.
Digging deeper into the report, wage growth only came in at a paltry 0.12% from December, below expectations for a 0.3% gain. Over the year, average hourly earnings rose by 2.5% in January, compared with 2.9% year over year last month. Ultimately, a strong headline number of new jobs added failed to lift wages as much as expected. The result? Treasury yields traded lower following the release of the report as expectations for a March Fed rate hike further diminished. There's now only an 8.9% chance of a move by March, versus 18% on Thursday, according to CME Group data. The market suggests a 63% chance of a Fed rate increase by June, down from 69% on Thursday. While the labor market clearly continues to flex its muscles, the uptick in labor participation and lackluster wage growth indicate that there could still be room for improvement.
As such, this report seemed to fit into the sweet spot of what the market likes -- better-than-expected job gains to demonstrate strength in the labor market, but enough signals indicating additional slack, meaning that the overall numbers are likely just not good enough for the Fed to accelerate the pace of tightening dramatically. This is consistent with the Fed's commentary that it would increase interest rates gradually over the coming years. The FOMC will remain data dependent, evaluating another jobs report along with other key economic indicators from January and February before holding their March policy meeting. A March hike is not off the table -- and three hikes in 2016 are still a possibility as economic growth accelerates -- but this report is not being viewed as the definitive firepower needed to make that decision.
On the commodity front, crude oil was volatile for the majority of the week, trending upward but failing to break out of its trading range of $50-$55. As we have been referring to in recent weeks, investors are waiting for the next catalyst to move prices higher and to provide the next leg to push energy stocks to new levels. The sector has weakened in recent weeks as oil has remained stagnant.
The week started on a lower note as investors focused on the higher rig count reported last Friday. As domestic rigs continue to increase, domestic producers are bringing more production back on line to take advantage of the rally in oil prices over the past several months. This increase in production is at odds with the OPEC agreements to cut global output in an attempt to balance the supply-and-demand dynamic.
On that note, prices found their footing on Tuesday after OPEC reported that cooperating nations had cut output by more than 1 million barrels per day, or roughly 88% of the agreements reported in November. While the market would like to see 100% compliance, the figure is still encouraging given OPEC's lack of commitment to its agreements in the past. This, added to a fading dollar (as investors weigh President Trump's rhetoric), allowed prices to edge higher.
The struggling dollar helped prop prices higher into Wednesday as well, especially following the Federal Reserve's commentary, which provided no specific guidance on the next rate hike, thereby lowering expectations for a March increase. Oil, which is a dollar-denominated asset, becomes more expensive for foreign buyers when the dollar rises and becomes more attractive as the dollar falls. Given that the dollar was the main focus of the day on Wednesday, traders appeared to ignore a bearish inventory report, which showed that crude oil and gasoline stockpiles grew more than anticipated. Slightly declining U.S. production figures also added support for the commodity.
While the momentum somewhat continued into Thursday on speculation that rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran could result in a tightening of global crude supply, investors shifted focus toward the rising inventory numbers after downplaying the impacts of any such "war of words." Overall, the market appears to be looking for any reason to push oil prices higher, indicating a generally bullish sentiment, but investors are waiting for something concrete for support as the swift rally in the commodity since November had largely priced in the benefits from OPEC production cuts. There is certainly reason for optimism moving forward, but the competing forces have kept oil in a wait-and-see mode for now, similar to the action across the broader market.
Moving on to the broader market, as we mentioned, fourth-quarter earnings are more than halfway complete and have been better than expected, proving to be positive compared to estimates. Total fourth-quarter earnings growth is up 6.3% year over year; of the 206 non-financials that reported, earnings growth is 5% versus expectations for an overall 4.9% increase throughout the season. Revenues are up 3.8% versus expectations throughout the season for a 4.01% increase; 67.5% of companies beat EPS expectations, 20% missed the mark and 12.5% were in line with consensus. On a year-over-year comparison basis, 75.8% have beaten the prior year's EPS results, 22.2% have come up short and 2% have been virtually in line. Information tech and materials have had the strongest performance versus estimates thus far, whereas real estate, telecom and consumer staples have posted the worst results in the S&P 500.
Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer co-manages as a charitable trust, is long DHR, AAPL ARNC, FB, NXPI and MMP.
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← A Forgotten Past – The Prisoners of Conscience
A Pictorial Gallery of Singapore in 1980 →
Posted on June 13, 2012 by Remember Singapore
Compared to the brand new shopping centres, these veteran shopping malls look as though they are forgotten by time. While it is a norm for new shopping centres to have several fast food restaurants, food courts, fashion outlets or even cineplexes, the old shopping malls are instead dominated by foreign-maid agencies, travel agencies and renovation companies.
Not all aging malls are frozen in time. Those which are managed by sole owners can turn back the time through a series of renovations and makeovers. The strata-titled ones are in more tricky situations. They are usually co-owned by different groups of people, making them difficult to be bought over by private developers. The owners also have the freedom to lease their shops to any tenants who are lured by the relatively lower rents, which is why it is not unusual to find similar businesses in the same building.
While the likes of VivoCity, Nex or JCube attract huge crowds, many veteran malls look deserted even during the weekends.
When was the last time you have visited one of these old shopping malls?
The Veteran Heartlanders
Katong Shopping Centre, Mountbatten Road (since 1973)
Katong Shopping Centre was opened in 1973, much to the delight of the residents living in Katong and Marine Parade. The first air-conditioned shopping mall in Singapore, it was then well-known for a concentrated number of textile shops in its early days, as well as its anchor tenant the Oriental Emporium. The building, styled with the iconic holes-in-walls design, was filled with people every weekends.
As time passed, the domination of the textile businesses was gradually taken over by renovation companies, computer-software and gaming shops, employment agencies and other retail outlets. In 1997, Katong Shopping Centre was renovated with a new striking blue outlook. It is now mainly catered to the crowds from the nearby churches and hotels.
Since 2010, the strata-titled Katong Shopping Centre has been undergoing through en-bloc sales. It may be re-developed into a new commercial building if the en-bloc exercise is successful by the end of 2012.
The Oden Katong Shopping Complex beside Katong Shopping Centre was built in place of the old Oden Katong Theatre in the eighties.
Queensway Shopping Centre, Queensway (since 1976)
Completed in 1976, Queensway Shopping Centre is well-known for its large number of retail shops selling sneakers, tennis racquets, soccer boots and other sport apparels. Other retailers deal with fashion, photocopying and tailorship.
Standing at one corner of the busy cross junction between Alexandra Road and Jalan Bukit Merah, Queensway Shopping Centre has seen major changes in its neighbours in the last 35 years. Before 1990, the Archipelago Brewery Company, specialised in the popular Anchor Beer from the 1930s to 1960s, had its manufacturing plant, production line and warehouse at where Anchorpoint (hence its name) and Ikea are standing today. Bukit Merah SAFRA Club was opened in 1982, and was shut down in 2004 after 23 years of services. There are some redevelopment plans in building a hotel to replace it.
The busy cross junction used to be a round-about named Rumah Bomba Circus in the seventies. Malay street hawkers lined up outside Queensway Shopping Centre peddling delicious satay, otah otah and mee rebus, which were extremely popular with the patrons after their shopping sprees at the mall.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre, Upper Serangoon Road (since 1970s)
Located at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Upper Paya Lebar Road, Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre was completed in the seventies. The four-storey heartland mall used to be filled with activities in bookshops, tailor shops, hair salons and even a tattoo shop.
The most famous tenant is perhaps Ah Lim, a nickname fondly called by the shoppers, who is the owner of the evergreen computer shop which sells the latest PC games at lower rates compared to other places.
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre has become a ghost town in the past decade, with more than 70% of of the shops vacated. In 2010, there were plans to sell the building to a private developer for a major revamp, but nothing came out of it. Its fortune was not helped by the opening of Nex, the largest suburban shopping mall in the northeastern Singapore, in 2011.
Bukit Timah Plaza, Jalan Anak Bukit (since 1978)
Deemed as a higher end shopping mall during its heydays, Bukit Timah Plaza used to have many shops specialised in computer hardware and software, household products and a large Yaohan store (see Thomson Plaza below).
The fortune of the plaza declined since the late nineties. With the rapid decrease in the crowds, shops found it difficult to continue their businesses. Rental fees dropped and small renovation contractors companies and maid agencies moved in to become the dominant batch of tenants. Meanwhile, the NTUC FairPrice supermarket replaced Yaohan as the anchor tenant of Bukit Timah Plaza.
Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Upper Bukit Timah Road (since 1978)
Once popular among the Malaysian tourists for its retail shops selling a wide variety of affordable clothing, Bukit Timah Shopping Centre is now largely dominated by renovation contractor companies and maid agencies, just like the nearby Bukit Timah Plaza.
Even though Bukit Timah Shopping Centre stands opposite of a row of popular eating houses, a lack of human traffic today makes the aging mall pale when compared to its heydays during the eighties. Only a couple of computer gaming shops and billiard saloons are able to lure some youths to the shopping mall, while food-lovers are attracted by a reputed restaurant specialised in nonya cuisine. Otherwise, the building is like a forgotten place frozen in time.
The construction of the Beauty World MRT Station of the Downtown Line (scheduled to be ready in 2015) may bring the old shopping mall back to life, but for the time being, it is destined to retain its reputation as a ghost town.
Thomson Plaza, Upper Thomson Road (since 1979)
Owned by DBS (Development Bank of Singapore), the $30-million project along Upper Thomson Road was handled by Japanese construction company Ohbayashi-Gumi as early as 1977. The shopping complex was fully completed in 1981.
During the eighties and nineties, Thomson Plaza was perhaps more well-known as Thomson Yaohan, due to its anchor tenant Yaohan (1979-1997), a Japanese departmental giant which also had other branches at Plaza Singapura (1974-1997), Bukit Timah (1982-1997), Parkway Parade (1983-1997) and Taman Jurong (1983-1989). After the Asian currency crisis in 1997/98, a bankrupted Yaohan was forced to close most of its operations in Asia. Yaohan Best, Yaohao’s subsidiary which specialised in electronic products, was restructured and became Best Denki.
After the closure of Yaohan, Thomson Plaza went through a period of decline before being revived by a series of upgrading. Its other long-time tenants include KFC and Yahama Music.
City Plaza, Geylang Road (since 1981)
Opened since 1981, the yellow-orange shopping mall at Geylang Road began as a mall filled with shops selling cheap Hong Kong-made clothes and dresses. It also used to have coin-operated massage chairs on its ground floor for tired shoppers.
Today, the mall is a favourite for bargaining experts who like to search for their treasures at the wholesalers in ladies’ fashion. The Arnold’s Fried Chicken on the second level is one of the most popular eating outlets in the building.
Located close to Geylang, the shopping mall has gained a notorious reputation in which old lecherous men can sometimes be spotted lurking around. It has also become one of the gathering points for the Filipino maids in Singapore during weekends.
Beauty World Plaza, Upper Bukit Timah Road (since 1983)
Beauty World Plaza is one of the old shopping malls clustered at Upper Bukit Timah Road, along with Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Beauty World Centre and Bukit Timah Plaza.
Its name was derived from the Beauty World, an amusement park that once existed at Upper Bukit Timah, and was as popular as Gay World, New World and Great World at Kim Seng. The amusement park was converted into a market place after the Second World War.
Before the construction of Beauty World Plaza, there were the Beauty World Park Market and Beauty World Town, where both of them were destroyed by fires in 1975 and 1984. Years later, some of the stallholders and shop-owners were relocated at Beauty World Plaza and Beauty World Centre to continue their businesses.
Tanjong Katong Complex, Geylang Road (since 1983)
The first fully air-conditioned shopping mall managed by the Housing Development Board (HDB), Tanjong Katong Complex once housed the popular Japanese supermarket and department store Yokoso. In the nineties, other retail shops such as 2nd Chance (First Lady), Toko Lisa and Smart supermarket moved in. The mall is also well-known for selling traditional clothing and textiles. Its current major tenant is Shop N Save.
The construction of Tanjong Katong Complex began as early as 1980, on the site of a former Malay settlement at Lorong Engku Aman. Together with the adjacent Geylang Serai Malay Village, it has maintained its popularity among the Malay community for many years. The Malay Village was demolished in 2011, while Tanjong Katong Complex is given a lease extension of another 10 years, so as to allow the Malay trades to remain in this culturally rich area.
Parkway Parade, Marine Parade Road (since 1984)
An unmistakable landmark of Marine Parade since 1984, Parkway Parade was developed by Parkway Properties. Extremely popular since its opening, it also housed many unforgettable fast food restaurants, such as Hardee’s and Chuck E Cheese, that had long ceased their operations in Singapore.
In 2000, Parkway Parade was sold to Asia Pacific Investment Company, and after a series of upgrades, anchor tenants such as Giant Hypermarket, Best Denki, Isetan, Marks & Spencer and Borders (2007-2012) moved in.
It now boasts eight levels (including basement) of food and beverages, fashion, medical services, beauty salons, family entertainment and a fitness centre.
Holland Road Shopping Centre, Holland Avenue (since mid-1980s)
During the fifties and sixties, Holland Village thrived due to the presence of the British military staying at the nearby Chip Bee Gardens. Holland Village was feared to become a ghost town when the British started their withdrawal from Singapore in 1971, but luckily for the “westernised” neighbourhood, it was able to attract a new group of clientele in the locals and the expatriates.
Holland Road Shopping Centre has three levels of shops selling everything from Asian crafts and jewellery to furniture and carpets. Its large variety in arts, antique and crafts make the mall popular among the expatriates. Lim’s Arts and Living, one of its biggest stores, sells exotic items such as shisha pipes, African statues and Moroccan dinnerware.
In recent years, however, soaring rental fees and the inconvenience due to the construction of the Holland Road MRT Station have affected many tenants. Mama Joe Magazine Corner, one of the iconic tenants of Holland Road Shopping Centre, closed down in 2007 due to bankruptcy.
Holland Road Shopping Centre was given a fresh paint of orange coat after 2009. Before that, it had a white and blue theme.
Other Veteran Malls in Singapore
Serangoon Plaza, formerly known as President Shopping Centre, mainly caters for the middle-class. President Shopping Centre operated from the mid-sixties to early eighties. Mustafa’s founder Mustaq Ahmad first rented a store at Serangoon Plaza in 1985, before acquiring the whole row of shophouses at the nearby Syed Alwi Road to set up Mustafa Centre.
Goldhill Shopping Centre, built in 1969 as a low-rise retail-office hub, was owned by Malaysian developer Goldhill Group. The building will be affected by the construction of the new North-South Expressway scheduled to start in 2013.
Owned and managed by HDB, Balestier Hill Shopping Centre (since mid-1970s) and Boon Lay Shopping Centre (since early 1980s) are more like typical neighbourhood hubs rather than what their names suggest. Another similar HDB neighbourhood shopping hub was the Lake View Shopping Centre along Upper Thomson Road. However, it was demolished in the late nineties.
United Square or formerly Goldhill Square at Novena has been around since 1982, standing beside the Goldhill Plaza and Goldhill Shopping Centre. After successfully reinvented itself as a kids’ learning hub, the mall becomes popular among young families.
A $77 million project, Roxy Square was completed in 1984 at Katong. It is standing on the former site of Roxy Theatre, owned by the legendary Shaw Brothers.
Sembawang Shopping Centre was previously famous for its anchor tenant Sembawang Music Store, which had since ceased its operation in 2009 due to bankruptcy. The mall was refurbished and given a new look in 2007. The popular Sembawang Satay Club used to operate beside the shopping mall before its revamp.
Veteran Shopping Malls at Orchard and City
C.K.Tang/Tang Plaza, Orchard Road (since 1958)
The famous Tangs departmental store was founded by legendary Singaporean entrepreneur Tan Choon Keng (1901-2000), or fondly known as C.K. Tang. Born to a Teochew Presbyterian pastor in Swatow of China, Tang Choon Keng arrived at Singapore at an age of 23.
Began as a humble salesman, Tang Choon Keng soon saved enough to open a small shop at River Valley Road. In 1958, much to the surprise of others, Tang Choon Keng bought a plot of land at the corner of Orchard Road and Scotts Road for S$10,000. Being a devoted Christian, Tang Choon Keng had no concerns that the new building he was going to build was facing Tai San Ting Cemetery.
C.K. Tang Departmental Store went on to become the landmark of early Orchard Road, and kicked off the development of Orchard Road as a prime shopping district of Singapore. Modeled after the Forbidden City of China, C.K. Tang was designed with green-tiled roofs that remains as its iconic feature today.
In 1982, the former building of C.K. Tang was demolished and replaced by a larger complex made up of Tang Plaza and Marriott Hotel (formerly called Dynasty Hotel). A new slogan called “All the best under one roof” was launched with great success. Due to Tang Choon Keng’s Christian beliefs, Tang Plaza remained the only departmental store in Orchard to close on Sundays until 1996.
Tanglin Shopping Centre, Tanglin Road (since 1971)
Located along the bustling Tanglin Road, Tanglin Shopping Centre was built in 1971 as a luxury mall. One of its famous tenants in the early seventies was Club 21, a humble men tailor-turned-into high-end boutique for ladies.
Today, it has gained a reputation of a heritage and culturally-rich shopping mall where one can find Oriental shops specialising from exotic artifacts and antiques such old Buddha heads and Tibetan prayerbeads, to Southeast Asian textiles and Japanese furniture. There is also an extensive collection of vintage items in old movies, music CDs and books for nostalgia lovers.
Peninsula Shopping Centre, Coleman Street (since 1971)
The site where Peninsula Shopping Centre (and Hotel) is standing today has a prestigious history, going back all the way to the early 19th century.
In 1829, Raffles’ adviser and Irish architect George Drumgoole Coleman (1795-1844) built his residence at 3 Coleman Street (which was named after him). When Coleman left Singapore in 1841 due to ill health, the building changed hands several times. By 1865, it was converted into a high-end hotel until the Second World War. Its deteriorated conditions after the war saw its demolition in 1965, and had Peninsula Hotel and Shopping Centre built in its place in 1971.
Golden Mile Complex, Beach Road (since 1972)
The Golden Mile Complex (formerly known as Who Hup Complex) at Beach Road was one of the first commercial-residential projects in Singapore to integrate shops, offices and residences into one single building. Completed in 1973 (its shopping mall was opened a year earlier), the iconic landmark by the Kallang Basin won several architectural awards in the seventies.
Its fortune, however, declined in the mid-nineties. The lack of maintenance, dirty toilets and poor security caused it to be termed from the pride of a “vertical city” to the humiliation of a “vertical slum”. Others called it an eyesore or a national disgrace, due to its prominence beside the busy Nicoll Highway.
Tour agencies and shops selling Thai goods and cuisines now dominate Golden Mile Complex. It is filled with Thai foreign workers during the weekends. There were plans by its owner to sell the building in recent years but the move did not materialise due to disagreements by its shop and residential owners.
People’s Park Complex, Eu Tong Sen Street (since 1973)
The biggest shopping complex in Singapore upon its completion in 1973, the People’s Park Complex is one of the most prominent landmarks at Chinatown, the 31-storey building consists of 6 levels of shops and offices and a residential block of 25 floors.
For decades, the People’s Park Complex has been popular with the wide diversity of its retail shops, ranging from money-changing services, electronic goods, jewellery to travel agencies. It remains as one of most popular hangouts for shoppers during the Chinese New Year festivals.
Its owner, People’s Park Development Pte Ltd, also owned Katong People’s Complex (Katong Mall) from 1984 to 2009. The mall is now revamped into 112 Katong.
Far East Shopping Centre, Orchard Road (since 1974)
Far East Shopping Centre was one of Far East Organisation’s (FEO) first projects in the retail markets. Built in 1974, the shopping centre was the first mall in Singapore to have an atrium and external escalators.
The success of Far East Shopping Centre prompted Ng Teng Fong (1928-2010), head of FEO and one of Singapore’s richest men, to continue his venture at Orchard Road. Subsequently, Lucky Plaza (1978), Orchard Plaza (1981), Far East Plaza (1983) and Claymore Plaza (1984) were built. Ng Teng Feng became well-known as the “King of Orchard”.
Far East Plaza, in particular, became popular among youngsters from the eighties to nineties with its large variety of trendy fashion shops. 77th Street was one of its most popular tenants, operating at the shopping centre from 1988 to 2012.
Plaza Singapura, Orchard Road (since 1974)
While Centrepoint attracted the likes of trendy youngsters, Plaza Singapura was more suitable for family outings in its early days. One of the largest malls in Singapore upon its completion, Plaza Singapura was managed by DBS Land, which was the predecessor of CapitaLand.
In 1974, Japanese departmental giant Yaohan opened its first store in Singapore at Plaza Singapura. Subsequently, other famous brands such as OG, Times Bookstore, Yamaha Music, MacDonald’s, Ponderosa, Daimaru and Courts Superstore moved in.
After going through two major revamps in 1998 and 2003, and had its basement linked to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, Plaza Singapura continues to enjoy high popularity till today.
Orchard Towers, Claymore Road (since 1975)
Completed in 1975, the building of Orchard Towers has five levels of retail shops with 13 floors of offices on top. Since the nineties, Orchard Towers became a household name in Singapore, for the wrong reasons.
There are a couple of electronic shops, massage parlours and internet cafes in the building, but when the nights fall, the dozen of bars, pubs and clubs on the first four levels take over. Prostitutes and transvestites roam around, giving the place a notorious nickname of “Four Floors of Whores”. Due to its sleazy nature, Orchard Towers is subjected to regular police raids.
Peninsula Plaza, Coleman Street (since 1981)
Like Peninsula Shopping Centre which is situated on the opposite of Coleman Street, the site of Peninsula Plaza has a long history.
It was once the site of the residence of wealthy Chinese businessman Tan Kim Cheng in the late 19th century. Property developer Manasseh Meyer bought the place and developed it into a five-storey residential apartments with offices and shops known as the Meyer Mansions. The apartments were torn down in 1970. It was not until more than a decade later before Peninsula Plaza occupied its current location.
Peninsula Plaza has largely retained its appearance for the past 20 odd years. Its shops are specialised in a wide range of merchandise, such as household items, fashion, imported snacks and cameras and its accessories. Some of the shops, however, have notorious reputations of high-pressure selling tactics which the shoppers need to be cautious of.
The Arcade, Collyer Quay (since 1981)
The Arcade at Raffles Place, built in 1981, may look out of place standing among the new skyscrapers, but it has a long history stretching back to the early 20th century. Its predecessor was the Alkaff Arcade owned by the Alkaffs, Singapore’s prominent wealthy Arab family.
Completed in 1909, the Moorish-styled Alkaff Arcade was Singapore’s first indoor shopping centre stretching from Collyer Quay to Raffles Place. At four-storey tall, it was also the highest building at the time of its completion.
The former Arcade was demolished in 1978 to make way for the new Arcade at a construction cost of $20 million. The shopping-cum-office building is now famous for the intense competition among its numerous money-changers.
Centrepoint, Orchard Road (since 1983)
Centrepoint was built in 1983, replacing the old Cold Storage building. Renowned British retailer Robinsons became its flagship since then, occupying five levels after its move from the opposite Specialist’s Shopping Centre.
In the mid-eighties, Centrepoint was considered a trendy shopping mall and a popular gathering point among the youngsters, which saw the rise of the infamous Centrepoint Kids. As many as 2,000 teenagers gathered here every weekends. Most of them, dressed in loud outfits and hairstyles, were just engaging in normal conversations among friends, but a few committed illegal activities such as shop-lifting and glue-sniffing. Some fights occurred due to staring incidents. This gave the groups of youngsters a bad reputation, and prompted the police to keep an eye on the premises outside Centrepoint.
In 2006, after a major revamp, Centrepoint Shopping Centre was renamed as The Centrepoint.
Liang Court, River Valley Road (since 1985)
Standing beside Clarke Quay, Liang Court aims to provide an “Asian Fusion by the River” shopping experience for its customers. The 5-levels-2-basements mall takes on a Japanese theme, having MEIDI-YA supermarket and Kinokuniya bookstore as its anchor tenants, as well as a number of Japanese restaurants. MEIDI-YA at Liang Court is the Japanese supermarket’s second overseas branch after its first store in Amsterdam of Holland.
The Singapore River clean-up project was kicked off in 1977, and lasted almost a decade to keep it pollution free. When Liang Court was opened in 1985, the Singapore River was a vibrant and clear waterway beside the brown buildings of Liang Court and Novotel Hotel.
Liang Court underwent a major $40 million revamp in 2008.
Sim Lim Square, Rochor Canal Road (since 1987)
Like Funan Centre (opened since 1985), Sim Lim Square, or popularly known as SLS, is famous for it large variety of computers, handphones, cameras and other electronic gadgets. While Funan Centre is considered more upmarket and expensive, Sim Lim Square caters more for the general masses. It has, however, an unwanted reputation of scams and high-pressured selling tactics.
Consisting of six levels and two basements of retail shops selling all sorts of electronic and computing devices, Sim Lim Square offers the customers many choices at negotiable prices and bargains. However, the well-known IT mall has been plagued by dishonest and unethical business practices of some shops in recent years. Along with Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road, Sim Lim Square has gained a notorious reputation of “carrot-chopping” (scamming) the tourists.
Rise and Fall of Other Shopping Centres
Tay Buan Guan Supermarket, East Coast Road (1950s-2001)
Comprising of a Chinese emporium, jewellery shop, pharmacy, confectionery, refrigeration facilities and even a beauty saloon, Tay Buan Guan Supermarket sold everything from groceries, books, flowers to electrical appliances and household items. Housed in a building made up of 13 two-storey shophouses, the supermarket was a landmark at Katong and frequently patronised by the Peranakans, Eurasians and the English-educated Chinese.
Tay Buan Guan Supermarket’s founder Tay Leck Teck started off as a hawker at Joo Chiat before he saved enough to open a shop, and later set up the shopping centre in the fifties. It enjoyed some forty plus years of popularity and prosperity, but was later outshone by Katong Shopping Centre and Parkway Parade. In 2001, the building was bought over by a condominium developer and subsequently demolished.
Specialists’ Shopping Centre, Orchard Road (early 1970s-2008)
One of the oldest shopping centres at Orchard Road, Specialists’ Shopping Centre was home to Hotel Phoenix Singapore and, more famously, the John Little departmental store. It was originally named Specialists due to the concentration of medical specialists in its early days, and it was built in the site of the Pavilion Theatre in the early seventies.
Owned by OCBC Bank, the 30-plus years old mall and hotel were finally demolished in 2008 to be replaced by Orchard Gateway, a new mall with restaurants, offices, hotel rooms and a library linked between two towers.
Scotts Shopping Centre, Scotts Road (1982-2007)
Scotts Shopping Centre, at Scotts Road, was a high-end boutique mall mainly catered for wealthy Indonesian or other overseas customers. Opened in 1982, it had five levels of retail shops with a 23-storey service apartment building on top. The mall even had Singapore’s first air-conditioned food court, Picnic Foot Court, opened in 1985.
In 2004, Scotts Shopping Centre and the Ascott Serviced Residences were bought over by Wheelock Properties for $345 million. The buildings were subsequently demolished three years later, and replaced by a luxury apartment-and-retail complex known as Scotts Square.
Promenade Shopping Centre, Orchard Road (late 1980s-2003)
Promenade Shopping Centre was built at the site of the former Fitzpatrick’s Supermarket in the late eighties. In 2003, it was demolished to make way for the extension of the luxury high-end mall Paragon.
Other than the defunct shopping malls, major departmental retailers in Singapore that have closed in recent decades were Oriental Emporium (1966-1987), Yaohan (1974-1997), Daimaru (1983-2003) and SOGO (1986-2000).
Updated: 29 August 2012
This entry was posted in Historic and tagged Balestier Hill Shopping Centre, Beauty World, Boon Lay Shopping Centre, Bukit Timah Plaza, Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, C.K.Tang, Centrepoint, City Plaza, Far East Shopping Centre, Golden Mile Complex, Goldhill Shopping Centre, Goldhill Square, Holland Road Shopping Centre, Katong Shopping Centre, Lake View Shopping Centre, Liang Court, Orchard Road, Orchard Towers, Oriental Emporium, Parkway Parade, Peninsula Plaza, Peninsula Shopping Centre, People's Park Complex, Plaza Singapura, President Shopping Centre, Promenade Shopping Centre, Queensway Shopping Centre, Roxy Square, Scotts Shopping Centre, Sembawang Shopping Centre, Serangoon Plaza, Sim Lim Square, Specialists' Shopping Centre, Tang Plaza, Tanglin Shopping Centre, Tanjong Katong Complex, Tay Buan Guan, The Arcade, Thomson Plaza, United Square, Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre. Bookmark the permalink.
100 Responses to Time Stands Still at Singapore’s Veteran Shopping Malls
This is Anfield says:
I remembered all these!
Hi did you by any chance have the opportunity to shop at TANGS during the 60s or 70s or know anyone who has and would be willing to be interviewed about it?
Nostalgia Tan says:
I think you got the info wrong for the specialist’s shopping centre. Orchard Central is not the shopping centre that is replacing the specialist’s shopping centre. The new shopping centre replacing both Orchard Emerald and Specialist’s Shopping Centre/Hotel Phoenix will be ready in end 2013. For Orchard Central, it was previously a carpark and the site of the former gluttons square.
You may want to mention that Heartland Mall Kovan was formerly known as Oriential Emporium Hougang, owned by the former Oriental Emporium.
Thanks.. you are right
I’ve checked the street directory of 1998
Have corrected it 😉
nostalgic tan says:
umm… i think you should have mentioned that orchard emerald will be part of the orchard gateway. when you mentioned that the library is linked by two towers, it puzzled me ya.
DLT says:
Looks like it has become Orchard 313
Hi, i’m doing some research for a project focusing on the revamping of orchard road and need your help. I was wandering if by chance you know any shops (non-brand) that have been on Orchard for at least 25 years?
pkisme says:
i still remember this song………
“Beauty World~~~ *Cha-Cha-Cha!* I like It!”
Thank you for this article… That really brought back some good memories.
You left out Lucky Plaza, which is the hangout for Filipino maids rather than City Plaza which is the hangout for Indonesian maids.
aaaaaa says:
That’s right. City Plaza is Indonesian hangout, not Filipino like you wrote.
Some of the old malls are strata-titled, which means individual owners can lease out to whoever they wish. One would remember in the late 90s/early 2000s, there were many “temp” shops in these old malls selling pirated software and pornography.
Hi. Thank you for writing about these interesting places. I love your articles! I hope you can write about old cinemas in Singapore, especially the old open-air cinemas. I remember there was one open-air cinema in Kampong Chai Chee in the 70s but unfortunately i do not have any picture of it or remember the exact location.
Wong Mui Fong says:
Yes, I have fond memories of the open-air cinema in Kampong Chai Chee in the 70s where I used to live. One of the many movies I watched was ‘人、鬼、神’. i remember watching the movie under an umbrella in the rain, getting bitten by bugs from the wooden bench, angry people shouting when the screening of the movie was disrupted….Those were the days of watching movies in an open-air cinema under the starry sky.
I found the name of the open-air cinema “Kong Eng 光荣 Open Air Cinema” here: https://yeohongeng.blogspot.com/2015/01/gangsterism-in-kampong-chai-chee-prior.html?view=flipcard
Plaza Singapura – there used to be a huge Japanese bookstore on the 2nd floor when it first opened, was wondering if anyone remembers its name?
othman says:
It was Yoahan Shoping Centre at the basement. With pocket money less than 50 cents, managed to reach there most of the Saturday. Enjoyed LEGO toys displayed but never got it.
Serene Ho says:
I thnk the name is Yajimaya Books. They used to provide paper wrappers with the store name for you to wrap your books in.
Missing Singapore says:
What a great article and pictures. I only lived in Singapore for ten years, but I do remember a lot of these buildings. I understand progress, but it is sad that so many of these land marks are gone or reinvented. Thanks for the memories.
Kelvin Ang says:
OOOOOO…Ah lim…wahh memories of my secondary school days where that was a favorite haunt, and just one floor below him were all the pirated stores. Is he still there?
Jared Seah says:
Another great blast from the past!
I remember hanging out at the numerous arcades in Queensway Shopping Centre during my primary school days. Pacman, breakout, space invaders, fuzzball… Good times!
Glad to know that both Queensway and Holland Village Shopping Centres are still going strong! Or am I biased since I still stay in Queenstown?
Simin Wang says:
Which years did you hang out at the arcades? I’m trying to find out which was the first year arcades come to Singapore! I hung out in arcades while growing up in the 90s too.
the reason for upper serangoon shopping center to become a ghost town is 2 main reason, 1stly the relocation of the residents staying at the nearby old shop houses that have now become a flyover, i know this cause i grew up there. i miss parco funworld.
2ndly will be the moving of the few schools like chij st joseph convent keke we girls used to hang out there now when my girl ask me mummy u sure u grew up here why i only see roads.
Thank for bringing back those memories !
There’s another one I thought of … Coronation Plaza along Bukit Timah Road…
toddrone says:
Coronation Plaza was my childhood after school getaway place, as most former students of the now “extinct” Farrer Primary School still remember. It was also known as “Silo”, not sure why kids called it “Silo” back then. Fond memories.
Boon Kiat Lim says:
Silo was the supermart before it was bought over by NTUC. My sec sch is at Hillcrest Dunearn Sec
wow, so that’s where the name Silo came from. good to know. Thanks
Wow. I actually remember most of these places, but this is the first time that some of them stuck me as actual malls (like Tanjong Katong Complex and Upper Serangoon SC). They were just buildings with outlets on the first level…
What about Serangoon Garden Village at 1 Maju Ave? It was Paramount Theatre in the 1950s and now it\’s rebranded as myVillage!
Leonard Martinus says:
Many thanks for reminding me of the paramount Chris brings back many memories
MY friends and I used to attend many movies at the old Paramount Theatre in Serangoon Gardens in the early 1950’s and I recall also going to the ”open air” 10cent movies at the old Serangoon Gardens club soccer field even before the hawker centre ”chomp chomp” was started but you have to be in your late 60’s or early 70’s of age to remember this.
Chomp Chomp and Paramount still there at 1981. I frequent Paramount bcos as a student have budget. So $1 movie at Paramount is affordable to me as student wheras other cinema already $2
Henry Lim says:
The anchor tenant of Liang Court was Singapore Damairu. LC comprises 2 tower blocks, one, New Otani Hotel and the other is the service apartments.
Also the indoor musical water fountain (you don’t need to go to Sentosa in those days to see one), and the main pump that pushes the water up a few levels ! I used to watch the japanese chefs inside Daimaru prepare the sashimi for their japanese clientelle.
Ah yes I remember the fountain! The water responds to clapping!
I remember quite a few of these, especially Beauty World and Bukit Timah Plaza, as I lived in the area. I remember the latter especially, because it held the second-last Waffletown in Singapore (the remaining outlet being along Dunearn Road), and we used to go and eat there as children. Kind of sad to watch it decline, as I used to go there every other weekend. It has undergone a relatively recent refurbishment of the exterior, circa 2006 if I’m not wrong. The main tenant was Yaohan, then NTUC Fairprice, and then they established the biggest FairPrice Finest outlet in Singapore there.
I work near Balestier Hill Shopping Centre (in fact, my boss’s other clinic is there). Totally run down, but it’s increasingly being taken over by Thomson Medical just across the road. They are buying over the leases of the tenants, and converting them into clinics, if I’m not wrong.
Anyway, you forgot to mention that Peninsular Plaza is one of the few shopping centres in Singapore to have a car lift! Heh.
Jeffery says:
waffletown have moved to balmoral plaza @ bukit timah
fakemalaysianews says:
I wonder what bloggers will say about the IOI mall in 30 years? Maybe its like pop music which is loved then dismissed as trash then brought back as an ‘all time classic!’
Lam Chun See says:
I still patronize the Queensway shopping centre. My tailor there says his customers are mostly oldies from decades ago.
Michael Lee says:
Thks you for writing this entry — a much needed missing section from Straits Times coverages that rave about new malls and blush about the old ones.
Not sure if you intend comprehensiveness in your listing, but here are other veterans I remember off my head (of which I’ve been only to item 1):
1. Forum Galleria (http://forumtheshoppingmall.com.sg/), which stands at the former Hotel Intercontinental Singapura (http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss102/OMBugge/Singapore/Singapore%201960s/hotel_singapura.jpg)
2. Old Cold Storage (http://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/impressions-of-orchard-road-in-the-1970s/cold-storage/)
3. Katong People’s Complex (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_162104.html)
Nice… Thanks for the links 😉
You are legend, for keeping a blog like this. I was borned in 1980, and these posts bring back incredible memories and wistful moments. Just saying ‘thank you’ does not convey the gratitude I have for your posts! =D
Thanks for your kind words
Hopefully can raise more awareness among Singaporeans in understanding our own heritage 😉
Michael Wan says:
Hi all, anyone recalls in Plaza Sing, there were those huge bronze statues?
I recall when I was a kid, I wil usually play by those things… Wonders what happened to them, and if anyone has some photos?
Wow, i remember those! right in the middle, and had a woman bronze statue. i have pics, i’m sure. not digital ones of cos. LOL.
It’s the sculpture of Contentment by Ng Eng Teng (made in 1974). It was moved to NUS in 2001.
His another work is outside Far East Shopping Centre. It’s called Mother and Child (made in 1980).
brilliant entry; such a labour of love for our past…I am interested to do a photographic project of old condominiums still existing in Singapore, at least those which are still standing. Do contact me at eoy104@gmail.com if you think there are possibilities for collaboration.
Wow, I’ve limited knowledge of old condominiums in Singapore.. care to give some examples?
Btw, your photo of the facade of that old HDB flat is excellent!
Just the old playground image in the banner alone is enough to bring tears. Sigh… they should put a set in the museum. Great article. Thanks!
Jloh says:
I want to express my utmost gratefulness of your posting. As a person who is plying my trade overseas and don’t get to visit home as often, your posting really warm up my heart. To me, those days of growing up are golden. Thanks again.
Peter Dunlop author "Street names of Singapore" says:
Wasn’t Peter Chew one of the first “smart” electronics and camera shops in the Specialists Centre? Before that I used to buy such stuff in Changi Village
Peter Chew’s was in Supreme House, now known as Park Mall.
Passerby says:
I think you may have left out Pearl Centre and Outram Park Shopping center – these i recall are popular in the late 70s /early 80s?
Singapom (@Singapom) says:
DId you miss out Marine Parade shopping mall (still there, I think, though I left Singapore a couple of years ago)? I used to pass through often in the mornings on my way to meetings in the offices above and liked its reto-feel. Thanks for collecting these images – really interesting to see.
A nostalgic look at CK Tang…
http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/photos/a-nostalgic-look-at-tangs-slideshow/
The façade of the first CK Tang department store was at River Valley Road when CK Tang bought the property in 1939, where he built Gainurn Building, and established himself as the merchant who specialized in Chinese homewares and handicrafts.
CK Tang bought a stretch of Orchard Road after thinking to himself “If Shanghai can have its Nanjing Road where one million people pass through each day, why can’t Singapore have its own?”
Paying tribute to its humble roots, the new TANGS store was launched prominently using rickshaws in 1982.
The entrance to their bustling sale – a sight that’s still common till today.
slmka says:
Interesting write up. Know some of them, but also never aware some are so old already.
There’s also another shopping center not in the list – Singapore Shopping Center (next to Park Mall). This one seems quite old as well and its 1st floor corner is occupy by a antique store.
Edmund Lum says:
Any one got the old pic for Tiong Bahru Market? if yes pls share.
Rupi says:
what a wonderful blog…! great to see the singapore of the 1980s in black and white. Hey btw, I am an independent researcher and doing a project for the national heritage board and looking at interviewing some kids from centrepoint kids, marina square kids, far east kids, daimaru kids and macdonalds kids of the 1980s. Do you have contacts of any of them ? Is anyone interested to talk to me about this? Pls call me at 96948927. My name is Rupi.
Some old photos of Tay Buan Guan
Lippy says:
Does anyone remember if Daimaru opened a branch at Thomson plaza after Yaohan closed?
NTUC only shifted in in the mid noughties, who was the supermarket tenant from 1998-2003/4?
Hello Lippy, this reply is 1 1/2 years late, but hope you get to read this. I was a Thomson kid and now as an adult it is where you find me every week almost – i GREW UP in this mall, and even now it has a very special place in my heart and memories.
Anyway, enough of that sap, to answer your question – it wasn’t Daimaru, but for awhile Best Denki was in Thomson Plaza. I think you might have gotten it confused as we never had a Daimaru here. I did spend a large amount of time away from SG, but came back twice a year, so unless Daimaru opened and closed whilst I was away, i kinda doubt it was ever in Thomson Plaza.
Thomson Plaza had Yaohan, which was wonderful – they had a toy section that most kids like myself LOVED. They also sold groceries i think – which didn’t interest me at that age LoL! And they also had electronics and gadgets and just about anything and everything – think Fairprice meets Best Denki – it was the best of both worlds. Can you tell I miss Yaohan? We don’t quite have a similar place that sells groceries AND electronics – and have both in equal variety. Sigh.
Okay, when Yaohan closed in 97, 98 or so, it was what i call the “lean years” (98 to 2003) – we never had any supermarket at all!! Can you imagine that? I remember some time between 98 and 03, Best Denki came in – which was quite nice, cos you could pick up electronics there. I remember buying mini digital tapes there – LoL, this was before the days of SD cards! That’s what I loved about this time in Thomson plaza – you could readily pick up small, medium and even big electronics so easily.
I also remember picking up things like batteries and ear pieces too — very nice place if you need everyday items too. I miss this now. Sigh. Thomson Plaza now doesn’t have much electronics to offer these days. There’s Mini Challenger, but it doesn’t offer as many products as Best Denki does. I sure do miss Best Denki Thomson ………….. so sad. ;(
Anyhoo – When Fairprice moved in in early 2000’s, I think we all wept tears of joy – I’m exaggerating but you get the picture! I love Fairprice Thomson with all my heart! Finally we have a place to buy groceries and toiletries and other things. So maybe we can’t find electronics in Thomson anymore, but we can buy a chicken anytime we want now!
Hope this helps!!!
PS – My memory is very fuzzy about this – but didn’t Singapore have an electronics store called SAFE? It stood for Singapore Armed Forces Enterprise. They went out of biz i think – it used to be in Bishan junction 8. I am not sure but i think it was bought over and renamed Best Denki or Harvey Norman or something, – i often get the two mixed up. But i’m pretty sure the one in Thomson Plaza was Best Denki, but am not sure if it used to be called SAFE. Maybe someone can shed light on this?! Thanks!!!
BurnsKazuo says:
I remember I used to patronised the 2 side-by-side CD shops in Thomson Plaza around 1989-1995. One of them is called Globe or something and the friendly Aunty there always help me reserve copies of CDs. Sadly the shops r no longer around.
Think Daimaru was in Bishan Junction8 before it closed… A few months after their 20th anniversary or something in around 2002-2004.
Another small neighbourhood shopping mall replaced by condo development…
Hougang Plaza (1996-2012)
http://lionraw.com/2013/05/02/hougang-plaza-hougangs-first-shopping-entertainment-complex/
I remember I used to play midnight bowling at the Visions Lanes Bowling Alley of Hougang Plaza with my friends during my university days (late 1990s), then proceeded for supper around that area until 3-4am… Nice memories
Hello there remember singapore!
By any chance you know where the vision lanes bowling shifted to?
Fuzzy says:
I used to play at e game arcades in 1995. Sweet memories.
Vicky G.B says:
I wish i could move time to those days i used to hang out with friends in the early 1990s without any lawful problems. $10 dollars was enough to spend nearly half a day. I am sure my age group citizens would have missed those days too…… ): Nice blog Keep it up……. (:
Popular Holland V news-stand owner dies
By Melody Zaccheus
CUSTOMERS in Holland Village have paid tribute to popular news-stand owner Periathambi G., who died on Thursday. The 70-year-old – who was known as Mr Thambi and started distributing papers when he was eight – had been suffering from diabetes and kidney failure for more than a decade.
“It’s a loss to the community,” said Ms Irene K., a teacher in her 40s. “But he left behind a wonderful legacy and a professional, personalised and passionate approach to the newspaper business.”
The veteran owner opened Thambi Magazine Store in 1996, but the news-stand can trace its roots back to the 1960s, when Mr Thambi’s father would deliver newspapers on his bicycle when the area was a kampung. Today, the news-stand carries about 4,000 publications from around the world. Passionate about the business, Mr Thambi worked until his late 50s, when he fell ill. He fell into a coma on Thursday evening and died later that night.
“He has been in and out of the hospital but his death still came as a shock to us,” said his eldest son, Mr P. Senthilmurugan, 39, who runs the news-stand with his siblings, in-laws and mother. Second son P. Govindasamy, 33, added: “Even after my father fell ill, he would ask that we bring him to the shop. He would sit down with a cup of coffee, chat with the residents and ask our workers to tell him what had made the news that morning.”
Mr Thambi’s wake is being held at Block 20, Holland Drive. A procession will also take place today (21 Sep), stopping outside his shop and tracing one of his old newspaper delivery routes before leaving for the Mandai Crematorium at 5.30pm. The news-stand, which closed yesterday, will reopen on Monday.
A 1985 printed advertisement by Cold Storage at Goldhill Sqaure…
a can of A&W Root Beer cost $0.39 then
Edwin Sim says:
Thanks for doing up this list…beings back a lot of memories for me. This is one website that will live to tell a long story, 🙂
Wisma Atria’s iconic marine aquarium (1986-2008) certainly held a significant place in many Singaporeans’ memories 🙂
(Photo Credit: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/users/354879/)
I remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coz my little cousin was fixated with this!!!!!!!! Sigh, why couldn’t thet leave this in? So not fair! So sad!
Lego Toys Shop Singapore says:
Bit long but the best post I have ever seen on internet about mall and shopping in Singapore.
Serangoon Plaza, formerly President Shopping Centre, was sold en bloc for $400m
Monday, Nov 04, 2013
SERANGOON Plaza is better known as the home of the other Mustafa store, beside the well-known retailer’s 24-hour flagship in Mustafa Center.
But the five-storey freehold building at 320 Serangoon Road will now go down in the books for another reason: as the most expensive commercial property to be sold en bloc in Singapore. The development has been sold to its majority owner in a deal that values the office and retail complex at $400 million.
Feature Development, an associate of the Tong Eng group, already owns 90 per cent of the strata units. It will buy over the others, which are currently held by more than 10 other owners. The sale was brokered by Savills Singapore, which had set an indicative price of $360 million to $368 million. Feature Development withdrew from the sales committee to take part in the tender process at arm’s length, said Savills Singapore’s director of investment sales, Ms Suzie Mok.
“Commercial property is currently the most vibrant (real-estate) segment here, so Feature had to put in a strong bid,” she said. “It was a clear-cut winner in terms of price, terms, and fulfilling all the tender conditions.”
The tender closed on Thursday with Feature’s offer, which works out to $1,946 per sq ft of maximum floor area, tops. The company bought into the building in 1985. It is related to Tong Eng, the developer of several residential projects here, including Poshgrove East in East Coast Road and Three Balmoral in Balmoral Road.
Built in the mid-1960s as President Shopping Centre, Serangoon Plaza comprises 128 strata retail and office units. All the unit owners agreed to the building’s sale, which means the deal will not need the Strata Titles Board’s approval. The buyer will not have to pay a development charge to redevelop the property, as the current building is under-utilising its space allowance.
Serangoon Plaza sits on a 68,521 sq ft plot that can host a building with 205,563 sq ft of floor space. The complex’s floor area now is only 104,765 sq ft.
The property’s sale also marks one of the largest en bloc deals in recent years. It is likely the biggest collective sale since Westwood Apartments was sold for $435 million in November 2007. The transaction caps a good year for collective sales of non-residential property. At least four other commercial and industrial buildings have been sold en bloc since January.
They are: San Centre in Chin Swee Road, Bright Chambers in Bugis, and Henley Industrial Building and Pak Chong Building off Upper Paya Lebar Road.
Yeo Ying Her says:
Dear Remember Singapore, Katong Shopping Centre is still survived and has been not re-developed!
Bukit Timah Plaza and Holland Road Shopping Centre in the 1980s!
(Photo credit: Facebook Group “On a little street in Singapore”)
Noxie says:
Hmm, you left out the Golden Landmark Shopping Centre in your post too! 😀
Zitrone says:
i remember as a child, my mum brought me to a department store called Cortina. Its logo was something like a globe and there was a small fountain with this globe thing in the middle. It’s a multi-storey shopping centre with a coffee house. But I was too young to know where it’s located. Anyone knows what i am talking about?
Buy Lego Ninjago says:
Am moving this month to Singapore. Thanks a lot for the massive informative post about Singapore malls. I would love to see in real them.
Mr. Ronald says:
There are some really nice to see pics of about singapore malls with detail . which is really nice to useful for investment. and any other work. thanks to share it.
I am a Thomson kid, Thomson Plaza holds literally a lifetime of memories for me! I might have to get rope and tie myself to the building in protest if they ever think of tearing it down – that’s how much my life is intertwined with that mall. Just as most of have memories tied into buildings, schools and malls of our childhood and growing up years. Thank you for this fabulous post.
Thank you for putting KSC first on the list. I used to skip classes when I was in CCHB (another school that does not exist anymore) to play games there. It got so bad that they have to ban anyone wearing school uniform. These days I only go back to Singapore once every 3 years or more and the last time I was back (2010), I still paid KSC a visit.
ruthying78 says:
Katong Complex (named Katong Mall) on Joo Chiat and East Coast Road was redeveloped for the present I12 Katong. This site was originally by an old Katong wet market where my mother and I went for buying fish and meat.
ppppppppp says:
I feel Jurong Entertainment Centre should make the list. It is gone now.
diceloh says:
Can anyone remember the awesome stores during late 80s to early 90s ? I loved Flyers at Centrepoint and Studio Tangs. Those were the coolest n hip stores I enjoyed going during my teens. I also enjoyed Chomel boutique: they used to sell lovely clothes and beautyful hair accessories like ribbons and so on. Would give a life to go back in time again 😥
There used to be a shop call Zone at the basement of Marina Square selling they hippiest and trendiest labels like ixi:z!!!
tempatwisatadisingapore says:
mustafa center, belanja 24 jam nonstop
info menarik nih thanks
I worked in Singapore in the mid 90s Can anyone remember the name of a very large project possible a Mall . Name something like Sun City.
Is it the Suntec City?
There used to be a small neighbourhood market and a row of shophouses called Venus Shopping Centre along Upper Thomson Road, near the junction turning into Sin Ming Avenue, in between Thomson Plaza and Singapore Island Country Club.
Just when you think strata-titled malls are safe from the big players….
Katong Shopping Centre may soon go on sale en bloc for $630m
The landmark Katong Shopping Centre could soon be making a third attempt at a collective sale, this time with an asking price of about $630 million. More than 80 per cent of the owners by share value and total area of the 425-unit mall agreed to the proposed sale.
City Developments (CDL) owns 60 units and 323 carpark spaces at the mall, which is one of the oldest in Singapore.
The complex with a striking blue exterior, which cost a CDL subsidiary $20 million to build, was the most modern and largest mall in the east when it opened in 1973. Today, it mainly caters to maid agencies, printing shops and textile and clothes outlets, with offices on the upper floors. The 90,000 sq ft site with a plot ratio of 3.0 is zoned for commercial and residential use.
However, Cushman & Wakefield, which is handling the sale, has applied for outline planning permission for full commercial use, which would be in keeping with its current use. It is also proposing additional gross floor area for medical suites.
Many units at the freehold mall are leased out. Some tenants told The Straits Times yesterday that a potential sale would not affect them as they would just move, but others lamented the hassle.
“It’s not so easy to find an affordable place,” said aquarium shop owner Chan Kheng Siang. Mr Chan, who has been a tenant for 31/2 years, pays $1,000 a month for a basement space of just over 200 sq ft.
Mr Daniel Lee, who pays about $4,000 a month for 360 sq ft on the first floor where he runs a watch shop, shared similar sentiments.
“Rents at new shopping centres are pretty high. But this is an old building and it needs upgrading. (A sale en bloc) will eventually have to happen,” he said.
The owner of a tailoring business on the basement level said he had mixed feelings about a sale. “I had been hoping to leave it to my child, but am also happy to completely retire from the business,” said Mr Sam Ho, 83. Mr Ho bought his 230 sq ft unit for about $43,500 when the building was first built. He now stands to get about $900,000.
Experts noted that a sale could be challenging, assuming a land price of over $2,000 per sq ft per plot ratio. “The market is very price-sensitive… The best scheme for the site would be retail with perhaps offices as well,” said Chestertons managing director Donald Han.
The challenge would be the big-ticket nature of over $500 million, although there could be foreign interest based on recent transactions, including the Shunfu Ville and Cuscaden Road sites, he added.
Potential interest could also depend on what sites are made available via the Government Land Sales programme for the second half of the year. These are expected to be revealed later this week.
Still, “the days of buying sites to develop, strata title and sell at lofty prices are over”, said Mr Han. Commercial strata sales have slumped with the imposition of the Total Debt Servicing Ratio. “The best approach would be to build, operate and keep on a longer-term basis.”
A retiree and Katong resident who wanted to be known as Madam Gan said a collective sale is a good idea. She used to take her children to the mall and now takes her grandchildren there at least once a week for enrichment classes.
“I’ve shopped here from the time it was built. There were very few malls in the area and the clothes were very fashionable. A redevelopment would give this place a new lease of life.”
Separately, Jalan Besar Plaza was yesterday launched for collective sale with a minimum asking price of $380 million.
http://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/katong-shopping-centre-may-soon-go-on-sale-en-bloc-for-630m
The 45-year-old Park Mall will be closed and demolished after September 2016
From fashion haven to furniture hub
Park Mall has made the furniture retail business its calling card over the past 21 years, but the ageing mall went through several reinventions and a few owners before finding its niche.
The current 15-storey building opened in 1971. It was then known as Supreme House.
Back then, its anchor tenant, department store Metro, drew the crowds. Skillets Coffee House – a 24-hour cafe that was renamed Silver Spoon in 1980 – was also popular before its lease was not renewed in 2003.
The first change of owners for the mall came when Supreme Holdings sold the building to property and lifestyle company Wing Tai Holdings for $168 million in 1989.
Wing Tai renamed it Park Mall and positioned it as a fashion haven. After a 15-month, $40 million refurbishment, the mall reopened with Style Singapore, an umbrella retailer for leading local independent fashion designers, as one of its biggest tenants. It closed in 1994 after incurring losses of $2 million.
In 1995, the mall’s owners decided to focus on furniture and home furnishings.
Danish concept store Bolig became Park Mall’s anchor tenant, only to give way to others such as Xtra,Living & Giving, a company specialising in home accessories, and Studio Line, which sold beds from Germany.
The switch to a furniture hub proved a good move. Wing Tai hit its $100 million target that it had projected for itself. In 2005, Suntec Reit acquired Park Mall from Wing Tai for $230 million. Last December, a joint venture acquired Park Mall for $411.8million.
The 45-year-old mall will be demolished and redeveloped into two office blocks with a retail component, though plans have yet to be finalised.
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/home-design/from-fashion-haven-to-furniture-hub
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/home-design/park-mall-to-shut-at-end-of-september
John Little to close last Singapore store by December
After 174 years, John Little is closing its last department store in Singapore. The remaining outlet in Plaza Singapura will shutter by the end of December.
In a statement on Friday (Nov 4), Robinsons Group – which manages John Little, the oldest department store in Singapore – said that the decision was made “after evaluating the relevancy and sustainability of the John Little brick-and-mortar business”.
But it does not mark the end of the John Little brand. Robinsons Group said that John Little will instead “evolve as a brand into a pop up format, which is in line with the global trend for retail businesses”.
John Little’s new format will be revealed next year. The closure is part of the consolidation efforts to focus on businesses that are growing within the Group, the statement said.
The Al-Futtaim Group – the Dubai-based owner of Robinsons Group, Royal Sporting House and other retail brands – announced plans earlier this year to shut 10 loss-making outlets here under its distribution and retailing arm RSH.
John Little had seven branches in 2002, including its flagship store at Specialists’ Shopping Centre, which it vacated in 2007, after more than 20 years. Its outlet at Jurong Point shopping mall was the penultimate to close, shutting its doors earlier this year.
Staff affected by the closure of John Little have been briefed, and will be deployed to other businesses within the organisation, which includes Robinsons and Marks and Spencer, Robinsons Group’s statement said.
John Little Plaza Singapura will be holding a moving out sale offering discounts up to 90 per cent until it shutters.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/john-little-to-close-last-singapore-store-in-dec
Samorang says:
Great article, thank you so much Remember Singapore. Does anyone remember “The Orchard”? It was definitely still around in the mid 70s and I believe it took over the space from Champion Motors (VW dealership). Probably it did not have enough floors to justify occupying the piece of prime real estate and hence was gone not long after it was built.
Fitzpatrick’s 81老同事 阔别32年再聚首
昔日超市同僚，时隔32年后再度聚首，有人从风华正茂的小伙子，成了两鬓银丝的老人家，却依旧难忘同事情谊，81名老同事把酒言欢叙当年。
还记得曾经矗立在乌节路一带的Fitzpatrick’s超市吗？那曾是当年首屈一指的超市，上世纪50年代至80年代间一直引领风骚，不仅致力售卖优质食材，也是本地率先引进科技的超市之一。
许多员工当年随公司一同打拼一同成长，彼此建立了深厚的兄弟情。
上世纪80年代，母公司受香港房地产危机影响，一度将Fitzpatrick’s转手，当时走了一批员工，但大家仍难忘在Fitzpatrick’s的时光。
同事们最后一次聚首是在1985年。时隔32年，大家昨晚再次齐聚一堂，于莱佛士城市俱乐部的酒吧，举办温馨的派对。
主办者郭伯钧（65岁）表示，有次在植物园偶遇Fitzpatrick’s的女同事。当年他是零售经历，对方是他的秘书，过后也从汽车公司的行销经理一职退休。两人一聊就是三小时，期间不断回忆起往日携手拼搏的时光。
他们因此想到要召集所有旧同事聚首，短短一周内就联系上90人，最终有81人出席了昨晚的派对，其中四人还是从香港、台湾等地赶回来的。
派对上最年长的是92岁的欧文·普赖斯（Owen Price）。他曾是Fitzpatrick’s的掌舵人，负责公司在东南亚的业务，也是许多人眼中和蔼可亲的导师。
郭伯钧表示，当年的Fitzpatrick’s，就是一个上司用心提拔下属的好公司。
“同事们能在32年后再度团聚，我觉得不可思议又奇妙……人生还有几个32年？希望大家能通过这次派对重建当年的友谊。”
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/znews/singapore/story20170722-781072
I was born here in 1987 and I now cannot even remember what Yeohan looked like.
Sim Lim Square was my favorite hangout for PC parts from 2000-2013. Now, other than a few select items like CPUs and motherboards, there’s zero reason for smart shoppers to visit there anymore with online shopping. At this rate its gonna be a ghost town by 2020.
Also with the rise of online shopping, I believe Singapore as a whole is very overretailed.
Malaysia’s first shopping mall will be redeveloped soon…
Time to say goodbye to the country’s first shopping mall
MalayMail Online
The first thing you notice when you walk into the soon-to-be shuttered Ampang Park Shopping Centre here is the air of desolation that hangs over the whole place.
Most of the shops have closed and tenants moved out; there are signs shouting out “SALE” but nobody is buying. Some shops look like they have been hurriedly vacated; the empty lots strewn with broken furniture, shelves and papers.
Some Christmas decorations could be seen in the mall and the song “Love is the Answer” streaming from the public address system the day Malay Mail visited underlined how sad the whole place felt.
The country’s first shopping mall which opened in 1973 will call it a day at the end of the month and some of the remaining shops will operate till then.
“They are making a mistake by tearing down this mall. It is all talk about development now but they will never have a mall like this again,” said Hwan Man Lee, the owner of a watch shop on the ground floor.
“I will be shifting to Avenue K nearby but it is not because I want to, but because I have to. We have been told to move out and make way.”
Hwan, 60, who has been running the shop for nearly 20 years said he would miss the simple things like parents coming to buy their children their first watch.
“For many people in KL, this was the place to be. The parents now bringing their children to shop here had first come as children when the mall was new.
“It is a sentimental place for many people. Of course I’m moving and there are other malls, but it will not be the same because of the time I have spent here and the people I have met,” he said, adding that frequent customers came by just to talk and say hello.
Another shopkeeper, Jennifer Lee, 55, who runs Haby & Wools, a craft and knitting supplies shop on the second floor expressed unhappiness at the way they were told to leave.
“It is cruel. We were told that the utilities would be turned off at midnight on Dec 31. Imagine that, while others celebrate New Year’s, it will be lights out for good here,” she said with tears welling up in her eyes.
Lee, who runs the shop with her sister Jenny, 45, said the shop had been in the family for three generations but now its future was uncertain.
“We have not received any compensation nor have we been helped with securing another shop. It really feels like we are just being thrown out.
“My great grandfather, who moved here in 1973 from Robinson’s Department store (Jalan Mountbatten), would be heartbroken to see what has become of his shop,” she said.
While most of the shops hardly saw any customers, one shop is still doing roaring business. When lunchtime rolled around, a crowd suddenly appeared in the mall… to eat at Cozy Corner.
“People love our food and we will continue to serve our valued customers till December 24, when we start to pack and move to Ampang Point,” said restaurant manager Cham Hui Ming.
“The restaurant has been around about 39 years. Of course I feel that the mall should be left as a heritage site and tourist draw but that does not matter to those who have signed away the place to be demolished,” she said.
Cham said she expected a slight downturn with the move but was optimistic about customers returning once it had been re-established.
“We have announced that we will leave and set up at a new place. I am confident that at least some of our regulars will look for us and hopefully a new crowd come in.
“It is not that we want to leave, we have to leave. And where this mall stands will be a rail line. Let’s see what people think about all this in the future, if they even care that is.”
Ampang Park Shopping Centre was considered a radical departure from traditional shoplots when it was first built; shops in the mall face inwards to an internal street, or atrium.
It paved the way for other malls in the city such as Pertama Complex in Chow Kit which opened in 1976, Sungei Wang Plaza in 1977 in the Bukit Bintang area, and Kota Raya and Sogo which opened in 1991 and 1994.
It was designed by the architect firm that designed Singapore’s People’s Park Complex, the Design Partnership Ptd Ltd, together with Kuala Lumpur-based architect Thomas A.S. Tiang.
On June 1, a Federal Court three-man panel led by Chief Justice Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif dismissed the application of the strata owners and tenants to obtain leave to appeal against the dismissal of their judicial review by the High Court and Court of Appeal.
This put an end to the legal challenge posed by 39 strata owners and tenants who had opposed the demolition of the mall to make way for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/time-to-say-goodbye-to-the-countrys-first-shopping-mall
It’s a nice neighbourhood mall. Visited when I stayed at the Crown Princess Hotel opposite. I remember the watchshop and the photo developing shop which I patronised!
Tan Chin Shiong says:
Wow, nice article. Remember almost all listed here. Sad that we just keep demolishing/ refurbish, No more old charms. Now modern shopping centres (downtown or heartland) all look similar cookie cut.
—know of Apollo Centre?
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Release Management as a Competitive Advantage
“Delivery focussed”, “Getting the job done”, “Results driven”, “The proof is in the pudding” – we are all familiar with these phrases and in Information Technology it means getting the solutions into operations through effective Release Management, quickly.
In the increasingly competitive market, where digital is enabling rapid change, time to market is king. Translated into IT terms – you must get your solution into production before the competition does through an effective ability to do frequent releases. Doing frequent releases benefit teams as features can be validated earlier and bugs detected easily. The smaller iteration cycles provide flexibility, making adjustments to unforeseen scope changes easier and reducing the overall risk of change.
IT teams with well governed agile and robust release management practices have a significant competitive advantage. This advantage materialises through self-managed teams consisting of highly skilled technologist who collaborative work according to a team defined release management process, that continuously improves through constructive feedback loops and corrective actions.
The process of implementing such agile practices, can be challenging as building software becomes increasingly more complex due to factors such as technical debt, increasing legacy code, resource movements, globally distributed development teams, and the increasing number of platforms to be supported.
To realise this advantage, an organisation must first optimise its release management process and identify the most appropriate platform and release management tools.
Here are three well known trends that every technology team can use to optimise delivery:
1. Agile delivery practises – with automation at the core
So you have adopted an agile delivery methodology and your re having daily scrum meetings – but you know that is not enough. Sprint planning as well as review and retrospection are all essential elements for a successful release, but in order to gain substantial and meaningful deliverables within the time constraints of agile iterations, you need to invest in automation.
An automation ability bring measurable benefits to the delivery team as it reduces the pressure on people in minimising human error and increasing overall productivity and delivery quality into your environment that shows in key metrics like team velocity. Another benefit automation introduces is consistent and repeatable process, enabling easily scalable teams while reducing errors and release times. Agile delivery practices (see “Executive Summary of 4 commonly used Agile Methodologies“) all embrace and promote the use of automation across the delivery lifecycle, especially in build, test and deployment automation. Proper automation support delivery teams in reducing overhead of time consuming repetitive tasks in configuration and testing so them can focus on the core of customer centric product/service development with quality build in. Also read“How to Innovate to stay Relevant“; “Agile Software Development – What Business Executives need to know” for further insight in Agile methodologies…
Code Repository (version Control) –> Automated Integration –> Automated Deployment of changes to Test Environments –> Platform & Environment Changes automated build into Testbed –> Automated Build Acceptance Tests –> Automated Release
When a software developer commits changes to the version control, these changes automatically get integrated with the rest of the modules. Integrated assembles are then automatically deployed to a test environment. If there are changes to the platform or the environment, the environment gets automatically built and deployed on test bed. Next, build acceptance tests are automatically kicked off, which would include capacity tests, performance, and reliability tests. Developers and/or leads are notified only when something fails. Therefore, the focus remains on core development and not just on other overhead activities. Of course, there will be some manual check points that the release management team will have to pass in order to trigger next the phase, but each activity within this deployment pipeline can be more or less automated. As your software passes all quality checkpoints, product version releases are automatically pushed to the release repository from which new versions can be pulled automatically by systems or downloaded by customers.
Build Automation: Ant, Maven, Make
Continuous Integration: Jenkins, Cruise Control, Bamboo
Test Automation: Silk Test, EggPlant, Test Complete, Coded UI
Continuous Deployment: Jenkins, Bamboo, Prism
2. Cloud platforms and Virtualisation as development and test environments
Today, most software products are built to support multiple platforms, be it operating systems, application servers, databases, or Internet browsers. Software development teams need to test their products in all of these environments in-house prior to releasing them to the market.
This presents the challenge of creating all of these environments as well as maintaining them. These challenges increase in complexity as development and test teams become more geographically distributed. In these circumstances, the use of cloud platforms and virtualisation helps, especially as these platforms have recently been widely adopted in all industries.
Automation on cloud and virtualised platforms enables delivery teams to rapidly spin up/down environments optimising infrastructure utilisation aligned with demand while, similar to maintaining code and configuration version history for our products, also maintain the version history of all supported platforms. Automated cloud platforms and virtualisation introduces flexibility that optimises infrastructure utilisation and the delivery footprint as demand changes – bringing savings across the overall delivery life-cycle.
When a build and release engineer changes configurations for the target platform – the operating system, database, or application server settings – the whole platform can be built and a snapshot of it created and deployed to the relevant target platforms.
Virtualisation:The virtual machine (VM) is automatically provisioned from the snapshot of base operating system VM, appropriate configurations are deployed and the rest of the platform and application components are automatically deployed.
Cloud:Using a solution provider like Rackspace to deliver Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), new configurations can be introduced in a new Rackspace instance is produced, instantiated, and configured as a development and test environment. This is crucial for flexibility and productivity, as it takes minutes instead of weeks to adapt to configuration changes. With automation, the process becomes repeatable, quick, and streamlines communication across different teams within the Tech-hub.
3. Distributed version control systems
Distributed version control systems (DVCS), for example GIT, Perforce or Mercurial, introduces flexibility for teams to collaborate at the code level. The fundamental design principle behind DVCS is that each user keeps a self-contained repository with complete version history on one’s local computer. There is no need for a privileged master repository, although most teams designate one as a best practice. DVCS allow developers to work offline and commit changes locally.
As developers complete their changes for an assigned story or feature set, they push their changes to the central repository as a release candidate. DVCS offers a fundamentally new way to collaborate, as developers can commit their changes frequently without disrupting the main codebase or trunk. This becomes useful when teams are exploring new ideas or experimenting as well as enabling rapid team scalability with reduced disruption.
DVCS is a powerful enabler for the team that utilise an agile-feature-based branching strategy. This encourages development teams to continue to work on their features (branches) as they get ready, having fully tested their changes locally, to load them into next release cycle. In this scenario, developers are able to work on and merge their feature branches to a local copy of the repository.After standard reviews and quality checks will the changes then be merged into the main repository.
Adopting these three major trends in the delivery life-cycle enables a organisation to imbed proper release management as a strategic competitive advantage. Implementing these best practices will obviously require strategic planning and an investment of time in the early phases of your project or team maturity journey – this will reduce the organisational and change management efforts to get to market quicker.
Posted in renierbotha LtdTagged Agile, Automation, Cloud, Delivery, Distributed Version Control Systems, DVCS, Environments, Infrastructure, IT, Platforms, Process, Release Management, Software Development, Software Testing, Test, Version Control, Virtualisation
Modular Operating Model for Strategy Agility
Artificial Intelligence Capabilities
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AuthorBaran, Derya (4)Haque, Mohammed (3)Alshareef, Husam N. (2)Corzo Diaz, Daniel Alejandro (1)Desai, Saheena (1)View MoreDepartmentKAUST Solar Center (KSC) (4)Materials Science and Engineering Program (4)Physical Sciences and Engineering (PSE) Division (4)KAUST Solar Center (2)Materials Science and Engineering (2)JournalAdvanced Energy Materials (2)Advanced Functional Materials (1)The Journal of Physical Chemistry C (1)KAUST Acknowledged Support UnitOffice of Sponsored Research (OSR) (2)CCF (1)KAUST Solar Center (1)Office of Sponsored Research (1)scientific illustrator (1)KAUST Grant Number
OSR-CRG2018-3737 (4)
PublisherWiley (3)American Chemical Society (ACS) (1)Subjectcolloidal quantum dots (1)ligands (1)n-type thermoelectrics (1)solution-processed semiconductors (1)thermoelectric generators (1)View MoreTypeArticle (4)Year (Issue Date)
Item AvailabilityEmbargoed (2)Metadata Only (1)Open Access (1)
Highly Passivated n-Type Colloidal Quantum Dots for Solution-Processed Thermoelectric Generators with Large Output Voltage
Nugraha, Mohamad I.; Kim, Hyunho; Sun, Bin; Desai, Saheena; de Arquer, F. Pelayo Garcia; Sargent, Edward H.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Baran, Derya (Advanced Energy Materials, Wiley, 2019-06-26) [Article]
Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive materials for thermoelectric applications due to their simple and low-cost processing; advantageously, they also offer low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient. To date, the majority of CQD thermoelectric films reported upon have been p-type, while only a few reports are available on n-type films. High-performing n- and p-type films are essential for thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with large output voltage and power. Here, high-thermoelectric-performance n-type CQD films are reported and showcased in high-performance all-CQD TEGs. By engineering the electronic coupling in the films, a thorough removal of insulating ligands is achieved and this is combined with excellent surface trap passivation. This enables a high thermoelectric power factor of 24 µW m−1 K−2, superior to previously reported n-type lead chalcogenide CQD films operating near room temperature (<1 µW m−1 K−2). As a result, an all-CQD film TEG with a large output voltage of 0.25 V and a power density of 0.63 W m−2 at ∆T = 50 K is demonstrated, which represents an over fourfold enhancement to previously reported p-type only CQD TEGs.
Role of Compositional Tuning on Thermoelectric Parameters of Hybrid Halide Perovskites
Haque, Mohammed; Nugraha, Mohamad Insan; Paleti, Sri Harish Kumar; Baran, Derya (The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2019-05-31) [Article]
Halide perovskites are emerging as a new class of materials for thermoelectric applications owing to their low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient (thermopower). In this work, the thermoelectric parameters of vapor-deposited hybrid perovskite thin films are explored for the first time. We establish a relationship between the chemical composition and thermoelectric properties of sequentially vapor-deposited CH3NH3PbI3 films. A composition-dependent grain size and in-plane electrical conductivity evolution is observed and its influence on thermoelectric properties is analyzed. An ultralow in-plane thermal conductivity of 0.32 ± 0.03 W m–1 K–1 at room temperature is recorded for CH3NH3PbI3 using a chip-based 3ω method. Thermal conductivity measurement of a series of CH3NH3PbI3 films reveals that the thermal transport is governed by the Pb–I lattice at room temperature. Furthermore, n- and p-type CH3NH3PbI3 films achieved by compositional tuning exhibit high negative (6500 μV/K) and positive (5500 μV/K) thermopower.
Processing-Performance Evolution of Perovskite Solar Cells: From Large Grain Polycrystalline Films to Single Crystals
Haque, Mohammed; Troughton, Joel; Baran, Derya (Advanced Energy Materials, Wiley, 2019-11-26) [Article]
Solution-processable halide perovskites have emerged as strong contenders for next-generation solar cells owing to their favorable optoelectronic properties. To maintain the efficiency momentum of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), development of advanced processing techniques, particularly for the perovskite layer, is imperative. There is a close correlation between the quality of the perovskite layer and its photophysical properties: Highly crystalline large grains with uniform morphology of the perovskite layer and their interface with charge transporters are crucial for achieving high performance. Significant efforts have been dedicated to achieve perovskite films with large grains reaching the millimeter-scale for high-efficiency PSCs. Recent work showcases a transition from large grain polycrystalline to single-crystalline (SC) PSCs made possible by the facile growth of perovskite single crystals. In this review, the recent progress of the large grain polycrystalline PSCs and grain boundary-free SC-PSCs is reported, particularly focusing on the recent approach of depositing large-grained perovskite layers and single crystal growth technique, that have been adopted for fabrication of efficient PSCs. In addition, prospects of SC-PSCs and their further development in terms of efficiency, device design, scalability, and stability are discussed.
Self-Healing and Stretchable 3D-Printed Organic Thermoelectrics
Kee, Seyoung; Haque, Mohammed; Corzo Diaz, Daniel Alejandro; Alshareef, Husam N.; Baran, Derya (Advanced Functional Materials, Wiley, 2019-01-01) [Article]
With the advent of flexible and wearable electronics and sensors, there is an urgent need to develop energy-harvesting solutions that are compatible with such wearables. However, many of the proposed energy-harvesting solutions lack the necessary mechanical properties, which make them susceptible to damage by repetitive and continuous mechanical stresses, leading to serious degradation in device performance. Developing new energy materials that possess high deformability and self-healability is essential to realize self-powered devices. Herein, a thermoelectric ternary composite is demonstrated that possesses both self-healing and stretchable properties produced via 3D-printing method. The ternary composite films provide stable thermoelectric performance during viscoelastic deformation, up to 35% tensile strain. Importantly, after being completely severed by cutting, the composite films autonomously recover their thermoelectric properties with a rapid response time of around one second. Using this self-healable and solution-processable composite, 3D-printed thermoelectric generators are fabricated, which retain above 85% of their initial power output, even after repetitive cutting and self-healing. This approach represents a significant step in achieving damage-free and truly wearable 3D-printed organic thermoelectrics.
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AuthorBerumen, Michael L. (1)DiBattista, Joseph (1)Hussey, Nigel E. (1)McIlwain, Jennifer L. (1)Priest, Mark (1)View MoreDepartmentBiological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division (1)Environmental Science and Engineering Program (1)Marine Science Program (1)Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) (1)JournalJournal of Biogeography (1)KAUST Acknowledged Support UnitBioscience Core Laboratory (1)Coastal and Marine Laboratory (1)
Reef Ecology Lab (1)KAUST Grant Number
CRG-1-2012-BER-002 (1)
PublisherWiley (1)SubjectCoral reef fish (1)
Mitochondrial DNA (1)Nuclear DNA (1)Phylogeography (1)View MoreType
Year (Issue Date)2015 (1)Item AvailabilityMetadata Only (1)
A bridge too far: dispersal barriers and cryptic speciation in an Arabian Peninsula grouper (Cephalopholis hemistiktos)
Priest, Mark; DiBattista, Joseph; McIlwain, Jennifer L.; Taylor, Brett M.; Hussey, Nigel E.; Berumen, Michael L. (Journal of Biogeography, Wiley, 2015-12-12) [Article]
Aim: We use genetic and age-based analyses to assess the evidence for a biogeographical barrier to larval dispersal in the yellowfin hind, Cephalopholis hemistiktos, a commercially important species found across the Arabian Peninsula. Location: Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf. Methods: Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome-c oxidase subunit-I and nuclear DNA (S7) sequences were obtained for C. hemistiktos sampled throughout its distributional range. Phylogeographical and population-level analyses were used to assess patterns of genetic structure and to identify barriers to dispersal. Concurrently, age-based demographic analyses using otoliths determined differences in growth and longevity between regions. Results: Our analyses revealed significant genetic structure congruent with growth parameter differences observed across sampling sites, suggesting cryptic speciation between populations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden versus the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf. Coalescence analyses indicated these two regions have been isolated for > 800,000 years. Main conclusions: Our results indicate historical disruption to gene flow and a contemporary dispersal barrier in the Arabian Sea, which C. hemistiktos larvae are unable to effectively traverse. This provides yet another example of a (cryptic) species with high dispersive potential whose range is delimited by a lack of suitable habitat between locations or an inability to successfully recruit at the range edge. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Department of Econometrics /
Econometric Institute Research Papers /
R. Hoogervorst (Rowan), T.A.B. Dollevoet (Twan), G. Maróti (Gábor) and D. Huisman (Dennis)
Reducing Passenger Delays by Rolling Stock Rescheduling
Delays are a major nuisance to railway passengers. The extent to which a delay propagates, and thus aects the passengers, is in uenced by the assignment of rolling stock. We propose to reschedule the rolling stock in such a way that the passenger delay is minimized and such that objectives on passenger comfort and operational eciency are taken into account. We refer to this problem as the Passenger Delay Reduction Problem (PDRP).We propose two models for this problem, which are based on two dominant streams of literature for the traditional Rolling Stock Rescheduling Problem. The rst model is an arc formulation of the problem, while the second model is a path formulation. We test the eectiveness of these models on instances of Netherlands Railways (NS). The results show that the rescheduling of rolling stock can signicantly decrease the passenger delays in the system. Especially allowing exibility in the assignment of rolling stock at terminal stations turns out to be eective in reducing the delays. Moreover, we show that the arc formulation based model performs best in nding high-quality solutions within the limited time that is available in the rescheduling phase.
Keywords Rolling Stock Rescheduling, Disruption Management, Railway Optimization, Column Generation
Series Econometric Institute Research Papers
Hoogervorst, R, Dollevoet, T.A.B, Maróti, G, & Huisman, D. (2019). Reducing Passenger Delays by Rolling Stock Rescheduling (No. EI2018-29). Econometric Institute Research Papers. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/113842
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Type Language Publication Year Top Authors Research Units Collaborators Open access
7,200 - 7,250 out of 244,291 results
Fujimura - Music of William Hurlstone, 1876-1906
Fujimura, K., 2013
Research output: Non-textual form › Music Performance › Research
Brahms - Zwei Lieder (arranged Griffiths)
Griffiths, D. W., Young, T. M. & Campbell, F., 19 Oct 2016
Research output: Non-textual form › Music Performance › Other
Hartmann - Serenade in A Major op.24
Griffiths, D. W., Bogosavljevic, S. & Young, T. M., 18 Mar 2017
Part 1: Propofol, Thiopental, Sevoflurane, and Isoflurane - A randomized, controlled trial of effectiveness
Myles, P. S., Hunt, J. O., Fletcher, H., Smart, J. & Jackson, T., 2000, In : Anesthesia and Analgesia. p. 1163 - 1169 7 p.
Work and employment: Society
Taylor, P., 2007, In : Encyclopaedia of Gerontology. p. 694 - 705 12 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Short Review › Other › peer-review
The Greying of the Labour Market: What can Britain and Germany Learn from Each Other?
Frerichs, F. & Taylor, P., 2005, 1st ed. London UK: Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society. 51 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Book › Other
The Medieval Imagination: illuminated manuscripts from Cambridge, Australia and New Zealand
Stocks, B. C. & Morgan, N. M., 2008, 1&2 ed. South Yarra: Macmilliam Art Publishing. 288 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › Other
The Personal Prayer Book: The Psalter and the Book of Hours
Morgan, N. M. & Stocks, B. C., 2008, The Medieval Imagination: illuminated manuscripts from Cambridge, Australia and New Zealand. Stocks, B. & Morgan, N. (eds.). 1 ed. South Yarra, Vic: Macmillan Publishers, p. 119 - 133 15 p.
Ageing and learning in the European Union
Taylor, P., 2005, Growth [P]. Dimopoulos, N. (ed.). 1st ed. Melbourne Vic Australia: Committee for Economic Development of Australia, p. 72 - 77 6 p.
Considering bias and conflicts of interest among the included studies
Boutron, I., Page, M., Higgins, J. P. T., Altman, D. G., Lundh, A., Hróbjartsson, A. & on behalf of the Cochrane Bias Methods Group, Sep 2019, Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. & Welch, V. (eds.). 2nd ed. Chichester UK: The Cochrane Collaboration and John Wiley & Sons Ltd., p. 177-204 28 p.
Reporting the review
Page, M. J., Cumpston, M., Chandler, J. & Lasserson, T., Sep 2019, Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J. & Welch, V. A. (eds.). V6 ed. Chichester UK: The Cochrane Collaboration and John Wiley & Sons Ltd., p. 1-16 16 p.
Teaching research methods in the virtual learning environment - blending pedagogy with practice
Robinson, A. & Chalmers, D. (ed.), 2015, p. 134 - 135. 2 p.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Other
Fewer tender points needed to measure sensitivity change in FM
Farrell, J. & Littlejohn, G. O., 1998, p. 750 - 750. 1 p.
Task alteration, pain and work production in fibromyalgia
The Association of Oestrogen with Rheumatic Symptoms and Pain Threshold in Perimenopausal Women
Craven, R., Johns, K. R. & Littlejohn, G. O., 1998, p. 732 - 732. 1 p.
Review: Masculinités maghrébines: nouvelles perspectives sur la culture, la littérature et le cinéma . Édité par Claudia Gronemann avec le concours de Michael Gebhard. (Francopolyphonies, 21.) Leiden: Brill Rodopi, 2018. vi + 279 pp., ill.
Hayes, J., 2019, In : French Studies. 73, 1, p. 156-167 2 p.
De Groove Is in de Move: Decolonizing Sex and Sexuality in Middle East and North African Studies
Hayes, J. L., 2018, In : Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. p. 143-151 9 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other
Global online shopping: how well protected is the Australian consumer?
Smith, L. L., 2004, In : Competition and Consumer Law Journal. 12, 2, p. 163 - 190 28 p.
Howells, K., Daffern, M. D. & Day, A., 2008, Handbook of Forensic Mental Health. Soothill, K., Rogers, P. & Dolan, M. (eds.). 1st ed. UK: Willan Publishing, p. 351 - 374 24 p.
Online shopping: the Australian Experience
Smith, L., 2005, In : Internet Law Bulletin. 8, 3, p. 44 - 47 4 p.
Monash University Library Electronic Resources Directory: the fast track to Monash Library's electronic resources
Smith, L., 1997, In : Ariadne. p. 1 - 1 1 p.
Investigating the Effects of Student-Lecturer Group facilitation in Preparation of Occupational Therapy Students for Mental Health Fieldwork
Sim, S. S., 15 Sep 2015.
The Singapore SARS Experience
Sim, S. S., 2005.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Other › Other
Pragmatic evidence-based guideline development: A research protocol
Turner, T. J., 2007, p. 70 - 70. 1 p.
Elements needed for service-learning in an international higher education institution
Swanzen, R., 2013, Service-Learning Across the Globe: From Local to Transnational. Smith Tolken, A. & du Plessis, J. (eds.). Stellenbosch University, South Africa: Division for Community Interaction, Universiteit Stellenbosch, p. 9 - 19 11 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research › peer-review
Combining theoretical and experimental approaches to enhance our understanding of biological macromolecules
Hoke, D. E. & Kass, I., 2014, In : Australian Biochemist. 45, 2, p. 16 - 18 3 p.
Age shall not weary them
Howell, S., Buttigieg, D. M. & Webber, G. E., 2006, In : Monash Business Review. 2, 2, p. 40 - 41 2 p.
A clean front passage: dirt, douches and disinfectants at St Helens Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand, 1907-1922
Wood, P. & Foureur, M., 2007, Exploring the dirty side of women's health. Kirkham, M. (ed.). Milton Park Abingdon Oxon: Routledge, p. 30 - 43 14 p.
Path dependency in strategic human resource management: A case study in Victorian electricity generation
Webber, G. E., 2009, Proceedings of the 23rd ANZAM Conference 2009 - Sustainable Management and Marketing. Beaumont, N. (ed.). Canning Bridge WA Australia: Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd, p. 1 - 15 15 p.
Management Information from Integrated Systems and the Role of Decision Support Systems
Manaszewicz, R., 1997, In : LASIE. p. 47 - 61 15 p.
Bavarian blondes don't need a visa: A comparative law analysis of ambush marketing
Berger-Walliser, G., Williams, M. S., Walliser, B. & Bender, M. R., 2012, In : Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law. 21, 1, p. 1 - 35 35 p.
A Validation of the STRAP-R using an Ecological Momentary Assessment of Behaviour
Arulkadacham, L., Sep 2015.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › Other › peer-review
Examining Craving and Pleasure for Coffee: Results from an Individualised Momentary Assessment of IST
Arulkadacham, L., May 2017.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Other › Other › peer-review
Robbins, S. P., Bergman, R. B., Stagg, I. D. & Coulter, M., 2000, Sydney NSW Australia: Prentice-Hall. 916 p.
Conceptualizing structural differences in western and Chinese businesses
Geursen, G., Rodrigo, E. & Karayan, J., 1999, Proceedings of the American Accounting Association (AAA) Western Regional Meeting. Washington USA: American Accounting Association, p. 80 - 87 8 p.
Special focus: Process thought and organization studies
Dibben, M. R. & Cobb, Jr, J. B., 2003, In : Process Studies. 32.2, p. 179 - 182 4 p.
Breast cancer information needs and seeking: towards an intelligent, user sensitive portal to breast cancer knowledge online
Williamson, K. & Manaszewicz, R., 2002, In : The New Review of Information Behaviour Research: Studies of Information Seeking in Context. 3, p. 203 - 219 17 p.
Factors common to employee choice to participate or not participate
Webber, W., 1999, In : International Employment Relations Review. p. 29 - 41 13 p.
Allergies and anaphylaxis
Kolawole, H., 2015, Perioperative Medicine for the Junior Clinician. Symons, J., Myles, P., Mehra, R. & Ball, C. (eds.). 1 ed. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell, p. 386 - 389 4 p.
Understanding the need for heavy vehicle research on traffic flow
Aghabayk Eagely, S. K., Young, W., Wang, Y., Sarvi, M. & Allahverdizadeh, P., 2010, p. 1 - 12. 12 p.
A comparison of the impact of different urban strategies on travel and the environment in Adelaide and Melbourne
Gu, K. & Young, W., 1997, Papers of the Australian Transport Research Forum. Adelaide SA Australia: University of South Australia, p. 823 - 834 12 p.
Is liking something on Facebook ‘protected political speech’? It depends
Castan, M., 14 Aug 2017, The Conversation.
Research output: Other contribution › Other
Adrift in the South China Sea: International Dispute Resolution and the Spratly Islands Conflict
Castan, M., 1998, In : Asia Pacific Law Review. p. 93 - 107 15 p.
A charter of (some) rights ... for some?
Castan, M. & Yarrow, D. M., 2006, In : Alternative Law Journal. 31, 3, p. 132 - 136 5 p.
The hardest bridge
Castan, M. & Naylor, B., 2000, In : Alternative Law Journal. 25, 3, p. 102 - 102 1 p.
Constitutional recognition, self-determination and an Indigenous representative body
Castan, M., 2015, In : Indigenous Law Bulletin. 8, 19, p. 15 - 18 4 p.
A local linear model tree approach to develop car-following model considering lead vehicle types
Aghabayk Eagely, S. K., Sarvi, M., Forouzideh, N. & Young, W., 2013, TRB 92nd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers. Skinner Jr, R. E. (ed.). Washington DC USA: Transportation Research Board, p. 1 - 12 12 p.
Investigating heavy vehicle interactions during the car following process
Aghabayk Eagely, S. K., Sarvi, M., Young, W. & Wang, Y., 2012, Transportation Research Board 2012 Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers. Washington DC USA: Transportation Research Board, p. 1 - 13 13 p.
An analysis of the spatial disturbance of parking supply policy and demand
Young, W., Beaton, D. & Satgunarajah, S., 2010, Proceedings of the 2010 ATRF 33rd Australasian Transport Research Forum. Canberra Australia: Australian National Audit Office, p. 1 - 15 15 p.
Young, W., 2002, Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change. Douglas, P. I. (ed.). New York NY USA: John Wiley & Sons, p. 1 - 6 6 p.
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Basic Requirements for a Last Will and Testament in Maryland
A Last Will and Testament is one of the most important legal documents a person can create during his or her lifetime. If a person dies without a Will they are said to have died "intestate" and state laws will determine how and to whom the person's assets will be distributed.
If a person dies without a Will the beneficiaries can not dispute the court's distribution of that person's estate under the intestacy laws. Even if that person expressed different wishes verbally during their lifetime the statutes control the distribution. With a valid Will, a person can legally determine how their property will be distributed… and to whom.
A Will must meet the legal requirements set forth by the state in order for it to be valid. Most states will also accept a Will that was executed in another state if the document is a valid Will under that state's law. The general requirements for a valid Will are usually as follows: (a) the document must be written (meaning typed or printed), (b) signed by the person making the Will (usually called the "testator" or "testatrix", and (c) signed by two witnesses who were present to witness the execution of the document by the maker and who also witnessed each other sign the document.
In Maryland, the laws regarding the valid execution and witnessing of a Will are set forth in Maryland Estates and Trusts, Title 4 Wills, Subtitle 1. Execution, Revocation and Revival, Sections 101, 102; and, Title 5 Opening the Estate; Subtitle 3 Administrative Probate, Section 303.
In Maryland, any person eighteen (18) years of age and legally competent may make a Will. (See: Section 4-101) "Legally competent" generally means someone who has not been deemed incompetent in a prior legal proceeding.
A Will must be in writing, signed by the testator and by two witnesses. If the testator cannot physically sign his name he may direct another party to do so. This party may not be one of the witnesses. Each witness must sign the Will in the testator's presence. (See: Section 4-102)
In Maryland, any credible person may act as a witness to a Will. (See: Section 4-102)
If a Will's authenticity is unchallenged it may be probated in a simplified procedure if it has been self-proven. Witnesses to a self-proven Will are not required to testify in court because the court automatically accepts a self-proven Will as authentic. To self-prove a Will in Maryland the witnesses must execute a "recital of attestation" in the Will. (See: Section 5-303)
Speak to an Experienced Wills Attorney Today
This article is intended to be helpful and informative. But even common legal matters can become complex and stressful. A qualified wills lawyer can address your particular legal needs, explain the law, and represent you in court. Take the first step now and contact a local wills attorney to discuss your specific legal situation.
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Infantry Quotes
Quotations list about infantry, army and battalion captions citing George Kennedy, Mel Brooks and Dwight D. Eisenhower sayings.
Of course, I also attribute some of my hearing loss to being in the infantry in World War II. It's probably a combination of heredity and noise exposure.
— George Kennedy
I was out in the combat engineers. We would throw up bridges in advance of the infantry but mainly we would just throw up.
— Mel Brooks
There are two kinds of mines; one is the personnel mine and the other is the vehicular mine. When we come to a mine field our infantry attacks exactly as if it were not there. The losses we get from personnel mines we consider only equal to those we would have gotten from machine guns and artillery if the Germans had chosen to defend that particular area with strong bodies of troops instead of with mine fields. The attacking infantry does not set off the vehicular mines, so after they have penetrated to the far side of the field they form a bridgehead, after which the engineers come up and dig out channels through which our vehicles can go.
It is said that Napoleon lost the battle of Waterloo because he forgot his infantryhe staked too much upon the more spectacular but less substantial calvary. The present administration in Washington provides a close parallel. It has either forgotten or it does not want to remember the infantry of our economic army. These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power, for plans like those of 1917 that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
I'm convinced that the infantry is the group in the army which gives more and gets less than anybody else.
— Bill Mauldin
General: I attempted to take Williamsport yesterday, but found too large a force of infantry and artillery. After a long fight, I withdrew to this place.
— John Buford
However, while the Nazi barbarians and their collaborators threatened the entire world, I could not accept his philosophy and, after several earlier attempts, was finally accepted into the Canadian Infantry Corps during the last year of World War II.
— Walter Kohn
Once the mass of the defending infantry become possessed of low moral, the battle is as good as lost.
— Douglas Haig
I am in the infantry for 17 weeks and after that I don't know where I am going.
— Eddie Slovik
On my left the shooting had the sharp explosion of the infantry artillery, on my right could be heard the sporadic cannon shots thundering from the front, and up above the sky was clear and the sun bright.
— Max Beckmann
It is remarkable that this people, though unarmed, dares attack an armed foe;
the infantry defy the cavalry, and by their activity and courage generally prove victors.
— Giraldus Cambrensis
By the last returns to the Department of War the militia force of the several States may be estimated at 800,000 men - infantry, artillery, and cavalry.
— James Monroe
I think of myself as Special Forces, clearing the path for the infantry.
— Geraldo Rivera
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Tag: najenda
Akame ga Kill! – 23
With just Wave and Run still standing between Night Raid and Onest and the Emperor, AGK!’s milieu has become a much smaller and lonelier. But Wave is, er…wavering, and we already know Run’s designs. Also, this is the last two episodes, so it’s good there aren’t too many people milling around. It was also fairly certain someone would die…but who?
After one final Night Raid mission briefing, Tatsumi, Akame and Leone blow right into the ornate but flimsily-constructed Imperial Palace, and none of the guards put up much of a fight. But they’re not here to fight grunts or kill unnecessarily.
The guards won’t stand down until Run himself dismisses them. While he’s all for rebellion, he wants it done bloodlessly, from within, or something. Sorry Run, the ship has sailed on that! Still, he bars their path, but Leone is able to occupy him enough to let Tatsumi and Akame slip past and head to the throne room. This is it!
With just a handful of palace guards around Onest and the Emperor, this looks like it’s going to be a cinch, but of course, it isn’t. Night Raid and the Jaegers may have had their Imperial Arms, but through the puppet Emperor, Onest has THE Imperial Arm: Shikotazer. Trump-cardier and trump-cardier…
Backed into a corner and with the rebellion literally at the base of the throne, Onest directs the boy to harden his heart and assert his authority through force. Shikotazer rises from the wreckage of the shoddily-built palace, possessing the ‘Power of God’, which is to say the atom, apparently, and starts firing devastating (though hopefully not radioactive) volleys all over his own beautiful capital, burning and killing hundreds. Nice job, kid.
Onest’s hold on the kid is as ironclad as Shikotazer’s armor, and Tatsumi is soon overwhelmed, but then Wave shows up, having made up his mind. Actually, pretty sure Onest made it for him by attacking innocent people. Wave is a soldier, and soldiers protect the weak. Even if the Emperor is a lost cause, I’m glad Wave ended up on the right side. Though man, he sure ‘saw no evil, heard no evil’ for a long time!
