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Exploring Guaranteed Income Through a Racial and Gender Justice Lens
by Jhumpa Bhattacharya / Wednesday, 19 June 2019 / Published in Brief, Publications
Without bold, visionary action to address race- and gender-based wealth inequities, the chasm between those who are economically secure and those who are not—mainly Black, brown, and Native American communities and women—will continue to grow. In the end, these issues threaten our nation’s ability to finally achieve our promise of freedom, dignity, and security for all.
In “Exploring Guaranteed Income Through a Racial and Gender Justice Lens,” Jhumpa Bhattacharya, vice president of programs and strategy at the Insight Center, connects two important debates: 1) The need to address the racial wealth gap that exists between people of color and white Americans and 2) a guaranteed income as one big idea that is capable of redefining these wealth divides. She explores three types of cash transfer programs—monthly installments, an annual lump sum, and “universal plus basic income”—that could combat racial and gender wealth inequities. Ultimately, Bhattacharya finds that only the third model, first popularized by former Roosevelt Fellow Dorian Warren, will allow communities of color to accumulate wealth.
Read the full brief here.
Tagged under: Economic Inclusion, gender, hidden rules, inequality, Labor and Wages, Politics, race, wages
http://bit.ly/2IXNqOt
Jhumpa Bhattacharya is the vice president of programs and strategy at the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, where she leads work identifying policy and narrative solutions to racial and gender wealth inequities. Her expertise includes developing equity-based policies, practices, tools, and frameworks; conducting best practice research; providing technical assistance and capacity building; incorporating community and student voice into policy and programming; and facilitating complex dialogues on race, culture, and immigration.
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01983 852186 Book
Working Responsibly
Premier Rooms
The Royal Hotel are supporting Project Possible
14/7 Project Possible
The Royal’s Managing Director, William Bailey, and his son Greg, have both been keen climbers over the years, and ever since Greg was eight years old, they enjoyed climbing together in the Alps. When they met record-breaking mountaineer, Nirmal Purja, they were impressed by his infectious enthusiasm and ‘can-do’ attitude - an approach that has led “Nims” to tackle a challenge that even most experienced climbers would think impossible.
Having served in the Special Forces for ten years, Nims is leaving the British military to embark on an epic mountaineering quest, climbing all fourteen of the 8,000 metre high Himalayan peaks in just seven months. The previous record for this attempt took seven years and eleven months.
With a clutch of climbing records to his name (including the first person to summit Everest twice in the same season), and an MBE from The Queen for his achievement on extreme high altitude mountaineering, Nims calls this extraordinary challenge ‘Project Possible’. Starting in March 2019, he aims to climb the highest Himalayan peaks in the world, including Everest, K2, and Annapurna, by 1st November.
Ranging from G1’s 8,010 metres to Everest’s 8,848 metre summit, he hopes that this boundary-pushing challenge will raise awareness of his homeland, Nepal, and the elite Sherpa guides who help many tackle Himalayan climbing. Crucially, Nims wants to raise funds to help injured war veterans and Nepalese children in need.
When William heard that Nims was raising money for war veterans, he felt compelled to sponsor him, since his own father had been badly affected with PTSD after serving with the infamous Desert Rats during World War II. Lionel Bailey was so mentally scarred by his war experience, that his mother brought him to the peaceful Isle of Wight to recuperate. Living in Bonchurch, he met his future wife, Pamela, and together they worked in the hospitality industry, going on to run the Royal Esplanade Hotel in Ryde for many years. It was their example, work ethic, and this invaluable grounding in the hotel business, that led William to take over The Royal Hotel in Ventnor in 1994.
William and Greg are both full of admiration for Nims’s determination and will be rooting for him every step of the way. Do visit the Project Possible website to find out more - you can also follow Nims’ progress on his Instagram and Facebook pages, or make a donation via GoFundMe.
The Project Possible website has more information on Nims' world changing undertaking.
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Professor Peter Day FRS
Peter Day is a pioneer of materials chemistry, seeking unusual physical properties in inorganic and metal–organic compounds and models to explain them. He played a major role in the development of mixed-valence chemistry, and has carried out important and elegant experimental and theoretical work on the spectra, magnetic properties and conductivity of solid, inorganic complexes.
As a young researcher, he gave the first theoretically consistent description of the visible–ultraviolet spectra of vitamin B12 and its derivatives. Later, he put the assignment of inorganic charge-transfer spectra on a more rigorous basis; he correlated structures and physical properties of metal chain compounds and identified the first optically transparent ferromagnetic compounds by combined optical and neutron scattering methods. He also measured and systematised the optical properties of metamagnets.
Peter has received awards from both the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry; the latter named one of its awards in materials chemistry after him. He has served many national and international agencies and institutions, both professional and governmental, and holds numerous honorary degrees and fellowships.
Emeritus Professor Chemistry, University of London
Chemistry, materials, Chemistry, inorganic
Materials chemistry, solid state chemistry
Bakerian Medal and Lecture
On 'The molecular chemistry of magnets and superconductors'.
Blackett and Jagdish Chandra Bose Memorial Lectures
On 'Creating and communicating science: the experience of the Royal Institution'.
Humphry Davy and Claude Bernard Lectures
On 'imants et Supraconducteurs: Nouveau Champ d'Action pour la Chimie Supramoléculaire'.
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Northern Australia should have a say in its own future
Dale, Allan (2013) Northern Australia should have a say in its own future. The Conversation, 6 August 2013.
PDF (Scholarly Blog Post) - Published Version
View at Publisher Website: http://theconversation.com/northern-aust...
[Extract] Recently, Australia's north has featured front-and-centre in national debates about the country's future; the election campaign will likely see more claims about what the north can do for the country.
Some cast it as the frontier saviour, a source of bold new resource and agricultural developments both real and imagined. Others dream of securing the north's expansive landscapes as iconic wilderness.
Northern policy has long been a source of conflict. Debates have raged about the success or otherwise of government interventions in indigenous communities. Quick-draw policy responses on complex issues like the live cattle trade have devastated many communities. Additionally, media images of coast-bound refugees keep the north's strategic importance centre-stage, raising unresolved tensions about our Asian-Pacific relationships.
Article (Commentary)
16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1604 Human Geography > 160403 Social and Cultural Geography @ 100%
97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970105 Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences @ 100%
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Anne Bronte's The tenant of Wildfell Hall: A feminist text?
Woolaston, Elizabeth (1988) Anne Bronte's The tenant of Wildfell Hall: A feminist text? Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University.
PDF - Whole Thesis
The basic argument presented in this dissertation is that Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wild/ell Hall can be interpreted as a nineteenth century 'feminist text', if we accept feminism as simply the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.
Before attempting an analysis of the text itself as a 'feminist text' the dissertation first seeks to recognize and illuminate the problems apparent in claiming that any author writes authentically about women's experience, given that women's experience is never homogeneous, but it is always mediated by class, ideology, ethnicity, race, sex and the age in which the author lives. Chapter One endeavours to place the textual analysis into the context of feminist literary criticism to both demonstrate the complexity of the task and the intended approach to that task.
Chapter Two attempts to place the text into an historical context. This is done in order to illustrate the degree to which personal experience affected authorial intention, to show the manner in which feminist ideology in the text reflects notable contemporary feminist sentiment and to gauge public and critical response to the text.
Chapters Three and Four of the dissertation analyse the Gilbert Markham 'letter narrative' and the Helen Huntington 'journal narrative' respectively. In the 'letter narrative' Anne Bronte chooses to expose sexual inequality and feminine discontent in a typical patriarchal society through a satirical critique of an ostensibly idyllic rural community, represented by Linden Carr. Here she exposes a murky underside to professed communal and domestic felicity by showing the dissatisfaction of the female members and the disharmony between them which springs from a lack of fulfilling employment, except to cater to masculine needs and expectations. Helen Huntingdon creates a social upheaval at Linden Carr because she embodies feminine capability and independence, implicitly rejecting many of the small community's long-cherished shibboleths, which conveniently help preserve the patriarchal status quo. Helen also manages to elevate Gilbert Markham to an equal status with herself, thus allowing Anne Bronte to elucidate the qualities required in men to equip them for egalitarian marriage with women of lofty moral stature and independent ideals.
In the 'journal section' Anne Bronte launches a more vituperative attack on sexual double standards and the potential for masculine tyranny in marriage. In her attempt to expose sexual inequality, unsentimentally and unromantically, Anne Bronte also debunks the mythology surrounding the 'Byronic hero' and the 'Regency rake' simultaneously. Anne Bronte achieves this in a minute and 'realistic' description of the unmitigated iniquity of Arthur Huntingdon and his set of debauched companions. As a corollary to the exposure of masculine excess, Anne Bronte also illustrates a range of possible female response, concluding that a woman has the moral right to leave a thoroughly unsuitable husband. This is so particularly if the morality of the children of the union is equally in jeopardy with the wife's sanity and self-respect.
Throughout the text, Anne Bronte also appeals for equal educational opportunities for women and for more equitable child-rearing practices between the sexes. She spoke ardently for women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes without necessarily being a misogamist. She still revered the institution of marriage, provided it was a union of equals rather than the submission of one partner to the tyranny of the other.
Thesis (Masters by Research)
Note to the author: If you would like to make your thesis openly available on Murdoch University Library's Research Repository, please contact: repository@murdoch.edu.au. Thank you.
Supervisor(s):
Mishra, Vijay
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Was Unix ever a single-user OS?
I've been told that Unix started out as a Phone Switch OS and was not a multi-user OS at some time in its infancy.
As I'm always willing to learn new things, are there any greybeards around here older than me that remember this?
Bonus points if you can find any documentation to back it up. Scans of old manuals count as my quick googling didn't turn up anything on-line...
history unix
FabbyFabby
Note that single user and single program are not the same thing. – Walter Mitty Apr 29 '19 at 17:40
@WalterMitty I'm from the CP/M era and remember single-tasking single-user OSes... ;-) – Fabby Apr 29 '19 at 17:41
Yes, me too, although I had lots of prior experience with timesharing. But my comment was directed at unix. AFAIK unix was always capaple of supporting multitasking, perhaps by some other name. – Walter Mitty Apr 29 '19 at 22:22
Unix was not originally developed as a phone switch OS. The team that developed Unix originally got a contract to develop a word processor (think Google docs rather than Microsoft Word) for the patent office. They used the task as an excuse to create an operating system (Unix) because the OS they wanted to use wasn't shipping (Multics) and a programming language (C) because the language they were using was not high level enough (BCPL and assembly) – slebetman Apr 30 '19 at 5:51
@slebetman Unix existed before the word processing contract; that contract was used to justify buying the group’s first PDP-11. – Stephen Kitt Apr 30 '19 at 7:08
Going from “AT&T made phone switches” to the idea that Unix was intended to drive phone switches is quite a leap. The creators of Unix described its creation and development in some detail, e.g. in The Evolution of the Unix Time-sharing System:
What we wanted to preserve was not just a good environment in which to do programming, but a system around which a fellowship could form. We knew from experience that the essence of communal computing, as supplied by remote-access, time-shared machines, is not just to type programs into a terminal instead of a keypunch, but to encourage close communication.
So Unix was really a scratch-your-own-itch development at first, and intended to be multi-process and multi-user from the beginning. Of course the costs involved in developing it (mostly buying hardware) had to be justified, which quickly led to the development of text-processing software and various other developments later on.
You can run V1 Unix on an emulated PDP-11 on a modern computer; the default configuration supports 8 logins. A partial reconstruction of the original PDP-7 Unix is also available. The latter seemingly supported multiple users and processes, but only one of each at a time (ten process slots were available but only one process was swapped in at a time); that analysis is based on the source code as preserved in the reconstruction, but other recollections (closer to the time) differ. Thus Steve Bourne wrote in The Unix System V Environment
A cast-off PDP 7 with a 340 display was available but the PDP 7 provided only an assembler and a link editor. One user at a time could use the computer, each user having exclusive use of the machine. This environment was crude and parts of a single user UNIX system were soon forthcoming. The space travel program was rewritten for the PDP 7 and an assembler and rudimentary operating system kernel were written and cross assembled for the PDP 7 on the GECOS system. This early system did not provide time-sharing. indeed, much like the modern personal computers, the PDP 7 hardware was simple and provided no support for such activities. An assembler and a command interpreter were soon available. This file system provided a name structure that was a directed graph. A single directory was used for all subdirectories and links made through this directory.
Cross assembling meant using two computer systems and carrying paper tapes of programs from one to the other each time a change was made. The system was soon bootstrapped onto the PDP 7. The process creation primitive, fork, and process images were added to the system during this rewrite. Essential utilities, such as file copy, edit, remove, and print were soon available. This system supported two people working at the same time and the term UNIX was coined by Brian Kernighan in 1970.
Thus it appears that the system on the PDP-7 was initially single-user, but that was a short phase during the initial development, and eventually Unix on the PDP-7 supported two users simultaneously; this also matches Ritchie’s recollections in the paper linked above:
Processes (independently executing entities) existed very early in PDP-7 Unix. There were in fact precisely two of them, one for each of the two terminals attached to the machine.
Presumably the system was still limited to running a single process in memory at any given time, even if two users could log in in parallel. Before Unix moved to the PDP-11, its developers had even managed to build two B interpreters (including one with virtual memory) and used that to write a few utilities!
Diomidis Spinellis’ Unix history repo contains source code for most historical Unix releases, including PDP-7 Unix.
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
Indeed, should be noted that when unix was invented mutli processor machines were almost a pipe dream – BugFinder May 1 '19 at 7:42
You said, "Thus it appears that the system on the PDP-7 was initially single-user" - is that because the single-user phase in it's history was a deliberate and temporary stepping stone towards an intended multi-user design? Or was the switch from single user to multi user really a change in the intention of the design? Or don't we know? – dwizum May 1 '19 at 13:25
@dwizum given what Ritchie wrote, I think the intent was always to design a multi-user system (consider also that the developers were already used to systems with multiple terminals). – Stephen Kitt May 1 '19 at 13:40
Unix was almost certainly never a single-user system. PDP-7 Unix supported at least two users (likely Ken and Dennis).
As evidence, I quote Doug McIlroy's paper on the history of research Unix:
Doug (M. Douglas) McIlroy exercised the right of a department head to muscle in on the original two-user PDP-7 system.
(The quote is taken from section 1.1, People)
And, now I've poked around a little more, here's some other evidence, from Dennis Ritchie's paper The Evolution of the Unix Time-sharing System; in the section on Process Control:
another-daveanother-dave
Wow! I stand corrected regarding the PDP-7. I will update my answer. – manassehkatz-Reinstate Monica Apr 30 '19 at 1:49
OK, in view of this answer, my original comment about users and processes is moot. It appears that PDP-7 unix supported two users and two processes. – Walter Mitty Apr 30 '19 at 10:09
BBN built a timesharing system on a modified PDP-1. The one and the seven are similar enough so that it must have been enough to build a multi user Unix on. The hard part would have been memory protection. – Walter Mitty Apr 30 '19 at 14:35
PDP-7 Unix and the first PDP-11 Unix only had one process in core at any time (per the Evolution paper) so no interprocess vulnerability; the kernel was vulnerable to programs running wild (the 11/20 has no MMU either). – another-dave Apr 30 '19 at 22:40
Erratum: the 11/20 had no MMU when first shipped. CSS apparently could supply a KT11-B MMU. – another-dave May 1 '19 at 0:10
From this page, Wikipedia and elsewhere, it is pretty clear that the first Unix system was on a PDP-7. As far as I can tell, the PDP-7 (unlike the PDP-11 where Unix became more than just a one-off system) was not a multi-user system. Apparently, the PDP-7 running Unix could support two terminals. So Unix has always been a multi-user operating system, though of course hardware dependent - if you ran it on a system with only one console then it was effectively a single-user system. I doubt there is much extant documentation form the pre-PDP-11 era, particularly since little was released publicly until a few years after Unix was first written. Or as this PDP-11 history page describes it:
These are the original Bell Laboratories releases of Unix; the first 4 were only internal to Bell, the Fifth saw limited distribution outside it, and the Sixth took over the world.
On the other hand, plenty of multi-user operating systems - Unix, Linux, MP/M, MP/M-86 - and I am sure many other mini-computer & micro-computer operating systems - have been used as single-user systems over the years by power users as an easy way to get a multi-tasking system for increased productivity, especially prior to functional versions of Microsoft Windows.
manassehkatz-Reinstate Monicamanassehkatz-Reinstate Monica
One could even buy single-user licenses for Unix, at least with some of the Unix releases on the PC. – Stephen Kitt Apr 29 '19 at 19:35
That one sentence in my comment sure did blow up.
The PDP machines mentioned in the other answers were commercially available early on, and indeed used by Bell Labs (AT&T) in the development of what later became known as UNIX. But AT&T at that time was a big company, and had started the development of its own computer - the 3B series. These machines were the in-house solution, whereas the PDP series came from DEC.
As for the phone switch, that would be the 4ESS and later 5ESS. These had a 3B20D (duplex) as their Administrative Node. Duplex doesn't mean "two users" here, but two CPU cores running in lockstep. A failure in one half would not take the switch down.
AT&T at this time was barred from doing any other business in the US but providing Common Carrier phone services. So it made perfect sense to use UNIX for its primary business. Of course, Bell Labs was very much an like academic environment, and it may not always have been directly focused on the larger AT&T business interests.
MSaltersMSalters
According to Wikipedia, the 3B20 was "produced" in the late 1970s, which I would guess means development started in the mid 1970s. By contrast, it is well-documented Unix work (as a skunkworks project) started before 1970. Given the timeline, it would make sense for Bell (not AT+T then) to build an OS based on Unix but this is a long way from saying Unix was originally conceived for that purpose. – another-dave Apr 30 '19 at 11:35
To think that AT&T's only application for computers was phone switching overlooks the huge amount of data processing that is necessary to run a phone company. Billing is an obvious application, but AT&T developed, among other things, systems for network planning, order management, word processing, circuit design and even drawing phone book ads. These are off-the-shelf applications today, but were not in the 1970s and 1980s. – user71659 Apr 30 '19 at 17:04
I'm rolling back my adit to the previous one... – Fabby Apr 30 '19 at 21:52
Thanks for contributing an answer to Retrocomputing Stack Exchange!
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Topic Deployment models
SubTopic Public cloud providers
olly - Fotolia
Azure adoption gets a boost, but challenges remain
Microsoft's hybrid focus is boosting Azure adoption within Windows shops. But not all Azure customers are using the cloud platform to its fullest.
Ed Scannell, Senior Executive Editor
When Microsoft introduced Azure five years ago, many corporate IT shops were skeptical of its advantages. Unlike Amazon Web Services (AWS), which at the time was focused on infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and had a plethora of Web offerings, Azure was platform as a service (Paas), with only a handful of services.
"[Azure] was hard for IT departments to understand," said Rob Sanfilippo, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, a consulting firm. "You couldn't easily migrate on-premises apps without refactoring a lot of things. Amazon Web Services, with IaaS and its migration strategy, made a whole lot more sense."
Microsoft, however, has a long history as a fast follower.
In recent years, Microsoft broadened Azure with IaaS and reached out to other platforms, Sanfilippo said. It copied Amazon's approach and delivered a handful of IaaS products, including Azure Virtual Machines.
And Microsoft didn't stop there. In an unprecedented move, the company began offering key infrastructure products that worked with Windows Server and Linux -- knowing IT pros were increasingly transferring workloads to the Apache Web Server.
Microsoft's hybrid strategy, which lets Windows customers better integrate applications that run on local servers with counterpart applications in the cloud, has also encouraged adoption of its cloud platform. Microsoft says this approach resonates with its customers -- with about 10,000 new Azure subscriptions being added every week.
"Many customers already use our [on-premises] infrastructure products like Windows Server, System Center 2012 or SQL Server, so [we] offer them the same consistent platform in the cloud that they can run in their own environments," said Mike Schutz, a general manager on Microsoft's cloud tools team. "This is more about bringing the cloud to [customers], as opposed to dragging them to it."
This approach lets some IT shops move at their own pace, especially if their ultimate goal is to migrate some of their most important applications to the cloud.
A hybrid strategy lets users test the cloud without having to commit to it, said one IT professional at a manufacturing company based in St. Paul, Minn. "We can see what makes sense for the cloud and what to keep on-premises. It also helps with migrations across divisions," he said.
The shady side of Azure adoption numbers
A close look at Azure's rapid adoption numbers over the past year or two shows that many of the user accounts listed as having "adopted" the platform remain in the evaluation or test stage, according to sources close to Microsoft. Not all of those numbers reflect Azure use in a production environment.
"My definition of adoption includes the fact that meaningful workloads are being deployed to Azure, and I can tell you the amount of unconsumed Azure is huge among larger accounts," said one source familiar with Microsoft's internal operations.
So what's the holdup? One stumbling block is that not every corporate infrastructure is properly set up or tuned to take advantage of Azure's core capabilities.
"Many times users are trying to layer [Azure] on top of something that is not set up to handle it, which undermines [Microsoft's] hybrid cloud approach," the source said. "When this happens, some just put the implementation project aside until problems can be resolved."
And yet, IT shops are keenly aware they possess unused Azure licenses acquired through long-term enterprise agreements. This, according to some, is also artificially boosting adoption numbers. Microsoft gives large customers up to $150 per user, per month for Azure as part of some contracts.
"A lot of users have credits for Azure they signed up for and are not using," Sanfilippo said. "But I think more IT departments are coming around to the realization they should start using what they are paying for, which is helping adoption."
Where Azure goes from here
To flesh out its hybrid strategy, Microsoft continues to deliver a steady stream of cloud-based applications and services. Azure Active Directory and the Azure SQL Database are two of the more notable cloud-based products that have been released in recent years. Both products have proven popular among corporate users because they sync up with features within existing on-premises versions, making it easier to work on- and off-premises.
"We depend on [on-premises] Active Directory for some important things, especially security and authentication," said a network administrator with a large transportation company in Jacksonville, Fla.
"So if we were going to take [Active Directory] to the cloud, we needed transparency between the two."
The Azure SQL Database, a relational cloud-based service that competes against Amazon's Relational Database Service, allows users to carry out relational queries against stored data. The service helps improve scalability, business continuity and data protection.
While Microsoft delivers hybrid IT offerings for Azure, it seems eager to do more. In early 2015, the company released Azure Machine Learning, a cloud technology designed to eliminate the heavy lifting involved with creating and deploying machine learning technologies. The product makes it possible to create an analytics Web service out of a data science workflow in only a few minutes.
"Azure is clearly the future for Microsoft," said Dana Gardner, president and principal analyst with Interarbor Solutions, LLC., in Gilford, N.H. "[Microsoft needs] to make it easy for users to develop and deploy [Azure] and its applications in the cloud, while maintaining all the backward compatibility. It is the best way to make sure Windows shops become Azure shops."
Ed Scannell is senior executive editor for TechTarget's Data Center and Virtualization media group. He can be reached at escannell@techtarget.com.
Azure app development tools grow Microsoft's cloud
Test your Microsoft Azure cloud expertise
Taking a look at Microsoft Azure's evolution
AWS vs. Google vs. Azure cloud storage
Dig Deeper on Azure, Google and other public cloud providers
Azure backup options: Microsoft vs. third-party products
VMware Horizon Cloud support for Microsoft Azure gives IT flexibility
By: Ramin Edmond
Microsoft Azure continues cloud pricing game of limbo with AWS, Google
By: Adam Hughes
Exchange 2013 CU1 gives green light to coexistence, migrations
By: Matt Gervais
Ed Scannell asks:
What challenges does your organization face with Microsoft Azure cloud?
Microsoft cloud computing: Windows Azure cloud data ... – SearchWindowsServer
Azure updates may leave Windows shops wanting more – SearchCloudComputing
Microsoft Windows Azure enhancements appeal to ... – SearchCloudComputing
Ed Scannell - 16 Apr 2015 7:05 AM
abistacchi - 13 Aug 2015 8:52 AM
One issue I have is the separation of duties and the lack of role based management. e.g. you need to be a Global admin to manage the RMS templates. Subscription management is tricky as well at enterprise level.
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deplored
deplored Sentence Examples
There were, however, not a few who deplored the fact that the throne had passed from the descendants of Abu Sofian.
He was also, though he deplored the conduct of the militants, a decided supporter of woman suffrage; and he took an active interest in, and lent a helping hand to, many social movements, the Working Men's College, Toynbee Hall, the Hampstead Garden Suburb, Children's Country Holidays, the Shakespeare National Memorial, as well as to a number of miscellaneous church societies.
It was understood, indeed, that the relations between the two men were not always harmonious; that Lor4 Palmerstoii disapproved the resolute conduct of Gladstone, and that Gladstone deplored the Conservative tendencies of Lord Palmerston.
Jacob's main preoccupation was the reform of monastic life, the grave disorders of which he deplored, and to this end he wrote his Petitiones religiosorum pro reformatione sui status.
The tragic close of his career appeased for the moment the fierce hatred of politics, and his death was very generally deplored as a national calamity.
But it is much to be deplored that he should have left the upper part of the façade unfinished.
The presence and remarks of Willarski who continually deplored the ignorance and poverty of Russia and its backwardness compared with Europe only heightened Pierre's pleasure.
He proved a wise and popular ruler, and his early death was much deplored.
He expressed himself as being as anxious for the reformation of the clergy as Simeon for the coming of the Messiah; but while he welcomed Wolsey's never-realized promises, he was too old to accomplish much himself in the way of remedying the clerical and especially the monastic depravity, licence and corruption he deplored.
The aloofness and sulkiness of the aristocrats and landed proprietors he deeply deplored.
Never has a statesman's personality been more bitterly associated by his political opponents with the developments they deplored.
In November 2003, the board strongly deplored Iran's failures and breaches of its safeguards obligations.
Even the once acerbic press deplored the ' FA's final snub ' .
the exiles: as patriot and ethical teacher he deplored alike the political blindness of the Jerusalem government (King Zedekiah revolted in 588) and the immorality and religious superficiality and apostasy of the people.
Through her secretary, General Grey, the queen pointed out that she had not concealed from Gladstone" how deeply she deplored "his having felt himself under the necessity of raising the question, and how apprehensive she was of the possible consequences of the measure; but, when a general election had pronounced on the principle, when the bill had been carried through the House of Commons by unvarying majorities, she did not see what good could be gained by rejecting it in the Lords.
The tragic close of his career appeased for the moment the fierce hatred of politics, and his death was very generally deplored as a national calamity.'
But it is much to be deplored that he should have left the upper part of the façade unfinished.
Even the once acerbic press deplored the ' FA 's final snub '.
Generally well received by the critics, some fans deplored the increased roles of characters in the book who were considered minor while still others found the expansion beyond Sookie's viewpoint to be rewarding.
In spite of the gravity of the charges formulated against many prominent men, the report merely deplored and disapproved of their conduct, without proposing penal proceedings.
military considerations, but the sentence deplored that in such difficult circumstances the command should have been given to a general so inferior to the exigencies of the situation.
He was not content with laying the blame at the door of the effete War Office, but deplored the apathetic way in which the Tsar passed the time at headquarters, without any clear political plan, holding on supinely to formalism and routine, yielding to the spasmodic interference of the Empress.
It is much to be deplored that Leonardo does not give the least intimation how he found his approximative value, outrunning by this result more than three centuries.
He recognized that the fault of the government lay in the fact that it did not govern, and he deplored that his own function, in a decadent age, was but " to prop up mouldering institutions."
The absence of scientific excavation in Egypt was deplored by the Scottish archaeologist Alexander Henry Rhind (1833-1863), as early as 1862.
This decision was deplored by all parties in the British parliament, but it was recognized that to alter a decision deliberately come to by South African statesmen would wreck the union.
In fact, broadly speaking, the Sadducees for the period during which they are reported to exist, represent and embody the tendency to conformity with neighbouring Gentiles, which is deplored and denounced by Jewish writers from Moses to Philo.
But even men like Roger Bacon, who deplored the inaccuracy of texts, had worked out no general method to aF ply in their restoration.
Partridge was widely deplored in obituary notices and his name was struck off the rolls at Stationers' Hall.
They deplored that the nice and difficult test of answering Berkeley had not been undertaken, as was once intended, by Burke, and sighed to think what an admirable display of subtlety and brilliance such a contention would have afforded them, had not politics "turned him from active philosophy aside."
At length, his eyes streaming with tears, and in a broken voice, he deplored the breach of a twenty years' friendship on a political question.
The observance of the law is strongly urged, and the cessation of prophecy deplored (iv.
There he continued to preach with unabated zeal; and, since the women of Florence deplored the loss of his teachings, one day in the week was set apart for them.
deploredness
unplained
deploredly
Sir Roy Welensky
James Gibbons
Otto of Freising
Otto Hahn
Pierre Jean De Smet
deplorable
deplorate
deploration
deplorations
deplore
deplorement
deplorer
deplorers
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Sequel News
Prequel News
Reboot News
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Home » tv news
The Breaking Bad Spin-Off/Sequel Movie Has Wrapped.
In news which shocked the film fan community it appears that the much talked about Breaking Bad spin-off movie, has completed filming and is now in the can. In an interview [...]
Breaking Bad Movie Will Focus On Jesse Pinkman.
Call me Sherlock ”Meth Lab Motor’ Holmes because I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that we hadn’t seen the last of Jesse Pinkman or Walter White in [...]
Powerpuff Girls To Get TV Reboot For 2016.
On the back of the possible casting news surrounding the Power Rangers reboot and sticking with nineties children’s television nostalgia, the kid’s channel the [...]
TV Remake Of The Munsters Gets A Trailer.
Here’s the first official look at Mockingbird Lane, which will air in the US on October 28th, is a TV remake of The Munsters which has been developed by Bryan Fuller, the [...]
Beverly Hills Cop – The TV Series.
It looks like all the talk of yet another Beverly Hills Cop movie has been just that, as any plans for a fourth movie look like they’ve been shelved in favour for a TV [...]
Gremlins Animated Series Will Be A Prequel.
Duel Remake Rumour Suggests A Surprising Pairing.
Home Alone Reboot Won’t Be Anything Like The Original.
Lethal Weapon 5 Is In The Works.
The Grudge Redband Reboot Trailer Doesn’t Hold Back.
E-mail all your enquires to sequelsandprequels@gmail.com. Or drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook.
Joker 2 Is Already In Production.
Planned Night Of The Creeps Sequel Will Feature Original Cast.
The Birds Of Prey Trailer Is A Neon Spectacle.
A Quiet Place 2 Is In The Can.
Jurassic World 3 Will Reunite Goldblum, Dern and Neill.
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‘Once Upon A Time’ Has Found Their Prince In Julian Morris
Posted July 27th, 2012 by Janice Kay
Sleeping Beauty, your prince has come and he’s in the form of Julian Morris! According to EW, Morris has just signed on to play Prince Phillip for the series ‘Once Upon a Time.’
Morris is a familiar face on the ABC network as he stars as Wren Kingston the ABC Family Channel’s ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ He’s also had story arcs on the shows ’24,’ ‘ER’, and the BBC show ‘Fish.’ He also appeared in the horror film ‘Cry Wolf.’
Not too long ago we reported that Sarah Bolger joined the cast as Princess Aurora and now we know who will kiss the Sleeping Beauty awake. Prince Philip (Morris) is described as a young and skilled warrior who happens to be a selfless hero and a veteran of many tough journeys. He’s travelled from a kingdom that is in a state of decline. Apparently, Sleeping Beauty may not be the only princess that has caught his eye.
Season 2 of ‘Once Upon a Time’ will begin on Sunday, September 30th at 8PM ET/PT.
Janice Kay
Janice's first memories of the genre were of watching the original 'Star Trek' and classic 'Doctor Who' episodes (Tom Baker, aka the Fourth Doctor, was her first). Soon, she was introduced to 'Godzilla' and her addiction then spread to books, magazines, movies and comics. Janice continued as a closet geek as her thirst and love for sci-fi grew and was only second to her love of baking. Then one night, on a whim, she answered a tweet to be a writer for ScienceFiction.com and the geek girl insider her was soon set free. Within 3 years she became the Senior Editor for the site. When not writing or editing for ScienceFiction.com, Janice is scouring the internet to feed her sci-fi cravings while defending conspiracy theories, protecting scientific theorems and loving all things science fiction.... and baking cookies.
Comic Book Review: ‘Venom’ #21
Warren Ellis Talks ‘Wolverine Anime’
Clark Gregg Would “Kill” For ‘Agent Carter’ Crossover & Black Widow Merch
Opinion: The Turning Point Of Netflix’ ‘Daredevil’
A New ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 2 Trailer And EW Interviews Peter Dinklage
‘Star Wars: Forces Of Destiny’ Puts The Ladies Front And Center In Animated Shorts And Toys
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09/07/14 – Jonathan Landay – The Scott Horton Show
by Scott | Sep 7, 2014 | Interviews | 1 comment
Jonathan Landay, a national security and intelligence reporter for McClatchy Newspapers, discusses his article “Obama strategy to beat Islamic State likely to draw U.S. into years of conflict;” and the marked philosophical differences between Al Qaeda and ISIS.
oddie on September 12, 2014 at 10:19 pm
horrific beheading videos? helloooo! staged comedies more like it (even if Foley/Sotloff were later killed).
polls ( WSJ/NBC/CNN?) show americans overwhelmingly in favour of another war? helloooo! who trusts MSN polls?
CIA Allaw popular with everyone?
Eight million citizens cast their votes, which represented a 59 percent turnout. A coalition of Shiite parties called the United Iraqi Alliance won the majority of seats in the assembly, taking 48 percent of the vote and filling 140 of the 275 national assembly seats. Allawi’s party, the Iraqi List, came in third, with 14 percent.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Iyad_Allawi.aspx
i read the Landay/Allam piece days ago as a call for years of war; nothing in the interview changes that opinion.
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By Patricia Miller Beyond Belief: Election 2016, OMFG, Patricia Miller, Politics/Law, Sexuality/Gender July 25, 2017
Catholic Nuns Show Bishops How it’s Done on ObamaCare
In the end, it would be a fitting sort of justice if it were the Catholic nuns who saved the Affordable Care Act. After all, it was only through the efforts of Sister Nancy Keehan of the Catholic Health Association and Sister Simone Campbell of the social justice lobby NETWORK that the ACA passed in the first place.
Both Keehan and Campbell lent their support to the measure when it was under sustained, and nearly fatal, attack from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for what it falsely implied would be taxpayer funding of elective abortions.
Now, NETWORK is hoping to harness some of its moral authority to halt what it called in a letter signed by more than 7,000 nuns “the most harmful legislation for American families in our lifetimes.” They also noted pointedly that the most recent legislation passed by the Senate and other efforts to “reform” the ACA out of existence “goes against our Catholic faith teaching.”
Unlike the Catholic bishops, whose largely pro forma objections (to the parts that don’t further limit abortion or contraception) through an obscure USCCB committee run by an equally obscure bishop, 7,150 Catholic nuns were willing to sign their names to efforts they see as a direct affront to their mission “to serve our nation’s most vulnerable people.”
And, unlike the bishops, they are willing to criticize not just the plan but the whole haphazard, politically driven process that may culminate today with senators being asked to vote on a mystery measure that affects nearly one-fifth of the U.S. economy:
Since this letter was circulated, Senate leadership has repeatedly changed course – from the BCRA, to a repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, to amendments of bills from 2015. This is not good governance. … Rather than continuing to negotiate partisan legislation that would cause tens of millions of Americans to lose access to health coverage, Congress should seek bipartisan solutions to expand quality, affordable coverage.
And the nuns behind the effort have made themselves visible on Twitter and Capitol Hill. Yesterday, Sister Campbell personally delivered the letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office and nuns made visits to numerous senate offices. The last time there were that many bishops on the Hill was the infamous 1996 prayer rally on the steps of the Capitol to back an override of President Bill Clinton’s veto of a measure banning so-called “partial-birth” abortion.
As usual, Sister Simone, of Nuns on the Bus fame, isn’t shy about using her celebrity status to advocate for social justice, albeit in a manner that tends to stay away from hot-button issues like abortion. But even she seemed to take an unusually political shot at the USCCB and the GOP with this tweet this morning:
It is a pro-life issue!! GOP should stand up for life…not just politicise birth. https://t.co/kU7Rqz85dA
— Sr. Simone Campbell (@sr_simone) July 25, 2017
catholicshealthcarenunsobamacarerepublicansusccb
Patricia Miller is a Washington, DC–based journalist and the author of Good Catholics: The Battle Over Abortion in the Catholic Church. Her work at the intersection of politics, sex and religion has appeared in The Atlantic, Salon, The Nation, Huffington Post, RH Reality Check and Ms. Magazine.
Latest Posts By Patricia Miller
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Catholic Bishops Fund Anti-Choice ‘Clinics’ Set to Receive Trump Title X Funding
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Previous articleHow Trump’s Assertion of “Power to Pardon” Tramples the American Sacred
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Patricia Miller is a Washington, DC–based journalist and the author of Good Catholics: The Battle Over Abortion in the Catholic Church. Her work the intersection of politics, sex and religion has appeared in The Atlantic, Salon, The Nation, Huffington Post, RH Reality Check and Ms. Magazine.
Also from the Author
"Anyone interested in discovering how and why the abortion issue is so inextricably tied up with Catholicism will be fascinated by this important work." —Publishers Weekly
University of California Press (2014)
Patricia Miller’s Recent posts
New Survey: Catholic Women “Disengaged & Disengaging” — And Don’t Listen to US Bishops
Will 2018 Be the Year of Catholic Health Care Dominance?
The Surprising Catholic Roots of the War on Xmas
Catholic Universities Facing a Fork in the Road on Gender & Sexuality: The Church or the Culture
Why Notre Dame’s Contraception Flip-Flop Undercuts Bishops’ Religious Freedom Claims
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Souvenir Building Collectors Society
The Meeting Place for Souvenir Building Collectors
About SBCS
History: 1994 – Present
Past Conventions
Contact SBCS
Banthrico Buildings Then & Now, 2nd Ed, V. 2.06
Building Exchange / Sales
SBCS Newsletters
← KNEISEL COLLECTION: Initial Museum Donation
Deck the Halls with Little Buildings →
CHICAGO 2017 PHOTOS: Rare Souvenir Buildings and More ……..
The stories are swell at a SBCS Convention “Show and Tell.”
Original Irish Hill Tower and Gray Tower, Lenawee County, MI. Souvenir Buildings / Salt and Pepper Shakers.
Bill H. and Michael E. brought the tale and the evidence of the IRISH HILLS TOWERS saga. Apparently in the 1920s a farmer, who owned part of a hill that the Michigan Observation Company (MOC) sought to purchase for a tourist-based observation tower, refused to sell his portion. Whereupon, the enterprising company purchased the adjoining piece of land and built the IRISH HILLS OBSERVATORY and opened it to the public in September of 1924, to great success. By November of the same year (just 2 months later), the envious nay-sayer had built his own tower adjacent to the first and made it a bit higher to attract the tourists to his site. Reacting to challenge the Michigan Observation Company added a second observation platform atop the first and called their tower the ORIGINAL IRISH HILLS TOWER. The farmer then evened the height of his tower with the “Original” and named his tower the “Gray” tower. MOC then countered with the threat of tearing down their tower and erecting a metal edifice so large that the challenge would be over. From then until the 1950s the towers were competing attractions. In the 1950s they were operated as one attraction with a gift shop between. As of today, they are on the US National Register of Historic Places. Bill’s and Michael’s Salt and Pepper Shakers depict the Original Irish Hills Tower and the Gray Tower.
Sofitel Hotel (a former City Hall), Amsterdam; Dordrecht City Hall, Netherlands.
From the KLM and Goedewaagen collection of Simon H. comes a pair of rare Goedewaagen porcelain buildings. The building on the left is the Sofitel Legend Grand Amsterdam Hotel, the site and building has a long and storied history, prior to it’s re-incarnation as a hotel. The building on the left is the City of Hall of Dordrecht.
McPherson Opera House, McPherson, KS; Log Cabin (wood box interior); University Hall, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Piazza San Pietro and St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Steve B. and Terry M. went building hunting with Joe K. at the start of the weekend in Chicago. To the delight of all, the finds were special and the swapping even better. Terry found the very nice St. Peter’s Basilica in the same mall that Joe found the University Hall and a mutually-agreed-upon swap was executed.
McPherson Opera House souvenir building and as pictured in a iPhone photograph.
Steve also shared his acquisition of the McPherson Opera House and the photo he had taken of the actual building.
There are lots of convention photos to be seen in the Members Only portion of the website. Head on over to MEMBERS ONLY / CONVENTION PHOTOS and click one of more of the links under 2017.
By Bookend Collector • Posted in Buildings, Events, Miscellaneous, News, People • Tagged 2017, Building, Chicago, City Hall, collection, Convention, porcelain, sbcs, Souvenir
FLASH SALE THREE !!!!!! Kneisel Committee release of a selection of LUCITE embedded souvenir buildings from Bob Kneisel’s Collection.
December 9, 2019December 9th, 2019
Kneisel Committee release of a selection of LUCITE embedments from Bob Kneisel's Collection.
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The Scarlett Woman
Discussing femin- & other -isms
Tag Archives: professional wrestling
On the (Rest of the) Net.
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged ABC News, America's Next Top Model, Bitch Flicks, BuzzFeed, Calling Spots, Casey Affleck, Catherine Deveny, Daily Life, Disney princesses, Down Under Feminists Carnival, financial abortion, Gilmore Girls, Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Jackie O, Jezebel, Kim Kardashian, Lorelai Gilmore, Medium, MTV, Nate Parker, New Yorker, professional wrestling, Quartz, rape, reproductive rights, Scream, Standing Rock, The Babysitters Club, Variety, WaPo, Zero at the Bone ¶ Leave a comment
I wrote about why Lorelai Gilmore is a Cool Girl. [Bitch Flicks]
Is America’s Next Top Model relevant in 2016? [Buzzfeed]
Though I wish she was in the White House and not the wild, I really relate to photos of Hillary Clinton out and about as a post-election salve. [Daily Life]
Why Hillary going makeup free in the wake of her defeat signals a return “to an earlier iteration, reclaiming her identity as the accomplished, aggressive lawyer Hillary Rodham, who pursued success while rejecting the rules put forth by the patriarchy.” [Quartz]
I’ve been thinking about what Catherine Deveny refers to as “financial abortion”—where a biological father legally opts out of an unwanted pregnancy—for a while so I’m glad someone is finally giving voice to this notion. [ABC News]
A history of famous men taking off their shirts. [Buzzfeed]
“The Art of Lobbying Ivanka Trump.” [Jezebel]
Could her rumoured appointment to a First Lady-like position shake up the role traditionally put aside for the President’s spouse? [WaPo]
How a new breed of TV shows are dealing with rape as a plot device. [Variety]
“The Year They Stole Kim Kardashian.” [MTV]
A thoroughly modern Disney princess. [Buzzfeed]
“The Feminist Legacy of The Baby-Sitters Club.” [New Yorker]
Jackie O the Scammer. [MTV]
This is what having a miscarriage is like. [Medium]
Women built Standing Rock. [Jezebel]
How Scream reflects the small-town mentality of America, 20 years after its premiere. [MTV]
Why did rape allegations derail Nate Parker’s career but Casey Affleck is an Oscar contender despite alleged sexual misconduct? [Buzzfeed]
More reading material can be found at the latest Down Under Feminists Carnival. [Zero at the Bone]
ICYMI: My favourite books of the year.
My piece for Calling Spots‘ last issue about navigating kayfabe in the reality era of wrestling is now live.
Image source unknown.
Navigating Kayfabe in the Reality Era.
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in Uncategorized ¶ Tagged #DivasRevolution, #givedivasachance, Alicia Fox, Alundra Blayze, Amy Schumer, Breaking Ground, Brody Jenner, CM Punk, Colt Cabana, Complex magazine, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Marie, Heidi Montag, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka, John Cena, JXT, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, Kristin Cavallari, Lana, Lauren Conrad, Natalya Neidhart, NXT, professional wrestling, Rosa Mendes, Rusev, Ryan Boyd, Sam Roberts, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Scott Hall, Seth Rollins, Spencer Pratt, Summer Rae, the Bella twins, The Hills, The Spectacle of Excess, Total Divas, Trainwreck, Tyler Breeze, women's wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE Network ¶ 1 Comment
This article originally appeared in Calling Spots Issue 21. Republished with permission.
The dwindling amount of old-timers still alive that experienced the territories of the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and even ’80s tend to look back on making towns with fondness, when wrestling was still considered by the masses to be “real”, so much so that even many rookies making their debuts at that time weren’t “smartened up” until after they climbed through the ropes.
The Attitude era that dominated the latter part of the 1990s will be remembered as the heyday of “sports entertainment” when anything could happen and often did. When the WWE “got the F out” in 2002 it took with it outrageous shenanigans such as DX invading WCW, Alundra Blayze dumping the WWE Women’s Championship in a trash can and Sable parading around the ring in hand print pasties, making way for the PG era in which John Cena and his candy-coloured merchandise reigned supreme.
Now, with social media and the WWE Network, it seems kayfabe is almost non-existent and Superstars have to strike a balance between making themselves available to fans on Twitter, Instagram and at meet and greets while attempting not to engage in any bad behaviour that might piss off sponsors. (Though there are still untouchables: Seth Rollins’ cheating dick pics were leaked early in 2015 before he became WWE Champion and when the new girlfriend he sent said pics to was revealed to be a Nazi-sympathiser later that year, she was promptly fired from her developmental deal while Rollins remained a dual champion. And although Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka’s histories have been effectively erased from WWE, Legends who’ve behaved badly in the past but not since the company brought in the domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse clause in their Wellness Policy, such as Scott Hall, are still decorated.)
Perhaps the most obvious example that we are living in the reality era of sports entertainment is Total Divas. What was first marketed as a glimpse into the unique careers of female professional wrestlers quickly devolved into your typical E! fare: 40 minutes of personal drama such as Brie Bella and Trinity’s husbands, Daniel Bryan and Jimmy Uso, respectively, taking issue with their sexy clothes, and Brie’s desire to start a family. The latest seasons seem like an attempt to rectify that and, in the midst of the #DivasRevolution, explore what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry.
What’s also interesting about Total Divas is that it builds a fifth wall between kayfabe and the “scripted reality” of shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Hills. In a profile on The Hills villains Spencer and Heidi Pratt in Complex magazine last year, “a talent manager who requested to remain anonymous” claimed that the show was “80 percent scripted”.
From that article:
“The talent manager isn’t breaking news here—almost everyone who was on the show has admitted how fake it was. [Lauren] Conrad, [Brody] Jenner, Kristin Cavallari, Spencer, Heidi—they were actors on a show marketed as real life so that an audience could buy into a fantasy… On the final episode of The Hills, the fourth wall was broken, the camera panned out, and a street in the Hollywood Hills was revealed to be a movie set… [T]hat audience seem[ed] willing to accept the unreality of The Hills…”
As a culture we’re still getting our heads around the cognitive dissonance of reality TV being rooted in anything but reality while wrestling has long been determined to be, erm, predetermined. So, when it comes to the intersection of the two, does that mean the storyline on the third season of Total Divas about Nattie and her husband T.J.’s marital woes is more or less real than Nattie’s accompaniment of Kidd to the ring when he wrestled (before his sidelining neck injury, which is a focus of Total Divas this season)? Are they both just tools to further the fantasy or is it a case of real life spilling into the workplace? And what about when we add social media platforms to the mix? We know they can be used to portray the best, not necessarily truthful versions of ourselves to the world, so was Nattie posting photos of TJ and their cats on Instagram at the time of their alleged estrangement part of the ruse or were the couple working on their relationship?
A more obvious distinction between kayfabe and IRL can be seen on Total Divas this season when Rosa wants to remain involved in WWE in the wake of her pregnancy. She can’t wrestle so she suggests backstage interviewing as a consolation, which is deemed to be too risky because “anything can happen” and she might be placed in “harm’s way” in this role. Had Total Divas been more like NXT’s more sophisticated reality show Breaking Ground and/or aired on the Network, perhaps this storyline would be left on the cutting room floor. But because it caters to E!’s audience—one that WWE doesn’t necessarily want to break kayfabe in front of—the reality of simply writing altercations to take place away from a pregnant employee isn’t portrayed.
The most glaring example of Total Divas and social media colliding is in Dolph Ziggler’s inclusion in the show. As one of the more active WWE Superstars on Twitter and in his extracurricular endeavours, such as stand up comedy, Ziggler appears in season four and five of Total Divas as Nikki’s ex-boyfriend and a potential foil in her current relationship with John Cena. The photos of Dolph and Nikki together prove their past relationship was real, but can we assume Ziggler’s apparent rekindled feelings are also?
Ziggler moonlights as a stand-up comedian and there’s a sense that he’ll have a successful, Dwayne Johnson-esque career after WWE in Hollywood. His WWE Universe (apparently separate from both the worlds of Total Divas/E! and the one you and I inhabit) relationship with Lana dragged on for months while Lana’s former client/love interest/real life fiance Rusev was injured, Ziggler went on hiatus to film a WWE Studios production, and when Lana broke her wrist, with the three Superstars relying heavily on social media to prolong the love triangle (and then a love square with the involvement of Summer Rae). Instead of putting the kibosh on the ill-fated storyline, Lana and Ziggler were tasked with promoting their “relationship” on social media. As lacking in chemistry as their pairing was, Lana and Ziggler seemed to genuinely enjoy playing it up on Instagram and Twitter, proponents of an alternate reality where images alone convey something very different to what’s really going on.
Returning to Total Divas, if WWE wants our suspension of disbelief to remain in tact (which they apparently do, as one can’t imagine that Ziggler would choose to carry on an Instagram relationship if it wasn’t part of his job), why do they cross-promote the conflicting reality show and their own programming so heavily? Given Ziggler’s growing reputation as a love rat (he gifted Summer Rae jewellery while she was allegedly involved with Rusev), was his wooing of Nikki on the show for real or an attempt at rectifying his WWE character?
During an interview on The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, the host further pitted Ziggler and Cena against each other in that Cena plays a musclebound meathead who’s hooking up with Amy Schumer in her runaway box office hit movie, Trainwreck, a role allegedly based on Ziggler, who dated Schumer in real life.
Relatedly, Tyler Breeze burst onto the scene as Summer Rae’s rebound, taking the spot of Ziggler both literally and figuratively. He appears on Breaking Ground and at once parodies and makes use of our obsession with social media, asking if he’s who we follow, toting selfie sticks to the ring and streaming his entrances on Periscope.
Total Divas also uses social media to their advantage with things posted by its stars on Instagram have been used to punctuate storylines, most notably Eva Marie’s falling out with the rest of the cast.
In the first few episodes of season four, Alicia Fox and the Bellas were irked because of Eva’s continued posting of ads for her hair extension line and various self-promotional content at the detriment of anything about wrestling. Then, when the rest of the cast blew up that Eva was getting specialised one-on-one wrestling training while they all had to tough it out in developmental, Eva retorted with an Instagram post about a lion not worrying “herself with the opinion of sheep”. (Just FYI: A female lion is a lioness, Eva.)
Since then, Eva has made amends with the rest of the show’s cast, even joining babyface Team Total Divas at WrestleMania, despite cultivating a successful heel gimmick in NXT and further reinforcing not only the fifth wall between Total Divas/E! and WWE, but one between WWE and NXT, as well.
Ryan Boyd unpacked the relationship between kayfabe and social media further in a piece for The Spectacle of Excess. He writes:
“[U]nder the new rules of kayfabe, the audience is encouraged to be just as interested in Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah as they are in Kofi Kingston, and what’s more than that, the Nashville crowd got worked like hell when Kofi-the-real-guy said that country music sucks purely because he went one further in his heel antics. Kofi-the-real-guy is as much a part of the show as Kofi-the-heel—they’re both props for generating heat and selling T-shirts.
“Kayfabe is a matryoshka doll of carny deception, and if you think you’re not getting worked, that just means you’re getting double-worked. The kayfabe is coming from inside the house.”
A few years ago I was involved in the making of a wrestling mockumentary with a smorgasbord of former WWE Superstars which then led to me working in an indie Australian promotion that often brought out big names to compliment its own talent. While most of the wrestlers I grew up watching on TV were lovely in person, I did observe a certain disconnect between their characters and reality. But it must be hard to get a good grip on reality when the bulk of your life is spent perfecting your craft and the development of the character that goes along with it. There is an expectation in the professional wrestling world that you stay in character at all times to protect storylines and maintain “kayfabe”—despite the widely held belief that wrestling is “fake”—at all costs, but what toll does that take on everyday life?
One indie wrestler who knows the importance of social media and utilising it to portray your character to your fans is Melbourne wrestler JXT, who recently received a tryout for WWE when they were in town with NXT.
With a YouTube show entitled JXTv and a photo op gimmick appropriated from Instagram’s polaroid-esque layout, JXT’s social media presence compliments his status as a party-loving, millennial everyman and will show industry heavyweights that he has an in-built following if and when the time comes to make the move to the U.S.
JXT believes that to be a wrestler and have a strong social media presence is “super important.”
“I see wrestlers now without Instagram or Twitter and straight away in my head I say ‘they’re not serious’,” he continues. “WWE talks about Twitter constantly and references [its] Superstars’ Instagrams. The fans want to invest in you so having platforms where they can talk to you and see what you’re up to constantly is key in giving the fans a chance to make that deep emotional connection. It’s 2016: people have 7-second attention spans; they want to see a lot of their favourite wrestlers in short, sharp bursts. So things like Instagram and YouTube help because there isn’t a show on Tuesday morning but they can just check your Instagram to get a dose of what you’ve been up to.”
JXT’s main goal with JXTv and his other online endeavours is to make a name for himself. “You look at any big independent wrestler, [if] they have a heavy social media presence [then] that’s how they get their name,” JXT says. “You hear of all these cool wrestlers who aren’t signed to a big company yet through social media. CM Punk was renowned [in] internet wrestling circles and that’s why he broke the mold and WWE signed the independent guy. He had so much buzz they gave him a chance.
“Everyone knows who Colt Cabana is yet he doesn’t wrestle for any big wrestling company [save for] ROH in its smaller days… Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn… Everywhere I go I want people to know who I am before I even get there. That is the goal.”
But JXT insists his character, like so many of the most successful wrestling gimmicks, is just a heightened version of himself. “I love to party and I love wrestling so I take that and over-dramatise it. [But] when I’m just being me, I’m calmer and less over the top. You need to know who you are as a person, and not get lost in the hype and perceived ego of your wrestling character.”
While maintaining some semblance of suspended disbelief is integral to professional wrestling, it’s also a delight when wrestlers break kayfabe for real. Take the Four Horsewomen’s curtain call at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn when Bayley won the NXT Women’s Championship from Sasha Banks in a hellacious match, culminating in Charlotte and Becky Lynch coming out to join them in a tear-jerking show of friendship. In my opinion there’s no greater reward than seeing competitors who gave it their all express respect and, oftentimes, love for one another. Give me that over neatly packaged “reality” any day.
If we can take one thing from the shitshow that was the Rusev/Lana/Dolph Ziggle/Summer Rae storyline it’s the ability to ask the question, what even is the point of kayfabe, anyway? If Vince McMahon claims that WWE is entertainment and not sport, then why not treat its Superstars as actors and let them do what they want, within reason (*cough* Hulk Hogan *cough*), on their own time? With social media and the 24-hour news cycle the kayfabe model is a risky one that’s no longer feasible.
Related: World Wrestling Entertainment Will Never #GiveDivasAChance As Long As It Prioritises Bad Men.
In Defence of Eva Marie.
My Weekend with Wrestlers.
Elsewhere: [Harlot] Whorephobia & Misogyny in Wrestling: Still Real to Me, Dammit.
[Intergender World Champs] Smack Talker! Daniel Bryan’s Tiresome Vocal Misogyny.
[Complex] Over The Hills: The Afterlife of Heidi & Spencer Pratt.
[The Spectacle of Excess] Kayfabe is Dead. Long Live Kayfabe.
Image via Courtney Rose/Calling Spots.
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged #WomenWhoWork, Archer, Bitch Flicks, BuzzFeed, Daily Intelligencer, Donald Trump, feminism, Hillary Clinton, Intergender World Champs, Ivanka Trump, James Deen, Medium, mental illness, People, porn, professional wrestling, sexual assault, The Cut, The Guardian, Vox, World Wrestling Entertainment ¶ Leave a comment
Remember that time Donald Trump “bought” World Wrestling Entertainment? Well I wrote about how politics and wrestling are more intersected than meets the eye, especially when it comes to a woman’s place in them. [Intergender World Champs]
I also wrote about the rise of female characters with mental illness on TV. [Bitch Flicks]
And what other industries can learn from porn one year on from allegations of rape against James Deen. [Archer]
People magazine put President-Elect Trump—the man who only a few weeks ago was accused of sexually assaulting one of its writers—on its cover because “it reports from inside the assholes of celebrities.” [Buzzfeed]
Don’t admire Ivanka Trump: fear her. [Buzzfeed]
Why she should acknowledge the #WomenWhoWork to keep her life functioning the way she portrays it to. [The Cut]
Like the Chinese nanny who taught her daughter Mandarin.
Arabella wanted to have a pre-bedtime #ChineseNewYear party this past Sunday evening. She got all dressed up and performed songs and poems for Jared, Joseph and me. It was pretty adorable 🐒#yearofthemonkey #happyChineseNewYear
A post shared by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Feb 10, 2016 at 5:29am PST
“How Trump Made Hate Intersectional”:
“It’s harder to talk about grabbing women by the pussy if there’s also a woman in the circle, and that in turn makes it harder to blindly assault. It’s harder to casually say nigger when there’s a black person in the circle, and that makes it harder to beat a black kid senseless without fear of repercussion. It’s harder to say faggot when someone queer is in the room, which lessens the ability to casually bully a gay person to the point where they take their own life. Yes, there’s hate spread throughout this country, but it stems from the sickness that involves stopping at nothing to keep spaces fully white, allowing white people to continue with behaviour that is no longer universally accepted in the real world.” [Daily Intelligencer]
What does the Liberal White Feminist Thinkpiece accomplish? [Medium]
Talk about a “rigged” election: here’s what it took to beat Hillary Clinton. [The Guardian]
“Identity politics” was not to blame for Hillary’s loss. [The Cut]
What it’s like to be an Asian background actor. [Vox]
Image via Intergender World Champs.
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged ageism, Bill Clinton, Daily Life, Digital Writers' Festival, Donald Trump, Fight Booth, Fusion, Hillary Clinton, Intergender World Champs, Melania Trump, Melville House, New York, NYTimes, professional wrestling, sexism, sexual assault, The New Yorker, women's wrestling, Wrestling Sexism ¶ Leave a comment
I was on my very first panel at the Digital Writers’ Festival, talking about what it means to be a writer online away from Australia.
I wrote about volunteering for Hillary Clinton. [Daily Life]
Supporting Hillary Clinton but keeping in mind Bill’s history of sexual assault accusations. [The Cut]
What if New York City was named for its women? [New Yorker]
The black history of the nameplate necklace. [Fusion]
Two women wrestled for the first time inside Hell in a Cell so sexism in wrestling is over now, right? [Fight Booth]
World Wrestling Entertainment has an ageism problem, but it only affects women, of course. [Wrestling Sexism]
Why WWE needs women’s tag team championships:
“In WWE, women don’t really have the option to be friends. There’s no benefit to a friendship because belts can only be held by an individual, and everyone is competing for the same titles. There’s quite a sad parallel here to the real world. Women often feel that they are in competition with other women for jobs, relationships and resources that seem scarce. Has a new woman starting at your work ever filled you with irrational jealousy, even if she seems perfectly nice? Ever wonder why?” [Intergender World Champs]
In defence of Melania Trump. And if Donald Trump is as dangerous as we believe him to be, then she certainly needs it. [Melville House]
This election has taught us that “expanding roles and opportunities for women cannot usher in full gender equality unless men change.” [NYTimes]
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged Academy Awards, Amber Rose, Bitch Flicks, Bitch magazine, Daily Life, David Cameron, Disney princess, Feministe, Femmezuigiri, HuffPo, Islamophobia, Jessica Jones, Jezebel, Kanye West, Kilgrave, Medium, mental health, New Yorker, Oxford dictionary, professional wrestling, rom coms, sexism, sexual harassment, stalking, The Billfold, The Cut, Time magazine, Vocativ, WaPo, white supremacy, Zika virus ¶ Leave a comment
The toxic masculinity of Jessica Jones‘ Kilgrave—and other male anti-heroes. [Bitch Flicks]
The privilege of being able to talk freely about mental health. [Daily Life]
Don’t let anyone own you: how to start a Fuck Off Fund. [The Billfold]
Portland Community College is having a Whiteness History Month to examine white supremacy. [Bitch Magazine]
The Oscars ignore black actors like we ignore black people being killed by law enforcement. [New Yorker]
The militant ranchers who’ve occupied a national wildlife building are destroying the very land they’re looking to take back from the government—which isn’t theirs to give in the first place. [Feministe]
My dark, twisted fantasy: playing house. [The Cut]
The slow progress of Disney princess films. [Daily Life]
The Oxford dictionary is sexist. [Medium]
Sexual harassment belongs in professional wrestling no longer. [Femmezuigiri]
@DavidCameron_MP #TraditionallySubmissive really? I really don't think so pic.twitter.com/7EtHB1t8cs
— ZainabLaLaLa (@AyyLaLaLaLa) January 24, 2016
David Cameron called Muslim women “traditionally submissive”, they fought back on Twitter with all the ways they defy that stereotype. [Daily Life]
El Salvador—a country where abortion is illegal and birth control is hard to obtain—is asking women not to get pregnant in a bid to avoid birth defects as a result of the Zika virus. [Vocativ]
How romantic comedy stalker myths work against women when they’re actually stalked. [HuffPo]
Kanye West’s obsession with Amber Rose. [Jezebel]
His music has always been sexist. [WaPo]
Amber Rose writes in defence of herself for Time.
Image via Bustle.
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged Beyonce, Bill Clinton, Bitch Flicks, Broadly, Cageside Seats, Chris Gayle, cultural appropriation, Daily Life, Erin Riley, Fusion, Jem & the Holograms, Jessica Jones, Jezebel, Junkee, Matter, mental health, Ms. Magazine, New Matilda, New Statesman, NYTimes, professional wrestling, rape, selfies, sexism, sport, The Cut, The Spectacle of Excess, WaPo, World Wrestling Entertainment ¶ Leave a comment
I’m getting straight back into it in the New Year, with pieces about abuse in Jessica Jones, what World Wrestling Entertainment can learn from Jem & the Holograms‘ flop and why its spate of injuries might be a good thing for other wrestlers. [Bitch Flicks, The Spectacle of Excess, Cageside Seats]
On selfies. [Matter]
Forget the manbun. The latest in men’s hair styling are manbraids. And they’re cultural appropriation. [Ms. Magazine]
Why is there a statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault? [NYTimes]
Erin Riley kicking goals (mixing metaphors, I know) with her piece on the Chris Gayle incident being a symptom of a much larger problem with sexism in sport. [Daily Life]
Mens mental health is important but not at the expense of the women and children they abuse and kill. [Daily Life]
There’s been plenty of coverage of Cole Miller’s death by one punch, but what about Indigenous man Trevor Duroux’s death of the same? [New Matilda]
The history of glitter. [Broadly]
The history of toplessness. [Broadly]
And the history of the crystal ball. [Broadly]
2015 was the year of interracial relationships on TV. [Fusion]
Has Clive Palmer had a feminist awakening? [Junkee]
Even teaching a course on Beyonce doesn’t guarantee job security. [WaPo]
Why we need to talk about the sexual assaults in Germany over New Years—and the race of the attackers. [New Statesman]
Should wives be held accountable for their husband’s bad behaviour? [The Cut]
And what about Bill Clinton’s alleged sexual assault of a woman in 1978? [Jezebel]
It’s great that you want to read books by more diverse authors, but do you have to tell the whole world about it? Just do it. [Jezebel]
By Scarlett Harris ¶ Posted in On the (Rest of the) Net, On the Net ¶ Tagged abortion, boy band, Broadly, Calling Spots, Dame magazine, disability, Disability Horizons, Frida Kahlo, Fusion, gay rights, Harper's, Heathers, Hillary Clinton, intimate partner violence, Jezebel, manspreading, Medium, NFL, professional wrestling, race, Sady Doyle, Vocativ, WaPo ¶ Leave a comment
The disparities between TV and real life abortions. [WaPo]
Pushing back against manspreading. [Medium]
Did Frida Kahlo identify as a disabled artist? [Disability Horizons]
Portraying black gay men on TV. [Fusion]
Actually, bed rest isn’t good for you… so why are pregnant women still prescribed it? [Harper’s]
Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for the job of president:
“If you want to blame her for all of Bill Clinton’s bad decisions, which many Sanders partisans do, then you can’t do that without admitting that she did in fact play a major role in policy; if you want to trivialise her as ‘just a First Lady,’ then you can’t use any part of Bill’s administration against her. Pick your poison, but they’re mutually exclusive options. ” [Sady Doyle]
Deconstructing Heathers‘ fashion. [Fusion]
The NFL responds more harshly to dog fighting than it does to violence against women. [Broadly]
Can concussions cause rape? [Broadly]
So, wrestling for sex is a thing. [Vocativ]
The prats and pitfalls of the fanboy celebrity profile. [Jezebel]
Boy bands are one of the only safe spaces in which girls can explore their sexualities. [Dame Magazine]
ICYMI: I republished my Calling Spots story on race and gender in wrestling.
Images via Complex, Chat Cheri.
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US7805381B2 - Competency self-assessment approval - Google Patents
Competency self-assessment approval Download PDF
Juergen Habichler
Isaac Lau
Yu Cheng Weng
Anthony Deighton
Oracle America Inc
Siebel Systems Inc
2002-03-29 Priority to US10/109,858 priority patent/US20070208572A1/en
2002-06-27 Application filed by Siebel Systems Inc filed Critical Siebel Systems Inc
2002-09-10 Assigned to SIEBEL SYSTEMS, INC. reassignment SIEBEL SYSTEMS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HABICHLER, JUERGEN, WENG, YU CHENG, LAU, ISSAC, DEIGHTON, ANTHONY
2016-02-05 Assigned to Oracle America, Inc. reassignment Oracle America, Inc. MERGER (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SIEBEL SYSTEMS, INC.
238000000034 methods Methods 0 abstract description 44
239000002609 media Substances 0 abstract description 5
230000000875 corresponding Effects 0 description 25
238000006011 modification Methods 0 description 22
230000004048 modification Effects 0 description 22
230000002452 interceptive Effects 0 description 19
230000002730 additional Effects 0 description 1
238000004801 process automation Methods 0 description 1
230000000644 propagated Effects 0 description 1
239000010911 seed Substances 0 description 1
G06Q10/10—Office automation, e.g. computer aided management of electronic mail or groupware; Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management, e.g. organising, planning, scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources; Enterprise planning; Organisational models
G06Q10/063—Operations research or analysis
G06Q10/0639—Performance analysis
G06Q10/06398—Performance of employee with respect to a job function
G06Q10/105—Human resources
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for using competency-related information for individuals to provide a variety of benefits is described. In some situations, individuals may propose self-assessments of competencies that they believe that they possess, such as specified skill levels of specified skills. Various techniques to independently approve proposed self-assessed competencies can be provided, such as by defining groups of appropriate reviewers (e.g., supervisors, peers and/or subordinates) for self-assessed competencies and by automatically retrieving and processing validation information from such reviewers upon receipt of a competency self-assessment in order to determine whether to approve the self-assessed competency. Various approval criteria for a proposed competency self-assessment can also be specified, such as agreement of a majority of reviewers, unanimous validation by some or all of the specified reviewers, and/or a threshold for a weighted average of reviewers' assessed skill levels for the proposing individual.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/109,972, filed Mar. 29, 2002 and entitled “Managing Future Career Paths”; of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/112,420, filed Mar. 29, 2002 now abandoned and entitled “Using Skill Level History Information”; of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/109,858, filed Mar. 29, 2002 now abandoned and entitled “Managing Competencies Of Groups”; and of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/112,330, filed Mar. 29, 2002 now abandoned and entitled “Personalized Learning Recommendations”, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The following disclosure relates generally to using competency-related information, and more particularly to providing automated assistance to gain approval of self-assessed competencies of individuals, such as for employees of an organization.
Many organizations track information about themselves and their members, and use that information for a variety of purposes. For example, business organizations will typically track payroll-related information about employees (e.g., their salaries and Social Security Numbers), and may also track other work-related information for at least some employees (e.g., their current work positions and various biographical information such as accomplishments and degrees). Organizations increasingly employ various software applications to assist in the tracking of such information, as well as with the managing of interactions between the organization and other parts of the enterprise (e.g., customers, partners, suppliers, distributors, employees, etc.).
While organizations will occasionally store limited information about the competencies of their members (e.g., a list of members that are trained in CPR or that speak a particular foreign language), such organizations do not typically track and use such information in an organized and integrated manner so as to provide significant benefits to the organization or to its members. For example, organizations do not typically track a full range of competencies of differing types for it members, nor do they typically track a history of changes in members' competencies. Moreover, organizations do not typically track missing competencies that have been identified for members, nor use such information to assist the members in improving their current competencies.
In some organizations, members may be able to supply limited information about their own competencies, and in some circumstances such member-supplied information may be available to others. However, member-supplied information that merely represents a subjective assessment by a member of their own competencies may be of little use to others. For example, others will have difficulty in determining whether the member-supplied information suffers from unintentional or intentional inaccuracies. Moreover, even if each member provides self-assessment information about their competencies that they believe to be accurate, it will be difficult for others to compare members' relative self-assessed competencies, as each member may use different descriptions for similar competencies (e.g., “public speaking” versus “oral communication ability”), may use different rating types (e.g., one member using ratings of “low”, “medium” and “high”, while another member uses a scale from 1 to 5) and/or may correlate similar abilities to different rating levels.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to track a variety of competency-related information for individuals such as members of organizations, and to use such information to provide various benefits to the individuals and/or organizations. For example, it would be beneficial to provide mechanisms for gathering self-assessed competency information from individuals in a standardized manner and for independently approving such self-assessment information in various ways.
FIG. 1 shows a multi-layered system architecture within which the described techniques can be implemented.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a system configuration in which the described techniques can be implemented.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram illustrating a logical representation of a multi-layered architecture within which the described techniques can be implemented.
FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of an application framework within which the described techniques can be implemented.
FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate examples of competency-related information that can be tracked and used for employees of a business organization.
FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate examples of competency-related information that is defined for an organization.
FIG. 6C illustrates an example of a network of related work position types that is defined for an organization.
FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate examples of receiving and using personalized learning recommendations.
FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate examples of using competency-related information as part of career path management activities.
FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate examples of managing the competencies of a group of multiple employees.
FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate an example of searching for employees using competency-related information and comparing employees based on such information.
FIGS. 11A-11C illustrate examples of approving an employee's proposed self-assessed competencies.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a computing system suitable for providing the described techniques.
FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Administrative Definition routine.
FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Employee Competency Manager routine.
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Self-Assessed Competency Approver subroutine.
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Career Path Manager routine.
FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Group Skill Manager routine.
FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Personalized Learning Recommender routine.
FIG. 19 is a flow diagram of the Employee Locator/Comparator routine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Introduction
A software facility is described below that tracks various competency-related information for individuals and uses such competency-related information to provide a variety of benefits. In some embodiments, the individuals are members of an organization (e.g., employees of a business organization), and the software facility is used by the organization to provide a variety of benefits to the organization and its members.
In particular, in some embodiments individuals may propose self-assessments of competencies that they believe that they possess, such as specified skill levels (or “proficiency levels”) of specified skills. The accuracy of individuals' self-assessments can be enhanced and validated in various ways. For example, a defined rating system with multiple defined skills levels (e.g., with corresponding descriptions) can be associated with a specified competency, thus improving the relative accuracy of individuals' self-assessments for that competency. In addition, various techniques to independently approve proposed self-assessed competencies can be provided, such as by defining approval groups of appropriate validation reviewers (e.g., supervisors, peers and/or subordinates) for self-assessed competencies and by automatically retrieving and processing validation information from such reviewers upon receipt of a proposed competency self-assessment. The types of validation information from reviewers may vary in different embodiments and/or based on the specific approval group or reviewer, any may include various types of validation assessments (e.g., a “yes/no” assessment, or an independent assessment of the current skill level of an individual who is proposing a skill level for a competency) that are to be combined with the validation assessments of other users in order to make an approval determination, an explicit approval assessment from a single reviewer to approve or deny a proposed competency, validation opinions to be provided to one or more other reviewers who will actually provide assessments, etc. Various approval criteria for a proposed competency self-assessment can also be specified, such as a favorable validation assessment from a majority of reviewers, unanimously favorable validation assessments by some or all of the specified reviewers, and/or using a threshold that an average of the reviewers' assessed skill levels for the proposing individual must reach. In addition, in some embodiments approval of a proposed self-assessed competency may be based on independent verification, such as in an automated manner by computer-based testing of a proposer's knowledge or other testable skill.
In some embodiments, a history of changes that occur in individuals' competencies is also tracked, such as new competencies that are attained by the individuals and/or changes in skill levels for existing competencies. A variety of additional information related to such competency changes may also be determined and tracked, such as times at which the changes occurred and/or a basis for each of the competency changes (e.g., completion of a course that provided a resulting competency or an approved self-assessment of a new skill level). The competency change history information can then be used to provide a variety of benefits. For example, when such competency change information is tracked for members of an organization, it can be used by others to more accurately identify members of interest (e.g., members who have had a specified current skill level of a competency for at least a specified period of time and who attained a specified prior skill level of that competency by completion of an appropriate training course) and/or to compare such members (e.g., to rank members having a specified current skill level of a competency based on the length of time that they have had that skill level and/or on the basis for their achieving of that skill level).
In addition, in some embodiments gaps are identified between current competencies of individuals and target competencies for those individuals, and the individuals are provided with assistance in reducing or eliminating those competency gaps. The target competencies for an individual can be identified in a variety of ways, such as in an automatic manner based on required or preferred competencies for a current organizational position held by an individual. After identifying one or more competency gaps for an individual, the facility can automatically identify training courses or other learning activities that if completed or performed by the individual would reduce or eliminate those competency gaps. The facility can also automatically detect the completion or performance of at least some such learning activities by individuals (e.g., training courses provided by an organization of which the individual is a member), and if so will automatically update the current competency information and resulting competency gap information for those individuals.
In some embodiments, target competencies for members of an organization are identified at least in part based on information specified by appropriate other members of the organization (e.g., supervisors or group managers). For example, a manager of a group in an organization can specify aggregate target competencies for the group, and can view information about resulting competency gaps for the group. The facility can then assist the manager in generating a plan to reduce the group competency gaps in various ways, such as by identifying particular group members that are responsible for reducing or eliminating at least portions of the competency gaps and/or by searching for new potential group members whose current or planned competencies would similarly reduce or eliminate such competency gaps.
The competency-related information tracked by the facility can also assist members of an organization in managing future career paths within the organization. For example, in some embodiments the organization will have one or more defined networks of related position types for that organization, with an appropriate defined network indicating the future position types to which a current position type can lead. Thus, an organization member can specify a starting position type (e.g., the position type of the current position of the member) and a target future position type, and the facility can identify one or more possible career paths that lead from the starting position type to the target future position type (e.g., through one or more intermediate position types). When the position types have associated required competencies, the facility can also identify the competency gaps that exist for the member relative to each position type along the career path and/or between each pair of adjacent position types along the career path. After competency gaps are identified, actions to reduce those competency gaps can be identified for possible inclusion in a future action plan for the member. The facility can also provide other career management functionalities, including identifying other position types to consider (e.g., based on current or planned competencies of the member), providing links to openings for positions of future position types as the member becomes qualified for them, and providing various other types of information about future position types.
II. System Overview and Overall Architecture
In one embodiment, a computing system with which the facility is integrated can be logically structured as a multi-layered architecture as shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the logical multi-layered architecture as shown in FIG. 1 provides a platform for common services to support various applications. These services may include a user interface layer 110, an object manager layer 120, a data manager layer 130, and a data exchange layer 140.
The user interface layer 110 may provide the applets, views, charts and reports associated with one or more applications. In one embodiment, various types of clients can be supported via the user interface layer 110. These various types of clients may include traditional connected clients, remote clients, thin clients over an intranet, Java thin clients or non-Windows-based operating systems, HTML clients over the Internet, etc.
The object manager layer 120 may be designed to manage one or more sets of business rules or business concepts associated with one or more applications and to provide the interface between the user interface layer 110 and the data manager layer 130. In one embodiment, the business rules or concepts can be represented as business objects. The business objects may also be designed as configurable software representations of the various business rules or concepts, such as accounts, contacts, opportunities, service requests, solutions, etc.
The data manager layer 130 may be designed to maintain logical views of the underlying data and to allow the object manager to function independently of underlying data structures or tables in which data are stored. In one embodiment, the data manager 130 may also provide certain database query functions such as generation of structure query language (SQL) in real-time to access the data. In one embodiment, the data manager 130 is designed to operate on object definitions in a repository file 160 that define the database schema. The data storage services 170 provide the data storage for the data model associated with one or more applications.
The data exchange layer 140 may be designed to handle the interactions with one or more specific target databases and to provide the interface between the data manager layer 130 and the underlying data sources.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a computing system configuration in which the facility can operate. In particular, the illustrated multi-layered architecture allows one or more software layers to reside on different machines. For example, the user interface, the object manager, and the data manager may all reside on the dedicated Web clients. For other types of clients such as the wireless clients, the object manager and data manager may reside on a system server. It should be appreciated and understood by one skilled in the art that the system configuration shown in FIG. 2 is for illustrative and explanative purposes, and may vary depending upon the particular implementations and applications of the described techniques.
In one embodiment, the system environment illustrated in FIG. 2 may include more than one database 290, and one or more subsets of the database can be created or replicated by a replication manager. In addition, mobile Web clients can have additional remote databases (also called local databases). In one embodiment, unless the remote or local databases associated with the mobile Web clients are defined as read-only databases, these mobile Web clients can create and update data locally that will be ultimately propagated up to the primary database when each mobile Web client synchronizes with the system server.
In one embodiment, the database 290 is designed to store various types of data including predefined data schema (e.g., table objects, index objects, etc.), repository objects (e.g., business objects and components, view definitions and visibility rules, etc.), and users' and customers' data. Dedicated Web clients and server components, including those that operate in conjunction with the other types of clients, may connect directly to the database 290 and make changes in real-time. In addition, mobile Web clients may download a subset of the server's data to use locally, and periodically synchronize with the server database through the system server to update both the local and the server database.
In some embodiments, various tables included in the database 290 may be logically organized into the following types: data tables, interface tables, and repository tables, etc. In addition, data tables may be used to store user business data, administrative data, seed data, and transaction data, etc. In one embodiment, these data tables may be populated and updated through the various applications and processes. Data tables may also include the base tables and the intersection tables, etc. In one embodiment, base tables may contain columns that are defined and used by the various applications. In one embodiment, the base tables are designed to provide the columns for a business component specified in the table property of that business component. In one embodiment, intersection tables are tables that are used to implement a many-to-many relationship between two business components. They may also hold intersection data columns, which store information pertaining to each association. In one embodiment, intersection tables provide the data structures for association applets.
In one embodiment, interface tables are used to denormalize a group of base tables into a single table that external programs can interface to. In one embodiment, they may be used as a staging area for exporting and importing of data.
In one embodiment, repository tables contain the object definitions that specify one or more applications regarding:
the client application configuration;
the mapping used for importing and exporting data; and
rules for transferring data to mobile clients.
In one embodiment, the file system 295 is a network-accessible directory that can be located on an application server. In one embodiment, the file system 295 stores the physical files created by various applications, such as files created by third-party text editors, and other data that is not stored in the database 290. In one embodiment, physical files stored in the file system 295 can be compressed and stored under various naming conventions. In one embodiment, dedicated Web clients can read and write files directly to and from the file system 295. In one embodiment, mobile Web clients can have a local file system, which they synchronize with the server-based file system 290 periodically. In one embodiment, other types of client such as the wireless clients and the Web clients can access the file system 290 via the system server.
In one embodiment, the enterprise server 250 is a logical grouping of the system servers 255 that share a common table owner or a database, point to a common gateway server, and can be administered as a group using server manager 260. In one embodiment, the connection to the gateway server can be established via TCP/IP. In one embodiment, the enterprise server 250 can be scaled effectively by deploying multiple system servers 255 in the enterprise server 250, thus providing a high degree of scalability in the middle tier of applications.
In one embodiment, the server 255 runs one or multiple server programs. It handles the incoming processing requests and monitors the state of all processes on the server. In one embodiment, server programs are designed and configured to perform one or more specific functions or jobs including importing and exporting data, configuring the database, executing workflow and process automation, processing to support mobile Web clients for data synchronization and replication, and enforcing business rules, etc. In one embodiment, the server 255 can be an NT Service (under Windows NT operating system) or a daemon (e.g., a background shell process) under UNIX operating system. In one embodiment, the server 255 supports both multi-process and multi-threaded components and can operate components in batch, service, and interactive modes.
In one embodiment, the server manager 260 is configured as a utility that allows common control, administration and monitoring across disparate programs for the servers 255 and the enterprise server 250. In one embodiment, the server manager 260 can be used to perform the following tasks: start, stop, pause, and resume servers 255, components, and tasks; monitor status and collect statistics for multiple tasks, components, and servers within an enterprise server; and configure the enterprise server, individual servers, individual components, and tasks, etc.
In one embodiment, the gateway server can be configured as a logical entity that serves as a single entry point for accessing servers. In one embodiment, it can be used to provide enhanced scalability, load balancing and high availability across the enterprise server. In one embodiment, the gateway server may include a name server and a connection brokering component. In one embodiment, the name server is configured to keep track of the parameters associated with the servers. For example, the availability and connectivity information associated with the servers can be stored in the name server. The various components in the system can query the name server for various information regarding the servers' availability and connectivity. In a Windows NT environment, the name server can be run as a NT service. In a UNIX environment, the name server can run as a daemon process. In one embodiment, the connection brokering component is used to perform load balancing functions such as directing client connection requests to an appropriate server (e.g., the least-busy server).
In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the various types of clients that can be supported by the system may include the following clients: dedicated Web clients, mobile Web clients, Web clients, wireless clients, and handheld clients, etc.
In one embodiment, dedicated Web clients (also called connected clients) are connected directly to a database server for data access via a LAN or WAN connection. In one embodiment, these connected or dedicated Web clients do not store data locally. These dedicated Web clients can also access the file system directly. In one embodiment, the user interface, the object manager, and the data manager layers of the multi-layered architecture reside on the dedicated Web client.
In one embodiment, the mobile Web clients are designed and configured for local data access and thus can have their own local database and/or local file system. In one embodiment, mobile Web clients can interact with other components within the system via the gateway server. Through synchronization, the modifications from the local database and the server database can be exchanged.
In one embodiment, a Web client runs in a standard browser format from the client's machine. In one embodiment, the Web client can connect to a system server 255 through a Web server. In one embodiment, the system server 255 is designed and configured to execute business logic and access data from the database 290 and file system 295. In one embodiment, the Web client described herein is designed and configured to operate in an interactive mode. In one embodiment, the interactive Web client framework as described herein utilizes dynamically created objects implemented in JavaScript on the browser side that correspond to objects on the server side. In one embodiment, these dynamically created objects on the browser side may include the current view and its corresponding applets, the current business object and the corresponding business components, etc.
In one embodiment, wireless clients are essentially thin clients enabled on wireless devices. The wireless clients can use a wireless application protocol (WAP)-based user interface to communicate and exchange information/data with the system server.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram illustrating another logical representation of a multi-layered architecture. Again, the multi-layered architecture as illustrated in FIG. 3 provides the configured platform for various common services designed and to support the various applications. In one embodiment, these various services may include presentation services which correspond to an applet manager and user interface layer, application services which correspond to an object manager (OM) layer and a data manager (DM) layer, and data services which correspond to a database layer.
In one embodiment, the presentation services may be designed and configured to support various types of clients and may provide them with user interface applets, views, charts, and reports, etc. As described above, a large variety of clients may be supported including wireless clients, handheld clients, Web clients, mobile Web clients, and dedicated (connected) clients, etc.
In one embodiment, the application services may include business logic services and database interaction services. In one embodiment, business logic services provide the class and behaviors of business objects and business components. In one embodiment, database interaction services may be designed and configured to take the user interface (UI) request for data from a business component and generate the database commands (e.g., SQL queries) necessary to satisfy the request. For example, the data interaction services may be used to translate a call for data into DBMS-specific SQL statements.
In one embodiment, data storage services may be designed and configured to provide the data storage for the underlying data model which serves as the basis of the various applications. For example, the data model may be designed and configured to support various software products and applications including call center, sales, services, and marketing, etc., as well as various industry vertical products and applications such as eFinance, eInsurance, eCommunications, and eHealthcare, etc.
FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of an application framework. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the application framework may include various logical groupings of various types of services and various types of tools that can be used to design and configure particular applications based on business needs and environments.
In one embodiment, the core services are designed and configured to provide the framework in which the applications execute. In one embodiment, the core services may include the following:
the enterprise server, which is the middle-tier application server;
the networks that link all of these pieces together;
facilities like event manager and data replication, which allow sharing data between multiple installations of various applications as well as between the various applications and other external applications; and
the authentication and access control, the security facilities.
In one embodiment, application integration services may be designed and configured to allow the various applications built in accordance with this framework to communicate with the external world. In one embodiment, the various types of services in this logical grouping may be designed and configured to provide for real-time, near-real-time, and batch integration with external applications. For example, these integration services may be used to enable communications between external applications and the internal applications using available methods, technologies, and software products. In one embodiment, application integration services allow the systems or applications to share and replicate data with other external enterprise applications. Accordingly, these services allow a particular application or system to be both a client requesting information and a server having information requested from it.
In one embodiment, business processes services are designed and configured to allow the client to automate business processes through the application. In one embodiment, these various business process services may include the following:
assignment of tasks through Assignment Manager;
enforcement of business practices through Workflow Manager;
reuse of custom business logic through Business Services; and
ensuring proper product configuration and pricing through the Product Configurator and Pricing Configurator.
In one embodiment, creation of these business processes can be done through Run-Time tools such as Personalization Designer, Workflow Designer, SmartScript Designer, Assignment Administration Views, the Model Builder, etc.
In one embodiment, integration services may be designed and configured to provide the client with user interface and thin client support. In one embodiment, these may include capabilities for building and maintaining Web-based applications, providing Web support facilities such as user Profile Management, Collaboration Services and Email and Fax services, as well as advanced Smart Scripting, etc.
In one embodiment, design time tools may be designed and configured to provide the services to customize, design, provide integration points, and maintain the application. These various tools provide one common place to define the application.
In one embodiment, admin services are designed and configured to provide one place to monitor and administer the application environment. In one embodiment, these services allow the user to administer the application either through a graphic user interface (GUI) or from a command line.
III. Examples and Additional Details
For illustrative purposes, some embodiments of the software facility are described below in which specific types of competencies are tracked and used by employees of business organizations. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the techniques of the invention can be used in a wide variety of other situations, and that the invention is not limited to use with employees of business organizations or with the illustrated types of competencies.
As one example of competency-related information that may be tracked and used for employees of a business organization, consider the information illustrated for an example Employee ZZ of an Organization XX in FIGS. 5A-5C. In the illustrated embodiment, Organization XX makes a variety of information available to employees via a Web-based portal for the organization, and Employee ZZ has selected to review his competency-related information. As is shown in section 505 of the resulting screen of information, in this illustrated example Employee ZZ holds a current work position within the organization that has the unique identifier of 2347, with that work position being of a defined work position type for the organization of “Intermediate Software Engineer”. There are also various other sections of competency-related information for Employee ZZ that are illustrated on the screen, including a section 510 illustrating current skills, a section 520 illustrating details about a selected one of the current skills, a section 530 indicating history information for skill level changes for that selected skill, a section 540 indicating non-skill competencies of the employee, a section 550 indicating current competency gaps of the employee, a section 560 indicating planned competencies of the employee, a section 570 indicating proposed self-assessed skills of the employee, and a section 580 illustrating details about a selected one of the proposed self-assessed skills. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments additional types of information may be presented (e.g., proposed self-assessments of non-skill competencies) and/or that some of the illustrated types of information may not be available.
To provide a context for the competency-related information presented in FIGS. 5A-5C, FIG. 6A illustrates an example of various defined competencies that have been previously specified for the organization. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment an administrative user (or “administrator”) for the organization has defined a competency hierarchy 600 for the organization, such as by modifying a default competency hierarchy provided by a third-party. The hierarchy in the illustrated embodiment can be defined to any depth desired by the administrative user. While competencies may be represented in a variety of ways, in the illustrated embodiment the competencies are hierarchically arranged in at least four competency groupings, those being a group 602 of various skills, a group 604 of various capabilities, a group 606 of various credentials, and a group 608 of various experiences. Competencies are selected to be grouped with the skills if they are attributes that have multiple corresponding skill levels amenable to measurement. Capabilities, conversely, are qualities which a person is determined to possess or not possess, but do not have multiple associated skill levels. Credential and experience competencies similarly do not have multiple associated skill levels, but may have associated parameters in the illustrated embodiment (e.g., a Masters of Science degree credential could have an associated parameter indicating the field of study or an associated class rank). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that competencies can be defined in other ways in other embodiments (e.g., a competency categorized as a capability for one organization could be categorized as a skill for another organization, or other organizations may not differentiate between different types of competencies in this manner), and can include a variety of types of information not illustrated or instead may lack some of the illustrated information.
In the illustrated embodiment, after specifying the competency hierarchy, an administrative user then assigns competency-related information to defined work positions and to learning activities that are available to employees. More generally, each business organization may have a variety of work position types that have been defined for the organization, with multiple filled work positions and work position openings sharing a single defined work position type. Each work position type can have one or more associated competencies, which in the illustrated embodiment can be defined as being required or preferred. In addition, for each competency associated with a work position type that is a skill, there is also a corresponding rating system having multiple defined skill levels (e.g., “Novice”, “Intermediate” and “Expert”, or integers 1-5) that is associated with that work position type. While not illustrated here, in some embodiments an administrative user may define an arbitrary number of rating systems with arbitrary skill levels, and associate any combination of skill and rating system to any work position type. In addition, while also not illustrated here, in some embodiments particular work positions of a defined type may be defined to have associated competencies that vary from the competencies associated with the defined type, such as defining a competency that is merely preferred for the defined type to be required for a particular work position.
FIG. 6B illustrates an example screen with which an administrative user may define mappings of competency-related information to work position types, including a section 610 with various defined work position types for the organization and a section 620 with additional details about a selected one of the work position types. In particular, section 610 of FIG. 6B illustrates various defined work position type entries 612-616, and includes summaries of required and preferred competencies for each work position type. The illustrated embodiment also includes information about a location of the work position type in a corresponding hierarchy of work position types (not illustrated), such as may be used for inheritance or sharing of associated competency information (e.g., some of the associated competencies for the work position type of “Senior Software Engineer—ABC Division” may be inherited from its parent work position type of “Senior Software Engineer”). Section 610 also includes interactive controls 617 and 619 to allow the administrative user to add new work position types or to edit existing ones.
The work position type illustrated in entry 614 has been selected (illustrated in this example embodiment by the entry being shown in italicized form), and thus the section 620 provides additional details about the competencies mapped to that work position type. Four competencies are shown for the selected work position type in entries 622-626, with each entry providing information about the position of that competency in the defined competency hierarchy as well as a corresponding criticality of the competency for the work position type. For the competencies that are skills, a skill level rating system is also specified, and a required and/or preferred skill level from that rating system is also shown for the skill. Section 620 also includes interactive controls 627 and 629 to allow the administrative user to add or edit competencies for the selected work position type. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments a variety of additional types of competency-related information could be specified and/or shown, or that various illustrated types of information may instead not be specified and/or shown.
While not illustrated, the administrator can also associate competencies and rating systems (for skill-based competencies) with each of various learning activities available to employees, and can then specify skill levels that are expected to result from or possibly result from performance or completion of the learning activities by employees. Such learning activities can take a variety of forms, as discussed in greater detail below, including training courses and exams offered by the organization as well as learning activities provided by a known third-party, such as over the Web. Administrators can also specify a variety of other types of information related to learning activities, such as various prerequisites for a learning activity and/or multiple learning activities to be associated together (e.g., in a specified order) as a curriculum.
While not illustrated, the administrator can also define various information related to approval of self-assessed competencies. For example, approval groups of one or more appropriate validation reviewers (e.g., supervisors, peers and/or subordinates) may be defined and used for providing validation or other information related to proposed self-assessments of competencies. In some situations, the validation reviewers may be independent of the particular employee proposing a self-assessment (e.g., a fixed committee or individual within an organization), while in other situations some or all of the reviewers may instead be determined relative to the proposing employee (e.g., by selecting the supervisor of the employee to be a reviewer). In addition, in some embodiments an approval group may be selected for use with a proposed competency self-assessment from an employee on the basis of one or more of various factors, such as the particular competency, the particular employee, a work position type of the employee, a group of employees that includes the particular employee (e.g., employees that are part of a project or within a division), etc.
The administrator may also define other approval information for proposed self-assessed competencies, such as various types of approval criteria to be used to determine whether to approve a proposed self-assessed competency. As with the defined approval groups, approval criteria may be selected for use with a particular competency self-assessment from an employee based on one or more of various factors, including the particular competency, the particular employee, etc. In some circumstances, approval for a proposed self-assessed competency can be automatically determined after validation information is received from one or more reviewers, such as if the approval criteria specifies a threshold for the number of validation reviewers that must validate the proposed competency (e.g., a majority of the reviewers from which responses are solicited, or a majority of the reviewers from which responses are received) in order for it to be approved and/or specifies a threshold for the validation assessments of the various reviewers (e.g., an average, accumulation or other aggregation of the assessment responses) in order for it to be approved. In other circumstances, the defined approval criteria allows one or more validation reviewers (e.g., a supervisor of an employee) to explicitly provide an approval assessment to approve or deny a self-assessed competency, such as based on their own experience or after reviewing validation opinions received from other reviewers. Alternatively, the approval criteria may be able to determine approval in an automated manner even without validation or other information from reviewers.
In addition to the previously described definitions, an administrative user in the illustrated embodiment can also define one or more networks of relationships between work position types. FIG. 6C illustrates an example of a portion of a work position type network for the engineering portion of the organization. A variety of work position types are illustrated, and arrows are shown to indicate defined relationships between those work position types. Most relationships in the illustrated embodiment, shown here with an arrow with a single solid line, indicate that employees in a work position of a defined type are eligible to be promoted to positions of other defined work position types if arrows to those other work position types are shown from the first work position type. Thus, for example, in the illustrated embodiment an employee having a position of the defined “Junior IT Analyst” work position type is eligible to be promoted to a next work position type of “IT Analyst”, but not to a next work position type of “Junior Software Engineer”. As is shown, some work position types may have multiple alternatives for next work position types, such as the “Intermediate Software Engineer” type. A variety of interactive controls (not shown) may also allow an administrative user to add work position types and define relationships.
In addition, in the illustrated embodiment an administrative user can specify additional types of restrictions between work position types. For example, employees with a current work position of the type “Entry-Level Product Manager” are eligible to be promoted to the engineering-track work position of the type “Intermediate Software Engineer”, but only if they receive approval of the appropriate Director of Engineering. The existence of this additional restriction for that work position type transition is shown in the illustrated embodiment by an arrow with double lines. As another example, the “Senior IT Analyst—Level 1” work position type is intended to be a final work position type from which there is not a regular career path advancement track. However, a select few employees in that position may eventually be elevated to the “Senior IT Analyst—Level 2” work position type if they are selected by a special review panel. The existence of this special work position type transition is shown in the illustrated embodiment by an arrow with a dashed line. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, no additional restrictions may be imposed for work position type transitions other than the competencies associated with the future work position type, or that a variety of other types of restrictions may be imposed.
Returning now to FIG. 5A, a variety of competency-related information for Employee ZZ will now be discussed. As previously noted, section 510 includes various skill-based competency information for Employee ZZ. In particular, skills are shown in entries 512-516, and the skill in entry 512 with the name “C++ Skills” has been selected. Section 510 also includes interactive controls 517 and 519 in the illustrated embodiment to allow Employee ZZ to modify his own skill set, although in some embodiments some modifications (e.g., additions of new skills or skill levels) may need validation or other approval before taking effect. Some or all of the skills may also have associated criticality values, such as to show the importance of the possession of the skill to the employee (e.g., based on the current work position type) and/or to the organization.
Section 520 illustrates additional details for the selected skill, including not only a current skill level of Employee ZZ but also information about the achievement of that skill level. The skill level achievement information in the illustrated embodiment includes the date on which the skill level was achieved and a basis for the employee to have been rated as having that skill level, which in this example was completion of a course provided by Organization XX. In this example, the completed internal course was previously defined by an administrative user as providing an Intermediate skill level for the “C++ Skills” competency and as not requiring any additional validation. In addition, information such as the date of accomplishment and accomplishment basis was automatically added in this example to Employee ZZ's competency-related information upon completion of the course, such as by receiving that information from a learning module for the organization.
A history of skill level changes is also tracked for at least some skills in the illustrated example, and section 530 shows a skill level change history for the selected skill. Entries 532-536 of the section each show a previous change that occurred with respect to the skill for Employee ZZ. For example, Employee ZZ first attained a Basic skill level for the selected skill by completing an A.A. degree and then receiving a validation approval from his supervisor as possessing the Basic skill level. After later completing an internal project for Organization XX, Employee ZZ believed his skill level had progressed to a Intermediate level, and thus performed a corresponding self-assessment that was later approved by appropriate other employees in a 360 degree review that included supervisors, peers and subordinates. However, as Organization XX places a higher value on skills that are attained via courses than they do for those attained via self-assessments, Employee ZZ later completed an internal course that further validated his possession of an Intermediate skill level for the skill.
Section 540 summarizes a variety of non-skill competency information for Employee ZZ, which in other embodiments may be stored and/or presented in other manners (e.g., in a format more closely resembling a resume, or by separating credential, experience and capability information). While not illustrated, in some embodiments one of the competencies may be selected in a manner similar to that for the current skills, and corresponding additional details and/or competency change information may be presented for the selected competency. Section 540 also includes interactive controls in a similar manner to section 510. In other embodiments, information about skills and other competencies may be stored and/or presented in an integrated manner.
Section 550 provides a variety of information about current competency gaps for Employee ZZ, with those gaps based on target competencies for Employee ZZ that are not among the current competencies of Employee ZZ. In this example, four competency gaps in entries 552-558 are illustrated. As shown by the Source field, such competency gaps (and their corresponding target competencies) can have a variety of sources, including required skills for Employee ZZ's current work position, performance or other goals set for Employee ZZ (e.g., as part of a yearly review process), explicit recommendations or requirements from his manager or others (e.g., of a useful skill that he might want to consider, such as to benefit himself and/or to provide additional aggregate skills to a group to which Employee ZZ belongs), and personal interests or goals of Employee ZZ that have been specified. In the illustrated embodiment, each competency gap has an associated criticality value, with the competency gaps presented in a ranked order based on those criticality values. These criticality values can be determined in a variety of ways, such as by being provided by the source of the competency gap (e.g., the “B.S. Degree” competency being a requirement for Employee ZZ's current work position with a High level of criticality), based on the source itself (e.g., Personal Goals having by default a Low criticality), etc.
Section 560 provides information about planned competencies of Employee ZZ, such as based on learning activities that have been scheduled, explicit competency goals that have been set, or a defined plan to reduce current competency gaps. In this example, Employee ZZ does not currently have any planned competencies.
Section 570 illustrates various proposed self-assessments of skills by Employee ZZ. In particular, three proposed self-assessed skills are shown in entries 572, 574 and 576, with the “Spanish Writing” skill in entry 574 currently selected. Various interactive controls 573, 575 and 577 are present in the illustrated embodiment to allow Employee ZZ to modify his proposed self-assessed skills. In embodiments in which the employee can propose self-assessed skills directly, interactive controls in other skill-related sections (e.g., section 510) may be restricted so as to disallow self-assessment of skills in those sections. Each of the proposed self-assessed skills in section 570 includes a proposed skill level, and the employee can also provide self-assessment comments that will be available to validation reviewers. The illustrated embodiment also includes a “hold?” field that allows a proposed self-assessed skill to be temporarily excluded from an automated approval process that is initiated in the illustrated embodiment when the employee selects the “Submit” interactive control 579—thus, proposed self-assessments will be submitted for approval unless they have the “hold?” field currently selected or are already being approved. The proposed skills in entries 574 and 576 have already been submitted for approval, and a variety of information about the approval process may be provided to the employee in the illustrated embodiment as is shown in the “Approval Status” and “Approval Comments” fields for entry 574. In some embodiments, some available information about the approval process may be restricted from the employee, such as the identity of specific validation reviewers or the individual validation assessment responses received from particular reviewers.
Section 580 illustrates additional details for the selected proposed self-assessed skill, including information about the approval group of validation reviewers and the approval criteria to be used for the approval process. In the illustrated embodiment, the approval group includes 2 levels of supervisors (i.e., Employee ZZ's supervisor and the supervisor's supervisor), 1 level of subordinates (e.g., the direct reports of Employee ZZ) and Employee ZZ's peers that are part of Employee ZZ's current project. In addition, the illustrated approval criteria includes a threshold for the number of validation reviewers that are required to respond (i.e., 75%), for the types of reviewers that must respond (i.e., at least one peer, one supervisor and two subordinates), and for the validation assessment provided by the responses in order for the proposed competency to be approved. In this example, as is illustrated in greater detail with respect to FIG. 11A, each of the reviewers can provide a validation assessment of Employee ZZ's current skill level for the selected skill, and the provided skill level assessments are then averaged. A weighting scheme for the averaging is also used in this example, with the supervisor's assessment carrying twice the weight as a subordinate's assessment. Additional details about the current status of the approval process are also illustrated, although identifications of particular validation reviewers that have responded and their particular skill level assessments is not available to Employee ZZ. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that approval groups and approval criteria can be specified in a variety of ways, and that in other embodiments the approval process may be defined in other manners.
FIG. 5D illustrates an alternative view of competency gap information for Employee ZZ, with the illustrated example focusing on technical skill gaps. As an alternative to presenting competency gap information in a table format ranked by criticality, such a chart can provide information showing a degree or amount of a gap relative to some performance measure, such as a defined requirement or a comparison to other comparable employees (e.g., those having work positions of the current or a future work position type). While not illustrated, a variety of interactive controls may also be provided to allow Employee ZZ to manipulate and modify the chart.
FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate examples of Employee ZZ receiving and using personalized learning recommendations. In particular, with respect to FIG. 7A, Employee ZZ is presented with a variety of learning recommendations illustrated in entries 711-721 of section 710, such as in response to a request for such information. In the illustrated embodiment, the personalized learning recommendations are based on gaps between Employee ZZ's current competencies and various target competencies that have been identified for him. For example, entries 711-715 correspond to a competency gap between Employee ZZ's current skill level of “Intermediate” for the “C++ Skills” competency and a target skill level of “Expert” for that competency, with the entries providing different options that can each be used by Employee ZZ to eliminate that competency gap. The learning activities can be of various types (e.g., courses internal to Organization XX, courses external to the organization, exams, self-study, experiential activities that provide learning by doing, etc.), and in the illustrated embodiment various related information such as unfulfilled prerequisites and associated curriculums is shown. As the learning activity in entry 711 has an unfulfilled prerequisite, in the illustrated embodiment it is displayed in a manner so as to differentiate it from the other entries (in a shaded or dimmed manner in this example) and is not selectable by Employee ZZ. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the learning activities also has associated values to the employee and the organization that can be determined in a variety of ways (e.g., based on the corresponding competency gaps and the importance of the source of those gaps), and the illustrated learning activities are ranked in the order of those values.
As is illustrated in FIG. 7B, Employee ZZ has selected the learning activity training course shown in entry 715 as a potential activity to be performed, and in response the system provides a variety of corresponding training catalog information in section 730 of the screen. In particular, information about particular upcoming instances of the selected training course are shown. In this example, the course instance shown in entry 731 conflicts with one or more other scheduled activities of Employee ZZ (e.g., based on information stored in his calendar or schedule), and thus that course instance is illustrated in a distinct manner from the course instances that do not have a conflict. After reviewing the illustrated information, Employee ZZ determines that he will take the course instance shown in entry 735, and selects that entry for registration.
After Employee ZZ has completed the scheduling of the course instance, various competency-related information for Employee ZZ is automatically updated. For example, as is shown in FIG. 7C, the planned competencies of Employee ZZ are updated to reflect the new competency that is expected to result from the scheduled training course, including a planned accomplishment date for the new competency based on the schedule for the course.
FIG. 7D provides an example of how competency-related information for Employee ZZ is automatically updated after completion of the training course. In particular, Employee ZZ's current skills are updated to show the new “Expert” skill level for the “C++ Skills” competency, and the skill level change history information is updated in a corresponding manner to show the date and basis for the new skill level. In addition, the previously existing competency gap for Employee ZZ based on the lack of the “Expert” skill level has now been eliminated. In this example, validation from Employee ZZ's supervisor AA was required to confirm the new competency, and so that validation was automatically solicited from that supervisor upon completion of the training course. After that validation was received, the illustrated changes to Employee ZZ's competency-related information take effect.
FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate examples of Employee ZZ performing career path management activities that use various competency-related information. In particular, with respect to FIG. 8A, Employee ZZ is presented with a network of work position types that begins with the current work position type of Employee ZZ (in this example, “Intermediate Software Engineer”), such as in response to a request for such information. In some embodiments, a variety of interactive controls (not shown) will be provided, such as to select a starting work position type for career planning purposes that is different from the current work position type of Employee ZZ.
As shown in FIG. 8B, in this example Employee ZZ selects the work position type of “Director Of Engineering” as a possible goal for a future target work position type. In response to that selection, the system in the illustrated embodiment determines the possible career paths from the starting work position type to the selected target work position type, and displays those possible career paths. In this example, two such possible career paths are available. In FIG. 8C, Employee ZZ then selects one of the two possible career paths, and in response the system presents a variety of competency-related information for that selected career path in FIG. 8D.
In particular, in this example the system presents information in FIG. 8D about competency gaps for Employee ZZ for each of the work position types along the selected career path. The illustrated competency gap screen includes a section 810 that shows existing competencies for Employee ZZ, and sections 820, 830 and 840 illustrate competency gaps for Employee ZZ corresponding to each of the three work position types along the selected career path. For example, section 820 illustrates competency gaps between Employee ZZ's current competencies and the required competencies for Employee ZZ's current work position type. As would be expected, the competency gaps increase in section 830 when the requirements for the next work position type along the career path are considered, and further increase in section 840 when the requirements for the final target work position type at the end of the selected career path are considered.
After presenting the competency gap information to Employee ZZ, the system then assists Employee ZZ in developing an action plan to manage his future career so as to be qualified for the target work position type within a specified period of time. In particular, FIG. 8E illustrates a time-based action plan that includes suggestions for a variety of actions over time that will eliminate or reduce the competency gaps along the career path. In the illustrated embodiment, the system also ranks the actions according to importance for Employee ZZ, and provides indications of the most important actions (illustrated here in bold format). For example, the first two suggested actions are to complete a B.S. degree and to achieve an “Expert” skill level for the “C++ Skills” competency, as both of those would eliminate significant competency gaps for the next work position type along the career path. After achieving the “Expert” skill level and mostly completing the degree, the system recommends that Employee ZZ begin applying for internal work positions of type “Senior Software Engineer—ABC Division”, with the plan being for Employee ZZ to receive such a position within 18 months from the current time.
