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Difference between revisions of "Futures Industry Association"
SpencerDoar (Talk | contribs)
The merger of FIA, FIA Europe and FIA Asia into a single organization took effect on January 8, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fia.org/articles/fia-kicks-new-year-single-global-organization|name=FIA Kicks Off New Year as Single, Global Organization|org=FIA|date=January 11, 2016}}</ref>
== Industry Advocacy ==
FIA serves as a liaison between the industry and Congress, the CFTC and other regulators whose activities affect the derivatives markets. FIA staff monitors legislative and regulatory developments, attends CFTC meetings and Congressional hearings, testifies before Congress and regulators and writes comment letters on proposed rules and other issues that impact the industry.
== Membership ==
FIA's membership<ref name="membership">{{cite web|url=http://www.futuresindustry.org/member-firms.asp|name=FIA Member Firms|org=Futures Industry Association|date=October 15, 2007}}</ref> includes more than 350 corporate members. Regular members are [[futures commission merchant]]s. Associate members include U.S. and international [[exchange]]s and [[clearing house|clearinghouses]], banks, legal and accounting firms, [[introducing broker]]s, [[commodity trading advisor]]s, [[commodity pool operator]]s and other market users, and information and service providers headquartered in the US and abroad.
'''Primary members'''<ref name="membership" /> are only clearing members holding customer funds.
'''Associate members'''<ref name="membership" /> are U.S. and international exchanges and clearinghouses, banks, legal and accounting firms, introducing brokers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators and other market users, and information and service providers headquartered in the U.S. and abroad.
A full list of primary and associate members can be found [https://fia.org/node/1788/ here.]
== Data and Publications ==
[[MarketVoice]] is published bimonthly, except July and August, by FIA for brokerage firm management, futures professionals, active corporate, [[institutional]] and individual [[trader]]s, members of Congress and their staffs, regulatory officials, and domestic and international press.<ref>{{cite web|name=Home page|url=http://www.futuresindustry.org/fi-magazine-home.asp|org=Futures Industry Magazine|date=November 5, 2007}}</ref>
FIA collects and compiles daily [[trading volume]] and [[open interest]] data on all domestic and international [[futures contract|futures]], options on futures and [[stock index]]es, interest rate and currency contracts traded on U.S. [[securities]] exchanges. Reports on volume and [[open interest]] are made available to FIA members and other industry participants.
In addition to monthly statistics, the [[volume]] report includes comparisons with previous year and year-to-date figures. The information is compiled both by exchange and by commodity group, highlighting significant changes. Each January, FIA creates a year-end report which provides information by commodity group for five years and graphically provides more than 20 years of data. In 2016, FIA debuted its SEF Tracker, an interactive data portal for market participants to look at volume and market share trends in interest rate, FX and credit products traded via SEFs. <ref name=YearInReview />
FIA also offers educational books and courses, ethics and anti-money training, and historical and static industry data through its affiliated nonprofit foundation, the [[Institute for Financial Markets]] or IFM.
== Leadership ==
*[https://fia.org/governance-0 Asia-Pacific Advisory Board]
*[https://fia.org/governance-0 Europe Advisory Board]
In March of 2008, FIA published a white paper, "Market Participant’s Perspective: Status of Transaction (Clearing and Exchange) Fees on a Global Basis,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketswiki.com/wiki/images/6/62/FIA_White_Paper.pdf|name=Market Participant’s Perspective: Status of Transaction (Clearing and Exchange) Fees on a Global Basis|org=Futures Industry Association|date=March 19, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketswiki.com/wiki/images/6/63/FIA_White_Paper_with_Appendix.pdf|name=Market Participant’s Perspective: Status of Transaction (Clearing and Exchange) Fees on a Global Basis, with Appendix|org=Futures Industry Association|date=March 19, 2008}}</ref> prepared for FIA by [[Mark Connelly]] of [[SunGard]].
In August of 2009, FIA submitted a response to the CFTC about a proposed rule making with respect to the Commission's determination to collect certain data through a new [[Ownership and Control Report]] (OCR).<ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.futuresindustry.org/downloads/Comment_Letter_-_Account_Ownership_and_Control_Report_Final.pdf|name = Account Ownership and Report|org = Futures Industry Association|date = October 6, 2009}}</ref>
In September of 2009, [[John Damgard]] spoke to the House Committee of Agriculture on the proposed regulations in the [[OTC]] markets <ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.futuresindustry.org/downloads/FIAstatement_0917_final.pdf|name = Testimony of John M. Damgard|org = Futures Industry Association|date = October 6, 2009}}</ref> and the FIA submitted their responses to the possible harmonization of the [[Securities Exchange Commission]] and the [[Commodity Futures Trading Commission]]. <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.futuresindustry.org/downloads/SKMBT_60009091415340.pdf|name = Submission for the Record on Harmonization File Number 4-588|org = Futures Industry Association|date = October 6, 2009}}</ref> The FIA also submitted to the [[Commodity Futures Trading Commission]] there perspective on the treatment of cleared only [[derivatives]]. <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.futuresindustry.org/downloads/SKMBT_60009091414130.pdf|name = Seperate Account Class for Cleared Only Derivatives|org = Futures Industry Association|date = October 6, 2009}}</ref>
[[MarketVoice]] is published bimonthly, except July and August by FIA for brokerage firm management, futures professionals, active corporate, [[institutional]] and individual [[trader]]s, members of Congress and their staffs, regulatory officials, and domestic and international press.<ref>{{cite web|name=Home page|url=http://www.futuresindustry.org/fi-magazine-home.asp|org=Futures Industry Magazine|date=November 5, 2007}}</ref>
In addition to monthly statistics, the [[volume]] report includes comparisons with previous year and year-to-date figures. The information is compiled both by exchange and by commodity group, highlighting significant changes. Each January, FIA creates a year-end report which provides information by commodity group for five years and graphically provides more than 20 years of data.
== Industry Events ==
FIA events can also be much more in-depth and specific, such as the annual [https://lc2017.fia.org/ Law & Compliance Division Conference], which hosts compliance officers, attorneys and regulators to consider issues affecting the legal and regulatory framework of the derivatives industry.
In 2016, FIA hosted 27 regional and division events, drawing in 9,700 industry professionals from 60 countries and 226 exhibitors.<ref>{{cite web|org=FIA|name=FIA 2016 Year In Review|url=https://yir2016.fia.org/|date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>
In 2016, FIA hosted 27 regional and division events, drawing in 9,700 industry professionals from 60 countries and 226 exhibitors.<ref name=YearInReview>{{cite web|org=FIA|name=FIA 2016 Year In Review|url=https://yir2016.fia.org/|date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>
{{#widget:Google Calendar
|timezone=America/Chicago
FIA's membership<ref name="membership">{{cite web|url=http://www.futuresindustry.org/member-firms.asp|name=FIA Member Firms|org=Futures Industry Association|date=October 15, 2007}}</ref> includes nearly 250 corporate members. Regular members are [[futures commission merchant]]s. Associate members include U.S. and international [[exchange]]s and [[clearing house|clearinghouses]], banks, legal and accounting firms, [[introducing broker]]s, [[commodity trading advisor]]s, [[commodity pool operator]]s and other market users, and information and service providers headquartered in the US and abroad.
Futures Industry Association
Advocacy association for futures (and options) industry, reports, publications, conferences
Walt Lukken, President and CEO
@FIAconnect
www.fia.org
Futures Commission Merchant Regulation
FIA Comment Letters
High Frequency Trading Regulation
The Futures Industry Association (FIA) is a U.S.-based industry advocacy and education organization, providing a range of products and support for members in domestic regulatory affairs and, increasingly, for the global futures and options industry.
FIA's primary members are futures commission merchants, while derivatives exchanges, individuals and other affiliated organizations are classified as associate members. All told, the FIA represents more than 360 firms and 28,000 individuals.
The global management team includes regional representatives. Walt Lukken serves as global president and CEO of the organization. Simon Puleston Jones serves as head of Europe and Bill Herder is head of Asia. Functional heads lead the advocacy, legal, operations and finance teams.
Affiliates of FIA are FIA European Principal Traders Association (FIA EPTA), FIA Japan, FIA Principal Traders Group (FIA PTG), FIA Technology Services and the Institute for Financial Markets (IFM).[1]
FIA has been a Contributor-level sponsor of MarketsWiki since 2008.
2 Industry Advocacy
3 Membership
4 Data and Publications
5.1 Board of Directors
6 Industry Events
FIA was founded in New York in 1955 as the Association of Commodity Exchange Firms to provide a discussion forum and means for improving the operating efficiency of the U.S. futures industry, as well as an educational and informational interface with the public. The association expanded in 1973 to include Chicago-based FCMs and changed its name to Futures Industry Association in 1978, relocating to Washington D.C.[2]
While continuing to focus on domestic issues, such as Commodities Futures Trading Commission reauthorization and industry consolidation - including a high-profile stance in the merger of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade[3], FIA has expanded its global reach, creating FIA Asia in 2006 and increasing co-operation with the European-focused Futures and Options Association[4] FIA's Futures Hall of Fame, established in 2005, annually recognizes those who have made a mark on the industry.
In June of 2011, the FIA announced the formation of the FIA European Principal Traders Association, a forum established for firms that trade their own capital to identify and discuss issues confronting their trading community. The group works to define common positions on public policy issues, improve the public’s understanding of the constructive role played by principal trading groups in the exchange-traded markets and promote cost-effective, equal and transparent access to European markets.[5]
Continuing with the organization's increasingly global focus, in June of 2013, the FIA announced an agreement with the Futures and Options Association to form an affiliation of the two organizations under a new structure called FIA Global. This new structure is intended to enable the two associations to strengthen their influence on cross-border issues, increase coordination between regions, and express the views of FOA and FIA members.[6]
On August 27, 2015, the boards of FIA, FIA Europe and FIA Asia announced that they had agreed to formally merge the three associations in the first quarter of 2016, further strengthening its global reach.[7]
The merger of FIA, FIA Europe and FIA Asia into a single organization took effect on January 8, 2016.[8]
Industry Advocacy
FIA's membership[9] includes more than 350 corporate members. Regular members are futures commission merchants. Associate members include U.S. and international exchanges and clearinghouses, banks, legal and accounting firms, introducing brokers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators and other market users, and information and service providers headquartered in the US and abroad.
Primary members[9] are only clearing members holding customer funds.
Associate members[9] are U.S. and international exchanges and clearinghouses, banks, legal and accounting firms, introducing brokers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators and other market users, and information and service providers headquartered in the U.S. and abroad.
A full list of primary and associate members can be found here.
Data and Publications
MarketVoice is published bimonthly, except July and August, by FIA for brokerage firm management, futures professionals, active corporate, institutional and individual traders, members of Congress and their staffs, regulatory officials, and domestic and international press.[10]
FIA collects and compiles daily trading volume and open interest data on all domestic and international futures, options on futures and stock indexes, interest rate and currency contracts traded on U.S. securities exchanges. Reports on volume and open interest are made available to FIA members and other industry participants.
In addition to monthly statistics, the volume report includes comparisons with previous year and year-to-date figures. The information is compiled both by exchange and by commodity group, highlighting significant changes. Each January, FIA creates a year-end report which provides information by commodity group for five years and graphically provides more than 20 years of data. In 2016, FIA debuted its SEF Tracker, an interactive data portal for market participants to look at volume and market share trends in interest rate, FX and credit products traded via SEFs. [11]
FIA also offers educational books and courses, ethics and anti-money training, and historical and static industry data through its affiliated nonprofit foundation, the Institute for Financial Markets or IFM.
Simon Puleston Jones, Head of Europe
Bill Herder, Head of Asia-Pacific
Will Acworth, Senior Vice President of Publications, Data & Research
Allison Lurton, Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Guy Sheetz, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Charlie Jones, Senior Vice President of Global Brand Management
Emma Davey, Senior Vice President of Global Communications
Jacqueline Mesa, Senior Vice President of Global Policy
Greg Wood, Senior Vice President of Global Industry Operations & Technology
Michael Dawley, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs; Chairman
Jerome Kemp, Global Head of Futures and OTC Clearing, Citigroup Global Markets; Vice Chairman
Clark Hutchison, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank; Treasurer
Maureen Downs, President, Rosenthal Collins Group; Secretary
Board Members:
Eric Aldous, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
Clive Christison, Chief Executive Officer, Global Oil – Americas, BP Products North America Inc.
Gerald Corcoran, Chairman and CEO, R.J. O'Brien & Associates LLC
Robert Creamer, President, Geneva Trading
John Dabbs, Global Head of Prime Derivative Services, Credit Suisse Securities
Jan Bart de Boer, Chief Commercial Officer, ABN AMRO Clearing
Thomas Erickson, Corporate Compliance Lead, Cargill
Mary Foreman, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
Arthur Hahn, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Christopher Hehmeyer, CEO, Hehmeyer Trading + Investments
Alasdair Hodge, Managing Director, Barclays
Mark Ibbotson, Group Chief Executive Officer, G.H. Financials
Tom Kadlec, President, ADM Investor Services
Najib Lamhaouar, Global Head of Exchange-Traded Derivatives and OTC Clearing, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
Remco Lenterman, Head of Global Business Development, Citadel Securities
Walter L. Lukken, President and Chief Executive Officer, FIA
David Martin, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Securities
James Overdahl, Partner, Delta Strategy Group
Edward Pla, Global Head of Clearing and Execution, UBS Investment Bank
Jason Radzik, Managing Director, BNP Paribas
Kenneth Raisler, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Nicholas Rustad, Global Head of Clearing, J.P. Morgan Securities
George Simonetti, Managing Director, Head of Markets Clearing and Futures Execution, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Steve Sparke, Chief Operating Officer, Marex Spectron
Dean Tonkin, Managing Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Chris Topple, Managing Director, Societe Generale
Michael Voisin, Global Head of Capital Markets , Linklaters
Advisory Boards:
Americas Advisory Board
Asia-Pacific Advisory Board
Europe Advisory Board
FIA hosts a number of annual and single-session events and conferences in cities around the world. Events can have a broad industry focus, for example, the annual Futures & Options Expo showcases risk management products, trading tools, books and exchange and technology products as presented by more than 100 U.S. and international companies. Expo also offers a variety of sessions that allow participants to discuss industry trends, hear experts' views on key issues, improve trading skills and learn about new products, systems and practices. The programs include sessions for business, operations and technology professionals, and traders. More than 5,000 people from around the world attend Expo in a typical year ranging from senior staff at brokerage firms and exchanges to professional traders, floor traders, CTAs and CPOs, and individual investors. The first Expo, in a trial run, was held on the CME trading floor in the 1980s.
FIA events can also be much more in-depth and specific, such as the annual Law & Compliance Division Conference, which hosts compliance officers, attorneys and regulators to consider issues affecting the legal and regulatory framework of the derivatives industry.
In 2016, FIA hosted 27 regional and division events, drawing in 9,700 industry professionals from 60 countries and 226 exhibitors.[11]
↑ FIA Affiliates. FIA.
↑ Futures industry in USA and the role Chicago plays- Jerry Cedicci-Robin Trehan. PRLog.
↑ Press Release. FIA.
↑ Press Release. FOA.
↑ FIA press release. Futures Magazine.
↑ FIA, FIA Europe and FIA Asia Announce Merger Plans. FIA.
↑ FIA Kicks Off New Year as Single, Global Organization. FIA.
↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 FIA Member Firms. Futures Industry Association.
↑ Home page. Futures Industry Magazine.
↑ 11.0 11.1 FIA 2016 Year In Review. FIA.
Retrieved from "http://www.marketswiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Futures_Industry_Association&oldid=203905"
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Legitimate and Illegitimate Violence in Islamic Thought
LIVIT conferences
Islamic Reformulations
Project Director: Professor Robert Gleave
Rob Gleave is Professor of Arabic Studies at the University of Exeter. His main area of research is Muslim legal theory – the theory of how acts are classified as morally good or bad and legal and illegal. Most of his work to date has involved the legal reasoning within the Shi’i tradition, and in the project he will be applying this to the issues of violence and its justification in various Muslim intellectual contexts. In particular, he will be examining how the various intellectual structures of Muslim scholarship (including the law, the state and messianic expectation) relate to the justification of violent acts. His past publications linked to the themes of this project include studies of the theory of violent punishment in Islam (the so-called hudud offenses) and jihad theory in Islamic law.
More information about Rob Gleave.
Image from the Khaveranname, Iran, 882 AH. Tehran.
Research Fellow: Dr Istvan Kristo-Nagy
Before he started working on the LIVIT project, Dr. Istvan Kristo-Nagy worked as a researcher in Hungary, Italy, France, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, the United States and the United Kingdom. His main field of interest is the intellectual history of the formative period of Islam, and his research has been focused on Ibn al-Muqaffa's oeuvre. In the LIVIT project, he studies the rationale for state violence used against the individual, or a group of individuals, and conversely, the legitimacy of violence used by the individual or a group of individuals against the state. This subject is also linked to religio-intellectual justifications and condemnations for inter-religious and sectarian violence. The case of the persecution of the zanādiqa (Manicheans, other suspicious dualists and "free thinkers") gives an insight to these questions.
More information about Istvan Kristo-Nagy.
PhD student: Violence and Messianism in Islamic thought:
Ms Bianka Speidl joined us in January 2011. Born in <?<span>Budapest, Hungary, Bianka Speidl earned three MAs; in History, in Arabic Studies and in English Studies from the Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Hungary). She is working on her PhD about Messianism and Violence, focusing on contemporary Shī‛ī politic<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">al activism in Lebanon with speci<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">al attention to the views of M. Ḥ. Faḍ̣l<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">allāh (1935–2010) on force (quwwa), violence (‛unf), mission (da‛wa), and the belief among the imāmīya in the return of the vanished Twelfth Imām (<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">al-mahdīya). Bianka has studied in the Institut Bourghiba des Langues Vivantes, Tunisia; she has won scholarships at Universitá degli Studi di Napoli “l’Orient<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">ale”, and at the Damascus University. After graduation she was teaching Arabic grammar and the History of the Arab World at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University. Since 2002 she has been working as a journ<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">alist, most recently at the Hungarian News Agency as a Middle East an<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">alyst. Besides teaching and journ<?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">alism, Bianka has <?<u1:PersonName u2:st="on">also worked as a translator, and among her latest works is The Invention of the Jewish People by Shlomo Sand.
PhD student: Jihad Rhetoric in Scholastic and Popular Discourse
Mr Abdelghani Mimouni: Born in <?<span>Algeria, Abdelghani (Tayyeb) has long had a fascination with the field of Middle East Studies. He has an advanced knowledge of Islamic sciences, including fiqh, hadith, usul <?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">al-fiqh, in addition to the questions of Islam and modernity, Islam and democracy, and human rights in the Sharia law system. He is <?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">also an advanced Classic<?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">al Arabic speci<?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">alist and fluent in most Arabic di<?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">alects. He has earned his MA in Arab and Islamic Studies from Exeter University working on the theology of the Jihadi-S<?<st1:PersonName w:st="on">alafi trend. His PhD is on the concept of Jihad Rhetoric in Scholastic and Popular Discourse, with a provision<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />al subject area of the development of Salafi ideology from the 1960s to the present-day. Abdelghani has also been teaching advanced Arabic grammar for many years in Syria, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. He also worked in Arabic proof-reading and modern editions of classical Islamic manuscripts as well as translation and interpretation.
Visiting Fellow: Dr Saud Al-Sarhan
Dr Al-Sarhan gained his PhD in 2011 focussing on the political theory in early Hanbalism, and has also published widely on modern Salafism of all types, security issues and Saudi affairs. He has studied in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the UK, spending some time at the University of Exeter for his doctoral studies. His numerous publications in Arabic and English chart the history of Muslim doctrinal development from the earliest period to the present, with a particular interest in jurisprudence and political thought, and the history of Hanbalism. As LIVIT Visiting Fellow he will be working on Jihadi Salafi thought and its modern manifestations.<?<p>
<?<p>
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Jennifer Lawrence might join Chris Martin on tour
Joan Rivers still in coma
Eric Bana Photos
Eric Bana info
Born: 9 August, 1968
Birth Name: Eric Banadinovich
Height: 1.89 (6' 2½")
Spouse: Rebecca Gleeson (02 August 1997 – present) 2 children
Awards: 8 wins & 11 nominations
Known for: Star Trek , Troy , Hulk , Black Hawk Down , Finding Nemo and more.
Watch movies with Eric Bana online
Movie Year
Troy 2004
Star Trek 2009
Mary and Max 2009
Finding Nemo 2003
Blackbird 2012
Lone Survivor 2014
Eric Bana biography
This block contains the information about Eric Bana and provides an insight into the life of the celebrity. From here you can also learn when, how and why the profession of an actor was chosen. Some interesting facts are waiting for you here.
Eric Bana was born in august 1968 in Melbourne. He is the youngest son in a family of a Croatian and a German. His mother worked as a hairdresser when Eric’s father met her and fell in love with her. Bana grow up in Tulamarin, after graduating the school he changed a few jobs, he was washing cars, gathering the carts in a local supermarket and even worked as a saylor ob a ship. He started his actor carrier by accident , in 1991 he performed in stand up comedy genre in a hotel in Melbourne where he was working as a barman, he was welcomed by applauds, that made him work as a comedian in different bars and pubs for the next two years. In 1993 he successfully debut in Steve Wizzard’s talk-show. After this show the talented comedian was noticed by the producers of a sketch TV show. And he got an invitation to write scenarios for the show, which he was doing for the next three years. But in 1997 she was popular enough in order to start his own show, and he named it Eric, aftet the first season of the show, his project was removed from TV due to the low ratings. That coincided with his debut in a movie in the comedy “The Castle”. Beside that in 1997 Bana married with Rebecca Gilson, a journalist of “Seven Network” channel with who he was in a relationship for two years. The couple is still together and they are raising their son Clause and their daughter Sophia.
Where Eric Bana born?
With the help of the Google satellite map you can find the place where Eric Bana was born. By zooming in and out you can see the place itself and the area it is situated in and nearby. Find out where Eric Bana was born. Now you can see the place itself even not traveling.
Eric Bana filmography
Here you can learn about the movies Eric Bana acted in. You can see the names of the movies, their budget, years of release and the money gained from the screening of the certain movie. It is always interesting to know.
Movies & Videos Budget Year Opening weekend US box Office
Troy - Hector $175M 2004 $46.9M $133M
Star Trek - Nero $140M 2009 $75.2M $258M
Hulk - Bruce Banner $137M 2003 $62.1M $132M
Finding Nemo - Anchor (voice) $94M 2003 $70.3M $340M
Black Hawk Down - Hoot $92M 2001 $193K $109M
Munich - Avner $75M 2005 $6.04M $47.4M
Funny People - Clarke $75M 2009 $22.7M $51.8M
Lucky You - Huck Cheever $55M 2007 $2.71M $5.76M
The Time Traveler's Wife - Henry DeTamble $39M 2009 $18.6M $63.4M
The Other Boleyn Girl - Henry Tudor $35M 2008 $8.2M $26.8M
Love the Beast (documentary) - Himself, Producer, Director, Musician (percussionist) 2009
Mary and Max - Damien (voice) 2009
Romulus, My Father - Romulus 2007 $2.79K $2.79K
The Nugget - Lotto 2002
Chopper - Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read 2000 $15K $234K
Arctic Adventure (short) - Oz (voice) 2000
The Castle - Con Petropoulous 1997 $29.5K $862K
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Toto Wolff: Mercedes staying in Formula 1 after 2021 “not a given”
November 12, 2019 by admin 0 Comments
Toto Wolff says there are no guarantees Mercedes will stay in Formula 1 after 2021, but insists all indications suggest it will remain.
Discussions between Mercedes and F1 owner Liberty Media over new terms for a commercial rights deal are ongoing, and Wolff says that Mercedes parent company Daimler is weighing up many aspects about its continued involvement as a team owner.
With OEMs encountering challenging times amid the industry’s move to electric cars, Wolff admits the decision-making process is complicated.
Speaking to Autosport about what happens to Mercedes’ F1 programme from 2021, Wolff said: “Everything indicates that we will stay. But it’s not a given.
“We are in the middle of discussing the new Concorde Agreement. In connection with this – and independently of it – we are discussing the development of the automobile and its effects on sport.”
Wolff explained what factors are under consideration when it comes to making the decision.
“In which direction is the automotive world developing?” he asked.
“In what form is Formula 1 relevant as an entertainment and technology platform? As a brand whose first car was a racing car, do we want to stay on this platform in the long term?
“There is the Ferrari model that says: ‘We will do it forever. We build racing cars and we build road cars’.
“The other model is to say: ‘We had a very successful run. There’s nothing more to prove. We’re doing something else now’. Both are absolutely plausible strategies.”
While some have suggested that Mercedes’ run of title successes could leave it thinking there is little to gain from remaining in F1, Wolff sees it differently.
“If you do a survey today to see which Formula 1 teams are the most successful, most people will say Ferrari,” he said.
“That’s simply because Ferrari has been at the forefront and competitive for 50 years.
“At a time when everything is so short-term, it’s the sustainability of success that makes the strategy much more credible than fast in and out.
“Success can also fluctuate at times – it can also happen that you come third.
“Of course, as a brand used to success, you have to endure keeping your own expectations realistic and calibrating that you can’t win every year.
“That’s not easy. I have to start with myself: How can I endure that?”
With Mercedes having already put in place customer engine supply deals with McLaren, Racing Point and Williams from 2021, Wolff suggests Mercedes would be unlikely to continue to provide powerunits if it felt F1 no longer suited its purpose.
“We have four teams that we supply, including ourselves,” he said. “You can be only pregnant or not pregnant, not half pregnant. So, either we participate in the platform or we do not.”
Pushed on the issue of staying as an engine supplier if its work teams quit, Wolff said: “I don’t think anyone would decide that [to leave F1].
“But if that were to happen, it [stopping customer supplies] would be a consequence.”
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Iran Makes First Arrests over Airliner Downing
Iran on Tuesday announced its first arrests over the shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner in Tehran last week, after a third night of angry protests over the disaster.
The Ukraine International Airlines plane was brought down by a missile shortly after takeoff on Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.
Tehran for days denied Western claims based on US intelligence that the Boeing 737 had been downed by a missile.
It came clean on Saturday when Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh acknowledged a missile operator had mistaken the plane for a cruise missile and opened fire independently.
At a televised news conference, the judiciary announced the first arrests had been made over the blunder, without specifying how many.
"Extensive investigations have been carried out and some people have been arrested," said spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili.
The announcement came shortly after President Hassan Rouhani said everyone responsible for the disaster must be punished.
"For our people it is very important in this incident that anyone who was at fault or negligent at any level" face justice, Rouhani said.
"Anyone who should be punished must be punished.
"The judiciary must form a special court with a high-ranking judge and dozens of experts... The whole world will be watching," Rouhani said.
"It cannot be that only the person who pressed the button is at fault. There are others, and I want this to be explained to the people explicitly."
- International pressure -
Iran has come under mounting international pressure to ensure its investigation into the tragedy is full and transparent.
The authorities' handling of the air disaster has also angered Iranians.
Videos posted on social networks on Monday purported to show protesters taking to the streets for a third consecutive day, with demonstrators apparently shouting slogans against the Islamic republic.
The Kiev-bound plane was shot down at a time when Iran's armed forces were on heightened alert after launching a volley of missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops.
Iran fired the missiles in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm, on January 3.
Addressing that issue on Tuesday, Rouhani said while "the root of all sorrows goes back to America... this cannot be a reason for us not to look into all the root causes" of the air disaster.
- 'Root causes' -
The president also demanded officials explain why it took so long for authorities to announce the real cause of the air disaster.
"They must explain the whole process. From Wednesday morning when the incident happened until the meeting on Friday night of the Supreme National Security Council. They must explain this whole process to the people," he said.
"But more important than anything else, in my opinion, is that our people must be assured that this incident will not be repeated."
Iran has invited experts from Canada, France, Ukraine and the United States to take part in the probe.
On Monday night, Canada's Transportation Safety Board said its investigators flying to Tehran would be granted access to the wreckage and black box flight recorders of the downed airliner.
"There have been early signs that Iran is allowing the TSB to play a more active role than is normally permitted," its chair Kathy Fox told a news conference.
patriot10 14 January 2020, 11:55 01
You admitted it was one person. Now you speak of everyone. What are you hiding and who in the government will get punished? Will it be public hanging like you are known to do with civilians?
barrymore 14 January 2020, 14:27 01
General Amirali Hajizadeh acknowledged a missile operator had mistaken the plane for a cruise missile and opened fire independently.
A cruise missile? lol
A Cruise missile whose flight path is outgoing from the airport instead of incoming? A cruise missile moving at an airplane's takeoff speed?
s.o.s 14 January 2020, 16:12 00
A cruise missiles flying a 300 km/h is indeed very credible.
These people are born in taqqiyyism, lying and deceiving is in their genes.
samiam 14 January 2020, 14:34 01
All the people who denied the attack should also be jailed. That includes Rouhani and Khamenei and scores of other revolutionary guard members.
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Home BREAKING NEWS Mitaali Nag to play Barun Sobti’s mother next
Mitaali Nag to play Barun Sobti’s mother next
Actress Mitaali Nag, who welcomed her first child — son Rudranssh — earlier this year, will return to acting with forthcoming TV show “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon”. She will be seen as actor Barun Sobti’s mother in the show.
“I was working till the eighth month of my pregnancy and now I am all set to return to the arc lights. I am looking forward to playing a mother on screen because now I can relate to the emotions for real,” Mitaali, best known for her role in “Afsar Bitiya”, said in a statement.
“As a new mother myself, I can completely relate to the character that I’ll be portraying on screen. My husband has been extremely supportive, and I’m glad to be back on screen with this show,” she added.
Also featuring Shivani Tomar, “Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon” will soon be aired on Star Plus.
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Husker Volleyball Team Comes in at No. 2 in AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll
August 13, 2019 | by Tim Curran
Courtesy: NU Athletic Department
The Nebraska volleyball team is ranked second in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Tuesday.
The Huskers received one of the 64 first-place votes and totaled 1,451 points. Stanford, which received 62 first-place votes, took the No. 1 ranking with 1,598 points. The Cardinal defeated the Huskers in the NCAA Championship match last December in Minneapolis, 3-2. The two teams will meet this regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. This marks the second straight year the Huskers will begin the season at No. 2.
Minnesota (1,414), Texas (1,385) and Wisconsin (1,329) rounded out the top five. Other Big Ten teams in the top 10 included No. 6 Illinois and No. 8 Penn State. The Nittany Lions received the final first-place vote. Nebraska is scheduled to play 12 regular-season matches against teams ranked in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
The Huskers return five starters from last year’s team, including first-team All-America middle blocker Lauren Stivrins. Nebraska will be replacing significant contributors in outside hitter Mikaela Foecke and libero Kenzie Maloney, who both won two NCAA Championships and two Big Ten titles with the Huskers in their four years at NU.
The Huskers begin the season with the Red-White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tickets remain and can be purchased online here.
(Photo – Kenny Larabee)
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elcome to Noomi Rapace Online. A fan site dedicated to the swedish actress Noomi Rapace, celebrated for her performances on the big screen. She's best know for her roles in swedish version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", Alien's prequel Prometheus, Netflix's What Happened to Monday and many more. Our goal is bring you with latest up-to-date info, photos and media on her. Please bookmark us and return for your daily Noomi fix.
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Not a member yet? Join us here.
We have a large and active membership of over 1,200 businesses employing 100,000 people across every size and sector of industry.
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NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey: Recruitment difficulties and tougher trading conditions face firms amid sluggish growth
Businesses experienced a modest improvement in performance for Quarter 2 of 2018 after what had been a poor start to the year.
However growth still remains subdued according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey published today (1 August 2018) by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce (NI Chamber) and business advisers BDO.
The survey also revealed that businesses in Northern Ireland believe the lack of devolved government is damaging the local economy.
In the survey, which covers Q2 of 2018, 55% of members said their main concern in trying to grow their business centred on how Northern Ireland is governed with many believing the Stormont impasse is damaging the local economy.
There is also concern about the outcome of Brexit with 53% saying it would affect growth plans while competition remains a worry for 44% of businesses.
Overall, the report shows peaks and troughs in the performance of both the manufacturing and services sector during Q2 2018.
The survey revealed a pickup in manufacturing during Q2 after a particularly challenging Q1 for the sector. Most key balances are positive (only 1 of 14 negative) signaling growth – and most balances are up on Q1 (10 of the 14). Expectations to take on staff are also up in Q2 and 3 in 4 manufacturers are trying to recruit. Investment intentions are stronger with the percentage of firms planning to invest in training highest across the 12 UK regions. Confidence is up around turnover and profitability.
However Northern Ireland ranks below the UK average for 12 of the 14 key balances, making it one of poorest performing UK regions. The survey also revealed that domestic and export sales balances are still weak with NI’s export sales balances weakest across all of the regions. The cashflow position is also weak. There is a growing pressure on manufacturers from pay settlements and raw material cost pressures remain high.
The services sector experienced modest improvement in some key balances in Q2 after a sluggish Q1 performance. 13 of 14 key balances are positive this quarter although only 5 of the 14 balances are up on Q1 2018. Export sales and orders balances turned positive this quarter and the sector’s performance on export sales was good from a regional perspective (5th highest). NI has the highest share of services businesses working at full capacity – NI 46% vs. UK 39%.
However, confidence within the services sector weakened in Q2 – continuing a downward trend since the end of 2016. Investment intentions also fell in Q2 and remain low. The cashflow balance is negative and weakest across the regions.
Key concerns
The biggest concern for businesses continues to be the difficulties they face when trying to access skills, with 3 in 4 of those trying to recruit finding it difficult to attract the right staff. 69% of manufacturers are finding it difficult to recruit skilled manual workers. Competition is also a key concern for members in Q2 with 44% of members highlighting this as a growing concern. Exchange rate pressures continued to ease during Q2. 31% of members stated that exchange rates are more of a concern to their business than 3 months ago (55% in Q4 17). Inflation and interest rate concerns also eased.
The latest Brexit Watch suggests that 1 in 3 members believe that Brexit has had a negative impact on turnover/sales while for 7% it has meant a boost to their business. The most negative impact however has been around costs, particularly raw material costs, with 46% of members stating that their business has been negatively impacted by higher costs since the vote took place – sterling’s depreciation being a major factor. There has also been a negative impact on the employment of non-UK nationals for 26% of members. Brexit’s negative impact does appear to be accelerating with a larger share of members negatively impacted in terms of sales, exports and the employment of non-nationals in Q2 2018 than in Q3 2016 when the first effects of the vote were being felt.
Brexit is also having a more negative than positive impact on business growth plans. Some 37% of members are scaling down/freezing growth plans because of Brexit while 10% are expanding them. In addition, 14% of members are expanding investment plans outside Northern Ireland. Brexit’s negative impact on business growth plans is also accelerating. In Q3 2016 29% of members were scaling/down freezing growth plans because of Brexit (37% Q2 18).
Future growth plans
In order to understand medium term growth plans, members were asked if they had plans to grow their organisation over the next 3 to 5 years. Around 7 in 10 members (69%) did have plans to grow their business, 12% had no plans and 19% were not sure. How Northern Ireland is governed (55%) and the outcome of Brexit (53%) are main concerns in trying to grow the business but almost 1 in 2 members also lack confidence in the economy (46%) and are concerned about recruiting/retaining skilled staff (45%).
Businesses are equally split on what should be done to ensure key strategic and other spending decisions in Northern Ireland are progressed. The survey identified restoring devolution (25%), implementing Direct Rule (27%) or the introduction of some form of ‘holding’ action (27%) as the options put forward by businesses in an open-ended question.
Commenting on the survey, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said:
“This quarter’s survey shows that Northern Ireland’s economy faces sluggish growth, with much more needing to be done to put the local economy on a surer footing. There is no doubt that business confidence would rise if we had an Executive restored immediately to focus on the fundamentals for business – such as improving infrastructure, incentivising investment and addressing the skills shortage.
“Big, bold action is needed with major new incentives for business investment, confidence-boosting infrastructure projects, and a concerted effort to slash the up-front cost of doing business, which is putting consumer-facing businesses especially under intense pressure.”
She continued: “The availability of skilled staff remains the biggest issue that businesses face. Access to people and skills is a top priority for employers and firms are doing everything they can to recruit, retain and up-skill their workforce.
“We must continue to address this at a local level, and Westminster must set out a clear immigration policy that addresses the skills shortages that are critical to local businesses. Failure to do so means that the economic potential of Northern Ireland will continue to be held back.”
Brian Murphy, Managing Partner at BDO, said:
“Manufacturing businesses have performed better in the second quarter of the year, exceeding the expectations of many. This is to be welcomed as a sign of the strength, determination and resilience of the private sector in Northern Ireland.
“An increase in confidence in the manufacturing sector for greater turnover and profitability is bolstered by strong investment intentions and recruitment expectations. With local unemployment at its lowest rate in a decade, this commitment to investment is a positive indication that, despite the challenges businesses face, there will be even greater opportunities for firms to continue to grow and expand their workforces.”
Pictured: Ann McGregor (Chief Executive of NI Chamber); Brian Murphy (Managing Partner at BDO) and Maureen O’Reilly (Economist for the survey) present the latest NI Chamber/BDO Quarterly Economic Survey findings.
(untitled file)
Back to Quarterly Economic Survey
Recent Policies
Economic survey results: “It’s time to start reversing the damage” Quarterly Economic Survey: Northern Ireland economy shows signs of ‘slipping’ into recession Quarterly Economic Survey: Weak domestic and export performance hinders economic growth Business hits the brakes – NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey Quarterly Economic Survey: Brexit and lack of Executive having “an increasingly negative impact on business growth and investment plans” NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey: Skills deficit damaging growth and productivity Currently Open: NI Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey – Have your say on the NI economy… NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey: Recruitment difficulties and tougher trading conditions face firms amid sluggish growth QES: Growth continuing to slow amid frustration within business community Quarterly Economic Survey: “Pockets of resilience and success” – however bigger picture is one of slow economic growth
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Jetstar (Mis) Management
I had flown up to Auckland from Christchurch early yesterday and was booked on the 7.35pm Jetstar flight back to Christchurch. I was at the airport with plenty of time and having booked in found the departure lounge quiet enough to catch up on some calls and work. By 6.30pm the departure lounge was full and I realised the Wellington flight was delayed due to technical difficulties with the plane. The Christchurch plane was at the gate and I watched our luggage being loaded. Then about 7.15pm I watched as luggage was being unloaded from the Christchurch plane. ‘Funny’ I thought. Could they have loaded the wrong luggage? Then there was an announcement (note the order of these things) that the Christchurch flight JT255 was almost ready and passengers in rows 16-32 would be called to board shortly. At this, many passengers got up and stood in a queue to board. I didn’t as I was in a row 12.
At about 7.25pm there was another announcement and the penny dropped. The Christchurch plane was to be used for the Wellington flight and the Christchurch flight might be cancelled. There was and audible ‘Oh no’ from the Christchurch passengers and a silent ‘Yippee’ from the Wellington passengers.
I can understand the economics of the Jetstar decision. The Wellington bound plane was to fly back to Auckland for a further flight to Wellington but the Christchurch flight ended in Christchurch. So it was a decision on cancelling one Christchurch flight versus cancelling two Wellington and one Auckland bound flights. What annoys me, as will become clear, is the manner of the management of the handling of the situation from the point of the decision to cancel on.
First, it is clear that the decision to switch planes and cancel Christchurch was made maybe as early as 7.00pm as I saw our luggage being removed shortly after this time. But the departure lounge staff were obviously not told this, leaving them to make false announcements. It is likely the possibility of the need to cancel a flight was known much earlier as the damaged plane had been sitting on the tarmac for sometime already and the Wellington flight had already been delayed for some time.
Secondly, the announcement of the cancellation was made and then immediately the announcer said it was maybe not cancelled and they were working on ‘a plan.’ After the Wellington plane was loaded and the gate closed it was finally confirmed the Christchurch flight was cancelled. We should all go to the luggage carousel to collect our bags before going to check in points 1 and 2. At the check in desks we would be booked on the next available flight the next day and get accommodation vouchers. Fair enough; until you think about 120 plus passenger being handled by two check in desks.
Perhaps more intelligent passengers went straight to the check in desks. I, like many other did as instructed and went to collect my bag. There wasn’t space in the check in area for the queue so it wound its way up the stairs and a second stream started building towards the baggage claim.
Thirdly, and most annoyingly, for most of the next FOUR HOURS it took for Jetstar to process the passengers flights and accommodation for the night there were at no point more than 3 check in desks working, and one very hassled supervisor. I quickly realised that being towards the end of the queue I was going to be there for some time. Each passenger was taking on average 5-10 minutes to process. During this period some Jetstar staff, obviously coming to the end of their shift, left to go home.Leaving the queue of ever more disgruntled passengers to their long stand. At no time did I see a manger from Jetstar. I suspect they knew what they had let their meagre overworked few young girls to handle. Could Jetstar management not foresee the difficulties such a small team were going to face?
I n my opinion the management, or should that be, mis-management team, of Jetstar should be either forced to stand in a queue at their counters for four hours, or better, be forced to handle the 120 plus passengers from a cancelled flight. I think there would be a lot more action in finding staff to help out the next time a flight is cancelled.
On the positive side, I applaud the young Jetstar girls left to try and sort out the mess, but more than this I applaud the passengers who were in the most part stoic and almost endlessly patient. I know those that ended up at the Grand Chancellor with me at 11.45pm are now all members of the 255 club. We have found a group of new friends. One lady of Indian origin named Angie who had been going to Christchurch for weekend, on her first visit and first flight within New Zealand, said she enjoyed the company so much she thought we should do it again. I think she might have meant the get together and chat and not the standing in the queue for four hours.
Perhaps this could be a story for another Campbell Live?
You'll know it's Jetstar if:
You cannot board the plane unless you have the exact change.
Before you took off, the stewardess tells you to fasten your Velcro.
The Captain asks all the passengers to chip in a little for gas.
When they pull the steps away, the plane starts rocking.
The Captain yells at the ground crew to get the cows off the runway.
You ask the Captain how often their planes crash and he says, "Just once."
Your life keeps flashing before your eyes.
You see a man with a gun, but he's demanding to be let off the plane.
All the planes have both a bathroom and a chapel.
Labels: campbell live, cancelled flight, jetstar
Stuart Woodside November 5, 2010 at 7:20 PM
I, too, was supposed to be on this flight to Christchurch and were conscious of Jetstar's practice of cutting people out of the check-in list. Upon hearing the announcement that Wellington passengers were to go on the Christchurch plane and the Christchurch flight would be cancelled I immediately got on the phone to Air NZ and booked seats for my colleague and I. We arrived in Chch at 10 pm, still quicker than waiting in the queue for 4 hours. Our company will get the Jetstar flight refunded via House of Travel. Or so we were told. This is probably the last booking anyone in our company will do with Jetstar, unless there's a ridiculously low fare, which is about the only thing they seem to do well.
Pest Advice November 6, 2010 at 2:01 AM
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for the comment. Well done on your proactivity. (Is that a word?) I will be proactive in avoiding Jetstar flights except where they are soooo cheap compared to the other options.
I don't think it is healthy to have only one option so Jetster has its place, but I don't understand the thinking of Jetstar management that seems to think this means they have to provide the minimum customer service. This is short termism that will eventually see the demise of the airline.
At Kiwicare we see customer service as the keystone of our development as the premier pest control AND garden care manufacturer in New Zealand. My job!
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SAOGE 2013
PermianChain’s new blockchain technology to the oil and gas
Created: Wednesday, 21 November 2018 06:18
PermianChain Technologies has introduced the Permian Token (XPR), a crypto asset-class that is set to underpin holding rights to the value of potential but undeveloped oil and gas reserves
XPR is expected to eliminate the layers of bureaucracy and dramatically reduce broker and administrative fees. It will also make it simpler to pinpoint and alleviate delays, will improve investment efficiency and open the sector to a swathe of potential new investors.
Trading oil and gas is currently complex, slow and fundamentally inefficient. Agreements are cumbersome and difficult to transfer without adding costs and there are so many different steps involved in the process of getting oil and gas from upstream through mid-stream to downstream, that the knock-on effect of delays at any point can be significant and costly.
The levels of complexity and inefficiency mean that many potential investors are reluctant to involve themselves in the market, reducing the sector’s potential liquidity and value.
The Permian Token’s system of smart contracts is intended to replace these complex agreements using the PermianChain, a blockchain network which is currently being developed by Canada-based PermianChain Technologies.
XPR is expected to reduce investors’ liquidity issues by creating a tradable crypto-asset on a permission-access trust-protocol. The smart contracts will also remove a large proportion of the administrative and brokerage burden from oil and gas suppliers, which could turn marginal fields into profitable ones.
There are already approximately 250 mmbbl of potential oil and gas reserves planned to be listed on the PermianChain network, and the company has formed partnerships with a string of organisations including the Gulf Energy Corporation, Battiest Energy and KaspianInnovations.
“Many private oil and gas opportunities are structured with an upfront fee due to their exclusivity and inaccessibility,” observed Mohamed El-Masri, co-founder of PermianChainTechnologies.
More than 30,000,000 XPR tokens have been pre-booked so far. The founding partners are currently preparing the launch of the first round of its private placement, offering accredited investors and professional clients the opportunity to support the PermianChain project and secure their rights for XPR tokens. The firm is working closely with King & Spalding, a global legal specialist, to have XPR issued as a regulated crypto-asset.
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by Jan Koppen
It's about four hours after midnight in November 1985 and I'm standing on the vast freight apron of Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport in Holland. Cold rain is lightly drizzling down, from the threatening dark, water-filled clouds. While working my regular nightshift, I interrupted my overloaded schedule in order to catch up with some action on the freight ramp. In front, I see some familiar silhouettes of the classic large turbofan-powered Boeing 707, vaguely lit by the shimmering yellow ramp flood lights. Looking across the tarmac, I see several 707s parked together, some of them barely visible due to absence of enough light .... surely a delightful view considering the dwindling numbers of 707s throughout the world during the mid-80s of the former century.
Just in front of me, Avio Presto ground-handlers are loading one of these dependable 707s with outward-bound cargo. The classic lines of the big Boeing are so evident when standing close to this four-engine transport. The overall sight of the giant bird commands deep respect from the onlooker. This aircraft is Boeing 707-328C Intercontinental Jet Freighter SU-DAA, c/n. 19916, of Zarkani Aviation Service, of Cairo, Egypt. This former 1968-built Air France 707 entered her career with Zarkani during November ‘82. With Air France, she operated under registration, F-BLCK. During this period, she held the name Chateaux de Langedoc. During her sale in November 1982, F-BLCK received a brand-new coat of paint in appealing and glamorous colors of Zarkani Aviation Service.
The fuselage consisted of a dark and light blue trim, running along the whole side of the aircraft. Her all-white tail sported the big ‘Z’ in bold blue letters. During this her career with Zarkani she held the appropriated name ‘Suez’, after the famous canal running north to south of the Egyptian landscape.
Now, Avio Presto ground handlers are preparing SU-DAA for her up-coming nightly freight run to Cairo. Flight line maintenance is supplied by Aircraft Maintenance Amsterdam (AMA). Their regular technical support keeps this 707 flying under all conditions. With the last freight pallet moved into the 707, the high loader is disconnected, and the huge hydraulic freight-door is slowly closing into its locked position. The 707 is ready and the forward ramp stair is pushed aside. Under the nose section, the AMA ground engineer is conversing with the flight crew through his headset, attached at the forward interphone jack-plug. Inside the cockpit the crew is preparing the aircraft for engine start-up. At the same time, the blue Hobart starter, which is responsible for the pressured air, is connected to the 707 starboard wing roots. The ground engineer signals the starter operator to increase the air pressure output. Immediately, the starter's low hum brutally changes into a high pitch blare. Highly compressed air is forwarded through the hose and, in turn, forces the second stage compressor blades, which are hidden within the enormous turbofan engines, slung under the 707 streamlined pylons, to accelerate to idle power. Moments later, kerosene flows into the combustion chamber and simultaneously the igniter plugs are being fired. with a small explosion in the engine hot section, number three comes alive. The raging gas is rammed backward. Slowly the engine starts to suck massive air quantities through its main intake and secondary inlet doors in order to maintain necessary thrust.
As the engine starts to settle down at idle power, the 707's familiar high-pitch howling starts to fill the upper level of my hearing senses. As engine numbers 4, 2 and 1 are started in sequence, torrents of hot gas built up behind the 707. Quickly, the starter is disconnected, while the nosewheel chocks are also removed. With a puff of black smoke, the monstrous weary looking, but powerful Hough push-back truck starts to push the heavy-laden jet backward. Meanwhile the ground engineer is walking alongside the 707's nose, ready to report any technical snag to the flight crew during the push-back. As the 707 slowly moves away, she disappears from the bright, ramp floodlights.
The jet is positioned with its tail toward the freight-building. Quickly, one of the ground crew disconnects the tug from the forward undercarriage and drives away with the Hough, leaving the senior ground engineer alone with the Boeing on the middle of the freight apron. The ground engineer unplugs himself, secures the panel and walks to a proper position for visual contact with the flight crew. With a resolute "thumbs-up signal", the engineer indicates that everything is OK, and that the Boeing is ready to go. As a friendly gesture, the flight crew flashes the 707s taxi-lights several times, thanking the ground support for their help. Simultaneously and with a sudden roar, the four turbofan engines increase power to give the 707-forward momentum. As the hot exhaust gasses are blasted backward out the engines, they are caught by the jet fences, to prevent doing any harm! Propelled by herculean power, the 707 stirred itself, the silver swept-back wings swaying, as she begins to roll onto the taxiway.
After a lengthy taxi, which leads the jet through a maze of blue and green ground lights, she finally reaches the holding point of the active runway. The 707-331C points its nose towards the long ribbon of lights, spread out in front of her. She lines up and holds, in preparation of her airborne venture. With the sudden stop of the 707, I pause to look at my watch and realize that it's already five o'clock in the morning, an ungodly hour to be standing here in the cold, wet breeze of the early spring showers. Suddenly sound rises to a furious level, the 707s turbofans roar with greater authority. From each engine, volcanic hot gases hurtle rearward with tremendous velocity. All four engines give maximum thrust. With a sudden shock the silver jet, now free from the restraint of her brakes, responds to the insisting demand of her four engines. Slowly she starts to build up speed. With already 2000 feet behind her, the 707 steadily accelerates her pace. Still bounded by the earth's gravitational forces, the jet races down the runway at about 170 miles per hour.
Then the magnificent white bird responds to the invisible demand of air flowing along her massive wings. With the nose gear tilted up from the runway and her tail section slowly dropping to the concrete, the jet stars to rise. For a moment the 707 hurtles along nose high, the silver bird momentarily clamped to earth, but seeming eagerly to sniff at the sky. As the 707 quickly gains height, the tricycle landing gear starts to disappear into its undercarriage bays. Finally, with a clean configuration, the 707 starts to feel her way in her natural element. As the jet starts to fade away, I can still see the double green-red wingtip and anti-collision lights flashing in the heavy cloud cover. With the roar of the engines slowly dying, the 707 finds its way through the darkened skies.
I saw and remember the Zarkani 707's at AMS and flying, often heavily overloaded, west out of the airport and over my house in Hoofddorp. Believe it or not; - the glassware was singing in the kitchen cabinet caused by the high pitch blare of the powerful Pratt & Whitney JT3D's.
As an airport hound in my younger years, I saw and remember the Zarkani 707's at AMS, on Schiphol-East ramp, and also flying west out of the field and over my house in Hoofddorp. This encouraged me to write an article about this mysterious company and subsequently I interviewed Mr. Jaffer Jan, who was the station manager for Zarkani in Europe. I also spoke to Mr. Jacques Sol, who was a sale representative for the airline.
Zarkani Aviation Services (ZAS) was founded in the early eighties by two brothers, Sheriff and Emir Zarkani, businessmen from Cairo, who already owned their own travel agency in Cairo and at the airport of Cairo already had their own handling company with clients, such as German Cargo and Martinair.
Besides these businesses they also owned large pieces land which they inherited from their father who was a rich landowner. On these lands mainly green beans were cultivated. The Zarkani brothers saw this ever-larger load of vegetables (especially beans) transported from Cairo to the Netherlands an opportunity and started their own airline under the name ZAS Airline of Egypt in November 1982.
The first aircraft for the new airline was former Air France Boeing 707-328C F-BLCK (c/n. 19916) . She was sprayed in full Zarkani colors at Paris-Orly and handed over to ZAS Airline of Egypt with registration SU-DAA and named “Suez”, on November 13, 1982. To solve several technical issues she was flown from Orly to Aviation Traders (ATEL) on Stansted. On November 23, the first flight was carried out and the aircraft was flown from Stansted to Schiphol to perform the first commercial flight from Cairo at Schiphol two days later. With this 707 a scheduled service was started between Cairo and Amsterdam, which was flown twice a week (Monday and Thursday).
Freight volumes were such that within four months ZAS needed a second freighter. Again a Boeing 707 from Air France was purchased. This was F-BLCG (c/n. 19521) . She was put into operation in March 1983 as the SU-DAB.
A year later, the fleet was further expanded with a third Boeing 707. Former British Airtours Boeing 707 G-AVPB (c/n 19843) was bought and registrated SU-DAC. Almost daily flights were now carried out between Cairo and Schiphol, with over 1500 tons transported per month. With trio, many flights were also carried out for other carriers, such as KLM, Martinair, Alia, Air India and Finnair.
This prosperity led to the purchase of a fourth Boeing 707, the SU-DAD, in January 1985. This ship was purchased from aircraft broker Guess Keen & Needle Fond and was the former British Airways 707 G-AYLT (c/n. 20517).
In April 1986, a fifth Boeing 707 followed, the SU-DAE. This ship was purchased from Tratco and was a former Qantas machine (c/n 19622).
In 1986, three Lockheed L-1329 Jetstars were added to the fleet. These aircraft were purchased in West Germany and were employed by the Luftwaffe. They were acquired by the Zarkani brothers with a large quantity of components. The Jetstars were delivered between December 1986 and January 1987. The delivery flights routed from Hamburg-Lemwerder to Amsterdam Schiphol. The biz jets were registrated SU-DAF (ex 11 + 01, c/n. 5025), SU-DAY (ex 11 +-2, c/n. 5121) and SU-DAH (ex 11 + 03, c/n. 5071).
The Lockheed Jetstars were a first step towards start passenger flights. They were mainly purchased by the Zarkani’s to test how in Egypt government would be responded to this fleet and task expansion. The Jetstars were offered immediately after delivery on the business market and were equipped with 10 seats.
SU-DAG and SU-DAH brotherly side by side resting on Schiphol's concrete on a beautiful day in the late 80's.
Photo credit: Paul K. from the Netherlands
At the end 1986 Zarkani brothers made an clandestine deal with Muammar Gaddafi, the once dictator of Libya. Due a US embargo Mr. Gaddafi could not buy spare parts for his Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 707 fleet. To get his 707 fleet operational again, Zarkani 707’s were fitted with legal new Boeing parts, during their regular technical maintenance at Stansted and were flown to Tripoli with a stop in Cairo. In Tripoli the 707 were awaited by Libyan Arab mechanics and the new parts were removed from the Zarkani 707’s and donated to the Libyan Arab 707 fleet. This procedure went on some time and was a win-win situation for both Boeing, ATEL, Gaddafi and of course the Zarkani brothers.
The Boeing 707 fleet of Libyan Arab Airlines, consisting of six combi passengers/cargo machines (5A-DLT c/n. 18686, 5A-DIZ c/n. 18746, 5A-DIK c/n. 18881, 5A-DJS c/, 18888, 5A-DIY c/n. 19001 and 5A-DJV c/n. 19590). It seemed that, at a certain moment, the Zarkani brothers had purchased all the Libyan Arab 707’s. Two of them were added to the ZAS fleet as the SU-DAI (ex 5A-DJV) and SU-DAJ (ex 5A-DLT). The other machines were sold directly or lease-out.
With this considerable fleet of freighter ZAS operated to towns like; Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Khartoum, Larnaka, Mogadishu, Muscat, New-York, Paris and Sharjah.
In 1987, Zarkani Air Services was authorized to carry out passenger flights. This started with the execution of a line service network between Cairo and the tourist centers of Luxor, Aswan, Hurghadi, Sharm El Sheikh and Abu Simpel and transporting tourists from Egypt to Europe and with flights to Jeddah.
During the end of the 80’s, the fleet of seven cargo Boeing 707s was too large for the company and four aircraft were sold. First the Boeing 707 SU-DAJ was sold in May 1987 to Boeing as the N83658 and used for the KC-135 parts program at Davis Montan.
SU-DAJ was followed by SU-DAD, which in November 1987 departed for Air Hong Kong as VR-HKK. In 1988, SU-DAI left for Okada Air in Nigeria as 5N-AOO. SU-DAE was sold to Nile Safaris Aviation of Sudan as ST-ALL.
The remaining three B-707's were equipped with Hush-kits in 1987 at Santa Barbara. This was carried out to meet the US aviation requirements as well. SU-DAB was also equipped to be able to fly passengers in addition to cargo. However, this aircraft was not long in service at ZAS. On 19 January 1989, this 707 was sold to the Equator Bank, which directly leased the aircraft to Naganagani as XT-BBF.
In the early 90’s only SU-DAA and SU-DAC were still serving ZAS faithfully. Like many other independent cargo operators, also ZAS Boeing 707’s were used for transporting war materials for the Allied forces during the first Gulf War. A lot of money was made during these days which fed the Swiss bank accounts of the Zarkani brothers considerably.
But the Gulf War of 1990/1991 caused a sharp decrease in the number of passengers on the flights to and from Egypt and from the end of 1993 ZAS passenger fleet was phased out. The financial situation of ZAS deteriorated rapidly and on April 3, 1995 all activities were discontinued.
In the settlement of the bankruptcy all appliances owned by ZAS were offered for sale. Flagship SU-DAC, which had been chained at Schiphol-Oost in July 31, 1993, due lack of payment to several creditors. She was auctioned on September 05, 1993 on the initiative of one of the most important creditors, the Liberian Greyfin Corporations. The financing company had an amount of 1.7 million dollar credit from ZAS. It was expected that the execution of the Boeing 707 yielded less than a million dollars in view of the poor state of the longest seized airplane at Schiphol airplane. Eventually the 707 was purchased and patched-up by mechanics of Air Memphis. Finally she departed Schiphol, three years later on March 04, 1996, under flightnumber MPS999, from runway 01L. Destination was Ostend. She became Air Memphis first 707 and was registrated SU-PBA.
Air Memphis would also buy the other 707, SU-DAA, a year later. She became SU-PBB.
The Lockheed L-1329 Jetstar fleet had also been on sale for some time in the 90’s. Eventually, Jetstar SU-DAH was sold and was registered ST-PRE. Also SU-DAY was sold to serve as a spare part source. The third Jetstar SU-DAF was left behind on Cairo.
For the Zarkani brothers, the aviation activities were discontinued and then focused mainly on the handling of ship loads (containers) in Egypt. Later on they returned in the aviation handling business at Cairo.
The classic lines of the big Boeing are so evident when standing close to this four-engine transport. The overall sight of the giant bird commands deep respect from the onlooker. Zarkani Boeing SU-DAA at the Avio Presto ramp in the mid 80's.
ZAS Airline of Egypt former flagship SU-DAA (c/n. 19916) rolled-off the Boeing production line in 1968 and was delivered to Air France as F-BLCK in December of that year. After 14 years of faithful service with the French national carrier she was sold to ZAS Airline of Egypt in November 1982 and registered SU-DAA. In mid ’92 she was impounded at Amsterdam Schiphol and parked in a remote corner of the airport next to KLM’s hangar 11. In January 1993, after more than six months of storage, she was patched-up again and ferried to Cairo. In November she was sold to Air Memphis and registrated SU-PBB. During their service, this workhorse was damaged at Ostend, Belgium on August 19, 1998. She served this Egyptian airline for some more years. Her last revenue flight with Air Memphis was in June 2003. The 707-freighter was stored at Cairo and was eventually broken-up.
The overaged blue/white Merceders Benz starter, which is responsible for the pressured air, is connected to the 707 starboard wing roots. The ground engineer signals the starter operator to increase the air pressure output. Immediately, the starter's low hum brutally changes into a high pitch blare.
Another museum piece is this Mercedes Jetstarter, supplying pressured air to one of the Zarkani's Boeing 707's at the Schiphol-East ramp.
Finally, with a clean configuration, the 707 starts to feel her way in her natural element.
AviaTrading's outdated Volvo Jetstarter is seen here parked next Zarkani's SU-DAA at the Schiphol-East ramp.
AviaTrading, which was situated in a former KLM Cargo warehouse from 50s, was a shady handling company in the 70/80s. Due to their relative cheap handling rates and flexible working methods, the company which was directed by Mr. Moorman and his sun (Mr. Moorman owned Moormanair in the late 60s) attracted many dubious cargo airlines.
SU-DAB is seen here arriving at Amsterdam's runway 18L (now 19C) from Cairo with another load of beans
This Boeing 707-328C, c/n. 19521, which was manufactured in 1967, enjoyed a long and various career. After 16 years of faithful service with first owner Air France as F-BLCG, she was sold in March 1983 to ZAS Airline of Egypt and registrated SU-DAB. They were just one of the dozen employers of this 707. After ZAS she operated respectively for Nile Safaris (ST-AKR), Naganagani (XT-BBF), Homac-Tradewinds (HB-IEI), Avistar-KJA (5B-DAZ), Azerbaijan airlines (4K-BEK) and again Avistar but this time on Ghana register (9G-ROX). Many of them were shady cargo operators. I personally witnessed that the 707’s registration HB-IEI was sprayed over to 5B-DAZ by employees of Avistar on the ramp of Amsterdam. The plane left Amsterdam to an undisclosed destination. Next day a British crew appeared at Amsterdam only to find out that their aircraft had disappeared. On February 07, 1999, her last blow of fate came into sight when she was damaged while she overran the Bratislava runway during an aborted take-off after engines 2 and 3 failed. After a full investigation it appeared that the aircraft had many overdue faults. The unfortunate 707 was not repaired and during 2005 she was broken-up completely.
SU-DAB basking in the summer sun of 1989 at Schiphol-East.
Avistar, the final owner of the former ZAS Boeing 707 freighter SU-DAB, had leased the aircraft with registration 9G-FOX, to a Belgian charter broker. Around June 1998 she operated fish charter flights between Mwanza and Vienna. The aircraft was in fact seen on many other airports, Bratislava, Ostrava, and Lumumbashi for instance. At the time of the accident the plane is understood to have had a long list of 32 faults that needed urgent repair. Problems included a limited EGT of no. 1 and 4 engines; no. 3 engine constant speed drive (CSD) gearbox was consuming a 'massive amount of oil'; no. 1 engine CSD generator missing; no. 2 engine required bleed on takeoff and above FL330; left wing leading edge cracked and leaking; no. 4 fuel tank and reserve tank gauge not working. On February 7, around midnight, the plane was to fly to N'Djamena. During the takeoff roll the no. 2 and 3 engines failed. The takeoff was aborted, but the 707 overran the runway and came to rest 200 meter past the runway end.
SU-DAC with in the background the 707 freighter of National Air Carriers from Zambia. Due to their relative cheap handling rates and flexible working methods, AviaTrading attracted many dubious cargo airlines.
In hands of BOAC this G-AVPB registrated Boeing 707-379C, c/n. 19843, crossed to North Atlantic numerous times in the 60/70's. BOAC became British Airways in 1974. They transferred the Boeing in February 1984 to ZAS airline of Egypt and registered SU-DAC. Her career with ZAS lasted for 11 years year before she was sold to Air Memphis as SU-PBA. The stay with this outfit only lasted from September 1995 till March 10, 1998 when she crashed after take-off at Mombasa.
SU-DAD is seen here at ATEL - Stansted waiting for things to come.
In hands of BOAC this SU-DAD registrated Boeing 707-336C crossed to North Atlantic numerous times in the 70's as G-AYLT. BOAC became British Airways in 1974. They sold the Boeing in November 1981 to GKN Enu Mining in Zaire. This was the start of a very adventurous career. After two years of working of Mining Corp. she was sold ZAS Airline of Egypt and registrated SU-DAD. Only two years she was operated by Egyptian airlines. In November 1987 the 707 was exported to British Crown colony Hong Kong and Air Hong Kong became the owner. The registration VR-HKK adorned her fuselage. Her career with Air Hong Kong lasted five year before she was sold to Phoenix Aviation as 9G-TWO. After three years with this British/Ghanese company year she changed hands again and Simba Air Cargo from Tanzania became the owner. Registration 5Y-SIM was applied to the ship. It appeared that Simba had close ties with arms dealer Victor Bout and consequently lost her landing allowance in Belgium. The stay with this outfit only lasted from March 1995 until March 2000. During the first years of 2000 she worked for the dubious company Air Gulf Falcon as 3D-SGG, 5Y-GFG and finally 3D-GFG. In December 2002 she was exported to Sudan and started to work for Spirit of Sudan. She received the Sudanese registration ST-AQW. In 2008 she transferred to the Sudanese State Aviation. Still with registration ST-AQW she was sold to Mach Avia as 4L-GAS and based in the U.A.E. Unfortunately even for this hard working 707 service life was running out and in January 2010 she was parked in open-storage at Khartoum.
Photo credit: Chris Chen
Zarkani's SU-DAE in front of KLM's cargo warehouse during the late 80's.
This airframe (c/n. 19622) left the factory at Renton in 1968. Originally this Boeing 707-338C has been delivered new to Qantas as VH-EAB. The Australians sold the Boeing in 1977 to Young Cargo of Belgium as OO-YCL and as such I spotted her at Amsterdam Schiphol in the late 70s. After a couple of years with Young Cargo she was sold to Papua New Guinee and became part of the Air Niugini fleet with registration P2-ANA. In July 1985 she went to Iceland as TF-AEC for Air Arctic Iceland who leased this 707 to several operators, such as Surinam Airways, Air Maldives and ZAS Airline of Egypt, who finally bought this freighter during April 1986. She was immediately re-registered SU-DAE but her employment with this ZAS was brief and during the summer of 1988 she arrived in Sudan and started her employment with Nile Safaris Aviation. In May 1990 she was transferred to Avistar, a company which had close ties with Nile Safaris. With Avistar she operated many medical relief flights for the UN. In 1992 her civilian service life was over and she finally ended-up with the US firm Grumman Aerospace with registration N4131G. She became an E-8C J-Star 707 and was finally taken on Strength with the United States Air Force with s/n 92-3289. Today she is on active ANG service.
Flagship SU-DAC, which had been chained at Schiphol-Oost in July 31, 1993, due lack of payment to several creditors.
While operating for Air Memphis as SU-PBA, former SU-DAC, was carrying a consignment of 34 tons fish from Mwanza to Cairo via Mombasa. The crew took off from Mombasa Moi Airport on Tuesday, March 10, 1998, at 16:31 hrs. The plane struck approach lights following takeoff from runway 03. It then struck a hilly mound, rolled and crashed into the ground. The 707 disintegrated and caught fire. Runway 03 at Mombasa is 10,991ft. long but at the time of the accident the first 2,600ft. of the runway was not available.
Hushkitted SU-DAE is seen here with ATEL at Stansted.
Photo credit: Peter Smithson, August 1987, Stansted
Engineless Zarkani SU-DAI is seen here at Stansted
This 1967 vintage Boeing 707-365C has spent the best part of her life in British hands. With operators such as; British Eagle International, BOAC and British Airways, she flew passenger’s services between the UK and the rest of the world. After 16 years of faithful service with these UK based airlines she was exported to Libya. Jamahiriya and Libyan Arab airlines operated this 707 for a couple of years until US embargo’s brought an end to their operations. During November 1986 she was sold to ZAS Airline of Egypt on to be sold after two years to the Nigerian firm Okada Air as 5N-AOO. Her stay with Okada was very brief as a couple of months later she changed hands and Sovereign Air of Nigeria became the new owner. In October 1988 she was exported to Belgium and Belgian International Air Carries employed the freighter on cargo flight between Belgium and Africa. In 1991 Air Mercury International in Belgium became the new owner. Within six months she was sold to Alia-Royal Jordanian airlines in June 1992 and she became as such a regular visitor to my home airport Schiphol. After this Jordanian adventure she was exported to Argentina and was to be wearing the uniform of Fuerza Aerea Argentina as LV-WXL. During May 2004 her service life was over and she was grounded and stored at El Palomar Airbase.
Photo credit: Chris Chen
SU-DAJ
This Classic Boeing had its first flight from Renton on January 17, 1964. The 707 was ordered by Air France with registration F-BLCB. Two weeks later she was delivered to the French national carrier. During the following years Air France leased their 707 to airlines like; Air Afrique and Air Madagascar. In April 1983 she was exported to Libya and became part of the Libyan Arab Airlines fleet with registration 5A-DLT. Due a sort of deal the Libyan Arab 707’s changed hands during 1986 and the Zarkani brothers became the new owners. They sold the 707 after a couple of months to the Boeing KC-135 parts programme and the 707 was ferried to Davis-Monthan during May 1987. Around 1991 she was parted-out and scrapped.
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Fumito Ueda Has Proposed Changes for Shadow of the Colossus' Remake
But he doesn't know if they'll be used
by Sammy Barker Fri 30th Jun 2017
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Industry legend and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda has proposed improvements for the game’s PlayStation 4 remake. While the auteur wouldn’t reveal what those suggestions include – he doesn’t want to let people down if they don’t make it into the final product – he apparently does feel that the title can be enhanced. Bonkers really, when you consider it’s one of the finest games ever made.
Ueda-san isn’t actively working on the remake, with remaster specialist Bluepoint handling all of the heavy lifting. As such, he doesn’t know whether his feedback will be incorporated or not. One thing’s for certain, though, the remake won’t be adding any more bosses: “In this game there are 16 enemies and there's a story about 16 enemies,” he told Eurogamer.net. “It's finished with 16 enemies. It's okay.”
Meanwhile, the veteran is already busy beavering away on his next project. “I would like to finish a game as quickly possible,” he joked, pointing to the prolonged production of The Last Guardian. Apparently a prototype is already well underway, with modern game engines and toolsets allowing the auteur to experiment with gameplay immediately – rather than conceive concepts via other mediums, such as short films.
What’s not clear is whether Ueda’s decades-long partnership with PlayStation will be maintained. The legend left Japan Studio a few years back in order to form an independent company named Gen Design, but his team collaborated closely with the Sony first-party in order to finish up The Last Guardian. It’s possible that relationship will live on, but we’ll need to wait and see.
[via eurogamer.net]
Review: Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)
About Sammy Barker
A true PlayStation veteran, Sammy's covered the world of PS gaming for years, with an enormous Trophy count to prove it. He also likes tennis games way more than you.
Rudy_Manchego
Fri 30th Jun 2017
In two minds to play my copy I got on PS3 now or just wait for this.
I hope the relationship with Sony continues - I think these games are something that Sony offers that others don't and it is good to distinguish.
viciousarcanum
Wherever ueda goes, i follow... But hopefully he sticks with playstation!
spyro202
The heck?! Am I the only one who even though I played the hell out of this game, even gotten to the famous top garden, and would LOVE to see more content?! Like new colossi? Like 4-6 new ones?! Yes it's a great game! But even more content? I'm up for it!!!
Broosh
@spyro202 I totally agree. Makes sense that the 'story' revolves around 16 bosses but uhh...no reason they can't include extras for fun and extra challenge.
Flaming_Kaiser
@spyro202 Maybe a little extra in the ending dont wanna spoil anything for the others so i wont say more.
CloudNine
I just recently played this on PS3, and while I did enjoy most of it, I agree there are changes and improvements that could be made
I'd like to see him add a game around the 16 boss fights.
I know I'm in the minority, everybody loved this, but I like my worlds to be living. It's the same reason I don't particularly care for Zelda or Metroid games, too lonely and isolated. I like my JRPG parties. Not saying this game needs a party or a sidekick, but maybe find some more ancient ruins, wall carvings, scrolls, skeletons, something to make me feel immersed. I remember those guys on horseback showing up at the end and wondering where they were all game.
Actually now that I think about it, reminds me a lot of another game that was well reviewed but I felt fell short - Vagrant Story. That game actually had a lot of story at the end and beginning, way more than SotC had, but the middle was mostly bats I couldn't' kill. Hated those bats so much I still hate all bats in all video games 20 years later. But the story was worth a play thru. I wouldn't play thru either game again though.
So that's what I would want, populate the world w/ a story, dead, alive, ghosts, goblins, flashbacks, whatever, just give me a reason to care. Boss battles are great, but it makes it a Transformers movie, all action, no story.
Johnnycide
A list of Uedas proposed changes include:
Agro now talks and whinnies in a thick Boston accent.
Enter the konami code to engage moon gravity.
Sassy robot sidekick added upon beating third collosus.
Soundtrack by Leona Lewis and Tyler The Creator
Fast travel available from start
Hold L2 to view inventory (inventory contains doritos).
MICROTRANSACTIONS including sackboy skin for main character and dabbing emote for horse.
NG++ featuring dabbing collosi
Dabbing.
I agree with not adding colossi in the main game. But there could be some sort of bonus mode that includes at least 3 new colossi.
Even if there are no changes... I'll be pre-ordering this as soon as it's on PSN. Between this game and Praey for the Gods, 2018 will be epic.
sinalefa
Elephant in the room. Fix the camera.
@rjejr
I can see your point. The time between colossi was so mind numblingly boring I hated it. Some people said the story was like an incomplete canvas that you could fill out but for me the canvas was nearly empty
@sinalefa Yeah that.
You play Zelda on that Switch of yours? I'm still too lazy to play it but I've been watching my kids. My 1 son has finished the main story and he never touched the entire western side of the map, all the snowy mountains, which I think he only realized after turning the green line on (that I paid $20+tax for).
Anyway, while watching him play, there is something nearly every few steps. I don't think SotC needs to be that crowded, but a few more butterflies or foxes or cranes - I'm a big fan of watching the cranes take off - would be nice. I suppose the idea is the whole area is dead and deserted like "the Forbidden Zone" in the original Planet of the Apes movie in 1968, but it's a game, make it interesting. Oh, just remembered the lizards, so there was that, but that's all I remember. Too empty. Zelda seemed too empty for me when watching the trailers but watching my kids there's just enough between the wildlife and those traveling salesman who turn into bad guys. Now to find me a wolf Link amiibo.