The Emperor begs Tatsumi and Wave to give up (not sure why, since he’s fine blowing everything and everyone else up), but Tatsumi obviously perists, driven by his desire not to let those he’s lost down: Sayo and Ieyasu; Sheele, Bulat, Chelsea, Lubbock, and Mine. They all died so Tatsumi could be here and finish the job.
He awakens a new stage of Incursio, golden and winged, and blasts a hole through Shikotazer’s weakest spot, blowing numerous holes in his own body in the process. His wounds are made worse and ultimately fatal by his final selfless act: slowing the descent of the defeated juggernaut to save a group of bystanders frozen in terror.
Akame is not happy that Tatsumi breaks his promise not to die, but she just doesn’t understand how death flags work. She also isn’t aware of the title of the show she’s in, because this isn’t Tatsumi ga Kill!. The final battle was always going to involve Akame, and her opponent will be Esdeath, no doubt just as pissed off about Tatsumi dying…if he’s really dead…which he probably is.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 7 Dec 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, angel wings, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, capital, death, emperor, esdeath, imperial arms, incursio, jaegers, juggernaut, kurome, leone, mecha, minister onest, najenda, night raid, palace, run, shikotazer, tatsumi, wave
Even with so little time left and an entire empire on the brink, AGK! decides it was still worth it to slow things down a bit and give Akane and the dying Kurome one final duel to settle things. It’s a decision I happen to agree with and appreciate.
Giving their final reunion in the church and the duel that follows plenty of room does a service to one of the more tragic character dynamics in a show full of them. Though the presence of redundant backstory and narration felt unnecessary. Akane and Kurome don’t actually have to explain to one another why they’re fighting, but they felt the need to explain it to us, even though we already know.
Barring an unlikely scenario in which Kurome got a lucky strike on her big sis (followed by her dying shortly afterwards), it never felt like Akame was in any particular mortal danger. Kurome is too weak and spent to stand toe-to-toe with her anymore. But whether Akame was going to die or not wasn’t the point, so much as the fact that both sisters felt this fight had to be fought.
That fact doesn’t change when Kurome loses her last two puppets and the sisters are cornered by a massive danger beast that awakened from the fury of their attacks; either. Akame saves Kurome, because Kurome is her responsibility.
It doesn’t change either when Wave comes, against Kurome’s wishes, to break up the fight and save her. Tatsumi shows up too, but not to stop Akame; but to stop anyone from interfering with the sisters. Wave seriously does not like this, but he honors Kurome’s wishes and stands by.
After that, it only takes a little more for Kurome to fall to Akame. Kurome isn’t bitter about losing; some of her final words to Akame are of love for her, despite everything that’s happened between them. Being killed by Akame was basically the next best thing to Kurome killing her, and Kurome takes it.
Before carrying Kurome’s body away (leaving Akame to bawl into Tatsumi’s shoulder), Wave asks Tatsumi and Akame an odd question: “Why are we fighting?” I suppose for someone turning a blind eye to the empire’s horrors, it’s not that odd; but Tatsumi and Akame have their reasons, and it’s up to Wave to find his. Maybe he’ll join Run, who announced to him he supports revolution from within?
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 1 Dec 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, confession, death, emperor, esdeath, farewell, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, najenda, night raid, run, sisters, tatsumi, the past, wave
Note: I have not read the manga, so I have no idea how the events of this episode or the episodes to come will be adapted. It’s all totally new to me.
Tatsumi is in the hands of the enemy. He’s not just alive so that the Empire can make a example of him in a highly public execution. He’s also live bait, in the off-chance Night Raid is foolish enough to attempt a rescue. Of course, they are: Mine doesn’t care if its a trap; she’s going to save her love. Akame decides to come along, so their chances will be better. Leone also volunteers: she scouted and recruited him; he can’t be dying before her. Finally, Najenda states they can’t let a public execution tank rebel morale at this crucial juncture.
Bottom line, the ladies aren’t going to sit back and let Tatsumi get executed. They all love the shaggy-haired little bastard too much, albeit in very different ways, and no one more deeply than Mine.
Tatsumi, meanwhile, is fully prepared to die, knowing the remaining members of Night Raid got away with their lives. He doesn’t want to be saved, lest they throw those lives away. In this state, it’s understandable if he may not quite grasp just how much Esdeath is exerting every last morsel of her authority and standing in the empire…to save the life he’s willing to give away.
As the embrace they share makes clear, Esdeath’s love for him is real, and strong. So strong, she isn’t even asking him to betray his friends, only hang back and stay close to her. Part of me wanted Tatsumi to take her offer, but he can’t, and not just because he loves another, but because as beautiful and capable of kindness as Esdeath is, he can’t overlook the crimes she’s committed and continues to commit in service of an empire that’s taken everything from him.
Yet even when Tatsumi categorically refuses and pushes her away, it’s not as if she can stop loving him. She can only accept that the only course now is to kill him herself.
When Wave hears Esdeath will be killing the man she loves, he’s greatly troubled and doesn’t understand…but Kurome understands. As Esdeath hasn’t stopped loving Tatsumi, she hasn’t stopped loving her sister, which is precisely why if Akame is going to be killed, better for Kurome to kill her. Kurome’s problem is, nature may step in and kill her first, as clearly shown when she pulls dead hair from her head.
My eyes welled up quite a bit at this scene, which I’m sure was the episode’s intent. And this was just a side scene with ‘bad guys’; the only scene with these two in the episode. But this serves as a good prologue for the final Akame-Kurome fight we know is coming.
Did I mention this was a particularly beautiful episode of Akame ga Kill!? It was; it was staged and lit like a movie, an epic movie. The shot above is special. The remaining members of Night Raid, gathered in the sitting room of the late Lubbock’s home, the green upholstery suggesting he’s there to, just not in person. This is the last time this particular group of Night Raid members will ever be in the same room. Everything will change from this point on.
One of my favorite live-action films is Gladiator, in part because no story about Rome before or since quite captured the slightly weathered but still strong and seemingly invincible power, grandeur, and glory that was the Roman Empire.
The descent through wispy clouds into the Imperial capital’s arena and the theatricality of a grand final battle seems inspired by similar scenes in that film. Only this is an execution, not a rigged duel.
I must say, the little Emperor gives a rousing speech, without the use of cue cards, that pretty comprehensively demonstrates how easy it is to twist words around to make Night Raid the enemy. They are killers, after all, and they are trying to throw the Empire into chaos, though that’s so they can root out its corruption and evil.
Goosebumps gather as Esdeath draws near to the cross where Tatsumi hangs restrained. Even here, Esdeath prepares to deliver a blow that will look like it kills Tatsumi to the masses, but doesn’t actually kill him; still holding out hope Tatsumi will come to his senses so she won’t have to go through with it.
Tatsumi refuses, but before Esdeath can kill him, Mine arrives and fires a shot she has to dodge, followed by Leone, Najenda, and Susanoo on the big flying manta ray. This would be a terrific specacle to watch at the arena if the participants’ attacks didn’t cause widespread collateral damage, so the spectators flee, and we’ve got ourselves a battle some people won’t be walking away from.
Najenda and Susanoo take on Esdeath, which, duh, while the hard-hitting Leone backs up Mine in her fight with Budou. Mine is confident both her love for Tatsumi and the intense pinches Budou will put her in will make Pumpkin’s shots strong enough to defeat him.
She’s proven right, but in the process, the tiny frail Mine gets tossed around and beaten up quite a bit, and her final shot takes a lot out of her, and more to the point, she may well have known it would take too much out of her, but she had no other choice. Budou is defeated, but we can’t score one for Night Raid, now or later.
Meanwhile, Najenda’s battle with Esdeath is everything we hoped for from these two powerhouses. Najenda leans heavily on her human-type Arms while Esdeath relies on the ice demon within her. Both use their trump cards, but while Esdeath’s time freeze is a once-a-day affair, Najenda’s ability at this point in her life is one-time-only and unrecoverable. She puts much of her remaining life force into healing Susanoo, knowing she can’t defeat Esdeath but can keep her busy long enough for Tatsumi, Mine, and Leone to escape.
And yes, Tatsumi gets away with his beloved Mine, scolding her for coming after him as he rushes out of the city at top speed. But Mine is not in a good way at all, and tells him to stop and put her down, not because she’s embarrassed — we’re light years away from that childishness now — but because she doesn’t have long, and she has something to say.
And this…this just isn’t fair. After all that fighting, after she defeated Seryu and Budou, the toughest badasses anyone from Night Raid has ever taken out, after Tatsumi just manages to catch her before she falls to her death…she’s simply at the end of her never-sturdy-to-begin-with body’s rope. But there’s still time for her to tell Tatsumi she loves him and she’s glad she fell for him, and that they’re on the winning side, and always were, and then share their first and last kiss.
In a show that’s become very good at farewell scenes, this one really knocked it out of the park, and is all the better due to its simplicity inevitability, and raw emotion. I really really wanted Tatsumi and Mine to come out of this and live a happy, loving life together, to make a family. I wanted this so much that I ignored just how ridiculously unlikely the chance of that happening really was. R.I.P. Mine.
This was the most epic, thrilling, heartbreaking episode of Akame ga Kill! yet, but we’re not done yet. Mine can no longer create the fair, peaceful world she fought for all her life, which led to her meeting and falling for Tatsumi, who wants the same thing. He, Akame, and Leone have three more episodes to make it happen.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sob in the dark.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 23 Nov 2014 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, arena, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, boss fight, budou, colosseum, confession, death, emporer, esdeath, execution, farewell, gladiator, imperial arms, jaegers, kiss, kurome, leone, lubbock, mine, najenda, night raid, pumpkin, rescue, Susanoo, tatsumi, wave7 Comments on Akame ga Kill! – 21
After last week’s almost total victory, in which the Jaegers took a heavy loss, we knew Night Raid was due for a casualtie or two of their own in battles we knew would get tougher from here on out. The episode helpfully narrows down the choice based on who gets initial scenes of levity in which death flags fly: Lubbock and Mine were our predictions.
The intricate plan to storm the palace and kill the Minister runs into trouble almost immediately when Tatsumi and Lubbock’s rebel contacts all end up dead by the hands of Shura, Honest’s demented, woman-hating man-child of a son. Shura’s way of life is refreshingly simple: He wants to have fun, and everyone and everything in the world are his toys. Hey, he’s his father’s son!
So yeah, we’re obviously not sympathizing with Shura. As for Budou, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, he’s just freakin’ HUGE, as in ‘not-human’ huge, so despite the fact he has no personal quarrel with Tatsumi and even admires his swordsmanship, there’s not much to sympathize with him, either. But that’s okay; these bad guys are meant to impede our heroes, not garner sympathy.
The two matchups work out pretty tidily, too. While Tatsumi and Budou are primarily hack-and-slash knights, Lubbock’s and Shura’s Imperial Arms employ preparation, deception, and delay. Shura has set up marks all over the city and the skies above with which to teleport using his Shambhala, which Lubbock counters by setting up his Cross Tail’s threads like rigging.
Lubbock also fights by making it seem like he’s the underdog, when in reality, due to his cunning and Cross Tail’s versatility, he’s a tougher out than Shura. Shura catches a break when the palace informant interferes, stabbing Lubbock in the back in hopes Shura will free her parents for her service…after he already cut her neck open, mind you. Unfortunately for her, Shura already had her parents killed. Yeah, we GET IT. SHURA’S NOT A GREAT GUY.
That break allows Shura to grab his Shambhala and send Lubbock to a kind of Subspace, but Lubbock has his threads tangled around Shura, and pulls him in too. As Shura blusters and tries to escape, Lubbock throws a thread-spear into his heart and pops it, like he did with one of the Demons a couple weeks back. Hey, if it ain’t broke (and the enemy is as dumb as Shura), why fix it? Night Raid 1, Empire 0.
When Shura dies, Lubbock is teleported back to the regular world, several hundred feet in the air. His last thoughts are of his would-be love, a particularly adorable-looking Najenda, as he falls to his death atop several well-placed spears. I have to continue to hand it to AGK for giving its characters pretty fantastic death sequences, and Lubbock was cool as a cucumber as green as his hair till the end. Night Raid 1, Empire 1.
But “Wait,” you say, “What about Tatsumi’s fight with Budou?” Well, it doesn’t go so well for Tatsumi. Budou is regarded as the only person in the empire whose strength is a legitimate match for Esdeath’s, and let’s face it: Tatsumi hasn’t faced an opponent that strong yet, so with very little fanfare, Tatsumi is taken into custody and bound in irons. Minister Honest is upset about the death of his boy…for about five seconds, then starts licking his chops at the possibilities of having Tatsumi as a captive. Empire 2, Night Raid 1.
And who’s volunteering to interrogate him before his public execution? Why, his true love, General Esdeath, fresh off another successful expedition (I like how she admits she’s better on the battlefield than in the city on guard duty; recent history bears that out). The members of Night Raid still alive and free are down to three: Najenda (with Susanoo), Leone, and Mine. Meanwhile, not counting an ailing Kurome, the Jaegers are down to Esdeath, Wave, and Run. Just four episodes left; I’m starting to get excited here!
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 16 Nov 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, boss fight, budou, commander-in-chief, death flags, esdeath, imperial arms, incursio, jaegers, kurome, leone, lubbock, mine, minister honest, najenda, night raid, shambahla, shura, tatsumi, teleportation, wave3 Comments on Akame ga Kill! – 20
Before the big assault on Borick in Kyoroch, Najenda has Susanoo prepare all of Night Raid’s favorite dishes. In addition to being super-colorful and mouth-watering, it demonstrates one of AGK’s strengths: no matter what’s ahead, it doesn’t skimp on cute little family moments like this, keeping things from getting too stiff.
It also doesn’t skimp on richly-detailed city shots. I want to live there. And because Najenda knows a frontal assault against Esdeath and the Jaegers would be folly, she spreads her remaining assassins around in pairs, forcing Esdeath to do the same while not knowing which pair is going after Borick, whose death will signal the Revolutionary Army to begin moving.
This splitting-up results in a host of excellent matchups, the best being Tatsumi and Mine, who have really gelled in the last few weeks since losing Chelsea, and despite their childish bickering they do their part in Najenda’s plan, luring Suzuka (the last remaining Rakshasa demon) and Seryu.
Let’s get Tatsumi’s fight with Suzuka out of the way first, not because it wasn’t a good fight, but because it wasn’t the Main Event here. Despite being a little slip of a thing, Suzuka is hard as nails and pretty quick, to boot. But like the other demons, she’s just not quite up to snuff against a Night Raid member, and writes checks she can’t cash. Tatsumi corners her in a temple where she thinks she’ll have the advantage, but then he uses Incursio to tear the whole damn building down, smashing her with rubble.
Night Raid 1, Empire 0.
On to what everyone came to see: Mine v. Seryu Ubiquitous II. This fight had huge emotional significance for both parties: Mine doesn’t want any other kids growing up the way she had to, and Seryu wants to purge all evil (as she sees it) from the empire. More personally, Mine wants revenge for the deaths of Sheele and later Chelsea, and Seryu for Ogre and Dr. Stylish. These two ladies do not like each other.
Seryu, armed with both Coro and Ten Kings, brings the pain early with a furiously elaborate bombardment, but Mine’s Pumpkin is able to neutralize such ridiculous attacks easily by reason of them putting Mine in such a bind. Even when Coro coughs up an ICBM, one shot from Pumpkin blows it up.
Mine gets into even more trouble when Seryu ditches the weapons and simply beats the shit out of her with her fists. Both sides basically take a timeout to catch their breath, and Mine uses this time to remind herself she can’t die here until she’s created a fair, truly just world for all. She gets up, dusts herself off, and destroys Coro with Pumpkin as he’s lunging at her. With Mine’s weapon powered by her emotions, the unhinged, overpowered Seryu was her ideal opponent.
Speaking of unhinged, when Seryu knows her time is up, she switches on what seems to be a small nuclear bomb hidden in her body to take an exhausted Mine out. She’s saved from the apocalyptic blast by Tatsumi at the last nanosecond. Like her Pumpkin, Tatsumi came through for her right when she needed him most.
For that, Mine drops the tsundere act (at least temporarily) and thanks Tatsumi with a heart-melting moonlit smile. She later tells him she needs to talk to him when the battles are over and the Empire is overthrown. Obviously, she wants to confess to him, and makes him promise he’ll survive until then. Yes, folks, that’s another Death Flag in a show peppered with them, but I won’t let that kill my dream of a happy ending for these two, after both have lost so much and fought so hard. Especially when Tatsumi and Esdeath are probably over as a couple.
Meanwhile, back in Kyoroch, Susanoo and Leone infiltrate the lobby and take out Kurome’s last corpse puppets, leaving her vulnerable. Enter Wave, ever the least evil of the Jaegers, just trying to protect his injured little sis. Susanoo doesn’t blow him away this time, but what neither he nor Kurome fail to understand is that Night Raid isn’t looking to destroy them, just divert and delay them.
That’s because the pair who ends up finding Borick and taking him out is that of Akame and Lubbock. Night Raid 3, Empire 0. Esdeath, never particularly concerned with Borick’s safety, let him out of her sight. We also finally get a present-day chat between Esdeath and Najenda, with the latter all but admitting she was outmaneuvered, thanks to all of Night Raid’s tricks, feints, and sneaking around. This was not a good day for Esdeath or the Empire. But even though Night Raid achieved its main objective, things are only going to get tougher from now on.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 9 Nov 2014 Sun, 9 Nov 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, borick, boss fight, coro, corpse puppets, demons, four koukenji rakshasa demons, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, kyoroch, lubbock, mine, murasame, najenda, night raid, religious cult, seryu ubiquitous, tatsumi, ten kings, wave, wounded3 Comments on Akame ga Kill! – 19
This was another episode full of bloody, bruising, hard-hitting battles…just not involving the people we expected. When arriving at Kyoroch, where the religious organization Minister Honest is trying to take over is headquartered, Night Raid doesn’t encounter the Jaegers, but an entirely new group of assassins called the Four Koukenji Rakshasa Demons (FKRD). By the end of the episode, three of the four are dead.
That might make it seem like their introductions were somewhat over-hyped and ultimately pointless, almost like filler, but for the execution of the battles themselves was fun enough to justify their short appearance. Also, something tells me the fourth is stronger than the others. Speaking of storng, Kurome somehow survived and forced herself back into action, worried she’ll be “discarded” if she’s unable to fight. Wave looks after her like a worried big bro, and I have to say, as evil as I know her to be, Kurome gets some pity points from me this week; she’s in rough shape.
Kurome’s sister, on the other hand, has no problem stylishly dealing with the contortionist Rakshasa Demon called Ibara, who’s all talk at the end of the day. Akame defeats him by letting him take her Masamune blade, which reacts unfavorably to him, giving her an opening to break his neck with her legs then slice off all his limbs. Night Raid 1, FKRD 0.
Unfortunately, Akame’s battle was watched closely by the angel-winged Run, who merely smiles, gloats, and flies off. Run is the only Jaeger whose battle skills we’ve yet to see, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we do. I’m interested to see who’ll be facing him, and whether anything will come of earlier scenes which seemed to suggest he’s not 100% loyal to Esdeath.
Akame is awesome as usual, but this week we also got to see Lubbock and his extremely versatile threat arms in action, which makes it only the second or third time he’s done anything. Because we’ve lost a few Night Raiders already, and episodes sometimes strive for good guy/bad guy casualty balance, the stakes were higher than usual, as this could have also been Lubbock’s last fight. Mez and Sten look like tough customers, after all, and two is always better than one, right?
Well, yeah, but not if Sten rushes after a retreating Lubbock on his own, rushing right into Lubbock’s thread spear, whose threads find his heart and pop it like a balloon. Mez ends up all alone, and takes Lubbock’s thrown daggers as a desperate last resort. Of course, Lubbock is all about playing possum, the weakling, and the casanova; the daggers are connected to threads, and when he pulls them back they go into the cute but unfortunately evil Mez’s back. Night Raid 3, FKRD 0. One demon to go.
Meanwhile, Tatsumi and Mine are paired up for the first time in a while, to seek out the cult founder the empire is trying to replace. Akame and Lubbocks battles diverted the FKRD from them, and they’re free to taste the local ice cream and bicker like an old married couple about who’s more shallow. This may seem silly — and it is — but when keeping in mind Tatsumi just lost another comrade in Chelsea, humorous distractions are welcome. The founder arrives in the middle of their lovers’ quarrel, and determines the two should just confess to each other already.
And yes, in case you were wondering, the guy trying to replace the cult’s founder is, like SUPER religious and stuff. Here he is about to engage in a highly sacred and spiritual ritual with a new recruit. Why on earth would you possibly want to assassinate a charmer like this?
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 2 Nov 2014 Sun, 2 Nov 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, angel wings, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, body manipulation, boss fight, corpse puppets, demons, flashback, four koukenji rakshasa demons, gaia foundation, ibara, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, kyoroch, lubbock, mez, mine, murasame, najenda, night raid, religious cult, run, seryu ubiquitous, sten, tatsumi, wave, wounded
This week we say farewell to the Empire’s most lovable town-burner, Bols. He blew up his Imperial Arms last week, so we knew even if he survived that, he wouldn’t be long for this world. But aside from all the atrocities he committed for the Empire, he remained a decent human being to the end. He knew what he was doing was bad, and would pay for it one day.
This was that day, as Chelsea disguises herself as an injured little girl and exploits Bol’s big heart, stabbing him in the back with a needle as they hug. As dumb-looking a character as he was, I’ll always prefer guilty villains like Bols to mindlessly evil/sadistic ones. The Jaegers are composed of both types, and yet it’s funny how they can still all sit at a table and enjoy a meal together just like Bizarro Night Raid.
One of the Jaeger’s psychopaths, meanwhile, is Kurome, but we learn there’s a damn good reason for that: she and her sister were victims of a deplorable crime. With only two corpse puppets left, she makes a tactical retreat in the present, and remembers when she and Akame were first snatched up and thrown into a beast-ridden forest gauntlet with more than 100 other children.
Kurome only survives because Akame…and vice-versa, but then the sisters are cruelly separated. Kurome’s master experiments with drugs to boost her attributes, while presumably Akame’s master didn’t. No doubt the sisters drew further apart, to the point that when Akame finally defected, Kurome was fully indoctrinated, believing her sister wasn’t just betraying the Empire, but her as well.
While armless and exhausted, Leone lives to fight another day, as does Akame, Mine, and Tatsumi. Najenda and Susanoo are also fine, as is Lubbock, who informs the others what the only unaccounted Night Raid member, Chelsea, is up to: she’s going after Kurome.
Chelsea is able to convince Kurome she is Bols, having learned his personality through Tatsumi’s exposure to the Jaegers. She’s also able to stick Kurome with a needle, just as she did with Bols. Kurome goes pale and collapses. Everything seems to have gone swimmingly for Chelsea, who works to rid the world of depravity…
…Which is ironic, because had she used a less elegant, more depraved means of killing Kurome — like beheading her or destroying her heart — she would have actually succeeded in killing her. Kurome, who deals with animating the dead all the time, survives the needle. She herself is extremely weak, but she still has Natala and the gunner lady puppets, who chase Chelsea down, destroy her Gaia Foundation, slice off her fingers and arm, and shoot her in the back.
All those times Chelsea warned herself of going soft, and she turns out to be right. She screws up royally, and unlike Leone, doesn’t get a second chance, which is annoying, because Chelsea was frankly a far more compelling character developed in a fraction of the time Leone’s been around. And for the record, both Bols and Chelsea get equally somber, contemplative death scenes, despite being on opposite sides of the conflict.
In a final insult, Natala beheads Chelsea, who lost because she didn’t do the same to Kurome, and her head is stuck on top of a spike in the Capital, which is how Tatsumi finds out she’s dead. He’s lost beloved comrades before, but that doesn’t make him any more prepared for that horrible sight. So Bols and Chelsea are the first casualties of the war between Night Raid and Jaegers, with Leone and Kurome narrowly escaping demise. So…who’s next?
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 26 Oct 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, beheading, bols, boss fight, chelsea, corpse puppets, flashback, gaia foundation, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, leone, mine, najenda, natala, night raid, seryu ubiquitous, sisters, tatsumi, yatsufune
As Night Raid and the Jaegers clash in various new combinations, AGK returns to what it does best, big, bold, bombastic yet stylish battles. There is a ton going on this week, with only Lubbock and Wave sitting out the action, and sides made even more complex by Kurome’s “collection” of corpse puppets, all formidable warriors she’d assassinated in the past, including her own childhood friend Natala.
Thus sub-group of one-shot baddies, both humanoid and bestial, is as diverse and colorful in both appearance and skills as Night Raid and Jaegers themselves, and are the initial barrier keeping Night Raid from taking on Kurome directly. Some get more backstory and screentime than others, but the bottom line is, most of them are tough enough to hang around for most of the episode.
Frankly, there are so many different combinations of face-offs in the simultaneous battles that it would be a major pain to list them all out, but suffice it to say the episode stays fresh because of the sheer variety of combat going on, and the numerous times a Night Raid member will shift from one target to another one that’s a better fit. They all strive to match their unique Imperial Arm power to the weakness of the opponent in a particular time and place.
The urgency and seriousness of these battles is helped by the fact we’ve lost Night Raiders in the past, and everything from limbs to garment integrity is lost at various points in the action. But everyone gets to shine, striking and dodging, landing what they intend to be coups-de-grace, only to find their opponent slipped away for found another edge…or if one of their allies interrupts.
One of the funnier battle “cross-overs” coming when Najenda, disgusted her former trainer and general is still moving around despite the fact she beheaded him, goes in to Overdrive and launches him into the air. The body hits the beam of the Destoghoul just as it’s blasting Susanoo’s arm off (though unlike Leones, it reappears instantly, since he’s, well, an Arm.) It’s a small but funny gesture that conveys the sense that All Of This Is Going On At Once.
Another instance of clever use of character ability, personality and timeliness under certain conditions, Chelsea, who is hidden most of the time, uses her makeup kit to take the form of a tribal elder one of the puppets won’t attack, opening him up for a fatal needle to the brain. She took the risk to protect Tatsumi, whom she’s developed feelings for.
But after one foe is downed, it isn’t long before another has to be dealt with. Susanoo brought the PAIN thanks to Najenda unlocking his secret “Madman” power, a life-threatening option, but the only way to quickly dispatch the Destoghoul.
After she defeats her gun-toting opponent, Mine is ambused by a giant toad and swallowed, to burn up in its stomach acid, but as Kurome gloats, Mine blows enough holes in the thing to escape before the acid does too much. Mine then makes the very unreasonable, but very Mine demand for Tatsumi to somehow help her without looking at her.
Yes, I liked that even in these tough battles, there’s still the occasional exchange of wry banter or joking around that we’ve come to expect of AGK, though there’s less of it than usual, and even in this it throws a curveball, as in the moments Leone lets her guard down watching Najenda fight, she loses her frikkin’ left arm to an opportunistic, ruthless Kurome. Keep your eyes on a swivel, guys!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how long Bols manages to stick with Akame and later Akame and Leone. He even calmly asks Akame why she became a rebel, and doesn’t argue with her right to feel the way she does…it just doesn’t change the fact his job is to incinerate her. But when his corpse puppet guard goes down, it’s two-on-one, and his Imperial Arm is severely damaged by Leone biting it, he tosses up his turbine backpack and Detonates The Entire Episode. Talk about ending things with a boom! Keep it up with this AGK. You’re in your wheelhouse.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 19 Oct 2014 Mon, 20 Oct 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, bols, bomb, boss fight, chelsea, corpse puppets, destoghoul, esdeath, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, mine, najenda, night raid, rebellion, seryu ubiquitous, tatsumi, wave, yatsufune3 Comments on Akame ga Kill! – 16
Akame ga Kill! really wants you to understand that the Ultimate Battle between Night Raid and the Jaegars and between the Rebellion and the Empire, is about to begin. Both characters and the narrator mention it at least half a dozen times. They should have also said something along the lines of “these battles are definitely on the way, but bear with us a little while we lay out all the details and get people into their proper positions for said battles.” Or something.
So yeah, this episode is yet more setup. By the end of it, Najenda, Akame, Tatsumi and Leone are engaged with Kurome and Bols, with Susanoo having smacked Wave off the battlefield entirely. It doesn’t seem like either party is going to back down or retreat; this is it. We just don’t get to see any actual fighting quite yet.
“Wait…WHY are we in bikinis, again?”
We do get a somewhat meandering Rube Goldberg-like plan for overthrowing the Capital and Empire; one that depends on a lot of moving parts which could spell disaster if any of them failed. It starts with a popular religious group starting an insurrection within the empires borders, followed by invasions from without by the Revolutionary Army and its allied tribes.
“Are the crepes good, people? Good!”
They’re depending on the zealots being enough of a threat to warrant a sizable movement of Imperial forces in the direction the Revolutionary wants, as well as the cooperation of disillusioned castellans on the route to the Capital to honor their word to yield their castles to the rebels. If everything goes according to plan, the capital will be theirs, its corrupt leaders dispatched, and all with a minimum of bloodshed.
But c’mon now, not everything is going to go according to plan. Neither the rebel army nor Night Raid can do anything without dealing with Esdeath and the Jaegers first (Najenda also name-drops Commander-in-Chief Budou). The episode serves as a means to take stock in each Night Raid member or Jaeger’s specific reasons and motivations for fighting, with Seryu’s probably being the most morally upside-down (though that’s not surprising considering the mentors she’s had).
On the other end of the spectrum is Wave, who isn’t even listed as a target, but he has his own reasons for fighting on the side he’s on. Regardless of whether you’re an otherwise nice guy like him or Bols, or a complete evil psycho like Kurome, they must all be defeated by Night Raid if the rebellion is to have a chance.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 12 Oct 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, backstory, bols, boss fight, chelsea, esdeath, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, mine, najenda, night raid, rebellion, revolutionary army, seryu ubiquitous, tatsumi, ultimate battle, wave
Like Brynhildr a season ago, AGK is not afraid to infuse comedy into any situation, whether it’s supposed to be serious. I actually don’t mind that, as at the end of the day the show is full of ridiculous characters and situations that frankly shouldn’t be taken too seriously. That’s not to say there aren’t any scenes wholly serious scenes to be found—this episode started with the brutal killing of a couple living outside the capital by the new humanoid danger beasts. But the show seems to know when to use laughs and when to not.
It’s also wise in not having every single chracter cracking wise. The show is largely split into those who are primarily the butt of jokes or subject of snarky observations, and those who make said observations. Oftentimes this week we get pairs representing both groups: Minister Honest and the Emporer; Wave and Bols (I just like how Bols has a perfect, loving family); Tatsumi and Akame. I also appreciate how even-keeled in its portrayal of both sides of the conflict while they’re in relative down-time.
For contrast, let’s look at the villains in Sailor Moon Crystal, which I’m also watching. When we get scenes with them, they’re really just plotting evil stuff; they’re not really interacting as people the way the good guys are. We also know next to nothing about them, their pasts, or their motivations, so they come off as a bit dull and dry. In theory, showing the lighter sides of Esdeath, the Jaegers, etc. could potentially minimize their power as villains, but that’s not really an issue for me here.
It’s also interesting that even though the empire is working to eradicate all rebels including Night Raid, they actually share the mission to eradicate the new danger beasts, though that doesn’t make it a case of “the enemy of my enemy”. Tatsumi, taking the moral high road, rejects Chelsea’s position to simply hang back and let the Jaegers take care of the beasts, because there are people in danger as they speak and the more people on the job, the more people can be saved.
Chelsea, who has already lost a unit and knew how kind Bulat and Sheele are, is worried Tatsumi may be headed down the same road. At some point every assassin has to preserve his or her own life, even at the costs of innocent lives. She’s also uneasy about how lovey-dovey Night Raid is in general, but that’s to be expected of someone with her past; it doesn’t necessarily make her right. Tatsumi’s cool speech being ruined by the fact his fly is open: that’s AGK in a nutshell.
Like last week, this episode squeezed a fair amount of material into its runtime. Night Raid finds a new hideout (pretty much the same as the old hideout; by design, says Akame); we learn that Lubbock was a rich, entitled ass who one day met Najenda, fell in love with her (which I can’t blame him for; she’s gorgeous) and enlisted on the spot, and his loyalty to her is still based on the hope that she’ll one day return his feelings. Lubba’s been the least developed of the original Night Raid, and this was an example of a short but sweet little nugget that helps enrich his character.
In terms of surprises, I was not expecting Tatsumi and Esdeath to reunite so soon, but here we are. I still wish he got to spend more time with her before, and now that they’re together again I am very happy. Only good stuff happens when these two are together, but comedically and dramatically speaking. I continue to enjoy Esdeath’s earnest regard for her feelings and the way Tatsumi affects her moods and behaviors, but it isn’t a case of her love for him weakening her in any way. On the contrary, when danger beasts interrupt their reunion, she’s as focused and vicious in dispatching them as ever.
FInally, the shadowy grinning guy who calls the Jaegers’ Imperial Arms “his toys” is looking like someone who will be giving them trouble soon; trouble which Tatsumi may be in the middle of now that he’s been re-captured. I wouldn’t even be opposed to Night Raid and the Jaegers holding a truce so they could join forces to defeat this guy, if he turns out to be that big of a threat.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 28 Sep 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, boss fight, chelsea, comedy, danger beasts, imperial arms, jaegers, kurome, leone, leveling up, lovesick, najenda, night raid, reunited, seryu ubiquitous, Susanoo, tatsumi
Night Raid’s decisive defeat of Dr. Stylish and his army of experiments does not immediately lead into another Jaeger fight, and that’s okay by me, since we get to see them enjoy a little down time (or rather leveling-up) time, and we’re formally introduced to their two new members and the new dynamics that ensue within the group.
First up, Susanoo, who we saw a lot of last week in action, turns out to be Najenda’s new Imperial Arm, having awakened for her in part because she resembles his old master (who was a guy, mind you). Because he was designed to serve as an Imperial bodyguard, he’s not just good at fighting, but is a neat freak and household chore-master. His culinary skills ingratiate him with Akame, and the two make fast friends.
The second new member is Chelsea, who dons a school uniform, is almost always sucking on a lollipop, and is voiced by the lovely and talented Nazuka Kaori. Najenda identifies her as one of the rebellion’s top assassins, specializing in deception. Her Imperial Arm “Gaea Foundation” is a cosmetics box that allows her to take the form of anyone, a useful skill the group has lacked thus far. She’s also very laid back, confident, and arrogant, and clashes with Mine often.
When Mine orders Tatsumi and Lubbock to “teach her a lesson”, Tatsumi ends up learning that Chelsea is the only survivor of her old group, and doesn’t want that to happen with this new one, which is why she won’t hesitate to tell it like it is if she thinks any member of Night Raid is coming up short. There are a lot of battles that have yet to be fought for the revolution to succeed.
As Night Raid trains in a remote and secluded area, the rest of the Jaegers are also standing by when Esdeath realizes Dr. Stylish has bought it. As the person who gave Seryu her new arms, he is yet another loss for her, putting what remains of her sanity in jeopardy before an increasingly empathetic Esdeath comforts her (beating Wave to the punch). Seryu remains an interesting character in that she is utterly convinced she and the Jaegers are the good guys.
For her part, Esdeath is still upset over Tatsumi fleeing, and is determined to get him back, but we learn that Run has joined the Jaegers to “observe” her, suggesting he may have plans in mind she may not agree with. We close with the reveal of another new guy who has a big grin and sics danger beasts on miners. One major takeaway from this episode is that there’s plenty of material for the second cour.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 21 Sep 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, boss fight, chelsea, danger beasts, dr stylish, gaea foundation, housework, imperial arms, incursio, jaegers, kurome, leone, leveling up, najenda, night raid, scissors, seryu ubiquitous, Susanoo, tatsumi
“I’m not dead! No worries!”
From the moment Leone is stabbed in the head, I knew this was going to be a different kind of AGK; one in which for the first time Night Raid will have to repel an invasion of their no-longer-secret headquarters. The Jeager Dr. Stylish, your typical mad scientists, sends waves of foot soldiers and lieutenants at Night Raid, resulting in some nice matchups and a good variety of battles, some of which are faught in their pajamas!
“Sorry, No time to change.”
“‘Tis…but…a SCRATCH…”
First, a wrong is righted when Kakusan, bearing Sheele’s scissors, picks a fight with Tatsumi. Both are brawny, but Tatsumi does his job, getting beaten up enough for Kakusan to get too cocky, whereupon Mine arrives and uses her rifle in the worst possible pinch, making the weapon powerful enough to do Kakusan in entirely. The scissors are now back in Night Raid’s hands. It occured to us if Tatsumi’s old sword broke, he could become their new user, but we’ll see.
Repelling an invasion is tiring work
An HQ invasion is a good chance to see the rear line in action, and we see the ingenuity necessary to ably wield Lubbock’s string arms, as he fights a knight-like foe in a narrow hallway. Lubbock gives way to Akane to lop off limb after limb off the increasingly Monty-Pythonesque knight, but it’s Lubbock who delivers the killing blow, an unsporting surprise blow from behind. But this isn’t the time for fair play; not with Night Raid’s haven and home on the line.
“That was bugging me.”
After Leone takes out the guy who originally stabbed her (catching another one of his knives in her teeth), Dr. Stylish surrounds the assembled Night Raiders, who all succumb to a weakening poison except the armored Tatsumi. That’s when the cavalry comes into play, atop a giant manta ray danger beast. Najenda has returned just in time with two new members, only one of whom we see in action.
“Hi-Ho, Tatsumi!”
Susanoo, as he’s called, is a powerful “Human-type Imperial Arm” whose very body is the arm itself, making him the one fighter immune to Stylish’s poison. He also takes the time fix Mine’s mussed hair, lightening the mood. Of course, his arrival on the battlefield leads Stylish to take it up a notch and inject himself with something that turns him into a berzerking monster, as mad scientists in things like this tend to do when they’re out of options.
“I could use a shower. And breakfast.”
Tatsumi isn’t quite the poisoned Akame’s knight so much as her horse, as he carries her up to Stylish’s weak spot in a nice bit of teamwork. Again, it was good for Najenda and the other newbie not to engage in battle at all, as it’s smart to save some reserve awesomeness for the battles to come. After all, Stylish is just one Jaeger, and probably not the strongest.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 15 Sep 2014 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, berzerker, boss fight, dr stylish, general liver, hq, imperial arms, incursio, invasion, jaegers, kurome, leone, najenda, new hire, night raid, pajamas, scissors, seduction, seryu ubiquitous, sheele, Susanoo, tatsumi, true love
This week Tatsumi is by Esdeath’s side almost the entire time, scores a lot of solid intelligence on the Jaegers, and is used as a body pillow. I’ll be honest: it’s a lot of fun watching him behind enemy lines. He (and we) end up seeing sides of Esdeath no one else has seen, a gentle, kind Esdeath, to the point he wonders if it would be possible to convince her to switch sides and join the rebels. This, of course, is not the case, as Esdeath has a strict “Survival of the Fittest” philosophy.
Furthermore, she’s not interested in him changing her principles: it is she who will change his. She has fought and won countless battles, and this is another one of those to her, only completely different in how it’s waged, and very exciting to boot. I must say, while it could be easy to play Esdeath’s affection for Tatsumi, the show finds moments to show us that Esdeath is quite serious about being in love.
Also, Esdeath knows what she feels and respects it rather than trying to shove it down. She doesn’t see it as weakness, but as a challenge. So even when Tatsumi escapes while on a hunting mission with Wave, Esdeath is still confident she’ll see him again, and not simply force him to see things her way, but legitimatly convince him to support her of his own free will. That’s the true battle.
Frankly, I hope Tatsumi does end up back by Esdeath’s side at some point, even if there’s virtually no chance of her suceeding in turning him, because his time with Esdeath and the Jaegers was frustratingly short, especially when you consider this show has a whole other cour to work with. And not just because watching Tatsumi squirm around Esdeath’s genuine affection.
Watching him interact with the Jaegars was also fun, particularly the “Him” of the Jaegers, Wave, with whom he shares much in common, including a running commentary on the strangeness of his colleagues. Still, it’s also good to see a friendly face in Akame, as she rescues him from a danger beast. Akame vows to be the one to kill Esdeath, while her sister vows to kill her. And with Dr. Stylish Johnny-on-the-spot with the Tatsumi tracking, those confrontations can’t be far off.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 7 Sep 2014 Categories Akame ga Kill!, Anime Reviews, Summer 2014Tags akame, akame ga kiru, assassins, アカメが斬る!, bols, boss fight, bulat, demons, dr stylish, esdeath, general liver, honest, imperial arms, incursio, jaegers, kurome, leone, najenda, night raid, recruiting, run, seduction, seryu ubiquitous, tatsumi, true love, wave
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Tag: treachery
Carole & Tuesday – 11 – Plucked from the Jaws of Success
Tuesday’s hand is badly burned, and once bandaged, she cannot play the guitar. As the MC delays by appealing to the boundless ego of Ertegun, Gus tries to find the culprit with the security cams, with no success. We know that it was Cybelle, but everyone in the show has to play catch up, which leads to more interpersonal problems.
What I didn’t know? Whether Cybelle was sicced on Tuesday by either Katie or Dahlia, whether it was egging on her anger or giving her access to the dressing room. When Katie mentions who has motive, Angela suspects her mama. but Dahlia seems too proud for that kind of trickery. Katie has been very shifty the last couple episodes, and her “dumb assistant” act seems almost too practiced.
Whent C&T take the stage, the judges immediately note Tues’ injury and lack of a guitar. Carole passes it off nicely by saying they’e going to show they’re more of a guitar-and-piano duo; which isn’t really lying, since they may well want or have to branch out without either of those instruments at some point.
Carole is also asked about being a refugee and her family. She’s not sure what she’d say if her parents were watching, just “I’m here.” There’s not much of a crowd reaction to her background, so they move on with the song. It’s…fine, again. No ear bleeding thankfully, but the lyrics are reliably trite, sparse, and poorly structured. We see Cybelle is still somewhere in the building, watching on.
Ertegun starts the judge’s review by stating that someone who gets injured just before a performance has no business being a musician, and as harsh as he sounds, he’s not wrong. If Tuesday wants to make the big time, she’s got to learn how to protect herself, speak up, say no, and be a better judge of character. Unable to do all of the above led directly to her burns.
That said, the other judges loved them, and the woman who was introduced as the Simon Cowell of the trio states that the duo “stole her heart.” All the Insta followers in the world can’t keep Pyotr from losing this one, but like GGK he’s a good sport about it, happy he gained even more followers and has a bright future.
The final, then, is set: Carole & Tuesday vs. Angela. This leads Gus, absent any hard evidence, to accuse Dahlia of sabotaging Tuesday, just as Angela initially did. But when the culprit is described as “a slender young woman”, Angela’s suspicions shift immediately to Katie, and she reams her out for doubting her ability.
Katie, who we previously see smelling Angela’s lipstick, is either a very good actor, or legitimately devastated by her favorite artist’s accusations. Thankfully, the cops find Cybelle while she’s trying to flee, all thanks, incidentally, to Roddy spotting her in one of Pyotr’s many video posts. During her perp walk, Cybelle blows up at Tuesday, telling her she got what she deserved.
Like Ertegun, Cybelle isn’t the most tactful here, but she’s right. Though even a firm rejection at the start may have caused Cybelle to go after her, leading someone like her on was playing with fire…or in this, case dry ice. Carole tells her as much outside the hospital, where Tues was told she could play again in a week.
Carole doesn’t hold back in telling Tuesday she needs to not only learn how to handle people better, but also seemed unfocused in their performance, and that perhaps her commitment is less serious because she has a big fancy home to go to if this doesn’t pan out. It’s definitely the most distant these two have been for a while.
But things could always be worse…and they become worse almost immediately after Carole’s shots are fired, as burly goons sent by Tuesday’s family roll up and roughly toss her into the car. Carole gets punched when she tries to interfere, and when she manages to jump onto the fleeing car, the driver switches to manual mode and she’s thrown from it, though she suffers no serious injuries due to good rolling form.
Still, just like that, the duo has been severed, moments after cracks started to form due to their deeply different backgrounds. The timing is horrifically cruel, almost as if it was meant to be. But as we’ve seen, Tuesday is, like a young princess out in the world, not quite equipped to survive in it, and her injured hand was clear for all the millions of viewers to see.
A lot of those viewers are voters, so it behooves Tuesday’s pragmatic mom to put her house in order. I smell a rescue mission in the works.
Author sesameacrylicPosted on Thu, 20 Jun 2019 Categories Anime Reviews, Carole & Tuesday, Spring 2019Tags abduction, angela, arrested, キャロル&チューズデイ, Bones, burns, carole, competition, cybelle, dahlia, dj ertegun, family, friendship, gus goldman, katie kimura, manager, mars brightest, music, out of sync, pyotr, revenge, rivals, semifinal, singing, stalker, treachery, tuesday
The Rising of the Shield Hero – 22 – What Now?
Last week felt like a finale, but I’ve suspected for a while now we’re in for second season of Shield Hero down the road. With that in mind, it hardly comes as a surprise that this week’s episode slows things down substantially—a calm after the storm, if you will—with only three more episodes remaining this season.
Naofumi is summoned right back to Melromarc by the queen, who holds a party honoring their service as a front for a conference meant to ensure the four heroes reconcile and start working together. Raphtalia and Filo finally get the class upgrades they’ve so desperately needed (though they don’t get to choose their class, in part due to Filo’s cowlick). We also learn Mirelia is as fanatical about Fitoria as her daughter.
It doesn’t take long for bad actors to slip right back into bad habits, whether it’s a drunk knight spouting anti-demi vitriol and starting brawl in the banquet hall, to Malt–er, Bitch attempting to poison a pie meant for Naofumi’s party. It escapes me why she wasn’t simply banished from the palace.
Things don’t go any better in the closed-door session of the Four Heroes, with Mirelia mediating. Even though his name has been cleared, Motoyasu is still loyal enough to Bitch to declare Melty is lying about the poisoned pie, even though Bitch still has her slave crest and owned up to the crime.
That’s just a small taste of the inflexibility Naofumi faces. As Raph fights the drunken knight, and others start fighting each other, the other heroes only reluctantly spit out a bit of what they’ve learned about leveling up. The three heroes then turn on one another when they have opposing views about what’s most important when upgrading weapons, or the specific contents of their respective HUDs.
The bickering gets so bad Naofumi puts up his hands and leaves the room with no progress made and only a modium of intelligence learned. He can now, at least, tell Fitoria that he made an honest attempt to reconcile with them, and it went nowhere. There may just be too much bad history for them to cooperate except under the most dire circumstances, like the Pope’s attempted coup…or the next Wave.
What little insight Naofumi does gain he puts to immediate use, learning that he has to “believe in” the other heroes’ claims of a weapon-copying functionality in the for it to actually appear on his HUD. The other bit of news the Queen had for them is that the Cal Mira Archipelago has been “activated,” meaning all XP earned there is boosted for a limited time.
It’s a location someone as underleveled as Naofumi can’t pass up, even if it means crossing paths with the other heroes, so after bidding farewell to the Queen and Melty (for the second time in as many episodes), he tries out his new weapon-copying skill at Elhart’s shop (much to Elhart’s dismay) and the party heads out to the harbor where a ship will them to Cal Mira.
By request of Raphtalia, they make a detour to her home village, whose scant survivors have set up a cemetery on a seaside cliff. She pays respects to her departed friend Rifana and folks. Naofumi’s earlier offhand words about leaving her and Filo one day have also stuck with her, and she asks Naofumi straight-up not to leave her, as she doesn’t know what she’d do if he wasn’t in her world.
Naofumi promises, but he may not be able to control when his summoning is reversed, be it when the Waves are defeated or not. For now, he resolves to stay in this world as long as he is able, until Raphtalia and Filo find happiness—and not just the happiness of being beside him. In both cases, they have potentially happy futures without Naofumi: Raph in her village, with all the other survivors tracked down; Filo as the new Queen of her kind.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves: it’s time for some serous leveling up. As is typical, Naofumi is given the short end of the stick when his private cabin is stolen by the other heroes and their parties, who arrived before him. But as chance would have it Naofumi and his party end up in the same room as the tough-looking but friendly male and female adventurers they met at Raph’s village.
Could these two potentially end up a part of Naofumi’s party, or are they merely two of the hundreds of rivals for that sweet Cal Mira bonus XP?
Author braveradePosted on Wed, 5 Jun 2019 Wed, 5 Jun 2019 Categories Anime Reviews, Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari, Winter 2019Tags adventurers, amaki ren, bickering, bitch, cal mira, conference, 盾の勇者の成り上がり, filo, graves, intelligence, iwatani naofumi, kawasumi itsuki, malty melromarc, melty melromarc, mirelia, poison, queen, raphtalia, shield hero, treachery, village, weapon copy
Fate / Zero – 17
For Risei and Tokiomi, the greatest blunder they committed in the Holy Grail War was believing they knew and understood who Kirei was, when he seemingly didn’t even know until recently, after a few key conversations with Lady MacGilgabeth.
Risei, who Kirei was probably planning to kill, was murdered by Kayneth, but by the end of this episode, Tokiomi is dead too, by Kirei’s own hand, petty much forced by accelerating events.
Fate/Zero isn’t subtle about death flags, and it sure looked like even Tokiomi himself sensed his end was near when he visited Rin and Aoi one last time. The only thing that escaped him was the means of that end; surely he must’ve thought if he died, it would be fighting against his enemies, not his own student.
But back to forcing Kirei’s hand: with Risei dead, Tokiomi proposes a temporary alliance with Irisviel, who is flanked by Saber and Maiya in the church where they meet (odd choice of venue if you ask me, considering it couldn’t even protect the observer.)
Iri agrees with Tokiomi that they should save the battle between themselves for the end, once Rider and Berserker are dealt with … but only if he expels Kirei from Japan immediately.
It’s not an unreasonable demand, considering Kirei and the Einzberns have “bad blood” Tokiomi didn’t know about, but Kirei is also not a Master anymore, and thus should step away from the war altogether. Upon leaving the meeting, Iri collapses onto Maiya’s shoulder, confiding in her that she’s not just any homonculus, but the Holy Grail itself given human form.
When this Holy Grail War is over, she will die and the grail will take whatever new form the winner desires; only Avalon is keeping her going. Maiya promises she’ll stay by Iri’s side until the end.
With one more one-on-one chat between Tokiomi and Archer, Tokiomi has decided what he’s going to do, and has Archer’s support. Kirei will get to explore his “dark desires”, and Gilgamesh will gain a more entertaining Master.
Kirei helps Gil finalize his choice by saying the Holy Grail can only be activating by sacrificing all seven Servants, meaning Tokiomi was eventually going to use a command seal to force Gil to commit suicide.
So after thanking Kirei for being his loyal student and comrade, Tokiomi presents him with a will leaving his wealth to Rin and appointing Kirei as her guardian. Kirei then takes that newly-gifted dagger and kills Tokiomi with it.
The literal backstabbing, while extensively telegraphed, is still a powerful, disturbing moment. With this betrayal, Kirei becomes Archer’s new Master, and the dynamic of the War is irreparably changed. And I must say, I fear Kirei a hell of a lot more than Tokiomi as an adversary to Kiritsugu and Iri, because, well, Kirei himself fears the guy.
Author braveradePosted on Thu, 31 Aug 2017 Sun, 27 Aug 2017 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2011, Fate / ZeroTags antihero, backstabbing, blood, caster, ceasefire, command seals, contract, dagger, emiya kiritsugu, heroes, heroic spirits, holy sword, homonculus, irisviel von einzbern, kotomine risei, lancer, master, morality, nobility, noble phantasm, parlay, regret, saber, secret, servants, toosaka rin, treachery, will2 Comments on Fate / Zero – 17
It’s no rest for the weary or hungry in the immediate aftermath of the defeat of Caster and his monster. Sola-Ui is hoping her beloved Lancer’s contributions will net her a fresh command seal, but she ends up losing her two remaining seals when Maiya sneaks up and cuts her fucking arm off before calmly reporting to Kiritsugu.
Sola-Ui’s fiancee Kayneth seems to fare better, as he manages to convince Risei to bestow upon him a new seal as a reward, then shoots Risei before peaceing out of the church, though if I were him I’d have checked to see if the brakes weren’t stuck on; he seemed to have some trouble with the wheelchair.
When Lancer returns to report that Sola-Ui is alive but missing, a particularly revitalized Kayneth really lays into his Servant, even accusing him of seducing his fiancee, just like he seduced that of his commander of yore. Lancer has to break into the endless berating, because someone has arrived.
That someone is Saber, with Iri in tow. While everyone is exhausted from the battle, there is yet some time before the dawn, so she (probably wisely) suggests there will be no better time to get their chivalrous duel out of the way.
Lancer assents, and the two have at it with a kind of infectious glee, finally able to fight nobly one-on-one after such a distasteful monster battle. If ever there was a ‘heromance’ on Fate/Zero (not a one-sided one like Caster), it’s these two. Which is why it’s so heartbreaking to see their noble duel cruelly cut short by the implementation of Kiritsugu’s underhanded but ruinously effective gambit to take Lancer and Kayneth off the board for good.
The dueling Saber and Lancer are essentially distracting themselves from the fact their masters are in the shadows, “negotiating.” I use quotes because Kiritsugu has all the leverage and Kayneth has none. Kiritsugu has Sola-Ui, and makes Kay sign a contract of geis in which Kiritsugu will be unable to kill or even harm him or Sola-Ui. In exchange, Kay has to use his final command seal to force Lancer to run himself through with his own single remaining lance.
Kay takes the deal, and the impaled Lancer is disgusted and enraged, cursing everyone—including Saber, whom he assumes is in on it—as he slowly dies and evaporates into the either. Then Kiritsugu holds up his end of the bargain: he can’t kill Kayneth or Sola-Ui…so he has Maiya do it for him, and when Kayneth is begging for death, Kiritsugu must decline due to the contract. Ice. Cold.
It falls to Saber to put Kayneth out of his misery, but no one is more disgusted with Kiritsugu than she, as she openly questions his true motives for winning the HGW, considering the underhanded, dishonorable depths to which he is willing to stoop.
Even Iri, who Kiritsugu points out hadn’t seen “the way he kills” until now, is clearly angry at him and demands he speak to Saber directly and not through her. And Kiritsugu finally explains why he’s been so loath to interact with Saber and so unwilling to heed her council: because she is a knight, imbued with heroic honor and chivalry. And he doesn’t believe a knight can save the world.
Throughout history, knights and other heroes have inspired men to set out, fight, and die. It’s a deadly wheel that Kiritsugu intends to break. If he is victorious, he will see to it the blood shed in the HGW will be the “last blood shed by humanity,” and he doesn’t care what he has to do or how his actions make him look, as long as he gets the job done. It’s the ultimate ends-justify-the-means argument, and it’s hard to argue with it.
Saber’s reaction to Kiritsugu’s passionate rant is to deduce that for someone to speak the way he does, he must have at some point in he past fought nobly and justly, only for something to go horribly wrong to lead to his fall from chivalry. Saber is of the mind that his methods not only won’t break the wheel, but strengthen it by stoking resentment, hatred, and further conflict unbound by any decency.
I can appreciate both viewpoints (a testament to the quality writing and characterization) and while I can’t endorse Kiritsugu’s methods, I can’t argue with their utility and effectiveness thus far: only Rider, Berserker, and Archer remain in the war, and he has all of his command seals.
But I take the collapse of the downright exhausted Iri after Kiritsugu departs as a bad omen; things have been going too smoothly so far. I sense rougher seas ahead.
Author braveradePosted on Mon, 28 Aug 2017 Mon, 28 Aug 2017 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2011, Fate / Zero, RABUJOI World Heritage ListTags antihero, blood, caster, chivalry, command seals, contract, duel, emiya kiritsugu, flashback, heroes, heroic spirits, holy sword, irisviel von einzbern, kotomine risei, lancer, master, morality, nobility, noble phantasm, regret, saber, save the world, servants, sniper, suicide, treachery4 Comments on Fate / Zero – 16
Little Witch Academia – 20
Despite Akko’s protesting (with backup from Andrew) Diana insists she has no choice but to perform the ritual before the transit of Venus behind the moon is complete. She goes into the ritual chambers alone, but is immediately impeded in her mission by Aunt Daryl, who wraps her in one of her many giant magic snake familiars.
No matter how much logic he tosses at Akko, she knows it’s not right for Diana to be dropping out; she’s clearly putting her own dreams aside for the good of her family. When they eavesdrop on Daryl and her twin daughters talking about how she had no problem stopping Diana, Akko has all the moral capital she needs to break with sacred Cavendish custom and enter the sanctum to rescue her.
Andrew helps, convinced that Akko is right. He remembers how passionate Diana became years ago when talk flew around she wouldn’t be able to perform magic. We know the spark of inspiration was the twin pillars of her mother and Shiny Chariot. But to her credit, Akko keeps Andrew out of the sanctum: she’ll bring back Diana on her own…all the way back the academy.
Akko proves she can mostly take care of herself, using her patented partial-transformation magic in rapid-fire mode to lure the snakes away from Diana and stay one step ahead until she regains consciousness and saves her.
With Akko bitten and poisoned, Diana sacrifices her chance to complete the ritual by healing and staying with Akko, who wakes up, then scolds Diana for staying there with her instead of continuing on with the ritual. But this is just Diana being Diana: kind, caring, and healing, just like her mother and the centuries of Cavandishes who came before her.
It’s no coincidence their conversation is held in a facility borne of that family “affection”, a secret hospital where Diana’s ancestors used their considerable magical knowledge to heal the wounded from conflicts that plagued history, without regard to whose side they were on.
Diana’s confession of her lifelong dream (to protect and preserve her family’s and mother’s names and the home they left behind) moves Akko to assure her she can still achieve that dream, restoring her family and complete her education at Luna Nova, as long as she…you guessed it, believes in her heart.
In this manner, two Chariot superfans—one current, one lapsed—come together to realize her credo that a believing heart can make anything possible. To that end, traditional and modern powers mingle, and Diana realizes the fifth word is Akko’s for the taking.
Reciting it summons Chariot’s broom, which they ride together to reach the site where the ritual is to be completed…only to find Aunt Beryl and her daughters waiting to disrupt Diana once more.
For this latest act of treachery, Diana’s relations are punished not by her or Akko, but by the system itself, and are quickly encased in trees. As she did with Akko, Diana stays true to her family’s legacy again by putting judgement aside and helping others before herself.
By the time she’s saved Daryl and the twins, the Venusian eclipse is over, but Diana still gets a momentary nod of approval, so to speak, from her family’s founder, Lady Beatrix. She may not have quite completed the ritual, but it’s clear to all who will lead the Cavendish family’s future.
Until that time, Diana is free to return to Luna Nova, much to Akko’s delight. She also gives Akko a ride home on her broom, which is the perfect time for her to express her gratitude for what Akko did…softly, and only once. Still, Akko heard her, and after their shared experiences this week their bond has never been tighter.
After charming and fun but inconsequential episodes involving the B-characters, this Diana-focused two-parter was a welcome and worthwhile outing that brought two rivals closer together and brought Akko one word closer to potentially changing the world.
I also appreciated the bonhomie that’s gradually developed between Akko and Andrew (who will be back, at least to give Akko her hat back). While I would have preferred if Diana’s full fleshing-out arc had come sooner, it’s better late than never, and well worth the wait.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 22 May 2017 Mon, 22 May 2017 Categories Anime Reviews, Little Witch Academia, Winter 2017Tags akko, andrew, aristocrats, リトルウィッチアカデミア, broom, chariot, chosen, customs, desires, diana cavendish, dreams, etiquette, family, fifth word, hanbridge, kagari atsuko, kindness, lady beatrix, luna nova academy, mother, obligation, pride, quest, ritual, sacrifice, snakes, tradition, treachery, witches, words, working together
91 Days – 12 (Fin)
With Avilio’s grand revenge plan all but complete (but for Nero), this final episode is not a lot more than an extended epilogue in which the remainder of the Vanettis are wiped out, Avilio is captured by Nero, and the two kind of dance around each other until Nero finally does what he needs to do.
I’ll be honest: I’ve never been fully emotionally invested in any of the characters, even Avilio, and was never all that big a fan of Nero, so watching all of the underlings, whom I often couldn’t tell apart from each other, was a bit of a bore. Not to mention the tommy guns in this show were way too reliable (not a serious criticism, just sayin’).
I’ve also expected for a while now that Avilio would eventually end up succeeding but feeling utterly unfulfilled, in the same way Vincent was when he killed the Lagusas seven years ago, so the campfire confrontation isn’t all that impactful. These are two people who have been set up from the start to be unhappy and alone, and they’ve done too much to each other for there to be any outcome but one or both of them ending up dead.
The bottom line: any and all hope this show had was wiped out back when Avilio killed Corteo, believing that last shedding of his humanity would be worth it, but it wasn’t. Avilio and Nero have a pleasant final road trip to the seaside, but only Nero gets back in the car and drives away, and we have no reason to believe he’ll be alive long with the new Don Strega and the long arm of the Galassias after him.
As their two pairs of footsteps are washed away by the waves, the lesson of 91 Days is clear: if you’re going to kill a family in a mafia coup, make sure you get all that family’s members. Nero can blame Avilio all he likes, but it was his nervousness/mercy that kept Angelo alive, leading to a life spent—wasted—planning only revenge.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 Categories 91 Days, Anime Reviews, Summer 2016Tags aftermath, angelo, avilio bruno, avilo, betrayal, brothers, dramatic, epilogue, galassia, gangsters, hostage, lawless, letter, liquor, mafia, mob, nero vanetti, road trip, satisfaction, scheme, shootout, stage, strega, the sea, threats, treachery, uncle ganzo, vanetti family, vendetta, vengeance, vincent1 Comment on 91 Days – 12 (Fin)
91 Days – 11
Avilio’s time in Chicago was productive; he was able to strike a deal with the Galassias – just not the one Nero thought. Don Galassia takes a shine to Avilio, as the capable inside man who could help him get rid of the Vanettis.
But it’s also painfully evident that killing Corteo took a bigger chunk of Avilio’s soul than most of the killings. He’s barely keeping it together, catching glimpses of Corteo’s ghost off in the distance.
The stage for the final act of Avilio’s revenge couldn’t be more appropriate: the grand opening of Vincent’s opera house in Lawless. One gets the feeling like Vincent is willing himself to stay alive just to get to this evening. Little does he know Avilio has been looking forward to the evening just as much, if not more.
Avilio, Ganzo, Don Galassia and his nephew Strega all know the game plan, but things don’t go according to that plan, as Del Toro takes longer to bring down and Barbero gets wise to Avilio’s treachery.
It matters not, as Ganzo is able to free Avilio, killing Barbero in the process, and give Avilio a free path to Vincent and Don Galassia’s royal box, even as Nero is running off to stop a potential sniper all the way on the other side of the theater.
Avilio manages to do worse than simply kill Vincent: he kills Don Galassia, which is a death sentence to the entire Vanetti family. Strega takes out Ganzo, leaving Strega, Avilio, Nero…and not many others still alive.
Avilio is pretty happy with how things worked out, as he sits in an alley as sirens blare. The Vanettis have lost everything, just as he did the night his family was taken. But the cost is high, and his decision to kill Don Galassia made him an enemy of Strega, who finds him in the alley. Is he there to thank Avilio for getting his uncle out of the way for him, or to kill him for it?
While the animation continues to be a serious liability, the overall experience this week was some thrilling and heart-wrenching mob drama. Avilio did most of what he set out to do, but he’s even more of a wreck than when he first got that letter. All of this, like Vincent’s murder of his family, might end up being for nothing.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sat, 24 Sep 2016 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 Categories 91 Days, Anime Reviews, Summer 2016Tags angelo, avilio bruno, avilo, backstabbing, betrayal, brothers, chicago, del toro, dramatic, galassia, gangsters, hostage, lawless, letter, liquor, mafia, mob, nero vanetti, opera house, scheme, stage, strega, suspicion, threats, treachery, uncle ganzo, vanetti family, vendetta, vengeance, vincent
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – 12 (Fin)
Now that he’s killed the Daddy who never loved him, and is well on the way to destroying the capital with the sister he turned into a monster, there’s not much for Biba to do but sit on the throne and…wait. Wait to be defeated by Ikoma, that is.
There wasn’t really much doubt of that, as this show has typically stuck to tried-and-true plot developments. That being said, Ikoma and Kurusu storming the city, going to town, and leaving piles of bodies in their wake is a sight to behold, as is the latter’s understanding that he’s to waste no time ending the former should he go Full Kabane. (Never go Full Kabane; the audience can’t connect.)
While on the outside Mumei is at the core of a grotesque yet also oddly beautiful fused colony, in her mind she’s fighting memories of being weak and stamping them out. It’s as much a prison for her mind as her body.
As for Ayame, she’s able to break some locals out of a prison of fear and rigid lashing-out simply by getting in their face. Not sure that wouldn’t have resulted in someone accidentally pulling a trigger on her, but she’s always had relatively good luck.
With Kurusu by his side, Ikoma continues to carve his way to Mumei, leading to a minor boss fight with one of Biba’s lieutenants, who tries to run a train into Ikoma but is thwarted when Ikoma’s super-Kabaneri power allows him to blast the train straight off the rails and into mid air. He then kills the guy himself with his arm-gun, justifying the killing by saying the guy kill too many. No arguments here.
There’s just one last obstacle before he can save Mumei: Biba himself, who takes the stage excited to “hunt” a rare, fearless foe such as Ikoma. In her fever dream prison, Mumei sees Ikoma as the one blue butterfly in a cloud of red ones, because butterflies have never been used in this way in anime before.
In all seriousness, as we’ve seen, Biba is highly skilled at combat, but when you don’t seem to be fighting for much anymore, but when up against a singularly motivated and nigh unkillable Kabaneri, it was only a matter of time before he took a hard lick that took him down.
Biba doesn’t stay down, however, even after Ikoma downs him and gives Mumei the magical white blood, reviving her and bringing her back to normal. It isn’t Ikoma who delivers the killing blow to Biba; he’s unconscious. It’s Mumei, who repeatedly implored Biba to stop hurting Ikoma, and stabbed him through the heart when he didn’t.
With Biba dead and Mumei back to normal, she and Kurusu (with Ikoma on his back) race back to the Kotetsujou, which seems like a rather manufactured final hurdle, even though I did like how happy she looked when she saw the whole gang ready to catch her with a big fabric net.
The only real problem is that Ikoma won’t wake up…until he does, on Mumei’s insistence. When he does, she embraces him closely, her shield returned to her by white blood Biba must have injected before being killed, a last act of selflessness and compassion in a life full of violence and hatred.
With Mumei and Ikoma both alive and relatively unhurt (amazingly), the Kotetsujou steams off into the sunset, ending a very dark show on a very bright—if awfully tidy—parting note.
Kabaneri initially grabbed my attention with superior visuals (and audio) and thrilling action. But once the novelty of that quality wore off, the shows shortcomings grew more conspicuous, keeping this show rather far from greatness. Still, it was a hell of a rousing watch…most of the time.
If a second season comes one day, I will definitely give it a look—I’d like to see Mumei’s humanity restored, for one thing—but if it’s all the same to Wit Studio, I’d prefer a second season of Attack on Titan first.
Author braveradePosted on Fri, 1 Jul 2016 Fri, 1 Jul 2016 Categories Anime Reviews, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Spring 2016Tags ayame, biba, brother, butterflies, characters, collaborators, cured, 甲鉄城のカバネリ, fused colony, gambit, happy ending, ikoma, iwato, kabane, kabaneri, kongokaku, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, kurusu, mumei, peace, plan, samurai, survival, takumi, tears, trains, transformation, trapped, treachery, villain, yukina, zombies3 Comments on Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – 12 (Fin)
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – 11
Both Kuromukuro and Kabaneri managed to reignite my passion for watching them in their eleventh episodes. I didn’t really know what to expect after last week cliffhanger would have had us believe Ikoma had been stabbed through the heart and tossed into the sea for dead by a Mumei now lost to him. This week quickly debunks the first assumption and paves the way to debunk the second, even though shit is still hitting the fan, as it were.
First, Kongokaku: it’s a grand, peaceful, and impressive place when the Kotetsujou arrives at its gate, but we see from the shogun eliminating a messenger with knowledge hat could sow public panic, theirs is clearly an uneasy peace, especially with Kabane lurking right outside those “impregnable” walls.
Biba doesn’t need to besiege his father’s seat, however; he comes in through the front door; a “captive” of Ayame; a role she’s forced to play because he’s holding her people hostage. Of course, going by his script only proves to Biba that’s he’s weak, and it’s become painfully apparent that the weak don’t live long once they meet him.
To his credit, the shogun immediately knows Biba is up to something; he just doesn’t know what until it’s too late. Biba uses the same fear his father used as an excuse for stabbing him in the dark as a child to destroy his father. The dagger he gave him contains a hidden needle that infects the shogun with the virus, and his own men gun him down in a panic.
Biba need only deal the killing blow with his sword, and just like that Kongokaku is his. The Kabane in his hold are released onto the city to stoke up fear, paranoia, and people killing people, but he simply sits on the throne, not smirking an evil smirk, but remembering a day when he rode a horse with his father. Do I detect a hint of…weakness, AKA love? No matter; there’s no one around to punish Biba for it.
While all that excitement is going on, Ikoma, having washed up on a shore not in the greatest shape but very much alive, is temporarily incapacitated by the immense weight of the guilt and regret over what went down, including Takumi’s death. He didn’t run, he was tossed out, and he’s right that at the time there was nothing he could do.
Kurusu, who has one of Biba’s scientists captive, finds Ikoma, and is actually patient with him as he goes through various stages of grief. In the end, Kurusu makes Ikoma set aside all the reasons he should simply die, and asks him why he’s still alive in the first place: his chest wound is so precise, Mumei must have intended to miss his heart, meaning she is not totally lost.
Granted, as we cut back to the capital, we see that Mumei is considerably more lost than the time she spared Ikoma. And she’s just as helpless here as Ayame, or as Ikoma was back on the train. Biba controls every aspect of her life, and despite all he’s done she still harbors loyalty to him, because she’d have died long ago (and been “beckoned by the butterflies”) were it not for him.
That combination of coercion-by-obligation, as well as the reality that Biba has kept Mumei weak and unable to oppose him even if she wanted to (and she did try), have led to her simply giving up. She will let the butterflies come, with the small consolation that at least she was able to free Ikoma a similar fate.
Only thing is, Ikoma hasn’t given up, thanks largely to Kurusu and the captive he has for some reason (I forgot why; sue me). That scientist just happens to have on hand two serums: one is white, and could save Mumei; but to get to her Ikoma knows he needs to be stronger (and apparently, less scruffy) than he is.
So he injects the black serum, an accelerant that indeed causes him to undergo yet another transformation. When we leave him, he seems that much less human, and particularly stable, but fueled by his resolve to stop Biba and save Mumei, odds are he’ll be able to endure. I certainly hope so, because Mumei deserves better than the same fate as Horobi—who also didn’t deserve it.
(Almost a 9 based solely on the new Aimer ED, “Through My Blood”, which brought it)
Author braveradePosted on Thu, 23 Jun 2016 Fri, 24 Jun 2016 Categories Anime Reviews, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Spring 2016Tags assassination, ayame, biba, black cloud, brother, butterflies, characters, collaborators, coup, 甲鉄城のカバネリ, death, gambit, haircut, horobi, ikoma, iwato, kabane, kabaneri, kongokaku, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, kurusu, mumei, nue, peace, plan, politics, puppet, revolt, samurai, shogunate, survival, takumi, tears, trains, transformation, trapped, treachery, villain, yukina, zombies3 Comments on Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – 11
Thinks are bad for the good guys: Ikoma is in prison, and Biba’s goons are harvesting blood from the Kotetsujou to feed the Kabane, and they’re not exactly being nice about it. Like Mumei, these are people who weren’t taught to think of the weak as people worthy of compassion, but in this case they’re more like livestock. It ain’t pretty.
When I saw Biba alone in a car with Ayame, my skin crawled, because I knew he wouldn’t be honoring whatever deal he was striking with her. He only needs her until she can arrange an audience between him and his father the Shogun; after that all bets are off; that’s just how villains operate, and Biba is a pretty conventional villain.
He certainly has the look down, as well as the way he creepily wipes blood off Mumei’s cheek, after appeasing her with another promise he won’t keep: that the passengers of the Kotetsujou will not be harmed.
That’s because a group of passengers are doing the one thing that will make Biba come down on them even harder: planning a revolt. Ikoma is the ringleader, taking note of the comings and goings of the key man. When the moment is right, he breaks out and the group strikes.
Sukari was portrayed early as someone who apparently betrayed his friends because he knew resistance was futile, but I had him pegged as a double agent pretty quickly, and that’s what it turns out he is, having helped slip intel to Ikoma, thus earning a measure of Takumi and Yukina’s forgiveness.
When Biba gets word of the revolt, of course he makes Mumei choose to either take care of the disturbance—killing Ikoma and her friends in the process—or stop receiving the medication that’s keeping her virus from spreading and turning her into a full Kabane.
At the end of the day, this is Mumei’s most damning weakness: her utter dependence on her brother’s good side, which never really existed in the first place. He even lowered her dosage, anticipating her possible betrayal, so that she doesn’t have the strength to get away when she does bolt.
As for Ikoma, for some reason he thought the key man had all the keys, but he doesn’t; why would Biba make it so easy for Ikoma to get to the most important part of the train? Instead, Ikoma and his men block Ikoma, and when Ikoma refuses to join his fight (an offer most conventional villains usually give the protagonist), his guys open fire. Only Ikoma doesn’t get shot, because Takumi took the bullet.
So yeah, RIP Takumi, who at least managed to repay Ikoma for his getting show earlier in the run. Naturally, Ikoma isn’t all that pleased his best mate has been murdered in front of him. Unfortunately, that’s not all he has to deal with on this particularly shitty day.
That’s because Biba brings in Mumei, only she’s not really his friend anymore; likely she’s been “re-programmed” with drugs from the mad scientist car. Without hesitation, she drives her dagger into Ikoma’s chest and lets him fall out of the train, off a cliff, and into the sea.
Now, I don’t think Ikoma’s dead, and neither do you—he’s the frikkin’ main character, for crying out loud. So the question then becomes, how will he manage to survive, and how will he get back to where Ayame and Mumei are? Talk about a stacked deck…
Author braveradePosted on Fri, 17 Jun 2016 Fri, 17 Jun 2016 Categories Anime Reviews, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Spring 2016Tags ayame, biba, black cloud, brainwashed, brother, characters, chemistry, collaborators, coup, 甲鉄城のカバネリ, death, evil, horobi, ikoma, iwato, kabane, kabaneri, kibito, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, kurusu, mumei, peace, plan, politics, reprogrammed, revolt, samurai, shogunate, sukari, takumi, tanabata, tears, trains, trapped, treachery, villain, yukina, zombies2 Comments on Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – 10
This week, any illusions about Biba having a shred of good (or nuance) are wiped away for good: this is vendetta, against all who wronged him, and wronging him includes acts of cowardice perpetrated by the Shogunate. Ikoma and Ayame are in agreement that Mumei has to be taken away from this guy, but doing so is no mean feat, at least initially.
Horobi, who we only just met, is given greater focus this week as Biba’s sacrificial subject. What’s so brutal is that she knows this, and is resigned to it, vowing her loyalty even while betraying a glimmer of regret and fear of death. For Biba has gotten it into Horobi’s head that he’s stronger than her, which means she’s expendable.
No doubt Biba feels the same way about Mumei, and her time to lay down her life so he can walk over it will surely come soon; that is, if Mumei doesn’t get her mind right and escape. She and Ikoma actually get into quite close proximity this week, but Mumei is still following her brother, opening the gate to Iwato against Iwato’s wishes.
Once Mumei has opened that gate, all hell breaks loose. Biba unleashes his army of captive Kabane on Iwato’s guards, and his meeting with Lord Maeda quickly turns to bloodshed. Ayame takes up a spear, but Yukina has to take a dart to the chest from Horobi. There’s a palpable feeling that the two are very very unsafe in this room with Biba and his true believer followers.
Mumei quickly comes to regret opening the gates, since the Kabane proceeded to tear through the station, killing and turning hundreds of townsfolk. Of course, she blames herself, which is what Biba wants, as if perhaps she lacked something that would have resulted in a better outcome. That something is, of course, the awareness that her “brother” is an horrendously deluded evil dick.
That dickishness is confirmed once and for all when, after Horobi goes berserk—first as the core of a fused colony, then a monstrous super-kabaneri killbot—her blade stops an inch from Biba’s throat. A bead of sweat rolls down his cheek just before he runs her through with his sword, taking advantage of her honor and loyalty to the end. RIP Horobi. We hardly knew ye.
With Ikoma thoroughly “liberated”, as Biba rather unconvincingly claims, Ikoma, Ayame, and all her people are held at gunpoint and warned not to resist or interfere. Even Mumei has guns pointed at her, on order from her bro. Ikoma can’t really do much, and is beaten by one of Biba’s lieutenants, but if one good thing came out of this episode, is that it caused Mumei to wake up to the truth about Biba, meaning she and Ikoma are back on the same side.
The pace of Kabaneri, and Biba’s treachery in particular, has been breathless in its alacrity, almost to the point of not allowing anything to sink in deep enough, because there’s always more stuff to deal with. That being said, if this is only an 12-episode series, I’m not wholly unappreciative of the show picking up the pace for a showdown in the capital.
Author braveradePosted on Fri, 10 Jun 2016 Fri, 17 Jun 2016 Categories Anime Reviews, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Spring 2016Tags ayame, biba, black cloud, brother, characters, chemistry, coup, 甲鉄城のカバネリ, evil, fused colony, horobi, ikoma, iwato, kabane, kabaneri, kibito, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, kurusu, mumei, peace, politics, samurai, shogunate, sukari, takumi, tanabata, tears, trains, trapped, treachery, villain, yukina, zombies
Owari no Seraph – 12 (Fin)
The final Seraph of the End episode until October was quiet, contemplative, and suffused with unease and a kind of restlessness that’s understandable considering what everyone just went through and how still things stand now.
The only battle being fought is Yu’s slow but apparently certain recovery. It’s a battle we don’t see, because most of the episode is from Shinoa’s point of view. She’s an uneasy, impatient, somewhat outraged Shinoa who wants to know what the hell was in the pills Guren gave her to give Yu.
When she uses her family name to get into a top-secret installation where the army is experimenting on vampires and wants to have words with Guren on the matter of Yu’s little transformation, Guren has no words of comfort for her, except that if she thinks she’s fallen for Yu, all she can do is stay by his side and wait for him to wake up.
Since Yu’s well-being is more important to her than whatever devious mad-scientist shit Guren is up to, she does as Guren recommends, pleading with the comatose Yu to please wake up soon.
Unfortunately for Shinoa, it’s Yoichi’s turn to sit by Yu’s bed when he finally does wake up, though Yoichi has the good sense to let Shinoa have some time to herself with him before calling the others in. The camera slowly pans from Yu, crying over having seen Mika alive and well, to Shinoa lurking in the doorway, snapping into smartass mode, hiding the worry she wore on her face while he was out and teasing him for crying, even though she’d do the same thing in his case.
Being a Hiiragi whose sergeant rank is lower than it could be if she played the game, and the fact she got into Guren’s lab, we know Shinoa knows more than any of the others the dark directions their duty could take them, and in the brief flashback as Shiho carries Yu away, there’s a hint of guilt in her face, as if she’s facilitated Yu’s transition into something way bigger and nastier than he’s aware of.
Yet none of that matters when Yu places his hand on Shinoa’s shoulder, voicing concern for her bitten, bandaged neck. She doesn’t want to be in love with her underling, but as she learns more about the person Yu is, that’s increasingly the case, as her blushing betrays.
Even better, Yu makes himself to be someone worthy of being fallen for, as once everyone is assembled in his hospital room, he takes the time to earnestly thank everyone from the bottom of his heart, and express how blessed he feels to have such good friends. Mitsu and Shiho are taken aback by this change in him, but Yoichi and Shinoa less so, as they know him better and have seen hints of this side before.
Yu isn’t just happy because he’s okay and his friends are okay; he’s also elated that Mika is alive, an attitude I’m frankly glad for. There’s no angst in the way things are. Friend or foe, Mika is alive, and that’s enough for him, for now. It’s the first time in a while that something has been enough for him, and while he yearns to see Mika again (and Mika him), his provisional inner peace is clear to see. He’s realized his live isn’t that bad, and is worth preserving, both for his friends’ sake and Mika’s.
I was totally on board with the peaceful end to this first rousing cour of Owari, especially all the scenes of people on both sides just kicking back and enjoying their hard-earned break from death and destruction. But judging from the final scene, that peace will be short-lived. Lord Ferid is apparently exchanging research with, and I’m just guessing here, Guren, both motivated perhaps by their mutual disgruntlement with the higher-born higher-ups.
Just as it wasn’t 100% clear it was Guren on that rooftop (we never see him), I’m not sure if Ferid is working against the vamps, Guren is working against the humans, or both of them are just working towards their own goals. But whatever it is, Ferid believes it’s going almost too smoothly, and it definitely stirs up intrigue for the second cour this Fall, in which everyone continues to be sinners, doing sinner shit.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sat, 20 Jun 2015 Sat, 10 Oct 2015 Categories Anime Reviews, Owari no Seraph, Spring 2015Tags alive, battle, blessed, cursed gear, family, flashback, hiiragi family, hiiragi shinoa, human experimentation, hyakuya mikaela, hyakuya yuichirou, ichinose guren, japanese imperial demon army, kimizuki shihou, moon demon company, sanguu mitsuba, Seraph of the End, shinjuku central park, treachery, vampires
Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin – 04
“You’re actually pretty evil, aren’t you?”
Rather than move on to the next treasure-of-the-week, Nanana sticks to the matter at hand—the fact that Juugo isn’t going to let Yuiga get away with his treachery. In the process, we get a lot more pieces to the puzzle that is Yama Juugo, beyond a blandish kid who decided to strike out on his own out of mere restlessness. Turns out he was exiled! We’re startin’ to like this kid.
When Juugo meets with Tensai at the agreed-upon spot, she notices Juugo is slightly taller, and exposes an impostor belonging to the e-lite thievin’ group Matsuri who claims to have kidnapped her new pardner. But in reality, Juugo is the son of Matsuri’s leader, and it’s once-presumptive heir. The show kept its cards close to its chest last week, but those weird cops were an early hint at what was to come.
I must say I was impressed with how elegantly the show managed to uncover all these new truths about Juugo, while keeping him true to the person we had known thus far. He’s still a tank of a feller, able to withstand all the Wizard Cane attacks Yuiga can throw at him until it runs out of juice. I was also surprised and delighted by Ibara and Yukihime’s mad fighting skills.
I was impressed by the first puzzle dungeon the adventure club faced, but I’m even more impressed at the show’s ability to change gears to something more complex and nuanced. The fact that essentially everything that transpired this week was all part of Juugo’s plan, even counting on Tensai to bring in the cavalry, and used his stature within Matsuri, but only so far.
But even better is the fact that Tensai figured it all out, which even impresses Juugo. Tensai and Yuiga’s crazy dreams irks him because he can’t feel the same way, nor does he have as defined a goal. He also seems to have trouble with people. His haughty dad who exiled him is quick to mock him on both counts. But with his growing respect for Tensai and the goal Nanana has assigned him, Juugo may be in the right place to find out what he’s meant to do.
Author sesameacrylicPosted on Fri, 2 May 2014 Fri, 2 May 2014 Categories Anime Reviews, Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin, Spring 2014Tags adventure club, betrayal, dungeon, 龍ヶ嬢七々々の埋蔵金, foam, fugi yukihime, ibara yuu, ikkyuu tensai, master detective, matsuri, nanae island, Nanana's Buried Treasure, ryuugajou nanana, thieves, treachery, wizards staff, yama juugo, yuiga isshin
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« Bizarre Bedfellows | Main | The "Cup of Trembling" »
The 'Pilgrim of Peace'
Evoking the shade of George Orwell, the Pope's 'Peace Pilgrimage' to the Middle East proved to be the very opposite. Pope Benedict XVI larded all his speeches with the cloying sentiments so beloved of his journalistic fan club - sentiments of "love," "peace," "justice," expressions of sorrow for the Holocaust etc. Despite pious appearances, however, every one of his statements was formulated to serve a distinctly un-peacelike agenda - the deliberate provocation of the State of Israel and the deliberate fanning of Palestinian religious and political hatred of the same State of Israel.
In The Holy See and the Holy Places, I remarked that the Vatican’s calculated violations of the 1993 Fundamental Agreement between Israel and the Holy See provided an excellent illustration of Roman tactics. Article 11, section 2, reads:
“The Holy See, while maintaining in every case the right to exercise its moral and spiritual teaching-office, deems it opportune to recall that, owing to its own character, it is solemnly committed to remaining a stranger to all merely temporal conflicts, which principle applies specifically to disputed territories and unsettled borders.”
Since the signing of the Agreement, the Vatican or its agents have poured forth a steady stream of inflammatory statements masked by token gestures to Israel, pious platitudes, and faux sincerity.
By decrying the existence of the "separation wall" and by calling for a sovereign Palestinian state and an end to the Israeli embargo of Hamas-led Gaza, this 'Pilgrim of Peace' is now foresworn: he has yet again violated the terms of the Agreement by making comments on "disputed territories and unsettled borders."
Just before leaving for Rome, the Pope seemed to make a concession to Israel by calling for recognition of Israel's right to exist.
"The way toward peace, asserted the Pope, is for it to be "universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders" and "likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely."
And, no prize for guessing who will make the most noise about just where these borders should be. I'll make a prediction that the suggested borders will replicate those of 1948 - borders which rendered Israel totally and permanently vulnerable to a host of enemies. Well, that's the plan anyway, but I'll venture another prediction that there may be some unexpected opposition from a source much held in contempt by modern society, including those red-robed princes of the church.
We have seen in many previous posts that the Holy See has been engaged ever since the Crusades in a relentless war to establish its own hegemony over Jerusalem and Israel's "Holy Places." It is wise to remember that every papal word referring to the Middle East is designed to further this agenda. [See our categories Rome and the State of Israel and Rome and the Jews].
The overall Holy See strategy in the war over Jerusalem is to render the Israelis helpless in the face of an avalanche of sanctimonious mouthings while at the same time striking fear into their hearts by incorporating into papal speeches an undercurrent detectable only to those who keep watch on the relationship between Israel and the Holy See. This river of hate lurks just beneath the surface but is allowed to bubble up out of the darkness when necessary. Papal posturing notwithstanding, perpetual enmity exists between the Holy See and the State of Israel. We will one day investigate why these two entities cannot co-exist - it must be one or the other.
Top: Pope visits Temple Mount [no Jews allowed anywhere on Temple Mount proper] (Photo by Ziv Koren/GPO via Getty Images)
Middle: Pope places his note to God in the Western Wall [Jews are allowed to stand at the western wall supporting the Temple Mount] (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
Bottom: The Pope apparently can't bend down to this lay wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust* Memorial's Hall of Remembrance. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
* We will perhaps discover more about the Holocaust and the Popes in our continuing series on Rome and 20th Century European Fascism
May 17, 2009 in Rome and Islam, Rome and Jerusalem, Rome and the Jews, Rome and the State of Israel | Permalink
I liked the statement from the Vatican about territorial disputes, given your series on the Roman Question!
"it(the Vatican) is solemnly committed to remaining a stranger to all merely temporal conflicts, which principle applies specifically to disputed territories and unsettled borders.”
Making a virtue of its humiliation over its loss of the Papal States! Priceless!
Posted by: Romanoz | May 24, 2009 at 09:55 AM
every one of his statements was formulated to serve a distinctly un-peacelike agenda - the deliberate provocation of the State of Israel and the deliberate fanning of Palestinian religious and political hatred of the same State of Israel.
Could you give some quotes from the pope's statements to support your comment please.
Posted by: Norah | July 31, 2009 at 04:11 PM
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2017 – The Final Race!
Hi Everyone, A great finish to the series, helped along with some spot prizes thrown in as a bit of incentive to improve your times! A few of you decided to enjoy the last race at a leisurely pace … that’s not a bad way to finish either!
FULL RESULTS: 2017 – Race 5 – SINGLETRACKS XC – Series Finale
Congratulations to Cashmere High School who took out the top school for the series.
Top 15 Schools (Using points for placings from 1-10 and points for all competing riders)
Top 15 Schools (Using only points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each age group for each race)
The top school calculation includes points for placings down to 10th, along with points that each rider earns by competing for their school. This gives a ranking based on success and strength of numbers!
The second ranking list only uses points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place getters in each age group. A measure of success, but it ignores great performances by a lot of riders through the age grades.
Christchurch Boys High School had an awesome presence with the most riders (22) taking part in some or all of the races.
There have been a lot of positive comments about the series so I think it’s worth acknowledging the volunteers that gave so much time to make the races happen. Craig, Rebekah and Jennifer Tregurtha and Nina McVicar took control of timing and results. Craig also helped as a course marshal. Heather Elliott and Pauline Cooper were at registration, and Brian Smith, Simon Taylor, Neil McKeegan, Laurence Mote, and Mike Green helped as course marshals. And of course there were great photos from Martin Anderson. Thanks so much to all of them.
SPOT PRIZE DRAWS;
47 riders registered their fastest lap in the last race. It was great to see an even spread of fastest laps through the grades (A 11, B 14, C 9, D 13). The winner of the $50 Torpedo 7 voucher is Will Griffiths (CBHS).
67 riders took on the challenge and rode their fastest race time in race 5. Once again there was a good spread through the grades (A 16, B 19, C 11, D 16). What a great way to finish the series! The winner of the second $50 Torpedo 7 voucher is Olivia Eastmond (RNLS) . (Apologies to Henry, randomness did bring up his number again and I had briefly posted it here, but as a winner of the GoPro he is not eligible for another major spot prize so it was redrawn. Fairness basically!)
74 riders took part in all 5 races. Pretty good considering how busy March can be with other activities! The winner of the 3rd $50 Torpedo 7 voucher is Tommy David-Venz (RAHS).
122 riders took part in the final race – brilliant! The winner of the CamelBak Ratchet Pack is Annabel Bligh (St Martins)
The team at registration were really impressed with how all the riders represented themselves through the race series. There were a few riders that stood out at registration during the last race … Nico Arnold (Tai Tapu), Monty Fiddymont (RNLS), Braedyn McKernan (CBHS) and Jordan Sutherland (SHIR). Singletracks Beanies will be coming your way!
In the photo competition the three tracks that needed to be named to be in the draw were Crocodile, Lower Deviation (or Deviation), and C2. Thanks to Ground Effect for supporting the schools racing and providing some great prizes.
Ben Hay (Chch Sth Int), Ethan McLachlan (RAHS) and Jorgia Good will get a pair of Ground Effect gloves and socks. Harry Pooler (DARF), Alex Wayman (Chch Sth Int), Jordan Thwaites (BURN), and Sam Evans (Chch Sth Int) will get a Ground Effect Retro TT2 t-shirt. Courtney Ross, a CamelBak drink bottle is coming your way!
Contact me (murray@singletrack.org.nz) to arrange delivery of prizes.
Thanks again to CamelBak, GoPro, Ground Effect, Torpedo 7 and The Southern Trust.
See you all in 2018!
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Oval DIRT Dirt Late Model DIRT LATE MODEL: Trevor Bayne Set To Race At Charlotte Dirt Track
DIRT LATE MODEL: Trevor Bayne Set To Race At Charlotte Dirt Track
CONCORD, NC – Oct. 8, 2012 – Trevor Bayne’s education as a dirt Late Model driver will get a dose of higher learning when the 2011 Daytona 500 winner competes Wednesday night (Oct. 10) in the Circle K World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Less than two months after making his full-fender debut on clay, the 21-year-old Bayne will test his developing dirt-track skills against the country’s best drivers in a 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series event that kicks off Bank of America 500 week at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
With Bayne not running a full NASCAR schedule this season, the youngest Daytona 500 winner in the event’s 54-year history has been dabbling in dirt Late Model racing at tracks near his native Knoxville, Tenn., for the last two months. Wednesday night’s WoO LMS program will mark his second consecutive dirt Late Model ‘road show’ start in a race held in conjunction with a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend.
Bayne is coming off the best run of his fledgling dirt Late Model effort, a fifth-place finish in last Friday night’s Super Late Model feature at Talladega (Ala.) Short Track. He returned on Saturday night to the high-banked oval across the street from Talladega Super Speedway – where Bayne drove the Wood Brothers No. 21 to a 21st-place finish in Sunday’s Sprint Cup event after running out of fuel with three laps to go – and placed 15th in a Southern All-Stars Late Model Series A-Main.
Bayne’s first-ever start at The Dirt Track at Charlotte will come behind the wheel of a No. 21 machine sporting sponsorship from Lionel and Action Racing Collectables (ARC), the popular die-cast brand owned by Lionel that is celebrating its 20th year of producing die-cast race cars. His dirt Late Model will actually carry a color and graphics scheme that Bayne himself helped design (pictured below).
“This year I’ve had a great partnership with Lionel as a spokesman for their Action Racing Collectables die-cast brand,” Bayne said in a press release announcing his dirt Late Model sponsorship deal with Lionel and ARC. “And when Lionel told me they wanted to sponsor me in the dirt race at Charlotte, I decided to get creative and design a really cool 20th Anniversary car for them.”
According to the release, Bayne sketched out his ideas for the car and worked with the Lionel company’s production staff to be sure the design was just right. The finished product will not only be seen on the track but on a 1:24 scale ARC die-cast car that is being produced for Bayne’s one-time-only dirt ride. Fans can find information on ordering a No. 21 Action Racing Collectables Ford dirt Late Model by visiting a Lionel-authorized die-cast dealer or logging on to www.lionelracing.com.
Bayne, who will run the Wood Brothers No. 21 in this weekend’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will be one of several NASCAR drivers in Wendesday’s Circle K WoO LM Showdown, joining brothers Austin Dillon (2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and contender for the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series title) and Ty Dillon (current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader) and Josh Richards (a two-time WoO LMS champion who has spent most of the 2012 season concentrating on NASCAR Nationwide Series action).
Both Dillon boys – the grandsons of veteran NASCAR team owner Richard Childress – have visited Victory Lane at The Dirt Track. Austin won FASTRAK Late Model Series events in 2007 and ’09 and Ty captured the 2008 FASTRAK race.
Richards, meanwhile, is very accomplished at The Dirt Track. He’ll climb back into his father Mark’s familiar Rocket Chassis house car on Wednesday night to chase his fourth consecutive win in the Circle K WoO LM Showdown.
The WoO LMS contingent will be led by the record-setting Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who enters Wednesday’s $10,000-to-win program with 15 wins in 2012 and a commanding points lead that has him on the verge of clinching his second career championship. Other former WoO LMS titlists expected include Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., plus World of Outlaws travelers Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., and rookies Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., and Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind.
Spectator gates for Wednesday’s program, which also includes a 30-lap feature for the National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) Late Models, will open at 5 p.m. WoO LMS drivers will participate in an autograph session underneath the grandstand at 5:30 p.m. and opening ceremonies will begin at 7:20 p.m.
Tickets are just $25 for adults and $10 for children 13-and-under for reserved seats.
Fans can get $5 off of their $25 adult ticket for Wednesday night’s Circle K Late Model Showdown when they purchase a 24-ounce premium coffee from a Circle K convenience store. Fans must bring the cup to the ticket office or gate when purchasing a ticket on Wednesday night.
Tickets can be obtained by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455 FANS (3267) or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filter, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Longacre, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.