In addition to merely suggesting actions that eliminate competency gaps, the system can also suggest additional actions that would improve the chances or opportunities of Employee ZZ to be offered a work position type along the career path, such as for gaining business-related skills and project management experience in preparation for a work position as a “Director Of Engineering”. As with other such functionalities provided to users, in an least some embodiments a variety of interactive controls will also be provided to allow Employee ZZ to modify the suggested action plan and/or to create a different action plan.
FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate examples of managing the competencies of a group of multiple employees. In particular, in the illustrated example a manager of a Group PP having multiple employees can view various information about the current competency-related information for the group. For example, as shown in section 910, in some embodiments the manager may view enumerations of each competency held by at least one group member, as well as information such as the number of group members that possess that competency and an average date on which those group members achieved that competency. Section 920 provides a different view of group competency information by aggregating the competency information for the various group members together and providing a summary view of the group competency information. For example, in this illustrated embodiment information is aggregated about all of the different skill levels for the “C++ Skill” competency that are held by the group members, and an aggregated average skill level value (based on assigning integers 0-3 to skill levels “None”, “Basic”, “Intermediate” and “Expert”) for that competency is calculated.
In addition to viewing information about current competencies of the group, sections 910 and 920 also provide information about current target competencies for the group and about competency gaps that result from differences between the current actual competencies and the current targets. The current target information in the illustrated embodiment also includes targets for numbers of group members that should have a specified competency (e.g., 3 group members having an “Expert” skill level for the “C++ Skills” competency) as well as targets for an average skill level for a specified skill.
While not illustrated here, in some embodiments the manager can also view detailed competency-related information for each of the group members, such as the information illustrated with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C. Similarly, the manager may be able to perform career path management activities for each of the group members, and provide corresponding recommendations to the member, such as of future work position types to consider and/or of target competencies that would help prepare the group member for future work position types.
FIG. 9B illustrates that the manager can also explicitly specify target information for the group, and view information about the competency gaps that would result between the current group competencies and those specified target competencies. As with the existing competency and competency gap information, this specified target information can include values for enumerated competencies, for aggregate competencies, and/or for numbers of group members.
After target information has been specified, FIGS. 9C and 9D provide examples of ways in which the manager can act to reduce or eliminate competency gaps that result from the specified target information. In particular, FIG. 9C corresponds to a situation in which the members of the group are employees (e.g., for a first-level group in an organizational hierarchy), and in which summary information is illustrated for each of the group members for a specified competency or competency gap (in this example, for the “C++ Skills” competency). As shown in FIG. 9B, in this example a gap exists for group members that possess an “Expert” skill level for the competency, with the group being short two such members. In order to eliminate this competency gap, the manager reviews competency-related information for the group members, and specifies the “Expert” skill level as a target competency for two group members that do not currently possess that skill level (in this example, Employees ZZ and KK, as shown in entries 965 and 969 of section 960). In this manner, the manager distributes (or “rolls down”) the required competencies to selected group members in such a manner that it becomes the responsibility of those group members to each satisfy the portion of the required competency that was given to them and to thus reduce or eliminate the corresponding competency gap.
FIG. 9D illustrates a situation similar to that illustrated in FIG. 9C, but in which some or all of the group members are themselves groups (e.g., for a higher-level group in an organizational hierarchy). As with group members that are individuals, the manager can distribute portions of the target competencies and their corresponding competency gaps to the group members. However, since the group members receiving the target competencies are themselves groups, those target competencies can be further distributed to the members of those groups. In the illustrated embodiment, this further distribution can be performed by the higher-level manager that initiated the original distribution, or instead by a lower-level manager that is responsible for the sub-group that received distributed target competency information.
FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate an example of searching for employees using competency-related information and of comparing employees based on such information. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 10A, any of the competency-related information for individuals that was previously discussed can be used as the basis of a search, such as various skill level history change information (e.g., accomplishment basis and/or accomplishment date) for current or previous skill levels. When multiple employees are found to match the search criteria, they can be presented in various ways, such as in a ranked manner based on a variety of criteria. In the illustrated embodiment, interactive controls are illustrated that can be used to re-rank search results based on a specified ranking criteria.
FIG. 10B illustrates one example of multiple individuals being compared based on their competency-related information, such as some or all of the individuals that are identified as part of the search results for a search. In the illustrated embodiment, for each of the competencies used as part of the search, information for each of the various employees that was identified during the search is presented in a ranked manner for that competency. Full competency information for some or all of the employees could also be retrieved and displayed, and multiple employees can be compared in a variety of other ways.
FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate examples of approval processes for a proposed self-assessed competency from an employee. For example, FIG. 11A corresponds to an approval process in which multiple validation reviewers are each asked to independently assess the skill level of the employee for the specified competency, with the skill level assessment responses then combined in an automated determination as to whether the appropriate approval criteria for the proposed self-assessed competency has been satisfied. Conversely, FIG. 11B corresponds to an automated approval process in which a single validation reviewer is asked to provide an approval assessment as to whether to approve or deny a proposed self-assessed competency, such as after considering validation opinions provided by other reviewers.
In particular, FIG. 11A illustrates a portion of a user interface screen that may be presented to an Employee YY who is a validation reviewer for Employee ZZ's proposed self-assessment for the “Spanish Writing” competency (based on Employee YY being a peer of Employee ZZ on a current project). The illustrated screen includes a section 1110 to allow Employee YY to provide validation information for other employees' proposed competency self-assessments, with entry 1112 corresponding to Employee ZZ's proposed competency self-assessment and entry 1114 corresponding to a self-assessed competency proposed by the supervisor of Employee YY. As noted, Employee YY can view Employee ZZ's current and proposed skill ratings as well as any provided self-assessment comments, and can supply his/her own validation assessment of Employee ZZ's skill level for the competency as well as optional comments (e.g., to be provided to Employee ZZ and/or to other reviewers). After Employee YY selects the “Submit” interactive control 1119, the validation information that he/she provided will then be available to the automated approval process.
FIG. 11A also illustrates a section 1120 that provides a skill level change history for a selected one of the proposed self-assessed competencies, which in this example is Employee ZZ's proposed “Spanish Writing” competency. In other embodiments, additional or alternative information may be available to validation reviewers, such as information about other reviewers' validation information for this proposed self-assessed competency, additional details about this proposed self-assessed competency (e.g., details about the skill-level rating system for the competency or about the approval group and/or approval criteria for the proposed self-assessed competency), other information about the employee who is proposing the self-assessed competency (e.g., other competencies), information about approvals and denials of other previous proposed self-assessed competencies for this employee and/or other employees, etc. In addition, validation reviewers may be notified of validation requests in manners other than by adding such information to a Ul screen such as is illustrated (e.g., via email or a pop-up notification) and may be able to respond using that other notification mechanism or another mechanism that is distinct from updating a UI screen in the illustrated manner.
As previously noted, FIG. 11B corresponds to an automated approval process in which a single validation reviewer is asked to provide an approval assessment for a proposed self-assessed competency. In this example, the validation reviewer is the supervisor of Employee ZZ (Supervisor M) and is asked to determine whether to approve Employee ZZ's proposed self-assessment for the “Spanish Writing” competency. Such an approval process may be used in conjunction with the type of process illustrated in FIG. 11A (e.g., to provide validation opinions of others to Supervisor M for him/her to consider when making his/her decision) or may be used instead of gathering validation information from multiple reviewers. The illustrated portion of a user interface screen includes a section 1130 to allow Supervisor M to specify approval assessments of proposed competency self-assessments from his/her direct reports, with selected entry 1132 corresponding to Employee ZZ's proposed competency self-assessment. In a similar manner to section 1110, Supervisor M can view Employee ZZ's current and proposed skill ratings as well as any provided self-assessment comments, and can supply his/her approval or denial of Employee ZZ's proposed skill level as well as optional comments (e.g., to be provided to Employee ZZ). After Supervisor M selects the “Submit” interactive control 1139, the approval assessment will then be used to update Employee ZZ's competency-related information accordingly, as discussed in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 11C. In the illustrated embodiment, FIG. 11B also includes a section 1140 that provides additional details for the selected proposed self-assessed skill, including information about any validation opinions received from other reviewers. In other embodiments, a variety of additional information may be available to Supervisor M, or instead some of the illustrated types of information may not be available.
After the self-assessed competency proposed by Employee ZZ has been approved, various competency-related information for Employee ZZ is automatically updated. For example, as is shown in FIG. 11C, the proposed self-assessed skills in section 570 are updated to remove the approved self-assessment, and the current skills of Employee ZZ in section 510 are updated to reflect the new skill level for the competency. The skill level history for the skill will also be updated (not shown) to reflect the change in the skill level. In addition, since the approved skill level eliminates a competency gap that had previously existed for Employee ZZ with respect to the “Spanish Writing” competency, the competency gap information in section 550 is updated to remove the competency gap previously illustrated in entry 556. Various other changes may similarly be made based on the change (e.g., updating an action plan for the employee).
While not illustrated, a variety of updates may also occur if a proposed self-assessed competency is denied. For example, the employee may be notified of the denial via information added to section 570 (e.g., in the “Validation Status” field of the entry for that self-assessment) and/or in another manner (e.g., via email or a pop-up notification). In addition, the employee may be able to obtain detailed information about the basis for the denial, and may be able to develop an action plan (e.g., to gain the proposed competency in another manner such as via a learning activity, or to instead improve his/her chances of having a later proposed self-assessment for the competency be approved). In some embodiments there may also be an appeal or re-submittal process if the employee believes that the denial occurred in error.
FIG. 12 illustrates a computing system suitable for executing an embodiment of a Competency and Learning Management (CLM) system facility capable of implementing the described techniques. In particular, an organization competency management server computing system 1200 is illustrated that provides various competency-related and learning-related functionality to users within an organization, and various organization client computers 1250 are illustrated from which such users can interact with the competency management server. In addition, various server computers are available in the illustrated embodiment to provide learning activity information (e.g., online courses or exams) to users of the client computers, including one or more organization learning activity server computers 1270 and one or more third-party external Web server computers 1290.
The competency management server includes a CPU 1205, various I/O devices 1210, storage 1220, and memory 1230. The I/O devices include a display 1211, a network connection 1212, a computer-readable media drive 1213, and various other I/O devices 1215. An embodiment of the CLM system 1240 is executing in memory, and it includes an Administrative Definition component 1241, an Employee Competency Manager component 1242, a Career Path Manager component 1243, a Group Competency Manager component 1245, a Personalized Learning Recommender component 1247, and a Self-Assessed Competency Approver component 1249. Various other software modules may also be executing in memory to provide functionalities to users, such as an employee locator/comparator component 1232 and a learning activity scheduler component 1234.
As discussed in greater detail below, the CLM system can provide various functionalities to users, and may be accessed by users in a variety of ways. For example, some users may have physical access to the competency management server, and if so may use the I/O devices 1210 to interact with the CLM system. Alternatively, other users may use the client computer systems 1250 to remotely access the CLM system (e.g., via the World Wide Web, such as over an intranet and/or the Internet). Such users may include employees accessing the system on their own behalf or to provide information for other employees, managers accessing the system on behalf of groups which they manage or with which they are otherwise associated, and/or administrators accessing the system for maintenance and configuration purposes.
One or more administrative users may initially access the CLM system to define various competency-related and learning-related information for the organization, such as by modifying default information supplied with the CLM system or by creating such information in an independent fashion. In particular, such administrative users access the Administrative Definition component in order to provide a variety of configuration information related to the organization. For example, in the illustrated embodiment administrative users define a hierarchy of competencies which is stored in a database 1221 on storage, and then associate appropriate competencies with work position types defined for the organization and with learning activities available to users in the organization. The resulting work position type competency information and learning activity competency information are stored in databases 1222 and 1224 on storage respectively. The administrator could also define and store a variety of rating systems (not shown) that each include multiple skill levels, and further associate a rating system together with a competency that is associated with a defined work position type and/or a defined learning activity. An administrative user can also define one or more work position type networks for the organization to show inter-relationships between different work position types, such as which work position types can lead to other work position types as well as associated restrictions on such transitions. The resulting work position type networks are stored in a database 1223 on storage. In addition, an administrator may define various approval groups and/or approval criteria for use with proposed self-assessed competencies, and associate that defined approval information with employees and/or competencies in various ways. Such defined approval information is stored in a database 1237 on storage.
In addition to the competency-related configuration information supplied by the administrators, various employee competency information and group competency information is also stored in databases 1225 and 1226 on storage respectively. In some embodiments, an administrator may define appropriate competency information for each new employee that joins the organization, and could similarly assign competency-related information to groups when they are created or modified. Alternatively, employees themselves could define their own competency information upon joining an information, and subsequently any changes to that competency information could be automatically tracked by the CLM system. Similarly, group competency information could be automatically generated based on aggregations of competency information for employees that are members of the group, with such information either calculated in advance of its use (e.g., on a periodic basis or after each change to an employee's competencies) and maintained on storage, or instead dynamically generated when needed. In the illustrated embodiment, the competency databases can each include information on a variety of types of competencies (e.g., current competencies, target competencies, planned competencies, proposed self-assessed competencies, etc.), while in other embodiments only some of those types of information may be stored and/or different types of competency information may be stored in different databases.
In the illustrated embodiment, employees may view and modify their own competency-related information. In particular, employees interact with the Employee Competency Manager component to specify various competency-related information, including modifications to their current competencies, target competencies (e.g., required competencies based on a work position or desired competencies based on personal interests), planned competencies (e.g., competencies which the employee plans to acquire), proposed self-assessed competencies (e.g., to submit proposed competencies and/or to view status information about the approval of submitted proposed competencies), competency gaps to be corrected, and/or skill level history information about past changes in skill levels. Employees that are using organization client computers may perform such interactions with the CLM system via a Web browser 1259 (e.g., by accessing an employee relationship management section of a Web portal for the organization) executing in memory 1257 of a client computer, while in other embodiments other types of software (e.g., software specific to the CLM system, such as proprietary software) could instead be used for CLM system interactions. In addition to memory 1257, the illustrated client computers each include a CPU 1252, various I/O devices 1254 and storage 1251. In some embodiments, the storage may contain various employee-specific information, such as access or authorization information needed to retrieve information from the CLM system, as well as calendar or schedule information (not shown) for an employee that may be used when scheduling future learning activities.
Employees can also access other CLM system functionality by interacting with other system components. For example, employees can perform career path management activities by interacting with the Career Path Manager component. These career path management activities of an employee may take a variety of forms, including the following: viewing information about their current work position type and about one or more other work position types of interest; viewing possible career paths (that may include one or more intermediate work position types) from their current or a specified starting work position type to a specified target work position type; specifying one or more target work position types as defined goals for use in determining one or more future action plans for execution by the employee to progress to those target work position types; and viewing and modifying an action plan so as to interactively manage their career. The employee can also specify a timeline for an action plan, and use that timeline in scheduling required or desirable learning activities or other actions to be performed by the employee to reach a work position goal. Career path management information for employees is stored in the employee career path information database 1227 on storage.
Employees can also interact with the Personalized Learning Recommender component to receive personalized learning recommendations based on competency gaps, such as competency gaps between their current competencies and the competencies that are required or preferred for their current work position type. Recommendations for learning activities can also be generated to reduce or eliminate competency gaps that result from target competencies independent of a current work position type (e.g., target competency gaps that are related to a future career path and/or are based on recommendations or requirements specified by a supervisor). The personalized learning recommendation information for employees is stored in a database 1228 on storage in the illustrated embodiment, but could instead be generated dynamically when needed in other embodiments.
Employees can also access the CLM system other than to use their own competency-related information, such as managers that wish to perform various planning or management activities with respect to employees or groups that they supervise or manage, or employees that wish to provide or view validation information for other employees' self-assessed competencies. For example, managers can use the Group Skill Manager component to view current competencies of one or more groups which they supervise (as well as competency-related information for individual employees within such groups), and can specify target competencies for their groups or employees. After specifying target group competencies, the Group Skill Manager component presents the manager with information about competency gaps between the current competencies of the group and the target competencies of the group, and allows the manager to specify actions to correct the competency gaps. For example, the manager can specify members of the group who are responsible for correcting competency gaps for the group and/or can attempt to identify new potential group members who possess current and/or planned competencies that would reduce or eliminate competency gaps for the group. When the group members to which target competencies or competency gaps are distributed by a manager are themselves groups, that manager or a manager for those other groups can similarly assign target competencies or competency gaps to be corrected to members of those groups in a recursive fashion. Group skill management information is stored for the group in database 1229 on storage in the illustrated embodiment, but could instead be stored individually for each group member in other embodiments.
The Self-Assessed Competency Approver component assists in providing information to employees about the self-assessed competencies of other employees (e.g., when the user is in the approval review group for those other employees) and to gathering validation information for those self-assessed competencies from employees. In some situations, the providing of information about the self-assessed competencies of other employees is performed in an automated manner, such as when the component determines the appropriate validation reviewers for a submitted proposed self-assessed competency and notifies those reviewers. After receiving validation information from one or more reviewers, the Self-Assessed Competency Approver component can then determine whether to approve a proposed self-assessed competency, such as based on an explicit approval assessments from one or more authorized reviewers and/or by applying an appropriate approval criteria to validation assessments from one or more reviewers. The validation information from the reviewers (and the component if it performs automated validation) is stored in database 1239 on storage in the illustrated embodiment, but could instead be stored in other manners (e.g., individually for each reviewer and/or for each employee proposing a self-assessed competency). After proposed self-assessed competencies are approved, information in the employee competency database is automatically updated, either directly by the Self-Assessed Competency Approver component or by interactions of that component with other components. In addition, information in other databases (e.g., the group competency database) can similarly be automatically updated as appropriate.
Employees can also use other modules that interact with the CLM system in order to receive other functionalities. For example, users can interact with the employee locator/comparator component to identify employees having specified competencies, competency gaps, skill levels and/or skill level histories, and can compare two or more employee with respect to any such competency-related information. In addition, employees can interact with the learning activity scheduler component to identify, schedule and participate in available learning activities. The learning activity scheduler component can obtain information about available learning activities from the learning activity server computers 1270 and 1290, which in the illustrated embodiment store learning activity information 1273 and 1293 respectively on their storages 1271 and 1291. The illustrated learning activity servers also each include an executing server 1278 or 1298 in memory to provide learning activity information to the learning activity scheduler component and/or to the client computers, and each include a CPU 1272 or 1292 and various I/O devices 1274 or 1294.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the computing devices and computer systems 1200, 1250, 1270 and 1290 are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In particular, a “client” or “server” may comprise any combination of hardware and/or software that can interact and perform some or all of the described functionality, including computers, network devices, internet appliances, PDAs, wireless phones, pagers, electronic organizers, television-based systems and various other consumer products that include inter-communication capabilities. The devices and systems may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, including through one or more networks such as the Internet or via the World Wide Web. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustrated system components may in some embodiments be combined in fewer components or distributed in additional components. Similarly, in some embodiments the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available.
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, while various items are illustrated as being stored in memory or on storage while being used, these items or portions of them can be transferred between memory and other storage devices for purposes of memory management and data integrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments some or all of the software modules and/or components may execute in memory on another device and communicate with the illustrated computing device via inter-computer communication. Some or all of the system components or data structures may also be stored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on a computer-readable medium, such as a hard disk, a memory, a network, or a portable article to be read by an appropriate drive. The system components and data structures can also be transmitted as generated data signals (e.g., as part of a carrier wave) on a variety of computer-readable transmission mediums, including wireless-based and wired/cable-based mediums. Accordingly, the present invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations.
FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Administrative Definition routine 1300. The routine allows administrators to specify various competency-related configuration information to be used by other CLM system components.
The routine begins at step 1305 where an indication is received from the administrator to specify or modify a competency-related definition or to specify or modify a definition for a work position type network. The routine continues to step 1310 to determine if the user is authorized to make the specified change (e.g., based on access or authorization information provided by the user), and if not continues to step 1395. If the user is authorized, the routine continues to step 1315 to determine whether the user has specified competency information (e.g., a change to a competency hierarchy for the organization), and if so, the routine continues to step 1320 to modify the competency information as indicated.
If it was instead determined in step 1315 that the initially received indication was not to modify competency information, the routine continues to step 1325 to determine whether the indication was related to the mapping of competency (and optionally skill rating systems) to defined work position types. If so, the routine continues to step 1330 to modify the mappings as indicated. If it was instead determined in step 1325 that the initially received indication was not related to the mappings of competencies to work position types, the routine continues to step 1335 to determine whether the initially received indication was related to the mappings of competencies (and optionally rating systems) to define learning activities. If so, the routine continues to step 1340 to modify the mappings between competencies and learning activities as indicated.
If it was instead determined in step 1335 that the received indication was not related to mappings between competencies and learning activities, the routine continues to step 1345 to determine if the initially received indication was related to the definition of a work position type network. If so, the routine continues to step 1350 to modify the stored work position network definitions as indicated. If it was instead determined in step 1345 that the initially received indication was not related to work position type network definitions, the routine continues to step 1355 to determine if the initially received indication was related to the definition of an approval group and/or an approval criteria for proposed self-assessed competencies. If so, the routine continues to step 1360 to modify the stored definitions for the approval groups and/or approval criteria as indicated. If it was instead determined in step 1355 that the initially received indication was not related to approval definitions, the routine continues to step 1390 to perform another indicated action if appropriate (e.g., defining a skill rating system with multiple skill levels). After steps 1320, 1330, 1340, 1350, 1360, or 1390, the routine continues to step 1395 to determine whether to continue. If so, the routine returns to step 1305, and if not the routine continues to step 1399 and ends.
FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Employee Competency Manager routine 1400. The routine receives indications of modifications to competency-related information for employees, and updates the competency information as appropriate.
The route begins at step 1405 where an indication is received of a modification to competency-related information for an employee. The routine then continues to step 1410 to determine whether the user from which the indication is received is authorized to make the modification, and if not continues to step 1495. If the user is authorized, the routine continues to step 1412 to retrieve various competency-related information for the indicated employee. In step 1415, the routine then determines if the indication is related to a modification for something other than a current competency of the employee, and if so whether an existing current competency of the employee negates the need for the modification. For example, if a user already has a specified skill level of a specified skill, the illustrated embodiment does not allow a target competency to be set for that current skill level of that skill or a lower skill level. Thus, if it is determined in step 1415 that this condition exists, the routine continues to step 1495. If not, the routine continues to step 1420 to determine whether the indication is related to a modification of a planned competency for the employee. If so, the routine continues to step 1425 to modify the stored planned competencies for the employee as indicated if appropriate (e.g., if the planned competency modification would merely produce redundant information, the modification would not be made).
If it is instead determined in step 1420 that the indicated modification is not related to a planned competency, the routine continues to step 1430 to determine if the indication is related to a desired or other target competency. If so, the routine continues to step 1435 to modify the stored target competencies for the employee as indicated if appropriate. The routine then continues to step 1440 to update competency gaps for the employee if appropriate, such as to treat a newly specified desired competency as a competency gap. If other information is to be associated with competency-related information being modified, such as a criticality or other related value to the employee or organization, such information can be supplied in various ways. In some embodiments, such information will be supplied with the initially received indication in step 1405. In other embodiments, the user may be prompted for such information if it is missing, or in other embodiments such information may be determined automatically (e.g., based on defaults or intelligent processing) or left blank if not specified.
If it was instead determined in step 1430 that the indicated modification was not to a target competency, the routine continues to step 1445 to determine if the modification was with respect to a proposed self-assessed competency of the user. If so, the routine continues to step 1450 to modify the stored proposed self-assessed competencies of the user as indicated if appropriate. The routine then continues to step 1455 to determine if the modification results in a new submission of a proposed self-assessed competency for approval. If so, the routine continues to step 1460 to execute the Self-Assessed Competency Approver subroutine for that new proposed competency. After step 1460, if it is next determined in step 1465 that the proposed self-assessed competency was approved, the routine continues to step 1480. While the routine in the illustrated embodiment waits to receive an approval indication from step 1460 before continuing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments the routine may continue in an asynchronous manner and process an approved or denied self-assessed competency at a later time.
If it was instead determined in step 1445 that the indicated modification was not to a proposed self-assessed competency, the routine continues to step 1475 to determine if the modification was with respect to a current competency of the user. If so, the routine continues to step 1480 to modify the stored current competencies of the user as indicated if appropriate. The routine then continues to step 1481 to update the planned competencies of the employee as appropriate (e.g., if the achievement of the current competency represents an achievement of a planned competency). The routine then continues to step 1483 to update the current competency gaps for the employee as appropriate (e.g., if the achievement of the current competency eliminates one or more existing competency gaps), including updating the source of any such competency gaps as appropriate. For example, if a competency gap that is being removed resulted from a target competency, that target competency will also be removed for the employee as it has now been satisfied.
The routine then continues to step 1485 to determine whether the modification of the current competency was for a skill having multiple associated skill levels. If so, the routine continues to step 1487 to determine a time of the achievement of the new skill level as well as a basis for achieving that new skill level, and then continues to step 1498 to update a skill level history for the employee to reflect the new skill level along with the determined time and basis. As with other competency-related information, time and basis information can be determined in a variety of ways, such as based on information supplied in step 1405, information available from other CLM system components or related components (e.g., information about completion of an online course or exam from a learning activity scheduler component), etc. If it was instead determined in step 1475 that the indicated modification was not related to a current competency, the routine continues to step 1490 to perform another competency-related modification if appropriate. After steps 1425, 1440, 1489 or 1490, or if it was determined in step 1480 that a new skill level was not achieved by the employee or in steps 1455 or 1465 that a proposed self-assessed competency was not a new submission or was not approved, the routine continues to step 1495 to determine whether to continue. If so, the routine returns to step 1405, and if not the routine continues to step 1499 and ends.
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Self-Assessed Competency Approver subroutine 1500. The subroutine receives indications of newly submitted proposed self-assessed competencies, determines an appropriate approval process, and performs the approval process in an automated manner.
The subroutine begins at step 1505 where an indication is received of a new self-assessed competency proposed by an employee. The subroutine continues to step 1510 to retrieve approval definition information that is appropriate for the proposed competency, such as based on the employee and/or on the competency. The subroutine then continues to step 1515 to determine if independent approval is needed, and if so continues to step 1520 to determine whether the approval process can be performed in a wholly automated manner without soliciting and receiving validation information from one or more reviewers. If so, the subroutine continues to step 1525 to perform the wholly automated approval process (e.g., based on an online computer-based verification of the employee's competency).
If it was instead determined in step 1520 that a wholly automated approval process is not available, the subroutine continues to step 1530 to determine an appropriate approval group and approval criteria based on the retrieved approval definition information. The subroutine then continues to step 1535 to solicit validation information from the one or more validation reviewer members of the approval group as appropriate, and in step 1540 receives any provided validation information from some or all of the solicited group members. In some embodiments, it may also be possible for other reviewers that are not part of the approval group to identify proposed self-assessed competencies that are in the approval process and to provide validation information to be used as part of the approval process. While the subroutine in the illustrated embodiment waits to receive validation information before proceeding (e.g., for a specified time and/or until a sufficient number of validation assessments have been received to enable an automated determination of approval/denial), those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments the subroutine may continue in an asynchronous manner to process other self-assessed competencies and then process validation information for the current self-assessed competency at a later time.
After step 1540, the subroutine continues to step 1545 to determine whether one or more reviewers are designated to provide explicit approval assessments (e.g., by the approval criteria), such as any of them individually, and if so continues to step 1550 to provide any received validation information from other reviewers to those designated reviewers and to receive an approval or denial indication from one or more of the designated reviewers. If an aggregation of the explicit approval assessments is needed in order to determine an ultimate approval/denial of the proposed competency, this is also performed in step 1550. However, if it was instead determined in step 1545 that no such explicit approval assessment reviewers were designated, the subroutine continues to step 1555 where the approval criteria is applied to any received validation information and a determination is made in an automated manner of whether to approve or deny the proposed self-assessed competency. After steps 1525, 1550 or 1555, the subroutine continues to step 1560 to determine whether the proposed self-assessed competency has been approved.
If it is determined in step 1560 that the proposed self-assessed competency has been approved, or in step 1515 that the proposed self-assessed competency does not need independent approval, the subroutine continues to step 1565 to approve the proposed competency (e.g., by updating the employee competency database) and to store information about the approval (e.g., information about the validation information received from the various validation reviewers and the results of applying the approval criteria). If it was instead determined in step 1560 that the proposed self-assessed competency has not been approved, however, the subroutine continues to step 1570 to deny the proposed competency (e.g., by updating the employee competency database) and to provide information to the employee that proposed the competency about the denial (e.g., by updating the information to be presented to the employee in section 570 of the UI screen illustrated with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C). In the illustrated embodiment, the subroutine does not store explicit information about the denial (e.g., the validation information from the validation reviewers), but in other embodiments indications of the occurrence of the denial and/or of the details about the denial may be stored (e.g., as part of the skill level change history for the proposed competency). After steps 1565 or 1570 the subroutine continues to step 1599 and returns, and in the illustrated embodiment provides an indication of the approval or denial of the proposed competency.
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Career Path Manager routine 1600. The routine allows employees or their managers to view and specify career path management information, including identifying future work position types as a goal for the employee.
The routine begins at step 1605 where an indication is received of an employee, and in step 1610 the routine determines whether the user is authorized to view and specify career path management information for the employee. If so, the routine continues to step 1615 where current competency-related information and current work position type information for the employee is retrieved. The routine then continues to step 1620 where previously defined work position type network definition information for the organization is retrieved. In step 1625, the routine then receives an indication from the user of a target work position type for the employee.
In the illustrated embodiment, the current work position type of the employee will be used as a starting point for purposes of determining possible career paths to the indicated target work position type, but in other embodiments the user may be allowed to specify both one or more starting work position types that are independent from a current work position type. In addition, only one target work position type may be specified at a time in the illustrated embodiment, although in other embodiments multiple target work position types may be specified. Alternatively, in some embodiments the target work position type used for the career path management could be restricted to a work position type that immediately follows the starting work position type in the work position type network definition for the organization, and thus could be selected by default without an indication from the user if only one such target work position type was available for the current work position of the employee. In addition, the illustrated embodiment shows only the specification of a new career path based on an indicated target work position type, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments stored career path information could be retrieved and manipulated without requiring the specification of the target work position type again.
After step 1625, the routine continues to step 1630 to determine a career path from the start work position type to the target work position type. If multiple career paths are available, in the illustrated embodiment the routine automatically chooses one to be used (e.g., based on criteria such as shortest length or most common), but in other embodiments all of the possible career paths could be presented to the user, such as to allow the user to select one or more of those career paths for use. After retrieving the competency-related information for each work position type along the determined career path, the routine in step 1640 next determines competency gaps between each two adjoining work position types along the career path and in light of the employee's current competencies. In step 1645, the routine then presents to the user the career path information and corresponding competency gap information for the work position types along the career path, and may also present current competency information for the employee. If any additional non-competency restrictions are defined between any two work position types along the career path, they will also be presented.
The routine then continues to step 1650 to determine whether the user wishes to create an action plan for the employee related to the career path. If so, the routine continues to step 1655 where it optionally receives an indication of a time period by the end of which the determined competency gaps (or a selected subset of them) are to be eliminated by the action plan. In step 1660, the routine then ranks the determined competency gaps in order of importance for the employee to eliminate them, such as by ranking those competency gaps that prevent the employee from reaching the next work position type along the career path as the highest or instead ranking competency gaps most highly if their elimination would most improve the employee's relative value within the organization. In step 1665, the routine then determines one or more actions for each competency gap, such as identifying learning activities that when completed would reduce or eliminate those competency gaps, and generates a corresponding plan. If any additional restrictions were specified along the career path, one or more actions will also be determined for each such restriction and included in the plan. The plan is then presented to the user in step 1670. While not part of the illustrated embodiment, the user may in other embodiments be allowed to interactively modify the action plan in various ways, such as to select one of multiple action options for a competency gap that is to be performed, reordering action options and/or re-ranking competency gaps, adding or removing action options and/or competency gaps, etc.
After step 1670, or if it was instead determined in step 1650 that an action plan was not to be generated, the routine continues to step 1675 to determine whether to select the determined career path as a defined goal for the employee. In other embodiments, additional functionality could also be provided, such as the following: identifying available work positions for the employee for consideration (e.g., for future work position types along the career path if the employee is expected to be qualified for those work positions by the time that the work positions are to be filled); providing various details about one or more work position types along the career path (e.g., a job description, a salary range, a comparison to actual or example employees that are currently in that work position type, etc.); identifying additional work position types that are not along the determined career path but in which the employee may have an interest (e.g., based on current or planned competencies of the employee qualifying them for those work positions); etc.
If it is determined in step 1675 to select the determined career path for the employee, the routine continues to step 1680 to store the career path information for the employee, including any action plans generated by the routine. The routine then continues to step 1685 to identify competency gaps to be added to the employee's competency gap information based on the career path and/or action plan (e.g., the competency gaps for the next work position type along the career path, a subset of the highest-ranking competency gaps, or all of the competency gaps), and stores those identified competency gaps for the employee (e.g., by executing the Employee Competency Manager routine and supplying an indication of the employee and the competency gaps). In embodiments in which information about the source of a competency gap is stored and used, source information can also be included to indicate that the stored career path and/or its corresponding action plan are the source for those competency gaps, either alone or in combination with a manager recommendation. After step 1685, or if it was instead determined in step 1610 that the user was not authorized or in step 1675 that the career path was not selected, the routine continues to step 1695 to determine whether to continue. If so, the routine returns to step 1605, and if not the routine continues to step 1699 and ends.
FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Group Competency Manager routine 1700. The routine allows a manager of a group to review current competencies of a group and to specify target competencies for that group, and to then optionally determine an action plan for how resulting competency gaps are to be resolved.
The routine begins in step 1705 where an indication is received of a group, and competency gap information is optionally received. The routine then continues to step 1710 to determine whether the user performing the routine is authorized to review and modify such group competency information, and if not the routine continues to step 1799 and ends. In other embodiments, the routine could instead determine whether to continue executing, such as by returning to step 1705 and receiving new group indications.
In the illustrated embodiment, if it is determined in step 1710 that the user is authorized, the routine continues to step 1715 to determine the employees that are members of the group, such as by retrieving stored information if available or instead performing a dynamic determination if stored information is not available. When members of the group are themselves sub-groups having multiple members, in the illustrated embodiment employee information for the sub-groups will be retrieved and provided so that all employees in the hierarchical organization below the indicated group will be determined. The routine then continues to step 1720 to retrieve the competency-related information for the determined employees. In step 1725, the routine then determines if competency gap information was supplied in step 1705, and if so the routine continues to step 1745. Otherwise, the routine instead continues to step 1730 to aggregate the retrieved competency information for the determined group employees, to receive target competency-related information for the group in step 1735, and to determine competency gaps between the current and target group competency-related information in step 1740.
After step 1740, the routine in step 1745 presents to the user the competency gap information for the group and the group member employees. In step 1750, the routine then optionally receives from the user one or more indications each specifying one or more of the group members to whom a competency gap is to be assigned (whether in full or in part), thus making it the responsibility of that group member to correct the competency gap that is assigned to them. If any of the group members are sub-groups, competency gaps can similarly be assigned to the sub-group, with the current user or a manager for that sub-group then able to further assign those competency gaps to members of that sub-group. That practice can continue on in a recursive downward manner. While not illustrated here, the user can also in some embodiments attempt to identify potential new group members that have current or planned competencies that would reduce or eliminate the competency gaps of the group, such as by using an employee locator service to identify relevant current employees and/or by generating a new job requisition job for a work position type that includes the appropriate competencies.
After step 1750, the routine continues to step 1755 to store the assigned competency gaps for any group members which received them (e.g., by executing the Employee Competency Manager routine). The routine then continues to step 1760 to determine whether any members of the group which received assigned competency gaps are themselves sub-groups, and if so whether the user wishes to further assign those competency gaps to members of those sub-groups. If so, the routine continues to step 1765 to select a next such sub-group, beginning with the first, and then continues to step 1770 to execute the Group Competency Manager routine (e.g., in a recursive manner) for that sub-group and for that assigned competency gap. In step 1795, the routine then determines whether there are more such sub-groups, and if so returns to step 1765. If it is instead determined in step 1795 that there are not more such sub-groups, or in step 1760 that there are not group members that are sub-groups with assigned competency gaps for which the user wishes to perform additional processing, or in step 1710 that the user is not authorized, the routine continues to step 1799 and ends.
FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the Personalized Learning Recommender routine 1800. The routine determines personalized recommendations of learning activities for an employee based on competency gaps associated with that employee, and presents that information for use by the employee.
The routine begins in step 1805 where an indication is received of an employee, and where competency gap information for the employee is optionally received. In step 1810, it is determined if the user is authorized to perform the routine, and if so the routine continues to step 1815 to retrieves competency gap information for the employee if it was not supplied in step 1805. After step 1815, the routine continues to step 1820 to rank the competency gaps in their order of importance. As previously discussed, such competency gap ranking can be performed in a variety of ways, such as based on assigned criticality of competency gaps (e.g., as assigned by the source of the competency gap, such as when the competency gap is from a definition for a work position type and the competency gap is for a required competency having that criticality value), a size of the competency gap, etc.
In step 1825, the routine creates a list of learning activity recommendations by determining learning activities able to correct the ranked gaps, such as learning activities that have corresponding associated resulting competencies. Information about learning activities can be retrieved from various sources, such as an internal and/or external server or by interacting with an appropriate component such as a learning activity scheduler component. In step 1830, any duplicate learning activity entries on the recommendation list are removed by retaining the first of each such learning activity on the list. If a learning activity was present on the list to correct two or more different competency gaps, the remaining learning activity entry is modified to reflect each competency gap that will be corrected. In step 1835, the value of each remaining learning activity is then determined (e.g., to the employee and/or to the organization), such as based on the importance of the corresponding competency gaps and/or by using an independent valuation system.
The routine then continues to step 1840 to present the list of learning activity recommendations with associated values to the user. If it is determined in step 1845 that the user would like to schedule one or more of the learning activities, the routine continues to step 1850 to select a particular learning activity. In step 1855, a particular instance of the learning activity is selected (if there is more than one) based on the activity time, and in step 1869 the activity is scheduled. In step 1865, the information for the scheduled activity is then added to planned actions of the employee, and expected resulting competencies from the learning activity are added to the planned competency information for the employee (e.g., by executing the Employee Competency Manager routine). If it is determined in step 1870 that there are more activities to be selected, the routine returns to step 1845. If not, or if it was instead initially determined in step 1845 that no activities were to be scheduled, the routine continues to step 1875 to determine whether to generate a schedule for some or all of the learning activities.
If so, the routine continues to step 1880 to select some or all of the learning activities (e.g., based on a received indication from the user), and in step 1887 retrieves schedule information for the employee. In step 1889, a schedule for the selected learning activities is then generated based on available times in the employee's schedule, taking into consideration any prerequisites or related courses from a curriculum that are also to be scheduled. In some embodiments, the user and/or employee may optionally be able to specify a time period over which the scheduled learning activities are to occur. The generated schedule is then presented to the user in step 1891, and in step 1893 the user can optionally make one or more modifications to the generated schedule. In step 1894, any remaining scheduled learning activities are then added to the planned actions for the employee, and the planned competencies of the employee are also updated to reflect those activities. After step 1894, or if it was instead determined in step 1875 not to generate a schedule or in step 1810 that the user was not authorized, the routine continues to step 1895 to determine whether to continue. If so, the routine returns to step 1805, and if not the routine continues to step 1899 and ends.
FIG. 19 is a flow diagram of the Employee Locator/Comparator routine 1900. The routine receives indications of competency-related search criteria, identifies matching employees, and optionally provides comparison information about those employees.
The routine begins in step 1905 where an indication is received of at least one competency, and where skill level information and/or skill level history information are optionally received for any indicated skill-based competencies. In the illustrated embodiment, the user can optionally specify whether any of the specified search criteria are required or merely preferred when determining employees that match the search criteria. The skill level history information that can be used for searching can vary in different embodiments, and can include information such as dates in which any or specified skill levels were achieved, achievement bases for any or a specified skill level, numbers of previous skill levels for a specified skill, etc. After step 1905, the routine continues to step 1910 to determine whether the user is authorized to perform the indicated search. If so, the routine continues to step 1915 to perform a search to identify employees having any competencies, skill levels, and skill level history information that was indicated to be required. If any competency, skill level and/or skill level history information was indicated as being preferred, then in step 1920 any identified employees are ranked on the basis of that preference information. In other embodiments, additional or substitute criteria could instead be used for ranking of employees, such as by using a predefined hierarchy of preferred skill level history achievement bases (e.g., organization courses being more preferred than third-party courses which themselves are more preferred than self-assessments), by ranking employees with higher skill levels of a required skill higher than other employees having lower skill levels (assuming skill level information was not specified as part of the search criteria), etc.
The routine then continues to step 1925 to present the ranked employees to the user, and in the illustrated embodiment provides interactive controls to allow the user to adjust the rankings using various criteria and/or to specify two or more employees to be compared to each other. It is then determined in step 1930 whether the user wishes to adjust the rankings, and if so the routine continues to step 1935 to receive an instruction about how to perform the re-ranking and to then re-rank the employees as indicated. The routine then returns to step 1925 to present the re-ranked employees. If it was instead determined in step 1930 that the user did not want to adjust the ranking, the routine continues to step 1940 to determine whether the user wishes to compare multiple employees. If so, the routine continues to step 1945 to receive indications of two or more employees, and in step 1950 presents competency-related information about each employee in a manner to facilitate comparison. In some embodiments, the user may be able to specify types of information to be used for the comparison, and other types of information that is not competency-related may also be used as part of the comparison instead of or in addition to the competency-related information.
If it was instead determined in step 1940 that the user did not want to compare the employees, the routine continues to step 1960 to perform another command if one was specified and it is appropriate. For example, the user may wish to retrieve specified types of non-competency-related information for the employee and present that information. After steps 1950 or 1955, the routine continues to step 1960 to determine whether to perform more interactive controls for the current identified employees. If so, the routine returns to step 1930. If not, or if it was determined in step 1910 that the user was not authorized, the routine continues to step 1995 to determine whether to continue. If so, the routine returns to step 1905, and if not the routine continues to step 1999 and ends.
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that in some embodiments the functionality provided by the routines discussed above may be provided in alternative ways, such as being split among more routines or consolidated into less routines. Similarly, in some embodiments illustrated routines may provide more or less functionality than is described, such as when other illustrated routines instead lack or include such functionality respectively, or when the amount of functionality that is provided is altered. In addition, while various operations may be illustrated as being performed in a particular manner (e.g., in serial or in parallel) and/or in a particular order, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments the operations may be performed in other orders and in other manners. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the data structures discussed above may be structured in different manners, such as by having a single data structure split into multiple data structures or by having multiple data structures consolidated into a single data structure. Similarly, in some embodiments illustrated data structures may store more or less information than is described, such as when other illustrated data structures instead lack or include such information respectively, or when the amount or types of information that is stored is altered.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims and the elements recited therein. In addition, while certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the invention in any available claim form. For example, while only some aspects of the invention may currently be recited as being embodied in a computer-readable medium, other aspects may likewise be so embodied.
1. A method in a computing system, the method comprising:
the computer system receiving a definition of a skill assessment group for a skill;
the computer system receiving from an employee a first value representing a self-assessment of the skill of the employee;
the computer system determining reviewers based at least in part on the skill assessment group definition for the skill;
the computer system displaying a list of the determined reviewers on a user-interface;
in response to the employee selecting a button on the user-interface, the computer system sending a request to each of the determined reviewers to provide a value representing their respective assessment of the skill of the employee;
the computer system receiving second values from at least some of the determined reviewers, wherein each of the second values represents a respective assessment of the skill of the employee;
the computer system calculating a third value as a function of the second values; and
the computer system comparing the third value with the first value;
the computer system replacing a value stored in memory with the first value if the third value is greater than or equal to the first value, wherein the value represents a prior assessment of the skill of the employee.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reviewers are determined relative to the employee and to a work position of the employee, such that the reviewers for the employee include at least one supervisor of the employee, at least one peer of the employee, and at least one subordinate of the employee.
the computer system receiving a definition of a criteria that comprises a specified threshold;
wherein calculating the third value comprises:
assigning a validation value to each of the second values;
assigning a weight to each of the second values based at least in part on the reviewer from which the second value was obtained;
calculating the third value based on the assigned validation values, the criteria and the assigned weights.
4. A computer-implemented method comprising:
the computer system receiving from a first employee a first value representing a self-assessment of a first skill of the first employee;
the computer system determining first reviewers;
the computer system displaying a list of the determined reviewers on a user-interface.
in response to the employee selecting a button on the user-interface, the computer system sending a request to each of the determined first reviewers to provide a value representing their respective assessment of the first skill of the first employee;
the computer system receiving first assessment values from at least some of the determined first reviewers, wherein each of the first assessment values represents a respective assessment of the first skill of the first employee;
the computer system calculating a third value as a function of the first assessment values; and
the computer system updating stored competency information for the first employee if the third value is equal to or greater than the first value;
the computer system receiving from a second employee a second value representing a self-assessment of a second skill of the second employee;
the computer system determining second reviewers;
the computer system sending a request to each of the determined second reviewers to provide a value representing their respective assessment of the second skill of the second employee;
the computer system receiving second assessment values from at least some of the determined second reviewers, wherein each of the second assessment values represents a respective assessment of the second skill of the second employee;
the computer system calculating a fourth value as a function of the second assessment values; and
the computer system comparing the fourth value with the second value.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the updating of the stored competency information includes indicating information about the first valuation values.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined first reviewers include at least one supervisor of the first employee, at least one peer of the first employee, and at least one subordinate of the first employee.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined first reviewers are distinct from the determined second reviewers.
8. The method of claim 4 wherein the third and fourth values are distinct.
9. The method of claim 4 wherein the third and fourth values are equal to each other.
10. A method in a computing system, the method comprising:
the computer system comparing each of the second value to the first value;
the computer system replacing a value stored in memory with the first value if each of the second values is greater than or equal to the first value, wherein the value represents a prior assessment of the skill of the employee.
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Home » Connect » Women's Ministry » Women’s Book Club – Past Selections
Women’s Book Club – Past Selections
April 26, 2016 By hdmcfadden
Do you enjoy Reading? Shoreline’s Women’s book club provides a great opportunity to discuss interesting books with other likeminded Shoreline women. You are welcome to join us at any time. We meet at homes in the greater Monterey area, monthly from 7:00 – 8:30 PM on the third Thursday of each month (other than in July and December). Come and enjoy fellowship with new friends, great discussions, and light snacks.
A different book is selected for each month’s meeting. Club members are encouraged to recommend books and the group leader selects the books she believes offers the best opportunity for a great discussion. Christian books as well as secular books that provide opportunities to reflect on spiritual matters are selected.
The book club also encourages a book exchange among members. Members are given an opportunity to describe and offer Christian non-fiction books they find particularly compelling for others in the group to borrow, keep, or pass along to others. This provides another opportunity to share good books.
Members do not need to attend every meeting. But when the monthly invitation is received, you are asked to RSVP (yes or no) so that the host can be prepared with enough chairs and refreshments.
If you would like to be included in the book club mailing list or if you have questions, please email bookclub@shorelinechurch.org.
January 19, 2017 selection:
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God.In this historical fiction we see David through the eyes of those who love him and fear him. Peeling away
February 16, 2017 selection:
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Set in motion on Sarah’s 11th birthday, she is given ownership of ten year old Handful. Follow their thirty five year journey as they both shape each other’s destinies to form a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, and the uneasy ways of love.
March 16, 2017 selection:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—but behind his cranky exterior there is a story about the profound impact one life has on countless others.
.April 20, 2017 selection:
I’ll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan
Brought together by fate, two women begin a remarkable correspondence. Their friendship, forged through letters provides Glory and Rita with unwavering support while being separated from loved ones during WWII. Connected by the written word, each woman finds her life altered and able to face the battles raging in their very own backyards.
May 18, 2017 selection:
The Light Between Oceans by M.L Stedman
A lighthouse keeper brings his new wife Isabel to his isolated island where she suffers many miscarriages. When a boat washes up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby, Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and claims it as their own. Years later they are reminded that there are people who may have been devastated by their decision.
June 15, 2017 selection:
The Undoing of Saint Sylvanius by Beth Moore
When Jillian Slater learns that her father has finally drunk himself to death, she reluctantly agrees to return to New Orleans. But is she crazy to get involved with her family again? Could the colorful collection of saints and sinners in her grandmother’s apartment building actually be affected by a curse?
.July, 2017 – No Book Club
August 17, 2017 selection
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Set in the Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families as they explore the mystery of identity; the inexplicability of love; and the murderous consequences of love’s absence.
September 21, 2017 selection:
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
An incredible true story of the top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the young women brought there unknowingly to help build the atomic bomb.
October 19, 2017 selection
These is my words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1801-1901 by Nancy Turner
A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author’s own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier.
November 16, 2017 selection
Winds of War by Herman Wouk
Wouk’s spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events, as well as all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II, as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war’s maelstrom.
2016 Book Club Selections
A Tale of Two Cities By Charles Dickens
During the time of the French Revolution-a time of great change and great danger two very different men fall in love with the same woman. Against a tumultuous historical background, Dickens’ great story of adventure and courage unfolds into a rich drama.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Marie-Laure, a blind French girl and Werner, a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel demonstrates how people living in difficult times must decide between morality and survival.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis With its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a senior tempter in the service of “Our Father Below”, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation- and triumph over it.
April 21, 2016 selection:
Rachel takes the same train every morning, until one day when she see’s something unusual. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next.
The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
An accident links Owen Meany, who is touched by God, to the orphaned Johnny Wheelwright. Mystery and martyrdom forms a tapestry of fate and faith in a novel that is Irving at his irresistible best.
July – No Book Club
August 18, 2016 selection:
Love Does by Bob Geoff
When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. This is one life you don’t want to miss.
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Tracing the lives of two couples between Vermont and Wisconsin, Crossing to Safety is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the alchemy of friendship and marriage.
October 20, 2016 selection:
After You by Jojo Moyes
For Lou Clark, life after Will means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.
November 16, 2016 selection:
The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
In this historical fiction we see David through the eyes of those who love him and fear him. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in the Iron Age of Israel. David’s journey is traced from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.
December – No Book Club
Filed Under: Women's Ministry
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The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
A trigic, ironic Christmas for one hard up couple.
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
There was clearly nothing left to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the look-out for the mendicancy squad.
In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."
The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of "Dillingham" looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.
Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a grey cat walking a grey fence in a grey backyard. To-morrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling - something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim.
There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 Bat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.
Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its colour within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.
Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out of the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.
So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.
On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she cluttered out of the door and down the stairs to the street.
Where she stopped the sign read: 'Mme Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds.' One Eight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the 'Sofronie.'
"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."
Down rippled the brown cascade.
"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.
"Give it to me quick" said Della.
Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.
She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation - as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value - the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 78 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.
When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task dear friends - a mammoth task.
Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.
"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do - oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty-seven cents?"
At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.
Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit of saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please, God, make him think I am still pretty."
The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two - and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was with out gloves.
Jim stepped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.
Della wriggled off the table and went for him.
"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again - you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say 'Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."
"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet, even after the hardest mental labour.
"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"
Jim looked about the room curiously.
"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.
"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you - sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with a sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"
Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year - what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.
Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.
"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."
White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.
For there lay The Combs - the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped for long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise-shell, with jewelled rims - just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.
But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"
And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"
Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to {lash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.
"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."
Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.
"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."
The magi, as you know, were wise men - wonderfully wise men - who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
The Sphinx Without a Secret
Fiction by Oscar Wilde
The story of a man's encounter with a painstakingly mysterious girlfriend.
The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab
Children's, Age 7-12, Fairy tale by Yei Theodora Ozaki
A monkey deceives a crab, but his greed catches up with him.
The Model Millionaire
Fiction, Humour by Oscar Wilde
Hughie Erskine is good-looking but penniless and needs ten thousand pounds to wed the love of his life. Then he drops in on a painter friend
The Recessional
Humour by Saki
When Clovis must back-up his claim that he can produce quality poetry by the square yard, Bertie van Tahn assumes the role of critic.
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Lane 8 – Hold On feat. Fractures (Ben Böhmer Remix)
Lane 8’s Little By Little full length LP was released in January of 2018, merging the worlds of electronica, house and progressive into one super-genre. Named DJ Mag North America’s album of the year and praised by Forbes, Billboard, MIXMAG, 303 Magazine, CBS, October and more, Little By Little was not only a monumental step for Daniel Goldstein, but also the electronic community as a whole.
Now, almost seven months later, the LP is graced with a full remix pack featuring re-works from some of the most classical artists in the genre to some of its newest faces. Today, Ben Böhmer’s remix is released into the world. Tipping its hat to the most classical electronica like Boards of Canada and more, the remix is nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. Böhmer masterfully navigates around Fractures’ vocals sculpting out a rework that breathes new air into the single.
Notable remixes from the iconic Dirty South and the talented Tinlicker act as flagship edits while also providing a platform for up and comers like label-signees Anderholm, Avoure and Khaen.
2018 saw Lane 8 sell out San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre, Los Angeles’ Novo, Brooklyn Steel, London’s Phonox, and Amsterdam’s Melkweg among others. Goldstein now finds himself in the midst of Phase II of his Little By Little album tour, hitting secondary targets and taking his This Never Happened show concept far and wide.
As Goldstein prepares to unveil the next steps of his artistic journey, he handed the torch to some of electronica’s greatest to help propel the vision of Little By Little even further. With a — foundation and remixes from some of the greatest in the game, all signs point towards Little By Little Remixed being one of the most successful dance records of the year.
No Captain (Dirty South Remix)
Stir Me Up (Khaen Remix)
Stir Me Up (Ryan Murgatroyd)
Daya (Fairchild Remix)
Hold On (Ben Bohmer Remix)
No Captain (Anderholm Remix)
No Captain (Attlas Remix)
Clarify (Tinlicker Remix)
Stir Me Up (Avoure Remix)
Stir Me Up (Jody Wisternoff Remix)
Little By Little Remixes Due In Full October 4th
Tags: Ben Böhmer, fractures, Lane 8, remix
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What to care/not care about from Week 17: 49ers cement NFC-favorite status with multiple team strengths
Matt Harmon
So much happens on any given Sunday in the NFL. It’s hard to keep track of it all. More importantly, it’s quite a lot to decide what we should value as signal and what we should just ignore as noise. In this space, I’ll go through all that we learned this week and give you the five things I care about coming out of Week 17, along with five things I can’t muster up the emotional energy to care for.
5 Things I care about
The 49ers have many left hooks
The mark of a championship team is the ability to win in a variety of ways. When a team takes away your first move, you have to be able to get to your second and third, often quite quickly. A true winner can play left-handed. You need a left hook.
The 49ers win over the Seattle Seahawks was a microcosm of their 2019 season. Throughout the course of the year, they showed they could win in a variety of ways. To start the year, they were a low-scoring, win-with-defense-and-the-running-game type of team. As a variety of injuries sunk while the competition got stronger to close the year, San Francisco had to ask the offense to come out of its shell. Time and time again, the unit responded.
In a No.-1-seed-clinching win, the 49ers showed it all. Their defensive line, while still not at full strength, came after Russell Wilson all night. On the final drive, they sent extra rushers to hunt Wilson and disrupt the flow of his passing game. The defense looked better for the majority of Sunday night than it has in weeks. On offense, the team hit the Seahawks with several left hooks. Rookie Deebo Samuel was an offensive catalyst, taking a run for a 30-yard touchdown and gaining over 100 yards through the air. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in a 49-yard reception to keep a drive moving for the Niners. All this while the foundation of their offense was humming with Raheem Mostert and his explosive carries sustaining the team.
Deebo Samuel showed off his skillset when it mattered most. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Other than a pair of sacks, Jimmy Garoppolo was clean operating as the point guard in Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback paradise of an offense. He completed over 80 percent of his throws at north of 13 yards per attempt. It wasn’t a night where he needed to throw them into a win. That’s a huge positive for a team that knows it can sting an opponent any number of ways.
As San Francisco heads into the playoffs, they have to be considered the favorite in the NFC. Not only will a team have to play in their building for as long as they’re in the race, they’ll need to take out at least two of their team strengths. And even if you’re able to do that, they can always hit you with a third.
Christian McCaffrey makes history
In an absurdly meaningless game for his own Carolina Panthers, superstar running back Christian McCaffrey made history. He became the first player since Marshall Faulk in 1999 — and the third player in the catalog of the game — to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a single season.
We often remember the story of an NFL season with the outline of Super Bowl winners, playoff participants and the efforts of big-time award winners. Christian McCaffrey will be none of those. His Panthers are a ship lost at sea, long since removed from the playoff race. Once forced into the conversation, McCaffey isn’t even a top-five MVP candidate. If Lamar Jackson doesn’t take both the MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year award, Michael Thomas should take the latter title.
There will be no titles to remember Christian McCaffrey’s 2019 season. And yet, it would be a crime to lose this campaign to the annals of history. Once regarded as a player who could contribute as a receiver but never be a “between-the-tackles runner,” McCaffrey has become one of the best offensive players in the league. In 2019, he offered up a truly special season for a team going nowhere. As the Panthers slipped away into the abyss, McCaffrey only kept dropping hammers on the field. Let’s hope the Panthers put out a product in 2020 that only helps cement his legacy.
Ryan Fitzpatrick puts an exclamation point on a wild decade
**Don’t get mad at the next paragraph you’re about to read. I’m not serious.**
Ryan Fitzpatrick is not one of the best quarterbacks of his era. As such, he isn’t your typical candidate but doesn’t it feel like the NFL Hall of Fame needs to make an exception for him? At the very least, they need to consider giving him a separate wing of the building, complete with his army of jerseys and an evolving face graphic transitioning from his fresh-faced look as an unknown with the St. Louis Rams all the way to the bearded wonder we know today.
In all seriousness, you cannot tell the story of the last decade without the character of Fitzmagic. From his efforts as a Bill that earned him his first big payday, his random, almost heroic 31-touchdown season, to a wild stretch with the Buccaneers that featured an iconic press conference getup, all the way to his 2019 season with the supposedly tanking Dolphins that featured a truly prolific back-half, he’s been a defining fun footnote on the last decade of football.
Week 17 featured a classic Fitzpatrick moment. The plucky underdog team that he was in charge of leading took it to a more storied foe; the Dolphins knocked off the Patriots, 27-24. In true Fitzmagic fashion, he fed his top target DeVante Parker 11 targets, despite the receiver drawing coverage from the top corner in football all day. The Patriots will play in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009 thanks to these Miami Dolphins. What a way for this fable of a football player to wind down this decade.
The Titans can beat the Patriots
If the Dolphins can do it, the 2019 Tennessee Titans can. Miami went into New England and stuck to their script. They ran through their explosive passing game and played tight on wildly underwhelming Patriots wide receivers. The Titans can do just that.
The Titans know who they are on offense. After wisely resting a less-than-100% Derrick Henry in Week 16, they unleashed the monster back for 6.6 yards per carry and three scores on a whopping 32 totes. That’s their identity but they know they have another star on offense.
Tennessee knows it has a uniquely strong connection between the daring Ryan Tannehill and his No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown. The rookie drew a target on a whopping 40% of his quarterback’s throws in Week 17, including one that went down as the most improbable completion of the year:
The dude is such a stud and the evidence was all over his college film https://t.co/XADClqFCv5
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) December 29, 2019
The Dolphins didn’t fear likely Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore and kept finding ways to hit No. 1 wideout, the aforementioned Parker, in tight windows or open short routes. That will be the case with Brown and the Titans in the postseason. The rookie already has that kind of clout.
Boston Scott is a thing — but the Eagles need Miles Sanders
Make no bones about it, Boston Scott has earned his place as a key contributor on offense for the Eagles. The former unknown has been a revelation as an explosive receiver out of the backfield for Philadelphia, a squad that badly needed someone to create layup throws for Carson Wentz. In Week 17, Scott was that once again with four catches for 84 yards.
What was unique about his efforts against the Giants was his 19 carries and three rushing touchdowns. Credit his crafty work as a scoring area rusher but we shouldn’t see Scott getting that kind of work in the run game.
It became necessary only after an injury to rookie Miles Sanders, who was on his way to a massive day. The running back already carried the ball nine times for 52 yards and caught three balls. He has been a key cog for this team that featured offensive issues throughout 2019. Taking anyone out of the rotation will be a big problem as the team heads into the postseason.
5 Things I don’t care about
The Seahawks’ end-of-the-game goal-line sequence
The Seahawks failed to come away with a win that would have boosted their own stock and sent their division-rival tumbling out of the No. 1 seed. While much attention will be placed at the final-drive delay of game and Marshawn Lynch missing his shot at goal-line redemption for his old/new team, another player’s place in the closing moments caught my attention.
Russell Wilson threw 12 passes in total to DK Metcalf over the course of the night but a whopping six on the final drive. It was noticeable that Wilson seemed to be rewarding his rookie receiver for what was a strong effort over the course of the night. He routinely made big-time catches along the boundary and hauled in tough receptions with defenders close by. Metcalf has earned a primary place as the Seahawks No. 2 receiver since the outset of the season, and he really hasn’t looked back. In fact, he’s only gotten better. Wilson’s faith in him on Sunday night only cemented that.
As we’re looking ahead to next week, Metcalf’s contributions loom large. The Seahawks will have to travel to Philly to play a team truly finding itself to close 2019. However, the pass defense has been a problem all year, especially due to the outside cornerbacks’ poor play. Those players will find Metcalf in the crosshairs all day next weekend. If he comes up big, Seattle could find themselves advancing another round.
The Packers’ ancillary players
Green Bay’s offensive effort in Week 17 was not the least bit surprising to anyone who has tracked this team all season. For far too many stretches, everything looked way too difficult.
Aaron Rodgers isn’t having his best season. With his 5.9 effort on Sunday, he checked in under 7.5 yards per attempt for the fifth-straight season. As the offense started off with layers of issues, Packers Twitter was in a full-on revolt, throwing up some outrageous statements on the internet (check the replies) for everyone to see about their future Hall of Fame quarterback. There have been a few too many misses this season from Rodgers but we know he is capable of ultra-greatness at any turn.
The key for Green Bay, as they head into the postseason, is to keep it simple. Davante Adams ran a gorgeous route for a touchdown against the Lions. Aaron Jones took a screen pass upfield on a nifty angled throw from Rodgers to set up the game-deciding field goal. The two stars run this offense and there just isn’t much going on beyond them. Allen Lazard is capable of the occasional eye-grabbing catch downfield and Jamaal Williams (out this week) can provide a change of pace in the backfield. Go any deeper than those two and the Packers options on offense are just underwhelming and mistake-prone assets.
With the ceiling Rodgers possesses as a passer — and let’s not act like we haven’t seen it this year — going to Green Bay will be a daunting task for any playoff team. No matter what happens the rest of the way, the Packers need to make sure they restock the skill position cupboard in the offseason.
Kyler Murray’s efforts in Week 17
It was a sloppy end to a strong rookie season for Kyler Murray in Week 17. The No. 1 overall pick fumbled twice and threw two picks, which is out of character for the otherwise careful Murray in 2019. He just looked like he lacked the juice we know he has and was a net-zero as a runner, registering just two carries for no yards.
The Cardinals offensive improvement under Kyler Murray & Kliff Kingsbury in 2019 was undeniable.
It resulted in:
100 more total yards per game
60.4% increase in pts scored
91.7% more scoring drives
41.4% more yards per game
40.7% increase in TDs scored pic.twitter.com/Ek1xQLoYQA
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) December 30, 2019
It’s hard to put much stock in Murray’s efforts this past week. In fact, it’s a bit hard to see why he even played in this Sunday’s game. Murray suffered a hamstring injury last week and it appeared he was unlikely to play in Week 17. Backup Brett Hundley even made an appearance in this game. A few miscues and an injured lower half certainly helped sink Murray’s momentum in his final rookie outing.
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Nothing Murray did against the Rams in Week 17 matters. This quarterback and an overall successful debut by the Kliff Kingsbury offense have the Cardinals looking like a surprisingly fun team that could be a fantasy goldmine in 2020.
Michael Gallup’s drops in 2019
Annoyed Cowboys fans and overly negative stat enthusiasts will be sure to mention Michael Gallup’s drops this year. There were plenty of them. However, if that’s what you’re coming away from 2019 with as the main impression, you’re missing the point.
Gallup dropped 98 yards and three touchdowns on Washington in the Cowboys’ season finale. That brings his season totals to 1,107 yards and six scores in 14 games. He played as the team’s primary X-receiver for the second year in a row a thrived. In a season full of exceptional disappointments, his development is a huge win. His play has been as good as the numbers, even if he did let a few slip through his hands.
Unreal catch by Michael Gallup here. At the end of it, Troy Aikman said he has "basically become their No. 1 guy" over the last few weeks.pic.twitter.com/ihKL8h3973
When Gallup hauled in his most spectacular scoring play of the day, Troy Aikman noted that he had "basically become their No. 1 guy" over the last few weeks of the season. Of course, that coincides with Amari Cooper fading to end the season amid a public pseudo spat with the current coaching staff. Perhaps it was just typical announcer-speak, but it makes you wonder if someone has made clear to the still-well-connected Aikman that the team believes Gallup can take yet another huge leap in his third year.
Definitive outside takes on head coaching hires
Freddie Kitchens got the ax after just one year at the helm. Remember last year when the vast majority of football media loved the hire of Kitchens after he earned the affection of then-rookie Baker Mayfield amid a successful finish to 2018 as the offensive play-caller? The failure of Kitchens’ tenure after he was universally lauded as their hire is a reminder that we don’t know a thing about who will be a good or bad head coach. The way it happened, with the complete lack of any culture in Cleveland, reminds us all that the nuances beyond scheme or play-design matter so much. And knowing how a coach will install those in an organization is nearly impossible for those on the outside.
As for where the Browns go next, the statements from their ownership scream a “done-this-before” head coach like Mike McCarthy. The emphasis on leadership and stability looks like it will lead them to a coach with a resume like McCarthy, whose strong record with the Packers does speak volumes.
Charles Robinson reports that a power structure change between GM John Dorsey and Paul DePodesta could be in play for Cleveland. In addition to a resume that will appeal to ownership, McCarthy has a history with Dorsey and his well-reported new interest in analytics could appease DePodesta. Look for McCarthy to get significant interest from the Browns.
How will it go if McCarthy is the guy? Well, who the hell knows? That’s the take.
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On the road to girl’s golf districts
The girl's golf team stands by Coach Kingrey at the MAC meet
Photo taken by D'anne Kremer
Alyssa Paulson, Photo Editor
As the Girls Golf team pushes towards the end of their season, they are looking toward the state tournament. After having a winning streak at districts in the past they are working to reclaim that this year.
The girls have been working hard this year to gain headway on the competition, starting with winter sessions with Coach Nedelcoff at the River’s Edge.”The winter sessions were really beneficial because they made sure that I was picking up a golf club during the winter which was really helpful once the season started,” sophomore Ingrid Hoffman said.
As the season went on and the weather got warmer, the girls were able to play outside but on rainy days, the team had a place to practice indoors at Pleasant Valley. This practice facility in the old wrestling room was new this year. Sophomore Ceely Patramanis said, “It allows us to continue to improve even when the weather is against us. We are extremely grateful to be able to work in an area that permits us to work on all aspects of the sport.”
The freshman has led the varsity team to success this season. Freshman Lizzie McVey has been the golf team’s number 2 player throughout the season. “The golf team is so welcoming and everyone gets along and feels included. I’m so lucky to have a team like ours to highlight the end of my first high school year,” she said.
The girls’ golf team came in second at the Mac meet earlier in the season. Sophomore Erin Douglas explained, “All of the varsity players took a day out of their three day weekend to come and practice for MAC. Even though we all put out some really nice scores, we still fell short of winning to Bettendorf.”
Unfortunately, the girls’ golf team has not made it to state the past two years, but they used to be a heavy competitor in the district meet.
Freshmen Erika Holmberg shared her thoughts on the district meet this year. “Playing well at districts would be awesome for the team. Getting the opportunity to go to state would be one of our greatest accomplishments,” she said. “We all have the drive to succeed, we just need to perform the best we can on that particular day, and just enjoy our time playing together as a team.”
Holmberg is a freshman this year and leads the team. Erika Holmberg also shared some of her own individual goals. ”I would really like to play well at districts. Making it to state has been my biggest goal ever since the start of the season, and it would be such an incredible feeling if I could go out and qualify. I’m just going to try to go out there and play my best golf on the given day, and just have fun with it,” she said.
It will be interesting to see how the district meet ends up as the Spartans fight for a spot at state.
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Miami Dolphins training camp: Three questions facing the team
Shalise Manza YoungYahoo Sports Contributor
Shutdown Corner July 18, 2017, 9:18 PM UTC
The NFL season is inching closer. Through July, Shutdown Corner will examine three big questions for each NFL team as it heads to training camp.
Report date: Rookies July 20; veterans July 26
Location: Davie, Florida
1. Can a healthy Ryan Tannehill take the next step under Adam Gase?
Tannehill escaped a major setback late last season when he suffered an ACL injury but not an ACL tear, so he didn’t have to undergo surgery. That meant he was able to take part in the Dolphins’ offseason practices.
In his first year under Adam Gase, who got the job in Miami in large part because of his work with quarterbacks, Tannehill’s completion percentage was his best ever (67.1 percent), as was his yards per attempt – and he wasn’t asked to do quite as much. Thanks in part to the emergence of Jay Ajayi, Tannehill’s attempts per game dropped from over 36 each of the previous three seasons to just under 30 last year. He still had his share of mistakes (12 interceptions against 19 TDs), but we saw progress.
With another offseason together and more time under Gase’s tutelage, will we see Tannehill continue to make positive strides?
Jay Ajayi had a breakout season for Miami in 2016; now it’s time to show some consistency. (AP)
2. Will Jay Ajayi develop into a more consistent rushing threat?
In his second season, Ajayi became just the fourth running back to post three 200-yard games in a single season. But outside of those games, he only had one other game where he topped 100 yards (incredibly, Ajayi was good for just 54 yards per game outside of those three amazing performances).
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When you have games like Ajayi did last year, it ups the expectations. But he embraces them, and wants a bigger role.
“I think I’m a little bit more comfortable; but at the same time, a lot more determined,” Ajayi told the Miami Herald in May. “I know what I can do in this league; but at the same time, it’s about just pushing that box, pushing to reach even higher. I know that I can do a lot more and that’s kind of what this offseason is about — just working on the little things, the details to kind of take my game to the next level and really have a great year.”
It’s easy to say the NFL has become a pass-first league, but having a good running game still has value: of the 12 playoff teams last season, six had top-10 rushing offenses.
3. Can Laremy Tunsil hold down the left tackle spot?
We’ve discussed Tannehill, we’ve discussed Ajayi – and both will need help from Tunsil.
The highly rated offensive lineman became one of the most talked about players of the 2016 draft after two of his social media accounts were hacked just minutes before the first round began; as a result, Tunsil slipped a bit, though he was still taken 13th overall.
Tunsil weathered the storm and started all 14 games he played in as a rookie, mostly at left guard. But Miami traded Branden Albert to Jacksonville in February, meaning Tunsil will be kicked out to tackle. So much of an offense’s success starts with the line, and with veteran center Mike Pouncey’s availability for training camp up in the air after an offseason stem-cell procedure on his hip, the Dolphins will need someone to step up and set the tone.
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Capitalising on ‘that’ first win with 2019 Telstra Business Awards Western Australia finalists
The Smarter Team is made up of business and technology journalists who write to offer insights to small and medium businesses about technology, business know-how and emerging trends.
smartermag smartermag
Every successful business has ‘that’ first win – when persistence and a pinch of good luck pay off, and the tides turn in their favour. It might happen as soon as a business starts up, or it could take years. But it’s always ‘that’ moment when hard work combines with serendipity.
Here, a collection of 2019 Telstra Business Awards finalists from WA share the stories of their first big win – the circumstance that enabled it, the challenge that preceded it, and the success that followed.
‘That’ first win that started it all: Lisa Shreeve, Busselton Jetty
“In 1978 the future of Busselton Jetty – the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere – was not looking good. After Cyclone Alby destroyed a large majority of it in April, the West Australian Government declared that they wanted to demolish it.
“A small group of passionate community volunteer members joined together to save the jetty. The group acknowledged that for the jetty to remain, it needed to offer tourism products to raise sufficient funds for ongoing maintenance.
Hear more stories of businesses that have had ‘that’ first win
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Find out moreHear more stories of businesses that have had ‘that’ first win
“Without the dedication and passion of volunteers, the jetty would not be the tourism icon it is today. It would not even exist!”
“Busselton Jetty succeeded in saving the jetty.
“Today, the team focuses on creating new and exciting experiences to increase visitors – including the jetty train, underwater observatory tours and several guided tours.
“Last financial year Busselton Jetty was able to contribute over $830,000 back into the conservation of the jetty – continuing to save it for future generations.”
Lisa Shreeve is the CEO of Busselton Jetty, a finalist in the Social Change Maker category.
‘That’ first win was the support of customers: Joanne Colijn-Dew, Café Mojo Mundaring
“Cafe Mojo Mundaring is a welcoming space supporting community collaboration and growth.
“Our very first win was before our doors opened. We designed a customer survey which was distributed with the help of local social media influencers. The survey was rewarded with a free coffee (all proceeds donated to charity).
“We were overwhelmed by the responses. So many good ideas, so much support, so many people excited and interested in ‘the new kid on the block’.”
“The opening was a huge success. People were interested in our quirky, funky and very different cafe.
“Not only was our name out there before we even opened – so many good ideas were leveraged from the survey. Even today we look back at the treasure trove of opinions and ideas and draw from the responses.”
Joanne Colijn-Dew is the owner of Cafe Mojo Mundaring, a sustainability-focused eatery and co-working space that caters to everyone from burger lovers to vegans. The cafe is an Emerging and Energised finalist.
Essential tips for making the most of ‘that’ moment
“All wins should be considered important. A group of well-timed small wins can have a bigger impact than the large ones. Acknowledge the wins on a weekly basis so that everyone feels part of the success and ensure that the big ones are celebrated as a team.” – Renae Lunjevich, Managing Director, Bang Digital
“Record your wins. They may feel like a win today but in years to come you will forget. As your business grows you will be looking towards the next win, and the one after that. It’s good to look back and realise how far you have come.” – Caroline Shaw, Founding Partner, Live Well Physio
“Remember to continue the struggle. You got where you are by never letting something get through that wasn’t right, by always returning that complaining customer’s phone call, by watching the pennies and letting the pounds take care of themselves.” – Alex Apostolou, Founder and CEO, Meercat
‘That’ first win was financial backing: Caroline de Mori, EON Foundation
“EON Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers a food-and nutrition-focussed healthy lifestyle and disease prevention program to remote Aboriginal communities.
“Before our ‘first win’, the founders were running EON from a kitchen table, with passion and confidence in the business but lacking the long-term funding commitment required to prove it.
“Life and business are always going to throw up challenges and setbacks. The wins remind us that when we work together and remain focused, we can achieve anything.”
“A $100,000 grant from the WA Department of Health in 2009 enabled EON to commit to the program in 3 communities.
“With solid funding behind us we were able to test, and prove, our business model. This demonstrated the government’s understanding of the health-worth of EON’s unique approach. It also provided us with the confidence to approach the private sector for further support.”
Caroline de Mori is the Executive Chair of EON Foundation, a finalist in the Social Change Maker category.
‘That’ first win when you’re “all in”: Robert Boylan, International Lubricant Distributors
“We started ILD with an idea that we could make a difference in the lubricants market by behaving differently to the rest.
“We convinced investors to fund the start-up for 12 months and invested around $100,000 to secure a supply contract with Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation).
“Nobody had used these products under Australian conditions. They are used in multi-million-dollar pieces of equipment, and we chose to target well-known global players at their own game. Failure would have been immediately catastrophic for our fledgling business.
“We were four people that had given up careers to take a chance on this new enterprise. We were ‘all-in’ and very nervous.”
“We won our first important contract after about 6 months.
“The products were going into large pieces of mining equipment – any failure would have meant the end of our business.
“We waited three very anxious days, then received news that nothing had blown up and the products were performing well.
“Over the past ten years, we’ve changed the market landscape for lubricants in Australia and are now the leading alternative to the traditional giants.”
Robert Boylan is the CEO of International Lubricant Distributors, finalist in the Medium & Making Waves category.
‘That’ first win after years of persistence: Dan Leech, Excel Robotics
“Excel Robotics specialises in producing high-quality steel fabrication in the safest, most efficient and professional manner possible.
“We got our first big break after many years of hitting the road marketing Excel. After several attempts we became an approved supplier for Heiniger Australia,
[an animal shearing equipment retailer].
“Don't make money your first priority. Focus on providing the best safety standards for your staff, quality of your products, and service to your customers.”
“This was a massive turning point for Excel.
“Heiniger were very impressed that I personally made and delivered the new products. They saw our quality and service first-hand. This led to a massive influx of work.
“I went from using my forklift seat as my office to having the confidence and cashflow to build an office. Today, we are officially the largest supplier of fabricated components to the Australian and New Zealand wool industry.”
Dan Leech is the Owner of Excel Robotics, a Medium & Making Waves finalist.
Every business has had ‘that’ moment
Read the moments that shaped the 2019 Telstra Business Awards state finalists from across Australia.
Getting ‘that’ essential tech that made the difference with 2019 Telstra Business Awards New South Wales finalists
Seizing ‘that’ inspiration moment with the 2019 Telstra Business Awards Queensland finalists
Overcoming ‘that’ early struggle with the 2019 Telstra Business Awards Australian Capital Territory finalists
Overcoming ‘that’ challenge with the 2019 Telstra Business Awards South Australian finalists
Learning ‘that’ key business lesson with the 2019 Telstra Business Awards Tasmanian finalists
Embracing ’that’ piece of advice with 2019 Telstra Business Awards Northern Territory finalists
Taking ’that’ next step with 2019 Telstra Business Awards Victorian finalists
Get expert advice so you can get ‘that’ first win.
Telstra Business Tech Services features 24/7 help and advice on your internet, networks, storage, security, devices and more.
Find out moreGet expert advice so you can get ‘that’ first win.
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Writer in Residence – The Thirteenth Apostle (and his mum) by Paul Andruss
Today part one of the story of The Thirteenth Apostle (and his mum) from Paul Andruss. As with any legend, there is usually some variations on the origins and plenty of embellishments by later historians, that need to be resolved. Paul takes on the task and unravels the stories to reveal the probable truth behind Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor.. and his mother Helena.
The Thirteenth Apostle (and his mum) by Paul Andruss
Statue of Constantine the Great at York (source: schoolworkhelper)
This is about an illegitimate boy, who grew up to inherit a shattered empire and changed the world; who overthrew pantheons of gods for the one his old mum worshipped.
Although he was not baptised until on his deathbed, he claimed to be Christ’s most favoured disciple. At one time he was believed to be a British king who became emperor of the Romans; and his mum, Helena, a British Princess who found the true cross of Jesus and became a saint, which ain’t too shabby for a barmaid.
Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor, was once considered British born and bred. The legend went something like this. His dad, Constantius, was a Roman senator who came to Britain to meet old King Cole in Colchester. Yes, that old King Cole, although he wasn’t such a merry old soul when he thought the Romans were coming to knock him off his throne. When Cole died, Constantius took the throne for himself and married Cole’s daughter, the beautiful Princess Helena. In due course their son Constantine became king and sometime later took his army off to the continent to thrash the perfidious Romans and ended up becoming Emperor.
Head of the Colossus of Constantine in the Courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori of the Musei Capitolini, (source: jacabook.it)
As with all legends, there are nuggets of truth mixed with fool’s gold. There probably was an Old King Cole (in legend called Coel Hen meaning Old Cole), but nothing is known of him except he wasn’t king of Colchester, which is named from the Roman words for ‘colony’ and ‘fort’. He probably was a warlord working for the Romans beyond Hadrian’s Wall, around 350 AD: a quarter of a century after Constantine died.
Part of Constantine’s legend is mixed up with another Roman General who left Britain to become Emperor almost a century later. Magnus Maximus, which modestly translates as Greatest of the Great, was married a British Princess called St Helena of Wales, and they had a son named Custennin (Welsh for Constantine).
Constantius Chlorus (Source: Alchetron)
Our Constantine’s dad was Constantius Chlorus, meaning pale or literally green. He may have been suffering from chlorosis: a pernicious anaemia, or even leukaemia. He was a member of the emperor’s bodyguard who worked his way up to Caesar. At this time the Empire was divided between four rulers: the Eastern and Western senior emperors called Augusti and their juniors named Caesars. Constantius came to stop the Scottish Picts raiding the Roman province of Britain.
Constantine’s mum was not a princess. She was an inn keeper’s daughter from the Black Sea and probably his common-law wife as the army did not approve of soldiers marrying.
By the time Constantius became Caesar he had dumped her for a political marriage to his Augustus’ daughter.
Constantius recognised Constantine as his son and heir meaning the lad grew up as a hostage to his father’s loyalty in the Emperor Diocletian’s court, where he became a favourite due to his military prowess. When Diocletian abdicated in May 305, rather than take his chances in the bloodbath that invariably accompanied a new Emperor’s reign, Constantine fled to his dad in Britain.
When his father died at York six months later, the soldiers elected the 32 year old Constantine to the rank of Caesar. While this was by no means unusual, you still had to fight for it. Constantine spent the next 20 years killing off his rivals to emerge as sole emperor.
His first major battle, and miracle, was at Milvian Bridge outside Rome, in 313 AD, against his rival Western Emperor. Details are sketchy. The story goes he had a dream before the battle advising him to make his soldiers paint their shields with the Chi Rho (two Greek letters X=CH & P=R) used as an acrostic for Christ. Later, this became a vision of a cross in the sun with the words ‘by this conquer’ witnessed by Constantine and his army. That story first appears in his biography written by Bishop Eusebius long after Constantine’s death.
The Chi- Ro Source: (clker .com)
The story is a good example of the propaganda obscuring Constantine’s reign. As the first Christian Emperor instead of history we have hagiography (holy-writing), usually reserved for the miraculous lives of saints. In part, this might be due to Constantine’s own influence.
Eusebius also states a year later Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, recognising Christianity as a legal religion. This is another gloss. The edict did not promote Christianity but merely affirmed the previous Edict of Toleration ending Diocletian’s Christian Persecution. It had been rescinded by the Eastern Augustus, enemy of Constantine and his Augustus Licinius. Although Constantine may have been responsible, the edict was issued in Licinius’ name. Yet when Eusebius wrote Constantine’s biography, Licinius’ was demonised.
After their victory, Licinius made Constantine the Western Augustus; taking for himself the more prosperous East. Constantine carried on the civil war. In 323, at the age of 50 he emerged as sole ruler after his sister had persuaded her husband Licinius to surrender in return for his life. Two months later Constantine had him murdered: no one knows why.
During his struggle for ultimate power, Constantine was careful to avoid any mention of Christ. Instead he used Sol Invictus – the Unconquered Sun (whose holy day was Sunday) – as the symbol of the supreme god. Yet while he was careful not to upset the Senate or citizens of largely pagan Rome, he refused to attend a victory sacrifice to Jupiter and spent a lot of his own money restoring Rome’s damaged churches.
Once Constantine was sole emperor he issued a proclamation, in the name of Christ, saying all citizens regardless of religious belief, should be able to enjoy a life of peace and concord. Despite this he had no compunction consulting pagan oracles or displaying himself as Sol Invictus when it suited.
It is often said Christianity’s appeal for Constantine was its unity and organisation. Different peoples united in belief are easier to control than those divided by a plethora of gods. Christians were obedient to the elders and priests, who were in turn subject to an Overseer (the original meaning of Bishop). Christians also willingly paid church taxes.
Paganism was certainly nowhere near as organised, as evidenced some 50 years later when the emperor Julian the Apostate was ridiculed and possibly assassinated for trying to reintroduce the old gods. Yet the words vicar and diocese originally came from pagan Roman politics. (Pagan is a Christian word meaning a sort of country bumpkin.)
After almost a century of civil war Constantine’s main priority was an empire united by one church and one god, under one emperor. Yet he found Christianity riven by schism. The latest dispute concerned whether Christ had the same or a similar nature to God.
Constantine wrote to the bishops concerned asking them to bury their trivial differences for the sake of the empire.
When he was ignored, he summoned all the bishops to a Synod at Nicene to thrash out their differences. Constantine flattered them, pandered to their arrogance and in the end threatened them into agreeing a common creed. Although he thought he succeeded, Christians have continued to be at each other’s throats ever since. A millennium later Roman and Greek Orthodoxy split. Soon afterwards Protestant dissidents split from Catholicism.
In 326 Constantine had his wife and eldest son executed amid rumours they had an affair. Constantine was jealous of his son’s popularity with the army and people, and may have feared for his life. Constantine’s wife, and mother of his 5 children, was killed a few weeks later in bathhouse sauna. It is unknown if she was stabbed or locked in to be suffocated by the steam and broiled alive.
One of Constantine’s first acts as Emperor was to send for his mother. He renamed her birthplace Helenopolis and awarded her the title of Augusta Imperatrix instead of his wife. It was no empty title. An Augusta could issue her own coinage, wear imperial regalia, and rule her own courts. No wonder his wife was furious; perhaps this is what prompted her, possibly real, and certainly alleged affair with his son. Finally he gave his mother unlimited access to the imperial treasury to locate holy relics.
At the age of 72 Helena enthusiastically set off to Jerusalem where, according to legend she discovered the crosses of Jesus and the two thieves and was able to distinguish the true cross when a dying woman recovered after touching it. Strangely, the normally sycophantic Bishop Eusebius fails to mention this.
Helena sent the true cross, along with some thorns from the crown of thorns, and nails from the crucifixion to aid her son; who allegedly placed one nail in his helmet and another in his horse’s bridle. She took full advantage of the imperial treasury by endowing churches at Bethlehem, in the Sinai Desert at the place of the burning bush, and the Holy Sepulchre after having the area levelled and cleared.
It is not certain what happened to Helena, some historians report she brought the treasures back in person. Others, by their silence, indicate she died in the Holy Land on pilgrimage. I rather hope it was the latter and she died enjoying thoroughly herself. Helena was declared a saint.
The Relics of St Helena were on loan in Athens from the Vatican in 2017 (Source : http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com)
Part Two next Friday.. same time.
©Paul Andruss 2017
About Paul Andruss
Paul Andruss is a writer whose primary focus is to take a subject, research every element thoroughly and then bring the pieces back together in a unique and thought provoking way. His desire to understand the origins of man, history, religion, politics and the minds of legends who rocked the world is inspiring. He does not hesitate to question, refute or make you rethink your own belief system and his work is always interesting and entertaining. Whilst is reluctant to talk about his own achievements he offers a warm and generous support and friendship to those he comes into contact with.
Paul is a modest but very talented author and he has two books currently available. Thomas the Rhymer – a magical fantasy for ages 11 to adult about a boy attempting to save fairy Thomas the Rhymer, while trying to rescue his brother from a selfish fairy queen.
I have read and reviewed Thomas the Rhymer earlier in the year, and here is the link to download the epub version of the books for FREE.
Paul also has a pdf file available and you can read for FREE by obtaining a copy from Barnes & Noble for Nook readers and also from Kobo.
You can find out how to download from Paul’s site and also links to the other options at this link. http://www.jackhughesbooks.com/amazon-links.php
It would be amazing if you do download and enjoy the book as much as I did. If so then it would be great if you could put a review on Amazon by adding in a sentence at the beginning – Disclaimer: I was gifted with a copy of this book from the author.. Or you can leave a review on Facebook and tag Paul in the post by using his full name Paul George Boylan.
Paul’s second books is Finn Mac Cool – rude, crude and funny, explicitly sexual and disturbingly violent, Finn Mac Cool is strictly for adults only.
Connect to Paul on social media.
Blog: http://www.paul-andruss.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/paul.andruss.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paul_JHBooks
Google+ https://plus.google.com/s/+jackhughesbooks
You can find all of Paul’s posts in this directory: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/writer-in-residence-writer-paul-andruss/
Thank you for dropping by today and please feel free to share the post on your own blog and networks. Thanks Sally
This entry was posted in blogging and tagged Christianity in Roman Era, Constantine the Great, history, Paul Andruss by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.. Bookmark the permalink.
62 thoughts on “Writer in Residence – The Thirteenth Apostle (and his mum) by Paul Andruss”
bobcabkings on November 10, 2017 at 12:18 am said:
It is a task to try to sort out actual history and biography from confusion and legend when the political and religious spin doctors have had some centuries to muddle things up.
paulandruss on November 10, 2017 at 12:57 am said:
Bob you are so right especially when one of the spin doctors was the newly recognised christian church who owed everything to Constantine and were going to make sure their hero did not suffer any bad publicity.
There is a document in the Vatican called the Donation of Constantine in which Constantine hands over a large part of Italy (what were the Papal States) to the Pope in perpetuity. It is actually a medieval forgery that the church used to keep laying claim to territories of the Holy Roman Emperor. Honestly you can’t trust anyone can you!!!
bobcabkings on November 10, 2017 at 2:10 am said:
And, to make matters even worse, there are the bad translations.
Books & Art - Spirit & Soul - Lesley Fletcher on November 10, 2017 at 12:22 am said:
Thanks Paul. Your posts are always a great and interesting read. The meaning of Pagan is really true these days especially. I wonder if it was because they were and always have been worshippers of the earth. “Pagan is a Christian word meaning a sort of country bumpkin.”
paulandruss on November 10, 2017 at 1:25 am said:
Firstly Lesley thank you,that is a lovely thing to say. I think you are spot on with the pagan thing. Pagans were worshippers of the earth especially the cycles of birth and fertility.
Fred Nietzsche splits this up rather nicely with his Apollonian vs Dionysian religions. Dionysus as you know was the god of wine who worship was a bit rowdy, while Apollo came to represent high culture and was naturally more po-faced.
As you know early religions used a lot of real and symbolic sexuality in worship for example temple prostitutes (giving us the word fornication- literally the arch of the temple under which the priestesses plied their trade) as a way of both communing with the eternal spirit… the transcendental orgasm… and as sympathetic magic for the renewal of life.
By the return to Jerusalem under Cyrus the Great Judaism had re-defined itself as a way of keeping its cultural identity in exile and distancing itself from the uncomfortable parallels with Babylonian religious rites.
The successful branch of Christianity, maybe through the influence of Essenes, inherited a distaste for the physical expression of worship. Although not all branches of early Christianity felt the same if you read the criticisms of rival factions by early church fathers.
Also Chistianity, as it developed, was essentially an urban religion removed from the necessary cycles of birth and harvest. More familiar with the unremitting brutality and squalor of the ancient cities it fixated on sin and redemption through casting off earthly and fleshy demands.
And Gordon Bennet that is whole other post there! Sorry about that!
Books & Art - Spirit & Soul - Lesley Fletcher on November 10, 2017 at 1:03 pm said:
🙂 Never apologise for educating anyone, especially me. Now you have the lead for your next post!
As Sally once about me to someone else…’ for heaven’s sake DON’T encourage him!!! Hugs (and apologies to Sally too!!)
Thanks Lesley and I consider myself a country bumpkin and certainly more pagan these days. x
And me Sally the older I get the more I like little local gods instead of great big almighty ones!
My mind boggles, Paul. So much blood and gore to absorb and think about. How long did it take to sift through and put this all together?
Had to chuckle in a couple of places – love the humor you always inject.
“…ain’t too shabby for a barmaid.” (I’m surprised feminists everywhere haven’t adopted Constantine the Great as an early proponent for honoring his mum!)
“Although he thought he succeeded, Christians have continued to be at each other’s throats ever since.” (ahem – no comment necessary!)
Love these, Sally – always glad to find another by Paul on your blog.
Thanks Madelyn.. I agree Paul has a mind like a steel trap … catching every long forgotten detail and turning it into an engrossing read. I think Constantine would be very happy…. xxxx
Maybe Paul channels his info – lol.
Guy’s, guys guys.. Shucks! If I was at all familiar with the emotion I would be feeling humble right now! Thanks Madelyn, I am always chuffed when people get ‘me wise-cracks’ because you never know if they are going to misfire. to be honest I don’t know where it comes from, I just start thinking about it and it pours our and then I have to spend hours correcting all the misinformation! But still when I get a reception like this it gives me such a buzz! Thank you.
Aww Sally you’re a doll!
Yeah… the bloody History Channel!
Princy Shah on November 10, 2017 at 6:20 am said:
Thanks for following!!!
And thank you for reading.
Anita and Jaye. Thank you for the reblog, it is very kind of you. Hugs P
shehannemoore on November 10, 2017 at 9:44 am said:
Paul, your posts are always amazing. That is down to the effort you put into them in terms of research, in all directions. The man, not the myth in this instance. Recognised the statue instantly from a fav place of mine. Glad I never missed this post. (Had a day off yesterday for me birthday. ) xx
Thanks Shey and I am sure you had a wonderful day.. hugs xx
shehannemoore on November 10, 2017 at 1:02 pm said:
I did. Seeing all my wee family tomoz so will have another wonderful one then xxx
Shey Firstly: A very happy birthday for yesterday.
Secondly: What the bloody hell do you think you are doing taking a day offffff!!!!! Honest to God you’ll be wanting Christmas off next!!!
However as you are in Scotland even I am not dumb enough to suggest you work Hogmanay! I can see it now: a nicely wrapped Christmas present arrives. I open it (Well before Christmas obviously) AND THE DUDES LEAP OUT TO SAVAGE ME! I should be so lucky!
Hope you have a gloriously long Birthday weekend XXXXXX
Ha ha… I am back tae it today Paul. But got another party tomoz (ducks) xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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As always, a fascinating post, Paul, and I look forward to the next instalment. You have a knack of taking very complicated material and making it understandable – at least to this country bumpkin.
Country Bumpkin.. I think not Mary… but agree with you about Paul.. hugs xx
I meant as in the meaning of pagan, Sally 🙂
Mary & Sally, perhaps we should form the Country Bumpkin society complete with discrete pumpkin (because it rhymes with bumpkin) lapel badges to recognise each other. We could become the new Bloomsbury Set or Vicious Circle except even more Iconoclastic!
Mary me sincere thanks such a compliment means a heck of a lot coming from you. Px
A fascinating and well written piece as always, Paul. It is astonishing how, after all these years, nothing has really changed in this world. It is still full of despicable actions resulting from greed and a lust for power.
Robbie, you have hit the nail square on the head!! Luv P
Brilliant post, as always, Paul. Learned a lot, smiled some. Looking forward to the next post. Signed: a Yorkshire country bumpkin living in the Wales as a Welsh country bwmpen!!
There are a lot of us about….xxx
Hahahaha. But we keep going, Sally, we keep going.x
I think Mary really has something there with the bwmpkin clwb!
Mr. Paul, you are a walking encyclopedia of the technical variety. I read 2 of your posts tonight, from Russian revolutions to Rome. I might have jetlag! LOL. Fabulous writing! 🙂 xx
Thanks Debra.. I think Paul is a time traveller and has been there and got the t-shirt. xxx♥
paulandruss on November 11, 2017 at 11:32 pm said:
A tOnly a time traveller of the armchair variety I am afraid Sally. Hugs XXXX
Must have been! 😉 ❤
Debby that is a such a lovely thing to say. When you get comments like that it inspires you to try harder. Thank you for your appreciation and kindness! Luv Px
The pleasure is mine Paul. You are most welcome. 🙂 x
Paul, I was still in bloody Russia when I started reading this, and had a heck of a time shifting gears ~ until I got to the part where Constantine had his wife and eldest son executed 🙂 I’m amazed by the amount of research involved in your brilliant posts. If only I were as disciplined ♥
Thanks Tina..♥
Tina thank you that is a lovely comment. In truth we all work to our strengths. I admire the deep spiritual dimension to you work and life view and the certainty you carry in your core. My work comes from the incessant need to analyze and dissect until it makes sense to me. It probably will not come as a surprise to you that I was done in the year of the Monkey… we pick and pick and pick at the irritating ticks! Maybe in the next incarnation I will be more peaceful!
Welcome, Paul, and thank you. Did you know that Monkey people are the geniuses and charmers of the Chinese Zodiac? What you call nitpicking is a deep desire for knowledge, which you seek with great enthusiasm. You are original, flexible, talented, and the life of the party. As you can see, my perception of you is quite different from yours. But I guess that’s true for most. The face we see in the mirror would be a stranger to those who know us ♥
Thank you Tina. I am touched. And yes it is true, if we could only see ourselves as others see us! Px
D. Wallace Peach on November 11, 2017 at 7:36 pm said:
It amazes me how legend and reality got so entangled. I love the way you untangle it all, Paul. Fascinating and well researched. 🙂
Thanks Diana.. xx
Dear Diana, thank you. It is always such a relief when someone used the untangle word… You would never believe it would ever become untangled if you had the misfortune of reading the first draft. It is such a lovely comment. I am touched. P
Very welcome. 😀
olganm on November 13, 2017 at 12:52 pm said:
I was aware of some of this, but it’s indeed hard-work to try and extract the possible truth from so many versions of the story. It’s not surprising when we think about the amount of time it has passed and fake news even now. Great work, Paul. Thanks, Sally!t
Thanks Olga.. I agree especially when history is written by the victors.. hugs xx
Exactly Sally! Pxx
Thank Olga, there is so much information missing that some of this involves judgement. One of the surprising things is that over Constantine and Christianity despite there being contemporary evidence (one can quite easily draw conclusions from – believe me I am no expert), I have been shocked to find reputable historians fudge over the Milvian Bridge incident and other incidents and make claims that are not wholly supported.
I am the first to admit I am not a historian. These posts are info-tainment. I try to keep it pretty accurate but a historian could pick me apart for sliding incidents together and not spending time explaining what happened between. (that is not the point of these.)
However for historians to do that in books and articles specifically about Constantine does make me wonder if there is really any true objectivity in history at all? P
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Valerie Cullers on June 17, 2018 at 10:41 pm said:
Thank you for the excellent historical narrative about Constantine!
Glad you enjoyed Paul’s post Valerie.
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Tag Archives: Ou River
Mt. Phu Si – Luang Prabang, Laos
Mt. Phu Si is a small hill (about 100m high) that stands above Luang Prabang. On top of the hill is a gilded stupa with a white base called Wat Chomsi which pokes out from the thick green canopy of trees framing it. Mt. Phu Si also acts like a geographic boundary because it divides the old town of Luang Prabang from the new town which spreads out behind it towards the west. There are a couple of different routes that one can use to climb to the top of Phu Si. My plan was to walk up the hill from the stairs that were across from the Royal Palace and then come down via another route that would take me through a monastery complex. But, before doing the climb, I would have to wake up at the ghastly time of 6:30am in order to do a boat trip up the Mekong River to see the Pak Ou Caves. These caves are about 25km north of Luang Prabang and the river journey to and from the caves takes at least 4 to 5 hours, so I had to catch an early morning boat in order to have enough time to see the caves and then do an afternoon walk up Mt. Phu Si.
Cliffs along the Nam Ou River – Laos
Below where Wat Xieng Thong sits at the eastern tip of old Luang Prabang, there is a small jetty where long wooden boats ferry people up and down the Mekong River. I hopped on one of these long wooden boats for a ride to the Pak Ou Caves at around 8:15am. As the boat slowly chugged to the middle of the river, I began to be slapped in the face with the early morning chill of a late December day in central Laos. I knew it would be cold, but in my haste to get up early and walk from my hotel to the jetty, I wore only a t-shirt and my tattered NorthFace “adventure” pants. I favored these pants because they had cut-away sections that could transform the pants into shorts (awesome!), but the pants were porous and provided me with no defense against the whipping wind bouncing off the river and into my core. So, I had to endure a brutal, teeth-chattering 2-hour journey to the caves while battling insidious thoughts of the inevitability of turning into an icicle. I had one brief respite from the freeze when the boat stopped at a whiskey brewing village along the way. I spent nearly the entire time there warming myself over a fire that was being used to make the whiskey (and sampling a few whiskeys) before returning to the boat. For the last half-hour of the boat ride, the sun was still struggling to bust out of the morning cloud cover. When it did happen to push through, I tried to put my face in any sunbeam I could find. While trying to stay in the sun, I noticed that although the Mekong became wider and wider as the boat traveled north, the river was still very shallow all around. This was the dry season and there had been no serious rain for months. I saw a few fishermen on small boats laboriously using wooden poles to push down on the riverbed in order to slowly move in the direction they wanted. The landscape also began to be dominated by limestone cliffs. It was at one of these cliffs — where the Nam Ou River met the Mekong — that the Pak Ou Caves had been founded and subsequently used for several centuries as shrines and places of worship.
Entrance to Tham Theung – upper cave of Pak Ou
There are two caves that make up the Pak Ou Caves. The lower cave is called Tham Ting and the upper cave is called Tham Theung. Tham Ting is actually an outcrop of the limestone cliff above it and is located just above the Ou river. Tham Theung, on the other hand, is in fact a cave which tunnels inside the limestone core for a few hundred meters and is positioned high above Tham Ting. Both caves contain countless statues of the Buddha — mostly wooden — in various standing and sitting poses.
Inside Tham Ting – lower cave of Pak Ou
When my boat docked at the entrance to the caves, I first walked up the stairs to see the upper cave of Tham Theung. The inside of the cave was dark and I had a small flashlight that came in handy as I made my way through the sections of the cave that were open to the public. Parts of the cave walls contain faded paintings and etchings of the Buddha. When I entered the central chamber of the cave, what I noticed was a large slab of stone that at one time may have served as a pedestal or platform for large statues of the Buddha — either in sitting or reclining poses. If large statues had been placed or fixed into this stone backdrop, they had long been removed or pillaged but their presence seemed to remain. The key area of focus in the main chamber is a wooden replica of a stupa with a gold-colored tip that was wrapped with a ceremonial saffron-colored cloth at the time of my visit. This stupa sits on a squared platform with small Buddha statuettes placed around it. To the left of this stupa is a tall wooden pole that was also wrapped in a ceremonial cloth.
Inside Tham Theung
I was not able to find any information about the construction or meaning of the stupa or pole inside Tham Theung. There simply is not a lot of details or records about the origins and history of the Pak Ou Caves. One sign inside Tham Theung did mention that the caves are over a thousand years old, so this would mean that the caves likely predated Buddhism’s arrival in the region. I also did find out later that the local people of the region did have a tradition of seeking blessings from the “river spirit”, and so it would make sense that the initial purpose of the Pak Ou Caves was to allow for a place to make offerings to this deity. At some point afterwards, the caves then became converted or combined to provide a place of Buddhist worship as well. However, the information on how and when this may have taken place is scant.
Stupa inside Tham Theung
The lower cave, Tham Ting, has larger white statues that appeared to me to be of Khmer origin — such as lions. Because Tham Ting is really just a secluded area covered by an enormous overhang of the cliff above it, one can see the Nam Ou River and the surrounding scenery while standing inside in it. I think its accessibility to the riverfront allowed Tham Ting to serve as a waterside shrine and any passerby on a boat could easily dock alongside it, walk up to pray (or stay in the boat to do so), make an offering, or seek a blessing before venturing onward.
Tham Ting – Khmer lion?
As a result of this quick accessibility, the amount of Buddhist statues and figures that populate what seems like every inch of the main altar platform of Tham Thing is staggering. The thick dust on most of these statues indicates they have not moved at all for centuries and are well-protected from the storms that hit the area during the monsoon season.
Statues galore – Tham Ting
I walked up and down the sides of Tham Ting studying the thousands of Buddha statues around me. I was tempted to reach out and touch them, but thought better of that. If these statues had been resting unmolested in the same spot for centuries, then I did not want to be the one who disturbed them. I walked up to a vantage point on the far left-hand side of Tham Ting and took in all the tiny figures below. I felt like Gulliver in Lilliput! With that last glance, I turned and walked back to my waiting boat which took me back to Luang Prabang. The return trip took about an hour and fifteen minutes and I wanted to grab some lunch before heading to Phu Si. I was craving a local dish — fried Mekong riverweed. This is an oily, crispy, sesame-seed laden appetizer consisting of flash-fried riverweed plucked from the Mekong. It is served with a chili paste dip called “jaewbong”. It looks like pieces of a thin dark green fabric and upon first taste, there is a grittiness to it, but then that gives way to something eerily welcoming and delicious! I found a place on Sisavangvong Road and ordered the riverweed along with larb — minced meat salad — a staple of Laotian cuisine. A much-needed pick-me-up.
Wat Chomsi – summit of Mt. Phu Si
After lunch, I began to walk up the stairs leading to Mt. Phu Si. The first flight of stairs led to a big terrace and I saw a derelict temple (I believe it is called Wat Pa Huak) to my right with a warped teak roof. I went inside and saw some very interesting frescoes behind the altar and along the side walls which depicted scenes with tigers, villagers, and some kind of diplomatic exchange with a Chinese delegation — this image was very clear and showed Chinese women’s faces and their garb.
Fresco inside Wat Pa Huak
Continuing up the stairs, I reached a gated area where I purchased my entry ticket. One last of flight of stairs remained before I got to the top and there before me was Wat Chomsi. Wat Chomsi was constructed in its current form in the early 1800s — nearly 300 years after Luang Prabang’s heyday. Wat Chomsi has a small prayer room inside it with a seated Buddha altar. On the outside wall of the temple, the words “no intoxicants allowed inside temple” are written in English. This is because many tourists come to Mt. Phu Si to watch the sunset and they bring alcohol and sit around Wat Chomsi boozing — utterly oblivious to the fact that Wat Chomsi is a sacred Buddhist temple. From Wat Chomsi, I had sweeping views of old and new Luang Prabang and the surrounding mountains. Below me, I could see the angular rooftops of many temples — including Wat Visoun and the dark grey, stumpy stupa on its grounds called “That Makmo” by locals (makmo meaning “watermelon”).
That Makmo (or That Pathum)
As I headed away from Wat Chomsi, I walked past a missile launcher monument of some sort and came to an area that felt like a small, neglected Buddhist theme park. There were a few grottoes with large yellow painted Buddha images accompanied by walls adorned with long nagas (serpents). I strolled through this area until I came to a weathered painted sign that said “Imprint of Buddha’s Foot.”
Doorway to Buddha’s Footprint
Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued and my mind cast back to my ascent of Adam’s Peak which I had climbed during the monsoon season years before in order to see the most revered Buddha’s Footprint in the world [see post: Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) – Prologue at http://wp.me/p2Bq4y-hZ%5D. But, unlike that arduous trek, here I was with pristine conditions and an opened doorway in front of me. No one else was around and I would have the footprint all to myself. I crouched inside the small doorway and was surprised to see that it did not lead to any kind of room. Instead, there was only limited space where one could stick a head inside and look down at a light-colored stone within which was a shadowy foot-like impression.
What kind of petrosomatoglyph is this?
There were many things about this imprint that I found fascinating. First, it appeared to be a left foot with 5 pointy toenails and a pronounced arch. This was radically different from all other standalone depictions of Buddha’s feet that I had seen. These other depictions were all highly stylized depictions with Buddhist iconography (lotuses and wheels) and were completely flat, symmetrical (meaning all toes were the same size and the foot/heel were in a size bearing some geometric proportion to the toes). The imprint at Phu Si is also completely devoid of any artistic flourishes. It looked to me like a footprint left behind in concrete — albeit the person would have to be at least 20ft tall and in dire need of a toenail clipping! The overall look of the imprint also reminded me of some the casts that people have created from alleged “bigfoot” tracks left behind!
Wat Phra Bat Tai
The next day, I happened to be visiting Wat Phra Bat Tai (a 17th century Buddhist temple with strong Vietnamese influence) and as I walked behind the monastery and towards the riverfront, I found a small chapel where another Buddha’s footprint was housed. This footprint could be seen in 2 ways — either through the main opening in front of the footprint, or through a hole behind the footprint.