I wasn't sure if you ever played BOTW, but I thought you may be happy with the amount of things to do and see there. TBH it is hard to keep track of the main quest since you get distracted by so many things happening in the world.
It all feels so alive. One of my favorite examples is when you see people cooking and chatting outside of a stable and it starts to rain, you can see them running back inside to get shelter from the weather. All the wild animals make it feel more crowded and realistic too.
SOTC is just these giant, empty extensions, reminds me of Jak 2, they just insist to make you waste time going great distances, maybe because it was something the PS2 was the first system to handle so they wanted to impress. Lizards are just too few and even hard to see sometimes.
Mon 3rd Jul 2017
@sinalefa Or it could be how they wanted to portray the world. A big but empty world where the Collossi take the centerstage. If they make the world crowded they take away the attention and awe from the Collosi. But thats what i think cant know for sure.
PS5 price, reveal event, games, and more
Phwoar
Bluepoint Games
6th Feb 2018 (USA)
6th Feb 2018 (UK/EU)
Review: Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)
News Bluepoint Games Explains How It Remade Shadow of the Colossus
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Rabbi Rachel Silverman
Rabbinic Work
Guest Posts & Other Writing
Homegrown Judaica
Rabbi Silverman
Rabbi Rachel Silverman is the Associate Rabbi and Director of Community Engagement at Temple Israel of Sharon. Over the years, she has taught for Eser and Kevah, was a member of the Rabbinical Assembly Strategic Visioning Team, and she currently serves as a board member for Hillel at Brandeis. She was a PresenTense Fellow in 2010-11 for her company, Homegrown Judaica.
Her favorite parts of rabbinic life are celebrating life cycle events (conversions, weddings, baby namings, and more) with congregants, watching students young and old engaged in learning, and helping b'nei mitzvah families reach their goals. It is a joy and a true blessing to be a part of these intimate moments with families.
Rabbi Silverman lives in Sharon with her husband, their two children, and a yellow lab named Abby.
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A Mermaid's New Year's Resolution
Well, we're a week into 2015 already (can you believe it?) and it's getting to that time in January where New Year's Resolutions start to look a little bit wobbly around the edges... Looking around at Mermaid Towers, I can see Mermaid Melusine (who resolved to lay off seaweed for the whole month) tucking into a kelp baguette! But there's one New Year's resolution that we mermaids are sticking to, and we're hoping that you might join us!
The "Scrub It Out" Campaign has been launched by Flora and Fauna International and the Marine Conservation Society, requesting that people sign a pledge not to use toiletries and cosmetic products which contain plastic microbeads. These microbeads are sometimes used in a whole range of products, including toothpaste, bubble bath, soaps and scrubs - they're so small that most of the time you probably have no idea that the product contains these beads. However, when they're washed down the drain and, eventually, out into the ocean, they pose a real danger to marine wildlife - and to us mermaids!
The good news is that there's plenty of organic alternatives that manufacturers can use in place of plastic microbeads, so please sign the pledge now to send the message to UK businesses that consumers don't want plastic microbeads in their products (if you sign, you can even get a free sample of a yummy organic skin scrub!). Plus, Flora and Fauna International have produced a Good Scrub Guide to help you identify which products are marine-friendly, and there's even an app you can download to scan barcodes in shops and check whether products contain microbeads.
It's so easy to avoid using products which contain these marine pollutants - so please, do sign the pledge today, and help keep our oceans happy.
Love and best fishes,
Underwater Photoshoot in Peterborough 23rd August!
The Merlesque mermaids are incredibly excited to announce a unique opportunity for 15 lucky photographers on the 23rd August: the chance to photograph real mermaids and underwater models - without getting your feet wet!
Ever wanted to try underwater photography but been put off by the expensive equipment and complex set-up? This is the perfect opportunity to dip a toe into the magical world of underwater photography, without the worry and expense. You will be able to photograph mermaids and dancers through the sides of a photographic-quality acrylic tank, meaning that you can use your own favourite camera to capture beautiful underwater images. The tank at the Peterborough Aquatheatre is make of high grade acrylic which is perfect for distortion-free photography, as it has a refraction rate much closer to that of water than a glass tank would have.
Lighting will be set up and tested before you arrive, and shoots will take place in small groups of no more than five photographers at a time. You will be able to shoot both a mermaid in full costume, and a model in human form; all our models are experienced professional underwater models with the ability to control their buoyancy, hold their breath and open their eyes underwater - all while posing and looking beautiful. We will supply props and costumes, but we're also very much open to your suggestions, so if there are any particular ideas you have for what you'd like to shoot, just let us know!
This is the first time we have ever run this event, and consequently the amazing price of £60 (or £55 if you like our Facebook page) covers tank hire alone. We will never be able to run this event so cheaply again, so please do come and join us.
You can find out more details (including timings etc.) here, or please do contact us if you have further questions or would like to book your space.
Every mermaid loves coral!
Merlesque mermaid Lorelei underwater at a coral farm
Mermaid Lorelei has spent the past two weeks working on marine conservation in Cambodia with the charity Save Cambodian Marine Life. Here she is pictured underwater at a coral farm, one of the charity's projects to create a new reef off Koh Rong Samloem, to counteract some of the damage to coral reefs around the world. Find out more about the charity and their good work by visiting their Facebook page.
Any Fin is Possible
Mermaid Lorelei celebrating tastefully
Today is a day of celebration here at Mermaid Mansion! Our three mermaids Lorelei, Melusine and Ondine were delighted to hear that today five species of critically endangered shark (the oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three types of hammerhead) have been given greater protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (a.k.a. Cites). Not only that - manta rays have also gained new protection.
Shark finning is a huge problem for the world's oceans. The latest estimates are that an unbelievable 100 million sharks are killed every year, chiefly for their fins. As some shark species can take many years to reach maturity, this can lead to a crash in shark populations, which has serious knock-on effects to marine ecosystems. Find out more about the problems with shark finning by clicking here.
Here in Cambridge, the grassroots movement Fin Free Cambridge have recently had success in persuading Cambridge City Council to vote to condemn the sale of shark fin products in Cambridge. It's the first city in the UK to do so, and the group are now aiming to expand their movement across the country.
Just one more reason that the Merlesque mermaids are happy to call Cambridge our home!
Mermaid Melusine x
Made-Up Mermaids?
Thanks to everyone who's visited our website in its first week of life! Our Facebook and Twitter pages have had a surge of interest as well - so if you haven't already, head over and check them out for more news, pictures, and bad ocean-based puns.
Made-up Mermaids
It's been a busy week for all our mermaids; we recently held a mermaid summit which focused on pooling our collective knowledge of the best make-up. Mermaid Melusine's plum-coloured mascara was a big hit; it really intensifies your natural eye colour, although sadly the fact it's not waterproof means we can only use it for land-based performances.
We also love this amazing YouTube video by make-up artist Nic Haste of PixieWoo.com. If you want to know how to achieve the look of iconic film star Marlene Dietrich, we highly recommend it. Our attempts to replicate her look weren't quite as effortlessly flawless as Nic's - but they do say that practice makes perfect.
In other mermaidy news, take a look at these beautiful underwater photographs of celebrities including Keira Knightley, Lily Cole and Kelly Brook (in a mermaid tail!) taken for charity fresh20, in order to raise awareness of the global water crisis. World Water Day is the 22nd March and as you can imagine, it's a cause close to our hearts.
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Doubling The Dilemma: National Pork Producers Council
Author: Rich | Posted at: 11:30 AM | Filed Under: case study, crisis communication, perception, public relations, swine flu, The National Pork Producers Council
What's in a name? Everything, according to the National Pork Producers Council.
For the last few days, the National Pork Producers Council has been issuing news releases to remind consumers that "swine flu" does not come from pigs. At the same time, it is lobbying legislators and the media to refer to the virus with its less common scientific name, the "H1N1" virus.
According to AdAge, the industry made the decision because it feared uninformed consumers would avoid buying pork. But were these consumers really avoiding pork?
Not according to NewsChannel 10 in Amarillo, Texas, which spoke to butchers at the local level and WalMart on the national level. Not according to The Herald Bulletin, which reported from Anderson, Indiana.
In fact, not according to anyone until the National Pork Producers Council began distributing releases.
As of April 22, pork bellies had rallied and stabilized. While people were concerned about the flu, few seemed concerned about pork. But that changed when the National Pork Producers Council sent out a release on April 26, which was followed the next day by a flurry of stories about the release despite the fact that the media had never made a verbal connection between "swine flu" and pigs before.
By the end of the day, Smithfield Foods Inc., the largest pork processor, saw a 12 percent tumble (but many non-pork stocks did too). Since, the public relations nightmare for the pork industry has only gotten worse.
In fact, the more that the National Pork Producers Council talks about what it calls a real problem (one that didn't exist until it said there was a problem), it only gets worse. How bad? Take a look at a recent Q&A session with Chris Novak, National Pork Board CEO, on the Cattle Network.
During the session, the interviewer asks several times "How did those two words get connected?" Novak goes into detail saying "swine flu dates back to a 1918 influenza outbreak that affected both humans and swine. This virus, however, has not been identified in swine and has been spread through human-to-human transmissions, so the label applied in the media earlier this week created unnecessary confusion in the minds of many consumers."
So how did the terms get connected? You just read it! The National Pork Producers Council linked them!
According to the session, Novak says "that one estimate showing an 8 percent drop in futures prices since last Friday [last Friday was before the council's near daily releases began] has pushed losses for the swine production industry up to $6.5 million per day. The losses are real and personal for thousands of pork producers who have struggled with market losses over the past 18-20 months."
Fear is a terrible thing. It makes regular, ordinary people behave irrationally. And here, it seems that this fear wasn't a reality until the National Pork Producers Council overreacted to a linkage that didn't seem to exist before their communication.
Worse, the media, legislators, and public are now faced with their own communication problem in having to rename and rebrand what was known as "swine flu" with the clunky "H1N1" moniker. How likely will that be successful? Given that CBS just ran a story using the "H1N1" name but sporting a picture of pigs, we might say when those little guys start to fly.
Case study ahead.
Rich on 5/1/09, 8:14 PM said...
That's the second time FDR was mentioned in regard to this post. He was right.
Fear is always related to something that hasn't happened.
According to the WHO Canada on May 2 reported the identification of the A(H1N1) virus in a swine herd in Alberta. It is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a Canadian farm worker recently returned from Mexico, who had exhibited flu-like symptoms and had contact with the pigs. There is no indication of virus adaptation through transfer from human to pigs at this time.
Rich on 5/3/09, 9:45 AM said...
More important might have been to share that H1N1 seems to be in decline. The interesting thing to note is how various government agencies and organizations handle their communication.
Some are trying to communicate cautious optimism while the WHO is poised to call it a pandemic. This mirrors what this post was about. Where does communication-invented reality and reality begin and end?
Marketing Integration: Times Are Changing; So Is Education
Acting Big, Looking Small: Anchor Kim Wagner
Reviewing Reviewers: What Goes Up
Dunking Public Relations: Raymond Ridder
Misunderstanding Intent: Communication Today
Policing Employees: Not Today; Tomorrow
Sharing New Wisdom: Fr Federico Lombardi SJ
Selling Cheap: Microsoft Laptops
Sharing Quietly: Bloggers Unite For Hunger And Hop...
Releasing Indies: What Goes Up
Managing Messages: Seven Fs
Twittering Choices: Social Truths
Tearing Down Definitions: From Phelps To Prejean
Shining Through: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Starting Over: Chrysler, Not Campaigning
Making Coal Cool: With Ringtones!
Changing The Guard: The New Guard?
Advertising Annoyance: Food For Thought
Changing Times: From Print To Push
Living With Arthritis: 300,000 Kids
Doubling The Dilemma: National Pork Producers Coun...
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ROM Hacks: Final Fantasy VI - Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition v1.6 Released!
Author Topic: ROM Hacks: Final Fantasy VI - Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition v1.6 Released! (Read 9074 times)
RHDNBot
Update By: Rodimus Primal
Just in time for Christmas, Final Fantasy VI Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition has been updated to version 1.6!
With this updated release, two versions come in the package. One is the complete Uncensored Edition, without any further bug fixes to give the unchanged experience as if it was just released on the SNES. The second version adds a modest amount of bug fixes that don't, for the most part, alter any gameplay, but fix problems that should have been fixed upon its initial release 20 years ago!
Both versions have a few tweaks that were needed such as updated item descriptions, and Raiden is now no longer a downgrade to Odin.
RHDN Project Page
Relevant Link: (http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,16476.0.html)
GreenBanana
Re: ROM Hacks: Final Fantasy VI - Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition v1.6 Released!
Oh, good, we really needed a translation of Final Fantasy VI. Keep up those astute observational skills.
i really don't see the point of endless retranslations/dialogue edits of snes-era ff games
like i really like FF6 BNW but i really don't see the point of the dialogue but the gameplay's fun enough for me i guess
Lilinda
This one's been out for a while, folks... Seems a bit... late to complain about it.
Retired moderator/staff member as of July 14th 2016
Rodimus Primal
2 years actually. And I'm actively involved in improving it. That's why there now is two versions.
Experience is the benchmark to maturity! ROLL OUT!
Final Fantasy IV Namingway Edition
Final Fantasy VI- Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition
Quote from: GreenBanana on December 26, 2014, 11:16:19 am
Yup because it is much easier to sit on ones fat butt and complain about others hard work.
Spooniest
RHDN Patreon Supporter!
Ain't got no berf cer-fi-ti-cate on me now
How did you expand the Skills menu? That's some pristine work. "Bushido"...I like.
I never wanted to work in a pet shop, you know. I wanted to be...a lumberjack.
vivify93
Submission Reviewer
Guardian of Mystery
Well, I guess I can stop testing my Ted Woolsey-translation FFVI text cleanup now and just slap it on my Wii, then, if everyone's good with RPGONE's translation, Dr. Meat's Relocalization, and Rodimus Primal's Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition. >.> I thought that RPGONE, Relocalization, and Uncensored Ed. all offered something different. (Being terrible and dry, totally re-writing the script, and making the script basically Ted Woolsey's except with some missing features restored, respectively.) But there's no need to make unwanted hacks, I guess?
« Last Edit: December 26, 2014, 08:20:44 pm by vivify93 »
All my life I've tried to fight what history has given me.
Quote from: vivify93 on December 26, 2014, 08:07:34 pm
Don't feel so bad, that's how I felt when I started this adventure in game modding. I really wanted to make the best SNES version of Final Fantasy VI possible, while retaining the feel of the original. Now with adding specific bug fixes as an add on, I'm doing just that.
Spooniest, I used code from angelo of FFVIhacking.com as a base and changed the naming he originally applied to fit the current Square Enix names.
The dialogue is cleaned up a bit. Woolsey's translation is used as a base though. Themes religious in nature, censorship of graphics, and even the title screen is now reverted back to its Japanese original. I spent a lot of time and energy going through the script multiple times. No longer is there mishaps in the lines, especially in the Esperworld flashback with Terra's parents.
Really? Fantastic! Maybe my mod is unnecessary in its entirety, then. Did you also fix typos and remove extraneous punctuation? Ted Woolsey really seemed to love his ellipses and exclamation points...............!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry, sorry, had to do it. :p)
To keep the feel of Woolsey, I kept some of the extraneous punctuation but not all of it, but the typos I really went after!! I even added a line back during the Returners meeting that was cut.
All of the characters are no longer in CAPS. VICKS is now Biggs, MADONNA is now Madeline, and the IMPRESSARIO on the Phantom Train is now the Conductor.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2014, 10:38:15 pm by Rodimus Primal »
Alright, fair enough. I think I'll keep my project unreleased, though, less out of a feeling of "unwantedness" and more out of respect for you and Dr. Meat. Totally going to put mine on my Wii and my sister's, though.
976 and 967 mana?! Learn2Min/Max.
Quote from: Special on December 28, 2014, 07:59:33 pm
What are you asking? If its about the MP growth in the game, that is currently not altered. However, I'm under the impression folks would want that done so I will in the next update, just need to research the values.
時を越えよう、そして彼女の元に戻ろう
Ted Woolsey really seemed to love his ellipses and exclamation points...............!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry, sorry, had to do it. :p)
He also liked submariners in a world with no submarines and unfunny jokes. If you can fix those there would be much rejoicing.
I am the lord, you all know my name, now. I got it all: cash, money, and fame.
Digitsie
Quote from: Gemini on December 31, 2014, 01:31:08 pm
I think then you'd want Dr Meat's hack, because removing these Woolseyisms from a 'Woolsey edition' just seems wrong.
I think then you'd want Dr Meat's hack
Speaking of which... I looked up that hack and it mentioned that it had bug fixes. I checked out the readme but it didn't have an specific information about WHICH bug fixes. Anybody know the specifics on this?
Dr Meat pretty much took every bug fix possible into his mod. It's listed on his website for the Relocalization Project.
My mod was modest with bugfixes. And now the bugfixes are a seperate patch. I wasn't looking to fix every single bug and exploit in the game. But I do wish to improve upon it every way. Taking the original translation as a base was just as important as uncensoring the game. I may have kept the Woolseyisms, but I read over this game line for line. I looked over the GBA, RPGOne, and Luna Darkstar translations to make it all come together. Every sprite is restored back to the original including the final battle. The signs say Pub instead of Cafe. Character class names are restored. Spell, Esper, item, and monster names are extended and restored to Square Enix's current naming. I even added B Button Dash for those of us tired of walking. The only thing I did to the font was remove an extra pixel to save space. I know some may prefer the GBA, Android/IOS, etc versions, but I can only hope those of you who want the feel of the original, but uncut, will enjoy this version over others.
I just released 1.62 which reverts the MP growth back to the Japanese original, which is the same as the GBA and future releases. With the bug fix add on, I've added the counterattack bugfix, and the Sketch glitch bugfix.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 09:16:00 am by Rodimus Primal »
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DRUGS BEHIND DOWNFALL
DRUG IMPORT BILL
Cocaine Effects
Drug Trafficking Knows No Age Restrictions
August 23, 2018 Evelyn Peck
A middle-aged husband and wife team of drug dealers was arrested yesterday in conjunction with a stash found in a semi-trailer in Chatham County by the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) agents.
In the trailer belonging to Gregory Bohannon, 53, and Teresa Bohannan, 58, CNT agents discovered $20,000 in cash along with four kilos of coke of an estimated value of $1.2 million, as well as 600 pounds of marijuana.
Gene Harley, assistant deputy director of CNT, says a tip from local police put them on the trail of the Bohannons. After receiving the advice, the department worked around the clock for two days to put together the information which led to the bust.
Harley commented that “the best way to cripple organizations like this to hit them where it hurts – take their large shipments, their money and arrest top-level players.” Harley did not say at what level of the organization he thought the Bohannons might be but assured the public that CNT will continue with its investigation and more arrests will be forthcoming. “We knew the drugs were here locally,” he said. “It was almost playing an adult game of hide-and-seek.”
Traffickers have been using Savannah like a hub. Drugs pass through and find their way into the rest of the southeast. Drugs coming into the U.S. funnel up to Atlanta, then into Florida, Georgia and even South Carolina. In fact, CNT agents have seen more buyers from South Carolina, who buy up stashes then distribute the drugs through their own individual networks.
Overall, Harley was very pleased with the bust, knowing it prevented a huge amount of drugs from ending up on the streets to create havoc and heartbreak in Chatham and other local communities. “Thankfully we were able to get them off the streets.”
The success of the CNT was directly attributable to a tip they received from local law enforcement. You can help too, by reporting suspicious drug activity. To do so, contact the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement.
If you know anyone needing help with substance abuse issues contact: Florida Rehab & Recovery
Article Source: WTOC 11 News
Evelyn Peck
A Doctor Received 40 Years in Prison for Prescribing Opioids
October 30, 2019 Evelyn Peck
Cocaine Is Making a Deadly Comeback in Florida.
September 15, 2018 Evelyn Peck
Florida Has Country’s 17th Highest Drug Overdose Rate
July 15, 2018 Evelyn Peck
Floridians Clamor for Medical Marijuana
June 20, 2018 Evelyn Peck
E-Cigarette Use Causing Spike in Tobacco and Drug-Related Offenses
March 15, 2018 Evelyn Peck
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Violence is OK?
It is beyond belief to see a story like this. http://Students support Violence.
So, this story is saying that one out of five students interviewed do not believe that the first Amendment does not protect what they consider to be “Hate Speech” which amounts to anything that disagrees with the far left agenda. The students feel that they can simply apply the label, “Facists” to those who disagree with them and then commit acts of violence against these so called Fascists. But, that begs to question who exactly it is that has the right to determine who is and who is not a Fascist? If one applies the logic that is being used here for this example, then what if people like me for example, who believe in things like God, country, and family, decide that those who are protesting everything are in fact the fascists? Why would it not be right for me to go to Berkley for example and start bashing the heads of protestors because I disagree with what they are protesting and I feel that they are in fact the fascists?
One of the biggest complaints that I have always had with “Liberals” and all of the ilk of the Left is that they seem to think that they are the ones who are entitled to make the decisions for everything that affects everyone. For example, they don’t like the 2nd Amendment, therefore everyone in the United States should bow and submit to any policy under the “Anti-gun faction” of this country. So, liberals feel that they can determine what is best for everyone else but they are quick to exempt themselves from the policies that they think the rest of us should have to live under. Still scratching my head on that one. Who exactly was it that gave the far left that right and power to begin with?
I recall a story from a few years back of a teenager who climbed over a fence and used the swimming pool of a neighbor or something but was shot and killed by the homeowner who turned out to be an extreme “Anti-gun” proponent and in fact owned a huge collection of firearms. The left certainly does not believe in the old adage that I grew up hearing which is, “What is good for the goose, is good for the gander”.
And who is to blame? Well, if you think back to around 1962 or so, the liberals succeeded in removing prayer from the public school system and basically gained control of the public Education system. Today, our kids are taught what is supposed to pass as a serious curriculum but actually teaches revisionist history blotting out anything that the left deems offensive such as the Civil War, and replacing troublesome things like that with shining examples of enlightenment such as White Privelege. This of course leads to what we are currently seeing on television which is attacks on statues and removal of offensive segments of history that is not liked by the far left.
Einstein famously stated that “Nature abhors a vacuum.” which leaves us with what rushes in to fill the vacuum of a Christian worldview, or a Patriot worldview, etc. if our children are no longer being taught about our Constitution and Bill Of Rights? There is always the example of “Common Core Math” which is absolutely beyond ridiculous and confusing and serves only to insure that our children are indoctrinated to march in lock step with the groupthink of the far left. College “Snowflakes” and safe zones for students traumatized by seeing the name, Trump written in chalk on a sidewalk will be the leaders of tomorrow who will be tasked with taking care of us as we age. That is frightening on every level and absolutely sends chills up my spine and should any other person still capable of free thinking.
Finally, do not think for a second that such violence will be limited to situations like we see at Berkley when a conservative dares go there to present an intellectual debate based on conservative ideology or the tearing down of Civil War statues. We have seen the basis during the “Occupy Movement” that the left embraced for being such brave demonstrations of free speech which consisted of thugs and paid protestors being bused in for the purpose of instigating violence against anyone who dared disagree with the left’s radical ideology. It is becoming more prevalent and dangerous with police and opposing protestors being injured or hospitalized at the hands of the Antifa protestors. Also the burning, looting, and destruction of businesses and property in whatever area the protestors choose along with literally trying to shut down traffic on roads and freeways which have resulted in people dying trying to reach the ER of local hospitals.
Be aware, educated, and prepared for violence from the left wherever it might rear it’s ugly head as I have no doubt what so ever that we will certainly be seeing lots and lots more of it until it is ended.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word, hypocrisy as such.
Definition of hypocrisy
plural hypocrisies
1:a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not :behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel
His hypocrisy was finally revealed with the publication of his private letters.
; especially :the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion
our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness
—Lucius Garvin
2:an act or instance of hypocrisy
a keen awareness of one’s parents’ hypocrisies
It does not take a genius to see how this applies completely to the “Left”. The “Left” being the catch all phrase to include liberals or what they are calling themselves today, progressives, to socialists, communist, marxists, and any other applicable area. Although the first to decry abuses of and need for “Free Speech” for example, the Left is the most intolerant of anything that does not totally agree with their agenda.
The election of President Donald J. Trump has brought into crystal clarity everything associated with the word “Hypocrisy” in every conceivable way. The so called mainstream media no longer even attempts to put forth a semblance of truth and instead will even fabricate news to fit their agenda. Statistics to date show that more than 91% of media coverage of President Trump is in fact negative. Calling the MSM coverage of the Trump Administration negative is a gross understatement. This fact alone is despicable and defies every reason that the MSM was even created. In point of fact, the MSM has simply become the attack arm of the democrat party and the left.
In years past the media has been able to successfully cow those who dare disagree with them by submitting the offender to intense scrutiny and basically trying and convicting them in the press much like a shark attack. Once blood was smelled in the water the sharks would begin swarming and attacking until there was virtually nothing left of the prey. Opponents of the left or the “Right” were successfully beaten into submission or silence if nothing else by having their lives shredded in the media. At the same time, those on the left, regardless of the infraction or crime are literally given a pass and nothing is every even mentioned. The prime and best example is what has taken place with Hillary Clinton and her extremely lengthy list of what if committed by anyone else would have resulted in immediate incarceration. But, because of the political stature of the Bill and Hillary Clinton brand, everything is quietly swept under the rug.
Even the head of the FBI had drafted exoneration letters for Hillary Clinton months before even questioning her with regard to her illegal use of a private email server. On the other hand though, the left screamed, hollered, and went apoplectic over the idea that Russia might have somehow colluded with or tried to help the Trump campaign take the victory from Hillary. With no evidence whatsoever, the left managed to have a so called, independent investigator who just happens to be a good friend of former FBI Director, James Comey assigned to the investigation.
Antifa is another shining example of “Hypocrisy”. In order to silence conservatives from even being able to speak on college campuses like Berkley, Antifa goes on rampages which result in everything from simple rioting, to physical assaults, burning of cars and businesses, and destructions of private property. Despite the ever growing instances of violence and chaos caused by Antifa, you never see anything referencing acts committed by leftists that aren’t staged or made up to suit the purpose and the agenda of the left. Straight out of the Cloward and Piven playbook for radicals where the end justify the means at all costs. Antifa and other fascists groups who are in fact the epitome of hate and violence are simply given a pass by the left and the MSM.
Why is this? Is this some new problem that has just begun in the last few decades? No, it goes back throughout the history of mankind altogether. Humans will simply not get along. When one looks back through history, how were the problem of disagreement handled? The Roman Empire came closer than any other for the most part in dealing reasonably and having intellectual disagreements and debates. But in the end, corruption destroyed that society completely as is so often the case.
Today it seems that the left feels that they have the right to dictate how we are all to live and that they decide what is right and wrong. The problem is this, who named the left the supreme arbiters of all things fair? Thus, hypocrisy is demonstrated in all things. Just like politicians who eagerly and quickly exempt themselves from policies and laws that govern the masses but that would not be good for the politicians. The Senate and Congress certainly do not have to rely on “Obamacare” for their medical, oh no, they have the best of the best. Or how politicians can get rich on the practice of “Insider Trading” while those of us in the masses go to prison for such dealings. Essentially, hypocrisy rules supreme in all things and is not likely to change while they continue to reap the rewards of such despite the rest of us suffering terribly.
Now we must live under the rule of political correctness, identity politics, racial politics, and sexual politics unless something is done to stop it. Hypocrisy driven by political correctness will continue to gain steam much like a locomotive train until it is nearly unstoppable. Wake up, educate yourselves, and start standing up and forcing change. At the very least, get on your knees and start praying hard for this country to survive.
Jan. 20, 2017 was the day that Donal J. Trump became the 45th President of the United States. Obviously for all of those who voted for him this was a wonderful event. The flip side however has been anything but joyful and happy. Leftist clothing designers vowed to and refused to dress the new 1st Lady, Melania Trump, the election results were challenged in every way conceivable, attempts to change the minds of the Electoral College Electors with death threats were made, and finally, 89 democrats sat out and boycotted the inauguration proceedings. So called protestors were bussed in and paid to disrupt and riot by far left organizations associated with Billionaire George Soros resulting in trash fires, windows broken on businesses, police cars smashed, and even a limo being set on fire. Last but far from least, Pravda wing of the democrat party which is now the media, have been completely unhinged.
How will this all fare for our new President? I suspect that President Trump will endeavor to accomplish everything that he talked about during his campaign. I also think that President Trump will be met with relentless attacks from democrats and the media who are more than capable and willing to use any and every tactic whether factual and truth based or not.
The United States of America is far more divided along every imaginable line than anytime in history except for the US Civil War. The Obama regime under the guise of fairness and social justice, went out of the way to promote an atmosphere of us vs. them with regard to politics, economics, gender, religion, and certainly race. Law enforcement has been demonized, vilified, and presented as the enemy fanning the fires of racism like never before. Rioting, looting, and destroying property has been deemed protest rather than rioting by an overly politicized Dept. of Justice more concerned with political correctness than actually enforcing the law.
After taking office in 2008, Obama was quick to point out to his opposition party that he had won the election and that if republicans wanted to change anything that they would have to go and win elections of their own. Certainly not the attitude of someone looking to work with the opposition or try to unify the country. Then there was also the comments of Valerie Jarrett who was the real power behind the empty suit that Obama is. A further look at Valerie Jarrett can be seen below.
FBI Files Show Valerie Jarrett’s Hardcore Communist Family
And then there is the media. To keep up with the democrat party, the media has had to turn hard left and become more and more radicalized. During the Obama regime it was common place to see every network spewing the talking points that were given them by the democrats or the White House. It was learned that during this last campaign cycle that it was not uncommon for the press to feed the democrat questions that would be brought up during debates, or that permission to rewrite or revise stories was given to Hillary Clinton or her cronies. Instead of presenting facts, truth, and events as they occurred, the media now decides what they think is relevant for us to see and then go about mischaracterizing, spinning, and twisting stories into propaganda that suits their agenda. During this past campaign cycle, we saw the rise of “Fake News” which the media began using to hurt or destroy Trump, the republicans, and anyone who disagrees with them or their far left agenda. The media would literally take stories that they knew were false but if it was useful for their purpose, would run with it and deal with the fallout after the fact. No longer is any thought or concern given to truthfulness, objectivity, or even attempting to be unbiased in any way. No longer constrained by the shackles of truth, objectivity, or being unbiased, the so called mainstream media has become nothing less than the attack dog for the democrat party presenting any propaganda that is useful to them or their political ilk while refusing to report the truth about their opponents and working to utterly destroy anyone who dares to think differently from them. Is it a stretch to see that the so called mainstream media has become nothing less than the propaganda machine of the left? Very much like the Russian state machine known as Pravda or similar to what Joseph Goebbels used during the rise of the Nazi party.
Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
Interestingly enough, Goebbels learned everything from the American father of propaganda:
Propaganda: “a message designed to persuade its intended audience to think and behave in a certain manner. Thus advertising is commercial propaganda. Or institutionalized and systematic spreading of information and/or disinformation, usually to promote a narrow political or religious (or commercial) viewpoint.” – from Business Dictionary
The last thing that I would expect would be for the “Media” to be fawning over President Trump. I doubt that Chris Matthews will have tingling up his leg anytime soon.
Why is Israel important?
Why is Israel important? That is a broad topic that could require countless volumes of intellectual discourse to begin answering. To address this question much more simply and to keep from having to spend several years of college level research and Biblical study, I will utilize several forms of media to assist in answering why Israel is so important. Some quick facts to think about and remember would be that Israel is God’s chosen people and nation. Israel is also one of the United States staunchest allies. And, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. All of these points are of incredible singular importance but let’s dig a little deeper and consider the facts and points addressed in this short Youtube.com video, The most important video about Israel that you will ever see. This video gives us a very clear explanation why Israel is so important.
Also, there is the SevenBiblicalResons written by Pastor John Hagee of Christians United For Israel. This article gives clear and concise Biblical reasons why Israel should be revered and honored instead of the opposite which we see happening today. The reasons listed in this article by Pastor Hagee are of fundamental and extreme importance as well as educational to those lacking anything other than cursory knowledge of Israel.
Far too often today we see demonstrations of nothing less than pure hatred for Jews. Not understanding the premise for such hatred caused a search for explanation that would make sense. One great explanation is presented by PragerU in this great little video, Born to hate Jews.
Similar to the PragerU video because my upbringing took place during the 1960’s on it was to my consternation to experience fear of Jews simply because they were different that what our culture of the time deemed acceptable. Choosing to go my own way rather than to simply follow blindly what the crowd was doing, my choice was not to participate in calling Jews ugly names or ostracizing them because of our differences. I chose to learn more about them and build on what we had in common instead of staying apart because of what we differed on.
As an adult, I have always been horrified by the way that Israel and its people are treated by the rest of the world and have always resorted to questioning the reason why this tiny little nation inhabited by a very small population in comparison to most other nations around the world, is so hated and despised. Understanding that Islam and Israel would not be very amenable to each other based on extreme religious differences is one thing but Israel is subjected to non stop terror attacks on an almost daily basis. The Jewish people are forced to live in a non stop and constant state of attack awareness every minute of every day. Imagine simply trying to go to the market to feed your family but having to fear rocket attack or suicide bombings no matter where you are.
And finally we end up considering the last eight years of the Obama regime. From the beginning of Obama’s first term nothing less than outright disrespect and contempt have been shown towards Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama even dared try to unseat Prime Minister Netanyahu by having US operatives fund and work for the opposition to Netanyahu which failed. Israel election interference is described in this article by Bloomberg describing the activities and interference attempts by Obama operatives. As disgusting, disrespectful, and completely ridiculous as this heinous act was by a sitting American President, this outrage pales by comparison with one of Obama’s final contemptuous actions towards Israel when the United States refused to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building as described in this JTA article.
All Americans should be horrified at the disrespect and anti semitic behavior that has been shown to one of our country’s most loyal allies for the past eight years of the Obama regime. Obama has embraced the worst enemies of the United States in history while flippantly disparaging Israel. Fortunately Israel Prime Minister realizes that the majority of Americans and especially Christians have been completely outraged by the actions of the Obama regime. But when you consider how Obama has surrounded himself with anti semitic advisors at the highest levels of government like Valerie Jarrett, an Iranian born communist and Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers in high level positions it is easy to understand how such people would foment animosity to outright hatred of Israel. Fortunately, we have an incoming President who will right the relations between the United States and Israel once again. Thank God that we will once again see pro Israel policies and relations return to normal as President Trump begins his term of office.
Indoctrination can be thought of as being the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Another or even more appropriate word to put at the end of the aforementioned thought might be unquestioningly, without thought or hesitation, or even gleefully. This is demonstrated right in front of everyone daily, if not more. To say that our current political climate is toxic would be a gross understatement. Our country has become more divided along political line, economic lines, social lines, and most certainly, racial lines. All because of the extreme left, radical ideology of Barack Hussein Obama and his administration.
For the past eight years which was Obama’s two terms in office, every action taken was filtered though the lens of extreme, far left, radical ideology while marching to the droning drum beat of everyone on the left touting the battle cry of “Fairness”. Decisions have not been made based on the good of the country or what is best for the American people but rather how to further the far left agenda and democrat political gain. It has been as if we have watched Saul Alinsky’s, “Rules For Radicals” played out to the letter. Truth, facts, and all transparency have been thrown by the wayside while Obama and the democrats have schemed, cheated, and lied to accomplish their agenda.
The statement or thought from Voltaire referenced in the above image has never been more true than what we see happening all around us now. The press for example was created to shine a spotlight on the deliberations and actions or government. This of course was because the government exists for the good of the people. This has not been the case for quite a while and certainly going back to the announcement of Barack Hussein Obama to run for the Presidency of the US. At this point in time, the name Obama was absolutely an unknown quantity which presented a conundrum for the democrats and the press. The elites of the democrat party and the press saw Obama as an attractive alternative to coronating Hillary Clinton and went about the process of creating a caricature to fill the empty suit that was Obama. Obama was a community organizer and one term Senator from Illinois where he voted “present” when and if he even showed up to do his Senatorial work at all. After scrubbing and purifying every aspect of Obama’s life that didn’t suit them, the democrats and press went about creating a narrative that could be sold to the American people and successfully did so which resulted in Obama having been elected twice.
As the line separating the so called media and democrat party rapidly vanished, it became apparent that the main stream media had become the propaganda arm of the democrat party. With well over 90% of those in the press identifying themselves as liberals or with leftist leanings, the press started participating in the political discourse instead of simply reporting the facts. Facts and truth became scarce and gave way to everything presented to the American people having to conform to the leftist and democrat talking points. It has become so bad that stories do not even have to be true to be thrown against the wall to see if they will stick. This has given rise to fake if not overtly false stories becoming more and more frequent. The beauty of presenting these false or fake stories is that many times they accomplish the purpose of damaging the target of the story and causing harm before the particular news agency is forced to withdraw and posture about something deplorable making it’s way into the broadcast.
The 800 pound gorilla in the room that seldom if ever gets mentioned is the Education System. Beginning in the early 1960s liberals began gaining control of the education system in this country. The first victory for the left was the removal of prayer from school. What began as the need to remove prayer from the school system so that non religious people were treated fairly has become some nightmarish facsimile of what education is supposed to be. In the primary and middle school systems it seems that teaching our children that there are no winners or losers and everyone gets a trophy for participating, common core mathematics, or even how to properly put a condom on a cucumber. Pure science, math, history, and other antiquated notions are no longer really relevant the extremists in charge of education now. And let us not forget about college and the wonderful work that they do destroying free speech on campuses, becoming safe havens for illegals, and producing young adults who require therapy and hot chocolate from professors if they are subjected to such horrors as having seen the name, Trump, written in chalk on a sidewalk. Colleges and Universities have even developed their own language to help and now have over thirty one categories for sexual identity and how students can choose their pronoun of preference. Now think about the generation after generation of students who have successfully been indoctrinated from grade school through college and you see people who eagerly follow the marching orders of left without question or thought. These good little comrades simply do as they are told, vote as they are told, accomplish the ends at any means.
The result is the 49 plus million who voted for Barack Hussein Obama twice. When asked why they voted to elect or reelect him, we are treated to such intellectual answers such as because he is black, or because he is cool, etc. When pushed about policy or accomplishments, they answer with deafening silence. The enemy at home is law enforcement and the military along with republicans or anyone who disagrees with anything left. The enemy abroad are our closest allies of the past like Israel but we coddle and bow down to Iran and other sworn enemies of the US. And despite the seemingly endless list of policy failures and imbecile legislation that has nearly brought this country to total annihilation, Obama is still viewed as a swell guy.
Now that Trump has been elected, just wait and see how the tolerant, objective, patriotic people on the left are going to act. Actually, we are already seeing it with mind numbingly stupid Hollywood libnuts doing PSAs and singing songs about surviving 4 years of Trump. This all just goes to show how incredibly important it is for their to be a massive, world wide revival and turning back to God. I pray that it happens sooner than later and do not see our survival prospects being all that high if we do not turn to God.
Disgraceful Democrats
Don’t think for an instance that if republicans had in any way behaved like the democrats following the election of President Elect Donal Trump that there would not have been immediate and severe response from the entire democrat machine. The Clinton Campaign arm of the machine simply left supporters in the dark and went home. The attack dog arm formerly known as “the media” did everything except hyperventilate and die at the news of Trump’s election. The George Soros arm of the machine immediately dispatched their paid thug army to riot, attack Trump Supporters, and destroy things. You know, the ones who despite being paid by Soros groups and being bussed in to the various locations were simply spontaneously exercising their right to loot and destroy, I mean protest.
We first witnessed such classy response to defeat when Al Gore lost to George Bush. Even after Clinton and the left made such a big deal out of the fact that Trump said that he would have to see the circumstances before conceding defeat because of all of the known cheating that the democrats are involved in during every election cycle. Amazingly, the democrats always seem to manage to pull a few, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand votes out of their hat at the drop of a dime just as if it were by magic.
The election of Donald Trump was a clear, concise, silent rebellion against the tyrannical oppression of the left and their ideology upon the majority of this country who disagree completely with them. Conservatives have almost always outnumbered the liberals by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 forever. But we have allowed the vocal, radical, intolerant left to bully and scare many of us into submission at the least and silence overall. Our complacency and inaction has led to the left rising to power and during the Obama regime we have witnessed every kind of abuse of power, dirty tricks, lies, corruption, and things never before dreamt were even possible in an American Administration. Obama and his cronies have achieved their means by any dirty Saul Alinsky type action possible without push back or counter action even from the republicans who had been elected and sent to Washington, DC to block what Obama was doing, not to join in with them on it.
But then hey, this is just status quo for the democrats. Any self respecting democrats left have to be asking themselves what they have allowed the democrat party to become. If JFK were running today he would be drummed out of town for being some kind of far right nut job by comparison to what they believe now. I remember watching the democrat convention before this past convention where the word God was booed not once but three times and was stricken from the democrat platform. How’s that for tolerance? Or we just have to look at democrat run institutions like the US Education System where college age kids are seen crumbling into sobbing, dysfunctional, messes in their “Safe Zones” because they were forced to see the name, Trump written in chalk on the sidewalk. I mean really, how dare we expect our little snowflakes to endure such horrors? In my generation we were either being drafted or enlisting to go to Viet Nam to fight for our country not strutting around in over priced sneakers and such that was bought and paid for by moms and dads who have to work their heads off to put food on the table. But our little snowflakes drive around in cars bought by mommy and daddy, use social media on their electronic devices that they didn’t buy, all while living on their parents dime and not having a clue what life will be like when they have to make it on their own.
Finally, take a couple of minutes to watch this short but well stated video which sums it all up so very nicely.
Media, Democrats, and Snowflakes
Your humble Scribe has patiently watched and studied what was taking place during the very long election season and post election to date. I make no apologies for being a conservative, Christian, Patriot and warrior. Like everyone else, I experienced angst, anxiety, and outright fear at what was taking place. The temptation to rush to the social media like Twitter and Facebook was strong and demanded extreme restraint on this authors part to refrain from doing so. As a Christian, I chose not to vent my feelings on social media which would certainly have caused those who do not share my viewpoints or political beliefs emotional stress at the very least. The Trump vs. Clinton campaign was one of the most vitriolic of my lifetime, especially during the past eight years of more racial tension and discord than I have seen in lifetime.
At not time before in my life has there been the degree of divisiveness as witnessed during the last eight years of the Obama regime. The educated, astute observers were quickly able to ascertain that instead of working diligently to heal any racial divisions that the Obama regime chose rather to capitalize on and cause as much division as possible amongst race, religion, sex, and political viewpoints. Obama chose to utilize his regime to gin up as much division as possible on all fronts creating an atmosphere of “us vs. them” in all areas. With the aid of his willing accomplices in the media who have become nothing more than an unelected attack dog arm of the democrat party, the media successfully chose to spin attention away from anything that could possibly be harmful or damaging to Obama to in some cases, completely false and fabricated stories of non existent racial bias and discrimination. Such stories would fuel a feeding frenzy of feigned outrage and protest which aptly provided cover for far more relevant issues and topics that Obama did not want the public knowing about such as the true details of the Iran deal for example.
The medical debacle commonly known as Obamacare was one such agenda item that the democrats utilized every dirty trick, not excluding changing Senate rules, so that they could ram this ridiculous fiasco down the throats of the American people. Obamacare was crafted in the proverbial smoke filled, back rooms, in the dark of night. The democrats and Obama then began a joyful sales campaign of spin and lies that the media brought to the forefront for weeks, hammering the American people into submission of acceptance based on such lies as the one stating that you could keep your doctor, and the one that said it would not raise your payments, and on and on.
For the past eight years this author has watched as anyone and everyone who dared to disagree with the farthest left insanity on any topic was labelled a racist, homophobe, and the entire litany of derogatory terms used to vilify and demean anyone disagreeing with them. Anyone having traditional values such as believing in God, trusting in our Bill of Rights or Constitution were labelled as potentially being home grown terrorists. The media colluded with the DNC and the White House for their daily marching orders and talking points with which they would attack, demean, and try to destroy anyone with different view points. Our allies around the world were ignored and the vilest enemies known were embraced and praised. Those of us with traditional values saw everything turned inside out and upside down with no way to voice our opposition or have dissenting discourse about what was taking place. We were quickly told shortly after the Obama election that elections have consequences and that Obama won and we lost. That was in fact true and we had no choice other than to deal with it for the past eight years.
The election rolled around and Donald J. Trump won in the most incredible way every witnessed by incredible numbers. Much to the horror and dismay of the left, the media, and Obama, Hillary Clinton failed miserably be coronated as the country’s first female president despite the fact that she was absolutely positive that she deserved it for having been Bill Clinton’s wife, etc. Unlike when Obama was elected to the horror of my peers, we accepted and endured the Obama regime and all of the damage that has been done to our country and the world because of Obamas eight years in office. Once Trump was elected though, they media, the left, and every thug that could be found or hired was pressed into action causing disturbances and riots where ever possible under the guise of disdain at Trump having been elected. Soros backed, paid agitators, are still being bussed into locations in attempts to cause dissension and disturbances up to all out riots with no condemnation from Obama or the left.
College campuses around the country have become little more than breeding grounds and cloning chambers for extreme left, mind numbed, acolytes of Saul Alinsky and Cloward and Piven. Students on campuses across the country have had to have “Safe Spaces” created and “Crying Rooms” where they can go when they endure such outrages as seeing the name Trump written in chalk on a sidewalk. Campuses generate no free speech atmospheres and zero tolerance of thought or ideas differing from what they determine to be acceptable. Political correctness runs rampant and is absolutely out of control creating a culture of college students who are demasculinated, thin skinned, radicalized, snowflakes. These delicate little snowflakes are incapable of being exposed to harsh and harmful words like man or the name Trump and are driven into hysterical, hyperplectic fits and anxiety attacks at the mere mention of Trump’s name. How in the world will they ever manage to exist outside of college or will they rather be forced into the exile of mommy and daddy’s basement for protection for the rest of their lives? At eighteen, this writer was enlisted in the US Air Force preparing to go to Viet Nam. Can you imagine people with the “snowflake mentality” coming to America during the times of the Pilgrims and what they would have faced?
Now the democrat party, the media, and all of the snowflakes predictably are proving themselves to be the mean, intolerant, hypocritical, vapid, monsters that they truly are. Devoid of reason, lacking good character or values, and completely allied to most radical emotionalism imaginable, the leftists are incapable of intellectual discourse and debate and can only respond with juvenile, hyper emotional defaming and attack of personal nature. The aforementioned truth was on full display when Clinton supporters were asked what accomplishments did Hillary Clinton have or what made her worthy of being elected president they could only stammer and stutter such brilliant responses as, just because.
Well the time has come to let the adults take over. The election is over and we won, get over it. If that is too much for you to accept, go find a crying room or safe zone at a nearby college and maybe they will coddle you and bring you hot chocolate. Grow up!
Political Corruption!
During the entire 2016 political season there has been nothing less that complete confirmation that the US Political System is utterly and entirely corrupt. Almost daily evidence leaks out proving more and more layers of graft and corruption despite the mainstream media doing their utmost to cover for and give a pass to Hillary Clinton. Attacking Trump’s temperament which they can not prove that there is anything wrong with to begin with they conveniently forget about all of the documented episodes involving Hillary Clinton in screaming, cursing, and violent outbursts of lamp throwing when Bill Clinton was president and they lived in the private residence in the White House. Numerous times Secret Service Agents nearly had to enter for fear of Bill Clinton’s safety during disagreements with Hillary.
Then we have the “Email Scandal” which is dealt with in typical Clinton fashion which is to deny, ignore, blame someone else. The only problem with that is that even despite the FBI being unable to find evidence of wrongdoing to recommend for prosecution, evidence keeps oozing out and is more and more sinister. Emails disappeared, State Dept. couldn’t find them, hard drives disappear, and so on and so on. Nobody knows anything as per usual Clinton scandal modus operandi.
Last but certainly not least we have the Clinton Foundation which reeks worse than a backed up septic tank on a hot summer day. It never ceases to amaze how little of the staggering amounts of millions of dollars that find its way into the Clinton Foundation actually end up going to charities or people who need it. Hmmm, most of it goes into the pockets of the Clintons who remember, were broke when they left the White House.
In over thirty years in politics the only consistent thing that we have seen from Hillary Clinton is the absolute propensity to be above the law and lie. The Clintons are legends in their own minds and are simply too big to be bothered with trivial things like laws. Why laws and rules are only for the little people like you and I. The only thing that we can count on beyond a shadow of a doubt from Hillary Clinton is that whatever she says will in fact be the opposite. And if elected president, America as we know it will cease to be a reality. We will face a third term of Obama only worse.
Temperament for office? Really?
The current method for attacking Trump seems to be an effort by democrats to challenge Trump’s temperament. Seriously? Is that what you are going with? Have you taken a serious look at Hillary? I remember reading books about the Bill Clinton presidency describing Hillary as being a psycho. Now there is another book by a Secret Service Officer talking about Hillary’s actions, outbursts, and behavior.
Ok, so let’s just forget about all of that for a minute and examine the Email scandal a little. Supposedly we can’t prove intent by Hillary’s choice of a private email server. Looking back over a thirty year history of Hillary’s behavior and action we clearly see that she is anything but transparent and open about ANYTHING. I do not find it hard to believe that the private server was for no other reason than to deceive, hide, and obfuscate her actions. At the very least though, we have to consider FBI Director Comey’s testimony after the conclusion of the FBI investigation into the server. If we go with the description of Hillary having been extremely careless with handling of classified material then one has to ask, if Hillary can’t be trusted to handle email and classified material, what will happen if she is President and has access to America’s top secret classified material, nuke codes, and everything else pertaining to American Security? Can we have a President who can’t pass a background screening or be given the highest clearances there are to handle classified material?
It appears that the democrats are simply incapable of being able to discuss or debate topics like the economy, immigration, foreign policy, etc. because of their absolute catastrophic mishandling of every situation that they are presented with. The things that matter to most Americans and affect us at a very personal level like poverty, income, security, etc. So their solution is to attack Trump’s temperament because they lace any record of success on anything that Americans find important. The last thing that I am going to be concerned with going into the voting booth is Trump’s temperament.
Hillary has demonstrated not only a willingness but an absolute eagerness to look us in the eye and lie without reservation. Reasonable people could easily conclude a pathological aptitude for lying in any and every situation. The Clinton’s both pride themselves as being spin misters extraordinaire which we have seen for the past thirty years but culminated in Bill Clinton’s testimony resulting in his answer that it depended on the definition of what is, is. The Clintons will fabricate a yarn, or spin a tale, or boldly lie about the most innocuous of things such as Hillary landing in Eastern Europe under sniper fire, or that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary despite having been born six years before Sir Edmund came on the scene. You can almost consistently expect the exact opposite of whatever you are told by the Clintons to be the actual truth.
If you plan to vote simply on knee jerk emotionalism or simply because of party affiliation then do this country a favor and for God’s sake, don’t vote at all. If you are unable to see the truth, accept fact over fiction, or are so mind numbed from the indoctrination and lies of the media then you will be guilty of an extremely serious infraction that I like to call, VWI or voting while ignorant. Please don’t be that guy and avoid being charged with VWI at all costs.
The Founders Meant What?
During the last few weeks we have seen both the Republican and the Democrat party conventions. The differences were of course stark in every conceivable way. Both conventions were very long on agenda driven promises, rhetoric, and jabs at the opponents.
As both conventions had their time in the spotlight, I often found myself wondering what the Founders would be thinking had they been able to watch today. This also had me wondering about what the two parties truly stand for now. With that in mind I was taken back four years ago to the democrat convention when the mention of God was booed not once, or even twice, but three times. It would have been more if there had been more mentions of God. To say that I was overwhelmed with shock and disbelief would be a gross understatement.
At the democrat convention that ended last night with the anointing of Hillary Clinton, there were not even any US flags present until the third night or so. Families of black victims who in some cases were eluding the police and arrest for crimes they had just committed and were killed in doing so were present but there were no family members of murdered police officers of any race present. Then there is or was the leaked email debacle which clearly showed how the system was rigged and biased for Hillary from the start and Bernie Sanders was never going to get the nomination no matter what. You mean that they were willing to cheat? Obviously and to the democrats, the ends justify the means no matter what.
Hillary, who is a staunch Saul Alinksky follower has taken all of her far left training to heart and has become a Grand Master of deception if nothing else. For nearly thirty years we have seen Hillary involved in scandal after scandal and despite mountains of evidence, if not shredded first, simply hunkers down and stands firm on whatever lie she has fabricated to protect herself. The Clinton’s epitomize everything that can possibly associated with the appearance of corruption and have simply lied their way through, no matter what.
What would the Founders think had they been witness to the conventions? What would they be thinking of the candidates, especially Hillary Clinton? If the Founders were to analyze the democrat convention, what would they take away as being the core party platform? Let’s see, there is the desire for open borders and endless hordes of immigrants who given drivers licenses could then vote, and most likely democrat if they are on government aid for their sustenance. The Founders would see the war on God and Christianity while the dems embrace Islam at every turn as the religion of peace. The Founders would see a party whose foreign policy is little more than complete appeasement of our worst enemies while spitting in the face of our greatest allies. And certainly not the least of what the Founders would see would be the disintegration of the rule of law and double standards for those in the privileged class.
If Hillary is elected it will simply be Obama’s third term at the very least but could also be the death knell for the United States as we know it. We are currently at nearly twenty trillion in debt which will crush us completely at some point soon, nearly half the population of the US on welfare and government assistance because of the unbelievable unemployment figures, and an insane foreign policy of appeasing our enemies while the Middle East is collapsing in fire and destruction.
While we are rapidly approaching what could easily be described as the most important election of our lifetime for those of us who wish to see our Constitutional based form of life continue, we have to wonder about what the Founders meant when they gave us the Republic which has made us the greatest country in the world? With that in mind, why would we even consider electing some rapid extremist who is hell bent on destroying everything that we have become and deeply desires to impose some radical form of socialism/marxist/communism on us?
I pray that we find people of courage and integrity to stand firm in opposition to the rampant destruction of our liberty and way of life. I pray that warriors will rise in opposition and will educate people on the threat of far left ideology and sway the elections towards someone with at least a functioning semblance of sanity. God bless the USA!
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Tennis Camp Scholarship Awarded to Columbia Area Junior
Jade Gutzler has struggled against adversity for much of her promising young life. When she started playing tennis at three, Jade learned to play with a two handed backhand and forehand. Her mother says when Jade was in her "little outfits and with her little racquet" she looked like a little Monica Seles. Sadly Jade was forced to give up the game when family struggles pulled her from the court as her family was torn apart. Her mother, Sabrina, worked to help maintain a stable environment for Jade, but unfortunately tennis fell by the wayside.
When Sabrina heard that USTA South Carolina was offering the chance for a junior player to receive a scholarship to a tennis camp, she entered Jade into the drawing. Sabrina hoped that if Jade won the scholarship that it would help provide a bright spot to Jade's senior year of high school. USTA South Carolina awarded the scholarship based on the entree's economic need, struggles against adversity and the impact that the scholarship could make on the player's life. As the committee read over the entries one section caught their eye, "Her love for tennis has turned into a bitter memory... and it represents her past life. Please remind Jade of a life free of worries and responsibilities even for just a period of time while she is with you there at the Tennis camp." Her mother's impassioned plea to give her daughter a reprieve from the stress of her last summer before she moves on to college helped win the committee's endorsement. When Sabrina heard that Jade won, she was speechless. Sabrina was elated that her daughter had been chosen and confided that she had not told Jade as she wanted it to be a surprise.
USTA South Carolina is happy to be able to provide assistance to a junior whose situation may prevent them from enjoying the game of a lifetime, tennis. We want to thank Chuck Kriese of Clemson University for helping make this possible through his donation of the scholarship in exchange for promoting his camp.
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Author Archives: Bruce Kropp
January 20, 2020 | by Bruce Kropp
Salem Police Chief Sean Reynolds (left) holding 2019 Telecommunications Officer of the Year plaque awarded to Juana Gilbert who was not present, Sergeant Kyle Ambuel who was named Officer of the Year (center) and Deputy Chief of Police Susan Miller. The 2019 Salem Police Officer of the Year is Sergeant Kyle Ambuehl and the Communications…… Read more »
Most Government offices will be closed Monday for Dr. Martin Luther King Day. That includes federal, state, and county offices and courthouses. Centralia City Hall will be closed, but Salem City Hall will be open. Garbage collection in Salem and Centralia will remain on the regular schedule in the coming week. There will be no…… Read more »
Centralia Police make arrest in December armed robbery
Centralia Police have arrested an 18-year-old man for armed robbery and mob action in connection with an incident in December at the Point on Raccoon Lake. Chief Greg Dodson says Blake Smith of East Third in Centralia and two 17-year-old juvenile males are accused of taking a gold chain and cash from an 18-year-old male…… Read more »
Details released on arrest of Centralia man for criminal sexual assault
Centralia Police have released more details on the arrest of a 26-year-old Centralia man for criminal sexual assault to a 13 to 17-year-old. Chief Greg Dodson says the charge stems from a December incident where Levi Gribler of East 7th was allegedly left alone to watch a young teenage girl at her home. The girl…… Read more »
Centralia woman arrested following a high-speed chase
A 57-year-old Centralia woman has been arrested after leading Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies on a high-speed chase early Sunday morning. Gay Walker of Frazier Avenue was taken into custody for fleeing and eluding police, possession of a controlled substance and driving on a revoked license. Deputies initially tried to stop Walker after she was spotted…… Read more »
Police Beat for Sunday, January 19th, 2020
A 26-year-old Centralia man has been arrested by Salem Police on an outstanding Clinton County warrant and for felony retail theft. Dustin Wooters of Clinmar Drive is accused of switching a bar code from a less to a more expensive item at the Salem Walmart store. He reportedly ran from the store when a loss…… Read more »
Dems elect Harmon to serve as president of Illinois Senate
Don Harmon is sworn in as the new Illinois Senate President at the Capitol Sunday night. Don Harmon has been elected as the next Illinois Senate president, becoming the first new leader of the Illinois General Assembly’s upper chamber in more than a decade. Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat who was elected Sunday by a…… Read more »
State Police say three dead and eight injured in head-on crash involving limousine in deep Southern Illinois
Illinois State Police say three people are dead and eight others injured when a car and a limousine collided head-on in a crash on Illinois Route 34 in Pope County in deep Southern Illinois. Initial information indicates the driver of a Dodge Charger crossed the centerline into the path of the limousine. Both drivers were…… Read more »
Two former Choate Mental Health employees arrested for alleged abuse of mental health patients
Two former employees of the Choate Mental Health and Development Center in Anna have been arrested by Illinois State Police Internal Investigation agents for official misconduct and other charges. The Illinois State Police arrived at Choate Mental Health and Development Center on March 22, 2018, to investigate allegations of the abuse of mental health patients. …… Read more »
Illinois approves coal company’s mine water pumping proposal
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved the first of three permits for a coal company’s plan to discharge wastewater from a mine into the Big Muddy River. The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale reports that Williamson Energy LLC’s Pond Creek Mine pipeline would dump millions of gallons of mine wastewater into…… Read more »
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2018 – 2019 Playoff Brackets
SPORT RULES
SPOTY WINNERS
GOLD BALL CHAMPS
PLAYOFF SEED
4TH GRADE "NORTH" DIVISION TEAMS
WINS (Games)
LOSSES (Games)
Point Differential
1. ST. BARNABAS 28 8 78% 119
2. ST. ALEXANDER WHITE 27 9 75% 185
3. ST. DANIEL 25 11 69% 130
4. ST. CATHERINE BLACK 24 12 67% 162
5. ST. GERMAINE 23 13 64% 62
6. ST. CHRISTINA RED 21 12 64% 44
7. CK MAROON 16 20 44% -20
8. ST. JOHN FISHER WHITE 15 21 42% -26
9. ST. MICHAEL 13 20 39% -68
10. NOONAN ACADEMY 12 24 33% -124
11. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 11 25 31% -118
12. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 11 25 31% -149
13. ST. CAJETAN GOLD 10 23 30% -95
14. ST. JOHN FISHER BLUE 10 23 30% -102
4TH GRADE "SOUTH" DIVISION TEAMS
1. ST. JOHN FISHER 32 4 89% 281
2. ST. CHRISTINA WHITE 25 8 76% 122
3. ST. DANIEL BLUE 23 10 70% 161
4. ST. LINUS 25 11 69% 105
5. ST. CATHERINE RED 23 13 64% 38
6. ST. DANIEL GOLD 17 16 52% -26
7. ST. DAMIAN 14 22 39% -70
8. ST. CAJETAN BLACK 12 21 36% -71
9. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 13 23 36% -81
10. ST. GERALD 13 23 36% -100
11. CK WHITE 12 24 33% -129
12. ST. ALEXANDER GREEN 11 25 31% -127
13. ANNUNCIATA 8 28 22% -103
1. CHRIST THE KING 27 9 75% 188
2. ST. DANIEL 27 9 75% 150
3. ST. CHRISTINA 26 10 72% 120
4. ST. BARNABAS 24 12 67% 117
5. ST. MICHAEL 20 13 61% 124
7. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 20 16 56% 13
8. ST. ALEXANDER GREEN 18 18 50% -13
9. ST. CAJETAN 12 21 36% -84
10. ST. JOHN FISHER BLUE 12 24 33% -96
11. MHR WHITE 11 25 31% -125
12. ST. JOHN FISHER WHITE 8 28 22% -124
13. ST. GERALD 5 31 14% -310
1. ST. GERMAINE 31 5 86% 270
2. ST. DANIEL GOLD 27 9 75% 196
3. ST. LINUS 27 9 75% 127
4. ST. ALEXANDER WHITE 26 10 72% 163
5. ST. CHRISTINA 24 12 67% 69
6. ST. DANIEL BLUE 21 15 58% 78
7. ST. JOHN FISHER 21 15 58% 68
8. ST. CATHERINE BLACK 15 21 42% -63
9. ST. BARNABAS WHITE 12 24 33% -138
11. NOONAN ACADEMY 11 25 31% -87
12. ST. CAJETAN 7 29 19% -205
13. ST. DAMIAN 0 36 0% -325
6TH GRADE "RED" DIVISION TEAMS
1. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 26 7 79% 170
3. ST. DAMIAN 21 15 58% 77
5. ST. BARNABAS 19 14 58% 34
6. ST. CHRISTINA 18 15 55% 5
7. ST. CAJETAN 17 16 52% 18
8. ST. CATHERINE 16 20 44% -45
9. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 9 21 30% -123
10. ST. ALEXANDER 8 28 22% -145
11. ST. MICHAEL 8 28 22% -149
PLAYOFF SEED (Updated 02/23/19)
6TH GRADE "BLUE" DIVISION TEAMS
1. ST. PATRICIA 28 8 78% 140
2. ST. GERALD 25 11 69% 122
3. CHRIST THE KING 25 11 69% 69
5. ST. CATHERINE 21 15 58% 10
6. ST. BARNABAS 17 19 47% -17
7. ST. JOHN FISHER 17 19 47% -57
8. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 16 20 44% 6
9. ST. DANIEL 16 20 44% -49
10. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 13 17 33% -32
11. ST. CAJETAN 13 20 39% -33
12. ST. LINUS 7 26 21% -131
13. ST. CHRISTINA 7 29 19% -125
6TH GRADE "BB" DIVISION TEAMS
2. NOONAN ACADEMY 28 8 78% 114
3. ST. ALEXANDER 16 17 48% -21
4. ANNUNCIATA 17 19 47% -44
6. ST. MARY STAR OF THE SEA 4 29 12% -227
LOSSES (Losses)
1. ST. ALEXANDER 28 2 93% 219
2. ST. CATHERINE 33 3 92% 311
6. ST. PATRICIA 17 19 47% -39
9. ST. MICHAEL 10 23 30% -135
10. NOONAN ACADEMY 9 24 27% -98
11. ST. BARNABAS 0 33 0% -204
2. ST. GERALD BLUE 27 3 90% 164
3. ST. DAMIAN 24 6 80% 178
4. ST. CATHERINE 22 11 67% 101
6. ST. CAJETAN GOLD 18 15 55% 25
8. ST. JOHN FISHER BLUE 14 16 47% -38
10. ST. DANIEL 12 21 36% -105
11. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 10 23 30% -68
14. ST. MICHAEL BLUE 6 21 22% -142
15. ST. GERALD WHITE 6 24 20% -162
2. ST. CHRISTINA 28 5 85% 205
3. ST. DANIEL 23 10 70% 85
6. QUEEN OF MARTYRS 14 19 42% -38
8. ST. CAJETAN 8 25 24% -138
9. ST. DAMIAN 4 29 12% -286
10. ST. JOHN FISHER 2 28 7% -275
1. ST. GERALD 21 6 78% 145
3. ST. LINUS 25 11 69% 94
4. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 20 10 67% 72
6. ST. JOHN FISHER WHITE 16 11 59% 67
7. ST. PATRICIA 21 15 58% 38
10. ST. DANIEL 15 18 45% -33
11. ST. CHRISTINA 14 19 42% -32
12. ST. DAMIAN 8 22 27% -84
14. ST. JOHN FISHER BLUE 0 33 0% -269
2. NOONAN ACADEMY 23 10 70% 142
3. ANNUNCIATA BLACK 22 11 67% 93
6. ANNUNCIATA WHITE 15 18 45% -16
7. ST. MARY STAR OF THE SEA 14 22 39% -94
8. ST. GERALD 11 19 37% -67
9. MOST HOLY REDEEMER 5 28 15% -271
Members of the Queen of Martyrs and Most Holy Redeemer Parish formed “The Southwest Catholic Grammar School Conference” in 1956.
Thank you to our sponsor! IMPACT Physical Therapy
The Southside Catholic Conference (herein referred to as the SCC) is a not-for-profit entity, as designated by the State of Illinois. The SCC organizes sports leagues for the members of the conference, as defined below, for the purpose of fostering organized athletic competition between and among Catholic Parishes in the southern Chicago and suburban Cook County area. The SCC is organized to help Catholic youth to attain a balance between an integration of family, religious, academic and athletic life.
© Southside Catholic Conference
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SPEC/GPC Expands Benchmark Options
for Organizations Outside Its Membership
MANASSAS, Va., July 21, 2003 - SPEC's Graphics Performance Characterization (SPEC/GPC) group has launched a new program that gives those who are not currently members of the organization access to its benchmarking review and publication processes.
"SPEC/GPC believes the user community benefits from a wide range of objective performance results," says Steve Donley, SPEC/GPC chair. "To that end we are making it easier for organizations to utilize our review process to ensure credible, repeatable results that can be trusted by those evaluating performance."
SPEC/GPC's SPECviewperf and SPECapc application-based benchmarks are considered worldwide standards for objective performance measurement. SPECviewperf allows direct performance comparisons of graphics hardware running datasets from popular CAD/CAM, digital content creation, and visualization applications. SPECapc benchmarks measure total performance - graphics, I/O and CPU - for popular graphics-intensive applications.
SPECviewperf and SPECapc results that are approved under the SPEC/GPC review process can be used for marketing purposes and will be posted on the GPC News web site, which receives approximately 15 million visitors annually. The new program offers the following plans for organizations that are not currently SPEC/GPC members:
Season Ticket - Publication of unlimited approved submissions for either SPECviewperf or SPECapc for one year for $6,000.
Ultimate Season Ticket - Expands the season plan to provide an unlimited number of approved annual submissions for both SPECviewperf and SPECapc benchmarks for $10,000.
Select Season Ticket - Publication of 16 approved submissions (submission defined as one configuration running either the SPECviewperf suite or one SPECapc benchmark) over the course of the year for $2,500. Submissions will stay posted on the web site for six months.
Limited Season Ticket - Publication of eight (8) approved submissions over the course of the year for $1,500. Submissions will stay posted on the web site for six months.
Single Ticket - Publication of a single approved submission for $250. The submission will stay posted on the GPC News web site for three months.
For more information, click here or contact the SPEC office: gpcinfo@spec.org; tel: 540-349-7878; fax: 540-349-5992.
SPEC/GPC is part of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC), a non-profit corporation formed to establish, maintain and endorse a standardized set of relevant benchmarks that can be applied to the newest generation of high-performance computers. SPEC's membership includes computer hardware and software vendors, and leading universities and research facilities worldwide.
Bob Cramblitt, Erin Hatfield
Cramblitt & Company
cramco@cramco.com
Last updated: Wed Apr 28 13:12:25 EDT 2004
URL: http://www.spec.org/gwpg/pastissues/Apr1_04/publish/outsidesubs.html
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Bilzen, Belgium
Championship Performances
(QF onwards)
Australian: Runner-up 2004. Semifinal 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012.
French: Runner-up 2001, 2003. Semifinal 2006.
Wimbledon: Semifinal 2003, 2006. Quarterfinal 2001, 2010, last sixteen 2012.
U.S.: Winner 2005, 2009, 2010. Runner-up 2003.
Kim CLIJSTERS - Belgium - Semi finalist at Australian Open 2012.
After the 2012 U.S.Open (an event she had won three times) Kim Clijsters retired from professional tennis.
She reached the semi final of that year's Australian Championship and the last sixteen at Wimbledon.
She also completed in the London Olympic Games where in the first round she beat Roberta Vinci 6-1 6-4.
The photos above were taken during that match. Her father Leo Clijsters was an International footballer.
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6-3, 6-0
SEMI FINALS
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Maria Sharapova (RUS) defeated Kim Clijsters (BEL) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
QUARTER FINALS
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
6-7(0-7), 6-0, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (RUS) defeated Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Petra Kvitova (CZE) defeated Sara Errani (ITA) 6-4, 6-4
Kim Clijsters (BEL) defeated Caroline Wozniacki (POL) 6-3, 7-6(7-4)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) defeated Iveta Benesova (CZE) 6-2, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (RUS) defeated Sabine Lisicki (GER) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Petra Kvitova (CZE) defeated Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 6-2, 7-6(7-2)
Kim Clijsters (BEL) defeated Li Na (CHN) 4-6, 7-6(8-6), 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
defeated Julia Goerges (GER) 6-1, 6-1
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) defeated Serena Williams (USA) 6-2, 6-3
Sara Errani (ITA) defeated Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-2, 6-1
Caroline Wozniacki (POL) defeated Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 6-0, 7-5
Back to Top View More Information
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Carnivals and Fetes
Showlite Now
BBC at Last
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Hospital Radio
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Top Hat Sound
Stockcar Racing
Fascination with Electronics
Showlite History the Beginning
Home › History › Stockcar Racing
Posted on 13th September 2008 by ss5490ShwlT — No Comments ↓
I first met Eddie Chorlton, the driving force behind Peasenhall Stockcar Racing, whilst I was working for W. Wells & Sons in Saxmundham. Eddie knew of my interest in electronics and PA systems and so, after several lunch time discussions held in the studio over his photographic shop in Saxmundham Market Place, I began using my PA equipment to provide commentary for the racing when it started in the Summer of 1969.
At first a considerable amount of work was involved because all the equipment had to be set-up before each race meeting and taken down afterwards. In addition, as I have said in a previous chapter, my equipment would only run for two or three hours from a fully charged car battery so it was not unknown that my commentary became very distorted and quiet towards the end of a meeting as the battery ran down.
After a few meetings the popularity of the event grew to the extent that the crowd coming through the gates to watch often numbered several hundred. Because of this, and the limited running time of my own system, the committee decided – I think before the start of the second season in 1970 – to install a more powerful, permanent system which could be directly battery operated. The new 30 watt Eagle system considerably reduced the amount of work needed before racing started because the loudspeaker mounting posts along with the microphone and loudspeaker cables were left in place. All we had to do was mount and connect the loudspeakers around the track and then connect up the amplifier in the Race Control and all was ready to go. Also being directly 12V battery powered meant that the system could easily cope with a whole night’s racing without the battery going flat.
Dave In Film
The picture to the left is a still taken from a BBC documentary called ‘The English Village is Alive and Well – Peasenhall’. which was filmed when the racing was only a few weeks old and broadcast I believe in December 1969. It shows the original commentary and race management point which was a small raised dais alongside the entrance leading from the pit area to the track itself. This gave quite a good view of the racing, however, as you can see the race control team had no protection against either the weather or objects and vehicles coming off the track! (I do believe yours truly is wearing a tie, must have been dressed up for the filming.)
The new caravan
Commentary Caravan
It was replaced with this small orange and black painted caravan, which, although quite ‘cosy’ in space terms and with a limited view of the track, did mean that all our paperwork and equipment stayed dry! Note also that by now some ‘safety fencing’ has been errected around it! Reading left to right the people in the picture are Jenny Chorlton (Eddie’s wife), myself, a face I don’t recognise, Liz Chorlton (Eddie’s sister) and another face I remember but can’t name. With his back to the camera is Basil Saunders who I believe was the Start Marshall at the time. The car on the left with the water tap on the boot lid was probably sponsored by Basil’s company B. A. Saunders Plumbing and Heating.
By the time Michael Cole and BBC Look East came to film the racing, the caravan had been superseded by a converted Whincops coach. This gave the race management team much more room. It also gave the commentator a clear view of the track and allowed the introduction of a battery driven turntable from which we could play records before and between races. In order to get the records to play I arranged a deal whereby Hubbards TV at Saxmundham would supply me with copies of the latest releases free of charge in return for a few ‘plugs’ during the meeting.
I have been in touch with one of the drivers, Bob Foss, now a driving instructor in the Yarmouth area I believe, who has given me some more names of people who regularly raced at Peasenhall. Particularly Richard Smith – now the Senior Driving Examiner at Lowestoft Test Centre – and Cliff Thrower who was a Driving Examiner at Lowestoft, although Bob thinks that he is now retired. I believe Cliff was the driver of the B. A. Saunders car shown above and he is rumoured to have some cine film of the racing. I have also met up again with an old friend from Stockcar days Adam Collacot, however, I have still not been able to locate any more photographs of the early racing. A number of websites have much later photos available for sale, but, no-one seems to have anything from the early days. If you can help, or you know the name of the photographer who regularly attended the meetings, please e-mail me, or call me on 01394 274935.