Written By: Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director
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Filed Under: DIRT Dirt Late Model NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Tagged With: Circle K World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown DIrt DIRT Late Model Dirt Track At Charlotte NASCAR NASCAR Cup NASCAR Nationwide Trevor Bayne WoO World of Outlaw Late Model World of Outlaws
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Sunday, November 8, 2020 @ 7:00 am
The Streets at Southpoint Mall
Come on out for either a full or half marathon in Durham in November! The 4th Annual RDC Marathon will take place November 10th and 11th, drawing participants from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and throughout North Carolina, as well as from across the country. The USATF-certified Boston Qualifier course features the iconic American Tobacco Trail and finishes at The Streets at Southpoint in Durham. Participants have the perfect venue to to wine, dine, shop, and run!
In addition to the full and half marathon, the event weekend features a 10k, and 5k on Saturday, allowing runners to compete in a 35.5 Challenge by completing the full marathon, 10k, and 5k; or the 22.4 Challenge with the half marathon, 10k, and 5k; or 15k Challenge by doing the 10k and 5k Saturday. (Find out more about the challenges here.)
Learn about ALS
What is ALS? In this interview, Andrea Lytle Peet – the founder of the Team Drea Foundation who was diagnosed with ALS at age 33 – interviews her neurologist, Dr. Richard Bedlack at the Duke ALS clinic.
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Committee Bio's
Jason Biggs FS Series - Race Director
Jason Biggs was born in Fayetteville, NC. He received a BS in Sports Management and MS in Technology Education with a MS Minor in Sports Management from NC State University. Jason was punter for NCSU from 1993-1998 and Graduate Assistant football coach from 1998-2001. After graduating from NCSU, Jason became a teacher and assistant football coach for several years until he became Head Football Coach at West Bladen High School in Bladenboro, NC. While working at East Wake High School, Jason became the Athletic Director for 2 years. He started various new programs including the Fabulous 40 Board and Hall of Fame. In January 2008, Jason joined FS Series. Jason completed Ironman Louisville in 2012, Ironman Mont Tremblant in 2013, Ironman Chattanooga in 2014 and 2015, Ironman Lake Placid in 2016 and Ironman World Championships in 2016. Jason also competes in running and cycling events and Cyclocross series during the winter months.
Marc Primanti FS Series - Co Race Director
Marc "Mr. Automatic" Primanti was born in Willingboro, NJ and attended Coatesville High School in Coatesville, PA. After high school he moved to Raleigh, NC where he joined the NC State football team as an invited walk-on kicker. Three long years later it would all pay off as he earned a full scholarship and became a 2-year starter for the Wolfpack. During his career he would set many records in the ACC and NCAA that still stand today. He was tabbed a Consensus 1st Team All-American and Lou Groza Award winner in 1996. Marc completed Raleigh 70.3 and finished 1st Ironman at Chattanooga in 2014! He has over 10 years experience in sales/marketing that help in the day-to-day operations of FS Series. Our main goal is to provide a great experience for everyone that attends our events!
Brent Dorenkamp FS Series - Medical Director
Brent Dorenkamp was born in Atlanta, Ga and attended Northern High School in Durham, NC. After high school he enlisted in the military and served during the 1st Gulf War. Following his commitment to the Army, he attended East Carolina from 1993-1998 where he received his BS in Exercise Sports Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine. Brent completed his internship at Duke and began working in the medical field after passing National Board Certification and becoming a Licensed Athletic Trainer in the state of NC. He has been the East Wake and Wakefield High School Athletic Trainer over the last ten years. While teaching sports medicine, he earned his Masters in Health Education.
Dawn Dixon FS Series - Packet Pickup and Volunteer Coordinator
I am not much of a runner but I love being around people and interacting with athletes. I met Jason, Marc and Brent about 8 years ago and initially just helped co ordinate their volunteers for their triathlons then gradually helping arrange all the refreshments. Over the years I have taken over some of the pre race prep work for all the races we time, that is I prepare all the bibs for the races, that is putting on the RFID tags and labels as well as preparing all the triathlon race packets. I manage and take care of the packet pick ups at various venues leading up to the races. I am the volunteer coordinator for the Tobacco Road and RDC Marathons which have over 5000 runners combined. A couple of years ago I started timing some of the races which is a learning curve but I enjoy learning new things. I enjoy working with all the volunteer groups that I have made connections with and I have met so many amazing people through working with FS Series. I really enjoy working with Jason, Marc and Brent, they are awesome guys who always look out for you and are willing to help and teach you so much. I look forward to working with them for many more years to come.
Nancy Meredith
Dee Diamond
Adrienne Gregory
Brian Ross
Dan McGowan
Jess Joiner
Bobby Dixon - FS Series - Course logistics and finisher village
I started running in 1996, but only to get fit for motocross. After about four years my friend Carl who got me started, had coached me up to marathon distance. We moved from there to ultras and after five 56 km and four 90 km races, I developed a stress fracture which prevented me running for six weeks. During that time I started swimming and biking, as suggested by my PT Tony. I enjoyed the swimming and biking so much that by the time I started running again I decided to do a sprint triathlon in 1995. After one I was hooked and went on to do another five in the series. After that, my friend Steve suggested we do an Ironman the next year. Six months later in March 1996 we completed our first Ironman. We arrived all eager, but got very nervous when we saw everyone else had full wet suites. I don’t remember what temperature the river was, only that I thought I was going to die. But we managed to complete the swim and I managed a thirteenth overall. The next year we came back with wet suites and I managed tenth overall, which then was a gold medal. The best thing about both of those races is that Dawn was able to cycle with me while a friend ran along next to me for the marathon. Both times she was there for the run and finished the race with me.
We moved to the USA in 1997 and life changed. I did a couple of runs like Disney, Charlotte, New York, Boston, Chicago marathons and only got back to iron distance triathlon in 2004 when I did the duke liver full distance triathlon at beaver dam, since then I’ve completed many sprint, Olympic, half and full triathlons. We started helping FSSeries about ten years ago and have really enjoyed becoming more and more involved with the amazing FSSeries racing done right team over the years.
Jason Knight
Ever since I can remember, I have always been active,… but with some gaps. Whether it was racing my bike around the neighborhood, winning foot races on the playground or running through hurdles in high school, an active lifestyle has always been a step away. But life happens. Through college years, running became less of a priority. But that all changed as I started to build a family. Initially, I only though of myself as that sprinter. A long run for me at that time was three miles. Then I got offered free entry into my first race. The 2006 New Haven Road Race, as it was known, likely changed my life. But I still didn’t consider myself a distance runner. I remember first hearing someone talk about a “road race.” It’s funny, but I thought they were talking about street races with muscle cars or something. I ran that 5k two years in a row and then didn’t run another 5k until 2013.
I never gained any weight during my gaps in fitness but during an annual check up, I heard the term pre-diabetes. With a family history in mind and my own son watching me, I decided to start running. Then I was offered another free entry into a race, the Rock n’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. So, I did it again the next year and I joined a group of runners like me called Black Men Run. Now, I’ve done marathons, and sprint triathlons when I never thought it’d be possible. I’ve been incredibly blessed through running. It has connected me to runners from all different backgrounds and from around the world and opened many doors. But more importantly, I’ve seen lifestyle changes in my own family and community. Why? Because if I can do it, so can you.
RDC Cheer Station
The RDC Cheer Stations are a unique way for companies, nonprofits, and churches to connect with runners, while fighting ALS. Sponsor a Cheer Station along the race route and get creative about ways to encourage, entertain, and inspire runners to push through to the finish line. Signs, bubbles, music, costumes, and all the advertising you want -- the possibilities are endless!
100% of money raised will go to fighting ALS, which means your sponsorship is 100% tax deductible.
Learn more here: https://www.teamdrea.org/rdc-cheer-stations/
For any questions or additional information, please contact us via email at info@runrdc.com.
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Tag / Peter Mullan
September 30, 2011 October 20, 2013 by Jonathan M
REVIEW – Tyrannosaur (2011)
British Film, Film
film criticism, Film Industry, Neds, Paddy Considine, Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur
FilmJuice have my review of Paddy Considine’s directorial debut Tyrannosaur, which is out this weekend.
A little while ago, I wrote about the phenomenon of Oscar Bait. While this industry term is often taken to describe films that are god enough to be serious Oscar contenders, I chose to apply the term to films that seem to have been designed to explicitly pander to the preferences of Academy Voters as part of the film’s marketing strategy. Oscar Bait films rely upon Oscar nominations in order to find an audience and they rely upon their potential for Oscar nomination in order to attract prestigious A-list actors who are willing to work for scale on the understanding that their performance will net them an award. Films like The King’s Speech (2010), Rabbit Hole (2010) and The Reader (2008) are all based upon literary properties, they all feature strong central performances and they all feature very well thought of actors who might well be considered ‘overdue’ an Oscar. As Peter Biskind points out in his book on Miramax (the company that turned Oscar-baiting into a business plan), this is a win-win formula: The Academy gets to look smart, the actors get awards and the studios get easily-marketable prestige pictures that don’t cost a lot of money to make. While I’ve written about the evolutionary process distorting blockbuster scriptwriting before, the same process is at work in prestige drama.
I mention Oscar Bait as it can be seen as a distortion of another equally puzzling product of the film industry: the actor’s piece. Paddy Considine has a (admittedly well-earned) reputation as one of the best actors working today. Having made a name for himself in such dark and edgy independent films as Dead Man’s Shoes (2004), Considine has managed to cultivate a reputation for intelligence and emotional integrity. A reputation due to his intelligent selection of roles and the generosity of his erstwhile collaborator Shane Meadows. Indeed, the mock documentary Le Donk & Sco-Zay-Zee (2009) was marketed as a Meadows film in which Considine was given lots of room in which to create his own character. Given that Considine has been quite vocal about his creative powers and has directed a short film, it was only a matter of time before someone ponied up the dough for his to make a film of his own. The resulting poneyage is the rather uneven Tyrannosaur:
The problem is that, once Considine has introduced us to the story of an emotional incontinent befriended by an obliging sponge, he suddenly becomes concerned about the lack of accountability in this sort of dynamic. Realising that there is something fundamentally dishonest and unfair about expecting Hannah to pay the psychic cost for Joseph’s redemption, Considine introduces us to a secondary layer of characters whose very unpleasantness sets them up as candidates for some redemptive act of violence. However, this secondary dynamic established, Considine then changes course again and decides to deny his characters redemption because no violent act can ever be redemptive. While these reversals serve to both keep the audience guessing and keep the film from falling into cliché, they also serve to muddy the psychological waters to the point where character motivation become completely impenetrable. The film tellingly ends with Joseph reading out a letter in which he explains why he did what he did and why he thinks Hannah did what she did; what is this letter if not an admission by the writer/director that he can no longer make sense of his own characters?
It is interesting to compare Considine’s career trajectory to that of Tyrannosaur‘s star Peter Mullan. Much like Considine, Mullan is an actor with a reputation for integrity and intelligence. His career features a blend of low-budget independents and wisely chosen bigger-budget parts that seems to have provided a model for Considine’s careful engagement with the mainstream. However, while Considine’s first directorial foray proved to be a poorly thought-through actor’s piece that falls apart once you look beyond the (admittedly brilliant) performances, Mullan’s films (the wonderful black comedy Orphans, the politically-engaged weepy The Magdalene Sisters and the blisteringly powerful Neds) all benefit from an intellectual substance that owes nothing to their central performances.
As someone who is hyper-sensitive about self-promotion, the difference between Orphans and Tyrannosaur is quite striking. Considine talks endlessly about how creative he is and yet shows little evidence of that creativity once he steps behind a camera. Conversely, Peter Mullan is known primarily as an actor and yet his films are universally intelligent, powerful and memorable. I suspect that Considine’s choice of Mullan for the lead in Tyrannosaur is hardly accidental given the similarities between the two men’s careers. In fact, I suspect that Mullan may be something of a role-model for the younger Considine but while Considine has followed Mullan in becoming a director, Tyrannosaur suggests that he still has some way to go before he can be said to be on a par with Mullan.
January 27, 2011 October 20, 2013 by Jonathan M
Neds (2010) – Don’t Let You Get the Best of You
British Film, Crime, Film
film criticism, Gang culture, Institutions, Neds, Peter Mullan, Social Realism, The Wire
David Simon has a lot to answer for.
There was a time, around the turn of the millennium, when big institutions had their day in the sun: In foreign affairs, people began to look to the United Nations as a venue for resolving political conflicts while independent NGOs were seen not only as fonts of specialised knowledge but as self-less agents for change and charity. In domestic affairs, the backlash against the Thatcherite era of cuts and privatisations gained political substance as people began to demand proper investment in schools and hospitals. In the UK at least, this unexpected belief in the power of institutions to change the world swept the Labour party into power with a mandate for an ‘ethical foreign policy’ and massive investment in public services. For a while, people believed. People felt the institutional sun on their up-turned faces.
But then, as these things inevitably do, the wheel began to turn.
It is hard to tell when precisely it was that the rot began to creep into cultural representations of social institutions but it was pretty obvious when the roof fell in. Over the course of five short series, David Simon’s HBO series The Wire took a crowbar to the knees of pretty much every large social institution in America: The police, organised labour, politics, the media, schools and even criminal gangs. Nobody escaped Simon’s forensic wrath. According to The Wire, no institution could be trusted to deliver social change because institutions rely upon human agents who are invariably both too self-serving and too short sighted to act in the interests of society as a whole.
Change, we were told, simply could not come from above.
If The Wire’s brutal analysis constituted the crest of a wave of disillusionment then Peter Mullan’s The Magdalene Sisters (2002) was undeniably a distant but powerful off shore surge that contributed to the bathymetric sway. The film focuses upon Ireland’s infamous Magdalene asylums, institutions run by the Catholic Church with parental consent that effectively pressed young women into slavery in order to ‘protect’ them and others from their fallen morality. Over the course of 119 minutes, The Magdalene Sisters wages a viciously effective assault on the notion that charitable institutions could ever be anything other than venues for misguided authoritarianism and the psychological and physical abuse of vulnerable people.
But what of the individual in all of this?
If it is unacceptable to suggest that the poor are simply lazy and that the vulnerable are simply weak, then surely it is just as unpalatable to suggest that the poor and vulnerable are nothing but the passive victims of misguided social institutions? If may well be reductive and simplistic to place all of one’s faith for social renewal in large institutions but it is just as simplistic to paint these institutions as nothing more than part of an unjust and exploitative system. People are individuals. People have choice. People have agency. A more sophisticated representation of the ills of our society would allow for this. It would acknowledge the responsibilities that we have to ourselves.
Peter Mullan’s latest film Neds (Non-educated Delinquents) attempts to examine both sides of the coin. Set in 1970s Scotland, the film depicts a social landscape bristling with institutions that are quick to open their arms to working class children but just as quick to turn their backs on these same children if they fail to follow the (largely unwritten) rules. However, while Mullan does a brilliant job of depicting the fickle and irrational nature of big institutions, his film’s real power comes from a willingness to recognise that we play a large part in our own downfall and salvation.
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Riding Lawn Mowers Recalled by Snapper, Inc.
Riding Lawn Mowers Recalled by Snapper, Inc. Recall Alert U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 October 16, 2002 Alert #03-504 CPSC, Snapper, Inc. Announce Recall of Riding Lawn Mowers PRODUCT: ...
Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers Recalled by Black & Decker
Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers Recalled by Black & Decker NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 19, 2002 Release # 02-254 Black & Decker's Recall ...
Walk-Behind Mowers Recalled by Lawn-Boy
Walk-Behind Mowers Recalled by Lawn-Boy NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4, 2002 Release # 02-242 Lawn-Boy Recall Hotline: (866) 336-5207 CPSC ...
Grass Bags Used On Electric Lawn Mowers Recalled by MTD Products Inc.
Grass Bags Used On Electric Lawn Mowers Recalled by MTD Products Inc. NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 6, 2002 Release # 02-219 Lawn Mower Recall ...
Riding Lawn Mowers Recalled by Excel Industries
Riding Lawn Mowers Recalled by Excel Industries NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 6, 2002 Release # 02-220 Excel Recall Hotline: (800) 395-4757 ...
Snapper Recalls Lawn Mowers
Snapper Recalls Lawn Mowers Recall Alert U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 July 8, 2002 Alert #02-549 CPSC, Snapper, Inc. Recall Lawn Mowers PRODUCT: Lawn Mower - Snapper, Inc., of McDonough, ...
Sears Recall of Riding Lawn Mower
Sears Recall of Riding Lawn Mower Recall Alert U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 May 7, 2002 Alert #02-535 CPSC and Sears Announce Recall of Riding Lawn Mower PRODUCT: Riding Lawn Mower - ...
Country Home Products, Inc. Recall for Repair of Cordless Electric Lawnmowers
Country Home Products, Inc. Recall for Repair of Cordless Electric Lawnmowers Recall Alert U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 April 10, 2002 Alert #02-532 CPSC, Country Home Products, Inc. ...
Dixon Industries Inc. Recalls Riding Lawn Mowers
Dixon Industries Inc. Recalls Riding Lawn Mowers NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2002 Release # 02-124 Dixon Recall Hotline: (877) 288-6673 ...
The Toro Company Recalls Riding Mowers
The Toro Company Recalls Riding Mowers NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2002 Release # 02-125 Toro Recall Hotline: (800) 225-0578 CPSC Consumer ...
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Robots in Depth with Nicola Tomatis
by Robots in Depth
In this episode of Robots in Depth, Per Sjöborg speaks with Nicola Tomatis about his long road into robotics and how BlueBotics handles indoor navigation and integrates it in automated guided vehicles (AGV).
Like many, Nicola started out tinkering when he was young, and then got interested in computer science as he wanted to understand it better.
Nicola gives us an overview of indoor navigation and its challenges. He shares a number of interesting projects, including professional cleaning and intralogistics in hospitals. We also find out what someone who wants to use indoor navigation and AGVs should think about.
This interview was recorded in 2016.
Robots in Depth
Robots in Depth is a new video series featuring interviews with researchers, entrepreneurs, VC investors, and policy makers in robotics, hosted by Per Sjöborg.
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(719)264-1002 tedhaggard7@aol.com
Bible Booklet
TedHaggard.com
About The Pastors
Saint James Bylaws
Saint James Mission
Remnant Youth Ministry
Colorado TAG Intensive
Junior Arts Ministry (J.A.M.)
Roots Class
For more of our sermons and videos check out our Youtube Page
Saint James Videos
Exile in Arizona
In 2007, Ted Haggard submitted to church authorities who required him to move out of the state of Colorado, find employment outside of ministry, never acknowledge that he had ever pastored New Life Church, and never correct misinformation in the press (see crisis facts at tedhaggard.com for additional details). Alexandra Pelosi, a family friend of the Haggards, and her husband and newly born son, came to visit and recorded this material on their family video camera. After Ted was released from the Overseer’s contract, Alexandra took the footage to HBO who created and aired this documentary.
Exile in Arizona from Saint James Church on Vimeo.
Birth of St. James
After the church and the Overseers released Ted from the contracts signed after the 2006 crisis (see crisis facts at tedhaggard.com for additional details), the Haggards had no where to attend church in the Colorado Springs area because their attendance would have divided the congregations of any preexisting church. In order to have Christian fellowship, they formed a small fellowship called St. James Church. This is the documentary The Learning Channel (TLC) produced and aired six months after the launch of the church.
Birth of Saint James Church from Saint James Church on Vimeo.
The Haggard’s Resurrected
Five years after the scandal, Ted and Gayle used Celebrity Wife Swap on ABC to communicate the vitality and health of their resurrection. ABC taped over 100 hours and edited the tape down to a 42 minute show for broadcast. Through they edited out some of the most profound ministry moments, Ted and Gayle received thousands of glowing internet responses and are continuing to see the positive ministry results from doing this show. “It was a wonderful five day family activity that resulted in ministry to millions of people without any cost to us. We were honored to have the opportunity,” said Haggard.
Celebrity Wife Swap from Saint James Church on Vimeo.
Videos For Your Soul
REASONS PEOPLE DON’T GO TO CHURCH
HIS AMAZING GRACE
Courageous Grace: Following the Way of Christ
by Gayle Haggard
As a Bible teacher, Gayle had taught for decades about the amazing power of grace in a person’s life. Yet it took a crisis in her husband’s life and the crumbling of her own life around her for her to have an epiphany about the true nature of grace. In Courageous Grace, Gayle chronicles and explains her newfound insights.
Despite common misperceptions, grace is not safe. It’s not easy. Frankly, it takes courage to show grace to those who deserve less. Oftentimes, the person showing God’s grace gets counted among the sinners, just as Jesus experienced centuries ago. Gayle explores the story of Jesus forgiving the adulterous woman to reveal the courageous side of showing grace.
We live in a society that vacillates between glorifying sin and crucifying those who fall. Gayle encourages us to take the road less traveled―daring to do the hard work of showing God’s grace to the sinners among us. It’s what followers of Christ are called to do. Order Now!
Why I Stayed
On November 2, 2006, Gayle Haggard’s life changed forever. That was the day that her husband, Ted Haggard, founder of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the President of the NAE, confessed to her the truth. In Why I Stayed, Gayle walks us through the choices she made in her darkest hours. On the day and in the months ahead, everything in her life was at stake―what she believed, the husband she thought she knew, and the church community she had worked tirelessly to establish with her husband and friends in the basement of their home more than two decades ago. Out of this crucible in her life, Gayle has discovered a newfound passion for the central message of the Bible―the liberating message of forgiveness and love.Why I Stayed is a must-read. It paints a picture of what less-than-perfect people, across this nation and all over the world, desperately need―a community of family and faith that offers healing love and a path to restoration. Order Now!
CCB Login
Saint James Church
4615 Northpark Drive
Email: tedhaggard7@aol.com
Sunday Morning 10:00am
Prayer 6:00pm
Men's Ministry 7:00pm
Women's Ministry 7:00pm
Free Methodist Churches USA
Copyright © 2017-2019 Saint James Church
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File #: 170930 Version: 1 Name: General Plan - Pier 70 Mixed-Use District Project
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
Introduced: 9/5/2017 In control: Clerk of the Board
On agenda: 9/5/2017 Final action: 11/15/2017
Title: Ordinance amending the General Plan to revise Maps 4 and 5 of the Urban Design Element to refer to the Pier 70 Mixed-Use Project Special Use District; adopting findings under the California Environmental Quality Act, and Planning Code, Section 340; and making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code, Section 101.1.
Attachments: 1. Leg Ver1, 2. Leg Dig Ver1, 3. PLN Exec Summary 062217, 4. PC Res No. 19949 062217, 5. PC Motion No. 19976 082417, 6. PC Motion No. 19977 082417, 7. PC Res No. 19978 082417, 8. PC Res No. 19979 082417, 9. PC Motion No. 19980 082417, 10. PC Res No. 19981 082417, 11. PLN Ltr 082817, 12. Hearing Notice 100617, 13. Comm Pkt 101617, 14. Comm Pkt 102317, 15. Board Pkt 102417, 16. Board Pkt 103117, 17. Board Pkt 111417, 18. Leg Final, 19. Updated MMRP 011918
Related files: 191162, 191169, 191076, 191163, 191165, 191166, 191078, 191164, 191168, 191170, 191171, 191172, 191254, 191255
2/6/2018 1 Clerk of the Board RECEIVED FROM DEPARTMENT Action details Meeting details Not available
11/15/2017 1 Mayor APPROVED Action details Meeting details Not available
11/14/2017 1 Board of Supervisors FINALLY PASSED Pass Action details Meeting details Video
10/31/2017 1 Board of Supervisors PASSED ON FIRST READING Pass Action details Meeting details Video
10/24/2017 1 Board of Supervisors CONTINUED ON FIRST READING Pass Action details Meeting details Video
10/23/2017 1 Land Use and Transportation Committee REFERRED WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION AS COMMITTEE REPORT Pass Action details Meeting details Not available
10/16/2017 1 Land Use and Transportation Committee CONTINUED Pass Action details Meeting details Video
10/6/2017 1 Clerk of the Board NOTICED Action details Meeting details Not available
9/5/2017 1 President ASSIGNED UNDER 30 DAY RULE Action details Meeting details Not available
8/28/2017 1 Clerk of the Board RECEIVED FROM DEPARTMENT Action details Meeting details Not available
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Rough Trade Shop USA
Chopped & Screwed (Limited Edition)
Artists +
A. Swayze & The Ghosts
Gruff Rhys
Jeffrey Lewis
Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker
Josienne Clark
Lankum
Pantha Du Prince
PicaPica
The Prettiots
Formats +
Micachu and The Shapes → Chopped & Screwed (Limited Edition)
Released 19 Apr. 2011
BUY →
1. State Of N.Y.
2. Unlucky
3. Everything
4. Average
5. Freaks
6. Medicine
7. Low Dogg
9. Not So Sure
Limited edition LP includes album download voucher with bonus mixtape tracks hosted by Brother May.
Chopped & Screwed is the collaboration between London based musician Mica Levi aka Micachu and the London Sinfonietta Orchestra. Following critical acclaim for Micachu and the Shapes's debut album Jewellery, the collaboration came about as the Sinfonietta had picked up on the fact that Mica is a trained classical composer who was interested in experimenting with new forms, and was someone whose ideas would meld well with the avant-garde philosophy of the Sinfonietta itself. The sound blends the organic,the digital and the analogue with instruments such as homemade guitars and a vacuum cleaner.
Chopped & Screwed was recorded live at King's Place on May 10, 2010 a recently built and specially designed venue, treated to showcase the best in classical and acoustic music in London.
The concept behind the album was inspired by the popular “chopping and screwing” technique in hip-hop which was developed in Houston in the 1990s. The technique involves halving tempo, skipping beats and affecting portions of the original music. The approach was thought to have been developed by DJ Screw and largely influenced by Purple Drank, a codeine-based cough syrup which creates the effect of slowing down the brain, giving mellow music its appeal.
© 2020 Rough Trade Records. All Rights Reserved.
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Google Testing Display Ads In Gmail
Google appears to be testing display ads in Gmail. I discovered the following image ad in my own Gmail account this morning, and Google has since confirmed a test. Image ads have made their way into paid search on Google.com and various other properties on Google. But this was really jarring for me to encounter. […]
Greg Sterling on January 27, 2011 at 9:36 am
Google appears to be testing display ads in Gmail. I discovered the following image ad in my own Gmail account this morning, and Google has since confirmed a test.
Image ads have made their way into paid search on Google.com and various other properties on Google. But this was really jarring for me to encounter. It’s the only such ad I saw (next to an email from a clothing retailer in my inbox) after purposely looking for others.
I’m sure it’s a test to see how users react and what the response rates are. Gmail is formally a part of the “Google Display Network“:
Your text, image, rich media, and video ads can appear across YouTube, Google properties such as Google Finance, Gmail, Google Maps, Blogger, as well as over one million Web, video, gaming, and mobile display partners.
I’m not sure how long this test has been running; it’s the first time I’ve seen it and I use Gmail as my primary email address.
Postscript: A Google spokesperson provided the following comment:
We’re always trying out new ad formats and placements in Gmail, and we recently started experimenting with image ads on messages with heavy image content.
They also said the ads began running last Friday.
Google Image Search Now With Leaderboard Ads
Google Advertising Google Image Ads With Image Ad
Google Revamps Image Search, Debuts Expanded Image Search Ads
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.
Channel: DisplayGoogle: AdSenseGoogle: Gmail
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Hijacking Google search results for fun, not profit: UK SEO uncovers XML sitemap exploit in Google Search Console
SEO wins bug bounty from Vulnerability Reward Program, Google search team confirms the exploit no longer works
Michelle Robbins on March 27, 2018 at 11:30 am
In 2017, Google paid nearly $3 million to individuals and researchers as part of their Vulnerability Reward Program (VRP), which encourages the security research community to find and report vulnerabilities in Google products.
This week, Tom Anthony — who heads Product Research & Development at Distilled, an SEO agency — was awarded a bug bounty of $1,337 for discovering an exploit that enabled one site to hijack the search engine results page (SERP) visibility and traffic of another — quickly getting indexed and easily ranking for the victimized site’s competitive keywords.
Detailed in his blog post, Anthony describes how Google’s Search Console (GSC) sitemap submission via ping URL essentially allowed him to submit an XML sitemap for a site he does control, as if it were a sitemap for one he does not. He did this by first finding a target site that allowed open redirects; scraping its contents and creating a duplicate of that site (and its URL structures) on a test server. He then submitted an XML sitemap to Google (hosted on the test server) that included URLs for the targeted domain with hreflang directives pointing to those same URLs, now also present on the test domain.
Hijacking the SERPs
Within 48 hours, the test domain started receiving traffic. Within the week, the test site was ranking for competitive terms on page 1 of the SERPs. Also, GSC showed the two sites as related — listing the targeted site as linking to the test site:
Google Search Console links the two unrelated sites. Source: http://www.tomanthony.co.uk
This presumed relationship also allowed Anthony to submit other XML sitemaps — within the test site’s GSC at this point, not via ping URL — for the targeted site:
Victim site sitemap uploaded directly in GSC – Source: http://www.tomanthony.co.uk
Understanding the scope
Open redirects themselves are not a new or novel problem – and Google has been warning webmasters about shoring up their sites against this attack vector since 2009. What is noteworthy here is that utilizing an open redirect worked to not just submit a rogue sitemap, but to effectively rank a brand-new domain, brand-new site, with zero actual inbound links, and no promotion. And then to get that brand-new site and domain over a million search impressions, 10,000 unique visitors and 40,000 page views (via search traffic only) in three weeks.
The “bug” here is both a problem with sitemap submissions (the subsequent sail-through GSC sitemap submissions are alarming) and a greater problem as to how the algorithm immediately applied all the equity from the one site across to the completely separate and unrelated domain.
Source: http://www.tomanthony.co.uk
I reached out to Google with a series of detailed questions about this exploit, including the search quality team’s involvement in pursuing and implementing a fix, and whether or not they are able to detect and take action on any bad actors that may have already exploited this vulnerability. A Google spokesperson replied:
When we were alerted to the issue, we worked closely across teams to address it. It was not a previously known issue and we don’t believe it had been used.
In response to questions about changes with respect to sitemap submissions, GSC and the transfer of equity affecting results, the spokesperson said:
We continue to recommend that site-owners use sitemaps to let us know about new & updated pages within their website. Additionally, the new Search Console also uses sitemaps as a way of drilling down into specific information within your website in the Index Coverage report. If you’re hosting your sitemaps outside of your website, for proper usage it’s important that you have both sites verified in the same Search Console account.
I discussed this exploit and the research at length with Anthony.
When asked about his motivations for pursuing this work, he said, “I believe an effective SEO is someone who experiments and tries to understand things behind the scenes. I’ve never done any black-hat SEO, and so set myself the challenge of finding something on that side of things; primarily for the learning experience and as a way to run defense if I ever saw it in the wild.”
He added, “I like doing security research as a hobby on the side, so decided that rather than take the ‘traditional’ black-hat route of manipulating the algorithm’s ranking signals, I’d see if I could instead find an outright bug in it.”
Oftentimes, the driving motivation in pursuing a given method relates to having experienced (or having a client that has experienced) a sudden drop in SERP traffic or rankings. Anthony noted, “At Distilled, like so many SEOs, I’ve worked with sites that have had unexplained drops. Often clients claim ‘negative SEO,’ but usually it is something far more mundane. What is worrying about this specific issue is [that] typical negative SEO attacks are detectable. If I spam you with low-quality links, you can find them, you can confirm they exist. With this issue, it appears an attacker could leverage your equity in Google and you would not know.”
Over the course of four weeks’ evenings and weekends spent delving into it, Anthony discovered that combining different research streams he’d begun proved effective where each separately led to dead ends. “I had ended up with two threads of research — one around open redirects, as they are a crack in how sites work that I felt could be leveraged for SEO — and the other was with XML sitemaps and trying to make Googlebot error out when parsing them (I ran about 20 variations of that, but none worked!). I was so deep into it at this point, and had a revelation when I realized these two streams of research could perhaps be combined.”
Reporting and resolution
Once he realized the impact and harm that could be done to sites, Anthony reported the bug to Google’s security team (See complete timeline in his post). As this method was previously unknown to Google but clearly exploitable, Anthony noted, “It is a terrifying prospect that this could have already been out there and being exploited. However, the nature of the bug would mean it is essentially undetectable. The ‘victim’ may not be affected directly if their equity is used to rank in another country, and then the victims become the legitimate companies who are pushed down the rankings by the attacker. They would have no way to tell how the attacker site was ranking so well.”
As noted above, the Google spokesperson said they do not believe it has been used. Unclear from their response is whether or not they have data available that would enable them to detect pinged sitemaps used in such a way. If further comment or information is given, we’ll update this post.
On the issue of detection specifically, I asked Anthony to speculate on scaling this exploit. “The biggest weakness with my experiment was how closely I mimicked the original site in terms of URL structure and content. I had a bunch of experiments prepped that were designed to measure just how different you could make the attacker site: Do I need the same URL structure as the parent site? How similar must the content be? Can I target other languages in the same country as the victim site? In my case, I think I could have re-run with the same approach but have differentiated the attack site slightly more, and probably [would] have escaped detection,” he said.
He added, “If I had kept it to myself, then I imagine I could have gone for months or years. If you outright scammed people it would be short-lived, but if you used the method to drive affiliate traffic, or even simply to boost your own legitimate business, then little reason you’d ever be caught.”
As the image below demonstrates, the short-lived traffic driven to the test site was potentially far more valuable than the relatively small (by comparison) bounty he was awarded, which makes one wonder if the security team really understood the implications of the exploit.
Searchmetrics’ Traffic Value. Source: http://www.tomanthony.co.uk
Anthony’s motivations (and why he did report the vulnerability right away) were rooted in research and helping the search community, however.
“Doing this sort of research is a learning experience, and not about abusing what you find. In the industry, we have our complaints about Google at times, but [to] a consumer, they provide a great service, and I think good SEOs actually help with that — and this is basically an extension of the same idea. The Vulnerability Reward Program they run is a nice incentive to focus research efforts on them rather than elsewhere; it is nice to potentially be awarded a bounty for the time and effort that goes into the research.”
Michelle Robbins
Michelle Robbins, former SVP Content & Marketing Technology, overseeing editorial direction as Editor in Chief for Third Door Media's digital publications, Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today, directing a full-time staff of reporters and editors managing contributed content. She was responsible for developing the content strategy across all properties and aligning those initiatives with the programming and audience goals for Third Door Media's two leading marketing conference series, Search Marketing Expo and The MarTech Conference. In addition, Michelle oversaw information technology operations, directing the marketing technology department. An experienced domestic and international keynote and featured speaker, she enjoys connecting with the community at SMX, MarTech and other industry events. Connect online with Michelle on Twitter @MichelleRobbins, and Linkedin.
Channel: SEOGoogleGoogle: Search ConsoleGoogle: SecurityGoogle: SEOGoogle: Web Search
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SubTopic Data Storage Management
Email archiving software adoption risks and challenges for VARs
Email archiving software adoption rates are increasing, a new IDC study shows, and the trend is causing value-added resellers (VARs) to ponder the risks and challenges of providing email archiving services.
Nicole Lewis, Senior News Writer
As the need to satisfy compliance, legal discovery and storage management increases, a growing number of companies have added email archiving software to their networking infrastructure, a new IDC study shows.
And channel companies are part of that trend, with value-added resellers (VARs) adding hosted email archiving services, and picking up more contracts as email archiving requests ramp up.
One beneficiary of that trend is Francis Poeta, president of Cliffside Park, N.J.-based P&M Computer Inc., who said since the beginning of the year his company has picked up four email archiving contracts worth $400,000 in total.
The IDC study found that last year 53% of respondents have deployed an email archiving application, up from 40% in 2005. IDC's checks with customers and vendors indicate that there were more small businesses adopting software to manage their emails as they recognize the importance of capturing documents for potential evidence in court cases.
Additionally, the worldwide email archiving applications market grew 45% in 2006 and IDC expects the market to approach $1.4 billion in 2011, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.4%.
More on email archiving software
Email archiving adoption considerations
Selling email archiving services
Email archiving drives storage sales in the channel
According to Vivian Tero, senior research analyst for compliance infrastructure at IDC, there has been a shift in the use of email archiving applications since 2005. Previously, applications were used for mailbox management, and many of the companies using the software were financial firms that used it for regulatory SEC and NASD compliant archiving management. Today, these applications are used for document management.
"It's changed a lot in the sense that now there is a broader number of companies that are looking at an email archiving application for managing business records, not just because of SEC requirements but also because they're trying to understand their legal email discovery exposures," Tero said.
That shift has been compounded by the introduction in December 2006 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), which acknowledges the significance of electronic evidence.
Email archiving software presents potential dangers and challenges for resellers
P&M's Poeta believes the legal implications are huge for VARs who advise and implement email archiving software for documents that may be used in legal cases.
"There is a liability issue. VARs should constantly ask themselves the question: Have you misled the customer? Do you know enough about document management and the law to be able to talk intelligently and advise companies accurately about what emails to archive? This could result in legal troubles for VARs further down the road," Poeta said.
Malcolm Bliss, director of software products at Dayton, Ohio-based Crown Partners, a document management firm, said IT executives are much more interested today than they have ever been in implementing email management software because of litigation risks, the greater sophistication of email applications and the ease to adopt. In fact, 12 months ago Crown Partners added to its company's revenues by offering hosting services for clients that want to outsource their email archiving tasks.
Bliss also observed that the increasing volume of electronic documentation is changing the email archiving landscape.
"Ediscovery used to be less sweeping, but now with so much information to give out electronically, legal discovery tends to encompass more information than it used to, and that's putting a bigger burden on those who need to go through the ediscovery processes," Bliss said.
In addition to choosing the right software, and understanding a company's retention policies, Bliss explained that VARs implementing email archiving software have the challenging task of helping companies keep up with the amount of email traffic.
"It's very common for an individual not to keep up personally with reading and responding to all the emails let alone categorizing it," Bliss said. "It's an incredible challenge to understand what to keep and how long to keep it," Bliss said.
IDC's Tero said one pressing need for VARs is to be able to translate legal requirements into technology architecture that effectively stores and efficiently handles ediscovery requests.
"VARs really need to be conversant on what's the distinction between backup and archival tasks, for example, from a compliance and from a legal discovery perspective. What is the potential discovery burden based on those architectures?" Tero said. "They need to understand what happens when you have a legal hold from a technology standpoint and not from the business owners' or the legal officers' standpoint," Tero added.
Let us know what you think about this story; email: Nicole Lewis, Senior News Writer
Dig Deeper on Data Management Technology Services
Staying legal: Channel opportunities for e-discovery
By: Leah Rosin
Biometric security data adds layer of privacy compliance risk
Clearwell makes its electronic discovery search more transparent
Channel Explained: Hosted email archiving
Keeping Up the Pace of Transformation to Ensure Your Organization Stays on Top –Citrix
Email archiving drives storage sales in the channel – SearchITChannel
Iron Mountain buys Accutrac for records management – ComputerWeekly.com
Email archiving benefits compliance and IT management – SearchCIO
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The Chats Tickets
Find tickets from 483 dollars to Coachella Music and Arts Festival (Weekend 1 Pass) with Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, and more on Friday April 10 at time to be announced at Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA
Coachella Music and Arts Festival (Weekend 1 Pass) with Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, and more
Find tickets from 56 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Sunday April 12 at 7:00 pm at Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
The Chats with Mean Jeans
Ace of Spades·Sacramento, CA
Find tickets from 40 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Saturday April 18 at 8:00 pm at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA
The Observatory North Park·San Diego, CA
Find tickets from 63 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Wednesday April 22 at 7:00 pm at House of Blues - Dallas in Dallas, TX
Wed · 7:00 pm
House of Blues - Dallas·Dallas, TX
Find tickets to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Friday April 24 at 7:00 pm at House of Blues Houston in Houston, TX
House of Blues Houston·Houston, TX
Find tickets to The Chats on Sunday April 26 at 7:00 pm at Marquis Theater in Denver, CO
Marquis Theater·Denver, CO
Find tickets to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Tuesday April 28 at 8:00 pm at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in Saint Paul, MN
Amsterdam Bar and Hall·Saint Paul, MN
Find tickets from 45 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Wednesday April 29 at 5:30 pm at House of Blues Chicago in Chicago, IL
House of Blues Chicago·Chicago, IL
Find tickets to The Chats with Mean Jeans (18+) on Thursday April 30 at 8:00 pm at Exit In in Nashville, TN
The Chats with Mean Jeans (18+)
Exit In·Nashville, TN
Find tickets from 194 dollars to Epicenter Festival (3 Day Pass) with Metallica, Disturbed, Deftones, and more on Friday May 1 at time to be announced at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC
Epicenter Festival (3 Day Pass) with Metallica, Disturbed, Deftones, and more
Charlotte Motor Speedway·Concord, NC
Find tickets from 38 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Friday May 1 at 8:00 pm at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, GA
Buckhead Theatre·Atlanta, GA
Find tickets from 152 dollars to Epicenter Festival (Saturday Pass) with Disturbed, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Staind, and more on Saturday May 2 at time to be announced at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC
Sat · Time TBD
Epicenter Festival (Saturday Pass) with Disturbed, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Staind, and more
Find tickets from 44 dollars to The Chats on Sunday May 3 at 8:00 pm at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, MD
The Fillmore Silver Spring·Silver Spring, MD
Find tickets to The Chats with Mom Jeans. on Tuesday May 5 at 8:00 pm at Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA
The Chats with Mom Jeans.
Theatre of Living Arts·Philadelphia, PA
Find tickets from 42 dollars to The Chats with Mean Jeans on Wednesday May 6 at 8:00 pm at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA
Paradise Rock Club·Boston, MA
Find tickets from 77 dollars to The Chats on Thursday May 7 at 8:00 pm at Warsaw in Brooklyn, NY
Warsaw·Brooklyn, NY
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The Chats Details
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The Chats Tour Dates
See below for a list of The Chats tour dates and locations. For all available tickets and to find shows in your city, scroll to the listings at the top of this page.
The Observatory North Park
House of Blues - Dallas
House of Blues Houston
Marquis Theater
Amsterdam Bar and Hall
House of Blues Chicago
Skegss
Lime Cordiale
Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
The Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA
House of Blues - Dallas in Dallas, TX
House of Blues Houston in Houston, TX
Marquis Theater in Denver, CO
Amsterdam Bar and Hall in Saint Paul, MN
House of Blues Chicago in Chicago, IL
Exit In in Nashville, TN
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC
The Chats by City
The Chats in Atlanta (Buckhead Theatre)
The Chats in Washington (The Fillmore Silver Spring)
The Chats in Chicago (House of Blues Chicago)
The Chats in San Diego (The Observatory North Park)
The Chats in Dallas (House of Blues - Dallas)
The Chats in Charlotte (Charlotte Motor Speedway)
The Chats in Boston (Paradise Rock Club)
The Chats in Sacramento (Ace of Spades)
This image is available through Creative Commons. Email images@seatgeek.com with any questions.
Atlanta Concerts
Tampa Concerts
Ace of Spades Seating Chart
Buckhead Theatre Seating Chart
Charlotte Motor Speedway Seating Chart
House of Blues - Dallas Seating Chart
House of Blues Chicago Seating Chart
Paradise Rock Club Seating Chart
The Fillmore Silver Spring Seating Chart
The Observatory North Park Seating Chart
Warsaw Seating Chart
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Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 27.5 Frame - 2018
We know full well that for many out there, the ultimate trail bike needs to possess the agility and responsiveness that comes with 27.5-inch wheels. We tend to agree, which is why developed the S-Works Stumpjumper 27.5. The frame-only option, in our eyes, represents the pinnacle of trail performance, and it lets you build your dream Stumpy exactly how you like it. Starting at the carbon layup, it features our highest-end FACT 11m for an ultra-lightweight, strong, and stiff construction. The carbon molding process also allowed us to revolutionize how you carry your trail essentials with the SWAT Door found at the down tube. This compartment will fit a tube, a tool, and pump without rattling or compromising the structural integrity of the frame. You'll also find an aggressive and super nimble geometry that complements 650b wheels and features ridiculously short chainstays, a roomy top tube, a low bottom bracket, a slacked out front end, and our proprietary Rx Trail Tune at the rear shock. This frame also includes a custom Ohlins STX rear shock with our venerable, easy-to-set-up AUTOSAG system. - FACT 11m carbon fiber Trail Chassis with Stumpjumper FSR full carbon rear end blends stiffness with light weight to form the pinnacle of efficiency, while fully enclosed cable routing and an integrated SWAT Door create exceptional handling and zero-hassle storage. - The custom Ohlins STX single-tube air shock at the rear features high- and low-speed compression, as well as low-speed rebound. You'll also find an extra-volume reservoir that allows for more oil, which results in more control and an ultra-plush ride quality.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Epic Hardtail Frameset - 2020
The S-Works Epic Hardtail is the lightest production frame to date. Impressive, yes, but it's much more than that. We've also created the most capable and comfortable cross-country machine ever, because you're not fast if you're being pummeled by the trail. It's a game changer. - At 775 grams, the new S-Works Epic Hardtail chassis is the lightest production hardtail frame on earth. What’s more, we’ve designed it to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance. We’ve optimized every inch of this frame, precisely tailoring the carbon and resin mix to create the perfect balance of weight, strength and compliance. We’ve gone full geek on the S-Works frame, obsessing over the shape of every overlap layer. While 3-D tailoring an overlap probably sounds like overkill, the extra time and labor spent doing it allows us to eliminate extraneous composite plies that were adding weight, but not improving strength. In other words, there’s a science to the weight savings.
Specialized S-Works Enduro 27.5 Frameset - 2019
You like gettin’ rowdy, we like gettin’ rowdy, so we figured, “Why not create a bike that lets us do the thing we all love most?” Well, that’s exactly what we did with the Enduro. Its playful and nimble 27.5-inch wheels and modern frame have been purpose-built to make short work of the rockiest, gnarliest, and steepest trails, while still being able to climb well enough to get you there. Witness the sickness. Our quest was to create the perfect long-travel trail bike, and it all began with a close look at the geometry. Basically, we modernized it— slacking out the front end, lengthening the top tube, shortening the chainstays, and lowering the bottom bracket. All of this together makes the bike truly feel glued to the ground, and the platform is more responsive and capable than ever. We then added some crucial bits to make your ride, well, better. We're talking stuff like integrated storage with a SWAT Door at the down tube, a triumphant return to a threaded bottom bracket, and internal cable routing with guides that make cabling super easy. And to keep the weight down, this S-Works frame is constructed from our top-tier FACT IS-X 11m carbon fiber. To guarantee high degrees of "shredability," this material is greeted by 170mm of plush front and rear travel, plus a geometry that can be "adjusted" via a shock extension with a "low/high" setting. To get you started on your way to complete dream build status, this frame includes a FOX Factory X2 Air (216x57mm) rear shock with 170mm of travel. - The frame's FACT IS-X 11m carbon fiber construction stands as the pinnacle of lightweight, efficient, and tough trail performance. It's been built off our 27.5 Geometry in order to provide an aggressive, well-rounded ride. And with internal Command Post IR routing, a return to a threaded bottom bracket, and an integrated SWAT Door at the down tube, you get a bike that's clean, dependable, and ready for anything that the trail has to offer. - The custom FOX Factory X2 air shock at the rear features high- and low-speed compression, as well as low-speed rebound. You'll also find an extra-volume reservoir that allows for more oil, which results in more control and an ultra-plush ride quality.
Specialized S-Works Demo 8 Frame - 2018
Let's not kid ourselves—downhill is all about speed. And when it comes to squeezing every last ounce of fast out of a track, your machine needs to be just as fine-tuned as your skills. That's why we offer our legendary, World-Cup-proven S-Works Demo 8 as a frameset. It's constructed from our finest carbon fiber, FACT 11m, for unparalleled stiffness and strength. Meanwhile, it's been built aboard our ultra-capable S3 27.5 Geometry to ensure a roomy top tube for added control, ultra-short, nimble chainstays, a low bottom bracket that keeps you feeling planted, and a slack front end that provides the utmost in responsive handling at speed. For suspension, this Demo features 200mm of travel delivered via a game-changing custom Ohlins TTX rear shock with both high- and low-speed compression adjust. Altogether, it's a blank canvas of pure performance and potential speed. Build it how you want it, and race it like you mean it. - The frame features a full FACT 11m carbon fiber construction for low weight and heightened levels of strength and stiffness, which is amplified by its asymmetrical frame design that still leaves plenty of access. This has also been paired with our proven S3 Geometry that increases maneuverability and responsiveness, while the 200mm of travel at the rear makes the bike capable of taking on the biggest of hits in stride. - Custom Ohlins rear shock delivers unparalleled DH performance. It offers high/low speed compression adjust that stands independent of the rebound adjust, enabling you to fine-tune the shock for the track at hand. It's 200mm of coil-sprung travel that stands without rival, and you won't find anywhere else. - Thomson alloy seatpost features one of the most durable constructions out there, without coming at the expense of a high overall weight.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc Frameset
When absolute performance is a must, the best riders in the world choose the Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc Frameset. Specialized offers the next generation of their race-bred S-Works Tarmac, now coupled with the effortless control and power of disc brakes. Inspired by Specialized’s partnership with McLaren—leaders in Formula 1 development—the S-Works Tarmac is a revolution on the road, one that begins and ends with the rider. Each of the seven frame sizes was developed independently, based on real-world data collected from test riders. Specialized measured power transfer and steering response in each frame size to optimize ride quality and on-the-road performance for every rider, regardless of size. The S-Works Tarmac Disc frameset features a tapered carbon steerer and full carbon monocoque FACT fork for precise steering. Disc brake mounts on the fork and chain stay let you install your preferred disc brakes. The one-piece bottom bracket and seat stay construction increases power transfer and pedaling efficiency, transforming your efforts into blinding speed. And, vertical compliance at the seatpost has been increased for even more vibration damping and in-the-saddle comfort, making sure you're fresh for that final sprint across the line.
Specialized S-Works Epic Hardtail Frameset - LTD - 2019
There's not much that matches the feeling of powering up a pitch on a featherweight bike, and we designed the new S-Works Epic Hardtail frame with this in mind. It's less than 900 grams, exceptionally stiff, and it features a Rider First Engineered design. It's the perfect jumping off point to begin creating your dream build. Over the last decade, cross country racing has evolved into a completely different animal—the courses are rowdier, more technical, and overall, they're inherently different. Because of this, we realized that the best bike for the job needs to not only be lightweight and stiff but also be able to descend and climb with equal prowess. Determining the best geometry was the easier of the two, as we took our current XC race geo and added some trail DNA to the mix. This equates to a longer top tube, a shortened head tube, and a slacked-out front end, the result of which is a tremendous increase in downhill stability, plus a wider fit range. And just as importantly, this doesn't require any sacrifice of climbing proficiency. The weight aspect was more complicated, though. We were posed with the question, "How do you take weight out of something that's already so light?" But the answer was relatively obvious: you get the best mountain bike engineers together in one room and let the magic come out. Up until now, there were two ways to lighten up a frame—use less of the same grade of carbon or use less of a higher-grade carbon. Option one is never a viable solution as it sacrifices stiffness and strength, two attributes that shouldn't be tampered with. And while we did end up using option two, we weren't content with the amount of weight we could cut out by just using a different grade of carbon. So how else do you cut weight? Well, we began looking at our layup schedules to see if they could be improved, which shed light on a new discovery—layup inefficiencies. Beginning with our Rider-First Engineered frame technology, each size Epic Hardtail is specifically tailored to size—every carbon layup and tube are exclusively selected based upon hundreds of hours of collected ride data. What does this mean for you? It not only creates the optimal balance of rigidity, weight, and responsiveness across every frame size, but it led us to the discovery of how to save weight through the studying of the layup. Through extensive layup studies, we made the discovery that, by further controlling the construction and layup schedules, we could drastically decrease weight, all while maintaining the ride characteristics that you'd expect from a top-level XC race bike. With this discovery, each frame now features complex cut carbon plys that allow difficult junctions to be covered with less overlap. And while this does complicate the carbon frame puzzle by adding more pieces to the mix, it allows us to design and place them more intelligently. The result of this is a lighter frame, stronger junctions, and a drastic increase in stiffness. We then took the weight savings one step further by using Japanese military ballistic-grade carbon, which we now call 12m, to create the lightest mountain bike we've ever made. How much lighter of a frame, you ask? Less than 900 grams for a size Large frame—the same weight as a full 24oz Purist water bottle. - To provide the optimal blend of stiffness, crazy light weight, and strength, we constructed the frame from our S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber. And when combined with our XC 29 Geometry, this Epic is guaranteed to deliver uncompromising, blistering speed and agile handling come race day—no matter the course.
Specialized S-Works Men's Stumpjumper 29 Frame - 2019
We’ve heard it all before: “This bike’s for going fast, that one’s for having fun.” “This one pedals well, that one shreds.” Why not make one bike that does everything well? Well, we did, and it's called the S-Works Stumpjumper. Unrivaled handling and stiffness, sublime suspension kinematics, and a complete abandon of proprietary nonsense—it rides like a dream. And with 29-inch wheels, you’re free to climb and descend at the hyperspeed that 29ers are known for. - The Stumpjumper's asymmetrical, FACT 11m carbon fiber construction is lightweight, stiff, and ready to take on the trail. It's built off our 29 Trail Geometry, so it's just the right amount of both capable and comfortable. And with SWAT integration in the downtube, a threaded BB, easy cable routing, and an all new chain silencer, it's ready for anything the trail, or you, throw at it. - FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory has three modes—Open, Trail, and Firm—that control large compression adjustments on-the-fly. There’s also a tool adjust compression adjustment that allows for fine-tuning of the compression in Open mode.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Tarmac Disc Frameset - 2019
When we developed the new S-Works Tarmac Disc, we didn't just want it to be fast. No, we wanted it to be fast everywhere. Long climbs, windy flats, Grand Tour stages, and local fondos—we built a race bike to be the most complete out there. And now with disc brakes, we've managed to make it, well, even more complete. For the construction, we utilized advanced aerospace composite optimization software to revolutionize the construction and layup of our new FACT 12r carbon. It's the most advanced material, and schedule, we've ever made and this allowed us to shed nearly 200 grams. That's right, a 20% reduction in frame weight—the perfect recipe for your next hill climb PR. We also took major steps to improving our Rider-First Engineered technology to ensure that the new Tarmac is stiff and compliant in exactly the right places, all while shedding some serious weight. From different layup schedules and materials, to visibly different forks, we scrutinized every single aspect of the new Tarmac to ensure you're getting the perfect ride. With this revamp, we also updated the geometry, basing it on countless Retül data points and professional rider input. This enabled us to develop a Performance Road Geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front end and short wheelbase, which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer. And while stiffness aids in the aforementioned, compliance must also be utilized for an optimal ride quality. That's why we designed a seatpost that builds compliance into the upper 120mm where clamping doesn't happen, dropped the seatstays, and altered the seat tube shape. We also added tire clearance up to 30mm, which translates to a 28mm Turbo Cotton on a Roval CLX 50 Disc wheel. This allows lower pressures for decreased rolling resistance, increased traction, and more comfort. Altogether, these additions still have the Tarmac riding like a true race-machine, but it also takes a bit of the sting out of road imperfections. You'll thank us on your next long ride. But why disc brakes? The real question is 'why not?' They offer superior braking power and modulation, work exceptionally well in wet weather, and offer a very, very minor weight addition. All this means that you have more control and can go faster with more confidence. We also know, however, that aerodynamic improvements are the most important thing we can do to make you faster. Both our Bora-Hansgrohe and Team Quick-Step Floors Pro Tour riders, after all, are demanding aero improvements on every bike. With this, the aero goal was to discover where we could essentially 'add aero for free,' by not taking anything away from the hallmarks of the Tarmac design. During the six-month iterative process, three areas were discovered where we could do this—a new fork shape, dropped seatstays with aero tubes, and a D-shaped seatpost and seat tube. The result? A bike that's approximately 45 seconds faster over 40km compared to other lightweight bikes in the same category. - Featuring our Rider-First Engineered design that ensures every frame size has the same legendary climbing responsiveness and descending prowess you'd expect from a Tarmac. The S-Works FACT 12r frameset is our highest quality carbon frame, offering the ideal blend of light overall weight and targeted stiffness. - S-Works full FACT carbon fork with a tapered construction provides incredible front end stiffness and steering response for instantaneous accelerations and high-speed descents. - With its high-modulus construction, the S-Works FACT carbon Tarmac seatpost provides impeccable power transfer, while still allowing for ample compliance for long days in the saddle.
Specialized S-Works Epic Frame - LTD - 2019
With more World Championship titles, Olympic medals, and Cape Epic wins than you can count, the S-Works Epic LTD frame can truly be built as the fastest XC bike on the planet. Fast and flat, rowdy and technical, punchy and hard—no matter the course, it’s the best tool to get you to the top of the podium. Race courses have evolved over the past few years. They're more technical, steeper, and more challenging to ride. But instead of quivering in our boots, we saw this as an opportunity to make something special—something that both World Cup athletes and XC riders alike can instantly feel the benefit from. We looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well, like the head angle, reach, stack, chainstay length, fork offset, etc., and reevaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep, those fit, and not just a short-travel XC option, but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out, but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset, 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks. Next comes Brain 2.0. The original Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, both in its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh, was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team, the Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally reborn. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This, in turn, improves oil paths, and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market. The Epic also has a rider Rider-First Engineered design that places complex carbon pieces in all the right places, and this greatly increases stiffness in the front-end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size. And while stiffness, Brain technology, and geometry features are cool and all, we know what you're thinking, 'What about weight?' We're glad you asked. With the goal of the new Epic to be the fastest XC mountain bike we've ever made, weight was at the top of our priorities list. We started with an efficient frame layout and tube shapes that feature clean cable routing, integrated channels through the shock extension, straight tubes with less curves, and optimized torsion profiles in every section. And, if you're curious, this weight savings is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 350 grams. This frame comes equipped with a custom RockShox Micro Brain rear shock w/ a Spike Valve. Building out the rest of that dream build is up to you—we hope to see it out on the course soon. S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame is the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight, resulting in the utmost efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel, make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC bike you've ever been on.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac Frameset - 2020
The previous Tarmac had an exceptional palmarès—a win in every Grand Tour, plus two World Championships—so you might ask yourself, "why a new Tarmac?" Well, we've never been one to rest on our laurels, which is why we're constantly hunting for even the smallest of improvements. In other words, we innovate or die. And for this exact reason, the new S-Works Tarmac breaks all the traditions of race bike design to create the fastest bike for all conditions. - For the construction of the Tarmac Disc, we utilized advanced aerospace composite optimization software to revolutionize the construction and layup of our new FACT 12r carbon. It's the most advanced material, and schedule, we've ever made, and this allowed us to shed nearly 200 grams—that's right, a 20% reduction in frame weight. - 500 pieces creating 7 different sizes with the same tuned ride–that’s Rider-First Engineered™. We examine every ply of carbon on every frame size to ensure that all of our performance targets come through. To make sure you get the perfect ride, every frame gets a unique layup schedule with different ply arrangements, orientations, quantities of material in specific areas, and sometimes, even exclusive thicknesses and types of carbon itself. - Aerodynamics is the most important thing we can do to make you faster, but with the Tarmac, we added aero features without any cost to weight. Through development, three areas were discovered where we could add aero for free—a new fork shape, dropped seatstays with aero tubes, and a D-shaped seatpost and seat tube. The result? A Tarmac that’s approximately 45 seconds faster over 40 kilometers. - The updated the geometry is based on countless Retül data points and professional rider input. This enabled us to develop a Performance Road Geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase, which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer. - For additional compliance, the seatpost has flex built-into the upper 120mm where clamping doesn't happen. We also dropped the seatstays, altered the seat tube shape, and added tire clearance up to 30mm.
Specialized S-Works Venge Frameset
We aren't satisfied with second fastest. Hell, why do you think we have our own Win Tunnel and the motto, "Aero is Everything?" We live and breathe aero because we know that aerodynamic optimization is the best thing we can do to make you faster. And this philosophy has never been truer than with the new Venge. Being eight seconds faster than the ViAS, it’s not only the most aerodynamic bike on the road, but it’s also lost 460 grams. This is the new shape of speed. Surprisingly, our quest for the perfect tube shapes didn’t start in the Win Tunnel. It started with a new piece of technology, the FreeFoil Shape Library. Our engineers wrote an optimization algorithm and utilized a supercomputer (yes, we used an actual supercomputer) to help create new airfoil shapes with different weights, surface areas, and structural targets. Armed with this library of shapes, all with different aspect ratios, we could plug them into the different parts of the bike and test a variety of configurations to determine the fastest setup in the Win Tunnel. Compared to the fastest aero road bike to date (the Venge ViAS), and many others in the space that we won't name here, the new Venge is eight seconds faster over 40km at zero degrees of yaw. It's also faster out on the road in all wind conditions—not just in the tunnel. All bikes were tested with the same fit dimensions, and with the following components—Roval CLX 64 wheels, Turbo Cotton 26mm tires, Shimano's newest Di2 groupset, two water bottles, an S-Works Power saddle, and their respective spec'd cockpits. And while it's cool that the new Venge is more aero, there are other factors to fast. Striking the perfect combination of weight and aerodynamics plays a crucial role in a bike’s overall performance. A bike that’s strictly aero will feel great on the flats, but it'll suffer on the climbs and in quick accelerations. A bike that’s strictly lightweight, however, will suffer on everything but the steepest climbs. So, not only did we make the Venge more aero than the ViAS, but we also took 460 grams out of the module weight. This means we saved 240g in the frame, 25g in the fork, 107g in the cockpit, 25g in the seatpost, and 63g in small parts. So no matter the course, the Venge will prove to be the fastest option when you need to go up, down, and all around. Much of this weight savings comes from our Rider-First Engineered tubes. We implemented much of the discovery from the new Tarmac's development, like different layup schedules and materials, and this culminated in a Venge that’s not only lighter but one that also has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and 40% more compliance than the ViAS—no matter the frame size. And while you can't always see these changes, all it takes is one ride to feel the quick accelerations and the bump-eating compliance. Of course, we didn't stop there. The geometry got an update, and now, it's based on over 40,000 Retül data points, as well as professional rider input. This enabled us to implement a Performance Road Geometry that perfectly combines a responsive front-end with a short wheelbase, and this delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer. Last, but certainly not least, the Venge houses some exciting new features. The new cockpit, developed in partnership with our World Tour teams, features a stem with a higher stiffness than anything we’ve ever tested, new bars that are faster, lighter, stiffer, and feature a textured pattern on the tops for extra grip and control. Next up is tire clearance—it has no problem clearing 32mm-wide tires. And, finally, we’ve put our Shimano A-Junction in the seatpost, making it easy to charge, check battery levels, and for team mechanics to make adjustments. - The Rider-First Engineered, FACT 11r frame not only makes the Venge the most aerodynamic road bike we’ve ever created, but it's also lightweight and stiff in all the right places. Every tube shape, trailing edge, and design cue was influenced by hours of testing in our Win Tunnel, CFD, 3D-printed prototypes, and real-world rider feedback. Ultimately, this resulted in the fastest road bike we’ve ever made. - Designed in our Win Tunnel, the fork features a top-end S-Works FACT 11r carbon construction that helps to cut through air like a hot knife through butter. - A legendary CeramicSpeed bottom bracket ensures that you're making every precious last watt count.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Roubaix Frameset - 2020
With six wins at Paris-Roubaix, our Roubaix has proven that Smoother is Faster. Until this moment, however, smooth has admittedly come with some compromises. But not anymore. The all-new S-Works Roubaix now delivers compliance without compromise by introducing a radical new Future Shock 2.0 that gives you more control and damping options, a new Pavé seatpost that creates our most balanced Roubaix to date, aerodynamics that equal the Tarmac, and a Rider-First Engineered frame that tips the scales below 900 grams (Size: 56cm | Black). Is it still comfortable? Sure, but don’t call it a comfort bike, because performance was behind every engineering decision we made. This is the new Roubaix. - The new frame delivers compliance without compromise via the perfect balance of aerodynamics, light overall weight, compliance, and Rider-First Engineering. With tube shapes that were born in our FreeFoil Shape Library and validated in the Win Tunnel, the new Roubaix’s as aero as the Tarmac SL6. Meanwhile, to ensure the weight and ride quality, we turned to a Rider-First Engineered design to deliver optimal stiffness and compliance across all sizes, from 44 to 64cm. Of course, the frame also stays below 900 grams (Size 56cm | Black). And to prep you for your own Hell of the North, we’ve made room for 33mm tires. - To go along with the new frame, we’ve also developed a totally-new S-Works Pavé seatpost. Not only is it the first compliant seatpost that’s ALSO aerodynamic, it does so without any additional weight or finicky contraptions. Starting with the same D-shape design found on the Tarmac, we took its compliance a step further by building additional flex into the upper and developing a new drop-clamp design in the frame. This provides plenty of compliance, while staying perfectly balanced with the front-end, so you get a smooth, balanced ride no matter how rough the road. - The Future Shock 2.0 is the result of our pro riders’ demands for the cobbles of Roubaix. It’s smoother, faster, and gives you more control via a knob atop the stem. This knob adjusts compression from fully-open to stiff, while hydraulically-damped internals control rebound. Add it up, and this latest version will reduce fatigue and increase your speed, no matter the terrain. The new Smooth Boot, top cap, and Future Stem also enhance the aesthetic, so you get a clean transition from head tube to stem.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc Frameset - 2020
When we developed the Tarmac Disc, we didn't just want it to be fast. We wanted it to be fast everywhere. Long climbs, windy flats, Grand Tour stages, local fondos—we built a race bike to be the most complete out there. How’d we do it? We started with our 500-piece, Rider-First Engineered frame with a perfectly-tuned ride quality for every size, added in some serious aero tech that makes it 45 seconds faster than the Tarmac SL5, and then made it 20% lighter. Nothing is lighter, faster, and better handling. - For the construction of the Tarmac Disc, we utilized advanced aerospace composite optimization software to revolutionize the construction and layup of our new FACT 12r carbon. It's the most advanced material, and schedule, we've ever made, and this allowed us to shed nearly 200 grams—that's right, a 20% reduction in frame weight. - 500 pieces creating 7 different sizes with the same tuned ride–that’s Rider-First Engineered. We examine every ply of carbon on every frame size to ensure that all of our performance targets come through. To make sure you get the perfect ride, every frame gets a unique layup schedule with different ply arrangements, orientations, quantities of material in specific areas, and sometimes, even exclusive thicknesses and types of carbon itself. - Aerodynamics is the most important thing we can do to make you faster, but with the Tarmac, we added aero features without any cost to weight. Through development, three areas were discovered where we could add aero for free—a new fork shape, dropped seatstays with aero tubes, and a D-shaped seatpost and seat tube. The result? A Tarmac that’s approximately 45 seconds faster over 40 kilometers. - The updated the geometry is based on countless Retul data points and professional rider input. This enabled us to develop a Performance Road Geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase, which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer. - For additional compliance, the seatpost has flex built-into the upper 120mm where clamping doesn't happen. We also dropped the seatstays, altered the seat tube shape, and added tire clearance up to 30mm.
Specialized S-Works Epic Frameset - Troy Lee Designs LTD - 2019
The S-Works Epic is the fastest XC rig on the planet—a bike with more World Champ titles, Olympic medals, and Cape Epic wins than you can count. And now, we’re offering the S-Works Epic in a limited-edition, Troy Lee Designs frame and fork combination. Head to toe, this rig looks fast. Of course, countless race wins around the world testify to how damn fast the S-Works Epic truly is, but you know, it never hurts to look the part. At the heart of it all is the S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame—a chassis that offers the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight available. This bike, however, isn’t merely fast, it’s also one of the most capable cross-country machines on the World Cup circuit, with a geometry that’s designed to let you tackle the most technical courses at speed, with complete control. Speaking of speed and control, the TLD-edition frame sports 100mm of insanely efficient front and rear suspension. That efficiency comes courtesy of the ultralight RockShox SID World Cup fork and Brain 2.0 rear shock. The unique inertia valve in both the front and rear suspension help the bike stay firm and fast when the trail is smooth and then automatically become plush (and even faster) when the trail suddenly fills with rocks and roots. Brain-equipped suspension is, quite simply, suspension made smart. And since this is the TLD-edition we’re talking about, we also gave that RockShox SID World Cup fork and Micro Brain rear shock matching Troy Lee graphics. - S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame is the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight, resulting in the utmost efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel, make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC bike you've ever been on. - Custom Micro Brain shock offers easy tuning and unrivaled efficiency - Our custom RockShox SID WC fork with Brain features a full-carbon upper, top-adjust Brain Fade, and a custom offset, making it the perfect match to the new Epic.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Roubaix Frameset - Sagan Collection - 2020
Specialized S-Works Venge Disc Frameset - 2020
We aren't satisfied with second fastest. Hell, why do you think we have our own Win Tunnel and the motto, "Aero is Everything?" We live and breathe aero, because we know that aerodynamic optimization is the best thing we can do to make you faster. And this philosophy has never been truer than with the new Venge. Being eight seconds faster than the ViAS, it’s not only the most aerodynamic bike on the road, but it’s also lost 460 grams. This is the new shape of speed. - Our quest for the perfect tube shapes didn’t start in the Win Tunnel, but instead, a new piece of technology—the FreeFoil Shape Library. Our engineers wrote an optimization algorithm and utilized a supercomputer to help create new airfoil shapes with different weights, surface areas, and structural targets. Armed with this library of shapes, we could then plug them into the different parts of the bike and test a variety of configurations to determine the fastest setup in the Win Tunnel. The result? Compared to the Venge ViAS, the new Venge is eight seconds faster over 40km at zero degrees of yaw. It's also faster out on the road in all wind conditions—not just in the tunnel. - Striking the perfect combination of weight and aerodynamics plays a crucial role in a bike’s overall performance. So, not only did we make the Venge more aero than the ViAS, but we also took 460 grams out of the module weight. This means we saved 240g in the frame, 25g in the fork, 107g in the cockpit, 25g in the seatpost, and 63g in small parts. So, no matter the course, the Venge will prove to be the fastest option when you need to go either up or down. - We implemented much of the Rider-First Engineered discoveries from the new Tarmac's development, like different layup schedules and materials, and this culminated in a Venge that’s not only lighter, but one that also has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and 40% more compliance than the ViAS—no matter the frame size. And while you can't always see these changes, all it takes is one ride to feel the quick accelerations and the bump-eating compliance.
Specialized S-Works Shiv TT Disc Module - 2020
For years, time trial bikes have had very similar attributes—skinny, deep airfoils, sketchy handling, subpar braking, and heavy frames. For the "flat and fast" courses of yesteryear, these qualities may have been acceptable, but with today's technically demanding courses, TT bikes needed a change. And with this in mind, we've pushed UCI regulations to their limits adding disc brakes, dropping weight, and dialing in the fit for the new Shiv TT. Is it the most adjustable TT bike out there? Yeah, but don't think it gave anything up to aerodynamics. Here's to another decade of gold medals. We've paired this wind-cheating steed with SRAM's new RED eTAP AXS 1x drivetrain, maximizing every potential gain you could ask for. And yes, we're giving you both the fastest and lightest disc wheel on the market, as well as the fastest wheels we've ever tested—Roval 321 Disc and CLX 64s. - As time-trial courses have become more technical and demanding, it's important to capitalize on years of R&D and pro rider feedback to create the fastest time trial bike—for all courses. From technical inner-city prologues, to rolling courses with steep grades, it's not just about making the fastest bike for a straight line. With this in mind we've cut the weight and greatly increased the handling characteristics of the Shiv TT with an all-new silhouette. - Fit was also one of the biggest design pillars of the new Shiv TT. With years of Retul data, and professional rider data, we've completely re-done the geometry and front-end of the bike. The updated spacers, bridge, and armrests lock in fit, improving stability and confidence, while the one-piece bar and stem simplifies and lightens the weight of the front-end, balancing the overall feel. - Disc brakes are now a necessity in TTs with variable weather, tight corners, and rough surfaces. Not only do they let you late-brake into corners and shift on the bars, but they also create a more stable chassis in corners and when accelerating. And don't worry, they don't lend themselves to any additional drag.
Specialized S-Works Men's Diverge - 2019
$6,499.94 $10,000.00 35% Off
While real fun starts where the road ends, you still need a bike that'll get you there—one bike that shreds flowy singletrack and crushes through road miles with equal authority. And sure, some have tried to make their 'cross bikes more "road-capable" (whatever that means), and others have made their road bikes more "adventure-ready," but we created one bike that makes no compromises between the two. The S-Works Diverge redefines the possibilities for adventure on a drop-bar bike. The Diverge is more capable than ever. And with the constant goal to best meet your needs, we took your number one request into account—tire clearance. The new frame will comfortably fit up to 700 x 42mm tires or 650b x 47mm tires. Along with tire clearance, weight was a large factor in the development and, taking some design cues from the development of the Roubaix, we developed a sub-900-gram FACT 11r carbon frame that's one of the lightest in the category. Actually, it's pretty damn light, even if your intent was more Polka Dot Jersey than hunter's plaid flannel. Next up, we moved away from a traditional 'cross geometry, instead opting for something that hasn't been seen before—our Open Road Geometry. You can think of it as a road version of modern trail bike geometry. It provides playful handling and predictable steering for endless dirt skids and mid-corner drifts. The geo features a bottom bracket that's over a half-centimeter lower than the previous Diverge, a slacked-out head tube angle, short chainstays, and a short wheelbase. These changes make for a bike that's not only fun in the dirt but also performs well on the road. And while riding gravel and dirt roads on a road bike may add to the adventure, there's only so much that wider tires with lower pressures can absorb, in terms of bumps. With this in mind, we implemented a new version of our Future Shock into the Diverge design. It not only soaks up bumps with ease but also adds the benefit of extremely predictable handling. That's because the wheelbase isn't lengthening when you hit a bump, so the front end of the Diverge keeps the same effective head tube angle. In other words, when you dive hard into a turn, you won't be surprised by under-steer or sloppy handling. Unlike the original Future Shock (found on the Roubaix), the Diverge's version features a progressive spring that makes this technology more suitable for off-road applications, where stiffer suspension is often needed to soak-up larger bumps and obstacles. To add to its multifaceted talents, we topped it off with three water bottle mounts, mounts for racks and fenders, and our Road SWAT kit that fits a tube, CO2, CO2 head, valve extender, and money clip. So while it's one of the most smile-inducing bikes you'll ever ride, it's equally adept at commuting or even bikepacking. We handpicked the spec for the lightest, most unique build on any adventure bike. We left the shifting and braking up to Shimano, but did so in a non-traditional way. We paired an XTR Di2 derailleur with R785 Di2 shifters and hydraulic disc brakes. We then added an Easton EC90 SL Carbon crankset, featherweight Roval CLX 32 Disc wheels, and topped it off with our carbon Command Post XCP that features 35mm of travel. - The S-Works FACT 11r carbon frame features our adventure-bound Open Road Geometry, Future Shock Progressive suspension with 20mm of travel, and front/rear thru-axles, making it the ultimate tool for your next adventure. - The lightweight S-Works FACT carbon fork is plenty stiff, aiding in handling, stiffness, and an overall low weight. - The Roval CLX 32 wheelset has the perfect balance of light weight, durability, and aerodynamics. It's stiff enough for sprinting, strong enough for abuse, and its CeramicSpeed bearings keep things silky-smooth.
Specialized S-Works Enduro 27.5 - 2018
If you love sending it down the trail, smashing through rock gardens, launching off drops and jumps, and carving through singletrack at ungodly speeds, you'll feel right at home aboard the S-Works Enduro 27.5. We gave it a geometry that features a slacker front end, a longer top tube, short chainstays, and a lower bottom bracket. All of this together makes the bike truly feel glued to the ground, and the platform is more responsive and capable then ever. We even added some bits, like integrated storage with a SWAT Door at the down tube, and made "old" new again by making a triumphant return to a threaded bottom bracket. To keep the weight down, the frame is constructed from our top-tier FACT IS-X 11m carbon fiber. And to ensure top-level performance on the descents, this material choice is greeted by 170mm of plush rear and 170mm front travel, plus a geometry that can be "adjusted" via a shock extension with a "low/high" setting. For the build, this Enduro spares no expense at hitting the pinnacle of performance, with a full SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed groupset, powerful Guide RSC Carbon brakes, hand-built carbon Roval wheels, our Command Post IRcc Wu dropper post, and the revolutionary Ohlins single-tube rear shock handling suspension duties out back. Make the mountain bend to you. - The frame's FACT IS-X 11m carbon fiber construction stands as the pinnacle of lightweight, efficient, and tough trail performance. It's been built off our 27.5 Geometry in order to provide an aggressive, well-rounded ride. And with internal Command Post IR routing, a return to a threaded bottom bracket, and an integrated SWAT Door at the down tube, you get a bike that's clean, dependable, and ready for anything that the trail has to offer. - Featuring a three-chamber air spring and TTX (Twin Tube) damping, the Ohlins RXF 36 fork perfectly mates stiffness with a plush, responsive ride quality, and stays smooth and high in the travel without compromising bump absorption, traction, or stability. It also features high-/low-speed and rebound adjustments, and sports 170mm of plush travel. - The one-by drivetrain is controlled by SRAM's venerable XX1 Eagle components. The system forms the ultimate in efficiency and intuitive feel, while also having the added benefit of significant weight savings and minimal required maintenance.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Ruby Di2 - 2019
Smoother is indeed faster, and we're excited to show you just how much faster it is with the S-Works Ruby with Dura-Ace Di2. The frame is among the lightest that we've ever made, and it's been constructed from our top-end FACT 11r carbon fiber. Its stiffness levels are also off the charts and, compared to the SL4 iteration of yesteryear, you'll experience a whole new, faster, and more efficient geometry. Through some engineering sorcery, however, we've managed to keep the same fit, feel, and position that we've all come to love from the SL4's Women's Endurance Geometry. Of course, you're probably thinking, 'get on to the suspension thing up front.' We call it Future Shock, and essentially, it's a piston in the head tube with 20mm of travel. We developed this technology in partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies, and the results of this are a host of drastic performance improvements, namely in the vertical compliance department. Without giving a physics lecture, we found that focusing on vertical compliance, instead of fork splay meant that we could improve smoothness, speed, and comfort in one fell swoop. And of all the bikes that we've tested with our Rolling Efficiency Model, the new Ruby outperforms anything on the market. Lastly, we spec'd it with some drool-inducing components like Shimano's new Dura-Ace Di2, hydraulic disc brakes, hand-built Roval CLX 32 Disc wheels, and a whole host of women's-specific features, from the handlebar width to the saddle. - Featuring our Rider-First Engineered design that ensures every frame size has the same legendary responsiveness and smooth ride quality that you'd expect from a Ruby. The S-Works FACT 11r frameset is our highest quality carbon frame, offering the ideal blend of light overall weight and targeted stiffness, while the all-new Future Shock "suspension" system at the cockpit delivers a revolutionary degree of comfort and control. - The S-Works Ruby Disc fork is built from our extraordinary FACT 11r carbon fiber for the lightest possible weight, supreme stiffness, strength, and reactivity, while a thru-axle design only stands to bolster all of the above. - The Roval CLX 32 wheelset is the perfect balance of light weight, durability, and aerodynamics. It's stiff enough for sprinting, strong enough for abuse, and its CeramicSpeed bearings keep things silky-smooth.
Specialized S-Works Men's Stumpjumper 27.5 - 2019
We’ve heard it all before: “This bike’s for going fast, that one’s for having fun.” “This one pedals well, that one shreds.” Why not make one bike that does everything well? Well, we did, and it's called the S-Works Stumpjumper. Unrivaled handling and stiffness, sublime suspension kinematics, and a complete abandon of proprietary nonsense—it rides like a dream. And with 27.5-inch wheels, this model blends responsiveness with stability to create the pinnacle of trail performance. Our design goal for the new Stumpjumper was simple—build the ultimate trail bike, one that feels telepathic. And it turns out that this feeling all comes down to stiffness. Think of it this way: when the frame's telling your hands one thing and your feet another, your brain gets confused with the imbalance and the bike feels unstable. In order to fix this, we had to get to work on dialing-in the materials, shapes, and the layout. We started by creating our own mountain-specific stiffness test, and then we looked at the layout with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to see where we could get the biggest stiffness improvements. This led to a big discovery: The Large and X-Large frames needed more front-end stiffness while the Smalls and Mediums were just fine. We were able to create a frame design that was 20% more efficient. And in the end, this proved to be one of the lightest trail frames on the market, today. When designing the frame with the stiffness targets being a main goal, we developed a radical new sidearm design. The front-end and rear-end are connected at three points, and the sidearm helps keep all these points super stiff and connected, all while taking about 100 grams out of the rear-end. More explicitly, this minimizes frame flex when the rear suspension is active. We continued down the suspension path with a custom Rx Trail Tune on both the fork and rear shock. Suspension performance is highly dependent on frame, wheel, and rider size, so we use our Rx Tune to get each bike to land in the middle of the adjustment spectrum, and this gives you the biggest possible range to fine-tune your ride. Another focal point of the tune was matching the suspension characteristics between wheel sizes—we developed a specific Rx Tune for each platform. So, no matter what wheel size you prefer, you’ll get perfectly linear suspension. Steps were also taken to make this bike easy to live with. Threaded bottom brackets make a triumphant return, and we made room for up to a 3.0' tire. You're also free to run whatever aftermarket rear shock you want since we're using standard metric shocks. We revamped the SWAT box, too, making it sleeker, lighter, and with more volume. And customization is furthered with a Flip Chip that lets you to dial-in your Stumpy to your riding style. Switch it from High to Low and it drops your bottom bracket 6mm and slackens the head tube by half-a-degree. Little details also jump out to surprise you, like a newly designed ribbed chainstay protector that makes chain slap a thing of the past and nearly silences the drivetrain. Lastly, we seriously couldn’t make cable routing any easier on carbon models. Full tubes can be found throughout the carbon frame, so all you have to do is push the cable and it’ll come out the other end. No more lazy loop, hidden stashes of magnets, pokey spokes, or pillows to cry in. As with every S-Works build, this S-Works Stumpjumper comes with only top-of-the-line parts, like a full SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Guide RSC disc brakes, FOX Factory front and rear suspension (150/150mm respectively), and the best carbon wheels money can buy, the Roval Traverse SL 27.5s. - The Stumpjumper's asymmetrical, S-Works FACT 11m carbon fiber construction is lightweight, stiff, and ready to take on the trail. It's built off our 27.5 Trail Geometry, so it's just the right amount of both capable and comfortable. And with SWAT integration in the down tube, a threaded BB, easy cable routing, and an all-new chain silencer, it's ready for anything the trail, or you, throw at it. - FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory has three modes—Open, Trail, and Firm—that control large compression adjustments on-the-fly. There's also a tool to adjust compression adjustment that allows for fine-tuning of the compression in Open mode. - The legendary FIT4 damper, large stanchions, buttery-smooth Kashima coating—the FOX 36 Factory 150mm fork is one of the best out there.
Specialized S-Works Men's Stumpjumper 29
We've heard it all before: 'This bike's for going fast, that one's for having fun.' 'This one pedals well, that one shreds.' Why not make one bike that does everything well? Well, we did, and it's called the S-Works Stumpjumper. Unrivaled handling and stiffness, sublime suspension kinematics, and a complete abandon of proprietary nonsense—it rides like a dream. And with 29-inch wheels, you're free to climb and descend at the hyper speed that 29ers are known for. Our design goal for the new Stumpjumper was simple—build the ultimate trail bike, one that feels telepathic. And it turns out that this feeling all comes down to stiffness. Think of it this way: when the frame's telling your hands one thing and your feet another, your brain gets confused with the imbalance and the bike feels unstable. In order to fix this, we had to get to work on dialing-in the materials, shapes, and the layout. We started by creating our own mountain-specific stiffness test, and then we looked at the layout with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to see where we could get the biggest stiffness improvements. This led to a big discovery: The Large and X-Large frames needed more front-end stiffness while the Smalls and Mediums were just fine. We were able to create a frame design that was 20% more efficient. And in the end, this proved to be one of the lightest trail frames on the market, today. When designing the frame with the stiffness targets being a main goal, we developed a radical new sidearm design. The front-end and rear-end are connected at three points, and the sidearm helps keep all these points super stiff and connected, all while taking about 100 grams out of the rear-end. More explicitly, this minimizes frame flex when the rear suspension is active. We continued down the suspension path with a custom Rx Trail Tune on both the fork and rear shock. Suspension performance is highly dependent on frame, wheel, and rider size, so we use our Rx Tune to get each bike to land in the middle of the adjustment spectrum, and this gives you the biggest possible range to fine-tune your ride. Another focal point of the tune was matching the suspension characteristics between wheel sizes—we developed a specific Rx Tune for each platform. So, no matter what wheel size you prefer, you'll get perfectly linear suspension. Steps were also taken to make this bike easy to live with. Threaded bottom brackets make a triumphant return, and we made room for up to a 3.0' tire. You're also free to run whatever aftermarket rear shock you want since we're using standard metric shocks. We revamped the SWAT box, too, making it sleeker, lighter, and with more volume. And customization is furthered with a Flip Chip that lets you to dial-in your Stumpy to your riding style. Switch it from High to Low and it drops your bottom bracket 6mm and slackens the head tube by half-a-degree. Little details also jump out to surprise you, like a newly designed ribbed chainstay protector that makes chain slap a thing of the past and nearly silences the drivetrain. Lastly, we seriously couldn't make cable routing any easier on carbon models. Full tubes can be found throughout the carbon frame, so all you have to do is push the cable and it'll come out the other end. No more lazy loop, hidden stashes of magnets, pokey spokes, or pillows to cry in. As with every S-Works build, this S-Works Stumpjumper 29 comes with only top-of-the-line parts, like a full SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Guide RSC disc brakes, FOX Factory front and rear suspension (150/140mm respectively), and the best carbon wheels money can buy, the Roval Traverse SL 29. - The Stumpjumper's asymmetrical, S-Works FACT 11m carbon fiber construction is lightweight, stiff, and ready to take on the trail. It's built off our 29 Trail Geometry, so it's just the right amount of both capable and comfortable. And with SWAT integration in the down tube, a threaded BB, easy cable routing, and an all-new chain silencer, it's ready for anything the trail, or you, throw at it. - FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory has three modes—Open, Trail, and Firm—that control large compression adjustments on-the-fly. There's also a tool to adjust compression adjustment that allows for fine-tuning of the compression in Open mode. - The legendary FIT4 damper, large stanchions, buttery-smooth Kashima coating—the FOX 36 Factory 150mm fork is one of the best out there.
Specialized S-Works Epic Hardtail - 2019
Call it a healthy disrespect for the status quo, but we were getting bored with hardtail designs. So instead of playing along with a glued-on smile, we opted to turn the cross country world on its head with a bike that's not only the lightest mountain frame we've ever made. It's our lightest frame—period. Introducing the S-Works Epic Hardtail. Over the last decade, cross country racing has evolved into a completely different animal—the courses are rowdier, more technical, and overall, they're inherently different. Because of this, we realized that the best bike for the job needs to not only be lightweight and stiff but also be able to descend and climb with equal prowess. Determining the best geometry was the easier of the two, as we took our current XC race geo and added some trail DNA to the mix. This equates to a longer top tube, a shortened head tube, and a slacked-out front end, the result of which is a tremendous increase in downhill stability, plus a wider fit range. And just as importantly, this doesn't require any sacrifice of climbing proficiency. The weight aspect was more complicated, though. We were posed with the question, "How do you take weight out of something that's already so light?" But the answer was relatively obvious: you get the best mountain bike engineers together in one room and let the magic come out. Up until now, there were two ways to lighten up a frame—use less of the same grade of carbon or use less of a higher-grade carbon. Option one is never a viable solution as it sacrifices stiffness and strength, two attributes that shouldn't be tampered with. And while we did end up using option two, we weren't content with the amount of weight we could cut out by just using a different grade of carbon. So how else do you cut weight? Well, we began looking at our layup schedules to see if they could be improved, which shed light on a new discovery—layup inefficiencies. Beginning with our Rider-First Engineered frame technology, each size Epic Hardtail is specifically tailored to size—every carbon layup and tube are exclusively selected based upon hundreds of hours of collected ride data. What does this mean for you? It not only creates the optimal balance of rigidity, weight, and responsiveness across every frame size, but it led us to the discovery of how to save weight through the studying of the layup. Through extensive layup studies, we made the discovery that, by further controlling the construction and layup schedules, we could drastically decrease weight, all while maintaining the ride characteristics that you'd expect from a top-level XC race bike. With this discovery, each frame now features complex cut carbon plys that allow difficult junctions to be covered with less overlap. And while this does complicate the carbon frame puzzle by adding more pieces to the mix, it allows us to design and place them more intelligently. The result of this is a lighter frame, stronger junctions, and a drastic increase in stiffness. We then took the weight savings one step further by using Japanese military ballistic-grade carbon, which we now call 12m, to create the lightest mountain bike we've ever made. How much lighter of a frame, you ask? Less than 900 grams for a size Large frame—the same weight as a full 24oz Purist water bottle. For the build, the S-Works spares no expense, opting for a custom RockShox SID World Cup fork with Brain, SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed shifting, SRAM Level Ultimate hydraulic disc brakes, and hand-built Roval Control SL carbon wheels. - To provide the optimal blend of stiffness, crazy light weight, and strength, we constructed the frame from our S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber. And when combined with our XC 29 Geometry, this Epic is guaranteed to deliver uncompromising, blistering speed and agile handling come race day—no matter the course. - The RockShox SID World Cup 29 fork with Brain provides 90/100mm of efficient travel. It features Brain technology that distinguishes between terrain and rider input in order to maximize your power, while a Brain Fade adjusts the oil flow when not hitting bumps. - The 1x drivetrain is controlled by SRAM's venerable XX1 Eagle components to form the ultimate in efficiency and intuitive feel, while also having the added benefit of significant weight savings and minimal required maintenance.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Epic Hardtail XTR - 2020
This XTR-clad version of the S-Works Epic Hardtail bears the lightest production chassis on earth. Tuned for comfort and endowed with thoroughly modern geometry, it’s also the most capable racing platform ever created. It’s your ticket to the podium. - At 775 grams, the new S-Works Epic Hardtail chassis is the lightest production hardtail frame on earth. What’s more, we’ve designed it to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance. - Custom RockShox SID Brain Ultimate cuts every possible gram, thanks to its carbon steerer and fork crown. What’s more, it boosts your sprint speed, thanks to its top-adjust Brain Fade damper, which makes for a brilliant fork that goes plush when you want it to and stays firm when it’s time to get out of the saddle and launch your next attack. - We’ve decked out this edition of the S-Works Epic Hardtail in Shimano’s flagship, cross-country component group. XTR Race disc brakes pack power in a remarkably light package and a full 12-speed XTR drivetrain boasts lightning-quick shifts, even under the most demanding race conditions.
Specialized S-Works Men's Epic - 2019
With more World Championship titles, Olympic medals, and Cape Epic wins than you can count, the S-Works Epic truly is the fastest XC bike on the planet. Fast and flat, rowdy and technical, punchy and hard—no matter the course, it’s the best tool to get you to the top of the podium. Race courses have evolved over the past few years. They're more technical, steeper, and more challenging to ride. But instead of quivering in our boots, we saw this as an opportunity to make something special—something that both World Cup athletes and XC riders alike can instantly feel the benefit from. We looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well, like the head angle, reach, stack, chainstay length, fork offset, etc., and reevaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep, those fit, and not just a short-travel XC option, but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out, but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset, 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks. Next comes Brain 2.0. The original Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, both in its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh, was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team, the Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally reborn. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This, in turn, improves oil paths, and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market. The Epic also has a rider Rider-First Engineered design that places complex carbon pieces in all the right places, and this greatly increases stiffness in the front-end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size. And while stiffness, Brain technology, and geometry features are cool and all, we know what you're thinking, 'What about weight?' We're glad you asked. With the goal of the new Epic to be the fastest XC mountain bike we've ever made, weight was at the top of our priorities list. We started with an efficient frame layout and tube shapes that feature clean cable routing, integrated channels through the shock extension, straight tubes with fewer curves, and optimized torsion profiles in every section. And, if you're curious, this weight savings is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 350 grams. For this S-Works model, we spared no expense with the build, so it features a custom RockShox SID World Cup fork w/ Brain Fade, a 12-speed SRAM XX1 Eagle groupset, powerful SRAM Level Ultimate brakes, and hand-built, featherweight Roval Control SL wheels. - S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame is the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight, resulting in the utmost efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC bike you've ever been on. - Our custom RockShox SID WC fork with Brain features a full-carbon upper, top-adjust Brain Fade, and a custom offset, making it the perfect match to the new Epic. - The Roval Control SL carbon wheels are the ultimate XC wheelset. They feature a 25mm internal width for optimal grip and rolling resistance, a strong, hookless bead rim construction, and weigh-in around a scant 1320g.
Specialized S-Works Women's Epic - 2019
Sure, there are other "fast" XC bikes out there, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one with all the features of the new Women's S-Works Epic. With a Rider-First Engineered design, refined and improved Brain suspension, and a redesigned frame, the Women's S-Works Epic is the fastest, most capable, and best fitting women's XC bike we've ever created. Racecourses have evolved over the past few years. They're more technical, steeper, and more challenging to ride. But instead of quivering in our boots, we saw this as an opportunity to make something special—something that both World Cup athletes and XC riders alike can instantly feel the benefit from. We looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well, like the head angle, reach, stack, chainstay length, fork offset, etc., and reevaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep, those fit, and not just a short-travel XC option, but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out, but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset, 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks. Next comes Brain 2.0. The original Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, both in its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh, was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team, the Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally reborn. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This, in turn, improves oil paths, and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market. The Epic also has a rider Rider-First Engineered design that places complex carbon pieces in all the right places, and this greatly increases stiffness in the front-end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size. And while stiffness, Brain technology, and geometry features are cool and all, we know what you're thinking, 'What about weight?' We're glad you asked. With the goal of the new Epic to be the fastest XC mountain bike we've ever made, weight was at the top of our priorities list. We started with an efficient frame layout and tube shapes that feature clean cable routing, integrated channels through the shock extension, straight tubes with fewer curves, and optimized torsion profiles in every section. And, if you're curious, this weight savings is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 350 grams. For the S-Works model, the build spares no expense, with a custom RockShox SID World Cup fork with our exclusive Brain technology, a rear RockShox Brain shock at the rear that's custom-tuned for women, a 12-speed SRAM XX1 Eagle groupset, powerful SRAM Level Ultimate brakes, and hand-built, featherweight Roval Control SL carbon fiber wheels. - S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame is the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight, resulting in the utmost efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC bike you've ever been on. - Our custom RockShox SID WC fork with Brain features a full-carbon upper, top-adjust Brain Fade, and a custom offset, making it the perfect match to the new Epic. - The Roval Control SL carbon wheels are the ultimate XC wheelset. They feature a 25mm internal width for optimal grip and rolling resistance, a strong, hookless bead rim construction, and weigh-in at a scant 1320g.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Epic Hardtail Ultralight - 2020
Think of the Ultralight edition of the Epic Hardtail as a science experiment—a lesson in just how crazy light and capable you could make a race bike. We pulled out all the stops on this one and the end result is your personal rocket ship to the top step of the winner’s podium. - At 775 grams, the new S-Works Epic Hardtail chassis is the lightest production hardtail frame on earth. What’s more, we’ve designed it to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance. - A Fox Factory Step-Cast 32 shaves the grams while providing 100 millimeters of silky, Kashima-coated suspension. And since weight is the enemy here, we equipped the Ultralight with some equally ultralight Roval Control SL carbon wheels. SRAM’s XX1 Eagle drivetrain gives you massive gear range and quick, precise shifts. Finally, the Ultralight can go from crazy-quick to a tidy stop, thanks to the trademark modulation and power of Magura’s MT8 SL disc brakes.