Chapel of the Buddha’s Footprint – Wat Phra Bat Tai
I studied the footprint from both openings and saw that it was very similar to the traditional depiction of Buddha’s footprint. The toes each were decorated with a wheel-like symbol. They were rounded — not pointy — and each was equal in size and shape to the other. As I compared the footprint at Wat Phra Bat Tai to the one at Phu Si, I thought that maybe the footprint at Wat Phra Bat Tai was created first and so had to have been known by the local people prior to the creation of the other imprint a Phu Si. But, there was something almost prehistoric about the footprint at Phu Si that stuck with me. Perhaps the footprint at Phu Si was not originally a depiction of Buddha’s foot at all — it could have been a natural formation in the rock and that formation had been in existence prior to the footprint at Wat Phra Bat Tai.
Footprint viewed from hole behind it
What may have then happened was that the people and monks around Phu Si interpreted (or modified) what was really a natural rock formation as a superhuman footprint that could only belong to the Buddha. While there are probably records held by the monks of Wat Phra Bat Tai that document the creation of the footprint there, I’m not sure what information may exist about the origin of the footprint at Phu Si. My walk down Phu Si took me through a monastery on its eastern slope, so the monks there may know the story behind the footprint. But, as I’ve learned when trying to comprehend the sights, realms, and artistry of the East, things do not always lend themselves to tidy explanations or allow for fact-checking or cross-referencing. That doesn’t make these things any less real. Instead, it is up to the individual to understand these things through a lens which requires detachment from preconceived notions as to what the nature of things must be. I didn’t need to go on a quest in order to suss out the origin stories of these footprints. These were the indelible imprints left by the Buddha. I understood and leave it at that.
Tags: Adam's Peak, Buddha's footprint, fried Mekong riverweed, jaewbong, larb, limestone cliffs, Luang Prabang, Mekong, Mt. Phu Si, Ou River, Pak Ou Caves, petrosomatoglyph, Phousi, Tham Theung, Tham Ting, That Makmo, That Pathum, Wat Chomsi, Wat Pa Huak, Wat Phra Bat Tai, Wat Visoun, Wat Xieng Thong
Categories Buddhism, Dharma, Laos, Travel, Wanderlust
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Home » News » GTA 5 PlayStation update proves Grand Theft Auto 6 release needn’t be rushed
GTA 5 PlayStation update proves Grand Theft Auto 6 release needn’t be rushed
01/07/2020 Comments Off on GTA 5 PlayStation update proves Grand Theft Auto 6 release needn’t be rushed
Rockstar Games are unlikely to rush the release of the next Grand Theft Auto game on any platform.
The GTA 6 release date still seems some distance away and it’s unclear if the development team will bother trying to make it a cross-generational title.
It would make more sense for the next Grand Theft Auto game to be released solely on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The latest reports suggest that GTA 6 will be launched in 2021, or at the least, announced during that year.
And the latest states supplied by Sony confirmed just why Rockstar Games don’t need to speed up the launch.
It was confirmed this week that GTA 5 was the game most downloaded during the month of December 2019.
What makes that incredible is that GTA 5 has been on the market since 2013, originally launching on PS3 and Xbox 360 first.
It also means that either new console owners are buying GTA 5 as one of their first games, favouring it over titles like Call of Duty Modern Warfare and FIFA 20.
It should also be noted that Sony has split up the charts into different categories, with Free-to-play titles getting their own section.
So that would remove games like Fortnite Battle Royle from the list that shows GTA 5 at its summit.
Here’s more from Sony, who confirmed this week: “Grand Theft Auto V was the most downloaded game on PlayStation Store last month, holding off both FIFA 20 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to claim the top spot in the last digital charts of 2019.
Fallout 76 news: Bethesda shares new update on Wastelanders
“While PS4 games jostled into new positions in December, the top PS VR, DLC and F2P spots continued to be held by the previous month’s titles, with Beat Saber topping the PS VR chart and Fortnite the F2P and DLC charts.”
It seems likely that GTA 5 will remain popular on all the platforms it’s currently available on.
Steam Player stats confirm that GTA 5 remains one of the most popular titles on the platform, battling alongside games like Destiny 2 and Path of Exile.
And these aren’t the only stats that prove GTA 6 needn’t be rushed out by Rockstar Games.
According to NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella, Grand Theft Auto V scored the most number of appearances in the NPD’s United States top 20 best-selling video game charts this decade.
According to the NPD data, Grand Theft Auto 5 made 74 appearances in the charts since its release back in 2013.
Minecraft is the only other game that comes close, grabbing second place with 73 appearances.
And if you think just how popular Minecraft has been over the past ten years, you can see how GTA has become such a big deal.
As a point of reference, Minecraft was initially released back in 2009, so if all the data from the last decade has been used, that means it still has around three-years more sales to pull from.
The other games currently listed in the top five include Mario Kart 8, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
But the gap between GTA 5, Minecraft and Mario Kart 8 is vast, with MK8 achieving 37 appearances.
Another interesting factor that Grand Theft Auto fans will want to hear about in the coming year is whether GTA 5 will be backwards compatible on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
It seems like a no-brainer, as that will allow gamers to continue their adventures in GTA Online uninterrupted.
And it will also help gauge when fans can expect the GTA 6 release date to be announced.
The Last of Us 2 release date speculation shows we need a PlayStation update
Star Wars Battlefront 2 update: April 2019 patch includes big surprise for fans
Call of Duty Modern Warfare release date: What time is new COD launching on PS4 and Xbox?
Fortnite update: Epic Games explains Chapter 2 patch delay as fans hunt for EGO Outpost
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order UPDATE: New Patch news for PS4 and Xbox One download
autoplatechnologyvideo games
Previous Post:Spencer Swears That Xbox Game Pass Isn’t Hemorrhaging Money
Next Post:Do Marvel VFX Artists Prefer Directors Who Know Less About Effects?
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United’s Quarterly Profit More Than Doubles to $292M
bySam Roecker
United Airlines’ parent company, United Continental Holdings, reported strong quarterly results yesterday, more than doubling the carrier’s first-quarter profit to $292 million. Despite the operational challenges associated with the grounding of United’s 14 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, the carrier reported a 6.2% jump in revenue.
United Airlines Mercedes car transfer for Global Services customers. Photo by Sam Roecker for Simple Flying.
United achieves second-highest on-time performance
The major headline from first quarter on-time performance (OTP) results is Southwest’s abysmal 52% OTP. Southwest is clearly feeling the operational impact of 34 grounded MAX 8 jets and growing labor strife with the carrier’s mechanics’ union.
United finished second in on-time performance, behind Delta but ahead of American. First quarter operations tend to be more challenging due to winter storms. Hubs like Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) and Denver (DEN) are particularly vulnerable to snow-related cancellations.
United first-quarter 2019 on-time performance. Image by United.
D:00 is an operational metric that airlines use to measure the time the plane pushes back from the gate. Airport or weather delays that occur after the plane has pushed back do not count against a carrier’s on-time performance. Airlines also use A:15 (arrival within 15 mins of scheduled time) to measure their operational performance.
14 United 737 MAX 9 aircraft remain grounded
Like Southwest and American, United had to ground its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. United’s fleet remains parked at Houston’s two airports, Hobby (HOU) and Houston Intercontinental (IAH). The grounded MAX fleet represents less than two percent of the carrier’s fleet, so United was largely able to absorb the loss in capacity.
In the first quarter of 2019, United became the first US carrier to operate the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. The new aircraft – equipped with Polaris and Premium Plus – will fly from Newark (EWR) to six European destinations this spring and summer. United also became the first carrier in the world to operate all three Dreamliner variants: the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10.
A United Boeing 737 MAX 9 seen at Denver (DEN). Photo by Sam Roecker for Simple Flying.
Sam Roecker
Journalist @ Simple Flying. Based in the US.
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Saddam Hussein · 69
April 28th, 1937 - December 29th, 2006
Typical. As his final act on Earth, this asshole completely fucks dead pool players all over the world.
Jared Nathan · 21
Bubye, frubiend!
Gerald Ford · 93
July 14th, 1913 - December 26th, 2006
Our long national nightmare is over.
James Brown · 73
May 5th, 1933 - December 25th, 2006
Papa's in a brand new bag.
Joe Barbera · 95
OK - lets get this out of the way right now: Betty was WAY hotter than Wilma. End of discussion.
Ahmet Ertegun · 83
July 31st, 1923 - December 14th, 2006
Urgent: Heat me.
Lamar Hunt · 74
August 2nd, 1932 - December 13th, 2006
The Hunt is over.
Ellis Rubin · 81
June 20th, 1925 - December 12th, 2006
Peter Boyle · 71
October 18th, 1935 - December 12th, 2006
Tryin' mighty hard to look like Gary Cooper.
Augusto Pinochet · 91
November 25th, 1915 - December 10th, 2006
Chile con karma.
Jeane Kirkpatrick · 80
November 19th, 1926 - December 7th, 2006
Bedwetter.
Anita O'Day · 87
October 18th, 1919 - November 23rd, 2006
G'night.
Robert Altman · 81
February 20th, 1925 - November 21st, 2006
R*I*P
Bo Schembechler · 77
April 1st, 1929 - November 17th, 2006
Bo don't know nothin'.
Ruth Brown · 78
January 12th, 1928 - November 17th, 2006
Brown is the new black.
Milton Friedman · 94
July 31st, 1912 - November 16th, 2006
For Milt, there's no breakfast, lunch or dinner, free or otherwise.
Jack Palance · 87
February 18th, 1919 - November 10th, 2006
Believe it ... or not!
Ed Bradley · 65
June 23rd, 1941 - November 9th, 2006
Realy b ded.
Johnny Sain · 89
September 25th, 1917 - November 7th, 2006
Finished second in MVP voting to Stan Musial. Sucks to be Johnny.
Willie Pep · 84
Well, that doesn't quite work anymore.
William Styron · 81
June 11th, 1925 - November 1st, 2006
Lying down in darkness.
P.W. Botha · 90
January 12th, 1916 - October 31st, 2006
Red Auerbach · 89
We're smoking a big, fat cigar right now in his honor.
Trevor Berbick · 52
August 1st, 1954 - October 27th, 2006
What's a Berbick?
Joe Niekro · 61
November 7th, 1944 - October 27th, 2006
Brother to Hall Of Fame inductee Phil Niekro, Joe put together a lengthy and successful career of his own by perfecting a knuckleball and learning how to cheat.
Arthur Hill · 84
August 1st, 1922 - October 22nd, 2006
Owen Marshall: Counselor at rest.
Jane Wyatt · 96
August 12th, 1910 - October 20th, 2006
Mother knows death.
Freddy Fender · 69
June 4th, 1937 - October 14th, 2006
Wasted days and wasted nights.
Buck O'Neil · 94
November 13th, 1911 - October 6th, 2006
Buck stops here.
Byron Nelson · 94
February 4th, 1912 - September 26th, 2006
Pat Lawford · 82
May 6th, 1924 - September 17th, 2006
And remember, folks, it's only mid-September — just imagine the kind of crap that'll be showing up here come Christmas.
Oriana Fallaci · 77
June 29th, 1929 - September 15th, 2006
There's a blowjob joke here somewhere, we just know it ....
Ann Richards · 73
September 1st, 1933 - September 13th, 2006
Surely you've heard of the best little whorehouse in Texas ...? She ran the place.
Pat Corley · 76
June 1st, 1930 - September 11th, 2006
He was the guy who owned the bar on Murphy Brown. What do you mean you've never heard of him?
Patty Berg · 88
February 13th, 1918 - September 10th, 2006
On ice.
Robert Earl Jones · 95
February 3rd, 1911 - September 7th, 2006
Blue Lying Lips.
Steve Irwin · 44
February 22nd, 1962 - September 4th, 2006
Crikey, what a schmuck.
Bob Mathias · 75
November 17th, 1930 - September 2nd, 2006
Y'know, it used to be a big deal, but is there anybody left in the world who even knows what the hell a decathlon is?
Glenn Ford · 90
May 1st, 1916 - August 30th, 2006
Jon Dough · 43
November 12th, 1962 - August 27th, 2006
One of the great names in porn has done his last double-penetration guy-on-girl-on-guy scene.
Maynard Ferguson · 78
May 4th, 1928 - August 23rd, 2006
Not gonna fly now.
Bruno Kirby · 57
April 28th, 1949 - August 14th, 2006
And if you doOOoo .... And if you doOOoo ....
Mike Douglas · 81
August 11th, 1925 - August 11th, 2006
What a freak!
Arthur Lee · 61
March 7th, 1945 - August 3rd, 2006
Seven and seven isn't.
Floyd Dixon · 77
February 8th, 1929 - July 26th, 2006
Apparently, Mayberry's lovable barber was a pretty good piano player, back in the day.
He knew where the fuck Miami Beach was, dummy.
Mickey Spillane · 88
She read his mind and her face grew sad, sadder than anything he had ever seen and she turned her eyes on him and he could see clear through them into the goodness of her soul and he knew she wasn't a blackmailer and his first impression had been right; she was a girl who had come face to face with fate and had lost, but in losing hadn't lost all, for there was the light of holiness in her face that time when he was her friend, when he thought that a look like that belonged only in a church when you were praying or getting married or something, a light that was there now for him to see while she played a song that told him he was her friend and she was his, a friendship that was more than that, it was a trust and he believed it. What a sap.
Red Buttons · 87
Red enjoyed a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, but he is perhaps best remembered for his compelling performance in the role of Jiggs Quealy in the 1985 TV movie Reunion At Fairborough. Or, perhaps not.
Barnard Hughes · 90
According to his son, Hughes changed the "e" in his first name to an "a" on the advice of a numerologist. Meanwhile, back on planet Earth ....
June Allyson · 88
October 7th, 1917 - July 8th, 2006
Don't let that "nice girl" routine fool you, she was a ballbuster.
Syd Barrett · 60
January 6th, 1946 - July 7th, 2006
... with a guy like this?
Kenneth Lay · 64
April 15th, 1942 - July 5th, 2006
Down the tubes - just like fucking ENRON.
Jan Murray · 89
October 4th, 1916 - July 2nd, 2006
The Chabad Telethon will never be the same.
Patsy Ramsey · 49
December 29th, 1956 - June 24th, 2006
There goes her shot at Mother Of The Year honors.
Aaron Spelling · 83
April 22nd, 1923 - June 23rd, 2006
Our very special thanks to the man who brought Tori into the world.
Everett Marshall · 67
January 12th, 1939 - June 20th, 2006
Not part of the plan.
Abu al-Zarqawi · 39
October 30th, 1966 - June 8th, 2006
Sadly, we bid farewell to Al-Qaeda's popular night club entertainer and game show host.
Billy Preston · 59
September 2nd, 1946 - June 6th, 2006
Nothing from nothing leaves nothing.
Craig Heyward · 39
September 26th, 1966 - May 27th, 2006
Desmond Dekker · 64
July 16th, 1941 - May 25th, 2006
Sooner or later, that's what getting up every day and slaving for bread'll do to you.
Lloyd Bentsen · 77
February 11th, 1929 - May 23rd, 2006
You wouldn't know it to look at him, but this guy was a billion laughs. He fucked a goat once.
Stanley Kunitz · 100
Or, as he was known in the poetry world, Stan "The Man" Kunitz.
Floyd Patterson · 71
January 4th, 1935 - May 11th, 2006
Apparently, Mayberry's lovable barber was a pretty good boxer, back in the day.
Earl Woods · 74
March 5th, 1932 - May 3rd, 2006
If he only coulds.
Louis Rukeyser · 73
January 30th, 1933 - May 2nd, 2006
Take that, Economy Boy!
John Galbraith · 97
Too many names, not enough working organs.
Steve Howe · 48
March 10th, 1958 - April 28th, 2006
The coke addict pitcher, not the shitty guitar player.
William Coffin · 81
June 1st, 1924 - April 12th, 2006
This one's pretty obvious, isn't it?
June Pointer · 52
No, she can't can't.
Gene Pitney · 66
February 17th, 1940 - April 5th, 2006
How can we keep love alive?
How can anything survive,
When these little minds tear you in two?
What's a town without Pitney gonna do?
Caspar Weinberger · 88
August 18th, 1917 - March 28th, 2006
The friendly spook.
Lyn Nofziger · 81
June 8th, 1924 - March 27th, 2006
Lying frozen.
Buck Owens · 76
Oleg Cassini · 92
April 11th, 1913 - March 17th, 2006
Choked on the cosmic weenie.
Ray Meyer · 92
December 18th, 1913 - March 17th, 2006
DeCeased.
Maureen Stapleton · 80
June 21st, 1925 - March 13th, 2006
No, not the Dingbat, the other one.
Slobodan Milosevic · 64
Not a very nice man.
Bernie 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion · 75
Out go the lights.
John Profumo · 91
January 30th, 1915 - March 9th, 2006
Some British guy who diddled a Russian, or something. Look it up.
Gordon Parks · 93
November 30th, 1912 - March 7th, 2006
And we're betting he stays put, too.
Kirby Puckett · 45
That's just Kirby being Kirby.
Dana Reeve · 44
Yeah, right. Hey, how 'bout you come up with something funny here.
Jack Wild · 53
September 30th, 1952 - March 1st, 2006
So, did Witchiepoo get the flute, or what?
Otis Chandler · 78
November 23rd, 1927 - February 27th, 2006
Where else but in L.A. could a major metropolitan newspaper be successfully run for decades by the town drunk?
Darren McGavin · 83
May 7th, 1922 - February 25th, 2006
Put the Hammer down.
Don Knotts · 81
July 21st, 1924 - February 24th, 2006
You don't even want to know what Mr. Furley did to that poor girl.
Dennis Weaver · 81
June 4th, 1924 - February 24th, 2006
And McCloud used to take her to swing parties out on the high chaparral.
Curt Gowdy · 86
Curt nailed her in one of the dugouts at Fenway.
Freddie Laker · 83
August 6th, 1922 - February 9th, 2006
He started an airline and named it after himself. What a pompous dickweed.
Betty Friedan · 85
February 4th, 1921 - February 4th, 2006
Betty did her at a Tupperware party back in '79.
Al Lewis · 82
April 30th, 1923 - February 3rd, 2006
Yep, even Grandpa boned Shelley Winters.
Wendy Wasserstein · 55
An uncommon woman, to be sure. Nonetheless, she's toast.
Coretta King · 78
April 27th, 1927 - January 30th, 2006
Aside from being an icon of the Civil Rights movement, she's also the only person on this page who was not, at one time or another, romantically linked to Shelley Winters.
Chris Penn · 40
Is it irony that he died accidentally at 40, and that his last role was in a film called The Darwin Awards? We're just asking.
Wilson Pickett · 64
Ow! You know, I don't feel alright?
Huh! Feel pretty bad, y'all!
Tony Franciosa · 77
Game over.
Shelley Winters · 85
She once said, "Now that I'm over sixty, I'm veering toward respectability." She finally crashed right into it.
Jack Snow · 62
January 25th, 1943 - January 9th, 2006
Went deep.
Lou Rawls · 72
December 1st, 1933 - January 6th, 2006
Just like a natural man.
Defrosted.
(d) August 31st, 2013
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Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in the News
Watch Easter Vigil Mass celebrated by Monsignor Kieran Harrington from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on April 15, 2017.
Priest’s Prayer Reminds GOP Convention of Importance of All Human Life
National Catholic News Reporter, July 19, 2016
Msgr. Kieran Harrington, vicar of communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn, delivered the invocation on July 18th during the first day of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Article also featured in American Magazine on July 19th, 2016.
10 New Priests For the Diocese Of Immigrants
Currents, June 6, 2016
St. Joseph Co-Cathedral was packed as Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio ordains 10 men to the priesthood to serve the Church in Brooklyn and Queens. Seven of these new ministers were born outside of the United States; boasting of roots as diverse as the diocese itself. Currents Correspondent Katie Breidenbach reports from the Mass of Ordination.
The men ordained are: Fathers Gesson Agenis, Yvon Hector Aurelien, Victor Manuel Bolaos, Mark Bristol, Ralph Edel, Lukasz Kubiak, Uririoghene Melchizedek Okrokoto, Ambiorix Osorio, Jaroslaw Szeraszewicz.
New Auxiliary Bishops Have Years of Institutional, Pastoral Experiences
Catholic News Service, July 22, 2015
Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio was the consecrating bishop for the ordination of Bishops James Massa, the moderator of the curia, and Witold Mroziewski, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Maspeth. Assisting him were co-consecrators Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre and Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto, who is vicar general.Presiding at the afternoon liturgy were Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, and Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington.
Ordination for Two New Auxiliary Bishops (With Slideshow)
The Tablet, July 22, 2015
Two diocesan priests with years of institutional and pastoral experience were ordained auxiliary bishops to serve Brooklyn and Queens at St. Josephs Co-Cathedral, Prospect Heights, July 20. It was the first episcopal ordination held at the site. Bishops James Massa, moderator of the Curia, and Father Witold Mroziewski, pastor of Holy Cross parish, Maspeth, were raised to the fullness of the priesthood with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio serving as consecrating bishop assisted by co-consecrators, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, and Bishop Raymond Chappetto, auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and vicar general.
Monseor Nicholas Di Marzio ordena diez nuevos sacerdotes
Nuestra Voz, 01 Julio 2015
Por Marietha Gngora
El pasado 27 de junio, monseor Nicholas DiMarzio, obispo de Brooklyn, orden diez nuevos sacerdotes en la Concatedral de San Jos. Estos diez sacerdotes, que fueron ordenados como diconos transitorios el ao pasado, son: Chris Bethge, Nicholas Colalella, John Gribowich, Christopher Heanue, Jos Henrquez, Daniel Kingsley, Lukasz Lech, Mark Matthias, Rafael Prez y Alexander Piacu.
Ten New Priests Share Their Stories
Currents, June 27, 2015
The Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens rejoices as ten men become priests. Before their ordination this Saturday, Currents Correspondent Katie Breidenbach sat down with them to hear their stories and what they hope to bring to the ministry.
Ten New Priests Ordained for Diocese of Brooklyn
By Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor
The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, ordained ten men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn last Saturday, June 27, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, in Prospect Heights.
2015 Ordinations to the Priesthood
The Tablet, June 25, 2015
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio ordained 10 men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights, on Saturday morning.These devoted men are truly a blessing to our Diocese. Their deep faith and different backgrounds will help grow and enrich our multi-cultural Church in Brooklyn and Queens, said Bishop DiMarzio. It is my privilege to welcome these young men to the Presbyterate of Brooklyn.”
Brooklyn Co-Cathedral Receives Landmark Award
Currents, May 1, 2015
The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn was among the recipients of an award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Currents correspondent Tim Harfmann reports from the Co-Cathedral, where the awards ceremony took place.
Co-Cathedral Was Rockin’ During Diocesan Youth Day
The Tablet, April 22, 2015
By Marie Elena Giossi
Cars slowed and passersby paused to witness the exuberance emanating from St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Prospect Heights last Saturday, April 18, as nearly 1,200 teenagers gathered for Brooklyn Catholic Youth Day…
Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Youth Energized
Currents, April 20, 2015
Currents correspondent Michelle Powers reports from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, where the Diocese of Brooklyn hosted 1,200 youth, ages 13 through 18.
Chrism Mass Celebrated at Brooklyn’s Co-Cathedral
Currents, April 1, 2015
Bishop DiMarzio addressed the priests of the diocese and blessed the oils used in sacraments at the parishes of Brooklyn and Queens at the annual Chrism Mass.For the first time, the Mass was celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights.
Two Brooklyn Churches Receive Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 6, 2015
Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor
The Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards are the New York Landmarks Conservancys highest honors for outstanding preservation.
City of Churches “St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral Episode Preview”
Net TV, March 16, 2015
Msgr. Kieran Harrington discusses the 1851 origins of his parish with City of Churches host Anthony Mangano.
Brooklyn Diocese Celebrates Black History, Culture
Currents, February 9, 2015
Currents correspondent Tim Harfmann reports on the Black History Month Mass celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights.
Haitian Catholics Celebrate Independence Day
Currents, January 5, 2015
Currents News Director Ed Wilkinson reports from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, where Haitian Americans from Brooklyn and Queens gathered to celebrate Haitis Independence Day.
Co-Cathedral “Serves our Needs, is a Good Location”
Currents, May 16, 2014
Bishop DiMarzio explains to News Director Ed Wilkinson some of the hard work that went on behind the scenes leading up to the dedication of the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph.
Brooklyn’s Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph Steeped in Church History
Ahead of the dedication and consecration, Currents News Director Ed Wilkinson paid a visit to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.
Co-Cathedral Dedication a Reason to Celebrate
The big day finally arrived: The dedication of Brooklyn’s Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. Currents correspondent Konrad Aderer was there.
Co-Cathedral is an Institution in a Changing Neighborhood
While the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph has been refurbished, It’s been a mainstay of a neighborhood that has changed over the years. Currents correspondent Michelle Powers takes a closer look.
All Bases Covered in Restoration of Brooklyn’s Co-Cathedral
The rejuvenation of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph has been underway for some time and Currents correspondent Konrad Aderer has been chronicling the progress.
La Co-Catedral de San Jos y su Restauracon
Tu Fe al Da, May 2, 2014
En esta edicin de Tu Fe Al Da conocemos de la historia de la nueva Co-Catedral de San Jos. Conocida como una de las Iglesias ms bellas de la Dicesis de Brooklyn y una que vive en el Corazn de los inmigrantes de esta ciudad, se construyo para darle un hogar a los inmigrantes catlicos de Irlanda en 1853 y hoy es el albergue de la nueva ola de inmigrantes, los Hispanos.
In this edition of Tu Fe Al Da we learn about the historical richness of the new Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. Known as one of the most beautiful churches of the Diocese of Brooklyn and one that lives in the hearts of the immigrants of our city, it was built as a home for Catholic immigrants of Ireland in 1853 and today it is home to a new wave of immigrants, Hispanics.
Introducing St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral
By Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
On May 1, we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, and on May 13, (the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima) we celebrate the Rededication and Consecration of the Altar of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph…
NET TV: More video segments featuring the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph
The Tablet: Read more articles featuring the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph
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Gloryland
by Don Heffington
© Copyright - Don Heffington / Don Heffington (700261400389)
Don Heffington steps out from behind the drums to sing ten original songs in an unconventional and somewhat abstract recording. . The album includes one co-write with Allen Ginsberg
Genre: Avant Garde: Avant-Americana
Buy 2 or more of this title's physical copies and get 10% off
1. Flying Over Flagstaff
2. Generator
3. Momo
4. That's Hollywood
5. Time to Drink Whisky
6. Ave C
7. Crablice and Quaaludes
8. Although the Lord Be High Above
9. Put a Kiss and a Tear in Yr Letter
10. Sorry About the Matter
"Don Heffington's music is Zappaesque, Waitsian and Stockhausenish, fronted by a mad hillbilly philosopher-poet. I predict that soon the world will call this music 'Heffingtonly'".
-- Michael Simmons MOJO, High Times, The Huffington Post
The Argonaut Newsweekly
VETERAN DRUMMER DON HEFFINGTON STEPS UP TO PLAY HIS OWN MUSIC AT McCABES THIS SUNDAY
By Bliss Bowen
Don Heffington’s drummed for Sheryl Crow and Bob Dylan, but now he’s singing his own tunes Photo credit to Laura Heffington
Don Heffington’s drummed for Sheryl Crow and
Bob Dylan, but now he’s singing his own tunes
Photo credit to Laura Heffington
Chances are you’ve heard drummer Don Heffington, whether or not you realized it.
Dave Alvin, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Lowell George, Emmylou Harris, the Jayhawks, Rickie Lee Jones, k.d. lang, Lone Justice, Ron Sexsmith, Percy Sledge, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, the Wallflowers, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam: Heffington has recorded and/or performed onstage with them all.
He’s one of “those LA guys” who hit the road with name acts like the Watkins Family Hour, with whom he recently played a string of West Coast dates, then come home to do sessions and squeeze into dim nightclub corners behind lesser-known bands across town. He’s a working musicians’ musician.
And songwriter, though that side of his creative persona rarely emerged in public before he quietly dropped “Gloryland” last year. The 10-track album is a grab bag of droll wit and deliriously musical, oddball songs, from the Fallujah-referencing “Flying Over Flagstaff” through “Crablice and Quaaludes” and the hilarious “Sorry About the Matter,” which sounds like deadpan Catskills standup performed at a junkyard carnival. The sweetest track is a honky-tonk setting of a note written by Allen Ginsberg to Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac, “Put a Kiss and a Tear in Yr Letter.”
Heffington played most of the instruments, and recorded it in pieces with late engineer David Vaught. Its unconventional sonic template may have been sketched out when the lanky drummer was still a shorty.
“I’ve always played some guitar, and I used to have a one-man band when I was a kid; I’d play a banjo-uke and a bass drum, I had some harmonicas, that type of thing, made some racket,” he says, laughing. “I remember my dad used to come in and just shake his head. He thought all was lost.”
“Gloryland” isn’t the first album with Heffington’s name on the cover. He co-wrote and recorded 1995’s “In the Red” with fiddler Tammy Rogers; the mostly instrumental, Appalachian-flavored set includes his gruffly sung hymn “Psalms.” In comparison, “Gloryland” sounds like a happily bedraggled parade of tuba, guitars, mouth harp, piano and spacey sound effects behind Heffington’s surreal lyrics.
“Well Richie’s so souped
he can’t even see
Me I’m lit up like a Christmas tree
But it’s them against us and
it’s him against me
And that’s what’s bad for the ecology
So I just keep right on drinking ’til I drink that toast
To the Father, the Son and
the Holy Ghost
I keep right on digging ’til
I’m deep in my hole
And I’m gone, gone, gone
like a catfish on a pole”
“I wanted it to sound like some drunk falling down the stairs while he was practicing the trombone,” Heffington says of the album. “People compare it to Beefheart and some other things, but you know what they hear? They hear some of the influences.”
Those influences are deeply steeped in jazz — a surprise to fans only familiar with Heffington’s steady beats behind Americana and roots-leaning rock bands.
“It’s exactly where I started,” the Los Angeles native says of his not-so-secret passion for jazz. “I played with a guy named Butch Morris, one of my first bands. He was a brilliant musician … Go on YouTube and look up a thing called the Composition of Conduction with Butch Morris. He had a way to conduct bands in real time; in other words, they were still improvised. The music was formed spontaneously from these hand signals. Absolutely unbelievable.
“When we were kids we were playing Miles [Davis]. I got to see all the great cats — [Thelonious] Monk, John Coltrane. That’s probably where I’d still be if it hadn’t been for Bob Dylan. But, you know, Bob Dylan kinda turned everyone around, me included. That got me into songwriters and folk music. Folk music and jazz, they’re the two big things for me.”
Those twin influences and early immersion in improvisation may explain Heffington’s fluidity on the drums. Sticks in hand, he shifts naturally between rhythms and moods. That and a subtle touch make him popular in the studio with singer-songwriters who appreciate his sensitivity to vocal phrasing and lyrical cadence.
He has another eclectic album in the can that he hopes to release soon, though no specific plans have been put in motion yet.
“The new album I just made’s called ‘Contemporary Abstractions in Folk Song and Dance,’” he says. “That’s got some original things, some co-writes; I got a co-write with Tom Waits on there.”
Some of those still unreleased songs will surface during his set at McCabe’s Sunday night, where he’ll be accompanied by bassist Sebastian Steinberg, guitarist Tim Young and trumpeter Sarah Kramer. He’d like to play more local shows, but his schedule doesn’t allow much time for rehearsal — which, from his perspective, isn’t so bad.
“I’ve got a good band,” he says. “They can turn on a dime. I don’t like things to get too rehearsed, so maybe it’s good we don’t play as much. They’re good either way.”
LA WEEKLY Best Avant Folk: BEST OF LA MUSIC WINNERS 2019
Don Heffington is known as the drummer of a thousand sessions behind names like Dylan and Emmylou. In 2014, he released his first solo album, Gloryland. Fronting what sounds like a Salvation Army band before they sobered up, it's a collection of folk song laments (or lamentable folk songs) from the perspective of L.A.'s losers. He followed that with 2015's Contemporary Abstractions in Folk Song and Dance, recorded with lead guitarist Tim Young and upright bassist Sebastian Steinberg. That trio plus guests have been packing local clubs like downtown's Love Song bar, wowing 'em with “John Coltrane on the Jukebox” and the Tom Waits co-written “Seeds on Hard Ground,” blending Don's wry spoken/sung delivery with mirthful melody and joyful noise. —Michael Simmons
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Dover Art Library
Dover Design Library
Fine Art, History of Art
Lettering, Calligraphy, Typography
Art Books | Art Instruction Books | Fine Art Books | Art History
Fine Art Books | Art History Books
Goblin Market
By: Christina Rossetti, Arthur Rackham
Sale Price � $16.00
Book + eBook
This lovely gift edition of Christina Rossetti's most famous poem will enchant readers of all ages. For children, the story offers a captivating adventure into a land of fantasy. For adults, it's a lyric and sensual allegory of temptation, sacrifice, and salvation. Arthur Rackham, a peerless illustrator of fairy tales and supernatural creatures, portrays the poem's otherworldly attractions in four color and 20 black-and-white images plus a reproduction of a rare watercolor.
Reprint of the George G. Harrap & Co., Ltd., London, 1933 edition.
Author/Editor Christina Rossetti, Arthur Rackham
Dimensions 6 1/2 x 8 1/2
Rackham's Fairy Tale Illustrations
The Arthur Rackham Treasury: 86 Full-Color Illustrations
Goblin Market and Other Poems
Rackham Postcards
A Kingdom Far and Clear: The Complete Swan Lake Trilogy
Dickens' Christmas Spirits: A Christmas Carol and Other Tales
Rackham's Color Illustrations for Wagner's "Ring"
Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z
Stories from Hans Christian Andersen
East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
Goble's Fairy Tale Illustrations: 86 Full-Color Plates
Puck of Pook's Hill
Nielsen's Fairy Tale Illustrations in Full Color
The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby
Dulac's Fairy Tale Illustrations in Full Color
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Rhapsody Acquires SoundTracking And Exfm To Boost Music Sharing And Discovery
Rhapsody, the stalwart music streaming service with 2 million paying subscribers, today acquired Schematic Labs, makers of “Instagram for songs” app SoundTracking, and Exfm, a social music discovery service that had been shut down since May.
SoundTracking‘s app for sharing what song you’re currently listening to with a feed of friends won’t be shut down. Instead Schematic plans to equip it with “new features to take advantage of Rhapsody’s 30-million track global streaming catalog.” Exfm plans to bring a new music discovery utility to “iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and the web.”
Rhapsody’s Chief Product Officer Paul Springer told TechCrunch in two statements that:
“It’s true — the Schematic Labs team has joined Rhapsody. With Soundtracking, they created an entirely new way for people to express themselves by sharing their musical moments. We’re excited to incorporate that creativity and community focus within Rhapsody’s suite of music services.
The Exfm team have done a great job of helping people discover more music to enjoy across the web. We’re thrilled to have them join Rhapsody, and put that product, design and technology expertise to work on the things we’re building here. Together, we’ll help music fans explore, play and love more music.”
Schematic had raised over $5.7 million dollars from Accel Partners, SoftBank Capital, True Ventures and Google Ventures plus angels like Hunter Walk and Garrett Camp over several rounds. SoundTracking’s lack of native music streaming rights handicapped its app and stunted growth, but the backing of a parent company with licenses for streaming could change that. A check of the app shows it still has Spotify and Rdio integrated, hinting that while Rhapsody will surely be integrated, too, users of other services who want to pipe in their subscriptions to listen to full songs instead of previews won’t be cut off.
Exfm’s service for turning any MP3 you browsed across into a shareable music collection will apparently return eventually in some form, though it’s not clear if that’s as its own service or as a discovery experience within Rhapsody. Exfm had raised over $2.8 million from Spark Capital, Founder Collective, betaworks and Dave Morgan.
SoundTracking and Exfm could help make Rhapsody more relevant in the current battle for ears. Over the past years it’s been eclipsed by services like Spotify, and boxed out by platform owners like Apple and Google. While the space is very crowded, it’s always nice to have another serious competitor trying to build the best music service, not just use music as a loss-leader to sell more search ads or smartphones.
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Fighting food waste, Full Harvest raises $8.5m to bring excess produce to commercial buyers
Danny Crichton 1 year
It’s a story that any urban millennial can (and will) complain about. You are looking for a non-caffeinated beverage, so you walk into a juice shop only to be shocked at the $13 price point for a couple of apricots and kale mixed in a blender.
Yes, there is an intentional premium signaling going on, but there is also a much deeper challenge that goes all the way back to the ground where that kale came from. Farms are throwing away produce that doesn’t meet the aesthetic standards of grocery stores, and that means perfectly edible and delicious vegetables are completely lost. Some studies show that a majority of all food weight is lost before it even leaves the farm. Yet, there are no easy ways to sell those loose leaves of romaine — at least, not yet.
San Francisco-based Full Harvest is building a B2B marketplace that connects large-scale farms with companies like retail juice franchises, who seek excess produce in order to make their products more affordable. The marketplace, which TechCrunch has discussed before, has closed an $8.5m series A round led by Spark Capital, with agriculture-focused venture shop Cultivian Sandbox Ventures joining the round.
Full Harvest is the brainchild of Christine Moseley, who worked for more than a decade in the logistics and food industries, including a stint at retail juice chain Organic Avenue. As she was thinking about potential startups, she learned about the incredible food waste that takes place every day in America.
While spending time at a farm “knee-deep in romaine,” she saw farmers throwing away lettuce that would have been perfect for her former employer. “They were leaving 75% behind on the ground, and after all of those water resources were spent,” Moseley said. For farmers, “they are really dictated by what those big grocery stores are demanding, because consumers are becoming pickier and pickier, so the supermarkets are getting more picky,” she continued.
Full Harvest then is designed to bridge the gap, connecting farms to businesses that don’t need the same aesthetics. The startup focuses on vegetable farms greater than 1000 acres and fruit farms larger than 100 acres and then connects them to customers. The company has developed a set of quality standards to make buying and selling more fluid, and it is focused on “the foundational large-volume items that these food and beverage companies buy,” Moseley said. Today, the company brokers 40 items.
Moseley says that buyers and sellers both need better pricing. For farmers, many of whom are struggling with their own economics, a marketplace allowing them to get some value for produce they are currently throwing away could be a critical source of incremental revenue. For buyers, lower prices could mean cheaper product prices, increasing profits and driving sales to consumers.
Excess produce is the focus of several startups. Imperfect Produce and Hungry Harvest are focused on the B2C market of delivering excess produce straight to consumers. In comparison, Full Harvest doesn’t work with consumers at all, and instead focuses on large commercial buyers.
A series A venture round is by no means uncommon today, but it is rarer for solo founders, rarer still for female founders, and even rarer in the agricultural space. Moseley said that she was “pleasantly surprised” that being a solo female founder in a space like agriculture wasn’t the focus of her investors, and that they instead focused on “execution and market opportunity.” At the start, “It’s a lot to handle on your own,” Moseley said, but “now we are scaling, and it’s gotten very manageable.”
Spark’s John Melas-Kyriazi and Cultivian’s Dan Phillips will join Full Harvest’s board. In addition to the two funds, Jenny Fleiss, Jon Scherr, and Adam Zeplain joined the round along with former seed investor Wireframe Ventures.
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telecomregulatory filingbroadband privacy
FCC’s Broadband Privacy Rules Are Rushed, Unnecessary
WASHINGTON, DC — Yesterday, TechFreedom and the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed reply comments with the FCC urging the agency to reconsider its rushed attempt to regulate broadband privacy and data security. The joint filing warns:
The FCC is doing far more than simply replicating the FTC’s approach in an area that the FTC can no longer regulate (because of the FCC). The FCC is not merely replacing case-by-case enforcement of general standards with a more specific rulemaking, it is inventing new requirements based on new substantive standards that would give the FCC even more discretion than the sweeping discretion already enjoyed by the FTC.
When the FCC reclassified broadband providers as common carriers under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act in the Open Internet Order, the Federal Trade Commission automatically lost jurisdiction over them, because the FTC Act does not cover common carriers.
“This is the clearest example of the FCC applying the most cynical political maxim: ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste,’” said TechFreedom President Berin Szóka. “The FCC created this crisis by invoking Title II in its most extreme form: reclassifying the entire broadband service, rather than the back-end. This meant the FTC lost any ability to continue its consumer protection work on privacy and data security over broadband. That wasn’t necessary for the FCC to issue its net neutrality rules — which weren’t necessary, either.”
“Chairman Wheeler claimed the FCC’s approach would be consistent with the FTC’s, but then he moved the goalpost,” continued Szoka. “The FCC has moved the goalposts once again. The agency isn’t merely stepping into the FTC’s shoes, the FCC is replacing its case-by-case enforcement with rigid rules that proscribe activity that is neither unfair nor deceptive. By decoupling regulation from any standard of consumer welfare, the FCC is fundamentally changing the way the Internet is governed. By so shamelessly exploiting a crisis of its own invention, the FCC is reaching new heights in administrative chutzpah.”
”It’s not too late for the FCC to rethink its approach,” continued Szóka. “It can easily harmonize its approach with the FTC’s unfairness and deception standards. And it doesn’t need formal rules to protect consumers. Policy broadband privacy case by case on the FTC’s standards would focus the FCC’s attention practices that actually harm consumers, avoiding unnecessary formal rules and ensuring that government doesn’t take sides in competitive battles. Such harmonization would ensure that, if the FCC ultimately loses on reclassification at the full D.C. Circuit or Supreme Court, there will be a seamless transition back to the FTC’s oversight. The FCC should pause the rulemaking until those courts have ruled or declined to hear an appeal. And at a minimum, the FCC should at least address the many legal, technical and economic questions that have been raised by commenters in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to allow for full public input.
We can be reached for comment at media@techfreedom.org. See our other work on privacy regulation, including:
Our statement on the FCC’s announcement of a plan to regulate broadband privacy
Out of the Frying Pan & into the Fire: The FCC Takes over Privacy Regulation, a TechFreedom working paper
“FCC Privacy Regulation Should Follow FTC’s Consumer Protection Standards,” a statement from TechFreedom
Posted in: Article, Digital Security
Tagged in: telecom, regulatory filing, broadband privacy, FCC
#100: Centenario
#101: Government and the Internet of Things
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WASHINGTON D.C. — Lawmakers are scrambling to draft federal privacy legislation that can attract bipartisan support and be enacted before California’s new privacy law goes into effect. But where should they start? Join TechFreedom on May 15 for an extraordinarily distinguished panel of experts who have long been involved in both sides of this debate, including appointees in past Democratic and Republican administrations who played key roles in privacy policy.
Our panel will discuss the building blocks of bipartisan compromise and how they fit together, including the FTC’s 2012 Privacy Report; the Obama Administration’s 2012 Privacy Bill of Rights and 2015 legislative draft; ongoing efforts by the Trump administration at the FTC, Commerce and NIST; and the impact state laws and international developments. Topics of discussion will include federalism and preemption, whether to supersede existing federal privacy laws, the FTC’s enforcement powers, information sensitivity and injury, algorithmic discrimination, the role of social media in our democracy, tradeoffs between specific privacy rules and more general and flexible standards, the role of multistakeholder processes, and the extent of any new rulemaking power the FTC might be given. Throughout, our focus will be on exploring concrete ways to implement bipartisan agreement.
Join TechFreedom at 3:00 PM on May 15, for a panel discussion of these critical questions.
When: 3:00 – 4:30 PM, Wednesday, May 15th
Where: Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325
Panelists will include:
Cameron Kerry, Visiting Fellow Brookings Institute and former General Counsel, Commerce Department (2009-13)
Danny Weitzner, Director and co-founder of the MIT CSAIL Decentralized Information Group and former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Internet Policy (2011-12)
Lydia Parnes, Partner Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Privacy and Data Protection and former Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection (2004-2009)
Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow for Technology and Innovation at Charles Koch Institute, former Attorney Advisor to Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen (2014-17) and former Acting FTC Chief Technologist (2017-18)
Gerry Stegmaier, Partner Reed & Smith IP, Tech & Data Group
Berin Szóka, President, TechFreedom
We can be reached for comment at media@techfreedom.org. See more of our work on consumer privacy, including:
Our 2018 FTC Comments on Competition & Consumer Protection in the 21st Century
Our 2018 NTIA Comments on international priorities
Our comments on NTIA Privacy Framework
Our 2017 Senate Testimony on FTC Stakeholder Perspectives: Reform Proposals to Improve Fairness, Innovation and Consumer Welfare
Tech Policy Podcast #177: Online Privacy and the BROWSER Act
Tech Policy Podcast #208: Data Danger: Keeping Information Safe Online
Posted in: Event
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KS2 Christmas Service
As a Catholic school, St Wulstan's seeks to enable each child to walk in faith with Christ, loving Him and each other.
Pupil of the Week
Reception: Freya & Colby + Discipleship Award: Eine
Yr 1:Caitlin & Jasmine +Discipleship Award: Josephine
Yr 2: Tom D & Bathsheba + Discipleship Award: Betsie
Yr 3: Annabelle & Finley+ Discipleship Award: Catherine
Yr 4: Darcie & Lily-Rose+ Discipleship Award - Amelie
Yr 5: Alfie & William + Discipleship: Ajit
Yr 6 : Macey & Chloe + Discipleship Award: Elisha
Spaces available in Reception, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6
*** Prospective parents and their children are welcome to visit us at any time, please call the School Office on 01299 877808 *** Remember, all Reception places must be applied for by Wednesday 15th January ***
Part of the Saint Nicholas Owen Catholic Multi Academy Company - Learn to love, love to learn
It's all about learning!
WELCOME TO ST WULSTAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
As a Catholic school, St Wulstan's seeks to enable each child to walk in faith with Christ, loving Him and each other. With the help of our families, our parish and our local community, we will do our best to use the gifts that God has given us to make our world a richer place.
St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School is situated in the parish of St Wulstan and St Thomas of Canterbury in Stourport on Severn. We are a one form entry primary school with seven classes from Reception to Year 6 providing education for children from Stourport, Bewdley and the surrounding area. We are part of the Saint Nicholas Owen Multi Academy Company which is comprised of six schools, five primary and one secondary. Together we are committed to excellent education for all rooted in Gospel values, inspiring a love for life-long learning and following the compassion of Christ. For further information, please visit the Saint Nicholas Owen MAC website:
Saint Nicholas Owen MAC Website
'This is a happy school.'
RE Inspection February 2014
'Children thrive well in this school because they feel safe and are happy, confident to face challenges and have a very good understanding of how loved and special they are in God's eyes.'
We welcome applications for places at our school from families of all faiths or no faith and suggest that the best way to find out about us is to visit us.
Please contact the School Office to arrange a visit - we will be very happy to show you around.
St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School
Principal: Mrs K Savage
Elmfield Walk
Stourport-on-Severn
DY13 8TX
For enquiries or to request paper copies of information from this website please contact Mrs Brown in the school office on;
Email: secretary@wulsev.worcs.sch.uk
Part of the Saint Nicholas Owen Catholic Multi Academy Company.
A Private Limited Company with charitable status.
Registered in England and Wales Company No 09174154.
Registered Office: Hagley Catholic High School, Brake Lane, Hagley, DY8 2XL
Telephone 01562 883193 Fax: 01562 881820.
http://www.stnicholasowen-mac.org.uk/
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Murphy Sam & Jodi
RCPD investigates unattended death in Ogden
Home/Local News/RCPD investigates unattended death in Ogden
Riley County Police are investigating the unattended death of a 26-year-old man in Ogden.
Officers responded to the 500 block of Riley Ave. just after 8 p.m. Sunday after a caller reported finding the individual in a parking lot. According to police, the man appeared to sustain a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No other information has been provided but police say there was no danger to the public.
The post RCPD investigates unattended death in Ogden appeared first on News Radio KMAN.
By KMAN Staff|2019-12-10T06:23:00-06:00December 10th, 2019|Local News|Comments Off on RCPD investigates unattended death in Ogden
About the Author: KMAN Staff
Sunny 102.5 KBLS Manhattan/Junction City's Listen at Work Station
Manhattan Broadcasting Company is an equal opportunity employer. Manhattan Broadcasting does not discriminate in sale of advertising on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity, and will not accept advertising which does so discriminate. © 2017
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Episode 4, Taking Life - An Act of Mercy?
Independent Production Fund
This program confronts the complex issue of mercy killing and examines the different circumstances that permit or prohibit the taking of life.
Episode 1, Am I My Brother's Keeper?
This program looks at the role of the individual in the global family, and considers the impact of personal choices on public goals.
Singer from Taiga
The film portrays the folk singer Mr. Tsogbadrakh's pursuit of finding and preserving ethnic songs, and also displays the unique and magnificent beauty of Huvsgul province of …more
Acadians have been enamoured of their community radio station, CJSE, for 16 years now. The station is well rooted in the community and has become a unique observer of its day-…more
Memories of D-Day
Prime Entertainment Group
June 6, 1944 marks the beginning of Operation Overlord, codename for the Battle of Normandy. The Normandy landings, commonly known as D-Day, were recorded through photographs …more
This documentary is a biography of Joan of Arc, charting her life from a peasant girl born in northeastern France to her canonization as a Roman Catholic saint in 1920. She cl…more
Part Three, Every Single Word Matters
The debate team faces West Point. Seniors embark on their thesis projects. Rodney and Dyjuan's families visit, while Tamara receives terrible news from home. Shawta reckons wi…more
Part One, Nobody Ever Taught Me Any Of That
Incarcerated men and women at Eastern and Taconic Correctional facilities are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI). When classes begin, they discover they must meet th…more
This is the story of President Duterte's campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the bloody …more
Abacus, Small Enough to Jail
From acclaimed director Steve James, this Academy Award® Nominee, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal S…more
Wastemen, One Man's Rubbish, Another Man's Treasure
The war against rubbish never stops for the bin men of Newcastle. However, the things people throw away these days have never been worth so much.
Northern Gold, After the Rush
Canadian Broadcasting Corp
As Timmins grew, miners fought successfully to improve their working conditions. Today, the city faces an uncertain future as mines close down. Multi-generational mining famil…more
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Great Games For Kids
Pokemon Go: Show Off Your Snapshot Skills in Three New Challenges
Brandy Berthelson
Three grand-prize winners will receive a trip to a Pokemon Go Fest of their choice.
In early 2019, Pokemon Go introduced a Snapshot feature, which allows players to take pictures of the Pokemon they have in their collection and share them with friends and family on social media and beyond. Now, Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, is encouraging players to show off their Snapshot photography skills for a chance to win some exciting prizes.
The #GOsnapshot Challenge is split into three different timed “Adventures,” which will ask players to share pictures fitting a certain theme to social media.
Adventure No. 1 is called the Buddy Challenge, and it will ask players to take pictures that show off “the connection between them and their Buddy Pokemon.” Adventure No. 1 will run from April 15 to April 24. Players can enter the challenge by posting up to three entries on Instagram or Twitter along with the hashtags #GOsnapshot and #BuddyChallenge.
Adventure No. 2, the Habitat Challenge, will run from April 29 to May 8. It will ask players to take pictures of Pokemon in their natural habitats (for instance, take a picture of a Water-type Pokemon near water). As with the first Adventure, players can enter by posting up to three photos on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #GOsnapshot and #HabitatChallenge.
Finally, the third Adventure is called the Go Create Challenge. It will encourage players to show off their most creative photos. The third Adventure will run from May 13 to May 22. Players can enter by posting up to three pictures on Instagram or Twitter along with the hashtags #GOsnapshot and #GoCreateChallenge.
In a blog post, Niantic said a grand-prize winner and two runners-up will be selected for each challenge “based on the originality, creativity, and visual fun of their snapshots.” The runners-up will win a special PokeStop in Pokemon Go, which will show off their winning photo (the PokeStop will remain in the game for no less than three months). The grand prize winner for each of the three challenges will also receive a special PokeStop, along with a paid trip for two to a Pokemon Go Fest of their choice in 2019 (includes travel, lodging, and tickets).
Pokemon Go Fest events will take place in Chicago, Dortmund, Germany, and Asia this summer.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek’s Social Pro Daily. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
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February 8, 2018 February 8, 2018 zachwiltgen
Zach’s Top Albums of 2017
This year was full of unexpected good music. From the surprise announcement of DAMN. to the return of N.E.R.D, and every random album I miraculously stumbled upon in between. Many highlights of my year are projects I never anticipated listening to or even knowing about. Sometimes I feel I get caught up in one type of music, so it was nice to find a wide range this year. That being said, hip-hop continues to dominate my listening habits just as it did in 2016. The case is the same for my favorite songs as well. But hey, you can’t deny the current musical landscape. Hip-hop is pop, and it’s hard not to get in on the fun, for artists and listeners alike. So let’s dive in and see what made my top albums of 2017.
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Favorite Song: Drew Barrymore
It was a calm Friday in June when SZA casually dropped her Ctrl album. I listened once, and I thought it was good enough for a second. I listened again, and I felt the urge for a third. Before I knew it, I had this album on repeat for weeks. SZA’s sultry sound had stolen my heart just as it did to millions of people around the country. Ctrl has become a soundtrack for the millennial generation in 2017, and I simply could not deny it from taking the top spot on my list.
Favorite Song: LUST.
Say what you want about how DAMN. compares to the rest of his discography, but the success of this album speaks for itself. This is (probably) the best rapper alive right now, in his prime, putting together a really solid concept that has a little something for everyone. For me, it’s that accessibility that differentiates DAMN. from Kendrick’s other work. And he did it without sacrificing quality or substance. Kung Fu Kenny himself has said this is his best work, so I’ll take his word for it.
Favorite Song: Sticking To My Guns
Several times this year, I was drawn to an album simply by the artwork, with no prior knowledge of the artist. Thank goodness I was, because two of those albums ended up right here in the Top 5. This grammy-nominated album right here seems to have slipped through the cracks of the general audience. Gumbo presents a sweet fusion of gospel, soul, and hip-hop elements that is pure ear candy. The best part is that I had no idea what to expect, and it exceeded anything I could have imagined from one of the keyboardists of Maroon 5.
Laila’s Wisdom
Favorite Song: You Should Know
Less than a minute into the first song and you will already know this is something special. Over a captivating foundation of instrumentals, provided largely by 9th Wonder, Rapsody delivers bar after bar, rhyme after rhyme, carrying you through a wonderland of hip-hop and jazz. She’ll have you jumping on the couch on “Power” to crying into a pillow in the fetal position on “Jesus Coming”. While this is not her first LP, the high level performance and critical acclaim of Laila’s Wisdom, not to mention a Grammy nomination, almost makes this feel like an epic debut, and that Rapsody is just getting started as a household name in the rap game.
Favorite Song: You Got Me
The album title really says it all here. In another project I am very grateful to have randomly stumbled upon, Snoh Aalegra hits you smack dab in the feels with a soulful and sultry soundscape (yay alliteration). Each song gently pulls on your emotions and puts you right in touch with her heart and soul. Throw this on during a rainy day and you will be feeling some type of way.
Favorite Song: Sour Mango
This was my first favorite album of 2017, and it held on to a top spot without wavering. On Jardín, Gabriel Garzón-Montano proves his talent and versatility as a songwriter and performer. He spins his classical and soulful influences into an impressively unique display of funk and R&B. If his voice sounds familiar, you may have heard him being sampled on Drake’s “Jungle”.
Elektrac
Shobaleader One
Favorite Song: Squarepusher Theme
If you ever feel like you need a good slap in the face, crank these tracks from Shobaleader One, the electro-jazz live band spear-headed by accomplished producer and recording artist Squarepusher. Elektrac is a live, off-the-wall whirlwind of insanely-written jams and even more insane performances. At the same time, it manages to stay concise and diverse through all the chaos. I was fortunate enough to see the group perform at Thalia Hall, and they executed every song to perfection.
Favorite Song: 1 Night (ft. Charli XCX)
Mura Masa’s self-titled commercial debut is about as fun as music can get, and it’s produced with a finesse and quality that is one of a kind. His blend of exotic sounds, dancey beats, and just the right features make for a sound that is uniquely his and incredibly contagious. I expect big things from the young producer in the future.
NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES
N.E.R.D
Favorite Song: Don’t Don’t Do It! (ft. Kendrick Lamar)
It’s weird, it’s demanding; it’s genius. N.E.R.D is back and they nailed it. The Pharrell-powered hip-hop group defies any potential side affects from a 6+ year hiatus and hones their industrial, high-energy sound into one of the best releases of 2017. Throughout No One Ever Really Dies, the features are great, the grooves are hard, and it’s spirit is uncompromising. It’s still pretty fresh and may require a few listens to get into—it certainly did for me—but it is truly a tribute to Pharrell’s uncanny ability to make music and will only garner more attention and appreciation as it ages.
Favorite Song: SWAMP
All the potential that BROCKHAMPTON demonstrated on SATURATION I came to a powerful fruition on volume two of their three-part 2017 takeover. SATURATION II has everything that makes “the best boy band since One Direction” so approachable, replayable, and just plain fun. This eclectic group of performers have an incredible chemistry and a refreshing sound that any hip-hop head can appreciate.
Metro Boomin, 21 Savage, Offset
Favorite Song: Nightmare
On the surface, this may come off as just another big ticket collaboration that fits the mold of a currently over-saturated genre. But give it your full attention and you will hear what makes Without Warning stand out from it’s contemporaries. Metro Boomin continues to exude the finesse and creativity that makes him one of the best producers in the game (somebody get this dude a grammy), while 21 Savage and Offset go above and beyond what you’d typically expect from the seemingly ubiquitous rappers. It is clear they both put 110% into this project, and the pay off is a commanding and down-right sinister collection of tracks. It does lose a bit of steam towards the end, but I think it’s safe to say this could the best work from any three of them in 2017. Props to Offset for stepping it up this year in quantity and quality and cementing himself as a competent and prolific solo artist.
Sacred Hearts Club
Favorite Song: Lotus Eater
I never quite got on the Foster The People train in the “Pumped Up Kicks” era, but I’ve quickly come to regret that after hearing this album right here. On Sacred Hearts Club, their song-writing skills are impeccable, and their longevity is undeniable. They also capitalized on stretching their sound into different genres in a way that many other bands of this decade have failed. Combine this with their epic performance at Lolla and you’ve got an avid fan in me.
Favorite Song: Métropole
This is what happens when a classically trained pianist gets a hold of modern production software. Metrópole by Anomalie is a truly beautiful composition of electronic beats that feels like an eight-part concerto. You can hear Anomalie’s immense music knowledge and training pouring out of every song. His craftsmanship delivers a sound that makes you groove as hard as it makes you think. Have an egotistical musician friend that’s been shoving their new beats down your throat? Play this album for them and put their overblown sense of talent into perspective.
Ocean & Montana EP
Favorite Song: Find Me
I’m calling it now: 2018 is Buddy’s year. If you haven’t heard of him yet, I think it’s only a matter of time. A Compton native, Buddy is a rapper/singer with a knack for catchy hooks and an ear for tasty beats. The Ocean & Montana EP is particularly exempliary of this, thanks in part to that dude Kaytranada. His massive potential is only elevated by his membership on Pharrell’s label iamOTHER. Lend your ear to his Magnolia EP as well, and you’ll hear why you should be on the lookout for Buddy making waves in the near future.
Favorite Song: Saggy Denim (ft. Wiki)
I ALMOST slept on this one. Fortunately, this album found its way to my ears just before the year was up. This album deserves every ounce of recognition it’s earned so far. Princess Nokia strikes a delightful balance between being funny and just making really good songs. She delivers a raw and energetic performance 16 tracks straight. “Saggy Denim”, “Green Line”, and “ABCs of New York” make for one of the strongest three-songs-in-a-row™ from any artist this year. Princess Nokia’s sound is both nostalgic and original, making her one of the most interesting up and coming rappers in the game.
Favorite Song: Wake Up (ft. Bipolar Sunshine, Cautious Clay)
Once more, I find myself striking gold while aimlessly browsing new music. This album from French DJ and producer Petit Biscuit is nothing short of gorgeous. You can hear the 18 year-old’s expertise in every nook and cranny. He navigates a myriad of electronic music styles with grace and artistry. Some very thoughtful features sew the varying threads of this album into one beautiful, sonic aesthetic.
Favorite Song: Keys to the Castle
For awhile now, I’ve struggled to get into anything musically that wasn’t at least somewhat related to hip-hop. My hunt for some new rock music I actually enjoy came to a satisfying end when I found this album by Thee Oh Sees. Orc is a grungy, punchy, noisy composition that turned out to be just what the doctor ordered to cure my rock deficiency. Catch them with us at the Music Frozen Dancing Block Party on February 19th. Their psychedelic, punky jams will be sure to keep you warm even on what will likely be a very cold day.
Everyone’s favorite goofball came through with a well crafted, heartfelt album that’s as gentle as it is intense, and likely his best work to date. Far from the dark and twisted Goblin days, Flower Boy shows Tyler’s growth as an artist and how he’s refined his skills as a writer and producer. The handful of features are appropriate and precise, and Tyler performs with a conviction and vulnerability that gives the album a consistent emotional depth that he’s rarely reached before.
ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Favorite Song: ROCKABYE BABY (ft. ScHoolboy Q)
The current political landscape has certainly inspired a lot of artists to speak out through their music. On ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, Joey Bada$$ takes this inspiration and packages it into an articulate and heart-felt album that showcases his lyrical talent as well as some fantastic production. Some A+ features from ScHoolboy Q, Meechy Darko, and J. Cole, to name a few, are the icing on an in-your-face cake made with love and baked to the perfection.
Favorite Song: Run Away
This album at first appeared almost too clean and too polished to keep me coming back. That is until I saw them play live at Chop Shop in Chicago and realized that they’re actually just that good. The execution on stage was impeccable, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the smooth hip-hop and jazz that’s made Moonchild a must-hear in the genre. Between Voyager and some strong contributions to Rapsody’s grammy-nominated album, I’d say the group had a pretty great 2017.
At What Cost
Favorite Song: Summatime (ft. Wale, Radiant Children)
The best hip-hop album you’ve never heard of? Thanks to the hit single “Crew” and a remix from Gucci Mane, Goldlink is finally receiving some well-earned mainstream recognition. But At What Cost is so much more than the stand out club bangers. Sure, the significant contributions from Kaytranada are a prominent highlight, but it’s the moments when Goldlink steps out of his comfort zone and takes some risks that really take this album and his career to new heights. “Summertime”, “Pray Everyday (Survivor’s Guilt)”, and “Some Girl” with Steve Lacy are just some of the hidden gems worth mentioning. Don’t sleep on this energetic and diverse project that is some of Goldlink’s best.
Ruler Rebel
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Favorite Song: The Reckoning
On Ruler Rebel, Christian Scott’s trumpet mastery is sifted through a backdrop of dreamy drum and bass for a cocktail with the smoke of a mezcal and as smooth a juice. A great album for work that will have you day-dreaming about 5 o’clock.
Bicycle EP
BC Unidos
Favorite Song: Trouble in the Streets (ft. Carly Rae Jepsen)
When I saw our girls Charli XCX and Carly Rae Jepsen on the credits of this short but sweet project, I knew we were in for a treat. The guys behind BC Unidos have quite the resumes on their own, and their combined talent shows some serious potential. The 2017 mainstream seems to value quantity over quality, but this little EP shows exactly why that should never be the case. Every song here is good. Like, really good. In fact, you should probably just listen to it right now and see for yourself. Thank us on Twitter @track-switch, if you feel so inclined.
Too Real
Favorite Song: Maybe (ft. Japanese Breakfast)
Giraffage’s Too Real is a funky, bubbly, dreamy tracklist thats as tasty as a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But as you reach the bottom of the sugary milky goodness left in your bowl, you find the toy from the cereal box. Not an unfortunate circumstance by any means, but an unexpected twist that’s intriguing enough for a second helping.
Favorite Song: Summer Girl
My familiarity with Jamiroquai almost exclusively stemmed from the use of “Canned Heat” in the greatest scene of one the greatest movies of all time. It was suprising to find myself not only listening, but very much enjoying music from them in 2017. Jamiroquai has been a master of dance-fueled funk jams for decades. The Daft Punk of disco? Maybe. Regardless, put on your dancing shoes and don’t plan on sitting down for the duration of Automaton.
Feels EP
Benny Ramos
Favorite Song: Miracle (ft. Sam Trump)
Benny Ramos is an up and coming Chicago producer who in the past has teased his fans with some incredible remixes of Justin Timberlake and Disclosure, amongst others. Now that he’s taken the time to put together an official release, it is clear that he has some massive potential. Feels covers a variety of styles and showcases the talented mind of Benny and the musicians he works with. While it’s only four tracks, I found it simply too impressive to not give some recognition here. Here’s to hopefully a lot more work from Benny in the near future.
Favorite Song: Nayhoo (ft. Masego, Lophiile)
On Homey, Chon achieves a charming sound aesthetic with convictive writing and a perfect amount of thoughtful collaborations. The use of electronic elements delivers a soothing soundscape and some catchy melodies while still allowing their raw musical talent to shine through. If you’re a guitar-nerd or just looking for some interesting instrumentals to kick-back to, this album deserves a listen.
Favorite Song: Amendine Insensible
Sevdaliza’s Ison is a droning thunderstorm that is dark, dreary, and intoxicating. The rhythms and melodies are creative but minimal, forging a momentum that is both heavy and brisk. The lengthy tracklist may have you reaching for the light at the end of the tunnel and simultaneously being content right where you are.
For Those Who Know Pt. 1
Favorite Song: When You Say That
Brasstracks sound pretty much how you’d expect a group with such a name, and it sounds oh so good. Their mixing of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic elements is recognizable on everything they touch, including Chance the Rapper’s smash hit “No Problem”. The duo stretches their jazz chops a bit further on this EP, with some help from none other than iconic pianist Robert Glasper. The grooves are so hard that they’ll be over before you know it, leaving you no choice but to run it back again and again until a Pt. 2 comes along.
Sonic Mania Remixed
Tiny Waves (Various Artists)
Favorite Song: Save Select Screen (from “Sonic Mania”)
Coming in at the wildest entry here is this compilation of Sonic Mania remixes. Sure did not see that coming, but the insanity and creativity here is remarkable. The EDM bubble may seem to have popped, but these producers have given it new life by epically remixing the soundtrack to your favorite childhood hedgehog.
Favorite Song: Friend Zone
It’s a fact: Thundercat is the man. Wickedly talented and frankly, adorable, his bass-guitar wizardry never fails to win me over. His live shows are some of the best around, and the musical company he keeps illustrates just how sought after his talent is. Contrary to his absolute shredding on stage, Thundercat takes a more laid-back and thoughtful approach on Drunk, delivering a smooth, tasteful, and humorous dive into his peculiar genius. Dude’s got Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins on the same track. How neat is that? Special shoutout to his brother, Ronald, an equally talented drummer who released an impressive solo debut as well this year with his album Triumph.
The Never Story
J.I.D
Favorite Song: Somebody
As one of Dreamville’s newest members, J.I.D demonstrates why he earned a spot on J. Cole’s roster with the label’s best release of the year. The Never Story is an eccentric and groovy journey into one of the more unique rappers I’ve heard in awhile. His nasally voice and capable lyricism is supported by a tasteful palette of creative beats. I can only expect to hear more good things from this artist as the new year progresses.
Mr. Finish Line
Favorite Song: Baby I Don’t Know Oh Oh (ft. Charles Jones)
Vulfpeck has an addictive charm that never fails to grab my attention, and Mr. Finish Line is no exception. While it may not feel as cohesive an album as last year’s The Beautiful Game, this album has all the usual funk and silliness that makes their music so enchanting. When you combine that with the group’s handful of very talented friends, you get a collection of tracks that will put a smile on your face every time you listen.
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
Favorite Song: Blue Cheese (ft. Migos)
I definitely did not expect to be talking about this one, but I think the fact that I can enjoy at least five songs from this album, or any album for that matter, warrants an honorable mention. It’s a very refined 2 Chainz with some excellent features and creative production. The man’s a television host now too. Let’s hear it for 2 Chainz – you deserve it.
Gang Signs & Prayer
Favorite Song: Bad Boys (ft. Ghetts, J HUS)
Stormzy’s debut album didn’t quite hit the mark as much I hoped it would, but it’s commercial success was more than significant, earning the top spot on the UK charts, which is a huge win for grime. Gang Signs & Prayer wears it’s American influences of it’s sleeve, but the execution and message is deliberate and tactful, making Stormzy a force to be reckoned with in the grime scene and beyond.
Aminé
Favorite Song: Yellow (ft. Nelly)
I’m rooting for Aminé. Good For You is a really solid debut that takes some risks and explores the unique artist that he can become. Featuring the viral hit “Caroline”, this album showcases Aminé’s raw talent and real potential, contrary to some of his contemporaries with whom he shared this year’s XXL Freshman Class.
Favorite Song: Saturnz Barz (ft. Popcaan)
I found this album a little too bloated to earn a rank on this list, but the first four singles that were released still remain some of my favorite tracks of the year. Vince Staples killed it on “Ascension”, DRAM put a lovely touch on “Andromeda”, and Saturnz Barz featuring Popcaan was accompanied by one the coolest music videos of the year.
LOVE.LIFE.LIVE
Isaiah Sharkey
Favorite Song: In The World
Hailing from the Windy City, Isaiah Sharkey is one of the best guitarists around, spending a lot of his time jamming with Chris “Daddy” Dave or touring with D’Angelo or John Mayer. This made it really exciting to find out he had released a new album of his own. LOVE.LIFE.LIVE is full of contagious grooves and moving melodies that anyone can grab on to.
Published by zachwiltgen
View all posts by zachwiltgen
Previous Alex’s Top Albums of 2017
Next Review: SiR – November
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Transport, Logistics & Innovation
Logistics Startups of the Month: 2018 Overview
In 2018, Transmetrics Blog was selecting logistics startups that represent a positive example of innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain and have the potential to alter the way the industry operates. Luckily for these companies, the sector offers a lot of room for disruption and such startups are taking up the whole range of challenges – from offering a new way to think about addresses to developing the innovative autonomous and electric vehicles.
Now, at the end of the year, we can surely say that the impact of these young companies on the industry is undeniable and it will be even more interesting to follow their progress in 2019.
In this article, we would like to highlight all the startups featured in the “Logistics Startup of the Month” Series in 2018 and once again demonstrate their importance for the logistics and supply chain.
In case you would like to stay updated about the topic of logistics innovations or receive updates about the logistics startups in the future:
Be sure to subscribe to Transmetrics Blog;
Follow Transmetrics on Twitter and LinkedIn;
Join our “Logistics Meets Innovation” LinkedIn Group.
Picture Credit: what3words
what3words is the simplest way to communicate location. It has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares and assigned each square a unique address made from three dictionary words – a 3-word address. The exact 3m x 3m square at the front door of what3words’ London office, for example, can be found at ///index.home.raft.
3 word addresses convert reliably to GPS coordinates and back again, so can be easily integrated into existing platforms and systems. They provide a simple and human-friendly way for people to input accurate location information, by voice or text.
what3words is free for individuals to use via the what3words mobile app and online map. The technology is also available for free to qualifying not-for-profit and humanitarian entities. For business use, the company offers licenses for the products which include access to API, SDKs, and industry-specific plugins. In addition to that, they create dedicated solutions such as OCR sorting app for postal services and offer large-scale batch conversion of 3-word addresses to GPS coordinates or vice versa.
Recently, what3words’ solution has been adopted by DB Schenker to power its eSchenker platform. This integration will enable more than 110,000 DB Schenker clients, who make over 500,000 bookings a month, to optimize their supply chains by specifying pick-up and drop-off points using a 3-word address.
Read the Interview…
Einride
Picture Credit: Einride
Einride is the next generation of disruptive road transport solution: safe, cost-efficient and emission-free. By rethinking the foundation of transportation, the T-pod is the first transport vehicle completely designed and developed for self-driving and electric propulsion. The T-pod has no cab or driver’s seat and is a part of a transport system that uses the benefits of self-driving and electric propulsion to create a cost-competitive and emission-free transport alternative. Einride’s mission is to be a major contributor to a sustainable society by lowering the carbon dioxide emissions of the transport industry.
With a small and agile T-pod, Einride’s Transport System enables a more flexible and optimized supply chain. By allowing for cost-efficient smaller shipments, the T-pod can reduce tied-up capital, delivery time and cost of transport. Einride´s transport system is a new way of thinking about road transport, creating new and innovative supply chain solutions.
In November 2018, DB Schenker and Einride launched the installation for the first commercial use of a T-pod at DB Schenker facility in Jönköping in central Sweden. The T-pod will travel continuously to and from a warehouse, paving the way for a sustainable transition of road freight transportation.
We4Sea
We4Sea solution explained in a video
We4Sea helps shipowners to monitor, analyze, and optimize the fuel efficiency of their ships. Using the in-house developed Digital Twin concept, the startup has developed a radical new way of monitoring sea-going ships. We4Sea’s tools are not requiring new hardware onboard, therefore they can start monitoring any conventionally powered ship within 24 hours and without capital expenditures.
As founders have mentioned in the interview, they believe that shipping is one of the best modes of transport, which is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. However, it needs improvement to keep up with other modes of transport. Although the efficiency of ships is relatively high, the pollution they produce is still significant. There are many technical options available to improve this, but We4Sea has its own important stake in optimizing the maritime industry.
In August 2018, We4Sea signed a partnership agreement with Marlink, a maritime satellite communication provider, to offer innovative fuel efficiency solutions for the maritime industry. Marlink chose such startups as We4Sea and Transmetrics to be its partners to support the Smart Connectivity strategy which enables Marlink’s customers’ digitalization and business efficiency.
Xeneta
When Xeneta’s co-founders Patrik Berglund and Thomas Sørbø were working at Kuehne+Nagel, they realized that it was not possible for them to do the job effectively and to really know what it costs to send a container from A to B, what the market average rate was for various routes or how the rates they compiled for their customers stacked up against other shippers.
They were not able to answer such simple questions as: “Have we secured the best possible rates from my suppliers in the negotiation period? What are my peers paying?” The market was too volatile to keep up with. Accurate and real-time rate data was missing in the industry.
As a solution to that, Thomas and Patrik decided to start crowdsourcing ocean freight rates from shippers and developed a web platform to host them. According to them, now Xeneta has the largest neutral ocean freight rate database for benchmarking and market intelligence which is offered on their paltform.
Recently, Xeneta has launched a monthly container shipping index, delivering insights on long-term ocean freight rate development.
DRONAMICS
DRONAMICS tests its unmanned cargo airplane prototype
DRONAMICS is building a next-generation cargo airplane – small, unmanned and extremely fuel efficient. It can transport 350 kg (770 lbs) at a distance of up to 2,500 km (1,550 miles) while being cheaper than any aircraft in existence, making it ideal for e-commerce in emerging markets.
The founders got the idea when they looked at small drones and realized that even though such drones are great for the last-mile deliveries in suburban America, the rest of the world needs more robust solutions. Thus they picked the payload to match what one can fit in a small cargo van – because small cargo vans are ubiquitous in the developing world as a last-mile vehicle.
According to DRONAMICS, they have favored a subtone aircraft because the smaller the airplane, the more flexible the landing space can be. Therefore, 350 kg is a good trade-off that fits well in the first markets the company wants to tackle – fast-growing economies in Asia, Africa as well as Latin America.
Fizyr
Herbert ten Have, CEO of Fizyr, explains how Fizyr is going to change the logistics
Fizyr is a deep tech company, based in RoboValley Delft. They are automating logistics globally and robustly putting robots to work. According to the startup’s CEO, Herbert ten Have, their deep learning algorithm adds a layer of understanding, bringing autonomous decision making to processes that involve identifying, quality control, counting, picking and manipulating goods. Fizyr develops world’s best-trained algorithms to enable robots handling any pile of various items or fully unknown parcels using machine vision.
To put it simply, the software is taking a 3D color image, then it defines RGB colors and depth for the algorithm and performs the following 4 steps: Segmentation, Classification, Quality Control and Finding 6 Degrees of Freedom.
The whole process is done for all the elements in the picture and it takes less than 0.2 seconds to perform all the 4 steps with the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) being responsible for the neural network processing.
In October 2018, Fizyr won the StartUp Innovation of the Year at PostalPitch’s annual competition which is featuring products and services designed to address some of the biggest challenges facing the post and parcel industry.
Picture Credit: MOST
MOST has developed a superior monitoring solution for controlling the conditions of goods during transportation – all in real time. It is a service provider that instantly delivers valuable information to the whole Supply Chain. The customized software solution and the premium Internet of things (IoT) hardware reduce costs and increase control for monitoring from the farm and/or factory gates to the distribution centers.
Working on the 2G GSM network, MOST delivers the data about position, temperature, humidity, shock, and light to the custom-made online platform or to the clients own monitoring system via APIs. The device can handle different uploading frequencies from 5 to 60+ minutes and has a battery life of 100 days (uploading frequency of 60 min). MOST device is rechargeable via a standard USB-C cable giving the customer an opportunity to use the device over and over again. With less than 10 hours of charging you get 100 days of battery life again.
Founded in 2015, MOST have grown fast and the company is already selling their products all over the world – in South America, North America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia.
Open Motors
Modular self-driving vehicle “EDIT” by Open Motors
Open Motors’ main mission is to accelerate the transition to advanced technology in mobility, by enabling companies to develop seamless modules that are easy to integrate into an open and versatile fleet vehicle in white label. How are they doing this? By bringing Open Data, Open Innovation, Open Source, and Open API to the automotive industry.
For the past 100 years, entering the automotive industry has been impossible due to the high barriers. Companies wishing to enter the market with a new vehicle have to invest millions of dollars in production facilities, hire thousands of employees, spend around five years of R&D and deploy huge resources into marketing and sales. Open Motors’ open, modular electric vehicle ready-to-use solutions allow new and existing car manufacturers to develop their own models bypassing these entry barriers. The company started shipping their open and modular hardware platform for EVs, TABBY EVO, to its clients in 2015. Currently, the company is focused on developing EDIT, the first self-driving vehicle designed & engineered specifically for Mobility-as-a-Service. Fleets of such vehicles can last 10X more thanks to an easy repairability & hardware/software upgrade options.
ClearMetal
Picture Credit: ClearMetal
ClearMetal is a predictive supply chain visibility company that helps retailers and manufacturers transform their supply chains using data science. Supply chain teams typically receive poor information and visibility from their service providers, which results in excess inventory, unnecessary transportation cost, and a challenge to meet customer demands. ClearMetal solves this problem through a cloud-based software-as-a-service application, which leverages proprietary machine learning and AI technology to first clean and make sense of inaccurate supply chain data, then delivers end-to-end inventory visibility with proactive exception management, alerting functionality, and collaboration capabilitie.
This technology was custom-built by ClearMetal’s data science and software engineering teams over several years of research and development. As a result, supply chains can reduce inventory on hand, reduce transportation spend, optimize inventory position for logistics & distribution, and increase personal productivity and customer service. Moreover, through clean supply chain data and predictive intelligence, companies will be able to drive competitive advantage and increased profitability from its supply chain.
Picture Credit: xChange
XChange connects users and suppliers of one-way containers or shipper’s own containers (SOC’s) on a neutral online platform.
The startup builds up the whole process from searching for containers to use/supply, online negotiation, tracking and offer value-added-services like insurance and payment handling. Through a continuous vetting process, a multiparty interchange agreement and customer service team in Hamburg, Germany, and Surabaya, Indonesia the startup makes sure that only trustworthy partners become a member of xChange.
Currently, xChange provides its users with the following service offerings:
Browse the market: Using xChange smart search or their newsfeed you easily gain market transparency and find containers to supply/ use in more than 2500 locations worldwide.
Reduce your effort: xChange implemented tracking and tracking alerts as well as an easy online negotiation process and API/EDI integrations to save you long hours in the back-office.
Be safe and secure: Through a continuous vetting process, company profiles and a standardized contractual framework xChange created a community based on trust.
FreightBro
How does FreightBro work?
FreightBro aims to revolutionize the logistics industry with its best-in-class digital platform specifically designed for freight forwarders – a “Shopify” for freight forwarding sector which is able to transform every offline forwarder to an independent digital forwarder. The platform is also supported with plugins from the partner ecosystem for various solutions and data exchanges which can add real value to the forwarders and can help them to increase their level of efficiency.
Forwarders can offer complete 360-degree digital experience to their clients: from online shipment booking and management to live tracking and business analytics. FreightBro provides both web and mobile applications (Android and iOS) to forwarders in order to help scale their business globally.
In 2019, we will continue to explore the innovative logistics and supply chain startups in our “Logistics Startup of the Month” series. Meanwhile, let us know in the comments, which promising logistics startups should be featured in 2019!
Logistics Startup of the Month: FarEye
Logistics Startup of the Month: CargoX
Logistics Startup of the Month
Previous“Across Logistics” Innovation News Release: November 2018
“Across Logistics” Innovation News Release: 2018 OverviewNext
About Transmetrics Blog
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Subscribe to learn more about the latest logistics innovation news, and get valuable insights from the best logistics startups and industry experts.
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SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance,
Stockholm School of Economics
No 362: Incentives for Academic Entrepreneurship and Economic Performance: Sweden and the United States
Magnus Henrekson () and Nathan Rosenberg ()
Magnus Henrekson: Dept. of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, Postal: P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden
Nathan Rosenberg: Department of Economics, Postal: Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-6072, U.S.A.
Abstract: The recent 'scientification' of commercial technology has brought the interface between universities and industry into sharp focus. In particular, academic entrepreneurship, i.e., the variety of ways in which academics take direct part in the commercialization of research, is widely discussed. The purpose of this paper is to compare academic entrepre-neurship in the US and Sweden and attempt to explain why the US academic system appears to have been more successful in spawning academic entrepreneurship compared to its Swedish counterpart despite large levels of R&D spending and comprehensive government support schemes in Sweden. Our analysis points to weaknesses in the Swedish incentive structure in key respects: the rate of return to human capital investment, incentives to become an entrepreneur and to expand existing businesses, and insufficient incentives within the university system to adjust curricula and research budgets to outside demand. Several policy measures during the 1990s have reduced the weaknesses in the Swedish incentive structure. The current emergence of a more vibrant entrepreneurial culture in Sweden in some areas is consistent with these changes, although the rules of the game are still unfavorable relative to the US. Our analysis suggests that further measures favoring entrepreneurial activity would encourage academic entrepreneurship even further.
Keywords: Academic entrepreneurship; Innovation; R&D; Spin-off firms; Technology transfer; University-industry relations; Universities and business formation
JEL-codes: J24; O31; O32; O57
61 pages, March 7, 2000
Full text files
hastef0362.fig.xls Excel file Figures
hastef0362.pdf.zip Full text
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hastef0362.ps.zip PostScript file Full text
hastef0362.ps PostScript file Full text
Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Helena Lundin ()
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Sydenham Info template
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Stephen Morris reunited with £250,000 Tecchler violin
A 310-year-old violin worth £250,000 that was left on a train in south London has been returned to its owner. The instrument was handed over to professional musician Stephen Morris in a supermarket car park in Beckenham after secret negotiations More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50275613
Two men charged with gun possession after man shoots himself
A 25-year-old died on Venner Road last month from gunshot wounds after an apparent attempt to shoot another person backfired. More: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/18005921.two-lewisham-men-charged-gun-possession-man-shoots/
Plea to stop two Sydenham Hill Oaks being chopped
Two of Sydenham Hill Wood’s most beloved trees will be felled by the time this weekend is out unless campaigners’ last-ditch efforts can force the council to reverse its decision. More: https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/campaigners-make-desperate-plea-to-stop-two-sydenham-hill-oaks-being-chopped-before-the-weekend-is-out/
Catford crash: Cyclist dies
Police were called to Ravensbourne Park, outside Catford station, just after 6.30am on Wednesday after receiving reports of a collision between a lorry and a cyclist. More: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/catford-crash-cyclist-dies-outside-station-after-collision-with-lorry-a4273921.html
Man wanted over violin theft
A man is being sought by police over the theft of a 310-year-old violin worth £250,000. It was one of only a few made by master craftsman David Tecchler in 1709. British Transport Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to. More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50234925
310 year old violin lost on train
Stephen Morris left the antique instrument, made by master craftsman David Tecchler in 1709, on the London Victoria to Orpington service at Penge East More: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/17999954.classical-musician-leaves-310-year-old-violin-worth-250k-bromley-train/
Green therapy: how gardening is helping to fight depression
Sydenham Garden feels out of step with its surroundings in urban south London. Fringed by houses on most sides, with a school on its doorstep, it is hard to imagine that this small patch of green space is bringing a new lease of life to people struggling with their mental health. More: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/13/green-therapy-gardening-helping-fight-depression
Can a tattoo help you overcome mental health problems?
That unmistakable buzzing sound floods the Sydenham tattoo parlour like a swarm of wasps descending on a summer barbecue. The needle carefully traces my design, making me wince, but within 30 minutes we’re done. More: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/mental-health-awareness-week-how-tattoos-can-chart-the-road-to-mental-health-recovery-a4140936.html
11 new affordable homes approved
11 "permanently affordable" homes on a small site previously occupied by disused garages Carlton Terrace in Sydenham. More: https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/community-land-trust-receives-affordable-homes-approval/5099059.article
Fatality at Penge East
A person died after being hit by a train in Penge earlier today. British Transport Police were called to the Penge East Station at 11.50am after reports of a casualty.More: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/17579994.person-dies-after-being-hit-by-train-in-penge-east-station/
Fire at a recycling warehouse in Cricket Lane, Beckenham
Around 80 firefighters are tackling a fire at Chris Carey’s Collections warehouse in Cricket Lane, Beckenham. More: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/17529965.fire-at-a-recycling-warehouse-in-cricket-lane-beckenham/
Forest Hill stabbing: schoolboy fights for life
A schoolboy is fighting for life after being knifed in broad daylight around 4pm on Monday 25th March in Dartmouth Road. More:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/forest-hill-stabbing-man-knifed-in-broad-daylight-on-southeast-london-street-a4100536.html
https://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19505
Dragonfly Yoga Studio to open in Sydenham to help tackle knife crime
Dragonfly Yoga Studio launched in Brockley in 2016 and is now set to open a second base in Sydenham High Street to support troubled youths. More:
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/17518113.dragonfly-yoga-studio-to-open-in-sydenham-to-help-tackle-knife-crime/
Ssssomething nasssty in a Sssydenham woodshed
A stray snake has been rescued after it was found curled up in a garden shed.
Rescuers arrived at the shed in Lower Sydenham in the nick of time. RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Mat Hawkins explained that corn snakes are not native to Britain. ‘It wouldn’t be able to survive for long in the wild here,’ he said. More:
https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/ssssomething-nasssty-in-a-sssydenham-woodshed/
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Home»Search Results for: little league
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J.R. Gamble June 20, 2019
VIDEO: Colorado Little League Game Ruined By Out Of Control Helicopter Parents
It was a washed royal rumble, and it was all caught on tape.
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Little League Star Mo’ne Davis Signs Letter Of Intent To Play Softball At Hampton University
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By J.C. Balicanta Narag December 1, 2019 in Culture
Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor
Part of maturity is embracing changes in our lives, yet some of us fear it because we don’t know the exact outcome. This fear of change is an important lesson of Frozen II, making it a movie not just for kids.
Fear of change was a constant theme throughout the Frozen sequel. In the song “Some Things Never Change,” each character’s deepest desires were shown — or rather, sang about.
Ana wants everything to stay the same, Elsa questions who she is, Kristoff is hopelessly in love, and of course, Olaf is having an existential crisis. These elements, paired with the stories of the Sami people of Northern Europe, packed the movie with emotions beyond expectations.
Aspects of Olaf’s narrative point to his existential crisis. He questions “the notion that nothing is permanent,” relating it to age and maturity. As we mature, we grow to have a sense of freedom that we use gratuitously. Of course, with this freedom comes the responsibility of accepting the consequences it brings. This can be overwhelming for people, developing into existential anxiety, which is where one questions the meaning of life and choices.
Crisis of freedom and responsibility is one thing, but Kristoff goes through a different change. Kristoff’s hopeless romanticism took the audience back to the 80s with his power ballad “Lost in the Woods.” It was complete with face zooms and background reindeer singers — it was like REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore.” Seriously — search it up.
The point being made with Kristoff’s love for Ana is a feeling we are all familiar with: emotional turmoil.
He begins to question his relationship with Ana — the only character development he had in the movie. He says that he is “Lost in the Woods,” because he feels distant from his girlfriend.
Research has shown that falling in love is similar to drug addiction — people may feel flushed and intoxicated and get sweaty palms when they see their significant other. Studies have also shown that love can literally break your heart.
According to the American Heart Association, the medical term for a broken heart is stress-induced cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It has similar symptoms to a heart attack — irregular beat and shortness of breath.
Experiencing these effects the first time is overwhelming because there are so many changes a person feels all at once, and this is exactly what Kristoff was feeling.
Elsa sets the story in motion by following the sound she hears to the north of Arendelle. She questions who she is and why she has ice powers. When she sings, “Into the Unknown,” it wakes the spirits of the past who begin to haunt the kingdom of Arendelle. To stop them, Elsa, Ana, Kristoff and Olaf must travel north towards the calls that Elsa hears.
When we begin to fear change, we start looking at who we are as a person. Knowing your own cultural background can help in developing your self-identity. The stories and history of one’s past can bridge your own understanding of yourself and your unique sense of belonging. This situation is what was happening to Elsa because she begins to wonder who she is and why she keeps hearing a distant call.
Elsa and Ana go through changes after finding out who they really are, changes that make both of them more resilient people. When we are in a turmoil of existential dread, it is through knowing our own history that we find ourselves again. After all, humans are social beings, therefore we crave connection, belonging and attachment.
And last but not least, the encompassing theme of changes after the death of a loved one was also prevalent in the movie. Kristen Bell, voice actor of Ana, did a stellar job of singing “The Next Right Thing.” After experiencing great loss, Ana couldn’t muster the energy to keep going.
The animation alone captured the moment perfectly, and the emotions it brought forward were not typical of Disney. With lyrics like “Hello Darkness, I’m ready to succumb,” you know that this moment wasn’t just for younger viewers.
The loss of a loved one is a change that is hard to describe. Death can make you sad and angry, questioning the good of people or of the world. It begins with asking why life is so unfair, and you are left in the darkness by yourself. But death works in mysterious ways. It may take you weeks or years to notice, but within the darkness are specks of light, and soon enough the sun will rise and you will find solace.
Frozen II, with its theme of fear of change weaved into the animation, is full of emotions that older viewers can relate to. Whether that’s existential crisis, falling in love, questioning your self-identity or losing a loved one, changes are inevitable and we must embrace them.
J.C. Balicanta Narag/ Copy Editor
Graphic: Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor
Tags: animationsartsfrozenmovie reviewmovies
Featured locals of the month: The Local Group
This quartet is fixing to bring back bluegrass for the youngins.
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The play sheds a witty glimmer of light onto how little women’s rights have changed.
Ami Cheon and vbnd: A superb evening of soul at Black Cat Tavern
The Soulmate Collective helps deliver an impressive start to vocalist Ami Cheon’'s tour.
This quartet is fixing to bring back bluegrass for the
The play sheds a witty glimmer of light onto how
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Tag - On-premise
Health • Technology
Medical Image Management Market by Radiology, Mammography, Cardiology and Enterprise Applications – Growing at 7.7% CAGR and to Reach US$ 4.40 Billion in 2023
Study estimates medical image management market size for 2018 and projects its demand till 2023. In primary research process, various sources from both demand...
Healthcare Chatbots Market Set to Grow at 20.8% CAGR to 2023 – Study by Chatting Solutions, Medical Assistance and Appointment Booking Applications
The study provides an in-depth analysis of healthcare chatbots market with current and future trends to elucidate the imminent investment pockets in the market...
Laboratory Information Management System Market by Toxicology, Pharma, Biotech, Chemical, Agriculture to 2024 – Top Trends, Key Insights and Company Profiles
Report provides an overview of Laboratory Information Management market. It aims at estimating Laboratory Information Management market size and future growth...
Healthcare Claims Management Market by Integrated, Standalone, Software, Healthcare Payers, Cloud Based and Services End Users to 2023
Report analyzes the healthcare claims management market and aims at estimating the market size and future growth potential of this market based on various...
Patient Access Solutions Market Overview by Denial Management, Eligibility Verification, Medical Necessity and Prior-Authorization to 2023 – Outsourcing Companies and Hospitals Applications
Key players in patient access solutions market are McKesson (US), Epic Systems (US), Cerner (US), Cognizant (US), Experian plc (Ireland), Optum, Inc. (US)...
Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market Study on Shares, Strategies, Products, Distribution Networks, and Manufacturing Capabilities for North America and Europe Region to 2023
The study provides an in-depth analysis of the Healthcare supply chain management market with current and future trends to elucidate imminent investment...
Revenue Cycle Management Market to Grow at 12.1% CAGR and Projected to Reach USD 80.56 billion by 2021 – Top Trends and Global Forecast
Major players operating in revenue cycle management market include McKesson Corporation (U.S.), Cerner Corporation (U.S.), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (U.S...
Clinical Trial Management System Market Analysis, Size, Share, Forecast, Growth Projection, Company Profiles, Top Trends and Key Insights to 2022
Clinical trial management market 2022 Report analyses the industry status, size, share, trends, growth opportunity, competition landscape and forecast...
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Home28. The Abandoned
28. The Abandoned
November 3, 2008 May 26, 2012 Thomas Pluck Uncategorized00s, blogathons, High Spanic, Horror, Schlocktoberfest, The Abandoned
Schlocktoberfest #28: The Abandoned
Is there such a thing as destiny? In The Abandoned, by Spanish director Nacho Cerdà, it possibly cannot be escaped. A middle-aged woman who was orphaned at birth, and raised by a Russian family who found her bloody mother in a work truck, cradling her twins- seeks out her past, but sometimes that is one rock you don’t want to peer under.
Marie (Anastasia Hille, RKO 281, The Hole) is a professional middle-aged woman who looks sharp as she shows up at the Russian lawyer’s office, where he is settling the estate of her birth parents. How he found her is unknown, but she has inherited their farm, deep in the Russian wilderness. She hires a man with a sturdy truck to take her there; he tells her the locals call the place “the island,” for it is surrounded by a wide river, and is only reachable by bridge.
At first we are taken in by the vast expanse of the Russian wilderness, as she makes her way to the farmhouse, which is oddly surrounded on all sides by a river. And she cannot swim. The truck driver who takes her there disappears in the night, as he walks off to show her the farm, and when she follows him, she falls into the river. By luck she is rescued by her lost twin brother, who was also brought here by a lawyer handling the inheritance. Odd that he didn’t tell them about each other, no?
The mysteries deepen, and the river is not the only thing that is circular. She and her brother were found by local farmers, as their mother escaped with them in a truck; the mother died of stab wounds, and as they explore the house, its violent past is replayed. Two white-eyed zombie doppelgangers of Marie and her brother appear, and it is unclear what they want, but one thing does come clear- they cannot leave the estate, and the ghosts of their past insist that they were meant to perish as children, all those years ago.
Like Jacob’s Ladder, we are unsure what is reality and what is hallucination, or is it all perhaps the moment before death? It manages a fine setting of mood and some excellent visuals, but it goes past its obvious ending, full circle, and continues further- either to fill out running time, or explain things Silent Hill-style when leaving it for us to decide would have been the wiser choice. It’s a creepy and compelling ghost story that should have continued to show and not tell.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=plyoto-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000OY9V9S&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr
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29. Hatchet →
One thought on “28. The Abandoned”
elgringo says:
The director’s name is Nacho.This movie is better than your favorite movie.
RT @jon_bois: i’m not supposed to say this, but everyone in the industry knows it. most writers will make all sorts of revisions to somethi… 36 minutes ago
I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.... twitter.com/petegenovese/s… 1 hour ago
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Interview with SymFunny’s James Morgan!
Posted by thoughtsofjustafan on 14th May 2014
Posted in: Alfie Boe, Music. Tagged: Alfie Boe, Armstrong & Miller, Bring Him Home, James Morgan, Jason Manford, Morgan Pochin, Parkinson's UK, Sarah Brightman, SymFunny.
With just three weeks to go until SymFunny at the Royal Albert Hall, I’m very pleased to announce that the conductor, producer and composer James Morgan, one half of Morgan Pochin agreed to answer a few questions!
Most of you will know James through his work with Alfie Boe; James and his wife Juliette Pochin have worked with Alfie a number of times, notably on the Bring Him Home album and tour. Excitingly for Alfie fans, James and Juliette have been working on Alfie’s new album.
SymFunny is a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 4th June in aid of Parkinson’s UK and was set up in response to James being diagnosed with the disease. As well as Alfie, other confirmed acts include Jason Manford, Sarah Brightman, Armstrong & Miller, with Al Murray just announced as compere.
I started by asking James how he got the idea for SymFunny:
A: I’d kept my Parkinson’s secret for a year, but in the end decided that I could do more good and raise awareness and money by talking about the condition. I thought that by using my contacts in the music industry I could help create a special event which would boost both awareness and fundraising.
Q: The concert is in conjunction with Parkinson’s UK; what can you tell us about the charity?
A: It’s not one of the UK’s biggest charities, but it’s really active, and at the forefront of funding innovative research for a cure.
Q: You have just finished recording Alfie Boe’s new album, due out in September, is there a chance we will hear some of that material at SymFunny?
A: Yes, a good chance! I think we’re certainly allowed to do one song….it’s definitely our best collaboration yet with Alfie, and we think it’s going to delight existing fans, and hopefully attract a lot of new ones.
Q: Alfie’s first Decca album, Bring Him Home was also produced by Morgan Pochin. How has the recording process changed between then and now?
A: We did both Bring him Home, and Alfie. Bring Him Home was an unbelievably quick turn around – I think it was two weeks from getting the go ahead to sending to the manufacturing plant. Alfie sang live with the orchestra and recorded it all incredibly quickly. This time, there’s been more time to plan – we even got to rehearse!
Q: Juliette and Alfie have duetted before, on First Night – will Juliette also perform at SymFunny? And if so, what is it like to conduct your wife?
A: Yes, Juliette will be singing- conducting her is as in life, I do what I’m told! Seriously, it’s always a particular pleasure to conduct her, particularly in pieces we both love.
Q: Following on from that question, can you describe your working relationship with Juliette?
A: It depends what we’re doing, really. We usually start around the piano, and one or other of us have an idea – it’s always starting that’s the biggest problem, as one idea usually sparks another. It’s having that idea before the lure of the coffee machine intervenes…
Q: How does composing for TV and other projects differ? Can you talk us through the creative process?
A: For TV and film you’re working closely with a director, and composing music that underpins the drama- the music always serves the picture. You predecide with the director where music should or could go, then write accordingly. Producing is different, as you’re often working with pre-existing music, so it’s more a question of interpreting that with the artist you’re collaborating with. And it’s all about the music!
Q: Is there anyone you would like to compose for?
A: Steven Spielberg would be nice!
Q: If you could conduct anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?
A: Apart from my wife, and Alfie of course, I’d love to have conducted Duke Ellington’s orchestra….
Q: If you could conduct in any venue in the world, where would it be? Do you have a favourite venue?
A: I like Symphony Hall in Birmingham – the acoustics are amazing. I’d love to perform in Sydney Opera House, not least because it would mean I could visit Australia- I’ve never been.
Q: Finally, as SymFunny is an evening of comedy as well as music, do you have a favourite comedy moment that you have compsoed for?
A: Hmm that’s a tough one. I think composing evangelical hymns written by Ian Hislop for the ITV series Sermon from St Albion’s was really good fun. Or possibly Armstrong & Miller’s nude vet sketch! More recently you may have caught Alfie singing Jedward the Musical on Comedy Rocks, which we had great fun writing.
Thank you James for answering my questions, really looking forward to SymFunny.
If the evening appeals, click here to book tickets. If not, enjoy Alfie singing Jedward the Musical!
If you like what you see, why not subscribe to the site?
As ever, thanks for reading xxx
← Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean on Broadway
Favourite Alfie Boe Duet – The Short List! →
One comment on “Interview with SymFunny’s James Morgan!”
Pingback: Interview with Morgan Pochin coming…soon! | thoughtsofjustafan
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VMware Issues 3 Critical Patches for vSphere Data ProtectionPrevious article
Intel In Security Hot Seat Over Reported CPU Design FlawNext article
MacOS LPE Exploit Gives Attackers Root Access
Author: Tom Spring
A researcher with the Twitter handle ‘Siguza’ published details of a macOS local privilege escalation vulnerability dating back to 2002 that could give an attacker root access to systems.
A researcher that goes by the handle “Siguza” released details of a local privilege escalation attack against macOS that dates back to 2002. A successful attack could give adversaries complete root access to targeted systems.
Siguza released details of the attack on Dec. 31 via Twitter, wishing followers a “Happy New Year” and linked to a technical write-up outlining the research.
The local privilege escalation (LPE) attack requires a pre-existing foothold on targeted systems. For that reason, LPEs are generally not considered critical vulnerabilities.
“An attacker needs to already have a presence on the system to take advantage of this vulnerability. This could be through infecting the target system via a remote vulnerability, such as a Safari bug, or could be through physical access, such as on a kiosk-type system,” said Jasiel Spelman, senior vulnerability researcher with Zero Day Initiative.
The most troubling thing about this vulnerability is that it has existed for years, said Jason Haddix, head of trust and security at Bugcrowd. “We see this every so often where a bug has been latent in a system for years and no one has found it – or we hope no one has. It does go to show that automation, which Apple is no-doubt using, is not a catch-all solution for finding bugs.”
Apple did not return a request for comment for this story.
The vulnerability identified by Siguza allows for compromise of the IOHIDFamily macOS kernel driver from a process with low privileges. The IOHIDFamily is a kernel extension that provides an interface for human interface devices, such as keyboards and mice, which can be implemented by vendors, describes ZDI.
“This particular code path is only supposed to be used by a privileged process known as WindowServer, however part of this attack involves breaking the assumption that WindowServer will interact with this particular component within IOHIDFamily,” Spelman said.
An attacker wanting to exploit the vulnerability has several options, depending on the level of access already gained on the targeted system.
“Even in the most extreme case, where an attacker must first compromise an unprivileged process, evidence of the attack may be visible to the user. Specifically, in order to trigger this bug, the user must logout, either forcibly by the attacker, or manually by the user while the attacker’s code waits for an opportune moment. If successful, the attacker will be able to escalate to have kernel privileges,” ZDI wrote.
Spelman said this type of vulnerability, where data from userland is trusted, has existed for years. “The assumption that was made, and unfortunately not enforced, was that only a trusted process would be able to access the vulnerable code path. The researcher managed to break that assumption through the use of the forced logout,” he said.
Siguza stated via Twitter he declined to first share his research of the macOS exploit with Apple and opted instead to post it online for maximum exposure to the problem.
My primary goal was to get the write-up out for people to read. I wouldn't sell to blackhats because I don't wanna help their cause. I would've submitted to Apple if their bug bounty included macOS, or if the vuln was remotely exploitable.
— Siguza (@s1guza) January 1, 2018
“My primary goal was to get the write-up out for people to read. I wouldn’t sell to blackhats because I don’t wanna help their cause. I would’ve submitted to Apple if their bug bounty included macOS, or if the vuln was remotely exploitable,” Siguza said in a tweet.
A patch for the bug is expected by Apple later this month as part of a cumulative update, say experts.
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Step on Board the Haunted Tube Express
2366 guests joined
Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2
Events planner and theatrical type. More Info »
THIS EXPERIENCE INVOLVES RIDING ON LONDON UNDERGROUND TRAINS SO PLEASE BRING AN OYSTER CARD OR TRAVEL PASS WITH YOU!
Tour begins at Bethnal Green and finishes at Covent garden You will not enter or leave the London underground network apart from at these stops.
Discover the darker history of the London underground. From a war time tragedy at Bethnal Green, to the "elderly angel" who apparently saved a tube worker at Aldgate
The tube is full of ghosts. Are you brave enough to encounter them?
Join Siwan on a tour of London's hidden underworld, where past and present collide.
Starting at the Stairway to Heaven monument in Bethnal Green, scene of one of London’s worst wartime disasters, this tour will take you on a fascinating journey below the pavements of the everyday world into the often seen but seldom explored corridors of the London Underground.
Wind your way through the labyrinth passageways of bank station and discover just who was the old lady of thread needle street
Journey to Farringdon the oldest stop on the tube and keep an ear out, as we tell you the horrific tale of the screaming Spectre who lurks around the building close to where she met her end...
Everyone’s heard of the great King’s Cross fire of 1987 but while its aftermath has lead to many improvements for the london transport network its also given rise to a rumours of a rather tragic haunting.
From plague pits to poltergeists, the Underground is a huge network of hidden secrets. Are you brave enough to discover them?
Please note: This tour does not include any visits to the tube network's abandoned stations as these are closed to the public other than for official TFL-run tours. If you really want to explore them, you'll need to keep a close eye on the London Transport Museum web site, as such tours are infrequent and expensive and tend to sell out quickly.
The Host is happy to schedule in dates for private groups but only for groups of 6+. Please contact Siwan via the Funzing messaging system directly.
IF YOU HAVE BOOKED WITH US YOU WILL RECIVE A CONFIRMATION MESSAGE THE DAY BEFORE YOUR TOUR INCLUDING DETAILS OF HOW TO FIND US AND YOUR TOURGUIDE'S NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS
THIS EXPERIENCE INVOLVES RIDING ON LONDON UNDERGROUND TRAINS SO PLEASE BRING AN OYSTER CARD OR TRAVEL PASS WITH YOU! Tour begins at Bethnal Green and finishes at Covent garden You will not enter or leave the London underground network apart from ... Read More
Historical insights
Travelling on London underground 'tube' trains
London Knowledge
Mon, 27th January, 19:00 - 21:00
Mon, 3rd February, 19:00 - 21:00
Thu, 12th March, 19:00 - 21:00
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Tomatrax
An independent online music magazine
Top 100s (songs)
Top 10s (EPs)
Top 20 (LPs)
Interview with Joshua Fried
Joshua Fried has become one of the most innovative artists around with his work covering experimental music, and live art, as well as remixing the work of They Might Be Giants and being a member, along with John Flansburgh, of Hello The Band. On his new album as Radio Wonderland, each track is made of 100% live radio grabbed during a live show. Tomatrax caught up with Mr Fried to talk about his latest work.
Where did the name Radio Wonderland come from?
It was always there, waiting. I took it as a temporary name because all the sounds come from live radio. Slowly I came to know that with all the frightening, funny, jagged-edged and putty-like transformations I was doing, it simply was RADIO WONDERLAND.
You’re just about to release your next album, what’s it like to have to finished?
What? I’m soooo wasted, did you say something?
This is the first album by RADIO WONDERLAND. The RW experience is essentially live and the material is different for every show–being made entirely from live radio bits grabbed during each show. So a recording is at best an approximation, or a close relation, to the real thing. It evokes the live show but it’s hardly a document. Even though it’s all taken from live concert recordings, each track is drastically distilled. The album is its own animal. Even without all the editing, as a recording, it must be.
http://radiowonderland.org/seize/01%20Radio%20Family.mp3
The album is made up of live radio grabbed during a RADIO WONDERLAND show, where did you come up with this concept?
No, each track is made of live radio grabbed during a show. 6 vinyl tracks + 2 bonus tracks = 8 total–from 8 live shows. The title track ‘Seize the Means’ is broken into two parts to protect the innocent, so the vinyl has 7 actual tracks on it. I always knew the first album had to be strictly true to concept. RW must be 100% live radio by definition. This concept evolved over the years of working with radio, developing the shoes to control gates, applying those gates to radio, and doing show after show after show.
In live gigs I walk on with just the boombox; nothing’s pre-recorded–except of course for what might come up on the air, like a pop song or commercial which obviously was recorded before it aired. Once I plug the radio into my rig, I can grab whatever comes up during the performance. All the slicing, reshuffling, transposing etc. is in my own software, which I’m controlling from the Buick steering wheel, the Musical Shoes, various sliders, knobs, and two pedals.