I continued to provide the commentary for Peasenhall Stockcar, both at it’s home track in Sibton and at some very interesting demonstration meetings at the Eye Show, until the mid 1970’s. Latterly I was joined by Ernie Rabett, but, more of that in the next chapter.
← Fascination with Electronics
Top Hat Sound →
Showlite Now 7th February 2015
The BBC at Last 1st April 2014
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Sound On – The First Ten Years 14th May 2011
Sound On 4th May 2011
Leiston Labour 13th June 2010
Top Hat Sound 13th July 2009
Stockcar Racing 13th September 2008
Fascination with Electronics 12th April 2007
Schools Out 12th March 2006
Showlite History the Beginning 12th February 2006
Telephone – Office: 01394 274935
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Blog 189683321
MPLS.
Rybak jabs Reid on gun bill
By ericroper
February 4, 2013 — 1:05pm
Mayor R.T. Rybak slammed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on cable television Monday for "dancing around" new gun control measures winding through Congress.
Rybak, speaking ahead of President Obama's visit to talk gun control, said on MSNBC that he supports universal background checks and limits on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
"How can Harry Reid, a fellow Democrat -- and I'm willing to criticize him -- say he hasn't read the bill?" Rybak asked. "[Sen.] Diane Feinstein, she's been a mayor. She was there at a shooting. She put her finger in a bullet hole. She knows why we need this action."
A vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, Rybak said Reid was "dancing around this issue" while "people are dying in this country."
"I've been there. And so have many mayors around this country," Rybak added. "And we recognize the fact that this isn't about some sort of game about who wins or loses in Washington. These are people's lives."
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Christian Wallinger
Photo: Gert Kerschbaumer
Gaisbergstraße 33
Wallinger, Christian
Christian WALLINGER was born in Aigen (now part of the city of Salzburg) on January 7, 1910. He was Catholic and the youngest child of a young widow who worked as a housekeeper on an estate.
Christian and his older sister Rosa (who was married to a railroader) lived in the household of the prominent attorney and politician Dr. Julius Sylvester in Parsch (which belonged to the Aigen municipality until they were both incorporated into the city of Salzburg in 1939).
Christian was unable to learn a trade because of an illness and became a patient in the State Asylum in April 1932. On April 17, 1941 he was one of the 82 patients transferred from the Salzburg Asylum to the killing center at Schloss Hartheim where they were all murdered.
The death of 31 year old Christian Wallinger was not recorded in the Salzburg police registration files, as was the practice for all the murdered victims of the secret »T4«1 campaign to eliminate the handicapped from the Third Reich.
After the liberation of Salzburg Christian’s sister took the fate of her brother very much to heart:
My brother was under care until 1941, when he was deported without my knowledge from the hospital [the State Asylum in Salzburg]. During a visit to the hospital a few days before his deportation my brother Christian informed me that soon mentally ill patients were going to be deported from there, but only the most seriously ill. He had no idea at the time of the horrendous project underway. When I learned about the deportation I immediately went to the then hospital director Dr. Leo Wolfer and made a serious allegation about the unauthorized transfers. Dr. Wolfer sought to justify himself, that the deportation was because of instructions from Berlins so there was no point in raising objections, and finally he threatened me that if I didn’t calm down I would have to be committed to the asylum ...
[report of the Salzburg Federal-Police dated September 6, 1946]
The hospital director Dr. Leo Wolfer had died in 1942 and couldn’t be made answerable.
Christian Wallinger’s sister Rosa lived in Salzburg until her death in 1989.
1 The »T4« »euthanasia« program was called that because its headquarters in Berlin was located at 4 Tiergartenstraße.
Salzburg city archives
Schloss Hartheim Study and Memorial Site
Author: Gert Kerschbaumer
Translation: Stan Nadel
Nearby Stumbling Blocks
Wolfsgartenweg 29 556m Lohmann, Hildegard
Fürbergstraße 36 626m Gollner, Egon
Schlager, Elfriede
Fürbergstraße 45 634m Schwarz, Nikolaus
Aigner Straße 10 777m Tiefgraber, Notburga
Judenbergweg 15 788m Girzinger, Josef
Eichstraße 15 788m Höpflinger, Wilhelm
Laid 2014-07-03 at Gaisbergstraße 33, Salzburg
Salzburg STUMBLING BLOCKS Copyright © 2020 All Rights Reserved.
A project from: Dachverband Salzburger Kulturstätten
Places & Biographies
Salzburg Stumbling Blocks
An art project for Europe by Gunter Demnig
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Home » Entertainment » Local » Rediscovering the past: Tangible and intangible heritage
Rediscovering the past: Tangible and intangible heritage
Posted by: TellZim News Posted date: Thursday, April 18, 2019 / comment : 1
Elizabeth Duve Dziva
Cultural Heritage allows us to have a feel of the past through its tangible and intangible aspects. As a matter of fact, this generation is undoubtedly benefiting from cultural heritage hence the necessity to actively participate in the veneration and perpetuation of cultural heritage.
The very first stage of involvement is the ability to identify and define what defines us, thus our tangible and intangible heritage. As the word tangible suggests, these are physical things that we can touch and they entail artifacts produced, maintained and transmitted over generations. Such include bows, arrows, drums like the famous and controversial Ngomalungundu (subject for another day).
Tangible heritage includes artistic creations, built heritage such as buildings and monuments, and other physical or tangible products of human creativity that have cultural significance. There are approximately 200 recorded monuments in the country which the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) has worked tirelessly to preserve and conserve. Among them are Khami Ruins, located 15 miles from the Bulawayo, Bumbusi National Monument in Hwange National Park, Ziwa National Monument in Nyanga National Park, Great Zimbabwe and the neighbouring Mujejeje Ruins in Masvingo, the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Matobo Rock Art, Naletale National Monument, Dhlodhlo Ruins, Tsindi Ruins, Chamavara Rock Paintings and Insunkamini Ruins in Gweru.
It is important to note at this juncture that tangible aspects of heritage encompass natural features which are worthy conserving and preserving for generations that will come after us, The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe (Zimparks) has a statutory mandate to preserve that form of heritage. In Zimbabwe natural heritage includes Mosi oa Tunya, Popoteke Gorge in Masvingo, Inyangani and Chimaninani mountains, Chinhoyi Caves, the many national parks as well as the flora and fauna therein.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organisation (Unesco), intangible cultural heritage is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill, as well as beliefs essential to a particular group of people and worth passing inter-generationally. Intangible heritage entails oral tradition which includes language, songs, folktales, performing arts like music, dance, rituals, festive events, rites of passage, knowledge and practices concerning nature and universe. Intangible heritage also includes traditional medicine, traditional architecture, traditional craftsmanship, knowledge and skills of pottery-making, carpentry, blacksmithing, jewelery-making and musical instrument-making.
Controversial as it is, both cultural and natural tangible heritage have custodians, but the million dollar question is who guards intangible heritage? In the midst of religious chaos and the dilemmas faced by the supposed custodians of intangible heritage who are torn between following present day wealth-promising religious doctrines and cultural values, intangible heritage faces possible extinction.
The sun is almost setting on most of the elders who are well-acquainted with the information on how to safeguard the endangered heritage aspect in question. The upcoming generation should consider utilizing the elders. One wise man once said the richest place in the world is the graveyard, for there lies the intelligent, wise men, once famous and rich men, men and women who died and were buried with important knowledge and skills. The possibility is that in decades to come, our intangible cultural heritage will be regarded as faded glory, a once lively culture, extinct and beyond resuscitation. All the same, there are various remedies and strategies which can be employed to conserve and preserve intangible heritage.
Till we meet again next week
The writer is an Archeological and Cultural Heritage practitioner. The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the writer in her private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of any organisation
email:duveelizabeth@gmail.com
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"Manchester United can still win the Premier League" - Van Gaal
Louis van Gaal says Manchester United can still win the Barclays Premier League, even though his side sit eight points behind leaders Chelsea having played a game more going into the run-in.
Victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday would put some pressure on neighbours Manchester City - currently second - who don't play until Monday at Crystal Palace.
Van Gaal - who confirmed that Robin van Persie is still injured - said: 'There is still a rat race (for fourth) that Liverpool and Tottenham are involved in.
'We have given them a blow but we still have to play the top three teams.
'A lot can happen. Still we can win the title, mathematically. We can do that.'
Credit: Ian Ladyman/SportsMail
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Home / News / Olsson, Schroder and Capocci triumph on spectacular final day at Bath Indoor
Olsson, Schroder and Capocci triumph on spectacular final day at Bath Indoor
Stefan Olsson (SWE)
Stefan Olsson of Sweden, Dutchman Sam Schroder and Giulia Capocci of Italy commanded the headlines on Saturday at Bath Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament after victories in the men’s, quad and women’s singles finals.
A spectacular last day of competition at the final ITF 1 Series event on the 2018 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour concluded with an epic men’s singles decider. With both finalists pushing each other all the way two-time Wimbledon champion and 2017 Bath Indoor runner-up Olsson edged out French second seed Stephane Houdet 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(7) after two hours and 58 mins of enthralling tennis.
“I’ve been playing really well all week and I’ve just had a blast. I stuck with it today and kept fighting and that made the big difference because I was down in all three sets,” said world No. 7 and fourth seed Olsson.
“He’s (Houdet) really smart out there. I really have to try and out-think him, which is not the easiest part to do. I changed up a little bit from the second set and it worked really well. I had a little bit of a bad start in the third, but I just kept on fighting really hard and got it back. I was down a couple of match points, so I’m super happy with the win.”
Sam Schroder (NED)
Victory in the quad singles final capped a memorable week for 19-year-old Schroder, who arrived in Bath without a seeding. After securing his first career win over world No.1 David Wagner of the USA in Friday’s semi-finals, Schroder produced another exceptional performance to defeat South African second seed Lucas Sithole 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
Former world No.6 Schroder, who had to take the best part of ten months out of the sport on health grounds before returning to competition in July this year, said:
“It was a very difficult draw for me. I’ve played all three top seeds this week, so I can’t really believe I’ve managed it. Especially after winning the semi-final against the world No.1. It’s been an incredible tournament for me after all that happened last year (with his health) and then being able to win my first ITF 1 already. It’s just crazy.
“Next year I want to get back in the top ten again and get my raking high enough so that I can start the following year well so I can qualify for Tokyo, of course. And now that Wimbledon has quad (singles and doubles) events next year maybe I can get in with a wild card. That would be really crazy. I’ve proven that I can win against the best in the world, so that gives me a lot of confidence.”
Giulia Capocci (ITA)
Second seed and world No. 6 Capocci wrapped up the second ITF 1 Series title of her career with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over South African top seed Kgothatso Montjane. Capocci ends her first visit to Bath having dropping just one set in her opening match of the week.
“I’ve played very well this week. I love to win, of course, but it’s more difficult to win a tournament when it’s your first time here, but I’ve loved it (in Bath) this week. Next year I hope to make it to the top three in the rankings and I feel my level of play is progressing that way.”
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Hill of Crosses
The most important place of interest in the area is the Hill of Crosses north of Šiauliai. Visited both by pilgrims and irreligious tourists this place is a remarkable symbol of Lithuanian peaceful resistance to the Soviet occupation. People used to bring crosses to a hill once crowned by a medieval castle. The atheist Soviet government used to tear all the crosses down and persecute the pilgrims, but very soon the crosses would spring up again, restoring the number to hundreds and thousands.
This Virgin Mary statue (erected by a visitor in 1994) became popular for pilgrimage as evident by many small crosses hanging on the large crosses that surround it. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.
In 1990 when Lithuanian independence was restored 14 387 large crosses and 40 944 small crosses were counted, covering an area of 4602 square meters. By 2007 the number surpassed 200 000. In 1997 a Franciscan monastery was built next to the hill. The monastery chapel (open for visiting) has a large window with the hill visible in the background instead of altar paintings.
The atmosphere in the Hill of Crosses may be surreal. Thousands of large wooden crosses are used as platforms for many times that number of small ones, all of which beautifully chime in the wind. Most of them bear inscriptions with names of the people and their reasons for erecting the cross. There are crosses built by biker clubs, political parties, ordinary families, pilgrims from far away lands, priests and every other category of people you may imagine. They thank God or ask for his guidance, remember life-changing events, seek help for some particular groups of the population. The inscriptions are largely Lithuanian, but you may find those in countless other languages representing different Christian denominations. The crosses are eagerly erected up to this day as you can see in the recent dates inscribed on some of the crosses.
A part of the Hill of the Crosses in winter. In this season you may have the place all to yourself, meditate or pray with hundreds of thousands of little crosses chiming in the cold wind. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.
The tradition of erecting crosses here might have started under Imperial Russian rule in the mid-19th century. A legend tells that one person from Jurgaičiai promised God that he would build a cross on this hill in case his disease would pass. The disease passed and the man kept his promise - later to be followed by others. There are other stories, such as the one about a person whose daughter was ill and who received a vision that he should build a cross there. Whatever the reasons for its inception the place became an important pilgrimage site and erecting a cross here became a popular way to thank God.
The Lithuanian art of cross-crafting (kryždirbystė) is inscribed into the UNESCO list of immaterial world heritage. Not long ago most of Lithuania's roads were adorned by many large wooden crosses. Today there are few roadside crosses left but the Hill of Crosses is an important monument to this art. 50 of its crosses are regarded to be of major cultural significance.
Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses in 1993.
Click to learn more about Lithuania: Religious sites, Samogitia (Northwest), Šiauliai Leave a comment
I was there least month and overwhelmed. But time was tight. I would like to buy some wooden cross hand made in Lithuania. Where please. Please tell me more about how Christians were persecuted by putting crosses there. What did they have to fear? Also please tell me more about its listing with UNESCO or other world heritage sites. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
As for the persecutions, Soviet Union was de facto an atheist state and also as a socialist planned economy, meaning that the state controlled all the economy. There was no private sector as such: everything was owned by the state (schools, hospitals, factories, shops, services…). This gave the state immense power: basically, for example, religious students could have been punished by bad grades at schools and not being accepted to universities (or expelled from universities); religious adults may have been punsihed by being demoted in job or they could have been refused a permit for buying a car or going on holiday and so on. KGB would have collected information about every person and this would have been used in deciding his/her career and other things that influence his/her quality of life.
Of course, state couldn’t have read your mind, so your actions would have been used to decide upon you, and erecting a cross on the Hill of Crosses would be quite a serious proof of active religiousness. Moreover, erecting a cross there was illegal, meaning that you could have been directly punished by the Soviet law as well if caught. It should be noted that for the most “grave” cases of “anti-Soviet ideology” actions there were not only far-away jails but also insane assylums as many non-communist (and especially anti-communist and pro-independence) thoughts were considered to be a manifestation of insanity by the Soviet Russian government.
Of course, not every religious activity was treated the same: practicing religion in a church behind closed doors during Mass was tolerated more. Still, many churches had been closed down and anybody higher up in the social ladder was expected not to go there, to such extent that the high-ranking people would not even go to their family church weddings fearing career repecussions. Religion was expected to “naturally die out” by the government and any action promoting it was not welcome; see article on Irreligiousness in Lithuania.
There was a newspaper “Catholic Church Chronicles” published illegally underground (in printing houses such as this secret one) – that newspaper was full of exact descriptions of the discriminations the religious (among others) faced in the Soviet Union.
What I describe used to happen in post-Stalin times. Under the Stalinist genocide many actively religious people were just murdered.
Hill of Crosses itself is not listed with UNESCO, but the Lithuanian art of cross-making is (as an immaterial heritage). And the Hill of Crosses is the best repository of this art.
Eliott Rhodes
I’m trying to contact someone to use a picture of John Paul II at the Hill of Crosses in a story I’m writing about it. Do you have copyright for it?
Hello, I don’t have the Copyright.
Here it is used as per fair use (Lithuanian law on Copyright and Related Rights article 24 clause 2, which allows free use of copyrighted material when it is used to convey information about major public events, if it is of secondary importance in conveying such information (in this particular case, the primary importance if of the text)).
However, depending on how and where you would use it, this may not apply to you.
Criscora Pajaron
Please give brochures beautiful places there.
I wanna sightseeing.
Answer me,
Criscora Pajaron Imhoff
antoinette mikhail
i dream to have a large cross and jessus in colour on it .Very large cross 2 meter
i hang it in my bedroom . so when i look to it relieve my pain wich i suffering now. one day . I love crosses you got very lovely site
MARY FISHER
i will be visiting this November. may I leave a cross there?
Yes, this is possible. Many people leave crosses there, that’s why there are so many.
Rita Tranas
Don’t miss this if you are anywhere near this area. This was my most favorite place to visit while in Lithuania visiting family. We left two crosses. One represented our Lithuanian family and the other our America family. I felt very blessed that I was able to visit such a unique and spiritual site.
Mix-Movie.com
October 21st, 2019 - 07:47
When the old political structure of Eastern Europe fell apart in 1918, Lithuania once again declared its independence. Throughout this time, the Hill of Crosses was used as a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace, for their country, and for the loved ones they had lost during the Wars of Independence .
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Burial Rites
Features 13 chapter summaries and 5 sections of expert analysis.
Written by a professional writer and teacher
Chapter 1-Chapter 3
Chapter 10-Chapter 11
Burial Rites Summary and Study Guide
SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides for challenging works of literature. This 38-page guide for “Burial Rites” by Hannah Kent includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 13 chapters, as well as several more in-depth sections of expert-written literary analysis. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 20 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like Family and Abandonment and Truth and Deception.
Based on the true story of the last woman to be publically beheaded in Iceland, Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent, explores the untold, impoverished background of a woman considered a witch in her own time. In 1829, 33-year-old servant Agnes Magnúsdóttir faced execution for the murder of two men, Natan Ketilsson and Pétur Jónsson, one of whom was her employer and lover, along with two teenagers, Fridrik Sigurdsson and Sigga (Sigrídur) Gudmundsdóttir. Housed temporarily at a government official’s house awaiting her execution, Agnes calls for a spiritual advisor to assist her in making peace with her impending death.
Kent’s narrative carefully depicts the details of a time and place alien to the twenty-first century that also manages to display how similar the ways of the human heart remain. Using historical records, some of which appear in the narrative as letters, Kent pieces together Agnes’ life, filling in the blank, unknown spaces with fiction. The historical record reveals her poverty, but Agnes has a bright mind and loves storytelling and poetry; the historical record shows her abandoned, loveless childhood, but Agnes attempts to work hard and improve herself to gain other’s approval. A significant theme—how people create others’ identities through projecting their own preconceived notions, prejudices, and experience upon them—threads through the narrative, as Kent explicitly avoids revealing to the reader whether Agnes is guilty or not.
Instead, Kent allows the reader to hear Agnes tell her own life story to her spiritual advisor, a just-ordained, meek, and youthful Tóti Jonsson. Agnes has one last opportunity, standing at death’s door, to reveal her truth. The theme of storytelling, which runs through the narrative, and the power Agnes wields in leaving her legacy in the form of a story with Toti, remain all that Agnes has left.
What emerges is a complex portrait of an all-too-human woman in love with her abusive master, Natan. The ambiguity of Agnes’ guilt or innocence remains clouded by the complicated interrelationships of the characters and their differing views of Agnes, including the regional governor’s family, consisting of the governor, Jón Jónsson, his ailing wife, Margrét, and their two daughters, Steina (Steinvör) and Lauga (Sigurlaug). Ironically, the house in Kornsá was a previous, happy foster home for Agnes, before the death of her foster mother, Inga, in childbirth.
Fate and destiny are also significant themes, but not necessarily in a spiritual sense. Fate is determined by where you grow up, who your family is, and how much power they have to protect their members from poverty or isolation outside the family, which are the ultimate weapons of destruction in this novel. The unforgiving natural world, where Iceland is depicted as a beautiful but harsh landscape, serves as an apt metaphor for each characters’ struggles to survive.
All of the powerless people in this novel are poor and are also frequently orphaned or abandoned. Destiny is decided for the poor by the rich, as defined in this novel by the District Commissioner Björn Blöndal and his brutal decisions, such as allowing Natan’s brother, Gudmundur Ketilsson, to behead Agnes. Blöndal possesses complete control over his constituents, along with a belief in the absolute correctness of all his decisions.
The Jonsson family is at first horrified at the thought of harboring a convicted murderer in their home, but Agnes’ original pitiful, filthy appearance and eventual hard work ignite some compassion for her fate, particularly in Margrét and the older daughter, Steina. Blöndal’s power is also exemplified by the fact that the family cannot refuse his order.
In the last months of a life marred by neglect, abandonment, abuse, and poverty, Agnes manages to live in dignity; she completes the chores asked of her with diligence, and through her interactions reveals her intelligence and kind heart. Her story remains the story of all people whose lives are left open to the interpretation of others, reminding readers that our fragile characters may be only as good as the stories we leave behind for others to remember. Truth is a matter often obscured by fate.
This is just a preview. The entire section has 742 words. Click below to download the full study guide for Burial Rites.
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25th til 29th September 2019. Barcelona (CCCB)
27th til 30th September 2019. Madrid (Palacio de la Prensa)
Serielizados Premieres
Serielizados presents Premieres, a continuous programing section which, along 2019, will premiere the best TV series from the main online platforms at sala Phenomena in Barcelona, as well as in Madrid.
Premiere ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (3/04/19)
Serielizados collaborates with HBO España to bring one of the best tv comedy shows of the season. On Wednesday, April 3, we will enjoy the premiere of What we do in the shadows at the Phenomena Experience cinema (Barcelona). More information here.
Based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows is a documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of four vampires who’ve “lived” together for hundreds of years. In Staten Island.
In collaboration with HBO ESPAÑA and PHENOMENA.
Tráiler ‘Lo que hacemos en las sombras’:
http://www.szsfest.com/wp-content/uploads/Lo-que-hacemos-en-las-sombras-_-Tráiler-VOS-_-HBO-España.mp4
Pronto se anunciarán próximas Premieres de Serielizados; una serie nueva en exclusiva, en pantalla grande. #StayTunned a través de nuestras redes sociales (@SERIELIZADOS) y Newsletter oficial.
Serielizados Fest 2018
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Issue 54: Top 10 Ridiculous Moments (of Back To The Sewer)
Who remembers TMNT: Back To The Sewer? The cartoon was released in 2008-2009, the 7th and final season of the 2K3 series that limped to the finish line. At this point the show had lost much of its steam. The previous seasons had the Turtles battle bad guys in the year 2015. The Turtles belong in NYC, not the future. At least the creators ended the series where it belonged - the sewer.
Over the past few weeks, I slowly chipped away at Back To The Sewer. This particular season never appealed to me, but I felt it was an important piece of TMNT history to experience. Each morning, I sipped my coffee and soaked in another episode (you can find the entire series here).
The season is bizarre at best and never comes close to emulating the success of the series' earlier episodes. My usual Top 10: Turtle Tribute articles are lists, counting down to what's best at number 1. But with Back To The Sewer, I'll be switching up the formula - highlighting the TOP 10 RIDICULOUS MOMENTS of the show. It's too weird, too kooky to ignore.
10. MUTANT MAKEOVER
The Turtles got a face lift for Back To The Sewer. For the first time in the 2K3 series, the Turtles were given pupils. Until Back To The Sewer, they had pure white eyes burning behind those bandannas. It was a nod to the comic books and kept this cartoon incarnation menacing.
It's surprising how much two little dots can shift the tone so drastically. The pupils bring a cuteness to their character design, like they belong in a Disney cartoon. Instead of fighting the Foot Clan, the Turtles are groomed more for hugs and birthday parties.
I heard this style choice was due to the release of the 2007 TMNT film (around the same time Back To The Sewer was released). The show creators wanted to make the characters look closer to their movie counterparts. Personally, I never put this together and found the re-design unappealing. It seemed like a gimmick to capture a younger audience. This was one of the main reasons I didn't watch the series when it originally aired.
9. CYBER SPACE
I have a love/hate relationship with the setting of Back To The Sewer. The majority of the show takes place in cyber space. Yes, cyber space. Although they ocassionally appear, the Foot Clan, Utroms & Purple Dragons take a back seat to the hijinks that occur in cyber space. The Turtles are, literally, uploaded into the internet where they encounter most of their battles.
The Love: As absurd as the concept is, it's a throwback to equally absurd 80s movies with similar story lines and tone. I couldn't help but compare Back To The Sewer to films like Weird Science, Tron, and WarGames. Those flicks were fun! This series has occasional moments where it shares that glory.
The Hate: This silly concept paints a picture of its time period when it was released. Social media and web 2.0 were on the cusp of becoming mainstream and the Turtles tapped into that popularity. Going into cyber space is a cheesy, and at times tiring, premise. Less than a decade later and it's already dated. The Turtles throw around buzzwords like, "digital, upload & link" way too much.
8. SPLINTER & HIS DATA BITS
The central plot of Back To The Sewer involves rescuing Master Splinter. But, this story is unlike any recovery mission you've seen before. The rat leader is zapped within cyber space, causing him to be digitally deconstructed into tiny bits (that look like pixels). The Turtles spend the series collecting Splinter's data bits in hopes to rebuild him.
It's like he's a digital Lego set that takes a dozen episodes to assemble.
Let's be honest. It's an absurd loony mission.
7. SAFETY FIRST
Was there a safety initiative going on in 2008-2009? Back To The Sewer is a nonstop PSA for protecting yourself. Whenever the Turtles mount a bike, scooter, or skateboard, it's safety first.
The Turtles keep their green heads protected at all times. Helmets accompany the halfshell heroes on many of their Back To The Sewer missions. I know safety is important, but geez, the gear makes these dudes look like dorks.
Why is their safety apparel so uncool? The creators could've at least given the Turtles some gnarly gear. This stuff is right off Wal-Mart store shelves. Major fashion fail.
Safety first, fashion second.
6. ROBOTIC PAL
As if 4 walking, talking cartoon Turtles in cyber space didn't provide enough laughs, there's a robot in Back To The Sewer for comic relief. Serling, a mechanical butler from the future (yes, that's actually part of the plot), often tends to basic tasks at home in the sewer.
He's a classy hunk of metal. Sophisticated and refined, he often takes sarcastic jabs at the Turtles for their crudeness.
Oh, and did I mention he has a British accent too?
5. TURTLE POWER PROPOSAL
Am I watching friends Friends or TMNT? In a laughable episode early in the season, Casey Jones shops for an engagement ring with the help of Raphael. His tough guy attributes are no help here. The poor guy is riddled with nervousness and butterflies, searching for the strength to pop the question to April O'Neil.
After several wonky plot twists, a gigantic monster, and a brawl out of a helicopter, April lovingly agrees to marry Casey. It's not your normal romantic comedy, but it's awfully close with this sappy conclusion.
Were kids rooting for this romantic moment? Ninja action, mutated turtles, and...a proposal?
4. THE THEME SONG
Most young adults remember their first time voting in a presidential election. It's a big deal. But, me? I fondly remember casting my vote for the Back To The Sewer theme song. Before the series aired, the show creators allowed fans to cast their vote online. There were numerous tracks to chose from, but the one I selected ended up winning the popular vote.
Although I never watched the series when it aired, I knew the theme song well because I voted for it (and even downloaded the mp3!). I always loved the catchiness, and ridiculousness of it, and still do. Give it a listen.
3. NINJA FASHIONISTAS
Turtle Power has hit the runway. The Turtles toy with their wardrobe a lot in Back To The Sewer. It seems like every episode has our heroes donning a new outfit. Pretty impressive for a cartoon. Just look at these mutated motifs.
Awesome attire.
Cowabunga couture.
Rogue vogue.
And goofy garments.
Whether it was a ploy to sell a lot of action figures or just an attempt to try something new, I'm impressed. Pumping new styles into the series is visually refreshing, and chic!
2. CYBER SHREDDER
The Turtles' arch nemesis has gone digital! Cyber Shredder wreaks havoc within, you guessed it, cyber space. He's the Super Shredder of the internet!
Despite his rage and gusto, Cyber Shredder isn't much of a threat. At the start of the season, he's trapped within cyber space, limiting his reach of chaos. The only time the Turtles encounter him is within this isolated world - making him a weak threat.
Silly story lines aside, Cyber Shredder's design is awesome. Sleek, menacing, and intimating - not bad for a computer program. He would've made one heck of an action figure.
After a few nutty plot twists, Cyber Shredder materializes in the real world (cue the panic). The diabolical digital villain claims he will finally defeat the Turtles & Splinter. He gathers the Foot Clan for one final onslaught, a grand battle to stomp them out for good. And this leads us to the #1 spot on this list...
1. WEDDING BELLS
Wedding specials are common place on television. Audiences love seeing their favorite characters tie the knot while overcoming the odds on their big day. The story lines are pretty formulaic. Usually the hijinks hits, it's a wild ride, and eventually the chaos neatly settles down and the lovers say, "I do." Characters from past episodes poke in for an appearance, giving excitement to fans.
The final episode of Back To The Sewer is no different. It's everything I hoped for - a complete and utter ridiculous wedding special. The whimsical story packs in a tender ceremony, formal fashion, big brawls, and dozens of cartoon cameos. Its pacing plays out eerily similar to a live-action TV comedy wedding special. It's so bad that it's so good.
April's farmhouse acts as the setting of this dreamy episode. The initial "threats" are the ones you've come to expect out of a wedding special, the in-laws! But, even those crazy family members look like good guys when the ultimate unwanted guest crashes the ceremony, Cyber Shredder (with a Foot Clan army at his side). And these guys aren't looking for cake.
The decisive battle begins. The farmhouse setting transforms into a tuxedo-infused melee. Pandemonium covers every inch of the TV screen. It's surprisingly captivating and entertaining.
Here comes the bride...
At times, the giant brawl trickles into genuinely threatening - pushing towards a legitimate conclusion.
Many characters from the 2K3 series return for one final hurrah. A plucky guest list of inter-dimensional creatures, robotic chums, and oddball humans join the festivities (and combat). They're all in formal-ware too!
Skipping to the conclusion, SPOILER ALERT, April and Casey get married in front of a cheering group of their outlandish guests. Get out your tissues because it's beautiful, it's bodacious, it's super cheesy.
Back To The Sewer is a fun ride. It's nothing groundbreaking or unique, but it's entertaining. Give it a watch and keep an eye out for my TOP 10 RIDICULOUS MOMENTS. They'll keep you on your toes, and keep you laughing!
TOP 10 RECAP:
Labels: Top 10 List
Stunt Zombie April 30, 2015 at 7:38 AM
I remember catching episodes of this series here and there. It was an odd show, but then again, I'd expect no less from a TMNT cartoon.
Was this the same series that had a crossover with all the other versions of the TMNT, from the comics to the cartoons? For some reason, I loved that episode.
Retro Robot Review May 8, 2015 at 9:25 PM
Yeah this was a pretty crazy season, and a let down to me after the previous ones, even the Flash Forward was more enjoyable I thought, but totally agree with your list.
And Chris, this was the same, it was done as a made for TV movie after the series ended.
2105 not 2015 lol
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Tobacco Rules
As you may be aware the Queensland Government recently introduced legislation to ban smoking within 10 metres of viewing and playing areas at organised under-18 sporting events. The ban also applies during training and at any intervals or breaks in play.
The coverage of the ban includes the sporting ground or playing area, the viewing area for a water sport, public seating at the grounds and any other area reserved for use by the competitors and the officials. This also includes a 10 metre non-smoking buffer zone from all of these locations.
Playing Condition – Helmets
It is mandatory for junior cricketers (those under 18 years of age) to wear helmets at all times when wicket-keeping up to the stumps or batting, including when they are playing senior cricket.
– Parents/guardians, coaches and team officials need to ensure that this playing condition is adhered to.
– This includes when junior batters are facing slow bowling.
– Association administrators, club coaches, team managers, parents and other volunteers are also encouraged to consider the use of helmets for junior wicket-keepers ‘standing-back’ if there are concerns
about the skill level of the wicket-keeper, bowlers and fielders.
– Cricket Australia strongly recommends that all senior cricketers wear a helmet when batting, wicket-keeping or fielding in close (or in a zero reaction time position). In elite cricket a zero reaction time
position is considered any position within 7 metres of the batter except any position behind square on the off side – therefore if fielding at silly mid-off or short-leg it is recommended that you
wear a helmet, whereas helmets may not be necessary if fielding at gully or (regulation) slip to a spinner.
– At the commencement of the 2019-2020 cricket season, all community cricketers (whether junior or senior) will be required to wear British Standard BS7928:2013 compliant helmets at all times
when batting, wicket keeping up to the stumps and fielding in close. More guidance will be provided in due course. A list of helmets suitable for Men’s, Women’s and junior cricket is maintained and
regularly updated at www.ecb.co.uk/information/ecb-and-pca-guidance-head-protectorshelmets.
– Cricket Australia provides further information on junior format requirements relating to restrictions on fielding in close in their playing policies and guidelines.
– Cricket Australia provides further information on recommended protective gear for Umpires in their playing policies and guidelines.
– For further information on Cricket Australia’s playing policies and guidelines see http://community.cricket.com.au/clubs/well-played.
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BahamaHost Goes Digital
300 Graduate from Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s Signature Training Program
NASSAU, Bahamas: At the recent BahamaHost Graduation Ceremony held at the William Thompson Auditorium, it was announced that the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s signature industry training program will be going digital, in order to accommodate more participants.
Elaborating under the graduation theme, “Training towards a Diversified and Expanding Economy,” the Ministry’s Director of Training and Education Ian Ferguson said the new e-learning program facilitated in conjunction with the University Of The Bahamas will be delivered through a virtual classroom.
“BahamaHost sessions in New Providence and Grand Bahama will engage active live participants in all of our Family Islands,” he noted. “We are excited about utilizing and leveraging technology to reach the masses and create this proverbial tsunami of excellence we so desperately need.”
Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar encouraged the graduates to provide excellent service in tourism.
“The country needs you right where you are, doing your part on the job, to efficiently run our tourism industry, which sustains our entire nation,” he said.
He also recommended that more Bahamians capitalize on the opportunity to start businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector, “For those of you who are of the mindset to go into a business of your own, I am pleased to tell you that now is the most opportune time in the history of our country to launch a tourism based business.”
The Minister also gave the graduates a number of marketable sectors of tourism, such as beach and sea-based operations, family entertainment, authentic souvenirs, culinary tourism and agriculture.
He also encouraged them to utilize resources made available to entrepreneurs through the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) and the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC).
“From the moment you make contact with these organizations, they will take your hand and shepherd you through the process of fine-tuning your business concept, mapping out a business plan, tying you into a network of likeminded fellow entrepreneurs with whom you can share ideas,” Minister D’Aguilar said.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Aviation will continue to pursue its aggressive marketing campaign overseas to drive tourism business to The Bahamas. Now is the time for enterprising Bahamians to take up the challenge to diversify and expand our economy. For those of you who decide to remain in position on the job, we need you where you are. I cannot over estimate how important a role you play. Tourism is a team enterprise. We need all hands on deck to build the economy of our beloved nation and to create a Bahamas where all of our citizens can make an equitable living.”
Grand Bahama recently held its spring BahamaHost graduation exercise where some 250 public service drivers, bankers, educators, hotel employees and others, including persons who work within and outside of the Tourism and Hospitality sector. Graduates all report having experienced a successful BahamaHost session.
BahamaHost was recently rebranded to include modules with titles such as Proud to Be Bahamian, Tourism Today, the Bahamian Service Experience, Foreign Language Training and Empowerment.
Kendea Smith
ksmith@bahamas.com
News Categories:
Bahamas Fully Represented at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Show The Largest Aviation Event in the World
OSHKOSH, Wisconsin – July 24, 2019 - The aviation team of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation (MOTA) is out in full force at the 2019 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Osh
Bahamas Goombay Summer In Freeport A Hit With Florida & Georgia Travel Agents
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –JULY 2019– Authentic Bahamian cultural activities, including the Goombay Summer Festival, were a big hit for a recent group of Florida and Georgia travel agents who visited Fre
Goombay Summer Festival 2019 Brings The Sizzle To Summer
Summer Festival launches in Harbour Island with positive feedback from festival goers
Ministry of Tourism Hosts Cruise and Maritime Tour Seminar
NASSAU, Bahamas: To keep tour operators on the cutting edge of what is expected in the ever-growing cruise industry, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation recently held a Cruise and Maritime Tours S
The Bahamas Tourist Office and Delta Vacations Join Forces to Promote The Islands Of The Bahamas in Raleigh, North Carolina
Video Tourism Today Top Stories News Grand Bahama Island Sports Festivals and Culture Junkanoo Carnival Press Releases Junkanoo Summer Festival Religious Tourism Culinary Weddings and Honeymoons Awards Family Island Goombay Summer Festival People to People Festival and Culture EcoTourism IAAF Relays Education Europe News. Top Stories The Ministry of Tourism News. Sports Airlift Transport Festival Attractions Videos New Hotel Bahamas great exuma classic Festivals & Culture Canada 16 Weddings Travel Transportation tourism
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Difference between revisions of "Good Omens"
'''''Good Omens''''' is an exceptionally well-written novel that takes a humorous approach of viewing the Apocalypse. It is written by [[Terry Pratchett]] and [[Neil Gaiman]] who make extraneous use of footnotes. What I love about this book is how they make constant pokes and jabs at religion without actually becoming blasphemous.
[[Image:Good Omens.jpg|thumb|256x256px|1st edition hard cover.]]
It seems the world is going to end on a Saturday. Next Saturday actually. Just after tea. Crowley and Aziraphale (a demon and an angel) who have grown quite accustom to life on Earth, don't very much want the world to end, and have taken it upon themselves to prevent the Apocalypse.
'''''Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch''''' is novel written by [[Terry Pratchett]] and [[Neil Gaiman]] and published on 1990-05-01. The story takes a humorous approach of viewing the Apocalypse from the [[Book of Revelations]] by making extraneous use of footnotes. It seems the world is going to end on a Saturday. Next Saturday actually. Just after tea. Crowley and Aziraphale (a demon and an angel) who have grown quite accustom to life on Earth, don't very much want the world to end, and have taken it upon themselves to prevent the Apocalypse.
Some of the main characters include:
Crowley - the demon who always wears dark shades and drives a vintage Bentley.
* Crowley - the demon who always wears dark shades and drives a vintage Bentley.
Aziraphale - an angel who owns a books store in Soho, but hates to sell his books.
* Aziraphale - an angel who owns a books store in Soho, but hates to sell his books.
Adam Young - the anti-Christ at age 11 who loves nature and his dog.
* Adam Young - the anti-Christ at age 11 who loves nature and his dog.
Anathima Device - current owner of the book Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter.
* Anathima Device - current owner of "The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter."
Newton Pulsifer - a guy in way over his head.
* Newton Pulsifer - a guy in way over his head.
The Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse - Pollution, Famine, War, and Death.
* The Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse - Famine, War, Death, and Pollution (Pestilence retired).
The 2006 re-release hard cover features a much easier on the eyes typeface. The re-issue has a cute gimmick of creating two dust jacket covers (one in black with Aziraphale and one in white with Crowly). This annoys many collectors who now have to buy two copies of the book if they want a complete set, although the value of the first edition printing will always trump the re-issues.
I first read this book around 2002 after my girlfriend at the time highly recommended it to me. At first, I was hesitant to read it because, while I was nearing the end when I called myself a Christian, I still believed in having reverence for religion. She described it in a fairly blasphemous way, so I was pretty sure I would be insulted by the book, however, she herself had grown up fairly religious, so I gave it a shot. Very quickly, I found that the book was not only extremely funny, but also not what I would call blasphemous.
I own a first edition US hardcover and have read it. I've also listened to the Stephen Briggs audio book recording.
* This is seriously one of the funniest books I've ever read.
* This is seriously one of the funniest books I've ever read. Nearly every page has a laugh-out-loud moment.
* The combination between the dark humor of Gaiman and the silliness of Pratchett is a beautiful combination.
* The combination between the dark humor of Gaiman and the silliness of Pratchett is a beautiful combination. It seems like Gaiman prevents Pratchett from becoming too ridiculous (like in [[Discworld]]''), and Pratchett prevents Gaiman from becoming too messed up.
* I love the constant pokes and jabs at religion without actually becoming blasphemous, well, not blasphemous to me anyway, and I first read this book back when I still considered myself a Christian.
* Being a huge fan of the band Queen, I loved how all tapes slowly turn into ''Best of Queen'' albums in the demon's car.
* Agnes's death is hilarious.
* I love the running gag that Elvis is still alive and flipping burgers in Des Moines.
* The book has a nice feel-good aspect to it. It's about the end of the world, but still so upbeat. Especially the ending.
* The earlier printings of this book had a nasty font that made it hard to read. The black/white release was annoying for collectors like myself.
* While it will still be very funny, a lot of the jokes probably won't make sense if you don't have a Christian background.
* The first edition hard cover publication used a nasty typeface that made it hard to read, however, subsequent releases feature typefaces that are much easier on the eyes.
* The 2006 re-issue uses a cute gimmick of creating two dust jacket covers (one in black with Aziraphale and one in white with Crowly). This annoys many collectors who now have to buy two copies of the book if they want a complete set.
* Nothing. This book is perfect.
* Nothing.
* "God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players (i.e., everybody), to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time."
* "It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people."
* "There are some dogs which, when you meet them, remind you that, despite thousands of years of manmade evolution, every dog is still only two meals away from being a wolf. These dogs advance deliberately, purposefully, the wilderness made flesh, their teeth yellow, their breath astink, while in the distance their owners witter, "He's an old soppy really, just poke him if he's a nuisance," and in the green of their eyes the red campfires of the Pleistocene gleam and flicker... This dog would make even a dog like that slink nonchalantly behind the sofa and pretend to be extremely preoccupied with its rubber bone."
* "The owner of a voice like that would be the sort of person who, before making a plastic model kit, would not only separate and count all the pieces before commencing, as per the instructions, but also paint all the bits that needed painting first and leave them to dry properly prior to construction. All that separated this voice from chartered accountancy was a matter of time."
* "'It's Tchaikovsky's ''[[Another One Bites the Dust]]'',' said Crowley, closing his eyes as they went through Slough. To while away the time as they crossed the sleeping Chilterns, they also listened to William Byrd's ''[[We Are the Champions]]'' and Beethoven's ''[[I Want To Break Free]]''. Neither were as good as Vaughan Williams's ''[[Fat-Bottomed Girls]]''."
* "Crowley always found [Satanists] embarrassing. You couldn't actually be rude to them, but you couldn't help feeling about them the same way that, say, a Vietnam veteran would feel about someone who wears combat gear to Neighborhood Watch meetings."
* "There were people who called themselves Satanists who made Crowley squirm. It wasn't just the things they did, it was the way they blamed it all on Hell. They'd come up with some stomach-churning idea that no demon could have thought of in a thousand years, some dark and mindless unpleasantness that only a fully-functioning human brain could conceive, then shout 'The Devil Made Me Do It' and get the sympathy of the court when the whole point was that the Devil hardly ever made anyone do anything. He didn't have to. That was what some humans found hard to understand. Hell wasn't a major reservoir of evil, any more than Heaven, in Crowley's opinion, was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind."
* "Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men."
* "All the higher life forms scythed away, just like that." "Terrible." "Nothing but dust and fundamentalists."
* "She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, not up close."
* "He didn't say 'That's weird.' He wouldn't have said 'That's weird' if a flock of sheep had cycled past playing violins. It wasn't the sort of thing a responsible engineer said."
* "Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. Two of these were wrong..."
* "This is how Newton Pulsifer looked as a man: if he went into a phone booth and changed, he might manage to come out looking like Clark Kent."
* "Crowley had been extremely impressed with the warranties offered by the computer industry, and had in fact sent a bundle Below to the department that drew up the Immortal Soul agreements, with a yellow memo form attached just saying: 'Learn, guys...'"
* "When most people said 'I'm psychic, you see,' they meant 'I have an overactive but unoriginal imagination/wear black nail varnish/talk to my budgie'..."
* "Hastur was paranoid, which was simply a sensible and well-adjusted reaction to living in Hell, where they really were all out to get you."
* "It was then that Marvin got religion. Not the quiet, personal kind, that involves doing good deeds and living a better life; not even the kind that involves putting on a suit and ringing people's doorbells; but the kind that involves having your own TV network and getting people to send you money."
* "'Mortals can hope for death, or for redemption. You can hope for nothing. All you can hope for is the mercy of Hell.' 'Yeah?' 'Just our little joke.'"
* "'You're Hell's Angels... What chapter are you from, then?' 'Revelations... Chapter six.'"
* "'Hey,' he said, but much more weakly this time, 'did any of them kids have some space alien with a face like a friendly turd in a bike basket?'"
* "In bunkers under Novya Zemla men found that the fuses they were frantically trying to pull out came away in their hands at last; in bunkers under Wyoming and Nebraska, men in fatigues stopped screaming and waving guns at one another, and would have had a beer if alcohol had been allowed in missile bases. It wasn't, but they had one anyway."
* "You think wars get started because some old duke gets shot, or someone cuts off someone's ear, or someone's sited their missiles in the wrong place. It's not like that. That's just, well, just reasons, which haven't got anything to do with it. What really causes wars is two sides that can't stand the sight of one another and the pressure builds up and up and then anything will cause it. Anything at all."
* "'I don't see what's so t'riffic about creating people as people and then gettin' upset 'cos they act like people,' said Adam severely. 'Anyway, if you stopped tellin' people it's all sorted out after they're dead, they might try sorting it all out while they're alive.'"
* "'God does not play games with His loyal servants,' said the Metatron, but in a worried tone of voice. 'Whooo-eee,' said Crowley. 'Where have you been?'"
* "There never was an apple, in Adam's opinion, that wasn't worth the trouble you got into for eating it."
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens}}
{{Link|GoodReads|https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12067.Good_Omens}}
{{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/GoodOmens}}
[[Category: Books]]
[[Category: Fiction]]
[[Category: Media Theme - Comedy]]
[[Category: Media Theme - Religion]]
[[Category: Humor]]
[[Category: Blasphemy]]
[[Category: Trope - Strong Female Character]]
[[Category: Books I've Read]]
[[Category: Favorite]]
[[Category: Favorite Book]]
[[Category: Favorite Books]]
1st edition hard cover.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is novel written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and published on 1990-05-01. The story takes a humorous approach of viewing the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelations by making extraneous use of footnotes. It seems the world is going to end on a Saturday. Next Saturday actually. Just after tea. Crowley and Aziraphale (a demon and an angel) who have grown quite accustom to life on Earth, don't very much want the world to end, and have taken it upon themselves to prevent the Apocalypse.
Anathima Device - current owner of "The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter."
The Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse - Famine, War, Death, and Pollution (Pestilence retired).
This is seriously one of the funniest books I've ever read. Nearly every page has a laugh-out-loud moment.
The combination between the dark humor of Gaiman and the silliness of Pratchett is a beautiful combination. It seems like Gaiman prevents Pratchett from becoming too ridiculous (like in Discworld), and Pratchett prevents Gaiman from becoming too messed up.
I love the constant pokes and jabs at religion without actually becoming blasphemous, well, not blasphemous to me anyway, and I first read this book back when I still considered myself a Christian.
Being a huge fan of the band Queen, I loved how all tapes slowly turn into Best of Queen albums in the demon's car.
Agnes's death is hilarious.
I love the running gag that Elvis is still alive and flipping burgers in Des Moines.
The book has a nice feel-good aspect to it. It's about the end of the world, but still so upbeat. Especially the ending.
While it will still be very funny, a lot of the jokes probably won't make sense if you don't have a Christian background.
The first edition hard cover publication used a nasty typeface that made it hard to read, however, subsequent releases feature typefaces that are much easier on the eyes.
The 2006 re-issue uses a cute gimmick of creating two dust jacket covers (one in black with Aziraphale and one in white with Crowly). This annoys many collectors who now have to buy two copies of the book if they want a complete set.
"God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players (i.e., everybody), to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time."
"It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people."
"There are some dogs which, when you meet them, remind you that, despite thousands of years of manmade evolution, every dog is still only two meals away from being a wolf. These dogs advance deliberately, purposefully, the wilderness made flesh, their teeth yellow, their breath astink, while in the distance their owners witter, "He's an old soppy really, just poke him if he's a nuisance," and in the green of their eyes the red campfires of the Pleistocene gleam and flicker... This dog would make even a dog like that slink nonchalantly behind the sofa and pretend to be extremely preoccupied with its rubber bone."
"The owner of a voice like that would be the sort of person who, before making a plastic model kit, would not only separate and count all the pieces before commencing, as per the instructions, but also paint all the bits that needed painting first and leave them to dry properly prior to construction. All that separated this voice from chartered accountancy was a matter of time."
"'It's Tchaikovsky's Another One Bites the Dust,' said Crowley, closing his eyes as they went through Slough. To while away the time as they crossed the sleeping Chilterns, they also listened to William Byrd's We Are the Champions and Beethoven's I Want To Break Free. Neither were as good as Vaughan Williams's Fat-Bottomed Girls."
"Crowley always found [Satanists] embarrassing. You couldn't actually be rude to them, but you couldn't help feeling about them the same way that, say, a Vietnam veteran would feel about someone who wears combat gear to Neighborhood Watch meetings."
"There were people who called themselves Satanists who made Crowley squirm. It wasn't just the things they did, it was the way they blamed it all on Hell. They'd come up with some stomach-churning idea that no demon could have thought of in a thousand years, some dark and mindless unpleasantness that only a fully-functioning human brain could conceive, then shout 'The Devil Made Me Do It' and get the sympathy of the court when the whole point was that the Devil hardly ever made anyone do anything. He didn't have to. That was what some humans found hard to understand. Hell wasn't a major reservoir of evil, any more than Heaven, in Crowley's opinion, was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind."
"Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men."
"All the higher life forms scythed away, just like that." "Terrible." "Nothing but dust and fundamentalists."
"She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, not up close."
"He didn't say 'That's weird.' He wouldn't have said 'That's weird' if a flock of sheep had cycled past playing violins. It wasn't the sort of thing a responsible engineer said."
"Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. Two of these were wrong..."
"This is how Newton Pulsifer looked as a man: if he went into a phone booth and changed, he might manage to come out looking like Clark Kent."
"Crowley had been extremely impressed with the warranties offered by the computer industry, and had in fact sent a bundle Below to the department that drew up the Immortal Soul agreements, with a yellow memo form attached just saying: 'Learn, guys...'"
"When most people said 'I'm psychic, you see,' they meant 'I have an overactive but unoriginal imagination/wear black nail varnish/talk to my budgie'..."
"Hastur was paranoid, which was simply a sensible and well-adjusted reaction to living in Hell, where they really were all out to get you."
"It was then that Marvin got religion. Not the quiet, personal kind, that involves doing good deeds and living a better life; not even the kind that involves putting on a suit and ringing people's doorbells; but the kind that involves having your own TV network and getting people to send you money."
"'Mortals can hope for death, or for redemption. You can hope for nothing. All you can hope for is the mercy of Hell.' 'Yeah?' 'Just our little joke.'"
"'You're Hell's Angels... What chapter are you from, then?' 'Revelations... Chapter six.'"
"'Hey,' he said, but much more weakly this time, 'did any of them kids have some space alien with a face like a friendly turd in a bike basket?'"
"In bunkers under Novya Zemla men found that the fuses they were frantically trying to pull out came away in their hands at last; in bunkers under Wyoming and Nebraska, men in fatigues stopped screaming and waving guns at one another, and would have had a beer if alcohol had been allowed in missile bases. It wasn't, but they had one anyway."
"You think wars get started because some old duke gets shot, or someone cuts off someone's ear, or someone's sited their missiles in the wrong place. It's not like that. That's just, well, just reasons, which haven't got anything to do with it. What really causes wars is two sides that can't stand the sight of one another and the pressure builds up and up and then anything will cause it. Anything at all."
"'I don't see what's so t'riffic about creating people as people and then gettin' upset 'cos they act like people,' said Adam severely. 'Anyway, if you stopped tellin' people it's all sorted out after they're dead, they might try sorting it all out while they're alive.'"
"'God does not play games with His loyal servants,' said the Metatron, but in a worried tone of voice. 'Whooo-eee,' said Crowley. 'Where have you been?'"
"There never was an apple, in Adam's opinion, that wasn't worth the trouble you got into for eating it."
Retrieved from "http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Good_Omens&oldid=27990"
Links to GoodReads
Links to TVTropes
Media Theme - Comedy
Media Theme - Religion
Trope - Strong Female Character
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Board index Clue General Discussion
New Classic-Style CLUE Game
A place to discuss all aspects of Clue/Cluedo.
Moderators: Michael, BBP, Tum
fendue
Biometrics Examiner
Location: At the foot of the cellar stairs
Post by fendue » Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:44 pm
He would, but the style is awful!
Murder by Death
Forensics Supervisor
Post by Murder by Death » Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:02 am
Mr. Sterling Silver wrote: if anyone's interested, the game instructions are posted in the Fountain
I like the rules for this card game a lot. While some of the art doesn't hold up per se, I like the overall concept and the idea of Clue on a boat. In fact this is probably one of the more fun variations of Clue I've seen in a long time.
However, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for choosing a random victim each time except for the novelty of it. If one so desired, Mr. Boddy could be the victim every game and nothing would change. Considering the hideous attempt to render him, I've gotta say, I think I prefer him dead, and preferably stowed where he can no longer be viewed (perhaps he fell overboard, even better).
I would like to see this concept on a full gameboard with the weapons tokens to move around as well. Not entirely sure why you couldn't have 9 rooms, except you'd need 9 suspects, so perhaps adding three characters from MD, or Super Cluedo (finally a game that explains the existence of Captain Brown). All it would do is make the game a little longer. Somebody should really give it a go.
Mr. Sterling Silver
Location: Hampshire, where else?
Post by Mr. Sterling Silver » Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:17 am
Murder by Death wrote: Considering the hideous attempt to render him, I've gotta say, I think I prefer him dead, and preferably stowed where he can no longer be viewed
CluedoKid
Con Artiste
Post by CluedoKid » Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:04 am
I wouldn't mind the concept of Boddy as much if he didn't look so unfinished. Also, he is so clearly not drawn by Drew Struzan that it makes me wonder who Winning Moves thought they were fooling?
Lord Caspen
Court Stenographer
Post by Lord Caspen » Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:56 am
I could wish they had used the same artist on all seven drawings. That is a little distressing. Also, that Mr. Boddy -- clearly some kind of late 19th- or very early 20th-century figure in style, dress, attitude, and also in the style of the picture -- does not mesh well with the rest of the cast -- who are equally clearly of a much more modern sensibility.
That said, I think you guys are losing it. In funny ways, for some of you, but losing it nevertheless. It's just a drawing (painting?). It's not at all a bad drawing, the subject is interesting and also a plausible Boddy. As for the color issue -- I think this is more than made up by the black pawns in the corners, the black background, his salt-and-pepper coloring, and the fact that although there is a maroon patina added to his jacket, one can see pretty clearly the base color was also black.
I don't think he necessarily looks unfinished -- I think the sort of "the painting doesn't quite reach all the edges but sort of fades out towards them" thing is a specific look for a plausibly finished painting. However, it doesn't match the others, if that's what you meant, since the others look like photographs (they go all the way to the edges) that were subsequently rendered in paint.
I don't know if he's my favorite concept for Boddy, but he might very well be. He's serious, eccentric, and yet his eccentricities are plausible. I also really like the film version, but then so far as I can tell he only makes sense in that particular context.
It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. -- Blithe Spirit, Noel Coward.
Re: Well
Post by Murder by Death » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:44 am
Lord Caspen wrote: since the others look like photographs (they go all the way to the edges) that were subsequently rendered in paint.
I don't think Struzan works that way. I'm pretty sure his work is freehand design then airbrushed. This is especially evident in the various prototype renderings for the artwork. But his style is quasi-photorealistic like all the Hollywood movie posters he is most famous for. Agreed, it seems Winning Moves attempted to mitigate the fact Boddy did not match the others by making his image more like a portrait hanging somewhere in the yacht, a la the famous "unfinished" portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stewart.
Lord Caspen wrote: I also really like the film version, but then so far as I can tell he only makes sense in that particular context.
You mean the character of "Boddy" only makes sense in the movie? Or that characterization only make sense in the context of that movie? And which Boddy do you mean? The slick sleazebag who was in actuality the butler, or the British cad Wadsworth who was in actuality Boddy?
Post by Mr. Sterling Silver » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:20 pm
May I ask where anyone who has the game purchased it? Will it be available in stores? I've checked my local outlets, but none of them had it yet.
Post by Murder by Death » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:52 pm
Mr. Sterling Silver wrote: May I ask where anyone who has the game purchased it? Will it be available in stores? I've checked my local outlets, but none of them had it yet.
The new cardgame or Clue Classic? Both are available directly from Winning Moves, or Amazon.com among other online retailers, and I have already seen both on eBay.
I would imagine these games would make it into retails stores, but according to Winning Moves website, they tend to go into boutique toy stores, like FAO Schwartz, The Game Keeper, and Aahs!, though I have seen some of their products at Target. Best to search your zip code on their website and see what local store it brings up if you are adverse to online shopping.
Poirotfrmda818
Button Man
Post by Poirotfrmda818 » Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:00 am
Here's a video from Winning Moves showing the components of the Classic Edition. The room cards appear to be updated and the suspects themselves look slightly more fleshed out. Overall it looks like a nice edition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V4OjkBY ... tube_gdata
Post by Murder by Death » Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:50 am
Poirotfrmda818 wrote: The room cards appear to be updated and the suspects themselves look slightly more fleshed out.
Definitely. Mrs. Peacock has rosy cheeks. The weapons have been enhanced as well. However, they still don't match the board art, and are inconsistent in style with the room cards.
But I'm confused, The White Pawn (who is conspicuously absent of late), confirmed that the room cards were not updated to match the board. Yet, they clearly have been, though the shadow that would have connected them to the suspect and weapons cards has been unnecessarily left off. He also said the tokens were from the 1949 re-issue, but those were classic wooden ones and these are clearly a new plastic design (which also don't match the cards!). Could The White Pawn be wrong? Or is this video of a prototype, or could they have actually updated the game since The White Pawn got his?
Either way, in viewing this in HD, the details are much richer and the board definitely looks much nicer than in the tiny promo pic. The cards seem to match in general, the room cards are spot on, but the suspects and especially the weapon art is just too different. I think it would have helped if they had removed the very 40's looking cartoon-shadows from all of the cards as they did with the rooms, and removed the blue comic-book coloring from some of the weapons.
The box art is still confusing to me too. Very busy. Interesting they still put the 1949 logo on it, since the board and rooms are definitely not part of that edition.
It's definitely better looking than I thought it would be, and I'm grateful they did it. It just strikes me as a really odd hybrid. Really would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when this one was being designed.
Last edited by Murder by Death on Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:47 pm, edited 5 times in total.
cacums
Location: If I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore
Post by cacums » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:53 am
I might get it after all..
Post by Murder by Death » Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:44 pm
Also, with these larger and clearer pictures of the game, it's definite that they are using bronzed weapons tokens on the box cover. Perhaps they intended this originally, but changed their minds at some point. Too bad, as it would have been a much more elegant way to go and given this edition a unique quality that sets it apart from all others.
Post by CluedoKid » Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:34 pm
It's odd. I can picture the 1949 group living in this mansion better than the 1996 group. Perhaps because the 1996 edition has such a grandiose looking room on the box with Mustard all dressed up in his regalia and White looking all the bit a formal servant, yet the board itself is just so plain.
CluedoKid wrote: 1996 edition ...board itself is just so plain.
Curious, why do you consider it plain?
There seems to be a steady progression from stark in the 1949 UK, extremely simple in the US 1949, then jumping the 63 & 72, the 86 gets more complex, followed by the 92 which ads the first lighting highlights, then the 96 edition adds depth and shadow, and finally the UK 2000 & 2002/03 games which were the most lush and intricate of them all.
So, plain in comparison to the 2000 and later boards, but certainly more elaborate and interesting than those before it.
Post by CluedoKid » Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:32 pm
Murder by Death wrote:
In the 50th anniversary edition, it isn't bad due to much needed colour changes, but to me, most of the furniture looks like it was bought on a 50% off bargain from IKEA. I was always irked that the drawing room the characters are milling about in on the 1996 box bears little resemblance to the actual house style.
Boddy strikes me as someone who'd flaunt their wealth to gaudy extremes and looking at the Study or Library in the 1996, it seems to be just the opposite. Especially when the board's main colour is this unattractive green. I never understood why they never made a Clue board that was detailed with the same kind of lavishness as perhaps, Murder at Boddy Mansion (Until I made my board to address that problem!)
(Also, no way it is more elaborate than earlier versions! On the back of my 1996 edition, the 1992 game was advertised and I remember both the confusion of seeing a Clue game significantly different from the one I had AND how much more elegant the rooms on the board looked. Nicer variety of colour as well. )
Post by Murder by Death » Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:37 pm
CluedoKid wrote: the 1996 box bears little resemblance to the actual house style. ...how much more elegant the rooms on the 1992 board looked. Nicer variety of colour as well.
Hmmmm. Well I haven't seen a good picture of the 1992 board. I was just going on the little pictures in Michael's reviews.
But I'm still not convinced from what I can see. Also, the colors of the 1992 edition strike me as garish. It still suffers form the art deco scheme from the original. And the art has a cartoonish look without any shading or texture. As for the furniture, I don't really see the "Ikea" difference between the brown furniture in the '92 Lounge vs. the green furniture in the '96 lounge, except it is smaller and harder to see the details. For me, the 1949 suspects fit the simpler artwork of these editions much better than the 86, or 92 suspects artwork, which ironically seem better suited to the 96 board style.
Either way the covers don't particularly match the boards very well in any edition. The room on the front of the 92 looks like some kind of living room in suburbia rather than a lavish English country manor and definitely bears no resemblance to any room on the board. I much prefer the image the '96 evokes, since none of the boards match anyway.
To each his own. I just don't necessarily see it is more detailed, as much as different details. And let's face it, none of the boards do a very good job of evoking the wealth and opulence suggested by the concept. The Franklin Mint likely came the closest. If Winning Moves wanted to do a deluxe Classic edition, recreating a 2D board with the detail of the Franklin Mint board and the depth of the later boards, would be the way to go, and then literally set the cover art in one of the actual rooms depicted on the board. But I'm not gonna hold my breath.
Post by cacums » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:42 am
HERE's a close up on the room cards from 92, MBD
Post by CluedoKid » Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:40 am
Yeah so as you can see, the whole mansion just looks a whole lot more decorated and warmer than the 1996 board.
Post by cacums » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:12 pm
I wonder if they even gave any thought about changing the knife card to match the playing pieces..
Post by Murder by Death » Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:33 pm
cacums wrote: I wonder if they even gave any thought about changing the knife card to match the playing pieces..
That's why I wanted to be a fly on the wall when they designed this game. The knife was first designed for the Limited Gift Edition, which they based on the '49-'72 editions. The problem comes when they re-issued the 1949 replica. Maybe they did not realize that the knife token actually matched the card for a limited time during the first year in 1949. Or perhaps they decided that most people who grew up with the first editions would have only known the normal blade sheath knife, not the somewhat rare butter knife. From an economic standpoint, they already had an appropriate knife token. But how expensive could it have been to manufacture a new one?
The bigger question is why Parker Brothers changed the token in the first place. Why did Parker Bros. use a butter knife in the first place? Was it a pre-existing design already in Tootsie Toy's (the first token manufacturer) catalogue, or were they afraid a regular knife would seem too threatening? When Parker Bros. began manufacturing their own a year later, did someone realize that a butter knife was a ridiculous murder weapon? If so, why did they not change the card for over a decade (they fixed it in 1963, but then changed the revolver so that it did not match the token anymore)?
From a financial perspective I get that they already had classic serviceable weapons, probably a lot left over from the 1949 edition (which are readily available as replacement parts for $1.50 on WM site). But all of the cards were redesigned for this edition, so why not create a proper matching knife card in the style of the 1949 cards? It's not a nostalgia edition, so the mis-matched card makes no sense whatsoever.They had no problem creating the totally unnecessary and mismatched Mr. Boddy artwork for the card game. Surely someone thought of this. So why didn't they do it?
All I can think is that contractually they are not allowed to substitute or change anything about the original artwork, other than what was originally licensed. Perhaps Hasbro is not even happy about this so-called "Classic" edition, but can't do anything about it because of the contract. Otherwise, why not just use the Struzan artwork of the card game with the matching board? The butter knife card is the only thing I can't stand about the first editions. Surely we aren't the only ones who ever noticed it and are bothered by it.
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Newcastle Uni staff member fired for calling colleague a “hash brown”
Written by James Troughton• 2nd December 2019• News
28-year-old Ollie De Planta, a Newcastle University employee, has been fired after calling his colleague a ‘hash brown’ in an email.
After working full-time for the University for only four days, but the message was deemed as ‘offensive’ due to its ‘racial language’ and so he was swiftly let go.
De Planta claimed that his firing was ‘unfair’ and blamed Outlook’s autocorrect feature.
He claims to have been completely ignorant to his mistake until his manager brought him in for a talk the following morning, on September 26.
“When I was told, I just thought ‘oh my days’. I had not met or spoken to this woman before so I had no reason to call her a name.”
According to De Planta, his boss dismissed the incident as a mistake.
“It was an informal meeting and he was laughing about it. He just told me to be more careful in the future and I thought that was the end of it.”
Only a few hours later, De Planta was brought into a disciplinary hearing where he was told that there was an investigation into his email, as it was being treated as a ‘racial incident’. They found him guilty and he was fired from Newcastle University shortly after.
De Planta retains his stance as innocent, as he said, “The sanction bears no resemblance to what happened. I strenuously deny that this message had been sent deliberately. It was a typing error. There is nothing to suggest this is racist.”
Rabeeyah Cheema, NUSU’s Racial Equality Officer, told the Courier: “I’m glad the University is taking strict and significant measures against racism and I hope they have the same attitude towards other incidents.”
However, some students and members of the public believe that the University’s action has been too extreme. A second-year Newcastle University student stated:
“I don’t really know where I stand on the whole situation. If it was deliberate then it’s definitely the right decision, but there’s no way of knowing.”
In the comments of The Chronicle article about the incident, many people called the University’s reaction “ridiculous”.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
hash brown Newcastle University racism
Last modified: 2nd December 2019
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by Emma Dawson• 9th December 2019
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← Review: SUFFER LOVE by Ashley Herring Blake
Review: KIDS OF APPETITE by David Arnold →
Review: THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab
Posted on July 5, 2016 by TheHouseworkCanWait
It’s been a few years since Victoria Schwab has given us a new YA; she’s been spending the past couple years working toward world domination establishing her adult brand with Vicious and the Darker Shade series. During that time, she’s gained a lot of new readers, and I hope they follow her back to her YA roots for This Savage Song.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from her monstrous new release (every time Victoria was asked about it, responses ranged from nonverbal grunting noises to maniacal cackling to “it’s so weird, you guys”) but once I finally got my grubby little paws on an ARC and read the first few pages, I couldn’t put it down. Now I can honestly say that This Savage Song this is my favorite of Victoria’s YA. Tonally, it feels like the younger YA cousin to Vicious, which is my favorite book of Victoria’s overall, and I am so excited that it’s finally crept its way into the world.
The Plot (from Goodreads):
There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.
Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.
For the past couple years, Victoria (V.E.) Schwab has been focusing on her adult books, with Vicious and her Darker Shade series. However, This Savage Song takes her back to her start in YA, with an urban fantasy that explores the question of what it means to be monstrous. For readers of her adult works, expect a tone closer to Vicious than Darker Shade, and for readers of her YA, be prepared for a darker, twistier tale than either The Archived or The Near Witch.
This Savage Song takes place in a time and place not too removed from the world we live in now, except for one crucial detail — in this world, acts of violence breed literal monsters. The more horrific the violence, the more terrible the creature it creates.
August, one of the two narrators, is one such monster, born out of an event so horrible, he can barely bring himself to think of it. He wants nothing more than to be human, but throughout the story, it becomes increasingly clear why that can never be possible, and why, even so, he can never stop trying.
Kate Harker, the other narrator, is the teenage daughter of the most powerful man in the city, and would happily throw away her humanity if it won her the attention of her father. She and August don’t so much come together as collide, and the narrative of This Savage Song clearly relishes playing out the tension between the monster boy longing for the very thing his human companion doesn’t seem to value at all, and the girl trying to reconcile what she knows of monsters with the boy standing in front of her.
It’s hard to discuss the plot of This Savage Song without getting into spoilers, so suffice it to say that the entire book is a tense, thrilling exploration of what it means to be human, what can make someone monstrous, and the marks violence leaves, both on the soul and on society. Kate and August’s relationship follows one of my favorite trajectories in fiction, from enemies to wary allies to respected partners to trusted friends, and I loved every delicious moment of their slow-burn friendship (is slow-burn friendship a thing? Because it should be).
I also was fascinated by the monsters that populated the dark world of This Savage Song. For the most part, they are not the mindless, salivating brutes of horror novels and fairy tales, but sinister, intelligent beings with agendas of their own. When the story starts, the monsters have more or less taken over the city, but they still have structure and hierarchy within their new, monstrous society. I’ve always considered worldbuilding one of Victoria’s great strengths, and This Savage Song is no exception, as she feels her way through how the world as we know it would change — and how it would remain the same — if monsters roamed among us.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the writing itself; as always, Victoria’s prose is beautiful, each word carefully chosen, each paragraph meticulously crafted. On a sentence level, I truly feel she’s one of the most talented writers in the game today. There’s hardly a page that goes by without a phrase that would be appropriate to print in loopy script and place in a frame somewhere. Her worldbuilding is lush and detailed, the dialogue sharp, the action taught, and the act of reading her words is decadence and joy and education all in one.
Make no mistake, This Savage Song is very dark, probably Schwab’s darkest since Vicious, and therefore won’t be for everyone. It’s violent and disturbing and, at times, very sad. But despite its darkness, it’s not a depressing book. Yes, Kate and August go through terrible trials and have to face awful things, but when I turned the final few pages of This Savage Song (which, it’s worth noting, ends on a very satisfying note, despite this book being the first of a duology), I felt oddly uplifted. For me, though it’s subtle, there was an undercurrent of light woven throughout the story, enough to leave the reader with the impression that though things may get bad, so bad it seems nearly impossible for them to ever turn around, that there is always hope. There is always goodness somewhere, maybe buried deep, maybe not where you’d expect to find it, and you might have to fight tooth and nail to get to it, but it’s there nonetheless. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but in my opinion, it’s executed beautifully here.
If you are a fan of urban fantasy, unlikely friendships, gorgeous writing, and thoughtful explorations of morality and monstrousness, rush to your local bookstore and dive into the world of This Savage Song today.
This entry was posted in Fantasy, Review, Speculative Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult and tagged this savage song, V.E. Schwab, ve schwab, Victoria Schwab. Bookmark the permalink.
One thought on “Review: THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab”
Jessica @ a GREAT read says:
Oh nice! Every review I’ve read so far has said pretty much the same thing…that I NEED TO READ THIS BOOK! LOL! It sounds so incredible and dark and containing all the things I love most about reading! For whatever reason, I could never truly get into her first YA series, but this one definitely calls to me better than her first one did. So I am so looking forward to reading this beauty! Great review!
Jessica @ a GREAT read recently posted..Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
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Swinburne University awarded $1 million for mass produced 3D printed carbon fiber parts
Jack Colyer April 15th 2019 - 3:46pm 0 0
Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, and its research partners have been awarded $1 million AUD towards a $3.5 million project to produce 3D printed composites on an industrial scale.
Awarded via the Global Innovation Linkages Program, the money will go towards the development and mass 3D printing production of lightweight composite parts like in Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Testlab. The end products will be suitable for the aerospace and automotive sectors.
Swinburne Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Aleksandar Subic, comments, “The Global Innovation Program Linkage grant recognizes our leadership in Industry 4.0 transformation of the advanced manufacturing sector through collaboration with our partners in Australia and Germany.”
“I am pleased that our research team, led by Professor Bronwyn Fox, has secured this support to expand the scope and reach of their high impact technologies and processes.”
Multilayer composite 3D printing
In this project, the Swinburne team will apply a recently developed method of carbon fiber 3D printing, termed ‘Multilayer.’ Delivered by Fill, a specialist machinery and plant construction company headquartered in Austria, Multilayer 3D printing works by thermally bonding successive layers of tape feedstock, producing semi-finished fiber composites. These machines can also be integrated into an existing forming and injection moulding processes allowing for a very high production rate.
Aiding in the development of these products are multiple Australian and global companies, like composite manufacturing specialist Quickstep, and ARENA2036, the “Active Research Environment for the Next Generation of Automobiles” in Stuttgart.
A global research effort
The new funding further strengthens Swinburne’s position within the automotive 3D printing sector. Prior to receiving this $1 million grant the university was also awarded $1,264,695 AUD to develop an automated 3D printed repair service for cars as part of the ‘Repairbot’ project, which is backed by the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC).
“Designing and developing Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Testlab for 3D printing of composites with our industry and research partners is one of the key strategies of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, founded two years ago,” comments Director of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, Professor Bronwyn Fox, who will be the research director of the composite program.
“Our international network of industrially connected researchers enables us to create new global business opportunities for advanced manufacturers in Australia.”
Professor Bronwyn Fox, Director of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute at Swinburne University, and a team from ARENA2036, Stuttgart. Photo via
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Featured image shows Professor Bronwyn Fox, Director of the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute at Swinburne University, and a team from ARENA2036, Stuttgart. Photo via
Tags 3D printing carbon fiber Aleksandar Subic Bronwyn Fox Carbon Fiber Fill Global Innovation Linkages Program Industry 4.0 Testlab Manufacturing Futures Research Institute mass production Multilayer composite 3D printing Quickstep Swinburne University Testlab
Jack Colyer
Jack holds a MA in International Journalism and has experience writing for The Guardian,The Hackney Gazette, The Islington Gazette and The Conversation.
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General Conference President Writes Letter to Adventist Members in Burundi
By: Adventist News Network, Ted N.C. Wilson
According to the East-Central Africa Division (ECD), on October 24, Burundi Union President, Lamec Barishinga was arrested on his way to the ECD year-end meetings in Nairobi, Kenya.