Specialized S-Works Epic Carbon Shimano XTR - 2020
For years now, one bike could always be counted on as a threat in any XC race—the S-Works Epic. The S-Works Epic has stormed its way to more World Championship titles and Olympic medals than anyone can count. This, right here, is the fast track to the podium. Perfectly evolved Race courses have evolved. They're more technical, steeper, and more challenging. The Epic stays well ahead of the curve, with handling that’s nimble, yet confident and controlled. A longer reach, slacker head angle, and custom fork offset all play a part here. Evolution, it turns out, is a beautiful thing. Hardtail efficient. Full-suspension control Suspension should always make you faster—never slow you down with energy-sucking suspension bob. Our ingenious Brain-equipped shocks keep the Epic firm when the trail is smooth, then automatically turns your bike plush the moment your tires meet rocks and roots. - S-Works, carbon chassis and ingenious Brain-equipped suspension—nothing’s faster. - RockShox SID Brain Ultimate fork—it’s firm during sprints and plush over the hits. - Shimano XTR 12-speed drivetrain provides lightning-quick and precise shifts. - You're looking at our lightest, quickest version of the Epic frame, meticulously constructed from Fact 12m fiber. It's the same chassis that's won numerous World Champsionip and national titles. Proven under the most demanding conditions, favored by the world's best riders. The S-Works Epic chassis has no rivals. - Meet Brain 2.0. We mounted the latest generation Brain shock closer to the axle, making it responsive to the smallest of bumps. - We also reduced oil turbulence for consistent suspension performance, no matter how big and fast the hits come. Next, we ditched the Brain’s original floating piston for a bladder system that yields even smoother action. The world’s smartest suspension just got even smarter. - Our custom RockShox SID Ultimate fork with Brain features a full-carbon upper, top-adjust Brain Fade, and a custom offset, making it the perfect match to the new Epic. - The Roval Control SL carbon wheels are the ultimate XC wheelset. They feature a 25mm internal width for optimal grip and rolling resistance, a strong, hookless bead rim construction, and weigh-in at a scant 1320g. - Shimano XTR 12-speed drivetrain provides lightning-quick and precise shifts, season after season of hard-fought racing.
We’ve heard it all before: “This bike’s for going fast, that one’s for having fun.” “This one pedals well, that one shreds.” Why not make one bike that does everything well? Well, we did, and it's called the S-Works Stumpjumper. Unrivaled handling and stiffness, sublime suspension kinematics, and a complete abandon of proprietary nonsense—it rides like a dream. And with 29-inch wheels, you’re free to climb and descend at the hyperspeed that 29ers are known for. - The Stumpjumper's asymmetrical, FACT 11m carbon fiber construction is lightweight, stiff, and ready to take on the trail. It's built off our 29 Trail Geometry, so it's just the right amount of both capable and comfortable. And with SWAT integration in the downtube, a threaded BB, easy cable routing, and an all new chain silencer, it's ready for anything the trail, or you, throw at it. - FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory has three modes—Open, Trail, and Firm—that control large compression adjustments on-the-fly. There’s also a tool adjust compression adjustment that allows for fine-tuning of the compression in Open mode. - The legendary FIT4 damper, large stanchions, buttery-smooth Kashima coating—the FOX 36 Factory 150mm fork is one of the best out there.
Specialized S-Works S-Works Epic Hardtail AXS - 2020
Take the lightest and most capable carbon hardtail frame available and deck it out in drool-worthy bits. Said bits include the SRAM's wireless XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain, an integrated power meter, ultralight carbon wheels, and a custom RockShox SID Brain Ultimate fork. - At 775 grams, the new S-Works Epic Hardtail chassis is the lightest production hardtail frame on earth. What’s more, we’ve designed it to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance. - Custom RockShox SID Brain Ultimate cuts every possible gram, thanks to its carbon steerer and fork crown. What’s more, it boosts your sprint speed, thanks to its top-adjust Brain Fade damper, which makes for a brilliant fork that goes plush when you want it to and stays firm when it’s time to get out of the saddle and launch your next attack. - Blazing fast shifts with nary a derailleur cable in sight—that’s the promise of the AXS edition of the S-Works Epic Hardtail. And the bling doesn’t end with SRAM’s premier, wide-range drivetrain. The bike also sports top-of-the-line SRAM Level Ultimate disc brakes, a QUARQ XX1 Eagle Power Meter, and ultralight Roval Control SL carbon wheelset. - Get more out of every training ride by precisely gauging your power output with the QUARQ XX1 Eagle Power Meter
© 2019 Red Rock Bicycle | All Rights Reserved | Your Privacy
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Himalayan Riders: Eye-Witness Report
Venus as possible future of the Earth
The Chukotka expedition of I. P. Tolmachoff: in search of the Northern Route
Physicist and Biologist: High Energy Pair
Maybe-Bag and Let It Be. Ecological Crisis in Lake Baikal: A Mystery of the Century
Major Supereruptions in the Earth's History Were Caused by Deep Water Migration
The Controlled Explosion
NSU Distance Learning School: 50 Years After
Medicine of the future: Siberian scientists have invented a drug able of coping with serio...
Collision with Andromeda
A Different Archaeology Pazyryk culture: a snapshot, Ukok, 2015
The Epoch of Acceleration
The Ukok Female Warrior Has Changed Sex New paleogenetic data on the bearers of the Pazyr...
Ancient Fashion: Leggings from Steppe Leader’s Wardrobe
Ecological Crisis on Lake Baikal: Diagnosed by Scientists
Steppe Fashion. Items from the Wardrobe of Ancient Nomads
Oil and Gas of the Russian Arctic: History of Development in the 20th Century, Resources, ...
From Arctida to the Present-Day Arctic
On the Path to Celestial Pastures
“We Drank Soma, We Became Immortal…”
Food without "Soul" Does Not Fill. Social and Ritual Aspects of Yakuts' Traditio...
Alcohol and Hallucinogens in the Life of Siberian Aborigines
Daughter of a Denisovan Father and a Neanderthal Mother, or Modern Humans as Product of An...
Here comes the world fame
SIBERIAN PRINCESS:
“We drank Soma, we became immortal...”
The Ukok Female Warrior Has Changed Sex
Lake Baikal: Fire and Ice
A good journal for inquisitive people
Send paper
According to Science, the daughter of a Denisovan and a Neanderthal is among the 2018 top ten breakthroughs in sciencePaleogeneticist S. Pääbo: “The complete skeleton of a Denisovan may have been found long ago but has not been identified yet.” The studies of the Altai Paleolithic has “blown up” the accustomed assumptions about the ways modern humanity developed Dyed fabric from the “frozen” Pazyryk burial sites of Gorny Altai is a striking testimony to the connections between this culture and ancient civilizations of the Middle East
Town: Novosibirsk
Publishing house: INFOLIO
The Suzukteh Mounds (in Russian)
(Noin-Ula, Mongolia). Part 1
Authors: Bogdanov, Evgeny S. Polosmak, Natalia V.
The book The Suzukteh Mounds (Noin-Ula, Mongolia) Part 1 presents the results of long-term studies of Xiongnu burials at the Noin-Ula burial site (Mongolia) (end of the 1st century BC to 1st century AD). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the materials on mounds 11, 22, and 31 have been published in full. The book gives a detailed description of the burial rituals and the accompanying items. The new materials are compared with those from Kozlov’s excavations at Noin-Ula at the beginning of the 20th century and with the recent findings from the Xiongnu graves on the territory of Transbaikalia and Mongolia. The book details the influence of the Han Chinese culture on the burial rituals and clothing of the Xiongnu nobility. Read the full abstract
SCIENCE First Hand is an illustrated interdisciplinary popular science journal. It has been available since 2004 in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok, one of the world's largest research centers. The print version in Russian is published six times a year. SCIENCE First Hand, the electronic version in English, is published three times a year.
Working closely with Novosibirsk State University, the SB RAS research institutes, and the Novosibirsk Technopark, we publish unique and reliable materials on the most relevant, interesting and important topics.
The authors of SCIENCE First Hand are leading Russian and foreign scientists. The topics cover almost all fields of human knowledge such as biology, medicine, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, IT-technology, history, archeology, ethnography, etc.
Letter to editors
Electronic payments are made through the ROBOKASSA
© INFOLIO, 2020
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Brain stimulation enhances visual learning speed and efficiency
May aid in faster vision recovery after stroke
Practice results in better learning. Consider learning a musical instrument, for example: the more one practices, the better one will be able to learn to play. The same holds true for cognition and visual perception: with practice, a person can learn to see better–and this is the case for both healthy adults and patients who experience vision loss because of a traumatic brain injury or stroke.
The problem with learning, however, is that it often takes a lot of training. Finding the time can be especially difficult for patients with brain injuries who may, for instance, need to re-train their brains to learn to process visual cues.
But what if this learning process could be accelerated?
That’s what an international collaboration of researchers set out to determine. Teams members included University of Rochester researchers Duje Tadin, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and Krystel Huxlin, the James V. Aquavella, M.D. Professor in Ophthalmology at the University’s Flaum Eye Institute, and Lorella Battelli, group leader at the Italian Institute of Technology and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Motivated by emerging evidence that brain stimulation might aid learning, Tadin and Huxlin collaborated with researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology to study how different types of non-invasive brain stimulation affect visual perceptual learning and retention in both healthy individuals and those with brain damage. Their results, published in a paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, could lead to enhanced learning efficacy for both populations and improved vision recovery for cortically blind patients.
ENHANCING LEARNING WITH BRAIN STIMULATION
Learning is difficult and often takes a long time, Tadin says, “because after early childhood our brains become less plastic.” The brain’s ability to change and reorganize itself decreases as a person ages, so learning new tasks, or re-learning tasks after experiencing a brain injury, becomes more challenging.
To test if and how visual perceptual learning might be accelerated, researchers presented study participants with a computer-based task. Participants were shown clouds of dots and were asked to determine which way the dots moved across the computer screen. The task measured the participants’ motion integration threshold; motion perception is important in enabling people to see movement and to avoid or interact with moving objects. Participants were then asked to perform the task while sub-groups were given different types of brain stimulations, each involving a non-invasive electrical current applied over the visual cortex. The researchers found that one particular type of stimulation, called transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), had remarkable effects on improving participants’ motion integration thresholds when they performed the task.
“All groups of participants got better at the dot motion task with practice, but the group that also trained with tRNS improved twice as much and was able to learn the motion task better than other groups,” Tadin says.
Surprisingly, the researchers also found that when they re-tested the participants six months later, the boosts in performance were still there: the participants in the tRNS group had retained what they had learned and were still able to do better on the motion task compared to the groups that were given other stimulation techniques or training alone.
‘SOMETHING WE’VE NEVER SEEN IN THIS PATIENT POPULATION’
Tadin, Huxlin, and Battelli then extended their findings to patients who had suffered a stroke or other traumatic brain injury that affected their visual cortex, rendering them partially blind.
Huxlin had previously developed an eye-training system to assist stroke patients with recovering vision. The system includes a computer-based device that delivers a set of exercises to stimulate the undamaged portions of the visual cortical system. Through this visual training, the undamaged areas learn to process visual information that would normally be processed by the damaged parts.
Working with participants who had experienced traumatic brain injuries, the researchers coupled Huxlin’s visual training therapy and tRNS applied to both damaged and undamaged parts of the patients’ brains. These participants, too, experienced improvement in visual processing and function after only 10 days.
“This fast improvement is something we’ve never seen in this patient population,” Huxlin says.
The research offers promise for overcoming key hurdles in vision therapy for patients who have experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury. Re-learning visual perception lost because of neurological damage typically requires months of training. Moreover, it’s unclear how long the recovered abilities are retained once the therapy has ended.
“The beauty of this combined therapy is the very short training,” Battelli says. “When you work with stroke patients you quickly realize that there is a lot of fluctuation in their ability to stay on task. Thus, training that is short and effective is a big advantage.”
But, while the two-pronged approach could lead to more efficient therapies, it’s less clear exactly why the approach works. That will be the focus of future research, Tadin says. “It appears that tRNS helps put the brain in a more plastic state, which makes it more amendable to training-induced change, or learning. What we hope to learn with future work is why this happens.”
Lindsey Valich
Learning/Literacy/ReadingMedicine/HealthMemory/Cognitive ProcessesOphthalmologyStroke
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Is it time to admit the 76ers, with their three All-Stars, just don't work?
Seerat Sohi
December 26, 2018, 5:49 PM UTC
For three quarters, Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid redrew the world in their own images.
Irving executed a pick-and-roll clinic, strapping defenders onto his back and firing off floaters and acrobatic layups a split-second before help arrived. He dove into the paint, faked and hit impossible faders.
Embiid dominated in the post, straddling to the left and to the right, sinking hook shots, finessing up-and-unders and drilling short jumpers. He treated double-teams from the Celtics’ smaller perimeter guards like a man who understood his station relative to theirs, leveraging his 7-foot, 250-pound frame to split through the defense and land at the basket. When burlier forwards like Jaylen Brown approached, he fired away from the perimeter. It felt like a natural extension of his desire to be more bruiser than floor spacer, until he sunk two threes without hesitation.
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Al Horford, his primary defender, stymied Embiid and nearly played him off the floor when the Celtics minced Philadelphia in five playoff games last May. The Celtics sagged off Ben Simmons, the jumper-less Rookie of the Year, and crowded the paint, making the starting lineup that dominated last year’s regular season look outmoded and inflexible. Nearly every decision Philadelphia has made since then has been with an eye toward becoming a team suited for playoff dominance. And it appeared the revamped Sixers, 13-7 since trading two-fifths of that lineup for four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, were turning over a new leaf.
But then the fourth quarter hit, and Embiid and the 76ers came crashing down to Kyrie’s flat earth. The Celtics turned up the pressure, ignored Simmons and sagged off Butler just so, finding more agreeable spots to trap Embiid, suffocating him and forcing the 76ers to cough up nineteen turnovers and a deluge of late-clock shots.
“I felt like I could have done more,” Embiid told reporters after the 121-114 overtime loss Tuesday. “I didn’t get the ball. The ball didn’t find me in the fourth and in overtime. In those situations, I gotta show up, but then also I gotta be put in the right situations to help the team, and I felt like I wasn’t in the right situations.”
Joel Embiid and the 76ers once again came up short against the Celtics. (Getty Images)
Indeed, Embiid accumulated 28 of his 32 points in the first three quarters. When asked if he thinks opponents regularly make effective second-half adjustments against him, he implied that double-teams shouldn’t deter his teammates from feeding him the ball. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I think everybody knows I’m a willing passer, that I’m not selfish. I’m gonna get guys involved. It doesn’t matter if they send a double- or triple-team, which I see a lot.”
In the meantime, Kyrie Irving’s crunch-time exploits became even more fantastical. Surrounded by floor-spacers, Irving isolated on Butler, drove into the paint and unfurled an off-dribble turnaround fadeaway that left his fingertips, narrowly escaped Butler’s outstretched arms, plopped through the net and sent the game to overtime. In overtime, Irving — who rarely ever has to wait for a solid post-entry pass before making his move — caught the ball on a dribble-handoff and immediately rose for the three that gave Boston their definitive lead. On the next possession, he sprinted up the floor in transition and nailed another heat-check triple, powering Boston’s 13-1 run to close out the game.
For the 76ers, Irving’s performance was damning not only because of what he did to them, but because it was a reflection of what they haven’t done: maximize the talent of their best player at the end of close games.
“In that environment,” Brown told reporters after the game, “all I think about it is: 92-92, three minutes left, Game 6. What are you going to do? And if that were the case tonight, we’d be in trouble. The good news is it’s December the 25th and this conversation can’t be had in late April, early May. We’ve got lots to work on. This will be a great reference point for me.”
One wonders: What can really change between now and then? Butler, an elite scorer whose 39 percent stroke is only sullied by his low volume, certainly rounds out a Big Three better than Fultz. And the departures of Dario Saric and Robert Covington in the Butler deal made way for JJ Redick to re-enter the starting lineup.
But the core structural problem persists: three All-Stars who don’t space the floor well surrounded only by two potential floor-spacers at a time, diminishing all of their strengths.
In the post, Embiid finds himself walled off on an island, contested jumpers and awry passing angles his only option. Putting Simmons in the post neutralizes his inability to shoot and lets him leverage his generational passing chops, but it turns Embiid into a glorified spot-up shooter. Butler, an excellent cutter and driver, is often aided by Simmons’ vision only to find himself stymied by a help defender. Simmons thrives in transition; Embiid plods behind. All the while Butler is inclined to fill the same lanes they do.
In these moments, the reductive nature of the discourse around Simmons’ inability to shoot makes sense. Why focus on the one glaring flaw in a 6-foot-10 wonder with the vision to manifest passing lanes where none existed, turn the game into a layup line with a head of steam, post up and switch multiple positions on defense? Because pressure reduces the game to its core elements: In the closest thing to a playoff environment the 76ers have faced since being knocked out by the Celtics in May, the best they played was when Embiid played without Simmons and Butler.
Brown and the 76ers understand that they’re working against the math. In fact, they’ve always respected the math. The Process was almost disturbingly analytical, which makes it all the more baffling that they’re now trying to win a championship with a core of below-average shooters. How is it that the Sixers, who headed the most meticulously planned rebuild in NBA history, look like an accident?
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Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus
A. Marshell, P. J. Mumby
Marine Science and Fisheries
Investigating the functional role of herbivorous fish species is important for understanding reef resilience and developing targeted management plans. Among the most abundant fish species on Indo-Pacific coral reefs are the surgeonfishes Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. A. nigrofuscus is an herbivorous grazer that crops filamentous algae from the epilithic algal matrix, while C. striatus is detritivorous and was thought to 'brush' detritus from the surface of filamentous algae, causing little damage to algal strands. Although the foraging mechanisms and general diet of these surgeonfishes have been established, their grazing impact on epilithic algal turfs has been unclear. This is the first study to quantify the grazing impact of A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus on algal turfs. Through aquaria trials using epilithic algal turf grown on experimental tiles, we found that both A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus consistently fed more intensively upon sparse/short algal turfs even though the yield of algae per bite was greater for dense/long algal turfs. As there was no difference in the nutritional value of sparse and dense algal turfs, we hypothesise that A. nigrofuscus avoided dense turf due to its significantly greater sediment load than sparse turf, while C. striatus likely avoided dense turf as it would become entangled in their bristle-like teeth. Unexpectedly, despite its dental morphology, C. striatus removed significantly more algal turf per hour than A. nigrofuscus, irrespective of canopy height. The capability of C. striatus to remove significant quantities of algal turf through their foraging activity implies that this abundant and widespread species may substantially affect algal turf dynamics. If this is the case, the exclusion of detritivorous Ctenochaetus species from herbivorous fish functional groups used in resilience monitoring will need to be re-evaluated.
Acanthuridae
functional role
lawns and turf
filamentous alga
functional group
crop (digestive system)
Algal turf
Detritivore
Ecological role
Marshell, A., & Mumby, P. J. (2012). Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. Coral Reefs, 31(4), 1093-1101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0931-y
Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. / Marshell, A.; Mumby, P. J.
In: Coral Reefs, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2012, p. 1093-1101.
Marshell, A & Mumby, PJ 2012, 'Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus', Coral Reefs, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1093-1101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0931-y
Marshell A, Mumby PJ. Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. Coral Reefs. 2012;31(4):1093-1101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0931-y
Marshell, A. ; Mumby, P. J. / Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. In: Coral Reefs. 2012 ; Vol. 31, No. 4. pp. 1093-1101.
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title = "Revisiting the functional roles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus",
abstract = "Investigating the functional role of herbivorous fish species is important for understanding reef resilience and developing targeted management plans. Among the most abundant fish species on Indo-Pacific coral reefs are the surgeonfishes Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. A. nigrofuscus is an herbivorous grazer that crops filamentous algae from the epilithic algal matrix, while C. striatus is detritivorous and was thought to 'brush' detritus from the surface of filamentous algae, causing little damage to algal strands. Although the foraging mechanisms and general diet of these surgeonfishes have been established, their grazing impact on epilithic algal turfs has been unclear. This is the first study to quantify the grazing impact of A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus on algal turfs. Through aquaria trials using epilithic algal turf grown on experimental tiles, we found that both A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus consistently fed more intensively upon sparse/short algal turfs even though the yield of algae per bite was greater for dense/long algal turfs. As there was no difference in the nutritional value of sparse and dense algal turfs, we hypothesise that A. nigrofuscus avoided dense turf due to its significantly greater sediment load than sparse turf, while C. striatus likely avoided dense turf as it would become entangled in their bristle-like teeth. Unexpectedly, despite its dental morphology, C. striatus removed significantly more algal turf per hour than A. nigrofuscus, irrespective of canopy height. The capability of C. striatus to remove significant quantities of algal turf through their foraging activity implies that this abundant and widespread species may substantially affect algal turf dynamics. If this is the case, the exclusion of detritivorous Ctenochaetus species from herbivorous fish functional groups used in resilience monitoring will need to be re-evaluated.",
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AB - Investigating the functional role of herbivorous fish species is important for understanding reef resilience and developing targeted management plans. Among the most abundant fish species on Indo-Pacific coral reefs are the surgeonfishes Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Ctenochaetus striatus. A. nigrofuscus is an herbivorous grazer that crops filamentous algae from the epilithic algal matrix, while C. striatus is detritivorous and was thought to 'brush' detritus from the surface of filamentous algae, causing little damage to algal strands. Although the foraging mechanisms and general diet of these surgeonfishes have been established, their grazing impact on epilithic algal turfs has been unclear. This is the first study to quantify the grazing impact of A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus on algal turfs. Through aquaria trials using epilithic algal turf grown on experimental tiles, we found that both A. nigrofuscus and C. striatus consistently fed more intensively upon sparse/short algal turfs even though the yield of algae per bite was greater for dense/long algal turfs. As there was no difference in the nutritional value of sparse and dense algal turfs, we hypothesise that A. nigrofuscus avoided dense turf due to its significantly greater sediment load than sparse turf, while C. striatus likely avoided dense turf as it would become entangled in their bristle-like teeth. Unexpectedly, despite its dental morphology, C. striatus removed significantly more algal turf per hour than A. nigrofuscus, irrespective of canopy height. The capability of C. striatus to remove significant quantities of algal turf through their foraging activity implies that this abundant and widespread species may substantially affect algal turf dynamics. If this is the case, the exclusion of detritivorous Ctenochaetus species from herbivorous fish functional groups used in resilience monitoring will need to be re-evaluated.
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KW - Detritivore
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KW - Functional groups
KW - Herbivore
KW - Surgeonfish
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DO - 10.1007/s00338-012-0931-y
JO - Coral Reefs
JF - Coral Reefs
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DOE Announces University Supercomputer Partnerships
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that, for the first time, its computing resources will be made available to academic researchers. The California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and the University of Utah were selected as DOE's Academic Strategic Alliances Program (ASAP) Centers of Excellence.
The program will team the universities with three national laboratories - Sandia, Livermore and Los Alamos - to develop advanced computer modeling and simulations to certify the safety and reliability of nuclear weapons in support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, as well as broader national goals.
DOE operates the world's fastest computer at Sandia National Laboratories. It is building computers at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories that will be three times faster than the Sandia computer. DOE sought assistance from the universities to develop skills and techniques for using this computing power to maintain the nation's nuclear stockpile.
The Academic Strategic Alliances Program will fund $250 million of research at the five universities over a decade. According to DOE, the participating universities will "focus on one or more national-scale multi-disciplinary applications in non-classified areas in which computer modeling and simulation would advance not only the state of knowledge in that area, but also prove useful to the nuclear stockpile stewardship effort.
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Rachid Ghezzal
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Newport County shocks Leicester City as five PL clubs exit
By Nicholas MendolaJan 6, 2019, 1:47 PM EST
A late Padraig Armond penalty helped Newport County to a surprising 2-1 win over Premier League mainstay Leicester City in FA Cup action on Sunday at Rodney Parade.
Jamille Matt also scored for the Exiles, who became the second League Two side to knock off a top-flight team on the day after Fulham was upended by Oldham Athletic.
It was one of several big upsets on Sunday, though we’ll get to those a bit further down the page.
Rachid Ghezzal scored for Leicester, who left Jamie Vardy, Harry Maguire, Wilfred Ndidi, and Kasper Schmeichel out of the 18, and only found their equalizer once Demarai Gray and James Maddison subbed into the game.
Matt scored in the 10th minute.
⚽️ | @NewportCounty take an early lead against Premier League @LCFC. pic.twitter.com/Oavw9e0e5S
— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2019
Leicester needed 72 minutes of play to level the score through Ghezzal, their first success in a match which held 70 percent for the Foxes and a 24-9 edge in shot attempts.
But the stalemate was only three minutes long, as Marc Albrighton handled a ball in the box, and up stepped Armond. Scenes, as they say.
🔥 | It's heating up at Rodney Parade as @NewportCounty regain the lead pic.twitter.com/BFoEZ5a1Wo
More upsets
League One side Gillingham used home field to beat Cardiff City 1-0 on Saturday.
Huddersfield Town lost 1-0 at Championship side Bristol City.
Bullets dodged
Newcastle United got a late penalty from Matt Ritchie to dodge Blackburn Rovers upset bid at St. James’ Park, and will face a replay at Ewood Park.
Jordan Ayew‘s late goal helped Crystal Palace avoid a stunning home loss to Grimsby Town.
Burnley got a lone goal in holding off Barnsley.
Southampton tossed away a 2-0 lead at Derby County but will still get the chance to advance through a replay.
A pair of early goals had Everton ticketed for an easy ride past Lincoln City, but the Imps had other ideas and were unlucky not to level the score late in a 2-1 Saturday loss.
Big boys have little problem
Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata scored as Manchester United beat Reading 2-0 while handing Tahith Chong a debut at Old Trafford.
Manchester City hung seven goals on Rotherham United on Sunday, with Ilkay Gundogan starring with four assists.
Spurs absolutely worked over Tranmere Rovers, scoring seven goals of their own in a Friday clean sheet.
Blackpool was pesky enough in front of a half-empty stadium, but Arsenal mostly cruised in a 3-0 win highlighted by a pair of Joe Willock goals.
Chelsea got a brace from Alvaro Morata in knocking off Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool plays Monday at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Other Premier League teams
Watford dodged a solid challenge from non-league Woking and its assistant coach, long time Premier League broadcaster Martin Tyler.
West Ham United scored in the second minute through Marko Arnautovic and added an Andy Carroll goal in stoppage time to hold off Birmingham City.
Brighton and Hove Albion beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
Tags: FA Cup, Jamille Matt, League Two, Leicester City, Newport County, Padraig Armond, Premier League, Rachid Ghezzal, Andy Carroll, Demarai Gray, Fred, Harry Maguire, Ilkay Gundogan, James Maddison, Jamie Vardy, Joe Willock, Jordan Ayew, Juan Mata, Kasper Schmeichel, Marc Albrighton, Marko Arnautovic, Matt Ritchie, Rachid Ghezzal, Romelu Lukaku, Tahith Chong
Transfer Rumor Roundup: Bony to West Ham, Hart could stay at City
By Kyle BonnAug 19, 2016, 8:31 AM EDT
All signs have pointed towards Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart – cast aside by new manager Pep Guardiola in dramatic fashion – departing the Etihad before the transfer window shut.
With Hart benched and a replacement deal all but complete, it makes too much sense. However, a report suggests that may not be the case.
According to BBC’s David Ornstein, things have happened so suddenly that Hart feels he might not have enough time to ponder the best move for himself and his family, and thus could likely stay at City to fight for his place.
Everton & Sevilla have expressed interest in signing Joe Hart. He wants loan, doesn't feel 2wks enough to decide permanent future #MCFC #EFC
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) August 17, 2016
The options are limited in the first place. Everton seems to be the only Premier League destination with any legs, but even they have just purchased Maarten Stekelenburg this summer, and while Hart would represent an upgrade, it’s still an unsettling position purchasing a player to replace one you’ve just purchased. Sevilla is also reportedly interested, but the Spanish club is seemingly second-guessing itself and the interest seems on and off at best.
Despite all this, reports over the past few days suggest that Hart’s mentality is to avoid a short-term out, which is what Sevilla would likely represent with interest in a loan only. It feels more likely that the 29-year-old will stay at City – at least until the winter – than make a kneejerk move to a new club in the next two weeks.
Much of this Hart business seems contingent on Manchester City signing Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, which likely won’t happen before the Catalans secure a replacement. It seems the club is adamant on having two goalkeepers, which they have done for the past two seasons, sharing the time between Bravo and young Marc-Andre ter Stegen. With ter Stegen staying put, they would like to bring in someone at least as competition, if not to continue sharing time.
A pair of players have seen their names crop up among rumors the most. First is 23-year-old PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, who has just broken into the PSG first team this season for the first time. With Kevin Trapp remaining the starter and cast-away Salvatore Sirigu still not moved, it’s possible a move to Barcelona could be mouth-watering for Areola.
The other, seemingly more likely option is Ajax starter and Dutch international Jasper Cillessen. The 27-year-old has a wealth of experience, having started regularly for the Dutch giants the past three club seasons, and finding himself as the first-choice national team starter since late 2013 as well.
A Manchester City fringe player who seems more likely to leave is Wilfried Bony, who suddenly has a suitor thanks to a nasty injury elsewhere.
With new signing Andre Ayew out for months after tearing his quad, West Ham are yet again left without a star striker to feature alongside Andy Carroll. With little time to find a replacement, Bony seems like a solid fit on a short-term loan, considering the Ivorian is on the outside looking in at the Etihad.
Kelechi Iheanacho‘s new five-year contract suggests that Bony is stuck behind both the youngster and superstar Sergio Aguero, and his best bet for immediate playing time would be a move to the Olympic Stadium. It’s unlikely that West Ham would have the money set aside to complete a permanent move for Bony for anything less than a massively cut-priced deal given the sudden nature of their need, so a loan is likely preferable for the Hammers.
Everton is doing most of its business late in the window, and they may have swooped in on another club’s target.
According to reports in France, the Toffees have submitted a bid for Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal and may have seen it accepted. West Ham have been tracking the player for weeks, even reportedly submitting a pair of rejected bids, and now Everton may have taken advantage of the Hammers’ slow build.
Ghezzal, 24, has reportedly rejected a new contract at Lyon and therefore has been shopped around this summer. The winger has been left out of the Lyon squad to start the season, but that is due to an adductor tear that will keep him out a further 2-3 weeks.
The Everton bid for Ghezzal is reportedly $12.5 million, with West Ham’s rejected bids in the range of $8 million and $10 million. Their interest in the Algerian is surprising given their recent deal with Yannick Bolasie, although Bolasie is more proficient on the left side of the pitch, whereas Ghezzal is primarily a right winger.
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Tags: Alphonse Areola, Barcelona, Everton, Jasper Cillessen, Joe Hart, Manchester City, Rachid Ghezzal, Sevilla, West Ham United, Wilfried Bony, Amat, Andy Carroll, Joe Hart, Kelechi Iheanacho, Maarten Stekelenburg, Pep Guardiola, Wilfried Bony, Yannick Bolasie
Transfer Rumor Roundup: Defour to break Burnley record, Mustafi to Arsenal back on
By Kyle BonnAug 12, 2016, 8:03 PM EDT
With Middlesbrough making big-name moves and even Championship clubs spending like crazy, Burnley is just looking to keep up.
The agent of Anderlecht midfielder Steven Defour says that the two clubs have agreed to bring the 28-year-old Belgian to the Premier League in a $9 million deal that would make Defour the Clarets’ record signing.
Defour has come close to joining the Premier League on multiple occasions in the past. Everton had a bid rejected by Standard Liege in 2011, Manchester United was reportedly interested around that time as well, and Fulham came close to a deal in 2014 but talks broke down with Porto and Defour moved to Anderlecht.
Burnley still has not yet confirmed the deal, but Anderlecht has, wishing him “good luck” on Twitter.
Le #RSCA et Burnley FC ont trouvé un accord concernant le transfert définitif de @StevenDefour. Bonne chance ! pic.twitter.com/usx8TxhPo4
— RSC Anderlecht (@rscanderlecht) August 12, 2016
Arsenal has been linked to Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi for much of the summer, but things have been quiet at the Emirates and Gunners fans are starving for an addition to counter some early-season injuries. Now, according to Spanish media reports, things might be hitting high gear.
Plaza Deportiva reports that Valencia owner Peter Lim flew to London to complete the transfer. The report also states Mustafi has already agreed to a deal with Arsenal, and the fee is all that is required to green light a medical.
The deal will reportedly cost Arsenal $39 million, despite Mustafi’s release clause of $54 million. Fueling the fire, Mustafi was left out of Wednesday’s friendly with a Nigerian all-star team.
Stoke City defender Marc Wilson has suddenly fallen out of favor with manager Mark Hughes and looks ready to find himself a new club. The 28-year-old has been with the Potters since 2010, but a week ago went on an eye-raising Twitter tirade targeting Hughes’ training, tactics, and team selection.
During a Q&A with fans, Wilson tweeted things like, “it would actually help if we ever did any defensive training which we dont,” I think I deserve game time, only way to get fit but hey that’s down to the manager. Finished last season horrifically,” and “think we have gotten away from being a tight compact unit when we lose the ball.”
On Friday, when asked about the incident during the pre-match press conference leading up to Saturday’s Premier League opener at Middlesbrough, Hughes confirmed Wilson is likely to depart. “It’s fair to say that Marc feels his future lies elsewhere and it’s fair to say I probably agree with him,” said Hughes. “Sometimes players can be frustrated with a perceived lack of opportunity and that’s the case with Marc. He maybe expressed himself in the wrong way.”
Everton has seen a $11 million bid rejected for Lyon forward Rachid Ghezzal, according to a report by Goal.
The Toffees are leaving their business late, having just secured the purchase of Swansea defender Ashley Williams. Now, they’ve reportedly targeted the unsettled Algerian, who rejected a new contract with the Ligue 1 side, and Friday was sent to train with the reserves until his future is sorted, according to Lyon manager Bruno Genesio. West Ham have also reportedly submitted bids that were rejected, and Arsenal is apparently interested, but not willing to submit an offer until January.
Ghezzal is a Lyon academy product and scored eight goals and eight assists last year in 28 Ligue 1 appearances. The 24-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract at Lyon.
Tags: Anderlecht, Arsenal, Burnley, Everton, Marc Wilson, Mark Hughes, Olympique Lyonnais, Rachid Ghezzal, Shkodran Mustafi, Steven Defour, Stoke City, Valencia, Ashley Williams, Marc Wilson, Mark Hughes
Newport County shocks Leicester City as five PL clubs exit January 6, 2019 1:47 pm Transfer Rumor Roundup: Bony to West Ham, Hart could stay at City August 19, 2016 8:31 am Transfer Rumor Roundup: Defour to break Burnley record, Mustafi to Arsenal back on August 12, 2016 8:03 pm
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Why Are People All Different Colors?
Where Is the Longest River?
How Many Cars Are on the Road at One Time?
Wonders of the Day with Charlie
What Are Sakura?
Today’s Wonder of the Day features a Japanese icon of breathtaking — but brief — beauty. Are you ready to blossom?
Why Are Rainforests Important?
Today’s Wonder of the Day might have you singing, “Let it rain!”
Who Displayed the First Christmas Tree?
Today’s Wonder of the Day is tall, green, and full of ornaments!
Can You Drive Through a Tree?
Today’s Wonder of the Day hits the road for a drive through some tall, leafy giants!
Do Trees Get Scared?
Watch out! Today’s Wonder of the Day may scare you stiff.
Why Are All Snowflakes Different?
Put on your mittens! Grab your scarf! Today’s wonder is going to let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
Why Can’t Penguins Fly?
Today’s Wonder of the Day can flap its wings as hard as it wants, but it won’t get off the ground!
Why Do Stink Bugs Stink?
Whew! Today’s Wonder of the Day really, really stinks!
Can Anything Live Forever?
Has a sea creature found the fountain of youth? Find out today in Wonderopolis!
Why Do Birds Fly in a V?
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s... a V.
What Is a Fish Tornado?
There’s something distinctly fishy about today’s Wonder of the Day!
Why Do Bees Sting?
Wonderopolis is all abuzz because of today’s Wonder of the Day!
Why Would You Hike At Night?
Join us today for Camp What-A-Wonder! And don’t forget to bring a flashlight!
How Far Can a Paper Airplane Fly?
Spread your wings and take flight with today’s all-new Wonder of the Day!
Charlie Engelman is a writer, producer, and director of two National Geographic television series, Nature Boom Time! and Weird But True. His career as a science communicator began while he was still an undergraduate in ecology at the University of Michigan when his proposal, Nature Boom Time, was chosen from over 700 worldwide entries in Nat Geo’s “Expedition Granted” contest to identify the next-generation explorer. Since then, his writing and producing work has earned accolades and admiration throughout the industry including three Emmy Award Nominations for “Best Writing in a Children’s Series,” “Best Children’s Short Form Content,” and “Best Educational Program.” To-date he has been credited as the head writer on 45 children’s educational television episodes, and has produced and hosted over 200 hours of online science tutorials for kids.
Charlie’s work can be seen on the "World by Charlie" YouTube channel or on Fox and National Geographic Channels worldwide...
http://stage.wonderopolis.org/wonders-with-charlie
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Kevin P. O’Brien
Partner – Trial Attorney
Kevin is a partner and trial attorney at Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Law where he focuses his practice on complex personal injury litigation. Kevin’s representation involves individuals, families and businesses who are victims of the wrongful acts of others which have resulted in serious personal injury and wrongful death as a result of medical malpractice, products liability, construction accidents, premises liability automobile and trucking accidents. Kevin has also represented businesses as Plaintiffs in commercial litigation matters.
Kevin has experience working on a variety of complex civil cases including wrongful death claims, claims on behalf of serious personal injury victims and bad faith insurance claims. He has represented a number of victims of physical and sexual abuse by medical professionals, and in institutional settings such as schools, summer camps, and in the foster care system. He has also represented clients in claims for personal injuries caused by defective drugs and medical device products.
In recent years Kevin has successfully litigated and resolved matters of a complex nature and many of his colleagues often turn to him by referring complex, difficult and high-stakes cases for litigation and trial. Kevin has tried numerous significant cases to verdict including a recent sexual assault/ negligent security case which resulted in a significant recovery to his minor client and a Plaintiff’s verdict. In another recent case, Kevin represented a business in a property dispute, tried the case to verdict and was successful in having his verdict affirmed by the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts. The expected financial benefit to his client is in the millions of dollars. Other successful cases which Kevin has worked on include:
Eight Figure Confidential Product Liability Recovery
$1.95 Million Trucking Accident Recovery
$1.9 Million Medical Malpractice Recovery
Seven Figure Confidential Motor Vehicle Accident Recovery
$1.58 Million Construction Accident Recovery
$1.5 Million Trucking Accident Recovery
1.25 Million Commercial Motor Vehicle Recovery
1.255 Million Fraternity Liability Recovery
1.075 Million Product Liability Recovery
$1.05 Million Motor Vehicle Accident Recovery
$880,000 Motorcycle Accident/ Premises Liability Recovery
Additionally, some of the largest results Kevin has achieved for the firm’s clients are subject to confidentiality agreements, and cannot be disclosed.
Automobile & Trucking Accidents
Dram Shop / Liquor Liability
Premises Liability/Slip & Fall
Serious Personal Injury
Widener University School of Law, Juris Doctor (2011)
Boston College, Bachelor of Arts Political Science Major (2007)
Along with the cases he has tried to verdict in the Court System, Kevin has conducted several alternative dispute forum Arbitrations and Mediations which have resulted in substantial awards or settlements on behalf of his clients. Additionally he has argued in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania regarding novel issues of law on behalf of our firm’s clients. Every year from 2014 through 2019 Kevin has been named a “Rising Star” by the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, an award bestowed on the top 2.5% of all lawyers in Pennsylvania under the age of 40.
In 2007, Kevin received his B.A. in Political Science from Boston College, and is a 2011 graduate of Widener University School of Law. At Widener, Kevin was a member of the School’s Trial Team: the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Society, the Moot Honor Society, The Student Bar Association, and the Student Golf Association.
Kevin is currently licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey and the State of Florida.
Outside of work, Kevin is an avid surfer, who enjoys surfing all months of the year, especially in the cold New Jersey winters. Aside from surfing, Kevin is a competitive golfer, and enjoys practicing yoga, cycling, playing poker and great restaurants. He believes nothing is more important than family, and spends much of his time with his own family in and around the Philadelphia area. He lives in Center City, Philadelphia.
Our Legal Team
Joseph P. Stampone
Founder and Principal Shareholder
Daniel N. Stampone
Frank Mallon
Partner - Trial Attorney
John Hagan
James P. McNally
Jean Bryan
Senior Paralegal
Prince P. Holloway
Tracy Steiner
Tyler J. Stampone
Thomas M. Thistle
Debbie Edelman
Dominic Mallon
Dan T. Thistle
Andrea M. Sasso
Kimberly A. Kaisinger
Stephen Zamulinsky
Chief Pilot – Accident Investigation
Dr. Matthew D. Blum
Trial Attorney, Medical Doctor
J.B. Dilsheimer
Lauren Boffa-Taylor
Daniel T. Thistle
Kimberly Kaisinger
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The Big Lie Behind the “Pivot to Video”
The false metrics that Facebook is being sued over masked a deeper dishonesty: that users actually wanted more video.
By Will Oremus
Oct 18, 20186:15 PM
Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by John Thys/AFP/Getty Images.
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Once again, the media is righteously furious with Facebook—this time, for allegedly misleading advertisers as to how many people were watching videos on the social network. The fury may well be warranted, the righteousness not so much.
The outrage centers on Facebook’s alleged deception of advertisers about a particular statistic having to do with video viewership. (Facebook admits it screwed up, but denies that it intentionally misled people.) But that tiff masks a deeper lie on the part of Facebook and publishers alike.
To understand why any of this matters, you have to rewind to 2015. That’s when Facebook executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were going around the world preaching the gospel of online video. Video, they said, was the future of Facebook and the future of media. Text and pictures were on the outs. Within five years, they said, Facebook’s news feed might be mostly video.
To back up its claims, Facebook touted impressive statistics that showed vast numbers of people were not only seeing video in their feeds, but pausing to watch videos for extended periods of time. That kind of data is catnip to online advertisers, who pursue mostly in vain any morsel of evidence that people are actually paying attention to the ads they spend so much money on.
As advertising budgets shunted toward video to tap the apparent Facebook viewership goldmine, publishers’ editorial budgets followed. Publications such as Mic, Vice, Mashable, and many others laid off writers and editors and cut back on text stories to focus on producing short, snappy videos for people to watch in their Facebook feeds.
One problem: Facebook’s numbers turned out to be all wrong. In 2016, the Wall Street Journal reported (and Facebook subsequently confessed) that the company had been seriously miscalculating multiple key metrics, including “Average Duration of Video Viewed.” The error: Facebook was only counting views longer than three seconds in its “average,” and thus completely ignoring the vast majority of people who were scrolling right past them.
That was 2016. So why are people mad about it again in 2018?
Because, this week, a group of advertisers filed a lawsuit claiming that the measurement error was much worse than Facebook let on. Worse, they allege, Facebook knew of the error way back in 2015—and intentionally covered it up. Internal Facebook documents cited in the suit show Facebook employees discussing a “no-PR” strategy to temporarily hide the mistake, and looked for ways to downplay its scope and “obfuscate the fact that we screwed up the math.” Not a good look! (For perhaps the best overview of the lawsuit and its implications, read Laura Hazard Owen’s story in Nieman Lab.)
The claims in the lawsuit are explosive. If substantiated, they will further erode trust in Facebook, which already has a reputation for hiding major screw-ups such as the Cambridge Analytica data leak. Specifically, they will erode advertisers’ trust in Facebook—which could have a more direct impact on the company’s bottom line than more generalized user or public mistrust.
Facebook denies any such cover-up of the measurement error. “This lawsuit is without merit, and we’ve filed a motion to dismiss these claims of fraud,” the company said in a statement. “Suggestions that we in any way tried to hide this issue from our partners are false. We told our customers about the error when we discovered it — and updated our help center to explain the issue.” Facebook maintains that the seemingly incriminating quotes by its employees have been taken out of context. It also argues the error didn’t really affect advertisers all that much anyway because Facebook wasn’t using the mistaken figures in its calculations of how much to charge them.
One can understand why advertisers feel wronged, regardless. But that doesn’t quite explain the level of outrage from members of the media when the Wall Street Journal reported on the lawsuit Wednesday. And it doesn’t explain why people seem so much angrier about this now than they did in 2016, when the measurement error first came to light.
everyone fired over a pivot-to-video should class action sue facebook into a grave https://t.co/nVA8kgwvKI
— Rebecca Fishbein (@bfishbfish) October 17, 2018
Facebook is one of the single worst things to happen in the 21st century. That company should be shattered and the Earth should be salted in its wake.
— Chris Conroy (@ConroyForReal) October 17, 2018
To grasp that, you have to recall the way Facebook’s rosy claims about video viewership influenced not only advertisers, but publishers.
There’s a reason the phrase “pivot to video” still causes reporters to shudder: The staffing changes inspired by Facebook’s emphasis on video cost good journalists their jobs. In 2016, the fact that Facebook had been misrepresenting the viewership of video ads to advertisers didn’t necessarily seem like a huge deal to anyone other than advertisers. Fast forward to today and it’s clear the problems with online video ran deep. It turned out most people weren’t much more interested in watching editorial video content than they were in watching video ads. (There are exceptions, of course: Videos are ideal for conveying inherently visual content, including breaking news events, and can add an extra dimension to a story when used judiciously. People also really like watching food videos.) Earlier this year, Facebook itself announced that users will be seeing less video in their feeds. So much for Zuckerberg’s “golden age of online video.”
Some media companies pivoted back away from video, laying off a lot of the same folks they’d hired in their previous reorganizations. Some folded altogether. (Slate recently stopped producing original videos, though it did not lay off any staffers.) Brands were ruined, livelihoods lost, careers destroyed in pursuit of a geyser of video viewership that turned out to be a mirage. Add to that the allegation that Facebook knew all along it was a lie, and you’ve got some seriously pissed off journalists.
That’s understandable. No doubt Zuckerberg’s grand claims forced publishers to take note. But as a few timidly pointed out in the wake of the backlash, it also undersells the complicity of media companies and their backers in the misguided video pivot. The metrics Facebook presented to video advertisers, coupled with Zuckerberg and co.’s endorsement of video as the future of online media, probably influenced media companies’ decisions. But media companies were never the subject nor the main target of Facebook’s inflated numbers, and there’s no evidence that Facebook misled publishers as to how many people were watching their videos.
So forget the metrics misguidance for a moment. There was a big lie beneath the whole push to online video, but it wasn’t the one about average duration of videos viewed. The real lie was one in which both Facebook and the media participated. It was the one that said the push to video was about what people wanted.
The shift from text to video was never about what normal people wanted, for Facebook or the media companies that followed its lead. It was always about what advertisers wanted: the captive attention of consumers.
Since the dawn of the ad-supported internet, advertisers have suspected, known, secretly feared that no one was looking at their banner ads. That everyone was blocking their pop-ups. That ad blockers were rendering their messages invisible on more and more screens. Online video represented a new hope—the hope that pre-roll, mid-roll, and maybe even post-roll ads would interrupt editorial content so dramatically and unavoidably that people would have no choice but to watch. Facebook’s autoplay video feature (which Twitter copied) made this explicit: You literally couldn’t avoid watching video in your feed, even if you wanted to.
It was Facebook’s lie, but it was also the lie of every media company that pivoted to video on the pretense that it was somehow a better way to deliver their content. The notion is so patently disingenuous that it’s the subject of a famous Onion parody—which, by the way, predated Facebook’s measurement error. The lie persisted not only in the face of conventional wisdom, but ever-mounting evidence that supported the obvious conclusion: No one wants a video to start playing every time they try to read something online.
If there’s a lesson here beyond “don’t trust Facebook,” it’s that media companies are supposed to try to align their business models with their editorial goals—not the other way around.
Facebook Media Social Media
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Playing the Tourist: Box Hill
Miniseries Review - Emma
Book Review - Jane Austen's Emma
Not of Facts, Perhaps, But of Feelings
Contemplating the Dismal Rain in a Very Desponding...
Playing the Tourist: Portsmouth
TV Movie Review - Mansfield Park
Book Review - Jane Austen's Mansfield Park
200 Years of Pride and Prejudice
Based on the book by Jane Austen
Release Date: March 18th, 2007
Starring: Douglas Hodge, Jemma Redgrave, Maggie O'Neill, Julia Joyce, Zachary Elliott-Hatton, Greg Sheffield, Tara Berwin, Lucy Hurst, Billie Piper, James D'Arcy, Blake Ritson, Michelle Ryan, Rory Kinnear, Catherine Steadman, Joseph Morgan, Hayley Atwell, Joseph Beattie, and Dexter Fletcher
Fanny Price has been sent away from home to live with wealthy relatives because her mother can no longer afford to keep her. She is scared and intimidated and only her cousin Edmund takes the time to make her feel safe and loved. As she grows up that love becomes stronger which is fortunate as it's about to be tested. Her uncle leaves to attend business in Antigua and the young people take over the house. Fanny's cousin Tom has had his fun spoiled and decides to mount a play at Mansfield Park. His sisters, Maria and Julia will obviously perform, as will Maria's fiance Mr. Rushworth. The party is greater increased by two new neighbors, the siblings Henry and Mary Crawford. Yet Edmund and Fanny will not perform. It's not seemly for a variety of reasons but especially given that the play is rather risque. Though Edmund's growing attraction for Mary makes him foolish and he eventually agrees to perform under duress. Julia soon bows out on seeing that her engaged sister is flirting with Henry. And Fanny is roped into the production to replace Julia which is brought to a crashing halt by the return of her uncle. With Sir Thomas Bertram returned the hope is life will return to normal at Mansfield Park, but little do they know that isn't the case. The arrival of the Crawfords has changed everything. When Maria still goes through with her marriage to Mr. Rushworth Henry Crawford sets his sights on Fanny. He wants to make a little hole in her heart. Yet her heart is protected at least from Henry because it already belongs to Edmund, but the pain she feels on seeing Edmund fall for Mary is excruciating. Will Fanny lose the love of her life or will tragedy lead to a happy ending?
While this adaptation is a hectic haphazard headlong rush at translating Mansfield Park for the small screen the number one thing in it's favor is that it is nothing like the horror show that was the 1999 Frances O'Connor version. I still shudder thinking of that adaptation. In this version instead of augmenting Fanny with her creator, Jane Austen, the production went in a different direction and decided that instead of letting Fanny stand on her own they'd fix all supposed defects by making her more of a Lizzy Bennet and less of a Fanny Price. But the thing is I love Fanny for being Fanny and I love Lizzy for being Lizzy. They are characters that are both loved for being themselves. The Fanny embodied by Billie Piper feels like she's spent a little too much time around The Doctor. All she does is run. Everywhere. Fanny is playing shuttle cocks with Edmund. Fanny is playing hide and seek at Maria's wedding with some unknown child. Fanny is chasing Pug through the halls of Mansfield Park, which I'm sure her Aunt Bertram wouldn't approve of. All the while she's laughing and giggling. This isn't right. Fanny is a slight sickly girl who is retiring. She can't physically take much exercise except by horse. When I first saw this adaptation I would have said it was because Billie Piper perhaps had a more limited acting range, but seriously, have you seen Penny Dreadful? Because this is all on the writer and director and not on Billie. Plus by having Mary use Fanny's horse it doesn't have the betrayal and weight that it has in the book. Fanny was just put-out, it wasn't like her horse was her only form of exercise and this slight was the first sign of Edmund's infatuation with Mary which would pain Fanny so deeply.
But enough can not be said for the relief I feel in how this adaptation purposefully stepped away from the 1999 adaptation. This can be clearly seen when Henry and Edmund try to discuss the atrocities happening in Antigua and Edmund's mother just waves away any discussion of slavery with an oblivious line about the heat in the West Indies. To those not familiar with the earlier adaptation, which reveled in horrors and viewers had to endure Harold Pinter as Sir Thomas Betram raping his slaves, this line of Aunt Bertram might be a throwaway, but to those who know, it's a time to take a great sigh of relief. This is going to be Austen, not some social commentary on race, but social commentary on a confined society in a country house. And while I feel that of all Austen's novels Mansfield Park is the most confined to location and characters this adaptation takes it further. This is television, this is low budget, this is a small cast. They really weren't taking any risks with this adaptation. And while yes, I do think things could have been done differently, you can see why they did it this way. Mansfield Park is a tricky book to adapt and going for a smaller more intimate scale, while in keeping with the book, also made for an Austen adaptation that someone who didn't love the book could enjoy. The costumes might have felt a little dated and the fact that they never left the property might be perplexing to those who expect their period dramas to have multiple locations and lush sets, but I say so what? Smaller definitely worked better than bigger. Yes, it wasn't perfect, but Andrew Davies has yet to adapt Mansfield Park...
Yet I can not give this adaptation two thumbs up because of my love of Austen's book. The problem here is that while it still feels like Austen, which the 1999 version didn't achieve, there is still a diminishment of the story. It has been made smaller, lesser than. As I've previously stated, Fanny wasn't Fanny, but the greater truth is that none of the characters feel right. They are all slightly wrong. It's like when I tried to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the author had the gall to not use Austen's own words, which thankfully the movie adaptation rectified. Therefore having the lines be not quite Austen's here made me feel the same bafflement when I tried to read that atrociously written parody. As Andrew Davies has said, Austen is perfect, just cut and paste. Take liberties when Austen purposefully steps back. She never goes into great details about the proposals or the happily ever afters, so here you can have free reign, and in fact in those moments of this adaptation, that's when I felt it. That deep pain in my veins that this is true love, that these emotions on screen have triggered a physical response in me. Have taken me away to a place where tears of happiness aren't far behind. While in other parts I actually found myself cheering when an actual line from the book remained intact. And let's face it, while all Austen's lines are memorable, Mansfield Park has a large share of them. So why weren't more used? Also why was Fanny in the play? There is NO way she would have been in the play. IF you have to change things to make it work in the time and format allotted why can't you at least keep the little details intact, like the theatre curtains being green not red? Because the more little things you change the more acceptable you think it to change the words of one of the greatest authors who ever lived.
I'm not naive, I know that a lot of the culling, a lot of the diminishment of character is for the speed of the storytelling because even as a lover of Mansfield Park I can say that it's languid pace is almost stultifying, therefore it makes a good read to calm down before bed. But the downside to this dovetailing is that there is a diminishment of character in an attempt to make them better suited to the allotted time. In particular with regard to Edmund. Blake Ritson's lines have been almost completely excised because no one wants a preachy hero and Edmund really is full of himself. This means that all Blake is left with is languid gazes and pained expressions with a really horrid haircut. Mansfield Park is the first thing I remember seeing Blake in and I instantly formed an entirely erroneous opinion of him as an actor. I basically had him down as a pretty boy with no acting chops. This is so far from the truth that I urge you to seek out his other work to see his range. He's just so amazingly talented and here he's just wasted. I think he excels in bad boy roles personally, but if you're interested in sticking with Austen adaptations watch his Mr. Elton in the 2009 adaptation of Emma, which almost makes you completely forget the genius of Alan Cumming in the 1996 version. Dueling Mr. Es! My personal favorite though is his portrayal of the Duke of Kent in the reboot of Upstairs Downstairs, even if the conflicted baddie Riario in Da Vinci's Demons is melodramatic fun at it's most camp. But Blake isn't alone in this category of wonderful actors underutilized, this could be said for much of this perfectly cast adaptation. This also shows that a perfect cast can not cure defects in directing and adapting.
But oddly enough the thing that annoyed me the most was Mr. Rushworth. If you don't know I kind of hate Rory Kinnear. This is a problematic hatred because he's literally in everything. Every once in awhile he surprises me into liking him, Penny Dreadful, The Imitation Game were good roles for him, but then along comes Women in Love and Vexed and I hate him all over again. So you'd think my hatred of Rory Kinnear would be why I was annoyed with Mr. Rushworth, yet oddly it's not. What annoys me about Mr. Rushworth is the changing of his timeline with the family. Because the changing of the timeline would have inevitably changed the outcome of events. It's freaking butterfly chaos theory time people and this wasn't taken into consideration at all in this adaptation. In the book Mrs. Norris makes the connection between Mr. Rushworth and Maria while Sir Thomas is in Antigua. It's a feather in her hat and all that. Here when Sir Thomas announces he must leave for Antigua Mr. Rushworth is already of the family party and is instructed to hold the wedding til his return from his amazingly fast and I think actually geographically impossible trip to Antigua in the time allotted. Um no. That's about it. No. Let's look at the reasons for all this "no" coming from me. The whole point of Rushworth is to show the detrimental interference of Mrs. Norris but also to show Sir Thomas's lack of fatherly concern because he quickly realized the defects in Rushworth and KNEW it wasn't going to work for Maria and even implored her to change her mind if she so wanted. But if Sir Thomas had been there since the couple did get coupled he would have stopped it before it had ever started. Then Maria would have met Henry Crawford in time and they could have gotten married and then that would have been the end of that. People sometimes just don't think that what might be one little change for expediency actual has ramifications that destroy the plot going forward. I think Austen knew what she was doing and should never be second guessed.
Labels: Alan Cumming, Andrew Davies, Bicentenary Ball, Billie Piper, Blake Ritson, Elizabeth Bennet, Emma, Fanny Price, Frances O'Connor, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, Penny Dreadful, Rory Kinnear, Upstairs Downstairs
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A Long View Of The Arctic
Story by Kathryn Hansen | Visualizations by Jesse Allen Released on March 3, 2015
Hitch a ride with a satellite as it takes flight over the Arctic on the summer solstice.
In the Arctic summer, there are days when the sun never sets. This period of extended sunlight offers the chance to observe long expanses of Earth’s northern latitudes from space. On June 21, 2014—the summer solstice—the Operational Land Imager on the USGS-NASA Landsat 8 satellite acquired an image swath that exhibits the Arctic’s sunlit, although sometimes cloud-covered, land and ocean features. The swath in its entirety stretches roughly 4,200 miles long by 120 miles wide. The scenes begin in Scandinavia, track across Greenland, and end in western Canada. Watch the video to fly along on a tour of Arctic landscapes.
While much of the Arctic is still frozen in June, the ice is in various stages of melting. See a satellite’s view of the region in this video.
Greenland’s Elephant Foot Glacier is a piedmont-type glacier, which form when ice spills from a steep valley onto a relatively flat plain.
The various stages of sea ice in the Amundsen Gulf include blue ice, first-year ice, dark grey ice, and brash ice.
On Canada’s Victoria Island, early season melt water carries sediment from glacial erosion into lakes, giving them a uniform green color.
Landsat 8 Crosses the Arctic
Landsat-8 Long Arctic Swath
Visualizers/Animators:
Robert Simmon (Sigma Space Corporation)
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC)
Paul Przyborski (SSAI)
Matthew R. Radcliff (USRA)
Kathryn Hansen (SSAI)
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Symposia Labs
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Getting To Know Ann Van Heest
Ann Van Heest, Digital Marketing Project Manager
Ann Van Heest has been a project manager with Symposia since 2017. She’s a familiar (and friendly!) face to many of our clients. Get to know Ann!
Tell us a little about your background.
I grew up in Holland, Michigan, and have a degree in Communications from Taylor University in Indiana. I started my career in the nonprofit world, working in development and communications. I’ve also worked in hospitality, helping to manage communications for a destination marketing organization, as well as in retail marketing.
What makes you excited about the work you do?
Being able to help a company move forward to reach their goals in a new way is so exciting. The idea of digital transformation and being part of it with companies in a variety of industries has been really encouraging.
What challenges have you had to overcome in your field?
It’s a rewarding challenge to work with clients and specialists who have different agendas or levels of experience while trying to reach a goal together.
What is important to you about the culture at Symposia Labs?
Symposia’s culture of openness and transparency with our clients and each other is really refreshing.
When you’re not killing it at digital, what do you like to do?
I love being close to Lake Michigan. The beach or in the woods are some of my favorite places to be. I also love cooking and being at home with my husband and our dog, Rigby.
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Discuss?
Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard, Keke Wyatt, & More Rock McDonald’s ‘Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour’ in Atlanta [Photos]
Published: Sunday 23rd Jun 2019 by Rashad
That Grape Juice was in the house and among 6,000 excited concertgoers who assembled at Atlanta’s renown New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Saturday (June 22) for the highly anticipated annual McDonald’s ‘Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour.’
An extension of the corporation’s ‘Black & Positively Golden’ campaign (an initiative that shines a brilliant light on Black excellence through the areas of empowerment, education and entrepreneurship), the concert – headlined by mega-talents Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard, Keke Wyatt, Sir the Baptist, and more – was preceded by ‘The Golden Voice Talent Showcase’ and ‘Master Class.’
See details on the above and highlights from this must-see collection of events inside:
Atlanta-native Aarion Rhodes took home the grand prize at the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase. As part of the prize, Rhodes got to open the Atlanta concert of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour on June 22. The showcase is offered in select tour markets and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.
GOLDEN VOICE TALENT SHOWCASE: The power-packed experience kicked off with the Golden Voice Talent Showcase Friday night at the Riverside Epicenter. Twenty-four hopefuls from as near as metro Atlanta to as far as Rochester, NY, auditioned before a crowd of gospel music fans and judges, including musical powerhouses Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard and Sir the Baptist. RCA Inspiration Vice President of Marketing Damon Williams joined the judging panel, giving aspiring singers feedback on their performances.
In the end, Atlanta-native Aarion Rhodes, blew away the judges and onlookers with a traditional gospel hymn. She took home the grand prize, which included opening for the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert the following day in her hometown.
RCA Inspiration Vice President of Marketing Damon Williams, gospel music greats Sir the Baptist, Kierra Sheard and Donald Lawrence, (L-R) drop music industry knowledge on attendees during the first-ever Master Class. Hosted by media personality Lonnie Hunter (far right), the Master Class is offered in select markets of the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and is in partnership with RCA Inspiration.
MASTER CLASS: The following morning, the showcase judges joined tour host Lonnie Hunter for an in-depth Master Class, held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The panelists gave an intimate crowd an inside look into the music business.
Gospel music vocalist Tye Tribbett performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta.
CONCERT: The exciting weekend culminated with a much-anticipated, explosive concert featuring performances by Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist, Tye Tribbett, Keke Wyatt and DJ Standout. The event was hosted by Lonnie Hunter and drew approximately 6,000 attendees to New Birth.
Vocal powerhouse Keke Wyatt performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta.
Hip-hop gospel artist Sir the Baptist performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta.
Famed gospel vocalist Kierra Sheard performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta.
Legendary music director and producer Donald Lawrence performs during the 13th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert in Atlanta
The next Master Class will be held in Washington, D.C. on July 27, and the Tallahassee Golden Voice Talent Showcase and Master Class will take place October 4-5.
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Fans of ‘Lover’ singer Taylor Swift weren’t exactly loving the sparse list of dates announced for her forthcoming tour (as we revealed here). Kicking off summer 2020, the worldwide trek only sees her play four dates in her native United States – two on each… Read More
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Did You Miss It? Jazze Pha Surprises Ciara on Stage During ‘Beauty Marks Tour’
As Ciara continues to wow audiences across America on the critically acclaimed ‘Beauty Marks’ tour in support of her seventh studio album of the same name (click here for dates), she was wowed by a surprise guest appearance from her former producer, Jazze Pha.
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S1E7 : Season Finale : The Future of That Marketing Dude and The TMD Show
iTunesGoogle PlayListen in a New WindowLeave a ReviewClammr ItDownloadSoundCloudStitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe via RSSJoin The FB Group
Hey what’s up Dude’s and Dudette’s! This show is going to be a little different to all of the other episodes because it’s going to be just me… Lil’ old LBT talk to you 1-on-1 about the new direction I’m taking and to explain to you why this season is ending earlier than originally planned.
Lot’s of things have changed recently. Lots of good things and a few bad things.
One of the things I want to discuss is why I’m moving away from doing the FB Live show. It’s been AWESOME doing the show live, but there’s one thing in particular that is making me want to move away from in… All explained in the video.
This episode is short and sweet.
But I’ll be back for Season Two!
The future of That Marketing Dude
The future of The TMD Show
Why I’m moving away from FB Lives for the show
A rebrand is on its way
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The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to widespread adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems.
Augmented Reality offers tremendous potential for enterprises, promising to increase productivity, lower costs, improve safety, enable expertise to be shared more easily, and more. Whether you view it as the next computing paradigm, the key to new breakthroughs in manufacturing and service efficiencies, or the door to as-yet unimagined applications, it is clear that AR will have an unprecedented impact on enterprises of all kinds.
The AREA is working to help enterprises maximize the impact of AR by providing up-to-date resources and neutral, reliable guidance that make the path to AR adoption surer, shorter, and smoother. By identifying opportunities and challenges, disseminating information, spearheading research, promoting dialogue, and providing a forum for AR providers and enterprises, the AREA is clearing a path to interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems that fully deliver on their promises.
The mission of the AREA is to help companies in all parts of the ecosystem to achieve greater operational efficiency through the smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-assisted enterprise systems.
The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) was incorporated in the state of Delaware in December 2013 as a member-driven non-profit organization committed to the global advancement of Augmented Reality technology in enterprise. It emerged out of collaboration between thought leaders and early adopters of AR who share a stake in the successful expansion of a vibrant and healthy AR ecosystem to realize new revenues, cut operational costs, reduce risk to workflow, property and lives, and increase operational successes.
The charter members of the AREA originally met in the context of the AR Community activity, a global initiative begun in 2009. The AR Community (formerly the AR Standards Community) is a grassroots initiative of people who share the objectives of reducing obstacles to the development of open and interoperable AR content and experiences. The AR Community portal, mailing lists and meetings capture a global view of existing and emerging standards activities and open source projects directly or indirectly relevant to the development of open and interoperable AR. The portal catalogs existing specifications and supports the work of informal liaisons between independent standards development organizations and thought leaders in any organization that shares an interest in the growth of AR.
AREA's Staff
Mark Sage
AREA Executive Director
Founder and Managing Director, Sagey11, Ltd.
View Bio +
Mark Sage is the founder and managing director of Sagey11 Ltd. His company provides strategic and operational consulting on marketing and business development, focusing on building lasting partnerships especially for technology start-up and scale-up companies. He has worked with and led various alliances and associations primarily in the mobile operating system space (including Tizen Association and Symbian Foundation).
With a focus on building long-term relationships and offering value and ROI for its members, his goal is to develop a robust and active ecosystem for AR within the enterprise. His background includes a strong interest in AR, VR and IoT. He is excited to work with AR customers, providers and research organizations to the benefit and growth of AR within the enterprise.
James Cassidy
AREA Editor and Content Manager
Consultant, Cassidy & Co.
Jim supports the AREA by developing content strategy, authoring original and thought leadership content, editing content from members and third parties, and producing newsletters. A freelance marketing communications writer, Jim has operated his own company, Cassidy & Co., since 1990. Some of his notable writing credits include: annual reports for Biogen and PTC; executive speechwriting for EMC and Sun Life Financial; video scripting for Staples and MIT; website content for NTT DATA and Waters Corp.; and the voice-over script for C3PO in the international exhibit, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.
Rachel Sutcliffe
Social Media Consultant & Trainer, Zebra Consulting Group
Rachel Sutcliffe is the Founder of Social Media Consultancy Zebra Consulting Group, Scarborough, UK. Rachel provides part time support to the AREA promoting news, research, events and connecting Augmented Reality thought leaders globally via Twitter and LinkedIn.
Having completed an MSc in Elearning & Multimedia in 2015, Rachel developed a strong interest in Social Media, made it the topic of her dissertation and subsequently set up a business to assist enterprises using social media. As a qualified IT teacher with 10 years in the education sector, Rachel now delivers training to the business community.
Her strong interest in high growth technology and its potential for business improvement is what attracted Rachel to the AREA. Drop by and say hello on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Dr. Michael Rygol
AREA Researcher
Co-founder and Managing Director, Chrysalisforge
Michael Rygol, co-founder and Managing Director of Chrysalisforge and previously VP, PLM Solution Management and VP, Visualization Solution Management at PTC is an experienced software product management leader. He has proven success of leading global teams to develop new and innovative enterprise software for thousands of industrial customers worldwide.
Angela Lang
AREA Event and Media Partnerships
Co-founder and Director, Chrysalisforge
MBA-qualified Angela Lang is co-founder and Director at Chrysalisforge with extensive experience driving global research, thought leadership, business and marketing initiatives in high profile, corporate environments across the globe. Having spent over a decade at professional services firm, PwC, she excels at stakeholder engagement and management with teams and individuals across multiple cultures and geographies and brings broad and extensive marketing experience to the table.
Angela provides part-time support to the AREA focusing on the development of web content and driving the AREA’s event presence and media partnerships with selected organisations.
What Members Think
We believe that the AREA will grow to be a one-stop shop for those interested in procuring, developing, and researching enterprise AR technology. As a charter member, Upskill expects to be at the forefront of content creation relevant to our business and use the AREA as an indirect marketing platform.
Jay Kim Chief Strategy Officer - Upskill
The AREA is a thought leadership forum that we’re proud to be part of. Being a Contributor member allows us to engage constructively in industry discussions and receive feedback from other market leaders.
Vivek Aiyer Founder / Director - Appearition Pty Ltd
Augmenting the human in an industrial setting is of strategic importance to contextere and the AREA is the only organization combining both augmented reality and enterprise interests.
Carl Byers Chief Strategy Officer - Contextere
Our participation as an AREA charter member offers us options to reduce the barriers to AR adoption across our industry.
Paul Davies Associate Technical Fellow - Boeing
The world of AR is developing rapidly. It is very difficult for a single institution to stay fully abreast of an exponentially expanding sector. By connecting with the AREA, the AMRC with Boeing and Nuclear AMRC will have access to a single point of resource, enabling us to be better informed, and stay at the forefront of the technology.
Chris Freeman Head of Digitally Assisted Assembly - AMRC
When the MTC began exploring AR, the AREA was one of the first websites we found. It was filled with valuable information. If you want to be serious about AR, you have to be in the AREA.
David Varela Advanced Visualisation Team Lead - MTC
At Proceedix, we are committed to building a strong and active AR ecosystem that delivers effective solutions to enterprises worldwide. Our participation in the AREA will advance that commitment.
Peter Verstraeten CEO - Proceedix
The consolidation of the ecosystem around products, markets and standards has been the hallmark of mass adoption with any new and emerging technology. The AREA has been the torchbearer building the ecosystem required to widely scale augmented reality inside of enterprise. I have personally been part of AREA since the very beginning and now, at RealWear, look forward too many more years of collaboration!
Andy Lowery CEO - RealWear
EyeSucceed understands that the AR ecosystem needs to share knowledge to advance the industry and promote adoption. We believe that participating in the AREA gives us the best opportunity to do that.
Jennifer Tong Co-founder - EyeSucceed
At Iristick, we're passionate about creating wearables that truly meet industry needs. By participating in AREA we get the opportunity to work directly with customers and partners enabling us to create the best solution possible.
Siân Rees VP Product Management - Iristick
At CrossComm, we believe Augmented Reality has the potential to transform how we interact with the world around us, but it will require the collective vision and collaboration of pioneers to determine practical solutions and best practices within this new computing paradigm. The AREA is a community that fosters such collaboration – and we are proud to be working alongside other members to see AR reach its fullest potential.
Don Shin President and CEO - CrossComm
The AREA is the place where we keep abreast of the latest developments and innovations in enterprise AR, from research & development to use cases and business models.
At Pison, we believe it’s vital for members of the AR ecosystem to work together to accelerate solutions development. We are excited to partner with global industry leaders to create and deploy the next generation of AR.
Dexter Ang CEO - Pison
As the enterprise smart glasses segment leader, Upskill looks to join other industry leaders in providing thought leadership to influence the way ahead for the enterprise smart glasses market.
FIND OUT ABOUT AR
Organizations of all sizes are tapping into the potential of rapidly expanding and converging AR fields and communication channels to visualize data and instructions overlaying digital assets in the real world in real time.
More Info +
Welcome! As an AREA member, you are able to access exclusive AREA pages and forms from this portal. Explore AREA offerings, participate actively in AREA’s success and benefit fully from the special member programs.
Here you’ll find timely and informative AR content – white papers, case studies, reports, and more – some produced by the AREA, others contributed by AREA members.
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Assailed Teacher
If you are on a DOE computer, you might be reading this.
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Liberals, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David: comedic genius, limousine liberal.
The gay marriage controversy is easily resolved. If I were President of the United States, I would issue an executive order legalizing gay marriage in every U.S. state and territory. My decision would be accompanied by a brief speech explaining that, in the United States of America, the government should make every effort to ensure the rights of consenting adults to build a life together in any way they see fit. It is a fundamental American value that government should guarantee “the pursuit of happiness” as an “unalienable” right.
The Emancipation Proclamation, internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and prohibition of stem cell research all flowed from executive orders. Presidents have used the executive order to make sweeping changes to American society before. There is no reason why gay marriage could not or should not be resolved in the same way.
Most importantly, I would legalize gay marriage so fast in order to focus on what I consider more pressing matters.
Yet, over the past several years, activists have been filing lawsuits, judges have been handing down rulings and lawmakers have been working on legislation to legalize gay marriage. President Obama, facing reelection this November, recently came out in support of it. The media has been abuzz with this politician and that politician coming out for or against. In short, a healthy amount of the nation’s resources and attention has been husbanded to the gay marriage controversy. More than one respected source has alluded to gay marriage as either the civil rights struggle of our era, or the gravest threat to American values.
And yet, one wave of the presidential hand can make all of this go away.
A friend of mine said she read a statistic somewhere that most of the legislation that has been introduced and debated by this current Tea Party Congress revolves around abortion or women’s reproductive rights.
This is a case of the tail wagging the dog. Gay marriage, abortion, marijuana and other such issues have been on the lips of our elected officials for a reason: they distract our attention from the grave structural problems that plague our civilization.
Childhood poverty has reached levels not seen since the late 1800s. The American worker, despite skyrocketing productivity over the past 35 years, has not seen their wages keep up apace. The average CEO makes around 300 times their average worker. Many multi-billion dollar corporations pay no taxes. There is no more class system in the United States, only an economic caste system. The financial sector is still largely unregulated; the student debt bomb being the next terrorist device set to explode because of it.
Our elected officials will give impassioned speeches about gay marriage, but when it comes to children living in households where their parents make less than 3 dollars an hour, they are totally silent. Indeed, the longer they can string these culture war issues along, the more they can make speeches about them and ensure that our structural class problems remain invisible.
As much as I would love to blame conservatives for trying to foist their religious fundamentalism onto the rest of us, the lion’s share of the blame must go to those who pass as “liberals” in this day and age. This includes not only so-called liberals in government, but self-styled liberals of the rank-and-file.
In order to test this, find yourself someone who you might consider a liberal and suggest to them that our country has more pressing matters to attend to than gay marriage. You will be met with moral outrage, if not a full-blown accusation of homophobia.
It is symptomatic of what has become of the entire liberal edifice over the past 35 years.
For example, somewhere along the way, the most prominent black leaders started worrying about “the n word” and which corporations were promoting blacks to middle management positions. All the while, almost a third of America’s black population live below the poverty line and the life expectancy of black Americans remain far below the national average. In essence, the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world became preoccupied with issues relevant to the black middle class or, in other words, those with the disposable income to give to their organizations.
One can only hope that Tavis Smiley and Cornell West have breathed new life into the black civil rights movement.
In the same manner, gay marriage has been the issue du jour of the white liberal class. Whether gay, straight or transgender, liberals around the country have mobilized for the fight for gay rights. For me, it is self-evident that all people, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the right to get married. I consider myself a well-wisher of the gay marriage movement.
I can only say that if gay marriage is your number one political concern, you must have a pretty good life.
The people who pass as liberals in this day and age have played right into conservative hands. Liberal leaders have taken their most impassioned stances and scored their biggest victories in recent years on culture war issues. They have scored these victories because, in the end, conservatives have largely allowed them to do so. Allowing gays to marry will not make any deep structural changes to our broken socioeconomic system. That means that, while it is a loss for conservatives, it is a loss they can live with.
We live in an era of decadence, which literally means a “falling apart”. Both the liberal and conservative elite have reached a consensus that radical reform of our system is unacceptable, so they have resigned themselves to tinkering along the edges. While gays will be allowed to marry and marijuana will someday be legal, the economic caste system that rots our democracy will go unchanged.
While the people of France recently elected a new president in the hopes of altering the direction of the European Union, our president is campaigning on gay marriage. While the people of Greece turned many of their austerity hawks out of government, our leaders are garnering votes over the question of whether man came from God or ape. We are, without question, the single dumbest and most vegged out nation in western civilization.
This goes a long way towards explaining what has become of the Democratic Party in recent years. They are a conglomerate of special interests: gays, minorities, environmentalists, etc. Each interest single-mindedly pushes their agenda to the forefront and, at varying times, is successful at getting their pet issue at the center of the public debate. By bringing their issues into relief, the fundamental traditions on which the Democrats used to stand (the New Deal and the Great Society) fizzle away.
Whether one votes Democrat or Republican, the outcome is the same: the economic caste system stands unperturbed. Liberals should not cheer their superficial victories. They should instead mourn the fact that the culture wars are the only wars they have the heart to wage.
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This entry was posted in An Embattled Career, First Hand: Occupy Wall Street, Parallel Universes, Politics and tagged America, culture wars, death of the liberal class, economic inequality, economics, gay marriage, Politics, same-sex marriage. Bookmark the permalink.
5 responses to “Liberals, Curb Your Enthusiasm”
blocher | May 12, 2012 at 7:43 am | Reply
So much for the truce on social issues.
The Assailed Teacher | May 12, 2012 at 9:21 am | Reply
Social issues: how liberals avoid taking real stands,
Michael Fiorillo | May 12, 2012 at 10:27 am | Reply
Social issues are also how (neo) liberals mask their anti-labor assumptions.
You’ve no doubt heard it a million times: “I’m a social liberal and a fiscal conservative.” In other words, gay marriage (a good thing), trumps union busting, privatization, bank bailouts and austerity for the 99%.
Sure, Bloomberg supports the right to legalized abortion: he wants to assure that his female employees can “kill it, kill it” (his words, as attested to in a discrimination suit brought against him) and not interfere with productivity.
This allows them the smug self-satisfaction (which liberals are infamous for) of taking safe positions on identity politics, while permitting the ongoing class war to continue in its one-sided fashion.
hb | May 14, 2012 at 6:12 am | Reply
Kudos for saying the (often) unspeakable. The two parties are collaborating in focusing on social issues so they can pretend they’re enemies while they sell out the country & its people.
And some liberals, mainly those in the middle to upper-middle class, are either too stupid to walk and chew gum, or are actively collaborating as well.
I post at a popular Democratic board & I’d say at least half the posters there are of this persuasion. They’re like Republicans, except they’re vehement in defense of all the “rights” — except for labor rights.
They cheered when an entire school of teachers was fired in Rhode Island. They loved two-tier wages in the auto unions — this is what they call “saving” the industry. They quote Republican boiler-plate about how workers have limousine pensions, and they don’t make as much as some other worker and they don’t have a fancy pension, and they can be fired at will, so why should a union worker (especially a dumb auto worker/teacher/garbage collector) have such things?
They’re quick to jump on language issues — don’t call women “gals,” don’t say “tar baby” — but they could care less that black and women teachers are the two groups most affected by education deform and black workers most affected by the attacks on public unions (as blacks are more likely than whites to be public workers).
Posts about these issues, that affect the actual survival of real people, typically get few comments, but posts about some movie star or politician using the wrong word get dozens of outrage-filled comments. If you draw attention to the disparity they’ll draw themselves up indignantly and say how they can pay attention to more than one issue at a time. Or they’ll imply you’re racist/sexist/homophobic, which pretty much shuts down any discussion — as it’s intended to.
You want to get them really mad — post something about someone abusing a dog, especially a puppy. The death penalty isn’t harsh enough.
If you got your sense of the public pulse at that place, you’d have to believe that the next election will be decided on important issues like Romney putting his dog on top of his car.
Since many of these posters are Democratic party activists or cadre in their real lives, I can only conclude that their apathy or downright hostility to labor issues represents the real stance of the Democratic party — which is also the real stance of the Republican party and all possible third party candidates (yeah, Ron Paul).
In other words, the fix is in.
Love your blog and hoping that MORE will sweep the field, because that kind of independent organizing is the only hope the working class has. I don’t believe it matters who wins the next election, the war on workers will intensify once it’s over.
That is a very vivid characterization, a great distillation of what “liberalism” today tends to be. Nice jobs and thank you.
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Random Thoughts for December, 2014. By Robert A. Hall
http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2014/11/random-thoughts-for-december-2014.html
Here's wishing you and your a safe, happy and free 2015.
Contrary to what Generalissimo Barack Lead-From-Behind Obama bragged about during his 2012 Magical Fool-the-People Tour, we appear to be losing to the Jihadists in Iraq, in Syria, in Iran, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, and at home. Maybe CAIR wasn't the best advisor on Islamic terrorism he could find.
I see things from conservatives trashing this or that potential GOP candidate as a RINO. I have a few GOP candidates I'm not crazy about but all are preferable to President Hillary or President Big Chief Warren or President Biden. Those "conservatives" who said they stayed home because there was no difference between Obama and Romney are Obama's best supporters. They knew what he was and helped him win anyway.
When I was an association executive, my policy was to help staff members along. But not to carry them.
Any money my wife spends on herself in the two months before Christmas, she says is, "Part of my Christmas." Any she spends on kids and grandkids is, "Part of their Christmas." I thought about giving everyone a nicely wrapped box on Christmas, with a list inside of all the "Parts of their Christmas," but I was afraid it might get ugly.
I'll believe that Islam is a "Religion of Peace" when it is as safe to wear a large cross on the street in Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya or Iraq as it is in an American city. (Dearborn doesn't count.)
The biggest problem with the War of Terror is that our "allies" are too often as bad as our enemies.
If black "leaders" really cared about blacks, the protests would be over the tens of thousands of black babies aborted by Planned Parenthood, fulfilling Margaret Sanger's dream of keeping more of what she called "the unfit" from being born. On the 93% of black murder victims who are black.
Put me down as one who thinks the Obama kids should be off limits for political hits. Just as the left placed Bristol and Trig Palin off limits. Same rule for everyone.
I hear they asked Bill Clinton if IS was a threat. He said it depended on, "What the meaning of IS is." As to the question, Is IS Islamic?" I say, "Islamic is as IS does."
When conservatives complain to me about RINOs, I remind them that not one Republican, RINO or not, voted for Obamacare. If we had elected five more RINOs to the US Senate in 2010, instead of losing with the inept Tea Party conservatives nominated in some states, we would have stopped Obamacare, saved our healthcare system, and at least delayed the on-rushing fiscal collapse. And we might have blocked a lot of the federal judges Obama has appointed since 2010, saving the country and the Constitution years of grief. An electable RINO is preferable to an unelectable but more conservative candidate who loses to a far left liberal. The key vote is the vote to organize. Suppose you have 45 Conservative Republicans and 45 Liberal Democrats. If six of the remaining ten are RINOs, Conservatives control the senate, the committees and the flow of business. If six of the ten are "moderate" Democrats, Liberals control the senate, the committees and the flow of business. But some folks prefer to lose to the liberal agenda rather than be less than pure.
As I've said before, a RINO is a fellow Republican who doesn't agree with you on 100% of the issues or even on tactics. I was called a RINO by a blog reader because I pointed out that a failed effort to impeach Obama, which would be the case absent 14 Democrat votes in the Senate, would help him and I didn't want to help Obama. Before the GOP launched their impeachment effort, Bill Clinton was despised by a majority of voters. After it failed, the media made him into a hero, a victim of evil Republicans. Now he's a wealthy elder statesman and the most respected former president since Reagan. Call me a RINO, but damn me if I want that for Obama.
Multitasking has its place, but you just can't floss and eat breakfast at the same time.
An old vet told me, "In my day, we didn't need sexual harassment training in the military. We already knew how..."
From a brother Marine: "We live on a planet full of cruelty. Americans continue to fail in their understanding of how blessed we are. And within that failure, they continue to lose sight of the principles that have provided us that blessing."
Tell me why it would be a good thing for the world (not for you) if you were to live another ten years. I fear if God put everyone to that test, we'd have a large population decrease.
Obama's position is simple. If Congress doesn't give him everything he wants in the budget, he will veto it, thus shutting down the government and the media will convince the public to blame the GOP for it. I'm not sure this was how the Founders intended the checks and balances in the constitution to work.
Only in Madison: We were looking at the UW continuing education booklet. They have these history courses: "Bicycling: Past, Present & Future" and "Daily Life of the Cuban Revolution."
The Founding Fathers put in impeachment as a legislative check on the president overriding the constitution and laws. What they didn't envision was that the President's party would have enough committed senators to block conviction regardless of the facts, that the President would welcome an impeachment effort as a way to raise funds and increase his popularity, and that the media would be able to convince the low-info voters that the president was a victim of politics and racism. Or that a successful impeachment effort would put someone who could be worse in his place and lead to riots, destruction and murder from the members of his ethnic group. Obama is praying for an impeachment effort to make him rich and respected as it did Bill Clinton. The country is in a bad spot--all future presidents will know they can pretty much do what they want if the media will give them a pass.
I went up to the EVP Coffee bar in the VA one day after PT rehab. The 40-something, slim, well-coiffed and dressed gentleman in front of me ordered a, "Caramel latte with skim and a shot of espresso." He was waiting for his drink when I stepped up, slapped my mug on the counter and ordered in my NCO voice, "Coffee, black!" He snapped around, took in the Third Marine Division Vietnam patch on my leather jacket, snapped front and said not a word.
#BlackLivesMatter! Well, except at Planned Parenthood. 40% of the aborted babies come from the 13% of the population that is black. And except for the thousands of blacks murdered every year by other blacks with nary a note from the race baiters. #BlackLivesMatter only if they were killed by white cops. But #WhiteLivesDon'tMatter when a white guy is killed by a black cop, or a 5-year-old white girl is shot dead on her grandfather's lap in Milwaukee by black thugs, with no word from the Jessie Jacksons and Al Sharptons. Or from Barack Obama. We need a society where all lives matter. (But recently a university official had to apologize for saying #AllLivesMatter. Sad.)
Once ISIS, al Qaeda and other jihadists have succeeded in shredding civilization, they may find that releasing the uncivilized brute in us, bent on the survival of family and tribe at any cost, but armed with civilized technology, is a fearsome thing.
So, is the situation in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Ukraine better or worse since Obama took office in 2009?
Government is a necessary evil, but the basis of government is coercion. The bigger and more powerful the government....
It will be a shame if the drop in oil prices produces less US home grown energy. Being an energy exporter is good for our economy, and cheaper energy costs are especially good for poor and working class people, if not investors. Plus it produces less wealth for Muslim countries to fund terror and terror-teaching schools around the world. Looking at you Saudi allies...
The list of people in this world whom I would kill if I could is distressingly long, and suggests that I won't need to take harp lessons for the next life.
Increasingly the left is trying to use the courts and federal regulatory agencies to implement its agenda. Conservatives must fight back the same way or see our freedoms destroyed. (Such as hunting.)
I kind of think if folks here want to go join the Islamic State, we should let them. Fair chance we can kill them there, and of course, they should not be let back in the country. They are likely to engage in Allah-inspired workplace violence if they stay here.
If you want to be liked, admired and respected, I can tell you the secret. Complain less than other people. Be more cheerful than other people. And always do more than your share of what needs to be done. Easy, huh?
The good Muslim says, "I will exterminate the infidels, the Jews, the Christians, the Buddhists, the Ahmadis, the Alawites/Shia/Sunni, the Druze, and all other apostates. All in the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate."
From a fellow vet at the VA: "There's a big difference between hearing and listening." True.
Some people form opinions. But most people's political opinions--left or right--are received opinion. Some leader or pundit states an opinion and it is accepted uncritically and repeated endlessly by the loyal drones.
Many churches are built for the Glory of God. But I suspect many more are built for the glory of men.
You may, on principle, refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils. But you should get a thank you note from the great of two evils, whom you helped elect, and who will now govern you.
Universities talk about "White Privilege," with, as Dr. Thomas Sowell says, "privilege" replacing "achievement." But there is also "Black Privilege" where folks who like Rep. Charlie Rangel engage in tax evasion, or like Barack Obama take the law into their own hands are given a pass by the media, academia and progressives because of their race.
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Jarheads-Journal-Thoughts-Leadership/dp/1490500162/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373907206&sr=1-1&keywords=Old+Jarhead%27s+Journal
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam Veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. He is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic. http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Collapse-American-Republic-prevent/dp/1461122538/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304815980&sr=1-5 For a free PDF of Collapse, e-mail him at tartanmarine(at)gmail.com. Hall’s eleven books are listed here: http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-book-published.html. His blog of political news and conservative comment is www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com.
Don't miss the important year-end political news
The Old Jarhead Blog--thanks for following!
I try to make this blog your one-stop-shop for political news and conservative opinion. Founded in October, 2008, it gets 5k to 7k page views a week, most from the US, but hundreds from many countries worldwide. Feel free to post or forward to friends who need to be better informed. The news posts are created from several news feeds, from US and international websites, from twitter when I have spare time to follow it, and by many readers who send me items for inclusion, which I would have often have missed or skipped. We owe them thanks and appreciation. I try to include foreign sources and info you won’t get in the MSM, but I often use links to pieces in the Washington Post, New York Times, Politico, Reuters and other left-of-center sources. No one is required to read the blog, or any of the links. Trust me, no one reads everything posted, but scanning the headlines will keep you informed, and you can click on stories you want to know more about. I post articles because I think they are of interest and will stimulate thought and discussion. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article, or that I was able to verify the information presented, which is the responsibility of the author. I try not to post things that are false, too far a stretch, or viciously inflammatory, regardless of the view point. I also try to avoid items that will turn off thoughtful centrists and leftists or low-information independents, including “red meat” pieces with intemperate language or wild speculation, conspiracy theories with no supporting facts and silly distractions like the so-called “birther” issue (which I correctly predicted years ago was going nowhere, and wasted time and energy), but I don’t always succeed. I use maybe 50% of the conservative pieces sent me, probably less than 5% of the liberal opinion sent, usually to illustrate their views. Readers who don’t like that are welcome to start their own blogs. Readers who send formatted pieces (title, link, and a fair-use excerpt of no more than three sentences unless the piece is very short, than fewer) to tartanmarine(at)gmail.com have a higher chance of my using them than people who just send a link. A piece without a link has a much lower chance of being used—it depends on how interesting it is and how much time I have right then to search for it, and my time is limited right now due to managing the lung transplant I received on December 23, 2013, which has developed complications. I understand if you don’t have the time to format or even to find a link—please understand I don't either. I often include thoughtful comments from contributors. (Tell me if you want your full name used.) There are no ads on my blog, no fees and I receive no income from it. Now that I've retired, that might need to change, though I hate the ads on most blogs. For now, that’s how it is. I do promote my books, with the royalties going to charity. As always on the Net, as in the legacy media, you must read these posts critically and with skepticism.
General News and Comment
Worth Reading: Hollywood’s Munich Moments: Years of trashing U.S. culture haven’t bought American filmmakers immunity. By Victor Davis Hanson
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/395462/hollywoods-munich-moments-victor-davis-hanson
Excerpt: Unlike crazy North Korea, Pakistan is not necessarily just blowing smoke. For years, elements of the Pakistani intelligence services have worked hand-in-glove with al-Qaeda–affiliated terrorists to thwart American efforts to build consensual government in neighboring Afghanistan. It was no accident that Osama bin Laden lived with impunity for years right under the noses of Pakistani authorities. Not to be left out, Egypt’s junta is likewise furious at another new Hollywood film, Exodus.
Worth Reading: 2014: The Year of the Fainting Couch. North Korea joined the “do not offend” list and law students needed grief counseling. By Rich Lowry
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/395473/2014-year-fainting-couch-rich-lowry
Excerpt: To put it in Victorian terms, 2014 had a case of the vapors. It was all aflutter. It needed smelling salts and a fan, and a good rest on a fainting couch to restore its bearings. It was a year when the national pastime of taking offense and of fearing that someone might be offended reached such parodic levels that Kim Jong-un got in the act.
LtCol Ken Pipes addresses Recon & Special Ops Marines on being a real man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZAhNsuOi4A
Col. Pipes would know. ~Bob
Hillary, 48 Percent Of Americans Said They Are Not Voting For You. By Matt Vespa
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2014/12/29/hillary-48-percent-of-americans-said-they-are-not-voting-for-you-n1936604?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm&newsletterad=thpm1
Excerpt: Is this a Christmas gift for the GOP? Despite what many pundit circles have been saying about the invulnerability of Hillary Clinton’s reported presidential ambitions, almost half the country said they weren’t going to vote for her if she ran in 2016... (She will still likely win. A lot of so-called "conservatives" would prefer her rather than vote for Jeb or Mitt or some "RINO" they consider not 100% pure. They preferred to have Obama win in 2012 rather than vote for Mitt who wasn't in agreement with them on every issue. ~Bob)
James Woods Tweets EPIC Anti-Obama Cartoon, Immediately Goes Viral [PICTURE]
http://conservativetribune.com/james-woods-obama-cartoon/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
Poll: Jeb Bush Leading Republicans For 2016. By Katie Pavlich
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/12/29/poll-jeb-bush-leading-republicans-for-2016-n1936553?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm&newsletterad=thpm1
Excerpt: Jeb Bush is the clear Republican presidential frontrunner, surging to the front of the potential GOP pack following his announcement that he's "actively exploring" a bid, a new CNN/ORC poll found. He takes nearly one-quarter — 23% — of Republicans surveyed in the new nationwide poll, putting him 10 points ahead of his closest competitor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who tallied 13%. (I have problems with Jeb on immigration and Common Core, but prefer him to Christie, who is soft on jihad. And, of course, I prefer any of the GOP potentials to Hillary, Biden, Warren, Sanders, O'Malley et. al. ~Bob)
Here's the Real Reason for US Military's Declining Morale
http://www.businessinsider.com/carl-forsling-reason-for-the-poor-state-of-military-morale-2014-12
Excerpt: The key factor is senior leadership that has not kept faith with its troops. (Loyalty has always been and always will be a two way street. MasterGuns)
Good Samaritan stops purse snatcher inside Manchester Walmart
http://www.wcvb.com/news/good-samaritan-stops-purse-snatcher-inside-manchester-walmart/30384944
Excerpt: Rhonda Healey, 51, was looking at holiday cards inside the store Tuesday afternoon, when a man police identified as Alan White, 24, took her wallet from the purse that was in the child seat of her shopping cart. ... As Healey began to yell, "Stop him, he has my wallet," Rick White, 43, heard her screams and saw Alan White running, police said. (Note comment: Could this be considered a white on white crime? --George)
The Two Biggest Donors in Politics Are on the Left. By Jim Geraghty, Morning Jolt
http://www.nationalreview.com/newsletters
The next time somebody complains about Republicans winning because of all of that big money in politics, cycle were Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, aiming to help pro-cap-and-trade and pro-gun-control Democrats. Steyer donated nearly $75 million, Bloomberg $27 million. By comparison, the biggest right-of-center donor was Sheldon Adelson, with . . . $13 million. A cheapskate by comparison!