Anything else isn’t RADIO WONDERLAND. The basic formula for Seize the Means‘ tracks is one 30-to-45 minute concert => one 4-to-9 minute album track.
You had over 200 hours worth of recorded material on this album, how did you narrow that down into one album?
Slowly. I listened to everything, picked the shows with the best grooves, and edited–keeping the remixing and fancy stuff to a minimum. The easy way out would have been to grab whatever tracks were pretty new and seemed OK, and doctor them up significantly. This way is better, truer. There are no “outside” overdubs–each track is made entirely from the sounds of that one particular show.
What make you pick ‘Seize the means’ as the title track?
It’s the longest, and has the least amount of editing. So it’s closest to the underlying live recording, which was made at the Figment Festival, a kind of 2-day Burning Man on Governor’s Island, NY. 13 minutes of throbbing radio bits, and that one word “Power,” over and over. “Nothing but pounding and POWER!” was how I thought of it. That fits the slogan of “Seize the Means”.
What inspired you to write a song about Miley Cyrus?
It doesn’t work like that. The name “Miley Cyrus” came up on the air and I used it. Later, on, someone told me that’s the name of a presidential candidate or a movie star or something.
You’ve done a lot of work remixing They Might Be Giants music, how did this collaboration come about?
We knew one another from the clubs like Pyramid, Darinka, and Danceteria and went to each other’s gigs. I did sound for them at Pyramid, CBGB and some out of town dates. Then Flansburgh just started asking me to come aboard on projects. It was me who scaled them up, adding all kinds of instruments and ideas, and on ‘Larger Than Life’, the reggae MCs Sensi and Miss Linda, who came up with the extra lyrics with me.
How does remixing other artists’ music compare to making your own?
Gives the ego a break. The remixes are another way to channel my sensibilities, and sometimes the personal stamp comes through that much more clearly when working from a template of solid songcraft.
If you could remix anyone else’s music, who would you choose?
Michael Jackson. I heard that on many songs there are literally dozens of overdubs that were tried and discarded, because they were synchronizing two 24-track machines together and could swap out entire reels. I want the whole archive if it’s still out there. Q hasn’t returned my calls.
How long did it take to do the video for the ‘Emergency Bot TV Theme’?
As long as there is imagination left in the world, that video will never be finished. We shot it over a couple of days, the GuitarBot demanding a 10-minute break every three hours. That’s a union joke. Editing took about a week. I’m glad you know about that piece.
Do you ever listen to your own music?
Sure, sometimes. It used to be that was all I listened to, except the occasional OPM = “Other People’s Music”–it was so rare I gave it a nickname. I was writing minimal, hypnotic stuff based on tape loops. But now, like a lot of artists and musicians, if I’m working on it, I listen to it, and afterwards I move on. In the future I want to go back to creating music that’s extremely minimal and have it on all day.
What other music do you listen to?
Frank Sinatra, Jeff Mills, Deep House, the new Avalanches album, Todd Terje, Glam rock, Gary’s Gang, Mahler songs, Fela, early American minimalism, the Bang On A Can crowd (Gordon, Lang, Wolfe, Ziporyn). Not in any order. You think I’m kidding about the Frank Sinatra but I’m not. If I can stand it I’ll break out the old Prince and Bowie but it can be too hard. Iggy’s still around and he Must. Never. Die.
What do you have planned once your upcoming album is released?
Play gigs. I’ll also be updating the RADIO WONDERLAND software. Make more recordings. Do electronic interviews. Rinse and repeat. Thank you!
Seize the means will be released 18 November on LP, USB stick and all major digital platforms. Check out Radio Wonderland’s website to find out more!
Interview with Stazzy and Col from Frantic Chant tomatrax.wordpress.com/2020/01/19/int… https://t.co/a4hcEpQA41 1 day ago
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Interview with Stazzy and Col from Frantic Chant
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Tomatrax Top 100 Songs of 2019 – Part 9 (20 to 11)
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Tomatrax Top 100 songs of 2019 – Part 1 (100 to 91)
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Tomatrax Top 20 albums of 2019 – Part 1 (20-11)
Interview with Jérémy Rumerio from This Frilly Ape
Tomatrax Top 10 EPs from 2019
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Tag Archive: North Carolina State
East-West Shrine Game Recap
Filed under: All-Star Game Notes — 2 Comments
1- Nathan Stanley, Southeastern Louisiana- Stanley still has room to improve as his accuracy and timing seemed to be a bit off at times, but he has the size and arm strength that makes him an intriguing developmental Day 3 guy in my opinion. He has a ways to go from working under center and making reads, etc. However, he’s got talent worth stashing as a 3rd quarterback late in the draft in my opinion.
2- Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech- Cameron has never been my favorite prospect, but he showed me a little more velocity than I thought he had this week and I think he has some potential to be developed into a solid back-up.
3- Matt Scott, Arizona- Scott certainly had his struggles this week, but he spins a clean ball and has the 2nd best velocity of all the quarterbacks in St. Petersburg and has the kind of athleticism that teams will be looking into at quarterback given the emergence of the zone read in the NFL. He’s very much a developmental prospect that is better out of the shotgun than under center at this point, but I think he warrants consideration on Day 3.
4- Alex Carder, Western Michigan- I have never been a big fan of Carder and I don’t think he’s going to be a NFL starter, but he grades out as a 7th round/UDFA quarterback from what I’ve seen of him. I don’t think he spins a very clean ball and doesn’t have much beyond average arm strength and velocity, so I don’t think he has much upside at the next level.
5- Seth Doege, Texas Tech- Doege’s lack of arm strength was on display this week and while he has made a career out of overcoming adversity I don’t think he is going to be a NFL starter. He will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Graham Harrell and be developed as a potential back-up in the NFL.
6- Collin Klein, Kansas State- Klein struggled with velocity and accuracy every day that he was here and I think that there were so many questioning whether he could play quarterback at the next level coming into the week that it’s even more difficult to make that argument now. I actually expected him to be bigger considering the beating he took the past two years running the ball so much but he only weighed in at 218 pounds despite being over 6’4”. He looked best to me when he was running the ball, and maybe someone will still take a flyer on him late on Day 3 to try to develop him or maybe sign him as an undrafted free agent, but it’s hard to imagine him being a NFL quarterback after watching him this week.
Running Backs:
1- Christine Michael, Texas A&M- There’s not a strong argument to be made that Michael isn’t the running back with the highest upside here in St. Petersburg. According to @DashDiallo1 (Follow him) he is high on the reserve list for the Senior Bowl and he has had a great week. Brandon pointed out something I had not noticed before- Michael seemed to be looking at the ball as he was taking hand-offs and pitches instead of keeping his eyes up and reading his blocks. I hadn’t noticed this, but that’s definitely something that he has to work on. He has all the size and athleticism to be a quality NFL running back, and if he can clean up his eye level when taking hand-offs or tosses he will be ready to make an immediate impact. It is certainly concerning, but it should be coachable.
2- Ray Graham, Pittsburgh- Graham should be ready to contribute right away as he has the burst and athleticism you want as well as reliable hands. He’s had a good week and was the strongest back on the East roster.
3- Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt- There are some that are high on Stacy and some that aren’t, but I’m a fan. He’s not a flashy back, but he does a lot of things well and I think if he lands with the right team he could be a solid contributor as a rookie. He’s not as explosive as Michael or Graham but his game translates to the next level.
4- Kerwynn Williams, Utah State- Williams looked good this week as well and despite being an undersized back he has some burst and explosiveness. I don’t think he is a sub 4.5 guy in the 40 and there were some times I saw him get strung out when he tried to get the edge this week. I’m not sure he can be a NFL starter, but I think he has the potential to be a complementary back.
5- Zach Line, SMU- Line caught my eye last year when I was watching SMU and I think he is going to make a NFL roster as a running back/fullback hybrid. Pure full-backs aren’t very typical anymore and that makes Line’s skill set valuable. I haven’t seen him block often, but he runs the ball effectively despite a lack of great speed and he has caught the ball well when I’ve seen him this week.
6- Montel Harris, Temple- Harris has so many red flags thanks to his injury history and off-field issues that even with a great performance this week I would have hesitated to give him a draftable grade. He’s an undrafted free agent to me not only because of those things, but because of the wear and tear he’s had as a ball carrier. If you invite him into a camp and he impresses that’s one thing, but this running back class is way too deep to pick him in my opinion.
Wide Receivers:
1- Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech- Coming into this week I thought Fuller was a sleeper and while he may not have had a perfect week I think he showed that he is a smooth runner with room to grow as a route runner, impressive straight line speed and reliable hands. There were plenty of people looking forward to seeing what Marcus Davis could do, but more and more I think evaluators are realizing that Fuller was the more talented Virginia Tech receiver on this roster. This was his break-out campaign and he has plenty to work on, but he is a great day three sleeper at receiver that has a lot of upside.
2- Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State- Bumphis isn’t going to burn you vertically and I think he’s probably in the 4.5-4.54 range in the 40 yard dash, but what he can do is out-quick you. He is so good in and out of his breaks, he showed that he can run good routes, and he generated separation when he was allowed to work in the slot. He’s not going to run by a lot of players vertically, but he can make plays in the slot and gain yardage after the catch.
3- Erik Highsmith, North Carolina- The only disappointing thing about Highsmith’s week was the weigh in, where he apparently measured at 6004 (6’.5”) instead of his listed height of 6’3”. He also measured in at 190 pounds with 8 inch hands, the smallest on the entire East roster. However, while he may not be a blazing fast kid he runs solid routes, knows how to use his hands to keep defenders off of him and he has good hands. In a very deep class at receiver Highsmith is going to be overlooked by a lot more flashy receivers, but even if it’s in the 6th-7th range or as an undrafted free agent I would be surprised if he doesn’t make a roster.
4- Keenan Davis, Iowa- Davis had a good week this week and while I don’t think he’s a great threat on the outside I like him as a slot receiver threat. He measured in at a legit 6’2”, 216 pounds with huge 10 3/8” hands and while he doesn’t exactly eat up cushion he showed reliable hands all week. I liked what I saw from him this week and in the game.
5- Emory Blake, Auburn- Blake didn’t stick out to me too much in a positive or negative way this week, but when I saw him I didn’t see drops and he may not be a guy with blazing speed but he can stretch the field vertically and track the ball in the air. He’s going to be a day three guy as well thanks to this very deep class, but he has a NFL skill set.
6- Anthony Amos, Middle Tennessee State- Amos isn’t going to blow the doors off the combine by any means (4.5-4.54 guy in my opinion) but he has some quickness to him, he can create a little separation when he’s running routes (though he can improve here) and he showed impressive hands to snag passes outside of his frame. He’s another late round kid, but he can be a reliable possession guy for you at the next level, particularly in the slot.
Tight Ends:
1- DC Jefferson, Rutgers- Jefferson had an impressive week and it was really evident that he was not properly utilized at Rutgers in part because of poor quarterback play. He’s got all the size and athleticism you could want at tight end and he showed the ability to high point throws and make catches with his hands outside of his frame. He’s got a lot of untapped upside and could be a nice value in the 3-4 round range given his talent level.
2- Joseph Fauria, UCLA- Fauria was a player I was looking forward to evaluating this week, especially as a blocker, but he got injured early in the week and wasn’t able to come back in time for the game. He’s got plenty of upside thanks to his size and athleticism so it was a shame we didn’t get to see him compete all week.
3- Lucas Reed, New Mexico- Reed was a player I was not familiar with at all but despite lacking blazing speed he has reliable hands along with a NFL body that should make him a relatively appealing day 3 target in a deep tight end class.
4- Chris Pantale, Boston College- Pantale isn’t a flashy prospect but I thought he had a solid week. I don’t think he’s going to be a top 100 prospect by any means, but he should get a look later on day three.
Offensive Line:
1- Terron Armstead, OT/OG, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- I don’t think anyone had a better week than Armstead did. He wasn’t perfect, but he showed that he can play offensive tackle from an athletic standpoint. He showed better technique than I anticipated as well and even though he opened up his hips early at times and got beat inside he was too much for any defensive end to handle in the game. The only defensive ends I saw beat him rushing the passer this week were David Bass and Devin Taylor, and we saw what happened to Tanner Hawkinson when he was tasked with blocking Taylor in the game.
2- Mark Jackson, OT/OG, Glenville State- Jackson has the size and length you look for in an offensive lineman at over 6’5” with 33.5” arms. He didn’t look great outside at tackle because I don’t think he has the foot quickness for it, but if he loses a little weight (he weighed in at 341 pounds, I think he would be better off in the 325-330 range, so that’s something to monitor at the combine or his pro-day) I think he would be fine at guard. He is strong and while he doesn’t look like a natural puller he can generate push off the ball and he’s hard to shed after he engages you. He’s a quality day 3 option at guard.
3- Manase Foketi, OT/OG, West Texas A&M- Foketi was a huge let down this week since we never even got to see him practice. I saw him standing watching drills on Monday and wondered if he was going to get in on practice the next day but he didn’t practice on Tuesday either and by the end of the week he wasn’t even in St. Petersburg anymore. I haven’t found out why he never competed but I am interested to hear what the reason was.
4- T.J. Johnson, C, South Carolina- Johnson got some time at center and at guard this week and while he isn’t a great athlete he has all the size and length you could want at center as he measured in at over 6’4”, 323 pounds with 33 inch arms. He has shown that he can anchor against strong defensive tackles 1 on 1 and he looked good snapping the ball this week. He was the best center in St. Petersburg all week and he definitely warrants a pick on Day 3.
5- Earl Watford, OG, James Madison- Watford didn’t play in the game unfortunately (I heard it was something with his knee) but he showed that he is athletic enough to play guard at the next level even if he still needs to get stronger and continue to improve on his technique. If he can add some lower body strength to help him anchor and drive he should stick on a roster.
6- Jeff Baca, OG, UCLA- Baca is a late round guy but I think he has solid anchor and did a pretty good job in pass protection this week. He doesn’t have a lot of starter upside at the next level, but he did enough this week to earn a late round draftable grade from me.
Defensive Line:
1- David Bass, DE, Missouri Western State- Bass was extremely impressive to me this week. I came in with high hopes for him and he certainly lived up to them. He has NFL size, athleticism and he did a good job versus the run and the pass all week. I have to go back and watch more of him, but I think he has helped elevate himself into potential top 100 consideration.
2- Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton- Catapano isn’t an elite athlete but he has a great motor, he’s strong, has active hands and is hard to push off the ball. He is the kind of kid who is going to get the most out of all his ability and his 6’3”, 270 pound frame with just under 34 inch arms. He’s an impressive kid and he’s going to be a contributor to a defensive line rotation as a rookie.
3- Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina- Taylor is a guy who has as much upside as anyone in St. Petersburg but when I’ve watched him he just hasn’t lived up to his immense upside given his athleticism and his 6’7”, 275 pound frame. He had an up and down week in my opinion, but he had a great game going up against Tanner Hawkinson all night. Hawkinson doesn’t have good enough feet to stick at tackle and he doesn’t have the strength to play guard so Taylor beat him using his speed and his strength consistently all night. Taylor won’t have it so easy with NFL caliber tackles at the next level though, and despite his intriguing upside I still am not sold on him being an impact pass rusher at the next level.
4- William Campbell, DT, Michigan- Campbell had a good week going against a poor cast of interior offensive linemen on the West roster but he has NFL size and athleticism. He never lived up to my expectations at Michigan but while he is still raw he certainly has upside. I think he’s a day 3 caliber draft pick with some upside as a nose tackle in a 4-3.
5- Scott Vallone, DT/DE, Rutgers- Vallone didn’t have an amazing week but he has shown the ability to be disruptive and make plays versus the run. He’s never been much of a pass rusher, but I think he has some value as an undersized defensive tackle.
6- Will Pericak, DT, Colorado- Pericak isn’t a flashy player but I think he has a place on a NFL roster. He’s got the size, length and strength to stick in a defensive line rotation. His motor and effort level impressed me this week.
Linebackers:
1- Keith Pough, Howard- Pough had a fantastic week of practice. I think the thing that impressed me the most was the vocal leadership he was able to show and he was one of the only players that was able to energize the West practices at all. I definitely need to watch more of him but he really stuck out to me this week.
2- DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina- I didn’t see as much of Holloman as I wanted to this week but he showed me enough to make me want to go back and watch more South Carolina to see him in action. He is likely a day 3 pick, but I think he has NFL talent.
3- Sio Moore, Connecticut- Moore doesn’t strike me as a great fit in a 4-3 as an outside linebacker but I haven’t seen him in coverage a lot. Still, I think he is at his best when he is rushing the passer and when he was given the opportunity to that (even with his hand down) he was effective. I don’t think he fits the mold as a 3-4 OLB either though, so he might be a two down linebacker in a 4-3 who can put his hand down and rush the passer on obvious 3rd downs. He has upside, but he’s not a fit for every team in my opinion.
4- Gerald Hodges, Penn State- Hodges packs some punch as a hitter but he didn’t stick out to me frequently this week when I was watching practice. When I did see him he seemed to flow to the ball well but I didn’t see him shed blocks effectively at the point of attack. That’s something I’ll certainly have to investigate more when I watch Penn State.
5- A.J. Klein, Iowa State- Klein is a tackling machine that impressed me when I watched Iowa State, but he didn’t stick out to me much this week. He’s not a great athlete so he is going to have to compensate for that with good or great instincts, but I didn’t get a good enough look at him to evaluate that this week.
6- Steve Greer, Virginia- Like a couple other linebackers in St. Petersburg he isn’t a great athlete but he showed a nose for the ball when I saw him this week and I already knew he was a good tackler. He’s going to have to play special teams to ensure a roster spot but I think he’s got value as a back-up linebacker.
Cornerbacks:
1- Brandon McGee, Miami- McGee had an up and down season when I saw him play this year but he had a very good week. He showed fluid hips, good feet and impressive ball skills this week and he is going to run a very impressive 40 yard dash time at the combine. He’s got a lot of upside so keep an eye on him.
2- Nigel Malone, Kansas State- Malone has been a guy I’ve liked all season since I previewed Kansas State before the season and he continues to live up to my expectations. He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but especially in a zone scheme he could be a very reliable corner. He’s got smooth hips, good feet and impressive ball skills. He evidenced those in the game as he got a pick 6 (even though it was thrown right to him). He might not end up in the top 100, but I’ll take him any time on Day 3.
3- Terry Hawthorne, Illinois- Hawthorne has plenty of upside but he didn’t seem to close on passes in front of him very well this week, didn’t show me very smooth transitions and while he has good ball skills I wonder how good of a starting corner he can be. He had a nice interception when he was dropped into zone in this game (looked like Cover-3 but it was hard to see from the press box which was on the opposite side of the field from his interception) and he has talent, I just don’t know if I’d pick him day 2.
4- Branden Smith, Georgia- Smith is an undersized corner who isn’t a great tackler but he is a good athlete with quality ball skills. He did badly misplay a pass thrown by Matt Scott to Chad Bumphis in the game that led to a long touchdown reception for Bumphis, but he usually plays the ball well. He doesn’t have the size or length to be an impact player and he weighed in at under 170 pounds but he has enough talent to warrant consideration on day 3.
5- Sheldon Price, UCLA- Price had a solid season this year at UCLA and while I still have some questions about his game he definitely has the speed to play corner and he looked pretty good when flipping his hips in coverage this week. He has sub 4.5 speed which allows him to recover when beaten initially as well which helped him in 1 on 1’s this week.
6- Josh Johnson, Purdue- Johnson has shown the versatility to contribute as a return man on special teams and to be a solid corner. He’s undersized but he showed me some ball skills this week and I think he warrants mid-late consideration on day 3.
Safeties:
1- Cooper Taylor, Richmond- Taylor was a player I hadn’t seen at all coming in and I was anticipating him being a stiff, oversized safety that wasn’t good in coverage. I am happy to admit I was completely wrong and that Taylor showed good hips, impressive range and a good feel for the safety position. He’s got a great combination of size and athleticism and I think he warrants top 100 consideration based on what I saw from him this week.
2- Duke Williams, Nevada- I’ve had my eye on Duke for a couple years now since he was a junior. He can really hit and while I have some questions about him in coverage I think he is a quality option at safety on Day 3.
3- Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse- Thomas has good range and while he is undersized he seems to support the run pretty well despite the occasional missed tackle. At times he bites too hard on the run though and as the last line of defense that is a problem. He will get knocked for his lack of size, but if he can work on being less aggressive I think he could have a future as a starter.
4- Earl Wolfe, NC State- Wolfe was a player I had a high opinion of coming into the week but he showed some ability in coverage as well as some ball skills. He’s a little undersized at 5’11”, 206 pounds but I think he will get drafted on day 3.
5- Zeke Motta, Notre Dame- Motta carried a late day 3/undrafted free agent grade for me coming into the week but he showed more range and fluidity in coverage than I expected. I’m still not sold on him beyond a day 3 prospect, but he’s got more upside than I originally thought.
6- Rashard Hall, Clemson- Hall didn’t impress me a lot when I watched tape of him but he has some ball skills and despite some missed tackles he looked solid against the run. He’s not my favorite safety prospect, but I think he has draftable talent.
Tags: 2013 East-West Shrine Game, 2013 NFL Draft, A.J. Klein, Alex Carder, Anthony Amos, Arizona, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Auburn, Boston College, Branden Smith, Brandon McGee, Chad Bumphis, Chris Pantale, Christine Michael, Clemson, Colby Cameron, Collin Klein, Colorado, Connecticut, Cooper Taylor, Corey Fuller, David Bass, DC Jefferson, Devin Taylor, DeVonte Holloman, Duke Williams, Earl Watford, Earl Wolfe, Emory Blake, Erik Highsmith, Georgia, Gerald Hodges, Glenville State, Howard, Idaho State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, James Madison, Jeff Baca, Joseph Fauria, Josh Hill, Josh Johnson, Kansas State, Keenan Davis, Keith Pough, Kerwynn Williams, Louisiana Tech, Lucas Reed, Manase Foketi, Mark Jackson, Matt Scott, Miami, Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, Mike Catapano, Mississippi State, Missouri Western State, Montel Harris, Nathan Stanley, Nevada, New Mexico, Nigel Malone, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Purdue, Rashard Hall, Ray Graham, Recap, Richmond, Rutgers, Scott Vallone, Seth Doege, Shamarko Thomas, Sheldon Price, Sio Moore, SMU, South Carolina, Southeastern Louisiana, Steve Greer, Syracuse, T.J. Johnson, Temple, Terron Armstead, Terry Hawthorne, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tom Melton, UCLA, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Texas A&M, Western Michigan, Will Pericak, William Campbell, Zac Stacy, Zach Line, Zach Sudfeld, Zeke Motta
My Thoughts On 7 2013 NFL Draft Eligible Quarterbacks
Filed under: NCAA Football Prospect Recaps — 3 Comments
**These are not ranked in any particular order**
Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia-
Smith started the season out at an RGIII like pace, but as the season continued his play became more inconsistent and more frustrating. I still think he is the odds on favorite to be the top QB selected, but his issues staring down his primary receiver, throwing with inconsistent footwork and not stepping into all of his throws have been fairly well documented. He has good NFL size, arm strength, impressive accuracy and pocket poise, but he wasn’t as consistent as you would like over the course of the season and even as a fan of his he left something to be desired fairly regularly as the season went on. It’s hard for me to label him as a franchise QB given some of the question marks that surround him this year, but I think he has that upside. I have heard a couple different things about his intangibles so I would love to be a fly on the wall for his interviews with NFL teams. Alas, that isn’t likely to happen, so I’ll just have to keep my ear to the ground to try to get more details about his work ethic (which I have heard is very good) and his leadership capability. He’s still my #1 QB, but like every QB in this class he is not without flaws.
Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas-
Tyler Wilson and the entire Arkansas team had a very, very underwhelming season and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) Arkansas’ season is over. Wilson is still a first round pick if you ask me, because outside of Cobi Hamilton and Dennis Johnson he did not have much in the way of help this season. I’m sure some will argue that he was boosted by his supporting cast last season, but if his play was elevated by it last year it was dragged down by his cast this season. Outside of Cobi Hamilton no wide receiver was a consistent threat, and Knile Davis was not his regular self for almost the entire year. Dennis Johnson stepped up to fill the void when they gave him the opportunity, but even with his “emergence” (some of us already knew he could play) Wilson was under near constant pressure because of his terrible offensive line. He has a bit of a gunslinger mentality that some will like and some won’t, and he isn’t a perfect prospect by any means either. But I love his intangibles and leadership capability and I think he has more than enough arm talent to be a quality NFL starter. I think he still ends up in the top 15 after the draft process runs its course and teams get to interview him. Someone will fall in love with him (if not multiple QB needy teams) and they’ll make an effort to go get him.
Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State-
Glennon is a guy I just recently caught up on and I have to say I was impressed. We all knew he had the size and arm strength to play in the NFL, but his accuracy is better than it was last season during his first season as a starter and he throws a great deep ball. He flashes the ability to feel the pressure and step up in the pocket, though he does consistently hold onto the ball too long and doesn’t always read blitzes well pre-snap. My big problem with Glennon is that he needs functional space around him, a clean pocket, or room around him when he is throwing on the run to be good and sometimes even great. His issues become evident in muddied pockets or with pressure closing in after which his mechanics break down, he fades away from throws and his accuracy suffers as a result. He has the natural arm strength to get away with some of these throws, and consistently throws accurately on short throws even with pressure in his face (particularly on drag routes) but his drop off in accuracy and decision making is definitely concerning to me. I’ve seen him stand in and make one great throw with a defender in his face in the three 2012 games I’ve watched of him so far, but my impression is that seeing him do that is a rarity. If you draft him and you protect him I think you will be able to win games with him and go to the playoffs, but when the protection breaks down and he has to make big time throws in muddied pockets I think he will struggle. He’s only in his second season as a starter so perhaps he can continue to make strides in this area (Matt Ryan has had issues with this as well) but right now I would have reservations about taking him in the top 40 picks, though I do think he will end up in the 2nd round. I have a 3rd round grade on him at this point in the draft process after watching more of his 2012 games. Previously I had a 4th round grade on him. I look forward to seeing him in person at the Senior Bowl.
Matt Barkley, QB, Southern Cal-
Barkley came back for his senior season expecting to make a serious run at the National Championship, the Heisman trophy and at the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Having just finished watching his team lose to Notre Dame without him (while his understudy Max Wittek made some freshman mistakes along with some very impressive throws in his first career start) it’s safe to say Barkley isn’t anywhere close to the BCS title game, the Heisman or to going #1 overall. I personally don’t think he will be the 1st or 2nd QB selected, but he does have a good chance to be the #3 QB selected in a class that has really underwhelmed all year long. My friend and colleague Eric Stoner (@ECStoner) pointed out something that had been previously overlooked with Barkley- aside from his fantastic finish to the season last year, he was largely what he was this season his entire career. I had never thought of it that way, but that sums it up pretty perfectly- He kind of had a Mark Sanchez rise at the end of last season and he never really sustained that level of play even with the herculean effort of Marqise Lee over the course of the year. My thoughts on him haven’t changed since the beginning of the season- he seems to be elevated by the talent around him, he doesn’t have the arm strength to put appropriate NFL velocity on some intermediate throws, his deep balls hang in the air, and he threw a mind-blowing number of short/behind the line of scrimmage passes this season as a result of all of this. He might still go in the 1st round, but there will be plenty of people making arguments for him to fall out of the top 32 selections and it’s hard to make a great argument that they’re wrong at this point. I have been on the Barkley bandwagon since he was a freshman and I hate to sound like I’m throwing him under the bus since I have been advocating him to be a starter since before his freshman year and you could tell he had a NFL future early on in his career. But he doesn’t have a lot of upside left and his lack of good/great arm strength is going to hurt him at the next level. I think he will get a shot to be a NFL starter, but I’m not convinced that he will be a quality NFL starter at this point and I wouldn’t be very comfortable drafting him as my definite QB of the future as much as it hurts me to say it.
Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee-
Bray is pretty much the polar opposite of Barkley in my opinion. He is 6’5”, skinny with lots of room to grow, has Jay Cutler-esque arm talent and unfortunately Jay Cutler-esque mechanics/decision making. He is a very talented kid with the ability to make any NFL throw even off of his back foot and that talent allows him to get away with poor footwork and weight transfer very frequently which is really too bad. He needs to be drafted by a team with a QB or QB coach that will mentor him and push him to improve his mechanics because they are a huge part of what is holding him back from reaching his immense potential. He is a frustrating kid to evaluate for this reason, and without being able to talk to his coaches, teammates and Bray himself it’s hard to evaluate how hard he is willing to work to improve his deficiencies, and I haven’t heard great things about his work ethic or intangibles thus far. NFL teams won’t like that, but there is going to be some NFL team that falls in love with his God-given talent that drafts him in the 2nd round if not higher. I liked Bray a lot coming into the season, but he didn’t progress like I hoped he might and his shortcomings were pretty obvious when you paid attention to him. I’m not sure if he will declare or not, it depends quite a bit on who Tennessee hires to replace Dooley if you ask me, but I think he is more likely to leave than he is to stay. He’s not ready to walk in and be a NFL starter in my opinion, but his raw upside gives him a chance at sneaking into the 1st round. Personally I would not want to tie my franchise to him right now, and I think the ideal situation for him would be to go to a team with an established veteran QB that can show him the ropes for a couple years, not unlike Ryan Mallett with the Patriots. I don’t know if Bray will be as lucky as Mallett was though.
Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma-
I have been underwhelmed by Jones for quite some time and despite a couple late wins this season that has not changed. I don’t think he’s a NFL starter and that stems from his lack of poise under pressure, less than ideal velocity on his passes, and the fact that I think he is elevated by the talent around him versus making everyone around him better. Because draftniks and likely scouts have been down on him so long I think it’s possible that some will start to proclaim he is underrated but I don’t buy that logic. He looked like a fourth round pick and a NFL back-up last year and his play this season hasn’t changed my mind about that. I haven’t studied him specifically this year, but nothing I’ve seen of him live has made me say “wow, I was wrong about him!” If anything it has reaffirmed that he’s good enough to get drafted, but that he is not a franchise QB or even a future quality NFL starter in my estimation.
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech-
Thomas may have underwhelmed more than any other draft-eligible 2013 NFL Draft this year and I say that as someone who was very intrigued by his first season as a starter last year. He’s got all the size, arm strength and athleticism you could want in a quarterback, but his accuracy was erratic at best this year and his decision making regressed along with his mechanics over the course of the season. He came into the season being hyped up by some as a potential top 5 pick if he continued to progress and I can’t deny that I was one of the people who thought he had a chance to do that. However, it became clear early on that he was not ready to declare and not even ready to lead Virginia Tech to an above .500 record (the Hokies finished 6-6 this year). He has a LONG way to go before he will be a quality NFL starting QB, but there are split opinions on whether or not he should stay or declare. I think he should absolutely stay, but some think that he should go to the next level and begin getting NFL level coaching. Personally, I think he needs to work hard this offseason to improve his mechanics, gain chemistry with his returning receivers and come back and prove that he can be a leader and a catalyst on a team that competes for the ACC title. I thought he had a chance to do that this year, but the lack of a consistent running game and Thomas’ own issues compounded the problems that the Hokies had from top to bottom. I’m not going to buy him as a leader and as a player with quality intangibles until his decision making improves and until he shows he can command a game pre-snap. He has a lot of room to improve, and if his accuracy never improves he will remain a developmental project that may or may never live up to his immense raw potential. I like him, and I still think he can make strides this offseason and next year in his third season as a starter, but he has plenty of work to do.
Tags: 2013 NFL Draft, Arkansas, Geno Smith, Landry Jones, Logan Thomas, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Quarterbacks, Southern Cal, Tennessee, Tom Melton, Tyler Bray, Tyler Wilson, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Preseason 2013 NFL Draft Rankings:
Filed under: NFL Draft Positional Rankings — 6 Comments
Quarterback Rankings:
1- Matt Barkley, QB, Southern Cal
2- Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee*
3- Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
4- Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech*
5- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
6- Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia*
7- E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State
8- Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
9- Casey Pachall, QB, TCU*
10- Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
Running Back Rankings:
1- Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina*
2- Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
3- Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas*
4- Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State*
5- Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina*
6- Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh
7- Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M*
8- Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama*
9- Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson
10- Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas
Wide Receiver Rankings:
1- Robert Woods, WR, Southern Cal*
2- Keenan Allen, WR, California*
3- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee*
4- Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State*
5- Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee*
6- Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas
7- Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
8- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
9- Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon
10- Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M
Tight End Rankings:
1- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame*
2- Jake Stoneburner, TE, Ohio State
3- Joseph Fauria, TE, UCLA
4- Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE, Auburn
5- Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford*
6- Michael Williams, TE, Alabama
7- Jordan Reed, TE, Florida*
8- Ryan Griffin, TE, Connecticut
9- Colter Phillips, TE, Virginia
10- Ben Cotton, TE, Nebraska
Offensive Tackle Rankings:
1- Chris Faulk, OT, LSU*
2- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M*
3- Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin
4- D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama*
5- Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan*
6- Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia
7- Alex Hurst, OT, LSU
8- Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse
9- Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M*
10- James Hurst, OT, North Carolina*
Offensive Guard Rankings:
1- Barrett Jones, OG, Alabama
2- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
3- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
4- Travis Frederick, OG, Wisconsin*
5- Alvin Bailey, OG, Arkansas*
6- Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
7- Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Georgia Tech
8- Braden Hansen, OG, BYU
9- Blaize Foltz, OG, TCU
10- Lane Taylor, OG, Oklahoma State
Center Rankings:
1- Khaled Holmes, C, Southern Cal
2- Graham Pocic, C, Illinois
3- Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas*
4- James Ferentz, C, Iowa
5- Mario Benavides, C, Louisville
6- Dalton Freeman, C, Clemson
7- Matt Stankiewitch, C, Penn State
8- Joe Madsen, C, West Virginia
9- Braxton Cave, C, Notre Dame
10- Ivory Wade, C, Baylor
Defensive End Rankings:
1- Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU*
2- Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas*
3- Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
4- Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State*
5- Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
6- Michael Buchanan, DE, Illinois
7- Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina
8- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon
9- James Gayle, DE, Virginia Tech*
10- William Gholston, DE, Michigan State*
Defensive Tackle Rankings:
1- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
2- Johnathon Hankins, DT, Ohio State*
3- Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
4- Bennie Logan, DT, LSU*
5- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
6- Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
7- Johnathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia
8- Akeem Spence, DT, Illinois*
9- Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida*
10- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
Middle Linebacker Rankings:
2- Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford
4- Michael Mauti, ILB, Penn State
5- Nico Johnson, ILB, Alabama
6- Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
7- Jonathan Brown, ILB, Illinois*
8- Bruce Taylor, ILB, Virginia Tech
9- Jonathan Bostic, ILB, Florida
10- Christian Robinson, ILB, Georgia
Outside Linebacker Rankings:
1- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia*
2- Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU*
3- Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M
4- Brandon Jenkins, OLB, Florida State
5- C.J. Mosley, OLB, Alabama*
6- Gerald Hodges, OLB, Penn State
7- Jelani Jenkins, OLB, Florida*
8- Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
9- Khaseem Green, OLB, Rutgers
10- Kenny Tate, OLB, Maryland
Cornerback Rankings:
1- David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State*
2- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State*
3- Jonathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
4- Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU*
5- Jonny Adams, CB, Michigan State
6- Nickell Robey, CB, Southern Cal*
7- Carrington Byndom, CB, Texas*
8- Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
9- Micah Hyde, CB, Iowa
10- Tharold Simon, CB, LSU*
Safety Rankings:
1- Eric Reid, FS, LSU*
2- T.J. McDonald, FS, Southern Cal
3- Kenny Vaccaro, SS, Texas
4- Robert Lester, FS, Alabama
5- Tony Jefferson, FS, Oklahoma*
6- Bacarri Rambo, SS, Georgia
7- Ray Ray Armstrong, SS, Miami
8- John Boyett, SS, Oregon
9- Matt Elam, SS, Florida*
10- Vaughn Telemaque, FS, Miami
Tags: 2013 NFL Draft Rankings, Aaron Mellette, Aaron Murray, Akeem Spence, Alabama, Alex Hurst, Alex Okafor, Alvin Bailey, Andre Ellington, Arkansas, Arthur Brown, Auburn, Bacarri Rambo, Barkevious Mingo, Barrett Jones, Baylor, Ben Cotton, Bennie Logan, Bjoren Werner, Blaize Foltz, Braden Hansen, Brandon Jenkins, Braxton Cave, Bruce Taylor, BYU, C.J. Mosley, California, Carrington Byndom, Casey Pachall, Center, Chance Warmack, Chase Thomas, Chris Faulk, Christian Robinson, Christine Michael, Cierre Wood, Clemson, Cobi Hamilton, Colter Phillips, Connecticut, Cornerback, D.J. Fluker, Da'Rick Rogers, Dalton Freeman, David Amerson, DE, Defensive End, Defensive Tackle, Dennis Johnson, Devin Taylor, Dion Jordan, E.J. Manuel, Eddie Lacy, Elon, Eric Reid, Florida, Florida State, Geno Smith, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Gerald Hodges, Giovani Bernard, Graham Pocic, Illinois, Iowa, Ivory Wade, Jackson Jeffcoat, Jake Matthews, Jake Stoneburner, James Ferentz, James Gayle, James Hurst, Jarvis Jones, Jelani Jenkins, Jesse Williams, Joe Madsen, John Boyett, Johnathan Jenkins, Johnathon Hankins, Jonathan Banks, Jonathan Bostic, Jonathan Brown, Jonathan Cooper, Jonny Adams, Jordan Poyer, Jordan Reed, Joseph Fauria, Joseph Randle, Justin Hunter, Justin Pugh, Kansas State, Kawann Short, Keenan Allen, Kenny Tate, Kenny Vaccaro, Kentucky, Kevin Reddick, Khaled Holmes, Khaseem Green, Knile Davis, Landry Jones, Lane Taylor, Larry Warford, Logan Thomas, Louisville, LSU, Luke Joeckel, Manti Te'o, Marcus Lattimore, Margus Hunt, Mario Benavides, Marquess Wilson, Maryland, Matt Barkley, Matt Elam, Matt Stankiewitch, Miami, Micah Hyde, Michael Buchanan, Michael Mauti, Michigan, Michigan State, Middle Linebacker, Mike Glennon, Missouri, Montee Ball, Nebraska, Nickell Robey, Nico Johnson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oday Aboushi, Offensive Guard, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Omoregie Uzzi, Oregon, Oregon State, Outside Linebacker, Philip Lutzenkirchen, Pittsburgh, Positional Rankings, Purdue, Quarterback, Ray Graham, Ray-Ray Armstrong, RB, Ricky Wagner, Robert Lester, Robert Woods, Running Back, Rutgers, Ryan Griffin, Ryan Swope, Safey, Sam Montgomery, Sean Porter, Shariff Floyd, Shayne Skov, Sheldon Richardson, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Cal, Stanford, Star Lotulelei, Sylvester Williams, Syracuse, T.J. McDonald, Tavon Austin, Taylor Lewan, TCU, Tennessee, Terrance Williams, Texas, Texas A&M, Tharold Simon, Tight End, Tom Melton, Tony Jefferson, Travis Frederick, Travis Swanson, Tyler Bray, Tyler Eifert, Tyler Wilson, Tyrann Mathieu, UCLA, Utah, Vaughn Telemaque, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington State, West Virginia, Wide Receiver, William Gholston, Wisconsin, Xavier Rhodes, Zach Ertz
Senior Bowl Rankings: Offense
Filed under: All-Star Game Notes — Leave a comment
Senior Bowl Top 5 Rankings:
Quarterback:
1- Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Weeden is a bit of a polarizing prospect but I like him. He had a pretty good week and while he isn’t NFL ready as some quarterbacks are I do think he warrants serious 3rd round consideration and some 2nd round consideration. I think he will end up in round two, but I’m not sure I would personally pick him that high. That said, even if he sits for a year or maybe two he would be 30 or 31 when he stepped into the starting line-up. That would give him a solid shot at 6-8 years of starting at the QB position. That’s not a lot of upside, but if he’s ready to play when he is inserted into the line-up I think he could help his team win games as much more than a game manager. He’s not an ideal Andrew Luck type prospect because of his age, but I think he could be ready after one year of learning on the bench.
2- Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin: Wilson was my #2 quarterback coming into the week and he remains there after watching him this week in practice. His height hurts him, we all know that, but he made a terrific point in an interview I read from him where he said that there are very few quarterbacks that are tall enough to just see over the offensive line. Most guys have to move in the pocket to find throwing lanes, and that’s something he can do. With his over the top release, strong arm, quick release and mobility I don’t think he will have a problem in the NFL despite measuring in at 5’10” 5/8. He’s got plenty of arm talent and more importantly has fantastic intangibles. Give him a year or two on the bench and I think he can be a quality NFL quarterback.
3- Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State: Cousins moves up to #3 for me after this week because I think he was pretty consistent. He doesn’t have a rocket arm, and he isn’t great in the face of pressure, but he’s got some upside and may be able to develop into a solid starter with a couple of years on the bench. I don’t think I would draft him as my quarterback of the future, but he could be someone with a Matt Moore type of career with maybe a little more of a shot at starting.
4- Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State: Lindley is still a guy I like even though he showed his typical inconsistency this week. His accuracy needs work but I think with a couple years on the bench learning from a NFL starting quarterback Lindley would have time to improve his mechanics and footwork which could help some of his accuracy issues. I’m probably in the minority on him, especially when it comes to ranking him over Nick Foles, but I like Lindley’s arm and long term development potential.
5- Nick Foles, QB, Arizona: Foles is a bit of a polarizing prospect himself. He’s got quality tools thanks to his size, natural arm strength and he’s got some accuracy, but I just don’t see a 1st or 2nd round pick when I watch him. He hangs onto the ball for a long time and just doesn’t look good with pressure in his face. He’s got potential, I won’t deny that, and I’ve heard good things about his football IQ this week, but I’m still not sold on Foles.
Running Back:
1- Doug Martin, RB, Boise State: Doug Martin, or the “Muscle Hampster” as he is sometimes referred to, came into the week as my top back here and that has not changed. He’s a complete back that can run the ball between the tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up pressure in pass protection. He’s ready to start in the NFL right now and while I don’t think he will be a 1st round draft pick I definitely think he should go in the 2nd round which is where I have graded him for a long time now.
2- Chris Polk, RB, Washington: Some people here were dogging Chris Polk this week but I just didn’t see it. Maybe he didn’t look like he had as much burst as some thought he did, but he is more of a powerful back than a guy that has great change of direction speed and burst. He’s still got a NFL future ahead of him though because of his ability to run the ball and catch passes out of the backfield, though he needs work on pass protection like many running backs do when they leave the college ranks.
3- Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: Pead demonstrated the ability that I thought he would this week. He’s a complementary back, not a feature back, but he’s more than talented enough to offer you the versatility to make plays running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield and maybe even on special teams. I’m not sure he’s got a NFL future as a punt returner, but perhaps he will as a kick returner. Regardless, Pead offers some upside as a 3rd round pick and I think he’s got a solid shot to go in that range.
4- Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State: Ballard came into the week #4 on my rankings and he stayed there after this week. I’m not sure he’s a guy that will go in the top 100 picks, or maybe even in the first four rounds, but I think he will be able to stick on a NFL roster and work his way into a contributing role early in his career. He still doesn’t look great catching the ball out of the backfield, but if he wants to improve that I think he will be able to.
5- Chris Rainey, RB, Florida: Rainey has been telling people all week that he’s going to run a 4.1 in the 40 yard dash. I’m not sure I believe that, but I do expect him to get into the 4.3’s and you can see his speed when he lines up at running back and at receiver. He lined up a lot at receiver this week, probably more than he would have liked, but being able to run the ball out of the backfield and be split out to run routes will only help his stock. He’s an explosive guy that should help whatever team drafts him stretch the field vertically and horizontally on offense, plus he offers value as a return man.
1- Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin: Bradie Ewing was the best fullback coming into this week and after Chad Diehl went down with a concussion earlier this week he was really the only one left standing. He’s got draftable ability at fullback and I think he will end up being a NFL starter.
Wide Receiver:
1- TJ Graham, WR, North Carolina State: Graham definitely helped himself this week, perhaps more than any receiver here. His speed is extremely evident and he looks like he will be running in the 4.3’s in the 40 yard dash, but he also caught the ball well, created separation with his route running, and overall looked like one of the more impressive receivers here. I really liked him as a sleeper and he looked terrific in his final game at NC State, but between that and this week of productive practices he should be on everyone’s radar by now. He’s a guy that I might have a 3rd round grade on once I finish my film study on him.
2- Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas: Adams was impressive this week, but I still have some reservations about him. His hands and concentration aren’t always what you want them to be, but he’s as explosive as anyone here in Mobile this week. He’s got plenty of upside as a slot receiver and as a return man, but if he can improve his hands and concentration issues he could be an extremely dangerous player at the next level.
3- Marvin Jones, WR, California: Marvin Jones came into the week under the radar and I personally had a 5th or 6th round grade on him, but he definitely helped himself this week. I’ve seen him drop some passes on film, but his hands were consistent this week and he looked like a possible 4th rounder this week. I’ll have to go back and study him further, but he definitely has draftable ability and should be a nice #4 receiver early on in his career.
4- Gerell Robinson, WR, Arizona State: Gerell Robinson is a player I’ve seen a lot of this year because I spent a lot of time watching Brock Osweiler. He’s got upside as a receiver thanks to his size and length, plus his hands have become more reliable as the season has gone on. He came into the season as a possible undrafted free agent and now he may not make it into the 5th round, especially after a positive week this week.
5- Juron Criner, WR, Arizona: Criner’s hands were never in question, and he showed that this week, but I worry about his ability to separate at the next level. But if you can catch the ball you can stick in the NFL, so while he may not be an early pick I think he can stick on a roster. His route running wasn’t very impressive this week, but if he can get coached up for a year or two as a route runner I think he could clean up some of his sloppy footwork in his breaks. That might allow him to create more separation and be a more consistently productive receiver. Even if he never runs great routes he has shown the ability to make tough catches in traffic, so while I don’t think he has great upside as a receiver I do think he has upside and draftable ability.
1- Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri: Egnew came into the week as my top tight end and that hasn’t changed either. He’s got everything you could want in a tight end because of his size, length, athleticism and hands. He’s still got room to improve as a blocker, but his value is as a receiver without a doubt.
2- Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana Lafayette: Green definitely showed his athleticism and potential this week. He’s not going to be ready to walk into the NFL and start I don’t think, but he’s got a lot of upside as a developmental prospect at the next level. He’s got the frame to fill out more after weighing in at 237 this week, he’s got impressive size, length and hands. He’s not a finished product, so his upside is very intriguing.
3- Deangelo Peterson, TE, LSU: Peterson is a bit underrated because LSU didn’t throw the ball consistently well while he was there. He’s got the size and athletic ability to offer some upside, but I don’t think he will get drafted very high because of his film. He’s a tough guy to project because there’s not a lot of film on him, but he has upside.
4- Brad Smelley, TE, Alabama: Smelley is a late round guy that can stick on a roster and contribute on special teams and add depth to the TE position. I’m not sure he will ever be a NFL starter, but may be able to work himself into a #2 role at some point.
5- Brian Linthicum, TE, Michigan State: Linthicum is in a similar boat to Smelley. He’s not a guy who’s got a lot of upside but I think he might be able to work himself into a #2 role at some point. He was hurt at one point during this week, I’m not sure with what, but he’s not a guy that I see being a NFL starter.
Offensive Tackles:
1- Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State: Adams took control day one and never really let it up in my opinion. He showed the ability to play left tackle from the get-go which impressed me. I don’t think he has the versatility to play on the right side though because he needs to get stronger in the lower body to anchor better versus bull rushes. He won’t be much of a run blocker in a man blocking scheme, but if he can pass protect at a pretty high level he should be worth a 1st round selection come April.
2- Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia: Cordy Glenn has plenty of upside when it comes to the NFL Draft. I think he could play both guard spots, right tackle and even left tackle in a pinch. He’s got pretty good athleticism for such a large man, though he does bend at the waist at times. He’s got plenty of potential as an offensive lineman, and pending my film study of him I think he’s got a 2nd round grade right now.
3- Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois: Allen came into the week pretty underrated but he definitely opened some eyes this week as he was able to succeed at offensive tackle and at guard in practice. I think he’s a left tackle in the NFL, but showing the versatility to play inside at guard will only help him when it comes to the NFL Draft. He’s a quality pass protector and I feel that in a zone scheme he could be an effective run blocker as well. He’s not going to get a great push in a man blocking scheme I don’t think, but if he can pass protect effectively he could find his way into the 2nd round come April. Left tackles always move up and get drafted earlier than you’d think, so don’t be surprised if Allen goes higher than most expect.
4- Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State: Sanders came into this week as one of my top offensive tackles and he definitely hurt himself this week. He has the athleticism and length to play left tackle in the NFL but he’s a year away from being a starter there. He’s got upside, but he needs to get much stronger in the lower body and it concerns me that he was not finishing blocks for the entire week this week. He was able to get into position and block effectively at times, but he didn’t finish the block and that’s concerning. If he doesn’t finish blocks in the NFL then he will give up effort sacks to guys with good motors.
5- Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California: Schwartz helped himself this week. He looked solid in pass protection, has an anchor to recover, and projects to the right side in the NFL. I don’t think he’s much more than a 4th or 5th rounder (I came into the week thinking he was more of a 5th or 6th rounder), but he’s got the potential to be a back-up RT for a year or two and then compete for a starting job if he progresses well.
Offensive Guards:
1- Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin: Zeitler came into the week as my top offensive guard here and that didn’t change. Was he perfect this week? No, definitely not. He showed some issues with speed off the ball and wasn’t perfect in pass protection either. But he’s definitely a 2nd round guard and may have pro-bowl potential down the line.
2- Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State: Osemele has plenty of upside thanks to his great size, strength and length. However, he lumbers when he moves and struggles to re-direct and change directions quickly thanks to his massive size. I think he can be a good run blocker in a man blocking scheme but he will struggle if asked to pull or block in open space. I don’t think he has the potential to play right tackle after seeing him this week, and he definitely looked better inside at guard.
3- Senio Kelemete, OG, Washington: Kelemete caught my eye thanks to his impressive first step, athleticism and he has some pop with his initial contact. However, he needs to get stronger to help him anchor versus bull rushes and to help create more of a push in the running game. He’s a great fit for a zone blocking scheme right now in my opinion, but if he wants to hold up better against bigger, stronger interior linemen then he needs to get stronger. When he doesn’t beat you initially off the ball to get position then he struggles to win 1 on 1 match-ups.
4- Tony Bergstrom, OG, Utah: Bergstrom looked like he might be able to stay outside at tackle early in the week but I think he might be better inside. I think he has the potential to play outside, but I think he might be better on the interior.
Centers:
1- Michael Brewster, C, Ohio State: Brewster didn’t have a great week in my opinion but he didn’t look bad. He’s a 2nd or 3rd round Center in my opinion that can have a long career as a starter. I don’t think he’s an elite player at the position, but he’s smart and should be comfortable starting for a long time. I don’t think he’s going to make a good offensive line great, but I think he will be a reliable player at the position for a long time.
2- Philip Blake, C, Baylor: Blake has shown the ability to play guard and center this week, and I think he’s going to go higher than many might think. He’s got an impressive anchor, he’s got pretty good length and I think he can be a NFL starter at center or guard after a year on the bench. He’s got the strength and girth you like at the point of attack for both positions, and might have slightly more upside than Brewster does at the position thanks to his size.
3- Ben Jones, C, Georgia: Jones looked like an average athlete this week and I have a 3rd or 4th round grade on him right now. He struggled to anchor this week and looks like a guy who could be a NFL starting center but I don’t think he’s going to be a good or great player at that position.
4- William Vlachos, C, Alabama: Vlachos is one of the most strangely proportioned human beings I’ve ever seen. He’s a short, squatty player with very short arms and just doesn’t look like a NFL player when you look at him from a pure measureables standpoint. He’s a fighter though and he has pretty good technique and plays with good leverage thanks in part to his lack of height, so he might end up being a starter at some point. He’s a 5th or 6th round pick in my opinion, but he might be able to have a long NFL career thanks to his football IQ and quality technique.
Thanks for reading! Defense coming soon.
Tags: 2012 NFL Draft, 2012 Senior Bowl, Alabama, All-Star Game Notes, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Ben Jones, Boise State, Brad Smelley, Bradie Ewing, Brandon Weeden, Brian Linthicum, C, California, Chris Polk, Chris Rainey, Cincinnati, Cordy Glenn, Deangelo Peterson, Doug Martin, FB, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Gerell Robinson, Illinois, Iowa State, Isaiah Pead, Jeff Allen, Joe Adams, Juron Criner, Kelechi Osemele, Kevin Zeitler, Kirk Cousins, Ladarius Green, Louisiana Lafayette, LSU, Marvin Jones, Micahel Egnew, Michael Brewster, Michigan State, Mike Adams, Mississippi State, Missouri, Mitchell Schwartz, Nick Foles, North Carolina State, Offense, OG, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, OT, Philip Blake, QB, RB, Russell Wilson, Ryan Lindley, San Diego State, Senio Kelemete, TE, TJ Graham, Tom Melton, Tony Bergstrom, Utah, Vick Ballard, Washington, William Vlachos, Wisconsin, WR, Zebrie Sanders
Senior Bowl Notes: North Roster: Day 2
North Roster Notes:
Michael Egnew (Missouri) continued to be the class of the tight ends in Mobile. He’s such an impressive athlete and he is flashing ability as a blocker this week. He’s got reliable hands, he knows how to use his body to shield defenders, and if he continues to improve as a blocker he could be a top 40 selection. Regardless, I think he’s a 2nd round lock. He’s underrated in the scouting community right now, but that won’t last long. He’s the top senior tight end. Brian Linthicum (Michigan State) didn’t practice today, I’m not sure why. Hopefully he will be back on the field in the next day or two.
As I said in my preview of the Senior Bowl I think that Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin) is the top senior offensive guard and I still believe that. He looks like a 2nd round lock to me, and all the scouts around me were impressed with him today. He’s an impressive player and while he was beat by speed a couple times overall he had a good day. I talked with him briefly when I set up an interview after the practice and he thought he did poorly, but seemed to be his own toughest critic and assured me he would be better on Wednesday. He might be the 2nd or 3rd best offensive lineman in mobile this week. Mike Adams (Ohio State) continued to impress today. He wasn’t quite as impressive as he was yesterday, but he still played well and got some time at right tackle and guard as well as left tackle. I don’t see a great push from him in the run game so I don’t like his potential as much at right tackle, so I think left tackle is his best position. He will struggle with speed at one point, but barring an unforeseen injury the match-up between Adams at left tackle and Coples at defensive end may be the most intriguing of any that could occur in that game. I can’t wait to see that.
Mike Brewster (Ohio State) is a solid center but I don’t like his ability to anchor and he struggles against bigger, stronger players at times. He did show the ability to handle Ta’amu at times, but Ta’amu struggles with leverage and hasn’t played as strong as he looks sometimes. He’s the best center in Mobile, but that isn’t saying as much as one might think. Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State) continued to struggle a bit in my eyes. He’s powerful and has a nice punch, but it seems to be limited to the phone booth. He lumbers when he moves, struggles to redirect and doesn’t have the athleticism to stick at right tackle. He will have to move inside to guard and he might limit teams from a scheme standpoint there. He can excel in a man scheme that doesn’t require a lot of pulling from him, but if he’s in a scheme that requires more movement from him he will struggle in my opinion. Mitchell Schwartz (California) also had an up and down day. He’s a solid, 5th/6th round right tackle prospect but he might have to move inside to guard. I don’t think he has much starting upside in the NFL, and he struggled with speed outside today.
One player that really stuck out to me today was Senio Kelemete (Washington). He has the versatility to play guard or tackle but spent most of his time at tackle today. I don’t know if he can play left tackle, and I think his upside is highest at guard, but he is an impressive athlete with a good first step and some pop on contact. I would like to see him sustain and finish a little bit better, but he’s an impressive player that may end up in the top 100 selections come draft day. His versatility to play tackle and guard will only boost his stock. Tony Bergstrom (Utah) also flashed a little bit today. He didn’t have a great day, but he has a pretty impressive initial punch and may have the makings of a right tackle in the NFL. I haven’t seen him much, but on one play his initial punch sent a defender to the ground in 1 on 1’s.
Mike Martin (Michigan) has arguably been the most impressive defensive lineman for the North since practices started. He is a compact guy but he is very strong, has active hands and impressive burst off the line of scrimmage. He and Brewster had a couple impressive battles but overall Martin definitely won the match-up. Scouts have higher grades on him than most media pundits do, so don’t be surprised if Martin goes much higher than people expect. I haven’t studied him yet, but he has the makings of a potential 2nd round grade from me. He’s an animal. Derek Wolfe (Cincinnati) continued to impress. They gave him a few reps at defensive end today which surprised me, but he has been disruptive at defensive tackle so far this week. He’s a great 3-tech or 5-tech prospect in my opinion, and I definitely like what I have seen from him so far. Kendall Reyes (Connecticut) surprised me with his speed and burst off the ball today. I knew he was athletic, but I was surprised to see him come off the ball so quickly. He’s a quality 3-tech prospect, though I’m not sure I have much higher than a 3rd or 4th round grade on him right now.
Jack Crawford (Penn State) probably shouldn’t be here in my opinion. I’m not a fan and neither are the scouts I’ve talked to. He sounds like one of those guys who can show you something in practice and flash in 1 on 1’s, but doesn’t show up on game day and struggles to locate the ball. Vinny Curry (Marshall) hasn’t shown me much when I have seen him either. He has ability, I just don’t think he has 1st round ability. He didn’t show me round one ability on tape and he hasn’t shown it to me here yet. I’m hoping to see him perform like I’ve heard he can, but it’s not there yet. Billy Winn (Boise State) also disappointed me a bit today. He was going up against some quality talent on the North offensive line, but he only won one or two match-ups if I remember correctly. He stayed blocked more than I saw on tape, and didn’t have much variety in his pass rush moves. I’ll be watching him the rest of the week, but he looked like a 3rd round guy to me today. Alameda Ta’amu (Washington) was also unimpressive to me today. He’s got everything you could want in a 4-3 or 3-4 nose tackle prospect but it just doesn’t equate to a quality performance. The size and athleticism is there, he just can’t produce. He’s a two-down player in a 4-3 and might be able to play three downs in a 3-4 if he can prove he can collapse the pocket, but the pass rush just isn’t there from him. He needs to play with better pad level to avoid negating his natural power, as he was even blocked by Brewster in 1 on 1’s today. He’s got upside, but he’s a 3rd rounder in my opinion.
One player that really impressed me today was Shea McClellin (Boise State). He’s very athletic, has impressive burst and really gave the offensive tackles trouble in 1 on 1’s today. I love his potential as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I haven’t seen him in coverage this week, but I really think he has the potential to be 1st rounder and an impact player at that position. Hopefully I’ll have an interview later this week, I talked to him briefly after practice today.
Honestly, I didn’t see much of the linebackers today but one thing I will say is that I like Audie Cole (North Carolina State). He impressed me on film and he has impressed me so far when I have seen him, though that time has been limited thus far. He’s going to be a riser after this week, I can tell you that.
I was focusing on the offensive line and the defensive line today, but my colleague at NFL Draft Monsters Brandon Howard was keeping an eye on the skill position players today. Give him a follow on Twitter @DashDiallo1 and follow this link to get to our complete coverage of the North and South practices! Thanks for reading!
Tags: 2012 NFL Draft, 2012 Senior Bowl, Alameda Ta'amu, All-Star Game Notes, Audie Cole, Billy Winn, Boise State, Brandon Howard, Brian Linthicum, C, California, Cincinnati, Connecticut, DE, DE/OLB, Derek Wolfe, DT, Iowa State, Jack Crawford, Kelechi Osemele, Kendall Reyes, Kevin Zeitler, Marshall, Michael Egnew, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, Mike Martin, Missouri, Mitchell Schwartz, NFL Draft Monsters, North Carolina State, North Roster, OG, OG/OT, Ohio State, OLB, OT, Penn State, Senio Kelemete, Shea McClellin, TE, Tom Melton, Tony Bergstrom, Utah, Vinny Curry, Washington, Wisconsin
Filed under: All-Star Game Notes — 1 Comment
North Practice: Day 1
No quarterback really separated himself today in my opinion, but Kirk Cousins (Michigan State) looked solid as far as arm strength and accuracy. A couple of his deep balls wobbled a bit and two of them weren’t thrown to the correct shoulder that I saw, but it’s the first day and the QB’s and WR’s have no chemistry together yet. Russell Wilson (Wisconsin) struggled a bit and threw a number of passes that were either behind his intended receiver or they were not in stride so they had to slow down. Again, it comes down to a lack of chemistry, but he had his flashes. I think Wilson has the strongest arm of the group, but it’s not a very strong-armed group of quarterbacks. Kellen Moore (Boise State) looks like he is in for a bit of a tough week. His arm strength is very average and while he threw a few nice balls today I just don’t think he has the arm to be a starter. You can overcome a lot of things with football IQ and intangibles but that lack of arm strength will limit him and any offense that chooses to make him their starter.
It’s tough to evaluate running backs when they aren’t wearing pads and there’s barely any contact allowed, but I am very high on Doug Martin (Boise State) and Chris Polk (Washington) and have been for a while. Martin looked natural catching passes out of the backfield and showed quality burst whenever he had the ball in his hands. Polk did the same and I really think that is going to be a fantastic battle to see who ends up getting drafted earlier. Very lucky to be able to see both of them. Dan “Boom” Herron (Ohio State) and Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) rounded out this group, a very talented group of running backs all who have plus burst in my opinion. I think Martin and Polk are the better backs and they have feature back written all over them. Can’t say I feel the same about Herron and Pead at this point.
It was a pretty easy day for the receivers today, but I think the guy that stuck out most to me was TJ Graham (North Carolina State). He clearly has 4.4 speed (could run as fast as a 4.35 in my opinion) and his explosiveness and burst was on full display today. He created separation nearly every time I watched him run a route and he caught the ball cleanly every single rep I saw of him. He has the potential to be a HUGE riser this week, especially if he plays like this every day of practice. Obviously this was just one day, but this definitely showed the upside Graham has as a receiver. Don’t forget he’s also a valuable return man. Marvin Jones (California) also had a good day. He was able to beat Alfonzo Dennard a couple times in 1 on 1 drills and caught the ball cleanly every time I saw him. He’s got above average hands and he’s definitely draftable in the 5th round range, but he could help himself this week. On tape he doesn’t look like much more than a complementary receiver to me and having Keenan Allen opposite him really helped, but he’s a solid, draftable player. Marvin McNutt (Iowa) struggled to create consistent separation today and I have a feeling that may be a theme of the week. He doesn’t look natural as a route runner and while the effort is there he just doesn’t have the speed. As one scout said “He’s moving his arms and hustling, but he’s not going anywhere.” His stock has been in decline all year, and he’s looking like a receiver who is going to get graded in the 5th-7th range for sure to me.
One player I was interested to see was Brian Quick (Appalachian State) but he didn’t impress me too much today. He looked a bit leggy when he was running routes and while he looked smooth at times he had three drops today that hit him right in the hands. He has ability, and he likely had some first day jitters now that he was called up to the big leagues, but it wasn’t a great first impression. He did have a very nice catch on a deep ball from Cousins where he showed some ability to adjust to a poorly thrown ball, track it through the air and catch it cleanly. DeVier Posey (Ohio State) also had positive flashes like Quick did, but as is customary he dropped a number of balls. It was either three or four that he dropped on the day, but either way scouts definitely noticed. It’s easy to love his athleticism because he has explosiveness and burst, ran good routes in 1 on 1’s today and flashes the ability to catch the ball outside of his frame too. But too many times he lets the ball hit him right in the hands and fall incomplete. He’s got upside, but if he can’t catch the ball it’s worth nothing. I think it’s a mixture of not having great hands and having concentration issues to be honest with you, but that’s still not reassuring.
Michael Egnew (Missouri) looked like the more impressive tight end in this group, but it was really only between him and Brian Linthicum (Michigan State) because Emil Igwenagu (Massachusetts), as expected, was taking snaps as a fullback. He was at the East-West Shrine Game last week and while he didn’t really impress me, he got snaps at fullback and I expected the same to hold true this week. Egnew looked smooth running routes, caught the ball cleanly each time I saw him and I have to say I was very impressed that he was up to 251 pounds. He’s been working, and I think it will help his stock. Linthicum didn’t look bad as a receiver, but he didn’t look good. He dropped a pass or two and doesn’t look as smooth or as natural running routes as Egnew does.
Mike Adams (Ohio State) was the star of the offensive line today. He had a great showing at the weigh-in when he measured in at 6’7”, 323 pounds with just under 34 inch arms, and his good day continued at practice. He consistently used his length and athleticism to his advantage and I didn’t see him get beat once in pass protection. He did get bull-rushed a bit once, and could stand to get stronger in the lower body (one reason I worry about him if he tried to move to right tackle) but he looked like a left tackle all practice today. Mike Brewster (Ohio State) didn’t impress me as much, though I wasn’t very high on him coming into practice. He looks like a 3rd or 4th round center to me, and I question his ability to anchor when beaten initially. He’s got a solid build, but he just hasn’t lived up to the 2nd round hype that he was getting for a long time at the beginning of the season. Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State) showed some ability in the run game today using his elite combination of size, strength and length to engulf defenders and even pancake one of them in the run game. However, the play after he pancaked a defender in the run game at right tackle he got beat off the edge by a speed rush and didn’t even get his hands on the defender. I thought he might be able to stick at right tackle, and there’s still a chance of that, but he will need to do a lot better than that against speed to remain on the outside. And, as expected, Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin) had a good day today. He’s not as flashy as some of the other offensive line prospects here but he is the best guard on either roster in my opinion. He may not have the insane upside of Kelechi Osemele or Cordy Glenn, but he looked good in drills today and can hold his own 1 on 1 against defensive tackles. He will rise this week.
Defensive Backs:
Unfortunately I didn’t see much of the defensive line or linebackers at all today, but I heard that Derek Wolfe (Cincinnati) looked good from Shawn Zobel (@ShawnZobel_DHQ follow him) and didn’t hear rave reviews on Alameda Ta’amu (Washington) which was not very surprising. I’ll have notes on them the rest of the week though.
Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska) didn’t have a great day as he struggled to keep up with the faster receivers. The most troubling play was when Marvin McNutt got behind him in man coverage on a deep route down the seam. He doesn’t look like he has fluid hips, and struggled to turn and run with receivers downfield today. 1st round corners should not be getting beat deep by receivers that might run a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash, and his lack of recovery speed was pretty evident on that play. I think that Dennard’s upside is highest when he is able to be physical at the line of scrimmage and when he is defending slower, bigger receivers. He frustrated Alshon Jeffrey but he couldn’t keep up with TJ Graham. I feel similarly about Leonard Johnson (Iowa State). He was good against Justin Blackmon and Marvin McNutt on film, but TJ Graham created separation despite his impressive ability to mirror routes in man coverage (at least when I saw him today). I think he might struggle with the speed demon receivers, and matches up better with possession type players. Jamell Fleming (Oklahoma) didn’t look great to me as he struggled to close quickly on curl routes a couple of times. I’ve seen him close on tape though and he’s looked good in man coverage on tape to me as well, so I expect him to have better days than he had today later on in the week.
Tags: 2012 NFL Draft, 2012 Senior Bowl, Alameda Ta'amu, Alfonzo Dennard, All-Star Game Notes, Alshon Jeffrey, Appalachian State, Boise State, Brian Linthicum, Brian Quick, C, California, CB, Chris Polk, Cincinnati, Dan Herron, Day 1, Derek Wolfe, DeVier Posey, Doug Martin, DT, Emil Igwenagu, FB/TE, Iowa, Iowa State, Isaiah Pead, Jamell Fleming, Kelechi Osemele, Kellen Moore, Kevin Zeitler, Kirk Cousins, Leonard Johnson, Marvin Jones, Marvin McNutt, Massachusetts, Michael Egnew, Michigan State, Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina State, North Roster, OG, Ohio State, Oklahoma, OT, QB, RB, Russell Wilson, TE, TJ Graham, Tom Melton, Washington, Wisconsin, WR
Senior Bowl Preview: Offense
Senior Bowl Preview:
-Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Weeden is my top quarterback because he has what the scouts are looking for in terms of size and arm strength. It will be interesting to see how he does with a batch of new receivers, but I like him as a prospect. Do I think he’s a 1st rounder? No, but I think he may end up in the 2nd round or at least the 3rd round barring a very problematic week for him here. His age will limit his stock, and it will definitely make him a polarizing candidate because I believe he will need a year of development before he can have significant success as a starter (meaning he would be about 30 years old by the time he was a starter). He’s got potential though and should have 6-8 years of quality quarterbacking in him if he is developed correctly, and that’s more than enough to spend a 2nd or 3rd round pick on if you need a quarterback.
-Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin: I am high on Russell Wilson, I’ll say it right now. Is he the prototypical quarterback? No, I don’t think he is. He’s going to measure in at 5’11” if not slightly under that in my opinion, and that will turn off a lot of scouts and a lot of draftniks if I had to guess. But I’ve watched this kid a lot over the last two years and I am convinced that he absolutely has a NFL arm and more than that I am convinced that he has a NFL head on his shoulders. There probably weren’t 10 quarterbacks in the entire nation this year that could have come into a completely foreign situation in Wisconsin and do anything like he did this season. Again, that’s my opinion, but I think people tend to forget just how skeptical some were before the season that he would be successful as a starter for the Badgers. I am really hoping I will be able to interview Russell to get a sense for his personality and his intellect on a one on one level, but I refuse to write him off because of his height. Plenty of people will, but I think that is a mistake. I wouldn’t bet against this kid based on what I know about him.
-Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State: I like Lindley and I think he has a chance to really impress this week. I was disappointed I didn’t get to see him at the East-West Shrine Game this week, but I am glad he has a chance to show what he can do on an even bigger stage. He has a live arm and NFL size, but his accuracy has been an issue and he can be a little erratic at times based on the tape I’ve seen of him. This week will be big for him, and while I think he will show his faults I think he will demonstrate his upside as well. He might not be this high on others’ rankings coming into the week, but hopefully he has a strong enough week to turn some heads.
-Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State: Cousins is a player that people have slept on his entire career. He’s never been big enough or fast enough or talented enough to be the outright favorite, but he has fought through it and been successful despite that. I think that speaks to some intangibles on his part, and I think he has a toughness and gutsiness to him that isn’t especially easy to find in a quarterback. However, his lack of arm strength will be a limitation at the next level and he isn’t especially poised in the face of pressure in the pocket. That doesn’t project him to be a great starter at the next level, but I think he has a long NFL career ahead of him as a back-up and a possible spot-starter.
-Nick Foles, QB, Arizona: Foles is an interesting player to me. He has the physical tools to be a NFL quarterback, but I am just not a fan. There’s obviously a lot more to playing quarterback than just your physical ability and God-given tools, but I don’t know much about Foles other than what I’ve been able to see on tape. I am not high on his intangibles at this point and haven’t been overly impressed with him in the 4th quarter when I have watched him. He has a chance to change my mind this week and I have to study a lot more of his 2011 tape, but at this point I think he is an overrated prospect as a possible 1st or 2nd round pick. The 3rd or 4th round range would be more realistic because at that point you are talking about a bit of a project and at least a year or two of development, but coming into the season I had a late round grade on him.
-Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: This isn’t meant to be a slight against Moore, but when you’re a shorter player teams are ready to write you off as a potential starter anyways, but his lack of arm strength makes it even easier. He’s got average arm strength to be fair, but his ball velocity is lacking on throws beyond 10 or 15 yards. Measuring in at 6’0” or taller is critical for his draft stock, as silly as that might sound, because unlike Russell Wilson he doesn’t have the arm strength to make up for his lack of size. He’s got the intangibles and the smarts to be a NFL quarterback based on what I have seen on film and been able to find out about him, but being smart with limited size and arm strength doesn’t exactly qualify you to be a NFL starter. It means he will stick in the NFL, which I expect him to do, but it will be in a back-up role for the most part in my opinion.
-Doug Martin, RB, Boise State: I love Doug Martin. I think people mentioning him as a possible 1st rounder are a little ambitious only because the demand for RB’s usually drives running backs down in the draft not up. Martin is absolutely a complete back though and he reminds me a bit of Ray Rice (I have to credit one of my Twitter followers for making the comparison to Rice before I did). He’s going to be a productive NFL back barring injury, and I expect him to demonstrate all of his ability throughout the week. I’m excited to see him in person.
-Chris Polk, RB, Washignton: Polk is a guy that has been underrated for about two years up until a couple of months ago. A lot of people felt comfortable saying that Jake Locker had “zero” talent around him at Washington. He may not have a had an abundance of talent around him, but Polk is a very legitimate 2nd or 3rd round running back prospect and he really helped make Locker’s life easier and he certainly helped Keith Price out in his first season as a starter this year. He’s the 1B to Martin’s 1A in my book, so I expect him to have a good week as well.
-Isiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: Pead doesn’t strike me as an every down/feature back in the NFL but I definitely think he can contribute to an offense. He’s more of a complementary back in my opinion but he has impressive burst and speed as well as pretty good hands out of the backfield. I haven’t seen him much in pass protection, but he definitely warrants 3rd round pick conversation at the RB position. Again, I don’t see feature back potential from him but he could be a helluva complementary guy if used correctly.
-Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State: Ballard is a solid back who runs with good power and is a bit underrated at this point. Is he a top back? Not in my opinion, but I don’t think there’s much doubt he has the potential to contribute at the next level. I’m not sure if he is a guy who can be the feature back at this point, but he should show the ability to carry the ball effectively early on his career.
-Chris Rainey, RB, Florida: Rainey is a speed demon that has not shown the ability to consistently run through tackles and gain yards after contact. His value is in the open field and when he can find some space to run and really show off his great burst and speed. He’s not a feature back in my opinion, but he has plenty of upside as a complementary back, as a receiver out of the backfield (or possibly split out) and as a return man. He should show that off this week.
Fullbacks:
-Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin: Ewing was the starting fullback in Wisconsin’s run heavy offense and definitely has enough blocking ability to contribute in the NFL. Fullback isn’t a position with a ton of demand though, so I don’t know where his stock is at this point. He should have a strong week blocking, but I’m not sure he’s a very good receiver out of the backfield.
-Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina: This receiver class looked extremely deep a few days ago, but after the Senior Bowl lost Michael Floyd, Nick Toon and now Kendall Wright three of the top five receivers who were supposed to be here won’t be. That means that, almost by default Dwight Jones moves up and I think he has 2nd/3rd round potential, which might make him the #1 receiver here. He’s got a lot of upside thanks to his size and athleticism but his hands are too inconsistent for my liking. Some have him in round 1, but I don’t like him enough for that.
-DeVier Posey, WR Ohio State: Posey has a lot to gain this week. He’s got NFL size and athleticism to be sure. His hands were always incredibly inconsistent at Ohio State and he figures to have a number of drops this week, but if he has the work ethic to improve his hands a bit he could really shoot up boards. He may do it anyways considering where his stock might be after serving a nearly year-long suspension.
-Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M: Fuller hurt his stock this year as he fell from a possible 1st or 2nd rounder to a 3rd or 4th rounder as of right now. He looked slow this year and that hurt his stock considerably, but if he can show better speed and consistent route running this week he could really breathe some life into his stock. I have a feeling he will look faster than most are expecting him to, so I think he could definitely help himself if he shows up with his A game this week.
-Marquis Maze, WR, Alabama: Maze is an underrated receiver in my opinion and I anticipate him turning some heads this week. He’s a bit undersized and the weigh-in will be important for him, but I think he has the hands and route running ability to create separation and stick in the NFL as a slot receiver.
-Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas: Joe Adams is a tricky player for me to project. He’s so explosive thanks to his fantastic speed and burst, and once he gets the ball in his hands he is so fun to watch because of his combination of balance, strength and physicality. He’s undersized but he doesn’t play like it, and that’s always fun to watch. But I’m not sold on him as a route runner and he has had drop issues in the past, he just doesn’t have great hands. It will be interesting to see what he weighs in at, but more than that I will be interested to see how well he catches the ball away from his body this week. He’s had trouble with that when I’ve watched him on film.
-Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State: Quick is a guy I haven’t had a chance to see play yet and I’m very excited to get that chance this week. He’s got impressive size and should have a positive experience at the weigh-in, but I honestly can’t say too much about him as a prospect at this point. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on him this week.
-T.J. Graham, WR, North Carolina State: T.J. Graham is a guy that really caught my eye as a sleeper after I saw him play in NC State’s bowl game. He had a huge game, but he was productive this season, has great speed and flashed the ability to run through arm tackles despite his size. He’s a good receiver and a good return man, and if he has a consistent week catching the ball and running routes I think he will definitely start to open some eyes and move up draft boards.
-Juron Criner, WR, Arizona: Criner is a player that a lot of people were high on coming into the year but his draft stock really dropped over the course of the season. He’s not the best receiver in the draft by any means, but he is still draftable and has some value as a prospect. I’m very anxious to see him going up against some quality competition at corner this week.
-Gerell Robinson, WR, Arizona State: Robinson is a nice addition to this game and he easily had the best season of his career as a senior this year with Brock Osweiler throwing him the ball. Robinson is the definition of a possession receiver and consistently came up with big catches over the middle or on curl routes to extend drives for Arizona State this year. I like that about him, but I question his speed and I’m not 100% sold on his route running either. He’s got upside and value though, and considering he was a possible (or maybe even probable) undrafted free agent before the season started he has really helped his draft stock this year.
-Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa: I like McNutt but from what I’ve heard he is dropping on draft boards around the league, and it’s not super tough to see why. He’s solid in all aspects, but doesn’t do anything spectacularly well. Not only that, but he showed a lack of speed and physicality this year and that has to concern scouts. He’s a late round pick right now as far as I can tell, so this week is huge for him because he may be able to breathe a little life into his stock if he plays well. But if he doesn’t he might drive himself close to the 7th round/undrafted free agent conversation. I hope that doesn’t happen, but I can’t rule it out if he struggles.
-Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri: I really like Egnew and he is definitely the top tight end here in my opinion. He’s got great size and he has drawn comparisons to Jimmy Graham which I think are fairly legitimate due to their combination of size, athleticism and potential, but Egnew is obviously more polished as a receiver than Graham was when he came out. Egnew doesn’t have much experience blocking though which might hold him back at times this week, but if he is drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round range whatever team picks him will end up being very happy with him once he gets to camp.
-Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana Lafayette: Green is a talented tight end that looks very skinny on film and due to his athleticism honestly looks a little like a very tall, skinny receiver when you watch him. I haven’t seen much from him as a blocker at all, so this week could expose that for him a little bit, but he’s a natural receiver with significant upside. He should be in the 3rd round conversation this year, and I think that is very deserving.
-Deangelo Peterson, TE, LSU: Peterson is someone I thought could really improve his stock as a sleeper this season but thanks to Jordan Jefferson and LSU’s pathetic excuse for a passing game that never materialized. He’s got the size and athleticism as well as solid hands to be a productive receiving tight end but he never really got a chance to at LSU. This week could be HUGE for him for that exact reason because he will finally be able to show what he can do when he is consistently involved during this week of practices.
-Brad Smelley, TE, Alabama: Smelley is a fun guy to watch because he doesn’t look like he’d be a very good tight end but he makes plays despite that. He might offer more as a blocker than any of the three players I have mentioned previously, and he’s one of those glue guys that I think every roster needs. He’s not flashy, but he’s versatile and strikes me as a hard-working guy that will find a way to stick on a NFL roster whether he is drafted in the late rounds or not.
-Brian Linthicum, TE, Michigan State: Linthicum’s value is as a blocker and I’m not sure he has starting tight end upside in the NFL. I just don’t see the route running and athleticism to threaten down the seam, and the tight end position has increasingly become an integral part of the passing game. Think about it: A significant number of teams that ended up making the playoffs this year had an impressive target at tight end, and even though he might be underrated Jake Ballard has been huge for the Giants this year and we don’t need to talk about how good Gronkowski and Hernandez are for the Patriots. Linthicum should get drafted late, but I don’t think it will be for his receiving ability.
-Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State: I am high on Sanders and I have been since he was a junior. When I was scouting Christian Ponder I openly wondered if he had what it took to slide to left tackle but didn’t think he’d ever get a chance to show it in college. Little did I know that Datko would get injured and Sanders would take full advantage by doing a good job as E.J. Manuel’s blind-side protector. He’s improved his stock a lot this year and with one more good week he could lock himself up as a 1st rounder, and I expect that to happen.
-Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin: Zeitler has been underrated for over a year and he is finally starting to get the love that he deserves as a guard. I think he might be the top offensive guard prospect even though he’s not a behemoth like Osemele or Cordy Glenn. He’s very fundamentally sound and has starting experience in a great rushing attack at Wisconsin. He should be a riser this week and should end up in the 2nd/3rd round range come draft day. He has a 10-12 year career as a starting guard ahead of him, and will be a good value in that range.
-Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State: Osemele is a guy I really like. He is dominant once he gets his hands on you and I love watching that type of play from offensive linemen. He’s extremely large and strong, but he won’t be able to stick at left tackle in my opinion. It will be interesting to see if he gets a shot to play right tackle at all this week because I think he has a chance to stick there in the NFL, but even if he doesn’t look good there I think he will be a high draft pick as a guard.
-Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State: Adams is one of the well-known participants in Ohio State’s tattoo scandal from this past season but he is a legitimate pro prospect at offensive tackle. I’m not sure I love him at either tackle position because I think he struggles with speed a little too much to stick at left tackle at the next level but he’s not exactly a force in the running game either and might struggle to get a good enough push to be a quality run-blocking right tackle. Regardless, he clearly has talent and should impress at the weigh-in as long as he is in shape. He’s got upside and should be an early 2nd round pick, but may sneak into the late 1st round if there is a team that really needs a tackle picking late.
-Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia: Glenn could try and stick at right tackle much like Osemele this week but I don’t know if that his ideal fit. He’s tough for me to project right now, but he should be fine inside at guard. He’s a HUGE guy but he worries me with his waist bending and isn’t nearly as dominant in the run game as his size would make you think he would be. This week will be big for him because he will need to show up in shape and hopefully ease some concerns that I and others have about him.
-Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois: Jeff Allen is an underrated offensive tackle prospect that I am really glad got an invitation to this game. Every time I’ve watched him he has looked solid and I can’t recall a time off the top of my head that I saw him get beat badly. Obviously that isn’t exact, but my point is that Allen looked good consistently this year for the Illini and warranted an East-West Shrine Game invite but apparently didn’t get one, so I’m glad he is here. He can play left tackle in the NFL in my opinion and guys with that ability don’t stay under the radar for too long, so I don’t expect Allen to last long under the radar this week and he could end up being the talk of the Senior Bowl if he plays like I think he could.
-Mike Brewster, C, Ohio State: I’m actually not a big fan of Brewster, but I think he warrants consideration in the 3rd or 4th round. He has a chance to show me something this week though. But at this point I wouldn’t pick him in the 2nd round, I just don’t see top center ability from him despite his starting experience at an elite program at Ohio State.
-Ben Jones, C, Georgia: I’m not hugely high on Ben Jones either, but I think I like him a bit more than I like Brewster right now. It will be interesting to compare and contrast the two this week because I think Brewster is the better athlete, but Jones has always impressed me a bit more when I watch Georgia.
Sorry for the long wait! The defense is on the way!
Tags: 2012 NFL Draft, 2012 Senior Bowl, Alabama, All-Star Game Notes, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Ben Jones, Boise State, Brad Smelley, Bradie Ewing, Brandon Weeden, Brian Linthicum, Brian Quick, C, Chris Polk, Chris Rainey, Cincinnati, Cordy Glenn, Deangelo Peterson, DeVier Posey, Doug Martin, Dwight Jones, FB, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Gerell Robinson, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Isiah Pead, Jeff Allen, Jeff Fuller, Joe Adams, Juron Criner, Kelechi Osemele, Kellen Moore, Kevin Zeitler, Kirk Cousins, Ladarius Green, Louisiana Lafayette, LSU, Marquis Maze, Marvin McNutt, Michael Egnew, Michigan State, Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nick Foles, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Offense, OG, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, OT, QB, RB, Russell Wilson, Ryan Lindley, San Diego State, T.J. Graham, TE, Texas A&M, Vick Ballard, Washington, Wisconsin, WR, Zebrie Sanders
Shrine Game Notes: West Roster- Day 2
West Roster Notes:
Chandler Harnish (Northern Illinois) is the best QB on this roster but he had a rough day as he missed high on a number of throws throughout practice. I have seen this on film before so it didn’t surprise me that it showed up during this week of practice, but it’s still a concern. His accuracy and arm strength are both above average, but they aren’t good or great. That’s why I don’t think he’s got much starter potential in the NFL, though I do think that he could develop on a depth chart for a while and emerge as a capable back-up and spot starter. Tyler Hansen (Colorado) looked solid today as he continues to have solid mechanics. He’s a fringe draftable prospect though, and despite looking good today Dan Persa (Northwestern) isn’t more than an undrafted free agent at this point. I like what Persa brings to the table though, so I think he should play in the CFL.
I’m not very high on Marc Tyler (Southern Cal) and Lennon Creer (Louisiana Tech), though both flashed some potential today. Tyler is a strong guy who caught the ball better out of the backfield pretty well today, and Creer even lined up in the slot at times and looks strong up close in person. My favorite back on this roster is still Bobby Rainey (Western Kentucky) though. He’s a smaller back but he’s quick and has good burst. Inexplicably the West wasn’t in full pads today so the backs didn’t show much for the second day in a row, but they will hopefully provide more value in the next two days and in the game on Saturday that I will be in the press box for.
Jarius Wright (Arkansas) had a much better day today catching the ball and continues to run good routes as expected. He has the most upside of all the receivers at the Shrine Game and if he continues to catch the ball well this week he will move up boards. He didn’t do that well yesterday, but his speed and route running is catching scouts’ attention. Devon Wylie (Fresno State) is catching scouts’ attention as well and he continued to catch the ball well and run good routes today. He’s definitely impressed me this week and is definitely moving up many people’s WR rankings.
I’m still not high on Dale Moss (South Dakota State) though he did look better running routes today and caught the ball well. He didn’t look as slow as yesterday, but still didn’t look fast. He’s got quality size and he’s got pretty good hands, I just wonder how well he will create separation in the NFL.
Darius Hanks (Alabama) didn’t look as good as I expected him to today. He’s undersized and though he improved his hands over the course of this season I am still not 100% sold on him. He’s got potential as a slot guy and I could see him as a 5th/6th round guy right now, but I am interested to see if he brings more to the table the rest of the week.
I have continued to be impressed by Tyler Shoemaker (Boise State). As I mentioned yesterday he comes back to the ball well, I still haven’t seen him drop a pass, and is still creating separation with his route running. He seems like an underrated receiver to me and I definitely think he will get drafted and stick on a 53 man roster.
Greg Childs (Arkansas) still doesn’t look 100%, though he looked better today than he did yesterday when he was running routes. He’s got good hands, that was never in question, it’s all about that knee and how much of his previous athleticism he can get back. This week is big for him. Junior Hemingway (Michigan) seemed to have a better day today, though I still question his speed and burst a bit. We’ll see if he builds on this and improves throughout the week.
Not surprisingly, I still like what I am seeing from David Paulson (Oregon) catching the ball. I have not been impressed with George Bryan (North Carolina State) as a receiver though. I didn’t focus much on the TE’s today, but Bryan did look good as a blocker.
Tom Compton (South Dakota) intrigues me for multiple reasons. First, he has a fantastic first name. Second, he looked pretty good at left tackle for the West today. I’m not sure he can stick there in the NFL, but I think he has a chance to stick at right tackle at the next level. He showed some push in the run game and has solid length for an offensive tackle with just under 34 inch arms which helped him in pass protection. He did get blown by on a speed rush by Justin Francis on the first play of team drills, but it was a quick throw so it may have gone largely unnoticed.
I liked what I saw from a few offensive guards today. Brandon Brooks (Miami, Ohio) was definitely the stud of the bunch as he provided quality push in the run game and could not be bull rushed in 1 on 1 drills. He’s raw as a technician with his hands, but he’s got so much power and strength that he definitely has starting upside as a guard. I’ll need to watch more of him after this week. I also liked what Al Netter (Northwestern) did inside at guard today. I definitely like him more inside at guard than I do at tackle, though I think he could kick out to RT if necessary. He looked much more comfortable at guard and handled DaJohn Harris twice when he was inside. I also liked some of what I saw from Ben Heenan (Saskatchewan) at guard today. He did a good job against the bigger, stronger Dominique Hamilton in 1 on 1’s and looked good overall in the 1 on 1 drills. He didn’t look great in the team drills, but I think there is potential there. I think he’s a long term developmental guy, but he showed some toughness and nastiness despite not being in pads and I liked that.
I was not impressed at all with Ryan Miller (Colorado) or Moe Petrus (Connecticut) today though. Miller got absolutely dominated by bull rushes from DaJohn Harris and Vaughn Meatoga today and looked like he was too tall/not strong enough to anchor as a guard and didn’t look like he had the length to play outside at tackle either. Coming into the week it looked like he could have been a riser, but I have not been impressed so far. Petrus also struggled with quality defensive tackles 1 on 1 today in drills, though I think he has potential to be drafted and stashed late in the draft. However, today David Snow (Texas) looked like the better Center prospect at times.
DaJohn Harris (Southern Cal) continued to impress as expected today, though he wasn’t perfect. He ended up on the ground a couple times, once when he was matched up with Brandon Brooks, and was neutralized by Al Netter’s length when he went up against him once or twice in drills. He is disruptive in team drills though and continues to help himself. He’s been underrated all year so it’s not surprising to see him playing well.
Dominique Hamilton (Missouri) has the size and strength to be a good run stuffer in the NFL, but he doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher which limits his value. He also doesn’t look like a guy who can take on double teams and stuff the run in a 3-4 defense. But if he is going to play the nose tackle position in a 4-3 teams will want more from him as a pass rusher. Will be interesting to see what he shows the rest of the week.
Kentrell Lockett (Ole Miss) is an impressive athlete and showed that he has some ability today by surprising a couple of the West offensive tackles with a bull rush and some speed off the edge. He’s got long, 34 inch arms along with his 6’5” frame and surprising power given his 243 pound weigh-in.
I wasn’t that impressed with Arnaud Nadon (Laval) or Kaniela Tuipulotu (Hawaii) today, but Vaughn Meaotga (Hawaii) showed a nice bull rush on a couple instances, but has struggled to shed blocks so far this week. Justin Francis (Rutgers) has been fun to watch so far this week and seems like he is the emotional leader of the defensive line group. He seems to have a lot of energy and seems pretty excitable.
I didn’t see much of the linebackers on the West today, but I did see Josh Kaddu (Oregon) running well with tight ends again, and I did see Tank Carder (TCU) dropping effectively in zone and he had good coverage on a running back out of the backfield on one play. But enough with these shells, put some pads on these guys!
The best corner on the West roster is Shaun Prater (Iowa) and it’s not even close in my opinion. He is the only corner that has looked good in drills, 1 on 1 and in team situations this week. He doesn’t have great size but he is a pretty fluid athlete, seems to flip his hips well, turns and runs pretty well and has solid ball skills despite not having great hands for the interception. He could end up in the 4th round (which is incidentally where I projected him before the season).
I’m not high on Keith Tandy (West Virginia) after the first two days of practice. I haven’t been impressed with him in man coverage and his ball skills haven’t impressed me. I have a 6th round grade on him right now because I think he has ability in zone. One guy I had never paid any attention to before is Rodney McLeod (Virginia). He looked good in drills but struggled some in 1 on 1’s and in team. I think he has a little upside, but he struggled to locate the ball in the air today.
Aaron Henry (Wisconsin) and Blake Gideon (Texas) both looked good and fluid in their back-pedals in drills today, but I want to see them more in game situations when they are tested. They aren’t great in man coverage, so I want to see more of them back at their more natural positions. Duke Ihenacho (San Jose State) was a guy I liked coming into the week but he has struggled in coverage overall but particularly in man coverage unfortunately. He looks like a 4.6 40 yard dash guy which is where he is supposed to time.
Tags: 2012 East-West Shrine Game, 2012 NFL Draft, Aaron Henry, Al Netter, Alabama, All-Star Game Notes, Arkansas, Arnaud Nadon, Ben Heenan, Blake Gideon, Bobby Rainey, Boise State, Brandon Brooks, C, CB, Chandler Harnish, Colorado, Connecticut, DaJohn Harris, Dale Moss, Dan Persa, Darius Hanks, David Paulson, David Snow, DE, Devon Wylie, Dominique Hamilton, DT, Duke Ihenacho, Fresno State, George Bryan, Greg Childs, Hawai'i, ILB, Iowa, Jarius Wright, Josh Kaddu, Junior Hemingway, Justin Francis, Kaniela Tuipulotu, Keith Tandy, Kentrell Lockett, Laval, Lennon Creer, Louisiana Tech, Marc Tyler, Miami Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Moe Petrus, North Carolina State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, OG, OLB, Ole Miss, Oregon, OT, QB, RB, Rodney McLeod, Rutgers, Ryan Miller, S, San Jose State, Saskatchewan, Shaun Prater, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Cal, SS, Tank Carder, TCU, TE, Texas, Tom Compton, Tyler Hansen, Tyler Shoemaker, Vaughn Meatoga, Virginia, West Roster, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, WR
Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois: Not surprisingly Harnish was the best quarterback on the field for the West practice this afternoon. He doesn’t excel in any one phase of the game but is sound in most of them. He showed above average ball velocity today and had a couple impressive bucket throws downfield including a great one down the sideline against good coverage to Devon Wylie. Harnish is probably the 2nd best quarterback here and it showed today. He was definitely the most impressive quarterback on the West roster and I imagine it will remain that way for most of the week.
Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern: This is going to sound like an insult, but I truly believe that Dan Persa has the skill set to be a terrific CFL quarterback. I’m sure that’s not what he wants to hear (I wouldn’t want to hear it right now either) but being a quality CFL quarterback is a lot better than taking a shot at the NFL and quitting after you didn’t make it. His size hurts him as he measured in at 5’11” this morning and while he has some arm strength and solid accuracy I just don’t think he will be able to stick in the NFL. I enjoy watching him play though and that’s why I think he could be so good in the CFL.
Tyler Hansen, QB, Colorado: Hansen played better today than I expected him to but that isn’t saying a whole lot. He regularly just stared down one side of the field and threw to his primary read which got monotonous after a while, but he showed the ability to throw the ball on the move and has solid arm strength and accuracy. He’s a fringe draftable prospect at this point and I don’t think he has a future in the NFL outside of a career back-up but he wasn’t bad today.
Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky: As I mentioned in the East roster post, today was not the day to take a lot of notes on running backs. It was a shells practice and you couldn’t tackle, so there wasn’t a lot to glean from the running backs. Rainey looked the best of anyone though as he showed good burst and quickness as well as soft hands as he caught passes in the flat (unlike Marc Tyler who dropped a pass or two and lacked burst). I am definitely going to keep an eye on him the rest of the week, he caught my eye today.
Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas: I went out on a limb and said that Jarius Wright was the best prospect at this game and while I still think he has that potential he definitely had his highs and his lows today. He demonstrated his fantastic athleticism as he burned a number of defensive backs today, created consistent separation and ran crisp routes. He caught the ball well with his hands early on in practice and flashed the ability to come down with a pass in traffic as he made a nice catch on a deep ball for one of the only touchdowns I saw the whole day. However, his hands were also an issue today as he let a number of passes bounce off his hands and hit the turf. I’m not sure if it’s a concentration issue, a hands issue or both, but it was frustrating to watch as the practice wore on. I’m still high on Jarius and I am going to try to track him down for an interview but I hope he catches the ball better the rest of the week than he did today.
Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas: Childs is supposed to be healthy, but he didn’t quite look like his old self today. He didn’t have much burst in and out of his breaks and looked relatively slow when he was running his routes. He displayed good hands as expected and I don’t think I saw him drop a pass today, but considering his skinny frame and his somewhat unimpressive route running this afternoon I am a little worried about his stock. I’m not sure if the knee injury is still bothering him or not, but I talked to him after practice and will have an interview with him later this week.
Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State: Wylie was probably the best player on the entire West roster today. He displayed good hands, good route running, impressive burst and quickness and was just fun to watch at receiver today. He adjusted to the ball well deep and tracked the ball well into his hands and helped make one of the best plays of the day on a deep ball from Chandler Harnish against good coverage. I was waiting for him after the practice to try to talk to him but scout after scout was talking to him, and it looked like a Ravens scout even had him filling out a survey of some kind as someone was announcing that the player bus was leaving soon. I took that as a sign to try to talk to him later, but he definitely helped himself a lot today and I, as well as many other people, was very impressed by his play today.
Dale Moss, WR, South Dakota State: I mistakenly tweeted that Moss “truck-sticked” a player at the East practice earlier today, but obviously that was a mix-up on my part. I have to say that I was not very impressed by Moss today. He measured in well at 6’3”, 220 pounds with 10 1/8 inch hands and a 79 ¼ inch wingspan, but he looked slow the entire practice and didn’t impress me as a route runner. The sad thing is that he still created separation despite route running without much suddenness or burst which really says a lot about some of the players in the West secondary. I’m not high on Moss right now, but we will see what he shows the rest of the week.
Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan: Hemingway was not very impressive today either. He also looked slow and didn’t create a lot of separation due to his route running. His hands were also inconsistent and that really hurts him. He’s not a burner and I didn’t think he was going to be able to threaten defenses vertically in the NFL like he did in college and that seemed to hold true today as he just couldn’t catch up to a couple pretty well thrown deep balls this afternoon.
Tyler Shoemaker, WR, Boise State: Shoemaker may have been the second best receiver on the field today behind Wylie. I noted multiple times that Shoemaker seemed to be the only receiver who continued to come back to the ball after making his breaks on curls, etc. That’s good coaching in my opinion and a couple of times it enabled him to catch a pass relatively easily when it could have been a tough catch in traffic had he completed his break and stood there while the corner closed. I don’t think I saw him drop a single pass today so his hands definitely impressed me and he seems to be pretty athletic. I liked what I saw from him today and I definitely think he has draftable talent.
David Paulson, TE, Oregon: I have been signing Paulson’s praises for a long time and while he wasn’t a stud today he did make a few nice catches on high throws and I don’t think I saw him drop a pass today. He’s underrated and while he doesn’t project well as an in-line TE he can definitely contribute to a NFL passing game at TE or H-Back. He’s consistent and catches the ball when it comes his way, that’s all you can ask.
George Bryan, TE, North Carolina State: This kid is big but my god is he slow. I see why people were mentioning moving him to offensive tackle, though I have seen plenty of offensive tackles move better than he did as a route runner at times today. Not only that, but a couple times he let passes bounce right off his hands when he wasn’t 5 yards downfield. His hands are definitely inconsistent and his speed and lack of quickness will really make it hard for teams to draft him early. He’s a late round pick at this point in my opinion, but the move to offensive tackle may not be a realistic one at this point considering his 33 ¼ inch arm measurement. That’s not terrible, but it’s not great either.
Kevin Koger, TE, Michigan: Koger didn’t flash much today. He showed pretty solid hands but didn’t look fluid in his routes and seemed to lake suddenness and burst in and out of his breaks. I’m not sure he’s going to do very well as an in-line tight end this week but we will see how he does in the run game. I think Koger is an underrated pass catcher but he has more to prove to me this week.
I didn’t see much of the offensive line at practice today since I had a much better look at the 1 on 1’s for the receivers and defensive backs, but I will definitely keep an eye on them throughout the week.
Again, I didn’t see a lot of the defensive line today either but when I did watch I was impressed by DaJohn Harris and Dominique Hamilton. Harris was consistently in the backfield when I saw him today which doesn’t surprise me one bit because I think he is one of the most underrated players here. Hamilton is a big, big guy and looked pretty strong at the POA when I saw him, but I have to see a lot more of both of them.
I didn’t see a lot of the linebackers today, but predictably Tank Carder looked good in coverage. I’m very interested to see how he does in the box against the run the rest of the week. We all knew he could drop into coverage, now we need to see how he does filling versus the run in the middle of the defense. Jerry Franklin also flashed some ability in coverage which was good to see, but I definitely didn’t see him enough to make many conclusions about him. Josh Kaddu was a player I had never really watched before and he flashed potential to me today. He is an athletic kid and he demonstrated that when dropping into coverage today. I don’t know much about him, but I’m looking forward to learning more about him as the week goes on.
Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa: Prater was the best of this lackluster group in my opinion. He closes on passes well and drove on the ball well in practice today for the most part. He should have had at least one interception when he made a nice break on the ball but it went right off his chest. He doesn’t have very good hands but he does have pretty good ball skills. He looks like the cream of his unimpressive crop early in the week.
Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia: Tandy did not impress me at all today. He was playing pretty soft coverage and gave up slants pretty freely today. His backpedal looked high and I didn’t think he turned and ran well with receivers downfield. He has a lot of work to do to help his stock this week because he definitely didn’t do so today in my opinion.
Brandon Hardin, CB, Oregon State: Hardin may have been the worst of this batch of defensive backs and that is absolutely not a good thing. He inexplicably gave up slants over and over again and never showed any burst to close. It was baffling really, but slow receivers were creating 3 yards of separation against him on simple slant routes. He seemed to be reacting in slow motion and just looked awful today.
Rodney McLeod, CB, Virginia: I didn’t see much of McLeod, but I also didn’t see him getting beaten that much either. That puts him in the top half of this crop of defensive backs unfortunately. He is only 5’9.5”, 195 pounds which hurts him, but he may be a sleeper in this group of corners. I’ll keep a closer eye on him the rest of the week.
None of the safeties were particularly impressive in my opinion. Duke Ihenacho and Blake Gideon didn’t look very good in man coverage though I didn’t really expect Ihenacho to be good there. He did look slow in man coverage though which was concerning. I’m not as high on Aaron Henry as others are because I think he gives up too many big plays but that wasn’t as much of an issue on day one of practice. We will see how he does the rest of the week.
Punters:
Brian Anger, P, California: I almost forgot to include him in this, but he needs to be mentioned. I was watching him punt early on in practice and in comparison with Matt Prewitt from Kentucky Christian he looked fantastic. You can really tell when a punter or a kicker has a strong leg because the ball will sound like a gun-shot (or something similar) when it comes off of his foot. That was the case for Anger today and he was getting fantastic hang time (though I didn’t have a stop watch handy). He was beating the pigskin off the ball today and while he may not end up getting drafted if he keeps punting like this all week he will make a NFL roster.
Tags: 2012 East-West Shrine Game, 2012 NFL Draft, Aaron Henry, All-Star Game Notes, Arkansas, Blake Gideon, Bobby Rainey, Boise State, Brandon Hardin, Brian Anger, California, CB, CFL, Chandler Harnish, Colorado, DaJohn Harris, Dale Moss, Dan Persa, David Paulson, Day 1, Devon Wylie, Dominique Hamilton, DT, Duke Ihenacho, Fresno State, George Bryan, Greg Childs, ILB, Iowa, Jarius Wright, Jerry Franklin, Josh Kaddu, Junior Hemingway, Keith Tandy, Kevin Koger, Knee Injury, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, OLB, Oregon, Oregon State, P, QB, RB, Rodney McLeod, San Jose State, Shaun Prater, South Dakota State, Southern Cal, Tank Carder, TCU, TE, Texas, Tom Melton, Tyler Hansen, Tyler Shoemaker, Virginia, West Roster, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, WR
East-West Shrine Game Preview: West Offense
-Tyler Hansen, QB, Colorado: 6’0”, 215 pounds, 4.78 40 yard dash
-Hansen is a very average prospect and is definitely on the less talented roster as far as quarterbacks are concerned. He had the best season of his career by far this year with 2,883 passing yards, a 56.3 completion percentage (his career best was 68.3% the previous year on fewer attempts) and had a career high for touchdowns and interceptions by posting 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also offers value as a runner thanks to his athleticism and he totaled 115 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing this season. I’m not a fan of Hansen but getting an invite to this game is a chance for him to improve his stock from a near certain undrafted free agent to a possible 7th round pick or maybe a little bit higher. He doesn’t have NFL size which will hurt him, but I would expect him to measure in at 6’0”. He’s always had a solid arm, but his accuracy has been a problem throughout his career. It will be interesting to see how far he has progressed since two years ago but I am not expecting a whole lot.
-Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois: 6’2”, 220 pounds, 4.72 40 yard dash
-Harnish is a solid quarterback that has plenty of starting experience and an impressive resume of production and success as the NIU signal caller. He doesn’t have great size or arm strength but he is a powerful runner who can pick up yardage with his legs. His arm strength is above average and he has above average accuracy in my opinion, but I’m not sold on him having much upside as a NFL starter. This week will be big for him because his grade seems to vary from a 4th round range all the way to a 6th round range, so having a good week in front of scouts will help him establish himself as a 4th-5th round developmental prospect. He has tools, I just don’t think there is a vast amount of improvement left for him to achieve, making me wonder how much upside is there.
-Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern: 5’11”, 210 pounds, 4.63 40 yard dash
-Persa is an interesting quarterback. I personally think there are a few senior quarterbacks that could have replaced Ryan Lindley at this game aside from Persa such as Dominique Davis, Patrick Witt, Aaron Corp or maybe even Case Keenum. However, Persa has been a very productive player at Northwestern and has a good shot here to either get himself picked up as a priority free agent or possibly to get drafted in the very late portion of the draft. He has thrown 32 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions over the past two seasons while amassing 10 more touchdowns rushing (though 9 of them came as a junior). His height will be a detriment to him and I’m not sure he has enough arm talent to convince teams to take a chance on him like Russell Wilson does. However, this week is a chance for him to prove that he does, and I do like his intangibles. It will be fun to see him in person, so hopefully he has a good week and helps his stock.
– Marc Tyler, RB, Southern California: 5’10”, 230 pounds, 4.59 40 yard dash
-Tyler is a guy that I was never very impressed with at Southern Cal. He’s had problems getting nicked up and missing time with injuries in his career, and while he was a highly touted recruit he never really lived up to the hype even when he was given plenty of opportunity to do so over the last two seasons. He was replaced by Curtis McNeal as the full time back later in the season and he seized the opportunity finishing with 1,005 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns once he finally started to get carries. But because McNeal was getting the lions-share of the carries (double digit carries for the last 7 games, never had under 86 yards rushing) that left Marc Tyler in a reserve role which limited his production and hurt his stock. I’m not expecting a lot from Tyler but if he could stay healthy he could possibly find a place in the NFL. I’m anxious to see how healthy he is for this week because a lot of the times I have watched him he’s been nicked up or slowed by something. This is a big week for him so hopefully he has a good week, but he’s not high on my RB rankings.
-Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas: 6’3”, 217 pounds, 4.56 40 yard dash
-Childs is a guy that I think is going to help his stock without a doubt this week. He suffered a serious injury last year at which point he was Ryan Mallett’s go-to guy at receiver and he was not healthy the entire year until possibly Arkansas’ bowl game. He should be 100% now though and that means he is going to have every opportunity to remind people why he was so highly thought of last season before his injury. He isn’t a burner but he can stretch teams vertically due to his size and length, he has very reliable hands and is practically an automatic 3rd down conversion machine. He provides value as a 3rd down receiver and as a red zone threat for this reason, and even if he can’t display much potential beyond that I think it will help his stock and get him drafted. He has upside but he is also very reliable which makes me wonder why he is projected so low by so many people. I usually prescribe to the saying “the tape don’t lie” but Childs is one of the exceptions to that rule. The tape he has from this year is of him at much less than 100%, and being able to see him in person when he should be close or at 100% is something I am very excited about.
-Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan: 6’1”, 222 pounds, 4.54 40 yard dash
-Hemingway was a highly touted coming out of high school but never lived up to the expectations of him at Michigan, largely because of poor quarterback play. Hemingway has solid size but he looks very slow when he’s running routes and attempting to get vertical. I thought he was a tight end at first because he looked so slow. Regardless, he has shown some talent and has a chance to help improve his stock, but if he doesn’t show more speed in and out of his breaks as well as reliable hands I think he will hurt his stock this week. He’s got talent, but he’s a fringe draftable prospect at this point and I’m not sure his game translates perfectly to the NFL. Here’s hoping he has a good week though.
-Tyler Shoemaker, WR, Boise State: 6’1”, 212 pounds, 4.50 40 yard dash
-Shoemaker was always stuck lower on the depth chart behind Boise State’s talented wide receivers but he really emerged this season as one of Kellen Moore’s go-to guys as he totaled 62 receptions, 994 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s a pretty athletic guy and while he isn’t a freak athlete I think he has NFL athleticism and quality hands. He could definitely be a riser this week and I personally think he will end up getting drafted. If he doesn’t I would be shocked if he didn’t end up making a roster.
-Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas: 5’10”, 180 pounds, 4.34 40 yard dash
-Jarius Wright may be the best prospect at the East-West Shrine Game. I’m very high on him and he’s had a terrific season at Arkansas, so honestly I am baffled that he isn’t at the Senior Bowl with his teammate Joe Adams. Regardless, I am happy that he is at this game so I can get a look at him close up. Personally I think he is the best candidate to play so well this week that he actually merits a late invitation to the Senior Bowl. We’ll see if that prediction comes true, but I think there is a solid chance of that happening. Wright is extremely explosive, he’s very fast and he has quality hands. I think he should end up in the 2nd or 3rd round of the NFL draft and I think the Shrine Game and the combine will both provide a big boost to his draft stock. He’s an impressive athlete but he’s also a very good football player (a better one than Joe Adams, even if he isn’t as explosive as a return man) and I would love to have him on my team if I needed a guy to make plays in the slot and to stretch defenses vertically. I’m high on Wright, so look for him to have a terrific week in St. Pete.
-Gerell Robinson, WR, Arizona State: 6’3”, 222 pounds, 4.58 40 yard dash
-Robinson is the definition of a possession receiver in my opinion. He was by far Brock Osweiler’s favorite target at Arizona State this year and I truly believe his graduation (in addition to the firing of his head coach) pushed Osweiler to declare this year instead of staying for his senior season. I like Robinson but I don’t think he is going to be as significant of a downfield threat in the NFL as he was at Arizona State. He doesn’t have great speed but he does have impressive size and reliable hands. I’ve seen him drop some passes but he has regularly come up with big 3rd down conversions and big catches for Arizona State this season. He’s a late round pick at this point and while I don’t expect him to “wow” a lot of people and boost his stock into the 4th round range I think he has a great shot to solidify himself as a 5th/6th round pick that will be able to stick on a roster and work himself into a contributing role.
-Kevin Koger, TE, Michigan: 6’4”, 258 pounds, 4.78 40 yard dash
-Koger is a very underrated TE that was severely underutilized at Michigan thanks to their inconsistent quarterback play their limited number of passing attempts. He’s a quality receiver though and I think he will be a quality NFL player at the position. He only had 23 receptions, 244 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season but I expect him to open some eyes this week because I think he warrants 4th round consideration. Not everyone has him that high, but after this week I think those that underrated him will start to come around.
-George Bryan, TE, North Carolina State: 6’5”, 265 pounds, 5.14 40 yard dash
-Bryan is a big, physical tight end prospect that I have even heard rumblings about moving him to offensive tackle. That’s nothing concrete obviously, but considering his lack of speed and his relatively unimpressive hands that may be on the table at some point. He’s not going to threaten defenses down the seam and he is strictly a possession receiver that will use his large frame to make catches underneath and in traffic. His hands aren’t great though and that worries me, because I think it limits his potential to make catches in traffic. I think he has the potential to stick as a TE, but the potential move to offensive tackle is an interesting one.
-David Paulson, TE, Oregon: 6’3”, 242 pounds, 4.82 40 yard dash
-I am really high on David Paulson and I seem to be one of the few in that respect, but I don’t mind that. He may not be the biggest, the strongest or the fastest but as I have said over and over I value players that make big plays when their teams need them the most. While Paulson doesn’t have a great track record of statistical production and only had 31 receptions, 438 yards and 6 touchdowns this year, but many of those moved the chains and extended drives for Oregon. There are plenty of explosive playmakers on that Ducks roster so Paulson isn’t the primary or secondary target by any means. However, he was the glue guy that Darron Thomas could locate if he needed someone to make a catch and I think that value applies to the NFL. I think Paulson can threaten defenses vertically despite not being a freak athlete and he has very reliable hands. I fully expect him to be a riser this week and I think he definitely deserves to be drafted.
-Ryan Miller, OT, Colorado: 6’8”, 298 pounds, 5.32 40 yard dash
-Every year or two there seems to be a guy that played offensive guard in college that shows enough ability to kick outside to offensive tackle in the NFL. A couple years ago it was Branden Albert, and this year it seems to be Ryan Miller. Miller obviously doesn’t have a lot of experience playing offensive tackle so that will probably show early in the week. The true litmus test of whether or not he can stick outside at tackle will be if he progresses and improves over the course of the week. If he does then his stock should be boosted considerably because he doesn’t project very well to the inside due to his sheer size. He’s not a stud offensive tackle prospect, but he definitely has developmental potential. I’m excited to see how he does early in the week and how he progresses as he is coached up.
-Al Netter, OT, Northwestern: 6’4”, 310 pounds, 5.26 40 yard dash
-I wrote about Netter and Northwestern in the offseason last year and I was not impressed with Netter at all. I still don’t think he’s a likely NFL Draft pick, but while he demonstrated quality technique in some aspects he really struggled with his hand placements, seemed to be getting away with holding quite often, had poor balance and an awkward kick slide. I haven’t seen him much this year and not many of my thoughts have changed on him, but I am interested to see how he has progressed and how he does this week. He will likely be at right tackle because I don’t think he projects well to the left side at all, but if he can show some improvement then he has a chance to be drafted. Right now I don’t think he will be selected come April.
-Matt Reynolds, OT, Brigham Young: 6’4”, 305 pounds, 5.28 40 yard dash
-Reynolds is a guy that plenty of people were projecting as an early draft pick had he come out last year, but I have always had a much lower grade on him than everyone else. I think he has to move inside to guard first of all, and even then I’m not very high on him. I thought he was a late round pick when I scouted him last season and not a lot has changed for me since then. He has more upside as a guard than he does at tackle, but he bends at the waist at times, isn’t as strong in the run game as I would like, and doesn’t anchor well in pass protection. He has a lot to prove to me this week if he wants me to change my mind on him, because right now he is not a quality NFL prospect in my eyes.
-Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota: 6’6”, 312 pounds, 5.15 40 yard dash
-Compton is an offensive tackle that I’m not very familiar with and I haven’t seen him play before, but having read up on him a bit he is definitely someone I will be watching. He is one of the more talented offensive linemen on the West roster and has a chance to make himself a lot of money with a quality performance this week. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him because he and Miller have a great chance to show what they can do at the offensive tackle spot this week.
-Markus Zusevics, OG, Iowa: 6’5”, 300 pounds, 5.08 40 yard dash
-Zusevics played right tackle at Iowa but I’m not sold on him sticking at that position and it doesn’t seem like many other people are either. I think guard may be the best spot for him, so it will be interesting to see how he does playing inside this week. He could stand to add weight to his frame, and because he isn’t a great athlete I think getting stronger will be necessary for him. His measurements will be important for him, particularly his arm length.
-Moe Petru, C, Connecticut: 6’2”, 302 pounds, 5.04 40 yard dash
-Petrus is another experienced center in a class that seems to be full of them. Rarely are center classes as potentially deep as this one is, especially now that Peter Konz has declared to give the center position a 1st round candidate. I am interested to see how Petrus does because he could be a nice 4th-5th round steal for a team that needs a reliable center that can create some push off the ball in the run game. He’s not a stud center, but I think he has a long NFL career in front of him.
Tags: 2012 East-West Shrine Game, 2012 NFL Draft, Al Netter, All-Star Game Notes, Arizona State, Arkansas, Boise State, BYU, C, Chandler Harnish, Colorado, Connecticut, Dan Persa, David Paulson, George Bryan, Gerell Robinson, Greg Childs, Iowa, Jarius Wright, Junior Hemingway, Kevin Koger, Marc Tyler, Markus Zusevics, Matt Reynolds, Michigan, Moe Petrus, NIU, North Carolina State, Northwestern, OG, Oregon, OT, QB, RB, Ryan Miller, South Dakota, Southern Cal, TE, Tom Compton, Tom Melton, Tyler Hansen, Tyler Shoemaker, West Roster, WR
RT @abbyhonold: The most heartbreaking thing is that Heaven just had her first baby. I would really, really appreciate prayers for her baby… 2 hours ago
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Toronto Fashion Week Day 2: The Fashion and Beauty Highlights
The second day of Toronto Fashion Week continued with shows, presentations and talks highlighting the best in Canadian fashion. Panels and podcasts ruled the day as industry pros Maurizio Donadi (Atelier & Repairs), Leah Morrigan (Image Consulting for Men), and Marilyn McNeil-Morin (George Brown College) discussed responsible fashion; The Brand is Female shined a spotlight on women disrupting retail with BonLook founder and CEO Sophie Boulanger, Ecksand co-founder and creative director Erica Bianchini, and host Eva Hartling; shoe designer Ron White also spoke about his career with Fashion Talks host Donna Bishop.
Hania Kuzbari showcased her jewelry designs in a private, parlour-style presentation, and Gigi Gorgeous touched down in the city to celebrate the opening of the XPOSED exhibit. Meanwhile, several designers showcased their latest—and in some cases, their very first—collection at Fashion House and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Here are the standout moments from Day 2:
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AT ANISHA KUMAR, HANIA KUZBARI AND THE FERAL
Anisha Kumar made her debut as a Canadian designer in the first runway show of the day. The designer incorporated traditional Indian fabrics and silhouettes to create ready-to-wear pieces that can be worn by anyone. The makeup, created by Elena Pacienza and Hanoch Drori, featured a statement red lip using Da Lish’s Canada 150 lipstick. “The inspiration was to show the beauty and strength of having confidence in your own individual style,” says Pacienza.
Fine-jewelry designer Hania Kuzbari hosted a private parlour-style presentation over high tea inside The Hazelton Hotel’s Yorkville Room. The sparkling ethically sourced jewels, which ranged from delicate rings, bracelets and earrings to head-turning statement pieces, were showcased on live models and inspired by her experiences living in the Middle East and North America.
Meanwhile, menswear label The Feral by designer Zakariah Milana showcased a moodier palette inspired by the feeling of unease caused by climate change, and used pockets, textures and shape as a form of armour.
MODERN GLAMOUR AT CATHERINE CURTIS, KIM NEWPORT, RVNG COUTURE AND NARCES
Catherine Curtis presented her Spring/Summer 2020 collection at Fashion House with a series of stunning dresses that work for every occasion. Playful cocktail dresses and dramatic evening gowns experimented with various textures and silhouettes.
Kimberley Newport-Mimran, the president and design director of Pink Tartan, showcased her first eveningwear collection at the ROM under the label Kim Newport. From powder-pink dresses with oversized bows to floor-grazing feather-and-tulle confections, the designs exuded a timeless elegance. The beauty looks were also made to match. “It was all about bringing a modern edge to the sixties,” says Jorge Joao, Global Redken Artist, about the hairstyle. “It was the silhouette of a ’60s style with today’s trend of having more movement, texture and versatility.” Similarly, the nails, created by CND Canada Education Ambassador Liliya Leheta, were kept classic with a mid-length, almond shape and a sheer pale pink hue using CND Vinylux in Bouquet and White Wedding.
The pastel palette and feminine flourishes continued with RVNG, which took its inspiration from Rodeo Drive for its collection of ready-to-wear and couture creations. The fashion house delivered plenty of allure with careful attention to craftsmanship, whether it was a gorgeous gown with floral appliqués, a statement trench coat or a red-carpet-ready dress with a show-stopping train.
Meanwhile, Narces’ interpretation of glamour ran the gamut from slinky slip dresses and neon cocktail numbers to sequined jumpsuits. The presentation also featured beautiful bridal gowns that played with unexpected combinations of tulle, paillettes, sequins and lace. The hair look, created by Jorge Joao, was slicked back to an elegant and understated effect.
FASHION TALKS WITH RON WHITE
Inside Fashion House, host Donna Bishop sat down with Canadian shoe designer Ron White for a live recording of the Fashion Talks podcast to talk about his 25-year career in the industry. The celebrity-approved “Shoeru” (a moniker given to him by fashion journalist Jeanne Beker) chatted about his early entrepreneurial spirit as a kid growing up in Winnipeg, learning shoemaking from Italian factories, inventing the “All Day Heels” and navigating changes in the footwear industry.
GIGI GORGEOUS: AN ICON IN THE MAKING
Over at Yorkville Village’s The Oval, a photo series by XPOSED starring Canadian YouTube star, actress and model Gigi Gorgeous was exhibited as part of this year’s Style Art initiative. Shot by fashion photographer Chris Nicholls and featuring art treatments by Lorca Moore, the series was entitled, ‘Icon in the Making.’ The evening’s honouree, Gigi Gorgeous, also made a special appearance to celebrate the launch. A limited number of XPOSED x GIGI hoodies were also produced to accompany the exhibit and raise funds for The 519, Canada’s largest LGBTQ2S community centre.
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$18.95True Stories
By James Villers Jr.
Turkey is quite literally the bridge between Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam, and is an ideal springboard for understanding the Islamic world because it is culturally Islamic but also an avowedly secular state. Travelers’ Tales Turkey unveils this dramatic land through stories that range from whimsical to profound. Notable authors include: Robert D. Kaplan, Tim Cahill, Bruce Feiler, Mary Lee Settle, Jeremy Seal, Nicholas Shrady, Tim Ward, Stephen Kinzer, and many more. From cosmopolitan Istanbul to villages where people have never heard of America or England, the writers in this collection reveal Turkey as a place with a rich history (think Troy, Ephesus, Gallipoli, St. Paul, Kemal Ataturk), exceptional hospitality, engaging traditional culture—including Sufi mystics—and diverse landscape dotted with the ruins of antiquity.
I tell you truly,
everything you now see
will vanish like a dream.
—RUMI, “From Box to Box”
Rumi was not a Turk by birth, but he whirled to spiritual fame in Konya, an ancient Turkish Islamic capital. He is recognized as a mystic (the founder of the order of dervishes) and poet, and, as such, his verse is meant to touch the spiritual voyager in all of us. His words on the intangibility of dreams strike me as paradoxical, a reminder of the illusory nature of time and of the impermanence of human creation, but also of the importance of the immediate. Never mind these mundane struggles, Rumi seems to be telling me; but pay close attention to your surroundings, nevertheless.
His words seem particularly relevant to the subject of these stories: Turkey and its inhabitants. Journeys so often lead us to profundities, in any case, deeper ways of thinking than we’re accustomed to in the everyday. Why not flip the process? Let’s begin this journey with Rumi’s universal truth in mind, a truth that’s applicable to the subject in more ways than one.
Turkey is shockingly timeless; all around the country, from mountains to plains to coastline, it’s impossible not to step into the currents of past, present and future. It is ancient, young, and not yet born. The cradle of civilization—the river basin of the Tigris and Euphrates—lies within its borders; countless cultures have trod its shores and plains, leaving behind no more than layers of crumbling ruins and echoes of whispered voices. Modern Turkey, however, born as recently as the 1920s, still struggles to find its true nature; positioned at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, it teeters from one way of life to the other, swayed by the forces of politics, religion, tourism, and television. And this precarious balance gives rise to a question pertaining to Turkey’s unknown future: Which way will the country swing in the coming years, and how will this color the lives of its inhabitants, world neighbors, and curious visitors?
I didn’t know much of Turkey before I left to go there. Nor did my friends or family. When I shared the news that I’d gotten a job in Istanbul and would soon be moving, the most prevalent comment made by people was, “Have you seen Midnight Express?”
The question was never asked in genuine fear for my safety. At least I don’t think it was. Still, there’s something a bit strange in the question coming up at all, because many of those who asked the question hadn’t even seen the film. I certainly hadn’t, and, what’s more, I absolutely refused to see it before I left. I didn’t want any sort of nightmarish Hollywood vision clouding my perception of a place I hadn’t yet seen.
The point seems to be this: enough people I talked to had long-lasting negative impressions of Turkey based on the 1978 film, whether they’d seen it or not, that I refused to see it. How many others in the West have avoided Turkey based solely on this film?
Turkey is not the land of Midnight Express. As certain of these stories attest, brutal acts have been perpetrated within its borders, but Turkey’s shadows are no different from any other country’s, developed or not.
I had been in Turkey—in a strange suburb near Istanbul—for exactly fourteen days when the first major 1999 earthquake hit; my new job as a teacher was to start that very week. It was approximately 3 a.m., and I was awake when the shaking started. As habituated to earth tremors as I am after nearly a lifetime in California, I wasn’t ready for the violence of this upheaval. The rocking was long and strong, and it gathered in force over a full forty-five seconds. I leaped from the sheets, and stood, shakily, in my bedroom doorway until the trembling stopped.
Even with the intense fright—deeper than any I’d ever known—I still might have climbed back under my covers; it’s what I always did back home, whenever we felt tremors.
The voices of my neighboring Turks, however, lifted up from the outside and in through my open window. Looking out, I saw them filing out from our apartment building and the ones nearby, to huddle together in and around the playground. I watched the growing crowd, heard the incomprehensible murmurs (nothing in view had crumbled—unlike the devastation in Izmit and Avcilar, thirty or so miles away—and so the crowd didn’t seem at all panicked), and became convinced that the people down there knew something I didn’t. I descended to join my neighbors, to await any aftershocks or news.
After two years in their midst—as friend to some, stranger to most, observer of all I came across—I’m now positive that Turks know many things that I do not. How to make the most of any open patch of grass, for example, or how to profit from a sunny day (first step, go outside, no matter what kind of landscape you find yourself in). Lingering over breakfast is an art, particularly on a weekend. Soccer is a religion (albeit, a gender-centric one; but men also embrace warmly, and kiss each other on the cheeks when they meet). Bread is considered sacred, and never thrown out (in Istanbul, the hard, inedible ends are left outside for the numerous street cats and dogs, both of which share a shaky, often perilous existence with the vast city’s human inhabitants). And children come first, for all Turks. In each of these aspects of daily Turkish existence, there seems to be an echo of Rumi’s admonition that the present moment matters. It matters very much.
Two years wasn’t enough to begin to know Turkey in its entirety of place and people. I even came back to California with the vague and uneasy feeling that, despite my daily wanderings in Istanbul and frequent travels around the country, I hadn’t let much inside of me. The research I’ve done for this book, however, has changed that feeling, revealing to me faces and sites that I easily recognize, even ones I’ve never actually seen.
Turkey is exactly what you’ll read here, and more. Ancient. Diverse. Hospitable. Harsh. Stunning. Paradoxical. A little nutty. And timeless. But the pieces you’ll read here—for all their color and character, for all their diversity and depth—certainly can’t do complete justice to the country. I hope that these stories, though, will give you just enough of a taste of the place that you’ll decide to go there and sense for yourself, before the Turkey of today vanishes like Rumi’s dream.
—JAMES VILLERS JR.
Part One: Essence Of Turkey
A Dazzling Kaleidoscope — Stephen Kinzer
Above The Ruins Of Ephesus — Mary Lee Settle
In The Hearts Of God’s Children — Nicholas Shrady
Waiting For Gözleme — Pier Roberts
From Troy To Gallipoli — Tony Perrottet
The Barefaced Pleasure — Thomas Goltz
The Best View Of Istanbul — James Villers Jr.
Who Are The Turks? — Robert D. Kaplan
A Visit To Soapmakers — Jeremy Seal
Part Two: Some Things To Do
Ye Pipes, Play On — Stephen Kinzer
Clash Of The Camels — Laurie Udesky
The Road To Urfa — Laurence Mitchell
How To Buy A Turkish Rug — Laura Billings
The Blue Voyage — John Flinn
In The Hands Of Kismet — Catherine Watson
Turkish Wrestlemania —Stephen Kinzer
Swimming The Hellespont — Richard Halliburton
In Cappadocia — Mary Lee Settle
Part Three: Going Your Own Way
Looking For Noah — Bruce S. Feiler
A Wedding In Ekinlik — Irene-Marie Spencer
Encounter With The Goddess — Tim Ward
Çay In Çankiri — Piers Letcher
A Step In The River — Barbara Bowen
Anybody Seen A Tiger Around Here? — Tim Cahill
Remzi’s Curse — April Thompson
Tears From Turkey — Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Allah Hit Me — John Krich
Part Four: In The Shadows
Turkish Knockout — Rolf Potts
Where’s The Outrage? — Nick Danziger
The Fairy Tales Of Van — Jeremy Seal
Part Five: The Last Word
On The Bosporus — Scott L. Malcomson
Index Of Contributors
Waiting for Gözleme
by Pier Roberts
In a race against time, hunger is everything.We’d been exploring the wonders of Cappadocia in Central Turkey, marveling at the man-made and geological beauty of the area. Bright, colorful frescoes adorned the walls of churches, the oldest carved from the rocks more than 1,300 years ago. Beautiful rock formations known as fairy chimneys filled valleys with their strange forms. From the soft porous rock of the area emerged Zelve, a whole village of troglodyte dwellings that had been inhabited until quite recently.
Throughout the long day, my friend and I had forgotten about eating, distracted by the sights around us. Finally, as we headed to the bus stop in Zelve to catch the last bus back to Ürgüp, due in at six o’clock, we remembered that we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. A typical Turkish breakfast offered massive amounts of food—bread, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs—and was usually enough to tide us over. But not today. When the hunger pangs hit we immediately started to talk about what we’d eat for dinner once we arrived.
We got to the bus stop with little time to spare, and that’s when we saw two women sitting on the side of the road, a mother and daughter team, selling fresh gözleme. Both were beautiful, with long dark hair, loosely covered with a simple beaded headscarf. They were wearing the traditional dress of the area—a gauzy peasant blouse on top and baggy colorful pants on the bottom. They smiled at us and pointed to a large griddle by their side, offering to cook us some gözleme. I’d never tasted gözleme, a mixture of cheeses and spices wrapped in fresh dough and cooked over a hot griddle, but Kenan had, and he said that we should try it. I looked at my watch; I looked at the women and the griddle, a bowl of dough sitting next to it. I told Kenan that we didn’t have time, but in the spirit of adventure, he said, “Let’s try. We’ll pay the women anyway if it’s not ready when the bus comes.”
Kenan explained to the mother that we had to catch the six o’clock bus back to Ürgüp, and immediately I saw something sparkle in her eyes when she met his gaze. I saw that she was determined to take on the challenge, to work against the clock. She looked back at him, intensely, gravely, seriously—the way that Turks can often look—and told him, “You will have your gözleme.” Then she stood up and ordered her daughter to a shack a hundred or so feet away, and the daughter went off like a gazelle.
The mother turned up the heat on the griddle and took out two clumps of dough from the bowl. She began to roll out the dough, an expert at the task, this way and that, back and forth, a miracle before my eyes: in seconds, the thinnest, most perfectly round pieces of dough I’d ever seen. Just as she finished rolling, the daughter returned, panting, with a bowl of the filling—fresh cheese, parsley, red pepper, other spices, salt and pepper. The mother quickly flipped the dough onto the griddle, turned it once, sprinkled the filling over the dough, and I saw it beginning to happen: the birth of my first gözleme.
And then we heard it, all of us, in the distance, the dolmus‚—a minibus whose name means stuffed—on its way to Zelve. We all looked up to see it, rattling over the narrow road, working its way down to where we stood, suspended in the moment. It still had a few curves to take, a hill or two to climb and descend before it would arrive. But we all knew in an instant that we wouldn’t make it; that it was a good try, but it wouldn’t work; that the filling in the gözlemewouldn’t melt just right; and the raw dough over the filling wouldn’t cook just right in the amount of time that we had left before the bus arrived in Zelve.
As the bus approached, we tried to stop the women, tried to give them money anyway, tried to thank them for a valiant effort. But they wouldn’t hear of it, and they insisted on continuing, the gözleme beginning to sizzle on the griddle. When the bus driver opened the door, Kenan and I stood still for a moment, not sure what to do. But the mother, she knew. Maybe she has done this before, I thought. She jumped up and asked the bus driver to wait for a moment.
He resisted.
She begged.
He resisted some more.
She implored. “Lütfen, lütfen.” Please, please, she nearly wailed. Wouldn’t he please, lütfen, hold on, rest a moment, wait until the gözleme was finished. It wouldn’t be a huge problem now, would it? “And look,” she pointed to us, “the visitors are starving.”
We put on sad faces and tried to look really hungry, while I added in the best Turkish I could, “Çok aç” (very hungry) as the bus driver roared and moaned, protested profusely, claimed that he couldn’t wait at every bus stop on his route for meals to be made. But she argued her case well, and she argued it long, and all the time she argued, the gözleme sizzled and sizzled, and the aroma from the griddle rose up from the side of the road, wafted through the open doors of the bus, and made its way slowly and purposefully down the aisle. Suddenly, I heard a sympathetic voice rise up from the back of the bus: “Oh come on, I don’t mind waiting a little bit. Let them have their gözleme.” And soon another voice joined that voice. Until eventually we had the support of everyone on the bus to wait out the cooking of the gözleme. “What’s the big rush anyway?” someone from a front seat asked.
The bus driver turned to face the mutinous crowd of passengers behind him, and finally shrugged his shoulders, turned back to the mother, and said, “Okay. Okay. Tamam. But don’t ask this of me again.”
And so the bus waited at the Zelve bus stop while the women finished cooking our gözleme. The mother folded the dough over the filling as if she were sealing an envelope with a secret message inside. When it was all done, the dough was perfectly cooked, light brown spots dotting the outside, the cheese soft and warm, the spices just beginning to send out their flavor. The daughter wrapped up one and the mother wrapped up another as we paid for the food and then jumped onto the bus. Someone on the bus cheered as we sat down, and a few other passengers joined him. I smiled at everyone on the bus, a little embarrassed, but happy too to have my gözleme. We turned and waved to the women on the side of the road, now settling back down, squatting next to their hot griddle.
We sat on the bus, and the sun sank further into the Cappadocia landscape as we ate ourgözleme, one of the best, and certainly one of the hardest won meals I had in Turkey.
Pier Roberts lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Her stories have appeared inTravelers’ Tales Spain, A Woman’s Passion for Travel, Escape, and Atlantic Unbound.
James Villers moved to Turkey in 1999. His welcome to the country—two weeks after he arrived—was a major earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people. Despite this shocking initiation, he stayed, spending more than two years there—teaching high school English in Istanbul, and traveling in and around Turkey. He has lived most of his life in California, but spent a year in France, and six months in Switzerland. He is a secondary school literature and drama teacher, with an M.A. in English from Sonoma State University. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
James Villers Jr. 2017-04-24T02:33:03-08:00
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Glenn _Greenwald
The FBI’s Hunt for Two Missing Piglets Reveals the Federal Cover-Up of Barbaric Factory Farms
October 5 2017, 6:05 p.m.
This article includes graphic images some readers may find disturbing.
FBI agents are devoting substantial resources to a multistate hunt for two baby piglets that the bureau believes are named Lucy and Ethel. The two piglets were removed over the summer from the Circle Four Farm in Utah by animal rights activists who had entered the Smithfield Foods-owned factory farm to film the brutal, torturous conditions in which the pigs are bred in order to be slaughtered.
While filming the conditions at the Smithfield facility, activists saw the two ailing baby piglets laying on the ground, visibly ill and near death, surrounded by the rotting corpses of dead piglets. “One was swollen and barely able to stand; the other had been trampled and was covered in blood,” said Wayne Hsiung of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), which filmed the facility and performed the rescue. Due to various illnesses, he said, the piglets were unable to eat or digest food and were thus a fraction of the normal weight for piglets their age.
Rather than leave the two piglets at Circle Four Farm to wait for an imminent and painful death, the DxE activists decided to rescue them. They carried them out of the pens where they had been suffering and took them to an animal sanctuary to be treated and nursed back to health.
DxE photograph depicting piglets huddled up against their mothers at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah. DxE says the piglets were sick or starving.
Photo: Wayne Hsiung/DxE
This single Smithfield Foods farm breeds and then slaughters more than 1 million pigs each year. One of the odd aspects of animal mistreatment in the U.S. is that species regarded as more intelligent and emotionally complex — dogs, dolphins, cats, primates — generally receive more public concern and more legal protection. Yet pigs – among the planet’s most intelligent, social, and emotionally complicated species, capable of great joy, play, love, connection, suffering and pain, at least on a par with dogs — receive almost no protections, and are subject to savage systematic abuse by U.S. factory farms.
At Smithfield, like most industrial pig farms, the abuse and torture primarily comes not from rogue employees violating company procedures. Instead, the cruelty is inherent in the procedures themselves. One of the most heinous industry-wide practices is one that DxE activists encountered in abundance at Circle Four: gestational crating.
Where that technique is used, pigs are placed in a crate made of iron bars that is the exact length and width of their bodies, so they can do nothing for their entire lives but stand on a concrete floor, never turn around, never see any outdoors, never even see their tails, never move more than an inch. That was the condition in which the activists found the rotting piglet corpses and the two ailing piglets they rescued.
Piles of dead and rotting piglets are piled up behind a sow, who is wedged into a crate so tightly that she cannot move away from the mess at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
Female pigs give birth in this condition. They are put in so-called farrowing crates when they give birth, and their piglets run underneath them to suckle and are often trampled to death. The sows are bred repeatedly this way until their fertility declines, at which point they are slaughtered and turned into meat.
The pigs are so desperate to get out of their crates that they often spend weeks trying to bite through the iron bars until their gums gush blood, bash their heads against the walls, and suffer a disease in which their organs end up mangled in the wrong places, from the sheer physical trauma of trying to escape from a tiny space or from acute anxiety (called “organ torsion”).
So cruel is the practice that in 2014, Canada effectively banned its usage, as the European Union had done two years earlier. Nine U.S. states, most of which host very few farms, have banned gestational crating (in 2014, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, with his eye on the GOP primary in farm-friendly Iowa, vetoed a bill that would have made his state the 10th).
But in the U.S. states where factory farms actually thrive, these devices continue to be widely used, which means a vast majority of pigs in the U.S. are subjected to them. The suffering, pain, and death these crates routinely cause were in ample evidence at Smithfield Foods, as accounts, photos, and videos from DxE demonstrate.
FBI raids animal sanctuaries
Under normal circumstances, a large industrial farming company such as Smithfield Foods would never notice that two sick piglets of the millions it breeds and then slaughters were missing. Nor would they care: A sick and dying piglet has no commercial value to them.
Yet the rescue of these two particular piglets has literally become a federal case — by all appearances, a matter of great importance to the Department of Justice. On the last day of August, a six-car armada of FBI agents in bulletproof vests, armed with search warrants, descended upon two small shelters for abandoned farm animals: Ching Farm Rescue in Riverton, Utah, and Luvin Arms in Erie, Colorado.
These sanctuaries have no connection to DxE or any other rescue groups. They simply serve as a shelter for sick, abandoned, or otherwise injured animals. Run by a small staff and a team of animal-loving volunteers, they are open to the public to teach about farm animals.
The attachments to the search warrants specified that the FBI agents could take “DNA samples (blood, hair follicles or ear clippings) to be seized from swine with the following characteristics: I. Pink/white coloring; II. Docked tails; III. Approximately 5 to 9 months in age; IV. Any swine with a hole in right ear.”
The FBI agents searched the premises of both shelters. They demanded DNA samples of two piglets they said were named Lucy and Ethel, in order to determine whether they were the two ailing piglets who had been rescued weeks earlier from Smithfield.
A representative of Luvin Arms, who insisted on anonymity due to fear of the pending criminal investigation, described the events. The FBI agents ordered staff and volunteers to stay away from the animals and then approached the piglets. To obtain the DNA samples, the state veterinarians accompanying the FBI used a snare to pressurize the piglet’s snout, thus immobilizing her in pain and fear, and then cut off close to two inches of the piglet’s ear.
The piglet’s pain was so severe, and her screams so piercing, that the sanctuary’s staff members screamed and cried. Even the FBI agents were so sufficiently disturbed by the resulting trauma, that they directed the veterinarians not to subject the second piglet to the procedure. The sanctuary representative recounted that the piglet who had part of her ear removed spent weeks depressed and scared, barely moving or eating, and still has not fully recovered. The FBI “receipt” given to the sanctuaries shows they took DNA samples “from swine.”
Several volunteers at one of the raided animal shelters said they were followed back to their homes by FBI agents, who dramatically questioned them in front of family members and neighbors. And there is even reason to believe that the bureau has been surveilling the activists’ private communications regarding the rescue of this piglet duo.
The FBI specified as part of its search that it was seeking DNA samples from piglets they said were named “Lucy” and “Ethel.” But those were not the names the activists used when publicly discussing the rescue of the two piglets. In their videos about the rescue, they called the pair “Lily” and “Lizzie.” Lucy and Ethel were code names the activists used internally, suggesting that agents were surveilling the activists’ communications — either electronically or through informants — in an effort to find the two piglets and build a criminal case against the group.
Subsequent events confirmed that this show of FBI force was designed to intimidate the sanctuaries, which played no role in the rescue. Weeks after the FBI’s execution of the two search warrants, Luvin Arms — in the midst of an interview with The Intercept — received a telephone call from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claiming the agency had received “a complaint” that the sanctuary lacked the legally required licenses for animal shelters that are open to the public. “We had never had an FBI visit or a USDA call about licenses, and now suddenly, within weeks, both happened,” the sanctuary representative said.
A piglet that was ill and close to death at Smithfield recovers as she is cared for after being rescued.
Retaliation for exposing cruel treatment
What has vested these two piglets with such importance to the FBI is that their rescue is now part of what has become an increasingly visible public campaign by DxE and other activists to highlight the barbaric suffering and abuse that animals endure on farms like Circle Four. Obviously, the FBI and Smithfield — the nation’s largest industrial farm corporation — don’t really care about the missing piglets they are searching for. What they care about is the efficacy of a political campaign intent on showing the public how animals are abused at factory farms, and they are determined to intimidate those responsible.
Deterring such campaigns and intimidating the activists behind them is, manifestly, the only goal here. What made this piglet rescue particularly intolerable was an article that appeared in the New York Times days after the rescue, which touted the use of virtual reality technology by animal rights activists to allow the public to immerse in the full experience of seeing what takes place in these companies’ farms. The article featured a photograph of the DxE activists rescuing the piglets from the Smithfield farm:
The Times article was published July 6. The search warrant against the sanctuaries was obtained the following month, in mid-August, and then executed on August 31. In the interim, the piglets had become stars of a clearly effective campaign against Smithfield Foods.
In response to questions from The Intercept, Smithfield insisted that it does not abuse its animals. But, as is typical for factory farms, the company offered little more then generalized denials, accompanied by vague accusations that the videos and photos the activists took are somehow “distorted.”
After they rescued the two piglets, the DxE activists did not try to hide what they had done: They did the opposite. They used a tactic known as “open rescue,” the purpose of which is to publicly detail what has been done to help the public understand the true nature of the abuses.
The activists wrote about the rescue in social media postings that went viral, detailing the horrific conditions they witnessed at Smithfield and describing the suffering of the piglets. They posted videos to Facebook and YouTube that they filmed of the farm and the rescue as it happened, with other videos showing Lily and Lizzie being treated at the sanctuaries and growing into happy, playful, healthy adolescents.
Video: Direct Action Everywhere
Plainly, the “crime” of these activists that has galvanized the FBI is not the “theft” of two dying piglets; it is political activism and investigative journalism, which exposes the cruelty and abuse at the heart of this powerful industry.
In response to a few media reports on the FBI raids at the sanctuaries, bureau spokesperson Sandra Barker told the Washington Post: “I can say that we were at the two locations conducting court-authorized activity related to an ongoing investigation. Because it’s ongoing, I’m not able to provide any more details at this time.”
To an industry feeling endangered by growing public disgust over conditions at industrial farms — driven by scandals within the meat, pork, and poultry sectors — Lily and Lizzie are political and journalistic threats. Animals like them are vital for enabling animal rights activists to demonstrate to the public in a visceral, personalized way that this industry generates massive profit by monstrously and unnecessarily torturing living beings who are emotionally complex and experience great suffering.
Rescued piglets Lizzie and Lily.
Government power abused to intimidate and punish activists
The Justice Department’s grave attention to a case of two missing piglets reflects how vigilantly the U.S. government uses extreme measures to protect the agricultural industry — not from unjust economic loss, violent crime, or theft, but from political embarrassment and accurate reporting that damages the industry’s reputation.
A sweeping framework of draconian laws — designed to shield the industry from criticism and deter and punish its critics — has been enacted across the country by federal and state legislatures that are captive to the industry’s high-paid lobbyists. The most notorious of these measures are the “ag-gag” laws, which make publishing videos of farm conditions taken as part of undercover operations a felony, punishable by years in prison.
Though many courts, including most recently a federal court in Utah, have struck down these laws as an unconstitutional assault on speech and press freedoms, they continue to be used in numerous states to harass and, in some cases, prosecute animal rights activists. As the Times article notes, these ag-gag laws are one reason activists are forced to turn to virtual reality: to show what really happens inside industrial farms without running the risk of prosecution.
Many mother pigs had nipples that were torn into bloody shreds from feeding starving piglets.
Even more extreme and menacing is the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. As I described previously when reporting on the arrest of two young activists — who faced 10 years in prison for freeing minks from farm cages before the animals could be sliced to death and turned into luxury coats — nonviolent animal rights activists are often designated as “terrorists” under the AETA and are treated in the court system as such, even when no human beings are hurt and the economic loss is minimal:
As is typical for lobbyist and industry-supported bills, the AETA passed with overwhelming bipartisan support (its two prime Senate sponsors were James Inhofe, R-Okla., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.) and then was signed into law by George W. Bush.
This “terrorism” law is violated if one “intentionally damages or causes the loss of any real or personal property (including animals or records) used by an animal enterprise … for the purpose of damaging or interfering with” its operations. If you do that — and note that only “damage to property” but not to humans is required — then you are guilty of “domestic terrorism” under the law.
Prior to the 2006 enactment of the AETA, animal rights activism that damaged property was already illegal under a 1992 federal law, as well as various state laws, and subject to severe punishments. The primary purpose of the new 2006 law was to expand the scope of criminal offenses to include plainly protected forms of political protest, and to heighten the legal punishments and intensify social condemnation by literally labeling animal-rights activists as “domestic terrorists.”
The factory farm industry and its armies of lobbyists wield great influence in the halls of federal and state power, while animal rights activists wield virtually none. This imbalance has produced increasingly oppressive laws, accompanied by massive law enforcement resources devoted to punishing animal activists even for the most inconsequential nonviolent infractions — as the FBI search warrant and raid in search of “Lucy and Ethel” illustrates.
The U.S. government, of course, has always protected and served the interests of industry. Beginning when most of the nation was fed by small farms, federal agencies have been particularly protective of agricultural industry. That loyalty has only intensified as family farms have nearly disappeared, replaced by industrial factory farms where animals are viewed purely as commodities, instruments for profit, and treated with unconstrained cruelty.
Downed pigs languish in their own feces at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
Lately, opposition is emerging from unusual places. Utah federal judge Robert J. Shelby, an Obama appointee who is a lifelong Republican, recently struck down the state’s ag-gag law on First Amendment grounds, noting in his ruling:
For as long as farmers have put food on American tables, the government has endeavored to support and protect the agricultural industry. … In short, governmental protection of the American agricultural industry is not new, and has taken a variety of forms over the last two hundred years. What is new, however, is the recent spate of state laws that have assumed an altogether novel approach: restricting speech related to agricultural operations.
As Shelby detailed, those ag-gag laws were not used until activists began having success in showing the public the true extent of cruelty that industrial farms impose on animals:
Nobody was ever charged under these [early ag-gag] laws, and for nearly two decades no new ag-gag legislation was introduced. That changed, however, after a series of high profile undercover investigations were made public in the mid to late 2000s.
To name just a few, in 2007, an undercover investigator at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company in California filmed workers forcing sick cows, many unable to walk, into the “kill box” by repeatedly shocking them with electric prods, jabbing them in the eye, prodding them with a forklift, and spraying water up their noses. A 2009 investigation at Hy-Line Hatchery in Iowa revealed hundreds of thousands of unwanted day-old male chicks being funneled by conveyor belt into a macerator to be ground up live.
That same year, undercover investigators at a Vermont slaughterhouse operated by Bushway Packing obtained similarly gruesome footage of days-old calves being kicked, dragged, and skinned alive. A few years later, an undercover investigator at E6 Cattle Company in Texas filmed workers beating cows on the head with hammers and pickaxes and leaving them to die. And later that year, at Sparboe Farms in Iowa, undercover investigators documented hens with gaping, untreated wounds laying eggs in cramped conditions among decaying corpses.
The publication of these and other undercover videos had devastating consequences for the agricultural facilities involved. The videos led to boycotts of facilities by McDonald’s, Target, Sam’s Club, and others. They led to bankruptcy and closure of facilities and criminal charges against employees and owners. They led to statewide ballot initiatives banning certain farming practices. And they led to the largest meat recall in United States history, a facility’s entire two years’ worth of production.
Over the next three years, sixteen states introduced ag-gag legislation.
In other words, both the legislative process and law enforcement agencies are being blatantly exploited — misused — to protect not the property rights but the reputational interests of this industry. Having the FBI — in the midst of real domestic terrorism threats, hurricane-ravaged communities, and intricate corporate criminality — send agents around the country to animal sanctuaries in search of DNA samples for two missing piglets may seem like overkill to the point of being laughable. But it is entirely unsurprising in the context of how law enforcement resources are used, and on whose behalf.
A piglet at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
Smithfield Food’s defenses
It makes sense that Smithfield Foods would be petrified of the public learning of many of its practices. But in this particular case, they are specifically trying to hide the pure evils of gestational crates. This video, taken by an investigator with the Humane Society in 2012, shows the widespread but hideous reality of gestational crates at a Smithfield farm:
In response to the public controversy over this practice, generated by activists filming what was going on, Smithfield announced in 2012 that they would phase out gestational crating in 10 years — by 2022. They then claimed that by the end of 2017, they would transition completely to “group housing systems.” But as the DxE videos show, gestation crates are exactly what activists found in abundance when they visited Smithfield’s Circle Four.
Indeed, when Wayne Hsiung and DxE visited Circle Four over the summer, they saw no signs whatsoever of any construction or reform efforts to move away from gestational crates, Hsiung told the Intercept. As the videos show, Circle Four had thousands of pigs suffering in such crates. That was where the activists found the two piglets, close to death.
When Smithfield learned that The Intercept was reporting on these issues, a spokesperson emailed a statement and invited further questions. The statement claims that in response to DxE’s reporting, Smithfield “immediately launched an investigation and completed a third-party audit,” and “the audit results show no findings of animal mistreatment.”
This is a typical industry tactic: When they claim, as they almost always do, that their paid auditors discovered “no findings of animal mistreatment,” what they mean is that there was no evidence that their employees engaged in activities that corporate procedures explicitly prohibit (such as beating the animals or administering electric shock).
But what the audit does not do is ask whether the procedures themselves (such as gestational crating) are abusive and thus constitute “mistreatment.” Smithfield failed to provide a response to The Intercept’s follow-up questions about what it does and does not mean when their auditors claim no “mistreatment” was discovered; the company simply reiterated that “the animals observed on the farm by the audit team were in good condition, appeared comfortable, free of clinical disease, and showed no signs of fear or intimidation in the presence of people.” Simply review the DxE video above, and the featured photos showing what they found at Circle Four, to judge for yourself.
Cramped conditions lead to many pigs being trampled to death at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
In its statement, Smithfield also accused the activists who rescued the two piglets of “risk[ing] the life of the animals they stole and the lives of the animals living on our farms by trespassing” — an odd claim from a company that plans to slaughter all of those same animals. When asked to specify how the activists endangered the lives of the sick animals they rescued, Smithfield told The Intercept that “the video’s creators violated Smithfield’s strict biosecurity policy, which prevents the spread of disease on farms.” The statement added: “The piglets were not ‘extremely ill’ or ‘on the verge of death.’ These piglets, along with other animals living on the farm, are well cared for throughout their lifetime.”
But in response, Hsiung told the Intercept: “Our activists use better biosecurity protocols than the company’s own employees, as evidenced by the dead, rotting piglets on the farm. Allowing baby animals to rot to death is, in fact, a serious violation of biosecurity and food safety. Taking photographs of animal cruelty is not.”
Smithfield also accused the activists of manipulating their film, claiming that “the video appears to be highly edited and even staged in an attempt to manufacture an animal care issue where one does not exist.” But Smithfield did not respond to this question from The Intercept about the staging allegation: “How would these activists stage hundreds of pigs in gestation crates and dozens of piglets rotting to death — all in virtual reality, no less? It would take a Hollywood blockbuster budget and the most sophisticated team of computer-generated imagery for that. What’s Smithfield’s theory about what they fabricated in this video?”
The only specifics Smithfield offered was the assertion that “based on the review of animal care experts, it appears piglets were moved from one section of the barn to another to support the inaccuracies and falsehoods described in the video by its creators.”
But Hsiung said: “The video speaks for itself. I don’t know how we can fake a rotting piglet.” Regarding the accusation that they moved piglets, he added: “I imagine what they are seeing is piglets in the wrong sort of pen, gestation rather than farrowing. But that is a testament to their own failed animal care practices. We were shocked and horrified, as well, to see piglets born and housed in inappropriate conditions that left them exposed to trauma.”
In sum, the industry has long responded to these videos — which they tried in the first instance to use their lobbying power to criminalize — by insisting that the videos are distorted. Yet they never specify what these supposed distortions are. Now that activists are using virtual reality technology, which allows the viewer to see everything the activists see, such claims are even more untenable than they were before.
A rescued piglet, named Lily, recovers under a blanket.
Revolving door with agribusiness
A recent change in U.S. political discourse — spurred by events such as the 2008 financial crisis, the Occupy movement, and the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign — is the increasingly common use of the words “oligarchy” and “plutocracy” to describe the country’s political system. Though dramatic, the terms, melded together, describe a fairly simple and common state of affairs: power exerted by and exercised for the exclusive benefit of a small group of people who wield the greatest financial power.
It is hard to imagine a more vivid illustration than watching FBI agents don bulletproof vests and execute DNA search warrants for Lily and Lizzie, all to deter and intimidate critics of a savage industry that funds politicians and the lobbyists that direct them.
Substantial attention has been paid over the last several years to the “revolving door” that runs Washington — industry executives being brought in to run the agencies that regulate their industries, followed by them returning to that industry once their industry-serving government work is done. That’s how Wall Street barons come to “regulate” banks, how factory owners come to “regulate” workplace safety laws, how oil executives come to “regulate” environmental protections — only to leave the public sector and return back to lavish rewards from those same industries for a job well done.
Though it receives modest attention, this revolving door spins faster, and in more blatantly sleazy ways, when it comes to the USDA and its mandate to safeguard animal welfare. The USDA is typically dominated by executives from the very factory farm industries that are most in need of vibrant regulation.
For that reason, animal welfare laws are woefully inadequate, but the ways in which they are enforced is typically little more than a bad joke. Industrial farming corporations like Smithfield know they can get away with any abuse or “mislabeling” deceit (such as misleading claims about their treatment of animals) because the officials who have been vested with the sole authority to enforce these laws — federal USDA officials — are so captive to their industry. Courts have repeatedly ruled that private individuals, animal rights groups, and even state authorities have no right to sue to enforce animal welfare laws, because the “exclusive authority” lies with the U.S. government, which has no real interest in actually enforcing those laws.
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on July 12, 2017, in Atlanta.
Photo: Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP
The current secretary of agriculture, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (pictured, right), is just one example, but he vividly highlights the revolving door form of legalized corruption that dominates this industry.
Perdue was raised on a Georgia row farm and obtained his doctorate in veterinary medicine. Despite those seemingly benign credentials, the factory farm industry celebrated the news of his nomination by President Donald Trump. The National Chicken Council, for instance, demanded that he be “confirmed expeditiously.” The enthusiasm was for good reason.
“Georgia was pretty friendly to food-industry interests during Perdue’s two terms,” Grub Street reported, and Perdue “took about $330,000 in contributions from Monsanto and other agribusinesses for his campaigns.” In 2009, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the lobbying group for genetically modified foods, named Perdue its “Governor of the Year” because, it said, “he has been a stalwart advocate of the biosciences in Georgia and truly understands the promise of our industry.” As Georgia governor, Perdue supported the rapid expansion of factory farm giant Perdue Farms (to which he has no familial relation), with its long history of allegations of animal abuse.
And Perdue has extensive ties to the agribusiness sector he’s now supposed to oversee and regulate. The firm of which he is the founding partner and his family owns and runs, Perdue Partners LLC, is an agribusiness at the heart of this industry:
After being confirmed, Perdue wasted little time lavishing his agribusiness industry with gifts. In February, the USDA “abruptly removed inspection reports and other information from its website about the treatment of animals at thousands of research laboratories, zoos, dog breeding operations and other facilities,” reported the Washington Post. Then, two senators who have received large sums from farmers and ranchers — Democrat Debbie Stabenow and Republican Pat Roberts — agitated for the recession of the Obama administration’s mild regulations on organic eggs, designed to improve conditions for chickens, and the Perdue-led USDA “put the new standard on hold and suggested that it might even be withdrawn.”
In sum, with industry insiders dominating the sole agency (USDA) with the authority to regulate factory farms, animals that are captive, abused, tortured, and slaughtered en masse have little chance, even when it comes to just applying existing laws with a minimal amount of diligence. The politics of the U.S. — including the fact that a key farm state, Iowa, plays such a central role in presidential elections — means there are massive forces arrayed behind factory farms, and very few in support of animal welfare.
Piglets are raised in cramped, filthy conditions at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
From fringe to the mainstream
But the animal rights movement, despite receiving relatively scant media attention and operating under the threat of federal prosecutions for terrorism, boasts some of the nation’s more effective, shrewd, and tenacious political activists. They have made significant strides in turning the public against the worst of the prevailing practices on these farms, and more generally, in forcing into the public consciousness the knowledge of how this industry imposes suffering, abuse, and torture on living beings on a mass and systematic scale, all to maximize profits.
Just a decade ago, the cause of animal cruelty and exploitation was a fringe position, rarely appearing outside far-left circles. That has all changed, thanks largely to the efforts of these activists, many of whom have been imprisoned for their efforts. Most activists say that it was unimaginable even a decade ago for major newspaper columnists such as the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof or Frank Bruni to take up their cause, yet that’s precisely what they have done in a series of columns over the last several years.
“If you torture a single chicken and are caught, you’re likely to be arrested. If you scald thousands of chickens alive, you’re an industrialist who will be lauded for your acumen,” Kristof wrote in one 2015 column. He described the savagery of the process used to slaughter chickens by the millions and scornfully dismissed industry’s claim that no abuse or mistreatment was found by their auditors.
In a column the year before, Kristof detailed the barbarism and misleading claims that chickens are “humanely raised” at Perdue Farms — the company USDA Secretary Perdue helped to expand — and concluded: “Torture a single chicken and you risk arrest. Abuse hundreds of thousands of chickens for their entire lives? That’s agribusiness.”
And that’s to say nothing of the other significant costs from industrial farming. There are serious health risks posed by the fecal waste produced at such farms. And the excessive, reckless use of antibiotics common at factory farms can create treatment-resistant bacterial strains capable of infecting and killing humans. There is also increasing awareness that industrial farming meaningfully exacerbates climate problems, with some research suggesting that it produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. Reviewing the meat industry in 2014, Kristof summarized what he learned this way:
Our industrial food system is unhealthy. It privatizes gains but socializes the health and environmental costs. It rewards shareholders — Tyson’s stock price has quadrupled since early 2009 — but can be ghastly for the animals and humans it touches.
Bruni wrote in a 2014 column headlined “According Animals Dignity” of “a broadening, deepening concern about animals that’s no longer sufficiently captured by the phrase ‘animal welfare.’” Instead of simply curbing the most egregious abuses, he wrote, a more principled awareness of the intrinsic worth and rights of animals is emerging: “an era of what might be called animal dignity is upon us.”
Some progress is indeed undeniable. Laws are being re-written to recognize that dogs and other pets are more than property; places such as Sea World and Ringling Brothers’ circuses can no longer feature imprisoned animals forced to perform; and some states are enacting laws criminalizing the worst extremes of animal cruelty.
One U.S. Senator, Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, has placed animal rights protections as one of his legislative priorities. Booker, who has been a vegetarian since college and recently announced his transition to full veganism, has sponsored a spate of bills to fortify the rights of animals: from banning the selling of shark fins to limiting the legal uses of animals for testing to requiring humane treatment of animals in all federal facilities.
While he has been attacked by the New York Post for “animal rights extremism” after he announced his veganism, Booker now regularly and unflinchingly invokes the core principles of animal rights: “I want to try to live my own values as consciously and purposefully as I can. Being vegan for me is a cleaner way of not participating in practices that don’t align with my values.” Rather than these legislative efforts being scorned, a spokesman for Booker told the Intercept that “Sens. Merkley and Whitehouse have been reliable allies on animal testing and other efforts; the Shark Fin effort has a number of cosponsors as well; and Sens. Schatz, Markey, Warren, Feinstein, Blumenthal have been partners as well.”
The devastating costs of industrial farming and the mass torture and slaughter on which it depends — moral, spiritual, physical, environmental — are being documented in scholarly circles with increasing clarity. A group of public health specialists jointly wrote in a New York Times op-ed in May: “This sweeping change in meat production and consumption has had grave consequences for our health and environment, and these problems will grow only worse if current trends continue.”
Rescued pig Lizzie gives affection to her rescuer, Wayne Hsuing of DxE.
In general, the core moral and philosophical question at the heart of animal rights activism is now being seriously debated: Namely, what gives humans the right or justification to abuse, exploit, and torture non-human species? If there comes a day when some other species (broadly defined) — such as machines — surpass humans in intellect and cognitive complexity, will they have a valid moral claim to treat humans as commodities whose suffering and death can be assigned no value?
The irreconcilable contradiction of lavishing love and protection on dogs and cats, while torturing and slaughtering farm animals capable of a deep emotional life and great suffering, is becoming increasingly apparent. British anthropologist Jane Goodall, in the preface to Amy Hatkoff’s groundbreaking book “The Inner World of Farm Animals,” examined the science of animal cognition and concluded: “Farm animals feel pleasure and sadness, excitement and resentment, depression, fear, and pain. They are far more aware and intelligent than we ever imagined … They are individuals in their own right.”
All of these changes have been driven by animal rights activists who, often at great risk to themselves, have forced the public to be aware of the savagery and cruelty supported through food consumption choices. That’s precisely why this industry is so obsessed with intimidating, threatening, and outlawing this form of activism: because it is so effective.
Dissidents are tolerated to the extent they remain ineffectual and unthreatening. When they start to become successful — that is, threatening to powerful interests — the backlash is inevitable. The tools used against them are increasingly extreme as their success grows.
To call the FBI’s actions in raiding these animal sanctuaries a profound waste of its resources is both an understatement and beside the point. The real short-term goal is to target those most vulnerable — volunteer-supported animal shelters — to scare them out of taking care of rescued animals. And the ultimate goal is to fortify and intensify a climate of intimidation and fear designed to deter animal rights activists from reporting on the horrifying realities of these factory farms.
There is a temptation to turn away from and ignore this mass suffering and cruelty because it’s so painful to confront, so much more pleasant to remain unaware of it. Animal rights activists are determined to prevent us from doing so, and we should all feel gratitude for their increasing success in making us see what we are enabling when we consume the products of this barbaric and sociopathic industry.
Correction: October 7, 2017
An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed authorship of the book “The Inner World of Farm Animals” to Jane Goodall. It was written by Amy Hatkoff. Goodall wrote the foreword to the book, from which her quote in this story was drawn.
Top photo: Two dying piglets were rescued by Direct Action Everywhere activists from cruel conditions — where they were left to suffer to death — at Smithfield-owned Circle Four Farm in Utah.
Glenn Greenwald[email protected]theintercept.com@ggreenwald
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Tag Archives: Shawshank Redemption
Jun 8, 2013 · 8:15 am
Comedy news: Martin Soan is a fool; Viv Soan in court; Matt Roper mugged
BBC photo of Martin the fool, but he is no fool on payment.
After my ongoing jury service yesterday, I went to the Pull The Other One comedy club run by Vivienne and Martin Soan only to find out that Vivienne has also been called up to do jury service next month.
Perhaps the court system was in awe of her husband Martin who, last weekend, was crowned “official fool” at the annual International Jesters’ Tournament at Muncaster Castle in the Lake District and who receives an annual salary in beer. (Martin is clearly no fool.)
Miss Behave was showing her class last night
Last night, Pull The Other One had an even more extraordinarily varied bill than normal with the utterly brilliant Men In Coats doing their visual gagathon, the surreal Cheekykita doing whatever it was she was doing (that’s a compliment), Mr Susie getting bigger laughs than most comics by simply holding up one-word gags on cards and close harmony trio Totes Awes strutting their thing.
Topping the bill were Owen O’Neill and Miss Behave, the latter of whom confirmed, much to my relief, that she is hosting the increasingly prestigious annual Malcolm Hardee Awards at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, as well as staging her own Game Show and helping Bob Slayer run the new Bob’s Bookshop venue.
Owen O’Neill needed no redemption last night
I suspect the hottest show on the Fringe, though, will be The Shawshank Redemption which Owen adapted for the stage and which will star a cast including Omid Djalili, Phil Nichol and Ian Lavender (of Dad’s Army).
Throughout yesterday (when not in court) I was having a staggered e-conversation with comedian Matt Roper. It went along these edited lines:
Me: The last time my blog readers heard of you, you were in a wheelchair in Saigon… then you were getting wet in Burma and ultrasound scanned in a Bangkok hospital. So, for the sake of any future eBook readers if nothing else, what happened with the deep vein thrombosis you had?
Matt: It’s gone. Now we just have to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Drugs, drugs, drugs. (dribble).
Me: You mean by taking drugs in the future?
Matt: Yes, of course. To keep me from getting a recurring deep vein thrombosis. I don’t do drink, drugs or anything these days. Tucked up in bed at 11.00pm wearing my compression socks, sipping a glass of water. Thirty-six and waiting for God. My pee is so clean I could drink it.
Me: Too much information. What happened about the calcification in your flesh which they found in Bangkok?
Matt: Harmless, they now tell me.
Me: Where did you go and what did you do betwixt Bangkok and Blighty?
Mcleod Ganj in the Himalayas – storms & mugging monkeys
Matt: Went to India… Delhi, then a train journey up to the foothills of the Himalayas and the town of McLeod Ganj. It’s an old British settlement given to the Tibetan community-in-exile when the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959. Lovely place. I like being up by the mountains. We had some terrific storms. McLeod Ganj nestles about 5,000 feet above sea level. You have large eagles swooping down in the valleys BENEATH you and snowcapped peaks above. Magic. No bizarre people involved, but I did nearly get mugged by a monkey – all for a bag of samosas.
Me: Where are you at the moment?
Matt: I’m out the back of a pub in south London on the set of a short comedy film I’m making with Charlie Henniker and Susan Husband called Knock Knock. Then tomorrow (Saturday) I fly to Cape Town for the comedy festival there. As Wilfredo.
Me: What part are you playing in the film?
Matt: Ironically, a drinker in a pub.
Me: You had to cancel your own Edinburgh Fringe show because of your medical problems earlier in the year. Are you popping up to the Fringe at all in August?
Matt: I hope so…
Matt Roper in his Parkinson’s Disease teeshirt
Me: And are you going to do a show sooner or later about your worldwide exploits and medical mayhem?
Matt: Yes!
Me: Have you got any photos that cover the answers to any of the above?
Matt: No. But I have got one of me wearing a t-shirt to support (the American comic) Rick Shapiro in his Parkinson’s awareness campaign. But Rick Shapiro is another blog entirely…
Me: Yes it is.
Tagged as comedy, deep-vein thrombosis, fool, jester, Malcolm hardee, Martin, Matt Roper, McLeod Ganj, Miss Behave, Owen O'Neill, Parkinson’s, Rick Shapiro, Shawshank Redemption, Soan, Vivienne
Oct 2, 2011 · 11:01 am
When people ask that British breaking-the-ice question: “What do you do?”
On Wednesday night, BBC2 will screen the first in a new series of that extraordinary TV comedy Rab C Nesbitt, written and created by Ian Pattison.
Last week, I asked Ian if there was something he would rather do instead of another series of Rab C Nesbitt.
“Instead of?” he replied. “Why not ‘in addition to?’ I’ve now finished writing my fourth novel and have written a screenplay based on my third. My novels, of course, don’t sell. I advised the publisher of my last book to put Ian Rankin’s name on the jacket on the basis that IR would never notice my sidled addition to his oeuvre as his stuff takes up all the shelves in Waterstone’s and most of the cafeteria.”
I suspect most fans who watch Rab C Nesbitt do not think of Ian primarily as a novelist. And most people who admire his novels do not think of him primarily as a TV comedy scriptwriter.
Pretty much throughout my life, Whenever people ask that first perennial British breaking-the-ice question, “What do you do?” I have immediately got into trouble, because I have never really known the correct answer.
Sometimes I say, “I have bummed around a lot,” which is probably closer to the truth than anything.
I suspect as a percentage, more than anything, I have probably sat in darkened rooms editing trailers and marketing/sales tapes. But, when I have said that, people have thought I was/am a videotape editor, which I never have been – too technical for me – I was called writer or producer or director or whatever the union or company felt like at the time – or whatever I wanted to make up for a nameless job – and, once you get into mentioning “I do on-air promotions”, you open a whole can of befuddled misunderstanding.
“Do people do that?” is a common response.
So, over the years, different people have thought I do different things, real or imagined, depending on what I happened to have been doing – or what they thought I was doing – at the exact moment I first met them.
TV research is one. Editor of books is another. Manager of comedians is one that always amuses me.
This sprang to mind on Friday, when I saw comedian Owen O’Neill ‘storm the room’ as the saying goes at the always excellent monthly Pull The Other One in Peckham.
Most people who see Owen perform comedy, I suspect, see him as “just” a stand-up comic which, of course, is far from the truth. If they know a bit about comedy, they may know he has performed at over 20 Edinburgh Fringes and been nominated for the Perrier Award.
They may know he acted in the high-profile stage productions of Twelve Angry Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Odd Couple.
But I first met Owen off-stage in 2003 when Malcolm Hardee and I were commissioning Sit-Down Comedy for publishers Random House. It was an anthology of writing by comedians – not to be confused with the phrase “comic anthology” because a lot of the short stories are very, very dark (a glimpse, I suspect, of what lurks in many comedians’ minds). The book should have been called Sit-Down Comedians, but publishers’ mis-marketing of their own product knows no bounds.
Owen wrote a story The Basketcase for Sit-Down Comedy: a particularly dark and moving tale. His short film of The Basket Case (which he also directed) won him the award for Best Short Fiction movie at the 2008 Boston Film Festival in the US and Best International Short at the 2010 Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil.
Most people who see Owen perform comedy probably do not know this. Most probably do not know his first feature film as writer Arise and Go Now was directed by Oscar-winning Danny Boyle or that his play Absolution got rave reviews during its off-Broadway run or that he co-wrote the stage adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption currently running in the West End of London.
I suspect if a literate alien arrived from Alpha Centauri and looked at the facts objectively, Owen would be described not as a stand-up comic but as a playwright who also performs comedy (his plays are many and varied).
You get typecast as being one thing in life no matter how much you do.
In the last couple of months, comedian Ricky Grover appeared in BBC TV soap EastEnders; and the movie Big Fat Gypsy Gangster, which he wrote and directed, was released.
What do you call people like this?
Well, in Ricky’s case, you obviously call him “Mr Grover” and treat him with respect.
He also wrote for Sit-Down Comedy and I know his background too well!
Filed under Comedy, Movies, Television, Theatre, Writing
Tagged as Absolution, anthology, Arise and Go Now, award, basket case, big fat gypsy, Boston, Brazil, british, Broadway, comedian, comedy, comic, Danny Boyle, EastEnders, edinburgh fringe, Fantaspoa, film festival, gangster, Ian Pattinson, Ian Rankin, Malcolm hardee, novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Owen O'Neill, Perrier, Pull The Other One, Rab C Nesbitt, Random House, Ricky Grover, scriptwriter, series, Shawshank Redemption, Sit-Down Comedy, stand up, television, The Odd Couple, TV, Twelve Angry Men, typecast, West End
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When Depression Affects Your Sex Life
Yes, it’s true — having depression impacts your sex life. But it’s not just because of medication.
Since 2004, I’ve dealt with the sexual side effects of taking antidepressants. Feelings of sluggishness. Lack of desire. Occasional discomfort during sex. It’s a trade-off I’ve been willing to make because being healthy and stable is my number one priority. And for the most part I’ve been able to cope with my muted libido and still have an active sex life.
But since having a major episode of depression, anxiety and PTSD, my sex drive has all but completely stalled out. As I struggle to deal with this I have been thinking a lot about how mental illness has affected my sexuality as a whole, not just in terms of medication and side effects.
For me, feeling sexy has a lot to do with confidence and vulnerability. In order to desire sex I need to feel desirable. In order to be vulnerable I need to feel safe. And going through two years of severe mental illness had a devastating impact on my sense of desirability, confidence and safety.
As I watched my life fall apart, I felt like I was regressing away from adulthood. Unable to handle even the most basic daily tasks, I seemed to morph into a dysfunctional teenager trapped in an adult’s body. I relied on other people to get through each day. My mom prepared my meals. My husband handled our household responsibilities. I had to resign from my job. I withdrew from friends. For a while I couldn’t even drive. Since my dad’s suicide I prided myself on being strong and responsible, but when I got sick I watched my sense of responsibility slip through my fingers like sand. Sex felt like one more “adult” behavior that went by the wayside.
My adult life shattered into a thousand pieces. I was in and out of a psychiatric hospital. In and out of a partial hospital program. I graduated from SSRI antidepressants and began taking benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotics. Often all at the same time. These medications made the side effects of my previous drugs seem like a walk in the park. My body went through major turmoil as I struggled to find the right combination of meds. First I lost 30 pounds in one month due to anxiety. Then I gained almost 60 pounds due to Lithium. I lost clumps of hair and my skin broke out. I felt anything but desirable. In fact, I felt disgusting. I had absolutely no thoughts or feelings about sex.
Every day was a struggle to stabilize and complete basic tasks like eating, taking showers and sleeping. Sex was secondary to surviving. But I fought my way back. It was slow and painful. Only now, two and a half years after admitting myself to the hospital, am I able to think more deeply about sex. And I have realized something important: it’s not just that my new medications are stronger and have much more powerful side effects. It’s also that on a deep down level, I have come to feel like I don’t deserve to be sexy anymore.
Can people in mental hospitals feel sexy? Can people who have gained excessive weight due to medication feel physically desirable? Can people who have been abandoned and traumatized feel comfortable with intimacy? For me, answering “yes” to these questions takes a *lot* of work. It’s easy to flippantly say, “Yes, of course you should feel sexy,” but the reality is that I don’t. I avoid looking at my body in the mirror. I feel frustration at my weight gain. And I still feel some shame about my breakdown.
Because it’s hard to feel intimacy when you are afraid of abandonment. It’s hard to feel confident when you are struggling with guilt and shame. And it’s hard to feel good about your body when it’s been through hell.
But I’m not afraid of doing hard things. So I ask myself this question: Do you deserve to feel sexy again? And the answer is, yes. I deserve sex. I deserve intimacy. This part of me deserves to recover, too. My experience with recovery is that positive change happens slowly, as a result of deliberate choices made every day. So I am chipping away at the protective barrier that depression has built around my inner sexiness. As I have had to do many times before, I talk back to my depressed thinking.
I look in the mirror and say, “Amy, your body is beautiful just the way it is.”
I look into my husband’s eyes and say, “I want to be close to you.”
And I look into myself and say, “I love you, Amy. You are safe.”
Beautiful. Safe. Intimacy.
I deserve to feel sexy again.
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Review – Holy Motors
In most art galleries around the world there is one giant canvas that someone has painted blue. Anyone can slather paint over a canvas, so why has this painting earned wall space and respect over someone who accidentally spilt a paint can over the floor of their garage? Art is forever open to interpretation and that painting might mean the world to someone or an accident to others but you take what you want away from the experience. ‘Holy Motors’ is a “blue canvas” film that requires you to open your mind only for the filmmaker to fart into it.
For 24 hours Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant) travels the streets of Paris in a limo going to several different appointments.
Lavant is an absolute powerhouse in ‘Holy Motors’ delivering one of the year’s best performances. He does more in one film than most actors do in their entire career that may be a slight jibe by writer/director Leos Carax at the level of talent on display in most mainstream films.
Carax continues to explore this idea of cinema in disrepute throughout ‘Holy Motors’ (that’s a theory) via a series of episodes or appointments that go from kooky, to crazy, to completely nuts. It feels like Carax is trying to make the point that life is the greatest performance of all and filmmakers have forgotten how to properly capture the human experience on film. It’s a bold undertaking but the narrative is loose, indulgent and completely baffling at different points. It does tickle the brain but thoughts of lost time outweigh anything deeper.
‘Holy Motors’ will mean different things to different people but for me it’s a Tour de Wank.
‘Holy Motors’ is released:
23 August 2012 Australia
28 September 2012 UK
Category : cinema, film, film reviews, movie reviews, movies, Reviews
Tags : cinema, film, film reviews, Holy Motors, movie reviews, movies, reviews
← Celebrate the little victories
Review – Total Recall →
8 thoughts on “Review – Holy Motors”
Alex Thomas on August 24, 2012 at 1:47 pm said:
I went in open minded and it just did nothing for me. I agree the narrative is completely baffling too, oh well. Great review Cam!
Aaron Darc on September 4, 2012 at 6:40 am said:
It is NOT a narrative film!! Maybe – just maybe – that’s why you couldn’t absorb it?
Andrew on August 25, 2012 at 9:24 am said:
I thought it was an extraordinary film. It’s surreal: you either go with it or you don’t.
The audacity of you to compare it to a “blue canvas”. That may be a fitting analogy for, say, a minimalist art house film. But this is anything but blue. Your review proves only that you should stick to the multiplex.
Will on September 10, 2012 at 6:20 am said:
Could not agree more. Lavant is great for sure, but the movie is one big ridiculous French cliche. Its a movie by film studies students for film studies students. There are a few interesting moments and some of the visuals are pleasing. But, overall its a bloated, hackneyed, tiresome movie best left for private showings with an audience comprised of elitist chattering morons in their berets…
William Robertson on September 16, 2012 at 11:04 am said:
Stick with your popcorn Cam. It’s guaranteed to be unchanging, predictable and bland. It won’t let you down, nor will it pick you up.
Lee Zachariah on September 16, 2012 at 12:37 pm said:
Love it or hate it, it’s impossible to deny that Holy Motors is one of the least accessible films in recent memory. I admired its ambition, its imagination, its scope, and, like Cam, the extraordinary performance of Denis Lavant, but I couldn’t connect with it. I find it strange that so many people do, given how bizarre it is, but I’m delighted that so many have responded to it so well. I’m just not one of them. And clearly, neither is Cam.
Not everyone who fails to enjoy Holy Motors is someone who can only enjoy multiplex fare. (Although, few films that feature in multiplexes are anywhere near as clichéd as the retort “Stick to the multiplex!”. Play the ball, not the man.) One of my favourite films of the year is The Legend of Kaspar Hauser. Why I responded to that and not Holy Motors is largely down to personal taste. Wouldn’t it be dull if everybody loved and hated the same films?
Kudos to Cam for going against the consensus to air his honest opinion.
Carl on October 15, 2012 at 4:02 am said:
I just saw this at the Chicago International Film Fest and the audience response was resounding applause. I really enjoyed it.
@anniea89 Will give it a listen 34 minutes ago
Look, if we can't agree that Shiver is the best Coldplay song we'll have to sort this out like men and meet in a ca… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 39 minutes ago
@HarrisonVevo S H I V E R 40 minutes ago
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Don’t write-off season six of Community
Community is back and the age of Yahoo! has begun for the series. I am a huge fan of the show and have stuck with it through the good times and the season four times (eargh). The first two episodes of season six have hit Yahoo! Screen (I accessed them in Australia via the streaming service Stan).
Over at Graffiti with Punctuation I wrote a piece about season six of Community and the first two episodes.
Check out the article and let me know what you think about the new life Community has been given in the comments or Tweet me @MrCamW.
Category : Television
Tags : Community, Dan Harmon, Netflix, Streaming, streaming video on demand, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, video on demand, Yahoo, Yahoo Screen
← Better Call Saul, a masterclass in fan service
Stream This! Best of March 2015 →
3 thoughts on “Don’t write-off season six of Community”
Laura on March 19, 2015 at 6:57 pm said:
We need s6 in the uk!
Cameron Williams on March 19, 2015 at 8:37 pm said:
Apparently it’s airing on Sony Entertainment Television in the UK. Not sure what that is but might be worth chasing up.
Never heard of that but will definitely look into it. Thanks for the tip!
@anniea89 Will give it a listen 3 minutes ago
Look, if we can't agree that Shiver is the best Coldplay song we'll have to sort this out like men and meet in a ca… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 7 minutes ago
@HarrisonVevo S H I V E R 8 minutes ago
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The Repressions Ⓥ
Music by weirdos, for weirdos
The Repressions Facebook
The Shows of 2019.. A Brief Pictorial
The Repressions are grateful to have played so many live shows in 2019, including the NYC Veggie Pride Parade in Union Square and Kingston Animalia Concert at BSP Kingston! Thank you to these terrific New York venues and events: The Local, Espresso 77, East Village Social, Irish Whiskey Bar, Union Square Park, Make Music New York, Jack Jones, Dolphin Bookshop & Cafe, Belvedere, LIC Bar, Kumon Awards Ceremony, Athens Square Park, RaR Bar, Shore Fest, Uke Hut, BSP Kingston, The Way Station, The Quays, Shillelagh Tavern, The Mad Donkey, and Marine Terrace. Special thanks to photographer Patrick Merino (he took the fine professional images here,) John Cavaliere and Zack Dash for filming, photographing and always being there, Ben Olson, The AR Community and Astoria Music Collective, our neighborhood musical family! There is much more to come in the new year!
Music: Thank You Charlotte Bronte (Extended Intro) by The Repressions
New Sparkly Video – White Christmas by a tree!
Such fun playing holiday songs for a lovely crowd… The Repressions jazzed up this classic, and send you warm wishes….
New Memes, Comics, and Holiday Wishes!
Merry Merry Everybody!
What’s To Be Expected of The Wild – New lyric video
Human. Nature.
Do our instincts work against our growth? Why do we act out in wildness while we further ourselves from the natural world?
Tonight on Youtube we have a lyric video for the song “What’s To Be Expected of the Wild,” performed unplugged at Repressions’ Castle.
Saturday December 7- Virtual Open Mic
The Repressions are excited to be a part of this first Virtual Open Mic, hosted by Josh of the band MEDALS IN THE CHUTE. This will feature artists from all over the country, each performing one song in one video… We look forward to hearing new sounds and reaching new musical communities!
Youtube Premiere – 12/7/19
Ghost Bomb Survival — Forest — https://ghostbombsurvival.bandcamp.com/
Stephen Liu — Underwater — https://soundcloud.com/iamstephenliu
The Repressions — Starlight Golfcourse — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHBu…
Joseph Omeluk — Any Moment — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCytA…
Sundown Lane — Half Your Heart [prod. Whoami] — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgng…
Medals in the Chute — Sometimes I feel — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzD5…
Reflectivity — You Can’t Even Get Lost In This Town Anymore — https://soundcloud.com/reflectivitymusic
Dunderu — Instant Gratification — https://soundcloud.com/dundrik97
David the Second — Peace in the Willows — https://davidthesecond.bandcamp.com
Dena Monticone — See The Sun — https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mkd4…
Joshua Clemens (from Strange Heart) — The Captain —https://Strangeheartmusic.com
The Burning Machine — Night Song — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9He…
Colton Boening — Angel (cover of the Jack Johnson song) — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKET…
Sarah Donkin — Changing my Mind — https://twitter.com/sarahdonkin13
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UNEVOC Cluster: East Africa
Arusha Technical College (ATC)
ARUSHA TECHNICAL COLLEGE (ATC) is a Training Institution fully owned by Government with more than 70% of the students enrolled to technician courses leading to the award of Ordinary Diploma. The Government sets tuition fee for Government sponsored students... <show more>
ARUSHA TECHNICAL COLLEGE (ATC) is a Training Institution fully owned by Government with more than 70% of the students enrolled to technician courses leading to the award of Ordinary Diploma. The Government sets tuition fee for Government sponsored students and tuition fee for privately sponsored students is set by the College Governing Board. Further, the Government pays staff salary, benefits and partial running costs. Currently the College covers 40% of the running costs through income generated from short courses and consultancy.
To provide competence-based Technical Education & Training and carry out research and consultancy in science and technology for socio-economic development
To be a centre of excellence in training, research and consultancy in science and... <show more>
To be a centre of excellence in training, research and consultancy in science and technology in Africa by 2020
Conducting training to students from National Vocational Awards (NVA) levels (I-III), national Technical Awards (NTA) level (4-8)
Doing research and development activities
Conducting Research activities
Arusha Technical College is a training institution offering technical and Vocational education training to artisans, Technicians and Engineers. Programmes offered by the College are five (5) at the level of artisans (Electrical installation, Auto-mechanics,... <show more>
Arusha Technical College is a training institution offering technical and Vocational education training to artisans, Technicians and Engineers. Programmes offered by the College are five (5) at the level of artisans (Electrical installation, Auto-mechanics, Auto electrical and Electronic Engineering, Masonry and Laboratory Science), thirteen (13) at level of Technician (Auto Electric and Electronic Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, Laboratory Science and Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science and Lapidary and Jewellery Technology) and one (1) at the level of engineers (Civil and Irrigation Engineering).
The College has Plans to establish new programmes in Clinical Laboratory, Heavy Duty Equipment Technology, renewable Technology, Multimedia Technology, Oil and Gas Technology at the level of Technicians. It has also plans to establish Civil and Transportation Engineering, Mechatronics, and electrical Engineering at the bachelor’s degree level.
Dr. Masoud Senzia
Ag. Rector
Dr Naisujaki Sephania Lyimo
Department: General studies department
General studies department
Junction of Moshi - Arusha road and Nairobi roads, Arusha
P. O Box 296
296 Arusha
Cluster East Africa
Seychelles Nation: SIT confirmed as a Skills for Innovation Hubs (i-hubs) Project Partner
During Guided Self-Assessment high level meeting, at the Seychelles Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, UNESCO-UNEVOC team awarded the acknowledgement certificate to the SIT director Hubert Barbe, recognizing SIT as one of the ten partners for the I-hubs project. (more)
8th RVTTI International TVET and Interdisciplinary Conference
Under the theme "Implementing the SDG’s for Green Economies and Societies: The TVET Agenda" this conference brings together researchers, innovators, TVET fraternity and the industry for research paper presentations and discussions on the TVET direction on implementation of the SDGs. (more)
Kenyan UNEVOC Centre organises sensitization seminars
From 23rd to 27th April, 2018. TVETA's staff sensitized the TVET administrators and county managers in from all over the Kenya on key topics such as Greening TVET. (more)
Madagascar introduces the Entrepreneurship Curricula
The UNEVOC Centre(INFor) has cooperated with many international organisations to introduce Entrepreneurship Curricula Program in Madagascar, according to the Competences-Based Approach. In addition to, implement Capacity building on training trainers. (more)
Kenya is committed to greening matters right from the top
The PS VTT Kenya receives the UNESCO Korea delegation on Better Africa Rise (BEARII) posed to zero on environmental matters.
Kenya celebrates skills
how, held on 27th and 28th January, 2017 was the first-ever skills and career event in Kenya. Attended by approximately 3,000 youth and parents, the Skills Show featured “hands-on” exhibits which exposed youth to the numerous career choices and training opportunities available in TVET sector. The show encouraged students on the importance of gaining necessary skills to increase their employability. It has been preceded by a conference that gathered 740 participants during two days.
Improving TVET in Kenya through Life Skills
The Kenyan Government is integrating life skills into Technical Vocation Education Training (TVET) to ensure technical students are well equipped with skills needed in the labour market.
Combination of technical and employability skills makes TVET graduates competitive. This can only be achieved by looking at the current skills mismatch in the work place and coming up with programs and solution to fill the gaps. (more)
6th RVTTI International Conference
The RVTTI 2017 International TVET and Interdisciplinary Research Conference has as its them: Towards collaborative TVET: Promoting Accelerated Sustainable Development. One track of the conference features a Paper Competition on "Greening TVET: Best Practices and Case Studies". (more)
2nd RVTTI TVET Innovation Award Contest - Call for Proposals
Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, Eldoret, Kenya is launching a competition to uncover the best innovation by students in TVET institutions in Kenya and East Africa Region. It targets innovative technology solutions in all TVET areas including but not limited to: engineering technologies, medical and pharmacy; food and nutrition; enterprise and business processes and ICT. (more)
Kenya: National TVET Conference & Skills Show
At the national conference, the new Kenyan UNEVOC Network member Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) positions itself as a major player in implementation of Kenya's vision to become a newly industrialised middle income country in 2030. More information on the event: http://tvetinkenya.net/ (more)
New UNEVOC Centres in Brazil and Kenya
The UNEVOC Network welcomes its two newest members, the National Council for the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education Institutions (Conif) in Brazil, and the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) in Kenya. (more)
UNEVOC Workshop Dakar 2016
This joint workshop with PEFOP in Dakar had two main goals: Strengthening the UNEVOC Network in Francophone Africa (and particularly in the West African cluster) and discussing innovation in TVET. (more)
Conference in the ITE Seychelles
The UNEVOC centre in ITE (Seychelles) will carry an ambitious conference in October. It will gather a wide range of national stakeholders who will discuss the follow-up on the Mahe Process - a series of priorities for TVET established during the UNESCO sub-regional forum for Eastern Africa. (more)
Youth Skills for Work and Entrepreneurship, Sub-regional Forum on TVET in Eastern Africa
From 16-18 March 2016, over 50 delegates and partners exchanged views on experience, expertise and good practices during a regional forum on technical vocational education and training (TVET) (more)
World Women's Day Celebrations at University of Eldoret Kenya
The University of Eldoret (UoE) joined the world in celebrating the International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2016. The theme of the day was ‘A Pledge to Parity’. (more)
Kenyan UNEVOC Centre celebrates World Teachers’ Day
To celebrate World Teachers’ day 2015, the Department of Technology Education at the University of Eldoret organised lectures on the importance of teachers in the education system. (more)
UNEVOC Network members discuss improved use of digital media in TVET at eLearning Africa
Co-organized by the African Union and hosted by the Government of Ethiopia, eLearning Africa 2015 brought together professionals, policymakers and practitioners for a unique discussion about technology and learning. (more)
eLearning Africa
10th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education & Training.
UNEVOC Network pre-conference workshop on 20 May (more)
End of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Green skills are a priority for aligning TVET with the post-2015 development agenda. UNESCO-UNEVOC and the Inter-Agency Working Group on Greening Skills and TVET ran a discussion on the Role of greening TVET on 11 November 2014 at the closing of the Decade on Education for Sustainable development in Nagoya, Japan. (more)
Meeting for workshop coordinators of the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, Paris
On 25 and 26 June 2014, a meeting for workshop coordinators of the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development was organized at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. (more)
eLearning Africa 2014: Opening Frontiers to the Future
Meeting the networking needs of the pan-African eLearning and distance education sector, the annual eLearning Africa conference is the key networking venue for practitioners and professionals from Africa and all over the world. (more)
Booklet on Skills Challenges in the Water and Wastewater Industry
In partnership with the DWA (Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall), UNESCO-UNEVOC has published the booklet, “Skills Challenges in the Water and Wastewater Industry: Contemporary Issues and Practical Approaches in TVET”. (more)
University of Eldoret is organizing conference on Knowledge and Technological Innovation for Global Competitiveness
The international conference, organized by the University of Eldoret, a UNEVOC Centre, takes place from 3 to 5 September 2013 and is dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practices in knowledge and technological innovation. (more)
The role of UNEVOC Centres in furthering the 'African Union Second Decade of Education for Africa TVET Plan of Action'
Sub-regional consultation meeting of the UNEVOC Network in Africa, 13-16 December, in Nairobi, Kenya. (more)
Issue 2: Entrepreneurship Education as a Tool to Support Self-Employment in Kenya
Issue 2 of the TVET Best Practice Clearinghouse series. (more)
UNEVOC Centre in Madagascar receives Award (more)
Case Study: TVET in Kenya
First volume in the series of Case Studies of TVET in selected Countries. The Case Study of Kaiboi Technical Training Institute in Eldoret, Kenya provides insight into the development of this TVET institution from an originally stagnant and weak school to a prosperous and well-functioning establishment. (more)
Mobile Training Team in Mauritius (more)
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UP Elections
Meerut News
UP accounts for 93% of malware in India: NCRB
Sandeep Rai | Jan 11, 2020, 4:30 IST
Officials Blame It On Computer Illiteracy
Meerut: Out of 1,218 cyberattacks involving ransomware (a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid), 1,136 took place in Uttar Pradesh in 2018, according to recently released NCRB report. Notably, there is 400% rise in such cases across the country as compared to the 2017 numbers. In 2017, there were just 300 such cases countrywide, though UP had still the highest 245 cases involving ransomware then.
Even the states considered to be information technology hubs, like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, are nowhere close to UP. While Andhra Pradesh has zero such cases registered in 2018, Karnataka has seven.
The only state that comes next to UP is Jharkhand with mere 51 cases. Nevertheless, Karnataka still tops the charts when it comes to non-ransomware cyberattacks.
According to NCRB data, in terms of cybercrime that comes under section 66C (identity theft when someone fraudulently or dishonestly makes use of the electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature of any other person) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, Karnataka accounts for 5,526 cases followed by UP with 4,285 cases. All other states are well below 1,000.
According to a senior police officer in UP’s cybercrime cell, “Computer illiteracy combined with negligence is the primary cause of ransomware attacks.”
The officer added, “In IT hubs like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, computer literacy is high and people are educated enough to take cyber security seriously. In UP where people have considerable access to information technology, they are less vigilant due to ignorance. Good anti-virus software and not falling prey to attractive but unauthentic lucrative baits in the form of cash rewards are some of the safeguards. Besides, there are times when small firms or individuals attach their backup data to internet by plugging devices into their systems. Such data is always vulnerable to ransomware. But considering the size of the state and its population, 1,136 is still a minuscule figure when compared to the way people throw caution to wind.”
Ambala: Eve-teaser paraded naked, thrashed by relatives of minor girls
46-year-old woman held with bullets at Delhi Metro's Jama Masjid station
'Positive and negative' faces of Tipu Sultan in Karnataka school textbooks
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01, Feb 2016
Tim recently collaborated with Make Room, a DC-based campaign that brings awareness to the rental housing crisis in America. He was invited to perform a concert in the home of Tom Wall and create a series of short films to help spread the word about this important cause. Watch all three videos on YouTube and learn more at about Make Room.
05, Nov 2015
Watch Tim perform in "RESONANCE" Google's new groundbreaking Virtual Reality music video, directed by Jessica Brillhart, using the new Jump Camera. You can also download the track on iTunes or listen on Spotify.
24, Sep 2015
FIRST LOVES is now available! Tim is joined by pianist Robert Koenig in this new double disc set.
Listen to some of the works that first inspired Tim to be a violinist when he was a kid. Music by Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Wieniawski, arrangements by Kreisler and Heifetz, and one of Tim's recent arrangements, SWAN REMIX, based on themes from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which he made after his work on camera in the film Black Swan.
Official Album Trailer Buy on iTunes Listen on Spotify
03, Jul 2015
Special concert just added! July 4th at Rancho Las Lomas in Irvine, CA, for the Dalai Lama's 80th Birthday. Sign up for the live Stream here. Tim will be performing shortly after 1:30PM PST. Other performers/artists include Forest Whitaker and Aloe Blacc.
Check out Sondre Lerche's new disc Please - Tim arranged and recorded strings on a soulful track called Lucky Guy. Tim and Sondre perform together from time to time, so be sure to check back for any upcoming concerts.
19, Aug 2014
Hear Tim performing on the soundtrack of this video from the Khan Academy, "You can Learn Anything." A great organization, and a fun piece. Jeremy Turner wrote the music, which evolves playfully as the piece progresses. Enjoy!
12 Years A Slave wins Best Picture!
12 Years A Slave wins Best Picture at the Oscars! So excited to have been a part of the film-congrats to everyone! Tim performed all of the on-screen music in the film, ghost playing for actor Chiwetel Eijiofor. Listen to the official Motion Picture Soundtrack Album on iTunes
Concert with Iggy Pop and New Order
Just announced-Tim has joined the lineup for the 24th annual Tibet House benefit concert scheduled on March 11th at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY. Other performers include Iggy Pop, New Order, The National, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, and Patti Smith.
On the Soundtrack of Narco Cultura
Check out this new documentary Narco Cultura, a powerful feature length piece about the Mexican drug wars directed by Saul Schwartz. Tim Fain performs throughout the film along with cellist/composer Jeremy Turner, who wrote the score.
Listen to Richi's Poem from Narco Cultura
Watch Narco Cultura
12 Years A Slave Soundtrack
Be sure to check out the Official Motion Picture Soundtrack Album for the hit film 12 Years a Slave featuring music from the film performed by Tim Fain, as well as songs by Alicia Keys, John Legend, The Alabama Shakes, Chris Cornell, and original music by Hans Zimmer and Nicholas Britell. Tim performed and co-arranged all of the onscreen music in 12 Years A Slave, ghost playing for actor Chiwetel Eijiofor. Listen on iTunes
Black Swan Reunion in NYC
A Black Swan reunion, celebrating with Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman, on September 9, at the American Friends of the Paris Opera Ballet benefit at the French Consulate in New York City. Tim, who appeared both in the movie and on its Grammy nominated soundtrack, performed live that evening to films from "Portals" that Benjamin Millepied directed.
Read about it in the New York Post
Tim Fain and Philip Glass in Concert
Tim continues to tour extensively in recital with Philip Glass. Upcoming concerts to be announced in South America, United States, UK and Europe. Watch Philip Glass and Tim Fain perform "Pendulum" together live from the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Performing Beethoven at Caramoor Festival
25, May 2013
Tim performs Beethoven with Pianist John Novacek, June 30, 4:30pm in the Venetian Theater at Caramoor Festival, in beautiful Katonah, NY More Information
Benefit Concert with Philip Glass, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, Williamsburg Music Hall
For those of you who might be in New York City, Tim's performing a benefit concert for the Days and Nights Festival in conjunction with the Henry Miller Library with Philip Glass, Bryce Dessner (The National), Nico Muhly, and indie band Real Estate. 8pm, Sunday May 19th, at the Williamsburg Music Hall. Hope you can come down and enjoy some good music, and a fun time. Here's a link for more information.
Watch Tim's Newest Video HONEST MUSIC
Watch Tim's newest video, "Honest Music" by Nico Muhly feat. violinist Tim Fain. From PORTALS, a multimedia concert about the ways in which we connect in the digital age.
Check out my YouTube Channel for some recent videos.
New CD out-Music by Michael Shapiro
02, Oct 2012
Here's a new CD that just came out 'Variation' music by Michael Shapiro, featuring performances by Tim Fain and cellist Sato Knudsen. Big thanks to producer/engineer Adam Abeshouse Click HERE for more info
Joanna Newsom Philip Glass and Tim Fain in San Francisco
It was a very special night performing with Joanna Newsom and Philip Glass at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco this past June. Joanna and I did a new arrangement of her song Sadie, and some trio versions of some of Philip's pieces. Philip and I also played Pendulum together. Stay tuned for more shows!
Tibet House Benefit at Carnegie Hall
I just performed at the 22nd Annual Tibet House Benefit at Carnegie Hall--performed with Rahzel, Das Racist,James Blake and Philip Glass and we all came back on stage to join Lou Reed in 'Beginning to See the Light' Check out my FaceBook page for pictures!
Tim Fain in the October 2011 issue of Vanity Fair Magazine! “Violinist Tim Fain plays like a virtuoso and thinks like a cinematographer. His new show, Portals, is a smart mix of sound and vision for the Facebook vision who love Bjork and Beethoven with equal ardor.”
-Vanity Fair
Live Broadcast from Sweden
Check out this link to a live broadcast of selections from the duo-recital Philip Glass and I performed in Uppsala, Sweden. And here's a video of the violin solo from Einstein on the Beach. Check out my Facebook Page for more.
The Kitchen NYC Benefit
Another benfit—yesterday, for The Kitchen NYC, I played a set with pianist/composer Nico Muhly, at Capitale, downtown. Yoko Ono donated an original drawing, of which everyone got a copy--what fun! A great hang. I'm working with Nico on an upcoming project of mine, a multimedia concert called Portals. Check out the Portals site: www.PortalsProject.com
Check out the Kitchen online—Debra Singer is amazing and this is a very classy group of people...who really know how to party.
Art Production Fund Benefit
What a night!! Just returned from performing for the Art Production Fund annual benefit show at the Park Avenue Armory here in my home city of NYC.
Duo Recital Tour with Philip Glass
More tour dates just announced, for duo recital concerts with composer and pianist Philip Glass. In addition to pieces for violin and piano, I'll be giving the European and South American premieres of the new Partita for Solo Violin:
May 13 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
May 14 Middleburg, The Netherlands
May 17 Tonhalle, Zurich, Switzerland
May 21 Ferrol, Spain
May 23 Upsalla, Sweden
May 27 Vitoria, Spain
May 28 Valladolid, Spain
May 29 Madrid, Spain
Jul 8 Ravello Festival, Ravello, Italy
Sept 10 Olinda, Brazil
Sept 13 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sept 15 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sept 17 Salvador, Brazil
Sept 19 Porto Alegre, Brazil
[more tour info]
Black Swan's Academy Award
Black Swan wins an ACADEMY AWARD!!! Go Natalie. I gotta say, she looked amazing on set, when we were filming too. She was really doing it, and that takes some serious dedication.
Check out my Facebook Page for pictures and news and other good stuff!!
ACLU Benefit Event
Just played a benefit concert for the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) out on Ellis Island, with cellist Wendy Sutter and composer and pianist Philip Glass. They opened up a top-secret (hehe!) bridge from the Jersey side, so we actually drove there. After so many years living in NY, this was as close to the Statue of Liberty as I'd ever been. It was beautiful seeing it lit up at night at such close proximity. And of course I was very happy to support the ACLU and celebrate their big 90th.
Check out my MySpace page for more audio and video and other stuff.
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Ako Dhong: village in the city
Tradional long house is a typical feature in Ako Dhong village. Photo daktip.vn
By Lâm Giang
Only two kilometres north of Buôn Ma Thuột City, Ako Dhong holds the hidden beauty of a traditional village of the Ê Đê ethnic group.
We were amazed to find a traditional village still thriving in a modern city.
In the past, Ako Dhong was nothing but forests. The village patriarch Ama H’rin was the first person to reclaim the area and turn it into a new land for the Ê Đê ethnic community in 1956.
The tiny village used to have only three long houses that housed 10 families. Since 1975, villagers have been building households and a village school.
Now, the 55ha village has around more than 100 households and around 3,000 people who make a living from brocade, rượu cần (wine drunk out of a jar through straws) and handicraft products.
According to the Ede, “Ako” means upstream and “Dhong” means valley.
This is easy to explain as the village lies at the head of Ea Nuôl Dtream.
The village has a peaceful vibe, and the roads are clean and spacious. In front of each long house is a garden with many trees.
Long houses are part of the architecture of the Ê Đê people. They are an embodiment of the matriarchy and places where cultural and spiritual values of the Ê Đê people are preserved.
These houses, on stilts, are built from wood and bamboo. They are long enough to house many people, and residents here seldomly build new houses to replace the old ones. Instead they just expand the existing structures to make space for new family members.
One of the most imposing and beautiful long houses in the village belongs to H.Linh Niê, and cost VNĐ3 billion (US$130,400).
Niê is the owner of several hotels and restaurants in the village, but her love for tradition made her invest in the traditional long house.
“Nothing is as happy or warm as living in a traditional long house,” said Niê.
Coffee is the major crop for Ako Dhong villagers, with plantations stretching 26 hectares and providing a stable source of income.
Spring is the best time to visit Ako Dhong, when all the flowers are in bloom.
Coffee flowers bloom over the airspace. Photo dulichtaynguyen.org
We also had the chance to talk about the local gong culture with artisans and listen to songs about wild high mountain and thick forests.
The unique tombs also intrigued us. People here think that when they die, their souls will live on and go on to live in a better world. Statues are carved to pave the way, symbolising the ultimate joy of the living and the dead.
The last place we visited was Arul Café. It is a popular destination not only for tourists but also for Buôn Ma Thuột citizens who love the peaceful space and Ê Đê culture.
Arul café where tourists can learn about Ê Đê people. Photo laodong.vn
As an intriguing and untouched minority village, Ako Dhong has been selected to become a community-based tourism spot in Đắk Lắk Province.
“Buôn Ma Thuột City is setting up a detailed project and invest infrastructure, with support to renovate long houses, and resurrect traditional festivals to put the village on the tourism map for domestic and international visitors,” said Võ Tiến Dũng, head of the Department of Culture and Information of Buôn Ma Thuột City. VNS
The peaceful Ako Dhong Village. Photo mytour.vn
cultural and tourism exchanges
Hạ Long's flying high (January, 14 2020)
Int’l travel mart to highlight Vietnamese heritage (January, 14 2020)
Cần Giờ’s mangrove forests a haven for stressed-out travellers (January, 10 2020)
300-year-old temple on Phú Quốc protects fishermen (December, 27 2019)
Pờ Ma Lung Mountain a favourite spot for climbers (December, 13 2019)
Lost in Lô Lô Chải Village (December, 06 2019)
Bến Tre proposes ferry service to ease bridge congestion
Shares retreat on low liquidity
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← Thomas Jefferson the Wine Enthusiast built Monticello; a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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10 Reasons to Travel to Urbino: A UNESCO Site in Le Marche Italy
see filename (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: “Euclid of Megara” (lat: Evklidi Megaren), Panel from the Series ‘Famous Men’, Justus of Ghent, about 1474, Panel, 102 x 80 cm, Urbino, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. This picture is meant to represent the famous mathematician Euclid of Alexandria, who was, in medieval times, wrongly identified with Euclid of Megara, the disciple of Socrates. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In Le Marche, not far from the Adriatic Sea, the savvy traveler will find the small hill town of Urbino. It is perched between the Foglio and Metauro Rivers.
Urbino (Photo credit: kekkoz)
Le Marche enjoys more than 100 miles of clean Adriatic coastline with long stretches of sandy beaches. The regional capital is Ancona where an annual “Summer Jamboree Festival” is held with bands from all over the world. www.summerjamboree.com
Urbino was declared a dukedom in the middle of the 15th century and has a Ducal Palace with cellars and servants quarters. Raphael and Bramante were famous local Renaissance artists. Urbino’s historic center has a magnificent array of medieval and well-preserved Renaissance buildings nestled in a picturesque countryside setting that was inscribed by UNESCO in 1998. The historic center has interesting sites that include: The Oratory of St. John the Baptist, Raphael’s birth house, the churches of St. Francis and St. Dominic, the Oratory of St. Gaetano, the cloistered convent of St. Claire and of the Church of St. Bernardino. There is a fabulous VIno con Vista panorama of the city from the Albornoz Fortress.
Battista Sforza, Duchess of Urbino. Portrait by Piero della Francesca. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Urbino’s illustrious past rivals Florence in terms of its cultural significance during the Renaissance. This town attracted many humanist scholars and Renaissance artists in the 15th century. These trailblazers ultimately influenced cultural developments elsewhere in Europe. Urbino became a Ducal city during the Renaissance.
For more information visit: http://www.le-marche.com/
Portrait of a Young Woman (best known as La Muta), Raphael, 1507-1508, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1. Urbino was the birthplace of Raffaello Sanzio in 1483. He lived at Casa Natale di Raffaello and his former residence warrants a visit. The birthplace of Raphael is a small 14th-century building with a charming interior courtyard. What was probably the artist’s first important work, a Madonna and Child, is located in the first-floor room where he was born in 1483. His superb artistic skills adorn the walls of the Vatican in his legendary “School of Athens” masterpiece.
Italiano: Scuola di Atene English: The School of Athens – fresco by Raffaello Sanzio Español: La escuela de Atenas. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Urbino: Palazzo Ducale & Duomo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
2. Visit the elegantly proportioned Palazzo Ducale that was built for Duke Federico da Montefeltro and his wife Battista Sforza as a defensive structure in 1460 designed by architect by Luciano da Laurana and Francesco di Giorgio Martini.
It is one of the most beautiful architectural works of the Italian Renaissance. The palace is perched high on a hill with panoramic views of the countryside. The façade of the palace is flanked by two dominating towers. Montefeltro was a patron of the arts who ruled Urbino from 1444-1482. The 3rd Sunday in August, attend “Festa del Ducca” in Urbino to honor the Duke.
Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
3. The palace houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (The Marche National Gallery) and holds the most significant collection of Marchigiana art. This museum is the home to works by Raphael, Piero della Francesca, Tizano, Paolo Uccello and Luca Signorelli.
4. The elegant, Neo-Classical Duomo was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1789. It was done by Giuseppe Valadier, Architect of the Holy See.The impressive cathedral is in Piazza Duca Federico and has a beautiful painting of the “Last Supper” by Federico Barocci. The cathedral/Duomo was largely rebuilt in the late 18th century, during the papacy of Pius VII who completing the reconstruction left unfinished during the reign of Clement XI.
Urbino (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Urbino, Marche, Italia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
5. Have a “Vino con Vista” at La Vecchia Fornarina close to Piazza della Republica. It is the oldest restaurant in Urbino. Order some fish stew with a glass of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (DOC) , a crisp white wine. Order some red Piceno (DOC) vino at the Mamiani Hotel on Via Bernini and enjoy the beautiful view. Duke Federico preferred sour cherry wine made from marasca cherries called Visner. After dinner, order some chocolate and sip some chilled Visner as you toast Federico Montefeltro. He was the enlightened lord that was instrumental in transforming this lovely city. Distilled wines like aniseed liqueurs are popular in this region (Mistra and Anisetta).
6. Visit the Umani Ronchi Winery. Try some Medoro Marche Sangiovese or Le Busche Marche Bianco (www.unmanironchi.com). Visit the International Wine Label Museum in Cupramontana.
7. A haven for Foodies, the cuisine has been influenced by Romagna to the north and Abruzzi to the south. From polenta to porchetta and white truffles, the regional specialties of the Marches include: “Olive all’Ascolana” stuffed with mince, eggs, cheese and dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in olive oil; Stoccafisso in Potacchio, Brodetto and Coniglio in Porchetta. Fossa cheese is aged while buried in a pit. “Vincisgrassi” is lasagne with mushrooms, truffles and chicken livers covered with bechamel sauce and baked to perfection. Cannelloni, maccheroncini di Campofilone and cresce tagliate are popular first courses in the Marche. In sea-side areas the “Arrosto Segreto” is made with mackerel, anchovies and sardines; this cooking process allows the fish to be cooked on both sides at the same time like a fish panini. In Urbino, the delicious braciola is stuffed and braised in white wine. Try some Prosciutto di Montefeltro. You can sign up for Cooking School at: http://www.latavolamarche.com
8. In August, attend the “Sagra delle Frittelle” of Massignano in the Ascoli Piceno fortress. This Fritter Fest is a 50 year old Italian Food Festival. The Macerata Opera Festival is held in Sferisterio from July 15 to August 15 www.maceratagallery.it.
9. More notable holy places include: the 14th-century Oratory of St John the Baptist with outstanding frescoes by Luca Signorelli and the 14th century Church of San Francesco with an interior that was redesigned in the 18th century. The Church of San Domenico is basically a 13th-century structure with an articulated portal that was added during the Renaissance period, surmounted by a beautiful oriel window by Luca della Robbia. The Santa Chiara and San Bernardino monasteries are good examples of Renaissance architecture.
10. Attend glorious “Holiday Festivals and Events” in the town of Candelara in December in the province of Macerata and also in the town of Fano in Giardini Amiani.
Italiano: Veduta della città di Urbino dalla collina del castello. Si ammira la Cattedrale e il Palazzo Ducale sulla sinistra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites
To learn more about Italy read www.vino-con-vista.com Travel Guides.
Raphael, Master of Beauty and Grace
Romantic Raphael
Federico Barocci: Brilliance And Grace at the National Gallery is a seductive look at the Italian master
Barocci: Brilliance and Grace, at National Gallery
My Glorious Vino Con Vista Weekend in Rome: Non Basta una Vita
Raphael – Birth, Death & Dan Brown
Titian, Venus of Urbino, 1538
Filed under 10 Reasons to Travel to Urbino: A UNESCO Site in Le Marche, ebooks, Federico Barocci, Federico da Montefeltro, Italian art, Italian Food, Italian Food and Wine, Italian Wine, Italy, Italy Travel Guides, Luca Signorelli, Marche, Renaissance Artists, The Marche National Gallery, Travel and Tourism, UNESCO, UNESCO WOrld Heritage Sites in SIcily, Urbino, vino con vista, Wine
Tagged as 10 Reasons to Travel to Urbino: A UNESCO Site in Le Marche, Adriatic Sea, Baroque Marvels Art Exhibition in San Severino Marche, Christmas in Italy, Christmas in Urbino, Federico Barocci, Federico da Montefeltro, Festa del Ducca in Urbino, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Holiday Events in Italy, italian food, Italian wine, italy travel, Italy Travel Guide, Luca Signorelli, Marche, Palazzo Ducale Urbino, Paolo Uccello, Raphael, Renaissance, School of Athens, The Marche National Gallery, Travel and Tourism, unesco, Urbino, vino con vista, World Heritage Site
10 responses to “10 Reasons to Travel to Urbino: A UNESCO Site in Le Marche Italy”
I’d like to go. The photo reminds me of Monterosso Al Mare where my wife and I enjoyed a fantastic stay.
The Cinque Terre is a lovely place-
Ashley Bartner
Ciao – thanks for the article highlighting a few of the many wonderful jems Le Marche has to offer! The culinary history is rich here as well – from polenta to porchetta & the prized white truffle – eating/dinning in Le Marche is a gastronomic delight! Visit our cooking school in Le Marche to learn local seasonal traditional dishes of the area: http://www.latavolamarche.com
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Employee login Log in Visit our homepage prideinlondon.org
Head of Volunteer Experience
Volunteer Engagement
Click to apply
Your Pride In London
Pride in London means many things to many people, it belongs to our community and it belongs to you; come and join the conversation!
We are run by a group of volunteers who are passionate about equality and diversity and are drawn from all walks of life; together we pull off the UK’s biggest free LGBTQ+ community event every year. Pride aims to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and campaign for the freedoms that will allow all of our community to live their lives on a genuinely equal footing.
Around 150 people volunteer year-round to help us deliver what has become a world-class Pride. We welcome applications from everybody, and are especially keen to attract new volunteers from the BAME, Trans, Bi, Non-binary and Queer communities who we would love to see more widely represented in our organisation.