General Conference President Writes Open Letter to Church in Burundi
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General Conference President Ted Wilson Pens Open Letter to Church Members in Burundi
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Adventist Detainees Released from Burundi Prison
In a brief statement released on May 17, 2019, General Conference President Ted Wilson announced that the Adventists who had been detained in Burundi have now been released.
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Songs of the Bards – Autumn 35, 58AD
With the Harvest season nearly over, the inns are full of weary farmers and workers preparing for Winter. The harvests continue to look bountiful which bodes well for the Duchy of Irecia and the Kingdom in general. Marshall Roehm continues to restore order to the lands around Yew recently won back from the Bestials. Merchants are starting to reopen in Yew in small numbers, as are some refugees returning home.
The search for Roehm’s daughter, Anastasia Roehm, has come up short – no body found and no sign of her among the wounded, and only possible sightings of her being taken by the Black Riders during battle. The Marshall is said to be in great anguish over this.
The news from the village of Draycott is more hopeful. The Heroes of the Duchy, having found the path that the strange trolls have used to raid Lord Winright’s mine, not only defeated a small group of trolls, but also rescued elves who had been enslaved by the Bestials! The Heroes have taken the freed elves to unknown locations, but rumors have it that two have been seen with the pagan priestess Jorann in Enonia! Rumors abound that the Heroes found the last battlefields of Marshall Ormin and his army, as well having sighted the now-occupied Castle of Chorlton!
The “Winter’s Edge” celebration at the Chapel of Light has begun, with pilgrims all over the Midlands journeying to the Chapel to pray at the crystals made during the year. As always, the many crystals made in the Chapel are available to Pilgrims to take with them as talismans and decorations to use in their homes to remind them of the Light.
Somber songs and stories are being told of events down south in the Duchies of Southron and Pisces. No news has come directly from the Piscean lands, since the Orcs captured the vital land bridge between the Duchy and the rest of the Kingdom. Some merchant ships which have sailed to other ports have brought news that the Piscean armies are massing for a counterattack. Good news also may be coming from the Southron Duchy that they will also be attacking the Orcs holding the pass.
Hail adventurers!
The Bards have been singing the praises of Marshall Roehm and Duke Reynald since the victory at Yew ten days earlier. The Marshall has been quick to try and restore some basic services and provisions to those who were left. He has also been securing the area around Yew to try and prepare for both a counter-attack and for the coming Winter.
The news of his missing daughter is not welcome to any, though. She is missing and neither ransom or fate is known. It is said she was either taken by the orcs or the cowardly humans in black armor, but it is not know for sure who has her.
The harvest is going very well, and the Enonian markets have filled many of the streets and surrounding fields outside the wall, as animals and produce come by wagon-fulls to head into the other parts of the Duchy and kingdom. It would appear that after 2 years of poor harvests, the Light has blessed the Duchy with plenty.
Dame Oriolt and Marshall Kelvin have invoked a centuries old rule allowing them to declare any worship of deities or religions outside of the Light to be “heretical and treasonous, bringing discord and disobedience to law and Man and therefore illegal in the eyes of the King and His Agents.” They are basing on a local interpretation that any worship outside the Light is “heretical and treasonous.” This has never been done before, and is considered controversional, especially when being done as locally as by a regional priest and a Marshall of a Duke. It is not known what the position of the Church and Duke will be, but the Dame is a strong and well liked priestess in the southern center of the Duchy. She has also declared that the activities of the Lightbringers to be Lawful in the eyes of the Marshall. It is said that several small gatherings of worshipers of old gods have been arrested.
Several bards sing of a strange story of trolls attacking a mine that lies between Enonia and Stouton. The mercenary captain, Ralen Gold and her tough group of men at arms, currently under the employ of Sir Chaddius Reynald, fought the foul creatures and prevented them from a raid, but the rocks they were found with are considered a strange haul. It is not known why the beasts were after a what is considered a scrap ore, instead of the valuable iron that the mine produces.
And finally, the bards are telling of ominous tales from the beleaguered Duchy of Pisces. It is said that the entire “neck” of land between the Southern Sithasten Mountains and the Callisto Seas has been overrun by orcs. This land bridge connects the Piscean lands with the rest of the kingdom. The Southron Ducal council is supposed to convene to determine their next course of action, as they have not received word from the Duchess of Pisces, Duchess Childress.
Posted on August 22, 2016 December 5, 2018
Songs of the Bards – Autumn 17, 58AD – The Battle of Yew
Hail Enonians!
The town is in a state of giddy celebration as word has come – the Marshal was victorious and has retaken Yew from the combined forces of the Black Brotherhood and the Orcs! A last minute desperate attack saw the Marshal’s knights drive the fearsome Orcs away from the town. With half of their forces lost, and both their camp and the town taken, the Orcs have retreated in disarray towards Notchland Keep, and some forces headed to Upland Hold.
The butcher’s bill was high, with a third of the Marshal’s forces lost. It is said that one of his twin daughters, a knight-in-training, is missing as well.
It is a time of great celebration in the Duchy! This year has already seen two major victories against the Orcs and everyone feels hope, even in the face of the grim news from elsewhere of Orcs advancing.
Songs of the Bards – Summer 1, 58AD – Assault on the Orc Fort
Gather close, Enonians, and let me tell you a tale of great bravery and victory!
On the first day of Summer, the 58th year after The Doom, the brave Marshall Roehm, his valiant companion Sir Reynald, a large company of knights, cavalry and foot soldiers crushed the Orcs who had set up a fort on the site of the old Dalewoods Wayfarer’s Inn. Aided by a brave group of adventurers who snuck into the fort unseen and blew open the gates, Roehm’s forces soundly defeated or drove off the orcs. It was the Marshall himself who speared the Orc Chieftain with his lance, ending the battle.
The adventurers, who’ve now been named Heroes of the Duchy of Irecia, had discovered a way into the inside of the palisade walls that was unknown to the Orcs. One of the adventurers, an elven mage by the name of Pyria, struck a dangerous deal with the mysterious Striped Mage for scrolls of Fireball, in order to blow the gates open and provide a clear path for the Marshall’s forces to overcome the defending Orcs.
The Marshall gathered his forces – knights consisting of nobles and landowners from around the vicinity of Enonia, militias and men-at-arms sworn to his service. Sir Reynald, brother to the Duke of Irecia, also joined the forces, bringing his mercenaries and his own retinue of knights and cavalry. Nearly 200 brave men and women marched at a double-time pace to the fort, making the trek in under 6 hours for what normally took 8 to 10 hours of a walk. Unfortunately, for the adventurers who would again enter the palisade to surprise the orcs, their mage Pyria was nowhere to be found!
The group was approached by a former adventurer by the name of Parabellum. It seemed that Pyria had been compelled to do something else, but wanted the attack to succeed, so she bargained with Parabellum to join the attack. He eagerly agreed, packing only a few things, the precious Fireball scroll and several pipes to keep his courage up. With their plan still intact, the adventurers set off with the attack force to begin the battle at dawn!
The adventurers entered the dark dirt tunnel. Their group consisted of the Might Mazlor – Curate of The Light, Balto and Fergus – the littleling and human friends, Ja’kar – the Fist of Mesha, Ragar the Ranger, Bel-a-dur the enigmatic elven warrior and Grel, Paladin of Tangadorin the Light Bringer. Joining them were Sally, an Adept of the Light, and the pipe-smoking, frying-pan toting Parabellum the Mage. Negotiating with a crazy kobold shaman who had a rat farm at the entrance to these dank and dirty tunnels, they bribed him with shanks of freshly butchered pork. He eagerly let them through and they negotiated familiar tunnels until they reached the basement walls of what had been the Inn.
The adventurers pushed through rocks and rubble that had been used to plug the tunnel from the basement. Creeping inside, they discovered that the orcs and goblyns had been busy! The former tunnels and small storerooms had been opened up into large workshops and barracks! Clearly, the bestials were looking to make this simple fort into a much larger facility, one that could support a thrust into the heart of the remaining human lands!
The adventurers found an opening to peek through, the stealthy thief Balto avoiding being seen. Horns blared as the Marshall began a pre-arranged feint, distracting the Orcs so that the adventurers could get in position to use the Fireball and destroy the gate. Deciding that the opening was too risky, the adventurers found the main doors from the workshops to the outside, but guarded by two goblyns! Bows thrummed, fists flew and swords flashed as two goblyns fell quickly. The adventurers crept outside into the middle of frantic Orc activity! The cavalry was about to ride out the East gate to sweep around the fort and flank the humans. The goblyn and orc foot soldiers massed at the West gate, ready to smash into the human lines.
A loud cheer erupted from the humans as the palisade gate blew apart in a fiery burst! The orcs, shocked, all turned to look at the adventurers now in their midst! Parabellum stood with a disintegrating parchment and a proud grin at his handiwork, while the rest of the party drew weapons and prepared to fight for their lives.
The Orc Chieftain bellowed out orders – ATTACK! – and the orc cavalry swept out of the fort in one direction, the complaining goblyns and dour orcs out the other to face the humans. Little did they know that a trap had been laid by the cunning Marshall… most of his knights were waiting for the orc cavalry to sweep by and he would crush them from behind!
The tide of battle shifted decisively when the orc foot soldiers broke and ran! Seeing the Marshall himself hold up to the charge of the cavalry, watching their orc mates die quickly, the foot soldiers’ resolve broke. They followed the goblyns, who never regained their morale, into the Dale Woods and back east towards orc lands. They ran past the charging knights of Sir Reynald, who had swept from the woods and were bearing down on the orc cavalry from the rear.
The orc cavalry crashed into the archers and into the guard of Marshall Roehm. The poor archers held up bravely, but were overrun, all dead save for three souls out of twenty. The Marshall, his knights and the orcs traded blows, and although the Marshall was injured, he kept fighting.
The orcs had been defeated! With the body of the fearsome Orc Chieftain laying dead at the feet of the Marshall, any hope the remaining forces had of regrouping vanished. Orcs and goblyns fled into the woods and back to the lands they came from. The men and women cheered long and hard. The victorious Marshall rode into the fort and the soldiers followed.
“We have taken the day!” the reinvigorated Marshall shouted. “We have bloodied their nose and sent them running! Long will this day be remembered for the bravery and stoutness of human hearts and arms! YOU are the victors and this is the first blow we strike against the Darkness! And to you, brave adventurers, we salute you! This day is because of your achievement and drive to find a way for us to take the fort. By my authority as Marshall, I name you all Heroes of the Duchy of Irecia!”
Some say it was sight of the three greater planets joining together in the sky that heralded the downfall of Man in the Lands.
Some say that the great silver sphere that plunged through the sky, bringing fire and destruction in its wake delivered the retribution for our sins.
Some say that the plagues that stalked the towns and keeps of our frontiers were the final stroke before the bestial beasts ravenged our farms and villages and drove the decimated Legions from the Far Reaches.
Whatever they say, it could not possibly fully account and list all of the calamities and travails that Man has suffered since the Darkest Hours. Our Doom has been multiple and ceaseless in its entirety. Its effects are long lasting, as we sit huddled in our small cities and fortified keeps. Slowly, we learn to adapt and we learn to live in this new Age – the age of The Doom, and the Dark Age.
And yet, there are those who will seek out the frontier again, who will seek to advance their station and plumb the secrets of the ancients, beat back the hordes of beasts and maybe perhaps cleanse our old lands of the Damned… those rare few who have decided to step forth. The so-called Nobility will not. The few armies that remain will not. But someone will…
— Ta-Shanarbiya, Priest of Yallowforth Keep, Year 52 AD (After Doom)
It is a dark time. Much has changed in the world that your forefathers and granddams knew. It almost two generations ago that the skies lit in flames, the world cracked open, the beasts and bestials poured from the dark and civilization retreated.
Man, Elf and Littlelings have retreated to the safety of numbers, abandoning much that they had gained in many generations. Kingdoms fell, fortresses crumbled and the tramp of foul feet was heard across many leagues. The Dwarfs have not been seen in generations and rumors abound of the “Dark Ones” return.
Man has survived in the face of Chaos and Doom, but much has been lost. Now, the Duchies struggle to hold the line against the ever-present Darkness. Survival is never certain, especially on the now sparsely populated frontiers. Once, these were well-known lands, but since the Doom of Man, they have fallen into darkness, now the story of legends and whispered myths. The other races, Elf and Littleling, they sit in their lands and hold their own, both cursing Man for the Doom of the lands and reaching out in the hopes that all may join to regain what was lost.
The Lands of Men
Time of History (coming)
Five Year History Prior to the Doom (coming)
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AGB Nippon
Home Japan The Limits of the Abe Government’s Bulldozer Approach
The Limits of the Abe Government’s Bulldozer Approach
On the issue of IR development in Japan, the Shinzo Abe government has, from start to finish, acted like a political bulldozer, assuming that the opposition parties and the majority opinion of the Japanese people could simply be swept aside by overwhelming force. This approach has indeed taken them a long way forward, but the costs are now mounting and the limits may be in sight.
This characteristic method is being employed once again in relation to the jaw-dropping 500 Dot Com bribery scandal.
As usual in high profile cases, the prosecutors have been (illegally) leaking most of the details to the Japanese news media, and the emerging story is a damning one. If the prosecutors are to be believed, the basic story goes as follows.
On September 28, 2017, 500 Dot Com adviser Masahiko Konno brought 22.5 million yen (about US$207,000) in cash from Hong Kong to Japan, failing to make the required customs declaration.
In the following days and weeks, Konno and his colleague Katsunori Nakazato took bundles of this cash, in bags or envelopes, and delivered cash bribes to six Japanese lawmakers on behalf of 500 Dot Com, which at that time aimed to be licensed as an IR operator in Japan.
The largest sum—3 million yen—was allegedly handed over to state minister of the Cabinet Office Tsukasa Akimoto, who was then in charge of compiling the nation’s IR policy regulations. Akimoto has been arrested by prosecutors and is still being detained.
Apparently guilty of the same crime of bribe-taking, although at the lower sum of 1 million yen each, are five additional lawmakers who so far remain free. Among these five is the very prominent pro-casino lawmaker Takeshi Iwaya, who is a familiar figure at IR industry events, having been a keynote speaker on multiple occasions.
One of the allegedly bribed politicians, Mikio Shimoji, who also happens to be the only one who wasn’t a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has admitted receiving the bribe.
So to understand the current situation: Prosecutors have the testimony of the Japanese 500 Dot Com advisers who have named six lawmakers that they say they bribed in 2017. One of the six admits the charge and the other five deny it. The very same evidence implicates all six, and yet somehow the five ruling party lawmakers would have the world believe that although one politician has admitted the charge, that they are innocent.
Interesting for our purposes is the stark difference in how Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui, head of the Japan Innovation Party (Osaka Ishin), handled the matter as compared to the Abe government.
Matsui, as well as his junior colleague, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, made very clear that they have zero tolerance for this kind of corruption. They rejected Mikio Shimoji’s offer to resign from the party and they expelled him instead. They followed up with a new policy stipulating that any company or individual connected to the IR industry would no longer be welcome at any of their lawmakers’ fundraising parties.
The Abe government, through the person Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, took the opposite tack, suggesting that 500 Dot Com’s alleged bribery has absolutely nothing to do with IR policy and is nothing more than an irrelevant distraction. There was no talk of punishing lawmakers who might have accepted bribes, no open admonition to anyone thinking about taking bribes, and no new policies to combat bribe-taking within the ruling party ranks. Suga simply pledged to advance IR development as scheduled so that the Japanese people, eventually, would see the positive results.
Hardly for the first time, Abe and Suga are essentially defying anyone to stop them. The public arguments they are making are illogical and even demonstrably false, but they know that the opposition parties are too divided, weak, and generally pathetic to hold them to account. If they leave the general impression that they are thoroughly corrupt—well, so what? There’s no plausible alternative government waiting in the wings, and they know it.
But if the Abe government is insulated from the Japanese public, that’s not equally true for the local governments that are now engaged in IR bids. Many of them can indeed be defeated in elections, and they are thus directly exposed to local public opinion.
So while at the national level the opposition parties are planning to submit legislation that would abolish the 2016 IR Promotion Act and completely reverse the national policy, this effort is almost certain to fail. Most likely, the Abe government will contemptuously dismiss the bill and have little difficulty in doing so.
The outcomes at the local level, however, may indeed be put in jeopardy by the 500 Dot Com bribery scandal.
The conservative Hokkaido governor has already declined to make an IR bid, with the inability of ruling party assemblymen to back the initiative being a key factor. The Chiba mayor has also backed out of the IR race, though he tactfully denies that the major scandal influenced his decision.
The biggest remaining local battleground, obviously, is Yokohama—both because it would likely host the nation’s largest IR, and because the city administration is already battling hostile local opinion opposed to the IR construction initiative at Yamashita Pier. If the 500 Dot Com scandal were to topple the Yokohama IR plans, that would be a massive impact indeed.
Other major bidders, especially Osaka and Nagasaki, are probably less exposed to this scandal because their local publics are more tolerant of the IR initiatives, having been prepared for many years by their political leaders. (AGB Nippon)
500 Dot Com
Yokohama City
Osaka City
Sasebo City
Abe, Shinzo
Suga, Yoshihide
Iwaya, Takeshi
Matsui, Ichiro
Yoshimura, Hirofumi
Japan’s IR Industry as Caesar’s Wife
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Anti-Casino Mayoral Candidate Emerges in Wakayama
Japan - May 7, 2018
The issue of Wakayama’s IR bid will be a leading point of contention in the city’s July 29 mayoral election after a decidedly anti-casino challenger, Kumiko Shima, announced her candidacy.
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Sports Betting
United States - May 15, 2018
The US Supreme Court has struck down a federal law against sports betting, paving the way for states to introduce legislation and opening a multi-billion dollar market.
Star Entertainment VIP Revenue Surges
Australia - May 29, 2018
Star Entertainment Group said its international VIP rebate business has continued to show strong growth into the second quarter, with turnover jumping almost 64 percent year to date.
Judicial Scriveners’ Association Calls for Scrapping IR Bill
Japan - June 5, 2018
The Japan Federation of Shiho-Shoshi Lawyer's Associations, the leading group for the nation’s judicial scriveners who specialize in legal registration procedures, issued a statement on June 5 calling for the IR Implementation Bill to be scrapped.
Opposition Makes Last Ditch Appeal against IR Bill
Japan - June 13, 2018
Five House of Representatives lawmakers from five separate opposition parties held a press conference within the Diet Building on June 12 in a last ditch attempt to prevent the passage of the IR Implementation Bill through the Lower House.
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Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman Reveals Promise He Made to His Late Wife, Beth
Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane "Dog" Chapman has revealed the promise that he made to his wife, Beth Chapman, before she died.
Chapman appeared on the Dr. Oz Show on Monday (Sept. 30), and he shared a conversation he had with Beth before she died in June.
“My parrot died about two months before Beth left me, and I was crying,” Chapman says in the clip above. “And she said, ‘Why are you crying? It’s a bird!’ I said, ”'Cause I loved him!’ She said, ‘Big Daddy, you’re gonna be so sad when I die, but it’s gonna be okay.'”
“She said, ‘The Bible says time heals all wounds’ — and I looked and it’s not in there — and she said, ‘With time, it’ll get better, but don’t you ever take my name off your chest!'”
Chapman adds that he made that promise, and he showed off the tattoo on his chest for good measure.
Beth Chapman died on June 26 following a two-year battle with cancer. She was 51. Dr. Oz diagnosed Duane Chapman with a pulmonary embolism in the same episode on Monday, warning him, “You’re a ticking time bomb. You’re not going to be here with the heart the way it is right now. Fear of death is normal. I’m surprised you don’t fear death when you’re chasing after convicts. But when you run away from [the] doctor, that means you have to do your own doctoring.”
The news came just two weeks after Chapman suffered a "heart emergency." He has since altered his diet and begun taking blood thinners, and he is also working on breaking his smoking habit.
Beth Chapman's Last Words Were Gracious, Caring:
Country Stars Who've Battled Cancer:
Source: Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman Reveals Promise He Made to His Late Wife, Beth
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John Schneider Talks About Wife Alicia's Cancer Battle [VIDEO]
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Chicago police shooting video of Ronald Johnson, 25, to be released, mayor says
By Leah Hope
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city will release a video of a 25-year-old man being shot to death by a Chicago police next week.
Ronald Johnson was fatally shot on October 12, 2014. Eight days later, Laquan McDonald, 17, was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer. Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder just last week.
Johnson's family has been pressing officials to release the squad car video of the shooting. They say it will prove Johnson was unarmed when he was he was shot to death. The city says he had a gun and pointed it at police before an officer opened fire.
"That is absolutely not true," attorney Michael Oppenheimer said during a news conference Thursday. "You see officers with their guns, they were carrying weapons. Ronald Johnson was not carrying a weapon. There is no gun in his hand. There is nothing, no cellphone."
Oppenheimer says the video shows Johnson running away from the car after the back window had been shot out.
He claims the initial Freedom of Information Act request filed by the family for the video's release was ignored and then denied. A federal FOIA lawsuit was then filed in October 2014.
"Finally, it's about time. We have been fighting for over a year now to get that tape released. We have been fighting for justice for Dorothy Holmes, her son, and really the people of Chicago," Oppenheimer said.
Johnson's mother, Dorothy Holmes, has seen the video. She said it shows her son running away.
police shootingchicago police department
Chicago mothers want justice for sons killed by police
Family: City covering up another police shooting of unarmed man
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Access Bollywood
Hindi movie reviews from an American moviegoer's perspective
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Tag Archives: Worst Bollywood Movies of 2014
Streaming Video News: March 1, 2015
I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix because two awful movies starring Saif Ali Khan were just added to the service. (Also, Singham is back on Netflix again.) The 2014 slapstick comedy Humshakals is now available for streaming, as is 2013’s Bullett Raja. While Bullett Raja is simply a mess, Humshakals is offensive and mean. Both films are so terrible that they made my annual “Worst Bollywood Movies” lists in 2013 and 2014.
This entry was posted in Streaming Video and tagged Bollywood, Bollywood Movies on Netflix, Bullett Raja, Desi Movies on Netflix, Hindi, Hindi Movies on Netflix, Humshakals, Indian, Indian Movies on Netflix, Movie, Netflix, Saif Ali Khan, Streaming Video, Worst Bollywood Movies of 2013, Worst Bollywood Movies of 2014 on March 1, 2015 by Kathy.
Worst Bollywood Movies of 2014
While I felt that there were more good Bollywood movies than bad released in 2014, the year did produce some truly awful Hindi films. (Click on the title of each movie to read my original review.)
Some primarily suffered from poor story construction. In Jai Ho, Salman Khan inexplicably goes on a violent rampage when people fail to embrace his “pay it forward” scheme, resulting in Suniel Shetty plowing through traffic in a tank. Another Khan film — Kick — makes even less sense, as Khan transforms from a dopey slacker into Robin Hood overnight, and none of the supposedly intelligent characters in the film realize it’s him. Koyelaanchal‘s disorganized plot is a problem, but not as big a problem as its multiple flashbacks from the perspective of a baby.
I often write about gender issues in my reviews, so it’s no surprise that many of the worst movies of the year portrayed women negatively. The Xpose is essentially a morality lecture for women delivered by writer-actor-composer Himesh Reshammiya. According to Super Nani, a woman’s only real asset is her beauty, even if she’s old enough to be a grandmother.
A few lousy 2014 movies actually fancy themselves as socially progressive, even though they aren’t. Kaanchi inaccurately characterizes the heroine’s personal revenge as representative of a youth uprising against systemic corruption. The hero of Heropanti denounces arranged marriage while simultaneously affirming a father’s right to choose his daughter’s husband. Daawat-e-Ishq — the most disappointing Hindi film of 2014, given the quality of its cast and crew — depicts men as the real victims of dowry tradition.
The delightfully inept Karle Pyaar Karle could have been a perfect “so bad, it’s good” movie, were it not for a racist subplot. The movie’s heroine is threatened with forced marriage to a dark-skinned African man, a character introduced solely to represent the worst fate imaginable for an Indian woman. The hero and heroine use racial slurs, and the heroine’s mother proposes suicide for herself and her daughter as a way to avoid the marriage. It’s an offensive and frustrating end to an otherwise unintentionally hilarious movie.
The absolute worst Hindi movie of 2014 combines the shortcomings of the other films on the list and multiplies them exponentially. That film is the loud and tacky Humshakals. Offensive jokes are aimed at almost every group except straight Indian men, with director Sajid Khan’s preferred target being overweight women. As one can infer from the female characters Khan wrote for the movie, his ideal woman is a brainless sex object.
Unlike Karle Pyaar Karle, there’s nothing funny about Humshakals, intentional or unintentional. It’s a cynical film, pandering to the basest prejudices of the lowest common denominator. Sajid Khan writes the mean-spirited jokes he does because he thinks he can get away with them. It’s time for not only the audience but members of the industry to tell him that we deserve better.
Worst Hindi Movies of 2014
Humshakals — Buy at Amazon
Karle Pyaar Karle
Kick — Buy at Amazon
Koyelaanchal — Buy at Amazon
Heropanti — Buy/rent at Amazon or iTunes
Jai Ho — Buy at Amazon
Daawat-e-Ishq — Buy at Amazon or iTunes
Super Nani — Buy/rent at iTunes
The Xpose — Buy at Amazon
Kaanchi: The Unbreakable — Buy/rent at Amazon or iTunes
Previous Worst Movies Lists
This entry was posted in Articles and tagged 2014, Bollywood, Daawat-e-Ishq, Heropanti, Hindi, Humshakals, Indian, Jai Ho, Kaanchi: The Unbreakable, Karle Pyaar Karle, Kick, Koyelaanchal, Movie, Sajid Khan, Super Nani, The Xpose, Worst Bollywood Movies of 2014, Worst Hindi Movies of 2014 on January 2, 2015 by Kathy.
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ACL 2019 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers
By postrockcafe / December 9, 2019 / Featured Articles / Leave a comment
The competition was tough this year, but we’ve been able to whittle our selection down to ten. These album covers made us want to hear the music, and even if the music wasn’t much good (don’t worry, it was), we still wanted a copy of the art, preferably on vinyl. In the old days, we’d bring these albums to school to show our friends; we’d debate over the meanings and metaphors, and commit the images to memory. Thankfully we can do that today with our phones, with no risk to the records. And now, A Closer Listen presents The Best Album Covers of 2019!
The above image is taken from the John Peele Center for Creative Arts via The Suffolk Guide.
Black to Comm ~ Seven Horses for Seven Kings (Thrill Jockey)
Andreas Diefenbach‘s cover art is an “overpainting of a famous TV personality,” reminiscent of the band Slipknot and signifying the dark nature of the music found within. Of all the covers in this year’s list, it’s the most likely to be called iconic. The right eye is the more frightening of the two, but the left has been scratched out, as if subject to Stalin’s campaign of omission ~ a chilling trend that finds new reflection in the era of post-truth.
Andreas Diefenbach:
I’ve known Marc for nearly 20 years now. We first met when i was running my record shop and label for experimental music called reis* in Hamburg. Since then we appreciated each others work. He used a lot of my works for his record sleeves. During my work for the last show in beginning of 2019 I constantly listened to Seven Horses. That may had an influence on my new stuff I think.
I’m a big fan of Asger Jorn’s paintings from the 60’s and Kirkeby’s from the mid 70’s. In these periods they did overpaintings of cheap paintings from carboot sales. In my painting called “Tunneln” I painted over a print of Pamela Anderson which was mounted on canvas. In my opinion it matches perfectly with the sound of Black To Comm. A win win situation, as always.
Marc Richter:
Andreas is always the first person I go to when looking for artworks. His approach to painting is similar to my way of making music – collage, sampling, overpainting existing works.
I’m usually trying to incorporate less obvious themes and images on a sleeve and don’t mind some confusion about the relationship between the visuals and the music; but this time the artwork represented the music so well I couldn’t resist. It’s such a perfect translation of the sounds within. It’s almost a bit comical as well (especially if you know the origin) which is a nice contrast to all the super-serious designs in a lot of avantgarde music.
Eli Rainsberry ~ Wilmot’s Warehouse OST (Self-Released)
Richard Hogg‘s art for Wilmot’s Warehouse bursts with color and creates immediate interest in the video game and the music. The project is described as “a game for people who like to organize stuff,” and this image is perfectly organized, descending from blue to orange. One wants to know more about every little aspect ~ and wouldn’t this series of squares be great as a set of actual, real-world blocks?
Richard Hogg:
All of the artwork on the Wilmots Warehouse soundtrack covers is just art from the game. Technically it would even be possible for a player to recreate the cover in-game by arranging the products in their warehouse. When Eli asked me to do the cover I wanted to make something that was honest and true to the game, but I also wanted to make something a bit different and that hopefully had a lyricism and a richness to it that reflected how I felt about the music. I think it might be my favorite bit of Wilmots Warehouse art, an honour it shares with the Hohokum soundtrack art, easily my favorite thing that I made for that game.
Eli Rainsberry:
Even though I’ve seen a lot of his art throughout the game beforehand, being able to work with Dick on the album artwork was a sweet experience. I had a feeling that something fairly minimal, but expressive in a way that helped convey how I felt about my sounds, and what impression that could give to others, would be effective – I think we were both on the same page with that! So I simply asked to have something based entirely on the tiles, but I also allowed more freedom with curating the tiles and colour palette, and any other things that would be important to express, such as how Dick felt about the music and game, too. The outcome was really satisfying, and I think the design balanced out to show something that both of us would be really content with, as well as summarising what I composed for the game a little too accurately.
Floating Spectrum ~ A Point Between (Temporary Residence)
The album was inspired by a dance performance, was translated into music, and inspired the beguiling cover image by Abe Pazos. The tendrils represent hair and synthesizer cords, while the swirls suggest paint: an apt combination of images for Mei-Fang Liau’s debut album. On the vinyl edition, red swirls are found on the record as well. The art ~ as well as the music ~ exists at a point between.
Mei-Fang Liau:
The album is inspired by the cyclical nature and explores themes of growth and decay. I wanted the album artwork to be the visual representation of the core inspiration and the sound palette. Abe’s approach of combining colors from nature and his custom generative tool turned out to be a great match! The designer Federico Basile gave a final touch to the artwork by trimming it to a circular shape, which highlighted the concept and made the individual elements appear more alive.
Abe Pazos:
Producing the artwork was both a physical and a mind journey. Physical, because my body was surrounded by a new unknown world to me: South Taiwan, with its inspiring forms, tastes and smells. And a mind journey because I had no clear vision of what I was going to create, only a direction that involved growth, decay and the organic. The way I create is by writing computer programs that help me produce still and moving images. I spent weeks jumping between writing a painting software and using it to paint possible album covers. During one of our walks in the forest we suddenly came up with the idea of collecting fallen plant leaves in different states of decay and sorting them to create a color palette, which was the missing breakthrough that lead to the cover you can see in the album. You can read a more detailed post here.
Lilien Rosarian ~ a day in bel bruit (Self-Released)
a day in bel bruit is a family affair, as one sibling is responsible for the music and the other (Corey Abel) the fantastical cover art. The image is a perfect reflection of the theme: an abandoned village “where radio sounds now replace those of the residents.” After hearing the music, one is unable to stare at the cover without hearing the sounds: a seamless combination of audio and visual.
Lilien Rosarian:
The cover is an amalgamation of many bits and pieces of old colorized photos, rearranged to form the landscape of Bel Bruit. The method was influenced by some of Petra Cortright’s artworks of looping, fragmented landscapes; we wanted the world to mimic the glitchy, repetitive nature of the sounds that emanated from it.
Manja Ristić ~ The Black Isle (Flag Day Recordings)
It’s rare for albums of field recordings to possess such evocative covers, but The Black Isle bucks the trend. This particular piece comes from the series Strange Waves, by Simonida Rajčević. The red line and submerged figure represent the hydroponic nature of the set, as well as a connection with memory and surrender. The Black Isle appears to the bottom right, nudging its way into the mind and frame.
Manja and Simonida:
The whole idea of the exhibition Strange waves is to explore the sense of passivity and helplessness of individuals in society, of bodies that are both exposed and sensitive, as well as the possibility to use those feelings to turn them into their opposites. Human transcendence and overcoming, being surrounded by abstract landscapes against which the body seems small and vulnerable, especially considering the format it’s set in. It’s an inclusive and safe space, but on the other hand it’s also no man’s land, a two-dimensional surface with limits and encounters of space and volume.
The Phonometrician ~ Mnemosyne (Lost Tribe Sound)
The popularity of HBO’s His Dark Materials has brought new attention to the beloved steampunk genre, the bread and butter of artists such as São Paulo’s João Ruas. The cover is only part of the illustration, and even more of the artist’s art graces the inside of Mnemosyne. An unusual album demands unusual art, and in this case the two have found a fitting match.
Carlos Morales (The Phonometrician):
Lost Tribe Sound did a fantastic job in having João Ruas’ art as the album cover. I really had a hard time conceptualizing a cover. I had several ideas lurking around that had to do with the overall motif of the album, I wanted it to be something special, something reminiscent of the excitement and mystery of the old days, crate digging and hunting for that one special vinyl or cd. When LTS sent me the image I thought, “that’s it.” And since that moment the music and art melted into one magical being where one cannot live without the other.
Lost Tribe Sound (label):
From day one with an album title like, ‘Mnemosyne’ (the goddess of Memory), there was a certain mystery to the music that we knew the album cover had to live up to. Having worked with the brilliant João Ruas on a few releases for William Ryan Fritch in the past, we knew his artistic style was shrouded with legend and mythology. We’d been in love with a couple of pieces from Ruas for a while, one being “Machinehat” (which became the main cover), and “Industry Study” (which became the back cover / alternative cover of the CD version). Both pieces had gorgeous muted color palettes of blues, greens and light flesh tones that seemed to encapsulate the tones of a memory. The incorporation of machine-like appendages also seemed to fit perfectly, with ’Mnemosyne’ being about how memories might sound if such a direct translation was possible, the device on the woman’s head in “Machinehat” reminded us of an early phonograph or the arm of a turntable, transmitting thoughts directly from the source. Another quality about Ruas’ visuals that seemed to mirror Morales’ music and the label’s art direction in 2019 was the focus on collage, chopping up bits of imagery, paper or sound, and rearranging them to satisfy the whole.
Polynation ~ Igneous (Atomnation)
We knew it right from the start: this album cover was going to make our list. Producer, drummer and graphic artist Hessel Stuut has produced a masterpiece, but in order to appreciate it, one must view it large. Everything here is exquisite, from lighting to design, a brilliant advertisement for a dramatic album. For even more sheer, muscular detail, see the art for the Toba single below.
Polynation:
The animals are 3d renders, inspired on classical paintings from Delacroix (La Liberté guidant le peuple) and landscapes from William Turner. We liked the idea of this stampede of wild beasts fleeing from a vulcanic eruption – becoming petrified in the process. Igneous has this as a concept in mind: on the verge of apocalypse, examining the different atmospheres and feelings of letting go, mourning, euphoria, and melancholy.
Skyphone ~ Marsh Drones (Lost Tribe Sound)
After seeing the amazing design for Hildur (re-issued alongside the current release), Skyphone and Lost Tribe Sound called on Martin Sønderlev Christensen again for the follow-up. This incredible hybrid of nature and technology finds foothold on the album as well. The neatest detail is the family wading across the marsh ~ just as one wades into this music and art.
Martin Sønderlev Christensen (artist)
The cover art for Marsh Drones is a continuation of the previous Skyphone album Hildur. The soundscape of Hildur is vibrant and wooden in its texture, but with Marsh Drones we are moving to a more crisp, edgy, dark vibe with a sometimes apocalyptic backdrop to it.
Marsh Drones moves into a more digital realm with a more glossy and finalized imagery. Rather than a collage stitched together by pieces of randomly found graphic material – Marsh Drones is created as a scenery or a story that could be both real and unreal – at the same time. Things look real, but the proportions and situations do not align – rather they make new meaning.
A bit like Skyphone’s music where layers upon layers creates a soundscape that is extremely melodic and exciting, where there is always something that changes, thus your ear is constantly pleased and challenged. Clearly the many intertwining tunes tells a story that Mads, Keld and Thomas narrate through bass, guitar and synths. The message, to me at least, is intriguing as well as disturbing. Skyphone is not making songs, they are making music and there is a true artistic quality to this, that I try to make a homage to.
I was also fascinated by the idea of drones – specifically drones hovering the Marsh lands over Jutland Denmark where Skyphone originates from. I was imagining these mega-drones almost building-like structures that could fly in and colonize the Marsh. Drones are very exotic technological artifacts and scarily new to us. We kind of put our dreams into them. Drones are from the future, but at the same time they are already here in a very mundane way. They are both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It creates, like the album, a sort of half-real sci-fi-ish dystopian scene.
Lastly I wanted to make a cover that had its own qualities, I find that most cover art misses the chance to tell a story, that expands or is in dialogue with the music. Often it seems like someone just splashed some imagery and text on to it. We could see the LP-cover as the most prestigious canvas for art as LP’s become more and more exclusive alongside the increasingly digital consumption of music.
WaqWaq Kingom ~ Essaka Hoisa (Phantom Limb)
That is one crazy cover, and yes ~ those are indeed the two artists in the frame, running from a three-eyed skeleton who has lost his middle eye. Kiki Hitomi may be known for her work with King Midas sound, but now she’s in a new duo that is benefitting from her art as well. The image simultaneously honors and comments upon kago folklore ~ now we are all part of the myth. The music is similarly serrated, a blend of styles from Shinto to Atari.
Kiki Hitomi:
The last song I recorded with my vocals was Hototogisu on our new album Essaka Hoisa. I wrote this lyric all in Japanese, one of the songs, Hototogisu says “一つの信念とワクワク、道しるべにえっさかほいさっさー”, make one true believe and waqwaq (passion and exciting feeling in Japanese) into the guide or sign post to reach the destination on ‘Essaka Hoisa’ journey of life. Essaka Hoisa in Japanese is a kind of sound we say when we are on the run or making effort and working hard to the distinction. During the Edo period, Japanese people carry heavy stuff or a human in Kago (basket carrier to transport people) with two people or more people, they need to keep the harmony to carry on, and so they shout “essaka hoisa”. The carrier people are saying to encourage themselves to get going on their hard work as an almost rhythmical way. This shouting is also good at keeping their spirits lifted; therefore they can keep going even when carrying heavy Mikoshi, important dignitaries or other stuff for miles.
I wanted to draw the cover with Japanese ukiyoe style. I love Hokusai and Kuniyoshi Ukiyoe style, the motif and concept. I especially love Ukiyoe Manga which is the real original of Japanese manga that developed in Edo period in Japan. It’s Ukiyoe but there are letters as description and conversation of the characters in the Ukiyoe. So I took the Ukiyoe Manga style in the cover! I wanted say that life is the training journey to be better soul dropping 108 ego that based on Buddist philosophy. But you do that not alone and you learn many things with and from others. On the album cover, me and DJ Scotch Egg are carrying a 3rd eye ball which represents ultimate justice and truth stealing from the giant skeleton with tattooed number 108 in Chinese characters. I drew Ukiyoe style wave… wave represent uneasy life. Life is like a wild wave in ocean; they keep coming and coming. Apparently in old Turkish or Arabic story there is WaqWaq island and on the island there are tree growing with fruits have faces! So I drew them on the cover but I made a pine tree which you can see them often on Ukiyoe motife.
Yodok III ~ This Earth We Walk Upon (Consouling Sounds)
No, this disaster didn’t actually occur ~ cover artist Juliane Schütz created the image by combining parts of ten photographs taken around the globe. This is the top half of the full image in the foldout, but we prefer it as is, with the emphasis on the smoke. The single-track, 63-minute album builds in timbre from fog to fire. The image is a teaser, but it’s also a coming attraction.
Designer Juliane Schütz:
Place yourself into a foreign setting with your ingrown mindset of beliefs, rituals, habits and patterns. As opposed to being a visitor, settling makes you find yourself integrating pieces of that place so you can grow in it.
The challenge is to align that setting’s ingrown rules and convictions with your own. When do convictions become restrictions?
Treading farther, you discover a startling gap between what’s being presented to you and what hides behind the masquerade. Pretentiousness seems to outgrow integrity. How else do you make yourself heard when everyone around you is screaming? What parts will you manifest into your own identity to get along, and what parts of yourself are you willing to reveal in return?
When force majeure ruthlessly tears down all walls without a warning, you find yourself placed into a foreign setting with your ingrown mindset of beliefs, rituals, habits and patterns.
Tags: a day in bel bruit, A Point Between, Abe Pazos, ACL 2019, Andreas Diefenbach, atomnation, Black to Comm, Consouling Sounds, Eli Rainsberry, Essaka Hoisa, flag day recordings, Floating Spectrum, Hessel Stuut, Igneous, Joao Ruas, Juliane Schutz, Kiki Hitomi, Lilien Rosarian, Lost Tribe Sound, Manja Ristić, Marsh Drones, Martin Sonderlev Christensen, Mnemosyne, Phantom Limb, Polynation, Richard Allen, Richard Hogg, Seven Horses for Seven Kings, Simonida Rajcevic, Skyphone, Temporary Residence, The Black Isle, The Phonometrician, The Year's Best Album Covers, This Earth We Walk Upon, thrill jockey, WaqWaq Kingdom, Wilmot's Warehouse, YODOK III
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Enjoy Winter to its Fullest at Mukaitaki Inn
Updated December 22, 2016 | Ryokan , Tohoku Resorts
Mukaitaki was a designated hot spring inn, or onsen ryokan, of the Aizu Han, the feudal domain that formed the western part of modern Fukushima Prefecture. During the winter, its biggest event is the Yukimi Candles ("Snow-Viewing Candles"), where 80 candles are lit every night in the snow-covered gardens of the inn.
Architecture of Mukaitaki
Located at Aizu Higashiyama Onsen in Fukushima Prefecture, historic Mukaitaki has been known as the Aizu Domain's designated place for rest and relaxation since the Meiji Era (1868-1912), known for maintaining its own exclusive natural spring, the Kitsune Bath. Its current wooden construction was put in place during the early Showa Period (1926-1989), and it is this construction, registered as one of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, that truly showcases this site's powerful preservation of history in the snow.
Although Mukaitaki has a history of housing important guests such as members of the imperial family and international summit attendees, with its 24 unique rooms of all different sizes, it's not too big and quite comfortable for guests. Due to its intricate design, it's unlikely for guests to run into each other outside of their rooms, and from the long Japanese-style corridor between the guest rooms and the hot springs you can view the Yukimi Candles in the courtyard in peace.
Yukimi Candles in the Courtyard
Throughout the year, you can see the beautiful scenery of the seasons at Mukaitaki, but the nightly Yukimi Candles in the winter courtyard are a fantastic snowy experience exclusive to this inn. Starting before sundown, the people of Mukaitaki spend hours arranging the snow in the courtyard and lighting the candles one by one. The soft glow from the candles that slowly fills the courtyard at nightfall delivers a feeling pure as white snow to anyone who sees it.
Approximately 80 candles are placed on the inclined courtyard from top to bottom, creating a beautiful sight when viewed under the moon from the guestroom windows, while those in the corridors can savor the glow reflected on the white snow. Depending on the angle, you can get two separate views of the candles, each with a completely different feel.
The Yukimi Candles are lit from late December until early March each year. Weather permitting, they will be lit every night for a few hours after sundown.
Naturally Flowing Hot Springs
Originally used as an escape for the upper-class samurai of the Aizu Han, the hot spring at Mukaitaki was inherited from the feudal domain, and still overflows with its naturally soothing hot water, carefully maintained to this day.
The sheer number of baths is also impressive.
The hot Kitsune-Yu springs naturally from the ground and fills the bath without the help of any machinery, while the more temperate Saru-no-Yu has large windows that let in the outside air, giving it the feel of an outdoor bath.
There are also three private baths available to rent, allowing you to have a nice relaxing soak on your own.
None of these baths requires any advance reservation, and they are available 24 hours a day. The fresh, clear, colorless, 100 percent natural bathwater is smooth enough to stick to your skin, providing you with lasting warmth.
Winter Aizu Cuisine
Throughout the four seasons, the locally produced food offers a gentle flavor without chemical flavorings.
The inn's winter menu starts with the Mukaitaki-exclusive Bishukako sake (above), herring pickled in sansho pepper (a famous preservative food of the Aizu winter), and kozuyu, a clam soup made with vegetables such as carrots and maidenhair, often found at celebratory meals in Aizu. The local cuisine will make you feel the warmth of this snowy land.
Hideyo Noguchi, the famed Japanese bacteriologist who once stayed here, was so moved by the taste of the pure rice Bishukako sake that the label includes his handwriting and signature to this day. This delicious sake is especially exquisite combined with Aizu’s own sweet simmered carp, which has been around since the Edo Period (1603-1868). In the mountainous Aizu region, carp were regarded as a valuable source of protein, and are said to have been a feast for the feudal lords, with Mukaitaki particularly known for this traditional dish. It comes in a big bowl, but if you can’t finish it all, the staff will vacuum pack it for you to bring home—so don’t hesitate to ask for a doggie bag!
Read full story: trip101.com
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See The Screaming Guanajuato Mummies Whose Faces Remain Frozen In Terror
By Gabe Paoletti
The Guanajuato mummies died in anguish, and you can still see it on their faces today.
Meet The Ghoulish Salt Mummies That Were Frozen In Time
Bog Bodies: See The Pre-Egyptian Mummies Made By Nature
The Fiendish Plot Behind The "Screaming Mummy"
One of the Guanajuato mummies on display at the Museum of the Mummies in Guanajuato, Mexico.Oscar Avila/Chicago Tribune/MCT/Getty Images
A view of some of the Guanajuato mummies. 1952. Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
A mummified infant of Guanajuato.Digital Light Source/UIG/Getty Images
One of the Guanajuato mummies clutches a document.Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Guanajuato mummies on display. 1955. George Pickow/Three Lions/Getty Images
One of the Guanajuato mummies on display.Anders Lagerås/Wikimedia Commons
Two of the Guanajuato mummies on display.Three Lions/Getty Images
This mummified infant is considered one of the smallest mummies in the museum.Asenetp/Wikimedia Commons
A young girl buried in her communion dress. 1955.Three Lions/Getty Images
The hand of one of the Guanajuato mummies.Tomascastelazo/Wikimedia Commons
One of the Guanajuato mummies.César Landeros Soriano/Wikimedia Commons
A mummified child on display.Digital Light Source/UIG/Getty Images
When science fiction author Ray Bradbury first visited the sleepy town of Guanajuato, Mexico in 1947, he was shocked and horrified.
“The experience so wounded and terrified me, I could hardly wait to flee Mexico,” he said of the trip. “I had nightmares about dying and having to remain in the halls of the dead with those propped and wired bodies.”
Bradbury then went home and immediately wrote "The Next In Line," a bone-chilling short story about malevolent supernatural forces.
What had disturbed Bradbury so much about his visit to this Mexican town was his encounter with the famed Guanajuato mummies.
In the 1850s, the world was gripped by an enormous cholera epidemic, causing death rates to spike across the globe. Guanajuato, for one, had run out of room in their underground cemeteries for all of the bodies that they were amassing and began interring them instead in newly made above-ground crypts.
In this warm, arid environment, the partially embalmed corpses began to mummify.
Then, in 1865, the local government instituted a "burial tax," forcing families to pay a certain sum of money to keep their loved ones buried. When families were unable to pay the tax, their loved ones' bodies were wrenched out of their resting place and moved to a storage facility.
It was then that the owners of the crypt first saw these bodies after their burial, and were shocked to see the extent to which they'd mummified, their faces frozen into what looked like screams of terror.
Once word of the Guanajuato mummies spread around town, and people began paying workers at the cemetery a few pesos to catch a peek. And as the workers pulled more and more bodies out of the crypt, they found more and more gruesome mummies.
One body they pulled out, belonging to an Ignacia Aguilar, was found biting into her own arm; it is thought that she was buried alive when the symptoms of her cholera made her heart appear to stop.
Another of the Guanajuato mummies was a woman who died in childbirth and her 24-week-old fetus, believed to be the youngest mummy in existence.
The interest around the Guanajuato mummies only grew from there, and by the early 1900s, they had already become a tourist attraction. Eventually, 111 mummies were unearthed and put on display for tourists.
In 1968, a museum called El Museo de las Momias was established to display the Guanajuato mummies. Today, you can still visit this museum, where you can see the 59 mummies they currently have on display.
After this look at the Guanajuato mummies, learn about the fiendish plot behind the burial of Egypt's “screaming mummy”. Then, check out the Paris catacombs, the world's largest crypt.
Gabe Paoletti
Gabe is a New York City-based writer and an Editorial Intern at All That Is Interesting.
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Work, Ed Edd N Eddy, Ho Yay,
Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy
Ho Yay/Western Animation
Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy/Ho Yay
< Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy
Any combination of the title characters for Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy. While there really isn't much canon 'hints', the only girls on the series are either creepers (the Kanker sisters: May, Marie, and Lee), a ticking-timebomb of anger (Ed's little sister, Sarah), or Nazz, and it's really easy to get Everyone Is Gay syndrome. Edd and Eddy is one of the more popular pairings, probably induced by their canon kiss.
Also, Kevin and Rolf.
In the episode "Fa-La-La-La-Ed", Ed mistakenly thinks it's Christmas and puts up a mistletoe. When Edd accidentally walks under it together with him, Ed is all too willing to kiss him.
And to add onto this, Edd's only reaction was this, and I quote:
"Ed, please! Someone may be watching!"
A bit later in the episode, when Eddy spends all the money he earned while christmas caroling once everyone began to have fun with the idea of an early Christmas, he digs into the bag of jawbreakers he bought and the first one he pulled out, he had meant to give to Double D, only for Ed to steal it away and hand out all of the jawbreakers to the kids in the cul-de-sac, leaving absolutely none for him and his two companions.
Near the very beginning of the same episode, there is a bit of a JimmyxEdd moment when Jimmy offers his full piggy bank to him as a christmas present and as Sarah pulls him away before Eddy could take the present instead, Edd is seen with folded hands and staring rather dreamily in the direction he exited. Granted, he had openly stated that he was happy that the kids of the cul-de-sac, given the feeling of Christmas, realized it was better to give than to recieve.
In the episode 'May I Have This Ed', Eddy learns about a school dance and puts up a poster claiming whoever signs it can 'Win a Date with Eddy'. The only person who signs it is Ed, who in turn blushes bashfully.
Also in that episode, after a chaotic evening at the school dance Eddy proclaims: "I'm done with dames!". Note Double D's reaction.
On Edd's defense, he was dancing with Nazz before the chaos ensures, causing Marie to get jealous. Yet, still note that the smile only appeared for a literal second the moment he said it and disappeared not long after.
Some of the Ho Yay comes from Ed's innocently naughty remarks.
There's also the movie in which Edd has a bit of No Sense of Personal Space towards Eddy, Eddy's brother remarks how Edd is Eddy's girlfriend (note how neither Edd nor Eddy deny what he'd said), and Ed asks Eddy for a goodnight kiss.
Edd and Eddy were a little..."iffy" throughout the whole movie. Especially this.
Also in the movie, Edd and Eddy have what feels a whole lot like a lover's quarrel, which ends in Edd turning and leaving Ed and Eddy alone in the swamp. Eddy absolutely falls apart, starts bawling, and screams an apology at Edd while berating himself to try and get him to come back.
And when Edd does come back, the two of them ride off into a sunset on Ed's shoulders with their arms around each other. And Eddy is still crying, only now they're happy tears.
As obscene as the idea of shipping Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy characters is, there's absolutely no denying the entire third act of the movie strongly hinted at Edd/Eddy being canon.
Before Double D is rudely awakened by the stench of Ed's feet, it appears he and Eddy were sleeping right next to each other. With only the jar of fireflies between them.
In the Valentine's Day episode Edd gives Ed and Eddy Valentine's Day cards (Eddy's says "You electrify me.") and at one point Eddy puckers his lips at Kevin before realizing who it is.
The Valentine is seen again in 'May I Have This Ed', when Eddy's throwing stuff out of his closet. While everything else is lying haphazardly on the floor, the Valentine is carefully propped up against the wall, which shows Eddy places an importance on it. This and the very fact that he kept it is enough to show how much it meant to him.
Let's not forget the end of that particular episode where Ed gives Eddy CPR. Ed: "Mouth to mouth for Eddy!"
The second half of "Fistful of Ed" gave us hints of Double D/Jimmy.
In later seasons of the show, Jimmy seems to be harboring what can only be described as a girlish crush on Double D, which could mean he wasn't only upset that he was stealing Sarah's attention... in the movie, he makes a point of dusting him off while everyone else is beating the ever loving crap out of Johnny for harming the Eds that they liked now, and he's a bit too happy when Rolf pushes their faces together in "Too Smart for His Own Ed". He does copy everything Sarah does, so it could be an extension of that, but their relationship blatantly borders that of a Fag Hag and Pet Homosexual as the series progresses.
In 'Scrambled Ed', Kevin and Eddy are pulling on Double D...
Kevin: This dork owes me a bike chain!
Eddy: He's MY dork, leggo!
In 'Shoo Ed', Eddy pats Double D's cheek and says, "Just stand there and look pretty!"
In 'Duelin' Eds', Double D says he's going to make cupcakes for Eddy; Eddy's smile of appreciation is seen for a second before Rolf interrupts.
In 'Luck of the Ed':
Ed: Boy, Double D! Eddy never looks at ME like that. Lucky feller.
In 'The Day the Ed Stood Still':
Eddy: *calling to Double D* Hey, useless! Put those rings down and take a load off your eyes. *bats eyelashes*
In 'Little Ed Blue', Double D plays a cavewoman in the movie the Eds make, and Eddy tries to show off his muscles to "her".
In 'A Case of Ed', Double D's wearing a hospital gown, under which he has on nothing but underwear, and the gown's open in the back. Eddy says, "Nice shorts, Romeo!" when he passes Double D once.
In this same episode, at the end it is strange that Edd seems to have a spare key to Eddy's door when Kevin is attempting to get in. Though it is also possible that he merely knew the hiding place for said key.
In 'Here's Mud In Your Ed', Eddy begins thinking of what he'll do when he becomes rich. What's the first thing he says he wants to do? Buy Double D a new hat. One would expect greedy Eddy's first thoughts to be of his own self, but they're of Double D. Although, before this, he stated he may buy his father another house.
In 'Tight End Ed', Eddy says to Double D, "I'm only on this stupid team 'cause this uniform makes me look like a hunk!" Then he grins and puts his hands on his hips. Double D's response to this is to start giggling. Seems pretty much like a flirtatious exchange.
In 'Ed Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw', Eddy says to Double D (rather grumpily and as if he were jealous), "Ed this, Ed that. Why don't you marry the guy?" (adding on to this statement, only seconds after does Ed reply, stating that he is "taken")
Why is Double D waiting for Eddy right at the beginning of that? I mean, Ed went home for a movie marathon, but he's still at school for detention to end. Maybe it's just in Double D's good nature, but he does tell Eddy he deserved what he got and still hangs about for him.
Then, we have this line in 'Ed...Pass it On'
Kevin: What's with the balloons; you dorks getting married? To each other?!?!?!?
In the episode 'Ramblin Ed', Edd and Eddy slept together in the same bed.
Eddy: Turn out that light!!
Rolf: Ah, yes!! Sorry Ed-boy!!
In the episode 'Key to My Ed', Ed is dancing around while Rolf is playing music. He dances with Eddy and slams him into Double D, the two catching each other in a dancing position. Double D's only remark is a smirk and, "What? No flowers?"
It's noted that the only two instances of on screen lip-kissing in the series was between two guys.(example: Edd and Eddy kiss in the episode "Your Ed Here")
This picture. Yes, that's Eddy and Double D under a bed with dirty magazines and crumpled tissues. The fact that a storyboard artist ships them adds another layer on to this.
From "Nagged To Ed", we got this, ironically chanted by their eventual Stalkers With An Obsession:
The Kankers: Ed, Edd, and Eddy, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
From "Who's minding the Ed", we got THIS.
Rolf pulling out Edd's tongue and kissing it. Granted, he thought Edd was a woman at the time... but only because he was in drag!
In the episode 'A Boy And His Ed', Ed, Edd, and Eddy wound up in Kevin's bath, while he was naked and washing himself. At which point, Eddy wrapped his arm around Kevin's waist and scrubbed his head...or...hat. Granted, it was only to get Jawbreakers.
In "One + One = Ed", Eddy fashions himself a new hairstyle out of Jimmy's outline, and playfully asks Edd if he likes it. Edd giggles and bashfully replies "it suits you Eddy".
Hardly any of the characters have any sense of personal space. There is face-touching, udder-touching, and, as mentioned earlier, full-on petting. This touchy-feelyness is generally only seen within the male cast.
What, no one's posted THIS YET? Dude, just watch the end, when JIMMY GRINDS ED.
Ed: And sink 'em pants style!
This Troper always though Ed said, "Shake your pants down." But after reading the subtitles on the DVD, it would seem he says, "In syncopated style."
In the episode "Hand-Me-Down Ed", a mysterious boomerang causes some of the kids' personalities to change hilariously. When Ed holds it, it he becomes a TV Genius. When Eddy holds it, he becomes maternal. But when Double D holds it? He becomes a stripper. Ed has this reaction to it.
In one of the early episodes Nazz has a pool party and the Eds decide to show up in speedo's. About halfway through the episode the speedo's fly off and the Eds spend the rest of the day and night in the pool. The tiny pool. Naked. Right next to each other.
With no sign of being uncomfortable with it.
Jimmy and Johnny occasionally have this, interestingly enough.
Johnny: I can't take my eyes off of Jimmy either, Plank!
And let us not forget how interested Jonny is in Jimmy's injuries. And he's got the rape face to prove it.
In the conclusion of the episode "Fistful of Ed", the Kankers appear and it is revealed that all three girls knew Double D was just being clumsy and Lee is wearing a cast. The girls, ignoring the other two Eds, attack Double D in kisses. Not long after that comes that line all Eddx Eddy fans come to love:
Eddy: HEY! HE'S HAD ENOUGH ALREADY!!! So BEAT IT!
Another note: through the entire episode, Eddy is the only one who tries to publically stick up for Double D. Granted, he DID seek his heart's desire with blackmail, threatening to tell Double D to beat them up if they didn't do what he wanted, claiming he was the "best friend of the school bruiser", but there was no actual reason shown/claimed vocally for him to stick up for Double D at the last moment as he had done.
In the very beginning of the episode "Truth or Ed", (I will not mark this as a spoiler, for it's only in the very beginning and has practically nothing to do with the main plot) Plank, Johnny, Kevin, Nazz, Rolf, and Ed are all playing basketball on teams (Rolf and Kevin were the team captains, so naturally, Eddy was not picked to be on either team, Rolf even going so far as to select Plank as his final player). When they begin playing, Eddy stands by himself watching the game angrily. It didn't last long, however, since Ed had decided to catch (and manage to pop) the ball with his teeth. As the disappointed former players are leaving (all except Ed), Double D appears out of nowhere at Eddy's side, making googly eyes at him and him alone out of his excitement for the reason that follows.
In the episode "The Eds Are Coming" (the alien invasion special), after the kids rush to check out the supposed asteroid that shot out of Rolf's chimney and crash-landed in the middle of the park and a slimy green hand pops out of it, the kids are frantic and begin to scream and run away from the spot, hiding from plain sight. Eddy runs and hides near Double D, and when they think the cost is clear, they start to walk towards the "asteroid". But they fall short when a figure appears in front of them, at first frightening both of them. They slid backwards and Eddy is seen holding on for dear life to Double D, the same reaction coming from Edd, only Eddy is in front and for a brief second, you can see that Eddy is looking determined and trying to hide Double D behind him, as if he were protecting him.
What makes the above more adorable, perhaps, is that Eddy is actually CARRYING Edd rather than walking with him.
Also, later in the episode, Double D and Ed start to run towards the house giving off a terrible heat and oozing eerie green smoke when Eddy grab them and insist they stay, concerned that the "aliens" will suck out their brains, although he is all too willing to go out himself and capture them. If you think about it, it is as if he would risk his life to save them both. And with the subtle hints throughout the entire episode with Edd and Eddy, it would seem as though he were more concerned about Double D.
But you forget that they are friends. It is normal being worried, whether or not Ho Yay.
But you are forgetting that this is Eddy we're talking about, who has shown throughout most of the series to only care about himself. Concern for Double D is definitely Ho Yay.
Not necessarily given his Freudian Excuse with his brother's abuse.
Let's not forget how often the male cast is always grabbing each other's bottoms, especially Eddy with Ed in "Too Smart For His Own Ed."
In Jimmy's dream in "The Eds Are Coming", Kevin was shirtless.
In "They Call Him Mr. Ed", Rolf pulls Kevin by the butt.
In the title sequence, Eddy's nudging Double D and waggling his eyebrows at him. Heck, he lands on him when Ed throws them out of the way, and if you pause it at the right moment, Double D is smiling dreamily.
In "Shoo Ed," Rolf is very interested in Jonny's annoyance.
Eddy: What just happened? Rolf fell in love with the guy!
In "Little Ed Blue", after Eddy gets fed up and smacks Ed in frustration, Ed has a HUGE epic freakout, causing Edd to faint. Eddy at first ignores this but is then seen fanning Edd and desperately yelling at him to wake up. Considering how often he shows little to no sympathy at all when his friends get hurt, this definitely is a sweet moment for the two.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Ed,_Edd_%27n%27_Eddy/Ho_Yay?oldid=283109"
Ho Yay
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Waverley Labs and the Cloud Security Alliance featured on Fed News Radio
by Carter Cromley | Sep 1, 2015 | Blog Posts
Waverley Labs CEO & Founder Juanita Koilpillai, and Bill Corrington, Federal Director for the Cloud Security Alliance, recently sat down with John Gilroy on his popular Federal Tech Talk radio show.
Listen to the broadcast here >
Gilroy, Koilpillai and Corrington discussed the emergence of Software Defined Perimeters (SDPs) called “Invisible Clouds” or “Black Clouds” as a new strategy for stopping and preventing cyberattacks on application infrastructure in enterprises and large Government organizations. Together they have developed new commercial and open source approaches to SDPs that combine on-device authentication, identity-based access and dynamically provisioned connectivity. While the security components in SDP are common place, the integration of the three components is groundbreaking. More importantly, the SDP security model has been tested and proven to stop all forms of network attacks including DDoS, Man-in-the-Middle, Server Query (OWASP10) as well as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT).
Corrington pointed to recent real world deployments of SDPs by large commercial organizations like Coca Cola, while Koilpillai broke news about Waverley Labs recently being selected to work with the DHS on the industry’s first open source SPD as part of a major DDoS initiative by DHS’ S&T Computer Science Division. DHS is supporting Waverley Labs new open source SDP as an innovative new component to protect against DDoS attacks.
“We are excited as we believe this marks the beginning of what we expect to be wide spread use of SDPs as the first layer in a new security paradigm,” Koilpillai said. “This first layer is to establish an undetectable application infrastructure. The primary objective of the SDP is to make the application infrastructure effectively ‘black’ or undetectable (hence the term ‘black cloud’) that shows no domain name system (DNS) information or IP addresses.”
Koilpillai provided some history on SDPs and how they are based upon protocols originally developed by the DoD and the NSA. She described the unique SDP specification and how it standardizes a “Need-to-Know” access model that has been deployed within the DoD for many years but rarely seen in the commercial world.
She described how it enforces device verification before authentication that was first published by NSA a decade ago but never commercialized, and how it promotes the use of Mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is a great idea and standard that has yet to be widely adopted.
She emphasized that the result is the effective elimination of bandwidth denial of service, wireless and network attacks, and the top ten OWASP application attacks that have plagued companies for decades and continue to with increasing intensity.
Gilroy queried the two about the types of enterprises and Federal agencies that are the best candidates for deploying Black Clouds. Koilpillai and Corrington emphasized that any Federal agency that has data and applications that require the highest level of security in an unclassified or public environment should be considering SDPs. These types of environments and databases (health info, privacy info, financial info) are things that are not classified but are certainly proprietary and should secured in a much better way than they are currently.
Both also emphasized and described how an SDP could have stopped and prevented the high profile attacks like OPM, Anthem, and Target.
The show concluded with some predictions for where the Federal cloud is headed over the next five years, but to hear that you will need to listen to the Tech Talk podcast!
Thanks to John Gilroy and Fed News Radio for having us on the show. If you’re interested in learning more about the latest technology in the Federal marketplace, tune in to John’s show at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays or follow John on Twitter at @raygilray. For more information on Waverley Labs, visit http://www.waverleylabs.com.
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Local Demonstration Protests For Peace
Thursday, January 9, 2020 3:16 PM EST
VESTAL, N.Y. -
Around 40 protesters lined Vestal Parkway on Thursday with signs saying "Honk for Peace" and "Fight Climate Change, Not Iran" after conflicts between the U.S. and Iranian governments in the past week.
Groups gathered across the nation to protest a possible war with Iran after the killing of Military Leader Qasam Soleimani and the retaliation of Iran shooting over a dozen missiles at two Iraqi bases with U.S. troops.
Indivisible Binghamton, Broome County Peace Action, and Broome County Veterans for Peace were all part of the local rally.
“We’re out here protesting no war with Iran, but we want no wars with any country," said co-lead of Indivisible Binghamton Lori Wahila.
“There’s real people’s lives at risk here and not just our own troops, but all the Iranian people and so many other people in the countries of the Middle East that we have already done so much damage," said Jim Clune with Peace Action and Veterans for Peace.
Protesters like Clune and Wahila do not believe the conflict is over.
“It’s not over, and it’s not to say that I don’t think they might bomb us anymore but there’s many other ways that they can hurt us," said Wahila.
Wahila is worried that there are other ways Iran will retaliate with tactics like cyber warfare. The worry hits close to home after Iranian hackers with ties to the Iranian government were charged in 2016 after infiltrating the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, NY.
"I dont think the next war is going to be a traditional war," said Wahila.
No matter the conflict, the bottom line of it all -- peace.
"Too many lives are at stake, too many lives have already been at stake," said Reverend Tim Taugher with Indivisible Binghamton.
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Fist of the Blue Sky/YMMV
Americans Hate Tingle
The Scrappy/Anime
Hilarious in Hindsight/Anime
Trope, Stock Super Powers, Video Game Characters, Healing Hands
Characters with a Healing Factor have the ability to heal themselves at an incredibly fast rate. Characters with Healing Hands, however, are kind enough to share the wealth.
These are characters who have the ability to heal others. Usually this involves placing their glowing hands on another person's injuries, quickly healing the victim's wounds. In other more fantasy-based stories, a character may specialize in healing magic and be the team's designated healing hands. This is the role often given to the White Magician Girl in RPGs or The Healer in MMORPGs. Their primary purpose is to make sure that their comrades don't get killed on the battlefield. More accurately, they're there to let the fighters nearly get themselves killed, and then patch them up back to fighting strength. (Which is the justification to Shoot the Medic First.)
Due to its support nature, these abilities are often relegated to characters other than The Hero, usually The Medic, but may also be applied to teammates or sidekicks (often The Chick, sometimes The Smart Guy). If the Hero does possess the ability, it will be just one of his many. When they aren't the hero, these characters usually have limited offensive power, and will optionally possess the ability to dole out Standard Status Effects to enemies, or to improve the fighting abilities of their teammates. Part and parcel of this package is the ability to cure poison and other such nastiness.
While some characters may possess healing abilities advanced enough to revive the dead, this trope does not apply to those who solely bring back the dead. That's a different animal entirely. Oddly, healing hands may not be able to remove scars or regrow limbs. Characters who heal by coming in contact or extremely close range with their patient may come from the imagery of real-life medics. Because, you know, its not like medics have healing guns, or something.
It should be noted that when a villain has a healing power, it usually involves sapping life from others to restore their own vitality. Often the reverse is true for a hero, who must pay a price, typically fatigue or life energy, to heal others.
Also, in the wise words of Mr. Welch, the person with Healing Hands should make sure he knows exactly where he lays his hands.
Oftentimes, this power is also coupled with "healing induced bloodstain removal and clothing fix," usually when the wound is caused either by bullet or stabbing weapon - it can usually be seen in the form of the bloodstain going slowly away (as if the soaking process was played backwards) and the clothes consequently appearing undamaged (i.e. without bullet holes etc.).
Not to be confused with the Hong Kong medical drama of the same name. See also Psychic Surgery for a more invasive form of magical healing.
Examples of Healing Hands include:
Dende, Mr. Popo and Buu from Dragonball Z. In fact, a great number of Nameks besides Dende are also implied to have this, as Dende is part of a class of "healer" Nameks. Piccolo can repair clothing but not heal, while the latter don't repair clothing. Blood usually vanishes, bloodstains have to manually cleaned when other healing methods are used.
Asa, Primula, Kareha, and Nerine from Shuffle.
Shamal of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha specializes in this, and most mages eventually learn a healing spell or two.
All the medical ninja from Naruto:
Most notably Tsunade and Sakura. Though, it's more like superpower assisted first-aid and surgery than healing and also that the knowledge of anatomy and chakra control necessary for healing makes them dangerous, to say the least.
Said Healing Hands and knowledge of the human anatomy makes Kabuto a particularly dangerous enemy in his battle with Naruto, where he was cutting tendons and fracturing bones with mere touches of the skin.
It's recently been shown that Karin can heal anyone that bites her.
Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure:
Josuke can do this with his Stand power easily due to his power being the ability to restore anything that is broken, but he cannot do it to himself.
Giorno CAN heal himself, but has to use something to turn into what he is trying to heal like the bullets you were shot with to fix your organs. (This leads to an... odd moment later on in the story.)
Elf dust in Berserk can heal wounds. This is sometimes an unfortunate fact for Puck, the elf that travels with Guts - when he needs healing (and after a typical Apostle fight, he's usually in bad need of it), Guts has no problem with grabbing Puck and shaking him over whatever wounds need to be healed.
In Yu Yu Hakusho:
Botan, Genkai and Yukina all have healing powers, although the latter is the only one to use it more than once. The actual team medic is Kurama, the plant master.
When Sniper tried to off Mitarai and a bookshelf ended up falling on Botan, Genkai healed her. Also implied after the second fight with Goki that Botan had healed Yusuke; later in the same episode/arc she ended up using her powers to prevent Keiko's demonification.
Although his healing powers are never shown offscreen (except for one instance where he reattached his severed arm), it is said at the end of the series that Sensui's former henchman Doctor Kamiya opened up his own medical facility, using his powers to heal the sick and injured.
In Bleach:
The Fourth Court Guard squad are the healers for all Shinigami.
Orihime, whose healing abilities are possibly the best seen so far. [1]
Rukia knows some minor healing spells, but nowhere at the Orihime level and her powers are more typical of An Ice Person. Ishida once is healed by her, but he points out that it's just a temporary solution since Orihime is incapacitated after a massive Mind Rape.
Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon has this ability, despite being quite sickly herself. She's not a White Magician Girl.
Expanded and explored very thoroughly in the manga Double Arts. All of the Sisters, but in particular Sister Elraine (a nerd without glasses) have an enhanced immunity to a strange and virulent plague called 'Troi.' The Sisters save patient's lives by putting their hands on them and absorbing the toxins from the patient's body, but, despite living, the patient still carries Troi and can never touch an unaffected person, at the risk of spreading the disease. On the other hand, Kiri, the only person so far who is completely immune to Troi, not only can heal minor diseases by touching someone else, but when he touches another person, that person's strength doubles, along with his own. And the more people join in, the strength increases exponentially.
Played with in D.Gray-man. While Miranda's Innocence can heal any recently inflicted wound, no matter how severe (the only exception being death and the damage to Lenalee's legs brought on by driving her own Innocence too far,) it's only temporary, and once she deactivates her Innocence, any wounds that were healed (including ones suffered while it's activated) will come back all at once.
Xiao Long of Psycho Busters does this with his Qigong. He calls it fixing.
Mahou Sensei Negima's White Magic reacts this way, though usually only for basic healing spells. The higher level healing is glowy-er.
Toki of Fist of the North Star uses Hokuto Shin Ken to heal others with his hands. Ironically, he's dying of radiation poisoning. (Thus earning him the nickname "Kung Fu Jesus".)
This is how healing is depicted in The Slayers. While some of the cast have some level of healing magic, Sylphiel, being a cleric/priestess, is the master of it.
Chrono Crusade:
Joshua, Rosette's brother, has a glowing version of this. (perfect healing)
Azmaria has similar powers, but she sings instead of using glowing hands.
Iks's abilities help people heal from wounds quickly (sans glowing hands). From The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye
Vanilla from the Galaxy Angel anime does this with the help of a glowing jewel on the back of her hand.
Solty in Solty Rei, though it's imperfect. Interesting considering her other main ability is a Power Fist.
Yellow from Pokémon Special is gifted by the Viridian Forest with this ability. Pokemon only though.
Saori Kido from Saint Seiya, being the incarnation of Athena, the Goddess of Defensive Warfare, is excellent at this.
Belnika, a late add on to the team in Rave Master meets the main character via this ability.
Sulia Gaudeamus from Fatal Fury The Movie.
Yuma of Oriko Magica.
The real Yuuri of Kazumi Magica.
Yoko of the Mai-HiME manga version appears to have a healing Element, which works on physical injuries, but not illnesses (like Takumi's) or more permanent damage (Yuuichi's arm injury).
Queen Maria Pia Armonia from Victory Gundam has this, among several other Psychic Powers coming from her Newtype nature. Her daughter Shakti Kareen shares this ability.
Raven of New Teen Titans heals others by absorbing their pain and some degree of their injury into herself, a grisly take on healing powers.
Indigo Tribesmen from Green Lantern can heal.
X-Men has some mutants with this power:
Angel is a more grisly variation, who is able to share his Healing Factor by cutting himself and bleeding on others. Earlier there was the Morlock Healer, who actually died by overstressing his power. Angel's power had an interesting limitation: it would only work on people with the same blood type as his (or maybe anyone who could accept his blood type). It was discovered when, after an attack by an anti-mutant fringe group, they had him donating blood through about eight separate tubes to as many badly injured mutants. However, only some of them were healed.
Angel's blood even burns mutants descended from ancient beings whose mutations classify them as "demonic," but we try to forget that.