Worth Reading: Frontpage’s 2014 Person of the Year: The American Police Officer. By Daniel Greenfield
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/frontpages-2014-person-of-the-year-the-american-police-officer-1-2/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0f888155ab-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-0f888155ab-156414477
Excerpt: As we sit here in our homes with our families and loved ones around us, tens of thousands of children wonder if their parents will come home tonight. Their fathers and mothers aren’t stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan. They’re on duty in places like Englewood in Chicago where there are 2 violent crimes for every 1,000 people in one month, Columbus Square in St. Louis or Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York City where two police officers were just murdered. ... Since 2001, more than 700 officers have been killed by gunfire. During the Gulf War, more officers were killed on the streets of American cities than in combat against Saddam.
How My Son Mike Came To Recognize The Wickedness In Washington. By Donald Hank
http://www.americandailyherald.com/pundits/donald-hank/item/how-my-son-mike-came-to-recognize-the-wickedness-in-washington
Excerpt: As I read report after report on how Washington had given this or that group guns and materiel which later were used against us and against minorities in their countries, I became so impacted by this phenomenon of American officials' complicity with the murder of good and innocent people that I began warning about it at my blog. That was several years ago.
Worth Reading: ear America, I Saw You Naked. And yes, we were laughing. Confessions of an ex-TSA agent. By Jason Edward Harrington
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/tsa-screener-confession-102912.html#.VKLjdF4AA
Excerpt: One week earlier, on Christmas Day 2009, a man named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had tried to detonate 80 grams of a highly explosive powder while on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. He had smuggled the bomb aboard the plane in a pouch sewn into his underwear. It was a masterpiece of post-9/11 tragicomedy: Passengers tackled and restrained Abdulmutallab for the remainder of the flight, and he succeeded in burning nothing besides his own genitals. The TSA saw the near-miss as proof that aviation security could not be ensured without the installation of full-body scanners in every U.S. airport. (This is an older piece, but it confirms my suspicions about the TSA. I always thought I could get a gun on a plane if I wanted to, though I'm not near stupid enough to try. ~Bob)
Another Common Core Lesson Promotes Islam
http://godfatherpolitics.com/19444/another-common-core-lesson-promotes-islam/
Excerpt: Yet more and more we are seeing lesson plans that teach the Islamic religion and the only ones complaining are Christians. None of the groups that fight to eliminate religion from the public schools seem to be doing anything to stop the teaching of Islam, just Christianity. (There is no danger in attacking Christianity or Judaism. Say something Muslims don't like and you can be killed. ~Bob)
FBI briefed on alternate Sony hack theory. By Tal Kopan
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html
Excerpt: FBI agents investigating the Sony Pictures hack were briefed Monday by a security firm that says its research points to laid-off Sony staff, not North Korea, as the perpetrator — another example of the continuing whodunnit blame game around the devastating attack. (My money is still on N. Korea. Just as Obama said... ~Bob)
Rep. Michael Grimm announces his resignation from Congress, effective Monday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/report-rep-michael-grimm-announces-his-resignation-from-congress-effective-monday/2014/12/30/571c533a-8fe8-11e4-a412-4b735edc7175_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1
Excerpt: U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) announced late Monday that he will resign from Congress effective next week. Grimm pleaded guilty in federal court last week to felony tax fraud. He privately told House Republican leaders Monday that he will resign, following calls from Democrats for him to step down.
Always Worth Reading: Random Thoughts. By Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2014/12/30/random-thoughts-n1936707?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
Excerpt: It tells us a lot about academia that the president of Smith College quickly apologized for saying, "All lives matter," after being criticized by those who are pushing the slogan, "Black lives matter." If science could cross breed a jellyfish with a parrot, it could create academic administrators. ... When the political left wants to help the black community, they usually want to help the worst elements in that community -- thugs they portray as martyrs, for example -- without the slightest regard for the negative effect this can have on the lives of the majority of decent black people.
America interrupted. By Cal Thomas
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/thomas123014.php3
Excerpt: A Pew Research Center study confirms one trend that has been obvious over several years. The "typical" American family is no longer typical. Just 46 percent of American children now live in homes with their married, heterosexual parents. Five percent have no parents at home. They most likely are living with grandparents, says the study. These startling figures about the decline of the American family contrast with the year 1960 when 73 percent of American children lived in traditional families. (Kids living with two committed gay parents are in much better shape than those living with single parents, in foster homes, in domestic violence situations and living with other pathologies, IMHO. ~Bob)
Florida State’s unusual bond with Seminole Tribe puts mascot debate in a different light
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/florida-states-unusual-bond-with-seminole-tribe-puts-mascot-debate-in-a-different-light/2014/12/29/5386841a-8eea-11e4-ba53-a477d66580ed_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Excerpt: The course — born in 2006, hatched right after the NCAA clamored about changing Native American mascots, conceived with input from the Seminole Tribe of Florida — doubles as epitome. It demonstrates the unusual bond between a 41,000-strong university way up in the Florida Panhandle and a 4,000-strong tribe that history shoved into the Everglades and below Lake Okeechobee and way down almost to Miami, some 400 miles from Room 208 of the HCB Classroom Building. It helps explain why, if Native American mascots keep ebbing in the United States through the 21st century, “Florida State Seminoles” could be the last one standing in the 22nd. (Madison sports writers bash the Seminoles when UW plays them. But being white, they know what's better for the dumb Indians than the native Americans do. ~Bob)
Sweetheart deal? Unions allowed to cut retiree benefits rather than fix underfunded pensions
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/29/big-spending-unions-got-congress-to-approve-pensio/
Excerpt: The United Food and Commercial Workers Union is a heavyweight on the labor scene. It pays its president $350,000 a year. It’s holding its next executive board meeting in February at a swanky beachfront resort inHollywood, Florida. And it just doled out nearly $8 million to influence the last election and lobby Washington. But when it comes to standing by the obligation unions made to provide pensions to retirees, UFCW pleaded poverty in persuading Congress to let chronically underfunded union pension plans cut the benefits of workers, including those already retired.
Reason's Gillespie: Crime Rate Drops as Gun Permits Rise. By Greg Richter
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/gun-permits-crime-rate/2014/12/28/id/615282/#ixzz3NFBz3qHc
Excerpt: Despite efforts from the left to restrict gun ownership on claims that it will reduce crime, the opposite is actually true, says Reason.com editor Nick Gillespie. In a Sunday blog post, Gillespie points out that crime rates drop in states that enact laws allowing more people to carry concealed weapons, and they drop even further as more residents of those states avail themselves of their right. In 1987, Gillespie notes, the total crime rate was 5,550 per 100,000 people while the violent crime rate was 610 per 100,000. By 2013, those figures had dropped to 3,099 and 368. (Gee, here's an interesting idea... except it seems there are facts here, not just an idea. --Del)
Good Samaritan Gunman Stops Assault In Progress
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/12/26/good-samaritan-gunman-stops-assault-in-progress/
Excerpt: A North Texas man is being heralded a hero after police said he held a man at gunpoint who was assaulting a woman. ... Chief Steve Mylett with the Southlake Police Department said the man had just witnessed the driver of the red vehicle hitting his female passenger. Police arrested MacMichael Nwaiwu, 28, who is now in jail.
Homeowner With a Gun Warns Armed Intruders Not to Take Another Step Toward Him. They Refuse — and It Turns Out to Be Their Final Mistake.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/28/homeowner-with-a-gun-warns-armed-intruders-not-to-take-another-step-toward-him-they-refuse-and-it-turns-out-to-be-their-final-mistake/
Excerpt: But this homeowner was armed, too. And he reportedly gave a verbal warning to the trio not to take another step toward him — but they refused, WREG reported. So the homeowner fired several shots, killing two men — Jordan Mitchell, 18, and Melvin Atkins, 20, the station said. The third alleged intruder got away, WREG said. (Sad that one got away. ~Bob)
Race Card News
Worth Reading: When Facts Are Obsolete. Juries in Ferguson and elsewhere could not ignore them — unlike mobs and the media. By Thomas Sowell
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/395475/when-facts-are-obsolete-thomas-sowell
Excerpt: Some of us, who are old enough to remember the old television police series Dragnet may remember Sergeant Joe Friday saying, “Just the facts, ma’am.” But that would be completely out of place today. Facts are becoming obsolete, as recent events have demonstrated. What matters today is how well you can concoct a story that fits people’s preconceptions and arouses their emotions.
Worth Reading: The Left’s Use of Black People. By Walter Williams
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/walter-williams/the-lefts-use-of-black-people/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6811794ae4-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-6811794ae4-156414477
Excerpt: Let’s look at some of the ways white liberals use black people. One of the more obvious ways is for liberals to equate any kind of injustices suffered by homosexuals and women to the black struggle for civil rights. But it is just plain nonsense to suggest any kind of equivalency between the problems of homosexuals and women and the centuries of slavery followed by Jim Crow, lynching, systematic racial discrimination and the blood, sweat and tears of the black civil rights movement.
LAPD on Tactical Alert After Two Men Attempt Assassination of Police Officers. By Jennifer Burke
http://www.tpnn.com/2014/12/29/breaking-lapd-on-tactical-alert-after-two-men-attempt-assassination-of-police-officers/
Excerpt: The Los Angeles Police Department is under a city-wide tactical alert after at least one gunman opened fire on two officers driving in their patrol car. This tactical alert sent every officer available to the area. The officers reportedly returned fire and were, thankfully, uninjured.
NYPD-Style Assassination Attempted on Durham Police Officer. By Leah Barkoukis
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2014/12/29/durham-police-officer-attack-n1936615?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm&newsletterad=thpm1
Excerpt: On Sunday, officers patrolling in Los Angeles and Pasco County, Florida were shot at in unprovoked attacks, and on Thursday, Durham, North Carolina police officer J.T. West successfully thwarted an assassination attempt eerily similar to the NYPD attack earlier this month. ... The man who fired the gun was described as a black male, 18 to 25 years old, approximately 6 feet tall with a skinny build. He was wearing an oversized black hoodie. The second suspect was described as a black male, 18 to 25 years old, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing 180 to 200 pounds. He was wearing a light-colored jacket. (Lucky thing he didn't kill the shooter. Black rioters would have looted and burned out black-owned businesses in protest of white racism. ~Bob)
Fox News Host Asks 2 Questions About Al Sharpton’s Tax Evasion That We’d Love to Hear Him Answer
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/12/223520-fox-news-host-inquires-al-shaprton-gets-pass-tax-evasion/?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%7BCAMPAIGN_ID%7D&listID=%7BlistID%7D
Excerpt: Why should Reverend Al Sharpton getting a pass from the IRS and the White House? (and the NYC Mayor!) 1. Why hasn't the IRS garnished Reverend Al Sharpton's MS/NBC pay for all his back taxes? Reports are that he owes more than 4 million dollars in back state and federal taxes. 2. And why does the Obama Administration continue to invite him to the White House for his advice while he has outstanding this reported (New York Times) tax debt? Why not make him pay up, and then invite him? (Black privilege. ~Bob)
Ex-Con’s Key to Staying Out of Prison Is a Passionate Message Every Hardworking American Can Take to Heart
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/12/223473-stay-prison/?utm_source=afternoonalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=amazon
Excerpt: In the video, a man named DeAndre Dunn opens up about how he manages to stay out of prison. Dunn has held a job at Hudson Auto Body in Tuscaloosa, AL after serving time in prison, and he credits work with giving him a chance at a new life.
Worth Reading: Break code of silence in black communities. -- Melvin Boone, Sanger Powers Correctional Center, Oneida
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/break-code-of-silence-in-black-communities---/article_18f40dda-4951-537c-84ee-1f5b1a252ea2.html
Excerpt: Dozens of murders go unpunished in black communities across the country due to a code of silence -- not by the police, but by African Americans who fear being labeled a snitch. I applaud a peaceful protest by people in Ferguson, Missouri, or elsewhere who feel their lives and the lives of those in their community have been devalued by police who took an oath to protect them. But when protest arises out of a community where hundreds of senseless murders occur each year -- even of innocent children playing in their front yards -- and little if any protest occurs, I question their motives. (From jail, this guy writes excellent letters about racial issues. ~Bob)
Police: Weapon-shaped laser leads to parking lot arrest
http://host.madison.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/police-weapon-shaped-laser-leads-to-parking-lot-arrest/article_15e0eacc-0829-5c37-9822-45828b7797ea.html
Excerpt: A potentially dangerous interaction with a man who pointed what appeared to be a chrome-plated handgun at a couple in a drugstore parking lot ended with the man arrested and the lookalike weapon identified as a laser lighter, Madison police said. ... When the gun holder realized the woman was nearing the car, he aimed the laser lighter at her. This prompted the boyfriend to go for his own loaded weapon. Thompson then reportedly said: “Go ahead and shoot me, I’m not afraid of you, I’m from the south side of Chicago and I’m not afraid of white people.”
Worth Reading: Cops’ Lives Matter: It’s dishonest or paranoid to claim that the greatest danger to young black men is from the police. By Lee Habeeb
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/395427/cops-lives-matter-lee-habeeb
Excerpt: Cops across the country are mad. Mad as hell. Mad because some of America’s leaders have reinforced for months the dreadful lie that black people in America should fear the police. That cops are dangerous. That cops are racists. ... And no one bothered to mention that New York City is on track in 2014 to have the fewest murders in 50 years. As of the beginning of December, there had been 290. That’s down from 2,200 in the early 1990s. The majority of lives saved were black, because the overwhelming majority of murder victims in the city are black. Do the math. Tens of thousands of black lives have been saved in the past two decades by cops in New York, but Mayor de Blasio couldn’t manage to share that fact in his heartfelt speech.
Just What Is the ‘Appropriate’ Way for Police to React to Mayor de Blasio? By Jim Geraghty, Morning Jolt
Yes, the NYPD officers acted in a disrespectful manner when they turned their backs to the mayor. It’s disrespectful because a lot of men and women on the police force do not respect the mayor -- right now, and sadly, for the foreseeable future. This was not an accidental faux pas; this was the clearest way to send the signal, “Despite the fact that you are in the city’s highest elected office, we don’t respect you.” Let’s begin by saying that any NYPD officer reacting to the news that two of his brother officers were gunned down in cold blood deserves a wide berth in processing all of the emotions from that horrific event. There’s a lot of anger in the force, and they’ve got good reasons to be angry. A symbolic gesture like this might be a particularly powerful and not destructive way of channeling that anger. “Respect the office, not the man.” Boy, some elected officials make this simple request difficult.
Of course: Anti-police protesters call the police after road blockade goes bad. By Doug Powers
http://michellemalkin.com/2014/12/28/of-course-anti-police-protesters-call-the-police-after-road-blockade-goes-bad/
Excerpt: Saturday night anti-police protest with bonus American flag burning takes place in Los Angeles. ... Cop-bashing agitators accused the police of not doing enough to help them (pause for laughter).
Man Arrested After Threatening to ‘Kill Cops and Innocent White Kids.’ But a Friend Downplays It All as ‘Speaking His Mind.’ By Dave Urbanski
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/28/man-arrested-after-threatening-to-kill-cops-and-innocent-white-kids-but-a-friend-downplays-it-all-as-speaking-his-mind/
Excerpt: After a suburban Chicago man made threats on Facebook that he would “kill cops and innocent white kids,” police searched a home he sometimes stays at and arrested him on weapons and other charges, WLS-TV reported.
Black Mob Violence at Christmas, All Over the Country. By Colin Flaherty
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/black_mob_violence_at_christmas_all_over_the_country.html
Excerpt: But not Christmas. Not usually. Not until this year: Black mob violence and resentment erupted across the country during the 72 hours before, during and after Christmas. And not the “carry signs and send out a press release” kind of political violence. This year’s Yuletide racial violence was more spontaneous. More deadly. More old school. Not connected to the recent political protests over Mike Brown, Eric Garner and fill in your favorite atrocity that racist police inflicted on black people For No Reason What So Ever.
Obama: US Race Relations Haven't Worsened in Decades
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-us-race-relations-worsened-decades/s
tory?id=27869188
Excerpt: President Obama says "gaps of understanding" and "mistrust" persist between blacks and whites in America but have improved since he took office six years ago. "I actually think that it's probably, in its day-to-day interactions, less racially divided," Obama said of the country in an interview with NPR taped on Dec. 19 and released today. (Back in the Choom Gang. That was the group that Mr. Obama hung with in high school, where their major pastime was smoking dope. Well, maybe he's still having THC flashbacks, because the link will take you to an article in which he claims- seriously!- that race relations in this country haven't gotten any worse in the last six years. I kid you not, he really said that, and expounded on the thought for the reporters. Every now and then I really wonder what color the sky is on the planet where he lives. --Del)
Worth Remembering: A Senator's Shame
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801105_2.html
Excerpt: Byrd's book offers a truncated description of his days with the Klan that does not completely square with contemporaneous newspaper accounts and letters that show he was involved with the Klan throughout much of the 1940s, and not merely for two or three years. (Democrats were always very forgiving of racism among their own. ~Bob)
House Majority Whip Scalise confirms he spoke to white supremacists in 2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-majority-whip-scalise-confirms-he-spoke-to-white-nationalists-in-2002/2014/12/29/7f80dc14-8fa3-11e4-a900-9960214d4cd7_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1
Excerpt: Scalise, 49, who ascended to the House GOP’s third-ranking post this year, confirmed through an adviser that he once appeared at a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, or EURO. But the adviser said the congressman didn’t know at the time about the group’s affiliation with racists and neo-Nazi activists.
Undocumented Democrat News
Mom of Officer Killed by Illegal Immigrant Pens Scathing Letter to Obama: ‘I Want My Voice Heard On This Issue.’ By Oliver Darcy
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/10/mom-of-officer-killed-by-illegal-immigrant-pens-scathing-letter-to-obama-i-want-my-voice-heard-on-this-issue/
Excerpt: The mother of an Arizona officer killed by an undocumented immigrant driving drunk in May sent a scathing letter directly to President Barack Obama Wednesday afternoon, demanding that her voice be heard. Mary Ann Mendoza contends the federal government knew Raul Silva Corona, whose blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit at the time of the wrong way crash, was in the country illegally, but still did not deport him
Kidnapped Mexican priest found shot dead in Guerrero state
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30609404
Excerpt: A priest who was kidnapped in Mexico's south-western state of Guerrero on Monday has been found shot dead, officials say. The body of Father Gregorio Lopez was discovered near the city of Ciudad Altamirano.
Religion of Peace News
Merry Christmas: ISIS blows up Catholic church in Mosul
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/261220142
“Talk about extreme, militant Islamists and the atrocities that they have perpetrated globally might undercut the positive achievements that we Catholics have attained in our inter-religious dialogue with devout Muslims.” — Robert McManus, Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts, February 8, 2013 Yes, clearly that dialogue is working wonders. --Robert Spencer, JihadWatch.org
Ferry catastrophe: Muslims beat women and children to save themselves. By Nicolai Sennels
http://10news.dk/ferry-catastrophe-muslims-beat-women-and-children-to-save-themselves/
Excerpt: There were men, Iraqis, Turks, Pakistanis on the ship, who was told to sit down to allow rescuers to prioritize children, elderly and women. But they climbed, beat and pulled the people to come first to the rescue helicopter and into safety. I was also beaten. I was so furious. It was really ugly. I will never forget it.”, Said Dimitra Theodossiou.”
After years of delays, Pakistan cracks down on violent Islamists
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/after-years-of-delays-pakistan-cracks-down-on-violent-islamists/2014/12/28/cbce12fa-8d58-11e4-ace9-47de1af4c3eb_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Excerpt: After pledging for years to crack down on violent Islamists, Pakistani authorities are now taking exceptional steps to do so, with a major military operation against the militants and a vow to rein in radical propaganda. The government’s campaign has intensified in the wake of a massacre at an elite army-run school in Peshawar this month, reflecting a striking change in public opinion about the danger posed by the extremist groups. (Turns out keeping a pit viper as a pet is not a good idea. ~Bob)
Europe's Year of the Jihadist. By Abigail R. Esman
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4713/guest-column-europe-year-of-the-jihadist
Excerpt: Among the trends of 2014 – "Gone, Girl," Lena Dunham, and $55,000 potato salad – was another the list-makers seem to have missed: it was also a very good year for Islamic jihad. And while this was true on the battlefields of Syria and the cities and villages of Pakistan, it was true, too, in more subtle ways throughout the West – and especially in Europe. It was, for instance, the year of Mehdi Nemmouche's slaughter of four Jews at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.
Worth Reading: ISIS Plans Mass Genocide -- 500 Million People Need to Die
http://godfatherpolitics.com/19439/isis-plans-mass-genocide-500-million-people-need-die/
Excerpt: Evidently ISIS plans to wipe out all of us, starting with those in the Middle East, those of other religions, all atheists, and those who don’t subscribe to their particular brand of Islam. At least that’s what a German reporter claims. He was permitted to be embedded in the Islamic State for 10 fun-filled days. Well, that must have been more fun than a barrel of severed heads. ... And why wouldn’t they be extremely confident, knowing that Western politicians lack the courage and will to do what is truly necessary to stop them.
Islamic State uses US-made anti-tank missile near Damascus
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/12/islamic_state_uses_us-made_ant.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
Excerpt: The Islamic State has released photographs showing its fighters using a US-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile against elements of the US-backed Free Syrian Army in the Damascus countryside. The images were published by the Islamic State's Wilayat Damascus (State of Damascus) and disseminated on Twitter by its supporters. (We need to plant weapons programmed to blow on firing. ~Bob)
The Top Anti-Muslim Hate Crime Hoaxes of 2014. By Robert Spencer, JihadWatch.org
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/robert-spencer/the-top-anti-muslim-hate-crime-hoaxes-of-2014/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0f888155ab-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-0f888155ab-156414477
Excerpt: On Christmas morning, a man drove up to the Islamic Cultural Center in Fresno, threw rocks through the windows, and then entered the center and destroyed things inside. The local ABC outlet, KFSN, reported Friday that “Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says it is clear the incident is a hate crime which is why the FBI is also investigating this case.” But on Saturday, it turned out that the incident was not an “anti-Muslim hate crime” at all: the vandal was Asif Mohammad Khan, a Muslim. The destruction at the Islamic Cultural Center in Fresno was yet another in a long series of fake hate crimes designed to prop up the fiction that Muslims in the U.S. are routinely targets of discrimination and harassment.
Only Muslim Schoolchildren Lives Matter? By Raymond Ibrahim
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/raymond-ibrahim/only-muslim-schoolchildren-lives-matter/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0f888155ab-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag&utm_term=0_57e32c1dad-0f888155ab-156414477
Excerpt: A recent example of this is the December 16 Taliban attack on an army public school in Peshawar, where 145 people were killed, the majority being schoolchildren age 18 and under. This incident was reported all over the mainstream media, and rightfully so.
Yet this begs the question: why do similar attacks, when directed at non-Muslims—especially Christians—rarely if ever get the same sort of media coverage?
‘How to Stab a Jew’ Going Viral on Palestinian Authority Social Media. By Tzvi Ben-Gedalyahu
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/how-to-stab-a-jew-is-the-latest-hit-on-palestinian-authority-social-media-video/2014/12/28/
Excerpt: The “resisters of occupation in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem” are spreading on Arab social media a frightening video demonstrating tactics on how to stab a Jew to death quickly and efficiently. (I suppose if someone made "How to feed a live Jihadist to wild pigs" video, Obama would blame it for every terrorist attack for six months. ~Bob)
Pakistan: Christian couple burned, buried alive after allegedly burning Qur'an pages. By Jhun Ramos
http://www.christiantoday.com.au/article/christian.couple.burned.and.buried.alive.in.angry.mob.attack/18849.htm
Excerpt: According to the report by World Watch Monitor, the victims, Shazad Masih and his wife Shama Bibi, were tortured by the mob, and murdered on November 4. In the report, Shazad and his wife, who was five months pregnant, were 'bonded laborers' at the brick kiln, which means the couple had huge debts and so they were unable to flee the country even when Christians were threatened.
Huh. Appeasement's not working? Retreating of the Queen's Guard: End of an era as palace sentries fall back in face of mounting fears of new 'lone wolf' terrorist attack
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2888716/Retreating-Queen-s-Guard-End-era-palace-sentries-fall-face-mounting-fears-new-lone-wolf-terrorist-attack.html
Excerpt: Security chiefs have taken the dramatic step of withdrawing Royal Guards from their high-profile posts outside palaces amid mounting fears of ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks.
Elite soldiers of the Queen’s Guard have pulled back from public positions at many landmarks in response to possible threats from Islamic extremists.
Islamic State executed nearly 2,000 people in six months: monitor
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/28/us-mideast-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0K60EK20141228
Excerpt: The Islamic State militant group has killed 1,878 people in Syria during the past six months, the majority of them civilians, a British-based Syrian monitoring organization said on Sunday. Islamic State also killed 120 of its own members, most of them foreign fighters trying to return home, in the last two months, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (few things are as well established in Islamic tradition as Muslims killing Muslims for Allah. ~Bob)
The Islamic State is failing at being a state. By Liz Sly
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-islamic-state-is-failing-at-being-a-state/2014/12/24/bfbf8962-8092-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_story.html
Excerpt: The Islamic State’s vaunted exercise in state-building appears to be crumbling as living conditions deteriorate across the territories under its control, exposing the shortcomings of a group that devotes most of its energies to fighting battles and enforcing strict rules.
Services are collapsing, prices are soaring, and medicines are scarce in towns and cities across the “caliphate” proclaimed in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State, residents say, belying the group’s boasts that it is delivering a model form of governance for Muslims. (This was what some had predicted from the start, but they did seem to keep things going initially. However, running even a remotely modern society requires a lot more than religious fanaticism, and people smart enough to be technical are usually smart enough to decide that they are far better off somewhere else. --Del)
CAIR Sues Navy Over Beard Discrimination
http://politicaloutcast.com/2014/12/cair-sues-navy-beard-discrimination/
Excerpt: A Muslim sailor has filed suit against the Navy for alleged discrimination that occurred after he requested to be allowed to grow a beard for religious reasons. The Council on American Islamic Relations is representing Jonathan Berts, who requested to wear a beard back in January 2011. At the time, the Pentagon did not allow religious exemptions for grooming.
Taliban crow over “the defeat of the infidel Western military alliance.” By Robert Spencer, JihadWatch.org
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/12/taliban-crow-over-the-defeat-of-the-infidel-western-military-alliance?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=fcb6bd01dd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-fcb6bd01dd-97564174
Excerpt: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “Isaf rolled up its flag in an atmosphere of failure and disappointment without having achieved anything substantial or tangible.” That is certainly true. The Taliban also said: “It should be emphasized that due to the blessed Jihad most of the involved nations excluding America have withdrawn all of their troops from Afghanistan … without a doubt the defeat of the infidel Western military alliance in Afghansitan [sic] at the hands of a few empty handed believing Mujahidin, the destruction of fortified bases by their own hands and their hasty withdrawal were unconceivable [sic] and is a clear sign of the divine help of Allah Almighty.” Not that this has anything to do with Islam.
Germany: Muslims storm church on Christmas Eve, shout “shit Christians.” By Robert Spencer, JihadWatch.org
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/12/germany-muslims-storm-church-on-christmas-eve-shout-shit-christians?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=fcb6bd01dd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-fcb6bd01dd-97564174
Excerpt: On the one side there is this. On the other side are graying, ineffectual Christian bishops calling for “dialogue” and “peace.”
Denmark: Muslims beat non-Muslim couple with chains on Christmas Eve. By Robert Spencer, JihadWatch.org
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/12/denmark-muslims-beat-non-muslim-couple-with-chains-on-christmas-eve?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=fcb6bd01dd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-fcb6bd01dd-97564174
Excerpt: There was no robbery here. This was just gratuitous violence against Infidels.
Why Does Nobody Want to Play with Turkey? By Burak Bekdil
http://www.meforum.org/4943/why-does-nobody-want-to-play-with-turkey
Excerpt: Theoretically, Turkey is a NATO ally. In reality, it is a part-time NATO ally. It became the first member state that had military exercises with the Syrian army and the Chinese Air Force; awarded a NATO-sensitive air defense contract to a Chinese company; supported jihadists in Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood elsewhere in the Middle East; allied with what NATO nations view as a terrorist organization (Hamas); shared, until recently, an embarrassing list of potentially terrorist-sponsoring countries with seven others including Syria and Pakistan, and sported a population with the lowest support for the NATO alliance.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam Veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. He is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic. http://tiny.cc/g02s4 For a free PDF of Collapse, e-mail him at tartanmarine(at)gmail.com. Hall’s eleven books are listed here: http://tinyurl.com/o4nu65u. His blog of political news and conservative comment is www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com.
Today's interesting political news and conservative comment
From a political activist who follows the Old Jarhead Blog
We are amazed at Bob' energy and focus in maintaining his blog. It is an outstanding project that has made a great contribution to the tide of opinion that created the great electoral victories of last November. (I get from 4,000 to 7,000 page views a week, so this is perhaps too much credit. but we must all do what we can. The Marines taught me that only cowards quit, no matter how hopeless things look. You can't do everything, but you can do something. ~Bob)
Hello my name is Jennifer Kenyon and my husband Justin is a Marine. We had this photo taken with our son when he was only 2 weeks old. I really wanted to share it with you because it's just a great picture! I was hoping maybe you could share it with others by putting it in your newsletter or magazine. Thank you and have a great holiday. --Jen Kenyon (From the great grunt.com e-newsletter. ~Bob)
An Army officer sums up what makes Marines different. By Col. Daniel F. Bolger, USA
http://www.usmc81.com/2009/01/an-army-officer-sums-up-what-makes-marines-different/
Excerpt: Asking the question that misses the most fundamental point about the United States Marine Corps. In the Marines, everyone–sergeant, mechanic, cannoneer, supply man, clerk, aviator, cook–is a rifleman first. The entire Corps, all 170,000 or so on the active rolls, plus the reserves, are all infantry. All speak the language of the rifle and bayonet, of muddy boots and long, hot marches. It’s never us and them, only us. That is the secret of the Corps.”
Snyder signs suspicion-based drug testing bills
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2014/12/26/snyder-sigsn-suspicion-based-drug-testing-bills/20918625/
Excerpt: Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation today that creates a drug-testing program for adult welfare recipients who are suspected of using drugs.
The Republican-backed proposals, House Bill 4118 and Senate Bill 275, were among several bills approved by Snyder. The one-year pilot program will be implemented in three counties that have not yet been determined.
A Christmas Crime Story So Bizarre It’s Hard to Choose Where to Begin
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/26/a-christmas-crime-story-so-bizarre-its-hard-to-choose-where-to-begin/
Excerpt: Carrie Carley, 42, had been noticing that her 18-year-old husband, Jeremy Lewallen, was taking walks in their Colorado Springs, Colorado, neighborhood in the middle of night, usually around 2 or 3 a.m. Each time after he returned, she told KKTV-TV, she couldn’t help noticing a growing collection of Christmas decorations in their front yard. ... And given Carley’s claim that her husband sat behind bars in November in connection with stealing Halloween decorations, a KKTV reporter asked her why she didn’t get suspicious after noticing her yards slowly filling up with Christmas decorations. (Charming couple--see picture. ~Bob)
Officers turn backs on de Blasio at funeral. By David McCabe
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/228122-officers-turn-backs-on-de-blasio-at-funeral
Excerpt: Hundreds of police officers turned their backs in protest of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) as he spoke Saturday at the funeral of one of their murdered colleagues, according to reports.
‘Middle Eastern Market’ Food Stamp Scam Cost Taxpayers $1,278,700
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/12/27/middle-eastern-market-food-stamp-scam-cost-taxpayers-1278700/
Excerpt: Last week, Emad Khalil Karaein, Jawad Khalil-Ahmad Karaein, and Khader Khalil Karaein pleaded guilty for their roles in a food stamp fraud scheme at the Middle Eastern Market in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that cost taxpayers at least $1,278,700.
Interesting: Here Is The Reason For The "Surge" In Q3 GDP. by Tyler Durden
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-23/here-reason-surge-q3-gdp
Excerpt: Back in June, when we were looking at the final Q1 GDP print, we discovered something very surprising: after the BEA had first reported that absent for Obamacare, Q1 GDP would have been negative in its first Q1 GDP report, subsequent GDP prints imploded as a result of what is now believed to be the polar vortex. But the real surprise was that the Obamacare boost was, in the final print, revised massively lower to actually reduce GDP!
Sharyl Attkisson: Docs indicate ATF was using Fast and Furious to justify new gun regs. By Thomas Lifson
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/12/sharyl_attkisson_docs_indicate_atf_was_using_fast_and_furious_to_justify_new_gun_regs.html#ixzz3N2hO0RZA
Excerpt: Just as Second Amendment civil rights activists feared, federal government bureaucrats were supplying illegal firearms to Mexican drug cartels in the expectation that it would led to pressure for more regulation. Analyzing a 60 page document release in response to a FOIA action by Judicial Watch Attkisson writes: ... ATF’s internal Public Affairs Talking Points show the agency was using Fast and Furious to help justify new gun control regulations–without telling the public that ATF was actually facilitating the delivery of weapons to Mexican drug cartels.
Fatal Texas City police shooting under investigation
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-City-officer-fatally-shoots-gunman-5979881.php
Excerpt: More than 100 bar patrons swarmed a crime scene and some may have thrown bottles early Friday after a Texas City police officer shot and killed an armed man. ... As he arrived, the officer saw a man firing a handgun at patrons leaving through the front door of the bar, Stanton said. The man pointed his gun at the officer, who killed him by firing several shots.
Pastor Accused Of Trying To Rape A Man In A Car At A Lake
http://www.queerty.com/pastor-accused-of-trying-to-rape-a-man-in-a-car-at-a-lake-20141219
Excerpt: That’s when he claims the pastor reached into the car, grabbed his crotch, squeezed his genitals, and asked for a blow job. Talk about a really bad approach. The victim told Williams he was “barking up the wrong tree.” Then he pretended to reach for a gun, causing Williams to flee the scene, but not before the man was able to jot down his license plate number and call police.
Florida man accidentally shoots self in face, dies after threatening to kill dog: police
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fla-man-shoots-face-threatening-dog-police-article-1.2023830
Excerpt: Dennis Eugene Emery, of Pinellas Park, Fla., cocked a revolver at his family dog during a fight with his wife, police said. He then tried to make sure the gun would not fire while pointing it at his face. The revolver accidentally discharged and shot him.
1 dead, officer injured in Flagstaff shooting
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-northern-az/flagstaff/1-dead-officer-injured-in-flagstaff-shooting
Excerpt: Flagstaff police say the rookie officer was following up on a domestic violence situation and went to a home on West Clay Avenue. Police say a man came out of the house and began shooting, hitting the officer in the face. When additional officers arrived, they found the suspect dead of a gunshot wound. (We won't know if this is serious until we know the dead guy's race. ~Bob)
Homeowner fatally shoots intruder in California, Pa.
http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/homeowner-fatally-shoots-intruder-california-pa/njbhK/
Excerpt: A release from police stated that the homeowner asked Ladson, “What are you doing here?” Ladson then ran toward the homeowner, who fired a single shot that struck Ladson in the chest.
Man shot and killed outside home in Rhome
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/27709696/man-shot-and-killed-outside-home-in-rhome
Excerpt: The Sheriff said the man then tried to get into the house again and that is when he was shot and killed by the home owner.
Worth Reading: The Mosque And Charlie Rangel
http://religiopoliticaltalk.com/the-mosque-and-charlie-rangel-ann-coulter/#ixzz3MlzpBN2N
Excerpt: In 1972, members of the Nation of Islam mosque led by Louis Farrakhan ambushed four New York policemen, badly wounding three officers and murdering one. ... The officers ran into the building and up the stairs in search of the injured policeman. Once all four were in the stairwell, the doors behind them were slammed shut and bolted. At that moment, more than a dozen black Muslims, shouting “Allahu Akbar!” charged down the stairs. The Muslims kicked and dragged their trapped quarry to the bottom of the stairs and then out into the vestibule where they beat, kicked and stomped the policemen to a gruesome pulp. With all four officers on the ground and the vestibule awash in blood, the Muslims managed to wrench service revolvers from two of the battered officers. One of them shot Officer Phil Cardillo in the chest at point-blank range.
Tweet from Mademoiselle Antoine @MsVictoriaA (Black woman)
I don't care for the White feminist movement or Black Liberation movements either.
Police Make Major Announcement About Antonio Martin
http://conservativetribune.com/police-announcement-martin/
Excerpt: In a press conference conducted after the shooting, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar confirmed that Antonio Martin “was known to law enforcement and had a record of assault and firearm offenses, all committed since he was 17.” In addition, police confirmed in the Wednesday press conference that the gun Martin was allegedly carrying — a 9mm — had its serial number “defaced,” meaning it was all but certain that the weapon had been stolen.
Black Senator and Mayor Say Berkeley Shooting Justified
http://freedomoutpost.com/2014/12/black-senator-mayor-say-berkeley-shooting-justified/
Excerpt: Martin, only ninety seconds into the interview, pulled a loaded 9-MM Pistol and pointed it at the officer. For an unknown reason, the gun either jammed or just did not go off. This is the second difference. According to Hoskins, a black man, the officer should have been shot and was definitely in danger when he shot the young man.
Obamacare/Government Healthcare News
The lucrative Obamacare connection that Jeb Bush is trying to cut. By Jason Millman
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/26/the-lucrative-obamacare-connection-that-jeb-bush-is-trying-to-cut/
Excerpt: And there's one obvious reason why keeping Tenet on his resume might not look so good politically: Tenet has benefited greatly from the Affordable Care Act, which much of the GOP base is still committed to repealing.
Shocker: Americans Want to Choose Their Own Health Care. By Sarah Jean Seman
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/sarahjeanseman/2014/12/26/poll-americans-want-to-choice-their-own-healthcare-n1934722?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
Excerpt: According to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday, American’s are as pro-choice when it comes to health care as ever, and they do not want the government mandating coverage:
Seventy-five percent (75%) say individuals should have the right to choose between different types of health insurance including some that cost more and cover just about all medical procedures and some that cost less while covering only major medical procedures. Just 10% disagree, while slightly more (15%) are undecided.
Pakistani forces kill alleged organizer of school massacre
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-pakistan-considers-counter-terrorism-strategy-more-airstrikes-kill-militants/2014/12/26/4c04a57c-8ce3-11e4-8ff4-fb93129c9c8b_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Excerpt: Security forces on Friday killed an alleged organizer of last week’s school massacre, the latest sign that the government and military are stepping up their assault on the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militant groups. The slaying of the Taliban commander, known as Saddam, comes as Pakistani leaders are vowing to forcefully respond to the attack on the school.
The Real Islam: Egyptian Coptic teen seized in Libya found dead
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Egyptian-Coptic-teen-seized-in-Libya-found-dead-20141226
Excerpt: An Egyptian Coptic Christian teenager abducted in Libya by armed men who killed her parents has been found dead, a hospital source said on Friday. Residents found the body of the daughter of the two slain doctors on Thursday evening, said the source at the Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Sirte, without giving the cause of death. She said the girl was 13 years old. Initial reports had given her age as 18.
The Workplace Violence Issue: New issue of jihadist magazine produced by al-Qaeda in Yemen suggests attacks on U.S. By Karen DeYoung
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/new-issue-of-jihadist-magazine-produced-by-al-qaeda-in-yemen-suggests-attacks-on-us/2014/12/24/06f03d9a-8b9c-11e4-8ff4-fb93129c9c8b_story.html
Excerpt: A new issue of Inspire, the English-language online magazine produced by al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, is devoted to “jihad on America” and suggests targeting major American figures as well as Western commercial airliners, according to a report Wednesday by SITE Intelligence Group.
Terror arrests revealed 'vision to turn Blue Mountains into killing ground': reports
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/12/26/08/17/arrests-reportedly-revealed-vision-to-turn-blue-mountains-into-killing-ground
Excerpt: On Christmas Eve, Sulayman Khalid, 20, and another man aged 21, were arrested as part of an ongoing counterterrorism investigation. Mr Khalid, from Regents Park, has been charged with being in possession of documents designed to facilitate a terrorist attack.
ISIS reportedly selling Christian artifacts, turning churches into torture chambers. By Perry Chiaramonte
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/12/22/isis-reportedly-selling-christian-artifacts-turning-churches-into-torture-1596164509/
Excerpt: "ISIS has a stated goal to wipe out Christianity,” Jay Sekulow, of the American Center for Law and Justice and the author of "Rise of ISIS: A Threat We Can't Ignore," told FoxNews.com. “This why they are crucifying Christians -- including children -- destroying churches and selling artifacts. The fact is, this group will stop at nothing to raise funds for its terrorist mission.”
Satire--too funny: ISIS Having Difficulty Finding American Recruits Physically Fit For Jihad
http://www.theonion.com/articles/isis-having-difficulty-finding-american-recruits-p,37068/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:NA:InFocus
Excerpt The thing is, we can’t inflict terror into the hearts of the masses if our fighters are always doubled over red-faced and winded.” Hamdani added that ISIS’ best course of action was to allow these overweight, sedentary American operatives to continue burdening the U.S. health care system in hopes of eventually bankrupting the nation.
“Do Not Walk Your Dog Here! Muslims Do Not Like Dogs.” [PICTURE]
http://conservativetribune.com/muslims-do-not-like-dogs/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
Excerpt: The controversial sign read: “Do not walk your dogs here! Muslims do not like dogs. This is an Islamic area now.”
VIDEO: Wife Beating Rules for Muslims… Please Expose This
http://conservativetribune.com/wife-beating-rules-for-muslims/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=936184&utm_campaign=0
Excerpt: “If the husband wants to use beatings to treat his wife, he must never do it in front of the children,” Mahmud said, according to the translation from the Middle East Media Research Institute. “It must remain between him and her.” How compassionate. And here I was thinking that Shariah law was barbaric.
What is America's survival plan? By Carol Brown
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/what_is_americas_survival_plan_.html
Excerpt: We’re facing the greatest national security threat we have ever known and there is no coherent plan to battle the enemy. This nation is so far behind the eight ball, the president and his minions won’t even name the enemy, no less fight it. Name = Islam Even worse, those in positions of power and influence misrepresent what the enemy stands for. Like a pre-recorded announcement that just won’t stop, we are endlessly subjected to the false refrain: Islam is a religion of peace. By Muslim lights, we live in the Dar al Harb, the territory of war, simply because we refuse to accept Islam. We didn’t declare war, Mohammed did. (This writer has pulled out all the stops, and while I am quite sure there are many Muslims living in this country who don't want anything at all to do with what I refer to as fundamentalist Islam, unfortunately there are those who are "true believers", and who as a result do despise our entire way of life and are happy to talk a lot about acting against it. FBI studies showed that the majority of mosques at the very least distribute jihadist type literature, and that a serious fraction of Muslim preachers are in sympathy with jihadist thinking, and even more are deep haters of Israel. We also know that some of the money that good Muslims contribute to various special charities end up in the coffers of Al Queda. So while I don't personally agree with the assumption that the writer makes that all Muslims are haters of the West and dangerous, it doesn't matter if 40% or 60% or 90% of Muslims are actually comparatively reasonable and peaceful. A relatively small fraction of that population becoming fanatics and pushing the Islamist agenda is as much a danger to this nation as the tiny bunch of Brownshirts was in the end to Germany. I do agree with at least some of the steps proposed below, but leave it to everyone to read and make up their own minds about this. --Del)
A Terror Leader Worth $3 Million Just Surrendered
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/27/a-terror-leader-worth-3-million-just-surrendered/
Excerpt: The intelligence officer, who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press, said Saturday Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi surrendered to Somali police in the Gedo region. The officer said Hersi may have surrendered because he fell out with those loyal to Ahmed Godane, al-Shabab’s top leader who was killed in a U.S. airstrike earlier this year.
Islamic State's 'provinces' claim attacks in Egypt, Libya
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/islamic_states_provi.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
Excerpt: The Islamic State's "provinces" in Egypt and Libya claimed recent attacks in both countries via jihadist supporters earlier today. The group's claims of responsibility were first obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. The Islamic State's Wilayat Sinai, or Sinai province, publicized that its operatives were responsible for the Dec. 23 attack on a natural gas pipeline that runs into Jordan. The organization said the attack was retribution for Jordan's "participation in the war on the Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria.
Islamic State kills Qods Force general in central Iraq
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/islamic_state_kills.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
Excerpt: An Islamic State sniper gunned down a general in Iran's Qods Force who was advising Iraqi troops and Shiite militias in the battleground city of Samarra in central Iraq. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that Brigadier General Hamid Taqavi was "martyred" while serving in Samara, close to the "shrine of Imam Hassan Askari" on Dec. 27, 2014, Jahan News, a hard-line Iranian media outlet reported. Taqavi was killed by an Islamic State "sniper," ABNA noted. (IS killing Iranian Generals. Sweet. ~Bob)
Muslim Persecution of Christians, September 2014
https://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/muslim-persecution-of-christians-september-2014/
Excerpt: The Muslim persecution of Christians in September started making prominent appearances not just in the Islamic world, but also in the West—in America, Australia and Europe. In the United States, in Columbus, Indiana, three churches were vandalized on the same night. The words most frequently sprayed were “Infidels!” and “Koran 3:151.” The verse from the Koran states, “We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve [or “infidels”] for what they have associated with Allah [reference to Christian Trinity] of which He had not sent down [any] authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers.”
US Islamist Expert: NYPD Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley May Have Been Responding to ISIS Fatwa (Video)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/12/us-islamist-expert-nypd-cop-killer-ismaaiyl-brinsley-may-have-been-responding-to-isis-fatwa-video/
Excerpt: Andrew G. Bostom, professor of medicine at Brown University, told Steve Malzberg that Ismaaiyl may have been responding to a fatwa to murder police officers.
“People are reluctant to even acknowledge that the man is a professed Muslim and comes from a Muslim background… There were four high profile attacks by Western Muslims against Western societies, specifically targeting police, since the September 22nd fatwa by an important ISIS ideologue was posted online. And in that fatwa it calls for attacks on westerners but it specifically targeted police.”
The Sharia Law Invasion of the United States and Western Europe. By Dave Hodges
http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/12/28/sharia-law-invasion-united-states-western-europe/
Excerpt: The major threat facing the West, does not lie in the fact that it is primarily Muslims who are moving into Western countries and supplanting the host country’s traditions with their own. The major threat facing Western Europe and the US lies in the fact that Muslims are coming to their country armed with Sharia Law and their religious leaders plan to take over according to the mandates of this governing doctrine.
Worth Seeing: Muslim protest against Islamists in Toronto - "Islamism is Racism"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0CQaeF3i6A&feature=youtu.be&a
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What's this wiki all about?
The Toontown Rewritten Wiki is an encyclopedia that was created to cover every single piece of information about the most "Toontastic" massively multiplayer online game, Toontown Rewritten. From goofy gags to fearsome Cogs, this wiki has it all and is what we anticipate to be any Toon's go-to site for learning something new about Toontown!
With the help of our amazing users who have contributed to produce exactly 2,359 pages since September 21, 2013, the Toontown Rewritten Wiki continues to offer a large chunk of awesome content. By signing up for an account, anyone can join in on the fun!
Learn how to get YOUR very own set of Toontown merchandise!
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Join the never-ending battle of fun and business, and help save Toontown!
Helping Out
The Toontown Rewritten Wiki is in need of receiving a Toon-up, and you can help out by creating or expanding some of our pages! Below are two major aspects of work that could use some attention:
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Be sure to also check out the "Insights" and "Community" pages for more useful information in regards to other incomplete tasks as well. Every user's contribution is an essential part of making the Toontown Rewritten Wiki a successful project.
...that Slappy was elected as president during the Toon Council Presidential Elections but had witnessed "Positive Reinforcement" at the hands of a Yesman, allowing Flippy to fulfill his presidential duties until he is found?
...that the Director of Ambush Marketing is the only known level 50 Cog who infiltrated Toontown with an ambush marketing invasion known as Doomsday?
...that Doctor Surlee, who was previously known as Gyro Gearloose before being rewritten, came from a timeline that ended in 2013 and created an experiment known as Toontown Rewritten?
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Home » Electronics & Gadgets » USB Type C: What It Is And Why You’ll Want USB C On All Of Your Gadgets
USB Type C: What It Is And Why You’ll Want USB C On All Of Your Gadgets
Apple disrupted industry trends with its 2015 MacBook. The weight and thin profile were expected. However, it was the introduction and inclusion of just one USB Type C port on the laptop that came as a big surprise for everyone.
These photos show the traditional USB Type A connector (top photo) next to the all-new USB Type C connector (bottom photo):
So, what is it about USB C that makes it so interesting?
Well, for starters, all manufacturers are moving to USB C (not just Apple) — which means we’re closer than ever to having one standard cable to charge all of our devices!
The dream of a 1-cable future is looking a little more real now that newer, better USB Type C ports are here. — Mashable
Wondering why Apple chose this over its super-fast and versatile Lightning and Thunderbolt ports?
The answer is simple: USB Type C is the future.
Here’s why you’re going to love this new technology — and why you should look for USB C on the next gadgets you buy.
What Is USB C & How Does It Compare To Other Types Of USB?
It may have a long and complicated name, but USB Type C is quite possibly the most important bit of technology to hit the tech industry in years.
It will fundamentally change the way we use our electronic gadgets.
To understand what it is, let’s go through all USB types:
— the original, large rectangular shaped USB connector that you can find almost everywhere nowadays. It’s used most commonly in flash thumb drives and external hard drives.
USB Type B
— the square-shaped USB connector has become a fading standard. It can be seen on the backs of printers.
— this flattened triangular shaped USB connector is small, fast, and convenient. If you own a smartphone or tablet (other than iPad or iPhone), then you’ve seen this. It been the most common form of USB for years now.
— this chunky triangular shaped USB connector is another rapidly dying format. You may have seen it on devices such as GPS units and some external hard drives and digital cameras.
The all new USB Type C is designed to replace them all!
It combines the best from all USB types (like the power and speed of Type A USB and the size of Micro USB) to form one incredible connector.
Why USB Type C Is The Best
For starters, USB C launched with USB 3.1 — which increased bandwidth to a whole new level. For example, USB 3.1 goes up to 10Gbps, which is roughly 1,250 megabytes per second. (That’s per second!)
See the 3 major USB standards — with USB 3.1 being the newest.
And it’s future-proof.
It’s not just about speed though. USB Type C can draw more power. For example, USB 3.0 could handle up to 900mA for up to 4.5 watts of power. But USB C goes up to 5,000mA for up to 100W of power — which is more than even the largest laptops typically need.
That means USB Type C will not only charge your devices faster, but it will also be able to power your laptops and other devices that have big power requirements. To put this into perspective: a regular 15-inch laptop draws about 60 to 65 watts of power — which you can easily power with a Type C connector. (This is why Apple decided to forego a separate power connector for the new ultra-thin Macbook.)
Even more reasons to love the USB Type C connector:
It doubles as an extra port when not charging. That means USB C will turn your phone into a battery pack to charge other gadgets!
It can be used to connect a number of devices. You can connect external displays, hard drives, smartphones, and more. This single port will take care of power, display output, transfer data, and other functions.
It supports bi-directional power flow. Traditionally, USB ports have supported unidirectional flow of power — from the host to the peripheral device. (For example, charging your smartphone or tablet from your laptop computer’s USB port.) However, with USB C, power can be supplied by either of the 2 connected devices. This opens up a lot of new possibilities.
It’s reversible. That means there isn’t a ‘right’ way or a ‘wrong’ way to insert it. So you won’t be fumbling around the USB port and cursing after trying to put it in upside down.
It’s backwards compatible. However, you will need USB Type C adapters to connect to USB 2 and USB 3 ports.
It’s super durable. Type C connectors are far more durable than their predecessors. The specification states the durability to be around 10,000 cycles of insertion & removal from ports. The specification for the previous USB standard was only about 1,500 cycles.
This video shows the durability of the USB Type-C connector:
Clearly, USB C is here to stay. Here’s some more evidence of that:
Apple has joined the bandwagon.
Google’s Chromebook Pixel includes 2 USB Type C ports.
Nokia’s N1 tablet was the first to feature a USB C port.
USB C is now readily available on smartphones and tablets.
Major computer manufacturers are now introducing devices with USB Type C ports.
So yes, the future is already here.
With more devices in the pipeline, it’s easy to imagine a future in which monitors, printers, speakers, and almost every other device can be powered using USB C. In fact, manufacturers may even drop their incompatible chargers for a single Type-C connector.
USB is ubiquitous. And with the introduction of USB Type C, it’s now been designed in such a way that it is sure to retain its title as the world’s favorite connector.
For now, suffice it to say that USB C is much faster, more powerful, slimmer, and much more effective than all USB types that preceded it.
In the immediate future, most computers and devices that we are used to having charged will have both USB Type C ports and larger USB Type A ports.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to get on the USB C connector bandwagon — so you’ll be able to slowly transition all of your devices seamlessly.
But read this before you buy a cheap USB C cable!
Filed Under: Computers, Tablets & Accessories, Electronics & Gadgets Tagged With: chargers, power cords, USB
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Home need homework help Expansion memorandum
Expansion memorandum
Increasing current food production more than proportional to population growth is required so as to provide most humans with an adequate diet. We examine the possible expansion of food supplies to the yearthe inventory of presently utilized and potentially available arable land, rates of land degradation, and the limitations of water and biological resources.
President Bill Clinton opened the summit at the secluded Wye River Conference Center on 15 October, and returned at least six times to the site to press Netanyahu and Arafat to finalize the deal. In the final push to get Netanyahu and Arafat to overcome remaining obstacles, Clinton invited King Hussein who had played a past role in easing tensions between the two men, to join the talks.
On the final day of the negotiations, the agreement almost fell through. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked President Bill Clinton to release Jonathan Pollardan American naval intelligence officer who has been serving a life sentence since for giving classified information to Israel.
A bitter disagreement arose, with Netanyahu claiming that Clinton had promised to release Pollard, and Clinton saying he had only promised to "review" Expansion memorandum case. For the implementation of the Oslo II Accord and to facilitate the Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank, Israel and the Palestinian Authorities signed a number of agreements and protocols.
The documents contained the reciprocal responsibilities, including those relating to further redeployments and security.
Only Expansion memorandum phases 1 and 2 are specified. Phase 3 was delegated to a "Third further redeployment committee" which was to be started.
The two sides also agreed to take legal measures against offenders within their jurisdiction and to prevent incitement against each other by any organizations, groups or individuals within their jurisdiction.
Outlawing and combating terrorist organizations a The Palestinian side was to make known its policy of zero tolerance for terror and violence against both sides. Prohibiting illegal weapons a The Palestinian side would ensure an effective legal framework is in place to criminalize, in conformity with the prior agreements, any importation, manufacturing or unlicensed sale, acquisition or possession of firearms, ammunition or weapons in areas under Palestinian jurisdiction.
Prevention of incitement a The Palestinian side would issue a decree prohibiting all forms of incitement to violence or terror, and establishing mechanisms for acting systematically against all expressions or threats of violence or terror. This decree would be comparable to the existing Israeli legislation which deals with the same subject.
The Israeli, Palestinian and U. Security cooperation The two sides agreed that their security cooperation would be based on a spirit of partnership and would include, among other things, the following steps: Bilateral cooperation There would be full bilateral security cooperation between the two sides which would be continuous, intensive and comprehensive.
Forensic cooperation There would be an exchange of forensic expertise, training, and other assistance.
Trilateral committee In addition to the bilateral Israeli—Palestinian security cooperation, a high-ranking U. Other security issues 1: Palestinian police force a The Palestinian side would provide a list of its policemen to the Israeli side in conformity with the prior agreements.
Legal assistance in criminal matters Among other forms of legal assistance in criminal matters, there were requests for the arrest and transfer of suspects and defendants. The United States had been requested by the sides to report on a regular basis on the steps being taken to respond to the above requests.
Human rights and the rule of law Accepted norms of human rights and the rule of lawand would be guided by the need to protect the public, respect human dignity, and avoid harassment. Economic issues The Israeli and Palestinian sides reaffirmed their commitment to improve their relationship and agreed on the need to actively promote economic development in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Israeli and Palestinian sides agreed on arrangements which would permit the timely opening of the Gaza Industrial Estate.
+Running Start Enrollment Reporting for –17 School Year. This memorandum provides instructions to community and technical colleges and to Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Evergreen State College, Northwest Indian College, Spokane Tribal College, and Washington State University, if participating, for reporting high school students enrolled under the Running. Expansion Beginning in FY This memorandum presents preliminary results of Evergreen Economics’ analysis of enrollment and spending impacts of expanding Medicaid in Alaska under the Affordable Care Act (AC A). Oct 08, · Silversea Cruises eyes expansion with order of three new ships The Monaco-based luxury line and Royal Caribbean Cruises on Monday announced Silversea had .
Both sides should have renewed negotiations on Safe Passage immediately. Negotiations on the northern route would continue with the goal of reaching agreement as soon as possible. The Israeli and Palestinian sides acknowledged the great importance of the Port of Gaza for the development of the Palestinian economy, and the expansion of Palestinian trade.
The two sides recognized that unresolved legal issues hurt the relationship between the two peoples. The Israeli and Palestinian sides also should launch a strategic economic dialogue to enhance their economic relationship.
The two sides agreed on the importance of continued international donor assistance in helping both sides to implement agreements.+Running Start Enrollment Reporting for –17 School Year. This memorandum provides instructions to community and technical colleges and to Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Evergreen State College, Northwest Indian College, Spokane Tribal College, and Washington State University, if participating, for reporting high school students enrolled under the Running.
Oct 08, · Silversea Cruises eyes expansion with order of three new ships The Monaco-based luxury line and Royal Caribbean Cruises on Monday announced Silversea had .
Financial Inclusion in PNG, Financial Inclusion in Papua New Guinea, PNG Financial Inclusion, Papua New Guinea Financial Inclusion, The Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion is the lead institution that creates an enabling environment to deliver client friendly innovative financial services to all Papua New Guineans for economic prosperity Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion.
A continuously updated summary of the news stories that US political commentators are discussing online right now. MEMORANDUM. House Fiscal Agency 2 7/17/ Medicaid Expansion If Michigan opts to expand the Medicaid program eligibility level to % of the FPL, preliminary There are still a number of questions as to how the Medicaid expansion will be rolled out by the U.S.
Expansion Beginning in FY This memorandum presents preliminary results of Evergreen Economics’ analysis of enrollment and spending impacts of expanding Medicaid .
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Atlantic City January 2018 | Thursday is the new Friday at Tropicana
Posted by: Darryl D. McEwen , January 2, 2018
Photograph ©2018 Michael Trager | View From Borgata Atlantic City in Winter
#TropThursdays
Thursday is the new Friday
Every Thursday beginning Jan. 11, raise a glass to longer weekends and enjoy property-wide deals including $6 specialty cocktails, prix fixe menus at select restaurants, live entertainment, hotel room deals and more.
#TropThursdays kicks off with $6 featured Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails served at participating locations. Tito’s will donate $1 to the 200 Club of Atlantic and Cape May Counties for every Tito’s cocktail sold during the first 90 days of #TropThursdays. The local non-profit organization provides financial support for the families of police, fire and rescue personnel.
Visit Tropicana for a complete list of participating locations, happy hours and other special offers.
Here comes the sun – Warm sunny days at the shore are just a short visit away at the Tropicana. Tropicana’s Beach Bash, a 48-day celebration of indoor summer fun, kicks off Jan. 12 with summer-themed displays, including a giant sand sculpture at Palm Walk, a free concert featuring Mark Diomede & The Juggling Suns Project, Tropicana’s Jersey Shore Wine Festival, and retail, dining and nightlife specials throughout the property.
The opening event at 1 p.m. will feature of game of corn hole where representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City will face off against Tropicana executives. The winner will earn bragging rights, and, at the conclusion of the game, Tropicana will present the local non-profit youth organization with a donation to support its mission to “provide resources for the development of young people, from all backgrounds to realize their full potential as responsible and caring adults.” Guests will enjoy free hot dogs, popcorn, salt water taffy and souvenirs. The event is free and open to the public.
Visit the Tropicana Atlantic City website for information on Beach Bash.
Atlantic City Weekly Declares War On Wings
Wing Wars will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. General admission is $25 per person. [Those with special VIP tickets ($40) can start “fighting,” i.e., tasting, at noon.] Visit ACWeekly – Wing Wars for a list of participating Atlantic City area restaurants and how to purchase tickets.
Tea for 200
Earlier that day attend a SpaRitual® Earl Grey Experience at either 9 or 11 a.m. Jan. 27 at Borgata’s Immersion Lap Pool. The event includes continental breakfast and SpaRitual’s Earl Grey-inspired organic, vegan and wellness bodycare products. A special highlight will include a visit and book signing with Shel Pink, founder of SpaRitual and author of the book Slow Beauty. A signed copy of the book is included in the admission. Tickets are $65 per person, but upgrade options are available from $175 to $300 additional. For more information or to purchase tickets call (609) 317-7555.
For more civilized dining, try La Petite Crêperie that opened last month in The Quarter at Tropicana Atlantic City. The menu offers authentic French cuisine with a modern twist, and features crepes filled with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients. In addition, the store offers a variety of ice creams with innovative flavors.
Here are other “insider” tips about what’s happening in Atlantic City’s casinos during January:
Throughout the week M life Rewards cardholders can choose the teams they think will win the Sunday and Monday games. Stop by any $1 Million Pro Football Challenge kiosk located next to the M life Rewards Desk or near the Gypsy Bar. Players can enter daily for up to seven entries per week, but only one entry per day. Entry deadlines vary, so visit TheBorgata.com for complete rules. Each week $10,000 in prize money will be awarded, with a minimum $5,000 guaranteed top prize each week. In addition, for the games during the playoffs entrants each will win 30 Bonus Slot Dollars in weekly random drawings. For the 2018 “big game” Feb. 4 Borgata will give away a total of $100,000 in cash and Bonus Slot Dollars.
Every 18 minutes from noon to 7 p.m. on Jan. 1 Borgata will award 1,818 Bonus Slot Dollars. Players need to insert their M life Rewards card into any slot machine or open any table games rating from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for a chance to win.
Details on all promotions are available at the M life Rewards Center.
Borgata Comedy Club (check for dates in January), Cassadee Pope (Jan. 6), Rob Thomas (Jan. 12 to 14), Theresa Caputo (Jan. 13), Trevor Noah (Jan. 14), Preacher Lawson (Jan. 20), Marlon Wayans (Jan. 27). For tickets visit TheBorgata.com or call (866) 900-4TIX (4849).
$10,000 Bingo Bonanza Jan. 15, 22 and 29 at 2 and 7 p.m. in The Grand. Free entry for all Elite and Chairman cardholders. All others must earn at least 20 tier credits that day for the player and one guest
$1,000 Slot Tournaments Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 p.m. in the Slot Tournament Area.
For details on all promotions, visit the 24K Select Club.
Free self-parking continues.
Flashback Fridays, free entertainment in the Showroom [Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (Jan. 5), Completely Unchained – Van Halen (Jan. 12), New York’s Finest – The Police (Jan. 19), kRush – Rush (Jan. 26)].
Be one of 42 winners of $150,000 in cash and free play during Harrah’s Winter of Jackpots. Swipe your players card daily from Jan. 1 to March 3 at designated promotional kiosks. Get additional entries for every 25 tier credits you earn, plus five times earned entries on Tuesdays. Details at the Total Rewards Center.
2018 Mercedes CLA 250 Guaranteed Sweepstakes. Play daily through Jan. 1. One tier point equals 1 entry.
Cash Dash, noon to 8 p.m. Jan. 15.
Bingo, 8 p.m. Jan. 26.
$35,000 Jackpot Sweepstakes. Earn 1 entry for every taxable hand-paid jackpot through Jan. 31. Finale is Feb. 24.
2018 Mercedes GLA 250 Guaranteed Sweepstakes. Play daily Jan. 2 through March 25. One tier point equals 1 entry. 25X entries Jan. 3, 5, 14, 17, 19, 28 and 31.
$75,000 Point Challenge – Earn tier points from Jan. 1 to March 31. Top 100 tier point earners will share in $75,000 in bonuses on April 28
Andre & Cirell (Jan. 2, 8, 9, 16, 17, 24, 28, 31), John Ciotta (Jan. 3), The Temptations Revue (Jan. 13). For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or the Resorts Box Office, or call (800) 745-3000.
Tropicana’s free light show features a 35-foot tree synchronized to festive music with daily shows starting at noon, every hour on the hour, through Jan. 2. This not-to-be-missed experience combines interactive lights with an inspiring array of holiday musical selections. Adding to the festive décor is Tropicana’s famed 25-foot poinsettia tree located in Palm Walk.
Primal Men – Male Revue (every Saturday at Boogie Nights), Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds (Jan. 13), Foghat (Jan 20). For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com, call (800) 745-3000 or check with the Tropicana Box Office.
Another entertainment option at Tropicana is Atlantic City’s only IMAX® Theatre. On the schedule this month are Star Wars: The Last Jedi: An IMAX 3D Experience through Jan. 25 and Maze Runner: The Death Cure: An IMAX Experience, from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1. For show times and tickets, visit Tropicana – IMAX Theatre Tickets can be purchased at the IMAX Box Office, through Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000.
The Atlantic City Deals You Want HOT RATES!
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Darryl D. McEwen
Recreational gambler Darryl D. McEwen, a former professional journalist, is president of his own consulting firm in Wilmington, Del., that manages several small national and international trade associations, and provides public relations and fundraising services for a number of charitable organizations. He publishes the monthly Seven Stars Insider Newsletter, as well as the Seven Stars Insider website (SevenStarsInsider.com). In addition, he writes a biweekly column, Mr. AC Casino, for the Atlantic City Weekly.
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Trump’s enthusiasm for universal background checks was halted by one call to the NRA
The president was reportedly enthusiastic about the idea. The NRA, not so much.
Zack Ford Twitter Aug 21, 2019, 9:42 am
(Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump was reportedly enthusiastic — at least momentarily — about holding a Rose Garden ceremony to sign a gun-control bill that included expanding background checks for gun purchases. He was so thrilled about the prospect of that historic act, in fact, that he called the National Rifle Association’s Wayne LaPierre to tell him about it, assuring him that he’d give the organization “cover” from any backlash.
“It’s going to be great, Wayne, they will love us,” he reportedly said, referring to the NRA’s members.
LaPierre’s answer was short: “No.”
That phone call and the buzz around the proposed Rose Garden ceremony within the White House was detailed in a new report Tuesday from The Atlantic’s Elaina Pott, who spoke to a former senior White House official, several NRA officials, and others familiar with the conversations. The call in which Trump got the “No” on expanded background checks from LaPierre took place August 7, just days after the deadly mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, and less than two weeks after another shooting in Gilroy, California, that left four people dead.
The report jibes with what’s publicly known about how quickly Trump himself has lowered expectations about any real solutions to curb gun violence. Two days after that first call, he tweeted that he had spoken to the NRA — which is currently dealing with its own set of internal problems — and assured them “that their very strong views” would be “fully represented and respected.” By this week, Trump was refusing to answer any questions about whether he supports background checks, returning to his campaign line that such screenings were already in use and didn’t work.
As it turns out, Trump called LaPierre back Tuesday and assured him that universal background checks were off the table. Any previous chatter of taking executive action has dissipated. His new solutions instead focus on “increasing funding” for mental-health care and increasing prosecutions of “gun crime” through federal firearms charges.
Neither of these solutions will have any impact on gun violence: most people with mental health issues are not violent and most mass shooters are not mentally ill.
As for “gun crime” charges, Trump’s Justice Department boasted last year that it had smashed previous records on gun crime and violent crime prosecutions — but that enforcement had no discernible effect on the number of mass shootings.
The only hope now is that when Congress finally returns from recess in mid-September, lawmakers use any remaining momentum to actually create some kind of change through gun legislation that can shift Trump’s peripatetic mind and obedience to the NRA. Polls suggest, however, that it is only shootings themselves that ignite public passions enough to create the political pressure necessary for progress.
#Background Checks, #Donald Trump, #Gun Control, #Gun Violence, #Guns, #National Rifle Association, #Politics
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Nordic Theatre Studies
Vol 30 No 2 (2018): Theatre Studies 3.0 /
Articles thematic section
Towards a Spectatorial Approach to Drama Analysis
Ulla Kallenbach
Annelis Kuhlmann Aarhus University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v30i2.112950
Keywords: Dramaturgy, Drama analysis, Performativity, The implied spectator, Scenic writing
In recent years, the concept of dramaturgy has been expanded to include a wide range of new fields that rarely concern the analysis of the drama text itself, but rather the facilitation of creative processes. This article investigates dramaturgy as an analytical practice. The article provides an analytical, historical investigation of methodological approaches to drama analysis. The aim is to examine how drama analysis came to be regarded as a literary discipline that rarely considers aspects of performance and the material, scenic context for which the play was written. The study of drama thus became regarded as being distinct from theatre and performance studies. This approach, which has its roots in nineteenth century dramaturgy, effectively eliminated the spectator from its perspective in favour of a character and plot centred dramaturgy. It is the authors’ assertion that the drama text and theatrical performance should, nevertheless, be regarded as intrinsically interconnected and that the spectator must be “re-inserted” in the analysis of the written drama. The authors explore how we might re-think the field of dramaturgy as drama analysis by emphasizing the corporeal, spatial, performative, and cognitive aspects of the drama text together with an emphasis on the historical and scenic context.
Ulla Kallenbach, PhD, is a researcher of imagination and dramaturgy. Her research has two main perspectives: 1) a philosophic perspective informed by the history of ideas and 2) a scenic perspective exploring the performativity of the text and the point of view of the spectator. Her monograph, The Theatre of Imagining – A Cultural History of Imagination in the Mind and on the Stage was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2018. Other publications include stage/page/play: Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and theatricality (edited with Anna Lawaetz, 2016). She is steering committee member of the Centre for Historical Performance Practice (CHiPP), Aarhus University.
Annelis Kuhlmann, Aarhus University
Annelis Kuhlmann, Associate Professor, PhD in Dramaturgy, Aarhus University, Denmark. Her dissertation Constantin Stanislavsky’s Theatre Concepts (1997) is based on studies in the Stanislavsky Archives in Moscow. Her current research has focus on The Paradox of the Theatre Director. She has published extensively on the work of Odin Teatret, lately with Dr Adam Ledger in vol 5 of The Great European Stage Directors (2018). She is president of Centre for Theatre Laboratory Studies (CTLS) as well as for Centre for Historical Performance Practice (CHiPP). Co-editing with Ulla an upcoming book on Dramaturgy (Aarhus University Press).
Aristotle. 1995. Poetics. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard UP.
Arntzen, Knut Ove. 2007. Det marginale teater: et nordisk blikk på regikunst og ambiente forsøk. Laksevåg: Alvheim & Eide.
Balme, Christopher B. 1999. “Robert Lepage und die Zukunft des Theaters im Medienzeitalter” In Fischer-Lichte, Erika, Doris Kolesch, Christel Weiler (eds.). Transformationen: Theater der neunziger Jahre. Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft. Kongress 4 1998, Berlin: Theater der Zeit.
Barba, Eugenio. 2010. On directing and dramaturgy: burning the house. London: Routledge.
Benford, Robert D. and Scott A. Hunt. “Dramaturgy and Social Movements: The Social Construction and Communication of Power.” Sociological Inquiry 62, no. 1 (1992): 36-55.
Brecht, Bertolt. 2015. Brecht on theatre. 3 ed. London: Bloomsbury.
Brissett, Dennis, and Charles Edgley. 1990. Life as theater, a dramaturgical sourcebook. 2. rev. and updated ed. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
Brown, John Russell. 2002. Shakespeare and the theatrical event. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cook, Amy. 2010. Shakespearean neuroplay : reinvigorating the study of dramatic texts and performance through cognitive science. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Edgley, Charles. 2013. The drama of social life: a dramaturgical handbook. Farnham: Ashgate.
Evans, Michael. 2006. Innføring i dramaturgi, teater, film, fjernsyn. Oslo: Cappelen.
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Fischer-Lichte, Erika. 2008. The transformative power of performance: a new aesthetics. London: Routledge.
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Georgelou, Konstantina, et al. 2017. “The Catalytic Function of Dramaturgy: Working on Actions in Choreographic Processes. In Jo Butterworth and Liesbeth Wildschut (eds.). Contemporary Choreography: A Critical Reader. London: Routledge, 2017, 201-14.
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Gladsø, Svein, Ellen K. Gjervan, Lise Hovik, and Annabella Skagen. 2015. Dramaturgi: forestillinger om teater. 2 ed. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
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Hansen, Pil. 2016. “The Perceptual Dramaturgy of Swimmer (68).” In Ulla Kallenbach and Anna Lawaetz (eds.). stage/page/play: Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and theatricality. Copenhagen: Multivers, 124-140.
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Kallenbach, Ulla. 2016. ”Imagination at Play.” In stage/page/play: Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and theatricality. In Ulla Kallenbach and Anna Lawaetz (eds.). stage/page/play: Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and theatricality. Copenhagen: Multivers, 111-123.
Kallenbach, Ulla. 2018. The Theatre of Imagining: A Cultural History of Imagination in the Mind and on the Stage. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
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Kuhlmann, Annelis. 2016. “In the beginning was the body: On the embedded staging in the written drama.” In Ulla Kallenbach and Anna Lawaetz (eds.). stage/page/play: Interdisciplinary approaches to theatre and theatricality. Copenhagen: Multivers, 141-153.
Lehmann, Hans-Thies. 2006. Postdramatic theatre. London: Routledge.
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Lindström, Göran. 1971. Att läsa dramatik. Lund, Stockholm: Gleerups.
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Pavis, Patrice. 2008. “On Faithfulness: The Difficulties Experienced by the Text/Performance Couple.” Theatre Research International, 33: 117-126.
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Martin, Jacqueline, and Willmar Sauter. 1995. Understanding theatre : performance analysis in theory and practice: Jacqueline Martin & Willmar Sauter. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.
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Schneider, Rebecca. 2011. Performing remains: art and war in times of theatrical reenactment. London: Routledge.
Styan, John L. 1967. Shakespeare’s stagecraft. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
Szondi, Peter. 1981. Theorie des modernen Dramas. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
Trencsényi, Katalin. 2015. Dramaturgy in the making: a user’s guide for theatre practitioners. London: Bloomsbury.
Trencsényi, Katalin, and Bernadette Cochrane. 2014. New dramaturgy: international perspectives on theory and practice, Methuen drama. London: Bloomsbury.
Turner, Cathy, and Synne Behrndt. 2008. Dramaturgy and performance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ubersfeld, Anne. 1981. L’École du spectateur, Lire le théâtre 2. Paris: Éditions sociales.
Wallis, Mick, and Simon Shepherd. 2002. Studying plays. 2 ed. London: Arnold.
Williams, Raymond. 1972. Drama in performance. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Kallenbach, U., & Kuhlmann, A. (2019). Towards a Spectatorial Approach to Drama Analysis. Nordic Theatre Studies, 30(2), 22-39. https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v30i2.112950
Vol 30 No 2 (2018): Theatre Studies 3.0
The copyright belongs to the authors and Nordic Theatre Studies. Users can use, reuse and build upon the material published in the journal but only for non-commercial purposes. Users are allowed to link to the files, download the files, distribute the files on a local network (preferably by links), upload the files to local repositories if their institutions require them to do so, but not republish the files without proper agreements with the journal and the author.
Nordic Theatre Studies is published by the Association of Nordic Theatre Scholars (ANTS). It has been selected for inclusion in Web of Science and Scopus as well as Ebsco and Google Scholar.
ISSN Online: 2002-3898 and ISSN Print: 0904-6380
Hosted by the Royal Danish Library
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Dear Economist
The Undercover Economist Strikes Back
Dear Undercover Economist
The Logic of Life
Tim Harford The Undercover Economist
“Fabulous series.” – Bill Dare, creator of “Dead Ringers”
We’ve always warned children by telling them unsettling fairy tales. But my Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups. And my Cautionary Tales are all true.
Cautionary Tales is my new podcast from Pushkin Industries, makers of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History, Michael Lewis’s Against The Rules, and Laurie Santos’s Happiness Lab.
Helping me tell these Cautionary Tales are some marvellous actors, including Alan Cumming (Instinct), Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) and Russell Tovey (Quantico). We also present the acting debut of a certain Mr Malcolm Gladwell.
Together we weave stories of human error, of tragic catastrophes and hilarious fiascos. Oil tankers crash in broad daylight, vital military ideas are carelessly given away to the Nazis, and a shouty man in a uniform pulls off an audacious heist. Alongside the drama, each story has a moral that emerges from psychology, economics, even design. Each story will make you wiser.
[Apple] [Spotify] [Stitcher]
Show notes for each episode.
“Unlike almost all other science on radio… They simply trust that you, the listener, are going to be interested in things that are interesting. And you are.” – The Times
More or Less is devoted to the powerful, sometimes beautiful, often abused but ever ubiquitous world of numbers. The programme was an idea born of the sense that numbers were the principal language of public argument. And yet there were few places where it was thought necessary to step back and think about the way we use figures – in the way we often step back to think about language.
What do they really measure? What kind of truth, if any, do they capture?
Yet no politician, no economist, and in recent years no doctor, teacher, chief constable or any number of others, has been able to make a case or answer one without regaling you with numbers. Open the pages of any newspaper and you will see risks of this, targets for that, new spending and new cuts, arguments about productivity, performance indicators, measurements, statistics and quantification of every kind.
And so was born More or Less, initially with six programmes on BBC Radio 4 presented by economist Andrew Dilnot. More or Less is now a permanent part of the schedule with three series annually, on Radio 4, and a shorter version of the program broadcast all year round on the BBC World Service. I took over as presenter in October 2007.
More or Less has an outstanding record in The Royal Statistical Society’s “excellence in journalism” awards for broadcasting: runner up in 2011, 2012 and 2014, winning outright in 2010, 2013 and 2019. (I won for my own writing in 2015.) More or Less has also won awards from Mensa and HealthWatch, and in 2018 won “Best Radio News and Factual Programme” from the Voice of the Viewer and Listener.
More or Less can be heard on Fridays on BBC Radio 4 at 16:30 UK time and is repeated on Sundays at 20:00 – or you can subscribe to the podcast and never miss another programme.
“Tim Harford is that rare thing — an interpreter of statistics into common sense.” – The Sunday Times
“Tim Harford is doing some of the best public interest journalism at the BBC.” – The Daily Telegraph
“This brilliant podcast from the economist Tim Harford shines the cool light of reason and mathematics on the numbers behind the news.” – The Times
“Easily some of the best radio of recent years.” – The Times
A series of short stories exploring the way new ideas and inventions have woven, tangled or sliced right through the invisible economic web that surrounds us every day. From the bar code to double-entry bookkeeping, covering ideas as solid as concrete or as intangible as the limited liability company, 50 Things That Made The Modern Economy not only shows us how new ideas come about, it also shows us their unintended consequences – for example, how the gramophone introducing radically unequal pay in the music industry, or how the fridge shaped the politics of developing countries across the globe.
A book of the series is available. (In the US, it’s called Fifty Inventions That Shaped The Modern Economy.)
“I love these fact-filled micro-documentaries, steeped in history… A masterclass in socioeconomic storytelling.” – The Financial Times
“Utterly addictive…a mesmerising mix of history, marketing and psychology.” – The Times
“A marvel of brevity, clarity and original thinking.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Tim Harford is a master at picking out the perfect little story that explains some huge economic principle… he’s been my go-to guy for learning about the economics and math behind the world at large… perfectly crafted to light up the pleasure centres of my nerd brain.” – Roman Mars, 99% Invisible
“They are real masterpieces of brevity and audio storytelling… brilliant sideways glances… I’ve been surprised by every episode.” – Monocle Arts Review
“This is what BBC radio is for. The series is utterly compelling and low-key… Just brilliant ideas, told simply. A wonderful, wonderful programme.” – The Times
“Harford’s script is immaculate and so is his presentation.” – The Times of India
“Your first port of call should be Tim Harford, whose BBC World Service series 50 Things that Made the Modern Economy was consistently enlightening. Each episode is a mere eight or nine minutes long and full of the sort of facts you can drop into dinner party chat.” – Harry Wallop, The Times
Nominated for a Webby award, 2018
“Many of the most interesting series in recent years – The Assassination, Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy, The Big Idea – have come from [the BBC World Service]” – The Times
Pop Up Ideas
…ran for three series (13 episodes). The first series presented stories of remarkable lives or surprising ideas in economics. We learned about the impromptu engineering genius Bill Phillips, the cold war guru Thomas Schelling, and life-saving market designer Al Roth. We discovered how the geeks took over poker, and what happened to them. The second and third series brought in some brilliant guests including Malcolm Gladwell, Gillian Tett and Jared Diamond.
Here’s the free podcast page (or search on iTunes) and here is the series homepage.
Tim Harford is an author, columnist for the Financial Times and presenter of Radio 4's "More or Less".
Why brilliant people lose their touch
What we get wrong about meetings – and how to make them worth attending
The curious economics of being ripped off on holiday
Why we fall for cons
Should we take a few long holidays, or lots of short ones?
Enter your email address to receive notifications of new articles by email (you can unsubscribe at any time).
Copyright © 1999-2020 Tim Harford. All rights reserved.
Articles Archive • Photos by Fran Monks
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Canada looks to Europe for a winning trade recipe
By Sylvain Charlebois on October 24, 2016 Comments Off on Canada looks to Europe for a winning trade recipe
In an increasingly protectionist world, finding trade partners for agricultural products is difficult, although the benefit can be huge
HALIFAX, N.S. Oct. 24, 2016/ Troy Media/ – Canada’s new Liberal government is learning the hard way that in multilateral trade agreements, agriculture and food always create a recipe for contentious debates.
Farmers in Belgium have stalled the European Union’s ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by voting against it. Many other factions within France, Poland, Spain, Bulgaria and Austria have reservations, but only the small French-speaking southern Belgian region of Wallonia rejected the agreement before its final approval.
Despite the setback, the European Council continues to work toward signing CETA.
But with 28 member states and diverging agricultural interests, finding common ground in the EU is challenging. Anyone who has travelled in Europe can appreciate how different regions have varying relationships with food. European food economies are largely region-based, with a wide mix of locally produced products.
Opening Europe to foreign food products only creates more unease, since North America and Europe have very different agricultural economies.
So the deal Canada and the EU signed a few years ago (but is just now being ratified) is an enigma. Many Europeans argue that genetically modified crops and corporate farming define Canadian food systems. For them, the deal is toxic, surrendering to the dictatorship of corporations. They see CETA as a real threat to local agriculture, which is intertwined with centuries-old gastronomic cultures.
In truth, Canada is just a footnote compared to the massive economic clout of the United States. So CETA is more of an inconvenience for farming in Europe than the real menace a deal with the U.S. would represent.
And ratifying CETA could be a way for the EU to demonstrate it can survive Great Britain’s exit from the union and move beyond constitutional hiccups.
For Canada’s agricultural industries, a ratification of CETA would be celebrated.
The deal would establish an animal protein and milk exchange between two continents. Canada could sell more pork and beef to Europe and the EU could ship more processed milk. This would be good for our cattle and hog sectors, which are in dire need of new markets.
On the other hand, our dairy sector would receive a well-needed shakeup, since more foreign cheese would enter our market exempt from tariffs. Canadian dairy processors would need to become more competitive, to the delight of Canadian consumers.
Our dairy industry has certainly increased its competitiveness in recent years, with more mergers and acquisitions. And we should expect continued market movement beyond our prehistoric supply management approach, which treats the consumer as an afterthought.
More broadly, CETA would also allow Canada to take a significant step toward becoming a recognized player in the global marketplace.
And we should applaud the former Conservative government for its foresight in initiating the CETA deal. In doing so, it beat the U.S. to the punch. Canada is pushing to the finish line on this deal while America has barely advanced in its quest to sign a similar pact with Europe. (It will be interesting to see how Americans proceed with a new tenant moving into the White House in just a few months.)
A completed CETA would give Canada a significant trading advantage. We would become the only country in the world involved with two significant continental trade deals. With CETA and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada becomes the portal between two mega markets, the U.S. and Europe.
So if CETA fails, it would be a gigantic missed opportunity.
But we shouldn’t get our hopes up. The world has become much more protectionist. A CETA deal is unlikely to survive a long, politically-charged ratification process. That CETA is even on life support is a miracle and it’s difficult to see how the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) of Pacific Rim countries can ever be completed now.
We can hold out hope that CETA still happens because of Canada’s relatively insignificant reputation in the trading world.
But if it fails, there is a decent consolation prize from an agricultural trade perspective on the horizon: the United Kingdom is looking for new trade partners now that it is preparing its withdrawal from the EU.
Canada just may get the agricultural trade recipe right, after all.
Troy Media columnist Sylvain Charlebois is dean of the Faculty of Management and professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University. Sylvain is included in Troy Media’s Unlimited Access subscription plan.
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Canadian economy, CETA, European Union, Protectionism, Supply Management, Trade
Canada looks to Europe for a winning trade recipe added by Sylvain Charlebois on October 24, 2016
View all posts by Sylvain Charlebois →
Finding new markets will ease impact of U.S. protectionism KUNIN: As Canada integrates more and more into the global economy, it will matter to us less and...
For Canada, ratifying CETA was the easy part CHARLEBOIS: The influx of quality, affordable dairy products will force Canada’s dairy industry to redefine itself within a...
The real reason Europeans oppose CETA VAN HARTEN: Opposition to the trade deal with Canada is growing because of the controversial foreign investor protection...
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Bowmanville, Ontario, August 26th, 2019 – Heading into our final rounds at CTMP, the championship battle has been elevated to another level as multiple drivers and teams are in contention for their class championship for the year.
Nathan Blok makes his return to the series in 2019, taking over driver duty for Parker Thompson in the No. 33 New Roads/Team Speedstar Audi R8 LMS GT4. Much like Parker, Nathan was able to quickly translate his open-wheel racing experience into success with the mid-engine Audi. After a slow start to the race, he pulled away from the rest of the field finishing with a decisive 7.894 second lead over series newcomer George Staikos in second place. Despite some inconsistencies, George showed great pace in the new No. 6 GRS Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4.
Michael Delledonne (No. 81 RMP Competizione BMW M235iR) climbed to third place on the podium after teammate Rocco Marciello in the No. 53 car had a tire blow out entering Turn 2 near the end of the race.
Expectedly, the TCR class battle was intense all weekend. Starting in Friday’s qualifying, Jean-François Hevey (No. 21 TRC/M1GT Audi RS3 LMS TCR) put down a pole setting lap of 1:24.338, besting the previous CTCC TCR lap record set by teammate Matthew Taskinen during the Victoria Day Speedfest earlier this year.
TCR points leader Gary Kwok (No. 66 M&S Racing Honda Civic TCR) qualified in second place, trailing by a mere 0.014 second! Gary managed to pass Jean- François early on and briefly got into a dogfight for the overall lead with the Audi R8 LMS GT4 in GT Sport. The race eventually evolved into a battle between teammates with Tom Kwok (No. 55 M&S Racing Honda Civic TCR) passing the No. 21 Audi. However, Gary was able to hold onto the lead in the No. 66 car and finished first ahead of brother and teammate Tom.
A race between the two TRC/M1GT Audi RS3 LMS TCR’s of Jean-François Hevey (No. 21) and Matthew Taskinen (No. 23) unfolded behind the Honda’s, with Hevey holding on to finish in third and Taskinen right behind him in fourth.
After an intense day of racing on Friday, CTCC competitors had a chance to regroup Saturday morning before the round 10 finale at 3:30pm.
In GT Sport, Nathan Blok (No. 33 New Roads/Team Speedstar Audi R8 LMS GT4) got off to a fast start and created a seemingly comfortable lead over George Staikos (No. 6 GRS Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4) in P2. However, George was relentless and kept pushing to close the gap from the Audi in front. About halfway through the race, he got a great launch out of Moss Corner (Turn 5) and began reeling Nathan in on the Andretti Straight. The bi-turbo V8 Mercedes-AMG GT4 pulled ahead of the Audi right before turn 8 and took the lead. George would go on to take his maiden CTCC win by over 8.5 seconds in front of Nathan’s No. 33 Audi R8 LMS GT4, giving fans a glimpse of a potential rivalry between the two German luxury automakers.
Rocco Marciello (No. 53 RMP Competizione BMW M235iR) was busy navigating around the TCR field behind teammate Michael Delledonne in the No. 81 BMW. In a strange twist of fate, Michael was the one that suffered a tire blowout this race which promoted Rocco to the last spot on the GT Sport podium.
For the 2019 CTCC GT Sport Championship, Parker Thompson (No. 1 New Roads/Team Speedstar Audi R8 LMS GT4) had already secured the title before this weekend with dominant performances throughout the entire season. The pair of RMP Competizione BMW’s finished behind him with Rocco Marciello (No. 53) in second place and Michael Delledonne (No. 81) in third. Fareed Ali (No. 41 TWOth Autosport Porsche 997.2 C2S PDK) finished just 28 points behind in fourth place.
In TCR, the championship battle continued on all the way through the last race. M&S Racing teammates Tom (No. 55) and Gary Kwok (No. 66) started on the front row, with Gary leading the race in first overall for a few corners before the GT Sport cars passed him on the straightaway. Tom managed to catch up and passed Gary on the back straight for the lead and went on to win the race.
After falling into a slump at GP3R, Matthew Taskinen (No. 23 TRC/M1GT Audi RS3 LMS TCR) bounced back for the final round to finish second after passing Gary’s Honda around the halfway mark.
The next group of TCR cars finished over 11.5 seconds later. Travis Hill (No. 26 TWOth Audi RS3 LMS TCR) led the group in third place, recovering from a midfield finish the day before which pushed him down one spot in class standings. Finishing fourth is Bob Attrell (No. 88 Hyundai Racing Canada Hyundai i30N TCR) who made a tremendous charge to overtake Jean- François Hevey (No. 21 TRC/M1GT Audi RS3 LMS TCR) who ended up in fifth.
Falling back a few spots after running in front of the entire field, Gary implemented a conservative strategy to avoid contact as he only needed to finish the race to win the championship. He dropped back to finish in sixth place and secured his first CTCC championship in 13 years of racing!
Despite missing the podium in round 10, Jean- François Hevey’s performance was enough to secure second place in TCR class ahead of Travis Hill in third. The TCR top three finished within 30 points of each other, showing that the class should be highly competitive for years to come! Matthew Taskinen could not catch the top three despite his strong performance and finished fourth for the year.
Complete race results and standings can be found by visiting the CTCC website, www.touringcar.ca. Fans can follow the championship via the following social media platforms: Facebook: touringcar.ca, Twitter: @ctccracing, Instagram: @ctccracing
About CTCC
CTCC presented by Pirelli is a Sports Car Racing Championship and a leader in Canadian motorsport. It provides race fans with close and exciting competition between some of Canada’s finest and fastest race car drivers. CTCC takes pride in the fact that it is Canadian owned and operated, and that it is one of the longest-running professional sports car series in Canada. It showcases race cars based on their original street version since 2007.
Experience the rush of CTCC racing!
Sean Wang
Communications/Social Media
Phillip Sutherland
Official CTCC Series Photographer
Dominique Bondar
dominique@touringcar.ca
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Where Epics Fail: Meditations to Live By
The Universe in a Sentence: On Aphorisms
Ed Simon
“A fragment ought to be entirely isolated from the surrounding world like a little work of art and complete in itself like a hedgehog.” —Friedrich Schlegel, Athenaeum Fragments (1798)
“I dream of immense cosmologies, sagas, and epics all reduced to the dimensions of an epigram.” —Italo Calvino, Six Memos for the Next Millennium (1988)
From its first capital letter to the final period, an aphorism is not a string of words but rather a manifesto, a treatise, a monograph, a jeremiad, a sermon, a disputation, a symposium. An aphorism is not a sentence, but rather a microcosm unto itself; an entrance through which a reader may walk into a room the dimensions of which even the author may not know. Our most economic and poetic of prose forms, the aphorism does not feign argumentative completism like the philosophical tome, nor does it compel certainty as does the commandment—the form is cagey, playful, and mysterious. To either find an aphorism in the wild, or to peruse examples in a collection that mounts them like butterflies nimbly held in place with push-pin on Styrofoam, is to have a literary-naturalist’s eye for the remarkable, for the marvelous, for the wondrous. And yet there has been, at least until recently, a strange critical lacuna as concerns aphoristic significance. Scholar Gary Morson writes in The Long and Short of It: From Aphorism to Novel that though they “constitute the shortest [of] literary genres, they rarely attract serious study. Universities give courses on the novel, epic, and lyric…But I know of no course on…proverbs, wise sayings, witticisms and maxims.”
An example of literary malpractice, for to consider an aphorism is to imbibe the purest distillation of a mind contemplating itself. In an aphorism every letter and word counts; every comma and semicolon is an invitation for the reader to discover the sacred contours of her own thought. Perhaps answering Morson’s observation, critic Andrew Hui writes in his new study A Theory of the Aphorism: From Confucius to Twitter that the form is “Opposed to the babble of the foolish, the redundancy of bureaucrats, the silence of mystics, in the aphorism nothing is superfluous, every word bear weight.” An aphorism isn’t a sentence—it’s an earthquake captured in a bottle. It isn’t merely a proverb, a quotation, an epigraph, or an epitaph; it’s fire and lightning circumscribed by the rules of syntax and grammar, where rhetoric itself becomes the very stuff of thought. “An aphorism,” Friedrich Nietzsche aphoristically wrote, “is an audacity.”
If brevity and surprising disjunction are the elements of the aphorism, then in some ways we’re living in a veritable renaissance of the form, as all of the detritus of our fragmented digital existence from texting to Twitter compels us toward the ambiguous and laconic (even while obviously much of what’s produced is sheer detritus). Hui notes the strangely under-theorized nature of the aphorism, observing that at a “time when a presidency can be won and social revolutions ignited by 140-character posts…an analysis of the short saying seems to be crucial as ever” (not that we’d put “covfefe” in the same category as Blaise Pascal).
Despite the subtitle to Hui’s book, A Theory of the Aphorism thankfully offers neither plodding history nor compendium of famed maxims. Rather Hui presents a critical schema to understand what exactly the form does, with its author positing that the genre is defined by “a dialectical play between fragments and systems.” Such a perspective on aphorism sees it not as the abandoned step-child of literature, but rather the very thing itself, a discursive and transgressive form of critique that calls into question all received knowledge. Aphorism is thus both the substance of philosophy and the joker that calls the very idea of literature and metaphysics into question. The adage, the maxim, and the aphorism mock completism. Jesus’s sayings denounce theology; Parmenides and Heraclitus deconstruct philosophy. Aphoristic thought is balm and succor against the rigors of systemization, the tyranny of logic. Hui writes that “aphorisms are before, against, and after philosophy.” Before, against, and after scripture too, I’ll add. And maybe everything else as well. An aphorism may feign certainty, but the very brevity of the form ensures it’s an introduction, even if its rhetoric wears the costume of conclusion.
Such is why the genre is so associated with gnomic philosophy, for any accounting of aphoristic origins must waylay itself in both the fragments of the pre-Socratic metaphysicians, the wisdom literature of the ancient Near East, and the Confucian and Taoist scholars of China. All of this disparate phenomenon can loosely be placed during what the German philosopher Karl Jaspers called the “Axial Age,” a half-millennium before the Common Era when human thought began to move towards the universal and abstract. From that era (as very broadly constituted) we have Heraclitus’s “Nature loves to hide,” Lao-Tzu’s “The spoken Tao is not the real Tao,” and Jesus Christ’s “The kingdom of God is within you.” Perhaps the aphorism was an engine for that intellectual transformation, the sublimities of paradox breaking women and men out of the parochialism that marked earlier ages. Regardless of why the aphorism’s birth coincides with that pivotal moment in history, that era was the incubator for some of our earliest (and greatest) examples.