Your new team
Our organisation is home to around 150 year round volunteers with another 1,000 supporting us on the day of Pride. Volunteer Engagement is the team responsible for the recruitment, training, deployment and all-round experience of the volunteers needed to put on Pride in London.
Your new volunteer role
The Head of Volunteer Experience will oversee the engagement and wellbeing of our two key volunteering populations: the thousand on-the-day volunteers who support the Pride Parade, and the core team who volunteer all year round to put on the event, across all directorates.
This is a senior role, line managing a small team:
Develop and enhance the experience for our volunteers throughout their time at Pride in London
Create and manage relevant HR policies/procedures for our volunteer teams
Manage provisions for the wellbeing of all our volunteers
Drive the development of a series of social events for our volunteers
Work with the Head of Internal Communications to inform, engage and empower our volunteers
Work with the Head of Training to support the learning and development of our volunteers year-round
Be a strategic point of contact for our Registration Site manager which deploys our volunteers on the day, liaising with the Operations team
Lead and engage a team
The successful candidate should be a committed team player with line manager experience and great people skills, able to work across boundaries and collaboratively both within the Volunteer Engagement function and more widely.
Able to self-organise and show initiative to find new ways of working and delegate through your team accordingly
Comfortable managing complaints and conflict resolution issues
Ideally is CIPD qualified or has HR experience
Strong written and spoken communication skills
Time required as a volunteer will be about 5 hours a week, including attending regular Volunteer Engagement meetings, with occasional need to attend Saturday morning meetings to present to other teams. Time needs will vary throughout the year, but will increase closer towards Pride.
What you’ll get joining Pride in London
A friendly and welcoming induction course and a variety of training that’s offered throughout the year
An opportunity to get new and relevant professional experience
A chance to broaden your professional network
Play an important part in delivering the Pride in London event
Social opportunities to meet the diverse and friendly bunch who volunteer for Pride in London
Registration Site Manager Volunteer Engagement
Training Manager Volunteer Engagement
Head of Training Volunteer Engagement
Our volunteers are driven and passionate about what they do. Putting on one of London's largest one-day events requires dedication and perseverance.
Although a lot of our work is completed remotely, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet with your team and others throughout the year to not only plan what's ahead but to socialise too.
We're looking for enthusiastic people to join the organisation so we can provide a platform for every part of London’s LGBT+ community.
About Pride in London
Pride in London is wholly run by a group of volunteers who are passionate about equality and diversity. We are a not-for-profit organisation, and any surplus funds we raise are used to support the LGBTQ community and improve the event.
Pride in London includes people of every race and faith, whether disabled or able-bodied, and all sexualities and genders including lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, queer, questioning, intersex, trans*, genderqueer, gender variant or non-binary as well as straight and cis allies.
prideinlondon.org
Coworkers 150 volunteers
Already working at Pride in London?
@pridelondon.org
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Trade war: The clash of economic systems threatening global prosperity: A new eBook
Meredith A. Crowley 30 May 2019
As a trade war of unprecedented scope and magnitude engulfs the world’s two largest economies, this column introduces a new Vox eBook that seeks to shed light on the origins of the conflict, the current impacts on economic activity around the world, and the likely consequences for the future of globalisation. It concludes that the prospects for the future of the multilateral trading system look grim.
The global macroeconomics of a trade war
Wilko Bolt, Kostas Mavromatis, Sweder Van Wijnbergen
Trade wars and global value chains
Cecilia Bellora, Lionel Fontagné
The macroeconomic implications of a global trade war
Antoine Berthou, Caroline Jardet, Daniele Siena, Urszula Szczerbowicz
New eBook: Economics and policy in the Age of Trump
Chad Bown
A trade war of unprecedented scope and magnitude currently engulfs the world’s two largest economies – the US and China. As of mid-May 2019, the US had imposed import tariffs on roughly $250 billion of Chinese goods, China had met the US with retaliatory tariffs on $110 billion of US merchandise, and talks to resolve the conflict appear to have broken down. As the US-China conflict continues, American trade relations with the EU and Japan are strained. Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on autos and auto parts overshadows tri-party and bilateral discussions.
What happened to get us here? Over the last 20 years, trade globalisation has increased welfare in the US (Feenstra and Weinstein 2017) and improved productivity in China (Yu 2015). But while these gains have been substantial, the costs imposed on displaced US manufacturing workers have also been severe (Autor et al. 2013). A new eBook seeks to shed light on the origins of the Sino-American economic conflict, the current impacts of the conflict on economic activity around the world, and the likely consequences for the future of globalisation (Crowley 2019). It is a story in three acts, beginning with the accession of China to the WTO, tracing through the story of how China’s development and economic integration through global trade led to the world’s largest trade conflict in decades, and ending with questions about whether the rules-based multilateral trading system will survive and flourish or stagnate and fumble in an environment of uncertainty over future economic policy cooperation.
Download the VoxEU eBook, Trade War: The Clash of Economic Systems Endangering Global Prosperity, here
The origins of the US-China trade conflict
Three essays explore the origins of the US-China trade war. Justin Pierce and Peter Schott examine how import competition from China contributed to geographically concentrated declines in US manufacturing employment. Although China’s entry into the WTO created substantial welfare gains for the average American (Amiti et al. 2017), those Americans who lost their jobs from import competition have never fully recovered.
But why did the US instigate a bilateral trade war to address concerns over trade with China? Why not resolve problems through the WTO’s dispute settlement system? Chad Bown outlines the US’s long-standing concerns with multiple aspects of Chinese economic policy – China’s domestic industrial and technology policies as well as the structure of Chinese state-sponsored capitalism. In bringing to light the perceived failure of WTO dispute settlement to satisfy US concerns – including a history of legal decisions against the US that did not involve China – Bown helps us to understand the motivation behind the radical decision by the US to abandon multilateral trade negotiation in favour of a bilateral trade war.
Why would the US, the world’s largest and most significant economic power, choose to throw away a rules-based trading system that has served its interests for decades in favour of power-based bilateral bargaining with the world’s second largest economy? Aaditya Mattoo and Robert Staiger argue that long-term changes in the relative positions of the US and China in the world economy are the deep drivers behind the eruption of the US-China trade conflict. They frame the shift in US policy as the consequence of a decline in US hegemony over the global economy.
The costs of trade wars
Four contributions quantify the economic costs of import tariffs and trade wars and discuss the uneven distribution of losses across countries, producers, and consumers. Ralph Ossa estimates the magnitude of the economic welfare losses associated with trade conflicts of different scopes – from a bilateral US-China conflict to a worst-case scenario global trade war. A key insight from his analysis of an all-out global trade war is that the estimated real income losses to the US, the EU, and China of about -2% each are far smaller than the estimated damage to smaller countries like Switzerland (-14%), Mexico (-7%), and Canada (-7%).
Doireann Fitzgerald discusses two important studies of the immediate impact of the US-China trade war by Amiti et al. (2019) and Fajgelbaum et al. (2019). Both studies find, somewhat surprisingly, the complete pass-through of US tariffs to US importers. In other words, the Chinese exporters who continued to sell their goods to the US after the tariffs were imposed did not reduce their prices to soften the blow to their customers.
These finding are surprising in light of previous empirical work on optimal tariffs and firms’ pricing responses to exchange rate movements. Optimal tariff research has found that governments set higher tariffs when the cost of the tariff can be (at least partially) shifted onto exporters (Broda et al. 2008, Bown and Crowley 2013, Bagwell and Staiger 2011). A new study shows Chinese exporters respond to exchange rate fluctuations by adjusting export prices and destination-specific markups (in producer’s currency) in order to stabilise their prices (in local currency) in foreign markets (Corsetti et al. 2019). Although the tariff costs of the US-China trade war have been entirely born by US importers to date, these studies suggest that, as the trade war persists, export prices could begin to adjust.
Global value chains (GVCs) complicate efforts to predict which countries and firms will suffer the greatest losses or enjoy the largest benefits from a trade war that simultaneously raises the cost of imported inputs, reduces competitive pressures on import-competing firms, and restricts the foreign market access of exporters. Emily Blanchard’s chapter suggests that because the trade war creates incentives for firms to restructure their supply networks, the long run consequences of the trade war could persist far into the future. Yi Huang, Chen Lin, Sibo Liu, and Heiwai Tang document that indirect exposure to the trade war through supply chains led to losses for US firms.
Does the multilateral trading system have a future?
Predicting the next twists and turns in the US-China conflict may be impossible, but there are signals that actions taken to date will have long-term repercussions, even if the tariff war ends soon. The contribution by Kyle Handley and Nuno Limao casts a long shadow over the hopes that wounds caused by the US-China trade war could quickly heal. They review research which implies that increases in global trade policy uncertainty could have long term negative impacts on trade and investment. Until confidence in the world trading system to deliver stable trade policy is restored, the uncertainty costs of this trade war are likely to linger.
The thorny issue of market access is taken up by economists Simon Evenett and Johannes Fritz and legal scholar Luca Rubini. Evenett and Fritz document that the hot trade war of 2018-2019 is part of a much longer trend of bilateral reductions in market access by the US and China, while Rubini examines the controversial history of WTO jurisprudence on subsidies and explains why the WTO’s subsidy rules no longer have any legal bite.
The eBook wraps up with Mark Wu’s analysis of the clash of economics systems at the heart of the US-China quarrel. Wu explains how certain aspects of China’s unique form of state capitalism, such as informal networks, the Chinese Communist Party’s influence over an individual’s career progression, and implied rather than formal requirements, mean that attempts to seek redress for perceived unfair practices through WTO dispute settlement are unlikely to succeed. In the absence of an effective WTO mechanism that could put pressure on China to reform certain practices, what options remain for Western countries? Until this question is addressed, restrictions on market access, import tariffs, and accusations of unfair practices are unlikely to go away.
This volume constructs a narrative of the US-China Trade War as the outgrowth of long-brewing tensions in the multilateral trading system. Multiple factors – the unprecedented economic growth of an economy operating outside the traditional Western capitalist model, new structures of production with supply chains spanning the globe, geographically concentrated job losses within the US, and a multilateral trading system that has stagnated and failed to keep pace with changes in the world economy – have all contributed to the current mess. The problems extend well beyond the highly visible US-China conflict to the wider community of countries struggling with the interface between Chinese state capitalism and their own capitalist systems, the failure of the WTO to make progress with multilateral negotiations over almost anything, and a dispute resolution system that has veered off track.
From our current vantage point, the prospects for the future of the multilateral trading system look grim. Unfortunately, the list of potentially effective avenues for achieving substantive reform is short and will require concerted efforts and serious compromises. The difficult question of how to integrate the fundamentally different economic systems of Western liberal capitalism and Chinese state capitalism has no easy answers. The question for policymakers today is whether the multilateral trading system, which fostered tremendous economic welfare gains for so many in the past, can be redeveloped and renewed in order to continue its legacy of delivering economic prosperity into the future.
Amiti, M, M Dai, R Feenstra and J Romalis (2017), “How Did China’s WTO entry benefit US Consumers?”, CEPR Discussion Paper 12076.
Amiti, M, S J Redding and D Weinstein (2019), “The Impact of the 2018 Trade War on US Imports and Prices,” CEPR Discussion Paper 13564.
Autor, D H, D Dorn, and G H Hanson (2013), "The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States", American Economic Review 103(6): 2121-68.
Bown, C P and M A Crowley (2013), “Self-Enforcing Trade Agreements: Evidence from Time-Varying Trade Policy”, American Economic Review 103(2): 1071-90.
Broda, C, N Limao and D Weinstein (2008), “Optimal Tariffs and Market Power: The Evidence”, American Economic Review 98(5): 2032-65.
Corsetti, G, M Crowley, L Han and H Song (2018), “Markets and Markups: A New Empirical Framework and Evidence on Exporters from China”, Cambridge-INET Working Paper Series No. 2018/05.
Crowley, M A (2019), Trade War: The Clash of Economic Systems Threatening Global Prosperity, CEPR Press.
Fajgelbaum, P D, P K Goldberg, P J Kennedy and A Khandelwal (2019), “The Return to Protectionism,” NBER Working Paper 25638.
Feenstra, R and D Weinstein (2017), “Globalization, Markups, and U.S. Welfare”, Journal of Political Economy 125(4): 1041-1074.
Yu, M (2015), “Processing Trade, Tariff Reductions and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Firms”, The Economic Journal 125(585): 943–988.
Topics: International trade
Tags: trade war, tariff war, US-China trade war, Trump, protectionism, WTO, multilateral trading system
Meredith A. Crowley
University Reader, University of Cambridge; Fellow, St. John’s College
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When Terror Comes Home: I AM THE MISSION–A Review
Hi there! Couple of weeks ago I crushed hard for a teenaged assassin who had five days to kill the mayor of New York. Well, Zach’s back in Allen Zadoff’s sequel–I AM THE MISSION–and this time he’s meant to kill the head of a ultra-conservative running a military training camp for teens. Yikes!
He was the perfect assassin. No name. No past. No remorse. Perfect, that is, until he began to ask questions and challenge his orders. Now The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability.
And so Boy Nobody is given a new mission. A test of sorts. A chance to prove his loyalty.
His objective: Take out Eugene Moore, the owner of an extremist military training camp for teenagers. It sounds like a simple task, but a previous operative couldn’t do it. He lost the mission and is presumed dead. Now Boy Nobody is confident he can finish the job. Quickly.
But when things go awry, Boy Nobody finds himself lost in a mission where nothing is as it seems: not The Program, his allegiances, nor the truth.
The riveting second book in Allen Zadoff’s Boy Nobody series delivers heart-pounding action and a shocking new twist that makes Boy Nobody question everything he has believed.
Sometimes sequels disappoint. Not this time.
Zach is emotionally scrambled after his last mission. Being an isolated human isn’t as fulfilling as it had been, and his doubt draws him to get close to others–to their detriment. His brief “lose himself in humanity” experiment nearly backfires when Father–his male contact and advisor with The Program–tracks him to a boys camp in the northeast. Tense doesn’t begin to describe the confrontation.
Zach’s loyalty to The Program is being tested. If he accepts the mission, he’ll have one chance to neutralize the threat–a single meeting with Eugene Moore at a recruitment event for Moore’s Camp Liberty. Under no circumstances is Zach supposed to enter Camp Liberty–a place where all communication is monitored and where a previous Program operative disappeared four months prior.
Posing as disaffected teen “Daniel”, our determined assassin watches as his one chance to prove himself to The Program slips away before he can get within striking distance. Then, he’s given the opportunity to spend the night at the camp and check it out for himself. Against his mission directive, Daniel does.
Having made it past the first levels of security, Daniel scopes chances to hit his target–they aren’t great, but Daniel has infiltrated the inner sanctum by befriending Moore’s teen children: Lee and Miranda. Moore’s bodyguard, Francisco, isn’t letting Daniel close, however.
Drawn in, Daniel goes on a couple of practice missions for Liberty–and he sees how very dangerous the man, and his camp of paramilitary teens, can be up-close and very personal. Trouble is, Daniel can’t reach his “parents”. Every chance he tries to make contact with The Program is a failure. Cut loose, Daniel reaches out to the one and only real friend he’s made in four years, a teen hacker named Howard.
This pair makes sense of the chaos the mission has become. Especially when hitting the target only escalates the danger.
I thoroughly enjoyed Zach/Daniel and his handling of the mission. He was constantly compromised, and didn’t waver for a second. His loyalties were tested completely–Francisco nearly killed him, not to mention all the snipers and “clean up” teams dispatched, and yet Zach/Daniel kept his cover and his focus. Sure, he had to call in Howard, but that (for me) signaled a level of maturity in his development. The cracks exist, however. Zach isn’t the killing machine The Program intended. Well, perhaps he is, but he’s not a mindless killing machine who simply follows orders.
Sure, he’s got skills, but he’s not prepared when he meets another operative in the field. Particularly, when Zach learns Moore knew he was an operative and accepted him into Camp Liberty in order to convert him to their cause. We see Zach’s thought processes clearly: he’ll soon be too old to be a teen assassin, and then what? What will The Program do with him? Disposal? Because it seems likely considering how efficiently they have wiped his access and left him to fend for himself. Camp Liberty holds Zach’s skills in high regard–he’d have a place of honor, and the companionship he now desires. Lee could be a real friend, and Miranda’s interested in more than that….
And, what is Mike doing? The guy kills Zach’s family and recruits him into The Program, but it seems Mike works off the grid just as much as on. He was The Program’s first operative, yet, Mike’s presence is that of an ally in a way Zach hadn’t expected and isn’t sure he can trust. Especially when Howard’s life is on the line.
Oh, and domestic terrorism, Boston bombings, and Taser-torture. So, yeah–super intense. Bit of a YA Bourne series, which is a bit of alright, in my book.
Interested? You can find I AM THE MISSION on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and probably six dozen other outlets. Even your library. I read an advance review copy via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Allen Zadoff is the author of the new thriller series, The Unknown Assassin which earned starred reviews and has been optioned for a feature film by Sony Pictures and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment. His YA novel, Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award and was a YALSA selection for Most Popular Paperbacks of 2012. His second novel was My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies, the story of a techie hiding from life after a family tragedy. His third novel Since You Left Me is set in Los Angeles and tells the story of a religious school student who doesn’t believe. He also wrote the memoir for adults, Hungry:Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin.
Allen is a graduate of Cornell University and the Harvard University Institute for Advanced Theatre Training. Visit him on his website, Goodreads and twitter.
Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends! 🙂
June 30, 2014 Veronica Rundell Allen Zadoff, Contemporary YA, I AM THE MISSION, YA Adventure 2 Comments
Cephalopod Coffeehouse June 2014–THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
This month I chose a YA Romance–because, basically, I had THE WORST book hangover after reading it. THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E Stein carved my heart into mincemeat, no joke.
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.
To get right down to it: Hadley’s family was unexpectedly torn apart by love. That’s right. Her dad went on a four-month sabbatical to London and he didn’t return. He’s alive, and well, and currently completely divorced from Hadley’s mother. In fact, he’s marrying the woman who stole her father away. And Hadley’s a bridesmaid. She’s never met his bride, and she hasn’t seen her dad in more than a year. In fact, Hadley wouldn’t be staring at her plane pushing back from the jetway right now if her mother hadn’t pushed her into accepting the wedding invitation.
So, Hadley’s not keen on love. She thought her parents had it–everyone seemed so happy–but love pretty much sucks if it rips your dad away to a new country and life. At least, it does in Hadley’s opinion. She gets rescheduled to the next flight, and encounters Oliver in the terminal. He’s a quiet, unassuming young English man–he’s nearly 19 and a college student returning home for a family event. They strike up a conversation that spans the flight. It’s a purge. All the misery Hadley had bottled up in the past year and half since her dad took his trip to London is spent out.
Oliver is an excellent sounding board–and distraction. Especially when he kisses her and the seeds of attraction blossomed into a budding love.
Then he’s gone–and Hadley’s still got to face her father and the wedding she wishes wasn’t occurring. It is a twisted experience, to see one’s parent so happy–knowing the misery this happiness created for one’s self and one’s loved ones. Having rid herself of her anger, Hadley is able to experience her father’s abounding joy in a way she hadn’t predicted. And, she’s able to give the one thing she never fathomed: forgiveness.
That isn’t the end of the story however, and Hadley learns that Oliver had kept a pretty large secret to himself aboard that long flight. Can they find the common ground they had in transit or is the L-word a statistical impossibility?
Normally, I’m no huge fan of instalove, but this book–while the time frame is two days–unfolds so seamlessly it feels genuine. I was wrung out in Hadley’s point of view. What an overwhelming experience she’s had with the devastation of her parent’s marriage. Often kids know there are problems–but in this case, there hadn’t been any warning signs. Her parents were happy. Fun. Planned big vacations touring the US. Hadley and her mother were going to visit London at the end of the sabbatical. And then everything changed.
Hadley’s abandonment is a palpable presence in her life. She develops panic attacks, and spends months caretaking for her shell-shocked mother. She never has a chance to breathe, to grieve the loss of her previous life before it’s all gone. Wracked by anger, Hadley plans to cut her dad out of her new life–and had been rather successful at it–until the wedding. Understandably, Hadley wants nothing to do with the woman who caused so much heartache–who, by the by is not a step-monster. Still, after over a year’s separation seeing her dad is a knife wound to the chest. She has missed him terribly. And she comes to realize that having a relationship with him means accepting terms she couldn’t have previously considered.
See, there is no cliche here. There is pain. There is love. There is loss. There is gain. There is human life unfolding in a way that voids all plans and cancels all debts. I seriously ached for Hadley–over and over again. Her mom has moved on–met a man who adores her, yet the child in Hadley holds a serious grudge. I would have, too. Watching her let go of that pain, however, was excruciating. My heart had to stop feeling in order to not be overwhelmed. Oliver was a spectacular love interest. And the promise that these two might find love, together, was the jump start I needed to get past the strong emotions I’d suffered in the course of reading. (Disclaimer: I didn’t even hate Hadley’s dad when all was said and done–which is saying quite a lot about how well this story was told.)
Interested? You can find TSPoLaFS at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and likely in your neighborhood library. I picked up a reviewer’s copy from NetGalley.
Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.
You can find her on Goodreads and twitter.
Thanks for popping by my friends. Don’t forget to hit the rest of the blogs on the Coffeehouse. I know I find some great suggestions this way! 🙂
1. The Armchair Squid 2. mainewords
3. I Think; Therefore, I Yam 4. Words Incorporated
5. StrangePegs — Up So Down 6. The Writing Sisterhood
7. BOOK NOOK 8. Hungry Enough To Eat Six
9. StrangePegs — Lost and Found 10. Cherdo on the Flipside
11. My Creatively Random Life 12. StrangePegs — The Faerie Guardian
13. StrangePegs — The Ghost Brigades 14. Adornments looks at books
15. V’sReads
June 27, 2014 Veronica Rundell Cephalopod Coffeehouse, Jennifer E Smith, YA Romance 19 Comments
Cover Reveal! RUINED by Marian Cheatham
Hi there! Today I’m sharing the cover for RUINED, a contemporary retelling of a Shakespearean classic.
Coming July 2014
When your life has been ruined by lies, do you seek justice … or revenge?
Blythe Messina spends her senior year focused on her studies and college, and not on her ex, Stratford High’s lacrosse star, DB Whitmore. At least, that’s what Blythe keeps telling herself. But her younger cousin, Bonni, knows otherwise. Same goes for DB, who professes to be over Blythe and their breakup, but his teammates aren’t fooled.
When scandalous photos of Bonni and the lacrosse captain are texted around Stratford, Bonni’s virtuous reputation is ruined. She pleads innocence, but no one believes her. No one, except Blythe and DB, who come together to uncover the truth. But, will they stay together?
Ruined is a modern twist on a classic Shakespearean romance.
“Deceit, loyalty, honor, and romance–Ruined has it all! A teen version of Much Ado About Nothing that Shakespeare aficionados are sure to savor!”
Kym Brunner, Author of Wanted: Dead or in Love & One Smart Cookie.
Click here to add RUINED to your Goodreads TBR!
Marian Cheatham lives in a suburb of Chicago with her family and their menagerie of pets. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marian taught Special Education for many years before becoming a full-time writer.
You can find her on her webpage, Goodreads, and Facebook.
Thanks for popping by and keep reading my friends!
June 26, 2014 Veronica Rundell Marian Cheatham, RUINED, YA Romance Leave a comment
Changing THE RIVER LEITH–A Review
Hi there! Today’s book is a contemporary M/M romance from Leta Blake. I just adored TRAINING SEASON and jumped at the chance to read more of her work. THE RIVER LEITH is a mind-bender. Mostly because Leith has retrograde amnesia and can’t remember the past three years of his life….
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
One month ago Leith was hit by an illegal blow in the ring causing a traumatic brain injury. When he wakes from his coma, memories of the past three years of his life are gone. He thinks he’s still in prison, that his father is still alive, that he’s a straight man. None of these are true. Or, are they?
Leith latches on to his brother, Arthur, adrift in loss. Arthur tries to help, but the advice is to reveal little in terms of the lost years, to wait until Leith recovers the memories–if Leith does. See, they don’t want to upset Leith with too many uncertainties–he’s a bit unmoored emotionally, and strong. When he first saw Arthur and learned all he had lost, Leith struck out and clocked his brother in the jaw. Control of his life, and his temper, is hard for the new Leith.
“Friends” visit the hospital to help his transition, but Leith doesn’t remember any of them–not even Zach. Zach is introduced as his “best friend”, but the reader knows more than Leith. He and Zach had been lovers for a year, and totally committed. Zach’s heartbroken, and trying to maintain a brave face, but his video blogs show the gaping cracks in the facade.
Throughout, Leith agonizes to regain his foothold in his new reality. The only thing he knows for sure is the calmness he feels when Zach visits. He longs for more time with his “best friend” and is confused by the sexual arousal he feels in Zach’s presence. Zach’s nearness yet seeming indifference leads Leith to believe his attraction to Zach was one-sided before the injury, and he’s conflicted about revealing his “new” feelings. Meanwhile Zach is falling apart thinking Leith will never love him again. It sparks a one-night stand that comes back to haunt Zach. Big time.
In some ways, Leith died in the ring. The post-injury Leith is a different man in so many aspects, but it may be that this man is a better man, a more stable partner, than the man Zach first loved.
As time moves on, Leith is better able to control his temper–revealing his feelings for Zach helped immensely–but there are still struggles. Leith wants to box again. It was a major way he coped throughout his life, and the absence of that physicality brings its own strain. And Zach is terrified that one bad hit will kill the man he has had to woo, and come to love, twice over.
While this book centered on amnesia, there are lots of people who endure other neurological injuries and have personality changes. The hardest thing for their loved ones to reconcile is the change–Zach is a good partner, but a confused man in his own right, understandably so. His love has suddenly and without question forgotten him completely. He could walk away, but he doesn’t. His struggle is no less hard than Leith’s–overcoming his own memories to make a totally new life with a Leith is a decision. I was glad he made the right one.
The book is brutal in its emotional landscape. Highs and lows. Confusion and resolution. Anger and peace. And, love. At the center, love shines. Zach’s patient acceptance, bringing all Leith’s fave foods to the hospital. Moving out so Leith can have his own space to reconnect. Coming back after Leith clobbers him in a blind rage. All of these are acts of love. Leith working to regain his memories, his sense of self, so he can recover the good times of his life with Zach is an act of love. Even more so, Leith abandoning this effort and committing to simply making new memories is the biggest show of his love.
At times I just wanted to reach into my iPad and grab these two into a group hug and whisper that it was all going to work out. To that end, I kinda felt the resolution was a teeny bit rushed. That said, I loved the book. The smexytimes were predictably hot and fantastic, so thanks for that. I had to chuckle when Leith’s doctor said it was time to leave the hospital because all the nurses were distracted trying to get a peek of Zach and Leith together….LOL, for real. The book steams, so not safe for the youngin’s.
Interested? You can find THE RIVER LEITH on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I snatched a copy from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
While Leta Blake would love to tell you that writing transports her to worlds of magic and wonder and then safely returns her to a home of sparkling cleanliness and carefully folded laundry, the reality is a bit different. For as long as Leta can recall, stories have hijacked her mind, abducting her to other lands, and forcing her to bend to the will of imaginary people. This absence from reality results in piles of laundry and forgotten appointments. In between abductions, Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.
You can catch up with Leta on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.
June 25, 2014 Veronica Rundell Contemporary Romance, Leta Blake, M/M Romance, Mature content, THE RIVER LEITH 1 Comment
Get Caught in THE MILLIONAIRE AFFAIR–A Review
Hi there! Today I’m featuring a contemporary romance set in my hometown: Chicago! THE MILLIONAIRE AFFAIR, third in the Love in the Balance series by Jessica Lemmon, is a fun steamy read with a feel-good ending.
LOVE IS A DEAL BREAKER . . .
Millionaire ad executive Landon Downey has a policy: no romantic relationships allowed. So when he’s saddled with his six-year-old nephew for a week, he doesn’t think twice about asking Kimber Reynolds to act as live-in nanny. What he doesn’t expect is the undeniable attraction to the woman he hasn’t seen since they were kids. And not only does she like him back-she suggests they work their way down a list of extracurricular activities in the bedroom. How can he resist?
Kimber wants to prove once and for all that she can love ’em and leave ’em with the best of them. All she has to do is keep her sixteen-year crush on Landon out of the equation. No problem . . . until she realizes she may not be the only one whose heart has gotten completely tangled up in their no-strings agreement.
Landon is in a fix–he’s a perfectionist business owner AND he’s a doting uncle. But, he’s not a care giver. Scheduled to watch his nephew while his widower brother is having a retreat is more of a challenge than Landon can meet. Plus, he’s got a HUGE contract int he bablance at his ad agency and needs to micromanage his office. So he calls in the Big Guns: his sister. Unfortunately, she just took off the previous week to watch Lyon and her boss (Landon!) is a slavedriver…
She does, however, recommend her childhood friend Kimber to work as a nanny.
See, Kimber lives in Chicago–not far from Landon’s Magnificent Mile penthouse condo. Kimber owns a boutique selling upscale resale clothes and her own designs. While she’s making money, she hasn’t earned enough to buy out her business partner-slash-ex-boyfriend. With the money Landon’s offering she could get her business going exactly right. If only she doesn’t fall into a puddle of admiration when she crosses the threshold–Landon’s always caught Kimber’s eye…and heart…and quivery girly-bits.
Living in close quarters with the grown woman Landon only remembered as his sister’s frizzy-haired-brace-faced friend proves to be a difficult proposition. Kimber is stunning, and friendly, and engaging. She dotes on Lyon as if he were her own son, and Landon is considering some very wanton thoughts when she’s in the room. Or, on the phone. Or, anywhere.
In fact, they fairly steam around each other. Kimber cannot believe the wealthy man who usually dates willowy models could be interested in her bootylicious self, but then, she’s NOT going to get serious.
That’s always Kimber’s downfall–taking the relationship to Seriousville when her beaux are more interested in Good Time Town. Instead, she and Landon strike a tantalizing bargain–they each write a list of TEN EROTIC EXPERIENCES and vow that once they check off their Sex Bucket List, they will walk away without a string. Funny thing, strings seem to catch even the most tenacious.
Kimber and Landon are really a cute couple. They have some D-Lish smexytimes unencumbered by the risk of their hearts. They share affection, and lust, but soon they share a whole lot more. Kimber is torn–she wants more with Landon, but doesn’t want him controlling her life. Landon wants into Kimber’s world–in whatever capacity Kimber will have him–but his desire to help sometimes comes off as HOLY FREAKING COW TOO MUCH. Still, I adore main characters who take time to figure things out, as Landon and Kimber do.
Oh, and it looks like Landon’s revised list–featuring Number 11–is just the start of their very naughty future.
Interested? You can find THE MILLIONAIRE AFFAIR on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Jessica Lemmon writes sexy contemporary romances with a squeeze of humor for Grand Central (Tempting the Billionaire, Hard to Handle) and Entangled (If You Dare).
She is an artist, dreamer, former meateater, fun-loving, fast-talking wife, and a den mother to two dogs. She loves to hear from her fans.
You can also find her on her website, Facebook, twitter, and Pinterest.
June 24, 2014 Veronica Rundell Contemporary Romance, Jessica Lemmon, The Millionaire Affair Leave a comment
She Finds Her HEART SHAPED ROCK–Review and Giveaway
Hi there and welcome to my stop on the HEART SHAPED ROCK blog tour sponsored by YA Bound Blog Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. This YA Romance is the debut novel from Laura Roppe–and it’s a heartbreaker.
“If you liked the music collaboration of Maybe Someday, you’ve got to check out Heart Shaped Rock.” — New York Times best-selling author of Maybe Someday, Colleen Hoover
“Laura Roppé has written a moving and emotional novel of first love, accurately capturing the voice and mind of a dramatic and emotional sixteen year old girl caught in a maelstrom of grief and loss, love and heartbreak. And then there’s Dean…you’ll just have to read the book, ‘cause I can’t do him justice in a few short sentences.” –Jasinda Wilder, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of Falling into You
Sometimes a shattered heart needs to sing to love again . . . Sixteen year old singer-songwriter Shaynee Sullivan hasn’t so much as touched her guitar since her mom died six months ago. In fact, Shaynee hasn’t felt like doing much of anything lately, except maybe playing Whack-a-Mole on her “emotionally intelligent” brother’s head. But when she meets a gorgeous and surprising rocker named Dean, her shattered heart begins to mend . . . and then burst at the seams. Heart-wrenching, heart-warming, and sometimes even heart-racing, Heart Shaped Rock will leave you laughing through tears and rooting for love in all its forms.
My heart absolutely broke for Shaynee! Six months ago her mom died of cancer. Her mother was one of those magical people–the kind who can coax a smile out of a sulky teen. She was a vibrant woman–a singer and songwriter. In death she is mourned steadfastly. Shaynee’s father grieves terribly–working too much and enlisting Shaynee to care for herself and her younger brother, Lennox. Lennox is 11, and vastly better at coping with his mother’s death. He delights in listening to her recordings and openly discusses their mother–as if she’s keeping watch over the family.
Shaynee, on the other hand, can’t bear to even speak of her mother. She’s so angry–she lashes out at Lennox, her dad and even her BFF Tiffany. Nor can she pick up her guitar. Shaynee’s always been into music. Has written countless songs and performed since she was little, but the music died with her mom, and so did Shaynee’s social life. Tiffany has tried to be there, but Shaynee won’t let her in. So, Tiff tricks Shaynee into getting a job at the coffeehouse where she works.
The freedom of finding new social connections–people who know nothing about about her personal tragedy–liberates Shaynee’s spirit for the first time in months. Meeting first surfer Jared, and then singer Dean, sparks the long-dead beat of Shaynee’s heart. She falls for Dean hard–but Dean has secrets that shatter the tenuous peace Shaynee had established. Jared alternates between confidante and c*ckblock. He’s every bit as smitten with Shaynee as Dean is–and thinks his affection is returned. Well, not so much, but Shaynee is quick to tell Jared she’s mean. So, when she acts mean, he’s been properly warned.
Truthfully, Shaynee knows that Dean is her better match. He’s a singer and plays three instruments. Oh, and he’s kind and understanding. If only he’d been honest from the start. Then again, Shaynee hasn’t been honest much, either. In fact, her denial is crippling her. It’s a long road to acceptance–but it’s great to see Shaynee walk it under her own power.
Shaynee could clearly play the grieving child card to win Dean’s forgiveness–but she wises up, and ‘fesses up, too. I was grateful. In lots of parts of the book, Shaynee’s struggles are so suffocating, she falls into panic attacks. By the end this girl walks tall and strums a bold tune. Lennox (and her mom) would have been proud to see it. I liked it. You might too.
Interested? You can find HEART SHAPED ROCK on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. Hear the original music performed in Heart Shaped Rock at http://www.LauraRoppe.com. All music available on iTunes.
Laura Roppé is an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, audio book narrator, speaker, and former attorney from San Diego, California. In 2011, Billboard Magazine ranked her as Number Three on its chart of the Top 50 “uncharted” artists in the world. In May 2013, Laura began hosting Amazon’s weekly podcast, “Kindle Love Stories,” for people who love hearing about love stories, romance, and happily ever afters.
Her first book is the non-fiction memoir, Rocking the Pink. Her latest is a YA-teen romance novel entitled Heart Shaped Rock, featuring a soundtrack.
You can find Laura on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
1 $50 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (INT)
June 23, 2014 Veronica Rundell HEART SHAPED ROCK, Laura Roppe, YA Romance Leave a comment
Time to get SYNCHRONIC–A Review
Hi there! Not sure how clear I have been about my love for time travel romance–I discovered Diana Gabaldon, wow, must be seven years ago–yes it’s not that long considering she’d been published for more than twenty–and her Outlander series pretty much changed my life, at the time. I’d been depressed and isolated in a community far from my family due to work. My childhood love of fiction was supplanted by work and mothering constraints. In those days, reading fiction had become only what I did with my kids. I truly hadn’t read an adult novel in years.
Then Outlander smashed me over the head and I could breathe in a way I hadn’t since, probably, motherhood. I devoured the series, among other time-travel based stories and came alive within my own skin. So, I continue to explore the genre of time travel fiction–even if romance isn’t always part of the story.
Today’s book has a bit of everything, because it’s a time travel anthology. Thirteen (short) stories written by amazing authors in their own right–all working time travel into their stories. Some are longer–nearing novella length–others not quite so long.
Some are written in colloquial speech, others are futuristic. The variety is refreshing, and the science-y aspect varies as well.
This is what I love about anthologies: a quick read. If I don’t like one story I can get through it quick, or breeze over it for another. I haven’t had the need to breeze while reading this one, however.
I’m going to give some highlights of the first few stories, just to give you a “taste” of what you will find if you dive in. Rest assured that the book is excellently crafted throughout. The stories stand on their own, and are perfect for a “snack” or lunchtime read. Not sure how all of you fare in the summer, but my kids are sometimes even more active–what with camps and sleepovers and extra activities, so I have to squeeze in my reads around that kooky schedule. Reading short works gets me my fiction fix.
I’m not a huge sci-fi reader, but I love a well-told story. In this short-story collection I found a huge spread from heavy sci-fi to quirky romance.
Bunker’s THE SANTA ANNA GOLD just sucked me in. The funniest thing is, I usually hate tales when I can’t trust the narrator, and yet, I was completely entranced.
Quinn’s CORRECTIONS, featuring a time-traveling therapist for death row convicts, had great twists. I almost felt like I was watching an episode of Quantum Leap.
Peralta’s HEREAFTER honestly brought tears to my eyes. Such a tender, heartbreakingly romantic story of a love that transcends time.
Tozzi’s REENTRY WINDOW was a chilling sci-fi adventure of Mars exploration. Ugh! I just wanted to scream, wishing I could change astronaut Brett Lockwood’s fate.
Cole’s SWIMMING POOL OF THE UNIVERSE dealt with PTSD in a future world where life goes on. I think we all got a bit of Sgt. Collins in us.
I could go on, but I’m going to go back to reading instead. Catch you on the flip-side….
Interested? You can find SYNCHRONIC on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
June 20, 2014 Veronica Rundell SYNCHRONIC, time travel Leave a comment
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Apologies and Explanation for Cancellations of Ryanair Flights; Schedule Released
“If you have booked a flight with Ryanair within the next six weeks, you may be affected by an initiative by the airline to improve punctuality by canceling up to 50 flights every day during that time while simultaneously informing passengers on very short notice.”
That was the warning posted in this article which I wrote on Saturday, September 16, 2017 — and two days later, this official press release became available in which not only did the cancellations of specific flights appeared; but also this apology from Michael O’Leary, as the chief executive officer of Ryanair was quoted as saying:
“While over 98% of our customers will not be affected by these cancellations over the next 6 weeks, we apologise unreservedly to those customers whose travel will be disrupted, and assure them that we have done our utmost to try to ensure that we can re-accommodate most of them on alternative flights on the same or next day.
Ryanair is not short of pilots – we were able to fully crew our peak summer schedule in June, July and August – but we have messed up the allocation of annual leave to pilots in Sept and Oct because we are trying to allocate a full year’s leave into a 9 month period from April to December. This issue will not recur in 2018 as Ryanair goes back onto a 12 month calendar leave year from 1st Jan to 31st December 2018.
This is a mess of our own making. I apologise sincerely to all our customers for any worry or concern this has caused them over the past weekend. We have only taken this decision to cancel this small proportion of our 2,500 daily flights so that we can provide extra standby cover and protect the punctuality of the 98% of flights that will be unaffected by these cancellations.”
Official Schedule of Canceled Flights
The airports — which were selected because of the high frequency of flights operated by Ryanair to or from these airports where customers can be offered the most accommodating options — where “one line of flying will be removed” for the next six weeks are as follows:
Barcelona 1 of 12 lines of flights
Brussels Charleroi 1 of 13 lines of flights
Dublin 1 of 23 lines of flights
Lisbon 1 of 4 lines of flights
London Stansted 2 of 41 lines of flights
Madrid 1 of 13 lines of flight
Milan Bergamo 1 of 14 lines of flights
Porto 1 of 8 lines of flights
Rome Fiumicino 1 of 3 lines of flights
If you cannot — or do not wish to — take the alternative flights offered, you will receive a full refund and your EU261 compensation.
Your flight is operating as usual — unless you receive an e-mail message indicating the contrary.
The list of cancelled flights — which are all in 2017 and are available to be downloaded in Portable Document Format — are as follows:
Thursday, September 21 — Sunday, September 24
Monday, September 25, October 2, October 9, October 16, October 23
Tuesday, September 26, October 3, October 10, October 17, October 24
Wednesday, September 27, October 4, October 11, October 18, October 25
Thursday, September 28, October 5, October 12, October 19, October 26
Friday, September 29, October 6, October 13, October 20, October 27
Saturday, September 30, October 7, October 14, October 21, October 28
Sunday, October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22
What Are Your Options If You Are Affected By the Cancellations?
If your flight is cancelled, you have two options from which to choose:
1. Click Here to Apply for Refund
If you wish to cancel your reservation and claim a full refund of the unused flight or flights, click on the above link and enter your booking details. Refunds will be processed within seven working days back to the form of payment used for the original booking.
2. Click Here To Change Your Cancelled Flight Free of Charge
The easiest way to change your cancelled flight for free — subject to seat availability — is by retrieving your booked flight reservation at the official Internet web site of Ryanair. If you require rerouting options; departing or arriving from another airport served by Ryanair; or changing an unaffected return flight, please contact one of the advisors of Ryanair using its free online chat — or by calling one of its customer service contacts numbers.
Flight cancellations may cause distress; and Ryanair will accommodate your option of choice wherever possible while complying with European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004:
You are entitled to assistance and compensation if the disruption was within control of the airline
Airlines are required to offer full refunds — paid within seven days — or rebooking of a flight for a flight cancelled on short notice
You can also claim compensation
Cancellation amounts are:
250 euros for flights of 1,500 kilometers or fewer
440 euros for flights in respect of all flights within the European Union of greater than 1,500 kilometers; and for all other flights between 1,500 kilometers and 3,500 kilometers — with certain exceptions and conditions
600 euros for long-haul flights — which typically is inconsistent with Ryanair
Passengers who reach their destination greater than three hours late can be compensated from 200 to 600 euros — depending on the length of flights and delay
I have flown as a passenger on two flights operated by Ryanair — one flight from Budapest to Dublin; and one flight from Dublin to Madrid — during the first year of the “Always Getting Better” initiative in which Ryanair continues to improve the customer experience, through service, digital and inflight developments; and while it will never be confused with luxury, I must say that my experience was generally fine.
That Ryanair sincerely regrets and apologises for these cancellations is refreshing for an airline known to not exactly be the friendliest to its customers — but an official announcement of the cancellations should have been released as soon as possible prior to the first customer needlessly experiencing unnecessary inconvenience.
Did management at Ryanair believe that they had no other choice and were ultimately forced to publicly release an official announcement?
Despite the explanation and apology, management at Ryanair felt compelled to stress that the flight cancellations will affect fewer than two percent of all customers over the next six weeks — that is still up to as many as 50 flights per day — and the majority of these passengers will be offered alternative flights on the same or next day…
…but of course, that may likely be no consolation to you if you are one of the two percent of passengers affected by the flight cancellations…
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Obese Airline Passengers: The Debate Continues in 2019
A passenger reportedly charged a fellow passenger $150.00 for taking up a third of his seat space aboard an airplane due to his being obese — despite attempts by the large passenger to squeeze himself into his own seat as much as possible.
Whether that incident actually occurred or not is not the point. Rather, the debate over obese passengers aboard airplanes is as controversial as ever.
“Most people don’t know it but you can actually buy yourself two seats in coach if you wish”, according to this article written by Gary Leff of View From The Wing in response to this discussion which was posted on Reddit — and has since been closed. “Southwest Airlines actually has the most favorable policy because passengers of size are supposed to, but as long as there are empty seats left on the flight the second seat cost will be refunded to them. They don’t define passengers of size so this is a trick anyone in theory could use.”
Reddit user BigBawluh posted in the aforementioned discussion, “I told the guy, ‘Look, I’ll put up with this if you give me $150 — that’s half the cost of this flight and that would compensate me enough for the circumstances.’”
The obese passenger “instantly agrees, pulls out cash and pays me. He even told me he appreciated it.”
Was this a good deal for all parties concerned — or did BigBawluh take advantage of the situation as well as the obese passenger?
Air Travel From the Point of View of an Obese Person
“Everyone is uncomfortable in airplanes. They’re designed to fit as many people as possible , which doesn’t lead to comfortable seats for anyone. Flying is costly, uncomfortable, stressful. Bags get heavy; flights get canceled; relationships get strained. No one is having a good time. And at the peak of all that stress — boarding the plane — the person my fellow passengers see is me. Rather than being a compatriot, stuck in the same frustrating, uncomfortable situation, I become a scapegoat for all that frustration. I become an effigy of every slight they’ll face, a symbol of every inconsiderate passenger, every unwelcome reclined seat, every oversold flight.”
That statement is from an unidentified person known only as Your Fat Friend who wrote this impassioned article pertaining to air travel from the point of view of an obese person for Vox back on Thursday, March 10, 2016.
Obesity: A Controversy For Years
As seats seen to continue to shrink aboard commercial airplanes in the attempt to squeeze more passengers — and, thus, more revenue — out of every flight, the controversy of obese passengers invading the space of fellow seat mates only becomes more prevalent…
…and, of course, confrontations and lawsuits follow.
“Flyer Stephen Prosser is suing British Airways for being seated next to an obese passenger on a flight more than two years ago, claiming it left him injured”, according to this article written by Sara M Moniuszko for USA TODAY. The lawsuit was filed by Prosser — who is 51 years old — in November of 2018.
Then there was this discussion as posted by FlyerTalk member joshuamillman on Saturday, August 30, 2014, which has since been closed to further discussion:
Sorry if I seem irate but I just spent the last 1.25hrs literally CRUSHED on a USAir flight. It was one of those small regional death trap lear jet planes with 2 rows on each side of the aisle. If you are only 5′ tall you still need to duck to walk through.
I have the aisle seat and a man 6’3″ and Id estimate at least 300lbs is next to me in the window. How he even got in the seat without smearing soap all over himself is beyond me. I dont even think the seat belt got around his stomach. He took up his seat and 60% of my seat and was also crushed up against the seat in front of him. I would even go so far as to say that size person should be prohibited on that size airplane. I actually spent the majority of the flight sitting on the toilet as it was more comfortable!
Im in line now at customer service to see if I can get a refund of sorts. Im sick of these hippos on these airplanes. They know how big they are and should be required to buy 2 seats.
Although I do not condone the use of the word hippos to describe obese airline passengers, that last line caused me to wonder: you would most likely not allow me as your seat mate to use half of the space in your seat to place my belongings. Why would you tolerate having me take up half the space of the seat for which you paid simply because I was obese?
Looking at this from the other perspective, would you willingly pay full fare knowing you would have the use of only half of your seat? Would you do it if the airfare was only half of what you would typically pay?
With airlines attempting to cram more passengers onto airplanes in order to literally squeeze more revenue from each flight, there is no relief to this issue anytime soon — for either obese people or tall people…
…but tall people usually cannot infringe upon the space of another passenger — unless they recline, of course; and as you most likely by now know from the news last week, seat recline aboard an airplane is also a controversial issue.
An article written by me pertaining to the debate over airline passengers who are obese was originally written on Friday, March 22, 2013; and it continues to be a contentious topic. I am not obese; but what exactly are the rights which obese people have? Should they receive special dispensation simply because they are unable to fit in the seats in which they are assigned? Should they purchase a seat in the premium class cabin or two seats in the economy class cabin? Like others, obese people should not have to deal with discrimination — right?
The Experience of Vilma Soltesz
It is not as easy as that, unfortunately. Vilma Soltesz — who was 56 years old, weighed 425 pounds, had only one leg and used a wheelchair — died in October of 2012 from kidney failure after allegedly being denied boarding an aircraft at the airports in Budapest, Prague and Frankfurt while attempting to return to her home in New York, according to her husband Janos.
Holly Ostrov Ronai — who is an attorney and co-founder of the law firm of Ronai & Ronai, LLP, which was hired by Janos Soltesz seeking 5.7 million dollars in damages from three airlines — stated that what is “quite telling is that Mr. Soltesz had a tiny little Suzuki car and was forced to drive his wife from the Budapest airport to the airport in Prague. He got Vilma into his tiny little car all by himself, yet the airlines couldn’t manage to get Vilma into a huge aircraft.”
The case was reportedly filed on Monday, June 2, 2014 with Richard J. Sullivan assigned as the presiding judge of this case at New York Southern District Court in the Bronx. Even though court documents show that Janos Soltesz — who is the husband of Vilma Soltesz — quietly settled a lawsuit with Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Lufthansa back in August of 2014, did the three airlines all discriminate against Vilma Soltesz simply because she was considered too obese? Did her estate have a case in the first place?
Although I have written several articles over the years at The Gate pertaining to overweight passengers, back on Sunday, March 24, 2013, I first reported in this article on Bharat P. Bhatta of Fjordane University College in Norway suggesting three possible methods of airlines implementing a policy of charging:
A straightforward price per kilogram or pound
A fixed low fare with heavier passengers paying a surcharge and lighter passengers being offered a discount
Divided passengers into three groups — heavy, normal and light — and have them be charged accordingly
At Least One Airline Which Charged Passengers By Their Weight
Curiously, 2013 was reportedly the same year that Samoa Air started charging its passengers based on how much they weigh and became the first airline to do so:
A world first: The “Samoa Air System” of pay by weight ‘Pay only for what you weigh’!
Welcome to the fairest system for payment of carriage of anything by air. The world is now aware that charging by weight is the fairest way of paying for carriage. Whether its people, baggage, freight or anything which we might want tot take or consign by air.
At Samoa Air we will do our best to ensure that every passenger is afforded the same level of comfort and travel throughout their flying experience. We want to bring back Air Travel as an enjoyable experience, where you, and your baggage will always travel together. No more excess fee’s are charged and no more discrimination, because as we know: A kilo is a kilo is a kilo!
The Sky’s the Limit!
Samoa Air — not to be confused with Samoa Airways — no longer exists, as it ceased operations in 2015.
This initially may sound like a good idea in terms of pure logic — you weigh more, you pay more — but could this lead to discriminatory practices by employees of airlines? What if the passenger has a medical condition which prevents him or her from being able to lose weight or girth through typical means, such as a diet or exercise? Perhaps certain passengers with known physical ailments might be targeting next by the airlines to avoid having to deal with a medical emergency aboard the aircraft during a flight — or consider excluding passengers with mental issues, passengers of a certain age, or passengers with certain acknowledged beliefs and ideals.
Also, does this potential ancillary fee pave the way for possible abuse by the airline? What if fuel prices decrease significantly? Will the airline lower ticket prices as a result? Fat chance — pun intended.
This does not even address the issue of whether or not obese passengers will be able to have two seats in which to sit if they do indeed pay more. While it is certainly better than attempting to squeeze 500 pounds of human into a single seat, I cannot imagine that straddling two seats with a raised armrest pressing against your back would be all that comfortable. Should the airline not only provide two seats if the overweight passenger pays for them, but also some sort of removable or adjustable alteration to help increase the comfort of sitting in two seats simultaneously?
Despite its potential drawbacks, I suppose this proposal still beats the alternative of being denied boarding an aircraft altogether primarily because of weight or girth.
It can also possibly fend off lawsuits: for example, Shawn Coomer of Miles to Memories reported in this article that James Bassos — a passenger from Australia who sued Etihad Airways because he was reportedly hurt after sitting next to an obese passenger on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney back in 2011 — claimed he had to “contort and twist” to avoid the obese neighbor who he said coughed and “expelled fluid from his mouth.”
Not long after that lawsuit seemingly pervaded throughout the media, Katie Hopkins — a television personality in Great Britain — expressed her opinion that overweight passengers should absolutely be subject to hefty fines during a preview of an episode of her show, If Katie Hopkins Ruled the World.
Speaking of the United Kingdom, the only way I know of passengers currently being charged by the pound is if their purchased their airfare in countries such as the United Kingdom — but I digress once again; so please pardon me.
Although obese passengers could add weight to the aircraft — thereby theoretically increasing fuel costs for the airline — the real issue is the rights of passengers who are forced to suffer being seated next to a passenger whose girth infringes upon the space for which they paid. I know that I like to be as comfortable as possible when I am seated aboard an aircraft — and I want all of the space for which I paid to be available to me at all times.
I really do not believe that is asking for too much.
Perhaps I am “mixing apples with oranges” here; but if the airlines had adopted a revenue model with which frequent flier loyalty program miles and elite level status will be based on money spent by passengers on airline tickets as well as by distance flown, then would this policy of charging passengers by weight instead of a flat airfare — assuming that passengers paid the same price for the same class of airfare, of course — also make sense?
Even more importantly, could charging passengers by their weight be a way to avoid the experience endured by joshuamillman? A representative of US Airways reportedly advised joshuamillman — who was ultimately given a gift certificate worth $100.00 towards future travel as compensation — to say something before the airplane door is closed; but that could mean humiliating the overweight person, which is something joshuamillman is apparently loathe to do.
Could charging passengers by their weight in and of itself be considered discriminatory? One might believe that it could be an incentive for someone to lose weight prior to a scheduled flight — but that automatically assumes that the person is in control of how much he or she weighs. There are people who are obese for medical reasons and not merely because they consume food with too many calories…
…but does charging a fellow passenger for occupying part of a seat which he or she did not pay — if it actually happened — create a dangerous precedent which could obfuscate other aforementioned possible solutions?
What do you believe is a possible mutually beneficial solution to this ongoing debate?
Photograph by FatM1ke, which is used under the Creative Commons 3.0 license and is found here.
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4 thoughts on “Obese Airline Passengers: The Debate Continues in 2019”
Azamaraal says:
There is no medical condition that FORCES people to be obese
Every pound of weight costs a flight a certain price. The lower the takeoff weight the lower the fuel cost.
Ticket prices should be based on total weight (person+checked luggage + carry on).
Water to my house is metered any I pay for what I use. If I refuse to allow a water usage meter I am charged a very high price or am cut off.
It a public utility can charge a fee based on cost (usage) then an airline has the same right as established in law.
Charge by the pound = problem solved.
And I would finally lose those 10 extra kilos
In the time when the seats are getting increasingly narrower, the airline should clearly state who will and who will not fit into those terrible seats and have a clear policy regarding the issue. You simply can’t and should not fit more than 250 lbs of weight into those seats. The way Southwest deals with it is exemplary and customer friendly – but customer friendly is too much to ask from the airline industry these days
IT is on the airlines to deal with this situation.
I think they should implement the same system they have for the carryons; they don’t allow the carryon larger than certain size on the plane. They should reserve the right to do the same with the passenger of a large size.
– for example the notification ” if you are a wider then certain number of inches – you will not fit in the seat and may not be able to travel ” should appear at the time or purchasing of the ticket and there should be an option provided to purchase two tickets. If the obese person buys only one ticket – he would be at risk of denied boarding if there are no empty seats on the plane. If there are empty seats, the fee for an extra seat should be refunded just like Southwest does.
Last I heard Alaska Airlines had the policy that if a person cannot fit between the two armrests then they have to purchase two seats. If the flight flies with even one seat empty then the second seat price is refunded. Seems fair to me. But I’d rather get charged by the pound.
Just do not touch me and I don’t care how fat you are. But do not touch me.
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The Righteous and the Woke – Why Evangelicals and Social Justice Warriors Trigger Me in the Same Way
Posted on January 24, 2019 by Valerie Tarico
I was Born Again until nearly the end of graduate school, a sincere Evangelical who went to church on Sunday and Wednesday with my family and to Thursday Bible study on my own. I dialed for converts during the “I Found It” evangelism campaign, served as a counselor at Camp Good News, and graduated from Wheaton College, Billy Graham’s alma mater. I know what it is to be an earnest believer among believers.
I also know what it is to experience those same dynamics from the outside. Since my fall from grace, I’ve written a book, Trusting Doubt, and several hundred articles exposing harms from Evangelicalism—not just the content of beliefs but also how they spread and shape the psychology of individuals and behavior of communities, doing damage in particular to women, children, and religious minorities.
It occurred to me recently that my time in Evangelicalism and subsequent journey out have a lot to do with why I find myself reactive to the spread of Woke culture among colleagues, political soulmates, and friends. Christianity takes many forms, with Evangelicalism being one of the more single-minded, dogmatic, groupish and enthusiastic among them. The Woke—meaning progressives who have “awoken” to the idea that oppression is the key concept explaining the structure of society, the flow of history, and virtually all of humanity’s woes—share these qualities.
To a former Evangelical, something feels too familiar—or better said, a bunch of somethings feel too familiar.
Righteous and infidels—There are two kinds of people in the world: Saved and damned or Woke and bigots, and anyone who isn’t with you 100% is morally suspect*. Through the lens of dichotomizing ideologies, each of us is seen—first and foremost—not as a complicated individual, but as a member of a group, with moral weight attached to our status as an insider or outsider. (*exceptions made for potential converts)
Insider jargon—Like many other groups, the saved and the Woke signal insider status by using special language. An Evangelical immediately recognizes a fellow tribe-member when he or she hears phrases like Praise the Lord, born again, backsliding, stumbling block, give a testimony, a harvest of souls, or It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship. The Woke signal their wokeness with words like intersectionality, cultural appropriation, trigger warning, microaggression, privilege, fragility, problematic, or decolonization. The language of the Woke may have more meaningful real-world referents than that of Evangelicals, but in both cases, jargon isn’t merely a tool for efficient or precise communication as it is in many professions—it is a sign of belonging and moral virtue.
Born that way—Although theoretically anyone is welcome in either group, the social hierarchies in both Evangelical culture and Woke culture are defined largely by accidents of birth. The Bible lists privileged blood lines—the Chosen People—and teaches that men (more so than women) were made in the image of God. In Woke culture, hierarchy is determined by membership in traditionally oppressed tribes, again based largely on blood lines and chromosomes. Note that this is not about individual experience of oppression or privilege, hardship or ease. Rather, generic average oppression scores get assigned to each tribe and then to each person based on intersecting tribal identities. Thus, a queer female East Indian Harvard grad with a Ph.D. and E.D. position is considered more oppressed than the unemployed third son of a white Appalachian coal miner.
Original sin—In both systems, one consequence of birth is inherited guilt. People are guilty of the sins of their fathers. In the case of Evangelicalism, we all are born sinful, deserving of eternal torture because of Eve’s folly—eating from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. In Woke culture, white and male people are born with blood guilt, a product of how dominant white and male people have treated other people over the ages and in modern times, (which—it must be said—often has been unspeakably horrible). Again, though, individual guilt isn’t about individual behaviors. A person born with original sin or blood guilt can behave badly and make things worse, but they cannot erase the inborn stain. (Note that this contradicts core tenets of liberal, humanist, and traditional progressive thought.)
Orthodoxies—The Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Jesus died for your sins. Hell awaits sinners. Salvation comes through accepting Jesus as your savior. If you are an Evangelical, doctrines like these must not be questioned. Trust and obey for there’s no other way. Anyone who questions core dogmas commits heresy, and anyone who preaches against them should be de-platformed or silenced. The Woke also have tenets of faith that must not be questioned. Most if not all ills flow from racism or sexism. Only males can be sexist; only white people can be racist. Gender is culturally constructed and independent of sex. Immigration is an economic boon for everyone. Elevating the most oppressed person will solve problems all the way up. Did my challenging that list make you think you might be reading an article by a conservative? If so, that’s exactly what I’m trying to illustrate.
Denial as proof—In Evangelicalism, thinking you don’t need to accept Jesus as your savior is proof that you do. Your denial simply reveals the depth of your sin and hardness of heart. In Woke culture, any pushback is perceived as a sign of white fragility or worse, a sign that one is a racist, sexist, homophobe, Islamophobe, xenophobe, or transphobe. You say that you voted for Barack Obama and your kids are biracial so your problem with BLM isn’t racism? LOL, that’s just what a racist would say. In both cultures, the most charitable interpretation that an insider can offer a skeptic is something along these lines, You seem like a decent, kind person. I’m sure that you just don’t understand. Since Evangelical and Woke dogmas don’t allow for honest, ethical disagreement, the only alternative hypothesis is that the skeptic must be an evildoer or bigot.
Black and white thinking—If you are not for us, you’re against us. In the Evangelical worldview we are all caught up in a spiritual war between the forces of God and Satan, which is playing out on the celestial plane. Who is on the Lord’s side? one hymn asks, because anyone else is on the other. Even mainline Christians—and especially Catholics—may be seen by Evangelicals as part of the enemy force. For many of the Woke, the equivalent of mainline Christians are old school social liberals, like women who wear pink pussy hats. Working toward colorblindness, for example, is not just considered a suboptimal way of addressing racism (which is a position that people can make arguments for). Rather, it is itself a symptom of racism. And there’s no such thing as a moderate conservative. Both Evangelicals and the Woke argue that tolerance is bad. One shouldn’t tolerate evil or fascism, they say, and most people would agree. The problem is that so many outsiders are considered either evil sinners or racist fascists. In this view, pragmatism and compromise are signs of moral taint.
Shaming and shunning—The Woke don’t tar, feather and banish sinners. Neither—mercifully—do Christian puritans anymore. But public shaming and trial by ordeal are used by both clans to keep people in line. Some Christian leaders pressure members into ritual public confession. After all, as theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Nothing can be more cruel than the leniency which abandons others to their sin.” Shaming and shunning have ancient roots as tools of social control, and they elevate the status of the person or group doing the shaming. Maoist struggle sessions (forced public confessions) and Soviet self-criticism are examples of extreme shaming in social-critical movements seeking to upend traditional power structures. So, it should be no surprise that some of the Woke show little hesitation when call-out opportunities present themselves—nor that some remain unrelentingly righteous even when those call-outs leave a life or a family in ruins.
Selective science denial—Disinterest in inconvenient truths—or worse, denial of inconvenient truths, is generally a sign that ideology is at play. Most of us on the left can rattle off a list of truths that Evangelicals find inconvenient. The Bible is full of contradictions. Teens are going to keep having sex. Species evolve. The Earth is four and a half billion years old. Climate change is caused by humans (which suggests that God doesn’t have his hand on the wheel). Prayer works, at best, at the margins of statistical significance. But evidence and facts can be just as inconvenient for the Woke. Gender dimorphism affects how we think, not just how we look. Personal responsibility has real world benefits, even for people who have the odds stacked against them. Lived experience is simply anecdotal evidence. Skin color is often a poor proxy for privilege. Organic foods won’t feed 11 billion.
Evangelism—As infectious ideologies, Evangelicalism and Woke culture rely on both paid evangelists and enthusiastic converts to spread the word. Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) and related organizations spend tens of millions annually seeking converts on college campuses. But many outreach activities are led by earnest student believers. Critical Oppression Theory on campus has its epicenter in gender and race studies but has become a mainstay in schools of public health and law as well as the liberal arts. Once this becomes the dominant lens for human interactions, students police themselves—and each other. Nobody wants to be the ignoramus who deadnames a transgender peer or microaggresses against a foreign student by asking about their culture.
Hypocrisy—Christianity bills itself as a religion centered in humility, but countervailing dogmas promote the opposite. It is hard to imagine a set of beliefs more arrogant than the following: The universe was designed for humans. We uniquely are made in the image of God. All other creatures are ours to consume. Among thousands of religions, I happened to be born into the one that’s correct. The creator of the universe wants a personal relationship with me. Where Evangelicalism traffics in hubris cloaked as humility, Woke culture traffics in discrimination cloaked as inclusion. The far left demands that hiring practices, organizational hierarchies, social affinity groups, political strategizing, and funding flow give primacy to race and gender. Some of the Woke measure people by these checkboxes to a degree matched in the West only by groups like MRAs (Men’s Rights Activists) and white supremacists. The intent is to rectify old wrongs and current inequities–to literally solve discrimination with discrimination. One result is disinterest in suffering that doesn’t derive from traditional structural oppression of one tribe by another.
Gloating about the fate of the wicked—One of humanity’s uglier traits is that we like it when our enemies suffer. Some of the great Christian leaders and great justice warriors of history have inspired people to rise higher (think Desmond Tutu, Eli Wiesel, Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela). But neither Evangelicalism nor Woke culture consistently inspires members to transcend tribal vindictiveness because neither, at heart, calls members into our shared humanity. Some Christian leaders have actually proclaimed that the suffering of the damned in hell heightens the joy of the saved in heaven. Some of the Woke curse those they see as fascists to burn in the very same Christian hell, metaphorically if not literally. They dream of restorative justice for criminal offenses but lifelong, ruinous retribution for political sinners: Those hateful Trump voters deserve whatever destitution or illness may come their way. Unemployed young men in rural middle America are turning to Heroin? Too bad. Nobody did anything about the crack epidemic. Oil town’s on fire? Burn baby burn.
I know how compelling those frustrated, vengeful thoughts can be, because I’ve had them. But I think that progressives can do better.
Ideology has an awe-inspiring power to forge identity and community, direct energy, channel rage and determination, love and hate. It has been one of the most transformative forces in human history. But too often ideology in the hands of a social movement simply rebrands and redirects old self-centering impulses while justifying the sense that this particular fight is uniquely holy.
Even so, social movements and religions—including those that are misguided—usually emerge from an impulse that is deeply good, the desire to foster wellbeing in world that is more kind and just, one that brings us closer to humanity’s multi-millennial dream of broad enduring peace and bounty. This, too, is something that the Righteous and the Woke have in common. Both genuinely aspire to societal justice—small s, small j—meaning not the brand but the real deal. Given that they often see themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum, perhaps that is grounds for a little hope.
Note: In this article I didn’t address why, despite these discouraging social and ideological dynamics, I continue to lean left. In the frustration raised by excesses of Woke culture it is easy to lose sight of more substantive issues. Here is some of my list: The best evidence available tells us climate change is human-caused and urgent. Market failures are real. Trickle-down economics has produced greater inequality, which has been growing for decades. Inequality is a factor in social instability. Social democracy (the combination of capitalist enterprise with a strong social safety net) appears to have produced greater average wellbeing than other economic systems. Investments in diplomacy reduce war. Reproductive empowerment is fundamental to individual political and economic participation. The Religious Right more so than classical liberals control social policy on the Right. Government, when functioning properly, is the way we do things that we can’t very well do alone.
I would like to thank Dan Fincke for his input on this article, and Marian Wiggins for her generous editorial time.
Valerie Tarico is a psychologist and writer in Seattle, Washington. She is the author ofTrusting Doubt: A Former Evangelical Looks at Old Beliefs in a New Light and Deas and Other Imaginings, and the founder of www.WisdomCommons.org. Her articles about religion, reproductive health, and the role of women in society have been featured at sites including The Huffington Post, Salon, The Independent, Free Inquiry, The Humanist, AlterNet, Raw Story, Grist, Jezebel, and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Subscribe at ValerieTarico.com.
About Valerie Tarico
Seattle psychologist and writer. Author - Trusting Doubt and Deas and Other Imaginings. Founder - www.WisdomCommons.org.
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164 Responses to The Righteous and the Woke – Why Evangelicals and Social Justice Warriors Trigger Me in the Same Way
Joe Reedholm says:
Thanks again for provocative musings. As I read this, I heard the condemnations of those capitalists who have wrecked the world and are beyond redemption. Tribalism benefits only those who game the tribe.
Gunther says:
Many of these capitalists firmly believe that there is no God which is why they fear no punishment when they die or if they believe in God, they figure that they will repent when they see God and figure that God will forgive them for their terrible sins.
Gunther, I suspect few people – if any – wake up in the morning thinking “There is no god, so I can do what I want because I won’t be punished”. I also think there are very few theists who get up in the morning thinking “oh.. I’ll do what I want because god will forgive me anyway”. I just don’t think people really operate like that. IMO, most – whether they believe in a god or not – only really think about themselves in the short-term. They just aren’t overly concerned about the long-term and damaging impact they have on others or their environment.
Anita McEntyre says:
Well said, Valerie, as always. I, too, was raised Evangelical and recognize the code words exchanged among them. I also have worked among the Woke, and your article spells out why it’s been so uncomfortable. It still comes down to the time-consuming, energy-depleting determination to understand individuals based on their own complicated thoughts and decisions. Thank you for taking the time to point this out.
Valerie Tarico says:
Thank you, Anita. It is time consuming and energy depleting, as you say, and it’s a challenge not to fall into the same oversimplifications and ready dismissals of other people that critiqued.
Tara Nour says:
If I may? I disagreed with many of your points, not because of the sentiment expressed but because of the logic you used to express yourself– a lot of nuance was missed. Half-baked rhetoric is conveniently used to tar the Woke. True, there are no social movements free from their extremes. Nevertheless, the topics you bring up as dogmas are academic in nature. Sociology, politics, and science. None are free of subjectivity, but none are as black-and-white as you’ve boiled them down to being via single-sentence assertions. I am a biochemist by training and can aver that sexual dimorphism in species across the board is not a matter of male-vs-female. Least of all is it so in the human species; our brains are astonishing things and from the uterine environment to the delicate chemistry of enzyme kinetics and environmental pollutants, to attempt separating human thought ability into man and woman is deeply flawed. It weakens your argument to write false facts. You write that I a reader must, at a point, assume you are conservative. I did not. I thought you were a white liberal woman caught in her limited worldview, but of course, the issue is framed in your rhetoric as liberal-vs-conservative.
In the same blow, I can also attest to the growing popularity of queer culture among young people, white people in particular, who have an easy venue for opting into “struggle” by self-branding as a sexual minority. I do not believe that all the young women who are self-branded bisexuals or pansexuals today are actually queer. Am I able to say this without facing significant backlash? Of course not. But I also really don’t care about people who want to hoard labels to feel special and oppressed. On that note– “oppression” is a word that makes me stop reading. A serious author is a complex critic. The discussion of social mores and trends is not a race to the bottom, and your Appalachian coal miner’s son is a person who has been provided venues to success by the movement you are denigrating.
The impact that voices of the historically dispossessed have had on how society looks at itself today is complicated, and sometimes flawed because the layperson is not a qualified sociologist or scientist. Perhaps this individual has been reading and forming opinions. Alternately, this individual might have found something which accurately describes the nagging feeling they have when they’ve been in certain society and company, or looked and spoke a certain way. I would also suggest that you have limited personal experience with the topic you’re writing about. This absence of experience strengthens your nagging suspicion that what we have here is much ado about nothing.
Janet Waite says:
Dear Valerie, How I wish you belonged to the minority of Americans who know the difference between “uninterest” and “disinterest.” Believe me, there is an important difference which you can discover by consulting a dictionary
efic says:
That is such a passive aggressive thing to say to a stranger.
JDavid says:
Weird. I consulted a dictionary, and one of the definitions of “disinterested” was:
2. having or feeling no interest in something.
“her father was so disinterested in her progress that he only visited the school once”
synonyms: uninterested . . .
I then confirmed that definition by consulting multiple others dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary. It seems Valerie Tarico is among the people who correctly use “uninterest” and “disinterest” (or, more appropriately “uninterested” and “disinterested”), so you can sleep safely with the knowledge that your wish has been granted and, in fact, was never even necessary.
Munroe Scott says:
Both JDavid and Janet have intrigued me about “uninterested” and “disinterested”. Surely uninterested simply means never having been interested and disinterested means once interested but no longer — such as disenchanted means once enchanted but no longer. The language can be so precise when we wish it to be. Fun, ins’t it?
Bob Seidensticker says:
*That’s* your concern? Uh, OK.
I’m probably misunderstanding something, but I’m a bit surprised and confused by your use in the subtitle of the term “social justice warrior” as a pejorative. The term was always, until very recently, a neutral or positive term, but it is now commonly used in a very negative way to denigrate and dismiss anyone who brings up social justice and human rights issues. I’ve had it frequently used as an insinuating slur against me in that way when debating various issues. I don’t understand how fighting and working for various human rights, as I have done for years, is considered a negative thing.
Fighting for human rights as you have done for years is definitely NOT a negative thing. My guess is that you get backlash in part because things have become so polarized, and what should be universal human concerns get carved up into pro and con by different tribes. Also, though, the SJW term gets used pejoratively by some on the Right against even reasonable people on the left–in part because of the excesses of Woke culture–and in part because Right Wing media play up those excesses and talk as if that were the whole of the left. To my mind, it’s a way of not having to confront complexity and nuance.
luvyoto says:
mens rights are a human rights concern, as are womens rights.
Will Shetterly says:
You are mistaken about the history of the term. It was rarely used. The “warrior” part of the name is to contrast the angry and self-righteous people who cite social justice with the long history of social justice workers who treated everyone with love and respect.
LH says:
I remember this analogy (though unfortunately not where it was from) that said a social justice advocate might call for a ramp to be built to support those who can’t climb the stairs; a social justice warrior might demand that the ramp be built and that nobody be allowed to use the stairs.
“From the early 1990s to the early 2000s, social-justice warrior was used as a neutral or complimentary phrase. … the term switched from primarily positive to overwhelmingly negative around 2011, when it was first used as an insult on Twitter. The same year, an Urban Dictionary entry for the term also appeared. The term’s negative use became mainstream due to the 2014 Gamergate controversy, emerging as the favoured term of Gamergate proponents to describe their ideological opponents.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice_warrior
My point, which is not disputed, is that the term was rare before the internet began using it for the angry people who cite social justice as they dox and blacklist and censor and try to destroy people’s lives. The use of “warrior” should make that clear, though I wish whoever coined SJW had used “crusader” instead. SJWs are people who do horrible things and claim they’re serving social justice when they’re only unleashing their anger.
You are right. Crusader would have captured the intent and the analogy more clearly.
goobiegoober says:
The picture your give of social justice warriors seems to me like a caricature. Maybe a few Seattle acquaintances are like that, but not anyone among the progressive I work with. Neither I nor my progressive political friends use these terms you mention: “intersectionality, cultural appropriation, trigger warning, microaggression, privilege, fragility, problematic, or decolonization”. Similarly, I know nobody who would disagree with these ideas: “Gender dimorphism affects how we think, not just how we look. Personal responsibility has real world benefits, even for people who have the odds stacked against them.”
Lucky!!!! No seriously, it’s good to be reminded that this may be the bay I swim in but not necessarily the sea. And it’s more concentrated online, I think, than in real life. But all of those words kick around in my Seattle activist circles–and more.
Sandra Craft says:
I wish it seemed like a caricature to me, but in So. Cal. I run into such “caricatures” all the time.
Candy Mercer says:
I am in Olympia which has even a denser issue and these people exist, and surround me. I was one of them, until many factors woke me up. I feel like I have left a cult. This article is spot on, I did all of those things and did not realize how ugly and soul destroying they were. I am so glad to have taken the pill, but man, what once was a comforting bubble no longer is, it is ugly and to be fought against. It is a perversion of true activism.
jamesbradfordpate says:
Reblogged this on James' Ramblings.
bewilderbeast says:
You woke me to being careful about being too woke! As always, a well thought out angle on things that should be said. Thank you. Lessons: ALL extremists are extreme; Always THINK about what you’re doing.
allanmerry@allanmerry.net says:
Bravo, Valerie. Very Good Reminder not to be dogmatic, and to avoid these other ineffective postures. But Good Golly! Have I ever been so out of the Loop!! I’ve seen stuff about something called Woke; but had no idea about those Orthodoxies. (I’ve been playing around with a WordPress Blog of my own for a couple of years- intently at first but long intervals of neglect since- revising the initial pieces trying to decide if it makes enough sense to “Release.” Not yet. But thus far, intending to promote Goals that I know we share.) Another thing I must attend to: Be sure I’m paying attention to your new Posts.
Thank you, Allan. I hope life is treating you well!
thesseli says:
Reblogged this on Thesseli.
Swarn Gill says:
Your points are excellent here and I agree with what you’ve said, but like others I do think that being a warrior for social justice should not be seen as a pejorative term. Certainly the left has people ever bit as dogmatic and void of nuance as the right and absolutely such people worry me also, but I think we do have to be careful how we frame the discussion because the range of people fighting for social justice is far more broad than the way you’ve categorized them here.
No question about that. Unfortunately the term Social Justice Warrior (or more often simply SJW) has come to describe the excesses in this article. Also unfortunately, many on the Right love to sneer at anyone who is genuinely working for social justice, even if they are reasoned, nuanced, and evidence based, and so they use the SJW label as a broad insult. Some on the far left have now decided to embrace it.
u just sneered away mens rights. you dehumanized half of humanity. was this out of fear or to signal to your group that you arent one of those evil ppl who thinks men should have equal rights.
Oh, nonsense. Get a grip. I nowhere sneered away mens rights, and in fact I defend them both in person and in my writings. I have found, however, that self-identified MRAs are not infrequently misogynist and unable to acknowledge the injustices of human history–just as SJWs are frequently unable to acknowledge their counternarrative racism and misandry.
i wouldn’t call everyone who supports social justice an SJW as a pejorative. i think the pejorative comes from the “warrior” part of the term, which is used sarcastically; the SJW’s are the ones who are often hypocritical, and the version of social justice they advocate for is the kind that can actually be a form of INJUSTICE to others.
The callout culture, the incessant search for any transgressions (against dogma, political purity, pronouns, etc.), and the holier than thou shaming from some of these people really turn me off. Most of us are just trying to be good people, but we will never be “woke enough” for some of them.
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hostirad says:
Of all of your insightful posts, Valerie, this one is one of your best. One line that really struck home was how social movements and religions “usually emerge from an impulse that is deeply good.” So true. I consider myself an environmentalist, yet I’ve seen how environmentalism can become as dogmatic and non-rational as evangelism. Keep up your great writing, Valerie–the effort is worth it!
Valerie, as usual I found your article very thought provoking and I thank you for it. I was intrigued, however, to learn that the past perfect tense for “to be awakened” has become a name for an entire category of people. “The Woke.” Delightfully mysterious. Being a professional writer just a couple of weeks away from my 92nd birthday I find myself wondering how I could have been so ignorant. Is it possible I have been living in the real world rather than on the fringes of the Internet?
Thank you. There’s no reason you would have run across this language unless you were surrounded by a spectrum of young progressive activists. :)
just josh says:
Calling themselves “woke” highlights the religious parallels. Like being ‘born again’ or ‘enlightened’ or ‘clear’ it emphasizes a supposed privileged state of grace and awareness which separates one from the infidel masses.
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Benjamin David Steele says:
It’s American culture in general. The Evangelical, like the Puritan, infects almost everything. By the way, the Evangelical is an offshoot of the Puritan, back when New England itinerant preachers traveled the then largely unchurched South, initially popularized among woman and slaves. That early Evangelical movement did lend itself to some political radicalism such as slavery abolitionism, feminism, separation of church and state, etc. The Evangelicals were a major force both with the Populist and Progressive movements. Even many left-wingers such as socialists were Evangelicals. Francis Bellamy who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance was a Christian socialist raised by a Baptist minister.
This Evangelical tradition has long been part of American politics. In The American Jeremiad, Sacvan Bercovitch discusses this tradition. The jeremiad as a political call to action was used often going back to the colonial era but was most famously popularized by Martin Luther King jr. There would have been no powerful Civil Rights movement without Evangelicalism. It’s easy to forget that there has always been a large segment of Evangelicals that identifies as liberal or progressive, and it’s the majority of younger Evangelicals. At the same time, there has always been a reactionary element to this religious tradition. That can be seen in how socially conservative were many Civil Rights advocates, causing a division between one set of identity politics and another.
I’ve also noticed how many right-wing libertarians are former fundamentalists (e.g., the biblical scholar Robert M. Price). They are still seeking personal salvation, but through capitalism instead of Jesus. And they are still hoping for an otherworldly utopia, but in space instead of in heaven. I know a right-libertarian who was raised by liberal Evangelicals and, having lost his faith, has paid to have his body frozen to be resurrected later when medical science has advanced.
It’s almost amusing, this secularization and/or pseudo-scientification of theological dogma, no matter the form it take. But whatever one thinks of it, it is unlikely to disappear from American society. I was raised in the Unity Church, which is a super liberal denomination that developed out of the Evangelical movement. The Unity Church was among the early proponents of vegetarianism, same sex marriage, positive thinking, universal salvation, and much else along those lines. Unity members are as ‘woke’ as they come and no doubt the problems you describe are rampant among them. Religion and politics are so intertwined, all across the political spectrum.
Great context and a complexities. Thank you for taking the time to write this out.
One can even see an Evangelical-like component to colonial imperialism. The whole Western expansionism, Manifest Destiny, and White Man’s Burden. Christian missionaries, as with political reformers, were often found at the frontier of ‘civilization’, sometimes to help save the savages or bring redemption to other lost souls in lawless regions. Think of Bleeding Kansas. Numerous persecuted religious groups, including many utopian and apocalyptic communitarians, settled on the frontier.
It’s good to remember that modern political thought of the individualistic, liberal, radical, and revolutionary began most clearly with the Protestant Reformation and the related religious dissenter groups. The earliest class war, socialism, and anarchism in Anglo-American tradition can be traced back to the English Civil War, which itself was the Protestant Reformation finally washing onto the shores of England, after the Puritans returned from mainland Europe where they had been influenced by the likes of the French Huguenots.
The religious radicalism then overflowed to the colonies. The American Revolution and the American Civil War were reprisals of this religious-motivated conflict. Even a deist like Thomas Paine knew his bible intimately and used its rhetoric to foment revolt. Also, John Dickinson’s draft of the Articles of Confederation drew upon Quaker constitutionalism But interestingly, that religious-tinged politics was already being secularized at that time. The Quaker elite had given up their sole control of Pennsylvania governance. And as I mentioned, much of the South was dominated by the official state religion of Anglicanism which bred a populist non-religiosity among the masses that, only later once Anglican control was undone, transformed into populist religiosity.
An interesting case is that of the Unitarians and Universalists, with much overlap with the Deists during the revolutionary era. There was an Evangelical mood to revolution. Many had the aspiration of spreading revolution throughout the world, not merely seeking political independence in their own country. Revolution meant political salvation of humanity, an old hope within certain strains of Protestantism. Many of the founders identified as citizens of the world and I can’t help but sense the religious zeal behind such an identity, in how it makes moral claims upon the entire earth.
I was reminded of this radical religiosity because of the election to the Iowa senate of Zach Wahls who grew up in the same Unitarian-Universalist church I attended for a short time. He became well known when his speech in defense of same sex marriage went viral, an expression of UU ideology. Going back a couple of centuries, in 1822, Thomas Jefferson predicted that “there is not a young man now living in the US who will not die an Unitarian.” He was a bit off in his prediction. But as Zach Wahls election demonstrates, this religious tradition remains a force within American society.
John Calvin’s American legacy by Thomas J. Davis
Wandering Souls by S. Scott Rohrer
From a Far Country by Catharine Randall
The Cousins’ Wars by Kevin Phillips
Churching of America by Roger Finke and Rodney Stark
Nature’s God by Matthew Stewart
America’s Communal Utopias ed. Donald Pitzer
Douglas W says:
“One of humanity’s uglier traits is that we like it when our enemies suffer.” One of my disappointments in Christianity was how much believers clung to the doctrine of hell, even though I could not find the concept in my reading of the Bible. Painful destruction, yes, but not eternal torment. Yet religion (and other philosophies) can warp one’s sense of justice so that excessive punishment seems fitting for someone who is simply believing and behaving differently than me; i.e., acting human.
So true. That was/is one of my big disappointments in Christianity too.
Jesus spoke of Hell more than just about any subject. He also said nonbelievers would not understand Him, by design.
Regarding “eternal torment”, have you read Revelation 20? Verse 10: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Verse 12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Verse 15: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” In other words, the same like of fire where the devil is tormented day and night forever. That sounds like eternal torment to me.
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I’ll leave you to your particular worldview. You have to know there is no such thing as a “former believer.” Your departure simply means you were never a believer; there are plenty of people going through the motions of religious practice who are no more believers than Richard Dawkins.
Ah, yes. The old No True Scotsman.
Not at all. It is a part of the character of God at He loses no one who is His. You claimed you “were” born again. If God is real and the Bible is true, you have to accept one cannot be formally born again. If it is not true, then there is no such thing as being born again. Neither logically allows for formally being born again. Perhaps, you believed at the time you were born again (saved, same thing), but now you don’t even acknowledge it as a real thing, so how can you say you “were” born again?
Paul Douglas says:
“If God is real and the Bible is true,” are two enormous assumptions for which you will need to offer some compelling evidence for an outsider to consider.
Paul, I know God is real and the Bible is true, however that is not my point in this thread. The point is “was born again” cannot work logically by its very definition. On can reasonably say, “I once thought I was born again and now 1) I now know I wasn’t, or 2) I now don’t accept that is real.” I don’t try to share the Gospel with those openly hostile to it (because Jesus said not to) but I will correct incorrect use of terms, in this case, born again.
Upon some further reflection something else occurred to me. Your “testimony” in the beginning reminds me of Matthew 7:22 which provokes perhaps the scariest response from Jesus in the Bible: “I never KNEW you.” Please correct me if I have the wrong impression, but it seems collective and individual behavior of other professed Christians pushed you away from the Church (here I mean the universal church, the body of Christ). It breaks my heart, but doesn’t surprise me since we are all in some state of depravity. I do wonder if I’ve driven people further from Christ instead of being a true ambassador (2 Cor 5:20). I know God irresistibly draws who He wills, but I want to be obedient toward that purpose. Ultimately, faith dependent on the words and actions of others is not faith at all; perhaps religion, but not faith. Perhaps I should read more of your writings to get a better understanding of your journey! Have you concluded that the God of the Bible is not real?
That is generous of you, Carl, but it wasn’t people who pushed me away from the church. It was the moral depravity of Christian teachings themselves. And then once I was outside enough to examine the origins of the Bible record—the very human handprints indicating that we had sculpted God in our own image–it became more clear why that was the case.
Obviously, I disagree. Beyond substance, I assessment of morality without God is impossible. Whether it is the God of the Bible or some hypothetical other higher power, any moral judgement without universal truth from higher is merely personal preference. Before I came to Christ I used to believe natural law as a practical matter was real and possible but that doesn’t account for the total fallibility of the author, man. I also think it is odd you think God as described in the Bible is in the image of men who supposedly created it. Depraved men would never choose that God for themselves. No person naturally chooses to be held accountable. Clearly you’ve thought about this a lot. I’d be curious about at least some “greatest hits” examples of depravities of Christian doctrine and the basis for assessing them as such. What is your source what is good, if not God?
Carl, I am not sure why you say “assessment of morality without God is impossible.” Researchers have found that, around the globe, people think that care, fairness, loyalty, deference to legitimate authority, and purity are moral, while harm, cheating, betrayal, subversion, and contamination or immoral. This is true for both believers and nonbelievers. See Moral Foundations Theory, https://moralfoundations.org/ .
As for examples of God-given edicts that represent depravity, there are many in Exodus and Leviticus, although there are also examples in other sections of the Bible as well, including the New Testament. Illustrating this is the following excerpt from “The Myth of Secular Moral Chaos” by Sam Harris (https://samharris.org/the-myth-of-secular-moral-chaos/), although the entire article is worth reading because it also addresses morality without God:
“The notion that the Bible is a perfect guide to morality is really quite amazing, given the contents of the book. Human sacrifice, genocide, slaveholding, and misogyny are consistently celebrated. Of course, God’s counsel to parents is refreshingly straightforward: whenever children get out of line, we should beat them with a rod (Proverbs 13:24, 20:30, and 23:13–14). If they are shameless enough to talk back to us, we should kill them (Exodus 21:15, Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18–21, Mark 7:9–13, and Matthew 15:4–7). We must also stone people to death for heresy, adultery, homosexuality, working on the Sabbath, worshiping graven images, practicing sorcery, and a wide variety of other imaginary crimes.
Most Christians imagine that Jesus did away with all this barbarism and delivered a doctrine of pure love and toleration. He didn’t. (See Matthew 5:18–19, Luke 16:17, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 20–21, John 7:19.) Anyone who believes that Jesus only taught the Golden Rule and love of one’s neighbor should go back and read the New Testament. And he or she should pay particular attention to the morality that will be on display if Jesus ever returns to earth trailing clouds of glory (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9, 2:8; Hebrews 10:28–29; 2 Peter 3:7; and all of Revelation).”
I assume “hostirad” is also you, Valerie. If not, I suppose I can respond to anyone who joins in.
“Carl, I am not sure why you say “assessment of morality without God is impossible.” Researchers have found that, around the globe, people think that care, fairness, loyalty, deference to legitimate authority, and purity are moral, while harm, cheating, betrayal, subversion, and contamination or immoral.”
Who says any of these are good or bad, or that there has been some similarity among cultures is any form of validation? Morality, righteousness, and good are concepts that require authority. Beyond, that, there are plenty of variations and outright contradictions It between cultures on what is considered right or wrong. Even though we are at our core sinful beings, we do have a conscience, implanted by God, which is also Biblical. However, on its own it is of very limited use. The research you reference all comes back to “it feels right so it must be right.” So, to stump the chump, who says loyalty is a good thing? fairness? Who says betrayal is a bad thing?
“As for examples of God-given edicts that represent depravity, there are many in Exodus and Leviticus, although there are also examples in other sections of the Bible as well, including the New Testament.”
You’ll have to be more specific. People often erroneously mix up the human behavior documented in the Bible with the character of God. People also presume to judge God by their own untested sense of morality.
“The notion that the Bible is a perfect guide to morality is really quite amazing, given the contents of the book. Human sacrifice, genocide, slaveholding, and misogyny are consistently celebrated.”
Utter nonsense. None of these things documented in the Bible are celebrated.
“Of course, God’s counsel to parents is refreshingly straightforward: whenever children get out of line, we should beat them with a rod (Proverbs 13:24, 20:30, and 23:13–14).”
Those proverbs never suggest a parent should beat a child.
“If they are shameless enough to talk back to us, we should kill them (Exodus 21:15, Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18–21, Mark 7:9–13, and Matthew 15:4–7). We must also stone people to death for heresy, adultery, homosexuality, working on the Sabbath, worshiping graven images, practicing sorcery, and a wide variety of other imaginary crimes.”
God did have seemingly stark consequences for transgressions of the Law for the people of Israel. At least those who would choose to reject God on the basis of presuming to judge God with limited human ability are honest about they are doing (rejecting God). The Law and the disobedience of the Israel were never meant as a means of oppression or control. It all illustrated the depravity of man, the necessity for sin to be dealt with, and the need for a remedy. That makes no sense to unregenerate people who think they are “generally good people.” What makes less sense, and is more dishonest, but the very same rejection of God, is pretending God doesn’t exist because one doesn’t like what God has to say.
I suspect you’re right about most self-professed American Christians. It is easy to self-identify as Christian here, so it is easy to ignore Christ when He said to count the cost. For there to be “good news” (the Gospel) there must be bad news. No honest Gospel presentation leaves out the bad news, in fact, it must start with it. It seems, not only do you believe people can be good on their own, that people are generally good by nature. I used to think that, even though it is clearly not true.
Carl, I am not Valerie. Anyone can respond to anyone in these conversations. My real name is John A. Johnson. I am a professional psychologist who has studied morality all my life. I felt compelled to respond to your claim that morality is impossible without God because the claim is false. Yes, there are obviously variations across cultures (within cultures, too) on what is considered good and bad. The https://moralfoundations.org/ site discusses that. Variation does not invalidate the fact that most people share the same strong intuitions about right and wrong, independently of their religious beliefs. These strong intuitions are shared by people of all religions and no religion because they are the result of human evolution, not a conscience implanted by a biblical God. The summary words in moral foundations theory (care, fairness, loyalty, etc.) are defined more precisely and at greater length by the research, so we’re not talking about “misplaced loyalty,” “justified harm,” or other variations that might appear to be exceptions. Read the research. I think that you would enjoy it.
For the record, I do not reject God because passages in the Bible say that we should stone people to death for heresy, adultery, homosexuality, working on the Sabbath, worshiping graven images, practicing sorcery, and a wide variety of other imaginary crimes. What I reject is stoning people to death for heresy, adultery, homosexuality, working on the Sabbath, worshiping graven images, practicing sorcery, and a wide variety of other imaginary crimes. Stoning people to death is barbaric. The same is true for slavery. Christians were wrong to defend slavery before the Civil War by referring to the Bible. Religious people have tried to use scripture to justify inhumane behavior, but it is not the alleged word of God or Allah or Jehova that makes an act moral or immoral. It is the very real, actual help or harm that acts have on other people that makes those acts moral or immoral.
The Sam Harris article is not long. Again, I encourage you to read it. His short list of Biblical abominations–overly cruel punishments for small transgressions–barely scratches the surface of the absurdities, cruelty, violence, injustice, intolerance, and other terrible things condoned and encouraged in the Bible. Way too many abominations to detail here. If you want more examples, there are many websites that document them, for example, https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/lev/outline.html .
“Variation does not invalidate the fact that most people share the same strong intuitions about right and wrong, independently of their religious beliefs.”
Actually, variations invalidate the whole argument. Morality (right vs. wrong), by definition must be absolute. It also cannot vary through time.
“The Sam Harris article is not long. Again, I encourage you to read it. His short list of Biblical abominations–overly cruel punishments for small transgressions–barely scratches the surface of the absurdities, cruelty, violence, injustice, intolerance, and other terrible things condoned and encouraged in the Bible.”
OK, I read it. I will try to be gracious in simply saying he is all over the place and mistaken about the basic concept of good. He concocts an arbitrary framework purporting happiness (vs. suffering) as a measure of what is good. That is the way of the sinful world. Happiness is circumstantial and is of no real importance, much less related to morality. It is telling that he would hold up places like Scandinavia and Iceland as model examples.
Saying “stoning people is barbaric” is no more compelling than a toddler thinking his mother is cruel for making him eat peas. I will never try to argue biblical points with an non-believer, because I know it is futile and dishonors God. However, I will argue that the human pursuit of building one’s own moral structure is nothing more than arrogant self-righteousness. If I sin any less because I belong to God, I would be surprised. The main difference is I know the core truth that leads to repentance, that I, like ALL people, am a sinner.
Gee, Carl, what all the babies that die at birth, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months after they were born. They did not have much of a chance to be believers or non-believers.
Gunther, though God doesn’t owe an answer to humanity about salvation or any other thing, the salvation of infants is well explained in the Bible. Imagine that!
Debating a fanatic who “knows” he’s right and won’t consider the possibility he might be mistaken only legitimizes dubious beliefs. This is why Carl Sagan didn’t debate Madame Cleo the Astrologer, and why astronauts and geologists don’t debate Flat Earthers. You can’t change a fanatic’s mind with evidence and reason and logic.
Valerie, this is 100% outstanding, and you should consider expanding into a book. It might reshape your entire career, but it would be so worth it.
Tucker Lieberman says:
I see your point that “too often ideology in the hands of a social movement simply rebrands and redirects old self-centering impulses while justifying the sense that this particular fight is uniquely holy.” Indeed, each of us must manage the ever-present risk of our own ego, and probably any ideology threatens to quickly slide into self-righteousness. Underexamination (of ourselves and of our beliefs) is one cause of these ills.
There are, of course, relevant differences between the two groups you present here as the Evangelicals and the Woke. A major difference that jumps out at me is that the former group is defined by theology and the latter by politics. I find it curious that you, with your background examining theological dogmatism, perceive political dogmatism as “something [that] feels too familiar.” I don’t intuitively have the same feeling. To me, other people’s dogma may of course seem silly, annoying, or threatening, and that’s a similarity between all forms of dogmatism, but, beyond that, theological and political dogmatism don’t rub me the same way. They bother me for different reasons. Would be hard to put my finger on why that is. In any case, I appreciate your perspective.
I enjoyed this piece. It really is amazing how modern “social justice” politics mirrors fundamentalist religion. I always found it funny how secularists would mock Christians for not believing in evolution but insist that any differences between men and women are the result of social conditioning and have nothing to do with biology.
Amy B Dean says:
evan effa says:
Thank you for this very insightful article Valerie.
As a former, very committed, Evangelical Christian, I have found it puzzling to note how similar my reaction is to both Christian and “Woke” Dogma. They both share this earnest absolutism that is impermeable to evidence or any sort of honest challenge. When confronting either in my daily life, I find myself struggling to suppress the urge to react and push back. Your essay helps illuminate how both perspectives share a puritanical and insular smugness that is ultimately divisive and toxic to healthy community life.
-evan
Reblogged this on Dances with Tricksters.
Max Dean Esmay says:
Humans irrefutably evolved to be religious (assuming one believes in evolution), and become quite insane and when you take it away. The dirty secret is that religion actually makes people more able to think independent of authority, which is why the Authoritarians left and right always wants to destroy all existing religion–so they can indoctrinated with their own ideology. I get the same vibe off of Ideological Atheists as I do the SocJus Left and the Race Realist AltRight and religious fundamentalists: all presume themselves the enlightened rational ones and no one else is.
Notice some time how often people will virtue signal their own atheism, or their position as a “skeptic,” as if that automatically makes them smarter, more virtuous, more scientific, and braver than the rest of humanity. Such people will also routinely suggest that their atheism says nothing at all about them or their views, BUT, will accept endless propositions about religious people as if religion says EVERYTHING about others. Self-declared lack-of-religion somehow says nothing about you at all (except good things of course), whereas religion says nothing about you except maybe you’re dim or delusional and possibly dangerous.
And being a “doubter” is somehow better than a believer, as if doubt and lack of conviction are superior to conviction.
Your chosen religion of “skepticism” or “doubt” says as much about you as any other religion you choose.
J. J. Lazzaro says:
I just found your article via Alternet and had to hunt down a way to contact you because I am so excited to see someone put my thoughts into words. Until earlier this week I was admin of Facebook for those who had left Evangelicalism and the major thing that pushed out the door was the feeling that the group had swung from being Evangelical to just finding another set of morals to enforce blindly. They are doing it with a good heart but I felt uncomfortable being the final say on what people should get kicked out of the group for what when I often didn’t think the charges against them were merited. I have actually just put in a book proposal to write about this in more depth and would love to talk to you.
What a difficult dilemma. I’m sorry the group pivoted like that. I hope you were able to express what made you leave.
Gustavo Salinas says:
This proves the point that whatever side you are on. You should be open to conversation people are too stuck in there ways and don’t want to hear opinions. That’s the opposite of evolving if we want to better ourselves then we have to leave the dialogue open. Great article.
Betsy H says:
Great article that resonates with me. Possible typo: I think the word “spend” (or similar word) may be missing from “related organizations tens of millions.”
Carl Augustsson says:
As an MRA myself I am quite puzzled by the swipe you took at us. I urge you to watch “The Red Pill” and learn who we really are. Remember, it was made by a (former) feminist who was hostile to us at first.
Hi Carl–
I just wrote a whole article critiquing the excesses of people whose values and goals I mostly agree with. I would urge you to take a similar look at the Men’s Rights movement.
I feel strongly that the goal of feminism should be equality, not simply flipping who beats up on who. I think that some of my fellow feminists are straight-up misandrous. I think that, historically, when it comes to sexual consent no has sometimes meant yes, and as we transition away from that–which we should–some decent people are going to get harmed by the mixed messages and shifting mores.
I think that many young men who say stupid mean things about women and queers–or who posture and fly confederate flags and wear MAGA hats–are genuinely struggling to adapt to multi-culturalism and to a future that increasingly values collaboration and communication over determination and physical strength.
As someone who works on reproductive empowerment, I think that it sucks that women have birth control that’s near perfect while men have to rely on something with a 1 in 6 annual failure rate. I think it’s bullshit to say that men shouldn’t have feelings and opinions about abortion even if, in the end, the decision defaults to the person most affected–the woman. And no, a fetus isn’t a person.) Demanding better options for guys is asking for gender justice to my mind, just as it would be if things were reversed.
I think the refrain, “the future is female” is as sexist as “the future is male” would be, and no you can’t trust all women and yes some men are falsely accused and yes we ask men to do horrible things that we wouldn’t ask of women like spend their life underground in a coal mine, and sometimes affirmative action is zero-sum.
But if you are “puzzled” by why I would lump MRA in with SJW and White Supremacy, I suspect you haven’t been listening to some of the horrible misogyny including fantasies of violence and sexual violence being vomited onto the internet and onto specific female public figures by some of your fellow MRAs.
specieshuman says:
I’m not an MRA, but I will reiterate what Carl has said, watch The Red Pill. To clump MRAs in with White Supremacists is a statement based on ignorance- like ‘woke’ level ignorance. You just finished explaining in your essay how Christians and the woke demonize non-believers. Funny how you’ve fallen into a similar trap- again.
I’m an atheist that left the Catholic church a long time ago. Some atheists, I find, put the pursuit of truth as their core value and strive to make sure their beliefs are true to the best of their ability i.e. they become ‘skeptics’. Conversely, I find some atheists leave their theistic religion and simply replaces it with a secular religion. Based on your comments above I’d say your level of leftist religiosity is probably similar to that of a Unitarian Universalist Christian. Basically, you reject the craziest bits of leftism (i.e. being ‘woke’), but still hold onto enough of it where it makes non believers cringe when they talk to you at a dinner parties. ;)
Anyhow, I think your essay does a good job of comparing symptoms of theist and secular fundamentalism. If you haven’t checked it out already, I’d highly recommend looking into the Grievance Study Affair and the follow-up interviews that are happening with the purveyors (James Lindsay and Peter Boghossian) in the Trojan Horse series. Basically two liberal atheists sit down with a conservative Christian minister and do a deep dive on the underlying epistemology of ‘woke’ culture. Fascinating stuff.
Additionally, if you don’t need Christianity to live by the golden rule, then you don’t need Feminism to pursue equality. Ideologies don’t have ownership over values. Just think for yourself. Isn’t this what it’s all about?
I don’t equate the two, and I respect Peter B. (Nor do I equate SJWs and white supremacists, for that matter.) But I have found people who actively identify as MRA are often identitarian to a fault, and unable to acknowledge gender disparities that don’t fit the MRA narrative, which is a counternarrative and so defined in significant part by feminist ideology.
@Sean
Sean, many people I have met may not get up in the thinking that there is no god, so I can do anything I want to people; however, many of these people are devout followers of right-wing evangelists who twist the Bible around to justify their acts and then tried to twist the Bible that will absolve them of their actions which means that they firmly believe that they will get to heaven despite what they have done to their fellow people.when they die.
notabilia says:
So you yelled at a few “Woke” kids to get off your lawn – feel better?
What gets your goat so much about this alleged “far left”?
How many oil rigs do they operate?
How many nuclear bombs do they possess?
How may judges with extraordinary powers to imprison are part of this alleged “wokeness”?
How many abortion clinics does the “far left” run?
How many wars and coups are run by this “far left”?
How many children’s lives are being destroyed by parental bullying based on alleged tenets of “wokeness”?
How many American presidents and CEOs and congresspeople and corporate managers and bank executives are “far left”?
How much of the racism-based US wealth chasm between whites and black/brown is due to this “far left”?
That would be about zero in that column.
As for the other side’s social basis point average, I think you, as you say you are on the “left” (though it sounds like you’re getting ready to jump ship) know the score.
If there was any evidence that SJW tactics helped any of those causes, you might have an argument. They seem to only polarize people.
They “polarize people”? O, the poor people being “polarized”!
If it’ll help, I’ll go to the 3 “SJW” folks that are allowed by law to live at any one time in any city and tell them to knock it off, and we’ll all be A-OK, non-polarized, simple happy decent centrist people.
Sarcasm is fun but it often obscures the partial truths it reacts against.
If you don’t care that they’re hurting the cause they claim to be supporting, okay.
Also, I’m a socialist. You seem to have missed the fact that many of the people who get called SJWs are neoliberals.
The “far left” — those who fit the stereotype of the SJW — are often too busy calling out their fellow leftists because of perceived political impurities than in fighting the far right. It’s much easier to punch sideways than up.
The Pink Agendist says:
Did you catch the article in Wired by Robert Wright on the “Myth of Perfectly Rational Thought”? It’s very interesting because it explores the same ideas yo talk about here but from a different angle – in particular how purism, orthodoxy, shaming and so forth apply to the Sam Harris school. Of course they’ve gone so far as to invent special language as well (ie inventing the word “deplatforming” because dis-inviting didn’t serve the purpose of the victimhood narrative.) If you have a moment, have a look because it’s fascinating reading: https://www.wired.com/story/sam-harris-and-the-myth-of-perfectly-rational-thought/
I am a fan of Sam Harris. I contribute to his site and subscribe to his meditation programs. At the same time, I am well-aware of his shortcomings. Robert Wright does a great job of pointing out some of them. I had not seen this article before, and I thank you for mentioning it. It is certainly relevant to this discussion thread.
Thank you. I will!
Pingback: What happened to the political left and why I bailed out? | Observation Blogger
@Carl
Oh really? I was never given anything in the Bible about the salvation of infants. Instead, I was given the same stories about Adam and Eve, the Jews leaving Egypt, the life of Jesus, etc, year in and year out.
Gunther, I’m not sure who was “giving you” the Bible, but it is widely available for your perusal from quite a few sources. Though the biblical doctrine of the “age of accountability” is not precise, the bible is clear on either end of this spectrum; babies are not accountable and adults are fully accountable. The account of the salvation of the baby born of David’s adultery with Bathsheba is the clearest certainty of the salvation of infants. https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Sam%2012.21%E2%80%9323
God is a God of justice, mercy, and grace, not of fairness. If it were fair, we would all go to Hell.
I am so very, very thankful I do not worship the “god” of Abraham.
We all worship something. Perhaps you worship yourself, which is the most common option.
No, I’m just a member of a non-Abrahamic religion.
Really a distinction without a difference.
You might think that. I couldn’t possibly comment.
This is one of many topics in which what I think doesn’t matter. You’re dispute is with God, not me. Ridiculing me doesn’t change anything. My concern for your condition remains the same. I’m just a beggar telling others where I found bread.
Your concept of God is not mine. So your opinion of God doesn’t matter to me or my beliefs, just as I’m sure that my opinion on the “God” of Abraham — that it’s actually a demon or an egregore created by the emotions of its followers — doesn’t matter to yours. You have your religion, I have mine, and as long as each person’s religion doesn’t interfere with the practice of someone else’s, that’s fine.
There was a time I had opinions about God. Not anymore. Opinions don’t matter. I actually hope to interfere as much as I can because 1) it is the only reason for being alive on this Earth, and 2) the consequences are so dire. You responded to someone else about me… perhaps a divine appointment!
It was the religious authorities that were giving me the Bible so put the blame on them. They were the ones that were giving me the same stories year in and year out.
If God was of justice, then people would be going to hell. If it is not fairness, then why should we trust in him and believed in him to be fair and just? I guess that why many people dropped out of religion because they don’t believe that there is a divine being that is fair and just?
Gunther, like you, the vast majority will not even acknowledge their own sin, thus choosing it over God. When one erroneously sees himself as good, God would seem arbitrary and unfair. However you are NOT good. No one is. That he provided the propitiation through his own sacrifice is the very definition of grace.
What makes you think that the majority of people choose sin over God considering the fact that most people in the world do not belong to Christianity? What do you mean not good when we have good people in this world? Furthermore, it is usually the bad people that see themselves as good. Furthermore, if a good person is good person, how does it prove that God is arbitrary and unfair?
So what if God sacrifice his son? It hasn’t stop humans from sinning so it is God’s mistake for creating the human race and giving it free will.
George Carlin and Stephen Fry believe that God is unfair:
Gunther, as I said, no one is good. Not one. Not even Christians. The only way to salvation from the deserved consequences is Jesus, the way, the truth, the life. George Carlin was a funny guy but he is in Hell.
How do you know Carlin is in Hades? Did the God actually tell you that he is in Hades?
You have not answered the question about people choosing sin over God considering the fact that many of them belong to other religions and their view of God is totally different from that of Christianity and some of them probably have no concept of sin in their religions.