In the generally regarded as "out of continuity" origin story Children of the Atom, there is a character called Scab who healed by taking whatever injuries one person had and putting them on himself. He saved Jean Grey's life and promptly died, never to be mentioned again.
Also, the alien Zsaji, an empathic healer who ended up dying to save Colossus during the Secret Wars. She herself was not a memorable character, in that the sole purpose for her existence was to break up Colossus and Kitty Pryde.
This was the paranormal ability of Anastasia Inyushin of the New Universe title Psi-Force.
Stephanie Harrington of DP 7 also had some abilities in this line.
Elf Quest healers have the lay-on-hands ability to heal. With amplification, they don't even need to touch their patients, and they can heal multiple patients at once. The power has been expanded to include flesh-shaping (a painful process at times); DNA-altering; pain-inducing; and some other applications. The ability to stimulate nerve endings can also enhance healers' relationships. The Gatherum notes that the attempted move to an Animated Adaptation required the loss of healing powers, since the "lay-on-hands" thing offended the Media Watchdogs.
Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix saga includes at least one point at which a phoenix feather heals people; this might not count so much, being an item, but that the people believed it was the power of the nun who was using the feather, and didn't realize it was the feather itself, which they saw as incidental to the healing.
Vern of PS238 has this ability, to such a degree that he manages to bring another character back from the dead. This earns him a lecture from a third character who can speak with the dead about how this is unnatural and wrong and he can't ever do it again.
Recently Eddie Brock from Spider-Man had his Venom powers pull a Reverse Polarity after he came into contact with another person with Healing Hands. So now he has a white alien symbiote and all the associated powers and the ability to heal people. Not always a good thing considering he can also heal radiation, which gives people like Spider-Man or Radioactive Man their powers.
Mr Miyagi of The Karate Kid. Sort of. He knew some pressure points and techniques to suppress pain.
ET the Extraterrestrial, whose title character heals Elliott's cut finger with his own glowing fingertip.
In Push, they're called Stitchers. Healing is very painful, and it hurts even worse when they use their power in reverse.
In the horror film Five Girls a character in a reform school reveals that she has this power by easing the pain of a classmate who was recently spanked with a ruler. Fan Service demands that she literally lay on hands to the affected area.
In Middle-Earth:
In The Lord of the Rings, the real king has healing powers. This is based on the old European folk belief that kings could indeed heal scrofulosis and other diseases. The same idea is referenced and parodied in various Discworld books. However, in Aragorn's case, he was also a Ranger of the North, who are trained in at least basic medicines.
It is outright stated that he uses a technique of herbal healing unknown to Gondorians. And they still go on about his healing abilities, even though he doesn't do anything to hide his methods.
Aragorn also descends from Elrond's family, which is of mixed elven-human ancestry with a dash of angelic by way of the Maia Melian. In the Númenoreans, and especially the royal line descended from Elrond's brother Elros, there still is something left of that elven-ness.
Aes Sedai in the The Wheel of Time series. The Yellow Ajah specializes in healing techniques. Placing their hands on the other person isn't necessary for Healing. They just learned it that way, and can't do it without the gesture.
Thom Creed from the gay teen lit superhero novel Hero.
John Coffey in Stephen King's The Green Mile. The manifestation of the ailments he heals are tiny, luminescent bugs which he uses to scramble one bad guard's brain.
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon includes healing powers granted by various gods. Paladins also get healing powers, but it's anything but easy to use them, as Paks herself found out: You mentally dip into an awareness of the body, like a stream, locate the things that are impeding the stream, fix them, and then get forcibly ejected by a body that doesn't want interlopers on its territory.
Fairies in the Artemis Fowl series have a variety of healing abilities, ranging from purging the body of radiation and reattaching severed limbs to curing chronic depression. The ability is explicitly stated to "target" areas of the body, and physical injuries have a four-minute time limit, which can be fudged. like Butler in the third book, who was frozen before the time limit ended. This added a sever complication to the healing itself, but he got better.
Wild Cards series has several healers:
John Fortune had the power to heal others before his wild card was turned again with the Overtrump cure. This proves a mixed blessing as his original ability was slowly killing him.
Kim, something of godchild to Archer, could heal others by copying their malady and then synchronously restoring herself and the afflicted to their respective healthy states. This included reversing the Wild Card virus.
While not explicitly described, Sleeper Croyd might have possessed healer powers.
Wyungare, the Australian shaman Ace, can heal some afflictions with his rituals.
The exact amount of the Radical's powers is unknown, as he can do anything any alter ego of Mark Meadows could do, even if Mark was not aware of this alter ego and ability. There might well be a healer in the set.
Tom Quincy, nicknamed The Eskimo, can produce and inject any substance on touch. Unfortunately, his chosen interest are psychopharmaka, and his employer a drug trafficking gang.
Quasiman, a deuce/ace, can heal others, but as he is not always completely in one mental, temporal and spatial frame, this is erratic at best.
The Columbian Ace Coca Mama can administer therapeutic doses of cocaine directly into the bloodstream. Or kill by overdosing victims on the spot.
Rev. Leo Barnett is an actual faith healer. In the Wild Card world, this would make him an Ace - too bad that he is anti-joker and not afflicted by the Wild Card.
Alexander Pehov's Spark and Wind universe features healer mages. Providing something of a twist, they are very rare. The actual healing works as the trope describes, although advanced healers can pull nigh divine feats of magic.
V. Ivashchenko subverts the trope with Valle, called "Black Earl". While a necromancer, Valle can treat diseases and curses beyond the abilities of regular healers, which are quite common in Ivashchenko's works. Valle learned healing in an attempt to turn his own necromancy backasswards, to reduce extreme prejudice he was treated with.
Vadim Panov's Secret City novels feature the Order and Monastery of Erli, where modern medical science intertwines with magic. While upholding true neutrality, a short story twists the image: Erli monks perform very dubious to outright illegal and immoral research.
Sergej Lukjanenko's Watch tetralogy features healing as a rather common magic. Both watches prefer a half-decent fighter of some kind to another healer, e.g. Tiger Cub.
Mercedes Lackey has magical Healers in both her urban fantasies and her Heralds of Valdemar series.
In the Apprentice Adept series: Lady Blue is introduced as a healer who would treat anyone who came upon her door, only turning away those beyond her power to help. (Those who's injuries were too old or severe for her own magic to fix)
The Star Wars Expanded Universe:
Jedi healers use the Force to help others in this regard- healers include Barriss Offee and Cilghal.
Cade Skywalker has a special variant on the technique called Force Resuscitation; it is unique in that it can heal normally fatal wounds rather quickly, as well as corruptive plagues and other such maladies. It also works in reverse; that is, kill people beyond repair. However, it has two major drawbacks; one, the user channels this ability through the dark side (Cade's eyes flash from their usual emerald green to a blood-red color whenever he uses it), and two, the recipient must be willing to accept the healing, or else it won't work.
The Wizard, from the Seekers of Truth books, can do this. It's one of the things that makes him think he's a bit Blessed with Suck compared to some of the others.
Mia Cooper of The Shapeshifter series has this power, it nearly kills her on several occasions because she absorbs people pain. Fortunately she gets better at using it.
Roswell High, similar to the Roswell TV show listed above. The aliens have the power to heal.
The Dresden Files has a few examples: Queen Mab (yes, that Mab) and the Leanansidhe can heal serious injuries with just a touch, and some human wizards (i.e., Elaine, Injun Joe) can use their magic for healing and medical purposes, albeit on a much smaller scale. This is supposed to be extremely hard to do, however; Harry mentions all the biological processes a healer needs to mind in order to make sure they don't screw it up, and the fact that Lea can heal one of his wounds with a simple kiss is a sign of just how powerful she is.
In Jim Butcher's other series, the Codex Alera has Watercrafters. This is their signature ability, though not their only one by any means. They actually have all sorts of combat abilities (when someone has all of the water pulled out of their body, they tend to stop being a threat). They are also empaths by virtue of their Watercraft, so the ones without Metalcraft to ignore the empathic pain from others tend to stick to healing.
Each Guardian has a unique Gift that relates to what they were in life. Healing Hands is the Gift of Michael, Dru and Pim, but as they are bound not to interfere in human free will, they can only heal wounds inflicted by or on a supernatural being.
In Gail Dayton's One Rose Trilogy, many East naitani have this.
In Shadows of the Apt, the Butterfly Apt allows for this.
Healer Adepts (and Lord Adepts who have the right set of powers) can heal others and themselves in Jean Lorrah's Savage Empire books.
The Grimnoir Chronicles have Healers/Menders who can heal others and/or themselves. Actives can lay on hands and heal specific things, Passives have an area of effect within which people just heal faster.
In CS Lewis's Till We Have Faces, the people of Glome come to believe that the beautiful princess Istra can heal their plague. She goes around placing her hands on the entire country, and the plague goes away. It's uncertain whether she actually did have this power, but the people certainly believe she does, and begin worshiping her. The local goddess is not amused.
In the Sword of Truth, any wizard can do this. War Wizards can do this on instinct alone. Sorceresses can learn to heal, but never as effectively as wizards.
It has a nice integration of the Additive/Subtractive magic system: if someone has internal bleeding in their lungs, you have to remove that blood or they wont be able to breath even if you rebuild their lungs. However, it's very hard to control Subtractive magic, so you have to be sure to not accidentally get rid of their organs. It fits the Crapsack World setting that even trying to heal someone risks horribly mutilating them.
The Whitelighters from Charmed do this.
The aliens in Roswell. It was later retconned that only Max could do this.
In Heroes:
Linderman is an interesting case, seeing as he's a healer and The Big Bad.
Hiro's mother is also a healer, except that she has healing lips. She can literally "kiss it and make it better."
Similarly, anyone on the show with a healing factor seems to have this ability now as long as they've got a syringe handy, seeing as Claire's blood brought her dad back from the dead.
The "Homo Superiors" from The Tomorrow People.
Shawn Farrell in The 4400.
As of the sixth season of Smallville, Chloe.
The X-Files:
The show had a couple healers, among them one who took onto himself the ailments he was healing. His was a miserable existence growing more miserable with every healing until finally he brought someone back from the dead, thus taking death onto himself and ending his suffering.
Aliens in The X-Files also had this ability, notably Jeremiah Smith and his kin.
Stargate SG-1 has several:
In "Frozen," the Sufficiently Advanced Alien Ancient woman is able to heal the disease she accidentally infects the team with. Though she can't heal herself of it.
In "Lost City," when O'Neill has the Ancient database loaded in his brain, the second time, the knowledge "unspools" far enough that he is able to do this after Bra'tac is stabbed by The Mole.
Too many times to count with Goa'uld, Tok'ra, and former hosts of either using the Goa'uld handheld healing device.
The Nox -- though they brought people back from the dead, so maybe it doesn't really count...
The Wraith from Stargate Atlantis could heal and revive people by giving back the life-force they took from someone else. Not that they were in the habit of doing this a lot.
An episode of "Friday the 13th: The Series" involved a phony faith healer who found a glove that gave him real healing powers. Given the nature of the antiques on the show, there was a nasty twist. Namely, any disease/condition the healer cured was transferred to him-and he had to pass it on to another victim, who would die of the original ailment multiplied a dozen times over. This leads to a rather nasty Karmic Death on the part of the healer when he tries to heal a bullet wound he receives later in the episode.
In Carnivale, this is Ben Hawkins main power, although it always comes with a price.
The angels in Supernatural are shown to possess tremendous healing abilities, being able to heal major injuries and raise the dead with little effort. Naturally, this is the first ability Castiel loses after he defects from Heaven.
Paul in The Fades has this ability,, and it appears to be a common power of Angelics
Mythology and Religion
Older Than Feudalism: The New Testament is full of examples of Jesus and His followers healing people of everything from diseases to blindness to lameness that leaves people unable to walk. Whether you really believe it or just consider it myth, it is a very old trope, and is probably the inspiration for priests and clerics acting as healers in RPGs. Jesus didn't really need to touch to make it happen, as his word was enough. One assumes he only occasionally used his hands to make the point more clear to some people.
Apparently there were a surprisingly large number of people walking around in that area, in the 1st century, healing the sick. It's just that all the other miracle healers took the credit for themselves, as in "I did this", whereas the J-dude said that he was merely channeling a higher power.
In Dungeons and Dragons:
"Laying On Hands" is an ability that can be acquired by paladins. In addition, clerics (and, to a lesser degree, druids) are capable wielders of healing of the spellcasting variety. Paladins and Rangers are too, although they're both primarily combat classes that only have magic as supplement. Bards can use the healing spells, too.
In the third edition of D&D in particular, good and many neutral clerics have the ability to turn any of their prepared spells into healing energy as needed. This theoretically frees them from having to load up on healing magic to the exclusion of more 'interesting' spells, but doesn't do much to dispel the 'heal-bot' image the class suffers from in some players' minds. Their being bar none the most powerful class as of Third Edition, though, does.
All core non "mass" healing spells require touches, meaning a lot of them qualify.
In the 3.5 Sourcebook Complete Champion, reserve feats were introduced (which give a caster a power usable as long as he has a spell of a certain type prepared but hasn't cast it yet). One of these is "Touch of Healing".
Soto, a strangulation-oriented villain in the Ravenloft setting, was given this power as part of his Ironic Hell. He can't turn it off.
The Blessed in Deadlands can perform the miracle "Lay On Hands", which requires touching.
Any mage with enough knowledge of Life magic in either Mage: The Awakening or Mage: The Ascension can do this. Shapeshifters in Werewolf: The Apocalypse can learn Gifts for this.
Various healing and regeneration spells in GURPS along with the advantage "Healing". Interestingly having actual medical knowledge is useful when using magic to heal a wound.
The Heal spell from Shadowrun requires hands to be placed on the affected area.
In Warhammer the champion of Tzeentch Aekold Helbrass does this uncontrollably, causing anyone close to him to regenerate. This can include the enemy he just stabbed. The ability also causes plants to flourish wherever he walks.
Exalted has a number of examples:
The Medicine Charms of the Solar Exalted really stand out. They allow a skilled surgeon to cut treatment time radically, instantly purge a person of poisons through proper manipulation of Essence, and regrow severed limbs.
While Solar charms are capable of impressive feats, the most impressive effects require an hour of treatment and a day or rest to manifest, specifically averting the instant healing side of this trope, although it still turns months of bed rest into mere hours. Alternatively, there is a martial art that allows one to heal a character instantly by punching him, repeatedly.
The "Medicine" skill in the third edition of In Nomine Satanis Magna Veritas behaves like normal medicine/surgery for the first three levels (level 3 heals 3 HP in four hours), then switches to magical healing that works in one minute or even one second.
All Toa of Water in Bionicle are able to heal others (it is unknown if any other types of Toa can), but they have to sacrifice some of their Toa Power(or someone else's) to do so.
Pick a White Magician Girl, any White Magician Girl. Even if the game uses a standardized magic system, odds are she'll have some kind of special unique healing ability.
In the Final Fantasy series, the category of spells that focuses primarily on healing (usually with a side-order of other defensive spells) is known as White Magic. White Mages use it best, though other jobs, or just anyone you arbitrarily assign the ability to, may be capable of using it to a lesser degree depending on the game. Specific characters that have healing abilites are:
Minwu from Final Fantasy II
Rosa, Porom, and Cecil in Final Fantasy IV
Aerith and Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII
Garnet and Eiko in Final Fantasy IX
Yuna in Final Fantasy X
Hope, Vanille and Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII
In the games, some Pokémon learn moves to heal other members on the party, like Heal Bell and Arometherapy, which heal the Standard Status Effects, or Wish, which can heal 50% health of a teammate if it is switched in after use. Others like the Chansey line and Miltank have the moves Softboiled and Milk Drink to heal others outside battle.
Gen. V introduced Heal Pulse, a move that can heal any pokemon in battle other than the user. Even your opponent's pokemon.
Yellow in the Manga also has the power to heal Pokemon by touching them. The difference is that she is a Trainer. She's not the only one with that power...
Fire Emblem:
Logically, any Priest or Cleric and its equivalents can use staves for this. Other magic-based classes like Sages, Falcoknights (sometimes) or Bishops can do that as well.
Micaiah from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn has the aptly-named "Healing Hand" (or Sacrifice in the English adaptation). More of a sacrifice than anything, as she uses her life force to heal others. On one hand its only real use is for EXP grinding (by using it on someone and having Laura heal Micaiah) and healing status effect (something it does without HP loss), it becomes even more useless once she can promote and use real staffs that don't leave the already frail liability (who gives a game over if she dies) injured; on the other it still retains situational uses for its ability to remove status effects without taking up inventory space and being unaffected by Silence magic. The scene pictured above has Micaiah healing a Daein boy named Nico, who has been shot down by archers for helping her escape from the Begnion Military.
In later games, some skills allow a character to heal others simply by standing next to them or at most two spaces away. Awakening has the Brides' Bond skill; Fates has the Amaterasu skill learned by Kinshi Knights and Azura's personal skill Healing Descant...
In Kanon, it's revealed that Mai can heal others with her tears. Unfortunately, when news of her powers spread, the people around her condemned her as a freak.
In Earthbound:
Ness is a rare Hero example, although it is just one of many.
Poo gets all the same healing capacities as Ness (except Lifeup Omega) and learns Healing Omega, which Ness never learns. By the end of the game, you'll probably be using him mostly for healing powers.
Every mother protagonist winds up getting the best healing skills. In fact, the protagonist of the first game never learns PSI that deals damage.
Breath of Fire III's Ryu is another example of a hero holding the game's best healing spells. However, most will end up never using them, since his magic power is better off being saved for his dragon transformations. Most will rely on Momo to heal instead, or just stick with items.
Tales (series):
Raine from Tales of Symphonia is the team's healer, along with providing stat boosts and offense with the "Photon" and "Ray " spells. Kratos, Zelos, and Regal all also have secondary healing abilities.
Mint, from Tales of Phantasia. She never gets past that stage, although she does eventually get Resurrection and a couple debuffs, which are useless.
Farah from Tales of Eternia, despite being a fist fighter, is given limited healing abilities. In the animated side story, they're depicted as Healing Hands. Whoever holds Undine in the game also has practically all the healing magic in the party.
Hisui from Tales of Hearts routinely uses his healing arte to patch people up out of battle, and is the game's primary healer within it. His sister Kohak eventually gains the most potent heal spells in the games, but long after Hisui's, and she never gains a good resurrection spell.
Estelle from Tales of Vesperia is the first healer in the party. Her array of healing artes is far greater than that of either Karol or Raven. Her artes are also much more powerful. The storyline actually focuses quite heavily on Estelle's healing powers.
Cheria from Tales of Graces earns her Healing Hands through a plot event and proceeds to found a group focused on healing those injured around the world.
In Golden Sun:
Mia has several offensive abilities but is primarily a healer.
The variable class system of Golden Sun means anyone can become the healer, but the secondary healing element is the earth element (which is the one that has the Revive psyenergy), which is the element of the main hero in both games.
Despite the class system where anyone can have healing abilities, the story treats Mia and Piers as the healers of the group due to their natural affinity with the Mercury (water) element.
Although Jenna naturally gets a fire element healing spell that heals the whole party, so she can easily play the roll of healer in the game while remaining in her natural element.
Polka from Eternal Sonata
Chidori from Persona 3 has life-giving abilities that even function on herself. She uses them to save Junpei after he is shot to death by Takaya -- at the cost of her own life.
Hogs of War medics have this as one of their methods of healing, recovering 20 health and not ending their turn. In multiplayer mode, the medics get infinite Healing Hands, leading to something of a Game Breaker: on their turn, given enough time, they can go around healing their entire team back up to full health. They can then finish off by, say, tranquilising an opposition pig, forcing them to miss their turn when it comes round. Shoot the Medic First, indeed...
In World of Warcraft:
Paladins have Lay on Hands as a healing ability. On a long cooldown, they can heal a target for an amount equal to the Paladin's maximum health, and, at higher levels, restore some of their Mana. However, it is suspected that either literal laying on of hands is not required... or Paladins somehow have 40-yard-long arms. One of those.
Prior to patch 3.0.2, Lay on Hands drained all of a Paladins mana, making it a Useless Useful Spell. Paladins have several other healing spells as well, making many wonder if anyone ever use Lay on Hands at all.
Even when Lay On Hands drained all of a Paladin's mana, it was still useful, because it could be cast when the paladin had run out of mana by casting other healing spells. (That, plus the fact that it healed a freakin' ginormous number of hit points.)
A later patch did away with the "entire-mana-drain" part of the spell and instead made it usable only every 20 minutes. It still retains its entire health restoration aspect, so now it's more of an OH SH** type of spell for emergencies only.
Baldur's Gate II: Throne Of Bhaal introduced an item for paladins that could give extra healing to their lay on hands ability. It could then be upgraded to give them full-on resurrection once per day.
The first game also gave even nonmagical Good-aligned PC's some minor healing spells as freebies as they unlocked more of their Bhaalspawn potential. The sequel took them away again after Jon Irenicus stole the PC's soul, but they were obsolete by that point anyhow.
In Trauma Center, healing hands is a mysterious power possessed by people blessed by Asclepius, which manifests as various methods of performing surgery extremely well. For Derek or Markus, the healing hands jack up his concentration, allowing him to move incredibly quickly and precisely (represented in-game as time slowing down). Nozomi's version causes the patient's vitals to improve every time she does something right, and Valerie's freezes the patient's vitals in place regardless of any injuries that happen.
Suikoden II has the protagonist using the Bright Shield rune. Out of four possible powers, the first heals the party, the second does moderate damage to enemies, the third heals the party more with the chance of giving Fury status (which doubles attack damage), and the fourth uses 2000 HP to heal the party, with any leftover HP being used to harm the enemy. It will get to the point that your protagonist is your primary healer, especially when he has to be in the party 99.9% of the time.
Dungeon Siege has a Nature Magic spell called healing hands.
Riley from Dubloon, aside from lightning spells, has a repertoire of healing and alcohol restoring spells.
This is used as a gameplay mechanic in Ghostbusters: The Video Game , and it gives ALL of the characters this quality by virtue of a "Positron Restore System" embedded in the suit and gloves.
Tristram of Earthsong can do this. And, given that his power is to treat Life Energy as a Liquid Asset, he can reverse it into Harming Hands too.
In an example similar to Tristram from Earthsong, Warrick from Namesake can also heal others. He is reffered to as a "mender", someone who can repair things and people easily.
Dimension of Lame Gwynn from Sluggy Freelance.
In Emergency Exit:
Two of the villains have this. Jurinjo is known for his healing abilities, although his comrades don't think much of this (You're like the white mage of the group!), and Kyran has been shown healing twice. Both of them have used their abilities on the heroes. Because...that's what villains do?
Also Sal Declan is able to use magic to put in stitches. Very useful if you have someone you really can't take to the doctor...
In Harkovast, the priestesses of Hevalla use magical healing water to return Sir Muir to the fight (and just in time, as a bad guy breaks through the door a few moments later!)
Subverted in The Longest Sojourn where the Havenhealers' healing crystals don't just heal the patient but also saps lifeforce from the same patient to do the healing. And leaves a whole range of nasty side effects. Oh and it can kill the patient if they were too weak to begin with.
PS238 has Vern, one of the meta-prodigies in the Rainmaker Program. He is the only healer seen on-screen so far, and after pulling Guardian Angel's soul back into her body is referred to as Messias-level healer.
As Goblins is set within D&D rules, most of the above for clerics, druids and paladins applies here.
Charby the Vampirate features:
Mye, a zombie witch. While she is proficient in making potions, she can also literally kiss things better, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend and brother - other characters abuse Mye's helper's syndrome shamelessly.
Kavonn, the Hat Mage. Kavonn wields a massive ankh-topped staff and can cast highly varied spells, including healing ones. Lesser artifacts from the Hat can also grant healing magic.
Zerlocke, a low-rank elite. As elites are nigh immortal and invulnerable with a whole set of other abilities, general magic is frowned upon. Zerlocke was one of the few to bother and possibly knows healing spells.
Underling coils, actually
Memoria He heals up the children.
Matty gets these toward the end of the next chapter.
Tamuran the knife cut heals up again as soon as the blood is taken.
Lorelei in The Fourth has saved her friends a number of times with these.
This is a standard magic type in Dominic Deegan. Gregory, in particular, starts out seemingly powerless but soon escalates his super-healing to ridiculous levels until it gets permanently removed. He can near-instantly heal himself and anyone nearby, but this isn't as great as it sounds, as he often ends up healing his enemies by mistake. One of the orcs also has this power, but healing people injures him.
White Mage in Eight Bit Theater. Red Mage, too, though he rarely uses it because his teammates are all some combination of indestructible and insufferable, and he's too much of a nutcase to consider healing himself.
As in Goblins above, Order of the Stick uses the D&D version. Durkon is the main recurring culprit.
In The Gamers Alliance, Unithien and Nesa use their white magic to heal others.
Shandala, heroine of Broken Saints, demonstrates this on more than one occasion, first healing her brother Tui, then Oran.
In the Whateley Universe, several characters have healing powers:
Nikky "Fey" Reilly can cure serious wounds with magic.
Chou "Bladedancer" Lee can use Taoist "chi" healing techniques through "laying on of hands".
Every time Kerry Ellison heals someone, she takes on their illness or injury. And all the illnesses and injuries she's ever healed before. At least the older healings manifest themselves to a lesser and lesser degree over time, but it's still pretty grisly when she heals a cancer victim, after healing a blind person and a person with crippling arthritis and... Even worse, near the end of her intro novel, she's being held captive and forced to do this. And she's only 14.
Lifeline and Panacea from the Global Guardians PBEM Universe are both superheroes who (among other powers) are capable of healing with a touch. Amnesty, the Anthropomorphic Personification of Mercy, can not only heal with a touch, she can raise the dead completely. Mercy, another Anthropomorphic Personification (this time of the popular view of angels), can also heal with a touch and raise the dead, though she is very reluctant to do the latter. Empath heals by taking on injuries and illnesses into her own body. Dream Sword heals through manipulation of the chakras. Saba Devatao can heal injured people, but only by transferring the injury to a healthy person.
In Trinton Chronicles only one person, Coatl, actually has this power and seeing as how its a super rare ability in this world, she keeps it well hidden from everyone she doesn't trust.
Joan Banks's story series Absolute Power stars a man who, having wasted the first two of Three Wishes from a genie, chose this for his third wish. As it turns out, this means that he can "heal" anything if he can think of it as a disease. This is exactly as powerful as it sounds.
Discussed in a Cracked article: 7 Video Game Healing Methods Least Likely to Actually Work
In In Serein, spontaneously discovering she can do this to a wounded traveller in need is one of Isca's first acts of magic and an important ability throughout the whole series. She later teaches it to other people and learns that her way of doing it is a big improvement on the Serein's magic, because that was abstract and un-intuitive and took decades to learn while her method could be picked up by others in mere days.
Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender as a specialty of the Waterbenders. In contrast with the "Wound-B-Gone" effect this ability usually has, people tend to recover from major injuries gradually over several healing sessions.
Serena from Dino Riders has this ability, which she uses both on her teammates and on the dinosaurs she befriends.
Raven in the Teen Titans animated series has this ability, but is rarely seen using it. Most notably, she heals Beast Boy's broken leg in "Final Exam".
Bloom from Winx Club gains this power in season 2.
She-Ra: Princess of Power gains this ability, much to the surprise of He-Man who only got super strength.
The Nostalgia Chick: "Oh Christ, now she heals the sick. Movie, would you please end before she walks on water?"
In Tangled, Rapunzel has a variation on this. She has healing hair. If someone is injured, she can wrap the wounded part of the body in her hair, sing a magic song, and all better. This works on shallow cuts, deep stabbings, and has the nifty side-effect of removing the effects of age.
In Rollbots, this is the power of Penny, Koto, and presumably the rest of the Kuzuri.
Princess Kida heals Milo Thatch's wounds with her hands in Atlantis the Lost Empire after the latter is badly injured.
↑ Her ability is phenomenal rejection, so she simply rejects anything that's happened. That's why she has a shielding and attacking ability too: she can reject incoming attacks and reject the bonds that hold enemies together (an attack from Tsubaki is a one-way ticket to bisection... well, when it works, that is). Because of that power, she could potentially be the strongest character in the series, but she's more of an Actual Pacifist than an Action Girl.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Healing_Hands?oldid=374279"
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American Manganese Inc. is a critical metals company focused on the recycling of lithium-ion batteries with the RecycLiCo™ Patented Process. The process provides high extraction of cathode metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum at battery grade purity, with minimal processing steps. American Manganese Inc. aims to commercialize its breakthrough RecycLiCo™ Patented Process and become an industry leader in recycling cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries.
On behalf of Management
AMERICAN MANGANESE INC.
Larry W. Reaugh
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the Toronto Stock Exchange, the British Columbia Securities Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
American Manganese Inc. To Speak at The Cambridge House – Vancouver Research Investment Conference - January 19-20, 2020
American Manganese Warrant Exercise and Update on Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Progress
Rock and Soil from Rocher Deboule Project Vent & Victoria Zones Feature Au-Ag-Co-Cu-Mo-Fe-REE Mineralization Similar to IOCG ‘Iron-Oxide Copper-Gold’ Deposits
American Manganese Inc. is a Critical Metal Company Focusing on Recycling Electric Vehicle Lithium-ion Batteries Using the RecycLiCo™ Patented Process
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Chronic vs. Episodic Migraine Studied in Scientific Journal
New research shows difference between chronic vs. episodic migraine.
Migraine significantly affects the people who live with it. Yet it impacts everyone differently, especially when it comes to how frequently people experience migraine. In a recently published study, researchers looked at the difference between episodic vs. chronic migraine and determined that the lives of people with chronic migraine are more affected than those with episodic migraine.
This may seem like an obvious answer—more headache days mean less comfort for people with migraine. According to Sharron Murray, MS, RN, researchers expected to see this difference. But they did not predict the gap in quality of life between episodic vs. chronic migraine would be so large.
“The outcome was staggering,” Murray says. “The results were expected but not to the degree that they occurred in terms of people with chronic migraine.”
Murray, also a Move Against Migraine moderator and a patient advocate, sat down with the American Migraine Foundation to discuss the importance of the study’s findings. She also highlights the need for people with migraine to educate themselves about their disease.
Study Findings Between Chronic & Episodic Migraines
Researchers surveyed people with migraine about their relationships, careers and finances. They found chronic migraine patients were twice as likely to say that all aspects of their lives were affected, compared with episodic migraine patients.
“The message is loud and clear: migraine can disrupt all important aspects of our lives.” she says. Many people relate to this finding, but it’s significant that researchers are studying the effects of migraine and determining its impact.
Murray adds that migraine doesn’t just impact the people who have it, but their families as well. Those close to people with migraine also feel the effects of the disease. While they might not experience migraine firsthand, they often need to learn how to best support people with migraine.
A Validating Conclusion
Despite the nature of the results, Murray points out how validating the study’s conclusion is for people with migraine. Those living with migraine know the toll it can take on their lives, a toll that is sometimes compounded by common migraine misconceptions. Now, there is scientific evidence supporting the idea that more headache days means a greater effect on a person with migraine.
“For me personally, I could relate to the data,” she says. “When you have episodic migraine, you experience an impact on your quality of life. In this study, we could really see how much that was magnified for people with chronic migraine. The data really validated that for myself and others with migraine.”
Knowledge is Power When it Comes to Migraines
Murray says the study highlights that people with migraine need to learn more about their disease. She notes that self-advocacy is incredibly important, and believes it starts by becoming informed about migraine.
“Knowledge is power,” she says. “The more you know about migraine, the more you can work with your healthcare provider to manage treatment. If you realize more headache days means greater disability, you can be more diligent and do something for yourself.”
One way for people to arm themselves with information about migraine is to link up with support and advocacy groups such as Miles for Migraine. These AMF partners commit to helping people with migraine and advance information around headache medicine. Annual events such as Headache on the Hill are also opportunities for people to stand up for the migraine community as a whole.
People who are interested in learning more about migraine can also visit the AMF Resource Library. AMF prides itself as a trusted source for the latest doctor-verified information and data about migraine.
Jim Cramer Joins the American Migraine Foundation as Spokesperson
AMF Shows Support for World Brain Day 2019
World Brain Day Focuses on Migraine in 2019
AMF Celebrates the Real Faces of Migraine During MHAM
Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) 2019
The American Migraine Foundation, Takes Visibility of Migraine to New Heights
Headache on the Hill: What happens next
Fourth Annual Migraine World Summit
Keeping Up with Runnin’ for Research
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Joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis: assessment of a new scoring method
Alexander Pfeil1,
Peter Oelzner1,
Klaus Bornholdt2,
Andreas Hansch3,
Gabriele Lehmann1,
Diane M Renz4,
Gunter Wolf1 &
Joachim Böttcher5
The aim of this study was to assess a novel approach for the quantification of finger joint space narrowing and joint destruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) focusing on the peripheral hand articulations.
A total of 280 patients with verified RA underwent computerized semi-automated measurements of joint space distance at the finger articulations based on radiographs. The Z-Score, which can differentiate between joint space alterations caused by RA versus age/gender-related changes, was calculated as a comparative parameter. The severity of joint space narrowing was also quantified by the Sharp Score. Sensitivity and specificity of the Z-Score (based on joint space widths differentiated for each peripheral finger joint) were evaluated to reveal the potential for the occurrence of erosions. Additionally, the potential of the Z-Score regarding the differentiation of therapeutic effects on joint space widths in patients under a therapy of methotrexate versus leflunomide was performed.
The Z-Scores of finger articulations in patients with RA were generally decreased. Metacarpal-phalangeal (MCP) joint articulations showed a continuous significant decline of -1.65 ± 0.30 standard deviations dependent on the Sharp Score. The proximal-interphalangeal joints also revealed a significant reduction of the Z-Score (-0.96 ± 0.31 standard deviations). The sensitivity and specificity of MCP joint space distance for the detection of erosions were 85.4% versus 55.2%. The Sharp Score for joint space narrowing was not able to detect different treatments, whereas an accentuated stabilization of joint space narrowing could be identified for the Z-Score of the MCP joints in patients treated with leflunomide and methotrexate.
The Z-Scoring method based on computer-aided analysis of joint space widths was able to reliably quantify severity-dependent joint space narrowing in RA patients. In the future, calculation of a Z-Score based on gender-specific and age-specific reference data shows the potential for a surrogate marker of RA progression that comprehends the early identification of patients with RA, and in particular those with erosive course of the disease, enabling a timely therapeutic strategy for cartilage protection.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial inflammation leading to cartilage destruction and resulting in joint space narrowing, bone erosions, and periarticular demineralization. Consequently, RA scoring from radiographs involves three aspects: bone mineral density, joint space width, and hand erosion count. Besides the measurement of disease activity, a major outcome criterion of clinical trials is the assessment of radiographic progression based on the detection of erosions and joint space narrowing [1]. However, currently established scoring methods, although widely applied, have been associated with several limitations such as limited generalizability and objectivity due to the difficulty of standardized scoring by different readers with variable experience [2].
Recent advances in computer-aided diagnosis now offer the opportunity for a standardized measurement of radiographically visible alterations focusing on the small joints of the hand [3], with a focus on the assessment of joint space widths [4]. Computer-based methods for the measurement of joint space width could provide substantial advantages in comparison with the assessment of joint space narrowing by manual scoring methods, because of improved standardization, sensitivity, and reproducibility [5, 6].
Computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA) is a relatively new technique that performs semi-automated measurements of joint space distances (JSDs) at the finger articulations using digitized hand radiographs [7]. Recently, new data have shown an age-specific and gender-specific joint space narrowing in healthy subjects and RA patients [7, 8].
Pfeil and colleagues introduced the Z-Score to differentiate RA-induced joint space narrowing from age-related and gender-related changes of finger joint space widths [9]. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of this novel approach based on Z-Score calculations to reliably quantify finger joint space narrowing in RA patients as well as to illustrate its sensitivity and specificity depending on the occurrence of bone erosions. Additionally, the clinical relevance of the Z-Score was determined in the comparison of two different patient groups treated with methotrexate and leflunomide considering a head-to-head comparison of manual and automated joint space narrowing scoring.
The current study consisted of 280 patients (201 women and 79 men) with RA as defined by the American College of Rheumatology 1987 criteria [10]. The study was divided into two parts with a cross-sectional and a longitudinal analysis of the Z-Score using a head-to-head comparison of manual and automated joint space narrowing scoring.
Cross-sectional Z-Score analysis
A total of 186 patients (133 female and 53 male) with age ranging from 33.0 to 77.0 years (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 54.7 ± 11.1 years) and mean disease duration of 7.6 ± 8.4 years were included in the first part of the section. No preselection regarding the grade of RA or steroid therapy was considered. All patients were treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and 91 patients were on prednisolone therapy (mean dosage: 5 mg/day). Patients with signs of fracture or visible osteosynthetic material as well as patients showing one joint with a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 4 were excluded.
Longitudinal Z-Score analysis
The second part of the study included 94 patients (68 women and 26 men) participating in the LEMERADIX REGISTER (Retrospective Comparison of Leflunomide and Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Digital Radiogrammetry and CAJSA) as a prospectively planned, comparative, multicenter retrospective study in patients suffering RA. The mean age and disease duration was 54.8 ± 13.0 years versus 2.4 ± 5.6 years. Fifty-three patients were treated on average with 15 mg/week methotrexate and 41 patients were treated with leflunomide (10 mg/day, five patients; 20 mg/day, 36 patients). Of the patients, 55% were positive for antibodies to citrullinated proteins and 64% were positive for rheumatoid factor. The time difference between the first and second X-ray scans was 1.87 ± 0.68 years. All patients had to fulfill the following criteria: monotherapy with either leflunomide or methotrexate during the entire documentation period; no combination therapy of leflunomide or methotrexate with other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; no intake of bisphosphonates or hormone replacement therapy during the documentation period; an available X-ray scan of one hand at the start of therapy with leflunomide or methotrexate (± 3 months); radiographs of the same hand from the time period 1 to 3 years after the start of therapy with leflunomide or methotrexate; age ≥18 years; and patient informed consent prior to inclusion. Patients with visible osteosynthetic material were excluded.
Computer-aided joint space analysis for quantifying joint space width
CAJSA (version 1.3.6; SectraLinköping, Sweden) was used to measure joint space widths of the metacarpal-phalangeal (MCP), proximal-interphalangeal (PIP) and distal-interphalangeal (DIP) joints of each finger of both hands. This technique was introduced as a semi-automated measurement of finger joint space widths and has been described in detail by Pfeil and colleagues [7]. The region of interest for measurement of the joint space width was located by the operator as a unique user-dependent procedure during the measurement process. Subsequently, the CAJSA technique automatically measures JSDs (see Figure 1), obtaining excellent reproducibility [11]. Additionally, the region of interest was not located in joint areas with erosive destructions of the cortical layer to prevent reliable estimates. The time required for analysis of one joint is less than 90 seconds. To quantify age-independent and gender-independent joint space narrowing, the Z-Score of the CAJSA measurements was used [9]. The Z-Score is calculated for each joint as follows and is expressed in SDs:
Hand radiograph illustrating region of interest measurement of joint space width at the metacarpal-phalangeal articulation. The joint edges were detected as intensity maximum and the joint space distances were measured with 180 measurement points per centimeter between the two lines, which define the cortical layer of the articulation bones.
Z - Score = ( JS D patient - JS D age - matched and gender - matched control ) % S D age - matched and gender - matched control
The used reference collective were characterized as published by Pfeil and colleagues [7]. For the reference collective, all diseases that potentially influence joint space width were excluded (for example, signs of fracture, amputation, endocrinological diseases known to affect bone metabolism, rheumatic diseases, genetic diseases, oncological diseases, osteoarthritis).
Scoring of the radiographs
All radiographs were scored by the same two radiologists in a blinded manner using the Sharp Scores with the joint space narrowing as well as the erosion score segments [12], which evaluates joints of the hands as follows: Sharp Score for erosion, which evaluates 34 joints of the hands (total sum of points: 170); and Sharp Score for joint space narrowing, which evaluates 36 joints of the hands (total sum of points: 144). The scale is as follows: score 0 = normal joint; score 1 = initial reduction of the joint space width; score 2 = reduction of the joint space width <50%; score 3 = joint space narrowing >50%; and score 4 = ankylosis [12].
To reveal statistical evidence, the individual sum of scoring points was then divided by the number of evaluated joints and an average joint space narrowing score of the joints was obtained. If there was ambiguity in the blind assessment, a third radiologist reviewed the radiographs and provided the final decision.
All examinations were performed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the local Human Research and Ethics Committee of Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. As a special note, the authors confirm that all radiographs used for CAJSA calculations were performed as part of routine clinical care; no additional radiographs were obtained only for study purposes.
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS® Version 15.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) for Windows.
The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to investigate associations between the Z-Score and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing.
Severity-dependent joint space narrowing of the finger joints in the course of RA was evaluated based on the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing. The differences were calculated with the independent-sample t test.
All patients were divided in two groups with and without bone erosions to quantify sensitivity and specificity of the Z-Score as well as of the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing dependent on the occurrence of bone erosions. The sensitivity and specificity was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
The objective of the second study part was to quantify therapeutic changes of the Z-Score in RA patients undergoing therapy with methotrexate compared with leflunomide. The changes from first to second X-ray scans were compared within the groups by the Mann-Whitney U Test.
The significance level was considered with P < 0.05 as significant.
Association between Z-Score and Sharp Score
The highest significant coefficient of correlation was observed between the Z-Score (MCP total) and the Sharp Score with r = 0.63 (P < 0.001). Regarding the PIP articulations, a lower significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.33; P < 0.01) of the Z-Score (PIP total) associated with the Sharp Score was revealed. Furthermore, the Z-Score of the DIP joints presented a nonsignificant coefficient of correlation compared with the Sharp Score (r = 0.15; P = not significant).
Reduction of finger joint space widths illustrated by the Z-Score dependent on disease severity
For MCP articulation (see Table 1 and Figure 2), the Z-Score (MCP total) showed a continuous significant decline (-1.65 ± 0.30 SDs) from 0.24 ± 0.33 SDs (score 0) to -1.41 ± 1.01 SDs (score 3). The index finger showed the strongest decrease in the Z-Score (-2.37 ± 0.43 SDs) from 0.46 ± 0.62 SDs (score 0) to -1.91 ± 1.57 SDs (score 3). The thumb and middle finger also presented a decrease of -1.74 ± 0.42 SDs (thumb) from 0.27 ± 0.62 SDs (score 0) to -1.46 ± 1.54 SDs (score 3) versus -1.77 ± 0.46 SDs (middle finger) from 0.32 ± 0.61 SDs (score 0) to -1.45 ± 1.69 SDs (score 3). The Z-Score also decreased for the ring finger by -1.39 ± 0.36 SDs and for the little finger by -1.56 ± 0.43 SDs.
Table 1 Finger joint space width reduction estimated by computer-aided joint space analysis for metacarpal-phalangeal articulation
Joint space width reduction based on computer-aided joint space analysis-specific Z-Scores. Reduction of joint space widths based on the computer-aided joint space analysis-specific Z-Score differentiated for each finger and for all articulations between Sharp-van der Heijde score 0 and 3.
For PIP articulation (see Table 2 and Figure 2), the Z-Score (PIP total) significantly decreased (-0.96 ± 0.31 SDs) from 0.01 ± 0.46 SDs (score 0) to -0.95 ± 1.14 SDs (score 3). The index finger showed a significant decline (-1.23 ± 0.31 SDs) from 0.18 ± 0.84 SDs (score 0) to -1.05 ± 1.08 SDs (score 3). The Z-Score of the middle finger was significantly reduced by -1.07 ± 0.42 SDs from 0.05 ± 0.43 SDs (score 0) to -1.02 ± 0.39 SDs (score 3). The ring finger demonstrated a less significant reduction (-0.73 ± 0.35 SDs) from 0.02 ± 0.51 SDs (score 0) to -0.71 ± 1.27 SDs (score 3) as well as the little finger (-0.67 ± 0.29 SDs) from 0.02 ± 0.91 SDs (score 0) to -0.65 ± 1.40 SDs (score 3).
Table 2 Finger joint space width reduction estimated by computer-aided joint space analysis for proximal-interphalangeal articulation
For DIP articulation (see Table 3 and Figure 2), the Z-Score (DIP total) showed no significant decrease with -0.47 ± 0.34 SDs from -0.14 ± 1.02 SDs (score 0) to -0.61 ± 1.18 SDs (score 3). The index finger revealed a nonsignificant reduction of -0.65 ± 0.37 SDs from -0.01 ± 1.20 SDs (score 0) to -0.66 ± 1.28 SDs (score 3). The middle finger and ring finger presented a similar nonsignificant decrease between score 0 and score 3 of -0.58 ± 0.38 SDs versus -0.57 ± 0.47 SDs. The lowest decline was observed for the little finger, with -0.47 ± 0.47 SDs from -0.03 ± 0.97 SDs (score 0) to -0.50 ± 1.71 SDs (score 3).
Table 3 Finger joint space width reduction estimated by computer-aided joint space analysis for distal-interphalangeal articulation
Regarding sensitivity and specificity of the Z-Score and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing dependent on the existence of erosions (see Table 4), for the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing a sensitivity and specificity of 48.3% and 100.0% (area under the curve 0.988, P < 0.01) were verified regarding the detection of erosions. A high sensitivity with a moderate specificity in the case of bone erosions was observed by the Z-Score, presenting the best data for MCP articulation of the index finger with 87.9% versus 55.2% (area under the curve 0.806, P < 0.01). The Z-Score (MCP total) revealed a sensitivity and specificity of 85.4% versus 55.2% (area under the curve 0.797, P < 0.01). Regarding the Z-Score of the PIP and DIP articulation (total), lower sensitivity of 67.5% (area under the curve 0.678, P < 0.01) and 53.8% (area under the curve 0.520, P = not significant) was observed.
Table 4 Z-Score sensitivity and specificity based on computer-aided joint space analysis dependent on onset of erosions
Radiological progression
For both treatment groups (leflunomide and methotrexate), no significant changes of the Sharp Score for erosion and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing over the observation period of 1.8 years were observed (see Table 5). The median Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of the first and second measurements was 1.
Table 5 Changes of Sharp Score for joint space narrowing and Z-Score over 1
Influence of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy on the Z-Score
For the methotrexate-treated patients, the Z-Score (MCP total) decreased (-0.13 SDs) from 0.08 SDs (initial measurement) to -0.05 SDs (second measurement) (see Table 5). Regarding the leflunomide-treated group, the Z-Score (MCP total) was not significantly reduced (-0.03 SDs) from 0.16 SDs (initial measurement) to 0.13 SDs (second measurement).
CAJSA based on digital radiographs clearly offers a superior quantification of joint space narrowing in RA. The aim of this study was to elucidate the value of the Z-Score for the RA-related quantification of finger joint space narrowing depending on the severity of RA as well as the sensitivity and specificity in dependence on visible bone erosions. Furthermore, the clinical relevance of the Z-Score was determined in the comparison of two different patient groups treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (methotrexate and leflunomide).
Technical implementation of the computer-aided joint space analysis technique
A previous study showed that technical parameters, such as exposure level, film brand, film sensitivity, and film focus distance, do not affect the reproducibility of CAJSA measurements during the image-acquisition process [13]. Recently published data presented no influence of hand rotation on CAJSA measurements with the exception of a hand rotation of more than 15° during X-ray imaging, which is complementary to an oblique acquired hand radiograph and should be not used for CAJSA measurements [11]. Concerning reproducibility, measurements of joint space widths by CAJSA are reliable due to the high inter-radiograph reproducibility (CAJSA measurements were evaluated on 10 radiographs of the same subject that were performed with repositioning under standard X-ray settings) for conventional hand radiographs (coefficient of variation 0.66%) and digital hand radiographs (coefficient of variation 0.63%). Additionally, an excellent intra-radiograph reproducibility (10 repeated CAJSA analyses of the same hand radiograph) revealed an advanced coefficient of variation with 0.54% for conventional and 0.38% for digital imaging techniques [11]. Furthermore, CAJSA measurements implied a decrease of reproducibility between Sharp-van der Heijde Scoring method score 0 (coefficient of variation 0.37%) and Sharp-van der Heijde Scoring method score 3 (coefficient of variation 1.37%) based on the more complicated contour finding of joint margins in higher grades of RA joint destruction [11].
Influence on finger joint space width
The influence of body size and influence of body weight are potential factors that could influence the measurement of finger joint space width. In this context, data for this observation are very rare. A cross-sectional study of RA patients revealed no influence of body mass index on CAJSA measurements for the MCP, PIP and DIP articulations, excluding MCP JSD in underweight RA patients with body mass index <20 kg/m2 [8]. Generally, there is no significant influence of body weight, height, and body mass index on CAJSA measurements.
Recently published studies have evaluated finger joint space widths in healthy Caucasians as estimated by CAJSA. These results revealed a continuous reduction of finger joint space widths dependent on age and gender. Women demonstrated a significantly smaller joint space width (MCP JSD = -11.1%, PIP JSD = -15.4% and DIP JSD = -16.7%) compared with men. In healthy subjects, joint space widths also showed a significant reduction between age 30 and 79 years (MCP JSD = -20.1%, PIP JSD = -21.4% and DIP JSD = -24.8%) [7, 14, 15]. Goligher and colleagues estimated JSD at the MCP articulation in patients with early RA by a computerized, semi-automated joint space width analysis. The authors also found a narrowing of MCP JSD (-7.2%; not significant) between patients aged under 50 years compared with those over 60 years [16]. In a previous trial, Pfeil and colleagues confirmed a significant age-dependent decrease (age 20 to 39 years compared with age 60 to 79 years) of the MCP JSD (-24.8%) in RA patients. Additionally, their study showed an expected narrowing of joint space widths in women (JSD MCP = -10.4%, PIP JSD = -11.7% and DIP JSD = -16.0%) compared with men [8].
Z-Score for quantification of finger joint space narrowing
Reliable differentiation between RA-related versus age-dependent and gender-dependent joint space narrowing is very difficult, highlighting the need to implement normative data. A possible solution is the use of an age-independent and gender-independent parameter for the quantification of JSD. The Z-Score of the peripheral finger articulations and their joint space widths offers the advantage for an age-independent and gender-independent quantification of joint space alterations in RA.
The study presented a highly significant correlation between the Z-Score of the MCP articulations and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing. Our data demonstrated a continuously significant joint space narrowing as measured by the Z-Score using the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing for assessment of RA severity. The Z-Score (MCP total) showed a continuous significant decline from 0.24 ± 0.33 SDs (Sharp Score for joint space narrowing = 0) to -1.41 ± 1.01 SDs (Sharp Score for joint space narrowing = 3). Regarding the PIP articulations, the Z-Score (PIP total) significantly decreased from 0.02 ± 0.46 SDs (Sharp Score for joint space narrowing = 0) to -0.95 ± 1.14 SDs (Sharp Score for joint space narrowing = 3). The Z-Score of the DIP articulations (total) showed no significant results. Regarding the DIP joints, a nonsignificant correlation was observed between the Z-Score and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing. The Z-Score was able to show early manifestations of RA at the MCP articulations [17] and to quantify joint destruction (also indicated by the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing). Furthermore, the lack of correlation between the Z-Score of the DIP joints and the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing was expected and also in accordance with the non-involvement of DIP joints in RA. In the case of a reduced Z-Score of the MCP and PIP articulations with an absence of joint space reduction of the DIP joints, the normal joint space widths of DIP joints can be used as a diagnostic criterion for RA.
Furthermore, the study by Pfeil and colleagues observed positive Z-Scores (MCP articulations) for a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 0 (1.86 ± 0.15 SDs) [9]. This study confirmed positive Z-Scores for the MCP (0.24 ± 0.33 SDs) and PIP articulations (0.02 ± 0.46 SDs) based on a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 0. A Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 0 is defined as a joint space width with an absence of joint space narrowing. The positive Z-Scores for a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 0 indicate that these RA patients have a larger joint space than healthy subjects. This phenomenon is caused by joint effusion and disease-related synovitis in the early stages of RA, followed by a joint space narrowing in the prolonged course of RA [9, 18].
Our observations also revealed an advanced narrowing of the Z-Score for the MCP articulations from a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 2 (-0.39 ± 0.44 SDs) to a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 3 (-1.41 ± 1.01 SDs). Using the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing, the Z-Score of the MCP articulations confirmed an accentuated reduction from score 2 (-0.39 ± 0.57 SDs) to score 3 (-1.83 ± 1.28 SDs) [9]. This result could be explained by the advanced difference of joint destruction in RA patients between score 3 (reduction of the joint space width >50%) compared with score 2 (reduction of the joint space width <50%) quantified by the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing, respectively.
Z-Score for evaluation of bone erosions and as a surrogate marker of RA progression
The general consensus is that inflammation leads to structural damage including joint space narrowing and periarticular erosions in RA [19]. Based on the data of the ASPIRE trial, the evaluation of RA progression based on erosions and joint space narrowing as a parallel or independent process was performed [19, 20]. On the one hand, the study clearly verified that worsening of erosions leads to progression of erosions and the worsening of joint space narrowing predisposes to progression of joint space narrowing in early RA [19, 20]. On the other hand, the ASPIRE trial points out that joint space narrowing at baseline is associated in 9.5% with the formation of erosion and in 3.5% with the worsening of joint space narrowing [20]. Consecutively, an interesting question is the association between joint space narrowing as measured by the Z-Score and the onset of bone erosions. Our data revealed a high sensitivity (85.4%) for MCP JSD (total) in the case of visible bone erosions. For the conventional Sharp Score for joint space narrowing, a sensitivity and specificity of 48.3% and 100.0% was verified. The results showed that the prediction of erosions by the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing is low. These facts points out the predictive value of the Z-Score in the identification of erosive RA courses. Additionally a normal joint space width as quantified by the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing is not associated with erosions.
Clinical relevance of the Z-Score
The treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs could diminish the progression of erosions and joint space narrowing. The Z-Score was able to differentiate between different treatment groups in RA.
The first study to our knowledge that evaluated the CAJSA-based joint space measurement technique for value as a therapy control tool was initiated by Pfeil and coworkers [21]. In this initial retrospective pilot study with 40 patients, a different therapeutic potency between methotrexate and leflunomide showed a remarkable reduced joint space narrowing for individuals treated with leflunomide [21]. This advanced multicenter study including 94 patients based on the LEMERADIX REGISTER revealed no significant changes of the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing in head-to-head comparison with the Z-Score. An accentuated stabilization of joint space narrowing could be identified for the Z-Score of the MCP joints in both subgroups treated with leflunomide and methotrexate, and the Z-Score was able to quantify therapeutic effects in a longitudinal study design. In a longitudinal study, Sharp and colleagues demonstrated a reduced structural damage in RA patients under leflunomide therapy; both study cohorts (MN302 und US301) showed increased values of up to 1.48 for leflunomide and up to 1.08 for methotrexate estimated by means of the Sharp Score for joint space narrowing [22]. Taking into consideration the radiogeometric assessment of RA progression, the results from the study conducted by van der Heijde and colleagues in 128 patients with a mean leflunomide treatment duration of 4.3 years demonstrated no radiographically visible progression in 33% of the RA patients during the leflunomide therapy [23]. Larsen and colleagues radiographically demonstrated a delay in disease progression under leflunomide application compared with sulfasalazine, which was observed as early as 6 months after the start of treatment and was still effective after 24 months of treatment [24]. Further prospective therapy studies are necessary to confirm the value of the Z-Score in the evaluation of therapeutic effects in patients with early as well as prolonged RA.
A study comparing hand disability assessed by questionnaire and joint damage measured by the Sharp Scores for erosion and for joint space narrowing has been undertaken by Smolen and colleagues. The study revealed that an increasing Sharp Score for erosion did not lead to an increasingly irreversible hand disability, but an increasing Sharp Score for joint space narrowing is significantly associated with more severe hand disability [25]. This finding indicates that irreversible hand disability may be primarily mediated by cartilage destruction and not by bone damage due to bone erosion. Further studies using the CAJSA technique should be performed to illustrate these important results.
A potential limitation of the CAJSA technique is the impossible usage in patients with a Sharp Score for joint space narrowing of 4, which is characterized by ankylosis, subluxation, and luxation. Especially, three-dimensional deformities such as subluxation and luxation are potential evaluation errors for the CAJSA technique. On the contrary, the CAJSA system includes integrated self-checking that detects a malalignment of the bone edges and automatically interrupts the measurement process. Furthermore, the study of Pfeil and colleagues revealed no influence of hand rotation on CAJSA measurements using plain radiographs in anterior-posterior projection [11]. Otherwise, modern therapeutic strategies will hopefully limit the number of these patients with advanced joint destruction and the CAJSA technique can also be used in the diagnosis of early RA.
This study presents the severity-dependent reduction of joint space widths using the Z-Score based on CAJSA estimates in patients with RA, in particular the MCP JSD of the second and third fingers as a surrogate marker of RA progression. The Z-Scoring of the CAJSA method would also help to identify those patients with aggressive RA who develop joint damage before visible erosions occur and enables a reliable as well as more precise estimation of joint space widths without influence of age or gender. Additionally, stabilization of the joint space narrowing was observed for patients treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. This technique is also cost-effective, allows a timely diagnosis of RA, whether in early or later disease stages, and potentially provides an earlier planning of appropriate therapeutic strategies.
CAJSA:
computer-aided joint space analysis
DIP:
distal-interphalangeal
JSD:
joint space distance
MCP:
metacarpal-phalangeal
PIP:
proximal-interphalangeal
SD:
Bridges SL, Causey ZL, Burgos PI, Huynh BQ, Hughes LB, Danila MI, van Everdingen A, Ledbetter S, Conn Dl, Tambane A, Westfall AO, Jonas BL, Callahan LF, Smith ES, Brasington R, Moreland LW, Alarcón GS, van der Heijde D: Radiographic severity of rheumatoid arthritis in African Americans: results from a multicenter observational study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2010, 62: 624-631. 10.1002/acr.20040.
Lukas C, Sharp JT, Angwin J, Boers M, Duryea J, Hall JR, Kaufman JA, Landewé R, Langs G, Lukas C, Maillefert JF, Bernelot Moens HJ, Peloschek P, Strand V, van der Heijde D: Automated measurement of joint space width in small joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2008, 35: 1288-1293.
Pfeil A, Haugeberg G, Hansch A, Renz DM, Lehmann G, Malich A, Wolf G, Böttcher J: The value of digital X-ray radiogrammetry in the assessment of inflammatory bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Research (Hoboken). 2011, 63: 666-674. 10.1002/acr.20423.
Böttcher J, Pfeil A, Rosholm A, Petrovitch A, Seidl BE, Malich A, Schäfer ML, Kramer A, Mentzel HJ, Lehmann G, Hein G, Kaiser WA: Digital X-ray radiogrammetry combined with semi-automated analysis of joint space distances as a new diagnostic approach in rheumatoid arthritis - a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Arthritis Rheum. 2005, 52: 3850-3859. 10.1002/art.21606.
Sharp JT, Angwin J, Boers M, Duryea J, von Ingersleben G, Hall JR, Kauffman JA, Landewé R, Langs G, Lukas C, Maillefert JF, Bernelot Moens HJ, Peloschek P, Strand V, van der Heijde D: Computer based methods for measurement of joint space width: update of an ongoing OMERACT project. J Rheumatol. 2007, 34: 874-883.
Neumann G, Depablo P, Finckh A, Chibnik LB, Wolfe F, Duryea J: Patient repositioning reproducibility of joint space width (JSW) measurements on hand radiographs. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011, 63: 203-207. 10.1002/acr.20374.
Pfeil A, Böttcher J, Seidl BE, Heyne JP, Petrovitch A, Eidner T, Mentzel HJ, Wolf G, Hein G, Kaiser WA: Computer-aided joint space analysis of the metacarpal-phalangeal and proximal-interphalangeal finger joint - normative age-related and gender specific data. Skeletal Radiol. 2007, 36: 853-864. 10.1007/s00256-007-0304-8.
Pfeil A, Hansch A, Lehmann G, Eidner T, Schäfer ML, Oelzner P, Renz DM, Wolf G, Hein G, Kaiser WA, Böttcher J: Impact of sex, age, body mass index and handedness on finger joint space width in patients with prolonged rheumatoid arthritis using computer-aided joint space analysis. Rheumatol Int. 2009, 29: 517-524. 10.1007/s00296-008-0728-z.
Pfeil A, Schäfer ML, Lehmann G, Seidl BE, Eidner T, Malich A, Renz DM, Oelzner P, Hansch A, Wolf G, Hein G, Kaiser WA, Böttcher J: Implementation of Z-Scores as an age- and gender-independent parameter for estimating joint space widths in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2009, 36: 717-723. 10.3899/jrheum.080651.
Arnett FC, Edworthy SM, Bloch DA, McShane DJ, Fies FJ, Cooper NS: The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1988, 31: 315-324. 10.1002/art.1780310302.
Pfeil A, Sommerfeld J, Hansch A, Fröber R, Renz DM, Lehmann G, Malich A, Wolf G, Böttcher J: Reproducibility and influence of hand rotation on computer-aided joint space analysis. Joint Bone Spine. 2012, 79: 384-388. 10.1016/j.jbspin.2011.07.011.
Sharp JT, Young DY, Bluhm GB, Brook A, Brower AC, Corbett M, Decker JL, Genant HK, Gofton JP, Goodsman N, Larsen A, Lidski MD, Pussila P, Weinstein AS, Weissman BN: How many joints in the hands and wrists should be included in a score of radiologic abnormalities used to assess rheumatoid arthritis?. Arthritis Rheum. 1985, 28: 1326-1335. 10.1002/art.1780281203.
Pfeil A, Sommerfeld J, Fröber R, Lehmann G, Malich A, Hansch A, Wolf G, Böttcher J: Feasibility study of semi-automated measurements of finger joint space widths. Rheumatol Int. 2011, 31: 1349-1354. 10.1007/s00296-010-1468-4.
Pfeil A, Böttcher J, Schäfer ML, Seidl BE, Schmidt M, Petrovitch A, Heyne JP, Lehmann G, Oelzner P, Hein G, Wolf G, Kaiser WA: Normative reference values of joint space width estimated by computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA): the distal-interphalangeal joint. J Digit Imaging. 2008, 21 (Suppl 1): 104-112.
Pfeil A, Böttcher J, Seidl BE, Schäfer ML, Hansch A, Heyne JP, Petrovitch A, Mentzel HJ, Eidner T, Wolf G, Hein G, Kaiser WA: Computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA) of the proximal-interphalangeal joint - normative age-related and gender specific data. Acad Radiol. 2007, 14: 594-602. 10.1016/j.acra.2007.01.032.
Goligher EC, Duryea J, Liang MH, Finckh A: Radiographic joint space width in the fingers of patients with rheumatoid arthritis of less than one year's duration. Arthritis Rheum. 2006, 54: 1440-1443. 10.1002/art.21829.
van der Heijde DM: How to read radiographs according to the Sharp/van der Heijde method. J Rheum. 1999, 26: 743-745.
Rau R, Wassenberg S: Scoringmethoden bei der rheumatoiden Arthritis. Rau R. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatolgie, Kommission bildgebende Verfahren. Bildgebende Verfahren in der Rheumatologie. Steinkopf Verlag, Darmstadt. 2007, S27-
van der Heijde DM: Erosions versus joint space narrowing in rheumatoid arthritis. What do we know?. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011, 116-118. Suppl 1
Smolen JS, van der Heijde DM, Aletaha D, Xu S, Han J, Baker D, St Clair EW: Progression of radiographic joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis: independence of erosions and joint space narrowing. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009, 68: 1535-1540. 10.1136/ard.2008.094128.
Pfeil A, Lippold J, Eidner T, Lehmann G, Oelzner P, Renz DM, Hansch A, Wolf G, Hein G, Kaiser WA, Böttcher J: Effects of leflunomide and methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis detected by digital X-ray radiogrammetry and computer-aided joint space analysis. Rheumatol Int. 2009, 29: 287-295. 10.1007/s00296-008-0682-9.
Sharp JT, Strand V, Leung H, Hurley F, Loew-Friedrich I: Treatment with leflunomide slows radiographic progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Results from three randomized controlled trials of leflunomide in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2000, 43: 495-505. 10.1002/1529-0131(200003)43:3<495::AID-ANR4>3.0.CO;2-U.
van der Heijde D, Kalden J, Scott D, Smolen J, Strand V: Long term evaluation of radiographic disease progression in a subset of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with leflunomide beyond 2 years. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004, 63: 737-739. 10.1136/ard.2003.010983.
Larsen A, Kvien TK, Schattenkirchner M, Rau R, Scott DL, Smolen JS, Rozman B, Westhovens R, Tikly M, Oed C, Rosenburg R, European Leflunomide Study Group: Slowing of disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients during long-term treatment with leflunomide or sulfasalazine. Scand J Rheumatol. 2001, 30: 135-142. 10.1080/030097401300162897.
Smolen JS, Funovits J, Aletaha D: Irreversible physical disability in rheumatoid arthritis is determined by cartilage damage rather than bone destruction. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010, 69 (Suppl 3): 655-
The authors thank the investigation centers: Prof. Dr J Braun (Herne), R Dockhorn (Weener), L Meier (Hofheim), Dr P Nagler (Regensburg), Dr E Nitsche (Regensburg), Dr O Krause (Regensburg), Dr R Pavlik (Regensburg), Dr R de la Camp (Erlangen), Dr J Wendler (Erlangen), Dr F Schuch (Erlangen), Dr J Währisch (Essen), Dr A Teich (Leipzig), Dr F Hamann (Leipzig), Dr W Spieler (Zerbst), Dr von U Hinüber (Hildesheim), Dr A Göbel (Lippstadt).
The authors also thank Monika Arens (managing director, Arewus GmbH, Mainz, Germany) and Jacob Algulin (Sectra, Sweden) for the use of digital X-ray radiogrammmetry, and Anders Rosholm (PhD) for the use of the CAJSA. Also many thanks to Kristin Richter (Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH) and Christiane Manitz (Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany) for the coordination of the study as well as the hand radiographs.
The results of this study were part of the poster award presented at the 38th Congress of the German Society of Rheumatology.
Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany
Alexander Pfeil
, Peter Oelzner
, Gabriele Lehmann
& Gunter Wolf
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Potsdamer Straße 8, 10785, Berlin, Germany
Klaus Bornholdt
Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany
Andreas Hansch
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow Clinic, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
Diane M Renz
Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera, Straße des Friedens 122, 07548, Gera, Germany
Joachim Böttcher
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Correspondence to Alexander Pfeil.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests. JB and AP have received speaker's fees from Sanofi-Aventis. KB is a full-time employee of Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Berlin, Germany. The longitudinal study was funded and managed by Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (LEFLU_L_04198).
AP, JB, KB, PO and GW contributed to the study design. AP, JB, KB and PO organized the data collection. AP, JB and AH read and scored the hand radiographs. AP, DMR and KB contributed the statistical analysis. AP, DMR and GL performed the literature search. AP, JB, PO, KB and GW contributed to data interpretation and manuscript preparation. DMR and GL edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript for publication.
Pfeil, A., Oelzner, P., Bornholdt, K. et al. Joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis: assessment of a new scoring method. Arthritis Res Ther 15, R27 (2013) doi:10.1186/ar4163
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient
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“State Diner, 1957” by Michael Steinberg
“State Diner” by Carole Steinberg Berk
Several years ago, on a whim, I took a tour of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. While wandering through the “Automobile in American Life” exhibit, I spotted–sandwiched between the sporty blue-and-white ’56 Chevy convertible, the sleek ’57 T-bird, and the classic black ’59 El-Dorado with the shark-like tail fins–a sky-blue, box-like building that looked like a railroad dining car. The rooftop neon sign flashed, “LAMY’S DINER,” in bold red; and beneath it, in yellow painted script, the words “Booth Service.”
When I was growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, my father, a traveling salesman, took me to a lot of roadside hamburger joints like this one. So I stepped inside LAMY’S to have a look around. It was the real thing, all right. To my right stood the familiar old cigarette machine–the kind with the white plastic handles–where a quarter bought you a pack of Lucky Strikes, Pall Malls, Chesterfields, Camels, Old Golds, or Raleighs.
Suspended above the marble counter hung the black, glass-encased menu where for from thirty-five to fifty cents you could buy egg salad sandwiches, BLT’s, French fries, malts, and two eggs any style. On the counter two glass bubbles showcased homemade pies and donuts while eggs and bacon danced a choreographed sizzle on the open grill. In that same small space sat the gleaming, stainless steel gas stove, hot water boiler, coffee urn, and electric milk shake mixer.
Across from the counter were the Formica-topped booths with accordion-shaped Seeburg jukeboxes, where at three-for-a-nickel, you could select the hit tunes of the day by artists like the Andrews Sisters, Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Dick Haymes, Kai Kaiser, and so many others.
The teen-aged museum guide in starched whites smiled at me as he stacked boxes of Rice Krispies, Cheerios, and Grape Nuts Flakes in neat rows. A college kid, I thought; this is probably his summer job. I’ll bet he thinks that all of this stuff is ancient history.
I nodded in his direction, slid into a booth, closed my eyes and leaned back.
It’s 1957 and I remember it this way:
I’m in the middle-class, seaside town of Far Rockaway, standing beneath the El in the parking lot of the State Diner with my companions Bruce Ahrens and Herbie Brownstein. It’s a crisp late September evening, a full moon in the sky, and the lot is packed with choppers, hot rods, and assorted junkers from all over town. As we inch closer to the diner, we see human shadows flickering behind the window blinds and hear muffled strains of rock and roll thump-thump-thumping above the buzz and drone of animated conversation.
Bruce and Herbie stand frozen, trying to muster up the courage to walk into this illustrious inner sanctum. Clean-cut aspiring preppies, they’re here because they know it’s the “in” hangout, the place where the elite Belle Harbor clique–Allen Nelson, Freddy Francis, and Looie Mandell–hang out. Bruce and Herbie, I know, desperately want to run with that crowd. And at one time, so did I; but I’m careful not to admit that to them.
Back in grade school and junior high, I tried to break into the clique but I was a short, shy, chubby kid who didn’t fit the group’s profile. And when those guys let me know I wasn’t welcome, I took the sting out of the rejection by joining up with the James Dean types.
“Elegy for Ebbets” by Carole Steinberg Berk
In my last year of junior high, I hung out with Marty Ellis’s gang of self-proclaimed hoods. As an initiation rite, they dared me to hot wire the state senator’s new Cadillac and take it for a joy ride. Me, who back then, would do anything to prove I belonged, took the bait; and for my trouble, spent the night in a jail cell at the 100th Precinct. After my father waited until morning to bail me out, I decided that it was time to put my gang membership days behind me.
Bruce and Herbie know about my past connections with Marty’s gang: That’s probably why they’ve invited me here tonight: for protection.
“If you’re a freshman and you go in there,” Albie Snyder once told them, “the seniors will string you up on the coat rack and they’ll hold you upside down while they turn your pockets inside out until all of your loose change spills out. Then they’ll slice off your belt with a switch blade and pull your pants down in front of all the girls.”
I know those stories are a running joke, but Bruce and Herbie are genuinely scared. Me, I’m glad to run interference for them because I’m also curious to see what this alleged hangout for the high schools’ gangs and cliques is all about.
“Jerry’s Union 76” by Carole Steinberg Berk
So I lead the way, my two comrades hanging back, ready to turn tail at the slightest sign of trouble. As I step inside, I can already tell that their fears are unfounded: nobody even notices us.
The juke box blasts out “Maybelline,” cigarette smoke curls around us, fogging our vision; and the noisy conversation mixes with the whirring of the milk shake machines, the chink of plates colliding, and the aroma of hamburgers sizzling on the open grill.
Herbie deliberately stops at the cigarette machine and buys us three packs of Lucky’s. Like we know what we’re doing, we each light up and place a pack in our rolled-up shirtsleeves. The cigarettes fuel us with instant courage. So we push our way through the maze of bodies and swagger toward the open booth at the rear.
Before we even sit down, the waitress appears. She’s slender with short, dishwater blonde hair, and acne. Attractive, I’m thinking, in a hard sort of way.
Herbie’s asking her in a fake cool tone, “Menus, please?”
Tapping her pencil on her painted fingernails, she says, “Up on the board,” then snaps her gum, takes our order, and sashays away.
“Rough trade,” says Herbie. Bruce chimes in. “Yeah. Steno-typing and Home Ec.”
Both laugh self-consciously. The girls they’re referring to come to school with curlers in their hair. They wear breast-hugging black sweaters, black cloth jackets with “South Arverne Boys Club” embroidered on the back, tight black wool skirts with slits up the side, black, open-toed shoes and nylons that have seams running down the back. In our addle-brained teenage imaginations, they’re the “sluts,” the girls that “put out.”
Their boyfriends, the hoods, are guys with greasy slicked back hair–the ones that take automotive shop and woodworking, and wear black motorcycle jackets with the collars turned up, garrison belts and pegged pants with white stitches running down the sides, and shit-kicker boots with straps and buckles stretched across the arch.
As they congregate at the two tables directly in front of us, I watch them chain smoke, defiantly drop their butts on the floor, and deliberately drape their muddy boots over the tables. One of them yells out to our waitress, “Hey cupcake, I need a refill over here,” while the others direct crude remarks at their girlfriends. I stub out my cigarette butt, thinking to myself what a jackass I was to even entertain the thought of hanging around with that crowd.
The two tables in front of the hoods and harlots are manned by the popular preppies and their girl friends–the clique that Bruce and Herbie aspire to join, the same clique that rejected me a while back. The disappointment still stings, but I’m trying not to show it.
The guys look like Archie Andrews and Dobie Gillis, and the girls are doubles for Betty and Veronica from the Archie comic strip.
Nelson, Frances, and Mandell, and their new initiate–Chuck Pinder–who the guys in school call “Pindick”–sport pomade crew-cuts and wear blue or white Oxford button-down shirts, khaki pants, and dirty white bucks. Carol Kahn, Linda Goldman, and Barbara Pierce, their companions, are pretty, well-scrubbed, pony-tailed girls neatly outfitted in starched white blouses, navy, pink, or blue pleated skirts, and white bobby sox with black and white saddle shoes.