From the Greek philosophers who pre-date Socrates, and more importantly his systematic advocate Plato, metaphysics was best done in the form of cryptic utterance. It shouldn’t be discounted that the gnomic quality of thinkers like Parmenides, Heraclitus, Democritus, and Zeno might be due to the disappearance of their full corpus over the past 2,500 years. Perhaps erosion of stone and fraying of papyrus has generated such aphorisms. Entropy is, after all, our final and most important teacher. Nevertheless, aphorism is rife in the pre-Socratic philosophy that remains, from Heraclitus’s celebrated observation that “You can’t step into the same river twice” to Parmenides’s exactly opposite contention that “It is indifferent to me where I am to begin, for there shall I return again.” Thus is identified one of the most difficult qualities of the form—that it’s possible to say conflicting things and that by virtue of how you say them you’ll still sound wise. A dangerous form, the aphorism, for it can confuse rhetoric for knowledge. Yet perhaps that’s too limiting a perspective, and maybe its better to think of the chain of aphorisms as a great and confusing conversation; a game in which both truth and its opposite can still be true.
A similar phenomenon is found in wisdom literature, a mainstay of Jewish and Christian writing from the turn of the Common Era, as embodied in both canonical scripture such as Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Song of Songs, as well as in more exotic apocryphal books known for their sayings like The Gospel of Thomas. Wisdom literature was often manifested in the form of a listing of sayings or maxims, and since the 19th century, biblical scholars who advocated the so-called “two-source hypothesis,” have argued that the earliest form of the synoptic New Testament gospels was a (as yet undiscovered) document known simply as “Q,” which consisted of nothing but aphorisms spoken by Christ. This conjectured collection of aphorisms theoretically became the basis for Matthew and Luke whom (borrowing from Mark) constructed a narrative around the bare-bones sentences. Similarly, the eccentric, hermetic, and surreal Gospel of Thomas, which the book of John was possibly written in repost towards, is an example of wisdom literature at its purest, an assemblage of aphorisms somehow both opaque and enlightening. “Split a piece of wood; I am there,” cryptically says Christ in the hidden gospel only rediscovered at Nag Hamadi, Egypt, in 1945, “Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”
From its Axial-Age origins, the aphorism has a venerable history. Examples were transcribed in the self-compiled Commonplace Books of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in which students were encouraged to record their favorite fortifying maxims for later consultation. The logic behind such exercises was, as anthologizer John Gross writes in The Oxford Book of Aphorisms, that the form does “tease and prod the lazy assumptions lodged in the reader’s mind; they wars us how insidiously our vices can pass themselves off as virtues; they harp shamelessly on the imperfections and contradictions which we would rather ignore.” Though past generations were instructed on proverbs and maxims, today “Aphorisms are often derided as trivial,” as Aaron Haspel writes in the introduction to Everything: A Book of Aphorisms, despite the fact that “most people rule their lives with four or five of them.”
The last five centuries have seen no shortage of aphorists who are the originators of those four or five sayings that you might live your life by, gnomic authors who speak in the prophetic utterance of the form like Desiderius Erasmus, François de La Rochefoucauld, Pascal, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, William Blake, Nietzsche, Ambrose Bierce, Oscar Wilde, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Kafka, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Dorothy Parker, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin. Hui explains that “Aphorisms are transhistorical and transcultural, a resistant strain of thinking that has evolved and adapted to its environment for millennia. Across deep time, they are vessels that travel everywhere, laden with fraught yet buoyant.” In many ways, modernity has proven an even more prodigious environment for the digressive and incomplete form, standing both in opposition to the systemization of knowledge that has defined the last half-millennia, while also embodying the aesthetic of fragmented bricolage that sometimes seems as if it was our birthright. Contemporary master of the form Yahia Lababidi writes in Where Epics Fail: Meditations to Live By that “An aphorist is not one who writes in aphorisms but one who thinks in aphorisms.” In our fractured, fragmented, disjointed time, where we take wisdom where we find it, we’re perhaps all aphorists, because we can’t think in any other way.
Anthologizer James Lough writes in his introduction to Short Flights: Thirty-Two Modern Writers Share Aphorisms of Insight, Inspiration, and Wit that “Our time is imperiled by tidal waves of trivia, hectored by a hundred emails a day, colored by this ad slogan or that list of things to do, each one sidetracking our steady, focused awareness.” What might seem to be one of the most worrying detriments of living in post-modernity—our digitally slackening attention spans and inattention to detail—is the exact same quality that allows contemporary aphorists the opportunity to dispense arguments, insight, enlightenment, and wisdom in a succinct package, what Lough describes as a “quickly-digested little word morsel, delightful and instructive, that condenses thought, insight, and wordplay.”
Our century has produced brilliant aphorists who have updated the form while making use of its enduring and universal quality of brevity, metaphor, arresting detail, and the mystery that can be implied by a few short words that seem to gesture towards something slightly beyond our field of sight, and who embody Gross’s description of the genre as one which exemplifies a “concentrated perfection of phrasing which can sometimes approach poetry in its intensity.” Authors like Haspel, Lababidi, Don Paterson in The Fall at Home: New and Selected Aphorisms, and Sarah Manguso in 300 Arguments may take as their subject matter issues of current concern, from the Internet to climate change, but they do it in a form that wouldn’t seem out of place on a bit of frayed pre-Socratic papyrus.
Consider the power and poignancy of Manguso’s maxim “Inner beauty can fade, too.” In only five words, and one strategically placed comma that sounds almost like a reserved sigh, Manguso demonstrates one of the uncanniest powers of the form. That it can remind you of something that you’re already innately aware of, something that relies on the nature of the aphorism to illuminate that which we’d rather obscure. Reading 300 Arguments is like this. Manguso bottles epiphany, the strange acknowledgment of encountering that which you always knew but could never quite put into words yourself, like discovering that the gods share your face. Lababidi does something similar in Where Epics Fail, giving succinct voice to the genre’s self-definition, writing that “Aphorisms respect the wisdom of silence by disturbing it, but briefly.” Indeed, self-referentiality is partially at the core of modern aphorisms; many of Paterson’s attempts are of maxims considering themselves like an ouroboros biting its tail. In the poet’s not unfair estimation, an aphorism is “Hindsight with murderous purpose.”
Lest I be accused of uncomplicated enthusiasms in offering an encomium for the aphorism, let it be said that the form can be dangerous, that it can confuse brevity and wit with wisdom and knowledge, that rhetoric (as has been its nature for millennia) can pantomime understanding as much as express it. Philosopher Julian Baggini makes the point in Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover: 100 Takes on Familiar Sayings and Quotations, writing that aphorisms “can be too beguiling. They trick us into thinking we’ve grasped a deep thought by their wit and brevity. Poke them, however, and you find they ride roughshod over all sorts of complexities and subtleties.” The only literary form where rhetoric and content are as fully unified as the aphorism is arguably poetry proper, but ever fighting Plato’s battle against the versifiers, Baggini is correct that there’s no reason why an expression in anaphora or chiasmus is more correct simply because the prosody of its rhetoric pleases our ears.
Economic statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb provides ample representative examples in The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms of how a pleasing adage need not be an accurate statement. There’s an aesthetically harmonious tricolon in his contention that the “three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary,” and though of those I’ve only ever been addicted to bread, pizza, and pasta, I’ll say from previous addictions that I could add a few more harmful vices to the list made by Taleb. Or, when he opines that “Writers are remembered for their best work, politicians for their worst mistakes, and businessmen are almost never remembered,” I have to object. I’d counter Taleb’s pithy aphorism by pointing out that both John Updike and Philip Roth are remembered for their most average writing, that an absurd preponderance of things in our country are named for Ronald Reagan whose entire political career was nothing but mistakes, and that contra the claim that businessmen are never remembered, I’ll venture that my entire Pittsburgh upbringing where everything is named after a Carnegie, Frick, Mellon, or Heinz demonstrates otherwise. The Bed of Procrustes is like this, lots of sentences that are as if they came from Delphi, but when you spend a second to contemplate Taleb’s claim that “If you find any reason why you and someone are friends, you are not friends” you’ll come to the conclusion that far from experience-tested wise maxim, it’s simply inaccurate.
Critic Susan Sontag made one of the best arguments against aphoristic thinking in her private writings, as published in As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh: Journals and Notebooks, 1964-1980, claiming that “An aphorism is not an argument; it is too well-bred for that.” She makes an important point—that the declarative confidence of the aphorism can serve to announce any number of inanities and inaccuracies as if they were true by simple fiat. Sontag writes that “Aphorism is aristocratic thinking: this is all the aristocrat is willing to tell you; he thinks you should get it fast, without spelling out all the details.” Providing a crucial counter-position to the uncomplicated celebration of all things aphoristic, Sontag rightly observes that “To write aphorisms is to assume a mask—a mask of scorn, of superiority,” which would certainly seem apropos when encountering the claim that if you can enumerate why you enjoy spending time with a friend they’re not really your friend. “We know at the end,” Sontag writes, that “the aphorist’s amoral, light point-of-view self-destructs.”
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An irony in Sontag’s critique of aphorisms, for embedded within her prose like any number of shining stones found in a muddy creek are sentences that themselves would make great prophetic adages. Aphorisms are like that though; even with Sontag’s and Baggini’s legitimate criticism of the form’s excesses, we can’t help but approach, consider, think, and understand in that genre for which brevity is the essence of contemplation. In a pose of self-castigation, Paterson may have said that the “aphorism is already a shadow of itself,” but I can’t reject that microcosm, that inscribed reality within a few words, that small universe made cunningly. Even with all that I know about the risks of rhetoric, I can not pass sentence on the sentence. Because an aphorism is open-ended, it is disruptive; as such, it doesn’t preclude, but rather opens; the adage both establishes and abolishes its subject, simultaneously. Hui writes that the true subject of the best examples of the form is “The infinite,” for “either the aphorism’s meaning is inexhaustible or its subject of inquiry—be it God or nature of the self—is boundless.”
In The Aphorism and Other Short Forms, author Ben Grant writes that in the genre “our short human life and eternity come together, for the timelessness of the truth which the aphorism encapsulates can only be measured against our own ephemerality, of which the brevity of the aphorism serves as an apt expression.” I agree with Grant’s contention, but I would amend one thing—the word “truth.” Perhaps that’s what’s problematic about Baggini’s and Sontag’s criticism, for we commit a category mistake when we assume that aphorisms exist only to convey some timeless verity. Rather, I wonder if what Hui describes as the “most elemental of literary forms,” those “scattered lines of intuition…[moving by] arrhythmic leaps and bounds” underscored by “an atomic quality—compact yet explosive” aren’t defined by the truth, but rather by play.
Writing and reading aphorisms is the play of contemplation, the joy of improvisation; it’s the very nature of aphorism. We read such sayings not for the finality of truth, but for the possibilities of maybe. For a short investment of time and an economy of words we can explore the potential of ideas that even if inaccurate, would sink far longer and more self-serious works. That is the form’s contribution. An aphorism is all wheat and no chaff, all sweet and no gaffe.
Image credit: Unsplash/Prateek Katyal.
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Cleric urges leaders to stop telling lies
Tajudeen Adebanjo
The General Overseer of Faith Revival Apostolic Church (FRAC), Apostle Paul Adenuga, has urged political and religious leaders to discourage lies and other forms of corruption, to allow God save the country from its abysmal descent to worthlessness.’
The cleric spoke during the church’s annual convention held in Lagos.
He said the Lord had revealed to him that the solution to the problems bedevilling the nation was for citizens to stop telling and encouraging lies.
Adenuga said: “From the President to the least Nigerian, we should all stop telling lies. If the President encourages lies, the system will be abused.
“But if the President wants to fight corruption, he should be the first person to discourage lying even among his immediate followers and officers.
“If I tell lies in the presence of my junior pastors or my followers, I have established lying. There is no corruption outside lying. This is why the Holy Bible says Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. Whoever follows the footsteps of Jesus Christ does not tell lies.”
He said if someone has no reason to tell lies, he or she cannot be corrupted.
“Lie is the mother of corruption. Today in Nigeria, if a Force man wants to kill an innocent man, he will first concoct a lie as a reason to justify his unjust intention.
“This is because, the Force man knows that he can be charged with an offence, hence he will come up with one lie so that people can listen to him,” the cleric added.
He did not spare the church.
According to him, clergymen have also disappointed the country.
Said he: “All we pastors and fathers of faith, may God forgive us all. We are called to shield the country, we are called to shepherd the people; but we have failed the nation.”
To right the wrong, the apostle said the church has to open the doors of ministry to the youth. He said that pastors should stop seeing the country as mere business.
“Rather, see the country as church that the Lord has chosen for end time revival. If there is no platform for the revival, revival cannot take off,” Adenuga added.
He urged servants of the Lord to make sacrifices so that the revival could begin.
“We should sacrifice by giving children free education. This is the area where the church has failed. We should make education in Nigeria free.
“Many of our youths have turned to fraudsters; many of them are people who may have lost their parents at a tender age,” Apostle Adenuga said. He said the church should shield such children and open doors for them to come to Jesus.
“Instead, we send them out to go and look for school fees by themselves. They will turn to kidnappers, armed robbers. God relies on us; we should do something to help them,” he stressed.
The cleric said that his church was set to make education free from primary to secondary school level for children.
He said that his church would fund the project with tithes, offerings and money from sponsors.
“To the glory of God, I am a revivalist; we spend a lot of money to organise revivals. For this project, we collect tithes and offering and people are also supporting us.
“All we need do is to be faithful. If we don’t divert the money people are contributing to run this education, we will succeed,” Adenuga said.
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Pyne staffer among group arrested wearing ‘budgie smugglers’
Sport Motorsport Pyne staffer among group arrested wearing ‘budgie smugglers’
9:54pm, Oct 3, 2016 Updated: 4:37pm, Oct 4
The Australian men stripped off their clothes to reveal Malaysian flag underwear. Photo: Instagram: wonjack95
Matthew Doran and Anna Henderson
A policy advisor to Cabinet Minister Christopher Pyne has been arrested, as part of a group of Australian men who stripped down to their swimmers emblazoned with the Malaysian flag at Sunday’s Formula One race in Kuala Lumpur.
Jack Walker was among nine men, aged between 25 and 29, who were arrested on Monday while watching the grand prix, won by Australian Daniel Ricciardo, at the Sepang International Circuit.
Pictures of them celebrating in a circle with their pants around their ankles were posted on social media. They were holding up an Australian flag, while wearing the Malaysian-themed underwear with the words “budgy smuggler” across the back.
Video footage also shows the men drinking from shoes – an act known as a “shoey”, which is a celebration commonly seen in motorsports.
Malaysian media quotes local police who say the Australians will be remanded for four days and are being investigated for indecent behaviour in a public place and disrespecting the national flag.
Mr Walker’s profile on the employment website, LinkedIn. Photo: LinkedIn
Chief executive of the Sepang International Circuit Datuk Razlan Razali told New Straits Times the Australian men deserve to be “locked up, investigated and taken action against”.
“This shows a huge lack of respect to us as Malaysians; this is stupid behaviour from foreigners who have no sense of cultural sensitivity and respect.
“It embarrasses their own country as well, it gives Australians a bad name.”
Mr Walker with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Photo: Instagram
Mr Walker is an advisor to Mr Pyne, in his capacity as Defence Industry Minister, and previously worked for a company founded by New South Wales Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios.
The former army reservist has also worked for Macquarie Bank, according to his online profile.
A spokeswoman from Mr Pyne’s office told the ABC: “This matter is being handled appropriately by the Australian High Commissioner. Until we have a clearer picture of the process at hand it would be unwise to comment further.”
Morrison urges legal understanding
It is unclear what penalty the men might face, but Treasurer Scott Morrison said it was a reminder for Australians travelling overseas to behave appropriately.
Mr Morrison told radio station 2GB: “They’re their laws, their rules, you’re on their ground, so you know you’ve got to comply.”
“It’s a timely reminder for young people when they travel overseas – know what the laws and rules are and respect them.”
The federal government’s statement of ministerial standards has a section specifically for ministerial staff.
“Their closeness to the most significant decisions of government is a privilege that carries with it an obligation to act at all times with integrity and awareness of the expectation of the Australian community that the highest standards of conduct will be observed.”
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was “incredibly serious” for any Australian to be arrested overseas.
“I’m not about to jeopardise an already complex situation by making further commentary,” he said.
“I don’t think inflamed debate from Australian politicians is what their families, or they need, and I certainly won’t do that.”
-ABC
‘Best podium ever!’: Ricciardo’s celebration to remember
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A Predictive Policing Syllabus
How the past becomes the future
By The New Inquiry May 5, 2017
In conjunction with the launch of our White Collar Crime Risk Zones application, The New Inquiry presents a reading list of critical writing on predictive policing from our archive and from our friends around the web.
From TNI’s archive
“Incalculable Loss,” by Manuel Abreu, The New Inquiry, August 19, 2014
“Algorithmic necropower—the computation of who should live and who should die—operates from the basis of the incalculability to discern “non-obvious associations.” Still, according to the U.S. Inspector General, “association does not imply a direct causal connection.” Instead, it “uncovers, interprets and displays relationships between persons, places, and events.” Algorithms escape the laws of cause and effect and operate in a fluid state of exception, encompassing the financial sector, the military-security nexus, and the entertainment industry. Although algorithms seem to allow Big Data to bypass human judgment, in fact a huge amount of labor is required to map associations and interpret the output. The algorithm itself has to be written by a human, and even then it only spits out data; people still have to decide what the data means. Ordinary language and the “ordinary actions” of post-digital citizens act as a database for algorithmic necropower to manipulate reality and generate threats.”
“Invisible Images (Your Pictures Are Looking at You),” by Trevor Paglen, The New Inquiry, December 8, 2016
“There is a temptation to criticize algorithmic image operations on the basis that they’re often ‘wrong’—that ‘Olympia’ becomes a burrito, and that African Americans are labeled as non-humans. These critiques are easy, but misguided. They implicitly suggest that the problem is simply one of accuracy, to be solved by better training data. Eradicate bias from the training data, the logic goes, and algorithmic operations will be decidedly less racist than human-human interactions. Program the algorithms to see everyone equally, and the humans they so lovingly oversee shall be equal. I am not convinced.
Ideology’s ultimate trick has always been to present itself as objective truth, to present historical conditions as eternal, and to present political formations as natural. Because image operations function on an invisible plane and are not dependent on a human seeing-subject (and are therefore not as obviously ideological as giant paintings of Napoleon) they are harder to recognize for what they are: immensely powerful levers of social regulation that serve specific race and class interests while presenting themselves as objective.”
“Summer Heat,” by Mariame Kaba, The New Inquiry, June 8, 2015
“A persistent and seemingly endemic feature of U.S. society is the conflation of Blackness and criminality. William Patterson, a well-known Black communist, wrote in 1970: ‘A false brand of criminality is constantly stamped on the brow of Black youth by the courts and systematically kept there, creating the fiction that Blacks are criminally minded people.’ He added that ‘the lies against Blacks are propped up ideologically.’ I would suggest that they are also maintained and enforced through force and violence.”
“My Own Private Detroit,” by Muna Mire and Messiah Rhodes, The New Inquiry, October 12, 2015
“When it comes to public policing and security, Detroit operates using a modified template from America’s nefarious robber-baron past: it is a postindustrial city brazenly flouting decency for profit.”
“Shades of Sovereignty,” by Maya Binyam, The New Inquiry, November 25, 2015
“Mechanisms of national security protect sovereignty, but so too do they do the work of selective disintegration, determining who is allowed to become ‘singular’ or ‘individual’ by accentuating the porosity of migratory bodies under surveillance. Policing, like networks of recruitment, relies on isolation, indoctrination, and control.”
“The Virtual Watchers,” by Joana Moll and Cédric Parizot, The New Inquiry, October 20, 2015
“The Virtual Watchers, being an interactive window that unveils and stages the many diversions and dysfunctions of a panoptic surveillance system at the U.S./Mexico border, also amplifies a dangerous condition of technology: the dilution of responsibility of individual actions, enhanced through technological environments designed to promote action and reject thought and reflection. This ultimately magnifies several outcomes of such techno-cultural construction, yet, as a final consideration, I’d like to highlight a critical one: the silent militarization of the civil society by means of gamification and free labor—a reality worth raising the alarm for.”
“Sci-Fi Crime Drama with a Strong Black Lead,” by Heather Dewey-Hagborg, The New Inquiry, June 27, 2015
“Forensic DNA phenotyping has been making headlines recently when the company Parabon Nanolabs began offering a service to law enforcement in December of 2014 called “Snapshot,” which it claims ‘produces a descriptive profile from any human DNA sample,’ predicting ‘physical characteristics including skin pigmentation, eye and hair color, face morphology, sex, and genomic ancestry.'”
“The Anxieties of Big Data,” by Kate Crawford, The New Inquiry, May 30, 2014
“If we take these twinned anxieties—those of the surveillers and the surveilled—and push them to their natural extension, we reach an epistemological endpoint: on one hand, the fear that there can never be enough data, and on the other, the fear that one is standing out in the data. These fears reinforce each other in a feedback loop, becoming stronger with each turn of the ratchet. As people seek more ways to blend in—be it through normcore dressing or hardcore encryption—more intrusive data collection techniques are developed. And yet, this is in many ways the expected conclusion of big data’s neopositivist worldview. As historians of science Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison once wrote, all epistemology begins in fear—fear that the world cannot be threaded by reason, fear that memory fades, fear that authority will not be enough.”
“Predictive Analytics and Information Camouflage,” by Rob Horning, The New Inquiry, February 17, 2012
“That may seem unduly paranoid, but the track record of companies and states is hardly unblemished—and the scope of data collection assures that no one is innocent. The creation of new facts about people through data cross-pollination means that something that can be used as leverage with people will be generated.”
“No Life Stories,” by Rob Horning, The New Inquiry, July 10, 2014
“Ubiquitous surveillance thus makes information overload everyone’s problem. To solve it, more surveillance and increasingly automated techniques for organizing the data it collects are authorized. Andrejevic examines the variety of emerging technology-driven methods meant to allow data to ‘speak for itself.’ By filtering data through algorithms, brain scans, or markets, an allegedly unmediated truth contained within it can be unveiled, and we can bypass the slipperiness of discursive representation and slide directly into the real. Understanding why outcomes occur becomes unnecessary, as long as the probabilities of the correlations hold to make accurate predictions.”
“Data Streams,” by Hito Steyerl and Kate Crawford, The New Inquiry, January 23, 2017
“There’s also that really interesting history around IBM, of course back in 1933, long before its terrorist credit score, when their German subsidiary was creating the Hollerith machine. I was going back through an extraordinary archive of advertising images that IBM used during that period, and there’s this image that makes me think of your work actually: it has this gigantic eye floating in space projecting beams of light down onto this town below; the windows of the town are like the holes in a punch card and it’s shining directly into the home, and the tagline is ‘See everything with Hollerith punch cards.’ It’s the most literal example of ‘seeing like a state’ that you can possibly imagine. This is IBM’s history, and it is coming full circle. I completely agree that we’re seeing these historical returns to forms of knowledge that we’ve previously thought were, at the very least, unscientific, and, at the worst, genuinely dangerous.”
“What Amazon Taught the Cops,” by Ingrid Burrington, The Nation, May 27, 2015
“Thus far, in fact, predictive policing has been less Minority Report than Groundhog Day—that is, yet another iteration of the same data-driven policing strategies that have proliferated since the 1990s. As it’s currently implemented, predictive policing is more a management strategy than a crime-fighting tactic. Whether it works is perhaps not as useful a question as who it works for. Its chief beneficiaries aren’t patrol cops or citizens, but those patrol cops’ bosses and the companies selling police departments a technical solution to human problems.”
“This Is a Story About Nerds and Cops: Predpol and Algorythmic Policing,” by Jackie Wang, loberry.tumblr.com, 2014
“There are three major social problems that accompany the widespread use and assessment of PredPol: 1) it concedes to the inevitability of crime and creates zones of paranoia, 2) it lends itself to the generation of false positives that can be used to promote the product, and 3) it depoliticizes policing and the construction of crime.”
“Broken Windows, Broken Code,” by R. Joshua Scannell, Real Life, August 29, 2016
“What Bratton and Maple wanted was to build a digital carceral infrastructure, an integrated set of databases that linked across the various criminal-justice institutions of the city, from the police, to the court system, to the jails, to the parole office. They wanted comprehensive and real-time data on the dispositions and intentions of their ‘enemies,’ a term that Maple uses more than once to describe ‘victimizers’ who ‘prey’ on ‘good people’ at their ‘watering holes.’ They envisioned a surveillance apparatus of such power and speed that it could be used to selectively target the people, places, and times that would result in the most good collars. They wanted to stay one step ahead, to know where ‘knuckleheads’ and ‘predators’ would be before they did, and in so doing, best look to the police department’s bottom line. And they wanted it to be legal.”
“Want to Predict the Future of Surveillance? Ask Poor Communities,” by Virginia Eubanks, The American Prospect, January 15, 2014
“Counterintuitive as it may seem, we are targeted for digital surveillance as groups and communities, not as individuals. Big Brother is watching us, not you. The NSA looks for what they call a ‘pattern of life,’ homing in on networks of people associated with a target. But networks of association are not random, and who we know online is affected by offline forms of residential, educational, and occupational segregation. This year, for example, UC San Diego sociologist Kevin Lewis found that online dating leads to fewer interracial connections, compared to offline ways of meeting. Pepper Miller has reported that sometimes, African Americans will temporarily block white Facebook friends so that they can have ‘open, honest discussions’ about race with black friends. Because of the persistence of segregation in our offline and online lives, algorithms and search strings that filter big data looking for patterns, that begin as neutral code, nevertheless end up producing race, class, and gender-specific results.”
“When the Designer Shows Up In the Design,” by Lena Groeger, Propublica, April 4, 2017
“Typical crime-mapping tools are actually part of the problem of mass incarceration, because they frame crime in an oversimplified way—as bad acts to be eradicated, and not the product of a system whose heavy costs are often borne by the very population law enforcement is meant to protect.
‘Rather than looking at where crimes are committed, we looked at where prisoners live,’ Kurgan said in an interview for BOMB magazine, ‘and the maps that resulted showed the urban costs of incarceration and suggested how those dollars might be better spent on investing in communities.'”
“Taser Will Use Police Body Camera Videos to ‘Anticipate Criminal Activity,’” by Ava Kofman, The Intercept, April 30, 2017
“When civil liberties advocates discuss the dangers of new policing technologies, they often point to sci-fi films like RoboCop and Minority Report as cautionary tales. In RoboCop, a massive corporation purchases Detroit’s entire police department. After one of its officers gets fatally shot on duty, the company sees an opportunity to save on labor costs by reanimating the officer’s body with sleek weapons, predictive analytics, facial recognition, and the ability to record and transmit live video. Although intended as a grim allegory of the pitfalls of relying on untested, proprietary algorithms to make lethal force decisions, RoboCop has long been taken by corporations as a roadmap. And no company has been better poised than Taser International, the world’s largest police body camera vendor, to turn the film’s ironic vision into an earnest reality.”
“The Minority Report: Chicago’s New Police Computer Predicts Crimes, But Is it Racist?” by Matt Stroud, The Verge, February 19, 2014
What McDaniel didn’t know was that he had been placed on the city’s “heat list”—an index of the roughly 400 people in the city of “Chicago supposedly most likely to be involved in violent crime. Inspired by a Yale sociologist’s studies and compiled using an algorithm created by an engineer at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the heat list is just one example of the experiments the CPD is conducting as it attempts to push policing into the 21st century.”
“Machine Bias,” by Julia Angwin, Jeff Larson, Surya Mattu and Lauren Kirchner, Propublica, May 23, 2016
“In forecasting who would re-offend, the recidivism algorithm made mistakes with black and white defendants at roughly the same rate but in very different ways.
• The formula was particularly likely to falsely flag black defendants as future criminals, wrongly labeling them this way at almost twice the rate as white defendants.
• White defendants were mislabeled as low risk more often than black defendants.”
“Artificial Intelligence’s White Guy Problem,” by Kate Crawford, The New York Times, June 25, 2016
“Predictive programs are only as good as the data they are trained on, and that data has a complex history. Histories of discrimination can live on in digital platforms, and if they go unquestioned, they become part of the logic of everyday algorithmic systems.”
By Manuel Abreu
Dark Inquiry
White Collar Crime Risk Zones
By Sam Lavigne, Francis Tseng and Brian Clifton
The New Inquiry is pleased to announce the launch of White Collar Crime Risk Zones, a predictive policing application that targets white collar crime. View…
By Aaron Bady
The Magic of Reading is That it Can Be Sunday Anytime
Editors’ Note, Vol. 45: Cops 2
By The New Inquiry
As the border patrol for all the borders capitalism designs, the very job description of policing ensures that none of its agents can be “good.”
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Creativity has no devil's advocate.
Posts Tagged: Life in a Box is a Pretty Life
Lesbian Poetry’s Vatic Voices: The Specter of Ecocatastrophe
By Julie R. Enszer
Change happens. It is dramatic. Poetry transformed lesbian lives.
Tags: activism, Adrienne Rich, Alicia Mountain, Asiya Wadud, audre lorde, black bodies, bodies, Cherry Jones, Chocolate Waters, Claudia Scott, climate change, climate crisis, Coffeehouse Press, Copper Canyon Press, Crosslight for Youngbird, Dawn Lundy Martin, E. Sharon Gomillion, ecology, eileen myles, environmental crisis, farmers, farming, female bodies, feminism, feminist, Fran Winant, Glass Is Glass Water Is Water, good stock strange blood, Goya, Grandma, High Ground Coward, immigration, In Full Velvet, Jan Clausen, Jenny George, Judy Grahn, Julie R. Enszer, Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, Lamda Literary Award, Lesbian, Lesbian Poetry, lesbians, Leslie Mackinaw, LGBTQ, Life in a Box is a Pretty Life, Lily Tomlin, marriage, Mary Oliver, Michael Walsh, migration, Movement in Black, natural world, nature, Nickole Brown, Nightboat Books, Obergefell v. Hodges, Pat Parker, poetry, Politics, queer, queer writers, queer writing, Rae Gouirand, Rattle, Sarah Schulman, SDiane Bogus-Adamz, sexual orientation, sexuality, Spork Press, The Dirt Riddles, The Dream of Reason, To Those Who Were Our First Gods, Transparent, University of Iowa Press, Willyce Kim, women's bodies
The Rumpus Interview with Dawn Lundy Martin
By Julie Marie Wade
Dawn Lundy Martin discusses her most recent collection, Life in a Box is a Pretty Life, the intersections between poetry and social justice, her wide variety of inspirations, and bathroom gender binaries.
Tags: A Gathering of Matter/A Matter of Gathering, activism, activist, Adrian Piper, angela davis, audience, bell hooks, Dawn Lundy Martin, Discipline, feminism, gender, Gloria Steinem, good stock strange blood, Gwyn Kirk, Julie Marie Wade, Life in a Box is a Pretty Life, Margo Okazawa-Rey, memory, miami book fair international, myung mi kim, Neil de la Flor, poems, Poet, poetry, queer, queerness, race, Reading Queer, Sharon Olds, Stephen Frears, teaching writing, the rumpus, The Rumpus Interview, trans, Trinh T. Min-ha, violence, Vivien Labaton, women's lives: multiple perspectives, writing
The Double Agency of Will Smith in Sci-Fi
By Justin Phillip Reed
Smith’s characters act as witnesses for the rehabilitated offender, the white-supremacist nation-state.
Tags: Adilifu Nama, After-Earth, Alex Proyas, armageddon, Dawn Lundy Martin, enemy of the state, Film, Fresh Prince, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hancock, I Am Legend, I Robot, Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film, independence day, Independence day: Resurgence, Justin Phillip Reed, Life in a Box is a Pretty Life, Men in Black, Night of the Living Dead, racial equality, racial identity, racial politics, Racism, Roland Emmerich, sci-fi, science fiction, Sean Brayton, star wars, Strange Days, Supernova, The Matrix, The Omega Man, The Velvet Light Trap, Wild Wild West, will smith
The Rumpus Poetry Book Club Chat with Ada Limón
By The Rumpus Book Club
The Rumpus Poetry Book Club chats with Ada Limón about her new book Bright Dead Things, writing love poems in an age of cynicism, and committing to places.
Tags: Ada Limon, Afaa Weaver, alice in wonderland, Bob Hicok, Books, cynicism, Dawn Lundy Martin, Days of Shame and Failure, Dorianne Laux, editing, Flatliners, Gisele Firmino, Gregory Orr, Jennifer L. Knox, Kate Greenstreet, Larry Levis, Life in a Box is a Pretty Life, love poem, marie howe, Mark Doty, Michael Robins, Milkweed Editions, Natalie Scenters-Zapico, Pablo Neruda, Philip Levine, Phillip B. Williams, place, poetry, Rickey Laurentiis, Rumpus Poetry Book Club, Sharon Olds, Terrance Hayes, The Marble Army, The Verging Cities
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3A Basketball Playoffs
South Coast Beat
Bandon Western World
The Umpqua Post
Coos Bay, OR (97420)
Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 53F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 44F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Hannah Robison waits in her car for the start of a race at Coos Bay Speedway on Monday evening.
ZACH SILVA, The World
Gabrielle Boles sits in her car at Coos Bay Speedway on Monday. The Bandon driver finished second in the Hornets division main event.
Hannah Robison keeps on winning at Coos Bay Speedway
ZACH SILVA The World
Zachary Silva
COOS BAY — Hannah Robison’s shelves are filling up.
As she walks through pit road at Coos Bay Speedway on Monday night after her race in the Hornets classification, she quite casually carries yet another first place trophy.
“I can’t fit them on my shelf anymore,” said Robison after her latest win. “I didn’t think I would have this problem.”
The Hornets were the only local division racing on a special Monday night event at the speedway that included the touring ISCS Week of Speed for winged sprint cars and also dwarf cars making an appearance at the track.
Robison, 18, is in her fourth year of racing and has been the star of the Hornets division at the Speedway this summer and with just over a month to go sits in first place in points. On Monday night the recent North Bend High School graduate from Myrtle Point put together a come-from-behind victory in the final lap to pick up her sixth victory in 10 races.
“Oh my gosh, funnest race I’ve raced in a long time,” said a delighted Robison. “It was one of those races that either way if I would have got first, second, whatever, racing like that, it doesn’t matter where you finish, it’s still fun. You’re still happy after.”
The action heated up in the Hornets division as Tyler Tullos of Bandon took control of the 20-lap race one lap in. Taking the lead from Gabrielle Boles who started in pole position, Tullos put a half lap on the rest of the eight-car field before a restart after a crash on lap nine sent him to the back.
Gabrielle Boles
Boles, who moved to Bandon from Alaska last year, took the lead with Robison in second after starting in sixth. After Tullos’s back right tire fell off during the 13th lap, the race became a showdown between Boles and Robison as they led the suddenly thinned out field of four.
“Hannah has always been the number one person that is my favorite person to race because she challenges me all the time,” said Boles who recorded her fourth second-place finish of the season. “Her and (Tullos) because they’re experienced and I love it.”
The tactical showdown heated up at lap 15 as Boles found a high line on the track which gave room to Robison on the inside. But Robison, for the time-being, could not complete the pass.
“My mindset was kind of, ‘oh, crap’ because my car runs on the high line, it comes around the high line amazing. And so when it’s like that I have to try and work my way… around her line,” said Robison.
“If you’re the first person, you want to keep your line. You go through your head, ‘This is my track.’ And so you want to keep your line and whoever is behind you has to figure out how to pass you,” said Boles. “And (Robison) has figured out how to pass me because this is the second time that she has beat me when I’m like one or two laps to go.”
After trying to pass to no avail, Robison’s final push found a sliver of space that allowed her enough room to successfully make her pass on the inside in the nick of time.
“It was the final lap, I finally got around her coming into the last corner,” said Robison. “Don’t give up, just keep pushing, keep pushing is basically going through my mind at that point. Push harder, do something different if that’s not working. It’ll come around, it either won’t or it will. And it did.”
Robison fell in love with racing when she was in the pits with her dad when she was 14. She knew she had to be racing and has been ever since. In her first year she finished eighth overall and has claimed third place for the last two seasons. Now sitting in first place in the standings, she is just enjoying the ride.
“Sometimes it’s got to the point where I laugh; I laugh when I’m in my car. I tell people that and they do the exact same thing, they laugh at me,” said Robison. “I couldn’t help but laugh because it’s so fun. But at the same time, I’m like, ‘I have to pass her.’ My competitiveness is coming out.”
For Boles, 35, this season has been about gaining confidence. After coming to the area halfway through last season and racing for the first time, she was constantly nervous. Still nervous, now she is just looking to improve with each turn in hopes of finding that elusive first win of the season.
“I want to do better. I’m that type of person that I want to be perfect at anything I do so now it’s like, OK, I’ve had this many races, now I want to be great,” she said.
While still disappointed in the loss, ultimately, she was happy to be racing with Robison by her side.
“I love it when it is two females, too, you know what I mean? I hope there are other females that see this, like younger girls, and be like, that’s what I want to do,” said Boles. “And be role models. That’s a really big woohoo for me.”
The Hornets will be back in action on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Ken Ware Chevrolet Night at the Coos Bay Speedway. There will also be races in the Super Late Models, Sportsman Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws and Stingers. The races begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children.
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Daily Mix Report
Entertaining Spin on Pop Culture And Sports
How the Jets Can Slay The Dragon
by Jared Gosule
The Patriots are inevitable. Much like death, taxes, Thanos, and regretting getting that extra quesadilla at Taco Bell, the Patriots are just something you have to deal with in life (I’ve never personally had to deal with Thanos, but we Stan the MCU and if Tony Stark had to deal with him damnit so do we). At 1-4, the Jets face a wounded Pats team, and are hoping to build off their impressive win over Dallas in week 6. But there’s a reason why the Pats are 10 point favorites. Bill Belichick is the best game planner in the history of the sport, and Tom Brady can rack up 250 yards, 2 TD’s, and complete 67% of his passes with a gaggle of 5th Avenue homeless people as his WR corps. So, how do you beat the machine that just keeps going, and going, and going…
Sammy Slingshot
The first and last bullet point when it comes to the Jets. Sam Darnold will be the best quarterback the Pats vaunted D has faced so far this season. It’s not their fault, and Darnold showed what he’s capable of last week. Now, he must play nearly flawless football, under the lights, against the greatest dynasty in football history. It’s silly to say this, because…well, Tom…but Sam Darnold has to be the best quarterback on the field, and it’s up to Gase to make sure he can do that and put him in positions to succeed.
The Pats are so, so good at taking away a teams greatest strength. Expect them to overload the Jets’ front with multiple stunts and to lock in on Le’Veon Bell. The Cowboys tried to shut down Bell and let Darnold beat them, and he was happy to do so. If the Pats are keying in on Bell early, it’s a sign they think they can rush Darnold with 4-5 man fronts and force him into making mistakes. Sam is good, possibly great, and maybe GREAT – and he will need to be against this Pats defense that is absolutely feasting on turnovers. They will try to make him overthink and bait him into some really bad throws. They simply cannot have a miscommunication like last week where Darnold threw a red zone INT on a disconnect from Jamison Crowder.
I understand this isn’t Luke Falk (thank goodness), but the Patriots have made better QBs than Sam look Falk-ish. Sam must be dealing and dealing early.
Play Smart Football
Plain and simple, to beat New England, you have to beat them because they will simply not beat themselves. They don’t make silly mistakes often, and when you do you absolutely must capitalize on them. You cannot settle for threes. Field goals do not win football games against elite competition. You can’t give away free yards and first downs with stupid penalties. To beat New England, you have to execute a gameplan to perfection.
Part of this is viewing it as just another football game. Yes it’s the Pats and yes, it’s Monday Night. But if you put this game on a pedestal, you play overly emotional, and mistakes are made. The Jets will be playing (hopefully) with a ton of fire, led by Jamal Adams and CJ Mosley, but they must keep their heads.
Knowing the Patriots, they will run constant stunts and send pressure where you least expect it. The OL cannot get fooled and they cannot make crucial holding penalties that take a 3rd and 3 to a 3rd and 13. Every yard is crucial and every penalty has the potential to be a mini-dagger. Playing this team isn’t taking uppercut after uppercut. It’s death by a thousand paper cuts. They know exactly when to go for the knockout. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. This applies to every game, but this one more than most due to the nature of the opponent.
Step On Their Throats
If you have the chance, of course. If the Jets were to get out to a lead, they must kill the game off. They blew a lead Week 1 at home to Buffalo, and they nearly blew last weeks win to Dallas. Put your foot on the gas and don’t stop pressing until the clock is at 0:00. Pedal to the metal, this is damn #PatsWeek.
Open up the playbook. Go out there and ball. But you’re 1-4. You have almost nothing to lose. Just go out there and do the job, but if the Jets approach this with a rigid mentality and show no flexibility, they will lose and humiliate themselves. If Luke Falk can cover on the road in Foxborough, Sam Darnold can go out there and get a franchise-altering win. But at the end of the day, one game is one game.
He’s been as good as advertised. Gregg can scheme with the best of them, and he’s going to have his hands full again. Due to the lack of a pass rush, he’s going to send heat Brady’s way. Tom is the best in history at getting the ball out before the defense can touch him. Get his jersey dirty. Put a helmet in his gut. For the love of God please cover the crossing routes. Playing the Pats is so frustrating, especially when you see how easily they pick up 5-7 yards at a time. They run you out of gas. Brady has to face third and longs, you cannot allow him to pick you apart on third and 3 or second and 4. This has to be a huge game from Leo/Quinnen Williams. We know Leo isn’t that good, but Quinnen was a monster last week, and if he can earn some double teams, he’s going to cause a whole lot of issues for this Josh McDaniels offense.
And that’s it! You might be telling yourself, “Oh, that’s ALL you have to do to beat the Pats? That sounds easy!” Buddy, it’s not. Let’s check in tomorrow and see how it goes, but it’s a tough task before the schedule finally softens and the Jets start facing teams they can actually say they might be better than.
Jet up. See you at MetLife.
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Posts About "Nick Ritchie"
Retooling Ducks Lack 'Big Name' Trade Asset
December 23rd, 2019 In spite of fans' best hopes and a rose color outlook at the start of the season, the Anaheim Ducks have returned to the bottom of the NHL standings. As of Saturday, they sit seven points out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are tied for dead last with the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. The Ducks are...
Ritchie Gets Key Goal, Ducks Beat Red Wings to Stay Unbeaten
Countdown to Puck Drop — Day 33 — Ducks' Jakob Silfverberg Trade
August 30th, 2019 Introducing The Hockey Writers' Countdown to Puck Drop series. From now until the puck drops on the 2019-20 NHL's regular season on Oct. 2 when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators, we'll be producing content that's connected to the number of days remaining on that particular day. Some posts may be associated with a player's...
Ducks’ Ritchie Could Use 'Change of Scenery'
August 16th, 2019 Approaching the start of the 2019-20 Anaheim Ducks season, there is one familiar question concerning one particular Ducks player. What to do with Nick Ritchie? The answer is to trade him. However, for a team in the middle of at least a short rebuild, you might think trading Ritchie should involve prospects on the way back, not so fast....
NHL Rumors: Ritchie, Panarin, Lee, Red Wings, More
October 18th, 2018 In today's rumor rundown, the Anaheim Ducks signed Nick Ritchie to a deal he's apparently not a fan of, the Rangers have been linked to Artemi Panarin, thus speeding up their rebuild, there are major changes expected in Detroit and both Anders Lee and William Nylander are awaiting their fates with their respective teams. Nick Ritchie...
NHL Rumors: Duchene, Mason, Nylander Trade, More
October 9th, 2018 In today's rumor rundown, there are whispers of the Toronto Maple Leafs looking at the optics of a trade that includes William Nylander. Meanwhile, Matt Duchene has told his agent how little he wants to be involved in contract negotiations, Nick Ritchie continues to hold out, the Wild know this is a show-me season and Steve...
Anaheim Ducks Forward Group Lacking
September 20th, 2018 A new season of NHL hockey is upon us and a familiar conundrum is facing the Anaheim Ducks. Does this team have the top-end forward talent to be an elite team? The Ducks have consistently been a good team, having won the Pacific Division title in five of the last six years and ended last season with 101 points, despite injuries to key...
Ducks, Ritchie at an Impasse
September 15th, 2018 Coming into this offseason, the Anaheim Ducks had three key restricted free agents (RFAs) to sign. After inking two critical players in Brandon Montour and Ondrej Kase, it seemed that talented but underachieving forward Nick Ritchie would be a relatively pain-free signing. Alas, as training camp has opened, the 22-year-old Ritchie...
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Home Uncategorized Taylor Swift Wins 2016 Grammys Album of the Year
Taylor Swift Wins 2016 Grammys Album of the Year
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Thousands of fans have begun to prepare for Oscars parties to find out which actors, actresses, and movies of the 88th Academy Awards will win a gold statue. As part of the celebration, Shutterstock’s company designers have worked again this year to create fascinating pop art-inspired posters for popular films nominated by the Academy.
Like the many of the different types of movies nominated for the Best Picture award, Shutterstock says its posters share a theme of endurance and testing how far you can stretch the lengths of human nature.
“On the surface his work simply looks cool, but this shallow analysis misses the irony behind his cultural representations”
When you think of many of this year’s Best Picture nominees, movies like The Revenant, The Martian, and Mad Max share a common theme of strength, resilience, determination, and power. These themes are stunningly carried over into Shutterstock’s pop-art posters this year. Posters featured include Jordan Roland’s Warhol-inspired Mad Max: Fury Road, which offer a take on Warhol’s “subversive dictator portraits to shape this poster of Immortan Joe,” says the artist. In Cristin Burton’s Flirst-inspired Oscar Pop 2016 The Revenant, the poster includes assembled pieces the artist used to “create a vast, sinister, and lonely landscape.”
People Happily Await the Begining of the Show
The pop-art posters include a fun view of movies but also of topics that aren’t so fun. In Flo Lau’s The Big Short, inspired by Keith Haring, the artist chose a comedic approach to the dark subject of the bursting of the 2008 housing bubble.
Flirst is a collage artist who assembles disparate pieces to explore how he can change the harmony of the whole. For my poster, a homage to The Revenant, I assembled pieces to create a vast, sinister, and lonely landscape. The poster features a figure with very few people on his side; this represents the film’s main character, Hugh Glass, who was brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead in the winter wilderness.
“I wanted to portray the same witty chaotic vibe in my poster”
In his “Barcelona” series, Mario Corea Aiello forms a grungy collage of newspaper and magazine cutouts and heavy paint strokes. I felt this style would parallel the vicious storm that left Mark Watney for dead on Mars in The Martian. For the color scheme, I deferred to Eric White’s cover art from the original novel by Andy Weir to capture the characteristics of an otherworldly storm.
On Set with the Crew
My inspiration for this poster is one part Roy Lichtenstein and one part Stefan Sagmeister. Spotlight is about journalists uncovering a massive scandal in one of Boston’s oldest institutions, and I found that the perfectly contradictory homophone “pray/prey” encapsulates the shock and horror felt by the community when this scandal was made public.
To illustrate this, I pixelated an image of a priest, then tore off his head and replaced it with an image of a wolf. I looked to Warhol’s subversive dictator portraits to shape this poster of Immortan Joe.Warhol had a remarkable ability to distract from the meaning of his art. On the surface his work simply looks “cool”.
Mad Max: Fury Road has the same effect: The stylized nature of the film gets more attention than the meaning behind it.
I chose to feature Immortan Joe because he is a terrible person, but his iconic look makes him instantly recognizable. When I first read the plot summary for Room, I envisioned lonely, sterile characters, who had been institutionalized by their secluded environment.
Of course, when I saw the movie that perception quickly changed; the characters are full of life, love, and joy, and the audience instantly empathizes with them on a raw, human level. KAWS’ statues play on a similar deceit. Initially they have a sterile, robotic feel, but when you view them in their human-scale sizes and see their playful aesthetic, you experience an unexpected sense of connection.
“Welcome to the Oscars, Or as some people like to call it, the white people’s choice awards”
The Big Short takes a comedic approach to a dark subject, and I wanted to portray the same witty, chaotic vibe in my poster. Keith Haring was my inspiration because his high-contrast, brightly colored political work, which touches on grim subjects like rape, death, and war, hinges on the same contrast as the film. The poster is based on the film’s alligator-in-an-abandoned-pool scene; the alligator represents the main characters in the movie, who took advantage of the 2008 housing bubble and left the world in desperation when it burst.
Getting Ready for the Big Night
I chose to focus on the muddy gray areas and loopholes within Bridge of Spies. The Cold War was fueled by each side’s increasingly dire hypotheticals, causing mass paranoia among citizens and governments alike.
A large part of the film’s narrative focuses on the extent of protection under the law, especially for a Soviet spy. I reimagined Lady Justice, mixing her blindfold with the American and Soviet flags to represent how both countries were tied to their individuals’ principles of justice even while locked in an unending battle for the upper hand. Set in the eponymous 1950s borough, Brooklyn features then-contemporary imagery that now exemplifies the commodification of Brooklyn as a global brand.
Just as the Pop Art movement utilized mass advertising and irony to re-contextualize commercial art, I drew from today’s vintage, artisanal design trends, which are inspired by that era and setting.
Telephone Booth Shooting
In that vein, I applied the animated footage and vector elements to illustrate how the contrasting settings of Brooklyn and Ireland re-contextualized the protagonist’s identity through a fluctuating sense of “home.”
The 88th annual Academy Awards are underway, and viewers are anxiously awaiting the ceremony to find out if their favorite flicks and actors win, which categories will see big “upsets,” and which speeches and performances will stand out. Not to mention how host Chris Rock will approach the “Oscars So White” controversy, and who he will target during the opening monologue. Did Leo finally take home a golden statue? The buzz began during the red carpet events prior to the official event.
Jennifer Jason Leigh, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Hateful Eight, seemed slightly out of it during her interview with Ryan Seacrest on E!’s special. But arguably the biggest surprise was Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role nominee Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) playing to their nostalgic fans by walking the red carpet together. Can you believe it’s been nearly two decades since they starred together in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic (which took home Best Picture)?
“If hosts were nominated, I wouldn’t be here; instead, you’d have Neil Patrick Harris.”
Rock, who addressed the issues with ease and expected humor, added that he did seriously consider quitting after so many people spoke out and pressured him to do so. “But the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart,” he said, as the crowd erupted in laughter (including Hart himself, who was in the audience).
Arguably, the best part of Rock’s monologue was his blatant dig at Jada Pinkett-Smith and her vocal “boycott” of the Oscars. “Isn’t she on a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties,” he said.
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Comparing Killers: Ted Bundy & Jack the Ripper
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DATED: 13.05.19
The new Zac Efron movie, ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’, tells the true story of one of America’s most infamous serial killers, Ted Bundy.
His reign of terror covered Washington state, Colorado and Florida before he was finally captured and executed by Electric chair on January 24th, 1989.
But how does this notorious serial killer compare to the man regarded as the most infamous killer of all time, Jack the Ripper?
Meet Jack and Ted
Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of London’s East End, almost 100 years before Ted Bundy began his reign of terror. Both killers targeted women and both had a brief reign of terror in which they managed to shock and terrify the world.
Surprisingly, there is debate on how many victims each killer had. Popular belief claims that the Jack the Ripper murders stopped in late 1888. However, there were other murders which happened after this point which some historians also attributed to him. The Ripper was never caught so we will never truly know just how many lives he claimed.
Ted Bundy was caught on numerous occasions and, in the end, he confessed to killing around 32 women. Officers working the case claim Bundy may have killed many more than this, though, and to this day, there are still bodies being uncovered in the woods in around Washington which may or may not be the work of Ted Bundy.
How were Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy similar?
Looking closely at these two men, they had more in common than you might think.
They both blended into their environment very well indeed. Both men were able to use specific techniques to put their victims at ease and lure them into a false sense of security. Bundy had a charm about him which hid his inner monster, and, during the height of the Jack the Ripper manhunt, the Ripper was still able to get his victims alone, so he too must have had a charm offensive that made him appear to be someone you could trust.
A charming facade and somewhat normal appearance allowed both the Ripper and Bundy to entice their victims into a quiet and solitary area where they could then strike, revealing their true nature.
The Ripper and Ted Bundy were also regarded as the first of their kind in their respective regions.
Jack the Ripper was regarded as the first ever serial killer to capture the public imagination, resulting in a mass hysteria among the locals of the East End which still lingers around today. The 100 years that followed saw books, movies, plays and dramas about the infamous Victorian killer and turned him into an almost myth-like character.
Ted Bundy’s trial was the first murder trial to ever be televised nationally and brought the term “serial killer” into the homes of everyone across America. This too sparked massive media interest which in turn has turned Bundy into a similar myth-like figure among modern popular culture.
Method in the Madness
There is also similarity in the methods used to kill their respective victims. Ted Bundy would be regarded as an is organised serial killer, meaning he would spend time working out, who, where and when to strike. He would use little tricks that would put his victims off their guard. For instance, when it came to luring his two victims at Lake Sammamish State Park, Bundy was spotted with his arm in a sling to appear injured and in need of help.
Jack the Ripper’s victims were all prostitutes in the Whitechapel area of London, so he too must have spent a great deal of time deciding who and where to strike. It’s unknown if the Ripper used tricks like Ted Bundy, but, one author of a recent book suggests that the Ripper may have used fake coins to appear wealthier than he was which could easily have convinced a prostitute to be alone with him.
Sporadic killers are easier to catch but cunning individuals like Bundy and the Ripper are the most terrifying; they cover their tracks, work out a plan and will appear perfectly normal both before and after the kill.
One Key Difference…
When all is said and done, the one big difference between the two is this; unlike Ted Bundy, the Ripper remained uncaught and, to this day, his identity remains a mystery. Put simply, when it comes to notoriety and myth, Jack the Ripper will always have the edge over all the other serial killers who end up behind bars.
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NFL playoff tracker: Ravens earn No. 1 AFC seed, first-round bye
Eric Edholm
The NFL’s playoff picture is sharpening quite a bit, even with some drama — such as the thrilling NFC West race — that will not be settled until Week 17.
But Sunday’s Week 16 action helped clear up some of the fog, as we now know of one team locking up a first-round bye.
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens earned some playoff rest, as they locked up a first-round bye by beating the Browns in Week 16. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Ravens earn some needed rest
With their 31-15 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens earned the top overall playoff seed and a first-round bye for the playoffs.
It could be a huge benefit for a team that saw running back Mark Ingram go down with a non-contact calf injury in the second half on Sunday.
Even QB Lamar Jackson appeared a bit gimpy in the win over Cleveland, although his usual brilliance was on display with three TD passes and more than 100 yards rushing.
That means the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs or another AFC team must go through Baltimore to get to the Super Bowl.
NFC East tilting Eagles’ way
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys in a low-scoring thriller in Week 16, but the NFC East is not yet wrapped up.
The Eagles are in control of earning a home playoff game now headed into Week 17. If they win on the road next Sunday at the New York Giants, the Eagles clinch the division. Likewise, a Cowboys loss at home to the Washington Redskins also would put Philly into the postseason.
The Cowboys now only can get in by winning and with an Eagles loss next week. It sure feels like it’ll be a tall order for that to happen — and if not, it could be the final game for Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.
AFC wild-card spot up for grabs
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans lost Sunday. They were the two teams with the best chance for the final wild-card spot in the AFC field.
Although neither team could have clinched this week, the Steelers’ shocking loss to the New York Jets hurt them more. Now all the Titans need to do to make the postseason is by beating the Houston Texans next week on the road.
The Steelers still have a chance, though. Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said his team will play as if their game against the Titans matters (it doesn’t), and the Ravens could bench a bunch of starters next week in Baltimore against the Steelers.
Still, you know the Ravens would love to send their hated rivals home and out of the playoffs with a loss, which would make it the second straight season where Pittsburgh’s postseason dreams would crash in Week 17.
And there’s actually one more AFC team miraculously in the fold ...
So you’re saying there’s a chance
The Oakland Raiders, ladies and gentlemen, are not dead heading into Week 17. Their 24-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, along with the Titans and Steelers losing, allowed this improbable scenario to remain alive.
Quite honestly, it’s going to take a miracle — four specific results — for them to get in next week. But isn’t that what the holiday season is for?
Here’s what must happen for Jon Gruden’s club to make the playoffs this season:
In Week 17, the Raiders first must beat the Denver Broncos on the road. Then they need the Texans to beat the Titans, the Ravens to beat the Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. All of those games must finish that way.
Likely? No. Possible? Yes.
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Infamous Raiders fan says Vegas move prices him out
Pats clinch AFC East, but Bills manage to make a statement
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Tele Columbus makes progress according to plan and confirms full-year guidance
EQS Group 29 November 2018
DGAP-News: Tele Columbus AG / Key word(s): Quarterly / Interim Statement/9 Month figures
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Publication of third quarter and nine months results 2018
- Q3 revenues increased by 3.6% yoy to EUR 127.7m (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 127.8m, up 3.7% yoy)
- Q3 Normalised EBITDA decreased by 14.1% yoy to EUR 58.6m (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 58.8m, down 13.9% yoy)
- Q3 Reported EBITDA increased by 1.6% yoy to EUR 49.9m (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 50.1m, up 1.9% yoy)
- Net income amounted to EUR 5.6m in Q3, up by EUR 3.6m yoy
- Management confirms full-year 2018 guidance
Berlin, 29 November 2018. Tele Columbus AG (ISIN: DE000TCAG172, WKN: TCAG17, "Tele Columbus", "Company" or "the Group"), Germany's third largest cable operator, today published its results for the third quarter and nine months of fiscal year 2018.
The first nine months of 2018 were marked by several system integration projects for Tele Columbus. Since the end of June all customer data is consolidated on one single CRM platform representing a milestone for the Group. As scheduled, the Company successfully merged its various accounting platforms into one single ERP system by the end of September.
As announced along the publication of the Company's half-year results in August, Tele Columbus harmonised its recognition policies for Group-wide KPIs (ie Homes Connected and RGUs) across the three standalone entities in order to provide more transparency going forward. This measure has become effective per 1 July.
Kicking-off in July, Tele Columbus is successively switching off all analogue signals across its network with a focus on Bavaria, Bremen and Saxony in 2018. By mid-November more than 600 thousand homes connected have been digitalized across our footprint. The project will run into 2019 with the goal to free-up capacity in the networks, which will be used for additional HD content and IP services.
Over the course of the third quarter Tele Columbus laid the basis for its marketing offensive which kicked-off in early October. The extensive sales push is centered on innovative products rounding up the tariff portfolio as well as the relaunch of
advanceTV ahead of the relevant year-end season.
As previously communicated, Tele Columbus secured an additional EUR 75 million term loan in early October. The facility has a five year tenor initially with a margin of Euribor plus 425bps. The Company used part of the proceeds to repay the drawn portion of its existing revolving credit facility ("RCF"), with the remaining proceeds increasing the Company's financial flexibility and enabling it to take better advantage of the attractive investment and growth opportunities in the German market.
Operational Development
Tele Columbus is on track to meet management's full year 2018 targets following the publication of today's third quarter results. Revenues in the period increased by 3.6% year on year to EUR 127.7 million (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 127.8 million, up 3.7% year on year). This stems from strongly growing B2B revenues thanks to robust demand for our products and services as well as increased construction revenues from the Company's infrastructure business.
Normalised EBITDA in the third quarter of 2018 decreased by 14.1% year on year to EUR 58.6 million (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 58.8 million, down 13.9% year on year) as a result of fewer high-margin TV and IP revenues in combination with an increased cost base (eg customer service, marketing, leased lines for B2B and personnel costs).
Following management's continued progress with the overall integration project, expenses for non-recurring items in the third quarter of 2018 more than halved year on year to EUR 8.7 million. As a result, Tele Columbus' Reported EBITDA increased by 1.6% year on year to EUR 49.9 million (pro-forma IFRS 15: EUR 50.1 million, up 1.9% year on year).
Net income in the third quarter of 2018 amounted to EUR 5.6 million compared to EUR 2.0 million in the comparable period for 2017. This mainly relates to a tax effect from the revaluation of tax deferrals regarding the tax losses carried forward.
In order to deliver a superior product experience, Tele Columbus increased its investments over the first nine months to EUR 124.2 million respectively to EUR 47.0 million in the third quarter of 2018. In particular, the Company is further investing into fiber infrastructure to better serve its housing industry, B2C and B2B customers. As a result of these investments Tele Columbus' two-way upgraded homes connected increased by another 10 thousand over the course of the period and reached 2,287 thousand by the end of September. Against this backdrop the Company continued to increase its addressable market for IP-based products in its overall footprint.
Management confirms its full-year 2018 targets as communicated in August:
- Stable homes connected (pro-forma for KPI adjustment)
- Stable revenues year on year
- Normalised EBITDA of at least EUR 235 million
- Maximum capex of EUR 150 million
As previously communicated, management will provide an update on the growth plan for the Company in early 2019.
As of 30 September 2018, the Group reported approximately 3.3 million homes connected which is a stable sequential development pro-forma for the KPI adjustment. The number of homes connected and upgraded for two-way communication on own network increased by 10 thousand sequentially to 2,287 thousand in the third quarter 2018 which represents a ratio of 68.5% (pro-forma for KPI adjustment). Moreover, by the end of September the Company served 2,305 thousand unique subscribers which translates into 2,278 thousand CATV RGUs (pro-forma: 24 thousand less quarter on quarter), 553 thousand Premium TV RGUs (pro-forma: 6 thousand less quarter on quarter), 571 thousand Internet RGUs (24.5% penetration) and 448 thousand Telephony RGUs (pro-forma: 8 thousand less quarter on quarter).
End of March 2019: Release of Q4 and full-year results for fiscal year 2018
Summary table (under IFRS 15)
mEUR Q3 2017 Q3 2018 yoy % 9M 2017 9M 2018 yoy %
Revenues 123.3 127.7 3.6 368.6 367.8 (0.2)
Normalised EBITDA 68.3 58.6 (14.1) 191.8 176.6 (7.9)
Normalised EBITDA margin, % 55.4 45.9 (9.5)ppt 52.0 48.0 (4.0)ppt
Reported EBITDA 49.1 49.9 1.6 156.0 142.6 (8.5)
Capex 22.2 47.0 111.7 68.8 124.2 80.5
Capex / Revenues, % 18.0 36.8 18.8ppt 18.7 33.7 15.0ppt
RGU as per end of period (in '000)1
CATV 2,380 2,278 2,380 2,278
CATV (pro-forma KPI adjustment)* n/a 2,284 n/a 2,284
Internet2 564 571 564 571
Telephony3 545 448 545 448
Telephony (pro-forma KPI adjustment)* n/a 531 n/a 531
PremiumTV 432 553 432 553
PremiumTV (pro-forma KPI adjustment)* n/a 413 n/a 413
1) RGUs as of Q3 2018 reflect the KPI adjustment
2) Internet RGUs include individually-billed B2C, B2B and 83k bulk RGUs
3) Telephony RGUs include individually-billed B2C, B2B and 83k bulk RGUs
*) Ceteris paribus for any inter-quarterly developments
The SDAX-listed Tele Columbus AG serves 3.3 million homes connected thereby being Germany's third-largest cable network operator. Its brand PŸUR stands for simplicity, performance and fairness in relation to TV and telecommunication products. Via its state-of-the-art fibre network PŸUR offers high-speed broadband internet including fixed-line telephony as well as more than 250 TV channels on a digital entertainment platform which combines linear TV with streaming services. To its housing association partners PŸUR offers flexible models of cooperation and state-of-the-art services such as telemetric and tenant portals. As a full-service partner for municipalities and regional utilities Tele Columbus Group is actively supporting the fibre-based broadband internet expansion in Germany. For its business customers the Group offers carrier services and corporate solutions via its fibre network. Besides its headquarter in Berlin the Company has locations in Hamburg, Leipzig, Ratingen and Unterföhring/Munich. Since January 2015 Tele Columbus AG is traded on the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock exchange and since June 2015 listed in the SDAX.
This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the Company's current knowledge and expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document.
This release contains references to certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as Normalized EBITDA and Capex, and operating measures, such as RGUs, ARPU, and Unique Subscribers calculations. These non-GAAP financial and operating measures should not be viewed in isolation as alternatives to measures of the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows as presented in accordance with IFRS. The non-GAAP financial and operating measures used by the Company may differ from, and not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.
All information contained in this release has been carefully prepared. However, no reliance may be placed for any purposes whatsoever on the information contained in this document or on its completeness. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by or on behalf of the Company or any of its directors, officers or employees or any other person as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained in this document and no liability whatsoever is accepted by the Company or any of its directors, officers or employees nor any other person for any loss howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of such information or opinions or otherwise arising in connection therewith. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any information contained in this release, including forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Silke Bernhardt
Director Corporate Communications
Phone +49 (30) 3388 4177
Fax +49 (30) 3388 9 1999
presse@telecolumbus.de
www.telecolumbus.com
29.11.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de
Company: Tele Columbus AG
Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 108
Fax: +49 (0)30 3388 9 1999
E-mail: silke.bernhardt@pyur.com
Internet: www.telecolumbus.com
ISIN: DE000TCAG172
WKN: TCAG17
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
End of News DGAP News Service
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Village Impact schools want to be known as the best schools in Kenya!
One of the ways we accomplish this is in tailoring each of our school’s development phases based on the unique needs of their communities.
As a general rule, we start with the provision of text books and reference materials, as we have noticed that government systems take lots of time before taking charge of our new schools.
Water poses a challenge in all our schools and the communities that surround them.
We have aided in the installation of gutters and water tanks in all our schools, but these are just but short term solutions towards curbing crisis. For example, in Lemolo we opted for the establishment of gutters and water tanks to allay short term obstacles. But over-reliance on mother nature often pose challenges, especially towards the beginning of the year when the area experiences low rainfall.
In the Safina Haji community we had to pipe water four kilometers from a nearby spring into the school. We also had to install a ten-thousand liter water tank to pump water to our Safina Haji Primary and High schools. Here, the water has also been essential in cleaning apparatus at the two laboratories in Safina Haji High School. Additionally, this system has proved to be reliable to the Safina Haji community as a whole.
In Giwa Farm, the location for two of Springs High School and Shalom Primary School, we opted for a piped system to a nearby borehole adjacent to the school. However, water politics and misunderstandings between the persons manning the borehole project and the schools administrations have adversely affected provision of water to both institutions.
We continue to work to create new strategies to ensure that our schools are able to obtain this resource.
Most of our schools have a history of being affected by issues of early marriages, early pregnancies, drug abuse and poverty.
In 2017, we established our first counseling office in Giwa Farm, and later San Marico. Through organizing individual sessions with the students and organizing talks on the importance of abstinence until marriage, the intention and efforts of our Counselor has proven to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies as compared to previous years. Students who have fallen into the spiral of early pregnancies are also encouraged to go back to school and finish their education.
This year, we had a privilege of recruiting a new Counsellor and her impact was felt instantly.
Our two Counselors play integral roles as mothers and advisors to both our students and their parents in their respective communities.
Our Counselors play such big roles in making our schools and communities better!
This year we were also able to put up part of the Teacher’s Quarters for our teachers at Bright Hope High School.
Teacher’s Quarters help teachers who were forced to commute long distances in order to get their school. Now teachers can sleep in a safe, nearby residence and not have to worry about dangerous road conditions or mother nature keeping them from fulfilling their call to teach.
Teacher’s Quarters keep our teachers safe and punctual, and make our schools a better fit for teachers long-term.
We have also improved our repairs system. This includes the provision of desks and lockers, repairing broken windows and doors, and adding washrooms where need be.
We have organized student, teacher and principal conferences which have been very beneficial for the stakeholders within our schools.
We are now looking forward to introducing across all our schools more field excursions for our students in grades 3, 6 and 12. This will enable all our students have a broader view of the outside world.
“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.”
-Andrew Carnegie
Additionally, we are hoping to establish libraries in all our schools with well fit computers to facilitate technological knowledge and also help our students in their personal studies.
With provision of adequate electricity, the culmination of these developments gives you a good idea of our dream school!
We would like to thank all our donors for always being there with us from the start!
As World Teacher Aid, we started a good race. Now, Village Impact will finish strong by making our schools a safe heaven for our students!
-Phil, Field Rep.
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When Spark Media Project Executive Director Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt was asked to apply for the same role at Mill Street Loft, she countered with a suggestion: “I told them I’d only apply if I could bring Spark with me,” she says. “It just made so much sense.”
Thus did two of Poughkeepsie’s flourishing decades-old arts education organizations become one, merging on January 1, 2018 to form The Art Effect. “The synergy of our complementary missions has brought us improved best practices, additional community support, a stronger Board of Directors, and more programs,” says Nicole.
“The biggest thing is the focused intention that helped us build a strong sequential curriculum across all program levels and art disciplines, which is designed to help every young person involved in our programs achieve success in their life.”
“Our goal is that every person we work with will wind up with a college scholarship or a job.”
–Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Executive Director
Three levels of programming—Explore, Experience, and Excel—provide pathways from discovering different art media, to uncovering an individual voice and a medium of expression, to, ultimately, mastering that artistic medium.
Explore programs bring arts immersion to young children via Dutchess and Ulster Arts Camp, vulnerable populations and trauma survivors via Arts for Healing, Poughkeepsie public schools via the Empire After School Program, and Hudson Valley libraries via Mobile Media Labs.
At the Experience level, there’s a focus on serious skill-building with an eye to going professional one day. “We are not believers in the myth of the ‘starving artist,’” says Nicole. “People think that there’s a tiny handful of winners in the arts and everyone else starves, and that is absolutely untrue. The arts offer a lot of very viable, satisfying paths into the workforce. We have hundreds of alumni who have secured amazing jobs in the creative arts, from designing theater scenes on Broadway to digital user experience at Amazon to medical prosthetics at major hospitals. But whether you’re in it to heal yourself, express yourself, or build a career, The Art Effect absolutely has something for you.”
At the Excel level is the Art Institute, a series of pre-college portfolio programs designed to help motivated students master their skills in visual and media arts. The Excel level also includes Forge Media, in which advanced apprentices, mentored by professionals, produce media for local clients. The descendant of Spark Media Project, Forge has a 20-year track record of cost-effective, professional media to meet the unique needs of businesses, schools, agencies, and organizations.
“You get a great product at a great value and you’re supporting the community and young, emerging talent,” Nicole points out.
“We focus on fostering the skills of self-expression, economic stability, self-healing, and the creation of beauty to build strong, self-aware communities that nurture the next generation. ”
– Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Executive Director
High school students, including those at the Art Institute and Forge, can participate in Hudson Valley Portfolio Day, at which representatives of over 40 college art programs offer feedback to hundreds of young artists. “I have seen some youth get scholarship offers on the spot,” Nicole says. For film students, the Reel Expressions International Film Festival offers a showcase at the Bardavon, complete with an opening reception and Q&A panels. (Reel Expressions, which highlights emerging filmmakers from around the world, is coming up soon on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at the Bardavon theater in Poughkeepsie.)
Media components are integrated throughout the arts offerings, and that has had a multiplier effect on programming and collaboration, from student project possibilities to workforce development tracks to community partnerships. And, of course, every person touched is learning not just art, but project planning, execution, collaboration, agency, and all the other life skills needed for a fully realized and creative life.
Every young person is learning not just art, but project planning, execution, collaboration, agency, and all the other life skills needed for a fully realized and creative life.
Nicole says The Art Effect is committed to inclusion in every possible sense of the word. If an individual student is hampered by transportation, life issues, or lack of equipment, The Art Effect will find a ride, a counselor, or a camera.
Says Nicole: “We serve the whole population of Poughkeepsie and the mid-Hudson Valley, no matter income or background, and give out lots of scholarships. We raise tens of thousands for scholarships but it’s never enough. So if we can squeeze a few more kids in, we’ll squeeze ‘em in. There’s no golden key, just, ‘here’s the path and we’ll help you walk it.’ Our goal is that every person we work with will wind up with a college scholarship or a job. It’s been inspiring to see how dedicated my staff is to serving every student who comes through our doors.”
In February 2019, a little over a year after the merger, The Art Effect announced that 20 Art Institute students had received over 100 regional Hudson Valley Scholastic Awards. A newly published annual report cites more results: 25 young filmmakers employed through Forge Media, 100 percent of Art Institute seniors accepted to college with scholarship aid, 2,075 individuals directly served, and $3,616,800 in scholarship funds offered to graduates.
The Art Effect’s goals are ambitious: 100 percent will finish high school, complete a portfolio, get admitted to a two- or four-year institution with a scholarship, and be employed within a year—a comprehensive lifeboat for life’s stormy seas, and for those who’d like to captain their own ships.
“We continue to work on creating whole new levels of potential—to grow as our students grow,” says Nicole. “We focus on fostering the skills of self-expression, economic stability, self-healing, and the creation of beauty to build strong, self-aware communities that nurture the next generation. It’s happening already.”
45 Pershing Avenue, Poughkeepsie
845-471-7477 | feelthearteffect.org
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Our Ethiopian Staff
Asfaw Mekuria
Country Director, Ethiopia
Asfaw's Profile
Asfaw Mekuria is our Ethiopian Country Director. He holds a BA Degree in Management and an MBA in Project Management, and has also participated in overseas diploma level training. He has worked extensively at government level in an array of different managerial positions in areas of manufacturing industries, transport agencies, multilateral and bi-lateral fund raising programs, and both national and international NGO coordination responsibilities. Mr. Asfaw joined Vita in October 2008 as Partnership and Fundraising Director and, from June 2009 to December 2009, served as Deputy Country Director. Since January 2010 he has been Vita’s Country Director in Ethiopia, where he has overseen the successful growth and expansion of all Vita projects.
Asfaw.Mekuria@vita.ie
Solomon Kebede
Deputy Country Director
Solomon's Profile
Solomon Kebede was Vita’s second employee when he joined the team in 2005 alongside former country director, Mr. Oliver Ryan. Solomon was responsible for setting up Vita’s programmes in Ethiopia with the Country Director, other staff members who joined him in 2005 and 2006, and the technical support of Vita CEO John Weakliam.
Solomon has a BSc degree in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Business Management. He has more than 20 years experience as a development worker in areas of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as development project/programme management with both Government and Non-Government organizations since 1997.
Solomon has served Vita in various senior management positions including Monitoring and Reporting Officer, Planning, Monitoring and Communication Director, and Programme Manager. Currently, Solomon is serving as Deputy Country Director responsible for managing the overall programme in Ethiopia.
Solomon.Kebede@vita.ie
Sultan Abdrahiman George
Country Programme Assistant
Sultan's Profile
Sultan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Resource Economics and Management in 2006 from Hawassa University, going on to complete an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Haramaya University in 2013. His first role was as Area Programme coordinator for the SNNPR, where he worked as ECHO/EU consortium coordinator for the Borana zone of the Oromia region on the DRR&DR/Disaster Risk Reduction and Drought Response project. Sultan brings 13 years of development experience working with pastoralist, agro-pastoralist and small holder farmers.
Sultan joined Vita in January 2016 as Country Program Assistant, responsible for overseeing programmes across Ethiopia and managing Vita’s pioneering initiatives like the Vita Green Impact Fund, an innovation focused on climate finance and carbon offsetting.
Sultan’s dedication to development work springs from his concern for the problems he has seen facing rural communities in Ethiopia. Sultan likes to spend as much time with his family as possible. He is married and has two children.
sultan.george@vita.ie
Akalu Gebreyes
Administration and Finance Manager
Akalu's Profile
Akalu Gebreyes is currently Ethiopia’s Administration and Finance Manager. He joined Vita in 2012 as an Accountant and was quickly promoted to Senior Accountant position. He has more than 21 years of finance and administration experience in both private and non-governmental organizations. Akalu holds a Diploma majoring in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Development Management.
He has received various training at national and international level, and is certified in accounting software, grant and financial management. With this vast experience, Akalu oversees and improves the administration and finance department at Vita. He is married with four children.
Akalu.Gebreyes@vita.ie
Nebyu Negash
Nebyu's Profile
Nebyu joined Vita in May 2011. A graduate of Arba Minch University, he holds a First Class Honours BA Degree in Accounting and Finance as well as a Master’s in Business Administration.
Before coming to Vita, Nebyu spent five years working as the Head of Administration and Finance for several different NGOs. After working in different senior positions within Vita, he is now the Ethiopian office’s Head of Finance.
Nebyu loves positive thinkers and problem solvers and is always eager to improve his skills and knowledge.
Nebiyu.negash@vita.ie
Misgana Gobeze
Communications and Publications Officer
Misgana's Profile
Misgana joined Vita in June 2019. A graduate of Addis Ababa University, she holds a BA Degree in Foreign Language and Literature as well as a Master’s in English Language. She also holds an international certificate in Digital Marketing from Google Digital Garage. Her skills include graphics design, photography and video editing.
Over the past 10 years, she has worked as a Public Relations and Communications manager for several different organisations. In her spare time, Misgana loves walks after sunset and taking time to smell the cold air that comes out of the tall trees Ethiopia is known for. She similarly likes planting trees.
Misgana.gobeze@vita.ie
Ermias Guta Bedasso
Programme Quality Manager
Ermias's Profile
Ermias Guta Bedasso is a passionate programme quality manager in Vita’s Ethiopian Programme Office. He has been working for the organization since November 2012. He has more than 15 years of experience in the area of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of Development Projects. Ermias holds a BSc degree in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Project Planning and Management. With this vast experience and qualification, he provides strategic programme leadership to the programme quality team in the development and execution of Vita’s ommunity-led development projects. He is married with two children.
Ermias.Guta@vita.ie
Mesfin Kebede
EU Consortium Project Coordinator
Mesfin's Profile
Mesfin Kebede coordinates our EU-financed Resilience Building project. Mesfin joined Vita in 2014. Prior to this, he worked as an Agricultural Economist, Rural Development Coordinator, Program Officer, Program Coordinator and Project Manager at different government and international organizations. Mesfin’s experience lies in rural development and poverty alleviation programs. He has a BSc in Agricultural Economics from Haromaya University and an MSc in Geographical Information Science and Earth Observation with a specialization in planning and coordination for natural resources management from ITC-Netherland.
Mesfin.Kebede@vita.ie
Tsehayu Kassie
Arba Minch Field Office Coordinator
Tsehayu's Profile
Tsehayu Kassie joined Vita in August, 2005. A graduate of Alemaya University, he has a BSc degree in Agricultural Engineering, as well as a Master’s from Arba Minch University in Climate Change and Development. He has worked in Vita in different positions and currently works as the Arba Minch field office coordinator. He has also worked as soil and water conservation expert and a water harvesting coordinator in agriculture office. In addition to this, he has experience working as a farm manager advisor in a private farm.
He loves to read in any capacity, and splits this interest between professional and leisurely reading.
Wubshet Asefa
Wubshet's Profile
Wubshet Assefa Amare is sociable and straightforward, joining Vita’s Ethiopia team in 2017 as the Field Coordinator for South Gonder, Amhara, Ethiopia. Wubshet previously worked for government and local NGOs as a Project Officer, as well as working in various Senior Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Positions in the nine years before he joined Vita. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and is currently finishing an MSc in Development Economics.
He has various training at regional and national level with certification in knowledge management, basic management skill, project cycle management, constituency building, statistical software, community mobilization tools and mroe. With these vast experiences and trainings, he passionately leads, coordinates and facilitates our program implementation in South Gonder Zone. He is a father of two from his beloved partner, Abeba Kassaie.
wubshet.asefa@vita.ie
Seid Ahmed
Field Office Project Coordinator for EUTF Omo Delta/Cross Border Project
Seid's Profile
Seid joined Vita in 2017 as a Livelihood and Business Development Officer for the EU-funded RESET II RESULT project. He graduated from Jimma University with a BA Degree in Sociology and Social Work with tremendous results. He previously worked at Save the Children International as a Child Protection Officer and a Case management Focal Person for Child Protection Project. He has also worked as an Irrigation Agronomist at IDE Ethiopia as well as a Community Development Facilitator for Agri-Service Ethiopia for its community capacity development project. At government level, Seid also has experience working as a Plan Development Officer. Seid has experience in implementing Integrated Multi-Sectorial Resilience Community-Based projects with meticulous care to ensure far-reaching results.
Seid.ahmed@vita.ie
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vjoonity 2019: New DAM from vjoon and K4 Version 10
vjoon seven: State-of-the-art DAM platform presented for the first time
vjoon K4 version 10: New Content Editor and WordPress module
Practical experience: Exclusive insights from Adobe and integration partners
In November, international publishing and marketing experts met at vjoonity in New York and Hamburg to discuss current developments at vjoon and gain further insight into the company‘s product strategy. Andreas Schrader, CEO of vjoon, opened the conference with a keynote speech entitled “Time to Re-Invent”, covering the company‘s 30th anniversary, the 20th anniversary of K4 and InDesign, the founding of the US-based integrator, vjoon Inc., and the company‘s current transformation into a multi-product company.
Immediate after the introduction, Andreas Schrader presented a live demo of the all-new vjoon seven, a highly scalable, API-first platform for managing all types of assets. The next version of vjoon K4 was also presented in a live demo and scored particularly well with innovations for content first strategies and publishing via WordPress. The agenda was rounded off by exciting presentations and practical reports from Adobe and vjoon integration partners, which focused on topics such as user experience and the cloud.
vjoon seven: Highly Scalable and State-of-the-Art DAM Platform
As well as a complementary product to K4, in addition to being a standalone product and independent application stack, vjoon will offer seven as a platform for the central management of assets. vjoon seven manages content using a sophisticated metadata management that takes all current standards into account. Assets can also be assigned to specific users for editing, and the workflow can be controlled via an asset status. vjoon seven also has a lot to offer in the area of connectivity. Adobe InDesign, InDesign Server, InCopy and Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint are already integrated, and users can work with familiar applications directly from within seven. Easily configurable rights management controls access and protects sensitive data or even entire areas. vjoon seven is a highly scalable, multi-tenant platform and can therefore be used ideally across all business organizations, including publishers, agencies, and all corporate markets.
vjoon seven and K4 are already deeply integrated and update each other. All content from seven, including metadata, can be used in production with K4. Rights of use are controlled directly from seven. In addition, vjoon seven can be used as a digital archive with the possibility of repurposing after the production of various publications.
“K4 customers in particular benefit from our new DAM platform because the integration with vjoon K4 is unique and extremely efficient,” says Andreas Schrader. “Managing and exchanging assets between a DAM and vjoon K4 has never been easier”.
The stringent API-First principle in vjoon seven affords that such a broad range of extensions is available right from the start. Via a REST API, all functions of the platform can be accessed and their functionality greatly expanded and adapted to individual requirements. The platform provides decisive advantages to users, including that on one hand, they’re able to compress their schedule of time to market for new applications and functions, while on the other hand they’re able to integrate seven within their already existing system stack.
vjoon K4 Version 10: New Content Editor and WordPress Integration
The latest K4 version also scored several highlights. For example, the compatibility of K4 with the latest versions of InDesign, InCopy and InDesign Server was announced at the beginning of November in New York, almost simultaneously with its presentation at Adobe MAX in Los Angeles.
The new Content Editor and the integration with WordPress offered major highlights of the new version. The Content Editor in the browser is perfectly aligned for Content-First and WordPress content, and also offers optimizations in the collaboration of teams. Users now also benefit from track changes and comment functions in the digital channels. In collaboration with WordPress, users can expect a real preview of their online content rendered by WordPress. The new K4 WordPress integration is offered via the WordPress plugins module, allowing vjoon to maintain and update the module independent of K4. This distribution will allow customers to streamline their WordPress maintenance, saving time and money, while allowing vjoon to offer agile updates to the Web CMS integration.
Various exciting presentations rounded out the extensive program of vjoonity. Ingo Eichel from Adobe EMEA presented the latest developments in design and experience business. vjoon integration partners SNAP Innovation from Hamburg and Flux Consulting from New York presented various customer projects in which vjoon K4 is operated in the cloud under AWS. Joe Bachana from DPCI in New York provided deep insight into the introduction of the K4 system at “The Florida Bar”, where deployment via the cloud-based Microsoft Azure was employed. Detailed information on this customer project can be found in our blog.
Closing Get-together: Pleased Guests and Exciting Conversations
Whether in New York or Hamburg, guests and the vjoon team concluded the conferences in a comfortable atmosphere, with relaxed conversations, drinks and delicious hors d-oeuvres. Guests were able to take along many new ideas and inspiration for their business – and the feedback of the guests to the vjoon team also offered several different starting points and proven-successful strategies across the customer base.
Websites: vjoon.com, vjoon.us
Follow us on Twitter @vjoon
Videos: vjoon.tv
About vjoon:
Established in the publishing market since 1990, vjoon is one of the world‘s leading providers of software solutions for the management of digital content. vjoon immediately integrates technological innovations into its solutions and develops them consistently for the needs of the market. Its prominent product, vjoon K4, is one of the most innovative multichannel publishing platforms on the market. With vjoon K4, multimedia content can be prepared and managed for any output channel – such as print, tablet, online or mobile.
vjoon K4 is the right tool for publishers to publish smoothly and efficiently – whether magazines, newspapers, corporate publishing, business reports, product information or books. Renowned customers worldwide benefit from this sophisticated solution in environments from three to over 1,500 users. vjoon works with a global network of more than 30 qualified partners to ensure high-quality system integration, training and customer support. vjoon is headquartered in the Hamburg metropolitan region.
Carsten Althaber, Corporate Communications
PHONE +49 (0) 40 55 69 50 – 0
EMAIL press@vjoon.com
Carsten Althaber
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlanetOfHats
Planet of Hats
aka: Planets Of Hats
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PlayingWith
Create New - Create New - Analysis Characters FanficRecs FanWorks Fridge Haiku Headscratchers ImageLinks Recap ReferencedBy Synopsis Timeline Trivia WMG YMMV
Going Native on a literal Planet of Hats.
"Ever since Tai-tastigon was built back in the days of the Old Empire, folks in these parts have loved puzzles. Once their whole culture was built on them, social conventions and all, and the highest form of art was the labyrinth."
— Tubain, Chronicles of the Kencyrath
On their Wagon Train to the Stars, our intrepid heroes come across a planet whose inhabitants all share a single defining characteristic. Everybody is a robot, or a gangster, or a Proud Warrior Race Guy, or an over-the-top actor, or wearing a Nice Hat. To some degree, this is unavoidable; you only have so much screen time or page space to develop and explore a culture. This is especially true in episodic series where the heroes travel to a new planet each week and you have to both introduce a planet and tell a story all within a single episode. If planets are revisited, it also provides an easy way for viewers to keep track of which planet is which and remember where the story is set.
Earth itself is sometimes portrayed as a Planet of Hats. note And anthropologists have discovered many universal human traits that could plausibly fit the bill.The defining human characteristic is often "pluck", "sheer cussedness", creativity, and sometimes even "diversity", though "evil" and "stupidity" are common in more misanthropic works. Sometimes it's stated that Hattery is the natural state and it's humans that are the aberrant ones, or rather that humanity's Hat is not having one.
Writers love to use the hat planet to represent controversial issues in society whenever they can. This way the show's characters can take a thinly disguised public stand on an issue that the network execs would otherwise consider too taboo to openly discuss. We can't have our heroes discussing euthanasia, but should they stumble across a Planet of Hats where everyone who gets sick is put to death, then it's okay. Eventually the plots will run out with an entire race of identical people so one or more of the species will have their hat fall off, declaring My Species Doth Protest Too Much. Alternately, the show may explore why Klingon Scientists Get No Respect. For maximum typing, the characters can also be physically uniform, as in People of Hair Color.
The Planet of Hats may also be an unintended result of a Character Exaggeration type Plot Tumor applied to an entire race, when the audience had previously only seen a single representative who the writers now wish to market. For cases where a planetary hat is extrapolated retroactively from a single character, see Planet of Copyhats.
Just for comparison, Earth has seven continents, hosting just under two hundred sovereign states, with an estimated five thousand ethnicities and 7,000 living languages. There is no reason to suspect that alien life forms would be any different, but in media they are nowhere near as diverse as one might expect.
Occasionally justified in settings with relatively convenient space travel and colonization. Consider that anatomically modern homo sapiens had scattered across the continents long before what we call "civilization" developed independently in different parts of the world, and that the absence of fast transportation or communication caused populations to exchange little information with each other until they had already developed persistent cultural differences. If a group of space colonists from the same culture settled an uninhabited planet and were left to develop on their own, they could hypothetically spread that culture over the entire planet and attempt to preserve cultural unity through mass communication. That said, it would be unlikely for that culture to stay monolithic forever, as various subcultures, countercultures, and new movements would naturally start to pop up over time.
Compare: Gang of Hats. Contrast: Multicultural Alien Planet. See also Rubber-Forehead Aliens, Intelligent Gerbil, Scary Dogmatic Aliens, Tribe of Priests. May result because Apathy Killed the Cat. If the planet's hat is being evil, it's an example of Always Chaotic Evil. Serious Business is what happens when the show's setting gets a hat. This trope in itself is a good example of Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale. See Single-Biome Planet when the planet is unnaturally uniform physically. One-Product Planet is a subtrope, but focuses on economics rather than culture.
Has nothing to do with a certain war-themed hat simulator, Or the show Lidsville which was a literal planet of hats. For the webcomic of the same name, see here.
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The districts in Acca 13 Territory Inspection Dept are somewhere between this and Fantasy Counterpart Culture, with a nice helping of Rule of Quirky. Jumoku is the place where everything is bigger. Suitsu is preserved Les Misérables-era Paris (complete with frequent coup attempts). Yakkara is basically Vegas. And on and on. There's even Theme Naming for everyone from those districts (e.g. Korore residents are named after colors, Peshi residents are named after fish, Furawau residents are named after flowers, Rokkusu residents are named after rocks).
Galaxy Express 999: We have planets where everyone's a beggar, fat, angry, lawless, sad, glows in the dark and so on. Subverted with Planet Fury, which appears to be a Crapsack World whose hat is fighting. Its real hat is candor. The constant fighting is just a side effect.
In the episode "Mushroom Samba" (itself the name of another trope), the crew of the Bebop finds that the terraformed moon Io has developed a culture apparently inspired by 1970s Blaxploitation films.
Bebop used the different planets as either Fantasy Counterpart Culture or a planet of hats. Venus was US-run, while Callisto was Russian, the Jovians were mostly European, and Earth was SE Asia.
In Kino's Journey, each country is a separate Planet of Hats, such as a country devoted to nothing but the construction of a tower, or one inhabited by people who do nothing but secretarial work. Most amusing is the town which doesn't have a hat, and is trying desperately to get one. They show off some different 'ancient tradition' to every traveler who passes through. Kino remarks that this is their hat.
In Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- by CLAMP, the characters must visit different worlds in search of Princess Sakura's feathers. Roughly every world they visit will be a Planet of Hats (although some of them aren't as easy to notice).
Vandread:
The two main planets are Taraak (the planet of men), a barren world where the locals are concerned with things like uniforms, practicality, appearing manly, and eating nutrition pellets (think hamster food), and Mejere (the planet of women), which looks like Las Vegas and has locals concerned with appearing nice, who eat foods that are basically dessert.
There's a darker side to this as well, as every inhabited planet was marked by a unique physical trait representing which organ was supposed to be harvested by Earth. Taraak and Mejele were male and female reproductive organs respectively.
The three Invading Countries (actually planets) from the second season of Magic Knight Rayearth. Autozam is all about the mental power-based technology, Fahren is a thinly-veiled Fantasy Counterpart Culture for Imperial China, and Chizeta's culture is entirely Arabian Nights-based.
In Nyarko-san, Earth's hat is specifically noted to pretty much be our entertainment industry, which is so popular out there its a controlled substance and we can't know how incredibly big our audience is, both due to lack of supply, although the nature of our fans also factored into their decision to hide while taking advantage of our funny hat.
Major spoilers for Martian Successor Nadesico. It turns out the Jovian Lizards are actually a long forgotten human colony in the orbit of Jupiter, that rebelled and became an independent nation after the federation forsaken it. The Jovians' hat is that their entire society and culture is based on Gekiganger3, an old Super Robot anime within an anime, which is treated close to a sacred scripture by them.
Dragon Ball Z gives us two Planet of Hats races, the Namekians and the Saiyans. Both with justifications:
We are introduced to the Namekian race by Piccolo and God, who were original one person. Everyone in the race is green, reproduce asexually, is one gender (male), have mystical abilities, and is peace-loving with the exception of Piccolo who was the Nameless Namekian's evil side that was corrupted by living on Earth. Part of the reason for the uniformity is that the Namekians we see in the main story, with the exception of the Nameless Namekian, all came from one father after the race was brought to the brink of extinction. Which means any culture or other unique differences would be all but lost since everyone came from the same gene pool and raised by the same person. However, there are still subtypes or 'classes.' There are two castes; the Dragon Caste (consisting of those with magicial abilities and being able to create Dragon Balls i.e. Dende and God) and the Warrior Caste, those who are powerful in combat (Nail.) The reincarnated Piccolo (the now good one) could be considered a hybrid due to being a fusion (but lacks God's ablities of creating the Dragon Balls).
The Saiyans were introduced by Goku. Once Raditz comes we learned that all Saiyans are freaking strong, transform into giant apes under a full moon, are prideful, and are Blood Knights. Goku is unique among his race because he doesn't have the Saiyan bloodlust. This is a combination of being raise on Earth, a head injury, and inheriting his mom's good nature. Part of the justification for the Saiyans is that there were good Saiyans, but they were banished or repressed by the more violent parts of their race. The Saiyans' dark nature was also exploited by Frieza who used them to wipe planets and made them advance too fast so they never evolved past their barbaric ways.
One Piece has dozens of 'islands of hats', deriving plenty of its comedy from the various islands the characters visit and explore. Some examples include a Lady Land, a Venice expy, an Island of Weather-wizards, and an Island of Cross-dressers.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: No other planets are seen, but according to Kyubey, Earth's hat is having emotions, which in turn allows Magical Girls to exist. All other intelligent lifeforms in the universe are supposedly The Spock compared to humans. Unfortunately, this makes humans by far the most attractive option for exploitative energy production.
Asian Animation
Happy Heroes:
Planet Guling from Season 6 has a prehistoric theme, complete with cavemen and dinosaurs inhabiting it.
Planet Woof from Season 7 is inhabited by anthropomorphic dogs. Planet Miao, its rival planet, is inhabited by anthropomorphic cats.
Top 10 (by comic book genius Alan Moore)
The comic takes place in a city where everyone — the cops, the bus drivers, the bums on the street — is a superhero or some other "science hero" trope. This does have lots of room within it, however, as the titular team has a talking dog in an exoskeleton, the world's only Yazidi superhero, and a sarcastic Mazinger Z, amongst others. Did we mention it's a police procedural?
It's eventually revealed that the "10 Precinct" (hence the "10" in "Top 10") is so called because it's the 10th in a series of alternate dimensions. Each dimension has its own precinct, and its own hat. The 10th is superheroes; other precincts include robot dinosaurs and Romans.
It's also revealed in a prequel that the city was set up after World War II and beings with superpowers were exiled to it.
DC Comics has a lot of Hat Planets:
In the Legion of Super-Heroes, most planets are like this, with their "hat" being related to their super-power; Naltor, planet of precogs, Titan, planet of telepaths, Colu, planet of geniuses, et cetera. There used to be a rule that there could be no two members from the same planet, because "planet" and "superpower" were that synonymous.