What a sad sad man you must be with such self-loathing and misanthropy based on absurdly irrational beliefs, such as the idea that an eternal, omnipotent god who allows its human manifestation to be killed is actually making a sacrifice. According to the myth you believe, Jesus knew he was the son of God and therefore would live forever, so his supposed death on a cross was no sacrifice at all.
Some of the comments on this article have been an excellent demonstration of the rigidity, the self-righteousness, and the condescension we see in many evangelicals and SJW’s. Which kind of proves the point of the article.
Hey, I’ve talked with all the “SJW”s and they’ve agreed with all of the tone-policing going on here. No more “rigidity” – the catchphrase now is “whatever.” No more “righteousness” either – they are going to stop so damn uppity and so damn smug and they are going to be blase, henceforth. And they will give up their new words and terms and strong feelings about racism and the horrors of the alt-right and they are not going to offend anybody on the “left” with their speech, thoughts, or actions, ever.
Oh, and, of course, no more “sarcasm” – it can never be dead-on, either.
Wow, is “socialism” going to take off now, with such studied non-offensiveness and adoption of the other side’s pejorative terms duly enforced.
Than you for illustrating my point. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
What picture?
And- what point?
Gunther, he was not saved (by his own outspoken statements) so he is in Hell. He has a lot of company. It is where you’ll go too unless you come to terms with your need. There is good news, but you have to know the bad news first.
You are no concrete information if Carlin is Hell or not.
Gunther, you are correct, I don’t know George Carlin didn’t surrender to Christ before he died.
Gunther, I did answer the question. Religion doesn’t matter, since it is a creation of man. I don’t have a religion. There is only one way to God. Their religions are no different than atheism.
Carl, I’d like to ask you to please stop proselytizing on my website. Most of my readers are former Christians, and they are perfectly familiar with the verses, dogmas, and the mantras of Evangelicalism. As persuasive as they are to you, they are not persuasive to us. There is no need for you to keep repeating them here.
Valarie, he asked the question and I answered it. Truth is truth. I will respect your desire to be spared it.
Thanks for bringing this up and exploring the landscape so thoroughly. In a political time when it’d be good to find allies, the Left seems to delight in attacking those who are kinda on the right track but not completely.
No it is the right that delights in attacking anyone for the last 39 years.
Susan McLean says:
Wow. Phenomenal article.
Andrew Wickliffe says:
Did you really dismiss intersectionality? I get why your white male readers are good with that but wow.
Hi Andrew – I don’t mean to dismiss the concept of intersectionality. As first articulated by Kimberly Crenshaw, I think it’s very useful in understanding how different kinds of oppression or disadvantage both accumulate and have interaction effects on people affected. But the term as interpreted by some folks has become a quasi-religious concept that defines people rather than offering hypotheses about individual experience or group norms. I wrote about that with a little more sophistication (though perhaps not enough) here. https://valerietarico.com/2018/03/30/political-narrative-ii-why-some-progressives-are-tearing-each-other-apart/
Honestly, my biggest problem with posts like this one–I came to your site via Seth Andrews, btw–is that you’re not naming names. You’re attributing these characteristics to wide swathes, then walking it back. I’m sure you’re very busy but I highly recommend the introduction to the chapter, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, in Blair Imani’s MODERN HERSTORY.
Among other things, it’s a literal “professional Woke” sinking your “Black and White” section. I’m actually not trying to be a jackass in that recommendation, I think everyone should read it, but it’s rather relevant here.
But mostly I just hate the lack of naming names. If you have a problem with someone, point it out. It leads to comment threads full of cishet white men telling you how right you are. And if history has told us anything, cishet white men are a godawful population.
I don’t know how you can critique me for overgeneralizing, which may be fair enough, and then a few sentences later say “cishet white men are a godawful population.” I personally cherish and respect quite a number of cishet white men, many of whom are as decent, generous, high integrity, open minded and kind as any queer, female or POC that I know, and more so than some.
Posting these here for reference:
https://quillette.com/2019/02/26/how-i-was-kicked-out-of-the-society-for-classical-studies-annual-meeting/
https://areomagazine.com/2018/12/18/postmodern-religion-and-the-faith-of-social-justice/
rob bullock says:
Good Morning Valerie,
Thank you for this article and for appearing on the Thinking Atheist podcast. Don’t worry about the heat you receive from those who are offended by what you wrote about in this article.
I used to think that those on the extreme religious right were the biggest internal threat to our republic; however, I have recently been convinced that the moderates on the right and the moderates on left both need to fight the extremist in their own tribes.
I value the opinion and intellect of a person, not the identity someone will chain themselves too.
Hi Rob –
Thank you for your kind words. So far I’m not getting any heat about the show. I personally still think the extreme right is the biggest threat to our republic, but like you i also am now convinced that moderates on the Right and Left both need to fight the extremism in their own tribes. Certainly nobody on the outside can do so.
I see it in terms of the reactionary mind. It is true that those on the political right tend to be more overtly stereotypical in their reactionary rhetoric and behavior. Still, liberals and left-wingers are far from immune. There was a period of time when I wanted to get more involved with leftist political organizing. But I was turned off from it once I realized how much reactionary attitudes permeated most groups. It was a toxic environment and I had to leave it for the sake of my mental health.
It seems to me that our entire society has become reactionary or at least highly prone to it. I suspect it partly has to do with the rate of change that has sped up and is hard for humans to adapt to, and so causes immense stress, anxiety and fear. These are abnormal conditions for humans and evolution didn’t give us the coping abilities for dealing with long-term continuous stressors. I like this description of the phenomenon:
https://newrepublic.com/article/76822/the-look-time
““A man of the past”—recently I had been re-reading John Stuart Mill’s essay, “The Spirit of the Age” (1831), and was taken by the peculiar way he employed that phrase. The essay is about what it is like to live in an age of “change,” what it was doing to people, existentially speaking. Mill thought that “men are then divided, into those who are still what they were, and those who have changed.” I expected the first group to be those who have been left behind—the superannuated—and the second to be the men of progress. But Mill thought it was the opposite: those who embrace change are “men of the present age”; by changing with the times they stay the same. Those who do not change with the times are changed into “men of the past.” To the former, “the spirit of the age is a subject of exultation; to the latter, of terror.” It then occurred to me how, because of the incessant speed of the Internet, no one is able to change fast enough to remain in the present; we were all being turned into “men of the past.””
High inequality also appears to be a major factor in causing people to become aggressive and act in very strange ways. Most on the left can tolerate more cognitive dissonance and cognitive load than those on the right, as studies show. But we all have our limits and our breaking points. Inequality, in particular, pushes nearly everything and everyone to the extremes. Corey Robin is good at explaining the reactionary mind of the political right, but he doesn’t grasp how this affects all of society. A better writer on how a society goes mad with a specific focus on inequality is Keith Payne in his book The Broken Ladder:
“Inequality affects our actions and our feelings in the same systematic, predictable fashion again and again. It makes us shortsighted and prone to risky behavior, willing to sacrifice a secure future for immediate gratification. It makes us more inclined to make self-defeating decisions. It makes us believe weird things, superstitiously clinging to the world as we want it to be rather than as it is. Inequality divides us, cleaving us into camps not only of income but also of ideology and race, eroding our trust in one another. It generates stress and makes us all less healthy and less happy.”
https://benjamindavidsteele.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/inequality-means-no-center-to-moderate-toward/
https://benjamindavidsteele.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/on-conflict-and-stupidity/
Kate Toldness says:
Thank you for the article Valerie! I found myself in pretty much complete agreement. I am a liberal, an old-school feminist who firmly believes that women are people (and sometimes people suck). I am also it seems in the current climate a heretic.
I am also an atheist. I detest not just specific doctrines of religion but the thought processes behind them. I believe any doctrine of original sin be it religious or secular is immoral. People have enough to do being responsible for their own actions.
My SO once fell through a Woke blog hole online and apologized to me profusely for all the ills of white males throughout history. I replied by apologizing for prohibition. “Women get the vote and what is the first thing we do but support one of the most boneheaded policies America has ever seen.” He looked at my and said “but you didn’t vote for any of those people or policies. You’re not to blame.” And I said, “Exactly. If I’m not to blame for prohibition, then how are you to blame for what white men have done in the past?”
I question the need to constantly point out white, male privilege. Because I view these privileges as paltry substitutes for the real benefits of equality. I want to talk to that unemployed man from Appalachia, validate his experiences of being poor and ground down and help him see ways his life might be better given equality.
I think we do need male allies in feminism. But I’d like them to join us not out of guilt but because of actual shared goals which I think exist.
I love your response — apologizing for Prohibition. What a great way to make that point.
Thank you, Benjamin. That was a valuable addition to the article. Much appreciated.
Feel the same way.
I was in a “racism and privilege” group. It brought me straight back to sitting in a church youth group feeling like the only non believer in the class.
I have been thinking about this for a long time. Great to see it articulate so well.
humanist7 says:
Nothing to contribute, Valerie. I just want to say how much i enjoyed your piece. And thank you for asking Carl to quit. I find nothing quite so annoying as a believer in an imaginary god trying to get the rest of us to believe before it’s “TOO LATE!”
melhpine says:
Reblogged this on Truly Open Minds and Hearts and commented:
Valerie Tarico lays it all out here. — MHP
stevesommers56 says:
At least SJWs have some truth in their worldview. As a matter of fact, evangelicals and other religious fundies are wholly responsible for much of, if not most of, the oppression suffered by women, minorities, and children throughout history.
Nihal Jayamanne PC says:
Why not Evagalists and the Wokes just live a simple life without complicating every thing…….your type are the cause of misery for self and others who have the misfortune of coming into contact with you.
Sin and discrimination is what your type is feeding on… you are welcome to rot in this cess pit.
Let the simple folk be… they are by and large normal people…..happier than your lot.
There are billions of people who are content with their lot/life …… they are happier than your lot
jokermtb says:
“ Prayer works, at best, at the margins of statistical significance. ”. Why hedge your bet with that assertion? Prayer is really at best, a type of meditation, with no magical properties to affect reality. Aside from this small point, this essay is spot on. Well done
Hazrat says:
The problem with atheists is that they paint believers with one brush. Not everyone associates themselves with organized religion and it’s true that a lot of it got corrupted over the years. BUT, the essence of any religion is one in the same, it has not changed and survived the test of time.
Is this meant to be ironic, because your first sentence paints a group of people with one brush while simultaneously criticizing such behavior.
Somebody is painting atheists with one brush.
Pdas says:
Thanks you for your thoughts. Your have a way of getting to the heart of the matter in an eloquent way.
Dave Rieke says:
It seems to me, Valerie, that almost all of your critique of evangelicalism and social justice activism could be said equally of every worldview/philosophy of life. I have found that communists, atheists, anarchists, libertarians, animal rights activists, BLM, #MeToo, etc. are all equally dogmatic and equally likely to demean their detractors (as your article does, I think). Perhaps it isn’t ideally educational or charitable to say, “Unlike most worldviews, these two worldviews really bug me because their proponents have strong opinions and because they disrespect their detractors.” Perhaps a logical presentation of the best data available, for one specific issue at a time–capitalism, institutional racism, democracy, etc.–would turn down the outrage of our culture a couple decibels.
Helen Hupe says:
What is your center? What positive attitude do you espouse? What is your function in life? Are you content to be a critic of others or do you consider yourself to be a part of something greater than yourself. I really would like to know because I see that you are quite the thinker!
Robin Auld says:
I have for some years now been thinking that the primness of the Woke echoes more and more the tight lipped Presbyterians of my Scottish childhood town. Burn’s poem “Address to the Unco Guid” refers…”Oh ye wha are sae guid yersel, so pious and so holy” …and
“What maks the mighty differ;
Discount what scant occasion gave,
That purity ye pride in;
And (what’s aft mair than a’ the lave),
Your better art o’ hidin.”
In 100 years students will be studying this idealogical phenomon with the same curiosity as we study Victorian mores.
PixelHell says:
I think better comparisons can be made between the woke left and the alt-right. Both are obsessed with identity politics. Richard Spencer frequently uses terms like “white identity”, and many alt-right groups have the word Identity in the names of their organizations, eg. Identity Evropa.
This is a bit comical, but I am a former feminist/postmodernist turned evangelical! We seem to have switched places to some degree. I have many of the same woes with the far left, and consider myself a libertarian, or a classical liberal. I also acknowledge much of the harmful history in the evangelical church, even as I love my own. I appreciated your critical thought of both.
I came to feel emotionally manipulated by the left, and found that complete compliance is expected. If you move one degree to the right, you become the opposition.. It’s truly an exhausting game, and one that leads to conformity… it sacrifices the very individualism they claim to value.
But, I wanted to challenge something you mentioned about evangelical Christianity. You said that you were a “believer among believers”. You used your church involvement on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, your Alma Matter, and experience as a camp counselor to defend where you were in the evangelical world. I have no doubt you were enmeshed into that world! But, that is incredibly different from being entangled in a personal relationship with Jesus. You didn’t mention any of that in your history as an evangelical.
I have been burned by the church, have been angry for my excluded friends, and have wrestled with my womanhood and what that means in light of scripture… oh, what a process!
But, as I understand the gravity of my own sin, and the weight of what Christ has done on my behalf, no amount of criticism I have for the church can lead me to leave it. It seems you were face to face with church culture, but maybe not face to face with the living God. At the end of the day, our purpose is to be reconciled to God, not reconciled to the church (though hopefully that can be a bi-product). I am terribly sorry that this is all very assuming! But I would love to talk with you and hear more about what your relationship with God looked like outside of your relationship with the church, and also invite you to my church in Birmingham, AL, if you’re ever in the neighborhood :)
thank you for your thoughts in this article!
(I apologize if this comment has posted already.. having technical difficulties with wordpress!)
Thank you for your gracious comment, Lucy, and for your candor. My personal relationship with Jesus was very important to me both during my years of church involvement and even as I moved away from the church toward a more idiosyncratic sense of worship. So, it wasn’t church hypocrisy that stopped fitting for me. It was that I gradually came to understand God and goodness in a different way that seemed less shaped in our own image and, as I learned more about humanity’s multi-millennial spiritual quest,, including the roots of the Bible and Christianity, that ceased to fit theism or eventually deism.
I love your kindness and invitation.
If you don’t mind me jumping in, I had some thoughts. It’s interesting that, although irritated, I never felt exactly manipulated by the left nor felt that what went for the left was particularly ‘far left’. Many activists on the left often felt rather ‘conservative’ or ‘reactionary’ to me, in the psychological sense… more conventional and normative than radical.
I’ve never found the American left to be all that threatening, at least not in my lifetime. The American left has been mostly disorganized and weak, since FBI COINTELPRO destroyed the truly radical leftist movements that once existed. The bickering and divisive left we now see is the remnants and aftermath of that earlier time.
The failing now is that the left is often barely to the left at all. For example, Bernie Sanders gets portrayed as a radical left-winger, but when you look at his actual views they are smack dab in the middle of public opinion. That would oddly mean that the vast majority of Americans are radical left-wingers with even leading Democratic politicians typically being to the right of that.
On the other hand, my viewpoint is biased by having been raised in a liberal church. But it also was a church that came out of the evangelical tradition. There was a strong emphasis on having a personal relationship with or personal experience of God/Christ. The church I grew up in was doing same sex marriages during my childhood in the ’80s and probably long before I was born. I’m fine with a certain kind of political correctness, as it was common in that religious tradition such as referring to the divine in various gendered or non-gendered terms.
I’m curious if you’re familiar with the writings of Thomas Paine. In The Age of Reason, he strongly criticized Christianity as organized religion, even as he admired the teachings of Jesus. He did so as a deist. His position was once more common, as he wasn’t the only American founder who was deist. Thomas Jefferson famously cut up the Bible to remove the claims of miracles he considered false.
Anyway, I suspect Paine was influenced by his father’s Quakerism. That tradition emphasizes the personal relationship aspect over the demands of organized religion.
Gunther Von Hoffman says:
The left was never allowed to grow in the USA long before the FBI COINTELPRO operations had occurred. You had the Palmer Raids, the Socialist Party of Oklahoma being taken down in the 1920 and 30s, communists being hounded by the police when they were organizing the workers in the early 20th century, no multiple diverse political parties were allowed to grow in the USA, etc.
@Gunther – I basically agree. But COINTELPRO was the killing strike. There was still some active radicalism of that time, if not as radical as it had been earlier in the century. We now think of the South as conservative, but it once was a hot bed for labor organizing. This was not only for Appalachian mining communities but also blacks in the Deep South. There was even cross-racial labor organizing in the Deep South, even in one case where the KKK provided security. Imagine that! Radical cross-racial labor organizing with Klansmen protected by the Klan.
It’s true that left-wing movements in the late 1800s to early 1900s was like nothing seen since. Back then, there were mass movements sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of participants. They had mass strikes, they marched on state capitals, they camped out on the White House lawn, and they even fought back with guns when anyone tried to take their rights away. The political left was already on the wane by the time the ’60s came around. But even then, there was radicalism. Many on the left realized that it was desperate times and so they sought out solidarity for protection — together we stand, divided we hang. What people today forget is that why groups like the Black Panthers were so feared wasn’t merely because they were blacks with guns but because they reached out to ally with other groups: feminists, Native Americans, and poor whites.
Here is something I wrote about that era:
https://benjamindavidsteele.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/poverty-in-black-and-white/
I was reading a book about the activism and organizing of poor and working class whites during the 60s: Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power by Amy Sonnie and James Tracy. It is about how these white groups formed alliances with black groups in common cause, both groups dealing with poverty and oppression. The book is eye-opening. This isn’t any history you were ever taught or even likely to have come across. As far as I know, this is the first book written about it. In one instance, the Klan provided protection to a black group during a strike that blacks and whites were organizing together. That is hard to imagine, but it happened (Kindle Locations 149-154):
“We organized a meeting of Movement organizers, including members of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), for the Patriots delegation. At the time, the New Orleans chapters of the Southern Conference Education Fund (SCEF) and the RNA were working together supporting a strike by pulp mill workers in Laurel, Mississippi, not far outside New Orleans. Virginia Collins , the local RNA leader and one of the organization’s founders, told the Patriots about the white and Black workers who had been enemies before the strike but were now working together. She shared that the local Klan actually provided security for the SCEF and RNA organizers when they came to hold meetings, and that sometimes they met in the Black Baptist church, sometimes in the white Baptist church.”
One group was the Young Patriots. They were lower class white Southerners who had moved North. They all lived in a neighborhood in Chicago where poverty and unemployment was rampant. These were the poorest of the poor whites. So, just like poor blacks, they organized. But they never got the attention from the MSM. Even the middle class white activists largely ignored them. Poor Southern whites were supposed to be the bad guys, but some blacks were able to empathize. It took the Black Panthers to acknowledge these struggling whites (Kindle Locations 262-266):
“The Young Patriots’ own chairman, William Fesperman, even let some heartfelt gratitude show in between jibes about the “pig power structure” when he explained how the Patriots came to be at the conference: “Our struggle is beyond comprehension to me sometimes and I felt for a long time [that poor whites] was forgotten … that nobody saw us. Until we met the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and they met us and we said let’s put that theory into practice.” Summing up why they had all come to Oakland, he added, “We want to stand by our brothers, our brothers, dig?””
I guess it’s too early in the morning. I wrote that, “Radical cross-racial labor organizing with Klansmen protected by the Klan.” I meant to say that the Klansmen were protecting black labor organizers. The world is a lot more complex than gets portrayed in mainstream narratives.
The world we now exist in was created through mass and often violent oppression combined with propaganda campaigns. We are able to sit around complaining about political correctness and wokeness because any left-wing movement as a serious threat was systematically destroyed generations ago.
Thank you for the book. I will be ordering it at my local library since they have a zip book program where the federal government provides funding for the libraries so people can read books without having to pay for it themselves.
What I find missing from these debates about religion and human behaviour is a discussion about the origins of religion in antiquity, in early humankind. It’s an important perspective given humankinds relatively short time on earth. As has been pointed out by others, the fundemental fact is that all life forms eventually die one way or another and that while alive there is a need to consume other lifeforms in order to remain alive. Religion began with the observation that life is cyclical – birth, life, death, rebirth. All the myths boil down to this. In terms of humanity, psychology is a key factor that is often neglected. Religion was born from fear of death and a notion that death is caused by outside influences. This neccesitates sacrificing to these influences to curry life prolonging favour. Early humans projected like crazy, which suggests a lingering aspect to human nature. Study the origins of magic to find clues to the origin of religion. From these early beginnings, the human mind has come to a point where individual and group numanistic experiences, proves the existence of a higher power, whether it be a god or the self. This is the mystical nature of humanity that most depend on for psychological survival. I speak of antiquity but that is only in human terms. In terms of the universe as we know it today, humanity just came about a fraction of a second ago. We have a lot of evolving to do.
Eliot May (@Eliot_May) says:
I found your article last night after writing this article. All the best in your work and bringing sanity and balance to the political sphere. https://medium.com/@eliotmay_68700/think-before-you-shoot-sane-advice-reflecting-on-the-political-landscape-75c7353d0d9a
Some related thoughts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/25/wokeness-isnt-cultural-socialism-or-religious-zealotry-it-sure-is-an-orthodoxy/
ytttu y says:
short, to the point, and no bullshit. well done
GlueBall (@GlueBall_) says:
…I’m only semi literate, that’s why I find it hard to conceptualize how a cosmic Jewish zombie can make you symbolically eat his flesh and then telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so that he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree. Maybe you can help us with that? Do tell.
As a former Evangelical Christian and young person who was caught up in the “woke liberal movement” this article deeply speaks to me. I studied Sociology in college and was all aboard the woke social justice train for a while, but then, through listening to others voices and stories (mainly podcasts and friends) I realized how repressive the extreme left is. I also moved to the San Francisco area and saw some ideas being taken way too far. I was backing off my social justice soap box and learning to hold my ideals a little more loosely, recognizing I was young and probably didn’t know everything (but that I also did have some fire and theres some real injustice we need to talk about). As I came to realize this I would explain to people, “Well I used to be a totally sold out Christian then came to realize I was wrong and lied to about A LOT, so now I hold my beliefs (social, political, spiritual) a little more loosely). This article REALLY echoes what I’ve experienced on my own. THANK YOU.
KayinColwyn says:
Are you Matthew Wiley?
You are being asked to login because edwardtulane82@gmail.com is used by an account you are not logged into now.
By logging in you’ll post the following comment to The Righteous and the Woke – Why Evangelicals and Social Justice Warriors Trigger Me in the Same Way:
Hi Valerie, I’m a little late to the party here as I only just now ran across this article today, but just wanted to thank you for writing it and sharing it. :)
I’m an ex evangelical Christian like yourself, and while I am still open to spirituality and open to there being some kind of transcendant or metaphysical reality behind things in large part because of my own personal experiences, even so I am averse to much of religion, or more specifically fundamentalist religion, because of my own negative experiences with evangelicalism.
My experience with evangelicalism is a long story so I will just say that it wasn’t completely negative and I learned some important lessons from it, but it was definitely hellish at times and much of it was a ‘dark night of the soul’, if you want to call it that.
Anyways, I’ve always been a registered Democrat and leaned a little left even when I was an evangelical, and I dabbled in ‘woke’ culture a little bit after leaving the church, but quickly realized what you did, that it had very much the same mentality behind it, the same old bullshit I had gotten out of.
To be fair I have also seen this kind of thing in my observations of and experiences with militant atheism and far right ideology, as that kind of dogmatic zealous mentality can exist as much in those worlds as in militant theism and far left ideology.
Part of it is the irrational or twisted doctrines that get thrown around in these religious or political ideologies, but a bigger part I think is that same dogmatic and zealous mentality, that same lack of humility and lack of willingness to try to dialogue and find some common ground, that people can fall into.
Im my experience not all theists or atheists, nor all liberals or conservatives, are this way, in fact most aren’t as far as I can tell, and are more or less decent and reasonable people, but there are enough who are like that, and they are loud and influential enough, that it makes life more difficult for all of us who are just trying to live our lives and find a path that makes sense to both head and heart.
Of course I have to keep in mind that it really isn’t the people who are trapped in that mentality, but rather the mentality itself, which is almost like a disease that can infect people.
It’s tempting to harshly judge people like that, but I know I really shouldn’t when I been infected with that kind of mentality myself at different times in my life.
I guess what I am looking for is a balance between healthy skepticism and open-mindedness, between caution and curiosity, and want to try to weigh different sides on different issues as best I can and find a more nuanced and balanced view, and I imagine that I’m not alone in this.
Well anyways, just wanted to comment here, and thank you again, and while I may not have agreed with you on everything here I did resonate with much of it and it definitely spoke to me and put into words much of what I have been thinking for awhile now.
Pingback: SJW, Horseshoe Theory dan the Woke Culture – AMF life
The Arbourist says:
Reblogged this on Dead Wild Roses.
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Astoria, Featured, Shopping, Small Business Owners Spotlight
Small Business Owner Spotlight: LIPSTICKBOWTIES!
One of my favorite parts about writing for WHA is learning about inspiring business owners in our neighborhood. We are so lucky to have so many kickass go-getters among us, (…)
by Lindsay Goyette
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One of my favorite parts about writing for WHA is learning about inspiring business owners in our neighborhood. We are so lucky to have so many kickass go-getters among us, and today’s Small Business Owner Spotlight, online fashion/beauty shop LIPSTICKBOWTIES, is no different. (And like me, they’re identical twins, which I just think is the coolest!)
Ashley and Kimberly took some time out of their quest for world domination to answer a few of our questions. Take it away, ladies!
Name of Business:
LIPSTICKBOWTIES
Ashley Carvalho + Kimberly Carvalho (Twins)
We’re an online shop based in Astoria, Queens.
What are you known for?
We started with, like our name says, lipstick and bow ties. They serve as two symbols of femininity and masculinity and our intention to break those gender lines. Men can rock lipstick just like women can rock bow ties. If you’re not into that, that’s okay too! The heart of LB has always been to encourage others to express themselves fully, to be bold, to embrace their multiple personas. We should all have the freedom to gravitate towards what speaks to us. Our belief is also to be as sustainable and eco-conscious as possible, from the fabric/materials we use to packaging. We make sure to support small businesses as well. Our lipsticks are made in the US and are made with natural and organic ingredients. We design and hand-make our bow ties, bolo ties, and collar wraps. Since we’re both hoarders though, obsessed with anything old, we now have vintage clothing! We love hunting at flea markets and estate sales for treasure. It’s hard not to keep everything we find! Now, we’re really excited to be working on designing a small collection of sustainable, vintage-inspired garments, so we’re happy to say we are in the beginning stages of that.
Do you also live in Queens? If so, where? How did you end up here?
We live off the 46th St M/R stop. We moved there a couple years ago from 37th St and Astoria Blvd. We now have an office in our apartment so we LOVE it! Five months after graduating college, we came to Astoria. We really loved the energy of it. We knew we wanted to move here when we saw a group of older men playing cards in a garage. We’re Portuguese and we come from a big family, so when we saw those men, we saw our uncles.
What made you decide to start a business in Astoria?
We’re actors, writers, and producers originally from CT, so we had started a production company in Astoria before we started LB. We couldn’t think of another place to start a company than NY. The people, the culture, the creativity inspires us so much. It’s addictive. People leave their homes expressing themselves in so many different, amazing ways. How can we not feel that energy and be changed for the better?!
What’s been your favorite moment since launching?
Producing our first pop-up back in November has so far been our favorite moment. We were able to see our vision come to life. The designing and envisioning process is so much fun, and then watching it become tangible was really rewarding. It was also really helpful to meet our customers and have awesome conversations with them.
What’s your favorite place to grab food when you’re working?
We love to eat at Max Bratwurst und Bier (we’re regulars lol), Pye Boat Noodle, and Shuya Cafe de Ramen. We also love The Sparrow Tavern and Roti Boti!
What’s a hidden Astoria secret you feel like people don’t know about that you absolutely love?
After seven and a half years, we’re still discovering Astoria!
What’s your favorite place to grab a drink?
For cocktails, The Last Word. For coffee, Kinship. #obsessed
If you have friends or family visiting Astoria, where do you take them?
We take them to Max’s, Queens Comfort, and The Last Word.
How have you seen Astoria change since you’ve been here?
We’ve been here for almost seven and a half years, and we’ve seen delicious coffee shops pop up, more ramen places and awesome cocktail bars come in. It’s so cool to see chefs really competing and putting fresh, delicious food first (we watch too many food shows). We’re happy to see that Astoria still maintains its mixture of cultural roots while welcoming new businesses. It’s a good balance thus far.
What’s your favorite part of owning a business in Queens?
We love how Queens makes us feel. We love the other boroughs too, but Queens has a specific sort of honesty. We can leave the house in half pajamas/half outfit and feel like no one is judging us. It also goes back to the amazing diversity of culture. That’s the best thing about Queens. There’s an energy and language of Astoria that fits us. Maybe it’s because we’re Portuguese and the commitment to keeping a culture alive makes us feel connected.
Anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Yea! We’ll be at Artists & Fleas (Williamsburg) on March 10-11, 10AM-7PM. We’d love to see you! We’re also planning our next pop-up in Astoria for the Spring. Stop by our events page on our website to find out where we’ll be next!
We can’t wait to see what’s next for you! Thanks ladies :)
ShoppingSmall Business Owner Spotlight
About Lindsay Goyette
Lindsay has been eating and drinking her way through Queens since 2011. A casting director by day and Astoria explorer by night, you can usually find her checking out live music, theatre, or the newest neighborhood spot to enjoy a craft beer.
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« Free Music: Jessica Hernandez, Dragon Age, and Bob Dylan | Main | J dot »
Sam Smith w/ George Ezra at Roy Wilkins, St. Paul (24 Jan 2015)
Sam Smith Setlist
Like I Can
Good Thing (acoustic)
Lay Me Down (acoustic)
My Funny Valentine (Hal McIntyre & His Orchestra cover)
(orig. done w/Naughty Boy)
Money on My Mind / Finally (CeCe Peniston cover)
(orig. done w/Disclosure)
Make It To Me
George Ezra Setlist
Cassie O
Listen to the Man
Did You Hear the Rain
01/29/15 Inglewood, CA Forum
01/31/15 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Aud
02/02/15 Seattle, WA KeyArena
02/04/15 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
02/25/15 London The O2
03/01/15 Brussels, Belgium Forest National
03/02/15 Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall
03/04/15 Munich, Germany Zenith
03/05/15 Cologne, Germany Palladium
03/07/15 Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt
03/09/15 Milan, Italy Alcatraz
03/10/15 Zurich, Switzerland X-TRA
03/16/15 Glasgow O2 Academy
03/19/15 Manchester O2 Apollo
03/22/15 Wolverhampton Civic Hall
03/25/15 London O2 Academy Brixton
04/22/15 Auckland Vector Arena
04/25/15 Brisbane Brisbane Riverstage
04/27/15 Moore Park Hordern Pavilion
04/30/15 Melbourne Margaret Court Arena
05/01/15 Hindmarsh Adelaide Entertainment
05/04/15 Mt. Claremont HBF Stadium
05/16/15 Rock In Rio USA
06/17/15 Paris, France Olympia
Sam Smith has sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC and The Forum in Los Angeles in minutes, with a second show in Los Angeles being added on January 29, 2015. The month-long ....
Opening act George Ezra is quickly positioning himself as one of the success stories of 2015. The Hertford, England 21-year old ....
Common name, most distinctively uncommon voice.
Amidst the literal plethora of things going on in downtown St. Paul (Winter Carnival, street parade, Red Bull Crashed Ice, The Opera, a cat show, state hockey tournament, and more) that brought over 200,000 people to a one square mile area; a golden voice, a veritable canary in a coal mine, shone through everything to leave a lasting impact on the 5,000 or so that saw Sam Smith at a sold-out Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
The evening started on a high note, with bass-baritone voiced fellow UK up-and-comer George Ezra and band playing seven songs in a brief 30 min. opening set. The 21 yr. old guided his three-piece band playing selections from his debut LP, Wanted on Voyage (Columbia/Sony Records) which makes its U.S. debut (after being out in the UK and Europe since last June) today in record shops.
The lanky Ezra has a big, bluesy voice and lyrics that belie his young age, and sounds almost American, as his stated folk influences have been Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Howlin’ Wolf among others. Lead single, ‘Budapest’ received the predictably strongest response, but initial UK single and set opener ‘Cassie O’ and the closing ‘Did You Hear the Rain’ (folky with electronic loops) also had toes tapping and heads nodding.
Those that didn’t get a chance, or want to experience more George Ezra, can tune into Conan this Thursday night and get tickets for his upcoming headlining club tour, which makes a local stop at the Varsity Theater on March 31st.
A week after headlining NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Sam Smith made his long overdue local debut (a March 2014 showcase set at the Dakota last year for a few radio and retail tastemakers notwithstanding) with a grandiose entrance that set the stage for a polished and entertaining 77 min. set from the Londoner and band.
Lights dimmed and the crowd screamed as a heavy gray curtain dropped to reveal yet another, more translucent curtain with caricatures of Smith’s right and left profiles and behind it, and Smith himself appearing then descending slowly from a center platform.
Smith’s five-piece band (including a cellist) and trio of background singers were, like Smith, dressed in all black, with only the white collar of Smith’s shirt making him stand out more. The musicians were each on varying platform levels behind Smith and framed by a half moon pattern of stage lights to highlight the band.
The crowd of mostly females and couples, screamed at Smith’s dramatic entrance and first song, the aching ‘Life Support’, with Smith’s vocals wisely up front in the mix to cut through the cavernous and often dubious acoustics of the aging auditorium. Smith definitely knew where he was, name-checking “St. Paul” numerous times which delighted the fans every time he mentioned it.
Smith’s debut album, In the Lonely Hour (Capitol Records), climbed to #2 in the U.S. and garnered six Grammy nominations, something he thanked the local fans for and mentioned his concerts were a celebration of, singing all but one track from the album.
With a “sing with me”, he launched early into single, ‘I’m Not the Only One’, which had the crowds in the seated sections swaying to his falsetto chorus. Like Adele, heartbreak has served him well lyrically, though he described the album as “not sad” and more about simply being himself.
An stripped down mini-set midway through, proved to be one of the night’s highlights, starting with only Smith and keyboardist Reuben James playing “the most personal song” on the album, ‘Good Thing’, then into ‘Lay Me Down’ and slightly ramping up with a cover of classic, ‘My Funny Valentine’.
“Who knows this song?” Smith asked, as the vocal loop from he and Naughty Boy’s single, ‘La La La’ was cued up, to great reaction. A mashup of single, ‘Money on my Mind’ and Cece Peniston’s 90’s club hit ‘Finally’, ended the main set with an exclamation.
Maybe most surprising was the first song of the encore, a slowed-tempo version of the song that initially put Smith on the map, ‘Latch’, with elegant piano and cello parts reinterpreting the Disclosure electronic beats and loops of the more frantic recorded version.
Another Disclosure collaboration, ‘Make it to Me’ was next, a “love letter” song Smith performed sitting with his background singers like street corner quartet, that brought out its hopeful lyrics even further.
Saved for last was Smith’s biggest song to date, the infectious ‘Stay With Me’, that only after the St. Paul show was decided by a court that it sounded to similar to a Tom Petty song, and had Smith relinquishing songwriting credits and a 12.5% stake in the publishing—not that any of that detracts from ache and soul the song conveys.
With his career just starting (though he mentioned he’s had a manager since age 12) and a strong chance that he walks away with several Grammys next weekend, Sam Smith’s local debut was worth the wait, with likely several more appearances in the years ahead, to come.
Sam Smith at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul (24 Jan 2015)
john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic
Posted by W♥M on Tuesday, 27 January 2015 at 09:10 PM in George Ezra, John, Roy Wilkins, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Sam Smith, St Paul | Permalink
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Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from January 8 to January 16, 2018.
Husband/wife duo Tennis is back in town. Their forthcoming album Yours Conditionally will be out March 10th via Mutually Detrimental / Thirty Tigers. …
Overcoats to open. We saw the duo last May 2016 and noted that the two only found out days before the show that they were actually going out on tour with Matt Corby. …
+ Overcoats
Thu 01/11/2018 (7pm/$16)
After a year of hiatus, husband and wife duo Tennis came back strong earlier in 2017. We caught the band in March 2017 and mentioned how singer Alaina Moore was pleased at the turnout and fan support.
Their latest release We Can Die Happy came out November 10th on Mutually Detrimental/Thirty Tigers.
Opening up for Tennis will once again be duo Overcoats (Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell). They’re constantly changing their live performance, from playing live instruments to weird Karaoke performance.
If you saw them in March, I would hazard a guess that they will do a similar setup: pre-recorded music over harmonizing vocals, dressed in angelic white clothing.
Overcoats’ debut album Young is out now on Arts & Crafts.
1/10/18: Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
1/11/18: Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
1/12/18: Milwaukee, WI - Pabst / Riverside
1/15/18: Indianapolis, IN - HI-FI Indy
1/16/18: Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
1/18/18: Toronto, ON - Mod Club Theatre
1/19/18: Ithaca, NY - The Haunt
1/20/18: Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
1/21/18: Boston, MA - Royale
1/23/18: Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
1/24/18: Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
1/25/18: Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
1/27/18: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
1/29/18: Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
1/30/18: Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
2/01/18: Dallas, TX - Trees Dallas
2/02/18: San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
2/03/18: Austin, TX - Emo's
Big Head Todd
This Colorado-based trio has built a career on years of solid touring throughout every college town and a strong DIY ethic. CRIMES OF PASSION is Big Head Todd and the Monsters' eighth album. …
THE FLORISTS
Mon 01/08/2018 (7pm/$8)
Local band The Florists (Jo Kellen, Jared Hemming, Luke Michaels) is playing a hometown gig, kicking off their upcoming tour.
Joining them will be:
Dancebums
Larry Wish & His Guys
Xoxo Tech
ESHAM
Amsterdam Bar
Detroit rapper Esham will be bringing his "acid rap" to Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul. His new album Scribble is out now on Reel Life Records.
01/05/18 Harpos Concert Theatre, Detroit, MI
01/06/18 The Loft, Lansing, MI
01/07/18 The Forge, Joliet, IL, US
01/09/18 Amsterdam Bar and Hall, St. Paul, MN
01/10/18 Lefty's Live Music, Des Moines, IA, US
01/13/18 Mesa Theater & Club, Grand Junction, CO
01/17/18 Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
01/19/18 Jub Jub's Thirst Parlor, Reno, NV
01/20/18 Brick By Brick, San Diego, CA
01/21/18 Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, CA
01/23/18 Last Exit Live, Phoenix, AZ
01/27/18 Firebird, St Louis, MO, US
03/12/18 The Flashback Lounge, Watertown, NY
03/14/18 The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
03/24/18 Backbooth, Orlando, FL
03/25/18 The Rock House, Ocala, FL
+ Lynn O'Brien
The Cedar Cultural Center
New York Singer / songwriter / author Christine Lavin is playing the Cedar on Wednesday. Lynn O'Brien to open.
Thu 01/11/2018 (7:30pm/$27.50)
You, me, and The Devil Makes Three will be stopping by First Avenue on Thursday. The Americana trio recently released Redemption & Ruin on New West Records.
01/10 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
01/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
01/12 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
01/13 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
01/14 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
01/16 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
01/18 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
01/19 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
01/20 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
01/23 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
01/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
01/25 – Providence, RI @ Fete
01/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
01/27 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
01/30 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
01/31 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
02/01 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
02/02 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
02/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
02/07 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
02/08 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
02/09 – Austin, TX @ Emo's
02/10 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
WHEN WE LAND
+ Maple & Beech, Ben Noble
Fri 01/12/2018 (7pm/$8)
Local band When We Land is having their debut album Introvert's Plight release show on Friday at the Turf Club. Maple & Beech and Ben Noble to open.
With a digital fan base of over 12 million active followers and subscribers, 21-year old Interscope recording artist Alex Aiono is kicking off his 2018 at the Cedar Cultural Center this Saturday.
Expect to hear some autotuned vocals of T-Pain on his latest single One At A Time.
1/13/2018 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
1/14/2018 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
1/16/2018 Pontiac, MI Pike Room
1/18/2018 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
1/19/2018 Philadelphia, PA The Foundry
1/20/2018 Washington, DC U Street
1/21/2018 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
1/23/2018 Atlanta, GA Terminal West
1/25/2018 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall
1/26/2018 Dallas, TX Trees
1/29/2018 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
1/31/2018 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room
2/1/2018 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
2/2/2018 San Francisco, CA Great American Music
2/3/2018 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS
+ Ronnie Baker Brooks
Sat 01/13/2018 (7pm/$32.50)
Colorado band Big Head Todd and the Monsters is touring in support of their eleventh studio album, New World Arisin’ (Big Records). Ronnie Baker Brooks to open.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters Tour Dates
01/11—Slowdown—Omaha, NE
01/12—The Pageant—St. Louis, MO
01/13—Palace Theatre—St. Paul, MN
01/14—Pabst Theater—Milwaukee, WI
01/16—Vogue Theatre—Indianapolis, IN
01/18—State Theatre—Kalamazoo, MI
01/19—Vic Theatre—Chicago, IL
01/23—House of Blues—Cleveland, OH
01/25—9:30 Club—Washington, DC
01/26—Theatre of the Living Arts—Philadelphia, PA
01/27—Capitol Theatre—Port Chester, NY
01/28—Wilbur Theatre—Boston, MA
01/31—The National—Richmond, VA
02/01—The Ritz—Raleigh, NC
02/02—The Fillmore—Charlotte, NC
02/03—Variety Playhouse—Atlanta, GA
03/17—Pot of Gold Music Festival—Chandler, AZ
+ Jøur, Phantom Heart
Yumi Zouma will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on Tuesday in support of their new album Willowbank (Cascine Records).
01/11/2018 Starline Social Club Oakland, CA
01/12/2018 Dada Dallas Dallas, TX
01/13/2018 Barracuda Austin, TX
01/16/2018 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
01/17/2018 Schubas Tavern Chicago, IL
01/19/2018 Baby's All Right Brooklyn, NY
Posted by W♥M on Monday, 01 January 2018 at 09:54 PM in Ben Noble, Big Head Todd, Christine Lavin, Dancebums, Esham, Jour, Larry Wish, Lynn O'Brien, Maple and Beech, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, Overcoats, Phantom Heart, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tennis, The Devil Makes Three, The Florists, Vu, When We Land, XOXO Tech, Yumi Zouma | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Westside Football Plays for State Title
GOOD LUCK to the Westside Warrior Football Team, competing for the NSAA State Championship Tuesday night! Thank you to all of our hard-working student athletes and coaches, and to our incredible student body, staff members, and family members who have supported them along the way!
We know many of you plan to make the trip to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln Tuesday to cheer on our Warriors. We hope to provide you with some details to help you plan out your day. Please note: the safety of our students and staff is top priority, and we will be monitoring weather forecasts throughout the day. At this time, the game and events described below are on as scheduled. YOU are always your child’s #1 decision maker; if you believe weather conditions are too dangerous for travel, please do what YOU think is best for your child.
Tuesday Events
8:00am – Pep Rally at Westside High School. All are welcome.
4:00pm – Team bus will leave Westside High School, followed by cheer, student, and band buses
5:30pm – Red Shield is hosting a tailgate in Lot 7 outside Memorial Stadium. Hamburgers, hot dogs and water will be provided courtesy of the Lundin family. All are welcome.
7:15pm – Kick off at Memorial Stadium
The game will be televised live on NET at 7:00pm
Students who do not have tickets will have to purchase them at Memorial Stadium or online via GoFan, the official ticketing partner of the NSAA: https://gofan.co/app/events/74831
Westside fans will sit in the WEST stadium. Fans may enter at Gate 10 or Gate 3 (handicapped entrance)
Parking: Campus and University lots are not available for parking during the day Tuesday. The parking garage at 14th & Avery will be available for parking during games. Handicapped parking is located on the west side of Memorial Stadium.
Memorial Stadium has a clear bag policy
NOT ALLOWED: umbrellas, talcum/baby powder, artificial noisemakers (cowbells, air horns, whistles)
All fans are required to wear shirts
Thank you for your support of our student athletes and our district – GO WARRIORS!
Westside Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, marital/parental/pregnancy status, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under law in its educational programs and activities or in admission or access to, or treatment in, hiring and employment. Retaliation for reporting discrimination or harassment or participating in an investigation is also prohibited
Click here for more information on discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
To report or raise any concern with the District, including, but not limited to, a concern about discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, click here.
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A Short Review of Ghostbusters and A Longer Pummel of Manboys
July 17, 2016 July 18, 2016 John Scalzi117 Comments
What I thought of the new Ghostbusters: I liked it, and would happily rewatch it. It’s definitely the second-best Ghostbusters movie, and much closer to the original in terms of enjoyment than the willfully forgotten Ghostbusters 2. There are legitimate criticisms to make of it: the plot is rote to the point of being slapdash, the action scenes are merely adequate, and Paul Feig is no Ivan Reitman, in terms of creating comedic ambiance. But the film got the two big things right: It has a crackerjack cast that’s great individually and together, and it has all the one-liners you can eat. And now that the origin story of these particular Ghostbusters is out of the way, I’m ready for the sequel.
But what about the Ghostbusters being all women?!??!?? Yes they were, and it was good. If you can’t enjoy Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones snarking it up while zapping ghosts with proton streams, one, the problem is you, not them, and two, no really, what the fuck is wrong with you. The actors and the characters had chemistry with one another and I would have happily watched these Ghostbusters eat lunch, just to listen to them zap on one another. And in particular I want to be McKinnon’s Holtzmann when I grow up; Holtzmann is brilliant and spectrum-y and yet pretty much social anxiety-free and I honestly can’t see any sort of super-nerd not wanting to cosplay the shit out of her forever and ever, amen.
BUT THEY’VE RUINED MY CHILDHOOD BY BEING WOMEN, wails a certain, entitled subset of male nerd on the Internet. Well, good, you pathetic little shitballs. If your entire childhood can be irrevocably destroyed by four women with proton packs, your childhood clearly sucked and it needs to go up in hearty, crackling flames. Now you are free, boys, free! Enjoy the now. Honestly, I don’t think it’s entirely a coincidence that one of the weakest parts of this film is its villain, who (very minor spoiler) is literally a basement-dwelling man-boy just itchin’ to make the world pay for not making him its king, as he is so clearly meant to be. These feculent lads are annoying enough in the real world. It’s difficult to make them any more interesting on screen.
But this is just the latest chapter of man-boys whining about women in science fiction culture: Oh noes! Mad Max has womens in it! Yes, and Fury Road was stunning, arguably the best film of its franchise and of 2015, and was improbably but fittingly nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Oh noes! Star Wars has womens in it! Yes, and The Force Awakens was pretty damn good, the best Star Wars film since Empire, was the highest grossing film of 2015 and of all time in the domestic box office (not accounting for inflation. Accounting for inflation, it’s #11. #1 counting inflation? That super-manly epic, Gone With the Wind).
And now, Oh noes! Ghostbusters has womens in it! Yes, and it’s been well-reviewed and at $46 million, is the highest grossing opening for its director or any of its stars and perfectly in line with studio estimates for the weekend. Notably, all the surviving principals of the original film make cameos, suggesting they are fine with passing the torch (Harold Ramis is honored in the film too, which is a lovely touch), and Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd are producers of the film. If your childhood has been ruined, boys, then your alleged heroes happily did some of the kicking.
I’m an 80s kid; my youth is not forever stained by a Ghostbusters remake, any more than it was stained by remakes of Robocop or Point Break or Poltergeist or Endless Love or The Karate Kid or Clash of the Titans or Footloose or Total Recall and on and on. I think most of these remakes were unnecessary, and I don’t think most of them were particularly good, or as good as their originals, and I question why film companies bother, aside from the “all the originals were made before the global movie market matured and there’s money on the table that can be exploited with these existing brands,” which is, of course, its own excuse.
But after a certain and hopefully relatively early point in your life, you realize remakes are just a thing the film industry does — the first Frankenstein film listed on imdb was made in 1910, and the most recent, 2015, and Universal (maker of the classic 1931 version) is planning yet another reboot in 2018 or 2019 — and maybe you get over yourself and your opinion that your childhood is culturally inviolate, especially from the entities that actually, you know, own the properties you’ve invested so much of your psyche into. It’s fine to roll your eyes when someone announces yet another remake, tweet “UGH WHYYYYYY” and then go about your life. But it causes you genuine emotional upheaval, maybe a reconfigure of your life is not out of the question.
(Not, mind you, that I think these shitboys are genuinely that invested in Ghostbusters, per se; they’re invested in manprivilege and, as noted above, would have wailed their anguished testeria onto Reddit and 4chan regardless of which cultural property had women “suddenly” show up in it. This is particularly ironic with anything regarding science fiction, which arguably got its successful start in Western culture through the graces of Mary Shelley. Women have always been in it, dudes. Deal.)
The happy news in this case is that, whether or not this Ghostbusters reboot was necessary, it’s pretty good, and fun to watch. That’s the best argument for it. I’m looking forward to more.
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Medievaldragon
Tomas Hernandez is owner of Blizzplanet.com since 2003. I post news about World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Diablo III, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard Careers, and the Warcraft film. Blizzplanet is a leading fansite covering news about upcoming Blizzard Entertainment licensed products. I also post previews and reviews. I have interviewed book writers and Blizzard game developers. I was previously an employee of the OGaming Network (2003), and IncGamers (2008-2010). I was a guest newsposter for GosuGamers (World of Warcraft) a few years ago and for Diablofans.com (formerly Diablo3.com) ***Fans who would love to watch Blizzard-related panels and appreciate our efforts can support Blizzplanet's patreon in a monthly-basis, or a one-time basis. Our staff are volunteer fans like you. Your donations will help us travel to all the Blizzard events we attend year-round to bring you the latest interview with the developers, photos, and panel videos (where allowed).
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Inscriptions – Paladin Glyphs
Written by Medievaldragon on January 13, 2008 . Posted in BlizzPlanet Articles, World of Warcraft Guides
Death Knight | Druid | Hunter | Mage | Paladin | Priest
Rogue | Shaman | Warlock | Warrior—- Reagents
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Inscription – Mage Glyphs
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Inscription – Hunter Glyphs
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Inscription – Druid Glyphs
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Fishing – Dalaran Wish Coins
Blizzard Developers have always been known for their easter eggs and humor. The fountain located on the southwest of Dalaran, by the Alliance bank area, can be the source of some funny findings. You would require fishing tradeskill. These are at least eight of the coins you can find there from famous Warcraft characters: Aegwynn, Prince Arthas, King Terenas Menethil, Stalvan, Tirion Fordring, Alleria, and … Teron Gorefiend.
For those who played Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal or have read World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal (pocket book), Teron Gorefiend was sent by Ner’zhul to Azeroth to retrieve three artifacts of power: the Scepter of Sargeras (Tomb of Sargeras), Book of Medivh (Alterac) and the Eye of Dalaran. Who would have known Teron would throw a wish coin on the fountain of Dalaran before departing with the black dragons? Thanks a bunch to Handclaw for providing these images.
Salandria is the blood elf orphan who gives quests in Shattrath City during the Children’s week. Kryll is the goblin who served Deathwing during the second war (Warcraft: Day of the Dragon). Molok was a dwarf who flew Rhonin on a gryphon toward Khaz Modan. Molok died when a dragon knocked both off their mount. He was against flying Rhonin to his destination. Special thanks to Handclaw for providing the images.
This is the fountain you can fish these coins from.
Legendary Pictures – World of Warcraft Film Blizzcon video
Written by Medievaldragon on August 14, 2007 . Posted in Blizzard Games News, World of Warcraft Film, World of Warcraft News
WCRadio put up the video of the Legendary Pictures Panel held at Blizzcon 2007, where Chris Metzen, Paul Sams and Thomas Tull (Legendary Pictures Chairman) discussed details of the Film with fans. The video lasts 43 minutes, and it is very amusing, humorous and informative. At the end you will see a concept art that shows Teldrassil. If that is a hint of things to see, we will probably see Darnassus city and of course Tyrande Whisperwind.
It will be a live action film portraying a war conflict between the Alliance and the Horde. The timeframe is set to a year before the events of the MMORPG. The main character will be a new heroe described to be kick-ass Human. Most of the story is told from the point of view of the Alliance, but there will be Horde elements with Thrall making it to the big screen. Thomas Tull hinted they want to make the first film a masterpiece that will make fans be excited of seeing what we we see everyday in the MMO come to live—and by saying “first film” basically let the cat out that they envision more films based on World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft Comic Book# 1 – DC Comics Press Release
Written by Medievaldragon on July 23, 2007 . Posted in Blizzard Games News, Blizzard Products News, World of Warcraft News
New York, NY—DC Comics, the world’s largest English language comic book publisher and home to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman announced plans today to publish a new comic book series based on World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment’s popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Preview art from the series will debut at Comic-Con International, held in San Diego, CA from July 26-29. The World of Warcraft comic book will be published through DC / WildStorm imprint and debut this fall.
The ongoing monthly series will be written by industry veteran Walter Simonson (Thor, Orion) and feature art by Ludo Lullabi and inker Sandra Hope. The first six issues of the World of Warcraft comic series will each feature two covers, one by superstar comic book artist Jim Lee and a second by Blizzard Entertainment Senior Art Director Samwise Didier.
Wow Comic Book
•Wow Comic Press Release 7-23
•Wow Comic Official – DC Comics Pre-Orders Open! 7-21
•Jim Lee @ BlizzCon – Official 7-20
•Scans of Wow Comic Sampler# 0 Cover 7-19
•Wow Comic @ San Diego Comic Con? 7-13
The Warcraft
Wow Comic Book Update – Jim Lee @ BlizzCon
Short and straight to the liver. Jim Lee will make a public appearance at BlizzCon 2007 on Friday, August 3rd at the Anaheim Convention Center.
It was revealed some time ago, however, that DC Direct had acquired a license for World of Warcraft action figures. This could be a reason for Jim Lee to be at San Diego Comic Con and BlizzCon. The only possible evidence is the comic book sampler scanned image allegedly seen at a Local Comic Store by two comic fans.
No confirmation or debunk on the unconfirmed World of Warcraft Comic Book by Wildstorm / DC Comics at this point. It will remain a rumor until San Diego Comic Con, or until Blizzard, DC Comics or Wildstorm issue an official press release. Stay tuned.
Recent details here
Wow Comic Book – Wildstorm / DC Comics
Few days ago I reported sighting of a suspicious entry at the San Diego Comic Con 2007 schedule, which listed Jim Lee, Chris Metzen and Mickey Nielson for Friday, July 27 from 3:30-4:30pm. What can a veteran comic book artist and a Warcraft lore (Creative Director) have in common at such event?
To those who do not know Jim Lee, he is the famous artist of X-Men# 1 (second series, 1991), issue that sold over 8 million copies. He created the concepts of the X-men uniforms at the time of launch: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Psylocke, Storm. On 1992, Jim Lee co-founded Image Comics – later named Wildstorm Productions. Among his credits are WildC.A.T.s., Cliffhanger, Gen13, DV8, Stormwatch, Deathblow, The Authority, Planetary, and Divine Right.
In 1996, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld returned to Marvel Comics to reboot Iron Man and the Fantastic Four titles back at issue# 1 with Heroes Reborn, after the Onslaught: Universe / Onslaught: X-Men storyline. The success of Heroes Reborn basically saved Marvel Comics from bankruptcy. Nowadays Jim Lee is working with DC Comics on a Batman title and on a rumored DC MMO. Seeing this artist sharing schedule with Chris Metzen caught my attention.
Is Wildstorm / DC Comics licensing and planning the launch of a World of Warcraft comic book? At the time of this posting some of my emails to various key people haven’t been replied back. However, deep-searching online for some hours brought up a curious forum thread by thefreakytiki at the thecomicforums.com. He mentioned to have sighted a free comic sampler at his local comic book store. According to thefreakytiki, the credits for the free sampler goes like this: Jim Lee (Cover Artist), Ludo Lullabi (penciler), Walter Simonson (Writer). Some Marvel Comic fans will remember Simonson from Thor title. Thanks to this I was able to search more thoroughfully online and found a scan at ComicPriceGuide.com – click the image.
All we need now is an official confirmation from Blizzard or to wait for details from San Diego Comic Con.
UPDATE 7-20-07: Official. Jim Lee will make a public appearance at BlizzCon 2007 at Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, August 3. Nuff’ said.
UPDATE 7-20-07: Scans of the inner pages of the free comic book sampler reveal a short interview with Walter Simonson (writer) and Ludo Lullabi (artist). It is official. World of Warcraft# 1 to be released on November 2007. Image scans at the bottom. Contact your local comics store 1-888-COMIC BOOK.
Thanks, Dassaace for the scans
World of Warcraft Comic Book @ San Diego Comic Con?
The schedule for San Diego Comic Con 2007 has been released, and by the looks of it there will be a World of Warcraft comic book to be shown there. This is mere interpretation. So I will tag this as rumor until we get a clarification. Don’t hold your breath however. I have known for over a month that Sideshow Collectibles will unveil a secret World of Warcraft Collectible statue at San Diego Comic Con. This schedule might be just saying different companies will showcase different and unrelated products separately. Personally, I am a comic book junkie with over 1,500 Xmen issues. I would love to see a World of Warcraft or Starcraft comic book. If you go to San Diego Comic Con send us images and tell us what you saw there from Blizzard. Contact me here. This is what will happen on Friday, July 27.
3:30-4:30pm PDT—WOW! It’s World of Warcraft!—Are you ready? Comics, collectibles, and online gaming are about to collide! How does the world’s most popular online game, World of Warcraft, plan to crash the comics and collectibles world? Find out here! As a special incentive, a collectible comic will be distributed to fans at the panel. Join Jim Lee (editorial director, WildStorm), Chris Metzen (VP of creative development, Blizzard), Mickey Neilson (writer/voice director, Blizzard), Hank Kanalz (VP/general manager, WildStorm), and Georg Brewer (VP, design and DC Direct creative) to discover the results of these combined forces! Room 4
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Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria
A. Arakaki, A. Yamagishi, Tadashi Matsunaga
MatsunagaMagnetotactic bacteria are microorganisms that produce magnetic particles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane with proteins. Since the size and morphology of these particles are uniform, it is thought that magnetic particles are morphologically controlled within the bacteria. The Mms6 protein was isolated from the surface of cubo-octahedral magnetic particles formed in the Magnetospirillum magneticum strain AMB-1. By using Mms6, cubo-octahedral magnetic particles were synthesized in vitro. Furthermore, the analysis of the mms6 gene-deletion mutant of magnetotactic bacteria indicated that Mms6 plays a role in the in vivo regulation of magnetic crystal morphology during crystal growth. Thus, Mms6 can be used to synthesize morphologically controlled magnetic materials under normal temperature and pressure conditions.
Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy
SUPLL.1
https://doi.org/10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
Ferrosoferric Oxide
Membrane Lipids
Biomineralization
Magnetic particle
Magnetotactic bacteria
Mms6 protein
Morphological control
Arakaki, A., Yamagishi, A., & Matsunaga, T. (2014). Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria. Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy, 61(SUPLL.1). https://doi.org/10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria. / Arakaki, A.; Yamagishi, A.; Matsunaga, Tadashi.
In: Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy, Vol. 61, No. SUPLL.1, 2014.
Arakaki, A, Yamagishi, A & Matsunaga, T 2014, 'Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria', Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy, vol. 61, no. SUPLL.1. https://doi.org/10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
Arakaki A, Yamagishi A, Matsunaga T. Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria. Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy. 2014;61(SUPLL.1). https://doi.org/10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
Arakaki, A. ; Yamagishi, A. ; Matsunaga, Tadashi. / Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria. In: Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy. 2014 ; Vol. 61, No. SUPLL.1.
@article{f8e7e4c5073c4b10a61fa30a3f442d6b,
title = "Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria",
abstract = "MatsunagaMagnetotactic bacteria are microorganisms that produce magnetic particles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane with proteins. Since the size and morphology of these particles are uniform, it is thought that magnetic particles are morphologically controlled within the bacteria. The Mms6 protein was isolated from the surface of cubo-octahedral magnetic particles formed in the Magnetospirillum magneticum strain AMB-1. By using Mms6, cubo-octahedral magnetic particles were synthesized in vitro. Furthermore, the analysis of the mms6 gene-deletion mutant of magnetotactic bacteria indicated that Mms6 plays a role in the in vivo regulation of magnetic crystal morphology during crystal growth. Thus, Mms6 can be used to synthesize morphologically controlled magnetic materials under normal temperature and pressure conditions.",
keywords = "Biomineralization, Magnetic particle, Magnetotactic bacteria, Mms6 protein, Morphological control",
author = "A. Arakaki and A. Yamagishi and Tadashi Matsunaga",
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journal = "Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy",
publisher = "Funtai Funamtsu Yakin Kyokai/Japan Soc. of Powder Metallurgy",
number = "SUPLL.1",
T1 - Protein-mediated morphological regulation of magnetite crystal in magnetotactic bacteria
AU - Arakaki, A.
AU - Yamagishi, A.
AU - Matsunaga, Tadashi
N2 - MatsunagaMagnetotactic bacteria are microorganisms that produce magnetic particles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane with proteins. Since the size and morphology of these particles are uniform, it is thought that magnetic particles are morphologically controlled within the bacteria. The Mms6 protein was isolated from the surface of cubo-octahedral magnetic particles formed in the Magnetospirillum magneticum strain AMB-1. By using Mms6, cubo-octahedral magnetic particles were synthesized in vitro. Furthermore, the analysis of the mms6 gene-deletion mutant of magnetotactic bacteria indicated that Mms6 plays a role in the in vivo regulation of magnetic crystal morphology during crystal growth. Thus, Mms6 can be used to synthesize morphologically controlled magnetic materials under normal temperature and pressure conditions.
AB - MatsunagaMagnetotactic bacteria are microorganisms that produce magnetic particles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane with proteins. Since the size and morphology of these particles are uniform, it is thought that magnetic particles are morphologically controlled within the bacteria. The Mms6 protein was isolated from the surface of cubo-octahedral magnetic particles formed in the Magnetospirillum magneticum strain AMB-1. By using Mms6, cubo-octahedral magnetic particles were synthesized in vitro. Furthermore, the analysis of the mms6 gene-deletion mutant of magnetotactic bacteria indicated that Mms6 plays a role in the in vivo regulation of magnetic crystal morphology during crystal growth. Thus, Mms6 can be used to synthesize morphologically controlled magnetic materials under normal temperature and pressure conditions.
KW - Biomineralization
KW - Magnetic particle
KW - Magnetotactic bacteria
KW - Mms6 protein
KW - Morphological control
U2 - 10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
DO - 10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
JO - Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy
JF - Funtai Oyobi Fummatsu Yakin/Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy
IS - SUPLL.1
10.2497/jjspm.61.S99
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POWER TOOLS A-Z Index Building Information Cleaning Floorplans Key Request Mail Services Recycling Repair Request Space Change Temperature Issues
Campus Construction
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Infrastructure Business Operations
Joe Higgins, Vice President for Campus Services and Stewardship
A key component of MIT’s campus planning, construction, and operations and sustainability initiatives, Infrastructure Business Operations streamlines and enhances a broad range of vital infrastructure-related processes across the department.
The Applied Technology, Research, and Innovation group includes the Applications & Information Technology Services team, which manages the computing environment for Facilities. This team purchases, installs, and maintains hardware and software; and supports staff across the department by troubleshooting and resolving computing issues.
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For media questions and requests email: dof-comm@mit.edu
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Facility Information Systems
The FIS team, which is now part of MIT’s Office of Campus Planning, provides space accounting, archiving, mapping, and signage support for the Institute. In addition to developing and disseminating MIT maps, floorplans, and space inventories, FIS provides data for MIT’s online maps and collaborates with departments across the campus on emergency planning and major event logistics.
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Helen Balzano
Home > About Us > Infrastructure Business Operations
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www.bls.gov
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In case you missed it: Stunning Perseids meteor shower dazzled while massive hailstones wider than a DVD shattered a Colorado record
It was a wild week for weather!
Author: Provided by AccuWeather
The highly anticipated meteor shower, the Perseids, illuminated the night sky with dazzling shooting stars on Monday and Tuesday, peaking on Monday night. "The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the Northern Hemisphere," according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
During the peak evening, dozens of meteors fell per hour, according to AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel. The beautiful celestial display, which Samuhel said is most active after midnight through daybreak, comes in second only to December's Geminids in terms of the number of meteors.
Perseids - Dave Samuhel
"Perseids are not only numerous, they are beautiful," Samuhel said of the multi-colored meteors. "Most of the meteors leave a glittering trail as they pass."
Samuhel warned any observers that the bright moon during nature's light show would wash out many of the meteors; however, the Perseid meteors are known for their brightness.
Viewers across most of the western United States and southern Plains enjoyed stargazing in cloud-free conditions Monday night, while patchy clouds interfered in the Southeast. Clouds mostly obscured the view in the Northeast, Great Lakes and most of Canada.
A view of a shooting star during the Perseid meteor shower. (Photo/AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel)
Dave Samuhel
Huge hailstone sets new Colorado record
Just as AccuWeather Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer predicted on Aug. 13, monster hail hammered parts of the central U.S. on Tuesday, with one intense storm shattering Colorado's state hail record.
The Colorado Climate Center and the National Weather Service office in Goodland, Kansas, confirmed Wednesday that a piece of hail with a maximum diameter of 4.83 inches dropped from the sky the afternoon before in Bethune, Colorado, tossing the state's old record of 4.5 inches out the window. To put this new record into perspective, a DVD disk's diameter is about 4.75 inches.
The whopper hailstone weighed 8.5 ounces, and it's possible that it could have originally been even larger than the recorded measurement because of the time that passed between when it first fell and when it was placed and preserved in a freezer, according to the Colorado Climate Center.
Severe Tropical Storm Krosa makes landfall in Japan
At least two people have been killed and at least 49 others injured across 13 prefectures after Tropical Storm Krosa made landfall and unleashed its wrath upon Japan. The damaging storm brought torrential rain and locally damaging winds to the country, and hundreds of flights were canceled.
Krosa moved ashore around 3 p.m., local time, on Thursday near Kure City in Hiroshima as a severe tropical storm, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. The powerful storm is now the third tropical cyclone to make landfall across Japan in three weeks, coming on the heels of Typhoon Francisco and Tropical Storm Nari.
Dogs die after swimming in toxic algae-contaminated lake
Melissa Martin and Denise Mintz are warning pet owners to be careful with letting them splash around in local beaches or lakes to cool off in the summer heat. Their beloved animals, Abby, Izzy and Harpo, were poisoned during a doggy play date on Aug. 8 by toxic algae after a swim at a local lake near midtown Wilmington, North Carolina.
The animals started showing signs of sickness about 15 minutes after exiting the water, and two of the dogs began seizing. All three pets unfortunately died by midnight last Friday.
Martin's veterinarian said blue-green algae in the water where the dogs swam was the culprit. The dangerous blooms of cyanobacteria, the vet told the grieving pet owner who hadn't noticed the algae, looked like flower debris in the water.
'Do not let your dogs near standing water. Our Westies didn't even get in the water, but played in the mud at the edge,' Martin wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post. 'What started out as a fun night for them has ended in the biggest loss of our lives. We need your prayers.'
Portland, Oregon, sees wettest August day in more than a decade
Portland, Oregon, has seen its wettest August day in 14 years, with 0.80 of an inch officially recorded in the city on Saturday, Aug. 10. This was the soggiest August dayin Portland since Aug. 29, 2005, when 1.05 inches fell, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Last Friday and Saturday in the Northwest were two days with unusually potent storms for the region, which endured record rain, hail and mudslides. The two-day rainfall total was 0.91 of an inch. The wet weekend made Saturday, Aug. 10, the second-wettest day in Portland so far this year. The city's wettest dayin 2019 has remained Jan. 18, when 1.11 inches of rain fell.
The average August rainfall in Portland is 0.67 of an inch.
Flooding kills more than 300 in India, Myanmar and Pakistan
Hundreds of people are dead and hundreds of thousands of others were forced from their homes after torrential monsoon rain inundated parts of India, Pakistan and Myanmar over the past week. Photos show people attempting to wade in almost waist-high waters through the region following the heavy downpours.
In addition to the more than 100 deaths reported in Kerala, over 50 people are unaccounted for, with more than 290,000 people impacted by the severe flooding, according to Asian News International.
The flooding was so high at the Cochin International Airport in Kerala on Friday morning that officials closed the airport and ceased operations until Sunday. The western coast of India saw a decline in the intensity and coverage of monsoon rain this week, AccuWeather meteorologists reported, although some areas still endured flooding.
Kangaroos hop through snow in Australia
As a rare snow blanketed Curraweela, New South Wales, on Aug. 10, a driver came across an interesting sight - dozens of kangaroos hopping across the snowy countryside, perhaps in an effort to keep their feet warm.
Stephen Grenfell posted the video on Twitter after he drove past the animals. "Not something you see every day in Australia," he wrote.
"Kangaroos in the snow."
It happened during what meteorologists have called one of Australia's coldest outbreaks in recent years, according to the BBC.
Multiple AccuWeather staff writers contributed to this story.
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Items Similar to André Lanskoy - Composition - Original Etching View More
André Lanskoy - André Lanskoy - Composition - Original Etching
HomeArtPrints and MultiplesAbstract Prints
André Lanskoy
André Lanskoy - Composition - Original Etching
André Lanskoy - Composition - Original Etching From Dédale Edition: 190 Dimensions: 32 x 18 cm This etching is from the first series of etching Lanskoy made. André Lanskoy was one of the great painters of the “Ecole de Paris” and of the second mid twenty century. André Lanskoy was born Andrei Michailovich Lanskoy in Moscow in 1902, the son of Count Lanskoy. The family moved to St. Petersburg in 1909 and in 1918 he moved to Kiev, where he made his first paintings. During the Russian Civil War Lanskoy fought in the Tsarist White Army but after an injury moved to Constantinople and in 1921 arrived in Paris where he stayed for the rest of his life. Recalling his arrival in the French capital, Lanskoy said: "Literally in the first night I started to paint and I haven’t stopped since." Lanskoy's figurative pictures and still lifes of that period were inspired by Van Gogh, Matisse and Soutine. In 1923 André Lanskoy qualified for the Salon d'Automne, where he was discovered by the art dealer Wilhelm Uhde, a valuable contact who helped him gain his first solo exhibition in 1925. Lanskoy went on to exhibit with those of Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Leopold Survage, Ossip Zadkine and other Russian artists in Paris. Soon Lanskoy's works could be found in museums and important private collections. Towards the end of the 1930s the artist slowly gave up figurative painting, and by 1943 had turned entirely to non-representational painting. In his continuous quest for new means of expression, he turned to the illustration of books, tapestries, mosaics and collages. André Lanskoy maintained a deep friendship with Nicolas de Staël, with whom he held a joint exhibition in 1948. During this time and the following decade, the artist gained international acclaim through exhibitions, including one showcasing late works at the New York Fine Arts Associates in 1956. The artist participated in documenta II in 1958 alongside other artists of the Informel movement and in the exhibition "Les Peintres Russes de l'école de Paris" at the Museum of Saint Denis in 1960. He is considered one of the most important exponents of "lyric abstraction" within the École de Paris. André Lanskoy died on August 22, 1976 in Paris.
André Lanskoy (1902 - 1976, French Russian)
Creation Year
Movement & Style
Abstract Expressionist
H 12.6 in. x W 7.09 in. x D 0.4 in.H 32 cm x W 18 cm x D 1 cm
Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
LU16125376451
Some items may require special handling and packaging. Request a shipping quote to see what options are available to your destination.
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
André Lanskoy - Composition - Original Etching, 1960
1960s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Prints
Colour, Etching
The Five Continents in Wintertime, 1984
The Five Continents in Wintertime
Yunan , 1971
Game of Chance, 1987
Mixed Media, Colour, Aquatint, Lithograph
Yunan (State III), 1971
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Senza Titolo I, 1987
Senza Titolo I
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When does come out Spider-man: Homecoming movie 2017
Upcoming Action movies 2019-2020
Upcoming Adventure movies 2019-2020
Upcoming Sci-Fi movies 2019-2020
Marvel Universe – is a cultural phenomenon of the 21st century. It showed to the world, that even the narrow topics, that are interesting only to fans can gather millions and make them looking forward to new parts of their favorite movies. Starting with Iron Man, the company consistently takes every popular hero of their comics and put them on the screen. Considering that fact, that Marvel regains almost all the rights on its trademarks and Spiderman is a popular superhero in a scale not only of Marvel Universe but in the history of the genre, the new movie about him was only a matter of time.
Have to wait:
[ujicountdown id=”Release Date in:” expire=”2017/07/07 00:00″ hide=”true” url=”” subscr=”” recurring=”” rectype=”second” repeats=””]
In fact, the new series – is the third reboot with a new cast and new plot, but, looking at the success of Marvel Studios, we can assume, that now it will be a long-term product. The main question now – is when does Spider-Man: Homecoming come out?
Release date and trailer
The expected movie will be released on July 7, 2017; it has the subheading “Homecoming”, and it probably has a couple of meanings. Firstly, it covers the plot. But, on the other hand, it’s a part of a very good joke by Marvel. It’s a kind of return of the Spider-Man back to Marvel.
Marvel chooses this release date for Spider-Man: Homecoming movie by reason. It creates a good-looking combination of 7.7.17. And only this can attract some extra viewers.
All the fans already had the opportunity to watch the trailer of Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. Maybe, it’s not so rich in details, but it tells a lot of valuable things about the atmosphere of the future of the series. For example, it will contain humor. We’ll assess it later, now it’s just the fact.
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A few of words about the cast. Peter Parker (Tom Holland), who is a Spider-Man in real life in this film – is a school student. Probably it means low age limits in cinemas. Also, we’ll meet Tony Stark (by charming Robert Downey Jr.), who is a mentor of the young Spider-Man. Of course, there is a huge chance, that there will be a lot of other heroes, known by older Marvel movies. Also, this film can create some situations, that will be the starting points for inserting the character of Spider-Man in Avengers movies.
Jon Watts is the director of the movie. He’s very young, only 35 years old, and it’s his third movie, but considering the Marvel’s quality standards, this fact shouldn’t frighten anyone. Spider-Man: Homecoming in addition to rising star, Tom Holland, and the icon of modern Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr., also stars young actors as Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, and even the real stars with a lot of awards, like Oscar, for example, Michael Keaton. By the way, he said, that he is very happy to take part in this film in one of his interviews.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is arriving in theaters next year, on July 7. Producers don’t like summer, it’s an unloved season for new movies, especially blockbusters, but, on the other hand, considering the strength of the Marvel brand and the popularity of the Spider-Man himself, maybe, it’s the sign, that all the viewers in July will watch only this movie.
All the Marvel movies, except The Incredible Hulk, were new IPs in the Universe, but Spider-Man – is already the third attempt to image this hero on the screens and many viewers will, of course, compare this variant to the others, especially the first three films by Sam Ramey. And even if the Spider-Man: Homecoming won’t be a bad movie, it can meet critics, caused by a lot of unfamiliar details. On the other hand, Marvel has its own style, and, summarizing all the previous fifteen movies, we can be sure, that none of them were bad. And the Spider-Man is really a valued brand, and it should just strengthen the success of Marvel Universe.
Half of the year left till the release of the movie on the screens on July 7, 2017, and we’ll see, what new Marvel prepared for us. The last convincing fact of the future success is the existing date of release of the second part of new Spider-Man series. Marvel is planning to create the next movie about the superhero in 2019. This information means, that studio is so sure in the success that it can plan, prepare and finally create the new headliner of the Universe like it was with Iron Man. Again, considering the real love of the people to this hero, it’s not just the wish, but the close future.
So, now we know, when is Spider-Man: Homecoming coming to theaters, and waiting for July 7, you can watch again all other Marvel movies, diving in this universe, or the trailer, looking for hidden details, that creators hid for real fans, and prepare to actively expressing all your thoughts and emotions.
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Cruz throws a Hail Mary; Sanders confronts reality
From:CNNNightcap@turner.com To: kaplanj@dnc.org Date: 2016-04-27 21:34 Subject: Cruz throws a Hail Mary; Sanders confronts reality
CNN Politics: Nightcap View this email in your browser (http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=47c9040f6ff957a59bd88396e&id=7b50cefe87&e=531c496baa) http://www.pgpf.org/askforaplan?utm_source=CNN&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=LetsTalk&utm_campaign=AFAP April 27, 2016 by Eric Bradner Welcome to the CNN Politics Nightcap and good Wednesday evening from Indianapolis. Ted Cruz threw a Hail Mary, playing the biggest card available to a presidential hopeful -- the vice presidency -- by tapping Carly Fiorina in a bid to save his chances in Indiana and California. At the same time Bernie Sanders was vowing to press forward at Purdue University, his campaign was laying off hundreds of staffers. And back in Washington, Donald Trump laid out an "America first" foreign policy vision. Your bartender is Eric Bradner (http://www.cnn.com/profiles/eric-bradner?cid=nl_pol_071915_profile?sr=nl_pol_072215_bradner) . The tip jar: nightcap@cnn.com (mailto:nightcap@cnn.com) . ** Cruz's big gamble for Indiana and California: Fiorina as VP ------------------------------------------------------------ Ted Cruz was drubbed in Tuesday night's East Coast primaries, locked out of any mathematical chance of winning the GOP nomination outright, and stuck spending his time on a procedural argument for a contested convention. So he made a bold -- and desperate -- move: announcing in Indianapolis that Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO-turned-Hillary Clinton designated hitter, would be his vice presidential nominee. The play could help in Indiana, where Fiorina could attract suburban women, and helps more than any local option in the primary set for next Tuesday. (Current Gov. Mike Pence is too unpopular; former Gov. Mitch Daniels is too unwilling.) But it's even more important in California, where Fiorina began her political career. How the union came together, as described by Fiorina to CNN's Sunlen Serfaty: "It’s been an ongoing conversation, to be very honest with you -- an ongoing conversation. As you can imagine, vetting takes some time and getting to know each other takes some time. But the real formal, final conversation happened yesterday so we could prepare to make this announcement today." Much more on the Fiorina choice (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/ted-cruz-carly-fiorina-vice-president/index.html) . Donald Trump's brutal response to the Fiorina move: "The people of Indiana are very smart -- they will see through this just like they saw through the already failed Kasich alliance. Cruz has no path to victory -- he is only trying to stay relevant." And here's California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who beat Fiorina in California in 2010, comparing (https://twitter.com/BarbaraBoxer/status/725437808115077121) Cruz's move to the much-maligned Compaq merger: "I predict that the latest @CarlyFiorina merger will be as successful as her last one." ** Sanders confronts reality, plots for influence in Philadelphia ------------------------------------------------------------ Yes, he pledged to fight on through California -- and yes, he took his swipes at Hillary Clinton over her paid Wall Street speeches. But there was no mistaking the change in tone as Bernie Sanders held his first campaign event after being shellacked by Clinton in four out of five East Coast contests: He's a candidate now planning for ways to maintain his influence after his campaign ends. His goal: the "strongest progressive agenda." Here's the key section of Sanders' speech at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana: "We are in this campaign to win, but if we do not win, we intend to win every delegate that we can, so that when we go to Philadelphia in July, we're going to have the votes to put together the strongest progressive agenda that any political party has ever seen," Sanders said. "And our job, whether we win or whether we do not win, is to transform not only our country, but the Democratic Party -- to open the doors of the Democratic Party to working people and young people and senior citizens in a way that does not exist today." My story (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/bernie-sanders-delegate-math/index.html) . Sanders is laying off field staff. His campaign cast it as a natural evolution (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/bernie-sanders-staff-downsizing/index.html) , and Sanders addressed the layoffs of hundreds in an interview with The New York Times' Yamiche Alcindor (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=b-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1&mtrref=undefined&gwh=81AE7E81235F4E0D44FD7713912AFB72&gwt=pay) . He said: "We don’t need people right now in Connecticut. That election is over. We don’t need them in Maryland. So what we are going to do is allocate our resources to the 14 contests that remain, and that means that we are going to be cutting back on staff." Hillary Clinton's fundraising email about the Sanders layoffs included this line (https://twitter.com/danmericaCNN/status/725440460152524801/photo/1) from communications director Jennifer Palmieri: "Hillary Clinton is going to win this nomination." http://www.pgpf.org/askforaplan?utm_source=CNN&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=LetsTalk&utm_campaign=AFAP Buzzing South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is supporting Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, wasn't impressed (https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/725368153988055042?lang=en) by Donald Trump's big foreign policy speech Wednesday. Last Call ** Donald Trump lays out an 'America first' foreign policy vision ------------------------------------------------------------ From CNN's Jeremy Diamond (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/donald-trump-foreign-policy-speech/index.html) : Donald Trump on Wednesday delivered a major foreign policy speech in Washington, laying out his vision for a foreign policy that will put "America first." Trump opened his speech vowing to "shake the rust off America's foreign policy" and said he would outline a vision for a U.S. foreign policy "that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy and chaos with peace." He added, "My foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people and American security first." Trump stirred comparisons to the pre-World War II isolationist movement with his "America first" pitch. The phrase also refers to the America First movement in the early 1940s, in which some elements were associated with anti-Semitism and U.S. nationalism in the lead-up to World War II. "It doesn't seem to matter to Trump that America Firsters didn't want to beat the Nazis," tweeted (https://twitter.com/JeffreyGoldberg/status/725363335466770433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Jeffrey Goldberg, an Atlantic columnist. More from CNN's Tal Kopan (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/donald-trump-america-first-nationalist-history/index.html) . ** The Oregon trail: Kasich gets started in his 1-on-1 with Trump ------------------------------------------------------------ From CNN's Cassie Spodak (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/john-kasich-oregon/index.html) : John Kasich made a deal to go one-on-one with Donald Trump in Oregon, and he's wasting no time. Wednesday morning saw the release of a new TV ad in Oregon, touting that rival "Ted Cruz pulled out of Oregon" and that Kasich "is the only one that can stop Trump and defeat Hillary Clinton in the fall." The ad doesn't describe the agreement reached by the Cruz and Kasich campaigns that had Kasich pulling his resources out of Indiana, with Cruz doing the same in Oregon and New Mexico. The plan allows for each candidate to have a "clear path" to compete against Trump in those states. Kasich is scheduled for two town halls in Oregon, in Medford and Portland on Thursday. Wednesday morning also saw a plea emailed to Kasich supporters to donate to the "Oregon Ballot Fund," saying that Oregon voters will begin casting mail-in ballots the next week. County clerks began mailing ballots to voters Wednesday, the Oregon secretary of state's office said. ** Ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert sentenced to 15 months in prison ------------------------------------------------------------ From Tal Kopan and Tami Luhby (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/politics/dennis-hastert-sentencing/index.html) : Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $250,000 to a victims' fund in a hush money case that revealed he was being accused of sexually abusing young boys as a teacher in Illinois. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release once he finishes his prison term. For the first time, Hastert, 74, admitted to Judge Thomas M. Durkin in open court that he abused an unspecified number of boys. Durkin, of the Northern District of Illinois, told Hastert that he should participate in a sex offender treatment program. The judge, who spent 30 minutes criticizing the former speaker for his actions, also cautioned Hastert to refrain from communicating with his alleged victims. "I'm deeply ashamed to be standing before you here today," Hastert said in court during his sentencing. "I know I'm here because I mistreated some of my athletes as a coach." Hastert apologized "to my constituents and my supporters and also my colleagues I served with." He also apologized to his family and friends. Straight Up ** "It’s typical of Donald Trump’s clear difficulty with strong women -- clear difficulty." ------------------------------------------------------------ ** -- Carly Fiorina to CNN's Sunlen Serfaty, about Donald Trump's accusation that Hillary Clinton is playing the "woman card." CNN's Stephen Collinson has more (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/26/politics/election-2016-clinton-trump-women/index.html) on the Trump-Clinton beef. ------------------------------------------------------------ Tipsy A new vice presidential candidate means a new sign. Closing Time Donald Trump is on course (http://www.politico.com/blogs/twelve-thirty-seven/2016/04/donald-trump-popular-vote-record-222510#ixzz470kv1udt) to win more Republican primary votes than anyone else in history. ... The victories of Chris Van Hollen in Maryland and Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania show that the Democratic establishment still has muscle (http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/van-hollen-and-mcginty-prove-democratic-establishment-still-has-muscle) . ... An Alabama town adopted an ordinance that punishes (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/27/an-alabama-city-now-says-people-who-violate-its-bathroom-ordinance-could-face-jail-time/?postshare=6901461791480948&tid=ss_tw) transgender people who use a public bathroom different from the gender listed on their birth certificates with jail time. 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Difference between revisions of "Mysore"
Earth : Asia : South Asia : India : Southern India : Karnataka : Cauvery Basin : Mysore (district) : Mysore
(→Restaurants)
Revision as of 12:00, 6 May 2010 (edit) (undo)
(→By car)
===By car===
'''Tourist Cabs''' are the best choice if you want to tour the city all day or visit nearby places like [[SriRangaPattanam]]. Costs about Rs 6 per km.
'''Tourist Cabs''' are the best choice if you want to tour the city all day or visit nearby places like [[SriRangaPattana]]. Costs about Rs 6 per km.
There are many car rental companies available.
For other places with the same name, see Mysore (disambiguation).
Mysore is the Karnataka's second biggest city, situated in Southern India. It was the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyar dynasty and is considered the cultural capital of the state.
1 Understand
2.1 By plane
2.2 By train
2.3 By bus
2.4 By car
2.5 By bicycle
3 Get around
3.3 By auto-rickshaw
4.1 Museums
6 Learn
8.1 Restaurants
9.1 Budget Hotels
9.2 Mid-range
9.3 Splurge
9.4 Spa hotels
10 Drink
12 Stay safe
13 Cope
14 Get out
The city has recorded history dating back a thousand years and a mythical history which explains the origin of the name - apparently, this was the place where the demon Mahishasura was slain by the Goddess Chamundi. You will find a statue of the demon on Chamundi hill which commemorates this event.
In recorded times, the city rose to prominence when it became the capital of a breakaway feudatory of the Vijayanagara empire named Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1584. In 1610, he shifted the capital to nearby Srirangapatna. Hyder Ali who was a commander in the army usurped power in the late 18th century. Hyder Ali was succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan, who fought and lost a war with the British, dying in battle in 1799.
The British restored the Wodeyars as their puppet rulers and shifted the capital back to Mysore. The Wodeyars had substantial internal autonomy and the princely state of Mysore (which comprised a large portion of present-day Karnataka) was probably the best administered in India. After independence, the state was merged back to the Indian Union and the capital of Mysore state was shifted to nearby Bangalore where the British maintained their army. The name of the state too was eventually changed to the more accurate "Karnataka" in 1973.
The dynasty is still well-loved and the people of Mysore are still nostalgic for the grandeur of the earlier times. The palaces built by the Wodeyars and the yearly celebration of Dusshera are holdovers of that period.
Mysore has evolved from being a quiet and sleepy city, to a city that is touted to being the most important one in the state after Bangalore. With apartment complexes, supermarkets, a couple of proposed malls, new and improved roads, the advent of IT and BPO firms and a growing young and dynamic workforce , this regal city is trying to strike a balance between the good old days while to keep up pace with the changes affecting it.
A city that is old, yet new. A modern-day paradox in the making, anyone who lives in Mysore for long enough can't help falling in love with this place.
The nearest domestic and international airport is Bangalore airport near Devanahalli (170km from Mysore) [4].
Mysore Airport [5] (MYQ) is currently non-operational. However, it has been announced that it would be reopened and expanded to accommodate small 50-seater aircraft.
Mysore Junction is the city's main station, and there are daily trains plying the route to Bangalore.
The fastest and possibly the most comfortable way to travel between Mysore and Chennai is on the Shatabdi Express, which covers the Mysore-Bangalore leg of the journey in 2 hours and the Mysore-Chennai section in 7 hours. Although more expensive than other trains, all the Shatabdi's coaches are air-conditioned and meals, snacks and a bottle of mineral water are included in the cost of the fare.
There are many trains available from Mysore to Bangalore and vice versa. Tippu Express being the most popular one which covers the distance of 140 km in about 2.5 hours. Tippu Express leaves Mysore at 11AM and reaches Bangalore by 1:30PM and leaves Bangalore at 3PM and reaches Mysore at 5:30PM.
Buses run every 5 minutes from Bangalore. There is a choice of airconditioned and ordinary vehicles. During the weekends, these buses can fill up, but most do not allow you to purchase your tickets in advance. However, buses to Mysore board constantly so finding a bus with seats is never a problem. The KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) buses are very comfortable, especially the Volvo (Luxury) buses. A one-way ticket from Bangalore to Mysore costs 225 Indian Rupees.
Mysore has two major bus stands. All KSRTC buses arrive and depart from the Central bus stand (aka sub-urb bus stand), while local buses use the City bus stand.
Mysore is approximately 140 km from Bangalore, and there is a 4 lane highway (2 lanes in each direction) connecting the 2 cities. The traffic is fairly heavy but the drive is extremely comfortable if you discount the unmarked speed bumps that show up at random intervals.
Around 140 km drive for fitness freaks... Bangalore—50—> Ramnagaram—30—> Maddur—20—> Mandya—22—> Srirangapatna—13—>Mysore
Getting around in Mysore is cheaper than most Indian cities.
Frequent bus service is available to all major tourist and residential areas of the city. Volvo airconditioned buses are available to Chamundi Hills, KRS-Brindavan Garden, Infosys, and to some major residential areas.
Tourist Cabs are the best choice if you want to tour the city all day or visit nearby places like SriRangaPattana. Costs about Rs 6 per km.
By auto-rickshaw
They have meters, but drivers politely refuse to turn down the meters especially at railway stations, bus stations etc. The more your attire and luggage announce that you are a tourist the less the chances of drivers going by the meter. Price is Rs. 7.00 per km, with a minimum fare of Rs. 14. Try to insist on meter usage; threatening to call the police works sometimes when the rickshaw driver pretends that the meter is broken and wants a flat fee.
At the railway station or city bus stand, go straight to the pre-paid auto-rickshaw counter and tell them your destination (you have to pay a rupee for this service). They will give you a slip with the fare printed, along with the destination and auto rickshaw registration number. When you arrive at the destination you just pay what is printed on the slip.
Mysore Palace at night.JPG
Mysore Palace. Intricately carved rosewood doors and ceilings some with inlaid ivory work, marble figurines, collections of caskets, paintings of the members of the royal family and other objects of personal use exhibit such opulence, though age as worn them out a bit with slight discolouration. On Sundays and National Holidays between 7PM-8PM the palace is illuminated by close to 100,000 bulbs - a sight so magnificent that it leaves you gasping for breath. Entry is through the south side. Shoes and Cameras must be left at the cloak room. Rs. 200 for foreigners.
Brindavan Gardens. and Musical Fountain at the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam. Nice garden full of fountains, in the neighbourhood of Mysore. At 7PM the "musical fountain" light and music show begins.
Chamundi Hills, ☎ +91-821-259-0027. 24 hrs, inquire for various service timings at temple. has a temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari (or Chamundi). The huge Nandi statue on the mountain is also well known. The Hills are 3300 Feet above sea level and are known for their wild life like leopards, but trekking is safe, and facilities to climb to the top are available. Atop the hill, Goddess Chamundi's idol is placed in a beautiful temple with marvelous architecture. It is a plastic free zone. Free, donations at temple welcome.
Tipu Sultan's Palace
Jagmohan Palace and Art Gallery. A former palace that has been converted into a wonderful art gallery featuring famous works by various Indian artists.
Lalit Mahal Palace. Also a former palace but now a five star hotel, visitors should go around afternoon tea time as they serve a great British high tea.
St. Philomenas Church. A beautiful Cathedral, reminiscent of medieval architectural style,is one of the largest churches in the country. Built in the gothic style,the Church is an imposing structure with stained glass windows and lofty towers.
Datta Peetham. Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Avadhoota Datta Peetham is a remarkable place in the quiet city of Mysore. Upon arrival you are led into a serene and pure atmosphere, pervaded with Vedic chantings, the resonance of which speaks to your heart. This atmosphere makes all the difference, your heart sinks deeper into peaceful states, you feel relaxed. Above all, a spiritual calm and, the bottom line, a peaceful mind for a few important moments enters your life. Come and join in for a guided tour through the ashram. The Gardens in the Ashrama have developed over the past three decades. When the Ashrama began in 1966, one of the first horticultural activities was the planting of hundreds of non-hybridized coconut trees on its western boundary. These trees are still yielding coconuts today that are used for Puja and cooking. This was followed by the cultivation of roses, jasmine and other varieties of seasonal flowers for Puja use. Herbal plants were also started in different areas as time went on. In the early 80’s, the beautiful, tall and robust palm trees which now line the Ashrama’s main entrance road were planted.
Mysore Zoo. We-Mo 8AM-5:30PM. is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It was established under royal patronage in 1892, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world, and since then millions of people have enjoyed its wonderful animals and spectacular grounds. The zoo has a very successful breeding program and houses animals from more than 40 different countries and there are many native Indian animals as well, including Royal Bengal tigers, white tigers, elephants, giraffe, fallow deer, Himalayan black bear, Gaur (Indian bison), white peafowl and African rhino. The zoo is also home to many other exotic creatures from around the world like Branary sheep, giraffe, hippos and gorillas. The zoo also encompasses Karanji Lake, which attracts several species of migratory birds during the breeding season including painted storks, pelicans and darters. Other attractions include the botanical Garden with 35 species of exotic ornamental plants and 85 species of trees from India and abroad. Rs.20 for adults, Rs. 5 for children over 5.
Karanji Kere. is a small lake inside the city.You can go for a small trip of boating.The lake is sorrounded by green trees and you can also see various variety of birds like pelicans and painted storks on the island in Karanji kere. In local language Kere means Lake and thus a Lake by the name of Karanji is called as Karanji Kere.
Jayalakshmivilas mansion, Manasagangotri. It was built by Jayachamaraja Wodeyar to his daughter Jayalakshammanni.It has around 200 rooms, an exotic dancing hall and a kalyanmantap with intricately carved wood pillars.It is converted into a museum and it stores artefacts and archaelogical findings.
National Museum on Natural History, [1]. Has exhibits on plants, animals and geology of the southern region of India
Folk Art Museum. Founded in 1968 and located in the university of Mysore campus, the museum has over 6500 folk art and folklore articles on display and exhibits arts and crafts from all over the state of Karnataka.
Rail Museum. Exhibits vintage locomotives as they were in use. The second of such museum set up after the Rail museum in Delhi.
Oriental Research Institute. Formerly known as the oriental library is was started in 1891 and contains over 33,000 palm leaf manuscripts.
Musical fountain
Dasara (also spelt as Dusshera). This is the state festival of Karnataka, carried over from the time when it was celebrated by the Wodeyars in grand style. On the last day, of the 10 day festival, a procession of the state's guards lead the Goddess Chamundi seated on a golden howdah mounted on an elephant. The procession is followed by various tableaux, a visual treat rarely seen anywhere else in the world.
Climb up Chamundi Hills. via the steps, starting early in the morning to get a good view of the city as it rises from slumber while getting good exercise at the same time.
Kukkarahalli lake stroll. Those spending a long time in this city can also take nice early morning or late evening strolls at either Kukkarahalli lake or Karanji lake, though the latter is recommended, since the entrance has a fee and thus will reduce any potential nuisance in the form of beggars or vendors that might come and disturb your stroll. Karanji lake also has a butterfly park worth checking out.
Planet X, Maharana Pratapsingh Road, Nazarbad, ☎ +91-821-243-1043 +91-821-652-2100 +91-99452-88888, [2]. 4PM-11PM Mo-Sa 12PM-11PM Su. A recreation centre with bowling alleys, go carting and various other games. Prices are reasonable considering the options available - Rs.100 will buy you 10 frames at the bowling alley. Features a hookah lounge and various eating options for snacks or dinner. Entry free, rides charged.
Royal Mysore Walks, ☎ 96320 44188, [3]. Go on a Walking Tour, Get to know about Mysore's glorious past in an informative and interesting manner..
Mysore is a significant educational hub, the foundations for which were laid by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV during his enlightened rule. Today, the city can boast of 7 Engineering and 2 Medical Colleges. Engineering education started in Mysore with the establishment of the National Institute of Engineering in 1946, the Second Oldest engineering college in the state (After UVCE Bangalore). Medical education started in 1930 when the Mysore Medical College was transferred from Bangalore to Mysore.
Mysore University. Mysore University has the distinction of being the first university established in Karnataka, the sixth oldest in the country, and the first one in the country established outside of a British province. Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV took the lead in establishing the university. It was named Manasagangotri (literally meaning "fountainhead of the Ganges of the mind") by the poet laureate, Kuvempu. Mysore University is the only university in the state of Karnataka to get a grade of A+ from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India.
Central Food and Technological Research Institute.
Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL).
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing.
DFRL.
Mysore is famous for silk sarees (Mysore Silk), sandalwood carvings and the many varities of perfumed incense sticks. Mysore's market places can be a good place to start, like Ashoka Road, Sayyaji Rao Road and for a mix of Western and Indian traditional shopping head to Devaraj Urs Road . To experience one of India's best markets head to Devaraja Market where tourists and locals alike shop for daily fruit and vegetables as well as the rows and rows of flowers and various spices. Devaraja market is on Dhanwanthri Road.
Be warned however. There are quite a lot of perfume sellers that sell inferior goods, don't be tempted by nice boxes and free gifts. As a rule, if it looks like a bargain, the perfume is poor quality. The real stuff is normally found further from the centre, but is mostly for export.
Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium, Sayaji Road - Sandal wood figurines and caskets
Agarbathis (Incense)
Chenapatna Dolls and Wooden Toys
Traditional Deck of playing cards
Regional Institute of Education (RIE), University of Mysore.
Mysore is famous for its most famous traditional sweet, the Mysore Pak. Mysore Pak is a sweet dish generally cut into rectangular pieces and is made out of Gram Flour, Sugar (or Jaggery) and lots of Ghee (clarified butter). You can find it all over the city.
South Indian breakfast favourites like idlis, sambars, masala dosas are widely available and quite good. It is not clear if the Mysore Masala Dosa actually origininated in Mysore, but you can try asking. You can find some of Karnataka's speciality dishes like:
Bisibele Baath - Made of rice and lentils with a lot of local spices.
Raagi and Akki Rotis - They are similar to tortillas but made of raagi (English: coracan, finger Millet) or rice flour along with black cumin, asafoetida, fresh coriander, green chillies and finely chopped onions.
Raagi Mudde – It is a staple food in some of Kannadiga households in the Cauvery Basin. It is made by cooking raagi flour in water and later rolling it into thick-consistency balls. Raagi Mudde is swallowed and not chewed after dipping it into ghee and sambar.
Hotel Mylari, Ittigegud, Nazarbad Main Road and Kuvempunagar. Good South Indian vegetarian snacks and coffee
Gayathri Tiffin Room (GTR), Chamundipuram. Good South Indian vegetarian snacks and coffee. Nice taste.
Shilpashri Rooftop Restaurant, Ghandi Square. Popular foreigner hangout, nice outdoor rooftop environment and cold beers. Try the Gobi Manchurian and the Chicken Noodles
Veg Kourt, Sri Harsha Road.
Hotel Govardhan, Sri Harsha Road.
Nakshathra (Hotel Roopa), B.N. Road, Mysore.
Hotel Siddhartha, Guest House Road, Nazarbad.
Bombay Indra Bhavan, Sayyaji Rao Road.
Bombay Tiffany's, Sayajji Rao Road & Devaraja Urs Road,.
Raghavendra Bhavan, Near Prabha Talkies.
Nalpak Restaurant - Kuvempunagar
Hotel Shree Guru Residency, JLB Road
Hotel Indra Bhavan - Dhanvanthri Road, Mysore
Penguin Ice Creams - Dhanvanthri Road, Mysore
Khatta Metta - Dhanvanthri Road, Mysore
Samrat Vegetarian Restaurant - Dhanvanthri Road, Mysore.
Hotel Shringar - Shivrampet, Mysore
Indra Sweet 'n Spice - 42, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore
Green Leaf - Kalidasa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Nalpak Restaurant - Gokulam Main Road, V.V. Mohalla
Ramya Drive-in-Restaurant - # 995/1, Radhakrishna Avenue, Mysore
Shri Shanthi Sagar - 1014, Udaya Ravi Road, Kuvempunagar,
Hotel Mylari - Udaya Ravi Road, Kuvempunagar, Mysore
Indradhanush - Hotel Airlines Complex, Geetha Road, Mysore
Hotel Sapthagiri - Siddappa Square, Mysore
Iyengar's Tiffin Center - Chamaraja Double Road
Hotel Mahesh Prasad - New Kantaraj Urs Road, Ballal Circle
Hotel Kamat Yatrinivas - Nanjangud Road, Mysore
Kafe Mallige - Nageetha Complex, Vishwa Manava Double Road, Saraswathipurm, Mysore
Kamat Nalpad - Highway Circle, Mysore
Dasaprakash near the city bus-stand.
Nalapak, Mylary and Gayathri Tiffin Room(GTR) are places to find very good dosas.
Iyer's Mess near RTO circle. The perfect place for authentic Home cooked South Indian food served on a plantain leaf. Service is hospitable. All this at a humble price of Rs.25 per meal. Open only in the afternoons
Santhosh Hotel,Near Sangam theater
Vishnu Bhavan-Opp to Main Bus Stand
Hotel RRRnear the Woodland theatr is a lovely place for biriyani
Hotel RRR - Gandhi Square, Mysore
Hotel Vybhav - New Sayajji Rao Road, Mysore
Mughal-E-Durbar - New Sayyaji Rao Road, Bamboo bazaar, Mysore
Biryani Paradise - Near Mysore Medical College, Rifah Complex, New Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysore
Hanumanthu Mess - Mandi Mohalla, Mysore
Shree Devi Restaurant - Rajkamal Talkies Road, Mysore
Hotel Annapoorna - N. S. Road, Mysore
Tegu Mess - Adi Pampa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Biriyaniwalla - Adi Pampa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Lemon Tree - Adi Pampa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Top Stuff - Kalidasa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Temptations - Kalidasa Road, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore
Kuttera - Kuvempunagar, Mysore
Kafe Biryani - Vishwa Manava Double Road, Kuvempunagar, Mysore
Mysore has 7 Cafe Coffee Days, one on Kalidasa road, one on Kanthraj Urs road, one on Devraj Urs road,one on Vasanth Mahal road(Ginger Hotel),and 3 outlets in Hootagalli Infosys Campus
Mysore has 2 Barista Outlets, One on Sayyaji Rao Road(Near Agrahara) and Another on temple Road V.V.Mohalla
Pizza Outlets------ Pizza Corner(Near Harding Circle), Pizza Hut(On Temple Road-V.V.Mohalla), Dominos(On Temple Road-V.V.Mohalla and Infosys Campus), U.S.Pizza(On Ramavilas Road Near Marimallapa College)
Corner House in Vontikoppal is a nice place for ice creams
Edelweiss The Austrian Cafe parallel to Kalidasa Road, has great food at very affordable prices and authentic, heavenly cakes baked by an Austrian. The kitchen is open so you can see your food being cooked.
Rita's Cafe at Gokulam Main road offers delicious home cooked Indian food. The decor is artistic.
Sixth Main is a restaurant and Coffee Shop parallel to Kalidasa Road. You would always find more foreigners than localites especially at the weekends. The ambiance is quite relaxing with jazz playing in the background. Definitely worth the Money!
Kalidasa road in Jayalakshmipuram has fairly good restaurants like Green leaf, Tao. Everybody seems to like the shawarma at Casino park and Lemon Tree
Scam Alert! - If you arrive by bus or train, you will most likely be approached by a number of young boys who tend to speak fantastic English who will try to lead you to their relative's hotel. The hotel is most often poor quality. These children are very chatty and good salesmen and you may like them, but they should be in school instead.
Hotel Govardhan, Sri Harsha Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2434118, 2429422, 2431960
Hotel Airlines, 1064, CH 16, Jayalakshmi VIlas Road, Chamaraja Puram, Mysore 570 005, Phone: 0821.2330745, 2330475
Hotel Prakash Deluxe, Opposite Medical College, 1474 - Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysore - 570 021, Tel : 0821-2521676, 2529434
Hotel Bombay Tiffanys, No. 313, Sayyaji Rao Road Cross (Opposite Main Bata Showrooms), ☎ +91-0821-2435255, 2435256. checkin: 24 hours. Very clean A/C or non-A/C rooms. Avoid the room service food, it is not safe. Rs. 600 and above.
Hotel Luciya International, Near Dasprakash, No. 1771, Old Bank Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2420261
Hotel Darshan Palace, Lokaranjan Mahal Road, Opposite to Regency Theatre, Nazarbad, Mysore – 570 010, Tel : 0821-2520794, 2564083
Hotel Sri Nandini Lodge, Next to Bus Stand, Irwin Road, Mysore, Phone : 0821.2447085, 2447155
Hotel Dasharath, No. 1159, Ramsons House, Near Zoo Garden, Mysore - 570 010, Tel : 0821-2449121
Hotel Ritz, B N Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2422668, 2429082, What this small, colonial-era four-room hotel lacks in cleanliness and upkeep, it makes up in charm and friendly staff. The front desk will help you book further travel, such as buses to Ooty.
Hotel Aashraya, Dhanvantri Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2427088, 2426570
Hotel Indra Bhavan, Dhanvantri Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2423933, 2423755
Hotel Kalinga, K R Circle, Opposite City Bus Stand, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2431310, 070, 019
Shiva Guru Comforts, Halladakeri, Behind Suburb Bus Stand, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2538974
Hotel Gayathri, New Gayathri Building, Opposite Railway Station, Dhanavantri Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2425654.
KSTDC Mayura Hoysala, No. 2, Jhansi Laxmi Bai Road, Mysore – 570 005, Tel : 0821-2425349, 2425597
Hotel Siddhartha,Offers good variety of South and North Indian Vegetarian food.No. 73/1, Guest House Road, Nazarbad, Mysore – 570 010 Tel : 0821-2522999, 888, Fax: 0821-2520692
Hotel Palace Plaza, No. 2716, Sri Harsha Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2440875, 2430034, Fax: 0821-2421070
The Green Hotel, A comfortable Heritage Hotel located in an old princess house at the Chittaranjan Palace. The hotel has a lovely cafe, and the bar and restaurant on the lawn is a delight. Profits of the hotel are donated for various causes in and around Mysore, No. 2270, Vinoba Road, Jayalakshmipuram, Mysore – 570 012, Tel : 0821-2512536, 2414635, 2516134, Fax: 0821-25126139
The Maurya Residency, Sri Harsha Road, Mysore, Tel : 0821.2523375
KSTDC Mayura Yatri Nivas, No. 2, Jhansi Laxmi Bai Road, Mysore – 570 005, Tel : 0821-2423492
Park Lane Hotel,Perfect place to enjoy your drink and try out some spicy Indian food No. 2720, Sri Harsha Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2430400, 2434340
Hotel Royale Heritage, 2930, Bangalore - Nilgiri Road, Mysore,Phone : 0821.5265330
Hotel Vyshak International, Phone : 0821.2421777
Maurya Palace, Sri Harsha Road, Phone : 0821.2435912
Sri Hari Iyengar's Plaza, Phone : 0821.2439123
Hotel Maharaja, Phone : 0821.2426665
Sri Guru Residency, JLB Road, Near Railway Station, Mysore.
Lalit Mahal Palace Hotel - Royal Heritage
Hotel Sandesh Prince. It is a Four Star Hotel and offers good variety of food.
Hotel Royal Orchid. Overlooking Brindavan Gardens - offers clean, fresh, multi-cuisine food in a very good setting.