They’re the social movers and shakers–future class presidents, boosters, and editors of the school newspaper–the ones who organize mixers, school sock hops, and basement make-out parties.
Like he could care less, Mandell throws us a half-assed wave. Bruce and Herbie jump as if they’d been goosed with a blowtorch. I feel a tingle of jealousy and resentment. Who the hell does he think he is? But then I try to ignore my feelings by flagging down the waitress for a refill. I don’t want Bruce and Herbie to see the envy in my eyes.
Holding court at the three booths closest to the door are the kings and queens of the diner–the jocks and cheerleaders. Football heroes “Moose” Imbrianni, Nick Papouchis, and Angelo Labrizzi are wearing tight jeans and V-necked sweaters with no shirts on underneath, and, even indoors, blue woolen Rockaway High letter jackets with white leather sleeves.
They laugh and banter easily with Linda Franco and Helen Dennis, their girlfriends–the cheerleader co-captains, decked out in white cardigan Rockaway High letter sweaters.
I consciously shake my head in mock disapproval. But as the night wears on, and as I observe those two groups fist-bumping together–ignoring the greasers and us–something inside begins to stir. A tightness in my throat, a gnawing jealousy, overtakes me. And I can also see that Herbie and Bruce are feeling that same sting of exclusion, the rebuff we all know– know it oh-so-well.
I try to fight it off by boasting of imagined sex I’ve had with made-up girls–you know the fantasy, right?–the who-dry humped-who-in-the-back-seat-of-who’s-car. Then we deny our feelings some more by playing the old Abbott and Costello routine, “Who’s on first,” while we’re ordering up another round of hamburgers and fries. But the churning in my stomach doesn’t go away. I feel myself getting light-headed, woozy.
And slowly I begin to drift into a daydream. I’m imagining that it’s a football Saturday and I’m running a halfback sweep. I’m in the clear, blurs of green grass and faces whizzing by, while the cheerleaders are jumping up and down chanting my name, and the crowd is yelling, “go, go, go.”
In the next frame, I imagine my picture and byline on the sports page of our school newspaper, The Chat; and below the photo is my column “Sports Shorts.” Then, I dream that I’m at special school assembly accepting the nomination for class president, from, of all people, Looie Mandell. In the last scene, I’m slow dancing with Linda Franco at the senior prom. She wears my letter sweater.
“Hey, mister,” the young museum guide yells from behind the counter. “It’s five and I gotta’ close up.” He jolts me out of my reverie. I look at my watch: I’d been sitting here for almost two hours.
Why am I thinking about all of this stuff? And why now?
A few of those daydreams, in fact, did come to pass. In my senior year, after three years of pitching batting practice and volunteering to chase foul balls that bounced into the street, I did get to pitch for the high school team. And after three years of begging Mr. Jagust to let me be a gofer for the school newspaper, he did, in my senior year, make me the sports editor of “The Chat.”
How much of the impulse to please, to humble myself, led to those (and other small high school achievements), I’ll never know. But none of those successes turned out to be nearly as elaborate or life-altering as they first seemed to that fifteen-year-old kid.
Those adolescent daydreams seem so foolish today, so embarrassing. And yet, even now I’m still making similar compromises in order to impress or curry favor with colleagues, friends, superiors, mentors, and editors: the outsider, still trying to prove his worth.
I can now see that I was making those trade-offs even before that evening at the State Diner. And yet, and yet, that night, something inside had broken loose; an urgent voice that was whispering “I want, I want.” And as it turned out, that pattern, those same impulses to please and to prove myself to others, are still a part of who I am.
“Hudson River” by Carole Steinberg Berk
On my way out of Lamy’s, still a little embarrassed and self-conscious, I say to the kid, half-jokingly, “Hamburger, medium-rare, toast the bun; order of fries, and a black-and-white thick shake to go.”
He shoots me a puzzled look before I step out of the diner and move back into the real world.
Michael Steinberg, founding editor of the literary journal Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction has written, co-authored, and/or edited seven books and a stage play. In 2003, ForeWord Magazine chose Still Pitching as the Independent Press Memoir/Autobiography of the Year. A co-edited anthology, The Fourth Genre: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction (with Robert Root Jr) is now in a sixth edition. Steinberg has taught workshops nationally and internationally in addition to being a visiting writer at many colleges and universities in the US. Currently, he’s the nonfiction writer-in-residence at the Solstice/Pine Manor College low residency MFA program in Boston.
Posted in The Loop (Art/Power)Tagged Another Chicago Magazine, Belle Harbor, Carole Steinberg Berk, Dearborn, diners, Henry Ford Museum, Michael Steinberg
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“Synecdoche” by Austin Baurichter
by danzamarelli
Heart Flock by Eve Wood
Rowan is gone and I am alone in the warehouse, but he still talks to me through the buildings. Buildings that are old and uncared for and ugly, with rust or brickrot growing on them, with glassless, empty windows. They are the buildings in the lots around our warehouse, where he knows I’ll see them. And I do see them. I hear their language; I am careful to listen.
DOOP, they all say. This is Rowan’s word, painted in big, pink, bubblegum letters at the tops of the abandoned factories and mills. They are caution-taped and will be torn down soon. Rowan has always liked the ugly things the most, the things that are easily forgotten. Like our swing set in the backwoods back home, our place that no one else knows about, where I let him touch me for the first time and I touched him. Our warehouse is caution-taped, too. I woke up one morning, soon after Rowan had left, and found the yellow plastic in an X across the front door. Every day, more bulldozers and backhoes and men in white hats arrive in the vacant lot across from me. There is a line of port-a-potties against the fence. I wake up and take the freight elevator to the roof where Rowan and I often sat when we first arrived in the city. First, I count all the DOOP’ I can see, to make sure they’re still there. Already one is missing. They’ve torn down the nail factory, where one of Rowan’s first DOOPs crept lovely down one of the smokestacks. I glare at the construction crews. I search for where they’ve hidden the dynamite. They don’t know that I’m in the warehouse. I keep myself hidden. I’d like to sneak in and light it off, watch the fireworks. I imagine Rowan watching, too, knowing that it’s me.
I know Rowan. I can see him in the city. At night, he scales the buildings until there is no more of them to scale, and he is up there and looking over the glimmering city like no one else will ever again. This is when he talks to me. He takes the backpack off, carefully, one strap at a time, and kneels down. He takes the can of paint – popstar pink and white for the accents – fixes the spray nozzle, shakes it, and does his work. Every building the same way, calling out to me. I know soon he will give me a sign, let me know where to find him, and we will be together again.
I have a job as a caretaker. I split the days with Amelia, a pale, frail girl who doesn’t say much, taking care of an old widower named Mr. Fisher. I work the afternoon shift, and by the time I get to his apartment by the park he’s already in bed, where he stays for most of the evening. I make him grilled cheeses and give him his pills and bathe him, if he asks for it. I am not squeamish. Sometimes, if the weather is nice, I wheel him around Washington Park, and we watch the people enjoying themselves. Even though I’m new to the city, I relish the fact that they don’t know it like I do. They are afraid of our warehouse, of the dark buildings and their narrow, intricate allies.
As I push him under the oak trees, Mr. Fisher tells me about his late wife, Regina. He keeps a picture of her on his nightstand. Her face in the faded picture is stern, stoic. He tells me about the time he took her to see Carmen at Music Hall. How beautiful she looked in a black dress. I tell him about Rowan. I leave out the part about the warehouse because Amelia doesn’t know about it, and I don’t want her to tell our boss. She thinks I live with my parents in the suburbs. Instead, I tell him about how we grew up together. How we knew we loved each other by second grade. I tell him about the blue-grey light of morning at the bus stop as we waited together. Sometimes I do tell him secrets. I tell him that we came to the city because his Uncle Ed died and his Aunt Cleo lost her mind. The night we left she gave him such a black eye that it was sealed shut for three days. He nods and reaches to pat my hand with his. His skin is almost translucent. He is old and he will die soon. When he does, I will take the picture of Regina and keep it forever.
I can see Rowan’s DOOPs in the afternoons as I walk to work. There’s a route I’ve figured out where I can see them all. The one on the brewery, underneath a cornice on the back corner, the one on the curb beside the slaughterhouse, which he soaked with the paint so that it dripped to look like it was washing into the sewer below. I pass the rubble of the nail factory and mourn for the one that has fallen. The day after it happened, I lifted stone after stone, sorting through exposed rebar to try to find a piece of it, but found nothing. Other, hidden DOOPs I keep for myself. There’s also the tiny one on the rim of the trash-can by the skatepark, only a block from Mr. Fisher’s. This one he did in white-out. I imagine him doing this one looking the way he was when I last saw him, the day before I woke up alone: shirtless, with his spine curved and prominent like something prehistoric, long-hair unruly. I study the swab-strokes of the white-out as I pass. Sometimes I trace the loops of the two O’s, but then I have to use my pocket hand sanitizer before I get to Mr. Fisher’s because he’s old and can’t handle germs.
The boys in the skatepark – also shirtless, sweaty and shiny in the heat – stand their boards kicked up to their shins. Rowan made friends with them when we came to the city. They watch me warily, stopping their skating as I pass by. I ask them where Rowan is.
“He doesn’t want you,” they say.
“We aren’t telling you nothing.”
“Freak bitch.”
They don’t understand, and I forgive them.
Sometimes I lift a few of Mr. Fisher’s medicines for myself. Sometimes I jiggle out a few more pills than his dose and pocket them, or put them in my mouth right then and there. Amelia and I keep a medbook, a little pocket pad of paper tucked into the medicine cabinet, and Amelia knows that I fudge the numbers because she writes angry little question marks in the margins, and she occasionally gives me little daring looks in the hallway when we change shifts.
I take the medicine at night when I go out into the city. This city is a city of hills looping up from the river like the bends in a long-slumbering dragon. Our warehouse is on one of these hills, and beneath the stars I walk down the sidewalk until it levels out on Vine Street and the city begins, my head spinning. I sometimes imagine that the city is filled with people who worship the dragon. Who gild its long, serpentine body with offerings of buildings and roads and slow-glittering-red towers of light and who send offerings of people up to live in the buildings and drive on the roads and look at the lights, and on still nights like this when the river is glinting and the slow, red lights pulse above it, the dragon is happy. On nights like this I sneak out of the warehouse, thinking of Rowan.
I leave him things in places I know he’ll visit. I walk all the way down Vine Street, passing all the nice shops that skirt the skyscrapers in the middle of downtown, the ones with names like Arnold’s and Atavola and Frachesca. I hold these names in my mouth like wafers, and they get soggy. Good names, but not worthy of being written on buildings. Too light and full of air.
I carry a backpack with some waterbottles and some granola bars and a bottle of aspirin. I go to the DOOPs like a pilgrim, and I leave the supplies: little piles of shiny snacks in wrappers with water-bottle pillars beside. I leave one single granola bar on the lid of the skatepark trashcan with the white-out DOOP, which is always gone by morning. I leave a pile on the fire escape of the brewery. I climb the fire-escape of an apartment building and leave a waterbottle and granola bars on the ledge of the roof. The ones I left the last time are gone, and my heart jumps. This is Rowan’s place. This is our place. The view of the city is tempting. I can see the twinkling lights of the cars on Vine Street and the buildings and all the rest of it out of the corner of my eye, but I try not to look. These are Rowan’s views, not mine.
I loop back to our warehouse.
There is a group of people across the street, gathered near the fence of the empty lot. They’re huddled on the sidewalk, throwing handfuls of dice out of cups and onto the pavement. One of them looks up and waves. He is a dark figure and the empty lot with the foreman’s trailer and the port-a-potties opens behind him. I wave back. They’re on the curb where Rowan and I first arrived, his Uncle Ed’s Oldsmobile heaving after the speed of the highway. The lot was empty then, just a stretch of dust and weeds. Rowan sat in the driver’s seat, clenching the steering wheel and rocking back and forth, his swollen eye disfiguring his silhouette. My feet vibrated from the rumble of the highway and my hands shook with the memory of striking his Aunt Cleo, clutching her shirt in one hand and bringing my other, in a fist, into her face over and over. All of our belongings lay sprawled in four Hefty Bags across the back seat. The warehouse rose up before us like a temple.
We stared at it, feeling the invitation of its many, black window.
“We’ll sleep here tonight,” he said, nodding at the steering wheel, turning the car off. The motor ticked and settled.
“Okay,” I said, pulling him close.
I wake the next morning to construction sounds. Across the street, they swarm over the slaughterhouse. Men in white helmets and neon green shirts working on scaffolds, fitting the building with dynamite. A crane with a pendulous wrecking ball perches next to it. They must have brought it in during the wee hours. All of this underneath the DOOP on the smokestack, which no one notices but me. I see them from the open window of my room, the one I used to share with Rowan.
I exit the room and go out into the main floor of the warehouse. It’s filled with ephemera of the lives of others. Rowan and I have explored all of it. There are rooms of desks and chairs, weight-sets, mattresses, a leopard-print stool that I took on our second day and put in our room, children’s toys, all of people’s infinite minutia ends up here. I go to the corner and enter the freight elevator, wanting to get a better view of the construction. The elevator runs up and down the entire warehouse.
Through the slatted door, I see the all the floors passing before me like vertical movie frames, the random splay of objects on every floor, accumulating dust. The floors in the warehouse are stacked like coins. Our lives are stacked like coins, too, I think. Mine and Rowan’s together. Waiting for the bus together as kids, meeting in the morning at his Uncle Ed’s, her trailer still tucked into the fold of the hill, blue in the dawn. I can hear his Aunt Cleo yelling in the background, Rowan wincing, hoping the bus comes soon. His Uncle Ed dying, Rowan weeping, afterward, at the swing-set in the woods, asking me to promise to always be with him, not to leave him alone. That night his driving us down the mountain and into town, into the parking lot of Dollar General, the sodium lamps above us. Rowan kissing me and touching me, asking me to love him forever, telling me he will. The cursive of his hands. Each of these things is a coin on top of the other, a stack of memories.
I watch them tear down the slaughterhouse. I close my eyes when the blasts go off, though I can feel them in my feet, the force of destructing climbing up my legs. I watch the wrecking ball topple what is left after the dynamite. The smokestack with the DOOP is one of the last things to crumble. I stay on the roof all morning, and my face and arms get sunburned.
“He had a bad day today,” Amelia tells me in the afternoon. She is shedding in the foyer of Mr. Fisher’s apartment, changing from her nurse’s Keds into a pair of tennis shoes, pulling a bandie from her hair, removing a ring of keys from a small blue carabiner at her belt. I watch as her hair falls free around her shoulders. The keys are for Mr. Fisher’s: the front door, the medicine cabinet.
“Me too,” I tell her.
She touches my arm. When she takes her hand away, it leaves a white mark on my skin. “What happened?” she says.
“Did you know they’re going to tear down the warehouse on Walnut?” I ask.
“I heard they’re redoing the whole area,” she says. “What does it matter?”
“Where’s Mr. Fisher?”
“Taking a nap.” She says hands me the key ring. I reach for it, but she stops short, gives me a look.
“Did you do the medicine count yesterday?”
I shrug, snatch the keys from her hand.
Amelia narrows her eyes. “Just take extra care of him today, all right?” She gathers her things quickly.
Before she’s out the door I say her name and she turns, holding her Keds against her chest. “When do you think he’s going to die?” I ask, and her face sours.
I never wanted to leave the warehouse. I still don’t. It was Rowan who grew restless. I wanted to make a life among all of the things, but he became claustrophobic. He began venturing into the city more, was gone for longer periods of time. One night he did not return until morning. This was the night of the first DOOP. He took me up the freight elevator and pointed to the smokestack of the nail factory. He revealed that he’d done others, elsewhere, but that this was his best one. I didn’t ask him what it meant. It felt like a gift, and those you don’t question.
Later that day he claimed that we needed to move somewhere else. “To live here properly,” was the way he put it. He said he’d been looking at a few places, that he had some friends who could maybe take us in for the time being.
I didn’t want to live with his friends. I wanted to live with him, right here.
He became frustrated. He snapped a candle off the neck of a wine bottle and threw it out the open window. I heard it shatter on the street below. Someone outside yelled in surprise.
This was when I made the mistake: I threatened to call his Aunt Cleo, to tell her where we were. He left after that, and in the morning I was alone.
Now, Amelia is gone and I am alone in the apartment with Mr. Fisher. I remove a bandie from my wrist and put my hair up. Then I go into the kitchen and retrieve the loaf of bread, cheese, butter, garlic powder. I can see Mr. Fisher is sleeping in his bedroom, barely a shape under the sheets. He is the kind of old man that shrinks into himself. He doesn’t breathe well. I make myself a grilled cheese and sit at his cramped breakfast table, eating slowly, looking down at the people in the park.
I finish the grilled cheese and sit for a while. Then I click on the burner and heat the pan up again. I make another grilled cheese, a little burnt this time because I am distracted by sirens that go by in the street, by images of our warehouse being torn down. I put the grilled cheese on the same plate I used for myself. I place that on a tray with a glass of water and go to Mr. Fisher, who sleeps with the sheet all the way up to his chin, like a child.
I hold the tray under his nose. “Wake up, Mr. Fisher,” I say, sweetly. “It’s me. Dinner time. And then we’ll take your medicine.”
He rustles in his sheets.
“Are you late today?” he says, groggily.
I put the tray on his ensheeted lap and go to the picture of his wife. She’s there, glowering in her wooden chair. I think of all the things she knew.
“I saw her today,” I tell him.
Mr. Fisher squints at the picture, then stares puzzled into his grilled cheese. He wrings his hands. “Regina?” he says.
“Yes,” I say, “I saw her in the park on my way over. She was wearing that same dress.” I hold Mr. Fisher’s hand. “She looked beautiful,” I say.
It’s six o’clock and sun is going. Gray light and you cannot see the shadows on the floor. Mr. Fisher gazes out his window at an oak tree. This is one of his favorite pastimes, watching its leaf-language. It’s October, but the leaves are still all green. All green.
I sit beside him while Mr. Fisher goes to sleep. The lonely last bit of light clings to the room, and as it exits I watch his face get blurrier and blurrier. His breathing slows, and there is that long, easy sigh as he drifts off. I hope he dreams of his wife, as I dream of Rowan. You’d think he were being whisked away by some bandit of memory, and he is.
Later, I am hurrying down the sidewalk, away from Mr. Fisher’s and toward Vine Street. A handful of pills clink chalkily, cheerily in my pocket. I turn left onto Vine Street, toward the warehouse, but there’s some kind of concert going on in an open bar before me, and I run into people and music spilling out onto the street. It’s full dark now, and I have my hand in my pocket, clutching some of the pills. I take them furtively to my mouth. I need to see my DOOPs, to visit them, to make sure they’re there, and I’m telling this to strangers, pushing past them and trying to shut out the music, but it seems endless coming out of the mouth of the bar into the street, and it’s like I’m walking nowhere and pushing very hard and I can hear myself saying, “move out, move out,” and I can see the crowd rippling around me, and suddenly something gives way and I find myself in the bar where the music is playing.
It’s dim and blue, and there doesn’t seem to be a stage. The band is just playing right in the middle of everyone. Three guys looking like skeletons are playing guitars, and people press in around them. I recognize this as the kind of place Rowan would go to when we first moved into the warehouse. They’re thrashing and swaying, and the lead singer has long hair and fingernails painted black. He wails into the microphone, leaning back and forth with it, each time getting closer and closer tipping.
I fight my way past bodies and make it to the bar. I am incredibly thirsty. I order an apple juice.
“What?” the bartender leans over the bar, his face in a scowl of confusion. He cups his hand over his ear.
“Apple juice,” I say calmly but loudly.
He sets a small glass of liquid on the table in front of me and turns away for a moment. I snatch the glass and disappear back into the crowd.
I make my way to a corner by the window, and here is Amelia, facing the music. She’s with someone, a guy who looks like he could be in the band himself, who, in fact, is craning over the crowd to see the music. For a moment, in the dark, I think that it’s Rowan – the height, the thinness – and I freeze up, thinking this isn’t right, not at all, but it’s not, and everything inside me loosens up. I drink my small glass of liquid in one gulp. It’s not apple juice. I touch Amelia on the back.
“Hey,” Amelia says, surprised to see me, “what are you doing? How is Mr. Fisher?”
I flash her a wild grin. The pills have taken effect. “How can we know?” I say. “We’re not there.”
“They’re going to tear down the warehouse on Walnut,” I tell her. It’s going to happen tomorrow, I can feel it. My hand is gripping hers. We both look at it. I let go.
“You already told me that,” she says. I can tell she wishes that she hadn’t seen me here.
“Who’s this?” I point at the guy she’s with, who’s looking at me now. My finger is close to the zipper on his sweatshirt. I watch it dangle and glitter with the blue of the bar signs.
“His name is Ryan. This is my boyfriend.”
“What’s up?” Ryan says, and turns back to the music.
“Rowan?” I shout. “Did you say Rowan?” The music is deafening.
Amelia says, “Ryan! I said Ryan!”
“What babe?” Ryan says, leaning down and kissing Amelia on the top of her head.
“She thought your name was Rowan,” Amelia says.
“Rowan?” Ryan says. “I know that guy. Tall? Long hair? Does a lot of graffiti?” He’s nodding with his own words, and I feel dizzy. The band announces that they need a drink and will be back to play in a few. A brighter light comes on and people begin pushing between us to get to the bar.
“I’m looking for Rowan,” I begin, but then I see Ryan’s eyes widen like an animal.
“Nevermind,” he says quickly. He shifts his feet, shoves his hands into his sweatshirt pockets.
“I’m going for a drink,” Ryan says, and follows the others to the bar.
Amelia takes my arm. “You don’t look so good,” she says, “maybe we should take you home.”
I don’t want to talk to Amelia. I want to talk to Ryan, to ask him where Rowan is. I want to tell him that we’re going to live together, that I’ve decided. I pull away from her, but I don’t know where to turn. The band is starting up again. They’re strumming their instruments. The singer throws his hair back. I can see Ryan’s head above the rest of the crowd, somewhere far away.
Amelia is tugging on my sleeve again, saying my name over and over. She isn’t so bad, I think, really, and I feel sorry for putting her through all that stuff with the med-count. I worm out of my jacket and leave it in her hands. I make for the door. I am going to see my DOOPs one last time, before they’re gone. All of them, beautiful and pink and unreal. Rowan’s words, just for me. Then I will find my way to the warehouse. I will duck under the caution tape and crawl inside. I’ll curl up and sleep on the first floor, underneath all of the things above me, across from the bulldozers. I will wait for Rowan until I cannot any longer.
I hear Amelia, Amelia calling, but I am almost away.
Austin Baurichter received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Kentucky, where he taught writing and served as fiction editor for the university’s literary journal, New Limestone Review. He lives with his wife and daughter in Williamsburg, Ohio.
Eve Wood is a visual artist in Los Angeles. Her drawings and paintings have been shown both nationally and internationally. Most recently she was represented by LA Projects and Western Project. Her work can be seen in The Artists’ Prison, which was published by Keanu Reeves’ X Artists’ Books.
Posted in FictionTagged acm, Another Chicago Magazine, Austin Baurichter, cats, eve wood, Fiction, la projects, New Limestone Review, the artists prison, university of kentucky mfa, Western Project, x artists' books
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Reflections at Bukit Chandu – The Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge
By Audrey in Singapore, The Battle for Singapore, The Southern Ridges Parks on February 13, 2017 July 8, 2017
On 13 February 1942, the Japanese attacked the Pasir Panjang Ridge, a key location leading to the Allied forces’ main ammunition magazine, main ordinance depot, the Alexandra Military Hospital and other military installations. The Malay Regiment who defended the area put up a strong resistance but was eventually overwhelmed by the superior numbers and weapons of the Japanese in what became known as the Battle of Opium Hill (Bukit Chandu).
Reflections at Bukit Chandu
We chanced upon Reflections at Bukit Chandu (Malay for Opium Hill), a restored two-storied black and white colonial bungalow, when we were walking to the Kent Ridge (originally Pasir Panjang Ridge) Canopy Walk from Hort Park. We did not know what the place was about, I was feeling hot and wanted to step in to rest my feet and get some cool air. Then we found out that it is a World War II interpretative centre for visitors to reflect upon Singapore’s heritage of heroism – courage, loyalty and honour of the Malay Regiment in defending Singapore. And it is free to access for all visitors.
On level one, the exhibition is separated into three galleries with the first detailing the socio-political climate of the Malay Peninsula in the late 1930s and Japan’s invasion plans. At the second gallery, the Battle for Singapore unfolded before us through a multimedia presentation, narrating the various battles leading up to the British surrender. Stepping into the third gallery, we met the virtual host Corporal Din recounting the important scenes of the Battle of Pasir Panjang.
After spending a little less than 25 minutes on level one, we proceeded to level two. We approached the Well of Reflections to see ourselves amid the landscape of destruction and war.
That’s me, taking a picture of myself and the Well of Reflections
As I mentioned earlier, the Centre commemorates the sacrifice and heroism of the Malay Regiment, a section on level two is dedicated to the Malay Regiment that fought one of the fiercest battles during the Battle of Singapore at Pasir Panjang Ridge. The Japanese invading troops encountered the Malay Regiment at the junction with Ayer Rajah Road (now the Ayer Rajah Expressway). The 1,400 brave soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Battalion Malay Regiment defended the west coast and Pasir Panjang area, the last stand against the advancing 13,000 strong Japanese army.
Lieutenant Adnan Saidi
Led by Lieutenant Adnan Saidi, Commander of the Malay Regiment, men of the “C” Company of the 1st Malay Brigade held their ground and retreated to Bukit Chandu before being overrun by the Japanese Army on 14 February 1942. The British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese the next day.
The only Malay Regiment surviving witness was a Corporal Yaako, who pretended to be dead so the Japanese soldiers wouldn’t kill him.
Lt Adnan was recognised for his bravery posthumously by the British government and his heroic contingent is remembered for defending Singapore.
On the left of the bronze bust of Lt Adnan are the words of the final memories that his eldest son, Mokhtar Adnan, had of his father, he was only three years old then. Just before going into battle, Lt Adnan sent his family to Kajang at the Tanjong Pagar train station, the last train from Singapore to Kajang. His wife was pregnant with their third child and was due soon. It must have been painful for Lt Adnan to send his family away. This reminds me of a very old Chinese saying, “沒有國哪有家”, translated as if you lose your country, you lose your home.
Lt Adnan last words to his fellow soldier at the battlefield was, “Tuan, if I should die today, I am quite willing as long as someone can look after my family.”
My heart broke and tears welled up in my eyes when I read those words. As I am writing, my tears started welling up in my eyes.
I would encourage you to visit Reflections at Bukit Chandu to learn about the bravery of the Malay Regiment just before the surrender of Singapore. Do not miss it if you are taking the Kent Ridge trail walk.
Wrapping up this post with the words from BG (NS) George Yeo, Minister for Information & the Arts (1991-1999) at the launch of SCCI publication, “The Price of Peace”, 21 June 1997.
“If we do not remember our heroes, we will produce no heroes. If we do not record their sacrifices, their sacrifices would have been in vain…the greatest strength we have as a people is our common memories of the past and our common hopes for the future… For without those memories, the next generation will not have the fighting spirit to carry on.”
This is the second of the three series on looking back at The Battle of Singapore – Heritage Trail. Stay tuned for my final post of this series on my visit to Labrador Park – The Battery.
The Lowdown – Reflections at Bukit Chandu
Address: 31-K Pepys Road S(118458)
Getting There: The nearest train stations are Pasir Panjang MRT (CC26) and HarbourFront MRT (NE1) and parking is free and available at Carparks C and D at Pepys Road. Or access by foot from Harbour Front Centre via a series of nature walks and trails through the Southern Ridges.
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays (9:00 am to 5:30 pm) Closed on Mondays (Except on Public Holidays)
Admission: Free for all visitors regardless of nationality
Photography: All photos on this post were taken using iPhone 6
Time Required: 45 minutes to an hour to tour the museum
For more information on Reflection at Bukit Chandu, go to www.nhb.gov.sg.
Thank you for stopping by and happy Living for Experiences!
Enjoyed what you read? Support me by following my blog, my Facebook and Instagram.
Tags: #battle, #hero, #history, #memorial, #museum, #travel-asia, #WWII
Published by Audrey
Audrey is a lifestyle blogger and a technology marketer by trade. She is pursuing a life of simplicity, focusing on experiences - reducing her possessions, exploring new places and cities, enjoying the experience. Living with intent. View all posts by Audrey
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10 comments on “Reflections at Bukit Chandu – The Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge”
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eliza rudolf says:
Nice post…🙂🤗😗
Thank you. Then you may like the other two posts that I wrote on the Battle for Singapore.
Oh sure I would check those 2 shortly….🙂🤗
Pingback: Stroll through Historical Military Landmarks at the Labrador Park – Living for Experiences
Thank you for writing about my homeland, Singapore. You made me miss home and I haven’t been back since ages!
My pleasure 🙂 There are so many nice places in Singapore and ever changing. I am glad I am no longer traveling like before, I get to see more of our beautiful homeland.
mychirpylife says:
Great work! Very useful blog, I will refer to your site when I want to bring my kids out for meaningful trips. And great way to introduce Singapore to foreigners too. Singapore is not in China 🙂
Thank you 😊Glad you find it useful. I am glad that I finally have time to explore Singapore and to share on my experiences. There are so much to do and see here.
aiharun says:
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Author: nathan.lankford
Xetas Share the Objector
January 15, 2020 nathan.lankford Leave a comment
Just in case you haven’t heeded my previous warning, you’re going to want to get to know Xetas this year, if they’re not already on your rock n’ roll radar. They’ve got a new video from their forthcoming The Cypher, and I’m freaking in love with this jam. It opens interestingly, with these jagged chords kind of building this nervous tension; it’s juxtaposed by the calm delivery of Kana’s voice, which quickly turns into an explosive howl as the band meets for the chorus. I think my favorite moment comes around the 2:03 mark with the line “have you ever watched the mountain range, change.” The full album is out next Friday via 12XU.
Accessory Shares Eyes for Berlin
Accessory is the solo project of Jason Balla, who typically is found playing in Dehd, but they’re working on their sophomore LP, so Jason opted to go and record some work on his own. This tune’s got a heavy feel, primarily through the tones of Jason’s voice. That said, the thematic element of finding that “the world can be beautiful and good” shines right through the track; you can even hear it ever so slightly in Balla’s voice as the song begins to progress. No word on whether the project has long term goals, but as a fan of Dehd, and the band’s label Fire Talk, felt like it was my duty to share this with you!
Bouncing Pop Rocker from CLIFFFS
It feels early in the week to really need a burst of energy, but so be it, I need a good pop rock tune! Luckily, there’s this new tune from Dallas’ outfit, CLIFFFS, which features John Dufilho of Deathray Davies. It’s exactly what you’d expect from one of Dufilho’s project, though this one definitely feels like it’s got some arena rock lineage. The riffs are huge and the chorus can be screamed at full blast; the song itself, even has a harsh little backing vocal to keep the rock n’ roll edge alive here. The group will release their sophomore LP Panic Attack via State Fair Records next month.
Digging Pet Shimmers Pop Vibes
I’m totally in love with this brand new track from Pet Shimmers, the UK act who’ve just announced their debut Face Down in Meta. The song began almost immediately, and I was hooked right there. At first, it sort of sounded like a fuzzy indiepop song, which, of course, had my interest. But, as the song unfolded, the fuzz layer began to feel more like a gloss that coated the song, akin to something you’d hear on a Radio Dept. LP. So there it is, imagine a youthful vibrancy spun through the lens of cloudy pop purveyors and you’ve got exactly what you’ve been looking for all your life. Face Down in Meta will be out on January 31st.
Flying Fish Cove Share Magic Wand
In what seems like Christmas all over, the last several days have given me new music from Rosie Tucker…and now Flying Fish Cove. At Moonset was one of the great indiepop gems of last year, followed quickly by the En Garde EP, so being back at it again only means we’ve got more great music for our ears. A buzzy entry and light churning jangle open the scene with Dena’s voice soon joining; it rises up and down on the natural melody of the tune, warming you with its pop sensibility. Perhaps my favorite part of the tune comes in the middle where it’s just sparkling electronic notes and the strum of the guitar…a special moment for sure. The band pair this new single with a cover of Heavenly‘s “Shallow” off the excellent Heavnly vs Satan LP (1991), which you can find below the video.
MUUK Share Seis Ausente
It’s seems strange to me that we cover so much music from Canada, yet our closest neighbor (here in Texas at least) gets minimal coverage. But, thanks to Devil in the Woods returning, I’ve been turned on to some great tunes, like this new single from Mexico City’s MUUK. It’s an instrumental number that works with sort of four distinct movements. At first, you get sort of a lost radio message, something that seems to hiss at you from the past. Then the song drops in, guitars sharpening themselves over ambient noises, building on the pulse of electronics. We venture into a soft respite with a meandering guitar chord sort of skittering about while the percussive element and soundbites intoxicate the listener. It all crashes down emphatically with the heavier hand coming in the song’s final quarter, releasing all the song’s earlier tension in one final closing moment.
Stream the New LP from Jungle Breed
When I first pressed play on Lennox, I was immediately hooked by the style of “Wasterr;” it has this sort of matter-of-fact delivery fused with a sort of DIY call-and-response. It’s just the sort of thing you’ll get when you listen through the entirety of the new LP from Jungle Breed. To me, you get this sort of realm that mashes up with ethos of Beat Happening with the modern feel of the Australian scene; “Soup” is the perfect example of what I’m talking about if you were curious. Multiple listens through, and personally, I’m super partial to “Routine,” particularly the chorus of said tune. If you’re digging it, the whole LP is now available courtesy of the folks over at Roolette Records.
Lennox by Roolette Records
Rosie Tucker Shares Brand New Beast
If you pay attention to this little blog here, you would have heard me raving about Rosie Tucker‘s Never Not Never Not Never Not, so a new song in 2019 is very much welcome. This new track is a perfect pop experiment in brevity; it feels like it packs your average song into a quick 1:38. It opens up with a seemingly muted guitar and Rosie Tucker delivering their vocals, almost hopping on syllables between the various riffs. Then the song the song erupts on the line “you don’t even eat me out,” bursting forth with the insatiable pop nugget that was visible throughout last year’s LP; it’s these simple little hooks that always keep me coming back to their songs time and time again. No word yet on a new LP, but this is the second new single we’ve heard, so let’s hope they’ve got something big on the horizon.
Brand New Beast by Rosie Tucker
Best 2019 BMX Vids + Music from Mike Turner
Our friend Mike Turner works hard running HHBTM Records, as well as Crashing Through Publicity. I reached out to him, as I did with many friends, asking him for his own curated list for Best of 2019. We thought it’d be fun to pair his love of BMX with music from 2019…so, looking back, here we are.
Honey Cutt Share Vacation
Sometimes I think to myself that they just don’t ever make pop music like they used to, and then I’m hit with a song like this new one from Honey Cutt. The song jangles in all the right spots, with spot on bounce provided by the rhythm section. I love how there are two guitar lines, seemingly giving you two different approaches…one jangling and giving energy, while the other seems far more intent on wandering off, much like the song’s theme. It doesn’t hurt that Kaley Honeycutt has the most mesmerizing voice, the sort that sets indiepop hearts a flutter, sort of rising and falling in between notes. This is going to be one hell of a debut LP; Coasting is out March 13th via Kanine Records.
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Myntra shines the spotlight on AI to drive growth
Startup of the week | Cropin – Applying Data Analytics in Farming
Myntra, owned by ecommerce giant Flipkart is betting big on AI
Bangalore-based fashion portal Myntra, which was acquired by ecommerce company Flipkart is reportedly going to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the customer experience. In an attempt to drive growth and boost profit, Myntra has trained its eyes on AI and ML to deliver personalized customer experiences. According to reports, Myntra is using customer data to curate lines based on current fashion trends and make a one-of-a-kind personalized store experience.
Reports suggest that Myntra will also launch an app based chat service intended to help customers interact with their favourite brands. The investment in new technology is also an attempt to boost sales. Flipkart already has a strong base in fashion, with Jabong being bought over by Myntra for earlier in the year. CEO of Myntra and Jabong, Ananth Narayanan, cited in a recent interview that fashion and lifestyle are the most exciting segment in e-commerce right now. “And undoubtedly, Myntra will continue to create more excitement for its consumers through its selection, service and engagement,” said Ananth in a recent interview.
With fashion and lifestyle being the biggest drivers of growth in ecommerce in India, Flipkart strengthened its fashion segment with major acquisition to maintain its dominance. For ecommerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, fashion is the next frontier for battle for revenue generation with both companies betting big to gain market share in the fashion segment
NIRAMAI Uses AI-Based Solutions & Thermalytix Technology To Treat River Blindness
Interview of the week | Anil Chhikara, Principal at Jaarvis Accelerator
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Screaming Silence
By Gabriel Constans Last updated Jul 26, 2016
July 1, 2012 – Tokyo, Japan
My father died today. It wasn’t pretty. Mom was driving me home from school. I’m twelve and a half, in five days.
“Stop shaking the car,” Mom said.
“I’m not,” I replied, a little pissed off.
We looked out the front window, and everything was moving, rolling and rocking… the highway, cars, buildings, telephone poles, everything! It looked like we were all little play toys being swirled around in a bathtub and about to go down the drain.
There was screaming, crunching, steel on steel, cracking concrete, electric sparks and explosions. Mom pulled over to the side of the road and somehow avoided hitting anything or being hit. The silence that followed was the creepiest thing I’ve ever not heard. Then the sirens started.
Within minutes, there were fire trucks, rescue trucks, ambulances, police cars and helicopters wailing nonstop and seemingly driving, and flying, at breakneck speeds in all directions.
Mom grabbed her purse. “Get your backpack,” she said. “It’s only a few miles from here. We should be able to get home.” We left the car at the side of the road and hurried home. It was the first time I wasn’t embarrassed to be holding my Mom’s hand since I was a little kid. I was scared as hell. Mom looked pretty freaked out too. She kept mumbling, “Your father. I hope he’s home.”
We stopped in front of a fallen bridge and looked towards the Eastern part of the city. There were fires everywhere. Skyscrapers, or what were left of them, dotted the skyline. Then we heard the screaming jet engines and Army trucks nearby and overhead. They all went straight towards the destruction.
“Isn’t that where Dad’s office is,” I asked Mom, nodding towards a leveled part of town about five miles away by train and an hour by car, on a good day.
Mom nodded. Tears streamed down her cheeks. I’d never seen my mother cry. Dad said she did when Sobo died, but that was before I was born. It was weird. I was scared. It felt like I was going to throw up, and I could hardly breathe. Mom saw me bend over, wiped her face and took my hand.
“Come on. Let’s go see if your father made it home for an early supper.”
That’s when I really started getting freaked. Dad was never home for supper, let alone early. He was what some kids called Karōshi, or someone that work themselves to death. Now, Mom and I were worried that he’d died, not from work, but at work.
After making our way through some empty lots, behind apartment buildings, and over the canal next to our house, we made it home. It was still standing. I rushed ahead, as soon as we saw it, and mother was close behind.
“Dad! Dad!” I ran from room to room, almost slipping several times on water and dishes, which had fallen and broken on the floor.
“Yutaka! Yutaka!” Mom called, as she made her way upstairs to their bedroom.
We met back in the kitchen and shook our heads.
“I’m sure he’s OK,” Mom said, trying to reassure herself, as much as me. “He’s a tough guy. Always has been.”
“Of course he is, Mom.” I put my arm around her shoulder and stared out the window at the billows of smoke making their way across the city.
Dad never came home. Mom got a call on her cell phone earlier tonight. When she hung up, she fell to the floor sobbing.
That was six hours ago. I can’t sleep, and am writing this down in my journal, using the flashlight app with my phone. I don’t ever want to forget. Mom told me that Dad, like thousands of others, would never see the next sunrise. His building was completely crushed. He was inside. They didn’t have time to get out. When people first felt the shaking, saw the smoke and fire and heard the roars they went running, but most didn’t get far. It wasn’t supposed to happen, not again. Godzilla had been killed six or seven times already, but he’d come back. They were wrong.
FictionHumanism
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Gabriel has written for numerous journals, magazines, newspapers, ezines and websites in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and has 15 books published in the U.S. His fiction includes The Last Conception; Zen Master Tova Tarantino Toshiba: The Illustrious and Delusional Abbess of Satire; and Buddha's Wife. His non-fiction includes Don't Just Sit There, Do Something! Grief's Wake Up Call; Luscious Chocolate Smoothies: An Irresistible Collection of Healthy Cocoa Delights; The Penis Dialogues: Handle With Care; and Good Grief: Love, Loss & Laughter.
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Back to the World
What and Who
Tag Archives: Jerry Saltz
by b2tw | July 12, 2013 · 3:42 PM
Tea With Chris: A Dress of Beautiful Skeletal Crystal
Tea With Chris is a roundup of recommended links, posted every Thursday. Here are a few of our favourite things from the Internet this week:
Chris: I miss the era when developers would publish a Laurie Anderson conceptual-art video game.
Connor Willumsen stays killing the incredible-full-length-comics-released-for-free-on-Tumblr game.
*shrieking* KYARY PAMYU PAMYU
Carl: First and foremost, read this account by a freelance war correspondent in Syria. It’s an impassioned account of how and why we’re getting perilously close to losing our ability to gather important information about global situations: Most media companies are unwilling to pay what it takes, because their audiences, us, don’t seem to care.
Next, I can’t put this any better than the headline does: “Please Stop Wearing Redface to A Tribe Called Red Shows.” Oh, and please stop wearing redface anywhere else. This kind of absolutely appalling ignorant fashionable-appropriation-trivialization-racism bullshit has been going on for several years, with the would-be-chic wearing headdresses and feathers and “tribal” makeup and holding “fashion powwows” (see Ke$ha among many, many others), but I didn’t think people would actually have the gall to wear it to concerts by actual aboriginal people, obviously thinking they were paying some kind of compliment. Can we take up a collection and buy these kids a clue?
Here, on the other hand, is something nicer about Ke$ha. I wouldn’t call this stealing, I’d call it a tribute to one of my favourite oddball bands ever. (I don’t have it on hand but she’s been photographed wearing a Residents T-shirt before.) As someone said, if even one Ke$ha fan buys a Residents album as a result, that’d be awesome.
On the appropriation/tribute/collaboration theme, there is a lot to say about Jay-Z’s dance with Marina Abromovich this week, and the developing relationship between hip-hop artists, fine-art-museum and auction culture (which I discuss a bit here) and now performance art (NB also Kanye’s collaborations with Vanessa Beecroft, among others), but time is short. Meanwhile enjoy Jerry Saltz’ s first-hand account of the Jay-Z-meets-the-art-world experience – kind of giddy, but kind of on-point too, because isn’t the central fact that (even in his recent, weaker period) someone like Jay-Z is at the very least as good and vital an artist as any of them?
A sexy-filthy Soviet alphabet.
And because I didn’t post a Tuesday Musics this week … I’m not even 100% sure what kind of music this is, but it makes me feel really good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVc3Z-bG6Eo
Comments Off on Tea With Chris: A Dress of Beautiful Skeletal Crystal
Filed under carl wilson, chris randle, linkblogging, margaux williamson
Tagged as A Tribe Called Red, appropriation, Bipp, erotic typography, Francesca Borri, internet comics, Jay-Z, Jerry Saltz, Kanye, Ke$ha, Laurie Anderson, Marina Abromovich, performance art, redface, Sophie, The Residents, Vanessa Beecroft, video games
by b2tw | January 19, 2012 · 2:00 PM
List of mostly good things, big and small, that I can remember from the world in 2011 – in order of rememberance
by Margaux Williamson
1. Remembering what a brilliant idea feels like – Occupy Wall Street
It was a simple and brilliant idea – that people could “occupy” a space in addition to protesting it, that the power and action could be contained and directed inward to make something new, rather than all thrown at an opponent (where it often just falls uselessly at their feet).
It made me think of something that the physicist Lee Smolin wrote in his 2006 book The Trouble with Physics. In the book he attempts to untangle the genuinely revolutionary ideas in contemporary physics from the ones that might be time-consuming dead-ends. To begin this untangling – and to help identify the promising theories from the dead-end ones – he looks for the commonality and rules that past genuinely revolutionary scientific ideas share. Some of the rules, for instance, involved simplicity, uniqueness, immediate impact on other related problems and, also, that once you truly understand the genuinely brilliant scientific idea, you can’t (for the life of you) see the world in the old way again.
Coming from the arts, where words like “genius” are flung around just as often in hopeful declarations as in certainty, and where the term avant-garde more often than not describes a genre from the past rather than anything new (or involves an isolated “newness” that doesn’t in the least impact anything else), I had been very attracted to thinking that truly brilliant ideas have a natural order to them and clearly identifiable nature. Because this natural order seemed so comforting when I first read it, I had wanted to apply it (however unwisely) to everything. Though I simultaneously thought that such rules could never apply to something genius like the civil rights movement where the struggle is so long and complicated and where it can take forever to invert people’s world view.
But seeing the simplicity and brilliance of this protest shift on Wall Street made me remember to be more humble in my thinking of what is a truly brilliant idea – that of course in a movement hoping to get somewhere new, a lot of genuinely revolutionary ideas, thinking and actions are essential along the way. Maybe it is just easy to forget all of the brilliance because the better the ideas are, the more quickly they become obvious to everyone – as though they had never been invented or discovered in the first place.
I remember awhile ago at a talking tour I had given for Ryan Trecartin’s work at the Power Plant Gallery here in Toronto, I had been asked by someone in the audience (who was skeptical of the brilliance of Trecartin’s work) if the work would still be important in 100 years. I had said – I hope not! I said, I hope it’s such useful work for understanding our time that we’ll completely absorb it into culture and forget that what this artist knew and could express was ever separate from what we knew and what we could express. I said that’s probably why I never thought Picasso was so special – his work probably actually worked, it probably impacted and was absorbed by culture by the time I came around. At which point I was like, duh.
2. Music videos – Beyoncé and The Beastie Boys change things
Beyoncé’s song Run the World (Girls) has given me at least two solid waves of power goosebumps. In the beginning of the song Beyoncé authoritatively sings Girls! we run this motha ___ (yeah!). To me, it sounded like the censors had taken the fucker out of mothafucker and that She is singing Girls! we run this mothafucking (world). You hear this suggested adjective while simultaneously also hearing that it was only ever motha – motha the noun, that the Girls are running the motha (the world). Motha (in a second) suddenly becomes more powerful and crazy than motherfucker ever was or could be. Mothafucker has always been a real challenge – it has such weight. But here Beyoncé brilliantly and effortlessly handed the sinister and seductive weight over to something both more ominous and familiar. Re-appropriation at it’s best. Also (and as usual) the dancing is amazing.
Before watching the 2011 30 minute video written and directed by Adam Yauch Fight For Your Right (Revisited) Full Length (the sequel the Beastie Boys‘ 1987 music video (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) ) I watched the original 1987 music video first. I was surprised at how incredibly slow the original felt. It made me think that things in 1987 must have been ever slower than the video since I had remembered the video as being very exciting. The new one – inexplicably filled with famous actors and comedians – is weighty and strangely fast-feeling for it’s 30 minute length and heavy use of slow motion. The video takes the original premise (of reckless partiers) and simply makes it more real. A more reality-based representation of destruction and stupidity turns out to be incredibly captivating and frightening. After 30 mintues, it is hard to know where the time went but you want to watch it again – this also happens to be the gist of the narrative. More movies from Adam Yauch!
*It is worth watching to the end credits – Seth Rogen walking down the street in slow motion as the credits role is somehow better than any cartoon I have ever seen.
3. THE CLOCK, a 24 hour movie in real time constructed by Christian Marclay
Congratulations to Christian Marclay for making a great piece of art that would even move and intellectually simulate aliens with superior minds who might be shamefully ignorant of our small and complicated art world. This 24 hour movie is comprised of clips, taken from a million different movies, that all feature some indication of the actual time. The clips from these other time/spaces correspond exactly to the real time of the audience watching.
If you haven’t seen it, Zadie Smith wrote a beautiful piece on it here, and Jerry Saltz here. It is simple and big and makes you think of the strangeness of time. You can see a little piece of it on Youtube, though for instance, this clip has the thoughtful request: In order to respect the concept of Christian Marclay’s work, spectators are kindly requested to play this video at 4 pm, local time. If time is passed, please wait for tomorrow or another day same time. Thank you. I hope Marclay puts this work on a 24-hour-moving website soon. This one shouldn’t be hoarded by real space. The aliens need to see this.
4. The Hunger Games – the trilogy by Suzanne Collins
This was recommended to me this year by a lot of tough 12 year old boys. The scenario doesn’t sound exactly promising -“Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television” – but the young adult books are very serious and very pleasurable. The story is about how a revolution begins. In the book, the main instigators for revolution are a tough teenage girl with a bow and arrow, a cool-headed adult fashion designer and a sensitive son-of-a-baker who paints. Of course me and the 12 year old boys loved it.
5. Thank you for television – True Blood and Whale Wars
I was housebound for a good part of 2011 with health problems which led me to watch a lot of television which led me to want to write a letter to the makers of True Blood and thank them – except then I remembered I wasn’t 11 years old. (The houseboundness accounts for my heavy-on-pop-culture list this year). I started watching True Blood after being compelled by a perplexing video that Snoop Dogg (who often shows up in various seemingly random screens around the screen world – maybe to tell us that those screens are real, or that he is real, or simply to help identify that the screens we see him in are from the time of now).
The best thing about True Blood (based on the books by Charlaine Harris and created for television by Alan Ball) is the full insertion of these fantasy characters – vampires, faeries, werewolves – into a reality-based narrative where vampires have to fight for equal rights and where werewolves haven’t yet come out of the closet. This is the only way I can enjoy fantasy, when it is firmly but campily tied to the ground. It is funny when a vampire never lies about being a vampire. The second best thing about the show is that it is more emotionally intelligent than usual, with bad vampires and good vampires, bad Christians and good Christians. The bad vampires often become good and vice versa. And like life, it is the rule that the best (or at least most tolerable) characters occasionally partake in some healthy self-hatred.
I would alternate between this show and Animal Planet’s Whale Wars which my friend Steve Kado had brought over. It’s a documentary television show about environmental pirates battling Japanese whaling ships in order to try and save the whales. If you are also sick, I highly recommend watching these shows together – a near real-life (and dream) simulation.
Best single episode of television this year – the Louis episode where he goes to Afghanistan
In this episode of the show Louis, Louis C.K. travels to Afghanistan to perform his comedy act for the American troops. But while there he finds himself to be (for all narratively practical reasons and with the help of an American cheerleader, a group of Afghan locals and a duckling) suddenly a real clown, with actual white face paint, with everyone around him laughing. It was a brilliant shift for what a contemporary comedian can be – far from (but logically connected to) the standard boring shock-talk of cable comedy specials. Thank you Louis C.K. for making everyone laugh and for trying to end a small piece of the violence with some good self-humiliation.
6. Melancholia
Speaking of learning how to see oneself as both good and bad, Lars Von Trier seemed to have opened up like a flower this year to mixed results. He was banned from France’s Cannes Film Festival after a misstep at a press conference. It involved Von Trier’s half hearted and confused attempt to make jokes while also maybe trying to say that it might be just as useful for the world to occasionally identify with a monster as it is to identify with a victim. He was inarticulately crossing into dangerous terrain for the delicate people of earth for sure, but getting banned suddenly made France (or at least the Cannes Film Festival) seem like a television show for children.
In a funny way, it was as though Von Trier was being more confused and open himself – less in wry attack mode and more just trying to survive and communicate. Or maybe it was that this feeling was very apparent in his latest feature – Melancholia. Often, the stories for his movies involve a darkly funny punch line with the generosity and depth of his vision reserved for the politics of his structural and aesthetic choices – embedded in every inch of his works.
But in Melancholia the story is more searching and seems more like a story he needs to tell himself than he needs to tell to others. This makes Melancholia feel like one of his deepest works – or at least certainly the most generous. What we need to tell ourselves is often more complicated than what we think the world needs to hear. And the story doesn’t suffer for this searching – the small but piercing details that connect together a story here resonate deeper – they are the kind of details from our own lives that we grasp together and attempt to make stories out of. When the main character Justine (Kristen Dunst) says passionately and convincingly – in a conversation she is having with her sister regarding her wishful certainty that the evil world will end – “I know things”, we feel both in the heart of the only possible meaning one could find in life and also completely lost. It is the attempt at stories that is heartbreaking here – the paradox of making meaning while telling a story of meaninglessness. One of the nicest things that a human could do.
7. Biography & autobiographies big and small
I read a lot of these books this year. They all seemed to fall into one of two categories – feeling very claustrophobic and depressingly small or feeling very big – even when the facts of the lives presented didn’t seem very different. The most fun big-feeling one was John Water’s book Shock Value that my friend Lynn Crosbie gave me. I somehow had never read this before even though I love him. The healthy, generous, positive and curious mind evident in this book is a good reminder of where a lot of great art comes from. It’s hilarious to hear him describe how great everyone was during his Mondo Trasho days, from the local priest to the owner’s of the hair salon he accidentally flooded in a film shoot. Clearly, he is a very easy man to get along with.
Sempre Susan, a short and pleasurable book about Susan Sontag written by Sigrid Nunez, also fell into the bigger category – even though I came to it because it was being passed around gleefully on a summer cottage trip after its original owner described it as a high-class gossipy People magazine article. And though this description was true, the book also is also simple and quiet and good with lots of room to move around in and take things in. The space it allowed me made me think of Sarah Manguso’s book The Two Kinds of Decay a beautiful memoir detailing a prolonged illness the author suffered. The two books are similar mainly in that both writers were writing about something they were so entwined in without bothering to mention in any great detail their own fraught feelings or inner turmoil, even as their presence was right there next to you the whole time. The resulting powerful intimacy of both books reminds us that for finding love, excessive emotional transparency might not be the way, but you do probably have to get naked.
8. Movie directors waving their hands in front of the camera
I saw Moussa Touré’s Poussieres de ville in a program of short works curated by Jean-Marie Teno called Reframing Africa 1: Representation or Reality?. In Touré’s movie, we first see young boys wake up in odd positions in various stalls at an empty market. The work is immediately playful and visually compelling which makes it a bit hard to tell off the bat if it is a fiction or a documentary exactly. As the work progresses, questions start to come from behind the camera, asking the boys more specific questions regarding their homelessness. Near the end of this 52 minute work, hands emerge to offer clothes and new backpacks. And then, with even more presence but also more uncertainty, the hands deliver the kids each to separate relations who may or may not look after them. I am very sympathetic to this solution – you do the best you can with the information you have before you.
Documentary movie-making can have some pretty crazy and uptight rules. It was great to see a director allow themselves to be a logical human participant in relation to the complicated subject matter before them, and to react in the best way they knew how – rather than a director who thinks that their objective distance is useful (or even possible). In Poussieres de ville, high-minded silliness was abandoned for deceptively simple thoughtfulness.
Werner Herzog’s engagement with subject came out too in his recent Into the Abyss; A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life . He introduces himself to a young prisoner on death row before he begins an interview with him. Herzog says to the young man (in essence): I am sympathetic to your situation, I feel for you and your situation – and that doesn’t mean that I have to like you, but I am sympathetic.
This scene made me think of an art movie I had coincidentally watched the day before with my friend Amy Lam at University of Toronto’s Justina M. Barnicke Gallery. It was a work from Dutch artist Renzo Martens called Enjoy Poverty. Enjoy Poverty is comprised of footage from Martens time spent in the Congo. His intentionally simplistic and painfully committed approach – that involved his desire and attempt to help people in poverty by getting them to consider their poverty as a commodity to sell – was conceptually smart and tight. But unfortunately, the director’s character feels like all cruel fiction (to prove a point) and the world he is engaging with that feels like all fact. So as you see him engage with yet another poor local, saying something intentionally naive and stinging (he is committed!) it very often looks like the local is doing their best not to cry. I am guessing we (the audience) were supposed to feel like villains alongside the director, but we feel like the victims too.
I love art that engages with the reality of the world and that uses persona, specifically the persona of the director, to create a story. Even better, sometimes, if the director generously plays the villain. But I always think it’s most interesting when there is fact and fiction mixed together in a persona – it is always much less like a cartoon and always more strange. Watching Enjoy Poverty made me think of a Hollywood comedy that I really understood, Tropic Thunder – specifically a scene where one of the actors playing another actor talks to one of the other actors while they are doing some acting in the jungle. The wiser actor tells the other actor (in regards to winning Oscars), “Everybody knows you never go full retard man. .. never go full retard. You don’t buy that? Go ask Sean Penn 2001, I Am Sam, remember? Went full retard. Went home empty handed.”
Herzog is an expert at being comfortable with (or intrigued by) his subjects’ discomfort on film – and with his booming voice coming from behind the camera, he often doesn’t see so far off from a villain. But in this scene where he introduces himself to the young man, you see the complications and bravery involved in being a real human – even one who is playing.
Apart from all that, Into the Abyss is also deceptively simple and full of enormous depth. Part of its success (apart from the incredible storytelling craft evident in the way the questions were asked and how the editing was done) is in the equal time that Herzog gives to everyone involved in the execution: a sister of one of the murder victims, a brother of the other, the accused murderer’s collaborator, the collaborator’s wife, the minister at the prison, the executioner, etc. The suffering of the executioner was particularly eye opening. The story that emerges from these subjects (especially in relation to the various generations involved) hints at something old and sinister and alive – something even more chilling the calm facade of one psychopath.
9. Helen DeWitt’s Lightning Rods
Helen DeWitt’s novel feels like a Kafka fable written by a friendly can-do American from the future who filled it, using a confident steady-hand, with insane pornography, solid jokes and an optimistic (or chilling) matter-of-factness about dealing with people not as they should be, but as they are. I wish this book was small enough to allow for teenagers to keep it in their back pockets. DeWitt received a lot of accolades for her first novel “The Last Samarui”, but the deceptively simple and strangely clear Lightning Rods is, in my opinion, the real masterpiece.
10. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Instead of the desert, in this Planet of the Apes, we have the lush and moist San Francisco. That, right off the bat, makes this Planet of the Apes infinitely more watchable. Also the more ape-like and less human-like apes, makes it infinitely less creepy. But the strange and exciting this about this movie, apart from the AWESOMENESS THAT ONE DESIRES FROM A GREAT HOLLYWOOD MOVIE, is that it’s less a metaphor for human rights than it is actually about animal rights. Sitting in the audience at the multiplex, it seemed suddenly like the first Hollywood blockbuster I had ever seen that dealt seriously with animal rights. These monkeys represented monkeys! It can take awhile, but eventually you’ll get a crazy story right.
11. Songs and paintings
I came across the book 1000 paintings while I was staying at my friends Jean and Mic’s place in Thunder Bay (the book had been a gift). I hadn’t seen anyone in a few weeks and somehow, as a leisure activity, I had a great time looking at every single painting in sequence. This painting from Maruyama Ōkyo was my favourite. True Blood television enriched my love for Neko Case’s song Wish I was the Moon. It does what most good songs do – makes your bad feelings seem useful. And Efrim Menuck’s album Plays “High Gospel”, which first caught me with the beautiful song I Am No Longer a Motherless Child, proved to be good company when I went back to work making paintings – a good album if you need to get to a deeper place fast – and are too tired to go alone.
ALSO *My boyfriend Misha Glouberman and my best friend Sheila Heti wrote a great book called The Chairs Are Where the People Go – that I am perhaps too close to to add to my year end list, but luckily The New Yorker added it to theirs.
Filed under books, comedy, dance, literature, margaux williamson, movies, music, TV/video, visual art
Tagged as 12 year old boys, Adam Yauch, Afghanistan, Alan Ball, aliens, America, animal rights, Beastie Boys, Beyoncé, Charlaine Harris, Christian Marclay, christians, Efrim Menuck, Enjoy Poverty, Fight For Your Right (Revisited) Full Length, fight to the death on live television, Helen DeWitt, humans, Into the Abyss, Jerry Saltz, John Waters, Justina M. Barnicke, Lars von Trier, Lee Smolin, LIghtning Rods, Louis, Louis C.K., Maruyama Ōkyo, Melancholia, motha, Moussa Touré’, Neko Case, Occupy Wall Street, Picasso, Plays "High Gospel", Poussieres de ville, Renzo Martens, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Run the World (Girls), Ryan Trecartin, Sarah Manguso, Sempre Susan, Seth Rogen, Shock Value, Sigrid Nunez, Snoop Dogg, Susan Sontag, Suzanne Collins, the chairs are where the people go, The Clock, The Hunger Games, The Trouble with Physics, The Two Kinds of Decay, True Blood, vampires, Werner Herzog, Whale Wars, Wish I was the Moon, Zadie Smith
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backtotheworld is a conglomeration of these 3 blogs:
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Back to the World · untimely talk about culture
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Week in Review: O’Malley’s Tune, Best Bacon Egg & Cheese and Mega-Yachts
Stephen Babcock
Summer days seem closer, and everyone started making their plans. It’s the Week in Review for April 10-17.
Dreaming of the beach, and some property there? Cythnia McIntyre takes you to a house in Rehoboth. It’s on the market.
The superrich have a new playground this summer. Maryland legislators cleared the channel for mega-yachts to sail on Baltimore’s harbor.
The Battle of the Bacon, Egg and Cheese is on and Towson Hot Bagel is in the running.
Former Walters Art Museum Director Gary Vikan revisits his wonder years at Woodstock. Dig it.
Presidential campaign season is upon us, and Martin O’Malley still hasn’t made an official announcement. But with all the shots he’s taking at Hillary, it seems like he’s campaigning. Even SNL mentioned the former Maryland governor. When will he sing a different tune?
Walter Scott’s death led West Baltimore artist Loring Cornish to set up a public art installation outside his gallery featuring black dolls hanging from trees. Is it too loud?
Maryland’s free-range parents were back in the news. The Meitivs’ children ended up back in protective services after they were allowed to walk home from a park unsupervised. But the family has supporters, with some critics crying “government intrusion.”
The Washington Monument’s cornerstone went back in the ground this week. Replacing newspapers, 3-D printed George Washingtons were put inside.
Stephen Babcock is the editor of Technical.ly Baltimore and an editor-at-large of Baltimore Fishbowl.
Latest posts by Stephen Babcock (see all)
Station North has a new spot for food, music, and arcade games - January 10, 2020
Baltimost: Brittany Young - October 8, 2019
Public safety alert app Citizen launches in Baltimore - February 13, 2019
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Investigators Can Probe Rolf Harris’s Links With Sathya Sai Baba, Target Of Major Serial Pedophile Allegations April 22, 2013
British Police Re-Arrest Rolf Harris In Operation Yewtree Pedophilia Hunt April 20, 2013
Where Birds and Kids Can’t Sing April 19, 2013
Erlendur Haraldsson, Ph.D – A Parapsychologist Fails To Admit Badly Flawed Data (Article 2) April 10, 2013
To Psychic Researcher Professor Erlendur Haraldsson, Sai Baba Sexual Abuses Are Only “Squibbles” – Part 1 March 26, 2013
On The Sathya Sai Baba Cult Exposé – Barry Pittard, An Early Note March 12, 2013
Making the Sathya Sai Cult Accountable: Australian Victims Can Submit to Trailblazing Child Abuse Royal Commission March 6, 2013
Australia Leads With Long-term Tough Royal Commission On Institutional Child Sexual Abuse March 4, 2013
Barry Pittard On Ashok Singhal and High Profile Sathya Sai Baba Propagandists February 5, 2013
India, Land of Vast Tolerated Rape and Other Sex Abuses: a Letter From A Western Lover of India January 30, 2013
Call For Media and Government Investigation 0
Citizen Initiative Website of British Kevin Shepherd, author of many philosophical studies, including in-depth analyses of religious figures 0
Kevin R. D. Shepherd not exposed Analysis of defamation by a cult’s main troll 0
Recent Research on the Claims of Sathya Sai Baba Important and extensive website by retired academic Brian D. Steel 0
Sathya Sai Baba Casebook-Factsheet Facts and Cases with links to more detailed materials to be found on related blogsites and websites critical of Sathya Sai Baba and the Sathya Sai Organization 0
Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed Blogsite of author and retired academic Robert Priddy. Former head of Sathya Sai Organization, Norway 0
Sathya Sai Baba In Word And Action Highly organized, main website of Robert Priddy, former Norwegian Head of Sathya Sai Organization 0
Sathya Sai Baba Casebook-Factsheet
rfjvds.dds.nl/ex-baba/eng…
barrypittard.files.wordpr…
home.hetnet.nl/~seduced/s…
saiguru.net/english/media…
Ex-Chief Justice of India: Sathya Sai Baba "dictated my every single judgement"
Official Sai Baba Documents Show His Death Date Prophecies Failed
Hindu Leaders Reticent To Go Public On Sexual Abuse. Dr Frank Morales (Acharya-ji) An Exception
Reply To Claimer of Enlightenment (Yaani Drucker Correspondence) Part 2
« The BBC’s ‘The Secret Swami’ – A Revision
Sai Baba. IHEU Presentation to United Nations »
Posted by Barry Pittard on April 6, 2007
“Vivekananda has come again; he is growing up in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He will come to Me and join in My task.” Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram, Part II, p. 130. 1960-61. Professor N. Kasturi, official biographer of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
On Wednesday April 13,1998, I flew from South India to Sri Lanka. Among other matters, I wished to locate the young man, Nalin Sedera. According to major Sai Baba-approved writers N.Kasturi and Howard Murphet, Sai Baba had told Sedera he was
Swami Vivekananda in his last life.
I had encountered personally (and India is the place of all places to encounter them!) similar stories, sometimes in relation to Sai Baba but also cases where, muchto their surprise, individuals from various countries had found their names cited in one or more of the palm leaf traditions in India, supposedly written or dictated by ancient Indian rishis (seer, sages, spiritual masters) called Nadis.
In common with devotees from many countries, I had heard various reliable reports that Sai Baba had informed certain individuals of who they were in some past life. For example, disclosing their identity when (as he claims) he ‘came’ as God manifest in Rama, Krishna, and Shirdi Sai Baba (circa 1838-1918).
Many devotees relate that Sai Baba has said that Paramahansa Yogananda(1893-1952), another earlier Indian swami who went to the West and became famous worldwide, was now a child growing up in a Greek family of Sai Baba devotees. I wondered what would be the case if Nalin were to undergo one of these readings (nadis, naadis, granthas, granthams) scattered about India in which I had taken an interest – e.g., Brighu (in North India), Agasthya (Agasthiar),Suka,Sukha, Siva, etc., (South India).
What was this mention of a “task” in the Professor Kasturi quotation? Sai Baba has many times stated that he will bring, before he dies (not that he uses the word ‘dies’) the entire world into an era of truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence, before leaving the planet, aged 95 or 96? (The one year differential depends on which calendar one uses, Gregorian or Indian).
Many years ago, Sathya Sai Baba said that Ramakrishna, Vivekananda’s illustrious guru, had but one Vivekananda and one Brahmananda, whereas he, Sai Baba had hundreds of great yogic souls among his devotees through whom he will perform global transformations on a scale never witnessed in mankind’s history. Could it, I (then) thought, be possible to locate some of these great souls; and might they, sensing the seriousness of my nadi study, grant permission to submit a thumbprint or any other initial information required by nadi custodians by which to gradually reticulate to an individual’s given reading? If I located Nalin, would he in any way resemble Swami Vivekananda? Would any reading for him in any of the nadis confirm what Sai Baba had foretold?
As I waited in the queue awaiting to see Sai Baba at Kodai Kanal, a gorgeous hill station in the Nilgiris of the state of Tamil Nadu where Sai Baba has a villa, two gentlemen asked me about my work – at that time, editing a Sai Baba related magazine, Spiritual Impressions, and books by some devotees of Sathya Sai Baba. I noticed a man intently listening in, and welcomed him into the conversation. He soon said he was from Sri Lanka. More than that, he and his family personally knew Nalin. After the darshan (viewing of a person deemed holy), he gave me contact details.
In that morning’s darshan of Sai Baba, I found myself against considerable odds in a second row. Sai Baba came right up. I handed him a small card on which I had written the name: Nalin. He moved the card little by little several times gently along the palm of my hand towards Him. This was in a similar manner to which he had stroked my hand in the darshan of morning before. Then, as though to create an emphasis, Sai Baba snapped the card deftly towards his chest. He then put the card among the letters in his left hand, and moved a few paces towards the centre of the pathway, turning to the rows of men sitting opposite. Unexpectedly, he turned right round and, looking towards me with what I took to be great love, made a deep bowing movement with his head. Keeping the steady heart-melting gaze all the while, he smiled very sweetly, then raised His hand in blessing me for quite some moments. From my then devotee perspective, not without various extraordinary experiences I had had, thinking him to have omniscience, I felt very strongly that he was bowing to, and blessing, the intention that had formed in my mind: to seek out Nalin.
On Sunday April 19th, 1998, I had planned for a quiet evening in my room at the Ramakrishna Mission in Columbo, the capital of Sri Lanka. I had arranged with Nalin’s brother, Ajitha, to go to their home on the Monday. He told me that Nalin had been spending a few days meditating in a temple at the southern tip of his country – at Karthirkamagiri, long a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and Hindus alike. Until a month before, I had never heard of it. However, it was mentioned in a Chapter (Kandam) in one of my Agasthya nadis at Vaithishwarankoil in Tamil Nadu (where it stated that I was associated with this place in a former life as a doctor).
At 6.15 p.m., as I made my way up Ramakrishna Road for a quiet cup of Horlicks, a tall, slender, striking young Singhalese man around thirty years called across to me, “Are you the Australian gentleman staying at the Ramakrishna Mission?” It was Nalin accompanied by his brother, Ajitha. He explained that they thought they would find me more easily than I them. A few minutes later, as we sat ourselves down at the table of the crowded vegetarian restaurant, I sat facing a tall, lithe, well built young man, clean shaven, dressed very neatly, wearing denim, his dark red shirt smart. He blended in with middle class Sri Lankans. His face had a fine-boned, sculptured look, and a bright, golden brown that had an inner lustre. His voice was rich and resonant, as though coming from a cavern. Was there anything about his physical appearance which resembled Vivekananda? Yes, I thought – the lips: delicate, fine-etched, contoured. I sensed strong character, and he he displayed spontaneous, sincere good manners. He was direct, with a controlled but passionate intensity about things that mattered to him.
“They are trying to take my life”
Even before we sat down, I had asked him whether the attention he had received had affected his life. His distaste for those who mobbed him was immediate, unmistakable. “They are trying to take my life.” It was an odd sentence. I asked Nalin, “When you say,’They are trying to take my life,’ do you mean that your life is actually in danger from anyone?” With burning intensity, and a mix of smile and leer that reminded me of Humphrey Bogart, he replied, “They would be writing their last will and testament if they tried!”Here, I did not sense a Vivekananda-like commitment to ahimsa (non-violence). Nalin’s occasional intensities became one of my abiding impressions of him.
As we sat down, he referred to crowds that gathered round him after word travelled bushfire-like that Sathya Sai Baba had said that Nalin, in his previous life, was Swami Vivekananda. He said:
“My mind didn’t go. But I lost a lot – my liberty, my freedom.”
I checked with him, just to be sure I understood his exact meaning. By “my life”, he meant a broad leeway to be himself. I asked Nalin if he related to books? Again, the intensity.
“I want to have experience. It is all that matters. Not read about anyone else’s. Books are a waste of time.”
I mentioned the book by the Australian writer Howard Murphet’s book. Nalin said that he felt very let down by the people who had informed the author of his story (he referred to them as Tamilians – i.e., belonging to or originating from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu).
“I had asked them to allow nothing to be published without my permission. They went ahead without consulting me”.
As he began to unfold his experiences, he said:
“I’ve had a lot of troubles. I am a normal person, whatever people may think. Whatever may have been the case in my last life, I am living in this life! I have no idea what happened in my last life. When Swami made the revelation – or call it a pronouncement – I had no idea of who Swami Vivekananda was. This is this life. It’s all I’m interested in. Now, as a result of all the attention, I’ve lost what is most precious to me – my liberty, my freedom. At the ashram after Swami had spoken, there were hundreds of people milling all round me. And hundreds of people here in Sri Lanka.”
What did the mobs ask?
“They asked funny questions. Do I remember my previous birth? They regard me as some kind of alien. Some of them say I should be wearing a robe like a sadhu (ed., spiritual renunciate). Why should I do that? I want to wear my denims. Some have even said that, at a certain time, I’ll get up in darshan and take over Puttaparthi.”
Typically, after reflection, usually following a question of mine, he would return with a perfectly crystalised reply, like a pearl slipping out of the oyster shell when, after inner effort, it opens at last. His voice struck flint; a small spark lit his eye. “I don’t like that!” The tone was very emphatic. Again the spurt of intensity. I sensed a deep indignity, a smouldering anguish from which he had somewhat distanced himself. Embers still glowed hot.
He spoke of his anger at the time of Sai Baba’s ‘revelation’ or ‘pronouncement.’ The interview in which this was made occurred, he said, at Puttaparthi, March 23, 1987. Two more interviews followed – on the 24th and 26th. He was then nineteen years. He said that the Sri Lankan group of which Nalin was a member was led by Mrs Ganhewa. He was baffled to know how the news got out. “Swami took me into a private room next to the interview room. I cannot see how others in the interview could have heard what Swami said. I certainly didn’t say anything about it.”
I have since asked a number of others their opinion as to the audibility or otherwise of what is said, from the standpoint of someone in the outer room. Some say the speech is too muffled to be understood. Others say that sometimes one can hear what is being said. In an interview on July 24,1998, I noted this: a curtain separates the two rooms, as it has long done. I was in a group of seven Australians. However, a Canadian husband and wife briefly preceded us into the inner room. Later, Sai Baba also saw the three ladies in our group separately to the men. In both cases, a few drift words of speech could be understood; much could not be, because he and the Canadians and, separately, he and the Australian women spoke quite quietly.