They also have two characters from Winath who (at least some of the time) share a superpower, but that's not Winath's hat — almost all the people of Winath are identical twins, and the two Legionnaires, Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass, are Half-Identical Twins, so similar that by deeping her voice and keeping the Most Common Superpower bound, Ayla managed to impersonate Garth. In some media, the whole planet is devoted to farming.
Ultra Boy comes from Rimbor, which is The Planet Of Dark Alleys and Biker Gangs. They don't have powers, though: Jo Nah got his powers from a Space Whale.
And of course, the planet Bizmol, whose hat is eating things.
This is all justified in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #2 , which shows that all of these planets were specifically colonized a thousand years earlier by advanced humans with similar power-sets after Invasion!! happened.
Also occurred at least once in a Superman comic in which Jimmy Olsen is transported to the Planet of the Capes. Seriously . This comic came out in the wake of the Planet of the Apes film, so they were probably going for the pun.
Lobo occasionally encounters hat planets, such as planets made entirely from highway (in the Lobo comic series), a vacation planet (The Last Czarnian mini-series), and a planet populated by religious fundamentalists who immediately explode upon contact with any infidels by triggering an apparently inherited power through pushing down their head onto their shoulder.
The Hat of the Daxamites is violent xenophobia. Daxamites who don't try to kill aliens on sight are considered outcasts, and in one case was brainwashed by his own parents so that he would be a xenophobe. And just to complicate matters for aliens, they're on offshoot of Kryptonians, who win the Superpower Lottery when exposed to a yellow sun.
Blackest Night explains that Earth's Hat is in fact that it doesn't wear a Hat; Earth is the most diverse planet in the universe. This is due to it being home to the Entity that brought Life to the universe. (Though Lex Luthor argues that he should get the Orange Lantern of Greed because Earth is all about consumerism and acquiring stuff.)
The Polish comic Tytus, Romek I A'Tomek has an issue where the protagonists visit several "Nonsense Islands", each of which is a classic Island Of Hats where everyone is an athlete, a bureaucrat, etc.
In one Mickey Mouse detective story Mickey and Goofy are employed by aliens from a planet where everyone is a thief — its perfectly legal to steal, people are suspicious of someone who doesn't, and their leader got his position because he is such a great crook. (No, not by cheating. People voted for him because he was such a dishonest man.) They need an outsider because they are temporarily hosting an artifact shared with other, friendly planets, and they don't trust anyone on their own planet — with good reason.
X-Men: The Mojoverse is an entire Dimension of Hats organized around television. Whoever has the best ratings is the Dimension Lord.
The Kree's traditional hat has been an obsessive love of warfare. Captain Mar-Vell and other sympathetic Kree characters we've met have been defectors from decadence.
The Dire Wraiths' hat is evil! Seriously, they're a race of evil magic-users who revere evil as a concept in its own right. We meet a grand total of one Wraith who decided he was sick of it and wanted to just settle in as a human on Earth, and his fellow Wraiths murder him for daring to think such a thing.
In Invincible, all of the male Viltrumites have to grow moustaches.
In the Justice League of America story "Heaven's Ladder" has a race of aliens infiltrating various planets to discover how each one views the afterlife and their religious beliefs. For most races the alien sleeper-agents are things like priests or religious leaders, as all of the universe's alien races only have one religion apiece. On Earth, their human representative is a professor of comparative theologies.
The Atom: A theologian's the only option that makes sense from a comprehensive point of view. Earth isn't one of those Star Trek planets with one global culture.
In IDW's Transformers comics, their homeworld of Cybertron has thirteen long-lost colony worlds, some of which have recently been reunited. Each one is uniquely quirky: Caminus is spiritual and resource-poor, everybody on Velocitron is a speed freak, everybody on Devisiun is half-sized twins, Eukaris is populated solely by animal-formers, and Carcer is a stratocracy that abhors lies. Two others have also been named: Prion, where everybody is tiny (relative to the average sixty-foot Cybertronian), and Tempo, which was full of philosophers.
Ultimate Vision: One of the planets the Vision visited was composed entirely of engineers, all of them focused on stopping the threat of Gah Lak Tus. They covered their whole planet in armor, and bobby trapped their solar system. Alas, it was not enough.
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! has had several. Possibly justified in the case of the Zombie Planet.
Prince Valiant occasionally features Islands of Hats. When Val is on a sea voyage, it's somewhat common for his ship to get waylaid by supernatural means. One of two things then happens: either Val is put to some bizarre test, or he comes to an island where all the inhabitants share a single characteristic.
Reimagined Enterprise: Usually there are some attempts to avert or reduce this trope compared to the canon show. To be fair, the prose format makes it somewhat easier to avoid reducing races to a stereotype compared to TV.
In Ashes of the Past all Squirtles, Wartortles, and Blastoise are massive Otakus. It gets tot he point where many of them have fighting styles that emulate thier fandom.
For the record Ash's Squirtle and Gary's Blastoise are fanboys of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, the fire fighters call their home the hidden turtle village, and the Sailor Moon Wartortle Quillava runs into during the fishing cotest.
Deconstructed in The War of the Masters, in that what appears to be a monoculture is more commonly the result of one particular group on a Multicultural Alien Planet becoming dominant over the others, which becomes a stereotype In-Universe. This ranges from the "violent brute" stereotype of Klingons (the protagonist Klingons such as B'Sanos and K'Ragh tend to be more inclined to prioritize batlh, or "internal honor", over quv, "external honor") to the cultural conflict between atheist quasi-communist United Earth and its more religious and agrarian rim colonies such as the worlds of the Moab Confederacy. The idea is even referenced by name In-Universe, and derided as the notion that your species dictates your politics.
Films — Animation
The Transformers: The Movie has the planet Junk, where a race of robots made of scrap live; their entire culture is based on TV and radio transmissions from Earth, with the result that they say things like "Stop, thief! No welcome wagon 'hello stranger' with that new coffee flavor for you!" This was homaged in the Live-Action Adaptation where Optimus Prime claimed the Autobots learned to speak English "from your Internet".
The Point is a fable which Harry Nilsson used to make an entire soundtrack. It was later adapted into an animated film and screenplay using the soundtrack. The entire fable revolved around a planet on which everything had a point on it, with the sole exception of the main character. He is shunned as a result. Ironically at the end, the entire world becomes devoid of points with the exception of the main character, who grows a point.
Films — Live-Action
In Mom and Dad Save the World, the title characters get kidnapped by (and save the world from) an Evil Overlord from a planet where the hat is... mind-boggling amounts of stupidity. As an example, one of the deadliest weapons on this world is called the light grenade, which instantly disintegrates whoever picks it up. And how does this decimate an entire army? It says "Pick Me Up".
Russian animation film "Third Planet From Sun" when protagonists check database about planet Shelezyaka, it says: "Planet Shelezyaka: no plants, no water, no minerals. Inhabited by robots". When they visit planet, they see, how exact this entry. This is justified, however, at least in the novel. A ship crash-landed there, only the robots survived, and they built a civilization that consumed all of the planet's resources to build more robots and is now stagnating.
The American Astronaut has the Venusians which are all Southern Belles and the people from Jupiter who are all miners; the latter is justified since it's implied they are hired from all over the galaxy.
Cloud Atlas: Sonmi's time period. The hat in question? Capitalism.
The Predator: Less pronounced in the originals, since only a single member was present, but the more the franchise progressed, the more the Yautja were shaped up to be all about hunting.
Nations characterized by a single trait have been a staple of travelogue-style fiction for centuries. The academics-obsessed people of Laputa in Gulliver's Travels are a good example.
Older Than Feudalism: This happens in the ancient Greek tales of Hyperborea, Atlantis, and other allegorically intended foreign lands.
The Idirans of Iain M. Banks's Culture books are a Proud Warrior Race of Scary Dogmatic Aliens. Culture Orbitals tend to acquire hats due to the nature of the Culture as a society of absolute leisure with high population mobility. Masaq orbital is full of extreme sports (and is so dedicated to risk it's deliberately orbiting an unstable star), whilst Chiark is the destination of choice for games of skill and chance. There's also The Affront, a race of Laughably Evil sadists and the Gzilt, whose Hat is being Mildly Military with everyone being (nominally) a soldier.
The Wheel of Time: The world is comprised of hat-wearing nations and peoples. Two Rivers folk are all brave and stubborn, Cairhienin are all short and concerned with political intrigue, Arad Domani women are all seductresses, women in the various Ajahs of the Aes Sedai almost always act alike, etc. Few cultures in the series are shown to have individuals who behave contrary to their cultural stereotypes. Arguably justified with regards to the Aes Sedai; they are guided towards their appropriate Ajahs while they are still Accepted.
The Stormlight Archive exists in a world of hats to some extent. The Thaylen are merchants, the Azish are bureaucrat, the Alethi are warriors, etc. In story, this is explained as being a large part of the planet's history. When apocalyptic wars (called Desolations) against the Voidbringers were happening on a regular basis, the various nations (called Silver Kingdoms in modern times) divided duties. Alethela trained warriors, Thalath managed supply lines and trade, etc. Now it's been four thousand years since a Desolation and many of the Silver Kingdoms have shifted size or split into smaller states, but the history of their purposes plays a major role in defining their modern cultures.
Janet Kagan's Hellspark is a multiple-culture universe where each of the cultures has a single quirk — one considers feet obscene, one duels at the drop of a hat, one considers telling the truth (speaking accurately) a basic requirement, etc. It's downplayed; each character is influenced by their culture's hat, but not defined by it. There's a scene where Om im, who comes from a society with a Knife Nut hat, says as much, and points out that if he were nothing but the hat most of his colleagues would have knife holes in them by now.
Larry Niven's Known Space deals with this trope.
Pierson's Puppeteers are cowards to the point that only insane specimens are willing to deal with other species (but as their name implies, their real hat is Manipulative Bastardry.note Their name really refers to their two small heads with one eye each on long, prehensile necks, which looks like a hand-puppet show. Still, it certainly fits either way.) Kzinti are all Samurai-esque Proud Warrior Race Guys, and humans may or may not have a trait for genetic luck. Humans are also apparently obsessed with sex; in Ringworld, the puppeteer Nessus says to Louis and Teela, "No known species copulates as often as you do"note Which just goes to show that Nessus has never seen a bonobo, and The Ringworld Engineers.
The series features many species with the same ancestry as humans whose politics revolves around ritual inter-species sex. Further, at various points in the series, Niven will go into the details of how these hats are worn, via the various mechanism that produced the human traits, and the evolutionary imperatives that effect the ongoing makeup of the various species. At one point in Ringworld, a kzin sets a human off on a logical analysis of the instability of Kzinti aggression in the context of an enemy race that they can't easily beat. Whether this is a Lampshade Hanging or a justification is left as an exercise for the reader.
There are plenty of exceptions of course. The Kzinti have the least, but that's justified with them genetically engineering themselves into a 'heroic' race. They were at best bronze age technologically when taken by another species to use as troops. They rebelled and overthrew their masters, using their technology with most of them not truly understanding it. They tinkered a hell of a lot with their own genome, with one of the offshoots making their women non-sentient and playing with their sex drives and aggression. The Puppeteers don't even have sex as we understand it, reproducing with a female of a separate species that actually gestates the young until the child eats its way out...
The Outsiders are a race of intrepid proud merchants and Knowledge Brokers, and the Kdatlyno are a race of badass artists.
Justified in The Little Prince since every planet is inhabited by exactly one person.
Animorphs had the Iskoort, whose Hat was guilds — there was (in order of introduction) a Trader Guild, a Criminal Guild, a Warmaker Guild (though it quickly becomes clear the Iskoort were not cut out for combat), a Servant Guild, a Worker Guild, a Superstition and Magic Guild, a Shopper Guild, and even a "News, Gossip, and Speculation Guild." And all the Traders were the most annoying salesmen imaginable. (The others were annoying, too, but they ran into Traders the most.)
From The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Vogons are a race of Obstructive Bureaucrats. Their correspondingly shallow personalities and total lack of creativity make them the third worst poets in the universe.
In The Restaurant at the End of the Universe the idea of the "Shoe Event Horizon" is brought forth: a situation in which a society becomes economically and emotionally depresses, everyone buys shoes to cheer themselves up, more shoes are bought so more shops and less effort are dedicated to them, as the lower quality shoes break apart more shoes are bought, repeat ad infinitum. essentially turning said planet into a both literal and societal Planet of Shoes. this happens to two planets in the series: Frogstar World B and Brontitall leading to both worlds suffering economic collapse, their surfaces being covered in geological layers of shoes and the people evolving into birds.
This trope dates back to at least The Skylark of Space, the very first Space Opera. It was taken to such an extreme that the heroes would cheerfully commit genocide on species they disapproved of, rather than try to change them.
In the comedy science fiction Hoka series by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson, the Hokas' "hat" is that they are entranced by fiction. Give them a story and they will start to live it out, believing (or at least acting) as if they are in it. They have whole cities based on various periods of human history, with Ancient Rome, Victorian England, American Wild West and other places. One of them believes he is Napoleon and has an entire city of Hokas willing to follow him as leader of "France". Actually, a better way of saying it is that their hat is following tropes, as they tend to act out the trope more than reality. Luckily, they are non-violent, so they tend to just fake the wars and other violent parts.
The trope also occurs in Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle, better known as the Dorsai series. Humanity has separated in various splinter cultures who specialize in one attribute. The Dorsai focus on courage and honor. Newton, Cassdia, and Venus are hard science cultures. Ste. Marie is a colony of Catholic farmers. Freiland is known for its bureaucracy. Coby are known for its miners. The Exotics focus on philosophy. The Friendlies focus on religion. The trope is justified in the larger frame of the Cycle.
The alternate worlds or "planes" in Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin are often like this; each one features a more-or-less humanoid alien race with a special ability, psychological/biological quirk, or universal tradition — such as sharing dreams, seasonal migrations, near-constant anger, becoming silent at adulthood, and extreme devotion to apparently meaningless architectural projects.
The Belgariad series of novels by David Eddings:
Each of the nations of the West has its own hat - unusually, each is explicitly engineered by destiny. To a first approximation, based on the characters encountered: All Sendars are farmers, all Drasnians are spies, all Tolnedrans are merchants, all Chereks are Viking warriors, and all Nyssans are drug-addicted poisoners.
Most of the 'hats' are actually fantasy archetypes based on Earth cultures — the Chereks are Vikings Up to Eleven, the Algars are the Mongols likewise, the Drasnians appear to be a Renaissance Italy stereotype transplanted into a different geographical setting, the Tolnedrans are based on the Roman Empire (hence both their mercantile aspect and their obsessive road-building and disciplined legions), the Arends are medieval high chivalry myths taken to the point of self-parody, etc. The unflappable demeanour, their courtesy, and the general obsession with propriety of the Sendars seem to be more English than anything.
This is somewhat justified, as each group were hand-picked by a Physical God, who shaped them specifically to align to their ideals, and possibly more than just in terms of commandments - the various disciples of Aldur, with the exception of Beldin, and particularly Belgarath, are all noted to look a lot like their Master. It is quite possible that something similar seeped into the national character of the chosen peoples. The exception are the Sendars, who were "created" by an immortal sorceress, and are a mixture of the various peoples around them. It is perhaps telling that they are by far the most stable of the nations of the West.
The Angarak nations on the Western continent started out as pretty hatty - Nadraks are more amoral counterparts of the Drasnians, the Thulls are the bulky and not overly bright workers who might as well have a sign saying 'kick me' painted on their backs, while the Murgos are the warrior aristocracy with the attendant ego. But then, they were under the control of an insane god for millennia. Certainly, it's notable that the Malloreans, who managed to get out from under the Grolim Church and do their own thing, culturally merging with the Melcenes in the process, became equivalent to the Sendars in their ethnic mixing and social stability, and the Tolnedrans in their secularism.
Moreover, the tribes of Angarak originally were the CASTES of Angarak, and Torak mistook their differences for tribal rather than professional distinctions after being away doing god-stuff/whinging in self-pity for a couple thousand years.
Eddings recycles revisits recycles those themes in the Elenium and Tamuli novels: All Styrics are self-pitying magicians, all Atans are warriors, All Tamuli are polite to a fault, etc.
In the novel Design for Great-Day by Alan Dean Foster and Eric Frank Russel, a spiderlike species is mentioned whose hat is... hats. Nice ones.
In The Edge Chronicles, all of the Slaughterers are hunters and butchers, all of the shrykes are slave-trading warriors, and all of the trolls are lumberjacks. This even extends to occupations: the Leaguesmen are corrupt, the Sky-Scholars are evil, and the Earth-Scholars and Sky Pirates are good. However, oakelves, goblins, waifs, and (of course) fourthlings can be anything, and quarter-masters are either traitorous or fiercely loyal (sort-of hat).
In L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth, the Selachee, a race of sharks who have feet, can "live anywhere, breathe any atmosphere and eat anything," and while they did have Selachee who are engineers and other professions, their planet's exclusive profession is banking.
Several races in The Chronicles of Narnia, such as the Dufflepuds, who play Captain Obvious with such astute observations as water is powerfully wetnote Justified in that "the entire race" is one small tribe of (originally) dwarfs who were given to the wizard Coriakin to oversee in order to teach him humility, so their stupidity is presumably a design feature (Coriakin is literally a star, on enforced sabbatical for some fault that Man is not meant to know about)., and the Marsh-wiggles, an entire race of Eeyores.
In Alan Dean Foster's series The Damned, all of humanity wears the Blood Knight hat once an interstellar war lands in our laps. And it's a good thing, too, because every other species in these novels either wear the Programmed For Pacifism hat or the Reluctant Clumsy Warrior hat, and being good at killing things is our only hope to survive in the face of technological superiority. Well... that and being immune to telepathy. Humans are the only species that doesn't have a single, unified culture, because we're the only ones who're such bastards that we can't even get along with members of our own species.
Lois McMaster Bujold's Literature/Vorkosigan Saga books are made of this trope. The Beta Colony wears the "uber tolerant libertine" hat. The Jackson's Whole wears the "Wretched Hive" hat. Cetaganda wears The Empire hat. And the titular Barrayar wears the Proud Warrior Race Ruritania hat. Justified in that all planets mentioned (except Earth, which is now the only world that doesn't have one overarching government) are colonies settled by groups from Earth, probably often special-interest groups like the European religious minorities who colonised America (for example, Athos was colonised by a religious group who believe women to be the root of all evil), and some were shaped by historical forces (for example, Barrayar was cut off from communication with the rest of the universe for many centuries, and had to revert to more primitive behaviour to survive). Also, some locations are comfortable only for minority groups (for example, the Quaddies, who were created to be slave labourers working in zero-gravity conditions, narrowly escaped being massacred when the invention of artificial gravity made them redundant, and so had to found their own colony - naturally, on a zero-gravity space station rather than on a planet, although modern Quaddies generously provide some gravity-installed areas for the comfort of visitors).
Tanya Huff's Confederation of Valor series has the Taykans and the Krai whose hats are sex and food respectively.
John Varley's short story "The Barbie Murders" features a cult of humans nicknamed "The Barbies" who are obsessed with conformity. They have each been modified to look and sound identical, down to the last tiny detail. They have no names or personal identities, and each takes responsibility for the actions of all the rest. This makes finding a murderer in their midst rather trying.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
The Haruchai are a race of stoic proud warriors. The Insequent are a race who Walk the Earth in search of knowledge. The Elohim wear an Omniscient Morality License hat. All the Ramen (people from the Plains of Ra, not noodles) care about are their horses. The Stonedownors are obsessed with stone while their cousins the Woodhelvins are obsessed with trees.
And on the evil side of things, the Cavewights are all Axe-Crazy mooks, the ur-viles are enigmatic sorcerers, and the Croyel are parasites who offer faustian bargains. Ravers could also be said to have the hat of nature-hating omnicidal jerkasses, but this is justified by there being only three of them, and the fact that they work directly for the God of Evil.
Ender's Game has planets that were colonized by a single religion or country, to encourage diversity of humans among the stars.
Saga of the Exiles similarly mentions worlds being assigned to individual peoples for colonisation; there is even a reference to races with more "vigour" being given more planets.
Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium is similar for a justified reason; colonies are expensive, and require sponsors who obviously choose who populate them. America and Russia have filled the galaxy with clones of themselves, and every industrial power has at least one colony; all are meant to be examples of the superiority of their given culture. Religious and political nutcases with sufficient funds have attempted to do the same, but are often subject to the titular Amerusski Pact dumping violent criminals on them, meaning that almost every planet that isn't populated by Hats is a Crapsack World.
Walter Moers applies the principle to several cities in his Zamonia novels, most notably Bookholm (everything revolves around books) and Sledwaya (everything revolves around illness)
This is a common theme in Robert Asprin's MYTH series, with the characteristic of residents often being puns on the name of their "dimension." For example, residents of Deva (Deveels) are all aggressive merchants, while male residents of Trollia are trolls and female residents, trollops.
In the To the Stars trilogy by Harry Harrison, EarthGov has not only terraformed Single Biome Planets, they've also created a unique culture for each in order to maximise their control. For instance the agricultural planet the protagonist has been exiled to in Wheelworld is populated entirely by peasants and mechanics, ruled by a group of autocratic Familys.
In old science-fiction novel ''Star Surgeon'' by Alan E. Nourse, Humans have the hat of being doctors, to the point that Earth is called "Hospital Earth". Apparently nobody else ever really got into the whole "cut people open to make them better" thing. (At the time it was written, open heart surgery was a new, exciting thing.)
In Pandora's Planet , the Alien Invaders are dull and gullible enough compared to humans that once we start going out and proselytizing they become more convinced than the proselytizers. A whole planet briefly bans everything artificial. Mention is made of a low-gravity world colonized expressly for the purpose of horse racing.
E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, the sequel novel to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, implies that all the members of E.T.'s unnamed species are botanists, since they can all communicate telepathically with plants.
In Stephen Baxter's Manifold: Space, humans are the only species able to devote themselves entirely to an idea (i.e have faith), which becomes important at the end of the book when a coalition of aliens are trying to construct a gigantic solar sail to prevent a future galaxy sterilization event (and not the next one, either).
While many planets in Honor Harrington are interesting, multi-cultural places, others are outright Planet of Hats type places:
Montana, on which everyone acts like stereotypical cowboys, which is lampshaded by one of the Montanans when he explains that his ancestors fell in love with an ideal, regardless of whether that ideal ever actually existed. In short, their planet's Hat is a Stetson.
Grayson is a planet of stubborn traditionalists, even those who want to reform the society want to do so to make it more like Grayson and when new ideas or technology are introduced from off-world they almost inevitably improve it first to make it a Grayson advancement. Furthermore much of their mindset is infectious so even offworlders start acting Grayson in time. This is perhaps exemplified by their name for God; while most modern versions of Christianity call God things like a healer, protector, or provider, Graysons call God "The Tester", and believe that everyone faces their own personal Test.
Each of the different realms in the Shadowleague books has its own hat: Callisoria, for example, is the land where everyone blindly follows the Corrupt Church, and Ghariad is the land full of humanoid monsters who drink human blood.
Lonely Werewolf Girl has Fashion being the hat of a race of Fire-Demons.
In The Demon Princes, there's Sarkovy, the Planet of Poisoners; and Methel, the Planet of Snobs. This is partly explained by the fact that Methel is actually owned by socially elite caste, who take steps to keep others out, not least the Darsh from neighbouring Dar Sai, the Planet of Boors.
In The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz, Karres is the Planet of Witches; Uldune is a world-sized City of Spies.
Another example of this is in Stephenie Meyer's book "The Host" which features a horde of peace loving aliens which invade earth and take over the body of almost everyone who lives there. This is used (apparently) deliberately as an excuse for the aliens, who hate violence, to bodysnatch the human race, as because all of them are so similar in their views and personality, they do not understand the diversity in human morality, and assume all of us are evil.
Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series isn't too bad about this, for a fantasy story—Ancelstierre's hat is being early 20th century England, and the Old Kingdom's hat is being a fantasy country with a distinctive magic system and a serious zombie problem. Considerable variation within. And then in Abhorsen we get the Southerlings, refugees from a war in the South whose real purpose is to be killed by the Big Bad and turned into its zombie slaves. They barely say a word. They are identified by their blue hats (and scarves). Repeatedly.
Presumably Nix wanted a cultural trait to identify the doomed-people-and-zombies with, since a physical one, such as skin color, would be like marking out whatever real race(s) resembling that as Cannon Fodder and/or things to run away from. And since particular hats have frequently been the intentional markers of communities throughout history (most of Eurasia has for extended periods viewed the lack of a hat as indecent) blue headwear was a solid call.
The different colonist habitats in Slow Train To Arcturus each function as a planet of hats. Justified in that each of the habitats was purchased by a group which wished to leave Earth and selected other colonists with similar interests. The particular hats are:
Aryan Freedom: Those Wacky Nazis
New Eden: Space Amish
Matriarchy of Diana: Lady Land
U'Thanai: Proud Warrior Race Guy and Noble Savage
Icarus Cooperative: Extreme Sports Enthusiasts
The Workers Paradise: People's Republic of Tyranny
A Song of Ice and Fire features several peoples that take one particular thing, usually an important resource or terrain feature, and make it the absolute center of their culture, shoehorning it into their language's figures of speech wherever possible:
The Dothraki: horses
The Lhazarene: sheep
The Iron Islands: iron and seafaring
Targaryens): Dragons & fire
Parodied in Death and Diplomacy, in which three warring empires have been carefully manipulated to be Planet of the Sex-Obsessed Savages, Planet of the Uptight Military, and Planet of the Devious Assassins. It's specifically mentioned that none of these societies would actually work if someone wasn't pulling the strings.
In Year Zero by Rob Reid, Earth wears the hat of "being really good at making music." (Which is to say that, by our standards, everyone else in the universe is really bad at making music.)
In Robert J. Sawyer's Starplex, the Waldahud are mostly rude and mean, though not necessarily bad, as such. The Ibs are all rational and polite, and very serious about not wasting each other's time. The alien races themselves are annoyed by humanity's tendency to... overuse acronyms, these being entirely unknown to any other intelligent race.
In Paul Preuss and Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime series, the various outposts all have different cultures. Port Hesperus (a space station in orbit around Venus) is basically a mix of Tokyo and Dubai, for instance, while the Martian colony and its orbiting station are both severely Russian.
Very much subverted for the alien species of Star City, the Ba'ren. They are very much a multi-planet, multicultural species.
Invoked by humans who are ignorant and/or hate the Ba'ren.
Lampshaded in reverse by the Ba'ren. Their researchers complain that it's hard to translate Earth media because the humans do not have a common, culture-neutral language, instead comprising of many different languages and cultures.
While Vatta's War generally averted this tropes two examples were found. One world Cascadia is a world of tree loving Dogged Nice Guys, while Gretna is a world white supremacists who are also seriously against humods. Otherwise the most planets only hat is whether they are for or against implants and other modifications
Played interestingly in the New Jedi Order series with the Yuuzhan Vong who basically wear the hat of "fanatical devotion", but there's a great deal of variety in how this manifestsnote obsession with pain and death, while it a first seems like the Vong hat, is a part of their religion and therefore more a side-effect of the "fanatical devotion" hat than a hat in its own right. It mostly breaks down along caste lines (warrior caste hat: war, priest caste hat: religion, shaper caste hat: Mad Scientist, and intendant caste hat: bureaucracy), though two of the main Vong characters (Nom Anor and Nen Yim) are both rebellious spirits who break their society's mold in different ways, while neither buying in to the brutal religion that shapes most of their culturenote Nom is purely selfish and manipulates the Vong political/military structure for his own benefit; Nen is an idealistic scientist who defies law and tradition in order to better serve her people. Still, it's practically unheard of to see an apathetic Vong; they're almost all intensely devoted to something.
The Hunger Games: Each of the districts has a different primary industry, which serves as its theme. This is an Invoked Trope in the Hunger Games, since the tributes are each trope are traditionally dressed in ways that reference their theme.
Shadows of the Apt: Every race in that world is a member of a hat (though to some degree this is justified, as their totem insect affects each race on a biological level). The Mantis-kinden are all lightning-fast and skilled in battle, the Flies are all cunning, extremely small and agile, Scorpions are big, bald, strong and bad-tempered, Beetles are Made of Iron and stocky, Moths are delicate and mystical, Ants are superstrong and devoid of personality and Spiders are all beautiful seducers/seductresses with an innate taste for intrigue. This gets further generalized as the races get categorized as Apt or Inapt. If a character is Apt, then they'll be technologically adept and kinda unattractive, whereas the Apt are incapable of understanding technology more advanced than a lever, are good-looking and are magically capable.
The Discworld novels contain a number of societies that result when you take the expected stereotypes and turn them up until the knob breaks off. Notably:
Dwarves, for whom gender diversity is something that happens to other people because both sexes have long, lush beards and dress in so many layers of clothing that they default to an androgynous barrel shape, and every individual has a bone-deep instinct for mining, smithing, and trading (mechanical work and gadgetry, while often associated with dwarves in other works, is specifically noted not to be a common trait of Disc dwarves, the dwarf that the narrative is focusing on just happens to be good at it). Notably, traditional dwarves consider even identifying as female to be shameful and obscene, though this seems to be easing off in more progressive areas. In later books the more extremist dwarves acquire a new hat where they basically become the Taliban.
Lancre, where narrativium seems to be a bit stronger than elsewhere, and thus stories tend to be a law of physics. People there tend to break out in fairy tales.
Uberwald, a country of Gothic Horror where every vampire myth is true, but no two vampire families necessarily have the same combination of traits and weaknesses, and pretty much every classic horror trope (werewolves, mad science, decrepit castles on every mountaintop...) can be found if you just walk far enough.
Igors. Whether they are a family, a social group of like-minded individuals, or a species in their own right is unclear, but they all have a crazy talent at mad science and surgery of all kinds, and all serve as an assistant of some sort to a Marthter. The men tend to be hunchbacked and artfully ugly, while the females (Igoras and Igorinas) tend to be drop-dead gorgeous, to fit with the expected stereotypes of, respectively, The Igor and the Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter. It is also demonstrated in Monstrous Regiment that they can be quite gender-fluid within these parameters.
In The Divine Comedy, the seven planets medievals thought orbited the Earth, which include the Moon and the Sun, are fully inhabited by saints of similar natures. The trope is justified, as Beatrice goes out of her way to make it clear that the saints are on the same planet because they are similar, and not vice versa.
The Moon is the planet of The Oathbreakers who didn't absolutely will to break their oaths.
Mercury is the planet of were too driven by fame and honor on Earth.
Venus is the planet of those too focused on romantic pursuits.
The Sun is the planet of wise men.
Mars is the planet of the holy warriors.
Jupiter is the planet of The Good Kings.
Saturn is the planet of the contemplatives.
In the Venus and Mars series of self-help books, Men are described as Martians, who value direct communication, facts, practicality, and status. Women, meanwhile, are described as Venusians, who value art and culture, nuanced communication, relationships, feelings, and talking. Mars is described as a very utilitarian, almost military-like setting; there are no art museums, parks, gardens, magazines, or anything else viewed as "not practical or useful," (with the one exception of the giant telescope they use almost expressly for gawking at the Venusians) and everyone has a rank and wears a hat or uniform to show what his status/rank/function is. Venus, meanwhile, is a much more esoteric place, with art museums, gardens, newsstands full of magazines, beautiful homes, and no one ever seems to do any work, just sits around chit-chatting and daydreaming.
The Jan in Alien in a Small Town are all compulsively honest. They evolved from hive-dwelling prey animals, and cooperation was essential to their survival. This doesn't cripple them in dealing with other races, for several reasons: they know that others may lie to them; their hearing is so acute that they can hear your heartbeat, making them living lie detectors; they can keep secrets, as long as they don't have to actively lie to keep them; and they have a vast network of allies because everyone trusts them.
In Good Omens, Angels and Demons are respectably Always Lawful Good and Always Chaotic Evil, while humanity is capable of both. Such tropes are all deconstructed, as since humanity has the free will to be either/or good and bad, they are capable of greater virtues and viler atrocities that any angel or demon could come up with to the point where Crowley considers telling everyone in Hell that they should not even bother. Since Aziraphel and Crowley themselves have lived among humans since Adam and Eve left the garden, they have essentially gone native, Crowley begrudgingly doing nice things and Aziraphel doing bad things throughout the story as a sign that humanity had rubbed off on them.
Isaac Asimov's "Mother Earth": Earth's Pacific Project Invokes the idea that each colony planet will diverge from the baseline human characteristics. A combination of eugenics, alien chemical life, and a lack of baseline infusions means that each of the Outer Worlds will mutate in a way unique to each world. The Pacific Project expects them to outgrow their racism and xenophobia, and embrace the spectrum of humanity.
Live-Action TV
The Narn start off as the Proud Warrior Race, the Minbari as Elves, the Vorlons as Mysterious Elders, and the Centauri as the declining Roman Empire. The Narn become Warrior Poets, the Minbari lose all hats due to a civil war, and the Vorlons gain (or rather, reveal) a Law hat. The Shadows also happen to gain the Chaos hat, while the Drazi steal the Proud Warrior Race. The uniformity of the alien cultures compared to humanity is lampshaded in the episode "The Parliament of Dreams," where each of the major races puts on a display of their global religion, while Sinclair arranges dozens upon dozens of people to represent humanity's multitudes of religions (even including a nonreligious atheist). Ultimately humanity's "hat" is explicitly defined (by Delenn) as community-building — humans automatically and unthinkingly weave together disparate groups into communities. The Narns also have more than one religion, but weren't seen to put on a demonstration in "The Parliament of Dreams".
The hats come off slightly as the series goes on. Londo points out that, to be a success in Centauri society, you have to be a schemer; there are plenty who don't, it's just that their families dwindle to insignificance. Delenn points out that both the religious and warrior castes have been ignoring the worker caste since Valen founded the Grey Council, and since they are fairly isolationist, we usually only get to see those who are on government business, who tend to be religious caste (possibly this is just because Delenn is religious), the military (and hence the warrior caste, although Londo does tell Earth Gov that this is not quite the same thing), or the Rangers, who are an elite undercover military force, with the obvious hats.
The Minbari hat is tradition, whichever caste it comes from. This certainly applies to both Delenn and Lennier, though sometimes we get to see Beneath the Mask.
The Abbai's hat is a focus on "community", the Brakiri's hat is business (more corporate culture as an ideal, rather than a Star Trek Ferengi-style "profit", though of course that is their ultimate goal). The Drazi's hat is pretty much "violence" — more specifically, the idea that a brawl pretty much solves any problem. The Llort's hat is basically kleptomania. The Shadows and Vorlons of course proudly promote their hats of "chaos" and "order and obedience" respectively, and try their hardest to make the younger races wear them too.
The Twelve Colonies of Battlestar Galactica occasionally fall into this, in function if not in populace. Aerilon was the breadbasket of the colonies, and everyone from it is perceived to be some sort of hick (which is why Baltar adopted a more upper class accent-apparently they sound like Yorkshiremen). The Gemenese believe in the literal truth of scripture. Sagittarons are downtrodden, and mad about it. Taurons are stoic and traditional, and have a mafia equivalent (depending on your perspective, they're either Space Mexicans or Space People of the Mediterranean). Capricans have it made - their planet is the center of art, culture, science, and politics. There is, however, no physical look specific to the people of any planet. Hopefully, this means that Single-Biome Planet is avoided.
Caprica indicates that the title planet may have been a planet of actual hats, as well, at least 58 years before the Cylon genocide.
Doctor Who:
The Time Lords might be described as a planet of very silly hats indeed (look up images some time and try not to giggle). They tend to be portrayed as very Lawful Neutral (with frequent forays into Lawful Stupid) philosophers and scholars who one alien describes as a race of "ancient dusty senators" who were "peaceful to the point of indolence". The Doctor is very much an exception, being more of a Chaotic Good rebel and nonconformist, whom his people barely tolerate (though they sometimes need his help). There is some debate, however, on whether or not "Time Lord" is the same as "person from Gallifrey", and if this applies to the general populace of the planet or just the ruling class.
Justified in the case of both the Daleks and Cybermen, who are created races rather than natural ones. The Daleks are genetically engineered to feel no emotions but hatred and xenophobia, explaining their desire to destroy all non-Dalek life in the universe. The Cybermen have also had their emotions removed, and seek to survive by assimilating other races Borg-style. Their origins vary, however, as the classic series had them as a humanoid race that slowly lost their individuality as they replaced more and more of their bodies with technology, while the new series introduced an Alternate Universe version as the creation of one man, who intentionally removed their emotions so they could cope with the trauma of being "upgraded": they freak out and die if they remember who they are.
Along with these two are the Sontarans, a Proud Warrior Race of clones made to be the best at fighting and conquering any planet that looks at them funny. They are so into the whole warrior thing that their form of punishment is forcing the perpetrator into a job as a nurse.
In "The Doctor Dances", regarding Captain Jack Harkness, the Doctor explains to Rose that in the future, humanity's Hat becomes being more or less everywhere and having sex with more or less anything.
The Ood appear to be a race of slaves, who want to be given orders. It turns out this is due to humans taking over their Hive Mind. The Ood, once freed, turn out to still be a peaceful race.
"Partners in Crime" has a literal reference when Donna is revealing how much she was banking on the Doctor being at Adipose Industries so she could take up that companion offer of his that she'd turned down:
Donna: I packed ages ago, just in case. 'Cause I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather... it goes anywhere, I've gotta be prepared.
The Doctor: You've got a... hatbox?!
Donna: Planet of the Hats, I'm ready!
On at least two occasions, the Eleventh Doctor has, shortly after meeting some alien being, announced its species' hat, for expository purposes, apparently without caring about tact. note ("I take it from the pathological compulsion to surrender, you're from Tivoli," and "I love the Kahler. One of the most ingenious races in the galaxy, seriously. They could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss.")
"The God Complex" features Gibbis, who is apparently a member of a rather pathetic alien race whose hat is being a Dirty Coward. He mentions being abducted while planting trees along a road... so a conquering army can march in the shade.
Gibbis: All I want is to go home and be conquered and oppressed, is that too much to ask?!
The Sarah Jane Adventures introduced the Shansheeth in "Death of the Doctor". They resemble vultures, and their hat is that they're the undertakers of the universe. Sarah Jane didn't buy it at first.
Farscape had an episode on the planet Litigara where 90% of the inhabitants were lawyers and the remaining 10% servants who ran the various non law-related services.
It could be called a planet of balaclavas, since that's what the lawyers always seemed to wear. Also, the Judge wore a hat that was a mix between a sombrero and a dinner plate, and (like the uniform) the colour looked like Dolores Umbridge picked it out.
The Nebari are presently attempting to make their home planet a Planet of Hats through brutal enforcement of the law- to the point that dissenters are often simply brainwashed into perfect citizens. As a result, the only Nebari encountered in the show are either cold-hearted police officers or rebellious criminals like Chiana.
The Kanvians have a planet of mafia lords. Their government is based in the ruling of a criminal family over the others.
Other races also seem to be very monocultural or extremely specialized; the Diagnosans are a species of medics, and of course the Peacekeepers are a species of soldiers. The Peacekeepers later turn out to be just one culture amongst many; a breakaway cluster of planets are a regional power, and many unaffiliated worlds of the same race exist.
Lidsville takes the concept to its furthest extreme — a world entirely populated by actual anthropomorphic talking hats. Amusingly, despite being a planet of literal hats, it was not a planet of figurative hats.
The Neighborhood of Make-Believe segment of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood deconstructed this trope, in a child-appropriate way, with alien visitors from the Planet Purple. Everyone from this planet has purple skin and hair, they dress in identical purple clothes and speak in a monotone voice, and all the boys are named Paul and all the girls are named Pauline. They were used to illustrate how boring the world would be if everyone was the same.
In Power Rangers, planet Onyx. Its hat is the Wild West, existing largely as a place for the Evil Monster Saloon to be located.
An unusual example is Inquiris. Little is known about the planet, save that the natives, for whatever reason, cannot make declarative or exclamatory statements. Yes, a planet who's hat is literally a specific type of sentence.
Red Dwarf had Rimmerworld, a planet populated by Rimmer clones. The population idealized the core aspects of Rimmer... which happened to be cowardice, backstabbing, snottiness, arrogance, and hunger for power. Those that deviated were hunted down and executed.
The very basis of Sliders, where our protagonists would land, I mean slide, into a parallel Earth defined by a key difference with "real" Earth.
Although some episodes are more imaginative and seems to be inspired in classic horror and sci-fi movies, some of the Earths truly play this trope straight. There’s an Earth of lawyers where 90% of the population study law and even the minimal action like buying fast food would require tons of disclaiming paperwork and documentation or accidentally hitting someone slightly may result in a life-destroying sue. There was also a hippie world, a hare Krishna world and an Egyptian world (mainly based on the most basic stereotypes associated with Egypt like their alleged obsession with death, although this idea has been already discarded by modern scholars).
Used a lot in the Stargate-verse:
Stargate SG-1:
Particularly in the earlier episodes, nearly every planet the SG-1 team visits is based on a particular human culture. It's a justified or at least handwaved by saying that the people were transplanted to that planet from Earth, and their culture has just been stagnating since. There are the Middle Ages, the Norse, the Greeks, and, of course, the ancient Egyptians, among others. Justified in that most of these planets were supposedly populated by people of earth who had been taken to that planet by one of the more highly-developed species - the Goa'uld and the Asgard being the typical abductors.
The Goa'uld deliberately stagnate the culture of any people they transplant. They like to keep them primitive, because 1) primitives are more easily coerced into worship by their awesome-but-impractical weapons, and 2) primitives are absolutely no threat to them (the Goa'uld really hate it when people become advanced enough to see they aren't gods). Earth only developed to the point of being a threat because the Goa'uld lost access to the Earth Stargate and then *forgot where the planet was*. The Asgard also (somewhat) stagnated the Norse people they transplanted because a treaty they had with the Goa'uld didn't allow any protected planet (the planets the Goa'uld agreed not to touch) to develop to a point where they would be a threat to them. The Asgard were not in a position to fight the Goa'uld due to the war with the Replicators, so the transplanted humans were kept relatively primitive (though not so much as the Goa'uld transplanted ones) for their protection.
In "2001", the Aschen are described as: "They don't get excited in general, General. It's like an entire planet of accountants." Their more significant hat is planetary genocide.
The Nox, had preachy pacifism as their hat as well as literal funny hats.
The Goa'uld hat appears to be arrogance and sense of superiority, something that is present even in the Tok'ra, non-malevolent Goa'uld.
The Jaffa are a Proud Warrior Race as a result of their entire species being enslaved to serve as the Goa'uld military.
The Asgard hat is clearly science and scholarship as we never meet an Asgard who does any kind of physical labor. This is also justified as thousands of years of cloning have weakened their bodies to the point that an excited hug can hurt them.
Earth also has its own hat: Genre Savvy. SG-1 is the most Genre Savvy of them all, but most other minor characters show at least some signs of this trait. We Tau'ri have a technological hat, too — instead of basing more advanced tech off more exotic principles, we use fundamentally basic equipment in increasingly refined ways. This is particularly noted in our really spectacular projectile weapons.
In Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are a race consisting solely of warriors who live to eat. In the last season, Todd the Wraith mentions that feeding on humans is the driving force in their society with little beyond that. We did finally get a small glimpse of Wraith society in Season 5's "The Queen". Judging from that episode, the entire society is divided into Queens, who seem to spend their time intimidating one another, their male Advisors/Viziers, who seem to specialize in Magnificent Bastardry, and the possibly asexual Drones, whose duties apparently involve patrolling ships and standing guard (not unlike actual Soldier Drones in Bee colonies). All of them are in thrall to a prime Queen (called The Primary in this particular segment shown, but this may not be the case with every Wraith alliance). Exactly where the various Male Wraiths who serve as scientists and field commanders (who are also uniformly errhm, uniformed in leather) fit into this mix is never really shown.
An episode of X Minus One featured a reptilian alien coming to a mining planet for one of their workers (basically a milder version of a Furian). The reptile alien's hat is that they Cannot Tell a Lie (although they don't have to say the whole truth either) while the "Furian's" hat is being Hot-Blooded. Lampshaded by the "Furian": "You know how they say we're all good at bar fights?"
Dungeons & Dragons:
In the earliest edition of D&D, Elves and Dwarves were classes. Which means that all Elves and all Dwarves had the same level progression, learned the same kills and abilities.
4th Edition D&D splits the old traits of the elf race into two new races called "elves" and "eladrin". Because, you know, you can't have a single species wearing the intellectual hat and the close-to-nature hat at the same time.
Humanity's hat in 4th edition is being driven, ambitious, The Determinator, and being able to learn things faster than other races because of their shorter lifespans.
It's also heavily implied that humans are the only species in the setting other than dragons that can mate with any other species and produce viable offspring. Our hat is that we Really Get Around.
The Drow or Dark Elf hat is treachery, with the exception of Drizzzt and all his imitators.
Beholders are almost all narcissistic xenophobes.
Neogi are completely obsessed with slavery.
Giff (not to be confused with Gith) are an entire species of militaristic mercenaries, with a British flavor.
The Stellar Nations of Star*Drive all have their own hats.
GURPS:
In GURPS Fantasy 2: The Madlands, there is the region of Savringia. Thousands of years previously, two godlike entities decides to have a contest to see which one could create the most unlikely society. So they reduced themselves to energy and used that to create City-states of Hats. Currently there are about 30 but this is subject to change. There are the more ordinary Cities of Merchants, Tradesmen, and Priests, but there are also esoteric ones like Cities of Judges, Spiders, Grays, Silence, and the Fickle.
From the same publisher comes GURPS Aliens and GURPS Fantasy Folk, which also fall under this trope.
Since the expansion of Magic: The Gathering's focus to outside of Dominaria, most planes seem to follow this sort of pattern. For instance, Kamigawa resembles Feudal Japan in culture and aesthetics, Mirrodin is made almost entirely from metal, Innistrad is an darker version of Uber Wald, and Zendikar is an adventurer's paradise with constantly-shifting landscapes and an endless number of unexplored ruins.
While the planet Cray in Cardfight!! Vanguard is diverse as a whole, its nations and clans tend to have hats.
Magallanica is the sea nation.
Zoo is the animals-plants-insects/nature nation.
Star Gate is the space-themed nation.
Dark Zone is the dark-themed nation.
Dragon Empire is what it sounds like.
Averted with United Sanctuary, which has 3 kinds of knights, 2 corporations and a nursing organisation.
Clans:
Royal Paladins and Gold Paladins are heroic knights.
Shadow Paladins are dark knights and later antiheroes.
Angel Feather consists of angels in nurse outfits.
Kagero are fire dragons.
Narukami are thunder dragons.
Tachikaze are prehistoric-themed.
Nubatama and Murakum are ninjas.
Nova Grapplers are prizefighters.
Dimension Police are mecha and superheroes.
Link Joker are alien invaders.
Great Nature is an uplifted animal university.
Megacolony is the insect mafia.
Neo Nectar are plant/farming-themed.
Aqua Force are a well-intentioned extremist navy.
Bemuda Triangle is composed of mermaid pop stars.
Granblue is composed of zombie pirates.
Spike Brothers is a violent American Football team.
Pale Moon is a circus as a front for assassins.
Dark Irregulars are movie-monster-themed.
Many worlds in Warhammer 40,000 are characterised by this — everyone from Cadia is a soldier, everyone from Krieg (German for "war") is an exceptionally grim and dour soldier in a longcoat, everyone from Catachan is Rambo. To be fair, they come from a planet sitting at the gates to a Negative Space Wedgie from hell, a (self-made) radioactive wasteland, and a Jungle Death World full of carnivorous plants and even worse animals respectively. The hats are likely survival mechanisms. For Imperial hats, the Imperium is a basically a portmanteau of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church, the Third Reich and the U.S.S.R all turned Up to Eleven, so everyone being the same is not so incredible.
Everyone from Ulthwe is a Psyker and a Chessmaster.
Everyone from Saim-Hann is an arrogant and aggressive Barbarian on a jetbike.
Everyone from Alaitoc is a hooded loner with a sniper rifle.
Everyone from Biel-Tan is a disciplined and merciless Proud Warrior Race Guy.
Everyone from Iyanden is a Wraithguard/Wraithlord.
Every White Scar is a futuristic Mongol on a bike.
Every Blood Angel is a cultured space vampire berserker.
Every Blood Raven is a Kleptomaniac.
Every Ultramarine is a vaguely Greco-Roman Jack-of-All-Stats who follows the Codex Astartes fanatically.
Every Imperial Fist enjoys their own pain and is an expert siege engineer.
Every Salamander is a Scary Black Man, secretly Gentle Giant, with a flamethrower.
Every Raven Guard is a Combat Pragmatist with a jetpack.
Every Space Wolf is a Boisterous Bruiser With A Soft Centre Horny Viking with a fondness for wolves.
Every Dark Angel is The Atoner and sworn to secrecy about their chapter, apart from the ones who they're sworn to secrecy about, who they spend an enormous amount of time and resources hunting down...
Every Grey Knight is Incorruptible Pure Pureness incarnate, psychic, and a religious fanatic whose faith is their chief weapon; and a daemon hunter.
Every Black Templar is, as the name suggests, a religious crusader.
Every Iron Hand is a cyborg Determinator.
Every World Eater is an incarnation of Ax-Crazy, and/or a Blood Knight.
Every Emperor's Child is horror with a killer guitar (apart from Fabius Bile, who is a Mad Scientist).
Every Death Guard is an implacable bag of walking filth.
Every sentient Thousand Son is a mad wizard in power armor. The others are all ghosts trapped in Space Marine armor.
Every Iron Warrior is a master siege engineer.
Every Night Lord is a psychotic serial killer akin to a Chaotic Evil Batman.
Every Alpha Legionnaire is an Ambiguously Evil Magnificent Bastard. They are also all Alpharius.
Every Word Bearer is an insane and unrelenting dark priest.
Every Black Legionnaire is out for revenge for the death of Horus.
For Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines, this is largely justified due to the fact that they all share genetic material with the primarch of their chapter - essentially, they have all been deliberately modified to be the same. Plus, most Space Marine chapters are only just north of 1000 members (10 companies of 100, plus command) who are taught similar fighting styles and recruit from one planet (or a handful of similar ones). Anyone who was not, in fact, wearing their hat would probably be questioned as a traitor. Chaos Marines tend to be much more individualistic, but come from the same parentage-of-the-legion situation, as well as many worshipping the Chaos God that closest matches with their... idiom. All berserker warriors who favor close combat and are trained and given access to chain-axes would seem similar enough, but make them more likely to all enjoy martial prowess and chopping off heads? That may as well be a hat breeding program...
Every Bad Moon is decked out with flash. And their teef fall out and grow fast.
Every Blood Axe is a sneaky git who likes mimicking the Imperial Guard.
Every Death Skull is a looter.
Every Evil Sun is a speed-freak.
Every Goff is grim and dour and thinks melee combat is Serious Business.
Every Snakebite is a tribal who is Made of Iron.
Tau (technically not a hat for the whole culture, but every caste has a specific purpose, and you're born into your caste, with crossbreeding between castes illegal. To be fair, the ethereals are breeding the perfect warriors, builders, diplomats etc... and even though they've only had a few thousands years, they may even technically be different species by now.)
Every Ethereal is a ruler of some sort.
Every member of the Fire caste is a warrior.
Every member of the Earth caste is a builder/scientist/engineer.
Every member of the Water caste is a bureaucrat/diplomat/politician.
Every member of the Air caste is a pilot/navigator/starship crewmember.
Some of the Tau sept-worlds have specific headgear, too. Everyone from N'dras is brooding, everyone from Ke'l'shan refuses to give up, everyone from Fal'shia is a problem solver and the list goes on and on.
The Imperial Guard
Everyone from Cadia is immensely proud and are vaguely like the Canadian army or the Mobile Infantry.
Everyone from Krieg is a Death Seeking World War I-era stormtrooper with a Badass Longcoat.
Everyone from Praetoria is a British redcoat, or more specifically, a Zulu extra.
Everyone from Catachan is a tough-as-nails jungle survivalist, and looks an awful lot like Rambo.
Everyone from Valhalla is a Soviet conscript (except those in the 597th, who are closer to modern soldiers).
Everyone from Tallarn is a pious desert warrior who specializes in guerilla warfare. Bedouins, not, well...
Everyone from Atilla is a Space Hun, complete with love of horses (sometimes mechanical).
Everyone from Elysia is an American-ish paratrooper.
Everyone from Mordia is a Napoleonic-era Prussian soldier with Nerves of Steel.
Everyone from Vostroya is a Ukrainian Cossack.
Everyone from Salvar is a Kleptomaniac who dresses like a Mad Max mook.
Warhammer In the now-defunct Old World, there weren't have Chapters, Legions or Craftworlds for obvious reasons, but they still had geographical boundaries or other distinctions that can dictate the headgear of the resident:
All Marienbugers was foppish, arrogant but irritatingly skilled dandies.
Everyone from Nuln was an engineer reeking of blackpowder.
All Reiklanders were skilled marksmen and consummate professional soldiers.
All Middenlander were hairy barbarians with a liking for blunt weapons.
Hochlanders were accomplished hunters and crack shots with hunting rifles and longbows.
Skaven - originally there were four five defined major clans: Skryre, the crazy techo-magical inventors; Moulder, the insane fleshcrafting breeders of monsters; Eshin, the cloaked espionage and assassination division; Pestilens, the gibbering worshipers of plague and decay; Mors, the now extremely powerful martial clan. A recent book on heraldry introduced scores of minor clans, each their their own (slightly smaller) hat. Sadly, with their abrupt fluff-shift in their new incarnation, much of this has been smoothed over and they now wear another hat of Chaos, overlapping strongly with one of the existing factions (in fact, the one their god was originally a servant of).
Vampire Counts - Before their rework in the 6th-7th edition, each Vampire Count was from one of several bloodlines: Von Carstein (classic Dracula-style vampires, although recently have been modeled to be a lot more bestial), Lahmians (pseudo-Egyptian female vampires. With cats), Blood Dragons (honour-bound martial powerhouses who exist only for combat and proving themselves), Strigoi (horribly deformed ghouls with no link to their humanity at all) and Necrarchs (Nosferatu-like intellectuals who are wizened but terrifyingly powerful when it comes to magic). There were abilities and artifacts that kept these ideas pure for old players, but the terms were put to rest.
Bretonnians are a curious juxtaposition of the lofty ideals of the King Arthur mythos (Knight in Shining Armor, questing for the Grail, fighting monsters) and The Dung Ages (peasants are downtrodden and considered as a sentient animal at best and are used in battles as cannon fodder, the knights themselves tend to be painfully sheltered and their survival in an age of gunpowder is largely due to the protection of the Wood Elves manipulating them as a buffer and a huge mountain range between Bretonnia and the Empire). Oh, and they're also French, with all that implies.
Shadowrun 3rd edition features a section with members of each of the Five Races giving you a brief introduction to their race. Most of them start by acknowledging their race's hat, then going on to tear it apart as racist bullcrap. Except the dwarf, since their hat is being short.
Dwarves also have a hat of being technical wizkids. The dwarf explaining this has trouble working out how to fix a toaster.
Shadowrun does a good job of deconstructing the hats/stereotypes for each race. For instance, the dwarf states that a lot of dwarves live underground because basement apartments are cheaper and they don't mind the low ceilings. Amusingly enough, the human points out how he's different from the other races by mentioning the other races' hats and stating how Humans don't have any of those.
Traveller is a little more complex about this. Humans overall are as complex as, well, humans, though individual worlds often have a hat. The Aslan's hat is Proud Warrior Race, though arguably that quality is detailed well enough to take the hattiness away. The K'kree are Vegetarian Jihadists (yes, really). The Zhodani's hat is Psionics.
Nearly every race and culture in Talislanta wears a hat to some degree or another: Sarista are Lovable Rogues, Danuvians are Action Girls and Non Action Guys, Muses are Cloudcuckoolanders, Yassan are Gadgeteer Geniuses, Jaka are hunters, and so on. The Gao are a notable exception...but that's because Gao-Din is less a culture proper than a mixed bag.
A vast majority of the various D-Bees in Rifts fall neatly into this trope. The Simvan are all nomadic warriors with a psychic connection to animals, the Larmac are all lazy, the Naruni are all shrewd businessmen, etc. Occasionally exceptions to this trope will be made in the case of individual NPCs, but the description almost always includes the statement "Unlike most members of X's race..."
Space Munchkin The RPG had the Bumpy Foreheaded Alien race, which is actually a category for all races of this type in scifi. You chose (or randomly rolled) your one distinguishing racial feature, the concept that your culture is entirely devoted to and the concept from human culture your culture cannot understand ("We have no word for this thing you call 'modesty'")
Each Splat in the Old World of Darkness represents a Hat.
Vampire: The Masquerade as an example, most players choose their clan/Hat from the Brujah (rebellion), Gangrel (wilderness), Malkavian (insanity), Nosferatu (secrecy), Toreador (art), Tremere (magic), or Ventrue (wealth). Being Hatless here brands you a Caitiff, giving you the outcast Hat. For all that the Clans are stated to be diverse (and some atypical examples are given as character templates in the splatbooks) canon characters are almost always at most slight variations on a Hat.
Mage: the Ascension had its splats organized around their primary sphere, influencing their worldview: Celestial Chorus (clergy and worshippers), Dreamspeakers (shaman-types), Akashic Brotherhood (Eastern monks and martial artists), Cult of Ecstasy (musicians, hedonists, and hippies), Sons of Ether (inventors), Verbena (witches, wiccans, and naturalists), Order of Hermes (alchemists and western-medieval mages), Virtual Adepts (netrunners, hackers, and script kiddies), and Euthanatoi (nihilists, assassins, and brooders)
Werewolves had their tribes: Black Furies (greek man-haters), Bone Gnawers (homeless crazies living under bridges), Children of Gaia (eco-warriors), Fianna (Irish hero wannabes), Get of Fenris (Viking savages), Glass Walkers (modern, tech-lovers), Red Talons (human hating feral wolves), Shadow Lords (sneaky ninja types), Silent Striders (mystics), Silver Fangs (nobility-loving plotters and schemers), Uktena (dark magic lovers), Wendigo (traditionalists), and Black Spiral Dancers (corrupted bad guys... or maybe heroes playing a deep cover long game?).
Exalted: Every group wears a hat. every group has five subgroups, which each wear a hat.
Solar Exalts wear the hat of the superheroes. Dawncaste = warriors, Zenith Caste = Priests and performers, Twilight Caste = inventors and scholars, Night Caste = ninja assassins, and Eclipse Caste = diplomats
Lunar Exalts wear the hat of the Protectors and of the feral monsters. Two of their types were destroyed, meaning they are one of the few types that does not have five subgroups. They have Full Moon (warriors), No Moon (mystics), and Changing Moon (rogues) castes.
Abyssals Exalted and Infernal Exalted, both corrupted Solars, wear the hat of the Rebels and destroyers. Their castes are reflections of the Solar castes — for instance, a Daybreak (corrupted twilight) might be a necrosurgeon or demon-summoner, whereas their Infernal versions, Defilers, are all about seeking how to tear down the existing reality and create their own, better version.
Sidereal Exalted wear the hat of the master manipulators. Their types are based on their patron planet/Maiden, and are pretty clear based on what that god is a patron of: Voyages (travelers, loners, and explorers), Serenity (lovers, hedonists, and pleasure-seekers), War (duh), Secrets (spies and info-gatherers), and Endings (assassins)
Dragon-Blooded Exalts wear the hat of the Samurai-style nobility. The Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Wood castes are fairly standard elemental interpretations. The Noble Houses that are led by an elemental individual also tend to take on stereotypical traits.
Amongst everyone else, you can expect a Dragon-King to be either kung-fu master seeking to rebuild his or her near-extinct race, or a mindless brute who kill anyone who gets into their territory. And a Jadeborn is either a Worker, Warrior, or an Artisan, as Autochthon willed them.
Stars Without Number: alien races usually have Lenses, essentially a way of randomly rolling for Hats. You might have a culture with, say, Curiosity and Wrath, or Collectivism and Fear, or Sagacity and Pride, as the defining cultural traits.
Generally in Rocket Age all Venusians are warrior poets, all Ganymedians are noble savages and all Europans (aside from the Emissary Corps) are arrogant and superior. However, this becomes subverted the more is learnt about every planet and it's peoples.
The Mutants & Masterminds book Worlds of Freedom says: "Most worlds have one philosophy, racial makeup, language, and extraordinary ability common to all planetary natives, but Earth is rich in contrasting cultural traditions."
The various alien races from Star Control come from different varieties of Planet of Hats. The Spathi are cowardly to the point of paranoia, the Pkunk are hippy-dippy psychics, the Umgah are psychotic practical jokers, the Druuge are slavers, and there are multiple species of Scary Dogmatic Aliens (Ilwrath, Mycon, Ur-Quan Kzer-Za and Kohr-Ah) and Proud Warrior Race Guys (the Thraddash, the Shofixti, and the Yehat).
Subverted in a couple of cases with examples of My Species Doth Protest Too Much; the Vux all find humans utterly disgusting, but Admiral Zex really really likes them, to an uncomfortable degree. We are also told of a group of Spathi who are completely fearless and travel the galaxy performing daring acts. And the Zoq Fot Pik are actually three different races, whose combined hats appear to be bickering, not remembering which of them is which, and Frungy.
The Fan Discontinuity sequel Star Control 3 takes this to strange extremes, with many aliens having unbelievably specific Hats. The Owa, for instance, practice chivalry and know about antimatter science, and you never learn anything else about them.
The world in Pokémon seems to be a Planet of Hats as well — much of culture and society revolves around Pokémon, from the economy (shops and huge department stores which sell only Pokémon-related goods) to the government. And since every town is surrounded by tall grass, it's technically impossible to even leave town without a Pokémon of your own.
That said, with the right tools...
In the games, all Pokémon have serving humans as a hat. It's possible to have a disobedient Pokémon, but there is always a way to overcome this problem and get them to submit to you. Truly untrainable Pokémon only appear in the anime and tend to be legendaries. Individual species have additional hats, such as Gardevoir's loyalty, and Slaking's laziness (the latter even became a game mechanic). The anime established early on all Pokémon are Always Good and only do evil if they have an evil trainer, but this was eventually retconed away many years later with Pokémon serving as antagonists.
Throughout the entire series, this trope is played to varying levels of straight, aversion and subversion. It is made very clear from the start that while each alien race does have its own unique, defining aspects, there are outliers to every species.
Lampshaded in Mass Effect. Kaidan comments that Warrior Poet Wrex isn't exactly what he was expecting from a krogan, to which Wrex dryly replies, "Because humans are all different, but every krogan is exactly alike." Kaidan hastily shuts up.
Wrex has a response for Garrus when he confronts Wrex with the same observation: 'I suppose it was easier to unleash a genocide virus on the krogan when you thought we were all mindless monsters, turian.' Of course, Garrus was just a detective in C-Sec before signing on with Shepard, so insinuating that he's at all responsible for the genophage (because he's a turian, and turians wronged krogans, so obviously...) is a mite hypocritical of Wrex. Or precisely his point.
According to aliens, humanity's hat is that they're a bit of a loose cannon. Also, we seem to be evolving towards a monoculture with minimal racial differences due to globalization - we just haven't gotten quite as far as the other races, yet. The Batarians also see humans as the Jerkass (and vice versa), mostly due to competition over colonizing the same region of space.
As the story progresses, it is slowly becoming revealed that Humanity's "hat" is The Determinator. They use their ingenuity to adapt to meet whatever kind of challenge is thrown at them. Use a binding treaty to restrict the number of Dreadnoughts (essentially a ship built around a BFG) that they can utilize? They invent a new class of ship that is not bound by this restriction, yet can stand toe to toe against such ships (a reference to the US's circumventing the Washington Naval Treaty limiting the construction of battleships by developing aircraft carriers instead). Reaper invasion looming on the horizon? Humans were the only race that even thought of the idea of destroying a Mass Relay (pretty much everyone else basically assumed it would be impossible). The Illusive Man resurrected Shepard primarily because Shepard was "more than just a soldier". Shepard had become the best traits of humanity distilled into one person; whether Shepard was more on the Jerkass side of things or not, Shepard definitely embodies The Determinator, and thus was worth the extreme financial and technological investment to preserve.
One of the defining traits of the quarians is having a hard time shaking their hats: being basically space gypsies with a criminal streak. Unfortunately for most well-meaning members of the species, two populations tend to make it stick: quarian criminals (who seem disproportionately common to other races because they get exiled from the flotilla) and over-zealous pilgrims (who don't care where they get useful technology from, so long as they can get done and get back home).
There's a lot of subversion of this trope in the franchise too. One of the main features of Mass Effect was that although each race has a hat, the hats also tend to come off a lot. Turians are presented as militaristic and disciplined, yet you encounter drunken turian soldiers, scientists, janitors and shopkeepers (one of whom is part of a Running Gag involving a human trying to return a purchase to his store.) Asari are presented as mediators and negotiators, yet we encounter asari commandos, strippers, pirates, slavers, and Machiavellian diplomats trying to manipulate Shepard to their own ends. Salarians are presented as spies and scientists, but we encounter salarian corporate officers, shopkeepers, mercenaries, and a group of impressively disciplined commandos. Krogans are supposed to be largely brainless brutes who dream of fighting in a massive horde yet we've encountered a mad scientist, a researcher note Amusingly, he actually wore the krogan hat proudly. Apparently he had to kill the previous head researcher to gain the position, a mechanic, and a love-stricken poet.
Some individuals will actually subvert their race's hat to their own ends. One Krogan businessman on Illium was extremely polite and well-spoken, but used his status as a Krogan for pure intimidation factor, an important asset on a world such as Illium. A "series of polite calls", indeed. Dr Mordin Solus in the second game explains to Shepard that because most people assume Salarians are physically weak scientist types as opposed to Turians and Krogans who are specifically known for their military prowess, his enemies never see him coming. It doesn't hurt that he's ex-Special Tasks Group.
Not to mention the Elcor, whose hat is that they speak in monotone but communicate using a lot of very subtle body language that most others can't interpret (or see). As such, their Translator Microbes account for this, establishing their tone ahead of time. Eventually you run into an elcor who has found a way around this:
Asari: Wait. Did you hack your translator so you could control your kinetic language processing?
Elcor: With a sincerity such that skepticism would be deeply insulting: no.
Mass Effect 2 suggests humanity's hat is more likely to be discarded than other species. Mordin observes that most species tend to fit certain expectations—similar intelligence, biotic ability, behavior, what have you. While there are outliers in all species (geniuses and morons) humans tend to have more outliers than not.
Humans are seen as violent upstarts - some backstory material mentions that, although each race had internal wars, what the humans did to each other was regarded as especially hideous (even when compared to the Krogan). Also, humans are rapacious colonists and breeders.
The most common view is that if humans have a hat, it's hyper-ambition and pragmatism. We're also master of diplomacy, as in actual diplomacy: we're very good at manipulating others and lying through our teeth. After all, we became a Council race within a few years of getting FTL technology when other races have been trying for centuries to get a Council seat, and depending on actions you take in the first game, we can kill the rest of the Council off and leave humanity unopposed. Whether our hat is presented as a good thing or bad thing depends on whether the player goes Paragon (takes a sympathetic and idealistic view of aliens but generally holds that Humans Are Leaders) or Renegade (takes a rather ruthless "humans come first" approach).
The games even subvert this for species with only one representative. The second game's DLC introduces the yahg, who Liara classifies as a primitive race of hulking brutes who are limited to their home world because they slaughtered the First Contact team sent to establish terms with them. The yahg we meet is the freaking Shadow Broker.
Sten, from Dragon Age: Origins has this to say, which can actually sum up what BioWare thinks of this trope.
Warden: "Tell me about the qunari."
Sten: "No."
Warden: "Well, that wasn't what I expected to hear."
Sten: "Get used to disappointment. People are not simple. They cannot be defined for easy reference in the manner of: 'the elves are a lithe, pointy-eared people who excel at poverty.'"
Iron Bull from Dragon Age: Inquisition is a lot more forthcoming about his culture, but still takes a shot at this trope:
Iron Bull: ""Tell me about the Qun," is like saying "Tell me about economics." Most Qunari know just enough to get by. It's like blind dwarves trying to figure out a dragon by touch. Only the priests really have the whole picture, and they spend their whole lives figuring that crap out."
Meteos, despite being a puzzle game, has a good number of these. There's a planet for robots, insomniacs, stubborn miners, shapeshifters, timid jumpers, gangsters, telepaths, bees, ninjas, and ascended psychics each.
The computer game Spaceward Ho! gets honorable mention. It's a light turn-based strategy affair and doesn't have culture, but planet ownership is indicated by hats. A variety of cowboy hats worn by the actual planets. (Santa hats if the game is played on December 25th.)
In Spore, when your race reaches the Space phase, they are assigned a hat based on their actions up until that point, which usually falls into the standard sci-fi racial norms. There's Shaman, Trader, Warrior, Diplomat, Zealot, Scientist, Ecologist, Bard, Knight and Wanderer.
This actually makes a bit of sense: until space-travel, members of a race would have to fill all the economic niches necessary for survival; once there's easy star-travel, specialisation would be possible. See: finding a cheap toy made in the U.S., post-{globalism and Chinese capitalism}.
Earth has become this in Mega Man Star Force, with the hat being The Power of Friendship. People even get significant discounts and increased political rights as they become popular.
In Startopia, the alien races are each suited to one specific task — OK, two related tasks for the blue-collar Salthogs. Karmarama are purple four-armed hippies, that plant seeds. Turraken are two-headed nerds, that are all scientists. Sirens are sexy winged humanoids, and the only aliens in the game with obvious gender dimorphism, and they "love" others. And so on. The most specialised are the Grekka Targ, who are solely employed to run your communications gear.
The Greys are all experts in xenobiology after experimenting on all known races, so they run the sickbays. The Kasvagorians are all Proud Warrior Race Guys, making them useful only as security guards. The Zedem Monks are, well, a race of monks, whose hands have evolved to naturally be in the prayer gesture. The Polvakian Gem Slugs are all hedonistic aristocrats and an obvious parody of the Hutts.
In Chronomaster, you play a retired designer of Planets of Hats. The mini-universes you end up visiting include a hypermilitant world, a space casino, and a Cloudcuckooland. To top it off, one world that you never even see is implied to be pop Jung-themed, and solving an optional puzzle requires you to warn somebody who's going there of the inevitable Evil Twin threat.
The world of Loom is divided into xenophobic guilds, each with a specific craft, e.g. Weavers, Glassmakers, etc. Each guild's citizens seem to all bear the characteristics of their guild. For instance, the glassmakers value traits such as clarity and beauty, and have names like Luscent Bottleblower. Somewhat justified in that the thing that defines them is what their community was formed on in the first place.
Gilneas in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, even before worgen curse, seems to be a literal Nation of Hats. As far as you can see, everyone in the starting zone wears some kind of hat. And not just any hats, but nice hats!
Warcraft 2 had several examples of this trope among the human nations and orcish clans. Dalaran was all mages, Kul'Tiras was all sailors, Stromgarde was all warriors, Alterac was all snobs. The Twilight's Hammer was all end of the world cultists, the Stormreavers were all warlocks, Laughing Skull were all backstabbing traitors, Warsong could all do earsplitting battlecries, Bonechewers were all cannibals. In World of Warcraft, dwarves continue to fit this loosely. Ironforge dwarves are mostly smiths and disciplined warriors, Wildhammers are nature loving barbarians, and Dark Irons are all sneaky spies, thieves, assassins, and pyromaniacs.
Cataclysm has provided many races a chance to get new hats. Night elves can now be magi, something that was long forbidden in their culture. Dwarves can now be shamans, providing stark contrast to their otherwise industrial nature (at least of the Bronzebeard variety). Orcs are seriously divided over whether or not Garrosh Hellscream is a good leader—even though the should fully embrace a blood-and-thunder warrior. There is still a tremendous amount of hat wearing though, and while not all races have true hats, they have collective niches, which both the Horde and the Alliance forming parts of Six Race gang.
This was a major complaint in Ross's Game Dungeon's review of Deus Ex: Human Revolution: Humanity's hat in 2032 is cybernetic augmentation. There is very little casual dialogue or worldbuilding not devoted to augmentations, the impact of which was supposedly able to revive Detroit and construct a Chinese Layered Metropolis from scratch within... a couple decades from now. This is in contrast to the original Deus Ex, which explored a multitude of themes from terrorism to transhumanism, and was also much more grounded in reality compared to Human Revolution despite taking place twenty years later (i.e. cities still look pretty much the same as they do in the present, while Human Revolution is getting close to Crystal Spires and Togas territory).
In Bangai-O, the heroes hail from Dan Star, a planet populated with hot-blooded men. Since the game focuses entirely on shoot-em up action (and little elaboration on the setting), one can only imagine what it must be like there.
Despite what their name might suggest, the Space Pirates of Metroid aren't simply a gang of outlaws in space and are actually a distinct alien species that has piracy and galactic domination as its hats. There's also the Krikens of Metroid Prime: Hunters, who exist to raze other worlds to the ground.
In the Halo:
Human colonies tend to take after one or two particular cultures; Harvest had a mix of American Midwest and Scandinavian, Reach's original Hungarian settlers still had a major impact on on the planet's culture, the Rubble's population seems to be largely Hispanic, etc.
Done on purpose by the Covenant. The Prophets set up their society so that none of the various races could get by on their own (Elites are warriors, Grunts are laborers, etc.). One Elite spends the whole of Halo: Glasslands searching ancient texts to rediscover things like agriculture, to keep the Elite homeworld from total collapse.
The X-Universe is really bad about this, due in large part to the games' near lack of plot and characterization (though that's not necessarily bad). Every faction has a hat that fits every character of that race. The Terrans are high-tech xenophobes, the Split are a Proud Warrior Race, the Teladi are Proud Merchant Lizard Folk, the Boron are peace-loving Squid People, etc.
This was the objective of the Smithy Gang in Super Mario RPG: To turn the Mushroom Kingdom into a world filled with... WEAPONS!
You also visit a couple Towns of Hats. Moleville is full of anthropomorphic moles who are all miners, Yo'ster Island has its entire populace (of Yoshis) obsessed with racing, Monstro Town is populated almost exclusively by monsters who have gone straight. But the weirdest has to be Marrymore, a town that is all about weddings. The only places of note in the entire town are a wedding chapel, and a fancy hotel for the honeymoon.
Several of the alien races in Ratchet & Clank come with their own hats. The most notable of these are the Lombaxes, a race of badass gearheads who can barely sit next to a piece of machinery or weaponry for five minutes without trying to modify it in some way.
Justified with the Amarcians in Tales of Graces. All of them seem to be scientists or engineers of some kind. We later find out that the Amarcians aren't actually a race, the word is just what the Fodrans called engineers. They're basically what happens when everyone from one job sector gets stranded on another planet so long they form their own culture. Most present-day Amarcians aren't aware of this though.
The United Powers League of StarCraft took some very drastic measures to turn Earth into one in order to remove all the differences that lead to wars and other conflicts. They made English the official language of the world, banned all the old religions in favor of a philosophy of the "divinity of mankind", and made cybernetics and genetic engineering illegal, among other things. Those who did not conform to these new standards were forcibly rounded up and executed, leading to a death toll of 400,000,000. Doran Routhe had 40,000 of these dissidents selected to be put into cryogenic sleep and sent off to colonize other worlds, leading the Terrans to populate the Koprulu Sector that serves as the main setting of the games.
In FTL: Faster Than Light, the races are all defined by certain traits. The Engi have Machine Empathy, but are awkward in combat, instead relying on attack and defense drones. The Mantis are the opposite, being a Proud Warrior Race, but also are often violent and vicious. Rockmen are stoic and have a bit of The Fundamentalist in them, as well as being extremely wary of other races. Zoltan are Lawful Neutral (sometimes Lawful Stupid) Energy Beings. Slugs are greedy merchants with psychic powers that allow them to see through the thick nebulae where they live. And Humans...well, Humans Are Average.
Some planets in Doki-Doki Universe are defined by a single characteristic. For example, there is a planet where everyone likes gross things and a planet where animals keep humans as pets, among others.
League of Legends yordles. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this species is that they're relatively kind-hearted and friendly towards everyone. Although this is a justified trope, since social isolation has caused many yordles to go insane or even become evil (as evident with Veigar).
Starbound: Each race as at least two components to their hats; Florans have the savage and plant-life hat, Humans currently are a race without a home planet, Glitch are stuck in the past due to an issue with programming (hence their name), Apex are ape-men who seem to follow the government strongly, Hylotl are fish people who are the most peaceful of the races, to the point of getting mockery from time to time, Avians are a strongly religious race with a heavy May Inca Tec aesthetic, and Novakids are Space Westerners with bodies composed of energy.
ToeJam & Earl come from Funkotron, a planet whose hat, shockingly enough, is funk and rap culture.
The early alternate-universe missions in City of Heroes cross this with Underground Monkeys through the re-use of enemy models. You've got the alternate Earth of werewolves, the one where the Corrupt Corporate Executive's project went horribly right, producing a Hive Mind that took over, the one where the psychic-powered clockwork robots took over, etc. They're generally referred to in-game as "enemy group Earth".
The fal'Cie of Final Fantasy XIII. There are over a million of them on Cocoon alone, and they are all Jerkass Gods who consider humanity to be essentially livestock. 100% of the fal'Cie are in on the plan to force the Creator to return by killing all of Cocoon's humans, which they figure will get his attention. Even the one whose job is to open the pod bay doors.
In Gems of War, each kingdom has a particular theme, and some involve a "hat" — piety, invention, etc. However, the quest character for each kingdom is sometimes in opposition to that theme rather than an exemplar of it; for example, the kingdom of temples and paladins (Whitehelm) has you receive your quests from a vampire (Sapphira) who is being attacked by the pious folk.
Played With to Hell and back in Stellaris. All species have Traits, biological instincts which are ingrained into them to make them, say, better sociologists, more inclined to disagree with each other, or happier when they have access to enslaved subjects, and Ethos which are ideological in nature and determine which government the species has; they may, for instance, make a species more egalitarian or more authoritarian, more spiritual or more materialistic, or more warlike or peaceful. Traits can only be changed to a very limited degree via genetic manipulation, while ethos changes very often depending on factors such as how far the colony's population is from the homeworld or how much free thought is encouraged or suppressed by government policy. Populations with different ethos may even form divergent factions which may push for independence from your empire, peacefully or not.
Downplayed in the The Elder Scrolls series, as many of the nations and peoples of Tamriel have leanings towards certain professions and characteristics but there are a lot of exceptions to the rule - generally, individuals who grew up in their homeland play the hats straight, while individuals who were raised in other lands tend to be exceptions. Some of the "hats" in question include: Nords are mead-loving magic-hating viking-esque Boisterous Bruisers; Bretons are Deadpan Snarker French Jerk Magic Knights; Redguards are Scary Black Men badass Master Swordsman and adventurous sailors; Altmer (High Elves) are snobby, supremacist Squishy Wizards, Bosmer (Wood Elves) are Noble Savage Forest Rangers who are amazed by basic carpentry because of an ancient code which prevents them from ever harming plantlife in their Lost Woods homeland and who that same code requires to consume fallen enemies, etc. etc. For additional information, please see the series' "Races" sub-pages.
In Scrapland, on the planet's capital city of Chimera, every robot has a specific function. In fact, D-Tritus is refused entry into Chimera until he's assigned a job.
Super Mario Odyssey has a good chunk of areas with its residents in a theme that plays to the architecture, and the purple coin stores will sell clothes that match (which can help you get a few Moons). For a more literal example, Bonneton (also known as the Cap Kingdom), is literally inhabited by sentient hats and have hats as a recurring theme around the level.
The "offscreen" regions of Dark Souls tend to fall into this. People from Catarina are jovial, noble, but often somewhat bumbling knights; Forossa was a land of Blood Knights; Thorolund and Lindelt are defined by devout religiosity; Mirrah was home to knights and murderers; the Great Swamp provides you with pyromancy tutors; Vinheim is the home of sorcery; Volgen is mercantile and mercenary; Astora is predominantly home to focused and honourable knights, plus one blacksmith; and Londor is the home of shadowy, deceptive Hollows and will be "made whole" by the Unkindled One usurping the First Flame in Dark Souls III. Carim is an interesting one; it started out with an unsavoury reputation, then underwent a cultural Heel–Faith Turn and absorbed most of the now-absent Thorolund's religiosity in III.
For a deeper analysis of the trope, you may want to watch the Overly Sarcastic Productions video, found here .
Parodied in the Flash-animation series Burnt Face Man . In the conclusion of episode 7, Bastard Man (yes, that's his name) steals all the world's air with a vacuum cleaner (yes, he did that) and tries to sell it to a "planet of shifty characters". Everyone on the planet is wearing a large overcoat and hat or they are hidden in the shadows, the main shifty guy telling Bastard Man that they might not pay him for the air because they're all "a bit shifty".
Several of these are visited in the fifth season of Bonus Stage, including a convention planet, a fist planet, and McWorld. As Joel says, "Isn't it great how every planet is named after its purpose?"
Melonpool's planet Melotia is a planet of couch potatoes. There's a Bizarre Alien Biology explanation, with their antennae resonating to Earth television broadcast frequencies.
In Sluggy Freelance the residents of the Dimension of Lame are all incredibly sweet, nice, rice cake-loving pacifists. The most deranged psychopath among them suffers an incredible bout of guilt after slightly bruising the toe of a murderous demon. Even the rules of the universe conform to this Hat: the sewers smell like flowers, fermentation doesn't exist, and all swear words are automatically replaced with a "bleep" noise.
Goats's Multiverse has entire Dimensions of Hats, such as Topeka Prime, the farm dimension, complete with cow computers . Each dimension, however, has a pub.
Curvy invokes this; every Earth explicitly has a gimmick, and ours is apparently "Boring World".
Parodied in this episode of Mountain Time, as the astronauts are all too eager to attach a gimmicky label to a newfound planet.
Some of the aliens seen in Buck Godot seem to fit this trope, with all individuals seen having similar behaviour or jobs. However, just as many are as varied as humans both in behaviour and appearance.
Subverted in Quentyn Quinn, Space Ranger! Groonch the Gnorch, a parody of Worf from Star Trek, says that despite being raised with the ideals of another alien race, he strives to be the kind of noble warrior honored by "the Gnorch peoples." Quentyn asks, "Which peoples?" Groonch then learns, to his complete surprise, that the Gnorch species is rather culturally diverse and only a handful of ancient tribes were as warlike as he thought. His own outfit is an odd cultural mishmash.
Referenced, perhaps, in this Cwen's Quest strip. Haaaaaaaats!
Used for some aliens in Spacetrawler. The Eebs are all Gadgeteer Genius telepaths with almost zero willpower. The Tornites are infamous for their bad fashion sense.
While not a planet, per se, the Jägers of Girl Genius have two hats. The first, is that they love fighting. The second is that... they love hats. No, really, they REALLY like hats. One Jäger had an entire short story about him going to get a new hat. There's even rules on how the hat must be acquired- you can't just go into a store and buy one.
The fighting is justified in that Jägers were once humans who chose to transform themselves because they loved fighting.
This obsession is not limited to just the Jaegers. In particular, Franz has been seen to follow the same rules of acquisition as the Jaegers, unsurprising as the dragon has likely fought alongside them for centuries, and Bang DuPree shares their fascination with magnificent headgear along with many other personality traits. Even the Wulfenbach entourage gets in on the trend eventually.
Star Power is chock-full of these .
Planet of Hats is named for the trope, and naturally contains examples as it's a parody recap of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Sam Starfall of Freefall is from a species of kleptomaniacs, because his race evolved from scavengers. Sqids who pull of incredible acts of stealing are heroes. In Sqid mythology, the gods have never actually given anything to mortals, and everything mortals have that came from them was stolen. Humans have seriously considered wiping out the Sqids because their values are so different than humans that conflict would seem inevitable should they ever gain space travel.
Limyaael's Fantasy Rants discusses this in her "Avoiding Gimmick-Worlds" rant here .
Associated Space has Sarmatia, the planet of Space Amish nomadic horse warriors, and New Tau Ceti, the planet of religious fanatic sheep-men.
Played straight in some of the more comedic episodes of AH.com: The Series, when (much like Star Trek) this week's timeline is simply a planet-sized Town with a Dark Secret.
This is #3 of Cracked's 6 Sci-Fi Movie Conventions (That Need to Die) .
In Beyond the Impossible, everyone on planet Myridia is born with the power to create thousands of duplicates of themselves.
Enforced by the Compact in The Last Angel. Tribunes are honorable warriors. Thinkers are wise. Broken (Humans) are meant to be inept and stupid, but occasionally earnest. Brutes (Verrish) are meant to be unloving, brutal creatures prone to criminal behavior. A few millennia of indoctrination of a species can do a lot.
Played for Drama in this 4chan post.
The reverse of this is used in the South Park episode "Cancelled": apparently every planet except Earth has only one species, with "a planet of deer, a planet of Asians," etc. Earth was started billions of years ago with creatures from all over the universe on one planet—-as part of an intergalactic Reality Show.
A previous Marklar of Marklar introduced the Marklar of Marklar. The Marklar used the Marklar "Marklar" for all Marklar . The Marklar spoke otherwise perfect Marklar.
Futurama would often use ridiculous examples, i.e. the Neutral planet, the cannibal planet, planet of human-hating robots. In "Love and Rocket", Dr. Zoidberg (himself from a planet of Crustacean Space Jews) talks about the planets destroyed by love radiation why not, "including two gangster planets and a cowboy world."
The opening of a certain episode sees the Planet Express crew return pantless and low on supplies from "the planet of the moochers."
Fry goes to live on the Amish Homeworld for a while.
Don't forget the planet of gigantic man-hating tribeswomen.
The episode "The Duh-Vinci Code" introduces a planet of Insufferable Geniuses. How smart were they? Leonardo da Vinci left because he was the dumbest person there.
There's also a literal Universe of Hats. Namely, when visiting the edge of our universe, the crew sees on the other side their identical alt-selfs, only they're all wearing cowboy hats.
One episode has them visit a series of alternate-universes-in-boxes; most of these universes are one-shot-gag Hat Universes, such as the hippy universe and the eyeless universe.
Not to mention the Harlem Globetrotters, with their own planet, university, and algebra.
Subverted in one episode: There is not, in fact, a radiator planet inhabited by radiator people. Or at least, the radiator that Fry made out with wasn't one.
Transformers Cybertron is very guilty of this. There are three planets where a great deal of the action takes place: Gigantion, the giant planet, is populated by massive Transformers obsessed with construction, aided by the tiny Mini-Cons. On Velocitron, the speed planet, the fastest rule and those who don't measure up are left in the dust. And on the unnamed Jungle Planet, might doesn't make right so much as it is right. As if Cybertron, a planet populated by giant transforming robots, wasn't enough of a hat planet in its own right. (Admittedly, "giant transforming robot" is a pretty cool hat.)
Pretty much every non-Transformer alien planet in Transformers: Generation 1 was made of hat. Including earth (our hat is a construction worker's hardhat, everybody wore them).
Likewise, Transformers Headmasters had a planet of humans innately in touch with nature, and a pirate planet.
One episode of VeggieTales had two feuding Towns of Hats used for their Good Samaritan retelling. One town wore shoes and boots on their heads, and the other wore pots. The purpose was to show how people are divided by trivial differences, a rare acknowledgment of the silliness of Planets of Hats.
A three-part Pinky and the Brain episode involves the protagonists being taken to a city of hats. There, everyone is ... a hat.
"They're porkpie and the fez, fez, fez, fez, fez!"
Invader Zim:
Parodied; the Irken Empire includes such ridiculous territories as "Conventia, the Convention Hall Planet" and "Foodcourtia," a planet of nothing but restaurants. Justified because these planets don't seem to actually start out this way: one episode shows the Tallests after the conquest of the planet Blorch, deciding to make it a "parking garage planet" literally on the spot. The Irkens themselves are a culture based on height. Dib points out how stupid this is.
Another example might be the Planet Jackers, whose culture seems to revolve around collecting new planets to throw into their sun.
Fans generally assume that the Vortians were essentially a species of nothing but scientists. This is never made explicit on the show, but it is plausible, as they are almost always mentioned in relation to some sort of technological achievement. The only two important Vort characters, Lard Nar and Prisoner 777, were both inventors.
In Megas XLR, Jamie mentions to Kiva to take them to the "planet of the Space Amazons", to which Kiva replies "I'm from the future, not a comic book!". Though the post credits sequence seems to suggest such a planet exists...
The titular anthropomorphic ducks of The Mighty Ducks come from a planet whose entire culture revolves around hockey. Yes, seriously.
Most episodes of The Super Mario Bros Super Show! featured Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach travelling to a different world built around a particular theme (e.g., karate, rock-n-roll, cowboys, rap). Also, Bowser and his minions always seemed to conform to the "hat" of the world, appearing as a different stock villain in each episode.
Earthworm Jim frequently parodied this, like with the aptly-named Planet of Easily Frightened People from "Sword of Righteousness". Asking them to guard the Orb of Quite Remarkable Power was probably not the best idea.
Easily Frightened People: AAARGH! Something green! AAARGH! Something not green!
PsyCrow: I love this planet.
Darkwing Duck had some fun with this trope in one episode, where our hero visits the planet Mertz, where every single person is a superhero (complete with everyone having a totally unnecessary secret identity.) There is only one person on the planet without super powers, whose name is actually Ordinary Guy. Everyone else spends their entire lives trying to rescue him from peril (which in practice means gigantic, city-smashing brawls over who gets to help him cross the street.) Needless to say, Ordinary Guy's life sucks. Eventually, he snaps and becomes the planet's first and only supervillain. This gives him an outlet for his rage, and gives the heroes some actual evil to fight, making everyone much happier.
An absolutely literal version of this trope is used as well: Two episodes featured aliens from a planet where all aliens actually are hats, who hop onto other beings' heads to control them.
Kaput & Zösky is a cartoon series based entirely on Planets of Hats. The titular characters wander from planet to planet, hoping to find one where the population's hats make them easy to conquer and pleasant to rule.
The Eggs follows the colourful adventures of the four anthropomorphic egg college graduates as they continue their mission through the Loonyverse to search out valuable new sounds for their music-loving home planet of Kazoo. Not only is Kazoo a Planet of the Hats (the hat being music), but every world they visit seems to have its own specific hat.
The Yolkians in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron are all basically egg-shaped gobs of slime with eyes contained in a metallic, robotic "skin", featuring a glass upper half for sight and a bottom half fully electronic with a hovering mechanism and arms.
Rob the Robot. Dammit, that show has a planet for practically every theme.
On Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, we had Rhizome, a planet of peace-loving vegetarians, and mention is made of a "planet of widows and orphans".
In Titan Maximum, Eris is inhabited solely by rednecks and Mercury by old people. Neptune is a gigantic winter resort, with a lone steam-in-a-can production facility.
In The Fairly OddParents!, sometimes a character going to Fairy World will end up in other places first, such as Dairy World and Scary World (Exactly What It Says on the Tin).
An episode of American Dad! had Roger claim that his Bizarre Alien Biology made it so that everyone in his species has to be a Jerkass or else they'll die.
The different kingdoms of Adventure Time could count as respective kingdoms of hats. The most often visited one is the Candy Kingdom, but there's also an Ice Kingdom, a Fire Kingdom, a Crime Kingdom, a Breakfast Kingdom, a Cats in Cardboard Boxes Kingdom...
In Wander over Yonder, most of the planets are this, like a planet of hillbillies, a planet of Viking sheep-men, a planet of sickeningly sweet happy-go-lucky aliens, and so on and so forth.
Every planet featured in The Brothers Flub that Retrograde makes deliveries to are hat planets. i.e. a planet of wrestlers, or a planet that's a giant pinball machine.
SpongeBob SquarePants:
Tentacle Acres in the episode "Squidville": a town where everyone is a squid who looks like Squidward. They they all seem to enjoy biking and interpretive dancing.
Some species are indeed a species of hats. All squids look the same, sound similar and are (or strive to be) insufferable geniuses with strong artistic inclinations, while all starfishes look identical and act, well... not very bright.
In Biker Mice from Mars, the main antagonist is Lawrence Limburger, who is a member of a race of fish-like aliens called Plutarkians. All Plutarkians shown on the series are greedy and power-hungry jerks.
Subverted with the inhabitants of Planets Wait-Your-Turn, Tell-a-Lie, and Gut in 3-2-1 Penguins!, as their hats were put on by outside forces. I.E. a cutting-in-line bug caused the Wait-Your-Turners' hat to be impatience, the king pressing the button that caused Tell-a-Lie's moon to fall and him telling the Tell-a-Liars to constantly lie caused the Tell-a-Liars' hat to be dishonesty, and cereal caused the one-eyed pigs' hat to be gluttony.
Averted with the penguins themselves, one of the only things they have in common is that they're on one ship.
The Tarulians in The Hair Bear Bunch episode "No Space Like Home" have an unorthodox custom. They select a new leader each day and lock the previous leader in a glass cage. Guess what happens when Peevly, Botch and the bears land on it.
On Creative Galaxy, the Creative Galaxy that Arty and his friends travel throughout is full of these and this is basically a point of the show. In each installment, Arty visits a different one to help him make art. These include Paperia the paper planet, Fabrictopia the fabric planet and Paintoria the painting planet.
Winx Club has several, although not as many as one would think, partially due to the lack of information about most of the Winx's planets of origin.
Musa's planet Melody's only shown feature is whales who sing, and the only other people from her planet are her parents (who played instruments and sang) and Princess Galatea, who appears to be the fairy of classical music.
Tecna's planet, Zenith (or Titanium in the comics) is also full of people very similar to her: logical and rational and extremely technologically advanced.
All that appears to be of Linphea, Flora's planet, is forests, magical trees, and giant ladybugs that give rides. The only other inhabitants shown are Miele, Flora's little sister, and Princess Krystal, who also has healing, nature-type powers.
Averted by Eraklyon, Dominio, and Solaria, which act more like regular, non-homogeneous regions with no one sharing all the same character traits.
On My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, nearly almost every single sentient species that isn't a pony has a rather one-note culture. All dragons minus Spike are greedy, aggressive and prideful monsters which act with disdain toward weaker creatures (they do have a nobler side, however), all gryphons are money-obssessed, callous and unfriendly jerks who don't get along even among themselves, and all yaks are short-tempered, obnoxious brutes with a rather poor grasp on English, to name some examples.
In The Simpsons, while trying to get to Branson, Missouri the family ends up in Bronson, Missouri, a town where everyone, including women and children, look and talk like Charles Bronson.
Some scientists argue that through alien eyes, Earth could be seen as a planet of hats — aliens would first notice all common traits of humans and ignore all the differences.
Many exoplanets have a designation that starts with HAT.
Humans tend to stereotype based on region, no matter how diverse a particular region may actually be. The "South" in the United States, for example, or any major metropolitan area.
An Earth-bound version of this trope is Older Than Feudalism. Aristotle is alleged to have said that the difference between the Greeks and "barbarians" is that all Greeks are different and all barbarians are the same. To the Greeks, then, all foreign tribes they came across were tribes of hats.
Many attempts to solve the Fermi Paradox (that there are no physical reasons why intelligent life should not be everywhere in the Universe, and yet we cannot see it) have invoked the Planet of Hats fallacy; assuming that "aliens" would never travel into interstellar space or be under some form of edict of non-interference, as if any and all aliens (or even every inhabitant of a single alien planet) would all behave exactly the same way.