Nalapad Residency, Dr. Nelson Mandela Road, New Bannimantap Extn, Mysore 570 015, Phone : 0821.2491117
Royal Inn, Mysore Phone : 0821.2402210
The Viceroy, Sri Harsha Road, Mysore – 570 001, Tel : 0821-2424001, 2428001, Fax: 0821-2433391
Golden Landmark --KRS Road
Grand Maurya --Madikeri Road
Young Island --In between Srirangapatna n Mysore
White Orchid Resorts --In between Srirangapatna n Mysore
Fort View--Srirangapatna
Amblee Holiday Resort, Mysore-Bangalore Road, Srirangapatna, Tel : 0821-3092475, Mobile : 9845002665
Chitravana Resorts-H.D.Kote road,Kalawadi Gate,Mysore-570008,Phone - 0821 2597794 / 9343989990 / www.chitravanaresorts.co.in
Fort View Resorts, Srirangapatna
The Palmyrah Tenements,Plot No.5,Contour Road, Hebbal, Mysore
Mysore is part of Karnataka state where the liquor laws are one of the most liberal in the sub continent. Most international brands are readily available. The city is lined with bars and other restaurants serving liquor, there are Around 10 pubs in the city. Some of the recommended places include:
Road Pub,Hotel Sandesh The Prince, Nazarbad
Pelican Pub, Hunsur Road, near St.Joseph's state school.
Bopy's Pub, Hunsur Road, behind Infant Jesus church.
Lobo's, Kuvempunagar Double Road, opposite Bake Point, Saraswathipuram.
Opium Pub, Pai Vista, Opposite to the Suburb Bus Stand.
Keg Pub, Just Opposite to the Suburb Bus Stand.
Purple Haze, in Vijayanagar.
High Octane Pub,Jayalakshmipuram
Tunes N Tonic,Lounge Bar,Chandragupta Road
Embassy Restaurant & Bar
Jewel Rock Restaurant -- Sri Harsha Road
Roof TOP Restaurant-- Sri Harsha Road
Olive Garden Restaurant -Near Race Course
Gufha --B N Road
Dynasty Restaurant --Sri Harsha Road
Theme Bar --B N Road
Khedda Lounge Bar Nazarbad
Cocktail Circuit Lounge Bar Near Mysore University
Le Meredian.
The area code for Mysore is 0821. When calling from overseas, dial +91 821 XXX XXXX
Mysore is known to be a reasonably safe city. But, if you are planning to take a late night stroll, it is recommended that you keep watch, since a few incidents of Chain/Purse snatching are reported every month. It is also not safe to take an Auto-Rickshaw during late evenings. You also have to be careful in dealing the amount of money paid to the Auto-Rickshaw drivers, as it is the means of transport for the poor, if you are a foreigner, they will make an attempt to take more money from you, its not generalizing, they have created that reputation for themselves. It is better to travel using a hired taxi service, there are many available, with very good drivers. The drivers of Taxis have to be very good, as it is one of the important means of transport for the rich tourists.
The police are generally friendly especially towards foreigners. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. You can reach the police control room by dialing 100 from land line telephone booth or by dialing 112 if you have access to a cell phone.
People in Mysore are generally hospitable, ready to help. Although you will not find such people in the up-market areas, where one person does not care for the other. Good-looking women should stay away from colleges if you don't enjoy friendly flirting.
Bangalore - Karnataka state capital
Bylakupee - The largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet.
Ooty - hill station resort
Tala Cauvery (Coorg Region) - The source of the River Cauvery
Kabini reservoir and Game lodge
Bandipur and Nagarahole Forest Safari
Srirangapatna - Tippu Sultan's summer palace, Tippu Drop and the nearby Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
The Keshava temple of Somanathapura.
Kokkare Bellur - A small village and a bird sanctuary.
Shivanasamudram - Twin falls formed by Cauvery river and place of Hydroelectric power plant.
Coorg: A pleasant hill station with two beautiful places to stay in, Orange County & Club mahindra's RCI Gold crown resort.
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
Retrieved from "https://wikitravel.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Mysore&oldid=1449673"
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Ty Segall at The Vic
Write-Up by Layton Guyton
Photos by Nat Scholl
Ty Segall and the Freedom Band played a sold out show at Vic Theater on April 8th. Opening the ticket were two relatively unknown groups: Axis: Sova, and the Bed Band. Axis: Sova, a unique solo act, took the stage first. He performed his entire set only accompanied by a backing track, and with his face hidden behind a scarf and sunglasses. From song to song he meandered around the stage, singing in falsetto, picking up odd cardboard shapes which he brought with him, dancing with them, and throwing them back onto the stage. His music was catchy enough, but it was the absurdist nature of his performance that really caught the eye. It was a fitting opening to a strange night.
Next up was the Bed Band, another group lacking the instrumentation you’d expect for garage rock. They did feature two guitarists and a bass player but played their entire set using minimal beats from an antique drum machine. Their performance was much more engaging than Axis: Sova’s, as layered blues riffs howled from either side of the stage, accompanied by the thud of a metronome-like beat. They were no doubt talented, but really lacking the onstage energy and dynamic that a real drummer provides.
As interesting and eclectic as these openers were, nothing could prepare the crowd for the sheer wall of sound that Ty Segall and the Freedom Band would bring. The crowd seemed restless and waited impatiently for the fuzzed out garage psych that has brought him so much acclaim. Ty and the Freedom Band took the stage to a huge roar from the crowd and almost immediately we were shoved uncomfortably close to the concert-goers in front of us. The band paced in anticipation, just waiting for a cue to send the crowd into a frenzy. When the first distorted chord finally rang out, I was thrown into a spin cycle of people that enveloped the entire standing area. It was so physically disorienting that I couldn’t figure out what song he was playing until after he finished.
The opening track turned out to be “Alta,” from Ty’s new release, Freedom’s Goblin. It retains many of the same themes as his prior projects, but is slightly more adventurous in its sound, with a lot of the songs featuring full horn sections. There are also a number of softer, more intimate tracks on the album: a detour from his normal in-the-red style of recording. However, almost every song at the concert was played at deafening volume, instruments distorted until you could barely hear the actual notes through the fuzz. This was not some delicately arranged, orchestral show where the audience was allowed to appreciate each instrument’s melodic lines, but rather a thunderous combination of sounds fighting for attention. Only every once and a while would you be able to distinguish the blare of a trombone or wayward wail of guitar from it all. This sounds like a critique, but it was incredible and without a doubt, one of the best shows I have ever seen.
About halfway through the show, the Vic security guards decided it was too rowdy and began to enter the crowd and forcibly remove people. For almost an hour they stood at attention, flashlights flickering around the crowd for any sign of movement. Several protesting people were dragged out for making any sort of contact with the person next to them. The band unsuccessfully tried to wave them off several times. Finally, after several songs of silent, sardonically polite head-nodding and foot-tapping the security team decided we had all behaved well enough to be left alone again. As soon as they left, the crowd exploded in celebration. Somehow, the end to Ty’s set was even louder and more hectic than the opening. Upon finally leaving the Vic, I felt like I had run a marathon. My ears rang for several days afte
Some groups get feel the need to radically change their sound after several albums either out of boredom or concerted effort to appeal to more fans. On Freedom’s Goblin, and at this concert Ty Segall stuck to the same beautifully simple brand of garage psych that makes you wanna break stuff. I hope he never changes.
Newer Post Triathalon at Subterranean Older Post Declan McKenna at SPACE
WNUR 89.3 FM
WEBSITE BY SUB.TM
© 2020 WNUR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. WNUR PUBLIC FILE.
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10 Best Cases For Apple Watch Series 4
Ghazi T
The Apple Watch Series 4 is the latest generation of the wildly-popular Apple Watch range of smart watches. It comes with an innovative new design which may appear to be quite similar to the previous-generation Series 3 Apple Watch, but it is very different in its own right. The Series 4 watch comes with a 1.78” display, Apple’s S4 processor and LTE capabilities. As with all latest-generation Apple products, a hefty price tag is to be expected, and the Series 4 Apple Watch puts you (at the very least) a solid $399 back. Now, no one wants to scratch their shiny and expensive new Apple Watch, and getting a case to keep it covered is necessary. Here are the 10 best cases for Apple Watch Series 4.
Vanki Case for Apple Watch Series 4
Starting off this list, we have the Vanki case for the Apple Watch Series 4. Being a smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 4 requires a very specific type of case, and the Vanki case does well to accommodate that. Made of durable, impact-resistant TPU and hard Polycarbonate, this Apple Watch Series 4 case protects the contoured edge of the screen against scratches, drop and bumps.
OUPODE Case for Apple Watch Series 4
In ninth place is the OUPODE case for the Apple Watch Series 4. This case features a TPU material with a transparent design allowing your Watch to show its true colour clearly and makes the case hardly noticeable on your wrist. It also fits all kinds of straps, so you can personalize your watch while keeping it protected and scratch-free.
Hovisi Case for Apple Watch Series 4
The next case on our list is the Hovisi case for the Apple Watch Series 4. This case is made with high quality materials such as a soft Silicone TPU and acts as an ultra-thin premium hybrid protective cover for your Apple Watch Series 4. It can be quickly installed on your Watch to provide daily protection against collisions and scratches, while also keeping your Apple Watch Series 4 dust-free. Comes in 3 different colour options.
i-Blason Halo Case for Apple Watch Series 4
Seventh on this list is the Halo case for the Apple Watch Series 4 manufactured by well-known industry name i-Blason. This simple and transparent case features front raised edges which recess your screen to protect it when placed face down. It is made of sturdy yet flexible TPU material for reliable shock-resistance, meaning your Watch is kept safe and sound while running or during other ‘turbulent’ activities.
SLEO Case for Apple Watch Series 4
The SLEO case for the Apple Watch Series 4 is the next case on this list. Made of a high quality, anti-scratch TPU without any touch sensibility problems, it also takes care of easy installation and feels comfortable and soft on your hand. It protects your watch from dust, fingerprints, and scratches, all the while being lightweight and without adding much bulk to your Watch.
XICHENK Case for Apple Watch Series 4
The fifth case on our list is the XICHENK case for the Apple Watch Series 4. This case effectively provides shock and scratch-resistance while featuring a case edge that is higher than the surface of 44mm Series 4 watch, with a high-quality and durable TPU material which ensure that your watch is kept protected from all sides. The precise cut-outs mean that none of the buttons are affected and the case does not have to be taken off for the Watch to charge.
SUPCASE Protective Case for Apple Watch Series 4
Next on this list the SUPCASE Protective case for the Apple Watch Series 4. Just like its protective cases for the iPhone models, SUPCASE offers the ultimate protection for your Apple Watch Series 4. It features a UB Pro bumper that creates rugged shock absorption and a raised bezel to protect your screen from damage. Not only that, but this case includes a scratch-resistant and fully adjustable built-in watch band to further enhance its value.
HYKS Case
In third place is the HYKS case for the Apple Watch Series 4. A simple and straightforward case, it doesn’t interfere with the functioning of your Apple Watch due to its transparent design and precise cut-outs. Protection is also taken care of, because the case edge is higher than the surface of Series 4 Watch, with the high-quality and durable TPU material ensuring 360° protection for your Watch.
UMTELE Case
The second-place case on this list is the UMTELE case for the Apple Watch Series 4. Available in 4 different colour options, this protective case features an advanced dual layer bumper cover combined with a stiff hard shell and flexible TPU bumper. This design keeps your Watch safe from scratches and shocks, while the precise cut-outs ensure that your user experience is completely unhindered.
Spigen Rugged Armour Case
In first place is (yet again) the Spigen Rugged Armour Case, this time for the Apple Watch. This case proves that Spigen’s case-making expertise isn’t just limited to smartphones and extends to smart watches as well. It has a flexible but durable TPU to provide all-around shock resistance and a rugged matte black frame with carbon fibre accents and gunmetal clasp to keep your Watch safe and stylish. You can’t really go wrong with Spigen, it seems.
So that rounds up our list for the 10 best cases for Apple Watch Series 4. The Apple Watch Series 4 is the newest and flashiest smart watch by Apple and these cases should keep it safe and sound on your wrist. Stay tuned for more.
10 Best Screen Protectors For Apple Watch Series 4
Categories: Top 10
Tags: best case Apple Watch Series 4, best case for Apple Watch Series 4, best cases for Apple Watch Series 4, bumper case Apple Watch Series 4, cheap cases for Apple Watch Series 4, drop case Apple Watch Series 4, fancy cases for Apple Watch Series 4, hard case Apple Watch Series 4, hard case for Apple Watch Series 4, rugged case for Apple Watch Series 4, which are the best cases for Apple Watch Series 4
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The Universal Brotherhood was Australia's most celebrated alternative community. Born in the 1970s, it flourished in lush farmland, three hours south of Perth.
Compass - Buddha Realms
Buddha Realms is a major two-part series that explores the origins of Buddhism, its major doctrines, and its relevance today.
Compass - Camino Salvado
There's a modern day revival in the age-old habit of pilgrimage, and parishioners from St Joseph's Church in Subiaco, Perth have created their own, Camino Salvado.
Compass - Cardinal's Cousin, The
A former nun and lesbian, Sister Monica Hingston confronts the Catholic Church’s attitude to homosexuality, by making public a letter to its leader in Australia, Cardinal George Pell, who also happ
Compass - Carrying the Cross
The world's largest youth event, World Youth Day, is coming to Sydney in July.
Compass - Catholic Dilemma Pts 1 and 2
Takes a look at the pulse of the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, coinciding with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Australia and World Youth Day in Sydney.
Part 1 – Sex or Celibacy
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The Northern Territories
Festivals + Culture
Restaurants + Cafe
Founders Note
Home>Travel inspiration>Art + Culture>Festivals + Events
Why Japan’s Cherry Blossoms Are Different This Year
By Matt Villano
The blooms are happening earlier this year—which isn’t a cause for celebration.
Article continues below advertisement
Cherry blossom trees across Japan have exploded in various shades of pink in recent weeks as part of sakura, the annual cherry blossom season.
The spectacle, which truly is a sight to behold, is one of Japan’s biggest annual tourism draws, and hotels in and around Kyoto—the city most commonly associated with the pink blooms—are pretty much booked solid throughout April and May.
From a travel perspective, the spectacle is a home run: a once-a-year phenomenon that is best experienced in person. But recent scientific data about the peak of cherry blossom season over time paints a much more alarming picture—one that demonstrates clearly how much Earth’s climate has changed.
The data was summarized in a recent blog post from the Economist. With the help of a detailed chart, the story explains that blossoms have emerged much sooner in recent decades than they once did. The data indicates that from 1829, when full bloom came on or around April 22, the typical full-flowering date has drifted earlier and earlier. Case in point: Since 1970, the peak blossom has landed on or around April 7, a difference of more than two weeks.
Similar shifts have been recorded closer to home; the article notes that the kick-off date for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., also has moved up by five days since 1921.
(Heck, there’s even a Blossom Trail in Fresno, California, that has seen blooms earlier in recent years.)
Why is the spectacular bloom happening earlier each year? In a phrase: global warming. In a recent article published by the Royal Meteorological Society, two Japanese scientists explain cherry trees determine bloom readiness on temperatures in February and March. The researchers say warmer temperatures in these months during recent seasons have tricked the trees into popping with color earlier every year.
The takeaway for travelers? Plan ahead. Whether you’re flying to Washington, D.C., or to Kyoto to experience cherry blossom season next year, check local weather forecasts to get a sense of when peak viewing might be.
>>Next: Otters Returning to Central California in Droves
These Are the Most Powerful Passports in the World in 2020
This Is Officially the Coolest Way to River Cruise
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Batman v Superman Review, RiffTrax: Live – Time Chasers, April Movie Preview, Your Wicked is Showing, A to Z Challenge, and Monday Music - Plus Award!
Packing it in today before the Challenge begins!
Yolanda Renee is visiting today.
Meet the Ninja Minions on Tuesday at the A to Z Blog.
And I’m visiting David Powers King on Wednesday.
But first…
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review
This film teeters around thirty percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but many critics say it is better than Man of Steel – which is at fifty-six percent. What???? (On the IMDB, this film is a respectable 7.6.)
The movie is not without its flaws. It's overlong, dark, and the subplots weave together in a convoluted manner.
That said – I had a great time! I was captivated for the whole two and a half hours.
The effects are amazing, of course. Especially in 3D. This is a spectacle film.
Affleck is a good Batman. He’s driven. And just like the Dark Knight comics, he uses both gadgets and guns to achieve his goals.
Most of the cast from Man of Steel return and slip easily into their roles.
The film keeps you guessing as to who is doing what and why. It’s sometimes confusing, but it does all come together.
Some have criticized that Wonder Woman isn’t in the film much. (It IS called Batman v Superman.) But she is present throughout the film as Diana Prince, thwarting Bruce Wayne. And when she does appear as Wonder Woman at the end – wow! She is beyond bad ass. I don’t remember her being that powerful in the comics, but she is immortal, and her presence in the final fight sequence is the best part. (Watch for the really old photo of her with Chris Pine. Yes, the Wonder Woman movie is filming now and comes out in 2017!)
While the tone does need to come up a notch for the upcoming movies (Snyder is directing both Justice League films but not Wonder Woman or the other spin-offs), it matches Man of Steel, and of course, the darker tones of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
Unless you hated Man of Steel, go and enjoy! Highly recommended.
Murder & Obsession Blog Tour
YOUR WICKED'S SHOWING
Alex's one request was to make the post snarky, and one of my snarkiest characters is Alice Foxx, a beauty with a heart of stone but with an eye for Detective Steven Quaid. This excerpt is from Memories of Murder, but Alice appears in Murder & Obsession and her snark is worse!
"Giving advice, Sarah? Do you really think you're qualified?"
With her hands on her hips, the slight tilt of Alice's head only made the sneer on her face more hideous. She reminded Sarah of the evil queen in every fairy tale ever told, a beauty hardened by selfishness.
Sarah met Alice's gaze with steely resolve. "I may not have your credentials, but I've been where Phoenix is, and, yes, I think I can offer her a lot. Diplomas will never equal experience."
"Well, she's my patient, and I disagree. Stay away from her. The last thing she needs is a lesson on how to run away from her problems."
Sarah's body surged with anger. "And what lesson do you intend to teach her? Unless you've been the victim, dear doctor, don't assume you know what's in the victim's mind or in the monster's." Sarah walked away but stopped for one more verbal blow. "Oh, and while you're making assumptions, Steven may fall for your tricks, but he'll never fall for you. I have his heart, and that's something I'll never let go of."
Alice's entire body reacted. She locked her spine, planted her feet, and raised her fist.
"Don't threaten me, Sarah. I'm not a woman prone to losing. But you? Your life is nothing but loss. Compete with me, and you will lose—you'll lose much more than Steven!" Alice threatened.
"Careful," Sarah mocked, "your wicked is showing."
Thanks, Alex, for giving me the opportunity to appear on your amazing blog for my Murder & Obsession Blog Tour.
Links - Read the 1st Chapter - Goodreads - Twitter - Facebook - Blog - Pinterest - Amazon - BUY
The Next RiffTrax: Live Event!
Time Chasers! It's the story of a man named Nick who turns his airplane into a time machine with the aid of his beloved Commodore 64.
With it he woos the woman of his dreams, despite the fact that he doesn’t own a car and his wardrobe consists only of a pair of jeans and a threadbare t-shirt from Castleton State College.
Come join Mike, Kevin and Bill LIVE on Thursday, May 5th at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. CT (tape-delayed to 7:00 p.m. MT/ 8:00 p.m. PT) for a hilarious take on the original cut of this sci-fi classic along with an all-new short!
A to Z Challenge Reminder
The Challenge kicks off this Friday! Are you ready for a month of complete and total insanity?
My theme this year - Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More.
The term, its meaning, and its first book appearance – a movie that features this term – and a featured blogger buddy who reminds me of that term! (And yes, this is scaling back for me. These posts only took three hours each to put together as opposed to five each from the past three years.)
I’m also the guinea pig for a special version of the Challenge. You’ll discover what and why this Friday.
Some last minute tips:
Make sure someone can find your blog through your comments.
Make posts short and easy to read.
Visit those who visit you.
Visit five new blogs a day, starting with the one after your own on the list.
Monday’s Music Moves Me/Music Award
Hosted by Xmas Dolly.
Patrick W. Weseland picked the theme - songs about you!
My choice is Digital Man by Rush. (And there is no good video, so I picked one with lyrics. You can listen or read.)
Chrys Fey and Sherry Ellis both nominated me for the Music & Words Award.
1.) Link back to the person who nominated you. 2.) Answer the questions with words AND music. (In the interest of space, I’m just going with words.) 3.) Pass the award on to 5 other people. Make sure you notify them. (This close to the Challenge, I’m not nominated anyone.) 4.) Tag your post with #MWA for Music & Words Award so we can all find you down the line. 5.) Quote these 5 steps and display the award icon in your post and also on your sidebar if you wish.
Question number 1: What does music mean to you? It’s my daily soundtrack and the energy that gets me through.
Question number 2: What is your first music-related memory? My father playing Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
Question number 3: What was the first album you purchased? Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue.
Question number 4: What was the latest music you purchased? Amon Amarth – Jomsviking.
Question number 5: Which song did you listen to last? Wanderer by Amon Amarth, from Jomsviking. (Big surprise, huh?)
Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for March! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.
A first-person action film from the eyes of Henry, who's resurrected from death with no memory. He must discover his identity and save his wife from a warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Stars: Haley Bennett, Tim Roth, Sharlto Copley, Ilya Naishuller
In an emergency, your popcorn tub can be used as a barf bucket.
An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Christopher Walken, Bill Murray
Great cast and good looking trailer – bring your whole family or just the bear necessities.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
As two evil sisters prepare to conquer the land; two renegades - Eric the Huntsman - who previously aided Snow White in defeating Ravenna, and his forbidden lover, Sara set out to stop them.
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt
I guess the producers realized that the only thing that didn’t work the first time was Kristen Stewart.
Friends hatch a plot to retrieve a stolen kitten by posing as drug dealers for a street gang.
Director: Peter Atencio
Stars: Will Forte, Keegan-Michael Key, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzmán
I have to admit, the trailer looks funny.
Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy.
Directors: Kevin Munroe | Jericca Cleland
Stars: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Sylvester Stallone
And how many video game adaptations have worked as movies…?
Who else saw Batman v Superman? Is your wicked showing? Going to RiffTrax: Live next month? What are your early music memories? What April movies interest you?
And who is ready for the A to Z Challenge?
Posted by Alex J. Cavanaugh at 5:00 AM 135 comments:
Labels: #MWA, 2016 April movie preview, A to Z Challenge, Batman v Superman review, Chrys Fey, music, RiffTrax Live Time Chasers, Rush Digital Man, Sherry Ellis, Yolanda Renee
The Great A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal! Plus News on Daredevil, Kingsman 2, Indiana Jones 5, and Ninja News
Today is the Great A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal! But first…
Daredevil – Season Two is now available on NetFlix!
It was tempting to binge-watch the whole season, but I’m going to spread it out a couple weeks and enjoy it.
The first episode kicked off with a bang as The Punisher entered Daredevil’s world. It also has the same flavor as season one, which bodes well to yet another awesome season.
A sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service is in the works.
From JoBlo:
Matthew Vaughn's upcoming KINGSMAN sequel is set to kick off production next month with Taron Egerton reprising his role as Gary "Eggsy" Unwin. News of other cast members, both new and old, have been trickling in and now Deadline is reporting that Edward Holcroft, who played smarmy turncoat Charlie Hesketh in the first film, will be returning for the sequel as well.
From Blastr, we find that yes, they are making Indiana Jones 5.
Steven Spielberg re-teaming with Harrison Ford and they are bringing on writer David Koepp. Now, Koepp did write the screenplay for the amazing Jurassic Park, but he also wrote Indiana Jones 4. Not good…
Under a Purple Moon by Beverly Stowe McClure
No love in the Garden of Eden...
Find it at iTunes, Nook, Amazon and Amazon UK
Deb’s Daily Drivel by Deb Church
Mage, Maze, Demon by Charles Gramlich
This publication is by David Cranmer’s Beat to a Pulp.
This is book #3 in their Veridical Dreams series.
Witch of the Cards by Catherine Stine
Find it at iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble
Can You Catch My Flow? By Lidy Wilks
Find it at Amazon
The Great Theme Reveal!
Today is the A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal. Those of us with themes are revealing them today.
Most of you know my themes tend to be simple yet complex. As a co-host, I usually go all out. This year, I scaled it back a bit. One theme – three items.
And my theme is…
Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More!
The term, its meaning, and its first book appearance – a movie that features this term – and a featured blogger buddy who reminds me of that term!
Yes, that is scaling it back a little bit… And had to feature a blogger buddy for each letter, as that’s now a Challenge staple.
So join me on April 1 as we take a fascinating look into where those odd science fiction terms originated. Who knows? You just might learn something…
Visit others who are revealing their theme today, including the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!
Did you start watching Daredevil this past weekend? Does an Indiana Jones 5 worry you? Picking up some new books? Curious where some of those science fiction terms came from? And what is your theme for the Challenge?
Labels: A to Z Theme Reveal, Beverly Stowe McClure, Catherine Stine, Charles Gramlich, Daredevil season 2, Deb Church, Indiana Jones 5, Kingsman sequel, Lidy Wilks, origins of science fiction terms
10 Cloverfield Lane Review, Upcoming RiffTrax:Live Shows, Movie News, Monday’s Music, and Ninja News
Over at the A to Z Blog, I’m talking about the importance of a theme for the Challenge.
Movie Review – 10 Cloverfield Lane
Basic premise - A woman is held in a shelter by a man who claims there was a world-wide chemical attack. It’s set in the same universe as the movie Cloverfield, but it’s not a sequel. (And thank God, not a found footage film!)
Outside of that, I didn’t know what to expect going in and avoided spoilers.
I don’t do spoilers, but I will say, don’t go into this film expecting another Cloverfield. It’s an intense psychological drama/thriller. You will spend the entire time on the edge, trying to decide the truth.
The main cast of three are all excellent. John Goodman is especially good – sympathetic and sad one moment, extremely terrifying the next. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was also great, as was John Gallagher, Jr.
Some haven’t liked the ending. The first ninety minutes builds up the question of just what is going on, and you’ll either like the answer or not. (I happened to really like the answer.)
It’s PG-13, so not that bloody violent, but it is intense.
New RiffTrax Shows!
RiffTrax has two shows scheduled this summer and one of them is awesome!!
It's our 10th birthday this July, and to celebrate, we think we could go even bigger for what will be our 20th RiffTrax Live Event: an MST3K Reunion Live Show, as well as a May 5th live show featuring a new HD transfer of the sci-fi classic from Vermont, TIME CHASERS!
And too awesome – it’s already hit its Kickstarter goal.
A RiffTrax: Live show featuring a reunion of the MST3K cast – what could be more amazing?
The new trailer for Captain America: Civil War came out last week – you have to watch it to the very end!
If you’re wondering if the Justice League movie will be as dark as Batman v Superman…
From Jo Blo’s site:
It's clear from the trailers that BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE won't exactly be a cheery picnic full of sunshine and rainbow barfing unicorns, but the DCEU won't necessarily hang on to that darkness for all of its future installments. Chris Terrio, who re-wrote David Goyer's BATMAN V SUPERMAN script, was brought back to pen the script for JUSTICE LEAGUE - PART ONE and the screenwriter told the Wall Street Journal that he doesn't expect the film to be quite as dark as BATMAN V SUPERMAN will be.
Blastr posted the synopsis and teaser art for the upcoming Supergirl/Flash crossover episode:
“Worlds Finest” – Kara gains a new ally when the lightning-fast superhero The Flash (Grant Gustin) suddenly appears from an alternate universe and helps Kara battle Siobhan, aka Silver Banshee, and Livewire in exchange for her help in finding a way to return him home, on SUPERGIRL, Monday, March 28 (8:00-9:00 PM) on the CBS Television Network. Grant Gustin crosses over as The Flash.
World Wide Box Office
Looks like Star Wars: The Force Awakens will end up as third highest grossing overall at $2,054. Billion dollars. (Titanic is just ahead of it with $2,187. billion and Avatar still leads the pack with $2,788. billion.)
Just one month after its release, Deadpool has taken in over $708 million dollars world-wide.
And just ten days after its release, Zootopia has grossed $431 million dollars world-wide. Whoa!
Monday Music Moves Me
I was chosen to select the theme for today – Guitar Solo!
I had hundreds of songs to choose from, including some very heavy selections. (I’m really into the Scandinavian progressive rock scene at the moment.) I decided to showcase the amazing musicianship of the band, Redemption. Their latest, The Art of Noise, was just released last week. (Although this song is from an older album.)
Every song has a magical moment. The point of a great guitar solo is to be that moment.
I give you the beautiful Let it Rain by Redemption:
The first in Sean McLachlan’s post-apocalyptic series is free on Amazon through today, March 14.
Download Radio Hope for free at Amazon and Amazon UK
The A to Z Challenge approaches!
If you have questions, want to meet new people, or just join the fun, join us for one of our Twitter chats. #azchat
And don’t forget, the Great Theme Reveal is next Monday, March 21.
New Releases -
Murder & Obsession by Yolanda Renee
Book three in the Detective Quaid series
Cloaked in Secrecy by T.F. Walsh
(The Wulfkin Legacy #2)
What better way for a pack of wulfkin shifters to remain in seclusion than to hide in plain sight?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes / Kobo / Googleplay
Anyone else see 10 Cloverfield Lane? Excited about a MST3K reunion show? Getting excited for Civil War? Surprised how well Deadpool is doing? What music moves you today? And who’s ready for the Great Theme Reveal next week?
Don’t forget to visit the A to Z Blog and my theme tips!
Labels: 10 Cloverfield Lane review, Justice League movie, latest Civil War trailer, Redemption-Let it Rain, Rifftrax:Live and MST3K Reunion Show, Sean McLachlan, Supergirl-Flas crossover show, TF Walsh, Yolanda Renee
Zootopia Review, Meeting Shannara’s Terry Brooks, MST3K/RiffTrax News, IWSG News, Monday Music Moves Me, New Releases, an Why is Everyone Sick?
Zootopia Movie Review
This animated film was really refreshing!
There was thought behind the plot. It was complex, more like a live action film than an anime. Zootopia focused on plot and character development beyond your average animated film.
Amazing animation as well. The different zones of zootopia were cool and certain scenes almost appeared real. The animals are very expressive and the animators used every aspect of their bodies.
A lot of the humor was aimed at adults, poking fun at pop culture. (Listen for the Breaking Bad reference!) So, between the plot and the humor, there is a lot here for adults as well as kids.
It also had a nice message of equality that was integrated into the storyline and never shoved down our throats.
Really a gem of a film.
Hosted by Michael at A Life Examined
The question is - “Have you ever met an idol/influence/someone you really admire? How did it go?”
Around twenty-five years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series. He was visiting a local bookstore and there were only about a hundred people.
It was a really pleasant experience! Brooks was super nice and sported a big smile. He seemed truly excited to meet his fans. He even asked me what books I’d read and which ones I enjoyed the most.
I still have that book – The Druid of Shannara – and the experience further cemented my admiration for Terry Brooks and love of the series he created.
Yeah, too bad MTV’s Chronicles of Shannara has turned into Fifty Shades of Shannara…
Insecure Writer’s Support Group News
First, my good buddy, Pat Hatt, is over at the IWSG Site today! Want a big following on Twitter? Between Pat and the Cat, they have over 150,000 followers. Visit the site to find out how Pat did it.
Second, we need IWSG Co-Hosts for April and May! Since next month is the A to Z Challenge, we’ll need at least six to seven co-hosts, and at the moment, we only have three. We’ll also need them in May, after everyone’s wiped out from the Challenge. If you can help either month, please leave a comment!
Third, we have a special gift for those who sign up for the IWSG newsletter! We compiled the top five articles from the site into one handy eBook – Fast Five – An IWSG Gift. Those of you already signed up should have received an email last Friday with a link to where you can download either the ePub, Mobi, or pdf. (And if you didn’t get one, check your spam file. If not, you might need to sign up if we have an incorrect email from the IWSG list.)
If you’re not getting the IWSG Newsletter, now is a great time to sign up! Do so HERE.
Thanks to all the admins for making this happen, especially Chrys for the graphic, Diane for formatting, and Lynda for coming up with the cool title.
And finally, please remember that IWSG is the first Wednesday of each month. Please make sure you post that day and that the post is front and center when people land on your page. (Squeaking it in late Tuesday night or sometime Thursday if you forget is acceptable.)
MST3K / RiffTrax News
Remember last December when I reviewed the RiffTrax: Live show of Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny?
If you could project all the random thoughts inside a mental facility onto a screen, you’d come up with Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.
Well, now you watch it at home! The film that beats Manos: Hands of Fate for worst movie ever made is available at RiffTrax. Don’t miss the fun!
Be sure to check out their main page for all the latest releases, including a new MYST3K release very Monday. They also have the complete Film Crew season, and collections such as Oscar Winners, National Geographic, Twilight, Transformers, and Star Trek. (Because the ONLY way to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special is with the help of RiffTrax.)
It’s a freebie this week, so I went to the vault and found this treasure by Marillion – Easter. It’s not an actual video, so just let it play and enjoy this beautiful song.
And next week the theme is my choice – and I went with guitar solo!
The Not-So-Innocents Abroad by Roland Yeomans
I’d hosted Roland last week for his Don’t You Hate Book Tours tour, and now the book is available!
Pick it up on Amazon
Big Yearnings by Christine Rains
The first book in the Sasquatch Susies series.
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Ellora’s Cave
It seems everyone has the flu right now. They’re sick, the kids are sick, they’ve been sick all winter…
Why is that? My wife and I get either a cold or the flu about once every four years. Maybe every five years. Why is everyone else sick all the time? Is it because we don’t have kids? Is it because we eat healthy, exercise, and take vitamins? Is it because we’ve told God we just don’t have time to be sick? I’d really like to know the secret so we can bottle it and make a fortune!
Did you see Zootopia? Ever met someone you admired? (Ever met Terry Brooks?) Can you help co-host the IWSG? Did you get your Fast Five gift? Ready to try RiffTrax’s Santa and the Ice Cram Bunny? Ready to rock the guitar solo next Monday? And why does everyone else get sick but we don’t?
I have work meetings the latter half of this week, so you might not see me around as much. Please think about me as I sit in yet another meeting, bored out of my mind…
Labels: Christine Rains, IWSG, Meeting Shannara’s Terry Brooks, MST3K and RiffTrax news, Pat Hatt, Question of the Month, Roland Yeomans, Xmas Dolly, Zootopia movie review
Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Television Show Update, A to Z Challenge, IWSG Newsletter, and New Releases
My awesome co-hosts today are Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy, Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard!
Most of my writing has been A to Z Challenge posts (simpler than previous years but still require a bit of work) but I did outline a story last month. Not sure it would be enough for a novel, but I went back to the Cassan universe and planned an adventure for Byron’s son, Bassan.
At this point in my career, I don’t feel any pressure to whip out another book. Just enough has drizzled out to keep interest in my other books, plus I have a story in The Thing That Turned Me, and anthology coming out later this year from Stay Classy Publishing. So, I’m just going to take my time.
Be sure to visit others on the Insecure Writer’s Support Group list!
Television Show Updates
Here are some short updates on recent shows:
The Chronicles of Shannara
Still enjoying it, but maybe they should’ve called it Fifty Shades of Shannara. (I was thirteen the first time I read the books – trust me, I would’ve remembered if there was ANY sex in them!)
Very intriguing – so far, the second season is as good as the first.
Some hit and miss episodes, but Supergirl is so darn cute, I don’t care.
This is how all reality based artistic competitions should be handled – it’s all about the art and zero drama.
Part of me thinks it was the perfect way to end its six episode run and part of me wants to slap the crap out of creator Chris Carter.
IWSG Newsletter
Many of you received the first issue of the newsletter last week! Whether you are part of the monthly IWSG blog or not, you can sign up for the next issue HERE. It’s packed with articles, writing tips, and information.
It also features an article every month by an IWSG member! Here’s the details:
Topic Ideas: your number one writing, publishing or marketing tip; a motivational pep talk or inspirational story; a snippet about something you used to be insecure about but overcame or an aha moment you had about writing/publishing.
Length: 200 words or less
How to Submit: Send a DOC attachment to Chrys Fey at ChrysFey(at)yahoo(dot)com Put “Member Article” in the Subject Line.
April is the A to Z Challenge – blogging every day but Sundays and in the order of the alphabet. If you’ve not yet signed up for this incredible event, go HERE.
For those participants with a theme for the Challenge, there is the A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal happening on March 21. Sign up HERE.
We also have chats every Thursday evening at 9:00 pm Eastern – look for #azchat and join us – ask questions and make friends.
If you’ve never participated, 2016 is a great year to begin. I was part of the very first one in 2010 and it changed my blog forever. I had fun, I made a ton of new friends, and I proved I could come up with a post almost daily. (I also had no theme, something I will never do again!)
Only one month away – join us!
Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry by Tyrean Martinson
An eclectic mix of 90 short stories and poems written between 2013 and 2015.
Pick it up HERE
Catalyst by Lydia Kang
Saw this on Heather Gardner’s site last week. Really, it’s not one of my goals (well, maybe when I was younger) but I found the snark hilarious:
What are your writing insecurities this month? Did you enjoy the first newsletter? Want to contribute an article? Have you seen any of the television shows? Signed up for the Challenge? And who else wants to slap Chris Carter...?
Labels: A to Z Challenge, Better Call Saul, Chronicles of Shannara, Face Off, Insecure Writer’s Support Group, IWSG newsletter, Lydia Kang, Supergirl, Tyrean Martinson, X-Files
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Study of drapery and of hands; drawing by Raphael, British Museum, London
Study of nudes, British Museum, London
Study for a seated masculine figure, British Museum, London
Study for the Annunciated Virgin, drawing by Micheleangelo, British Museum, London
Male portrait, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study of nude male figures, Raphael, British Museum, London
Woman's head, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study for the representation of God in the Logge of the Vatican; drawing by Raphael. British Museum, ...
Study for a Crucifixion, Raphael, British Museum, London
A few female heads and a skeleton, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study for the figure of a nude man, rear view, Raphael, British Museum, London
Jacob's Dream; study for the fresco of the Vatican Logge, drawing by Raphael. British Museum, London
Study of anatomy, Raphael, British Museum, London
Man's head, Raphael, British Museum, London
King David and Bathsheba; study for the frescoes of the Vatican "Logge", Raphael, British Museum, Lo ...
Study of a satyr with an adolescent, Raphael, British Museum, London
A foot and some figures, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study for a Madonna, Raphael, British Museum, London
Portrait of a Florentine noblewoman, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study for a Madonna and Child and and angel, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study of a male nude, standing, Raphael, British Museum, London
Study of two male nudes, standing, Raphael, British Museum, London
Holy family with Tobias and the angel, Raphael. British Museum, London
Head of a warrior, drawing by the School of Michelangelo, British Museum, London
Woman's head, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Feminine head, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Man's head, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Massacre of the Innocents, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Baptism of Christ, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Death and Coronation of the Virgin, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Study of masculine nudes, School of Raphael, British Museum, London
Female portrait, drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, British Museum, London
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Cherry eye
DJ Haeussler
Prolapsed gland of the nictitans
animal eye institute
animaleyeinstitute
chronic superficial keratitis
corpora nigra cyst
djhaeussler
equine recurrent uveitis
moon blindness
nuclear sclerosis
pannus
sequestrum
subretinal hemorrhages
tick borne disease
One of the Most Common Causes of "Spooking" In Horses
DJ Haeussler, Jr., BS, MS, DVM, DACVO
What are Corpora Nigra?
Corpora nigra (also known as granula iridica) are pigmented, irregular, and roughed extensions of the posterior iris epithelium. They are present in a small group across the dorsal (upper) pupillary margin extending into the anterior chamber and...
So You Want To Be A Veterinary Ophthalmologist?!?!
So, you want to be a veterinary ophthalmologist? Of course you do, it’s the best job on the planet earth! Who wouldn’t want to be a veterinary ophthalmologist? After all, you get to help a variety of animals, their associated owners, practice at the highest level of ve...
My Horse Has Excessive Tearing. Could It Have Equine Recurrent Uveitis?
Christina Korb BS, DVM; DJ Haeussler, Jr., BS, MS, DVM, DACVO
What is equine recurrent uveitis?
Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), also known as moon blindness or periodic ophthalmia, is the leading cause of blindness in horses worldwide. Equine recurrent uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that recurs at regular
intervals over th...
My Patient's Eye Is "buggy"! What is Exophthalmos and Where Do We Go From Here?
Jamie Lembo, DVM; DJ Haeussler, Jr., MS, DVM, DACVO
What is Exophthalmos?
Exophthalmos is the term used for a forward deviation of the eye out of the boney orbit. The most common causes of exophthalmos will affect one rather than both eyes, although there are a few conditions which can affect both eyes. There are many st...
Tick Borne Disease and the Value of Routine Recheck Examinations
Case: Josie, a 10-year-old female small breed dog, first presented to The Animal Eye institute 6 years ago for evaluation of a cataract in her right eye, and an overall smaller than normal size to her right eye (microphthalmia). Josie was started on an anti-inflammator...
What Is That Black Spot On My Cat's Cornea?
What is a corneal sequestrum?
A corneal sequestrum is an unusual disease unique to our feline patients. It appears as a tan to dark brown-
black area of corneal discoloration. It can vary in size, shape, and depth, and it is usually accompanied by corneal inflammation a...
What Is Canine Blepharitis?
While ophthalmologists are known to take care of your dog or cat’s eye health, they would all agree that the eyelids are also extremely important! Eyelids and the conjunctiva lining the eyelids play a major role in corneal and globe health. As the eyelids are covered i...
What is Nuclear Sclerosis and How Does It Affect My dog?
What is the lens?
The lens is the structure in the eye that focuses light onto the retina, which senses and converts light into electrical signals sent to the brain to create an image. The lens is comprised of three main structures: the lens capsule (membrane that encas...
What is Feline Herpes Virus and How Is It Managed?
What is Feline Herpes Virus?
Feline Herpes Virus (FHV) is a major cause for conjunctival and corneal disease in cats and is one of the most frustrating diseases to manage for the cat, owner, and veterinarian. Infection with FHV is common and affects greater than 90% of...
What is Entropion in Dogs and Cats?
What is entropion?
Entropion, or inward rolling of the eyelids, is a common abnormality of the eyelids in many species, especially dogs. It can affect one to all four of the eyelids, but in most cases, both eyes are affected. The inward rolling of the eyelids causes t...
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Home » Our Schools » Churchill High School
1850 Bailey Hill Road, Eugene, OR 97405
Grades: 9–12
Principal: Greg Borgerding <borgerding_g@4j.lane.edu>
Secretary: Jill Reents <reents_ji@4j.lane.edu>
Middle School Region: Arts & Technology Academy, Kennedy
Churchill High School will build a community of excellence by: cultivating an environment of equity; fostering a diverse culture of lifelong learners; recognizing the individual strengths of each student; expanding knowledge and developing skills through multiple pathways and programs. Lancers strive for excellence through PRIDE: PERSEVERANCE: Keep trying; RESPECT: Honor everyone; INTEGRITY: Do the right thing; DETERMINATION: Stay focused; EXCELLENCE: Do your best.
One of the hallmarks of CHS is the caring culture of staff and students. We hold a collective commitment to respecting each and every student as one of our own. We further believe that every student has innate talents whether they have been discovered or not; we want for each student to find a successful path after high school.
We have six very successful career technical education programs of study that provide our students an opportunity to build experience in industry, take college-level classes, and explore their passions and interests. Along with these pathways, CHS has a strong college-bound culture, with Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, plus supports for students to be successful in these classes. Service is another hallmark of Churchill. Our students give over 15,000 hours of volunteer service each year, making a difference in the lives of people throughout the community.
A balanced program with a wide range of opportunities for our diverse student body
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) elective classes are available at each grade level, providing instruction in college success behaviors, as well as support for students to maintain college-acceptance GPAs
Six career technical education (CTE) programs of study allow students to choose a pathway of interest and high academics. Churchill CTE Pathways include Health Services, Rachel Carson Environmental Studies, Graphic Design, West End Performing Arts and Digital Media Production, and Engineering
Advanced opportunities are provided through AP courses for all students and IB courses for International High School students
Strong elective programs are available, with an extraordinary music and drama department, a college-level graphic design program and science electives such as robotics and marine biology
Opportunities to earn over 60 college-level credits across a wide variety of content
CHS has several student growth goals that are typical at most schools. We believe that our promise to the community is to keep their children safe, make them feel special, and ensure high levels of learning.
In order to ensure this promise we have activated three primary goals in our school:
Positive and supportive relationships with each student
Steadfast focus on best instructional practices, and
Commitment to improving our graduation rate thereby preparing our students for the exciting challenges of the future.
We believe that the focus on these goals is essential to our overall growth, but most importantly the holistic development of our students.
Red, Blue and White
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Live Music Lovers
Site Nagivation
Columbia Ballroom Orchestra Free Download
Live Music is the Best
Judy Garland Sings! – Judy Garland in Concert. August 1967. JUDY AT HOME AT THE PALAC E – NATIONAL GUARD SESSIONS Judy was interviewed by Martin Block backstage at The Palace (the exact date is unknown) for the "National Guard Sessions" show. The interview was recorded in one session, but was divided into four parts and broadcast in November, 1967.
Best Stereo Headphones For Classical Music The promise of 30-hour battery life from the rechargeable battery when using the E9s in wireless mode (Bluetooth 4.0) or up. These are the best wireless Bluetooth headphones (over-ear & on-ear) right now. Comparison Table – Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones For best wireless Bluetooth earbuds/in-ear monitors click here. Want noise cancelling headphones, check top models
While the librarians can show attendees how to download eBooks, use their iPhone or. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, free, 847-680-0336. Country With a Little Ballroom: Enjoy a mini lesson and open.
To Friday, May 31 Three Visions: Walking in New West, featuring works by Sheri Lynn Seitz, James Lash and Dan Tell, at the Community Art Space at Anvil Centre (third floor at 777 Columbia St.). Free.
I was 3 days old on election day 1944, when FDR won his fourth term. I was born when the Rosies were still riveting, turning out bombers and tanks and ships by the thousands; the songs on the radio were about men going off to war and women working hard in defense plants so they could come home soon.
Sri Lanka World Cup Final Singing Opening KANDY, Sri Lanka. highest opening partnership in the World Cup when they passed 194 against Zimbabwe in a Group A match. The previous record was held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah. LONDON (AP) The Latest at the Cricket World Cup. 2015 final, faces Sri Lanka at Cardiff in the earlier game. Australia. May 14,
Your source for all things OSCAR®, including the 90th Academy Awards – the latest news, predictions and insight – and the occasional digression.
Slippery Rock University Official University News. SRU Army ROTC cadets earn honors at awards ceremony 4/26/2019. Cadets from Slippery Rock University’s Army ROTC program were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the SRU ROTC Award Ceremony, April 25, at the Slippery Rock Township Municipal Building.
Check It Out Now It The Funk Soul Brother Lew Funk’s WWII Pictures 34th Bombardment Group 391st Squadron Authors Note: This site represents years of research and scanning old negatives and other artifacts. Folk Music By Definition Must Be Learned Music is an art that, in one guise or another, permeates every human society. Modern music is heard in a bewildering profusion of styles,
What Is Better Opera Or Firefox On Android Also, if you are a Windows user or frequently use an Android device, Opera’s cross-platform functionality makes more sense. For everyone else, I don’t see any reasons for using Opera Touch over Safari. A useful tool that any decent web browser offers is private browsing. This feature has a different name, depending on the browser
Professional drummer Keith Carlock in concert with the Columbia Basin Jazz Orchestra. Call 509-542-5531. Jazz Unlimited Festival: Band Weekend, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave.
An Arizona State University graduate program sending professionals into the teeth of disasters was ranked the top in the nation this week by U.S. News and World Report, ahead of George Mason.
To Sunday, May 12 magnetic_T, an exhibition of works involving magnets, magnetism and magnetic fields, at New Westminster New Media Gallery, third floor, Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia. free. Info: www.
Then head to Underground Comedy at the Wonderland Ballroom to finish off the weekend with laughs. In one night, you can watch.
Columbia Tusculum Ugly Holiday Sweater Bar. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. More than 100 craft vendors will fill the Music Hall ballroom during the ninth annual Crafty Supermarket.
Through the years, the festival has included many famed headliners, ranging from The Count Basie Orchestra, which logged three performances. Local High School Bands in the Harre Union Ballroom with.
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984.
Meet the Faculty. Dianne (Candy) Braden received a BFA degree in Dance from Texas Christian University, and has done graduate work in dance at American University. She has performed with the Fort Worth Civic Ballet, at Disney, and with the Jan Taylor Dance Company in Washington, D.C. Miss Braden brings her widely recognized strengths in tap and jazz to the faculty and is a founding member.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, free for children 5 and younger. Information: 410-730-4976, ext. 106 or jewishhowardcounty.org. Open rehearsals The Columbia Orchestra invites. 4 p.m.
SummerDance is popular, free and open. Teddy Lee Orchestra (Ballroom) and Arthur Murray Dance Center (Foxtrot, Rhumba). Wednesday, July 24, 6-9 p.m. SummerDance in the Parks at Jackson Park Grove.
You Tube Smokin Joe Kubek Armadillo Blues Check It Out Now It The Funk Soul Brother Lew Funk’s WWII Pictures 34th Bombardment Group 391st Squadron Authors Note: This site represents years of research and scanning old negatives and other artifacts. Folk Music By Definition Must Be Learned Music is an art that, in one guise or another, permeates every human society. Modern
7110 Minstrel Way in Columbia. John Holway will discuss his book "Baseball’s Biggest Miracle." Free. Information: 410-740-1145. Classical concert Sundays at Three Chamber Music Series presents.
Afternoon Ballroom Dancing. 227 Symons St., Richland. Free. Open mic for poets, comedians, musicians, and anything in between. Call 509-946-9893. CBC Choir and Orchestra Winter Concert, 7-8:30 p.m.
Pop Music Band In 1985 With Hit Take On Me Jan 24, 2018 · This pop-punk band burst onto the charts in the mid-2000s with “1985,” their fun and colorful tribute to ‘80s pop culture. Their 1994 formation was one entirely of timing, as the then. British pop music is popular music, produced commercially in the United Kingdom.It emerged in the mid-to late 1950s as a
HDtracks high resolution music downloads. "Why We Build The Wall" (EP – Selections from Hadestown. The Myth. The Musical.
Columbia is the capital and second largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina, with a population estimate of 134,309 as of 2016. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County.It is the center of the Columbia metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 767,598 as of the 2010 United States Census.
A Bedfull of Foreigners, presented by the Royal Canadian Theatre Company at the Anvil Centre Theatre, 777 Columbia. free for students, at the door. Info: www.douglascollege.ca/artsevents. Sunday,
To login or sign up to volunteer at HeadCount events & concerts, please visit our Volunteer Page. Or you can sign up for a show directly if you already have an Intranet account and are logged in.Just click “Volunteer!” next to the show’s listing.
Dear Twitpic Community – thank you for all the wonderful photos you have taken over the years. We have now placed Twitpic in an archived state.
Home show The Howard County Home Show will be held 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ten Oaks Ballroom, 5000 Signal Bell Lane, Clarksville. $5 for adults; $3 for retired and active military; children under 10.
Modesto Symphony Orchestra presents vocalist Lori Zabka. Modesto Senior Center, Bodem and Scenic. Free for seniors. 209-505-3216. www.Funstrummers.com. UKULELE JAM Ongoing Funstrummers. Songbooks.
Travis Ehrenstrom: The local musician will perform; 6-8 p.m.; free; Thump Coffee — NW Crossing, 549 NW York Ave., Suite 200, Bend; 805-202-1090. Matt Puccio Jr.: The folk, alt-rock musician will.
Here we present the Top 10 in our long-running Detroit’s 100 Greatest Songs project. promotional photo/Free Press archives) Aretha Franklin was already a known force by summer 1967, having joined.
The Columbia resident. Mr. Colom spent his free time at antique and thrift stores searching for old recordings. Friends said he enjoyed 1930s film musicals and was a devoted fan of Alice Faye and.
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Main Website Silver Forum Index European Silver - (no silverplate, jewelry or watches) Dutch Silver
Dutch silver original maker's mark project
Postby oel » Thu May 03, 2012 8:00 am
Dutch silver original maker's mark project.
Elias Voet, Jr., Nederlands Goud- & Zilvermerken,
Karel A. Citroen, Dutch Goldsmiths' and Silversmiths' Marks and Names prior to 1812,
Karel A. Citroen, Amsterdamse Zilversmeden en hun merken.
L.B. Gans goud-en zilvermerken van Voet
World Hallmarks Europe 19th to 21st centuries
Waarborgholland, ˜Netherlands' Responsibility Marks since 1797
Janjaap Luijt, Het zilver Lexicon
Valse Zilvermerken in Nederland K.A. Citroen
Year letters of the Netherlands as of 1814
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32028
Firma Dahlia Amsterdam
Maker's mark D S with a dahlia in the middle for : C. Schoorl & J.A. Dal / J. G. Sauveplanne & F. Hemelrijk, all also known as the firm Dahlia, city of Amsterdam, registered 1920-1958.
Minerva head with the regional assay office letter A for Amsterdam. The date letter D is for 1938.
The marks used by the firm Dahlia:
Fa.(Firm) Moerkerk & Co
M+C in oval for; Fa.(Firm) Moerkerk & Co also known as Th. & P. Moerkerk, Haarlem mark used 1923/1928
B. W van Eldik & A.F. van der Scheer also known as Hollandia Zilversmeden, Zutphen
BWE conjoined monogram in (double) oval for; B. W van Eldik & A.F. van der Scheer also known as Hollandia Zilversmeden, Zutphen mark used 1917/1950
Silversmith Company in Zutphen, founded in 1917 by Bernardus Warnerus van Eldik, decendant of a Zutphen family of silversmiths. The Hollandia Zilversmederij maker's mark BWE in one or two ovals. Hollandia produced a wide range of silverware, mainly in old Dutch style, ranging from teaspoons to bread baskets. The factory closed its doors in 1950
Zaanlandse Zilversmederijen n.v./b.v.
A hammer between two Z for;Zaanlandse Zilversmederijen n.v./b.v., Haarlem & Amsterdam mark used 1920/1990
Zaanlandse Zilversmederij with outlets/workshops/factories in Amsterdam and later in Haarlem. They were famous for silver with Old Dutch scenes and silverware copies of older famous styles. Zaanlandse founded in 1875 by Gerardus Schoorl(1848-1915) in Zaandijk. Around the turn of the 19th century Antique Dutch silver was in high demand and Gerardus Schoorl became an active supplier. Zaanlandse Zilversmederij became famous for Old Dutch style silverware and turned into a family owned business. The Zaanlandse Zilversmederij 's factory closed its doors in 1973 and the company ceased to exist in 1990. Also used maker's mark; ZZ in a double square shield with cut corners used 1916-1920
For more please see;
http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 118#p60118"
Gerardus Schoorl
G7S; Gerardus Schoorl registered in the cities of Zaandijk/Amsterdam & Haarlem date registered 1875/1914
C.A. Stout
CS 3 (in rolling pin shaped frame) for; C.A. Stout, Rotterdam mark used 1961/2002. Lion Passant II for silver 835 fineness. Assay office mark with the letter D in its helmet for regional assay office of Rotterdam. Date letter S for 1978
Re: Dutch silver original maker's mark project
Postby oel » Thu May 03, 2012 2:10 pm
The famous family Gerritsen, silversmiths and factory founders history
In 1866, Johannes Albertus Adolf Gerritsen(1840-1925) founded his jewelery company in Amsterdam, which in 1903 was converted into the N.V. Nederlandsche Fabriek voor Gouden en Zilveren Werken voorheen J.J.A.Gerritsen/ N.V.Dutch Factory for Gold and Silver Works formerly J.J.A.Gerritsen. His sons Johannes Albertus (Albert) (1874-1946) and Marius Johannes (1882-1954) also worked in the factory. Since c. 1895 the company was established at the Looiersgracht in Amsterdam; in 1904 it moved to Zeist (Karpervijver). The two brothers Albert and Marius Gerritsen formed the management. In 1909 Marius left his his father's factory. In 1925 the management of the N.V. Dutch Factory for Gold and Silver Works was expanded and the name was changed to; N.V. (from 1926 Koninklijke/ Royal) Nederlandse Fabriek voor Gouden en Zilveren Werken Gerritsen en Van Kempen/ Dutch Factory for Gold and Silver Works Gerritsen and Van Kempen. In 1960 this factory merged with the company Begeer from Voorschoten and became the name N.V. Koninklijke Nederlandse Fabrieken van Gouden en Zilveren Werken Van Kempen en Begeer/ N.V. Royal Dutch Factories of Gold and Silver Works Van Kempen and Begeer
N.V. Nederlandsche Fabriek voor Gouden en Zilveren Werken voorheen J.J.A.Gerritsen/ N.V.Dutch Factory for Gold and Silver Works formerly J.J.A.Gerritsen.
Maker's mark/factory mark Gz.(conjoined); N.V. Nederlandsche Fabriek voor Gouden en Zilveren Werken voorheen J.J.A.Gerritsen, this particular maker's mark used ?1908-?1924
N.B. In 1910, Marius Johannes Gerritsen founded the Eerste Nederlandse Fabriek van Nieuw-Zilverwerken/ First Dutch Factory of New-Silver Works, the later Gero. In 1922, Marius Johannes Gerritsen bought out of his company, left and started a new company, de N.V. De Nederlandse Metaalwarenfabriek/ the N.V. The Dutch Metalware Factory, later called Sola.
The Gero factory in the city of Zeist, founded 21 0ktober 1912
Gero short for Gerritsen & Co
Founded under the name; Eerste Nederlandsche Fabriek van Nieuw Zilverwerken, formerly known in 1910 under the company name; MJ Gerritsen & Co., has become a household name in the Netherlands, which stands for virtue and quality.
The Gero factory was founded by Marius Johannes Gerritsen (1882-1954) which in 1909 left his his father's factory to start his own business, along with his brother in law and business partner Julius ter Beek (1888-1967). Marius Gerritsen together with his brother in law Henri Simonis became the first directors. As the result of a conflict about the balance in 1921, between Marius Gerritsen and H.Simonis his brother in law and as such also between Marius Gerritsen’s father, Marius was granted a honorable discharge in 1922. After he left Gero Marius Gerritsen founded Gerrowé, later renamed Sola.
Although Gero was hit by the impact of the First World War it managed to introduce various new collections made in Gerozilver and Gero-alpacca. Throughout its existence the Gero factory used a large number of different alloys. The Gero factory made its products in 'New-silver', also called Alpacca and in a silver plated white metal called Gerozilver. However the spoons and forks made out of Alpacca, a white coloured alloy of roughly 60%copper, 20% nickel, 20% zinc & 5% tin, discoloured rapidly and a layer of chromium was applied over the Alpacca and called Gromalca . In addition Gero made products in pewter, called Gero-tin. The name Gerozilver caused confusion and in 1952 New Hallmark rules forced Gero to change the name into Gero Zilvium
Worldwide recognition
In the early years the company flourished had no competition, the first company to produce quality cutlery for a cheap price. In 1922, a Gero factory was opened in Copenhagen, Denmark to produce for the Scandinavian market. Sales offices were opened in England, Belgium and Germany and the Dutch East Indies and South America were important markets. The Gero factory grew in those years into a well-functioning company. The 12.5 year anniversary of the factory was celebrated in 1925 with the slogan "Gero spans de Kroon" and in the same year the factory name of; Eerste Nederlandsche Fabriek van Nieuw Zilverwerken, voorheen M.J. Gerritsen & Co. Was changed in; Gerofabriek, Fabriek van Nieuw Zilverwerken (Gerofactory, Factory of New Silverworks)
In 1929 the Gero factory, like many other companies, had to deal with the consequences of the Stock Market Crash in America. As a result in 1931, the factory in Copenhagen was closed. In order to meet the demand for cheaper cutlery Gero Zilmeta was introduced, a stainless steel product which required no maintenance and in addition, it was highly suitable for the manufacture of pans, bowls and serving utensils. The Alpacca and Gromalca disappeared from the range of products and replaced by stainless steel Gero Zilmeta.
Besides cutlery soon also other utensils were made as dinnerware, napkin rings, finger bowls, bread baskets and candlesticks.
In the early years the Gero factory had no own designers. In 1923 the Gero factory teamed up with the famous Dutch decorative artist Chris van der Hoef (CJH).
From 1927 products designed by Georg Nilsson (GN) in Copenhagen were also made by Gero in Zeist. And after the closure of the Gero factory in Copenhagen in 1933, Georg Nilsson works in the Gero factory in Zeist Holland until his retirement in 1957. In the 1950ties Georg Nilsson designed child's cutlery Fairy tale sets. See for an example;
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=48808&p=147745#p147745
Georg Nilsson has been responsible for most of the designs made by Gero, the characteristic; animal motifs, flower and leave motives, hammered surface but also sleek & functional designs.
Jan Eisenloeffel JE in circle
In 1929 Gero introduced the cutlery set model nr. 70, designed by Jan Eisenloeffel, a great commercial success, and still made in 1954. Gero claimed the Cutlery set model nr.70, one of the best Dutch Arts & Crafts Industrial design.
Cooperation with other factories.
Copier Gero liqueur decanter - Andries Dirk Copier, 1930 (Nationaal Glasmuseum)
Leerdam elixir bottle and glass with Gero- tin, design Georg Nilsson. Bottle height 15 cm and glass 11 cm
Plazuid (Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland) pottery vase, with Gero (Zeist) pewter mount, art deco period, hight 11 cm, made ca.1930.
Leerdam Glass Factory/designer Andries Copier, cooperation between 1930 and 1933; candlesticks, flower vases, condiment sets and liqueur sets. In the early thirties, there is cooperation with the Plateelbakkerij Zuid Holland Gouda. Earthenware Gouda vases, bowls, candlesticks, ashtrays, bottles and such were in Zeist decorated with Gero-tin. The cooperation with design artists and other factories rose to fame of the Gero factory and participating in important national and international exhibitions. After World War II the Gero factory opened a new branch in Nieuw- Weerdinge, near Emmen, to increase production capacity.
To further increase the production capacity companies/factories were taken over by Gero: Hollandia Plate Hilversum, NV Reppel in Belgium and the German firm P. Bruckmann & Söhne in Heilbronn. The products produced by Bruckmann were manufactured from 1965 under the name 'Gero sterling silver', however, this company proved not to be profitable. In addition, the Gero factory could not handle the fierce international competition and lost market. In 1974 the Gero factory in Zeist was closed. The Gero factory in in Nieuw-Weerdinge managed to stay open in a much reduced form. In 1985 Gero factory/brand name is taken over by the Royal Van Kempen & Begeer in Zoetermeer. Today Gero is still produced .
(BK Cookware: The brand Gero and the brand BK are part of BK Cookware bv. BK Cookware bv. is part of the Royal Delft Group. De N.V. Koninklijke Delftsch Aardewerkfabriek "De Porceleyne Fles Anno 1653" (Royal Delft) is the leading producer of authentic Delft Blue ornamental earthenware and modern earthenware. In January 2008, Royal Delft acquired crystal producer Royal Leerdam Crystal and since September 2008 BV Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer (owner of the brand names: BK, Gero, Keltum and Royal VKB).
Gero factory maker’s mark for silver item made up till 2000:
Gero silver plate trademark:
The D in a circle is not a date letter but a design letter.The N in a circle is a production letter or production mark and various letters of the alphabet were used to keep control of manufacture. These production letters are on all silver-plated items as from 1917.
The Gero factory in Denmark used a capital P, probably for Plated.
In 1962, the production letters were placed in a square instead of a round circle.
Production letters used on plated items as such have no reference to a particular year and to my knowledge a Gero silver plate date/year/mark letter chart does not exist.
Gero silver plate the numbers 20, 40, 90 or 100 indicates the grams of pure silver used to silver plate 12 spoons and 12 forks. The higher the number, the higher the thickness of the silver layer (skin) or quality; 20, 40 90 or 100 grams of silver has been used. After 1965 Gero used only 100 grams.
Gero Sterling:
Gero with Dutch (hall)marks:
From left to right: Gero maker's mark for silver, 2nd standard mark silver, Minervahead/assay office mark and date letter P for: 1925
Gero Copenhagen silver plate trademark two towers:
In 1922 Gero opened a factory in Copenhagen, Denmark which produced mainly products for the Danish & Nordic markets. Georg Nilsson born in 1888 Denmark and trained by the famous"Georg Jensen" was hired by Gero in Copenhagen as a designer & craftsman. After the closure of the Gero factory Copenhagen, Georg Nilsson settled in the Netherlands. Georg Nilsson continues to work for Gero in Zeist until he retired in 1957. His work is characterized by, at that time 'peculiar', hammered surface and the use of animal ornaments. Before World War II Nilsson designed cutlery models that were characterized by forms of art deco, hammered form or in the form of a cartouche. After the war, his designs became sleek and functional.
Gero factory used the services of famous designers who marked their designs: Georg Nilsson (GN), Theodorus Hooft (TH) pewter only, Chris van der Hoef (CJH), Jan Eisenloeffel (JE in circle), Rinze Hamstra (RH) pewter only and Andries Copier (C in circle )
Designer Dick Simonis (DS in circle), son of the director Henri Simonis, started in 1944 to work for the Gero factory until 1974. After World War II it was in the first place important to bring production back on track and there was no attention to launch new models. In 1955 the Gero factory stopped the production of pewter objects, and only Zilmeta and Zilvium objects were produced. From 1959 Gero also produced Zilduro products with a higher nickel percentage compared to Zilmeta objects.
In 1957, after Georg Nilsson retired, the Gero factory employed Ib Jensen, a well-known designer from Denmark, and the son of Georg Jensen. In 1962 Ib Jensen returned, after completing a few designs back to Denmark. Dick Simonis was the only permanent designer employed at the Gero factory. The technically well-designed objects of Simonis are characterized by a sober unadorned line. The influence from Denmark where he had received part of his training is herein clearly visible. A Gero Zilmeta cookware designed by Simonis in 1958 received awards in Brussels and Canada 'because of high quality coupled with a pleasing shape'.
Cookware set, Gero Zilmeta, design Dick Simonis, 1958
Gero Hollandia plate for Hotels & Restaurants.
The factory: Hollandia Plate made exclusively cutlery and items for restaurants, shipping, etc. For large users.
In 1963 the Gerofabriek took over the Hollandia Plate factory in Hilversum and the brand: Gero-Hollandia Plate came into use.
See: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=51388&p=159381#p159381
100 jaar Gero;
http://www.gero.nl/webdocs/GERO_100jaar.pdf
Gero silver plate trademark name: Zilvium
Gero stainless steel trademark names; Zilmeta, & Zilduro (high nickel%)
http://www.benvanhelden.nl/Edelsmeden/a ... effel.html
Oel.
Postby oel » Fri May 04, 2012 12:08 pm
Van Kempen & Zonen/Kempen & Begeer & Vos/Koninklijke Nederlandse Edelmetaalbedrijven/Nederlandse Fabrieken van Kempen en Begeer N.V Gerritsen & van Kempen n.v. Zeist
“De Koninklijke Utrechtse Fabriek van Zilverwerken” is a Dutch company in Zoetermeer dedicated to the Art of Silver & Goldsmithing. In 1866 G.F.J. Bauer, the founder of the “Utrechtsche Zilverfabriek S. and J. van Lier & Zn and G.F.W Bauer “, was succeeded by Carel Joseph Begeer (1840-1879) and a little later the factory changed its name to: 'Utrechtse Fabriek van Zilverwerken C.J. Begeer'(in 1868). Carel Joseph Begeer died a young age and was succeeded by his younger brother Anthonie Begeer. At a later stage Anthonie married his brother’s widow Margje Johanna Straver on 1881 April 6. The son of Carel Joseph Begeer (1840-1879) & Margje Johanna Straver, called Cornelis L.J. Begeer, at 1890 worked as a partner under his stepfather/uncle Anthonie Begeer and under his leadership the factory produced, around the year 1900, silver objects in the Art Nouveau style. In 1883 Carel J.A. Begeer was born, son of Anthonie & Margje Begeer-Straver and stepbrother of Cornelis L.J Begeer.
B under 2 stars; C.L.J Begeer , Utrecht mark used 1904/1951
C B above star; C. J.Begeer, Kon. Utrechtse Fabriek van Zilverwerk, Utrecht, mark used 1868/1920
Carel J.A. Begeer; Dutch goldsmith, designer of ornamental silver & silver utensils and later became director of Royal Van Kempen, born October 15th 1883 in Utrecht - deceased November 12, 1956 in Voorschoten.
Carel J. A. Begeer enjoyed a broad education at home and abroad, both in the fields of trade, Art and technology. In 1904 he was artistic director of the company from his father, and co-partner in 1908, after the death of his father in 1910, he became director. In 1907, his first designs are carried out in silver. Showing Roman naturalist ornaments & medieval influences and art nouveau features.
Carel J.A.Begeer used the services of other famous designers, including Chris van der Hoef, Jan Eisenloeffel, Harm Ellens, George Lantman, Gerrit Rietveld and Erich Wichmann. From 1904 until 1907 Jan Eisenloeffel designed metalwork and tableware for CJ Begeer in Utrecht.
In 1919 Carel Begeer merged his company with "J. K. Kempen & Zonen' located inVoorschoten and the firm J. Vos located in Rotterdam The name of this newly merged company: de 'Koninklijke Nederlandsche Edelmetaal Bedrijven Van Kempen, Begeer en Vos (K.N.E.B.)'. The workshops of this new company were established in the city of Voorschoten.
The company, based in Voorschoten, was reorganized in 1925. C.J.A. Begeer and D. Vos become the new members of the Executive Board. Former director Anthony Everdinus van Kempen left the company to become a director by Gerritsen Zeist a competitor, from that time on called; Gerritsen and Van Kempen (1925-1960). 'Koninklijke Nederlandsche Edelmetaal Bedrijven Van Kempen, Begeer en Vos (K.N.E.B.)' then changed the name into: 'Van Kempen and Begeer'
The company now produced less labor-intensive products; series of machine made products.
Since 1927 the designers Christa Ehrlich and later the German Emmy Roth joined the company.
The depression midst thirties was survived by producing Keltum plate and stainless steel cutlery.
In 1960 the merger of the two competing companies Gerritsen en Van Kempen in Zeist and Van Kempen en Begeer in Voorschoten to: Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer, established in Zoetermeer, from 1985.
Carel Joseph Anton Begeer, in addition to his work as a director of a company, was involved in many administrative activities which include; chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Utrecht, chairman of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce for Germany, president and board member of The Hague Dutch Society for Industry and Commerce, and country chairman of the Dutch Society for Industry and Commerce, chairman of several museums and an arts & crafts school, and many other functions. For his many services he was awarded the rank of Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau, he also received various international awards.
He also published about his field of expertise like an introduction to the ‘History of the Dutch Goldsmith’. (de 'Geschiedenis der Nederlandse Edelsmeedkunst').
http://buitenplaatsberbice.nl/familie-begeer/
SBU; C.L.J. Begeer, Stichtse Fabriek van Goud en Zilverwerken, Utrecht, mark used 1932/1936
Crowned B; Koninklijke Begeer b.v., Arteliers voor Edelsmeed en Penningkunst 1959- present
V.K. within G or horseshoe, frame 2 conjoined vases for; Gerritsen & van Kempen n.v. Zeist around 1926/? (1961)
K.B above V for Kempen & Begeer & Vos, Koninklijke Nederlandse Edelmetaalbedrijven, registered in the Dutch cities of 's Hertogenbosch, Utrecht and Voorschoten .Year used 1920-1931.
VKB under a crown above crescent moon for Koninklijke (Royal) Nederlandse Fabrieken van Kempen en Begeer N.V. or Koninklijke van Kempen en Begeer, date entry 1961-present, cities of Zeist & Voorschoten, Leiden en Zoetermeer.
V above a crescent moon for; Zilverfabriek Voorschoten (Silverfactory Voorschoten), a subsidiary of Koninklijke Nederlandse Edelmetaal Bedrijven( Royal Dutch Precious Metals Companies). Mark used 1925/1961
VK under crescent moon or crescent moon between two dots, is the maker's mark for Firm J. M. van Kempen & Zonen, city of Voorschoten in the Netherlands, date entry 1858-1924.
Image from left to right.
VA under a Crown for: van Arcken & Co registered in Batavia & Soerabaja ( Former Dutch Indies) registered from 1889 /?. Retailers.
VK under a crescent moon between two dots, maker's mark for: Firm J.M van Kempen & Zonen, located in the city of Voorschoten , this mark used 1858/1924
Lion Passant above 2: standard mark silver .833 fineness (1814-1953) with export key: mark to indicate 2/3 duty restitution upon export valid 1853 till 1953.
Minerva head or office mark with the regional assay office letter C in its helmet for the assay office of The Hague.
Date letter h for 1892
De winkel (shop) of Van Arcken & Co at the Molenvliet in Noordwijk at Batavia West Java around 1880
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COLLE ... 009496.jpg
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koninklijk ... %26_Begeer"
History of Royal Van Kempen & Begeer
1789 Johannes van Kempen joins the master guild
and founds his company.
1858 Royal assignation the company of Johannus
van Kempen by King Willem III.
1851 BK cookware is founded. In 1851 Coppersmith Hendrik Berk set up a factory in Kampen, the Netherlands.
1867 Participation at the World Exhibition in Paris.
1874 Participation at the World Exhibition in Vienna.
1912 Gero cutlery is founded, by Marius Gerritsen, a member of the famous silver family Gerritsen.
1919 Merger to KNEB for; Koninklijke Nederlandse Edelmetaal Bedrijven van Kempen, Begeer & Vos. One of the five subsidiary
called Zilverfabriek Voorschoten
1936 Keltum silver plated hollowware is founded, with its first collection being designed by Gustav Beran.
1960 Merger of bv Koninklijke van Kempen & Begeer.
1986 bv Koninklijke van Kempen & Begeer acquires Gero
1988 bv Koninklijke van Kempen & Begeer acquires BK
2004 Van Kempen & Begeer opens futuristic shop in Utrecht
2005 Establishment of RoyalVKB as international brand.
History of Van Kempen
J. M. van Kempen (III)
Utrecht silversmith (1814-1877)
The name Van Kempen has long been a well known established ( household) name in the Dutch silver industry. This is mainly due to Johannes Mattheus (III) van Kempen (1814-1877), the first silver manufacturer to introduce modern production techniques in the Netherlands, to realize his dream of the mass production of silver and decorative objects. In 1858 the company moved from Utrecht to Voorschoten. In 1919 a merger took place with the firms of C.J . Begeer from Utrecht and Jac. Vos & Co. from Rotterdam. A few years later that merger initiated the departure of the Van Kempen from Voorschoten.
Johannes Mattheus van Kempen, joined in the footsteps of his father and grandfather both silversmiths. His grandfather was born in Utrecht in 1764, known as Johannes Mattheus van Kempen (I) and in 1789 admitted as master of the guild of silversmiths. His sons, Pieter Johannes (1790 - 1831) and Johannes Mattheus (II) (1792 - 1831) were also silversmith in Utrecht.
In 1834 Johannes Mattheus (III) (1814-1877) bought a modest shop at the Choorstraat in Utrecht.
He realized that factory made silver production would play an increasingly important role in modern society and it would play down the roll of the traditional handcraft gold smiting. Located at a large medieval building in Utrecht at the
Oude Gracht, which he bought in 1851, he ordered to build, a then very modern, steam engine. In this way he could with the help of an increasing number of well-trained employees, realize his dream: the modern way of producing cheaper, but good quality silver objects.
J. M. van Kempen wanted "pure of style" silver designs. In a brochure published in 1851, for the World Exhibition in London, Van Kempen discusses the five styles he used for his silverware: Greek, Gothic, Renaissance, Louis XIV and rocaille.
The main contribution of a Dutch silversmith at the first World's Fair, held in London in 1851, was that of the Utrecht silversmith J.M van Kempen. His entry consisted of five different objects in historical styles. Each style period represented with objects. In an accompanying letter Van Kempen explained that he had tried every style, as faithfully as possible, to interpret. The star of the exhibit was a jewelry box made by van Kempen which according to the silversmith 'exhibits characteristics of the Renaissance'.
Under Renaissance Van Kempen understood the style period introduced in the late 15th century in Italy and during the 16th and 17th century in France and England had celebrated triumphs. Like his contemporaries, Van Kempen did not distinguish between the early Italian Renaissance and the later French and English reaction thereof. Hence, in the decoration of the jewelry box motifs from both trends are recognisable: the little heads in the medallions go back to an invention by the Italian sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1442), while the scroll work with which the walls and the edges of the lid are decorated precisely characterises the last phase, which we now call Mannerism. Van Kempen appreciated in the Renaissance, especially the prominent ornamentation - the combination of surface ornament and sculptural elements.
The designer of the jewelry box, the painter and illustrator Gerardus Willem van Dokkum (1828-1903), succeeded to merge the past styles into a decidedly 19th-century object. In his design he took on more sculptural elements of his own invention. The most appealing is the dog on the cover, the dog as a guardian of the treasure jewelry. Under his front paw he holds an exact copy of the key to open the jewelry box.
With three of his sons, Johannes Matheus is the founder and first director of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Fabriek van Gouden en Zilveren werken J. M. van Kempen & Zonen te Vooschoten (Royal Dutch Factory Golden and Silver Works J. M. Kempen & Sons in Voorschoten). At the opening of the new factory in 1858 in Voorschoten the predicate "Royal" has been granted to the company. since the sixties of the nineteenth century, English craftsmen were attracted to introduce the latest techniques for producing spoons and forks and famous artists like Willem van Dokkum and Hendrik Jacobus Valk, but also several anonymous designers were responsible for the often surprisingly modern designs of the silver ware produced in Van Kempen's factory.
The increasing prosperity in the second half of the nineteenth century also increased the demand for large silver and silver cutlery. Thanks to the introduction of modern mechanical techniques, the factory Van Kempen could meet with demands. Between 1860 and 1919 surprisingly new styles were introduced, as well traditional styles were maintained. In order to make a profit a plant with several hundred employees, had to be taking into account the tastes of all its customers.
At this time the factory production of large silver did not yet reached mass production . Only rarely were there more than three identical models simultaneously made. Mass production was the case with the manufacturing of cutlery and serving spoons, to meet demands, a special cutlery production plant was build . In this period the variation of cutlery increased dramatically; from cheese knives to you name it, each dish had its own spoon or fork & knife.
Van Kempen attached great importance to quality and careful finish of all the objects made. That is why the factory in Voorschoten made numerous commissions for the Royal Family and government institutions. In 1901 the president of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek (the old Transvaal ) Paul Kruger gave Van Kempen an important task to make a silver inkstand for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
Although Van Kempen in the 20th century also followed internationally recognized styles, sales of silver in the neo-styles continues to be of importance to the plant, new styles & models which at the end of the 19th century were designed under the responsibility of head cartoonist Jacobus Valk. In this period Van Kempen used the services of external artists to create designs, such as decorative artist Karel Sluyterman. His products are characterised by the use of ornate Art Nouveau floral motifs. Also, anonymous artists designed for Van Kempen in this Art Nouveau style.
Early last century, besides these exuberant designs, Van Kempen also made products that are simpler and more austere in form. Like tea sets and serving spoons & forks decorated with geometrical designs.
The artist Jacobus Valk managed and directed a large number of engravers and drafters, like Jan J. Warnaar who became an important designer at the drawing department. The first ten years of the 20th century Jan Warnaar designed jars, jewelry boxes and spoons decorated with oriental ornaments and gemstones, however in 1922 Jan Warnaar left Van Kempen followed in 1924 by Jacobus Valk who also left Van Kempen. At that time the sculptor Hendrik A. van den Eynde was an important freelance designer for Van Kempen, his masterpiece a symbolic urn, made in 1919, as of today still recognized as a highlight of Dutch Silver Art.
With the artists' designs, Van Kempen draw attention and hoped for positive reviews and planned to sell more of the ordinary, modern work. Therefore Van Kempen contracted sculptor Johan Altorf and artisans Tjipke Visser and Francoise Carbasius, whose work were shown by Van Kempen in various exhibitions, like at the yearly Utrecht Fair.
In 1919 the factory merged with the Koninklijke Utrechtsche Fabriek van zilveren werken C.J. Begeer and Jac. Vos & Co. from Rotterdam. The production was continued in the city of Voorschoten under the name of; Koninklijke Nederlandse Edelmetaalbedrijven Van Kempen, Begeer en Vos (KNEB ). After years of internal discord Carl Begeer became director of the firm.
In 1936 the first silver-plated items were produced under the name Keltum.
Candelabra Keltum 1962, designer Gustav Beran (1912-2006), marked Keltum 90
Keltum silver plate trademark
The Royal Delft Group acquired in September 2008 BV Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer.
http://website.rkd.nl/Projecten/crva/3- ... jes-ws.pdf"
Postby oel » Fri May 11, 2012 9:36 am
Since 1868 the Gerritsen family has been involved in the production and supply of silverware.
Newspaper add 30th October 1924
Gerrowé, the factory in Zeist was founded in 1922 by Marius. J. Gerritsen, after he left Gero and in 1925 renamed Sola.
Cutlery and tableware was made in quality stainless steel, silver plated and sterling silver. In the fifties Sola started manufacturing cookware. Sola’s factory in Zeist, now mainly has a store function, the production takes place elsewhere. Nowadays the company is run by Bert Gerritsen, grandson of Marius.J. Gerritsen. Sola has been manufacturing and distributing its products through dealers and wholesalers, reaching all various sectors of the hospitality industry from hotels and hotel-supply companies, restaurants, airlines, cruise-lines and others.
Silver teaspoons
G*Z for M.J. Gerritsen BV, Sola Fabriek Zeist, date used 1968-present,International mark assay office Gouda, lion rampant, silver 1st standard 925/1000, Minerva head/assay office mark, letter R =Gouda, year letter K for 1994,
G*Z for M.J. Gerritsen BV, Sola Fabriek Zeist 1968-present
Sola silver plated candle holders.
Sola silver plated cutlery set.
Sola stainless steel.
Chromed stainless steel.
Postby oel » Mon May 28, 2012 4:56 am
Fa.(Firm) H. Hooijkaas 1874-2008; Zilverfabriek Schoonhoven
Silver Factory, founded in 1874 and led by the successive members of the Hooykaas family. In 1874, the company named; Hooykaas Schoonhovense silver factory was founded by Hubertus Hooykaas and started as a small workshop. Around 1890 the company began to specialised in the electrolytic manufacturing of old Dutch silver. The company became in the thirties the most important silver factory in Schoonhoven and Schoonhoven's main employer, Hooykaas had a major impact on the local Schoonhoven society. The silver factory of Hooykaas, at a large-scale, produced hand made silver. In the boom years the company employed around 150 people. A not inconsiderable part of the company owed its existence to the savings campaigns of the famous Dutch coffee roaster & coffee & tea blender named Douwe Egberts. Among consumers Hooykaas was well known as the supplier of the Douwe Egberts-spoons. Every pack of coffee & tea made by Douwe Egberts, I believe since the late sixties, comes with a points coupon. A certain amount of points could be exchange for coffee cups, silver plated coffee canisters and the famous silver plated spoons with the fancy monogram D.E on it for Douwe Egberts. The coffee coupons of D.E are still by many people collected and every so many years D.E changes the collection of his gift shop.
In the nineties, Hooykaas emphasis shifted from production company to a trading company.
Zilverfabriek Hooijkaas Schoonhoven; after a few years of being empty, has been demolished in 2005, to give way to further urban development.
http://hooijkaas-schoonhoven.nl/Geschiedenis/
http://www.friesscheepvaartmuseum.nl/nl ... %2C%20H%3A"
HH in a rectangle for; Fa.(Firm) H. Hooijkaas c.v. also known as Schoonhovense zilverfabriek, Schoonhoven mark used 1906/1924.
NB. An exact same mark HH in a rectangle has been used by Hermanus Hartman, Schoonhoven 1889/1910, always check date letter.
H 13; Herbert Hooijkaas, Schoonhoven, mark used 1875/1883. Also seen H13. mark used 1883/1909 and H.13 mark used 1875/1909
*H.H* in rectangle with cut corners H. Hooijkaas b.v. Schoonhovense Zilverfabriek mark used 1946-2008. The date letter N for 1948,
made for export numeral fineness mark 830, standard mark with export key 833/1000 fineness, Minerva head/assay office mark regional assay office letter M for Schoonhoven.
Also seen; .HH.(1913-1947) *HH+, *H.H+ used 1943-2008.
Phillip Hovingh
H13 for Phillip Hovingh,Look at the serifs of the letter H Phillip Hovingh, Oude Pekela, registered 1832-1851; often mistaken for the (H13) mark of Herbert Hooijkaas registered (1875-1909) and to make it more complicated it looks like Hooijkaas used a H13 mark with serifs.
Herbert Hooijkaas used in a rectangle; H13, H13.(dot) and H.13
Pseudo marks or fantasy marks
The London World Exhibition of 1851 showed some good antique, old school silver pieces to set as an example to follow for the growing silver industries & factories. Not only industrial modern pieces, inspired by old styles became in high demand, the original antique pieces became highly popular too. Around 1860 pseudo marks popped up in The Netherlands, provinces North & South Holland, Friesland & Groningen. Pseudo old marks & fantasy marks were used for competitive reasons, the high demand for antique silver at home and abroad,for silver being old & handmade in the traditional way. The import regulations in the UK and US; antique silver could be imported at a lower duty rate compared to modern silver. However the British importers know the silver items are not old and do sell it at such; being curios cabinet items. The silversmiths of Schoonhoven, the traditional exporter of mostly small silver items to the UK & US, used pseudo marks purely for tax reasons.
H13 up site down, in a rectangle for; Herbert Hooijkaas registered 1875-1909; often mistaken for the (H13) mark of Phillip Hovingh, Oude Pekela, registered 1832-1851 and the pseudo date letter H which is contributed to Hooijkaas but also used by Hendrik Preijer, Hoorn, registered 1896-1909, Both; Hooijkaas & Preijer used variants of the same pseudo marks; H13 (fat, flat serif) for Herbert Hooijkaas (unrecorded), an old ship or pseudo maker's mark, pseudo city mark for Amsterdam, H pseudo date letter.
A miniature made by Herbert Hooijkaas 1875-1883 maker's mark H13: with some of the pseudo/fantasy marks used in Schoonhoven.
For Maker's Marks used by Schoonhoven Silversmiths after 1940 see:
http://www.verwoerdceramics.com/silver
Re:Firma Helweg Amsterdam
Postby oel » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:32 am
Jacobus Helweg or the founder father of the Helweg Era.
Jacobus Helweg (1725-1778), silversmith in Amsterdam between 1753 and 1778 with the maker's mark; IH in an oval. James Helweg was a specialist in hand-forged cutlery. After his death, his son, Roelof took over the business.
Double click on image to enlarge
Roelof Helweg (1758-1843), silversmith in Amsterdam between 1778 and 1843 with the maker's mark; RH in oval, RH under a fish and RH under a spoon (after 1812). Roelof was a son of the silversmith James Helweg (1725-1778), from whom he took over the company. Like his father, Roelof Helweg specialized in forged tabel silverware. His sons Roelof Jr. (1792-1844), Jacob (1798-1875) and Henry (1802-1858) were also silversmith
Jacob Helweg (1798-1875), silversmith in Amsterdam between 1822 and 1864 with the maker's mark; JH under a basket in a square and H next to a basket in a rectangle with cut corners. Jacob was a son of the silversmith Roelof Helweg (1758-1843). Jacob probable learned the trade of silversmith by master silversmith Jacob Hendrik Stellingwerff. Jacob Helweg made all kinds of objects, both great work, as little work, cutlery and serving spoons and created all kinds of silver frames for glass and porcelain.
Jacob Helweg worked for the firm's Bonebakker, Bennewitz & Sons, Benten & Weddelink.
In 1886 Jacob Helweg handed the company to his son Jacob Hendrik Helweg, maker's mark; JH above H3.
Pre fabricated or made by Jacob Helweg ,completed and sold/retailed by the firm Bonebakker
Hendrik Helweg (1802-1858), silversmith in Amsterdam between 1828 and 1858 with the maker's mark; HH under an anchor in a square. Hendrik was a son of the Amsterdam silversmith Roelof Helweg (1758-1843) and learned the trade in his father's workshop. In 1828 he started his own company specializing in table and dessert cutlery and small coffee and tea accessories. Major customers were the Amsterdam firms; Bonebakker & Son Bennewitz & Sons, J. W. Benten & Sons and businesses in The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam. After his death his widow and her son Carel Hendrik Roelof continuid the company under the name; Widow H. Helweg & Son.
Carel Hendrik Roelof Helweg (1844-1912), silversmith in Amsterdam between 1875 and 1912 with the maker's mark; H under an anchor and HH under an anchor, both marks in an oval. Henrik was a son of the silversmith Hendrik Helweg (1802-1858). Initially he worked, as of 1875, in the workshop of his mother under the company name of; Wed. H. Helweg & Son. The company supplied to Bonebakker, Benten & Son, Begeer, Voet and Van Arcken. His son Carel Hendrik Roelof Jr. Helweg came in 1901, as an apprentice, in the workshop and continued from 1912 the company with his brother Carl Hendrik, with the maker's mark; WHH under an anchor. This firm existed until 1965
For more information please go to;
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=17208"
This short film may be of interest: https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=70392"
Helweg marks.
Gratitude; Het Zilver Lexicon by Janjaap Luijt and many others.
Postby oel » Sun May 12, 2013 7:14 am
Gebr. S & H Reitsma
R under a repousse hammer for: Gebr.(Brothers) S. & H. Reitsma or S. Reitsma, registered in the city of Sneek during 1892/1948.
Steven Reitsma, born in Sneek on the 19th December 1862 and deceased in Sneek on December the 15th 1948. Hendrik Reitsma, born in Sneek on the 4th of July 1870 and deceased in Deventer on the 2nd of May 1916. Both are the sons of Tjitte Reitsma (1821-1904) and Froukje Posthumus, and grandchildren of silversmith Steven Tjittes Reitsma from Lemmer, who later moved to Sneek.
Literature: -. Yearbook Frisian Maritime Museum 1983
Gebr. Roelfsema.
R6 in a vertical rectangle with cut corner for: J. H. Roelfsema or Firma Gebr (Brothers) Roelfsema. Other known marks: R6.(dot) in a horizontal rectangle with cut corners and 3 above GR in a square. The brothers Roelfsema were located in the city of Winsum, province of Groningen. Regional assay office Groningen, letter code E. Registered from 1894 till 1910 known for silver purse frames, silver bible locks, small silver boxes and other small silver work.
Gebr. Roelfsema made use of pseudo marks.
The owner of this silver purse frame thought it to be town mark of Zutphen. Not Zutphen, the town mark of Zutphen is without a crown. The marks are Dutch pseudo marks; CP conjoined fake master's mark of Cornelis Papinck ( city of Groningen), crowned cross fake master mark (Groningen),
Medieval helmet fake maker's mark of Rintje Jans (city of Leeuwarden), BI fake makers mark of Bernardus Jelgerhuis ( 18th century Frisian silver smith. The silver purse frame probably made in Groningen around the turn of the 19th century or later.
Postby oel » Sun May 12, 2013 11:06 am
Assayer's identification mark
C over V with the number 2 is the assayer's mark for; C. Vreedenburgh Jr(Junior)., assayer in the city of Schoonhoven during 1920/1927. The number 2, in the assayer's mark of C. Vreedenburgh Jr indicated silver; 2nd standard or 833 fineness.
Mr. Vreedenburgh had five assayer's identification marks ; C over V without a number for general use. C over V with the number 1 for; gold (916) and silver (934) 1st standard, with the number 2 for; gold (833) and silver (833) 2nd standard, with the number 3 for; gold (750) third standard and the number 4 for; gold of 4th standard or 583 fineness
Until 1931 the assayers were personally liable for mistakes in the results of their works.
The assayer's identification marks are among others, to identify parts of hollow ware, sometimes also complete items and semi made items, which have been submitted for preliminary assay. After completion the items are submitted for final hallmarking. After checking the identification marks, the items are marked without further assay. The numbers indicate the legal standards of fineness;
1: till 1931 gold 916, silver 934
3: till 1931 gold 750
Meine Stuart
Postby oel » Sat Jun 22, 2013 1:35 am
MS 41. with * is the maker’s mark of; Meine Stuart located in the city of Zwartsluis province of Overijssel. Meine Stuart registered 1820/1851 with various marks.
Rinze Jans Spaanstra and Paulus Arnoldus van der Beek
Postby oel » Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:07 pm
RS above 2 for: Rinze Jans Spaanstra registered in the cities of Drachten/Wommels/Berlicum(Frisian) and Nijehaske from around 1843 till 1896. Known to have used those particular set of pseudo marks see: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 568#p85568
Seen on spoons, the well known pseudo marks; VB and MC both pseudo maker‘s mark, single headed eagle pseudo city mark for Deventer.
Rinze Jans Spaanstra registered two maker’s marks; RS above 2 and RS above 158, he is well known to have used this particular set of fantasy marks.
MC pseudo maker’s mark, a fern leave another pseudo maker’s mark and a running animal (up site down) the third pseudo maker’s mark. Hallmark Lion Rampant 1, standard mark to indicate silver 934/1000 fineness or 93.4% pure silver used 1814-1953. And with export key mark to indicate 2/3 duty restitution upon export valid 1853 till 1953. Original maker's mark RS above 158 for; Rinze Jans Spaanstra
The Hague pseudo marks used;
These pseudo/fantasy marks are typical for The Hague
Crowned A; pseudo/fake year letter silver guild The Hague for 1747
Lion rampant facing left in a crowned shield; pseudo/fantasy standard mark province of Holland. Actually, the lion rampant is facing the wrong way compared to the original standard mark. Paulus Arnoldus van der Beek has often used this fantasy standard mark
T; pseudo/fake year letter
Crowned O; pseudo/fake duty free mark for 1807
Most of these “ The Hague” pseudo marks were used between 1880 and 1945 by Paulus Arnoldus van der Beek, his son Arnold, and by their successor Hendrik Poelman. Paulus van der Beek started as a silversmith in Friesland. In 1854 he settled in Workum, from where he moved to Franeker in 1877. In 1880 he left for The Hague, where he died in 1909. His son Arnold continued the business, and transferred his business to Hendrik Poelman in 1923, who continued the business till 1946
Yes pseudo marks can be deceiving. The British Museum metal detector find; Post-Medieval cast silver spoon bowl. Oval; rats tail end to stem extending roughly one third of the way down the bowl. Four marks stamped on the underside of the bowl; three around end of stem ('VB' to left, star/flower at end, crowned lion(?) (rampant to right) and one at edge of the bowl ('BS/2').
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts ... /id/434919
We know better
Re: Dots in a Dutch date letter?
Postby oel » Sun Dec 21, 2014 3:37 pm
From left to right; the maker's mark is GG for: Gerit Regtdoorzee Greup, registered in the city of Schoonhoven from 1864/1915( used 4 different maker's marks), Lion Passant above 2, standard mark for large and medium work, 833/1000 fineness used 1814-1953, The Minerva head or Assay office mark with the regional assay office letter M for the city of Schoonhoven, followed by the date letter C for 1912. Until 1931 the assayers were personally liable for mistakes in the result of their work. Until 1931 date letters were considered to be their responsibility marks. When in the course of a year the assayer of a certain office was succeeded by another one, as a consequence the date letters of that office were provided with a distinguishing mark. Usually it was a dot, but commas, crosses and stars also occurred. There are a few date letters bearing two dots; the result of two changes of assayer within a single year.
Ref: Netherlands'Responsibility marks from 1797 part 1
Postby oel » Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:33 pm
Alle de Haas also known as Fa. (Firm) A. de Haas or Th. De Haas.
AH 1 in a rectangle for; Alle de Haas also known as Fa. (Firm) A. de Haas or Th. De Haas, city of Sneek, mark used 1879/1966. His maker's mark is often seen in combination with pseudo marks.
AH above 1 in a square for; Alle de Haas also known as Fa. (Firm) A. de Haas or Th. De Haas, city of Sneek, mark used 1877/1966. His maker's mark is often seen in combination with pseudo marks. From left to right; pseudo city mark for Amsterdam, pseudo standard mark and pseudo year letter.
Alle de Haas (1849-1923), founder father of Firm Alle de Haas in 1877, was a very talented master using the old silver techniques in combination with fantasy marks and later with pseudo/fake marks, because antique silver with the old guild marks sold far better than modern hand made silver in the traditional way.
Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur
Friesland' s interest in antique silver is further encouraged by two exhibitions, both held in Leeuwarden, the first in 1900 and second in 1927.
Pseudo old marks & fantasy marks were used for competitive reasons, the high demand for antique silver at home and abroad, silver being old & handmade in the traditional way. The import regulations in the UK and US; antique silver could be imported at a lower rate of duty compared to modern silver. The British importers know the silver items are not old and do sell it at such; being curios cabinet items.
The firm of Alle de Haas continued after his death, using the same maker's mark AH 1, until the firm went out of business in 1966.
Re: Dutch silver original maker's mark project Andries Vis
Postby oel » Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:18 pm
Zilveren Gelegenheids lepel, zilversmid Andries Vis(ch)
In Dutch Herinneringslepel or Gelegenheidslepel or Sierlepel and Commemorative spoon or ornamental spoon in English. Commemorative spoons are made to give as a present and to celebrate a special occasion like; baptism, wedding, funeral or historical event. Often the spoons are engraved with dates and names. Some commemorative spoons are plain tablespoons with an inscription.
Dutch silver commemorative spoon, weight 56 gram, length 19.3 cm. The stem cast, and the tip a sailing ship three mast. The bowl hand forged, 7 cm by 4.7 cm. Rat-tail spoon — developed in the later 17th century; with a thin pointed tongue soldered on to the bottom of the bowl to reinforce the joint of the bowl and stem's shoulder . Left of the stem's shoulder and inside upper side of the bowl we see a scratch mark where the assayer took a sample of the silver alloy, to test the silver standard.
The back of the spoon's stem, the base of the sailing ship shows a 2nd scratch mark made by the assayer. The location of the marks; on the back of the bowl on the right side of the rat tail.
Marking; a shield with three crosses saltire on a pale surmounted by a crown, the town mark of Amsterdam (Andreas crosses). See L.B. Gans Goud en zilvermerken van Voet, Amsterdam 2014, p.15, year1747. A rampant lion within a crowned shield, the Dutch provincial lion for Holland 1st standard silver 934/1000 fineness, used between 1663 and 1807. A Roman capital N within a circle (cameo), the year letter for 1747.
A fish within an oval (cameo) maker's mark for; Andries Vis, registered in Amsterdam 1741-1799, born 1722, died 1799. Workshop located at the Egelantiersgracht, the workshop well advertised by Andries Vis, a prolific maker of cast spoons (cutlery) and silver forged teapots. See K.A. Citroen Amsterdamse Zilversmeden en hun merken p. 200
For more images see:
https://imageshack.com/a/vkb4/1
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the ... rch/188279
Re: Dutch silver original maker's mark Jan van den Broek
Postby oel » Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:15 am
VDB under a crossed fork & spoon, lion rampant 1st standardmark fineness 934/1000, assay office Amsterdam, regional assay office letter A, year letter F for 1840.
Jan van den Broek active and registered in Amsterdam from 1822 till 1860. Jan van den Broek used a total of nine maker’s marks base upon his initials; JB, JvdB, VDB and VdB, all under a crossed fork & spoon. He was a well known spoon maker.
Return to “Dutch Silver”
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False Domestic Violence Allegations
Forcible Felonies
More than 1,000 commutations for drug charges
by Andy Coffey | Nov 28, 2016 | Drug Charges, Firm News
Florida residents may be interested to learn that the Obama administration has now commuted the sentences of more than 1,000 people imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses and intends to continue doing so until he leaves office. The commutations, which cannot be...
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Police took a woman, who serves as the Anclote High School Assistant Principal, into custody on drug-related charges stemming from marijuana-laced cookies. The woman’s daughter was also taken into custody for the same charges. According to the report, the...
NFL free agent Greg Hardy charged with cocaine possession
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by Andy Coffey | Nov 3, 2016 | Drug Charges, Firm News
A 20-year-old Florida woman was found to be in possession of a bag of heroin after her vehicle was pulled over in Sumter County on Oct. 23. The accused woman was a passenger in a car that sheriff’s deputies stopped for having a tinted windshield. When a K-9 unit...
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© 2019 Andrew M. Coffey, P.A.. All Rights Reserved.
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Other Historic Figures
Founders of European Settlements in the Present-Day USA
ARM NAME BLAZON COMMENTS
Bienville, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de (Montreal, 1680-Paris, 1767)
Azure three roses Or on a chief Gules a crescent between two stars Or
Arms on his seal. Founder of Mobile and New Orleans; governor of Louisiana four times between 1701 and 1743. Brother of Sieur d’Iberville, below.
Brewster, William (Scrooby, Notts, c 1566-Duxbury, Mass, 1644)
Sable a chevron Ermine between three estoiles Argent
Leader of the Plymouth Colony, founded 1620.
Cadillac, Antoine de la Mothe de (St-Nicolas de la Grave, France, 1658-Castelsarrasin, France, 1730)
Quarterly 1st and 4th Argent a fess between three merlettes Sable; 2nd and 3rd quarterly i and iv Gules plain, ii and iii Argent three bars Azure
Born Antoine Laumet; designed and adopted the arms ca 1687, based on those of a noble family from his home area. In present-day Michigan, 1694; founded Detroit, 1701; governor of Louisiana, 1710-16.
Calvert, Hon Leonard (England, c 1610-St Mary' County, Md, 1647)
Paly of six Or and Sable a bend counterchanged
First governor of Maryland, 1634-47; younger brother of the lord proprietor, Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore.
Escandón y Helguera, José de, Conde de Sierra Gorda (Soto de la Marina, Cantabria, 1700-Mexico City, 1770)
Quarterly, 1st Gules a castle triple-towered [upon a terrace] Argent; 2nd Argent an eagle displayed with wings inverted between two roses in bend sinister Gules; 3rd Azure upon a staff issuant from a cook-pot Or a forked pennon Gules; 4th Vert a castle triple-towered [upon a terrace] Argent; overall in chief point a cross couped Or
Founder and first governor of the first permanent Spanish settlements in Texas, 1748.
Gorges, William (Keynsham, Somt, 1605-1658)
Lozengy Or and Azure a chevron Gules
First governor of the English colony of New Somersetshire, later the province of Maine, 1636-38.
Iberville, Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d' (Ville-Marie, Canada, 1661-Havana, 1706)
Founder of Biloxi, Miss.; founder and first governor of Louisiana, 1697-1702. Arms on his seal. Brother of Sieur de Bienville, above.
Lane, Ralph (England, c. 1532-Dublin, 1603)
Per pale Azure and Gules three saltires Argent
Deputy general and de facto governor of the first attempt in 1585 to establish an English colony on Roanoke Island, now in North Carolina.
Menéndez de Avilés, Adm Pedro (Avilés, Asturias, 1519-Santander, 1574)
Quarterly, 1st Gules on a terrace upon waves of the sea two palm trees with a human head at the foot of each all proper between two towers, that to sinister higher, the two connected by a ladder Or, in the sinister tower a man-at-arms holding a sword in his right hand and a stew pot on his left arm proper, reaching to receive a cross offered by an angel Or, in dexter chief the legend IVDICA DOMINE CAVSAN TVAN; 2nd Argent on a terrace upon waves of the sea proper an ounce rampant Or against the trunk of a pine tree proper; 3rd Argent six crows contourny 2, 2, and 2 Sable; 4th Gules a sword palewise proper between five fleurs-de-lis Or one in chief and two each in flanks, surmounted on the upper blade by a lunel Sable all within a bordure Gules fimbriated Sable charged with eight saltires Or.
Founder of St. Augustine, 1565, and first governor of Spanish Florida. Arms painted on the headboard of his coffin, Nombre de Dios Mission, St. Augustine.
Oglethorpe, Gen James Edward (Surrey, Eng, 1696-Cranham, Essex, 1785)
Argent a chevron between three boars' heads couped Sable
Founder and first governor of Georgia, 1732-43. Arms confirmed to his grandfather Sutton Oglethorpe at the 1665 visitation of Yorkshire.
Oñate y Salazar, Juan de (Zacatecas, Mexico, 1550-Spain, 1626)
Per pale, dexter Argent three bendlets Gules; sinister Or a tree eradicated proper supported on the sinister side by a wolf Sable
Founder and first governor of the Spanish province of New Mexico, 1598-1610. Arms on a 1622 book of poems in memory of his son.
Popham, George (Somersetshire, 1550-Fort St. George, Me, 1608)
Argent on a chief Gules two stags' heads caboshed Or
Leader of the Popham Colony, the first attempted permanent settlement in New England, 1607-08.
Smith, Capt John (1580-1631)
Vert a chevron Gules between three Turks’ heads couped proper turbans Or
Explored Virginia and New England coasts; key leader in Jamestown settlement. Arms granted by Sigismund Bathory, Duke of Transylvania, 1603, for service against the Ottomans, and confirmed by the English College of Arms, 1625.
White, John (London, c 1540-Co Cork, Ire (?), 1593)
Quarterly of eight, 1st Ermine on a canton Gules a fusil Argent (augmentation of honor); 2nd Argent a chevron between three goats' heads erased Sable (White); 3rd Argent on a bend cotised Azure three escutcheons Argent (Wymark); 4th Gules two bars gemels between three martlets Argent (Wyatt); 5th Or a chevron between two cinquefoils in chief and a mullet in base Sable (Kyllyowe); 6th Ermine on a bend Sable three phoenix heads erased Or (Saker); 7th Gules a chevron Argent between three cinquefoils Or (Buddyer); 8th Gules a fess counter-compony Argent and Sable between three crosses formy fitched at the foot Argent (Butler)
Governor of the Roanoke Island colony, 1587. Granted by Garter King of Arms, 1587.
Williams, Rev Roger (London, 1603-Providence, 1682/3)
A lion rampant within an orle of pheons (tinctures unknown)
Founder of Rhode Island; arms on his seal.
Wingfield, Edward Maria ((Stonely, Hunts., 1550-New Hampshire, 1631)
Argent on a bend Gules cotised Sable three pairs of wings conjoined in lure Argent
First president of the Virginia Council, Jamestown, 1607. Arms confirmed to his father at the 1619 visitation of Kent.
Winthrop, John (Edwardstone, Suff, 1587/8-Boston, 1649)
Argent three chevronels Gules overall a lion rampant Sable
Arms on his seal, with a label for difference. Similar arms were confirmed to an uncle in 1592. Key leader in establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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Tax March protesters call for Trump to release his tax returns
Speakers, including comedian Sarah Silverman, questioned what Trump is hiding.
Protesters across the country are calling for President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
The crowd in New York City stretched for blocks as speakers, including comedian Sarah Silverman, stood next to a giant inflatable rooster, bearing Trump’s golden hairdo, on a stage in Bryant Park Saturday afternoon.
Silverman and others questioned what Trump is hiding by not showing his tax returns to the public, including possible ties to Russia and other conflicts of interest.
“Fishy [expletive] is going on,” Silverman told the crowd, referring to Trump as a “walking human ego” and “emotional child.”
Comedy writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for the Tax March, said the participation in the marches proves that people want to see Trump’s returns, despite his administration’s assertion that because he won the election, nobody cares.
“Mr. President, you know how you’re always asking immigrants to show they’re papers? Well now, we want to see yours,” he said.
Other speakers included City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who said there were at least 25,000 participants in the NYC march.
The demonstrators left Bryant Park at about 2:30 p.m. to march to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, chanting, “No more secrets, no more lies. Show your taxes, show your ties” as they walked.
Other tax marches were taking place in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and dozens of other cities. They coincided with the traditional April 15 deadline for tax returns.
Trump has repeatedly said he can’t release his tax returns because they are under audit, though many tax experts have said he is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.
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