Nalin told me that he returned to Puttaparthi in August 1987. Sai Baba called him and his group for interview. He said that Sai Baba asked the group leader, referring to Nalin’s parents, “Are his parents happy?” Nalin relates that she replied yes, they were very happy when they heard the news, but
“Swami replied, ‘No, no, no, they are not happy but they are worried about that boy. Look at him, he’s just a boy. Just leave him alone and don’t disturb him, because if anything happens, you must be responsible for that”‘.
Nalin says
“Swami turned to me and said, ‘A lot of people are angry with you and jealous of you, here and there. Don’t go to any bhajan places. You just stay at your home, and do your work'”
I asked Nalin what work did he do?
“Not ordinary work. A friend of my age and I have been working among the poorer classes. At one time, we got involved in an eye camp.”
(These were organised clinics designed to bring medical aid to the poor. For example, combating eye diseases such as glaucoma).
Nalin continued,
“Swami then said, ‘You are angry with me. Why are you angry with me?’ I said, ‘You know why I am angry with you.’ Baba said, ‘Yes, I know.'”
Nalin relates that it was only on his return home that he discovered from his parents that they had been in fact worried at the extraordinary revelation about their son. Not wanting to trouble their family, they had kept their concern to themselves.
He said that, in two or three months, he would like to visit Sai Baba wherever he was stationed at the time. A lot would depend on how Nalin’s father managed with a shortly upcoming by-pass operation in Chennai. He wondered whether it would be possible to get Sri Lankan Sai devotees to leave him alone – perhaps via a note printed in Sanathana Sarathi, the official magazine of the Sathya Sai Central Trust. Considering the essential purpose of the publication (to publish Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Discourses, a small few articles by contributors, Sathya Sai Organization news), I rather doubted his chances, but suggested he call on the Editor, Sri V.K. Narasimhan, whom I regarded as a good, decent man and a warm friend. With distinction and courage, V.K.N. had formerly edited major Indian newspapers – the Indian Express, Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald– and he and I had a warm friendship and were in fairly regular contact. From V.K.N. I soon after found that Nalin had, while I was absent, called on him, a visit I had already told V.K.N that Nalin may make. When we later spoke, V.K.N smiled wryly and admitted defeat in observing any similarities to Swami Vivekananda.
Since so many of Sathya Sai Baba’s predictions large and small have proved false, one may fail to see how the one about Nalin could come true. Trustfully, given the fickleness of the madding crowd, Nalin’s botherers will have long given up their bothering of him.
If Nalin ever takes over Puttaparthi, I shall personally ‘come again’. Reborn there as a service volunteer. And eat my hat!
Resources:Manisha Rathore
http://sify.com/astrology/fullstory.php?id=13624255
Robert Priddy, former Norwegian leader and a founder member of the Norwegian Sathya Sai Organization: ‘Requiem To A Kindly Spirit. Celebrated Indian journalist V.K. Narasimhan
http://home.no.net/anir/Sai/enigma/VKN2.htm
This entry was posted on April 6, 2007 at 11:24 pm and is filed under Morality, Movie Stars, Neglected/sidelined News, Nepal, New Age, News, News and Politics, Opinion, People, Politics, Propaganda, Prophecy, Protest, Psychology, Rationalism, Religion, Scandal, Sex, Skeptics, Social and Politics, Society, Spirituality, Sri Lanka, Successful People, Theology, Theosophy, Trends, Uncategorized, World Issues, World Religions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to “Vivekananda Has Come Again, Says Sai Baba. But Has He?”
Nithyananda claims he is Ramakrishna reborn! « Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed said
[…] closest disciple and major promoter, Swami Vivekananda, was allegedly reborn in Sri Lanka (according to Sathya Sai Baba – see here). All these claims of rebirth must be taken with a far more effective antidote than a pinch of […]
prabhu said
Swami Vivekananda himself said, that in future that if someone claims to me reborn, then kick him out …
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Home Media Partners Five Flavours Asian Film Festival Film Review: Still Human (2018) by Oliver Siu Kuen Chan
Film Review: Still Human (2018) by Oliver Siu Kuen Chan
Anomalilly
The story of a middle-aged man that remained paralysed after an accident at a construction site and his new Filipino helper can be pretty much summed-up into a paraphrase on Descartes’ most famous quote, “I dream, therefore I am.”
“Still Human” is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Winner of the 3rd First Film Initiative (Higher Education Institution Group), „Still Human“ written and directed by Oliver Chan Siu Kuen is yet another of the Hong Kong films that demonstrate not only the interest to remind of forgotten or invisible people of the region, but also the skill to do so without excessive drama and emotional blackmail. It is especially admirable when one takes into account that the premise of “Still Human” just invites for a slide into cheesy melodrama pond.
Leung Cheong-Wing (Anthony Wong) is a middle-aged man who, due to an accident, is now paralyzed from the chest down. His wife and son left him and now live their own lives in the United States, enjoying a new life in with a new husband and (step) father included. Cheong-Wing is fully dependent on the help of others. Also, and here I can totally relate, cockroaches freak him out. Evelyn Santos (Crisel Consunji) came to Hong Kong because unlike dreams, real life cannot wait. Thus she is putting her dream of becoming a photographer aside and now makes her living as Cheong-Wing`s new aid and maid.
They start off cautiously, both trying to keep their relation professional, motivated by the pure need to survive and also by a will to not to allow the other to take advantage of the other’s disability – being it actual or social. Slowly but surely, they both drop their safeguards, showing that where there is a will to understand the other, there is also a way.
“Still Human” effectively employs well written supporting characters, and boldly exploits the most common stereotypes or prejudices to create a more vivid picture of the two main characters and of the groups they represent. Step by step, season by season, it allows us to peak not only into the present living of the two main characters but reveals enough on their past.
Chan’s script balances out the reality of the socially invisible humans, their everyday fights, be it with gravity or language, with some witty sense of humour. Thanks to cheeky traits of the main characters, “Still Human” manages to show compassion without pitying them. Besides, more than a critique of unequal or abusive treatment, the film opts the way of positive examples. Instead of pillorying people for their choice of turning a blind eye or even abusive attitude towards disabled or foreigners (especially women economic migrants), it offers images of coping with such attitudes with understanding and with a little help of your friends. Basically, “Still Human” turns the story of pushed away people into a sort of buddy movie about two people who didn’t do much more than seeing a human in each other and felt it as a little miracle.
It is pleasure to see that Chan as the scriptwriter does not underestimate Chan as the film director, nor does she take the audience for halfwits. She is not afraid to break information about the character(s) or event(s) into smaller pieces and distribute them timely, to complete it in the just moment, to set the right emotion. Chan the director (and editor) then keeps the scenes and leads the actors in this very sense, but does not fall into any kind of rigidness. On the contrary, she avoids it by smart editing, intertextual drops and yes, she is not afraid to go directions Cinderella or even cheesier, and make it work.
“Sill Human” parades a very good cast too. It is not only Anthony Wong and Crisel Consunji who are very just and who feel very natural in their expressions, making it easy to connect with the story and the stories within. The acting of all the protagonists seems to be under the “there is nothing like a small role” idea, and the gust and understanding of the character and its role in the story is just pleasing the senses. No matter whether we talk of well-known Hong Kong actor Cecilia Yip in one tricky role or ageless Sam Lee, who is much more than a reminder of Fruit Chan in the seat of the producer (and in a food stall owner cameo), or Wong Ting-Him, or of the Filipinas in the City: Loma, Ann and Rhea portrayed by Lucy Navarrete Valenzuela, Xyza Cada and Marie Cornelio.
“Still Human” looks like a small story on the outside, but as more and more films by young and young but not that young Hong Kong film-makers, it offers a look into a flavourful world. A world that is very Hong Kong and yet feels (sadly?) very familiar. Furthermore, it is a joy to watch as a piece of very good and thoughtful film-making.
PS: On a side note, among her other activities, Crisel Consunji co-founded Baumhaus Creative Arts Family centres in Hong Kong (www.criselconsunji.com)
Crisel Consunji
Oliver Siu Kuen Chan
Still Human
Hello everyone! Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be an actress. I absolutely adored Greta Garbo. Far from her looks and even further from her talents, I ditched acting as a professional career option and went for film studies. It must have been sometimes in my early teens, which is still too late if you look at the origin stories of my colleagues, I fell for action cinema and cinemas of the Far East. Depending on who asks, the answer to "why" question is either: 1/ The lighting style just hit me in the guts, or 2/ Have you really seen those men? (Up until now, I would welcome Han Suk-kyu to read me anything.) I program the Asian sidebars "Eastern Promises" at Art Film Fest Košice and "Queer Asia" for Slovak Queer Film Festival. Both in Slovakia. I come from there. Oh, and I talk quite a lot. So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Interview with Heiward Mak: The sense of pain is not a taste
Interview with Tashi Gyeltshen: Violence is connected with power
Interview with Crisel Consunji: I think our purpose in life is to be here for each other
Interview with Genta Matsugami: I feel that the whole system revolving around the institution of family is problematic
Interview with Pema Tseden: I always dream and think in Tibetan
Interview with Noboru Iguchi: I Thought I Was a Hentai (Weirdo) Myself and It Was Something That Bothered Me
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All posts tagged Duchy of Gort
Earthman, Come Home by James Blish (1953)
‘We’, said the golden giant, ‘are the Margraf Hazca, Vice Regent of the Duchy of Gort under his Eternal Eminence, Arpad Hrunta, Emperor of Space.’ (p.269)
Reading space opera like this means accepting the absurd, the grandiose and the preposterous. At moments Earthman, Come Home teeters on the edge of Terry Gilliam absurdity or Douglas Adams-style pastiche. But I found it very enjoyable, with a fast-moving plot of adventure and excitement, accompanied by a steady flow of discoveries or revelations about galactic adventurers 1,000 years in the future, which jolt and tickle the imagination.
James Blish (1921-75)
Blish was born in 1921 in New Jersey, and while at school published a science fiction fanzine. His first published story was in a pulp sci-fi magazine in 1940. His first successful stories were only published after the war, and it wasn’t till 1950 that he hit his stride with the first of the stories which was to develop into the ‘Okie’ series, describing entire cities which used ‘spindizzy’ technology to launch themselves and travel into space.
The first two stories, ‘Okie’, and ‘Bindlestiff’, were published in 1950, by Astounding Science Fiction magazine. ‘Sargasso of Lost Cities’ appeared in Two Complete Science-Adventure Books in April 1953. ‘Earthman, Come Home’ followed a few months later, also published by Astounding. In 1955, Blish collected these four short stories into an omnibus ‘novel’ titled Earthman, Come Home.
More stories followed, namely ‘Bridge’ and ‘At Death’s End’ which tell how the spindizzies were developed and the early era of space exploration. In 1956 these two were published together in the volume titled They Shall Have Stars. In 1958 Blish released a third ‘Okie’ novel, The Triumph of Time. Four years later, he returned to the subject for the last ‘Okie’ novel, A Life for the Stars.
The sequence of four Okie novels was edited together into an omnibus edition, titled Cities In Flight, which was first published in October 1970. This version was then republished as part of Orion’s large-format, yellow-spined SF Masterworks series in 1999, and this is the version I borrowed from my local library.
Are these stories literature? No way. A glance at the cover of the 1953 Two Complete Science-Adventure Books which featured ‘Sargasso of Lost Cities’ tells you everything you need to know about the cultural level of its first publishers and readers. Pulp, with scantily clad young women threatened by purple-skinned aliens is about the level. (As far as I can tell, nothing like that scene with a woman in a red bra takes place in any of the stories: the ‘Jungle’ chapter based on the Sargasso story contains nothing like it.)
Cover of Two Complete Science-Adventure Books featuring Blish’s novella ‘Sargasso of Lost Cities’ (1953). $5 value for just 25 cents!!!
Which order to read them in?
Before you start reading there’s a snag: the Cities in Flight omnibus volume doesn’t present the stories in the publishing order outlined above, but according to the order of their internal chronology, namely:
They Shall Have Stars
A Life For The Stars
Earthman, Come Home
The Triumph of Time
So, should you read them in the order published, or in the chronological order of the narrative? Well, in his introduction, Adam Roberts says the first-written stories remain the most thrilling and visionary, so he recommends you do not read the novels in the order they’re arranged in the omnibus edition, but start with Earthman, Come Home, the freshest and most exciting tales. Alright.
It is about the year 4,000 AD, and two key inventions have transformed the human race.
1. The first is anti-agathic drugs which enable humans to live more or less forever. The central figure of Earthman, Come Home, John Amalfi, is nearly 1,000 years old, and as young and virile and clear-headed as ever.
He was now about nine hundred years old, give or take fifty, ; strong as an ox, mentally alert and active, in good hormone balance, all twenty-eight sense sharp, his own special psi faculty – orientation – still as infallible as ever, and all in all as sane as a peripatetic starman could be. (p.325)
2. The second invention was ‘the Dillon-Wagoner Graviton Polarity Generator’, known colloquially as the spindizzy, an anti-gravity device. Because these project a protective field around anything using them, it was realised a) that things which went up through the earth’s atmosphere (or any planet’s atmosphere) needn’t be streamlined like traditional spaceships, but could be any shape, b) could be any size, as long as they had enough spindizzies to propel them.
In an earlier wave of colonisation immediately after their invention, set off to colonise other planets. Now, 1,000 years later, entire earth cities have abandoned the mother planet and ‘gone aloft’, journeying through space protected by hermetically sealed atmospheres, supplied by self-contained water and food systems. New York, we are told, was among the last to leave, in around 3111 AD.
These city-spaceships wander the settled galaxy looking for ‘trade’ i.e. looking for planets which need their particular skill sets. There are hundreds of wandering cities, each one specialising in particular areas. They’ve acquired the nickname ‘Okies’, copied from the impoverished farmers from Dustbowl Oklahoma who headed west to California looking for work in the 1930s. At last count there were some 18,000 Okie cities (p.350)
However, there are hazards. Not, surprisingly enough, from aliens because – just as in the contemporaneous Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov – it turns out that there are hardly any ‘alien’ life forms anywhere in the galaxy. (This is worth meditating on for a moment: in both the Foundation and Okie series there are no aliens. Despite the covers of Astounding Science Fiction always featuring giant insect or octopus monsters, nothing like that appears in the stories. The threat in both series always and only comes from other humans.)
So the threats are entirely human, and come from a) ‘bindlestiffs’ or Okie cities who have gone bad, gone rogue, become predators and murderers, or b) from the cops, Earth police who still, apparently, hold sway, even out on the edges of the galaxy and dislike or even hate Okie cities for their frequent rule breaking.
So this is the background and setting for a series of adventures featuring New York, more accurately the island of Manhattan, which can magically fly through space and land on any planet it fancies. The idea is wonderful, and Blish’s realisation of it is astonishingly convincing: the basic technique is ‘less is more’. New York City landmarks are sparingly referred to, the technology only fleetingly mentioned and, most conspicuously of all, there are hardly any characters. A quick Google search shows that the population of New York in 1950 was about eight million, but only a handful of characters ever appear in the stories – I counted about eight in all. Where are the teeming bustling millions of the actual New York? And how do any of them make a living drifting through space for months and years between planetfalls? The answer to these conundrums is – not to ask them.
Lead character is John Amalfi, the city’s mayor – tall, stocky (he has a barrel-shaped body), bald, it is he who takes the chances, assesses the odds and comes up with canny plans of action when the city gets into tight scrapes. Amalfi is advised Mark Hazleton, the city’s manager and trusted side-kick, who makes all the technical calculations but, more importantly, comes up with cunning plans.
Amalfi often refers to, or rings up and talks to, the City Fathers. It’s only in about the third story that we realise ‘the City Fathers’ are in fact a super-wise computerised database which Amalfi can consult whenever he wants to, but can occasionally turn off when he wants to override their Spock-like, logical advice in order to take another of his wild risks.
1. Utopia
New York, or just ‘the city’, arrives at a star system dominated by two warring planets, Utopia which is continually under attack from the brutish Hruntans. Amalfi lands on Utopia, Hazleton returns from a recce with a pretty native woman, Dee (who will end up accompanying them on all their subsequent adventures) and the rest of his team are drilling for oil and minerals when the Hruntans attack the planet. the plot is complicated (as the plots of all the stories will turn out to be) by the presence of the Earth police, the cops, who are just raring to catch an Okie city for the slightest technical violation of either a) space law or b) breaching its contract with a planet.
In this instance the earth cops have arrived to pacify the system which means crushing the Hruntan military. In a complex piece of Machiavellian manoeuvring, Amalfi orders the city aloft, leaving Mark and Dee back on Utopia, with a view to sucking up to the Hruntans.
2. Gort (the Duchy of Gort)
A Hruntan delegation arrives on the bridge, led by the thuggish Margraf Hazca. He informs them that other landing parties have landed at key locations around the city. Amalfi makes a deal to trade Hruntan resources (particularly oil) for the city’s knowledge of friction-field technology – although the Margraf thinly threatens that they plan to take the city’s technical know-how by force, anyway.
Blish the narrator takes the opportunity of explaining that:
‘The spindizzy or Okie cities are like bees, wandering around the galaxy of earth-colonised planets (the ‘pollinating bees of the galaxy’ p.345), spreading knowledge, new technology, minerals and resources. The earth police look down on them, and try to bust them if they break trading contracts with planets, but at the end of the day the Okies perform a useful service.’
Amalfi lays out a complex and not totally comprehensible plan: Mark will lecture the Hruntans’ leading scientists and military strategists on the cutting edge tech the city possesses and the Hruntans – way out here on the edge of the galaxy – don’t.
Amalfi assumes there’ll be one or two scientists who genuinely understand the city’s advanced tech. He assumes that, within any group of such scientists, there’s always jealousy, even unto assassination. He assumes that if the Okies favour one particular scientist, they will create dissension and jealousy among the Hruntan scientists. And this indeed does seem to occur, with a certain Dr Schloss a) understanding the city’s tech and, in short order b) being threatened by his peers.
(None of this makes much sense, but then a lot of the plot doesn’t really make much sense: entering the text is like entering another world where normal motivations, human psychology or behaviour have been twisted out of recognition.)
What happens next is even more bewilderingly weird: Amalfi has gone to the penthouse suite of the city’s tallest building which has been commandeered by the thuggish Margraf Hazca and his entourage. Amalfi is having a difficult conversation with him and the Margraf is just raising his blaster to threaten him, when Mark and his assistants turn on a ‘friction-field generator’, and turn it up to overdrive. Normally the machine works to create friction-free movement of surfaces, thus eliminating the need for oil in machines; in overdrive it does the reverse and makes ‘creates adherence between all surfaces’ (p.286).
I’m not sure that explains what happens now, which is that all the Hruntans in the penthouse are stuck to their chairs and seats, unable to move. For some reason Amalfi, standing, can move, runs to the lift but finds it stuck to its shaft walls, so runs back through the penthouse (past the furious Hruntans struggling to lift their arms from the chairs they’re stuck to), onto a ledge, and then – grips the side of the building (extra adhesion) and slides the 80 storeys back to the ground, which he hits with quite a bang.
When he recovers consciousness Dee is laving Amalfi’s blistered hands and forehead, while Mark explains that he had hidden good old Dr Schloss (the Hruntan scientist whose colleagues turned on him for being too clever) in the knackered old ‘invisibility’ machine which they’d been sold by inhabitants of the planet Lyra ages ago and had never got to work. (‘You remember that old Lyran invisibility machine, boss.’)
Well, clever old Dr Schloss got it to work, the entire city was made invisible for thirty minutes, and this was enough for it to beam aloft and escape the security net which was just being cast around the planet by the earth police.
Now they’re flying free, but Amalfi worries that the cops can now bust them for, technically, breaking a treaty they signed with the Hruntans. Therefore he instructs Mark to steer the city towards the Rift. Not the Rift!
3. The Rift
The Rift is ‘awesome beyond all human experience’, it is ‘a valley cut in the face of the galaxy’, a vast space devoid of stars. Amalfi is not sure any city has ever successfully crossed it from one side to the other, but he’s going to try. Amalfi has barely explained all this to Dee, than they see a flaring in space (Amalfi uses a big video screen to steer the city by) and hear over the radio screaming pleas of SOS.
A city has been attacked and destroyed by a bindlestiff. What is a bindlestiff? An Okie city that’s gone pirate. Where will the lifeships from the destroyed city go? Well, there’s only one freak star out here in the emptiness of the Rift, so Amalfi sets a course for it.
Obviously and inevitably the star turns out to have a planet circling it which is capable of human life (as they pretty much all are: earth gravity; earth air; all very convenient). As the city comes in to land on the planet they are surprised to pick up chanting on the radio: it is inhabited.
After the huge city has dropped onto the surface (rather roughly, since a recurring theme is that the 23rd Street spindizzy is playing up), they discover a primitive tribal-level civilisation.
As Amalfi and the others exit the city onto the plain they are surprised to see a great procession of locals dressed in gowns and head-dresses and what-have-you snaking out from the nearest settlement and approaching them with singing and signs of reverence. After a cohort of children, come men in symbolic dress, and then a huge cage full of naked, filthy, unwashed women (!), drawn by two giant lizards (!!) Do they have to be naked?
Most of [the Hevian women] had been stoned for inadvertently covering themselves at one time or another, for in Hevian society women were not people but reminders of damnation, doubly evil for the slightest taint of secretiveness. (p.328)
Attendants unshackle the lizards and lead them away, leaving Amalfi face to face with a cage full of naked women, and a tall impressive man comes forward and places in Amalfi’s hand… ‘an ornate wrought-metal key’!
4. He (the planet He)
Miramon is spokesman for the local people, and tellus Amalfi the planet is named He. It seems they had a very advanced civilisation until some kind of catastrophe 8,000 years earlier. Amalfi suspects he knows why (the key feature of this book is that Amalfi knows everything and is nearly always right; it is very comforting and reassuring to be on Amalfi’s side in all these conflicts and emergencies, since he always emerges unharmed and vindicated, and saves the city yet again.)
He has a Draysonian cycle i.e. every so often it abruptly changes the axis of its rotation. Amalfi guesses that’s what happened 8,000 years ago, destroying the old civilisation and turning the entire planet into a steamy tropical jungle. Miramon explains that a new religion arose and it is now universally believed that the inhabitants of He are in a steamy tropical hell because of their sins – the kind of standard, shallow, bubble-gum religion you get in all these space operas, which lingers on into Star Trek or Star Wars.
Meanwhile Amalfi’s techs have discovered that a lifeship from the attacked city landed in another settlement, one of the rebel settlements which have broken with He‘s orthodox religion.
Having made friendly relations with Miramon and his people, Amalfi is able to cadge a rocket ship off him and get it piloted to this other settlement, because although He suffered a collapse of advanced civilisation, some elements of hi tech survived. For example, they have automobiles, which Blish enjoys using in a comic scene where Amalfi and Hazleton are driven in one to meet the settlement’s head men, disbelieving the noise and smell and discomfort of a car, as compared with the city’s own smooth, friction-free computer-driven cabs.
In an exciting scene, the little local rocketship they’re flying in comes under sustained attack from the enemy settlement, with bullets and bits of shrapnel shredding its thin metal skin, nearly hitting Amalfi et al. An attack squad suppresses the locals then locates the prison where the survivors of the destroyed Okie city’s lifeship were being tortured to reveal their tech secrets. One begs to be killed, two have gone mad, one has had his tongue torn out.
The motive for saving these guys was that, in their brief distress call, the Okie city had claimed to have a fuel-free drive, something which would be worth a fortune to New York or anyone. But Amalfi has barely begun questioning the tongueless man (who has, in the magic way of these books, somehow learned a way of speaking without a tongue) before the top of his (tongueless man’s) head is blown off by a bullet.
Back at the city, they come under dynamite and gas attack. Amalfi realises that the bindlestiff – which they had thought had disappeared into deep space – has in fact landed on the planet and is aiding the rebels. In a modern movie-type scenario the entire vast city turns out to have buried itself deep in a muddy quagmire near the leading town of the rebels, which is called Fabre-Suith.
Two things happen to make this story fast-moving and almost incomprehensible.
1. While the attack is still on (by now we have grasped that the Fabre-Suith people are attacking the city, but with weapons given them by the bindlestiff) Amalfi orders Mark to take the wild naked native women (who we saw in an earlier scene being taken to a kind of underground bathing rooms and hosed down by Dee, who joined in!) now cleaned and washed and dressed, to a clearing in the jungle near where all the weapons are being fired at the city. I couldn’t quite believe this was meant to be a serious plotline, but what happens is that the native men leave off firing weapons at the city and rush towards this clearing full of nubile young women, where they start fighting among themselves for the women. Not only that, but the bindlestiff ship emerges from its muddy hiding place, and itself sends a party of men to grab the women. The two groups of men start fighting. Eventually the bindlestiff sends a missile which annihilates the nearest settlement (in, I think, a mushroom-cloud atomic explosion) and their men make off with the women prisoners.
But all this is a distraction from Plan Two which is that, without anything having been explicitly agreed between Amalfi and Miramon, Amalfi has taken it upon himself to correct the axis of spin of the planet. This involves quite a lot of cod engineering with 40-mile wide tunnels being bored right to the core of the planet and spindizzy technology inserted. You’d expect this to take weeks, maybe months or even years to accomplish, but for the purposes of the pulp plot it all seems to be done in a day or so.
Then, just as the bindlestiff is pulling free of the vast mud swamp it had hidden in and about to pose maximum threat to New York, Amalfi presses the button to activate the deep planet drivers: Moving Day has begun; the engines buried near He‘s core kick off.
In fact it turns out be wildly more effective than Amalfi had anticipated. The vast engines they’ve buried near the planet’s core don’t slightly adjust the planet’s spin, they blast the whole thing clean out of orbiting its star. Within moments He‘s star has flashed by Amalfi’s viewing screen, and the planet is coursing through the Rift at light speed. The bindlestiff was thrown clear by the blast but New York is still attached to He.
Amalfi asks Mark to find the planet’s old star (it is part of these stories’ charm that Mark does so using a slide rule. In a similarly sweet and naive way, Amalfi guides this vast flying city using… a master space stick..’ by hand… by touch and feel, while staring at the big screen in front of him.)
By the time Mark’s done that the planet He is leaving the galaxy, departing upwards from the dish-shaped galaxy, far too far to return to its host sun, and it will take thousands of years, even at light speed, to reach the next galaxy. ‘What shall we do, boss?’ (Mark always calls Amalfi ‘boss’.)
In the kind of grand, sweeping and insouciant gesture which we’re getting used to by now, Amalfi points out that the spindizzy field which is driving He will also protect it from space cold, and supply it with heat; that by the time they reach the next galaxy they should have figured out the technology required to slow the planet down and locate it in a star orbit. Yeah, He will be alright. So they can leave.
So he orders Mark to take the city ‘aloft’, leaving He to its fate, and heading back into our galaxy. Now, it has been a recurrent theme that one of the city’s spindizzy engines, the one sited at 23rd Street, is always malfunctioning. They skip off He and and their next priority is to look for a repair or ‘garage’ planet.
5. Murphy (the planet Murphy)
Mark and/or the City Fathers tell Amalfi that they are re-entering the galaxy in the zone run by the Acolytes. They identify a sun and an engineering and repair planet but are still only approaching it when they are pulled over by cops. But these are swaggering, edge-of-the-galaxy, provincial cops, Acolyte cops (I think the analogy might be with the swaggering bully stereotype of the Deep South American cop).
Amalfi gives their bully boy leader (‘Lieutenant Lerner, Forty-fifth Border Security Group’, p.347) a five hundred Oc dollar bribe to let them pass on to the repair planet (incongruously named Murphy).
As they approach they realise that parallel to the main sun (in fact a pair of circulating stars) is a red dwarf sun and that around this feeble heart source has clustered some 300 Okie cities. It is an Okie ‘jungle’.
They touch down on Murphy which they discover to be very discouraging. The vast bays designed to take Okie cities for repairs are empty. The equipment is rusting. It is almost abandoned. An engineer comes running and Blish blinds us with pseudo-science about what needs repairing, but then a little later he returns waving a blaster around. Once they’ve calmed him down, Amalfi and Hazleton are shocked to discover that their money is worthless.
All through the story up to now Amalfi and co have used the rare metal germanium as the basis for their deals, drilling it out of planets where they could (along with oil) in return for their technological know-how. Now, the engineer informs them, germanium has ceased to be currency. A great economic collapse has swept out from earth and the new currency is drugs, specifically the anti-agathic drugs which keeps them all alive. New York’s treasury is worthless overnight.
Amalfi’s techies had been examining the only other city in the garage, an apparently all-purpose city with several functioning spindizzies. Amalfi orders his teams to cannibalise them.
At which point they hear sirens of police spaceships closing in, ready to arrest them not only for their long list of violations but for bribing Lieutenant Lerner with money which, they now know, was worthless. So Amalfi presses the ‘Get out of here fast’ emergency button.
6. The Jungle (i.e. the Sargasso sea of knackered Okie cities)
New York reappears among the ruined Okie cities clustered around the red dwarf star. He and Hazleton quickly realise that the cities are being forced to bid for work grudgingly offered out by bullying Acolyte officials. It’s like those scenes from 1940s and 50s movies where dockers turn up at the docks and the favoured ones get given work and the unlucky ones go home hungry.
Over the radio the Acolyte woman holds an auction for various mining and dirty jobs the Acolytes want them to so, in which the desperate cities undercut each other. the cop spaceships approach and foolishly some of the Okies open fire on them, only to be wiped out.
Avoiding this chaos, Amalfi goes over to the Okie city which has established rulership over these waifs. It is the city of Buda-Pesht and is run by a ‘King’. He it is who tries to enforce discipline among the cities and makes them all hold to minimum wages.
There now follows a scene which, in its byzantine complexity but childish psychology, is strongly reminiscent of Asimov’s Foundation stories. The King has a grand plan which is for the 300 or so Okie cities to band together and fly to earth to ask for justice (and food).
In a long scene, Amalfi recruits the German mayor of a minor city, and then proceeds to interrupt the meeting, speak from the floor, demand to be heard from the platform, goes up and engages in head to head rivalry with the King, making a powerful counter-proposal. This is that the Okies should pool the knowledge of their City Fathers to develop new levels of hyper-technology, which they can then sell as a cartel to the galaxy. Amalfi sways the meeting, many of whom are attracted by the idea, but at the crucial moment, when the King asks him where he is from, Amalfi refuses to say. Hazleton is there in the wings, with Dee, urging him to utter the words ‘New York’, because the city has such prestige that just the mention of its name would swing the meeting.
But here’s the Asimov-like twist. As he explains to Dee and Hazleton as they leave, he didn’t want to sway the meeting. The plan to link up all the City Fathers would never work. He just wanted to present a strong enough counter-plan… to ensure that the King’s plan triumphed. Aha. Amalfi wants the so-called March on Earth to take place, because he wants to hide New York in among it.
This is the last straw for Amalfi’s sidekick Hazleton, but there’s a final last straw when Amalfi goes on to admit that he also is in love with Dee. Hazleton explodes and says the fateful words: I want off. He wants to permanently leave the city. it is a legal form of words no mayor can ignore and no starman can retract. Amalfi accepts it at face value. Only later will it become clear that this, too, is part of his plan.
What happens next is Amalfi orders his new city manager to take New York to one of the outermost Okies which seems to be abandoned. They communicate politely as they walk through the dark and empty city but one person holds out in one floor of a deserted building, firing on them incessantly until reluctantly, Amalfi’s attack team take it out. They then dismantle the city’s spindizzies and take them back to New York.
On the big screen they see that the King’s rebellion has been reported to the earth police who appear out of hyperspace to corral the Okies. Some foolishly fight back, but surprisingly manage to take out cop ships. While the battle proceeds, most of the fit Okies abandon the area, heading off into space.
7. Hern VI (the planet Amalfi steers across the galaxy)
The majority of the Okie cities have set out on the March on Earth. Luckily New York is equipped with ‘proxies’, ten-metre-long ships with cameras attached, and Amalfi has these proxies tail the March across the galaxy.
Meanwhile Amalfi’s men use the spindizzies from the all-purpose ship and from the outermost Okie which they plundered to fit them to a planet – to Hern VI, a chunk of rock circling the sun. You’d think it would take a while to equip a planet to be driven through space but, as usual in these stories, it only takes a few pages covered in dialogue and some bogus science and the job is done. Hern VI blast off into space, in pursuit of the March Okies.
Despite being ridiculous beyond words this sequence is actually very exciting, as Amalfi steers an entire planet which is travelling faster than the speed of light across the galaxy in pursuit of the Okie Marchers.
As they whizz by any number of star systems and spaceships put out warnings about a rogue planet flying across the galaxy.
The career of Hern VI from its native Acolyte cluster across the centre of the galaxy made history. (p.412)
The aim is to catch up with the Marchers. To cut a long (and exciting) story short 1. The Marchers approach the earth solar system, slow down and adopt a battle formation. 2. After radio warnings, all kinds of earth battleships appear out of nothing and start attacking them, the King orders the Okies to fight back, mayhem. 3. But Amalfi has seen something other people have noticed but not realised the significance of, that an unusual spherical object had got in among the Okies and was now in the vanguard of their approach to earth. Then 4. everyone hears a peculiar radio message given out by the sphere, in English, but a strangely mangled English threatening the ‘People of Earth’.
Barely has this taken place than there is a profound crash, seismic tremors across Hern VI, the glimpse of a blue pearly earth has gone, the sight of Sol in the big video screen has gone, Hern VI has entered and exited the solar system in seconds.
And only now does Amalfi reveal his plan. He knew that the strange ellipsoidal metal object in among the Okie Marchers, and which then threatened earth, was none other than the legendary Vegan Battle Cruiser. The Vegans ruled the galaxy thousands of years before humanity came along. Beaten back by humanity’s advance, they had retreated to their heartlands, but then sent out this cruiser to take revenge. Marching with the Okie cities gave it perfect cover.
Amalfi had realised all this, had engineered the King and other Okies to march on earth, had engineered his teams stealing the spindizzies from the other cities, equipping Hern VI and making its hot pursuit of the Marchers, and he had engineered Hern VI’s collision with the Vegan spaceship. He had piloted Hern VI half way across the galaxy in order to collide with the Vegan battle cruiser which was instantly reduced to a pile of steaming metals in a deep crater on the planet’s leading edge.
Not only was this all a cunning plan but – when Dee suggests they tell earth how they saved the planet, Amalfi reveals that they can’t. If they reveal that they defeated the Vegan ship, the Vegans will build a new one. Not publicising the fact that they blatted it will leave the Vegans uncertain what’s happened to it. Earth’s security depends on them keeping their mouths shut.
Unfortunately every cop in the galaxy will now be after them for breaching earth’s security borders etc. Which is why they are steaming on towards an area of the galaxy know as the Megallanic clouds.
One last thing. the City Fathers have made it quite clear that the 23rd Street spindizzy has had it, but so have several of the others. So their next planet-fall will be their last. So that solves the dilemma of his best buddy, Hazleton, wanting off. He will get off. But so will everyone else. Once it’s docked, New York will never fly again.
8. IMT
The city lands on a new planet in the Magellanic Cloud. They have been given permission by the planet’s ‘Proctors’. They land on a particularly barren stretch of heathland and come across ‘chocolate-coloured’ illiterate serfs ploughing the land. They take one, Karst, under their wing, and go to the nearest city to meet the ‘Proctors’ who allowed them to land. 1. the handful of Proctors use the native inhabitants as slaves. 2. this city was clearly itself once an Okie, with spindizzy tech hidden in its bowels.
Now all through the previous stories had been references to an atrocity carried back in legendary days by a particularly brutal Okie city on a planet named Thor V, I’m not sure the details are given anywhere but the general idea is the Okies massacred every man, women and child, and that this is one of the bases for the very bad reputation the Okies have across the galaxy and why the cops hate them.
What emerges slowly in this story is that – again very like an Asimov Foundation story – Amalfi knows something which we and all the rest of the characters don’t. The ‘Proctors’ are the very same men who carried out the atrocity on Thor V. Amalfi slowly reveals this to Karst, who has been undergoing hynopedia education sessions.
Karst sings an old slave folk song to him which has a refrain that IMT / made the sky / Fall – which Amalfi realises is a folk memory of the way the IMT city crushes opposition by literally landing on them.
At the climax of the story, and the series, Amalfi fools one of the Proctors, Heldon, into letting him examine the city’s spindizzies. The pretext is that New York will trade its own tech in exchange for being allowed to settle there. The ‘Proctors’ realise Amalfi is up to something and corner him in the machine room where he’d been examining the ways the spindizzies were connected. Amalfi holds up two eggs. Very simple: they are full of plague bacillus. Shoot him, he falls, the eggs shatter, the Proctors would be dead of plague before they reach the doors.
Cursing, they let him exit the door, which he locks behind him and scampers up the main Proctor building, the Temple, to its highest point. Up here must be the control room. He discovers a secret entrance to a kind of attic, and discovers the controls to the city and just has times to make some vital alterations to the controls, before going back down to the room below and once again using the egg threat to get free.
Amalfi walked backwards out of the star chamber and down two steps. Then he bent, deposited his remaining black egg carefully on the threshold, thumbed his nose at the furious soldiery, and took off down the spiral staircase at a dead run. (p.471)
Flash Gordon. The Prisoner of Zenda. Douglas Fairbanks Junior. Mesotron rifles are fired at him, demolishing entire buildings, as he zigzags through the streets of the IMT city, eventually making it to the scrubland at the perimeter, the area which is obviously where the city joins the land. All the while the noise had been building up, the sound of screeching metal and the streets had been bucking and writhing.
Amalfi is just scrambling across the no mans land when a line of light appears all round the city’s circumference. it is wriggling free of its location ready to fly over to new York and squash it. But Amalfi fiddled with the controls, remember. Suddenly, with no warning, the IMT city rises but doesn’t hover and then head for New York… it keeps on rising uncontrollably, up up up, Amalfi had disabled the steering mechansim and jammed the engines, it is doomed to fly directly upwards and in an endless straight line.
The freed slave Karst helps Amalfi to his feet and both stand on the edge of the vast hole the IMT city left behind it, and Amalfi (and Blish) have one more trick up their sleeve. As relations with the IMT had soured, the Proctors had called the earth police (them again! they appear in pretty much every story) and warned them that the wanted Okie city of New York was likely to make a getaway from this planet.
Now as Amalfi and Karst look up into the sky at the dwindling light of the IMT city – suddenly it flares into a great white light. The earth cops were there waiting, and have vapourised it.
Thus 1. justice has been served on the genocidairs of IMT. 2. the earth cops now think they have destroyed New York and its population are now free of the threat of arrest and execution. 3. With the yoke of IMT slavery removed from their necks, the native chocolate brown people of the planet are now free.
Thus New York’s great odyssey, and the entire sequence of stories comes to a fitting end, with John Amalfi (rather like the psychohistorian Seldon in Asimov’s Foundation series) vindicated at every turn for his vast wisdom and strategic guile. And love of justice. Now he and Dee and Hazleton and all the other inhabitants of New York will turn to cultivating this planet, and making it a new Earth.
Around them, there was a murmuring of voices, hushed with disaster, and with something else, too – something so old, and so new, that it hardly had a name on the planet that IMT had ruled. It was called freedom. (p.474)
Interesting how the same story can be illustrated so many different ways – starting in the 1950s with the half-naked woman pulp magazine cover shown above, through to just twenty years later, which saw the advent of stunning sci-fi art, like the dazzling 1970s cover shown below.
Cover of Earthman, Come Home, 1974 Arrow paperback edition, by Chris Foss
Cities In Flight on Amazon
Cities In Flight Wikipedia article
James Blish Wikipedia article
1899 A Story of the Days To Come by H.G. Wells – set in the same London of the future described in the Sleeper Wakes, Denton and Elizabeth fall in love, then descend into poverty, and experience life as serfs in the Underground city run by the sinister Labour Corps
1904 The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth by H.G. Wells – two scientists invent a compound which makes plants, animals and humans grow to giant size, leading to a giants’ rebellion against the ‘little people’
1906 In the Days of the Comet by H.G. Wells – a passing comet trails gasses through earth’s atmosphere which bring about ‘the Great Change’, inaugurating an era of wisdom and fairness, as told by narrator Willie Leadford
1908 The War in the Air by H.G. Wells – Bert Smallways, a bicycle-repairman from Bun Hill in Kent, manages by accident to be an eye-witness to the outbreak of the war in the air which brings Western civilisation to an end
1952 Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov – two long stories which continue the future history of the Foundation set up by psychohistorian Hari Seldon as it faces down attack by an Imperial general, and then the menace of the mysterious mutant known only as ‘the Mule’
1953 Earthman, Come Home by James Blish – the adventures of New York City, a self-contained space city which wanders the galaxy 2,000 years hence, powered by spindizzy technology
1953 Fahrenheit 451 – a masterpiece, a terrifying anticipation of a future when books are banned and professional firemen are paid to track down stashes of forbidden books and burn them
by Simon on December 29, 2018 • Permalink
Posted in Adventure, Short stories
Tagged 1953, 3111, A Life For The Stars, Acolyte cluster, Adam Roberts, anti-agathic drugs, Asimov, Astounding Science Fiction, At Death’s End, Bindlestiff, Blish, Bridge, Buda-Pesht, Chris Foss, City Fathers, Come Home, Dee, Dillon-Wagoner Graviton Polarity Generator, Dr Schloss, Draysonian cycle, Duchy of Gort, Dustbowl, Earthman, Earthman Come Home, Fabre-Suith, Foundation, Galaxy, He, Hern VI, Hrunta, James Blish, John Amalfi, Karst, Margraf Hazca, Mark Hazleton, Megallanic clouds, Miramon, Murphy, New York City, Oc dollar, Okie series, Proctors, pulp fiction, Sargasso of Lost Cities, sci fi, science fiction, spindizzy, The Rift, The Triumph of Time, They Shall Have Stars, Thor V, Utopia, Vegan Battle Cruiser, Vegans
Posted by Simon on December 29, 2018
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Why Are Chicagoans So Obsessed With Italian Sausage on Pizza – An Investigation
Pepperoni is America’s favorite pizza topping. There’s really no debate. In poll after poll, pepperoni has the No. 1 spot locked down. Look at the pizza emoji on your phone. That’s a slice of pepperoni pizza.
But stop by many cherished pizzerias in Chicago, and it’s a different story. Italian sausage enjoys a popularity at odds with the rest of the country. To be blunt, Chicagoans are obsessed with the stuff. At Gino’s East you can order Italian sausage flattened into a thin disc so big that it covers the entire pizza. Not to be outdone, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria offers a “crustless pizza,” where the dough is completely replaced by a thick base of Italian sausage. (Don’t call it healthy, but it is gluten-free.)
And this isn’t just any Italian sausage. Many places either make the ground pork mixture in house or have a trusted local butcher shop make it for them.
To help better understand this sausage-fueled hysteria, I reached out to four local pizza restaurateurs to figure out why Italian sausage rules Chicago.
According to the owner of Lou Malnati’s, Marc Malnati, Italian sausage is “by far the most popular topping” at his restaurants. What does that mean for a restaurant chain with 48 locations in the Chicagoland area, plus three in Arizona? “We buy a couple million pounds of sausage a year,” Malnati says.
Malnati has a theory about Italian sausage’s local popularity. “I think it started with the Union Stock Yards a couple generations ago,” he says. “The fact that pork was prominent in Chicago back then led to (sausage) being a staple.” That theory certainly checks out with the poet Carl Sandburg, who memorably dubbed our city “Hog Butcher for the World” in his 1914 piece “Chicago.”
Of course, that poem was published over 100 years ago, and the Union Stock Yards closed back in 1971. But “I think it became a habit,” Malnati says. “It’s like being a Democrat. It was just passed on from family to family.”
The Italian sausage at Lou Malnati’s differs from most in that it’s relatively lean. Malnati estimates its lean-meat-to-fat ratio at about 90/10, when the standard is closer to 80/20 or 75/25. Lou Malnati’s also seasons the mixture simply, mostly with salt, pepper and garlic. One ingredient it doesn’t have is fennel seed. “Never fennel. I think they use (fennel) to cover up bad meat,” says Malnati. That is a controversial opinion.
On the other end of the pizza spectrum, both in style and number of restaurants, is Pat’s Pizzeria, which has just one location in Lincoln Park. Pat’s serves an extra-thin crust, often referred to as tavern-style, that’s cut into square slices. Co-owner Gina Pianetto agrees that sausage is the most popular topping choice. “We usually end up going through 100 to 150 pounds of sausage a week,” Pianetto says.
Although she has no idea why sausage is so popular in Chicago, she’s proud that Pat’s recipe hasn’t changed since the restaurant first opened in the 1950s. “It’s the same recipe as my dad (Nick Pianetto Sr.) first wrote down,” says Pianetto. “Plus, we don’t use anything frozen. We get shipments in throughout the week, so nothing is sitting in the freezer.” Pianetto’s recipe, like many, contains fennel seed.
Sausage is also the No. 1 topping at Villa Nova Pizzeria in suburban Stickney, another practitioner of tavern-style thin crust. “The majority of the pizzas will have sausage on them,” says Sonny Adamczyk, whose wife co-owns the shop. “That’s just a Chicago thing.” The pizzeria gets its fennel-heavy sausage blend prepared specially for it by International Meat in Chicago, the same shop it’s worked with since 1955.
Like nearly every pizzeria in town, Villa Nova is not shy with its application of sausage. In fact, it goes further than most. Each sausage pizza comes with golf-ball-sized pieces of Italian sausage positioned precisely on the thin crust in a grid pattern so that every square slice has a sausage right in the middle. While this creates a distinctive look, Adamczyk actually likes the sausage shaped into tinier portions. “I prefer it in small pieces, so it browns more,” he says. You can ask for the smaller pieces when you order.
Even new pizzerias can’t ignore the draw of Italian sausage. Pizzeria Bebu, which opened last year in Lincoln Park, serves an artfully blistered thin crust that looks nothing like Chicago’s square-cut thin crust or hefty deep-dish. But owner Zach Smith and chef/partner Jeff Lutzow still couldn’t leave Italian sausage behind.
“We are both Chicago guys,” says Smith. “One thing we wanted to accomplish was to make the pizza we want to eat, but not forget where we come from, and Chicago is built on great sausage pizza.” Pizzeria Bebu’s house-made Italian sausage is heavily seasoned with garlic, chili and fennel. “I think that fennel is one of the defining characteristics of Chicago Italian sausage,” says Smith. (I told you fennel in Italian sausage was contentious.)
While the exact origins of Chicago’s infatuation are murky, thanks to a combination of history and sheer deliciousness, Italian sausage doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. As Marc Malnati let me know: “It’s a fantastic topping. There’s nothing better.”
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B + B Q + A No Comments
The Skinny On ‘Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story,’ Kicking Off the LES Film Festival in June
May 21, 2018 By Tara Yarlagadda
The Schlep Sisters. (From Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story)
The 2018 Lower East Side Film Festival is announcing its opening night film, Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story, with this exclusive from Bedford + Bowery. The documentary is about the wild and ever-changing burlesque revival in New York. It premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival and played at DOC NYC 2017 prior to its scheduled showing at the LES Film Festival on June 7.
We chatted with the film’s director, James Lester, about burlesque in New York and the inspiration behind his feature documentary.
We Followed the Clues to a Rooftop Storytelling Circle Hosted By Chaos Magicians
May 21, 2018 By Hannah Frishberg
The emailed instructions, addressed to Cosmonauts of Narrative, said to look for the man in the red fez, which was easy enough, but his directions were more complex. “Take a left out of the bar and click to the next slide every half block,” participants in the night’s Constellations of Ego event were told as we were handed View-Masters and sent out of Bed Stuy’s cozy Project Parlor and into the misty evening. If correctly interpreted, the retro-formatted clues led to the side entrance of a kosher supermarket. Homemade stick-and-gauze-wrapped stars were handed out to all by an eye-patched organizer in the unremarkable entryway before we were sent skyward, the journey upwards guided by a fleet of golden lamps hung in the space between the rails. On the roof, circles formed around electric campfires and the storytellers started in.
Tags: Arts + Culture, Bushwick
Marina Abramovic Caught Pussy Riot’s Tour Launch at Elsewhere
May 21, 2018 By Nick McManus
Pussy Riot and their audience during the performance of “Elections.” (Photos: Nick McManus)
Pussy Riot launched their US tour at Bushwick’s Elsewhere last Thursday night with a bold display of their actionist performance art. Summoning the energy of a protest rally, Pussy Riot’s co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova led her fellow balaclava-clad DJ and dancers through a foray of their videos and songs that were strewn with their activist goals. Opener Dorian Electra also fed that spirit; with prominent figures of equality in attendance such as artist Marina Abramovic and Bust magazine co-founder Laurie Henzel, the show became much more than a concert.
Punk Magazine’s John Holmstrom Doesn’t Think Music Matters Much Any More
May 18, 2018 By Bradley Spinelli
(Photo courtesy of John Holmstrom)
While binging on the new season of I’m Dying up Here, catching up on The Deuce, or even streaming A Futile and Stupid Gesture, it’s pretty easy to conclude that the ‘70s were awesome and now, “everything is the worst” (©Liz Lemon). In the ‘70s, a zine could matter, people read comics that weren’t also billion-dollar movies, and it was still kind of rebel to listen to The Ramones. And smoke weed. John Holmstrom, founder of legendary Punk magazine, is bringing all of that back—ok, maybe not The Ramones—by dropping a new zine.
Alamo and Nitehawk Announce Their Free Outdoor Films, With a Double Dose of Space Jam
May 18, 2018 By Daniel Maurer
Nitehawk and Alamo Drafthouse have released their lineups of outdoor movie screenings and– awkward!– both of them include Space Jam.
Alamo announced today that it’s booking City Point/Downtown Brooklyn’s “Outer Space Outdoors” series, taking over Albee Square every Thursday in June. In keeping with the space theme, they’ll show Close Encounters of the Third Kind on June 7, Men in Black on June 14, Space Jam on June 21, and Gravity on June 28. DJ sets start at 7pm and the opening credits roll at 8pm.
Tags: Arts + Culture, Williamsburg
‘Radical’ Downtown Composer Glenn Branca Has Died at 69
Glenn Branca during a discussion at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival. (Maria Jose Govea/Red Bull Content Pool)
Downtown guitarist and composer Glenn Branca died last night at the age of 69. The longtime West Villager died in his sleep of throat cancer, his wife and collaborator Reg Bloor announced in a Facebook post.
“His musical output was a fraction of the ideas he had in a given day,” Bloor wrote. “His influence on the music world is incalculable.”
‘Everybody Got Laid Here’: Williamsburg Loses Another Venue as Legion Bar Closes
Patrons outside Legion bar on its closing night, 5/13/18 at 12am. (Photos: Nick McManus)
Williamsburg’s Legion Bar closed its doors early Sunday morning for a legion of regulars. The closing was bittersweet for Merle Chornuk, who opened Legion in 2005 with the hopes of it being a busier bar than it turned out to be. “It’s the end of an era,” he told me. “I’m moving on to other things.”
Jim Jarmusch, Rosie Perez, and Other Downtown Legends Basked in Basquiat at the Opening of ‘Zeitgeist’
May 14, 2018 By Scott Lynch
By all appearances, downtown filmmaker Sara Driver had a pretty good weekend. On Friday night, Boom For Real, Driver’s evocative, propulsive, and genuinely moving documentary of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s late teenage years (and the late 1970s Lower East Side art scene that nurtured his extraordinary talent), had its world premiere at the IFC, following a rave review in the Times. It’s a terrific movie, functioning equally well as a we-were-there record of how Basquiat went from homeless kid spraying Samo© to instant sensation at PS1’s New York/New Wave in 1981, his first-ever public show; and as a loving portrait of a neighborhood abandoned by the rest of the city, and all craziness and creativity that ensued.
Then on Sunday evening Driver and a coterie that included the likes of her partner Jim Jarmusch, Lee Quinones, Rosie Perez, Katie Taylor Legnini, Jimmy Webb, Henry Chalfant, Jeffrey Deitch, Luc Sante, and Alexis Adler crammed into the opening of a big group exhibition at the Howl! Happening space. A line to get in formed early and extended all the way over to Bowery for much of the night.
Union Pool’s Free Summer Thunder Shows: Sun Ra Arkastra, Songhoy Blues, Deradoorian and More
Elsewhere’s new rooftop isn’t the only outdoor spot making a summer programming announcement today. That old standby, Union Pool’s Summer Thunder series, just announced its lineup of free shows, and it’s a good one.
This year’s program, presented with the good folks over at Academy Records, leans distinctly toward jazz and African music, with some real heavy hitters in the mix: Sun Ra Arkastra on June 28, Songhoy Blues on July 7, Jemeel Moondoc on July 21, Mamadou Kelly on July 28, and Joe Bataan on Aug. 25. The Sadies will add a twang of country-western on June 30. On the obligatory indie rock front, Drag City outfit Wand will play songs off their forthcoming EP, Perfume, on June 16. And it all starts off with the eerie, mystical vocals of ex Dirty Projectors member Deradoorian on June 1.
Beloved Art Bookstore Printed Matter Is Expanding to the East Village
May 8, 2018 By Daniel Maurer
The former Chase bank building is the future home of Printed Matter. (Photo: Google Maps)
This is going to blow the minds of East Villagers who complain about banks taking over every corner: An art bookstore is moving into the former home of a Chase bank. And not just any art bookstore: Chelsea tastemaker Printed Matter will open its second shop at 38 St. Marks Place this summer. For the many who are still mourning the loss of the St. Mark’s Bookshop, this is very good news indeed.
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Home News Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Headset with aptX Support, 40mm Drivers Launched in China
Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Headset with aptX Support, 40mm Drivers Launched in China
Xiaomi recently launched two new audio devices in China, a collar-style Bluetooth headset and a half-in-ear headphones which come with a glossy ceramic texture for a premium look and feel. The company has added another member to its family of affordable audio headsets this week, in the form of the Mi Bluetooth headset, which is now listed on the official Xiaomi store in China carrying a price tag of CNY 299 (approximately Rs. 3,100).
The Mi Bluetooth headset will go on sale starting June 1, a day after the flagship Mi 8 smartphone is announced at an event in Shanghai. Interested buyers in China can already register for the device on the Xiaomi website, however, no details have been announced regarding the headset’s availability in India.
The device features an over-the-ear design with a foldable headband and considerably large ear cups which features a reflective panel on the outside, and a soft PU material on the ear-cups with a sponge foam underneath to provide maximum comfort. The headset has a USB port beneath one of the ear cups, and also houses multiple physical buttons to control music playback, accept/reject incoming calls and also activate the voice assistant.
As for features, the Mi Bluetooth headset comes with Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity standard and also has support for aptX lossless wireless transmission, which means the device can deliver high-quality, crystal clear audio output. The headset weighs just 235 grams and features large 40mm dynamic drivers which are claimed to deliver a superior audio experience. The headset, which also brings goodies such as dual mic and call noise reduction, comes equipped with a 400mAh battery which can deliver a battery life of around 10 hours on a single charge and is only available in a black color option.
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SEF CHEMO®
8-Cycle SEF Chemotherapy® to Take Place of 6-9 Month “Adjuvant Chemo-Radiotherapy
8-Week SEF Chemotherapy® to Take Place of 6-9 Month “Adjuvant” Chemo-radiotherapy
Published data from the United States National Cancer Institute show that more than half of stage III breast cancer patients eventually succumb despite undergoing six months of grueling toxic adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy after a lumpectomy. The reason is that conventional chemotherapy is inadequate and fails to eradicate every cancer cell in the body.
Conversely, Side Effect-Free (SEF) Chemotherapy® has proven to be more thorough in eradicating all cancer cells. Where conventional chemotherapy fails, SEF Chemo® has induced long-term remissions in patients whose cancer has spread to other organs. The longest such survivor is a stage IV breast cancer patient with liver metastasis who was treated with SEF Chemo® in 2005. She is currently completely free of cancer over a decade later. SEF Chemo® achieves strong responses in all types of cancer we have treated to date.
Conventional chemotherapy, particularly in stage IV breast cancer, show response in only 19-32% of cases, and when they do respond, the cancer can return to progression after only 3-6 months. Clearly, SEF Chemo® is far superior to conventional chemotherapy.
Dr. Kenneth Matsumura, the developer of SEF Chemo®, just approved the use of SEF Chemo® for stage III breast cancer patients with cancer that has spread to the lymph node.
Conventional adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy is not only ineffectual but, many patients refuse adjuvant therapy due to the horrible side effects—nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common. The chance of hair loss is high, and when it occurs, it can be emotionally devastating. Radiation causes breasts to become hard and hypersensitive, making many women avoid intimacy. Radiation may expose patients to other cancers as well as to autoimmune diseases later in their lives. In conventional adjuvant therapy, it is common to purposely induce menopause in women. Eight-week SEF Chemo® does not cause loss of hair, nor does it induce menopause in women.
In conventional adjuvant therapy it is common for patients to undergo two months of toxic chemotherapy followed by eight weeks of 5-day radiotherapy, and then another two months of chemotherapy. Many cannot continue to work. Quite often, patient’s white blood cell-making marrow is so decimated that doctors have to use expensive marrow stimulators to restore blood counts. It is likely that permanent damage is done to the marrow that may affect patients in their senior years. Although the patients are told in the beginning that their therapy will last six months, in reality many patients end up receiving treatment for 9 months or more, while they put their lives on hold.
SEF Chemo® patients often have the ability to continue working full-time while undergoing treatment. Patients with stage I-II breast cancer, usually undergo 8-10 cycles before completing therapy. Exceptions to this rule are uncommon.
For more information, please check out our blog articles. We’ll keep you up-to-date on informative articles, medical discoveries, as well as, comprehensive breaking news in the world of cancer.
Dr. Matsumura2019-07-17T19:19:55+00:00
We at the Berkeley Institute care deeply about our patients. Our staff are rigorously trained in clinical precision and an emphasis is always placed on compassionate care. We partner with naturopathic doctors, nutritionists, therapists, and support groups to ensure our patients are supported mentally, physically, and emotionally, every step of the way through therapy.
3010 Colby Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
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Best DVD Burner Software
By Michael Kwan Professional Technology Writer
Software options abound for burning DVDs whether you're interested in backing up your important data or sharing your home movies and multimedia presentations. Some bare bones burning programs may be easier to use, whereas more robust creation suites afford advanced editing features.
1. BurnAware Free
If you're looking for lightweight software that can not only burn data DVDs but also CDs and Blu-rays, including bootable and video discs, BurnAware Free is a solid option to consider. The interface is clean and easy to approach, earning it a solid recommendation and near perfect review score from Softpedia. In addition to the free version, pro and premium editions add more features for more advanced users, including the option for lifetime upgrades.
Price: Free to $120
2. DVD Cloner
Earning the Top Ten Reviews Gold Award for the best DVD burning software, DVD Cloner is both simple and fast. The Express Mode is particularly notable for when you simply want to copy a DVD and don't want to fuss with additional complexities. It'll bypass DVD protections, and it supports all region codes too. You can even copy a Blu-ray movie directly to your computer's hard drive.
3. DVDStyler
For when you're ready to sit in the director's chair, DVDStyler is a compelling DVD authoring program. It lets you create professional looking DVDs, complete with interactive menus, photo slideshows, multiple subtitle tracks, and more. The resulting disc you burn is playable on almost any standalone DVD player. The majority of SourceForge users rate the program a solid four stars out of five and best of all, this open-source software is completely free.
4. Ashampoo Burning Studio
Positioned as an all-in-one disc burning software for CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, Ashampoo Burning Studio is offered in two versions. The free version boasts "power, simplicity and file backups." The paid edition adds advanced features like scratch protection and an integrated video editor with templates, themes, and menus. The editor at SnapFiles rates Ashampoo Burning Studio a perfect five stars.
Price: Free to $15
5. WinX DVD Copy Pro
Depending on the specifics of your computer, you can burn a perfect copy of your favorite DVD in 12 to 17 minutes using WinX DVD Copy Pro. This is all while retaining the original image and sound quality, too. Unique features include the ability to extract the soundtrack from a DVD to just audio, plus support for 99 title DVDs. TechRadar points out the software is very fast, "making the best of hardware acceleration tech to perfect its transcoding engine."
6. iSkysoft DVD Creator
Available for both Mac and Windows computers, iSkysoft DVD Creator calls itself "the easiest DVD burner to turn videos, photos and music into DVD and Blu-ray discs." This is perfect for importing your existing content and personalizing your discs with background music, slideshows, menus, and more. ReviewZap rates it a solid four stars out of five, citing the variety of templates, simple navigation, and automatic chapter splitting among its strengths.
Price: From $30 per year
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Home » Lifestyle » ‘Toy Story 4’: 5 Takeaways From Opening Weekend
‘Toy Story 4’: 5 Takeaways From Opening Weekend
06/24/2019 Lifestyle
Despite arriving below expectations, “Toy Story 4” did huge business this weekend with ticket sales surpassing $118 million in North America.
As sequels hailing from beloved franchises continue to flounder at the box office, Disney and Pixar’s cartooned fourquel is a much-needed win for the movie business. It now ranks among the top debuts for an animated movie, as well as only the third film this year (so far) to hit triple-digits its inaugural outing.
“Audiences are loving this movie,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior box office analyst at Comscore. “That should portend longterm playability for the film. [Pixar] can build on this perception of quality that should carry it forward quite nicely.”
Here are five takeaways from the opening weekend of “Toy Story 4.”
Disney domination
It’s a good time to be Disney, there’s no denying that. The Magic Kingdom is responsible for 30% of the marketshare, a figure that only stands to grow as the studio irons out its slate post merger with Fox. That number is nearly double its nearest competitors, Warner Bros. and Universal. Disney is now responsible for the four biggest debuts of 2019: “Avengers: Endgame” ($357 million), “Captain Marvel” ($157 million) and “Aladdin” ($91 million). And while ticket sales for the industry continue to pace well behind 2018’s record year, Hollywood is banking on Disney to dig the film business out of that hole. The coming weeks look even more promising with Jon Favreau’s remake of “The Lion King,” “Frozen 2” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” on deck. All other studios, take note.
The Magic Kingdom’s worst enemy is itself
Being Disney comes with its own gripes. That was evident this weekend as “Toy Story 4” prompted headlines about an underwhelming start, despite crossing the $100 million mark — a benchmark any other studio would be thrilled to report. But Disney’s consistent track record means its films are held to a higher standard.
“When you’re at the top of your game, that’s the blessing and the curse,” Dergarabedian said. “Everything you do is under a brighter spotlight.”
Nobody is immune to a little franchise fatigue
It’s hard to consider a triple-digit debut a disappointment on any level, but it’s undeniable that “Toy Story 4” did perform below expectations. The fourth chapter in the children’s franchise brought in a series-best opening, but it’s just $8 million more than the debut of “Toy Story 3,” which racked up $110 million when it launched in 2010. It’s always the hope that a follow-up will gross more than its predecessors, signaling that appetite has grown over the years. But in the decade since the adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear last graced the big screen, the small jump in ticket sales indicates that audiences didn’t necessarily believe there was a compelling need for another “Toy Story.”
Box office tracking is an inexact science
It’s hardly a novel notion, the idea that estimating a film’s box office performance weeks ahead of its opening isn’t always spot-on, but this year has proved more than ever how off-kilter tracking can be. Whether a movie bows significantly ahead or behind estimates, early projections, which first appear on tracking boards three weeks ahead of a film’s debut, tend to dictate opening weekend perceptions. Sometimes it’s for the better, as was the case with Jordan Peele’s “Us.” The filmmaker’s highly anticipated follow-up feature film debuted with $71 million, nearly triple initial tracking that expected a start near $30 million. But in most instances, such as Universal’s “Glass” and Disney’s “Dumbo,” arriving well below expectations dominates headlines.
Pixar Animation Reigns Supreme
Few animation studios are operating at the level of Pixar. It’s rare that the fourth entry in a film franchise still generates positive sentiments. And though moviegoers might have been skeptical about the necessity for another “Toy Story,” critics hailed the movie as a worthy addition to Pixar’s cannon of family-friendly films. That kind of feedback is a testament to the powers that be at Disney’s animation studio, who have developed a track record of creating stories worth telling. Tony Hale, who voices as Forky, a nutty spork facing an existential crisis about what it means to be a toy, told Variety that reason is partially why he wanted to join “Toy Story 4.” “Having been a part of the process and seeing the story they wanted to tell, and also knowing Pixar doesn’t do things unless there’s a story to be told, I just had faith in their whole process,” Hale said.
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The Future of Customer Data Monetisation
Samuel Kornstein
Connect with Samuel Kornstein on Linkedin
We explore the future of customer data monetization for mobile operators, from advertising, to sophisticated customer engagement and adjacent revenue growth.
By Mike Greening & Tim Heal
Customer data monetisation business models are still in the early stages. Mobile operators are currently working to understand how data monetisation can both support the core business and bring in adjacent revenues. In this viewpoint we set out a vision for the next level of data monetisation, in which MNOs use customer data to strategically reposition themselves to capture adjacent revenues.
In response to downward pressure on revenues and margins, mobile operators around the world have been considering revenue opportunities in areas adjacent to their core businesses, such as mobile advertising, applications, mHealth and M2M, and less commonly, in more distant areas such as electricity and gas, home and travel insurance, or consumer electronics hardware.
“Data monetisation” is an umbrella term which covers the additional revenue that an operator can generate from the information it holds on its customers. Monetisation can be internal to the operator’s business, via upselling services, reducing churn and supporting customer care. It can also be external, providing intelligence to support commercial opportunities such as mobile advertising, or through packaging and selling the data for insight.
Last year, Cartesian discussed opportunities in data monetisation for operators.[1] To date, customer data monetisation has focussed on two areas: mobile advertising, and customer insight and upselling. We now see a greater potential for operators to leverage customer data: he next level of data monetisation will help enable operators to strategically reposition themselves and to generate adjacent revenues and profits that are meaningful in comparison to those of the core business.
Operators face a number of challenges in securing future profitability. ARPUs are falling in most developed markets or are flat in others. Revenues from data (handset and mobile broadband) have partially mitigated the shortfall in voice, but overall revenues and margins are trending downwards.
The move to LTE continues to drain operator cash reserves, both in terms of rolling out across the network, and in bidding for spectrum. While some players (notably EE in the UK) have put a stake in the ground to charge a premium for LTE services, prices will continue to face competitive pressure.
Regulators are also continuing to maintain or strengthen the competitive environment for telecoms services, notably seen in falls in mobile termination and wholesale access rates across Europe.
Figure 1: Global ARPU Trends (US Dollars)
The so-called “over-the-top” threat from Apple, Google, Facebook, Skype, Whatsapp, and many other providers continues to grow, and operators have struggled to claim their share of OTT revenue.
Operators have started to make investments in adjacent areas such as mobile advertising, online TV, M2M and mHealth, and some have set up business units to explore wider opportunities (e.g. Telefonica Digital, Orange Horizons, Telenor Innovation, SingTel’s Digital Life, etc.). However, adjacent revenues to date have been insufficient to offset declines in the core business, and thus operators have focussed on cost reduction to maintain margin performance.
Strategic Assets
Despite all of these challenges, operators possess unique strategic assets which will help secure their continued relevance and success:
Retail relationships with millions of customers. According to the GSMA there are now more than 3 billion unique mobile users in the world, and more than 6 billion mobile subscriptions.
A variety of tools and channels to communicate with their customers, including SMS, mobile portals, applications, the handset, TV for MSOs and of course email and traditional contact centres.
Direct and trusted billing relationships with customers.
Access to a huge amount of customer data, including personal profile data; network data such as location and travel patterns; data from value added services such as mobile content consumption, email and social media usage, app usage, as well as financial information such as monthly phone spend.
Data Monetisation Today
Data monetisation for most operators has to date meant the leveraging of the fourth strategic asset: mining and analysing the customer data, selling insights, and pushing targeted ads to customers.
O2 UK is a key player. Its O2 More platform takes in customer information, such as basic profile data, network location, and customer preferences, and serves up targeted advertising to customers via SMS and rich media messaging. O2 More uses a standard advertising CPM model, with targeted SMS costing about 15 eurocents. The platform has now reached 10 million users, half of O2’s UK total base.
Other operators have invested in advertising. In the summer of 2011, AT&T re-launched its advertising business as AT&T AdWorks, declaring a tighter focus on the targeted advertising business. Most recently, AdWorks has been experimenting with using online targeting models in the TV world; analysis of a customer’s viewing patterns (when they change channel, adjust the volume etc.) against what is being played out, can yield valuable insight data.
Some operators, including Sprint & Telefonica, have formed partnerships to address the opportunity in data monetisation. In February this year, the two operators announced a global mobile advertising alliance, which would enable brands to reach more than 370 million mobile customers across the US, Europe and Latin America with targeted and consumer controlled advertising.
More recently, the UK operators EE, O2 and Vodafone have formed a mobile marketing and wallet joint venture called Weve which provides brands access to 80% of UK mobile subscribers via a single mCommerce platform. Weve will be an integrated platform, offering simple and rich media messaging, application-based promotions, voucher and loyalty scheme functionality, and payments.
Operators are just beginning their journey in data monetisation, with most efforts so far focussed on either targeted advertising (controlled and targeted advertising), and supporting business customers in making informed business decisions. To date, almost all of these initiatives have adopted a B2B approach with the interests of the end consumer being almost secondary.
Across the board, operators are currently exploring new technologies to dynamically extract and manage customer data. Commercial and operational models are evolving towards two objectives: to maximise incremental revenue, and to attract customers over traditional and trusted insight and advertising solutions. We believe that the more significant opportunity for operators is to enable direct adjacent revenue capture.
The Future of Data Monetisation
There is an opportunity for the operators to grow their relationships with the consumer and to serve their needs beyond communications. In focussing on the benefits for the consumer, operators will drive long term engagement and adjacent revenue growth.
First, the volume of data that is collected needs to be increased and managed in real-time. Insights can be drawn from data held in operator legacy systems. By developing an extraction layer that can interface with multiple legacy systems, operators can collect vast amounts of data on their customers, expanding beyond typical profile data, location, and spending, to using deep packet inspection on mobile internet traffic.
These data should be aggregated in single repository to form a central location for all information on the customer, which should update in real-time. External data such as social media usage, weather, news, currency movements, etc. should also be fed into the platform. Operators must analyse this data themselves, rather than just selling the data to 3rd parties. New Big Data technologies can solve the volume – variety – velocity - visualisation challenges of data analysis. Operators should now bring these capabilities in-house to micro-segment their customer base.
Figure 2: Sources of Data
A new focus for data monetisation should be consumer engagement. Operators will maximise adjacent revenues by developing extensive engagement with their consumers.
To start with, customers can be engaged through a platform (e.g. downloaded application, internet application, or mobile website), where relevant services, offers or rewards can be shared in return for even more data. For example, by providing a personalised portal page containing integrated calendar, aggregated inbox and social media feeds, operators could collect a huge amount of highly useful data. This portal would also serve as the platform for offers and recommendations for loyalty, commerce or third party products, which would be centred on each customer’s profile. Relevancy and response rates should be monitored, and the customer must be able to customise type and frequency of outreach.
With these capabilities and these platforms, operators can move up the value chain, fully leveraging the superiority of their technology to justify direct adjacent revenue capture.
Currently, operators have no or little visibility on the subsequent purchases in response to targeted advertising for 3rd parties. Because of this, operators need to recruit a set of partners willing to enter a wholesale or commission-based relationship, where the customer can buy the product or service through the operator. The solution should enable the operator to capture a share of revenue from goods sold, or to receive a commission from the partner based on the expected lifetime value of the customer (such LTV commission models are already being used in app stores). In order to succeed, the platform must provide a “frictionless” payment, e.g. adding the purchase to the monthly bill, paying with prepaid credit, or paying with a linked instrument such as a debit or credit card, or PayPal.
The vision for data monetisation thus combines the operator assets of customers, communications tools, billing and customer data, to allow the operator to accomplish the following:
Be the single aggregator of real-time customer intelligence and predict customer needs
Drive relevancy and response rates up beyond traditional advertising
Engage directly with the consumer rather than handing over to the brand partner
Create a business model that allows cross-selling outside of telecoms, thereby increasing share of wallet in the customer’s wider spending
Share directly in the success of its own analytics and recommendation engine
Supporting This Vision
This vision is part of a longer journey in customer data monetisation for operators, starting with efforts to more intelligently upsell to their own base, moving through basic and more targeted advertising, and recommendations, and ending with an end to end platform that can allow operators to increase engagement and capture revenue share. In mature markets, telecoms spend accounts for less than 4% of a consumer’s total monthly disposable income. A growing number of operators believe that there is considerable opportunity for them to expand their share of wallet.
Figure 3: Evolution of Data Monetisation
Cross-Selling Examples
This is, of course, a form of cross-selling. While it could be argued that telecoms companies have not been successful in this area, there are several well established examples across industry sectors, including telecoms, to support the hypothesis that operators can capture sizable adjacent revenues.
Reasons for cross-selling vary: in some cases, the primary objective is customer retention (e.g. Magyar Telecom, which bundles utilities with its core telecoms services); in others it is about improving brand perception (e.g. Sainsbury’s efforts to improve its green credentials); while in others the objective is to diversify and add incremental revenue streams (e.g. postal organisations, such as the UK Post Office).
Figure 4: Cross-Selling Examples
Trends and Drivers
With consumers continuing to spend more time using their mobile devices, one of the key trends supporting this vision is the mobilisation of commerce and purchasing. eBay reported that 16% of its gross merchandise value was sold through mobile. Forrester has predicted that over the next five years, total mobile sales in the US are expected to grow annually at 33% to reach $31B in 2017, making up 9% of all online sales. Google reported 29% of its smartphone users engaging in mCommerce in 2011, increasing to 35% in 2012.
Mobile has also demonstrated high relevancy in advertising. O2 More has response rates of up to 35% for some campaigns. However, mobile advertising response rates usually only reach these levels when customers are being offered something for free or at a highly discounted rate via a coupon. Mobile advertising is also predicted to grow at 34% annually until 2016, faster than online advertising at 15% and traditional advertising at 2-7%.[2]
Benefits and Risks
The benefits to an operator which can pull this vision off are manifold.
Firstly, increased insight into an operator’s own customer base will help in driving core ARPU uplift and retention initiatives. Secondly, by centralising the intelligence in its own platform, an operator can prevent marginalisation from its customers by other players in the value chain, enabling it to shift away from the “dumb pipe” scenario. Thirdly, increased customer engagement from owning the end to end experience should provide clear financial benefits as the operator promotes and captures adjacent revenue streams, ensuring operators mitigate downward pressures in the core business.