Alternative Title(s): Culture Of Hats, Clan Of Hats, Species Of Hats, Race Of Hats, Monocultural Planet, Monocultural Race, Planets Of Hats
A Planet Named Zok
Planetary Tropes
One-Product Planet
Planet of Copyhats
Otherworld Tropes
Planetville
Ursine Aliens
Fantastic Sapient Species Tropes
Multicultural Alien Planet
Fictional Culture and Nation Tropes
My Species Doth Protest Too Much
Plague of Good Fortune
Plant Person
Perpetual Beta
Apathy Index
The Power of Apathy
No New Fashions in the Future
ImageSource/Live-Action TV
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Moquis and Kastiilam
Hopis, Spaniards, and the Trauma of History, Volume I, 1540–1679
Thomas E. Sheridan (Editor), Stewart B. Koyiyumptewa (Editor), Anton Daughters (Editor), Dale S. Brenneman (Editor), T. J. Ferguson (Editor), Leigh J. Kuwanwisiwma (Editor), LeeWayne Lomayestewa (Editor)
The first of a two-volume series, Moquis and Kastiilam tells the story of the encounter between the Hopis, who the Spaniards called Moquis, and the Spaniards, who the Hopis called Kastiilam, from the first encounter in 1540 until the eve of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. By comparing and contrasting Spanish documents with Hopi oral traditions, the editors portray a balanced presentation of their shared past. Translations of sixteenth-, seventeenth-, and eighteenth-century documents written by Spanish explorers, colonial officials, and Franciscan missionaries tell the perspectives of the European visitors, and oral traditions recounted by Hopi elders reveal the Indigenous experience.
The editors argue that the Spanish record is incomplete, and only the Hopi perspective can balance the story. The Spanish documentary record (and by extension the documentary record of any European or Euro-American colonial power) is biased and distorted, according to the editors, who assert there are enormous silences about Hopi responses to Spanish missionization and colonization. The only hope of correcting those weaknesses is to record and analyze Hopi oral traditions, which have been passed down from generation to generation, and give voice to Hopi values and Hopi social memories of what was a traumatic period in their past.
Spanish abuses during missionization—which the editors address specifically and directly as the sexual exploitation of Hopi women, suppression of Hopi ceremonies, and forced labor of Hopis—drove Hopis to the breaking point, inspiring a Hopi revitalization that led them to participate in the Pueblo Revolt. Those abuses, the revolt, and the resistance that followed remain as open wounds in Hopi society today.
“The compiling of many early references to the Hopis in a single source, and the inclusion of a Hopi perspective, make this work valuable to area specialists, anthropologists, and, it is hoped, the Hopi people themselves.”—Journal of Arizona History
“Thanks to an innovative collaboration between the Arizona State Museum’s Office of Ethnohistorical Research and the Hopi Tribe, Hopi voices are heard.”—New Mexico Historical Review
“A groundbreaking edition intertwining Hopi oral traditions—mostly dismissed in the past—with the Spanish documentary record.”—SMRC Revista
“An innovative and invaluable cultural transcript of the legendary Hopi people.”—Choice
“Placing historical Spanish and contemporary Indigenous perspectives in dialogue is really innovative. There is a growing literature about the need to reconcile historical and academic texts with Indigenous perspectives, but there are few examples of actual reconciliation. This book will be a heavily cited contribution to that literature.”—Wesley Bernardini, author of Hopi History in Stone: The Tutuveni Petroglyph Site
“A highly significant contribution to our understanding of Hopi history during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, because it helps to counter the phenomenon that historian Loma Ishii calls Hopi historicide: ‘the mass execution of Hopi intellect, agency, and epistemology.’”—Susan Deeds, author of Defiance and Deference in Mexico’s Colonial North: Indians under Spanish Rule in Nueva Vizcaya
384 Pages 7 x 10 Published: 2015 Hardcover (9780816531844)
Native American and Indigenous Studies
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National Preservation Month Celebrated with Prestigious Awards
by Kristy Bearse | Jul 10, 2019 | Capitol Theater | 0 comments
LANSING, MICH. – Six Michigan preservation projects today were awarded Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation during a special ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) at MSHDA.
“Historic structures and archaeological sites help to anchor our communities,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “These projects contribute to our economy and strengthen the neighborhoods we call home. When we can educate people about our state’s unique past and inspire curiosity in new skills that could lead to job opportunities, we are helping to build a stronger Michigan.”
Now in its 16th year, the award program was created by SHPO to celebrate outstanding historic preservation achievements that reflect a commitment to the preservation of Michigan’s unique character and the many archaeological sites and historic structures that document our rich past.
“Each year during National Historic Preservation Month the Governor’s Award program gives us an opportunity to recognize and thank just some of the people responsible for preserving Michigan’s rich cultural heritage,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. “The projects we recognize are a fraction of the work being done throughout the state to transform communities through the preservation of historic buildings and archaeological sites.”
National Historic Preservation Month was established in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help local preservation groups, historical societies, and communities promote historic places and heritage tourism and to demonstrate the social and economic benefits of historic preservation. This year’s award recipients spearheaded projects that saved special places, increased economic activity and continue to educate residents and visitors about Michigan’s history.
“From passionate homeowners to large collaborative projects, these recipients exemplify some of the highest standards of historic preservation,” said MSHDA Acting Executive Director Gary Heidel.
The 2019 Governor’s Award recipients are:
Mitchell Cobbs Building LLC and the city of Cadillac for the rehabilitation of the Cobbs and Mitchell Building, Cadillac
Roxbury Group, Artisan Contracting Co., Infuz Ltd. Architects and Kidorf Preservation Consulting for the rehabilitation of the Cadillac House, Lexington
Friends of the Capitol Theatre LLC, The Christman Company, and DLR Group for the rehabilitation of the Capitol Theatre, Flint
New GAR LLC, Integrity Building Group and Sachse Construction for the rehabilitation of the Grand Army of the Republic Building, Detroit
Tim and Kerry Bennett for the restoration of the Warner Historic Homestead and associated archaeological education program near Brighton
Michigan Historic Preservation Network for its innovative Preservation Trades Programs, statewide
To learn about previous recipients of Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation, go to www.michigan.gov/SHPO and click on SHPO Programs & Projects.
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Lowlands Group Announces Continued Expansion in 2015 and Sale of Trocadero
“We are constantly looking for dynamic, evolving neighborhoods, and both Mequon and Madison are natural choices for our next phase of development.”
By Lowlands Group - Dec 18th, 2014 10:29 am
MILWAUKEE – Lowlands Group, owner-operators of Café Hollander and its sister restaurants, today announced the planned expansion of their popular European-inspired Grand Cafés to two new locations in 2015: Madison at the newly redeveloped Hilldale Mall and Mequon at Mequon Road and Green Bay Road. Both restaurants will feature the warm, welcoming environment, unique bier selection and fresh, local, modern take on European-inspired fare that have made the group’s other cafes so popular since Café Hollander opened on Downer Ave. in 2007.
The two new cafés are part of a planned expansion for the successful Lowlands Group, which has seen strong growth in Milwaukee, opening 5 restaurants since 2007. Annual sales have also increased at each of its restaurants, which collectively employ more than 500 people and act as a catalyst for further development in each neighborhood location.
“We are constantly looking for dynamic, evolving neighborhoods, and both Mequon and Madison are natural choices for our next phase of development,” said Lowlands CEO Eric Wagner.
As the company continues to focus its efforts to expose consumers to Belgian bier through the Lowlands Group restaurants and the Lowlands Brewing Company, it has announced plans to sell Trocadero Gastrobar to a longtime Lowlands employee, J.J. Kovacovich, who will take over ownership later this month. “We’re thrilled to be able to pass the torch to a former employee, and we wish JJ and his team nothing but huge success.”
About Lowlands Group:
We’re restaurateurs, neighborhood builders, culture swingers, and bicycle believers. We enjoy good food, good company, and most of all… a good bier. We’re European-inspired Grand Cafes. We’re a home away from home; a warm welcoming environment to give a bit of respite from the day. From our unique and comforting menus to our extensive bier lists filled with an unmatched selection of rare and even exclusive Belgian biers, we’re a place to go to grab breakfast with a client or brunch with a group on the weekends, catch up with a friend over lunch, enjoy a happy hour with co-workers, or have a relaxing dinner or late night dessert with a significant other.
The Lowlands Group currently owns and operates 5 grand cafés in the Milwaukee area: Café Hollander on the East Side, Café Benelux in the Third Ward, Café Centraal in Bay View, Café Hollander and Café Bavaria in the Village of Wauwatosa. In addition, the Group also brews bier under the Lowlands Brewing Co. with partner brewers in Belgium.
Mentioned in This Press Release
People: Eric Wagner, J.J. Kovacovich
Organizations: Café Centraal, Lowlands Group, Trocadero Gastrobar
Buildings: 1758 N. Water St.
Neighborhoods: Bay View, East Side, Lower East Side
Recent Press Releases by Lowlands Group
Lowlands Brewing Collaborative Launches Two New Beers Brewed in Belgium
Oct 24th, 2019 by Lowlands Group
Both a continued collaboration with Belgium’s Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Café Bavaria to Remain Open in Tosa Village Through Holiday Season
The Buckatabon still on track to open early 2020.
Third Annual “Kwaktoberfest” to Host International Beer Release
Sep 23rd, 2019 by Lowlands Group
Belgium’s Bosteels Brewery to launch first new beer since 2002 on rooftop of Café Benelux
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Unlikely Santa: Jailed armed robber treats 80 pensioners to Christmas lunch
Jailed armed robber Charles Bronson aka Charles Salvador has given a generous gift [Image Llorenzi/Wikimedia Commons]
Charles Bronson, now Charles Salvador, knows what it's like to spend Christmas alone as he has been jailed for 44 years.
by Anne Sewell (article and video)
Notorious armed robber buys a Christmas meal for 80 British pensioners - Video
First, to be clear, this article doesn’t refer to the famous Hollywood actor of the same name. 44 years ago, Charles Bronson, a notorious armed robber, was put behind bars. Most of his time in prison has been in solitary confinement. As he has become an artist, he now calls himself Charles Salvador, as a nod to the famous Spanish painter, Salvador Dali.
Salvador knows what it is like to spend Christmas alone with no celebrations and no likely parole, so he has decided to treat 80 pensioners to a slap-up Christmas dinner.
This way the elderly people will not need to be alone on the big day and will get a delicious meal to eat.
Kind action funded by his art
To raise the money for this spectacular Christmas treat, which will include food, drinks, bingo, and other entertainment, Bronson has sold some of his artwork. Interestingly, the jailbird normally donates funds raised from his art to a number of different charities, in fact, he has reportedly raised thousands of pounds for this purpose.
Notorious armed robber Charles Bronson has been in jail for 44 years and is treating 80 old age pensioners to a Christmas dinner.https://t.co/4y28o7rZz9 pic.twitter.com/q2ZUP571tn
— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) December 23, 2019
The Christmas dinner will be hosted on December 23 at the Manhattan Show Bar in Skegness, England.
Flyers for the event have been handed out, including a self-portrait by Bronson, wearing a Santa hat and accompanied by a message. He wished everyone who is in his corner a “Merry Crimbo,” saying they should all “kick some a*s” in the New Year and signing off with his new moniker, Charles Salvador.
No Christmas dinner for Bronson
As reported by Wales Online, the generous donor is unlikely to enjoy a Christmas dinner himself, either with his elderly mother, Eira, who lives in Aberystwyth, Wales or alone in his Woodhill Prison jail cell.
It turns out he is suffering a painful abscess in his jaw and there is no hope of dental treatment for at least a week. Some of Bronson’s supporters say this is the result of unnecessary red tape.
Bronson’s friend, Rod Harrison, says it is unfair that Bronson will be alone for Christmas, especially as the terrorists who killed Lee Rigby (one of whom is in the same jail) are allowed to go to the hospital as and when necessary.
Harrison continued by saying Charles has never killed anybody and is being discriminated against.
Bronson’s art has fans
Meanwhile, according to the Sunderland Echo, Bronson’s art has made him popular with another artist, Andrew Parkin. Parkin, 59, first contacted Bronson six years ago and they have formed an unlikely friendship, despite him being in jail. Parkin is so impressed with Charles’ art that he has had one of Bronson’s sketches tattooed onto his leg.
The notorious prisoner, Charles Bronson, has his own art website. pic.twitter.com/Id6Vb7Fgth
— What The F*** Facts (@WhatTheFFacts) June 4, 2014
Parkin had been encouraged to try his hand at art following a bi-polar and hypomania diagnosis six years ago. After seeing Bronson’s work and watching the 2008 film “Bronson,” Parkin decided to get in touch.
Now both artists are (somehow) working together on a painting that will go on auction to raise funds for various charities.
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Freelance writer and travel writer, citizen journalist and all-round self-employed person formerly living in southern Africa (Malawi, Rhodesia and South Africa), now living in La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
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communicate :: collaborate :: commemorate
Notes :: A bitter-sweet analysis
by Volker Weber
I always need a bit of time to think before I can form my own opinion. Executive summary: it's the best scenario for a Notes endgame.
Notes has been an exceptional success story. There is no other application platform that has lived and prospered for so long. It has pioneered many technologies we enjoy today but it never set the standard for those. Notes was always on its own and has adapted to the changing world around it. And Notes has always polarized. Some people loved it, some people have hated it.
I am writing this in the past tense since Notes has been on the decline for at least ten years. Customers have moved away and the winner is Office 365. Notes applications have proven to be difficult to migrate and the platform will survive in some pockets because of them. One way or the other, revenue from Notes is on the decline for IBM, as it is for many of its businesses. The reaction to the shrinking business is cost cutting. People have been let go at an alarming rate in 2017.
What do you do when you run out of funds to maintain an expensive platform? Nobody is going to give you a budget for a wholesale renovation. Your targets are to maintain as much revenue as you can while spending as little as you can. You aren't even running a cash cow business, since the cost of maintenance is just too high.
Enter HCL. They bring money to the table. They take over your development and support, lock, stock and barrel. Developers get transferred, away from your payroll. And you are making money doing so. Your revenue goes up, your cost goes down. What do they get in return? A long-term maintenance business. They get the know-how to run this business. If they can retain the developers for two years, they can replace them with less expensive people down the road. At this point they already recovered their investment. And to keep the customers from walking, they need to demonstrate faith in the product. If they succeed they will make big profits for a very long time.
That is what is happening now. It's a good endgame. Instead of running Notes into the ground due to lack of funds, you change the business and make it sustainable. This will give Notes a few more good years at its old age.
But it is not a new beginning. If you think it is, you are delusional.
2017-10-26 :: email :: twitter :: qr code
Notes is DEAD, is a message that has been around since 1997, and it HAS Survived all that time. Well clearly it's not dead, and will continue to bring new stuff to the market.
Some People allways see the negative sides first, and last. Stop being so negative, be glad and chearfull about this. There IS a new future about to unfold for all of us.
I am aware that Management THINKS they can replace notes with something new and cool. But as allways those people are not there for long, and once they get their boni they leave, and what they leave behind is a mess, and usually at a much higher cost.
Notes and Domino do not only have a "few" more good years, they still have the best Return Of Investment, and the best Total Cost of Ownership in the industry.
Next to that, this still is the only product around that COULD do without a virusscanner in the mail client, as IT does not start any viruses by itself. The user has a safe environment in the Notes client. IF they so choose to use that. By using browsers to show domino Information, this (no virusscanner installed) no longer works, and becomes dangerous (so don't even think about it) but then the "user experience" get's something new, and well management just loves that.
Well I still preferr the Richclient, as it offers so much more, and is so much safer.
In the End? We will hear about notes and domino's death for at least 10 more years. Maybe, just maybe in 10 Years it might come true, although I even think that is unlikely. Until then, we, the treehuggers, will continue to love "our" yellow product some more.
Yellow Tree Hugger - Rudi
Rudi Knegt, 2017-10-26
Volker, I think your analysis of the endgame decision is correct. As for whether this is a new beginning or a new ending is much harder to say. Notes continues to have some real strengths, and it is possible that with new energy and money, the developers and marketers will find new ways to attract customers rather than just holding on to a dwindling supply. It is also possible that the past ten years or so of decline will be unstoppable, though this may push the endpoint out some. (For a number of my Notes admin and developer friends, this would still be huge if it allowed them to stay on the ride until retirement.)
With all that in mind, I'd say I was unable to answer your poll because I think the answer lies somewhere between the two. The "end" would have been if IBM had maintained the path they were going. The "great future" might have been if they had not spent years starving the beast. What we have is a reprieve with some promise that Domino (maybe even Notes) could be revitalized for some sectors or features. That's somewhere in the middle, in the very cautious optimism realm.
Ben Langhinrichs, 2017-10-26
I think it's a fascinating writhing in the ongoing IBM death throes.
Craig Wiseman, 2017-10-26
@Lutz Haller - what other solution with that amount of features in one box has a similar small footprint than domino ? Using Domino as webdev platform delivers so much more out of the box than any other JEE/LAMP/...god knows what fuckin framework you throw at me. The problem here again is perception. You can build/use thin solutions without any issues here and a lot of people do, especially for security reasons. Not Daimler, maybe not Deutsche Bank, not the banks per se as they used mostly Notes as an EMail Client but a lot of others. Be fair. Don't rate it stuff based on your own perceptions.
Heiko Voigt, 2017-10-27
Die Zahlen deuten ja schon länger darauf hin dass die IBM bedeutend mehr Probleme hat als die inzwischen relativ kleine Collaboration Sparte.
Wenn die IBM sich nicht ändert wird das eventuell der Markt erledigen, auch wenn das ja eigentlich ein "too big to fail" Konzern ist.
Manche Diskussion erinnert mich immer noch an den Schwarzen Ritter aus Monty Python. In gewisser Weise ist das erfrischend denn es erinnert an früher.
Wobei es am Ende oft egal ist ob ein Kunde zu "dumm" ist ein Produkt zu nutzen oder das Produkt selbst das Problem darstellt.
Henning Heinz, 2017-10-27
Is this really a money issue for IBM? If it is, why not rise prices? Office 365 certainly isn't cheap either and customers are obviously willing to pay. I cannot believe the costs for keeping Notes / Domino alive are not worth it, compared to the revenue it generates (how many "successfully migrated" companies have really shut down their last Domino server?). Or is it more of a brain drain issue? Anybody with insights on this?
Carsten Lührmann, 2017-10-27
Thank you Vowe. I was confused when reading the announcement - now I see it clearly.
This change is both a good thing and a sad thing.
ps: I really loved developing on the Domino platform. It was genuinely brilliant and I really did deliver some amazing applications. With this in mind a small part of me remains delusional.
Ian Bradbury, 2017-10-27
Whether or not you think "Notes is Dead", I doubt your view will have changed after this news. If you already thought Notes was doomed then this is proof you were right; if you thought Notes had a future this is also proof that you were right.
Do you think they're more likely to attract new customers now that they're partnered with HCL? I very much doubt it, I'd like to hear anyone who could justifiably claim it will. So in my mind it isn't going to save or revive Notes - at the best it'll keep it around as legacy a bit longer, at worst it'll finish it off as people give up on it.
Sam Wilson, 2017-10-27
The latest numbers around Office 365, say a lot also about the direction companies are going:
- Office commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 10% (up 10% in constant currency) driven by Office 365 commercial revenue growth of 42% (up 42% in constant currency)
-Office consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 12% (up 10% in constant currency) and Office 365 consumer subscribers increased to 28.0 million
Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2018-Q1/press-release-webcast
Frank van Rijt, 2017-10-27
For me, the fact that US tech and business media have basically ignored this story tells quite a bit. I am not sure if that is because IBM hasn't done a formal press release (if they have, I can't find it) or whatnot. No one outside the core existing community is talking about this - and that speaks volumes.
John Head, 2017-10-27
"Your revenue goes up, your cost goes down." How does this announcement make revenue go up? To achieve that they need to either increase the price or increase the number of licenses sold?
Carl Tyler, 2017-10-27
I suspect announcing a new Notes version may coax a few extra license renewals or maintenance payments. This really is all about lowering costs to the bone.... have HCL make a few minor changes in the hopes of extending existing contracts and milking the downward revenue spiral to its logical conclusion.
Everywhere I've seen, HCL has competed on the basis of price, not value, and has NEVER been put in charge of anything important. IBM is turning into the CA of software.
Luke Kolin, 2017-10-27
Sounds like a plan to extend the lifecycle of Notes and Sametime for a few more years, but when you think about the approach, a few questions come to my mind (in addition to what has already been said by some others):
1.) will the developers stay when they are asked to move from IBM to HCL? I think that it will be hard to take over such a huge piece of software without keeping the former developers. Developers get good jobs everywhere these days. The best ones will be gone first. And as other people said before: HCL is not known for better quality, if they replace the developers with their own ones. So, I don't get your argument, Volker, that HCL can deliver at lower cost than IBM. IBM has most people in India anyway. So they could have given it to lower cost developers internally, if it was really about the business case.
2.) does it make sense to split the development between Notes and Sametime on one side and Connections, Verse, Watson AI and the other pieces kept on the other side by IBM? In my point of view, integration is the key and it will only get harder to keep up with the competition with that split. And what will Cisco say about IBM's partnership, when Sametime now gets a refresh? Microsoft and Google both strive by completing their collaboration platforms. IBM is trying the opposite, which I think is the wrong strategy.
3.) New version numbers will not make customers stay, only real innovations will. I witnessed how annoyed Ed Brill was when partners pushed for new version numbers at IBM Connect "meet the developers" session. Ed thought that they don't get it - we are now in a cloud era with continuous updates and version numbers are for legacy on-prem customers. With the move to HCL, customers will only watch more closely which new features will be delivered in the so called "R10".
4.) There is so much more what differentiates IBM's collaboration platform from Microsoft these days, like the whole cloud architecture, so that this can never be a complete game changer.
With that, IBM is now officially showing that they are getting out of the collaboration market. I doubt that it changes much from what would have happened anyhow. It will even destract the developers from doing real work as they will think about their personal development more than developing the product.
I doubt that it will increase profits for anybody except for the competitors.
Bernd Vellguth, 2017-10-27
This news is even more sad than watching all the Fortune 500 companies "migrate" to .net and/or whatever chaotic techno-soup they must furiously hobble together to attempt to replicate the features that Domino delivers with zero sweat.
Sad because the effort will likely not address the longstanding requests the community has made over the years.
Sad because it is just another sign of the filleting of this once great American company. First they outsource their PC business, then their servers, then their consulting and finally here we are watching this foreign influenced, focused and led management teams cut backroom development deals with a foreign software firm, with complete ignorance of the innovative spirit that was Iris.
Sad because we know this is not about saving money, but cutting deals. The same thinking that hoodwinks management at a major Notes shop to "migrate" away from Notes & Domino just to make the consulting money while delivering merely half of the required functionality.
Xpages was the worst direction they could have gone. It accelerated the decline. Who knows what terrible idea this new effort will hatch. Let me guess: They will phase out the client, fragment the server into separate products, add facebook and twitter into the Notes kernel, replace the flat file system with sql, and replace the Full Text search engine with google.
What they should do is make a few mobile clients and build on the strengths of the platform (RAD, Flat-file, Security, Languages, Mail & Web Server) and make integration with Office even easier.
Notes is not dead. IBM's management's brains are.
Larry Hammons, 2017-10-30
Totally agree with your take on this. It may be the most spot on post you've ever written.
Russell Maher, 2017-10-30
I don't think Notes is so "difficult to migrate". It's a fascinating product that has allowed incredibly flexible and powerful rapid application development. I'm not sure that that this move will bring new blood to the table. I suspect not.
We've started migrating things to SharePoint and the platform is ... okay. It's not as good as notes but it's getting better ... slowly.
We're at the point where migrations to SharePoint don't lose too much functionality and don't require too much coding but the fact is that for many applications, the migration is literally a deconstruct-analyse-rebuild scenario.
These things cost money. Sometimes, when you're dealing with two very different technologies, they cost a LOT of money. Money that businesses aren't necessarily willing to part with.
If it costs significantly less to stay on Domino, then you've now got a whole lot of extra time to plan a migration (and maybe, just maybe there's a chance the platform will take off). If you're already in the process of migrating though, I really can't see a reason to stop.
Gavin Bollard, 2017-10-31
Great analysis Volker, and what a pleasure to read you again as well as the other pillars whose names I find in the comments, I've been following you for so many years guys, it's a pleasure to find you here.
Coming back to the subject: it's difficult to imagine a bright future for Notes. It will take another decade to decommission the platform which will provide a niche market to those experts who have been able to maintain their skills. But at the end it will either disappear or become another confidential tool like Cliché (the pick/universe database).
Lionel Conforto, 2017-11-07
I was a Notes/Domino developer going back to release 3, and I was always very excited about the product. But in the last 10 years, I, too, have moved away from it because of its lack of direction and visibility in the marketplace. Unfortunately, this announcement doesn't excite me at all. It's a disguise for more IBM cost cutting of a business that is no longer strategic for them. (Remember Visualizer under OS/2? Same thing happened many many years ago.) I agree with Volker that this is the beginning of the end of Domino as we know it.
Mark Feinman, 2017-11-08
What could IBM do to get Notes/Domino back on the scene? We all have years of experience in ND and would love to see it springing back into life. Maybe involve some business partners and embed some products with some vision in the next release? Bring in something to make it bold and shiny as it used to be, something to increase its unbeatable ability to boost communication and collaboration, something to foster productivity and ultimately ROI. What could it be? What about Unified Messaging? Any other ideas?
Romano Arnaldi, 2017-11-14
Like Mark Feinman I've been working on Notes since R3 (pre-IBM acquisition) and spent some time working inside IBM in R5/R6. The problem isn't anything inherent in Domino/Notes itself - the platform has always been streets ahead of anything else it competes with. The problem is the lack of commitment inside IBM. The vast majority of IBMers have never understood the reasons why IBM bought Iris in the first place, they lack the knowledge of what it can do, and they have no desire to acquire this knowledge. IBM's internal organizational structure broke the vast business into four separate entities and Domino/Notes was the orphan that no-one wanted to adopt. So since the late 90s, there has been no cohesive marketing strategy, inadequate marketing budgets, and more and more reluctance to plot a future. That's the main reason why the outside world's perception has been that Domino is dying.
When I read pieces like the bit by Gavin Bollard comparing Sharepoint to Domino, I wince (no criticism of him intended). But the heart of the problem is there is really no valid alternative for the customers, so they take what they can get. And I've been around long enough to remember the old cliche the "no one ever got fired for selecting IBM", but sadly that has now been reworked to read "no one ever got fired for selecting Microsoft".
Now I'd like to inject a positive note. Thinking about finding a solution that would incorporate Supply Chain Management together with ERP into a blockchain environment, my first though is that Domino would be the perfect platform. Anyone else interested?
Henry Kaye, 2017-11-16
I find it interesting that there are still people who say "they've been saying that Notes is dead for years and its still here"
Clearly they have either very loyal customers or they're just not facing reality.
Notes may not be dead but our customers desperately want to kill it off in their environments AND they're paying large sums of money to do so, so strong is that desire.
85% of our client base has killed it off or is down to 1 or 2 apps (that they're actively searching for a replacement for) that they will only allow to be in "maintenance mode" even though we could spruce them up for 1/4 the cost of what they are prepared to pay for an alternative product.
It's sad, even sadder because it wasn't that the CIO's or CEO's of these companies made the decisions they did because Notes & Domino was a poor product, it was because they were "told" that it was a poor product by a major vendor (we all know who) over and over again and because it was the vendor saying it was bad it had to be true didn't it.
Couple that with large consulting firms that make their money on Churn and burn strategies and what chance did the BP community have.
The battle was lost years ago when IBM neglected to engage with Businesses - or when they did , all they wanted to do was sell them a new disaster (remember workplace, remember early iterations of Portal, remember early connections) and then left us the poor Business Partner trying to sort out their mess.
Its sad, but its a reality - I don't envy anyone who tries to sell Domino (or pretty much ANY IBM collaboration solution) to a customer these days - you can just see them cringe when you mention IBM and then almost burst out laughing when you mention Notes. I don't even bother any more..... and that's sad because I love Notes, I love its power and its ease but you can only whip a dead horse so often.
Dean Bradock, 2018-03-02
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Ceci n'est pas un blog
I explain difficult concepts in simple ways. For free, and for money. Clue procurement and bullshit detection.
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© 1992-2020 Volker Weber. All Rights Reserved. Impressum. Datenschutzerklärung.
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Acoustic Camera
Building Acoustics
Multichannel System Nor850
Microphones/preamplifiers
Test Systems
Outdoor microphones
Environmental Noise
Human vibration
How we calibrate
Environmental profile
Norsk Svenska English
Enlarge text Hold down CTRL and click + to enlarge or - to reduce text size.
A new modular design concept for acoustic arrays!
Hextile – Lightweight and portable
Multitile – Great resolution
Multitile (LF mode) – Low frequency measurements
Array specifications
Acoustic beamforming arrays, commonly known as acoustic cameras, enable the user to visualise different sound sources at different frequencies and source strengths. The resolution and ability to resolve sound sources spaced closely apart, and at lower frequencies, is mainly decided by overall size and number of microphones of the equipment being used. Although image manipulation and deconvolution techniques on the beamformed results might give added resolution, in practise the properties of the array still influence the results. This size versus resolution criteria is the crux of the acoustic camera market. Users want something that is small, light weight, and portable, while at the same time having excellent resolution, and the ability to go low in frequency. This has been an impossible demand for a single system – until now.
The Norsonic Hextile is a module based approach to acoustic camera that gives the user both portability and great resolution for a wide range of measurement situations. The array dish is based on a hexagon shape, given it both its name, and the ability to combine several tiles into larger systems.
Hextile - lightweight and portable
With a single Hextile, the user has a small, portable and lightweight acoustic camera that can be used for a wide range of measurement situations. The Hextile is a USB based acoustic camera, with a single USB cable for both power and data transfer – no extra battery cable needed. The array is made from robust and lightweight aluminium, has 128 MEMS microphones, and is less than 3 kg in weight while having a maximum diameter of 46 cm. The low frequency limit for the Hextile is 410 Hz.
Array geometry and beampattern for Hextile
Multitile - great resolution
For users that require better resolution both in lower frequencies and overall, three single Hextiles can be combined to a larger Multitile system, consisting of 384 microphones with a maximum diameter of 96 cm. The low frequency limit for the Multitile is 220 Hz.
Array geometry and beampattern for Multitile
Multitile (LF mode) - low frequency measurements
For special low frequency applications below 1 kHz, it is also possible to utilise the Multitile in the low frequency configuration as the Multitile (LF mode). By placing the individual Hextiles further away, the maximum diameter of the complete array system is increased to 1.46 m, making it ideal for low frequency measurements. The Multitile (LF mode) is for low frequency measurements below 1 kHz, with a lowest frequency limit of 120 Hz.
Array geometry and beampattern for Multitile (LF mode)
Microphones: 128 MEMS microphones
Max sound level: 120 dB
Min sound level (system): 9 dBA
SNR per microphone: 61 dBA
SNR array (system): 82 dBA
Audio sampling rate: 44.1 kHz
Camera resolution: 2592 x 1944
Opening angle: 105°
Operating temperature range: -40 to +85
Per microphone (flat): 100 Hz – 20 kHz
Per microphone: -26 +/-3dBFS/Pa @1 kHz 94 dB
Spatial sensitivity Hextile: 410 Hz – 20 kHz
Spatial sensititivy Multitile: 220 Hz – 20 kHz
Spatial sensititivy Multitile (LF mode): 120 Hz – 1 kHz
Dimension Hextile: 41 cm x 48 cm, Ø 48 cm
Dimension Multitile: 83 cm x 84 cm, Ø 96 cm
Dimension Multitile (LF mode): 126 cm x 121 cm, Ø 146 cm
Weight Hextile: < 3 kg
Weight Multitile: < 10 kg
Power consumption: < 2 W
Half power beamwidth (HPBW)
Half power beamwidt (HPBW)
Max side lobe level, and mean side lobe energy
Low frequency performance at 500 Hz
The biggest improvement when going from a single Hextile to the two different Multitile configurations is best demonstrated on a low frequency source. Seen below are the results from recordings on a single omnidirectional noise source emitting pink noise, with the colour plotting being done when the input signals are filtered at 500 Hz. This should give a direct comparison of the low frequency capability of the different arrays.
At the top are the different array configurations used for the recordings, with a 128 element Hextile, a 384 element Multitile, and a 384 element Multitile (LF mode). The diameters of the array configurations are 46 cm, 96 cm, and 1.46 m respectively.
The second rows show the beampattern for the different array configurations at 500 Hz and 3 dB dynamic range. As can be seen the beampattern gets more narrow, thus giving better resolution, as the overall array size increases.
Lastly the plotting results from the three different array configurations recorded on a real noise source are shown with 3 dB dynamic. The improvement in terms of resolution and pin-pointing the source is clearly visible when using bigger equipment.
Array geometry, beampattern at 500 HZ, and plotting results of pink noise source for Hextile, Multitile and Multitile (LF mode)
The software design strategy has always had user friendliness and ease of use in mind. We want the user to be able to get results quickly, and start analysing recordings easily, thus spending time on the analysis, rather than the measurement set up or configuration of parameters. Live view of measurements combined with an intuitive software interface enables users without prior experience to make measurements within the first five minutes after powering the device.
Virtual microphone
The one feature that really sets the software apart is the virtual microphone. The virtual microphone enables the capability to only get audio signals from the chosen listening point, and listen to sounds coming from specific directions of the video image, while suppressing noise and sounds emitting from other positions than what is selected. With this tool the user has the power of super hearing, and may gain more insight in addition to regular colour plotting of sources. Such super hearing may be especially useful in noisy and complex sound environments, where for instance different noise sources greatly impair the ability to distinguish which machinery is producing a faulty noise.
Advanced post-processing audio analysis
In addition to live plotting and directive listening, it is also possible to record measurements and do the analysis at a later time. The raw signal from all microphones are then saved, and all parameters such as frequency selection, time selection and so on can be changed in post-processing. This means that a recording can be done without selecting the optimal parameters during the measurement, since these can be changed when analysing the recording. This also means that anybody can do the actual recordings themselves since it is then basically a matter of pointing the array roughly towards the area of interest and pressing record. All analysis and changes of parameters can be done in post-processing such as directive listening, graphical overlay of sources, spectrogram, FFT analysis and so on.
Acoustic eraser
Sometimes sources may be closely spaced apart, or a strong noise source in the area of interest is interfering with the recording and impairing the image quality. Often this will be seen as either a single large source, or the source of interest will be completely shadowed by the stronger source. Seen in the image below is a situation where two equally strong sources are positioned close to one another, and the resulting colour plot will display a single large source. In such situations the acoustic eraser feature may prove valuable. This function will add a red circle to the screen that can be dragged to any point, and remove the source from that point. This is highly effective when several noise sources are present. As seen on the pictures the acoustic eraser completely removes the source where the suppress point button is positioned. The virtual microphone can further be positioned on the source of interest.
Order analysis
Especially in automotive applications RPM measurements may give vital information. The acoustic camera software has the possibility to display frequency content as a function of RPM by using the order analysis function.
In the spectrogram window, frequency as a function of RPM is plotted. It is further possible to select a square in the spectrogram window to isolate interesting events. By pressing the “apply” button on the selection, the RPM and frequency limits in the main view window automatically change to the limits set by the selection in the spectrogram. The user may then find and interesting sound event in the spectrogram, and automatically get the corresponding colour plotting of the event chosen.
Filming Sound Leakages in Highly Reflective Office Environment
Measurements in office complex
Lier, Norway, April 2016
A newly built office complex is designed with glass facades between the offices and the hallway. The glass facades include a glass door. Although the glass structures themselves have a sufficient sound reduction value, the sound insulation between office and hallway was measured at 19 dB, which was far below the sound insulation criteria for offices given in the regulations. It was therefore important to find out where any weaknesses were introduced in the overall structure.
A common way to detect cracks and gaps in barriers is by placing an omnidirectional loudspeaker emitting white noise in the sending room, and use the acoustic camera in the receiving room pointing at the structure of interest. For this situation the Norsonic Nor848A-10 1.0m acoustic camera with 256 microphones was placed on the outside of the glass facade filming directly at it. Gaps and cracks in the structure should then be detectable by being visualised as small noise sources in the structure.
The first results from the initial recordings proved disappointing. Although it was possible to hear clear differences by using the virtual microphone, which enables the user to listen to specific points in the image, the coloring of sources was only seen on a glass facade standing perpendicular to the wall of interest, as seen on the left side in the image below. Clearly this was a strong acoustic reflection and not the main source itself.
Since the recording environment was highly reflective, a good approach was to try to dampen the influence from surrounding structures. By using a piece of cloth to cover parts of the reflective wall, the acoustic reflection was absorbed enough so that the sources of interest could be visualised as seen in the image below.
Now various weak points in connection with the door frame became apparent. Sources were seen between the door and the floor, and especially around one of the door hinges. By studying the hinge in detail, one could easily see how the rubber seals weren’t completely sealed off around the hinge, but left a small gap as seen in the image below. This gap allowed noise to leak through.
In addition to the main weaknesses being the door hinge and the seal between the door and the floor, also the top right corner of the door wasn’t closed tightly enough, so that noise leaked through here as well. This weakness could be clearly heard with the virtual microphone. Since it was weaker than the two main sources, it was better visualised in the image by using the acoustic eraser to try to remove the main sources from the visualisation as seen in the images below.
By closer inspection one could see how the rubber strip around the door edge wasn’t completely sealed shut in this position as seen from the image below.
Case study: Office noise leakage
Filming Breakout Noise from Café and Concert Venue
Measurements in bar and bistro
Oslo, Norway, March 2016
A combined bar, bistro and concert venue in the city center has been renovated with a great emphasis on acoustic noise dampening. Nevertheless, the venue is still getting complaints from neighbours close by due to breakout noise from the location, especially during late night concerts. The establishment consists of a bar and bistro on the ground floor, with the concert venue on the floor above. The concert venue has several windows facing the outside street and neighbourhood buildings, and it was desirable to pin point any acoustic weaknesses in these windows. Also it was of interest to see if the wall itself needed additional measures, or if the main source contribution came from the windows alone.
The 1.0 m Nor848A-10 with 256 microphones was used for the recordings. The camera was plugged into an external battery pack for easy transportation and mobility. In addition to measuring the wall and windows of the concert venue, a wall between the café and a patio area on the ground floor was also of interest.
The camera was placed outside pointing at the facade of interest, with the audio system inside of the music venue playing white noise at volumes up to 100 dBA. The room inside would then act as a sending room, and the outside as the receiving room. In order to get close enough to the windows of the concert venue, a truck mounted crane was hired, with both camera and operator around 7 m above ground during measurements.
Since the measurements were conducted around noon during a normal weekday, the city traffic was a constant source of background noise, especially during the recordings on the concert venue facade. Cars and trams driving past at regular intervals made it challenging to get a window of opportunity with relative quiet measuring conditions. However since all analysis can be done in post processing, you only needed a window of 5-10 seconds of proper measurement conditions to get the recording needed.
Seen in the pictures below are some of the measurements of the concert venue facade. As can be seen one could quickly rule out that any additional measures had to be taken on the wall itself, as the only sound leakage that could be seen came from the windows only. It was also possible to zoom in on different areas of interest, either at the site during a measurement, or at a later time in post-processing analysis to further locate weak spots.
The second measurements were conducted on the patio outside the café on the ground floor. Here the measurement conditions were substantially easier, as the patio was shielded from the city traffic noise. Again the music system of the café emitting white noise was used as source. The wall between the café leading to the patio consists of both a door and several windows. The first step consisted in seeing what made the biggest noise contribution. As seen in the image below, where the dynamic range is set to 10 dB, the door had a noise contribution that was approximately 10 dB higher than the nearest window.
Case study: Breakout noise from café
Measuring Impact of Traffic Noise in Apartment Living Room
Measurements in apartment
Oslo, Norway, February 2016
An apartment on the ground floor of a two story house in the city lies close to a busy road. The living room in the apartment is facing the road, and the inhabitants are bothered by traffic noise, especially in the morning and the afternoon, when the traffic is the heaviest.
Traffic noise could be clearly heard when standing in the living room. The facade facing the city street consists of a large window and a porch door. It was thought that the main contribution of noise came from these two parts, but it was difficult to verify if those assumptions were true, or exactly where any weaknesses in the structure might be located.
The Norsonic Nor848A-10 1.0m acoustic camera with 256 microphones was used for the recordings. The camera was placed inside the living room pointing at the facade facing the street. The living room would hence act as the receiving room, and the outside as the sending room, much in the same sense as the procedure for sound insulation measurements. Weaknesses in the facade would then be possible to be seen as small noise sources in the structure. It was possible to use regular traffic as sound source, regardless whether the traffic was steady, or just a single vehicle from time to time.
In addition to using traffic as noise source, measurements were made by placing a omnidirectional loudspeaker emitting white noise on the outside of the facade. This created a more stationary sound field on the outside of the structure, and made detection of small cracks and gaps in the structure even easier.
Initial recordings when using traffic as noise source displayed a single strongest facade weakness at the top left of the living room wall as seen from the video below. This strongest source position was also confirmed when using the omnidirectional loudspeaker as noise source. At this position a ventilation valve was installed, and most of the traffic noise came from this location.
Having determined that the intake valve was the main noise contributor, this spot was covered up with a pillow to remove it from the overall noise field, and try to locate secondary sources. By filtering on a relatively high frequency band around 3 – 4 kHz, it was possible to filter out only the noise being emitted by small gaps and cracks. This produced two new possible weaknesses, one on the porch door, and another on the air valve above the window as seen in the image below.
The next step was to look at those positions in more detail. The acoustic camera was then moved, first to cover the porch door, and secondly to look only at the large living room window. Again the frequency filtering stayed at the approximate same frequency limits. By looking at the coloring, and also listening to the points with the virtual microphone that enables the user to listen to sounds emitted from a single position, these two new noise positions were confirmed as seen from the image and video below.
This same procedure with omnidirectional loudspeaker on the outside of the facade emitting white noise, and the acoustic camera on the inside filming an area of interest, could be used on other walls and windows as well. As seen below on a different window and wall, again the main source contribution is visualized as being the air valve above the window.
Case study: Traffic noise in apartment
Using Acoustic Camera Inside Caravan Car to Find Squeak and Rattle Noise
Measurements in caravan car
Lier, Norway, October 2015
When driving a caravan car, the driver could hear annoying noises from behind the driver’s cab in the living compartment. Even though the noises could be heard clearly, it was very difficult to discover the exact location and cause of the various annoying sounds due to overwhelming background noise.
When the car was standing still with the engine running, no extra noises could be heard, but especially two distinctive sounds that were different from ordinary engine and wheel noise were heard when the caravan was driving. The first sound had the characteristics of a loose screw sliding back and forth on a hard surface, so whenever the vehicle was turning, what sounded like a small piece of metal rolling from one side to the other on a hard surface could be heard. This was only heard when the caravan was in a turn, and not when driving straight. The second noise sounded like squeaking and creaking of wood, which made sense since a lot of the interior consisted of wood. This sound also appeared when the caravan was driving straight, and not only when turning. Since there were several pieces of the interior that consisted of wood, including the floor, it was not know what specific piece of interior made the noise. Based on previous listening experiments when the car was driving, it was thought that the indoor fridge which was positioned next to the entrance door might be root of of both noises.
The Norsonic Nor848A-10 1.0m acoustic camera with 256 microphones was used for the recordings. The camera was plugged into an external battery pack for easy transportation and mobility. Although the 40 cm Nor848A-0.4 acoustic camera would have been more mobile, at the time of the measurements it was unavailable. Nevertheless there was more than enough room in the caravan car to use the Nor848A-10.
The measurements were done with one person driving the caravan, and another placing the camera dish on a table and performing the measurements. As the array dish itself weighs in at only 11 kg, it was easy to control it with one arm, and starting and stopping a measurement in the software on the MacBook with the other arm. No tripod was used or needed for the measurements.
Initially the camera was pointed towards the fridge in the center of the living compartment of the caravan and measurements were made as this was thought to be the origin of the sources, In addition to looking at the coloring of the sources, it was also very useful to use the virtual microphone to listen to the sound field from a specific direction. In addition it worked very well to enable the band pass filter when listening in order to filter out background noise such as engine noise and wheel noise.
Seen in the image below is the initial result when filming at the fridge in the living compartment of the caravan with the caravan driving and turning, and when the distinct metal rolling sound was heard. As seen from the image there was no indication whatsoever that the sound originated from the fridge in the middle of the picture. Instead the coloring indicated that the sound originated from a different location. Also listening with the virtual microphone could more or less rule out the possibility that the fridge was the source origin. Instead the camera was positioned to aim to the left of the fridge where the coloring indicated a source.
The position of the true source was seen more or less instantly to be inside a cabinet positioned on the wall of the car. This true source location was also confirmed when listening with the virtual microphone on a recording, and even when holding the ear into the cabinet when driving.
Finding the second noise source proved to be a trivial case after the fridge had already been ruled out as the source. Since most of the interior floor was wooden, it was thought that the creaking might originate from here, and this was the first position the camera was aimed at. Both coloring and listening with the virtual microphone confirmed this.
Normally using acoustic cameras in the interior of cars will often provide poor results, due to high background noise, and a very reverbant noise field. This means that sounds and signals will arrive multiple times at the array at different times, thus making it very difficult to determine the true source location. In this case study it is demonstrated how ordinary beamforming can provide accurate results even in such a situation. This could be thanks to the added space of the interior compartment of the caravan van, in addition to various soft furniture and so on that may help in reducing reverberation effects. In addition the Nor848A-10 1.0 m camera was used that has higher resolution than smaller cameras, in addition to excellent side lobe level suppression.
In addition to being able to locate the various sources correctly by looking at the coloring, also using the virtual microphone in combination with the band pass filter to filter out background noise proved valuable.
Case study: Interior caravan car noise
Filming Low-Frequency Structure Born Noise With Acoustic Camera
Measurements in apartment building
Oslo, Norway, September 2015
An apartment complex consists of five floors, with several apartments over four floors, and an attic on the top floor. In the attic an air circulation system is installed to provide circulation in the bathroms of all the apartments in the building. The circulation system is driven by an air fan distributing air through pipes going to all apartments. The air pipes are cemented in to the structure of the building itself, and in some apartments a low frequency structure born noise with the same frequency content as the frequency of the air fan can be heard.
The Norsonic Nor848A-10 1.0m acoustic camera with 256 microphones was used for the recordings. The camera was plugged into an external battery pack for easy transportation and mobility. Measurements were made both in the attic at the source location, and also in the bedroom and bathroom of one of the apartments three floors below. The Nor848A-10 was chosen for the recordings over the more compact and mobile 40 cm and 128 microphone Nor848A-4, mainly due to the low-frequency nature of the noise. An array that is larger in size will have better resolution for all frequencies, and will also be able to go lower in frequency content. Even though the Nor848A-10 has a diameter of 1.0 meter, it weighs in at only 11 kg with tripod mounting brackets, and could easily be mounted on a tripod for inspection of the air fan in the attic, or laid down on the floor, or a bed or similar for inspection of the roof in the bedroom and bathroom of the apartment.
Looking at the recordings from the attic, it was clear that the intake fan was the main culprit having a dominating fundamental frequency at 200 Hz. Also several harmonics of the fundamental frequency could be seen in the frequency spectrum.
Since the distance between the attic and the measurement apartment was several floors, and the sound pressure level of the fan noise in the attic was around 40-50 dB, it would have been impossible for the noise in the apartment to be anything other than structure born noise. By inspecting the pipes it was seen that they were cemented in place to the building structure itself without any form of vibration damping measures in place.
The air flows through the pipes and enters the bathroom in the measurement apartment through an air valve in the roof. By positioning the camera so that the measurement direction is straight up at the roof, it was possible to film the structure born noise and get images as seen below. Also by looking at the frequency spectrum one could see how the frequency content of the obtained noise in the bathroom had the same characteristics as the frequency spectrum in the attic. However now more sub harmonics below 200 Hz were seen in the spectrum as seen from the image below.
Recordings were also made in the bedroom of the apartment. The camera was placed on the bed with measurement direction up towards the roof. As was the case in the bathroom, the frequency spectrum also showed tonal tendencies, however here the sub harmonic at 100 Hz was the most dominant frequency. For both bathroom and bedroom the measured sound pressure level was around 30 dB.
Case study: Structure born noise
Pinpointing Low Level Sanitary Noise in Apartment Building
Oslo, Norway, April 2015
A newly built apartment building consists of several floors with multiple apartments on each floor. One of the ground floor apartments is disturbed by sanitary noise from the apartment above, which is heard whenever the toilets in the top apartment are being flushed. The sanitary noise is heard in several rooms, and the level was measured to be around 30 to 35 dB, which is above the noise criteria set in the regulations. The culprit was thought to be embedded pipelines in one of the corners of the living room, and several measures were made on this area. Although increased insulation improved the noise dampening capabilities of the embedded pipelines, the noise was still heard. Also the improvements could not explain the fact that the noise was also heard in two bedrooms, one of which was not adjacent to the living room.
After the construction of the apartment complex was finished, the contractor in charge of piping had gone bankrupt, and also there existed no documentation or blueprints on the actual position of the piping system. Since the first measures did not produce the desired outcome and had little overall effect, it was quite certain that the problem was also located elsewhere. Given that the measured sound pressure levels were so low, it was very difficult to detect any real change in sound pressure level from different measurement positions. Also trying to locate the origin by hearing in different positions proved to be futile when trying to determine source position. In addition to hearing the noise in several rooms, it was also heard in the hallway and it was uncertainty whether there existed a single source location or several.
The 40 cm Nor848A-0.4 acoustic camera with 128 microphones was used for the measurements. Although the external battery pack could have been used for extra mobility, the easy access to power outlets meant that the camera could be plugged in directly in the wall outlet in the different measurement rooms.
The light weight and small size of the array ensured easy portability and also great flexibility in measurement positions. The camera could be set up on the tripod, but also positioned on the floor, in a bed, on a couch or just hold it by hand all based on what part of the room one would like to listen to and get the acoustic image from. The 40 cm camera proved to be very handy in a measurement situation where it was not given beforehand exactly where the source of interest was positioned. In that way, the camera could easily be used to scan around different parts of different rooms.
To actually get a recording of the sanitary noise, one person was positioned in the apartment above and told when to flush via cellphone from the apartment below. This was repeated several times, with recording time around 20 seconds each time to cover the entire event duration.
The first recording of the flushing event did not produce the desired result. The source colouring was on a wall adjacent to the embedded pipes, but no pipes were in that part of the building, and it was impossible that the noise could originate from that position. By looking at the recording and listening to the center of the colouring on the video, one could quickly realise what was happening. Because of the very low noise levels, the camera was picking up the strongest source in the room, which in this case was a reflection on the wall from the noise of the cooling fan of the Macbook that was being used for the recordings. This was solved by placing the Macbook in a different room and closing the door. The ethernet cable from Macbook to the acoustic camera was small enough in diameter that the person doing the recordings could sit virtually anywhere he or she pleased, as long as the cable was long enough. On the second try one could clearly hear the sanitary noise for a period of around 8 to 10 seconds. When filming at the location of the encased pipes in the corner of the living room, the acoustic camera did not pick up any energy at that position, but rather the colouring was upwards towards the roof and outside the field of view of the camera at that measurement position. This was a very strong indication that the origin of the noise was in fact located somewhere else, and the camera was directed accordingly for the subsequent measurements.
When pointing the camera towards the ceiling it became apparent that the source was at this position. No other spots, either from the embedded pipes in the corner of the living room, or from the hallway, had any visible colouring, and could be excluded as the likely position of the origin of the source. By using the virtual microphone, which enables the user to listen to a specific position in both real time and in a recording, one could clearly hear the sanitary noise from the recorded position at the roof. Also by enabling the bandpass filter one could further be able to filter out background noise and very clearly hear the sanitary noise from the piping.
Based on these measurements one could deduct that the water pipes in were in fact not positioned as previously thought. In addition to measurements in the living room subsequent measurements were also made in the two bedrooms. These measurements displayed the same result, the energy of the noise did not come from the walls, but were confined to the roof. All in all, this was a very strong indication that the problem was piping located in separating floors between apartments.
Case study: Apartment sanitary noise
Identifying Short Time High Pitch Squeak Noise from Electric Window in Car Door
Measurements in car factory
Korea, July 2015
A well-known car manufacturer in Korea were testing an automatic car door window intended for one of their new car models. The window is driven by an electric engine positioned in the middle of the car door that drives the window up and down. When the window was driven up by the electric motor, a short timed high pitch squeak noise could be heard as seen from the level versus time plot below. The squeak noise was obviously connected to the window and the car door, but the localisation of the source of the problem proved difficult.
The Nor848A-0.4 40 cm camera with 128 microphones was used for the recordings. The camera was positioned at a distance of 2.0 m from the car door, with the front-end of the camera pointed straight at the door. The recording consisted of an event of the car window going up whilst being driven by the electric engine.
In addition to the high pitch squeak noise, sound from the electric engine could also be heard which was around 670 Hz as seen below. Since this sound was present during the entire recording, it could be easy to misinterpret the results and pinpoint the source of the high pitch noise to the wrong location without doing proper analysis. As seen in the image below, the location of the electric engine was in the middle of the door.
As opposed to the stationary sound from the electric engine, the high pitch squeak noise was only happening for a brief period of time, around 300 ms. By defining a scene in the sound level indicator pane of the acoustic camera software, it was then possible to analyse events happening only within the time frame of the extent of the scene. The scene is made by simply dragging the cursor over the region of interest in the software as seen below.
Now by calculating the average spectral density over that part of the recording, it was easy to see that in addition to the noise from the electric motor around 670 Hz, a high pitch tonal noise with a fundamental frequency around 1890 Hz could also be seen in the frequency spectrum. In addition, harmonics of the fundamental frequency up to the 7th harmonic was visible in the spectrum.
Now by filtering the frequency content of interest around the fundamental frequency, it was possible to get a clearer indication of the position of the source of the high pitch squeak noise as seen below.
In the software, the so called virtual microphone can be used, which makes it possible to listen to and analyse sounds from a given point in the image. By positioning the virtual microphone on top of the indicated position of the squeak source, and looping the scene over and over again, it was also possible to look at the spectrogram for that scene and that position. Clearly in addition to the stationary sound coming from the electric engine, bursts of energy at higher frequencies made by the source of the squeak noise were also seen.
Lastly, due to the tonal nature of the noise it was possible to switch from the ordinary, robust wideband algorithm, to the adaptive algorithm for narrowband applications. This further helped in pinpointing the exact location of the problem. Higher resolution could also be achieved by zooming further in in the image.
Case study: Car window squeak
Finding Acoustical Weak Points in Room Dividing Modular Walls
Measurements in conference hotel
Trondheim, Norway, November 2014
A conference hotel is using modular walls to divide large halls into several smaller conference rooms. The rooms are divided by modular walls that provide several different opportunities for subdivision and multipurpose use of the large area spaces.
When measuring the sound insulation between adjacent rooms through the modular walls, the resulting value was found to be too low, and noise from one conference room could possibly disturb listeners at adjacent rooms. The dividing modular walls cover large areas, and are as high as 7 meters from bottom to top, which makes intensity measurements with hand held sound level meters difficult. The room dividers could have several weak points, which were not easily identifiable. It was thought that identifying and fixing the weak points in the individual modular walls would help increase the overall sound insulation capabilities of the entire wall element.
The measurements were conducted with the Nor848-0.4 40 cm and 128 element acoustic camera. The camera was plugged into an external battery pack for easy transportation and mobility. The measurement procedure consisted of choosing two adjacent rooms divided by a modular wall of interest. One of the rooms was chosen to act as receiving room, where the acoustic camera was positioned. A noise source and omnidirectional loudspeaker generating white noise at high volume was positioned in the source room. The speaker was placed in one of the corners of the room furthest away from the dividing wall, in order to achieve as diffuse source noise field as possible.
Due to the large size of the modular walls, the camera was pointed to different areas of the walls, and several measurements were made. The individual measurements could then be examined further in post-processing analysis. Due to the source being used at high volume in the sending room, cracks and gaps in the modular walls would appear as small noise sources at specific location on the walls when recording with the acoustic camera in the receiving room.
The acoustic camera was able to locate several weak spots on the walls, even though the range where differences could be discovered were for certain areas below 0.05 dB.
The measurement system’s virtual microphone feature was also very helpful during live measurements. With this function you can scan and listen to the desired spots in the image, and also filter the listening function to desired frequency range. This made it possible to scan along edges and hear differences in frequency from different points. A change in frequency may indicate a sound leakage. Also by using the spectrogram function to get a visual representation of the spectrum of frequencies as they varied with time, one could further indicate a leakage at various parts of the walls.
A very useful function is the so called acoustic eraser, which is a functionality that enables source suppression in order to find interesting plotting points. Seen in the video below is a recording of two walls meeting at a corner. The coloring is smeared over a larger area than usual, which may indicate the presence of several sources of roughly equal strength located at close proximity to one another. Or in this case, a weakness or small gap in the walls located so closely that they initially may be interpreted as a single source. When the acoustic eraser is enabled it is seen as a red circle with a white x and placed on a point in the image to suppress a source. By enabling the acoustic eraser, and dragging the point suppressor to the desired location, it was easy to locate the two individual points of interest. Further analysis could be conducted by placing the virtual microphone on the point of interest.
Case study: Modular walls
Identifying Low-Frequency Tonal Noise in Windy and Noisy Conditions
Measurements on LNG gas terminal
Stavanger, Norway, September 2014
A large LNG gas facility (approximately 300m x 150m) producing 300 000 tons of LNG annually is situated in a terminal area with the nearest populated area at a distance of around 1 km. Within the gas production facility, a low-frequency tonal noise at around 500 Hz is generated causing complaints from nearby neighbours. The tone imposes a more stringent noise requirement on the facility, forcing noise reducing actions being made on the source.
In addition to the tonal noise, the entire LNG gas facility is rich in noise emitting sources, including lossing and loading of maritime vessels, which further complicates the source location of the single tonal noise source. Also the location of the facility at the coastal regions of the western part of Norway, ensures that windy conditions are frequent, with wind noise further impeding the quality of acoustic recordings.
Based on measurements with hand held sound level meters, the problem area was narrowed down to be a large pipe in the midst of the facility. However it could not be determined if the emitted tonal noise was from the entire pipe itself, or if it originated at a specific part of the pipe. There was also uncertainty whether there existed multiple sources within the pipe, for instance at both the base and top layer. In the worst case the noise insulation would have to be performed over the entire pipe length, which could have been a very expensive solution.
The measurements were conducted over two subsequent days with the Nor848A-10 1.0m and 256 element acoustic camera. The camera was plugged into an external battery pack for easy transportation and mobility. The entire measurement system could easily be moved around to different positions to get a noise mapping of different sides of the pipe. Different positions would also ensure that noise sources being different from the source of interest would not inflict too much on the measurements. The primary measurements were conducted at a distance of approximately 25-30 meters from the pipe. In addition measurements were made close to the source from 2-5 m distance by climbing up onto the pipe with the camera. Since the flight of stairs were too narrow to get the 1.0 m camera through the stair’s safety rails, this was solved by hoisting the camera up and down by rope.
By positioning the center of the array towards the pipe and adjusting the frequency to display only coloring within the 500 Hz 1/3-band, the noise source was located within seconds, and the source producing the tonal part from the pipe was detected. Measurements from different measurement positions also confirmed the source location.
By placing the virtual microphone on the localised source and using the spectrogram function, it was easy to verify the position of the source emitting a tone at 460 Hz.
Although the measurement location had quite windy conditions, the wind noise did not affect the measurement results at all. Wind noise can be viewed as spatially white, which means that wind noise sampled at different places in space, as is done with the Nor848A, is not correlated from position to position. When many different signals from many microphones are added in the beamforming algorithm, the wind noise will be added out of phase and attenuated proportional with the number of microphones being used.
With the acoustic camera it was possible to detect the tonal sound of the most crucial parts of the turbine. This meant that the facility could focus on and implement noise reduction actions in the right places. After pin pointing the location of the noise source, further analysis could be made with measurements performed closer to the source of interest in order to further determine the position and cause of the generated tonal noise.
Another useful function is the so called acoustic eraser, which is a functionality that enables source suppression in order to find interesting plotting points. Seen on the images from the acoustic camera software on the next page is a recording of the pipe without and with point suppression enabled. Seen in the bottom image, the acoustic eraser is seen as a red circle with a white x and placed on the tonal source in the image to suppress it. By enabling the acoustic eraser, and dragging the point suppressor to the desired location, one could further identify if the pipe had other locations that generated tonal noise. As seen in the bottom image, no such additional tonal sources were found.
Case study: Industry tonal noise
Brochure: Acoustic Camera – Hextile, Multitile and Multitile (LF mode)
Product data: Acoustic Camera – Hextile, Multitle and Multitile (LF mode)
Case studies - English
Case study: Wall leakage test in lab
Case studies - Chinese
Case study: Office noise leakage – 中文
Case study: Breakout noise from café – 中文
Case study: Traffic noise in apartment – 中文
Case study: Wall leakage test in lab – 中文
Case study: Interior caravan car noise – 中文
Case study: Structure born noise – 中文
Case study: Car window squeak – 中文
Case study: Apartment sanitary noise – 中文
Case study: Modular walls – 中文
Case study: Industry tonal noise – 中文
Technical note: Beampattern
Technical note: Array resolution
Technical note: Beamformers
Technical note: Sparse arrays
Technical note: Array gain
Link to Norsonic on YouTube
Product Range Catalogue
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Colorful Holi Bash
Holi is considered as one of the most revered and celebrated festivals of India and it is celebrated in almost every part of the country. It is also sometimes called as the “festival of love” as on this day people get united together forgetting all resentments and all types of bad feeling towards each other. Being a part of Indian society we also celebrate Holi with full of enthusiasm and excitement.
We selected 16th March 2019 as Webkul’s Holi Day and started at 11:30 AM with a warm-up game named as “The Laughing Game” in which everyone had to say one by one haa-haa, hee-hee, hoo-hoo who laughed first will be eliminated and who remains the last will win. This game brings laugh in the air and everyone was literally rolling in the aisles.
The next game was “Junk In The Trunk”, where a box filled with tennis balls were tied to player’s waist and they were asked to hop in accordance to empty the box, the techniques used by the player engaged the audience captive. To enhance the team building activity and communication within the team members we came across with total innovative game idea which rolled up our another interesting game, Pass And Pass, where a rail of 20 people in a row were asked to align and to the first member a gesture was explained and now he had to communicate with the person next to him, now this kept on going till the last member of the rail. It was really amazing experience to observe how things get changed over the rail and people.
The event was getting crazy, where ‘Roar And Bark’ worked as wonders which appealed all the participants to produce peculiar voices of animals according to their chits offered and they had to find their mates to hit the winner bong, it was insane to find all those serious faces in this crazy aura. It was well spent day.
We couldn’t stop the fun where we wrap-up our event with dancing, singing, selfies, and throwing gulal in the air. We had turned the whole environment in that way which gave crazy vibes to enjoy and eat. Everyone on the floor enjoyed gujhiya, thandai and were dancing on the dhol-tasha beats because without these things holi is incomplete. Continuous laughs, rocking floor, and delicious food made the event more exuberant and vivid.
Beats and bounces marked its presence at the utmost peak. Smeared pink, green and red faces made it really difficult to recognize anyone but who really cares when everyone is celebrating their moments.
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COACHING CALENDAR
WI Senior QF Standards (2020)
WI International Selection Policy | Junior & U23’s (2020)
WI International Selection Policy | Euro Youths (2019)
WI International Selection Policy | Euro Snr (2020)
EWF Masters Standards (2020)
IWF Masters Standards (2019)
Code of Ethics & Good Practice in WL
Athlete Development Pathway (2019)
Coach Development Pathway (2019)
Anti-Doping Info (Sport Ireland)
ClubsLuke Kelly2018-03-14T14:16:29+00:00
To all Clubs,
Weightlifting Ireland is committed to safeguarding the youth involved in our sport, and in our affiliated clubs.
The Children First Act 2015 now requires that all clubs that provide services to young people (U18) and vulnerable adults must have a Child Safeguarding Statement. As part of this Safeguarding Statement each club must also have Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment and Policies and Procedures: –
for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct by staff or volunteers against a child availing of our activities.
for the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers to work with children in our activities.
for access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm.
for reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Statutory Authorities.
We provide all clubs with a Child Safety Statement and a Child Safeguarding Risk assessment to which they add their Clubs information. If you have not received a copy of these docs and are a registered Weightlifting Ireland Club, please contact CPO@weightliftingireland.com.
To comply with these Child Safeguarding requirements we created a new Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children in Weightlifting http://weightliftingireland.com//home/thewebs3/public_html/weightliftingireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dr-7-WI-New-Code-of-Ethics-and-Good-Practice-for-Children-in-Weightlifting.pdf which provides the policies and procedures required.
As part of the Act all clubs must appoint a ‘relevant person’ who is the first point of contact for the club regarding Child Safeguarding. This will usually be the Club’s Children’s Officer.
So, what do you have to do?
Edit and Print out your clubs “WI Club Child Safeguarding Statement” get your club to minute it into your club’s constitution. Get it signed by your Club’s Chair and Children Officer and Hang it where it can be clearly seen as people enter your premises.
Edit, Print out and Sign the “WI Club Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment” Document.
Print out the “Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children in Weightlifting” and the “Appendices” to the Code and place into a ring binder.
Keep the Risk Assessment and Code readily accessible in a box or drawer specifically reserved for them to keep them safe. The copy of the “Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children” should also be in this area.
Edit, by adding photos and contact details for your CO, the Relevant and Mandated Person Document and print out this sheet to Hang beside the Child Safeguarding Statement.
Encourage your coaches and other leaders to read over the risk assessment document and the code of ethics.
All document templates and information can be found here: http://weightliftingireland.com//home/thewebs3/public_html/weightliftingireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Appendices-to-Draft-Code-of-Ethics-Final.pdf
Risk Assessment can be found here: http://weightliftingireland.com//home/thewebs3/public_html/weightliftingireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/WI-Club-Risk-Assessment-Feb-2018.pdf
When you look at the Risk assessment document you will notice that most of the actions required involve reviewing and educating. Over the following months we’ll be encouraging all the clubs to work through each part of these documents to see what they are doing well now and to address areas that need strengthening. It might feel like a big challenge initially but if we treat it like our sport and break it down into manageable parts and slowly but steadily work through it, each of our clubs will be stronger and safer for the young athletes in training.
If you have any questions please contact me through email on cpo@weightliftingireland.com or if it is urgent through text or phone on (087) 685-1261 and I’ll get back to you asap.
National Children’s Officer
Weightlifting Ireland
Ethics and Child Protection Policy
Anti-Doping Policy
Dublin Open – 2019 | Results
Competition Calendar – 2020
European Qualification Entry Totals – 2020
Connacht Open/West of Ireland Championships – 2019 | Results
Cork Open – 2019 | Results
IWF National federation in Ireland | weightliftingireland.com
General Forward | Ethics and Child Protection Policy | Anti-Doping Policy | Complaints and Quality improvements
Health and Safety | Supplements | National Safeguarding | Rules and Regulations
Copyright 2019 | Weightlifting Ireland
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NorthBay Healthcare
A publication of NorthBay Healthcare
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Entries Tagged as Neuroscience
The Miracle of Noah
ABOVE: Caitlin Neveadomi snuggles with Noah, her miracle baby, in their Vacaville home. Caitlin Neveadomi and her husband Brandon never thought having a baby would be so complicated. They’d been trying for months to get pregnant, with the attitude of “if it happens, it happens.” But it wasn’t happening. The NorthBay Health at Home nurse…
NorthBay Spine, part of the NorthBay Center for Neuroscience, offers an integrated approach in which Pain Management works together with Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and with neurosurgery and physical therapy. Specialists can treat back pain effectively with physical therapy, water therapy, exercise, massage and other non-surgical treatments including specialized injections. For appointments, call (707) 624-7746. Osteopathic…
Battle is Personal
The Battle Has Become Personal for Neurosurgeon When it comes to attacking the most aggressive forms of cancer in the brain, it’s not just a job for neurosurgeon Edie Zusman, M.D. It’s personal. Personalized medicine, that is. It’s a high-tech tactic focused on creating the perfect weapon to wipe out glioblastoma and other tumors. It…
Brain Tumor Vanquished
Ana Maria Santos, 60, rarely gets headaches, but one day she got a doozy. “I don’t like to take any pills, but I took a Tylenol and called my husband, Armando,” remembers the longtime Dixon resident. “He didn’t seem to understand how bad it was.” Armando, who works in environmental services for David Grant Medical…
Minutes Matter…
Clot-Busting Drug Delivered in Time Wayne credits his family’s quick action for helping him survive his stroke. With him from left, Scottie Senalik and Jeremy and Ryan Epperson with children Evan and Weber. Wayne Senalik was feeling fit and relaxed on a balmy Sunday in May. He and his wife, Scottie, were looking forward to…
Painfree & Grateful
Surgery Gives Retiree His Life Back Valiollah Eslami Amirabadi, visiting from Iran, right, gratefully thanks Dr.Jeffrey Dembner for restoring his health, while daughter Sedigheh Ghods watches. After Iranian doctors told Valiollah Eslami Amirabadi that he’d have to live with intense back pain, he felt hopeless. But during a visit with his daughter and her family…
NorthBay and Neurosurgeon Team Up to Usher in a New Era What would inspire a man to give up a successful neurosurgical practice in Newport Beach and move 400 miles north to settle in Solano County? For Jeffrey Dembner, M.D., the answer is simple: The opportunity to build NorthBay Healthcare’s Center for Neuroscience from the…
A Neurosurgeon’s Arsenal
The list of our high-tech equipment reads like a classified military document. There’s the Stealth Navigator and the O-Arm. The Pentero microscope. There’s the Ultrasonic Aspirator and ICP Monitor. You’d have to be a brain surgeon to understand it. Exactly. The aforementioned list includes some of the state-of-the-art technology in the arsenal of Dr. Jeffrey…
Keeping Seizures at Bay
Although it has been 14 years since her first epileptic seizure, Pat Scholl can recall the moments leading up to it in vivid detail, as if it happened just moments ago. The then-44-year-old middle school math teacher was at home in Dixon tutoring a seventh-grade student. “I had just asked her to define ‘sublimation.’ I…
New Era: Neuroscience
Neuroscience. The very mention of the word evokes images of brain scans, high-tech equipment and an alphabet soup of tests such as MRI, CT scan and the x-ray. Some may think it’s synonymous with brain surgery, but that’s just part of it. Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system and includes sophisticated surgery…
Mom Didn’t Recognize Signs of Her Stroke
Health at Home Nurse Lisa Lucero, R.N., offers Delfina Duran encouragement during recovery. When Delfina Duran, 41, of Fairfield, reached the NorthBay Medical Center Emergency Department (ED) on Friday, May 17, it had been 10 hours since she had suffered a stroke. The mother of two didn’t know the warning signs of stroke, so when…
The Trek to High-Tech
Neurosurgeons Discuss Their Craft Jeffrey Dembner, M.D., and Mary Mancini, M.D., compare notes on the changes in neuroscience. Neurosurgery is one of the most technically challenging disciplines in medicine. The nervous system—comprised of your brain, spinal cord and nerves—is made of billions of cells making trillions of connections. And when damaged, these cells generally do…
The Road Back
Therapy is Key to Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury Physical Therapist Carlene Tauzer assists a patient. The road to recovery following a traumatic brain injury begins almost immediately after the patient is stabilized, says Doug Hinton, manager of rehabilitation services for NorthBay Healthcare. Whether the brain injury is the result of stroke, auto accident, fall…
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. It can happen when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. TBIs can range from a mild concussion to a severe injury that leads to death. The leading cause…
Surgeon Teaches Feet on the Street
More than 100 Northern California first responders—the feet on the street—as well as emergency room personnel and other healthcare providers received some valuable trauma training by neuro-surgical expert Jeffrey Dembner, M.D., Medical Director for the Center for Neuroscience and neurological services for NorthBay Healthcare. Dr. Dembner taught the group how to assess and respond to…
A Stroke Strikes Fear: Act Fast, Save a Life
In an instant, a stroke can change the course of your life. It can be far more devastating than a heart attack because it can cause irreparable damage. This damage can include loss of the ability to speak, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, short-term memory loss and balance problems. A major…
Program Scores Silver Award
It was a silver celebration when the NorthBay Healthcare Stroke Steering Committee earned high honors from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association in May. The Silver Achievement Award is given to programs that achieve at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all “Get With The Guidelines Stroke…
TIA: A Serious Stroke Warning
What if, for a brief moment in time, you felt like you’d had a stroke? Your arm went numb, or your vision blurred. And just as suddenly as it began, it was over. Or was it? You may have experienced what is called a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. Even though the attack is over,…
A Functional Foundation
Blending Modern Science with Traditional Medicine Patients being treated for chronic neurological disorders at NorthBay Healthcare now have access to a new practice that blends the best of modern medical science with traditional natural medical approaches. Called “Functional Medicine,” this new practice focuses on maximizing a patient’s overall health, which can positively impact a disease…
When Tremors Begin…
As people age, it’s normal to experience occasionally stiff muscles or slowing reflexes. But, for 1 million Americans, those symptoms are the first harbingers of Parkinson’s disease. Shahid Rehman, M.D. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that can strike men and women of any ethnicity, according to Shahid Rehman, M.D., neurologist for…
Fall Prevention at Home and Work
NorthBay Healthcare’s program goes beyond the initial life-saving treatment of traumatic injuries and the necessary rehabilitative care that follows. In fact, great effort is being put into injury prevention. For instance, the No. 1 cause that sends people to NorthBay Trauma Center is falls—accidents in the home and at work. A team of health educators…
Top 10 Reasons for Foot Pain
N is for Neuroscience
Advice Nurse Help
M is for Mother-Baby
Sepehre Naficy, M.D. Joins Heart & Vascular Surgical Team
Playground Fall Fractures Femur
Walk of Life Even for Chairman of the Board
Mimi Pilacek So happy to hear you are recovering from this tragic accident. Be well. ...
Uncle LeonR That's my niece telling it like it is in the real world of NURSING. Sooooooo pro...
Tracy B Thanks for sharing your story Mercille. This article makes me proud to be your ...
AYO This story moved me to tears, I don't even know how to start. I'm happy for Pors...
Kim Bledsoe As a patient of Dr. Long, I can attest to his compassion, concern and gentleness...
Barbara Bean-Jensen It's a great pleasure to facilitate this group....
Michelle Clement This tribute to our mother meant the world to her and all of us who participated...
From the Desk
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Dr Allan Woodburn
Architecture and Cities
Centre for Urban Infrastructures
Development of greener vehicles, aircraft and ships
McKinnon, A., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. Development of greener vehicles, aircraft and ships. in: McKinnon, A., Cullinane, S., Browne, M. and Whiteing, A. (ed.) Green logistics: improving the environmental sustainability of logistics London Kogan Page.
International road and rail freight transport: the impact of globalisation on activity levels
Woodburn, A.G., Allen, J., Browne, M. and Leonardi, J. 2010. International road and rail freight transport: the impact of globalisation on activity levels. in: Globalisation, transport and the environment OECD Publishing. pp. 121-158
Transferring freight to 'greener' transport roads
Woodburn, A.G. and Whiteing, A. 2010. Transferring freight to 'greener' transport roads. in: McKinnon, A., Cullinane, S., Browne, M. and Whiteing, A. (ed.) Green logistics: improving the environmental sustainability of logistics London Kogan Page. pp. 124-139
Intermodal rail freight in Britain: a terminal problem?
Woodburn, A.G. 2008. Intermodal rail freight in Britain: a terminal problem? Planning Practice and Research. 23 (3), pp. 441-460. doi:10.1080/02697450802423708
London freight data report
Allen, J., Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Piotrowska, M. 2008. London freight data report. London Transport for London.
The potential use of urban consolidation centres in the hotel industry in London
Browne, M., Piotrowska, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2008. The potential use of urban consolidation centres in the hotel industry in London. in: Taniguchi, E. and Thompson, R.G. (ed.) Innovations in city logistics New York Nova Science Publishers. pp. 83-96
The non-bulk market for rail freight in Great Britain
Woodburn, A.G. 2006. The non-bulk market for rail freight in Great Britain. Journal of Transport Geography. 14 (4), pp. 299-308. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2005.06.002
Developments in Western European logistics strategies
Browne, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2006. Developments in Western European logistics strategies. in: Waters, D. (ed.) Global logistics: new directions in supply chain management. 5th revised edition London, UK Kogan Page.
Rail network resilience and operational responsiveness during unplanned disruption: A rail freight case study
Woodburn, A.G. 2019. Rail network resilience and operational responsiveness during unplanned disruption: A rail freight case study. Journal of Transport Geography. 77, pp. 59-69. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.04.006
Woodburn, A.G. 2017. Rail operations. in: Monios, J. and Bergqvist, C. (ed.) Intermodal Freight Transport and Logistics Boca Raton, FL CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.
Potential for non-road modes to support environmentally friendly urban logistics
Browne, M., Allen, J., Woodburn, A.G. and Piotrowska, M. 2014. Potential for non-road modes to support environmentally friendly urban logistics. 1st International Conference Green cities: Green Logistics for Greener Cities. Szczecin, Poland 19 - 21 May 2014 Elsevier. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.005
Potential role of railway stations as urban freight hubs
Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Allen, J. 2015. Potential role of railway stations as urban freight hubs. Logistics Research Network Conference. University of Derby, Derby, UK 09 - 11 Sep 2015
An analysis of rail freight operational efficiency and mode share in the British port-hinterland container market
Woodburn, A.G. 2017. An analysis of rail freight operational efficiency and mode share in the British port-hinterland container market. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 51, pp. 190-202. doi:10.1016/j.trd.2017.01.002
The impacts on freight train operational performance of new rail infrastructure to segregate passenger and freight traffic
Woodburn, A.G. 2017. The impacts on freight train operational performance of new rail infrastructure to segregate passenger and freight traffic. Journal of Transport Geography. 58, pp. 176-185. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.12.006
Woodburn, A.G. 2017. Rail freight. in: Cowie, J. and Ison, S. (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Transport Economics London Routledge. pp. 368-383
ICT for rail freight management
Woodburn, A.G. 2016. ICT for rail freight management. in: Wang, Y. and Pettit, S. (ed.) E-Logistics: Managing Your Digital Supply Chains for Competitive Advantage London Kogan Page. pp. 85-107
An empirical study of the variability in the composition of British freight trains
Woodburn, A.G. 2015. An empirical study of the variability in the composition of British freight trains. Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management. 5 (4), pp. 294-308. doi:10.1016/j.jrtpm.2015.12.001
International road and rail freight transport activity
Leonardi, J., Woodburn, A.G., Allen, J. and Browne, M. 2014. International road and rail freight transport activity. in: Waters, D. and Rinsler, S. (ed.) Global logistics: new directions in supply chain management (7th ed.) London Kogan Page. pp. 373-393
A review of urban consolidation centres in the supply chain based on a case study approach
Allen, J., Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Leonardi, J. 2014. A review of urban consolidation centres in the supply chain based on a case study approach. Supply Chain Forum: an international journal. 15 (4), pp. 100-112. doi:10.1080/16258312.2014.11517361
High Speed 2: identifying opportunities for freight at Euston and Old Oak Common
Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Allen, J. 2013. High Speed 2: identifying opportunities for freight at Euston and Old Oak Common. London University of Westminster.
A review of rail freight initiatives in the urban supply chain
Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G., Piotrowska, M. and Allen, J. 2013. A review of rail freight initiatives in the urban supply chain. RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2013. London 30 Aug 2013
Browne, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2014. Developments in Western European logistics strategies. in: Waters, D. and Rinsler, S. (ed.) Global logistics: new directions in supply chain management London Kogan Page. pp. 395-418
Urban railway hub freight expansion feasability study: final report to Cross River Partnership
Woodburn, A.G., Browne, M. and Allen, J. 2015. Urban railway hub freight expansion feasability study: final report to Cross River Partnership. London University of Westminster.
McKinnon, A., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2015. Development of greener vehicles, aircraft and ships. in: McKinnon, A., Browne, M., Whiting, A. and Piecyk, M. (ed.) Green logistics: improving the environmental sustainability of logistics (3rd edition) London Kogan Page. pp. 165-193
London freight data report 2014
Browne, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2014. London freight data report 2014. Transport for London.
The changing nature of rail freight in Great Britain: the start of a renaissance?
Woodburn, A.G. 2001. The changing nature of rail freight in Great Britain: the start of a renaissance? Transport Reviews. 21 (1), pp. 1-13. doi:10.1080/014416400750059257
A logistical perspective on the potential for modal shift of freight from road to rail in Great Britain
Woodburn, A.G. 2003. A logistical perspective on the potential for modal shift of freight from road to rail in Great Britain. International Journal of Transport Management. 1 (4), pp. 237-245. doi:10.1016/j.ijtm.2004.05.001
Rail freight in Scotland: issues and challenges
Woodburn, A.G. 2004. Rail freight in Scotland: issues and challenges. Holyrood Magazine Transport Quarterly. 4.
Meeting the rail freight growth target
Woodburn, A.G. 2004. Meeting the rail freight growth target. UK University of Westminster/Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Urban freight consolidation centres
Woodburn, A.G., Browne, M., Sweet, M. and Allen, J. 2005. Urban freight consolidation centres. Logistics Research Network Annual Conference. Plymouth, UK 07 - 09 Sep 2005
Urban freight consolidation centres: final report
Browne, M., Sweet, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Allen, J. 2005. Urban freight consolidation centres: final report. Transport Studies Group, University of Westminster.
Night-time delivery restrictions: a review
Browne, M., Allen, J., Anderson, S. and Woodburn, A.G. 2006. Night-time delivery restrictions: a review. in: Taniguchi, E. (ed.) Recent Advances in City Logistics: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on City Logistics Oxford, UK Elsevier.
Literature Review WM7: Scope for modal shift through fiscal, regulatory and organisational change, carried as as part of Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project
Woodburn, A.G., Browne, M., Piotrowska, M. and Allen, J. 2007. Literature Review WM7: Scope for modal shift through fiscal, regulatory and organisational change, carried as as part of Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project. Green Logistics.
Comparison of urban freight data collection in European countries
Woodburn, A.G., Allen, J., Patier-Marque, D., Routhier, J.L. and Ambrosini, C. 2007. Comparison of urban freight data collection in European countries. 11th World Conference on Transportation Research. Berkeley, USA 24 - 29 Jun 2007
Wagonload rail freight: is there a future?
Woodburn, A.G. 2007. Wagonload rail freight: is there a future? 39th Annual Conference of the Universities Transport Study Group. Harrogate 03 - 05 Jan 2007
Logistics and freight transport: responding to the new energy challenge
Woodburn, A.G. 2007. Logistics and freight transport: responding to the new energy challenge. Intelligent Transport Conference. Oxford 06 Mar 2007
Literature Review WM9: Part I - urban freight transport, carried out as part of Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project
Browne, M., Piotrowska, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Allen, J. 2007. Literature Review WM9: Part I - urban freight transport, carried out as part of Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project. Green Logistics Report, University of Westminster.
Browne, M., Piotrowska, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2007. The potential use of urban consolidation centres in the hotel industry in London. 5th International Conference on City Logistics. Crete, Greece 11 - 13 Jul 2007
Literature Review WM9: Part II - light goods vehicles in urban areas, carried as as part Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project
Browne, M., Allen, J., Woodburn, A.G. and Piotrowska, M. 2007. Literature Review WM9: Part II - light goods vehicles in urban areas, carried as as part Work Module 1, Green Logistics Project. Green Logistics Report, University of Westminster.
The role of urban consolidation centres for different business sectors
Browne, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2007. The role of urban consolidation centres for different business sectors. 11th World Conference on Transportation Research. Berkeley, USA 24 - 29 Jun 2007
Synthesis report on data collection and proposed tools and techniques
Allen, J., Browne, M., Piotrowska, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2007. Synthesis report on data collection and proposed tools and techniques. Green Logistics Project report.
Appropriate indicators of rail freight activity and market share: a review of UK practice and recommendations for change
Woodburn, A.G. 2007. Appropriate indicators of rail freight activity and market share: a review of UK practice and recommendations for change. Transport Policy. 14 (1), pp. 59-69. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2006.09.002
Evaluating the potential for urban consolidation centres
Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Allen, J. 2007. Evaluating the potential for urban consolidation centres. European Transport / Trasporti Europei. 35, pp. 46-63.
Evaluation of rail freight facilities grant funding in Britain
Woodburn, A.G. 2007. Evaluation of rail freight facilities grant funding in Britain. Transport Reviews. 27 (3), pp. 311-326. doi:10.1080/01441640600990418
The role for rail in port-based container freight flows in Britain
Woodburn, A.G. 2007. The role for rail in port-based container freight flows in Britain. Maritime Policy and Management. 34 (4), pp. 311-330. doi:10.1080/03088830701539032
The challenge of high cube ISO containers for British rail freight operations
Woodburn, A.G. 2008. The challenge of high cube ISO containers for British rail freight operations. Logistics Research Network Annual Conference 2008: Supply Chain Innovations: people, practice and performance. University of Liverpool, UK 10 - 12 Sep 2008
Container train operations between ports and their hinterlands: a UK case study
Woodburn, A.G. 2008. Container train operations between ports and their hinterlands: a UK case study. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Conference: Hinterland Connections of Seaports. Piraeus, Greece 17 - 18 Sep 2008
An investigation of container train service provision and load factors in Great Britain
Woodburn, A.G. 2008. An investigation of container train service provision and load factors in Great Britain. 40th Annual UTSG Conference. 03 - 05 Jan 2008 Southampton
The impacts of globalisation on international road and rail freight transport activity: past trends and future perspectives
Leonardi, J., Woodburn, A.G., Allen, J. and Browne, M. 2008. The impacts of globalisation on international road and rail freight transport activity: past trends and future perspectives. OECD/ITF Global Forum on Sustainable Development: Transport and Environment in a Globalising World. Guadalajara, Mexico 10 - 12 Nov 2008
Leonardi, J., Woodburn, A.G., Allen, J. and Browne, M. 2010. International road and rail freight transport activity. in: Waters, D. (ed.) Global logistics: new directions in supply chain management. 6th edition London Kogan Page. pp. 390-408
Developments in Western European logistics
Browne, M., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. Developments in Western European logistics. in: Waters, D. (ed.) Global logistics: new directions in supply chain management. 6th edition London Kogan Page. pp. 420-442
An investigation of freight quality partnerships in the UK
Browne, M., Allen, J., Piotrowska, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. An investigation of freight quality partnerships in the UK. 15th Annual Conference of the Logistics Research Network. Harrogate 08 - 10 Sep 2010
Integrated transport policy in freight transport
Allen, J., Browne, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. Integrated transport policy in freight transport. in: Givoni, M. and Banister, D. (ed.) Integrated transport: from policy to practice Abingdon, Oxon Routledge. pp. 75-96
Freight Quality Partnerships in the UK: an analysis of their work and achievements
Allen, J., Browne, M., Piotrowska, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. Freight Quality Partnerships in the UK: an analysis of their work and achievements. Green Logistics Report, University of Westminster.
Allen, J., Browne, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2010. London freight data report 2009. London Transport for London Freight & Fleet.
The role of urban consolidation centres in sustainable freight transport
Allen, J., Browne, M., Leonardi, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2011. The role of urban consolidation centres in sustainable freight transport. in: Evangelista, P., McKinnon, A., Sweeney, E. and Esposito, E. (ed.) Supply chain innovation for competing in highly dynamic markets: challenges and solutions Hershey, PA IGI Global. pp. 199-214
Woodburn, A.G. 2011. An investigation of container train service provision and load factors in Great Britain. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research. 11 (3), pp. 147-165.
McKinnon, A., Allen, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2012. Development of greener vehicles, aircraft and ships. in: McKinnon, A., Browne, M. and Whiteing, A. (ed.) Green logistics: improving the environmental sustainability of logistics (2nd edition) London Kogan Page. pp. 145-171
Allen, J., Browne, M., Woodburn, A.G. and Leonardi, J. 2012. The role of urban consolidation centres in sustainable freight transport. Transport Reviews. 32 (4), pp. 473-490. doi:10.1080/01441647.2012.688074
Allen, J., Browne, M. and Woodburn, A.G. 2012. London freight data report 2012. Transport for London.
The role of urban consolidation centres in freight transport
Allen, J., Browne, M., Leonardi, J. and Woodburn, A.G. 2012. The role of urban consolidation centres in freight transport. in: Evangelista, P., McKinnon, A., Sweeney, E. and Esposito, E. (ed.) Supply chain innovation for competing in highly dynamic markets: challenges and solutions Hershey, PA Business Science Reference. pp. 199-214
Intermodal rail freight activity in Britain: where has the growth come from?
Woodburn, A.G. 2012. Intermodal rail freight activity in Britain: where has the growth come from? Research in Transportation Business & Management: Airport Management. 5, pp. 16-26. doi:10.1016/j.rtbm.2012.09.001
The potential for rail to make a significant contribution to urban freight operations
Browne, M., Allen, J., Woodburn, A.G. and Piotrowska, M. 2013. The potential for rail to make a significant contribution to urban freight operations. Logistics Research Network Conference. University of Aston 4-6 September
Data collection for understanding urban goods movement: comparison of collection methods and approaches in European countries
Allen, J., Ambrosini, C., Browne, M., Patier-Marque, D., Routhier, J.L. and Woodburn, A.G. 2013. Data collection for understanding urban goods movement: comparison of collection methods and approaches in European countries. in: Gonzalez-Feliu, J., Semet, F. and Routhier, J.L. (ed.) Sustainable urban logistics: concepts, methods and information systems Heidelberg Springer. pp. 71-89
Effects of rail network enhancement on port hinterland container activity: a United Kingdom case study
Woodburn, A.G. 2013. Effects of rail network enhancement on port hinterland container activity: a United Kingdom case study. Journal of Transport Geography. 33, pp. 162-169. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2013.10.010
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Twitter accounts push propaganda photos of Turkish soldiers
As Turkish forces invaded northern Syria in early October, supporters of the offensive launched a different kind of campaign — online.
Dozens of images claiming to show Turkey’s soldiers cuddling babies, feeding hungry toddlers and carrying elderly women spread across Twitter and Instagram where they were liked, retweeted and viewed thousands of times thanks also to popular hashtags.
Except some of the photos weren’t of Turkish soldiers. None of them were recent and some had been taken in parts of Syria unconnected to the invasion – even in other parts of the world.
The online campaign follows a pattern of social media propaganda that seeks to sway global opinion when controversial, international events erupt. In August, for instance, Twitter announced it had suspended more than 200,000 accounts thought to be run by Beijing to peddle propaganda targeting the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. YouTube soon followed, disabling more than 200 videos believed to be part of a coordinated, misinformation attack on the demonstrations.
In last month’s instance, the images began making the rounds in the days after President Donald Trump’s widely criticized withdrawal of U.S. troops opened the way for the Turkish offensive against the Kurds on the border with northeastern Syria.
They weren’t the only ones. Social media posts sympathetic to the Kurds also wrongly linked Turkey to horrifying images of military assaults or war victims. Such tweets included a photo of a girl with severe burns on her face that purported to show that Turkey had dispersed white phosphorus on Kurds. In fact, the April 2015 image was shot by a Reuters photographer in Yemen.
But unlike the pro-Kurdish images, the false and misleading posts promoting Turkey appeared to get a boost from a coordinated network of Twitter accounts that amplified the content through trending hashtags and retweets.
“That is not the norm of normal behavior on Twitter,” said Gideon Blocq, the CEO of VineSight, a technology company that tracks misinformation online and reviewed the pro-Turkey tweets at The Associated Press’ request. Their analysis examined the frequency of the tweets, use of stock photos and locations of six Twitter accounts that promoted the images and their followers, among other things, all traits that signal inauthentic behavior.
“One can conclude that these automated accounts are there to push content,” Blocq said.
Social media propaganda is a tactic with a proven success rate. Countries and foreign actors are simply copying the methods used by Russians to spread misinformation about America’s 2016 presidential election, said P.W. Singer, the co-author of “LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media.”
Masked by social media accounts that looked like they belonged to average Americans, Russia duped people into sharing misleading or false images, text and videos about presidential candidates, newsworthy events or political parties.
“The lesson that they all took was that not only does it work — but it’s cheap and easy to pull off with little consequence,” Singer said. “This is the new normal in war, politics and business.” he said.
There are many examples from Syria, where viewers have weaponized misleading images to revile or cheer on the Turkish forces.
In early October, the ex-mayor of Ankara and other Twitter accounts shared footage of what purported to be a Turkish assault on the Kurds in Syria. The video was shared and viewed thousands of times, and ABC News aired it. But it turned out to have been taken at a military gun demonstration in Kentucky, and ABC later apologized for airing the footage.
However, dozens of misrepresented images shared widely with the help of hashtags have cast the Turkish invasion in a more favorable light. Since it began, Twitter accounts — some of which were just created in September — shared positive but misleading photos of Turkish soldiers that were liked and retweeted hundreds of times. The tweets linked the photos to hashtags like #TurkishArmyForThePeace and #TurkeyIsJustKillingTerrorists. Many of the tweets came from accounts that claimed to be based in the Middle East.
For example, a supposedly recent photo showing a Turkish soldier giving a Syrian girl water was, in fact, shot by an Associated Press photographer in 2015. And an image that purported to show a Syrian woman in purple being carried by Turkish soldiers made the rounds on Twitter but was, in fact, taken by AP in 2010, during flooding evacuations in Pakistan.
Turkey itself, which as of last week had detained 452 people for social media posts critical of the northern Syria, has also put out a tightly controlled narrative on Twitter.
One of the most widely shared photos was first posted to Twitter by Turkey’s ministry of defense, hours after the White House announced on Oct. 6 that U.S. troops would clear the way for an expected Turkish assault in northeastern Syria.
The image, which has been used by Turkish propaganda sites before, showed a kneeling Turkish soldier holding the hand of a little girl in a blue sweater against the backdrop of a military vehicle adorned with the Turkish flag. It was shared by Twitter users in subsequent days on Twitter, accompanied with the #TurkishArmyForThePeace hashtag.
“Turkey never shoots civilians,” one Twitter user wrote when sharing the photo.
Asked about the photos and hashtags used to spread the images, Twitter spokeswoman Liz Kelley told the AP the tech company has not seen any evidence of coordinated campaigns to share false information about the Turkish offensive on its site.
But VineSight’s independent analysis of several accounts that promoted these and other misleading pro-Turkey photos on Twitter in the invasion’s early days not only found signs of automation, but also noted that an overwhelming majority of the accounts’ followers listed locations in Pakistan.
While it’s impossible to determine who is behind the accounts using only the publicly available information on profiles, VineSight’s findings suggest they are part of an automated network promoting certain hashtags, images and tweets.
“It’s extremely difficult to build up such a network — it takes some time and manual work,” said Yoel Grinshpon, vice president of research for VineSight. “I would guess it’s somebody who has resources.”
Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros in Istanbul contributed to this report.
By AMANDA SEITZ
File – In this June 14, 2015, file photo a Turkish soldier offers water to a Syrian refugee child after crossing into Turkey from Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey. As Turkish forces invaded northern Syria in early October 2019, supporters of the offensive launched an online misinformation campaign. Dozens of misleading images claiming to show Turkey’s soldiers cuddling babies, feeding hungry toddlers and carrying elderly women spread across Twitter and Instagram where they were liked, retweeted and viewed thousands of times. They included this photo, which was, in fact, shot by an Associated Press photographer in 2015. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)
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