Such an ambitious strategy is of course not without risks. Key potential pitfalls include the following:
Technology: Complexity of data extraction from legacy systems; accuracy of analytics engine
Regulatory: Attention, scrutiny and intervention, especially around deep packet inspection
Partner: Lack of interest; fear of lack of control; unpopularity of wholesale model
Customer: Insufficient adoption of platform (whether opt-in or opt-out); lack of engagement; lack of willingness to buy through operator; adverse impact on customer experience
Internal buy-in: Resistance in moving away from the core business, near-term negative impact on overall margins and low mind share versus other priorities
Right to play: Ability to compete for share of revenue alongside established players such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc.
Financial: Excessive platform cost; inability to directly capture certain types of consumer spending (e.g. mortgage payments, supermarket shopping in-store, car purchase, etc.)
There are a number of immediate next steps for operators considering the opportunity in evolving to the next level of data monetisation:
Investigate the technology. A number of specialist vendors provide solutions to extract and analyse data, advertise or make recommendations to customers, and integrate retail partners.
Figure 5: Example Ecosystem Vendors
Begin conversations with strategic partners. Understand the appetite of big brands and businesses to enter into wholesale or commission based models.
Define the objective. Does the data monetisation initiative support adjacent revenue uplift or is about driving an uplift in customer acquisition or retention.
Determine the priority diversification areas where operators have a right to play, can successfully leverage internal data for increased relevancy, and can provide a significant new revenue stream.
For multi service operators, understand how to optimise data collection and targeting across their different service lines (mobile, fixed and TV).
Understand customer engagement. Survey customer appetite for a new promotions / offers platform, and comfort with paying for products and services through the operator.
Do the business case. How much will this cost to set up? How much spend can be captured or redirected? Is this enough to justify the investment or prioritise versus other initiatives?
Define the optimal operational model to run the business. Should it be set-up and run in a test bed environment through a separate subsidiary or sub-brand?
Understand the competition, both from mobile, internet and data analytics players.
Cartesian has supported operators in a wide range of projects concerning data monetisation, adjacent revenue capture and revenue growth strategy. Key areas of expertise include market opportunity and business case development, competitor evaluation, proposition design, technology and vendor assessment, partnership strategy, as well as overall go to market launch support.
[1] http://www.tmng.com/knowledge-center/insights/data-monetization-leveraging-subscriber-data-to-create-new-opportunities
[2] PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook, 2012-2016
Copyright © 2020 Cartesian, Inc
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Lands of Disobedience 2019 - Catalogue
Lands of Disobedience, the cartoon competition organized by Italian cartoonist and CM member Emanuele Del Rosso, has published a digital catalogue featuring 33 cartoons that were selected from over 300 submissions.
You can download the catalogue via this link.
Posted at 04:51 PM in Editorial Cartoons, News | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Cartoonist: David Kerr
David Kerr is an illustrator, comic artist and satirical cartoonist from Glasgow, Scotland, now living in Helsinki.
His editorial cartoons have been published in The New Internationalist Magazine (UK), Monthly Review (US), Stir to Action Magazine (UK), Variant Magazine (UK), The Morning Star Newspaper (UK) and the Scottish Politics website Bella Caledonia.
Check out his website to see more of his work.
Posted at 09:32 AM in Editorial Cartoons, News | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Cartoonist: Timo Essner
Timo Essner is a cartoonist from Germany. His work is mainly published in German newspapers, on websites and in school books. Check out his website to see more of his work.
Comics Journalism - Stories from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo
This month we’ll be publishing two comics we have produced for The Politics of Return, a research project of the London School of Economics exploring the dynamics of return and reintegration of refugees in Central and Eastern Africa.
We have already published two comics earlier this year: Uganda's Forgotten Children, by Charity Atukunda and Displacement and Return in the Central African Republic, by Didier Kassai. Uganda's Forgotten Children focuses on the 30,000 children that were abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). What became of them when they returned to society? Displacement and Return in CAR is about the people (mainly Muslims) that fled the conflict. Now that the violence has ended, can they return and find a place in society?
In September we'll be publishing two further instalments in this series.
The first one, He Cannot Marry Her by Tom Dai and Naomi Pendle, is about marriage and identity in Both Sudan. By deciding who can marry who (and thus have children), chiefs' courts have a huge influence on identity politics in South Sudan, where even the dead can marry and have children.
The second one, Between Two Spaces by Victor Ndula and Koen Vlassenrroot, shows why disarming combatants in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been less than successful.
He Cannot Marry Her will be published on September 10 and Between Two Spaces will be published on September 17.
Posted at 09:41 AM in Comics Journalism, News | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Cartoonist: Nahid Maghsoudi
Nahid Maghsoudi is an award-winning cartoonist from Iran.
New Cartoonist: ROY
We are delighted that Chris 'ROY' Taylor has decided to join Cartoon Movement. ROY is an Australian cartoonist who has worked for the Herald Sun for years. He has also authored a number of (children's) books.
New Cartoonist: Galo Paredes
Galo Paredes is a journalist and cartoonist from Ecuador, who has previously worked for Revista Vistazo and Diario Hoy under the pseudonym Galop.
New Cartoonist: Becs
Alejandro Becares, better known by his pen name Becs is a cartoonist from Argentina, where his work is published in various publications.
Another Scary and Shortsighted Decision
On Friday, Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder announced he was let go from several newspapers that are published in New Brunswick, Canada. The decision to stop publishing De Adder’s work comes right after one of his cartoons, featuring Trump and Oscar Alberto Martinez and Angie Valeria Martinez (the father and daughter wdrowned in the Rio Grande) went viral last week.
Wes Tyrell, president of the Association of Canadian Cartoonists responds:
Cartoonist Michael de Adder was let go from his job drawing editorial cartoons for all the major New Brunswick newspapers 24 hours after his Donald Trump cartoon went viral on social media, a job he held for 17 years.
Although he has stated there was no reason given for his firing, the timing was no coincidence.
Michael told me once that not only were the J.D. Irving owned New Brunswick newspapers challenging to work for, but there were a series of taboo subjects he could not touch. One of these taboo subjects was Donald Trump.
Brunswick News Inc. states their decision to stop publishing De Adder’s work is not in any way related to the Trump cartoon.
As for our own response, it is exactly the same as our reaction to the firing of Chappatte and Heng from the New York Times: silencing the voice of a brilliant and influential cartoonist in any publication is a scary and shortsighted decision.
Animating Historical Cartoons - Workshop Results
The Netherlands Sound and Vision Institute hosts the national media archive of the Netherlands. The archive also includes over 40,000 original political cartoons. Part of the mission of the Institute is to find new ways to use the contents of the archive.
One way to do this is to open up the archive to creative professionals. A lot of the cartoons in the archive can be used because their copyright has expired and they are now in the public domain. We developed a workshop for art academy students, teaching them how to use cartoons from the late 19th and early 20th century to create GIF animations that comment on issues in our time.
The language of cartoons isn’t just universal across borders and languages, it is also universal through time. Cartoons from 100 years ago use the same language as cartoons from today, and comment on similar issues such as inept politicians, power abuse and injustice.
The first workshop took place on Friday May 24 at the AKV|St. Joost in Breda. Here below you can see some of the results:
Albert Hahn. Albert Hahn + Julia Windt.
Albert Hahn, 1908.
Albert Hahn + Noortje Schuurs.
Albert Hahn.
Albert Hahn + Cheyene Goudswaard. The AIVD is the Dutch secret service.
Johan Braakensiek.
Johan Braakensiek + Anne van Wingerden: the GIF refers top the win of Frans Timmermans and the social democratic party in the EU elections, at the cost of the right-wing parties FvD (Thierry Baudet on the left) and VVD (Mark Rutte on the right).
Posted at 11:37 AM in News | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The "motion" of pictures comes into tight focus in an animated film. The sequencing of drawings, the manipulation of puppet armatures or the arranging of cut-out materials brings otherwise stationary materials to life. These days, digital rules this imaginative realm, making the work of frame-by-frame artisans of the past and present all the more precious.
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Book 4 of the Red Rising Saga
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the epic next chapter of the Red Rising Saga, the #1 bestselling author of Morning Star pushes the boundaries of one of the boldest series in fiction.
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They call him father, liberator, warlord, Slave King, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-third of his life.
A decade ago Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk all he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?
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A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp, and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined.
An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy—or pay with his life.
And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the Sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.
Red Rising was the story of the end of one universe. Iron Gold is the story of the creation of a new one. Witness the beginning of a stunning new saga of tragedy and triumph from masterly New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown.
Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga:
RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Expertly mixing the fresh and familiar, Pierce Brown continues his planet-hopping Red Rising series with a new trilogy set a decade later. Onetime teen hero Darrow is now in his battle-scarred thirties, while combustible new characters like tomboy Lyria, thief-for-hire Ephraim, and “razor” expert Lysander build on the operatic saga. Brown displays his usual richness of detail and atmosphere, balancing bleak portraits of war with jolts of mouthy personality. This urgent, rip-roaring continuation of one of today’s smartest sci-fi properties will satisfy diehard fans while easily hooking newcomers.
Random House Publishing Group
ethandoss , 08/28/2019
Best one yet
Most fourth books after a conclusive trilogy feel like the publisher wanting more than the author wants to write.
Not here, total change of pace and style on this one. Best of all the books so far. I am very excited to get into dark age right after I finish up this review.
Covenant series , 06/01/2018
The first book of a follow up trilogy bears many burdens - carry the beloved story arc of the first set, and set up the plot and characters for the rest of the story. On my first read I didn’t appreciate the cadence of this book, but on the second read it all clicked together and fulfilled what I wanted to see: more depth, more layering, and more nuance on a familiar set of characters and relationships. Brown’s characters are mature, flawed, and human on every level. Loved this book!
TheXaxis1999 , 10/17/2019
Bland writing
More Books by Pierce Brown
From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars)
Del Rey and Bantam Books 2015 Sampler
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Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging
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The mission of The Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging is, through education, research and service, to help improve the quality of life for elderly people, including those who are poor or otherwise isolated by lack of education, language, culture, disability or other barriers.
The Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging was authorized and created in 1998 by the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation, which is based in Burbank, California.
In addition to funding from The Borchard Foundation, The Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging was generously supported for several years by the members of its Professional Advisory Board, who also served on the Partnership in Law and Aging Program mini-grants selection committee.
An Academic Advisory Board guides the academic research program and participates in conference planning. Former Borchard Fellows also participate in the selection of research grants and new fellows.
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Front Page » Archives » December 2018 »
" Articles in Category: George Papadopoulos "
Trump Appointment Spree; Cohen 'Deserves' Prison Time: 'BradCast' 12/7/2018
Guest-Host Angie Coiro with a slew of Mueller news and three new Trump noms; Revisiting the Bush Legacy; Huawei as spy?; And guest Lara Bazelon on justice for the wrongly imprisoned...
By Angie Coiro on 12/7/2018 6:17pm PT
On today's BradCast, I'm your host - Angie Coiro, host of In Deep with Angie Coiro.
Donald Trump's tweet fingers were a'twitchin', as he tried to keep up with the flow of Mueller investigation news while churning out headlines of his own. For starters, he made three key appointments/nominations:
Army head General Mark Milley will move over to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
Former H.W. Bush Attorney General William Barr is up for confirmation as Trump's next A.G.;
Former Fox 'News' talking head Heather Nauert is up to replace Nikki Haley as UN ambassador.
I've got the whys and wherefores on those for you. Also, Trump went into rage mode at word of his former Sec. of State Rex Tillerson's very frank discussion on Thursday at a public interview with CBS news veteran Bob Schieffer. Tillerson's explanation of Trump's incomprehension of basic issues, along with his trademark lack of discipline, provoked high-minded Trump tweets calling Tillerson "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell".
The BBC has a good basic rundown if you're trying to catch up with the case of Chinese telecom Huawei's alleged spying. I bring you the highlights plus updated news.
Meanwhile, a Swiss paper has published a conversation with Fox's Tucker Carlson who damned the White House occupant as "incapable" of fulfilling his promises. And he went further: "I don't think he's capable of sustained focus. I don't think he understands the system. I don't think the Congress is on his side. I don't think his own agencies support him."
Then, legal expert and journalist LARA BAZELON joins me to discuss her work on restorative justice for wrongly-convicted parolees. She's covered the topic for years for Slate.com, and has now released a book called Rectify. The full version of our conversation will be posted here over the weekend. Don't wait for that, though - I've brought you a big chunk of it right here on The BradCast!
Plus, so much more! It's a bellyful of news today. Check it out!...
Download MP3 or listen online below...
* * *While we post The BradCast here every day, and you can hear it across all of our great affiliate stations and websites, to automagically get new episodes as soon as they're available sent right to your computer or personal device, subscribe for free at iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn or our native RSS feed!
Article Categories: Election Irregularities, Fox 'News', CNN, USA Today, Tucker Carlson, Mainstream Corporate Media, Washington Post, Rights And Freedoms, New York Times, United Nations, In Memoriam, San Francisco, Hillary Clinton, FBI, Dept. of Defense, Republicans, LGBTQ, CBS, Bush Legacy, Jeff Sessions, Clarence Thomas, Donald Trump, Russia, Prison Industrial Complex, Election 2016, China, Vladimir Putin, James Comey, BradCast, Germany, Exxon Mobil, Nikki Haley, Social Media, Rex Tillerson, Ivanka Trump, Mike Pompeo, Jared Kushner, Robert Mueller, Switzerland, Angela Merkel, John Kelly, George Papadopoulos, Heather Nauert, Matthew Whitaker
Beyond the 'Steele Dossier'
Separating fact from defamatory Republican myth about the 'Steele Dossier' and Fusion GPS research...
By Ernest A. Canning on 2/12/2018 10:38am PT
The significance of the previously concealed transcripts of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's unclassified Congressional testimony far exceeds the narrow, albeit accurate, observation that the transcripts blew a huge hole in one of numerous conspiracy theories about the so-called "Steele Dossier" floated by the President, his Republican allies in Congress and by right-wing propaganda outlets such as Fox "News".
Contrary to earlier GOP spin, the FBI initiated its Trump/Russia investigation before the Bureau was first contacted by Christopher Steele, the former British MI-6 intelligence agent and author of the 16 field memos collectively known as the "Steele Dossier".
Indeed, even Republicans now concede that point, as detailed by the feckless Nunes memo, which notes that the Trump/Russia probe was initially triggered by the loose lips of Trump campaign foreign policy aide, George Papadopoulos.
That timing issue, however, is but a tip of the iceberg.
We now know why Congressional Republicans sought for so long to keep the Simpson transcripts under wraps. They had hoped to erect a patently false narrative that depicted the 'Steele Dossier" as a groundless and politically-motivated exercise in character assassination; a "poison" that so tainted everyone at the FBI who touched it, that it called for, in the words of Jeannie Pirro at Fox "News", a "cleansing" and subsequent jailing of the individuals at the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) who have undertaken to investigate Trump/Russia.
By detailing both the sound investigative techniques applied by Simpson and Steele, and, most importantly, by explaining the real reasons why Steele reported his disturbing, yet entirely unanticipated findings to the FBI, the now public Simpson Congressional transcripts expose the mendacity behind a vicious right-wing assault on the integrity of the Trump/Russia probe and upon our federal law enforcement institutions. In the process, the Simpson transcripts raise even more deeply unsettling questions about the man now serving as the 45th President of the United States...
Article Categories: Fox 'News', Los Angeles Times, Diane Feinstein, Mainstream Media Failure, Accountability, U.S. House, Dept. of Justice, FBI, U.S. Senate, Democrats, Chuck Grassley, Donald Trump, Election 2018, Devin Nunes, George Papadopoulos, Christopher Steele, Glenn Simpson, Fusion GPS, Joseph McCarthy, Roy Cohn
Team Trump Indictments Suggest AG Jeff Sessions Could Be Facing Trouble: 'BradCast' 10/31/2017
Guest: Journalist Marcy Wheeler of Emptywheel; Also: Reporter Mike Stark violently arrested covering VA's GOP Gubernatorial candidate...
By Brad Friedman on 10/31/2017 6:05pm PT
To paraphrase an infamous tweet from the now-suspended Twitter account of long-time dirty trickster and Trump ally Roger Stone, it could soon be Attorney General Jeff Sessions' "time in the barrel", according to my guest on today's BradCast. [Audio link to show follows below.]
The Trump Administration and his supporters have been very busy today, working hard to downplay the Monday indictments unsealed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller against three campaign officials. Two of them, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, pleaded not guilty. The other, George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty, has been quietly cooperating with prosecutors for several months. The Campaign's former foreign policy advisor, has since been dismissed by Team Trump as little more than a "low-level volunteer" and a "coffee boy" over the 24 hours since the indictments were unsealed, revealing that Papadopoulos was charged with lying to federal prosecutors about conversations he had had with an unnamed "professor" said to be tied to Russia and claiming that Moscow had "thousands of emails" revealing "dirt" on Hillary Clinton.
I'm joined today by investigative journalist MARCY WHEELER of Emptywheel to help separate partisan hope from partisan hype regarding Mueller's investigation. We focus on the Papadopoulos case specifically, discuss whether it reveals "collusion" with Russia (which both the Trump Administration and Russian officials strongly deny), and why she believes, as reported at The Intercept, that, more than anything, the specific charges in that case may signal very bad news for Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
We also discuss what we now know (and don't) about the email hacks, what Mueller may have gained by waiting until Monday to reveal the indictments (Hello, unqualified USDA nominee Sam Clovis! Sam who?), and whether it's possible --- or even likely --- that Papadopoulos may have been wearing a wire during conversations with Trump officials in the months since he agreed to cooperate with federal investigators.
"Papadopoulos plead guilty for lying. We don't know why he lied, and why everyone keeps lying," Wheeler observes, adding a note of caution for the many anti-Trumpers who have been giddy since "Mueller Monday". "There's some smoke there. There may well be fire. I just think that everyone who opposes Trump has to be very careful about screaming 'fire' before we have evidence of fire. We have a legal system to sort that out. And until Trump does something to fire Mueller, or in another way thwart the investigation, we should let the investigation do what our legal system is supposed to do."
Also covered on today's show...
Reporter Mike Stark of ShareBlue, who has been dogging Virginia's Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillsepsie with questions about his lobbying past in advance of the state's November 7 election next Tuesday, was violently arrested over the weekend. Stark appeared on The BradCast as our guest just last week. We've got details on what happened, including comment from Stark;
A new poll finds Americans very pessimistic about the current state of American democracy and politics (including the vast majority of those who lived through the Vietnam era.);
Desi Doyen joins us for the latest Green News Report with what suffices for some 'good news' updates out of Puerto Rico and much more;
And, we end with the breaking news late today of what New York officials are describing as a "terror" attack in lower Manhattan, after a pickup truck plowed into bicyclists, leaving 8 dead and 11 seriously injured as of the end of today's show...
Article Categories: BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, War On Terror, Virginia, New York, Rights And Freedoms, Journalist Intimidation, Accountability, Dept. of Justice, Jeff Sessions, KPFK, Donald Trump, Russia, BradCast, Puerto Rico, Robert Mueller, Paul Manafort, Ed Gillespie, George Papadopoulos, Rick Gates, Sam Clovis
Georgia U.S. House Special Election Results 'Improbable' Unless Hacked, Voting Group Finds: 'BradCast' 10/30/2017
Guest: Garland Favorito of VoterGA; Also: Special Counsel Mueller unseals Team Trump indictments. One pleads guilty, two plead not guilty...
On today's BradCast: The first indictments by Special Counsel Robert Mueller are unsealed, and we continue to stay on the disturbing case of the state of Georgia's "wiped" election server as revealed late last week. [Audio link to show follows below.]
First up, two Trump Campaign officials pleaded not guilty and one plead guilty, to indictments unsealed on Monday stemming from the Special Counsel's investigation of Team Trump and charges of "collusion" between them and Russia during the 2016 Presidential election. We detail the facts as layed out by the 12-count federal indictment against former Trump Campaign chairman and CEO Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates charging that Manafort received some $75 million in income via his work for now-ousted Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych and the political party which supported him. Both are allies of Russia.
The charges do not include any "collusion" between Manafort/Gates and Russia on behalf of the Trump Campaign, but detail how Manafort, aided by Gates, hid his income from federal officials, failed to register as a Foreign Agent related to his lobbying work in the U.S., and otherwise attempted to launder some $18 million from their many offshore accounts through various schemes in the U.S.
Pleading guilty, according to indictment documents released by the Special Counsel, was George Papadopoulos, an unpaid foreign policy adviser to the Trump Campaign, who allegedly lied to federal investigators about his contacts with an unnamed "professor" said to have told him about "dirt" that Russia supposedly had regarding Hillary Clinton from "thousands of emails" that the US Intelligence Community later said were hacked by Russian agents. Papadopoulos is now cooperating with federal prosecutors.
The White House denies that any of the charges implicate the President or his Campaign. The DNC argues otherwise.
Then, picking up on the disturbing breaking news late last week that officials in Georgia "wiped clean" the Election Server used to program both last year's Presidential Election in the state and this year's U.S. House Special Election in June, we speak with GARLAND FAVORITO of VoterGA.org
The server wipe, confirmed via internal emails, came just days after a bi-partisan lawsuit [PDF] had been filed in July regarding the results of those elections, which were carried out on the state's 100% unverifiable touch-screen voting systems, and after the systems had been programmed via the server that we learned earlier this year had been left completely vulnerable on the Internet for at least 6 months, beginning as early as August of 2016.
The vulnerable server was used to store personal voter registration data for 6.7 million GA voters, as well as ballot programming definition files for the state's computer voting and tabulation systems, and administrative passwords to access those systems. It was first discovered as freely accessible via the Internet by a data security researcher who informed officials at the Kennesaw State University Center for Elections, which has been contracted to handle all of Georgia's elections systems for the past 15 years. The Center left the system up and completely vulnerable during last year's Presidential election and until just prior to the June special election.
Favorito explains the latest developments in that case, as well as his group's new statistical analysis, published a week before the news of the wiped server (and its two backup servers) became public. The report explains what the group sees anomalous election results in the Special U.S. House Election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District in June. The longtime Election Integrity advocate and IT expert details the 72-page report's analysis, concluding that it is "statistically improbable that the reported results are correct" and that they are more likely explained by the manipulation of GA-06 results at the state level, possibly by "external or internal" hackers with free access to the unprotected and now-deleted server.
His conclusion, he explains, is based on analysis of results finding that the Democrat Jon Ossoff soundly defeated Republican Karen Handel by a nearly 2 to 1 margin in the only publicly verifiable results (the mail-in paper ballots) even with a Republican-leaning mail-in electorate. Yet, the Democrat still managed to "lose" somehow, according to the state's highly-vulnerable, easily hackable, unverifiable touch-screen voting and tabulation systems used for early in-person and election day voting.
"The nutshell, the bottom line of it," Favorito tells me, "is that we found that it is statistically improbable that these 6th District runoff results could be correct. And if they are not correct, that means there had to either be some kind of tampering or fraud involved."
We discuss all of that today, including whether GA's Republican Sec. of State Brian Kemp's claims that he knew nothing about the server wipe should be trusted, and whether its still possible to piece together what may have happened in the recent U.S. House race, now that the server at Kennesaw has been mysteriously, if thoroughly, deleted.
All of this comes just days before voters in GA head back to the polls for next Tuesday's municipal elections in Atlanta and elsewhere, which are set to be run on the very same hackable, vulnerable and 100% unverifiable systems...
Article Categories: Diebold/Premier, Election Irregularities, Georgia, BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, Election Fraud, Touch-Screen DREs/BMDs, Accountability, U.S. House, Dept. of Justice, KPFK, Donald Trump, Russia, Election 2016, BradCast, Mike Pence, Election 2017, Jon Ossoff, Karen Handel, Robert Mueller, Brian Kemp, Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos, Rick Gates
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How Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance celebrated its 'Me For My City' initiative
Unveiling of the various graffiti’s done across India in last 18 months was done by the famous bollywood singer Shaan...
December 09, 2019, 18:55 IST
Updated: December 10, 2019, 11:40 IST
Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance held its 1st #meformycity concert at The Great India Place, Noida on Monday to celebrate the spirit of giving back the cities and spread awareness about the need for a more beautiful and cleaner city. With the onset of year 2019-20, the brand has taken up prominent railway stations pan India and made beautiful graffiti arts on its walls showcasing the spirit and culture of those cities. Railway stations being the gateway to a city are the perfect spots to showcase the beauty of the initiative.
Till now eight railway stations have been beautified. The initiative will go to four more railway stations in Kolkata, Kochi, Coimbatore and Bengaluru. In its previous edition, 12 prominent walls in nine cities across India were beautified across India, the company said.
Anuj Mathur, managing director and chief executive officer, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance, said, “meformycity campaign is our commitment towards our country, our people and the space we live in, and we believe that the movement will resonate with all of us and be an enabler for something positive for the city. We, as a brand, believe our existence is to help customers and society at large to fulfill the promises they made to their loved ones. As a company, we encourage everyone in the organisation to participate and do their bit to implement sustainable practices and make a positive impact for the environment. We also recognise the importance of educating people and we keep doing awareness campaigns and employee volunteering activities to support the environment around the year.”
The initiative aims at encouraging people to enhance their city’s cleanliness and participate in the drive towards making their city beautiful while reflecting the great Indian spirit on its walls through graffiti art. The messaging for the campaign is built around a theme ‘Mera Shehar, Meri Pehchaan’ giving an immediate connect with the audience at large. The event saw the unveiling of the various graffiti’s done across India in last 18 months followed by a live concert by the famous bollywood singer Shaan.
The Great India Place
Canara HSBC oriental bank of commerce
Anuj Mathur
#meformycity
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Collaborative Spaces for rent in New York City
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20 West 20th Street, #605
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138 Wooster Street, #2
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Want to infuse a little creativity into your next off-site? Surrounded by historic buildings and steps from Washington Square Park (chess, anyone?), these collaborative spaces offer something different.
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601 West 26th Street, #M201
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whats_new/posts Search
Rugby League Talk
State of Origin 2014
Origin Memories
Thread starter Big Pete
Origin 2007
Is it just me or does this series get lost in the shuffle? It's sort of like Origin 93 where people just seemingly remember the result and not the quality or closeness of the matches, which is a shame.
As a Queensland fan, I don't think I'd ever felt as confident about a series win up to that point. Two games at Suncorp, most of our stars were fit (sans Crocker who I always thought was a good player for Queensland) and NSW seemed like a real basket case resting all their hopes on young Jarrod Mullen who wasn't even considered for their silly exhibition game.
Be that as it may, it was an odd feeling and I just wondered if the Maroons shared my feeling and whether or not it'd make them complacent heading in.
As it happened, the opener was a real test for the Maroons, but one they handled quite comfortably in the end. It was odd, despite holding an intimidating lead at half-time, you just got the sense that once Queensland composed themselves they'd bounce back and sure enough they did just that scoring off a simple rehearsed second man play to GI and a soft try to Pricey which felt especially sweet since he'd been denied off a questionable call earlier.
Looking back for me what sticks out about this game is the debut of Jarryd Hayne. Haynsy scored one of the great Origin tries, intercepting a desperate Tate kick and doing it all himself down the touch-line and basically threw it all away throwing the ball back inside to Lockyer who scored a try that was eerily similar to the one he scored in his last outing for the Maroons.
That and of course the famous sledge from Hodges to Buderus. The sucker does it when he's 12 points down, showing absolutely no respect to the Blues.
Origin II was all about whether or not the Maroons would be able to break their hoodoo in Sydney and on paper, it never seemed to be in doubt but there was definitely a bit of tension surrounding this game. This tension seemingly played a part in the game as the referees kept the whistle for the most part in their pockets, turning the game into a real battle of attrition.
As it's been pointed out, the game was basically decided in one quick dash when Price scored a rare and valuable possession for his team when Bailey interfered with him while attempting to play the ball before Webb threw a clear forward pass leading to a nice try to Bell right in the corner.
The dying moments of this match were pretty thrilling with the Blues going close on a couple of occasions but in the end, once GI booted the ball into the grand-stand, Queensland had two series in a row and for the first time in what felt like a long time, won four games in a row.
Surely a white-wash was a mere formality?
But the third game was by far the more memorable match of the contest. Not because it was a quality game, it really wasn't but because of the story of Queensland's determination who refused to let NSW to score despite wave after wave of attack and threatened to take the match. Unfortunately, the injuries caught up to them and NSW were just too strong on this partiuclar occasion. Which I think is a shame, not only for Queensland but because the game is just sort of lost in time. Had Queensland won, it would have been remembered like Game 2 1989, but instead it's rarely spoken about.
In saying that, I think the game was important for a NSW perspective because it gave them hope for the future and that the next wave of players like Brett Stewart, Jarryd Hayne, Greg Bird, Paul Gallen & Ryan Hoffman could turn things around. All they really needed was for a half to step up, and they'd be right, especially with two games in Sydney.
Reactions: Super Freak
Last edited by a moderator: Dec 10, 2016
CaptainHook
NRL Player
For an Origin game, surprisingly soft defense from both sides in that footage...
Broncoman
State of Origin Rep
The game last night is a game that I will look back on very fondly and it's one of the greatest Origin wins I've ever experienced. A team missing some key players, a new halves combo, a team that was ridiculed by the QLD press, written off by some and weren't given a chance held of an extremely strong Maroons outfit and to ice it the win came at Lang Park and beating Queensland in front of their own fans is beautiful.
Super Freak said:
I reviewed that game in the match review thread. That game and Bill Harrigan would've dominated the media in both states for weeks after that. The build up to the 2nd game would've been intense. As I said in the review thread Queensland got some very lucky calls as well as the Blues.
broncos4life
International Rep
Broncoman said:
qld were just as ridiculed by the new press, it's the way it works. Get over yourself
broncos4life said:
I can't recall the NSW press calling the QLD team duds. The reporting in both the courier and daily is a joke and agenda driven.
Oh really? You missed all the articles about how they are too old, too arrogant etc. etc.
Obviously your head is too far up your arse believing Reynolds deserved no suspension to realise both media camps push their own agenda
Reactions: CaptainHook and Qlder88
On a personal note, I look back at this series as a celebration of the past 100 years of Interstate Rugby League and it was really good to learn about the likes of Gorman & Craig. At times it seems like Queensland Rugby League didn't exist until 1980, so it was great to see a lot of the past players honored and put Origin into perspective.
The 08 series felt like a real cross-roads. While the Maroons had never technically won two series in a row in my life time (although 1999 and 2002 certainly felt like it), it was hardly uncommon in Origin history to see a state win back to back Shields and the Blues were firming with two home games and an injection of new blood that looked promising. Furthermore, they had Bellamy as coach who appeared to be an upgrade on Murray who was one of those 'Forever a Bridesmaid, never the Bride' type of coach.
The build up to the series was that it was anybody's game. NSW had a couple of strange selections (Quinn, Wallace, White, Fitzgibbon, Cross, Hornby, Tupou etc.) but the Maroons had Karmichael Hunt playing at five eigth, old man Marsh on the bench and Carl Webb as a starting prop.
Ultimately, the Blues made it theirs. In a fairly average game of football, NSW dominated Queensland all across the park and sailed to a comfortable 18-10 victory. It seemed like the Blues were back, at least that's what the NSW press would have you believe but Queensland fans knew there was a lot of improvement left in the Maroons and with the right selections they could bounce back.
If nothing else, Mal generally learns from his mistakes and the right changes were made. In-form half, Prince came in for Hunt with Karmichael relieving Slater of enduring the opening exchanges, Harrison came in for Lillyman, with Hodges suspended, Folau was able to shift to his suited right wing with reliable winger Darius Boyd partnering up with GI and in a big boost, Steve Price came in for Carl Webb.
As a result, Queensland got to enjoy one of their biggest ever wins infront of a jubilant Suncorp crowd (which I got to enjoy, best 18th birthday present ever) and confidence was restored heading into the decider. Game II for me featured one of the best centre performances I've ever seen as GI just tore the NSW squad to shreds with a brilliant display of speed, elusiveness and power. Boyd didn't have to do much but he got to share in the spoils of that performance.
The second game really sent the Blues reeling and they ended up losing the likes of Gasnier, Bird and Wallace in the build up. To make matters more apparent, they decided to start with Kurt Gidley at fullback with Stewart off the bench, an obvious copy of the Maroons gameplan with Hunt/Slater. Anyways, when I think back to this game, I think of three moments.
*Folau's two superman esque tries. In a tight contest, these proved to be absolutely vital.
*The broken arm to Scott Prince, it turned an otherwise cruisey win into a real slog.
* JT show and go finding Slater back on the inside.
Actually I lied, I'm going to go with four. Steve Price charging down a Pearce kick in the dying stages was a clear illustration of the changes the Maroons had made from Games 1 and 3. It was that sort of desperation the Maroons were lacking and it was the work of Price & Civo that really gave the Maroons an edge over their Blue counterpart.
So the Maroons had done it, 3 in a row behind enemy lines all without their inspirational skipper Darren Lockyer. As good as the past two series had been for the Maroons, it was this series that told me we were onto something special.
I have fond memories of how we never picked nuffies during this domination unless we were forced to. Whenever QLD picked a side, pretty much everyone agreed it was perfect. :(
There was nothing forcing Mal to pick Hunt at five eigth.
Still the worst selection of his coaching career.
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BroncosHQ.com is a fan forum made and maintained by Brisbane Broncos fans; and has no official affiliation with the Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club.
All opinions expressed are that of the member posting them, and not BroncosHQ. Posts are copyright, and may not be re-produced without written author consent.
FirstMac
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Opening night of the PEN World Voices Fest
By Nicole Davis
The international literary community comes together each year in NYC to celebrate the PEN World Voices Festival, and its premiere opening night event on Monday, April 16 will feature a diverse range of writers discussing the power of language to cast a clear light on the most frightening and disturbing aspects of our time. Colson Whitehead will talk about the imaginative leaps and historical facts that he wove together in The Underground Railroad; Leila Slimani will discuss her novel Lullaby, whose storyline is eerily similar to NYC’s own killer nanny; and Maxine Beneba Clarke will bring to life an essay written by a journalist held on Manus Island, an Australian detention center. Tickets are $35 and the evening begins at 7pm at Cooper Union.
More ideas for Your Ideal Week here ➦
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Archive | January, 2011
Maziarz’s LuLu
Senator George Maziarz (R-Newfane) is a vocal opponent of out-of-control state spending. He has served in the senate since 1995.
Last week, the new Republican senate majority appointed him its President Pro Tempore. With it comes an extra $34,000 in his annual paycheck of $79,500 – a benefit referred to in Albany as a “lulu“.
Often referred to as “lulus,” the list of monetary perks for legislators is ridiculously long. They’re all spelled out in the state’s Legislative Law, Article 2, Section 5(a). In the Senate, there are nearly 90 stipends listed totaling almost $1.3 million annually. The Assembly has almost 110 posts paying out a collective $1.5 million.
Will Senator Maziarz remain consistent with his opposition to state spending and reject the extra pay for a largely ceremonial post? I’ll let you know if and when he responds.
Tags: Albany, George Maziarz, lulu, politics, State Senate, WNY
Escape the Urban: Ellicottville in White
The man behind the counter at the equipment rental shop looked at me like I was crazy. Bald and craggy, long grizzled walrus whiskers of blond and grey, he peered at me with squinting eyes beneath a bushy brow. I asked again.
“Is there a way to snowshoe from here up to the top, to the ridgeline trail over to Spruce Lake,” I said.
“Well, I suppose you could walk from here to the top. I’ve never heard of anyone doing it. You can always snowshoe around the golf course . . .”
He stops short. My face obviously reveals that I didn’t drive to the hills of the Southern Tier to go snowshoe on the back nine.
“If you want to walk the ridgeline, most people just take the ski lift up.” At this my wife perks up immediately. I look at the stretched, surprisingly steep hill and wooded bowl just outside the door of the shop and imagine trudging each inch of elevation, snowshoes sinking into soft powder, manually conquering the 600 feet and earning the peak view and rumbling appetite for lunch that would follow. My wife, on the other hand, was hoping to take the three minute lift up, so she could actually enjoy the outing, and not curse my name, whilst out of breath, every step for the next three hours. As most married men can predict, I was doomed to lose again.
“I guess we’ll do that,” I relent, my wife grinning from ear to ear as she tugs on my arm. “How much is a lift ticket?”
Only $12 for cross-country skiers and snowshoers it turns out, and worth every penny.
Despite the number of times I have been to Ellicottville, passing through on my way to hiking in Allegheny or biking a rail trail, somehow I have always missed it at the height of its mid-winter white mantled glory. My grave mistake has finally been corrected, as my wife and I spent a couple days taking in a gem of Western New York. Ellicottville and the surrounding slopes are not just “nice for Buffalo.” They are nationally known as a top destination, the most skied resort in New York state, and the reputation is only growing. The NY Times calls E-ville the Aspen of the East. . . in a good way, how Aspen used to be. National Geographic Adventurer lists it as one of the top 100 adventure towns in the country, for its mountain biking and summer activities, not to mention the winter sports. The village of 600 welcomes 500,000 visitors a year – the vast majority of licence plates I spotted were Ohio and Ontario, not New York.
My wife and I took advantage of cheaper mid-week rates at the Tamarack Club to ditch the kids with the grandparents (thanks Mom and Dad!) and explore this winter wonderland. And while the elevation is objectively a bit lacking, and so it may not technically qualify, Ellicottville certainly does have that Mountain Town vibe going for it. If your quads are burning from too much skiing, you can easily bum around the village for an afternoon – multiple ski and bike shops along the dense historic main drag, a local winery tasting room, and top notch restaurants (steaks and HOT Thai scallops at The Silver Fox, African peanut soup and Belgium mussels at the Ellicottville Brewing Company).
The Tamarack Club itself is less than two years old, and while the basic room is nothing to write home about, the resort overall has plenty to offer besides its location at the base of two ski lifts. An indoor/outdoor pool and two outdoor whirlpools were too tempting to ignore – is there a more refreshing experience than running through the falling snow in your swimsuit to hop in a streaming, frothing tub? No complaints either about Falling Waters Spa, where my wife and I both got some therapeutic work done. The beer and food selection at John Harvard’s Brew House was eclectic and surprisingly local (3 taps for Ellicotville Brewing Company, two for Southern Tier, two for their own concoctions), especially for a micro-chain. But the creme de la creme was, of course, getting out in the white.
It never stopped snowing, two days straight – sometimes a regular fall of steady tiny flakes, sometimes giant fluffy cottonballs that float around like Forrest Gumps’ feather and seem to never quite land – a pleasant, gentle snow that refreshes streetscapes and slopes. Our first task, before the spa and the hot tub and the beer at John Harvard’s, was to tackle the mountain, counter-culturally, by snowshoe.
From the back door at the Tamarack Club it’s a quick walk to the Holiday Valley equipment rental office, home of of my bearded, dubious trail guide. From there, its a quick jaunt to Cindy’s, the ski lift we would ride up to the snowshoe and Nordic ski trail along the ridge. The loop from Cindy’s, to Spruce Lake, and back to the 4400′ (linear) Mardi Gras for a ride down was less than four miles. But snowshoeing burns calories faster than just hiking, and most planners use a 3:1 (soft powder) or 2:1 (packed) guide for planning an outing. We started in virgin powder, five and six feet deep, on the back side of the hill, until we found and broke out into the correct, well marked path. Its a steady climb from there to Mardi Gras, and then on to Spruce Lake.
The snow was thick in the trees, and hung in clumps that would break free and scatter as the wind blew. Occasionally the whole of the valley would break into view, a silent snowglobe, far edge shrouded and faded in a flurried curtain. Despite the hundreds of downhill skiers below us, the ridgeline was silent except for the ice-induced creaking of the trees, the chirp of chickadees, and the soft pant of my breath. Serene.
Map courtesy WNYMBA.org
Eventually the dense, young stands of maple gave way to older pine, forming huge dark Moria-like halls, shading us from the falling snow and tamping the grey omni-directional light of an overcast winter day. Onward the upward we tramped, and a multitude of smaller backcountry trails crisscrossed our comparative superhighway, on the way to Spruce Lake. The WNY Mountain Bicycling Association (WNYMBA) has laid, marked, charted, and maintained dozens of miles of singletrack in the surrounding state forest, and it doubles as waist deep snowshoeing opportunities in the winter. Next time, perhaps, when I am alone or with one of my bro’s. Paired with my wife, though, the hot tub and a bottle of wine were more tempting than getting lost in rugged glacier formations. A quick stop at the alpine lake’s frozen shore, and the Mardi Gras chairlift called my name.
E-ville is only an hour a way, and I bet I can drop the kids off of school and get four or five hours of cross-country in before I need to pick them up again. I’m thinking the trails at HoliMont next – my skis are waiting for me, propped up by the door.
Tags: Escape the Urban, Snowshoeing, X-Country Skiing
The Mo Show: Day Seven
Yesterday, Mo Hassan took the stand to try and get over 1,000 pieces of paper admitted into evidence, and to tell the jury his life story. As part of his life story, he went to great pains to justify having murdered his wife.
After all, she wanted a boat and they argued about it.
After all, she wanted to fly to Pakistan and they argued about it.
After all, she wanted a horse and they argued about it.
It got so bad, Hassan testified, that he sought out the help of a self-help author who wrote a book about “Verbally Abusive Relationships”. Of course, there was little to no corroboration of the things about which Hassan was testifying. By contrast, Hassan’s own physical and psychological abuse towards his murdered wife have been recounted by several witnesses and corroborating evidence.
What Hassan spent the entire day doing has been to establish grounds for divorce. He has not, however, established a battered spouse/self defense justification for homicide. He hasn’t established that his only way out of his supposed torment was to behead the mother of his youngest children.
For Hassan’s strategy for acquittal to succeed, he has to introduce expert evidence that he has been diagnosed with battered spouse syndrome. No such evidence exist, no expert is willing to testify for him, and he is foreclosed from subpoenaing an expert to do so.
He’d never succeed. There’s no evidence of multiple physical beatings by Aasiya, there’s no helplessness on the part of this man, no cycle of violence that Aasiya caused. The only psychological exercise at play is Mo Hassan projecting his own behavior onto his murder victim.
But what’s telling is his demeanor. Battered spouses feel terrible remorse for what they’ve done – the abuse led them to a complete void of self-assurance that they think the only way to stop the beatings is to kill their assailant.
If Aasiya was beating Hassan, and he sees himself as a battered spouse, how precisely does he explain the fact that it was she who was trying so desperately to escape their marriage? He had his out – his escape was that she was leaving him.
There is, therefore, an utter failure of logic in this defense.
(Information thanks to the Buffalo News live blog, linked to above, and the #Hassan Twitter feed).
Hassan tells jury about his relationship with Aasiya (buffalo.ynn.com)
Tags: Aasiya Zubair, beheading, Buffalo, erie county, jury, murder, Muzzamil Hassan, trial
Riter Radio & Hassan
In case you missed my talks with Brad Riter on WECK 1230-AM regarding the Hassan trial:
[audio:http://www.weck1230.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/012411Bradhr2.mp3%5D
[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/wnymedia-cdn/files/2011/01/Riter-Radio-01-25-11-HOUR-2.mp3%5D
Tags: Aasiya Zubair, beheading, brad riter, court, Muzzamil Hassan, radio, trial, WECK1230, WNY
Wide Right
Twenty years ago, I was a 15 year old Buffalo kid watching his hometown heroes play on the biggest stage in the world at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa Bay, FL. Going into the game, it seemed like a fait accompli. After all, I thought the Buffalo Bills were the best team in football. Brash, cocky, and arrogant with a team of superstars like Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Cornelius Bennett and leaders like Jim Ritcher, Darryl Talley, Jamie Mueller, James Lofton, Ray Bentley and Shane Conlan. After a 13-3 regular season and a smackdown of Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins, the Bills hosted the AFC Championship Game, in which the team pummeled Bo Jackson and the Los Angeles Raiders by a score of 51-3. Buffalo had never had a team so strong and it felt good.
The Giants also finished the regular season at 13-3 and boasted the overall best defense in the league led by Lawrence Taylor and Pepper Johnson. Nonetheless, they entered the game as the underdog with a backup quarterback under center.
With the patriotic backdrop of the first Gulf War, the game was one of the most eagerly anticipated in years. I thought that January 27, 1991 would be one of the greatest days in my young life. I was so excited about the impending victory parade at which we would celebrate the team, the city and the special bond we seemed to have. But, It just wasn’t meant to be and I got my first real lesson in the special victimhood that comes from being a Buffalo Sports Fan.
The way it ended? Well, I think we all remember what happened. I still remember the feeling as that kick sailed wide right, it was a punch to the stomach.
I prefer to watch this clip of the game because it reminds me that it never should have come down to Scott Norwood’s kick. There were missed opportunities throughout that game, but the Giants were just the better team that day.
Crushed after the end of the game, I barely slept. I couldn’t believe the team could get that close but not come home with the trophy, the whole world seemed unfair to this teenage kid. I didn’t think I’d ever get over it. But, I did. The very next day.
Why? Because our city city created a moment that is so incredibly part of who we are, that explains why we stay and/or come back to this town and why we love our hometown. During an event in Niagara Square, we unwittingly echoed the sentiment that Marv Levy had shared with his team in the locker room after the game. He read them a famous passage that should also serve as Buffalo’s official motto…
“Fight on, my men,”Sir Andrew Said
”A little I’m hurt but not yet slain.
”I’ll just lie down and bleed a while,
”And then I’ll rise and Fight again.”
You could see the load lift off Scott Norwood’s shoulders as the city embraced him. The day after this Super Bowl was one of Buffalo’s best and is the most important memory of Super Bowl XXV.
Tags: Buffalo, Buffalo Bills
The Mo Show: People Rest, Defense Fumfers
Yesterday’s witnesses at the murder trial of Muzzammil Hassan introduced technical DNA evidence regarding the crime scene and the murder weapons. They came in quick succession, culminating early in the afternoon with DA Colleen Curtin Gable establishing that Hassan literally had blood on his hands when taken into custody. At that point, the People rested their case, having established that Hassan had committed an intentional and premeditated homicide.
A witness from Sprint/Nextel authenticated several text messages harvested from Hassan’s and Aasiya Zubair’s cell phones. The texts were written after Hassan had been served with divorce papers and a restraining order, as he was staying in a nearby hotel. He was downright hounding his estranged wife to call him “just for two minutes” so that he wouldn’t “toss and turn” all night. He wanted to get one controlling word in for the night, and he texted her repeatedly every two minutes before she told him to stop, what with the TRO and all. The last batch of texts were exchanged literally moments before the murder, as Aasiya asked that Hassan place her car keys in his desk at the studio for her to pick up, and they said “sorry” to each other for something that happened earlier in the day about some lunch plans.
From Aasiya: Sorry for lunch!
From defendant: Sorry for hurting you
From Aasiya: I am sorry too
Next message at 5:34 p.m.
From defendant: I have returned in all sincerity, honesty and humility.
Less than a minute
From defendant: I cannot carry on without you and family
At 5:38
From defendant: I haven’t done anything to hurt you since Sunday when I learned my mistake.
The last message between the two was sent at 5:42 pm. February 12, 2009
From defendant: I am a good man, Aasiya, a humble and decent man. I made some mistakes. Please don’t punish me so hard. God likes forgiveness.
When the prosecution rested its case, Judge Franczyk had to remind Hassan to make a customary defense motion to dismiss the case for insufficient evidence of the crime(s) charged. He made it, it was denied, and Hassan was prompted to call his first witness.
Except he didn’t have any lined up. For him to successfully establish that he was a “battered spouse” who committed a homicide as part of a generalized self-defense, he will need to introduce expert psychological testimony to establish that fact. The problem for Hassan is that none of the people who evaluated him are willing to testify for him – one of them went so far as to notify Judge Franczyk of that fact. The further problem for Hassan is that he cant subpoena expert opinion witnesses to testify against their will.
Hassan gave a sort of “we’ll see” answer to that question, and proceeded to ask the judge for a do-over opening statement. No dice – denied. He then asked to re-call his children to the stand. The judge took that under advisement, but wanted to know what he intended to ask the kids. Hassan also wanted to introduce piles of documentary evidence, including Aasiya’s medical records, showing that he had beat her. No one knows where he’s going with that.
Remember: Hassan is pro se and judges generally give pro se litigants extra evidentiary and procedural latitude in criminal cases.
Seeing that Hassan was unprepared for trial that day, the judge released the jury for the day. At 10 am today, trial resumes and it promises to be the “Mo Show” circus from here on out. It’s very likely that Hassan will testify today on his own behalf – he can’t forego his last opportunity to victimize his wife.
He clearly gets off on his own arrogance and hubris. The defendant very obviously believes that he’s the smartest guy in that room – that he’s better than everyone, the lawyers, the judge, the jury – everyone. His charm is so contrived and fleeting, the kind of guy who hobnobs with important people, reveling in his community status as the co-owner of a groundbreaking television production company, then comes home and terrorizes his third abused wife. His personality comes out so clearly that I’m absolutely positive that the jury – which yesterday finally started giggling during his repeatedly objected-to attempts to cross-examine witnesses – can see that he’s a monster.
Trial resumes today at 10am. Many of you have asked how you can get in to watch. 25 Delaware Avenue, 4th Floor, Part 25. Seating is excruciatingly limited, so either come early or be prepared for a brief wait – the deputy outside the door will control the crowd and let you in when a seat becomes available. This is our legal system at work, despite a madman’s efforts to subvert it.
(Some material from personal observation, most from the #Hassan thread on Twitter)
Prosecution rests in eventful day at Hassan trial (buffalo.ynn.com)
Dramatic first week in Muzzammil Hassan trial (buffalo.ynn.com)
Tags: Aasiya Zubair, beheading, Bridges TV, Defendant, Domestic Violence, jury, Muzzammil Hassan, Orchard Park, psychology, trial
Only Accidental Success
Will you join me in a little mental exercise? Try to think of a successful major development, in the City of Buffalo in the last five years, that was the Mayor’s idea. Do you have any yet? Any grand scheme Mayor Brown proposed, and didn’t just take credit for at the ribbon-cutting? Any plans conceived of, or implemented by, his office? How about the Common Council? Any new ideas from there? Yeah, I can’t think of any either.
Okay, let’s try this instead. I’ll name (arguably) the biggest four positive recent develops in Buffalo, and tell me if the Mayor had anything to do with them: M&T’s and First Niagara’s rise to make Buffalo a national banking power, the redevelopment of the Larkin District, establishment of Buffalo as a top sports hosting city (NCAA Basketball Tourney, Empire State Games and the World Juniors in one year ain’t bad), and the creation of the surging Medical Campus. Was the Mayor involved at all? Not that any of us can tell.
In fact, it is only when one considers the two biggest development FAIL stories of the last year, the inability to create momentum at Canalside and the Statler fiasco, that you find the Mayor’s and Common Council’s fingerprints.
I don’t think its too much to ask for the Mayor of a city the size of Buffalo to have some vision for the future, some direction he (or she) wants to lead us to, some policy that will meet some desired end state. Buffalo is not exactly rudderless. There are people here who have plans. They just aren’t elected politicians.
Bob Wilmers and John Koelmel have a plan, and were recently validated by industry experts that Buffalo is the new Charlotte (ironic, since Charlotte is full of the old-Buffalo). Doug Swift and Howard Zemsky have a plan at the Larkin District, and after single handedly reviving a couple square blocks, additional private capital is flooding in. The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau may be underfunded, but they made attracting sports (and the tourists who travel to attend them) a goal, and have several years worth of success to point to. James Kaskie at Kaleida and John Simpson at UB have a plan, and there is $500M in new construction and 30 bio-tech companies in the Medical Corridor. Jim Allen, President of the Amherst IDA, who Chris Smith recently interviewed, has a plan. Hell, even PUSH, MAP and Urban Roots have plans, and localized impacts. The Mayor has no plan, and no vision.
Let me provide one small example, one tiny crumb where he could show leadership. The battle over Erie County arts and cultural funding is completely out of proportion with the size of the budget line – $4 or $5 Million, depending on which side you are on. Ironically, nearly every cultural cut out of county funding is in the City of Buffalo. Meanwhile, the disgraced Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp is sitting in limbo, not handing out grants for nearly a year, while its staff still collects a paycheck and twiddles its thumbs. It takes about twelve seconds of thought and half an ounce of leadership to convert the BERC into a new Buffalo Arts Fund. BERC has $40M in assets and could hand out $5M a year. That would double local governmental arts funding, and if the arts are such a development driver (as its supporters purport), then plenty of economic renaissance should be happening too. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other ways for companies to get government hand outs, and all BERC used to fund were restaurants and barber shops anyway.
Will the Mayor propose this? No. Will the Mayor reform BERC into a true economic development tool? I doubt it. Will the Mayor craft, announce, promote and drive a vision of Buffalo’s future? Will the Mayor lead? Don’t hold your breath.
Author’s Note: As astute and regular readers have already noticed, starting today I will be writing two columns weekly, instead of my normal three. My new schedule is a political or development column on Wednesday, and an ETU outdoors column on Sunday. Never fear, this is only temporary! I am in the throes of finishing my first book and need a little extra time and mental energy as I come down to the sticking point. If all goes according to plan, the book will be finished this summer, and my normal three-a-week schedule will resume then.
Tags: Buffalo, fail, Mayor Byron Brown Administration
Hassan Tuesday: What Was & Wasn’t Important
Yesterday, the Hassan jury watched surveillance video showing Muzzammil Hassan murdering his wife. And I use that word specifically – he was laying in wait, in the dark, and he surprised his unarmed wife and brutally murdered her.
Most media are all over the whole “Mo Hassan is going to call the judge as a witness!” story, but there’s no there there. Hassan isn’t going to call the judge, and the judge isn’t going to “testify” as a witness. There’s no fact relevant to the murder of Aasiya Hassan that the judge has first-hand knowledge of – he is the impartial judge presiding over a trial. That wasn’t important, except to show that Hassan is a crazy person. (And I don’t mean “crazy” as in he’s not competent to stand trial; I mean he’s a controlling, narcissistic psychopath).
The two big revelations that came out yesterday were that Hassan made a sort of life-to-do list as he sat at the Orchard Park police station after confessing there to the killing. One police witness was used largely to just authenticate the surveillance video for evidentiary purposes, yet Hassan cross-examined him as if he was somehow critical to his defense. Hassan would ask wildly objectionable questions that did little more than introduce inadmissible evidence in front of the jury. ADA Colleen Curtin Gable objected repeatedly to what she called Hassan’s “backdoor hearsay upon backdoor hearsay”. Questions such as, “did you know that Aasiya killed her brother” – an irrelevant, untrue, wild accusation asked of a cop in the presence of a jury is so patently improper that a lawyer who tried to pull such a stunt might likely be sanctioned – especially after 40+ improper, similar questions had been posed.
One officer testified that in performing their search of Aasiya’s minivan they found an M&T envelope containing forty-nine $100 bills. You may recall that last week, Hassan’s eldest son, Michael, testified that as the kids waited nervously for Aasiya to run in to Bridges – where she met her death – Mo Hassan drove up in his Benz out of nowhere and handed him an envelope filled with cash. Later that day, a Wal*Mart employee from Hamburg testified that Hassan had purchased and tested the knives he used to murder his wife just hours before, with a $100 bill.
So, Hassan made a $5,000 withdrawal from M&T, used $100 to buy the murder weapons, and gave the rest to his kids. Hey, I just murdered your mom. Here’s $4,900. Have a nice day! That connection hasn’t yet been made in court unless the prosecution calls the M&T teller who handled the transaction, otherwise it’ll likely be argued in summation.
Earlier in the day, Hassan demanded that the prosecution turn over psychological profiles of him drawn up by a state’s expert. DA Gable argued that the material in no way helped Hassan’s case, but the judge ordered the discovery to go forward. The focus seems to be on evidence that the kids saw Aasiya Zubair strike Mo Hassan – but only on those occasions when he sat on her in order to subdue her or to cause a spontaneous abortion.
In speaking with local attorney Roy Mura via Twitter yesterday, he inquired into Hassan’s demeanor in court – after all, people who are true battered spouses who murder their abusers are usually quite remorseful. Hassan? His massive ego and inflated sense of self-importance and worth would never let him mourn another. He is cocky in court – the smartest guy in the room, he imagines. He is proud of his act, and he’s proud of what he’s doing to this trial – making a mockery of the process, running his own defense, further maligning his victim’s reputation – the abuse continues.
As he waited to be transferred to the Erie County Holding Center the night of the murder, he asked the police to go to the hotel where he had been staying to retrieve his C-PAP anti-sleep-apnea machine. He said he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night without it.
After murdering his wife in cold blood because she had the nerve to try and escape his control and that evil, abusive relationship, he was worried that his snoring would interrupt his slumber.
(Material gathered through personal observation and via the #Hassan thread on Twitter).
Jury shown video from crime scene during Hassan trial (buffalo.ynn.com)
Son takes stand in beheading trial (buffalo.ynn.com)
Pakistani TV executive Muzzammil Hassan on trial for beheading wife in US (dailymail.co.uk)
Tags: Aasiya Zubair, beheading, Erie County Holding Center, jury, murder, Muzzammil Hassan, trial
The Takeaway of the Day
Mo Hassan is a sick fuck.
Yesterday, I spent my lunch hour watching Mo Hassan conduct his first-ever cross-examination of a witness in his own murder trial. Earlier in the day, Hassan and Jeremy Schwartz, his attorney, renewed their motions to relieve Schwartz of his duties. Monday morning, however, Judge Franczyk reluctantly granted the motion. Schwartz would continue to sit in the courtroom and act as a silent advisor to Hassan, but the defendant himself would conduct his own defense.
When I attended law school, Colin Ferguson shot up an LIRR train at the peak of rush hour, and he was a madman who insisted on representing himself – right down to referring to himself in the 3rd person. We had the same thing yesterday, as Hassan cross-examined witness after witness.
His cross? He scored a point or two here and there, but most of it was laden with rookie mistakes, argument, redundancy, irrelevance, and hubris. Hassan thinks he’s the smartest guy in that room, and you get the sense from watching him that he thinks he has that courtroom wrapped around his finger.
But the big takeaway? Mo Hassan is one sick fuck.
Forget for a moment that he’s an admitted wife-beheader. Not alleged – he admitted it. The only issue in this case is Hassan’s state of mind. The prosecution has presented witnesses and evidence to conclusively establish that the crime was well-planned and methodically premeditated. The only chance Hassan might have to get away with a temporary insanity defense would involve him sitting at the defense table in complete silence during the entire trial.
Instead, Hassan has fired his lawyer and taken up his own defense. These events have taken place outside the jury’s presence. One minute Hassan’s lawyer is doing all the talking, the next minute Hassan is. As he cross-examined a former colleage from Bridges TV, Hassan was literally surrounded by about a half-dozen Sheriff’s deputies. What does that convey to a jury?
At one point during his relatively clumsy, hearsay-laden, largely irrelevant cross-examination, the DA objected. This prompted a response from Hassan, head down towards the table and microphone, “calm down”. The DA blew a gasket, and rightfully so. Hassan thought he was being cute, but by mildly overreacting, the DA illustrated that moment for the jury in a process that is tightly stage-managed through legal evidence and procedure.
Occasionally when Hassan would hit a brick wall of objections, he’d solicit advice from a silent Jeremy Schwartz. Hassan would re-ask the question in a non-objectionable way.
At one point in the afternoon, there was some argument concerning the introduction of photographs of Aasiya Zubair’s body at the crime scene. Hassan argued that the photos were too gory and prejudicial, but had no probative value since he had already confessed to the homicide. In the end, the judge ordered that the actual wound of the beheading be blacked out.
Among other things, when a judge is faced with a pro-se criminal defendant, he has to bend over backwards to ensure that the defendant’s lack of procedural knowledge doesn’t get in the way of him getting a fair trial. Judge Franczyk was exceedingly professional and fair.
The process was fascinating to watch. The gallery is packed with students, looky-loos, and reporters crazily Tweeting from the back row. Hassan’s trial has become a veritable freakshow, but in the end the process exists to seek and obtain justice for Aasiya Zubair.
(Thanks to Brad Riter and Shredd & Ragan for the airtime today. Thanks to Steve Cichon, Laura Gray, Lorey Schultz, Pete Gallivan, and Marissa Bailey, and the Buffalo News for live-Tweeting/blogging the proceedings. One of you guys has to ask Schwartz if he’s getting paid to sit there like Ollie North’s potted plant).
Tags: Aasiya Zubair, beheading, Bridges, law, media, Muzzammil Hassan, trial
Escape the Urban Travelogue: Virginia’s Paths and Parkways
I didn’t discover the running trail along the canal until my third day in Fredericksburg. The previous two afternoons I had explored historic “Old Town” on foot at a 7:30 min/mile pace, my favorite way to get to know a dense urban scene. Its slow enough to see every site and read signs, but fast enough to cover a decent amount of ground in a reasonable timeframe. Caroline and Princess Anne Streets, parallel corridors of nauseatingly charming pre-Civil War cottages and storefronts, provided ample opportunities to discover restaurants and history alike as I dodged tourists and dog-walkers. But once I have gauged the lay of the land, streetlights and traffic transition from a simple annoyance to a serious impediment to my workout (I have a triathlon to train for, after all). Which is why I was happy to discover the running trail on the old towpath along the Rappahannock Canal.
A tad greener than when I ran it in January . . .
The canal connects the most inland navigable end of the Rappahannock River to towns and ports west of Fredericksburg. Long since closed, the old mule towpath (sound familiar?) has been converted into a running and biking trail, connecting old downtown Fredericksburg to newer neighborhoods and development. I ran nearly its entire length, from river start to new suburbia. I passed only a few other walkers and runners, this being a sunny but cold winter day. I passed a dog park filled to capacity. I crossed new pedestrian bridges and interpretive signage. What I did not pass was an economic renaissance brought about by a new path alone.
In Western New York, we expect too much from our simple walking and bike paths. Blame an ever shrinking population and governmental budget. Blame previous over-hyped projects that failed to deliver. Blame a public bureaucratic requirement to justify each dime by quantifying and monetizing every action. Blame non-profits and lobbyists for over-selling and under-delivering. Whatever the source of the problem, a bike path is no longer just a bike path. Its is a way to draw people to the water and create spin-off development. It is a way to lower county Medicaid bills by increasing the overall health of the community. It is a way to raise our ranking on “Livable Cities” indices, to entice young people to move here. Under no circumstances is a nice path along the water just a nice path.
Bike and running paths certainly have economic, public health, tourism, and demographic effects. But by selling those end-states first, by over-promising a future dependent on far more factors than a thin ribbon of asphalt, we as a community lose sight of any intrinsic value trail systems have on their own. The un-monetizable quality of life value in creating community recreation spaces, opportunities to explore an area by foot or bike and maintain a healthy lifestyle, is of primary importance, and that is lost in the unrealistic promises.
Fortunately, but perhaps counter-intuitively, northern Virginia is pressing ahead with projects to add to its already impressive system of dedicated bike and running paths. Hilly and long settled, the Old Dominion is full of winding parkways, less-than-direct routes used by Native Americans and colonists and now widened into highways. But each parkway and semi-major road has a bike path next to it, not on the dangerous shoulder, but winding through the trees twenty feet away. The traffic noise doesn’t seem to discourage use, and the parkways are direct enough one could reasonably bike for functional, and not just recreational, reasons. Each town itself is crisscrossed in dedicated paths as well, as this map of Fredericksburg shows (my towpath trail being just one small black line running east to west in the middle of the map):
And low-tax, anti-government Virginia is doubling down by planning even more paths in the future. Spotsylvania has a plan for 93 more miles of trails in the next 25 years, on government land (in many cases) and with government approval, but with volunteer labor and private dollars (donations and grants). Perhaps most telling, and of most relevance to WNY: 15 people spoke at the first hearing on the issue, 14 in favor, one (literal) NIMBY against. Yes, tourism and positive health effects were cited in arguments to support the trail construction. But the failure of spin-off development along the very pleasant Rappahannock Canal Path seems to hardly have been considered at all.
Tags: Biking, Escape the Urban, running, travel
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leveling up
068: Anne Sugar’s Hiring to Scale Process
Positioning your company for hyper-growth requires “leveling up” people as well as processes and tools. Many leaders (and investors) interpret leveling up as replacing existing personnel with more qualified people. But the onus is on these leaders to create a culture of continuous education rather than blaming people when things go wrong. In this episode, Anne Sugar, an executive coach for the Harvard Business School Executive Program, provides an in-depth case study of a hiring process she coached an H.R. executive through as she set out to answer four key questions in preparation for expansion.
Special Guest: Anne Sugar, Founder & CEO – Anne Sugar Coaching & Consulting
Location: Boston, MA USA
Anne’s Coaching Process: learn more about Anne’s proven methodology that combines a goal-based process with evidence-based coaching.
How to Tell if You Have Delegated Too Much and What to Do About It: Anne’s Harvard Business Review article where she outlines 3 steps to provide your team the guidance and structure needed for success.
Inc. Magazine: Anne is a regular contributor – gain access to her articles on executive coaching, H.R. processes, leadership, and strategy.
Harvard Business Review – Leadership: curated content from the world’s top thought leaders on leadership and executive management.
Harvard Business Review – Human Resource Management: curated content from the world’s top thought leaders on human resource trends and processes.
DiSC®: a “non-judgmental” personal assessment tool used to understand people’s behavioral differences to improve teamwork, productivity, and communication.
Watch the Video Version of this Interview (COMING SOON!)
Episode 007: Staffing Up While You Scale Up: Getting the Help You Need When You Need It
Episode 023: Attracting Top Talent to Your Business with Jim Stroud
Episode 037: Leveraging Culture to Drive Business Transformation with Lakeisha Poole
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Gist Of EPW Nov Week3 2019
Gist of EPW November Week 3, 2019
The Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) is an important source of study material for IAS, especially for the current affairs segment. In this section, we give you the gist of the EPW magazine every week. The important topics covered in the weekly are analysed and explained in a simple language, all from a UPSC perspective.
Gist of EPW November Week 3, 2019:- Download PDF Here
Directly Elected Mayors
Significance of Urban Governance
About 34% of India’s population is now living in urban areas.
Though the number of mega-sized urban clusters has remained constant, the number of smaller urban clusters has been increasing rapidly over the years.
These urban centres are now more “happening places” with greater investments and increased opportunities leading to sizeable migration from rural areas.
However, such fast transformation has come with a myriad of problems of unplanned and unregulated expansion of urban boundaries, and mounting pressure on infrastructure and community resources resulting in poorer quality of life in these urban centres.
In India for all practical purposes, the municipal commissioner, a bureaucrat appointed by the state government, is the de facto head of the municipal body. Although the mayor is considered to be the political and executive head of the city, they hardly have any executive power.
A result of such an arrangement is that often the elected representative ends up performing the role of the opposition, and where municipal commissioners are stronger, situations of gridlock occur.
Reduced and less participation in municipal elections is an indication of citizen’s faith and attitude towards ULBs. The ULBs often witness a lower turnout of voters than the state- or national-level elections.
Such structural governance shortcomings have resulted in the mismanagement of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) which in turn affect ordinary citizens every day.
Need for Directly Elected Mayors
Lack of effective leadership
A civic leader to be successful has to work with different groups of stakeholders – from politicians to bureaucrats and other officials, etc.
Being elected representatives gives them the legitimate right to bring all stakeholders under the umbrella of formal governance and demand cooperation from all.
Frequent change of commissioners
A recent survey reported that city corporations see a frequent change in commissioners, so much so that often a commissioner’s tenure at a corporation is less than one year.
The uncertainty of the tenure and maximum level of control of the state make the nature of the commissioner’s performance, barring few exceptions, routine, rather than imaginative and visionary.
In contrast, an elected mayor with a fixed tenure can be innovative and may take decisions breaking the limitations of a state-appointed bureaucrat commissioner.
Lack of co-operation between elected members and bureaucrat
The existing municipal governance structure turns the entire democratically elected councillor against the chief executive, a state-appointed bureaucrat.
Such a relationship is fraught with severe consequences such as non-cooperation, mismanagement, continuous fight for hegemony and the most crucial – loss of face for the ULB.
Therefore, the realisation that the mayor is the democratically elected representative puts the onus on both commissioners and elected councillors to respect the citizens’ mandate.
Recommendations of Second Administrative Reforms Commission 2007
The functions of chairing the municipal council and exercising executive authority in urban local government should be combined in the same functionary i.e. Chairperson or Mayor.
The Chairperson/Mayor should be directly elected by popular mandate through a city-wide election.
The Chairperson/Mayor will be the chief executive of the municipal body. Executive power should vest in that functionary.
The elected Council should perform the functions of budget approval, oversight and framing of regulations and policies.
In municipal corporations and metropolitan cities, the Mayor should appoint the Mayor’s ‘Cabinet’.
The members of the Cabinet should be chosen by the Mayor from the elected corporators.
The Mayor’s Cabinet shall not exceed 10 per cent of the strength of the elected Corporation or fifteen, whichever is higher.
The Cabinet will exercise executive authority on matters entrusted to them by the Mayor, under his overall control and direction.
The Mayor should be the Chief Executive of the municipal body while the Commissioner should perform the functions delegated to him/her.
The responsibility for selection and appointment of the Commissioner and other staff may be given to the Metropolitan Corporations within a period of two years. For other bodies, this may be done within three years.
States should, however, by law, lay down the procedure and conditions of such appointment.
For the duration that the Commissioner/Chief Officer continues to be drawn from the State Government, selection should be made by the Mayor from out of a panel of names sent by the State Government.
The Directorates of Municipal Administration, wherever they exist, should be abolished. In case there are State-wide cadres of municipal employees, no fresh appointments to these may be made and the employees should be absorbed in municipal bodies through a due process.
Benefits of a Directly Elected Mayor
Community empowerment and promotion of local leadership:
The current system of electing the leadership (indirect election of mayor) encourages a system of best among the equals from the elected councillors.
It is quite obvious that councillors would prefer those whom they believe will not become too popular or will not grow too big and hence, mediocracy is preferred.
Therefore, direct election of the mayor seems more pertinent as it gives the opportunity to local leaders to focus on those issues that are essential for most of the citizens.
Direct election of the mayor, which promotes strong visible leadership in cities, is an important source of recruitment of talent into public life and leadership development.
Impact on institutional design of local governance:
Due to the prerequisite of getting elected by the ward residents, the existing mayors focus more on the work in their ward as compared to the municipality/city as a whole.
Thus, the focus on governance remains concentrated to a specific ward or area, rather than being equitable for the entire civic area as such.
Direct election of the mayor is likely to improve leadership, and quality, speed, and the process of decision-making of mayors.
Direct election changes the role of the mayor from a leader of the council to the leader of the city.
The relationship between the politician and officers:
The directly elected mayor is expected to tap the support of bureaucrats by presenting himself as a people’s representative of the city.
The direct election provides the required legitimacy to the mayor to interact, demand, and get work executed in the best interest of the city.
Currently, there is lack of coordination between the elected representatives and the appointed officials since, the municipal commissioner, a bureaucrat appointed by the state government, is the de facto head of the municipal body.
Increased responsibility and competency to deliver:
Direct election of the mayor makes the leader accountable for his/her decision, action, and performance.
Unlike the indirectly elected mayor who is dependent on the support of councillors, the directly elected mayor would be free to ask for help and support from the members of any group (political, bureaucratic, civil society, technocrats, business person) without thinking too much to keep councillors happy.
Challenges in implementing Direct Elections for Mayors
The first challenge is the status quo itself and the vested interests it has entrenched. State governments do not wish to delegate more authority to city-level institutions.
The second challenge is the post of municipal commissioner. Even if some powers are delegated to the municipality, the state governments have in place municipal commissioners to perform the executive functions, again cutting the mayor to size, the nature of mayoral election notwithstanding.
It has to be ensured that the elected Mayor has autonomous authority and is not a mere puppet with a glorified title.
It means that the Mayor should have access to the city’s budget, which implies that the state administration should step aside and not interfere in the governance and administration of the city.
While electing a Mayor with considerable power (and responsibility) would be great, it could also result in an administration standstill, if the Mayor and the State Government are at disagreement on a particular issue, particularly if they don’t belong to the same party.
Criticism of Direct Election
India follows the ministerial or council system both at the central and state levels and directly elected mayoral system is considered equivalent to a presidential system of governance.
The mayoral system restricts the flow of diverse ideas on governance as it limits the role of councillors.
It is expected that the direct election will result in a more empowered and assertive mayor, and the elected councillors will feel losing some authority.
Increased workload of the mayor because of his new overarching role is considered as one of the major weaknesses. Critics further add that it is not only the volume of work but types of work and expertise expected that will make the functioning of elected mayors difficult.
If some notable personalities like sports, film, literature celebrities fight the election and win, then, it will be argued that those who never had experience in governance and those who never knew the nuances of a political process and local governance will be given the responsibility to run and manage the city.
Concerns of wrongdoing and corruption are also related to power concentration in one pair of hands. It is said that centralisation of power and corruption go hand in hand.
A Plausible Model: The Outline
To be successful, a model needs to be “feasible,” that is, possible acceptance or least resistance by all the stakeholders.
The model considers the mayor as the political and administrative head of the municipality. The mayor would be directly elected by the citizens of the city.
The election of the mayor and also that of the councillors will be held simultaneously, and the tenure of the municipality would be five years.
A voter during the election will vote twice: one for the councillor and another for the mayor.
The directly elected mayor can nominate another five to 10 eminent or reputed professionals as the councillors to the municipality.
o These councillors will have all rights and responsibilities of the councillors except that they cannot vote on any occasion.
The directly elected mayor can be removed by a provision called the right to recall (RTR).
o To execute the process of RTR, a resolution supported by minimum two-thirds of the councillors would be required. If the mayor loses the poll of the RTR, the city will go for a repoll.
o However, if the mayor sustains the election and wins the poll, all the councillors who had signed the resolution would have to resign and fight the election again.
Further, to give more power to the elected mayor, the elected mayor will be consulted while deciding about the municipal commissioner and other senior officials of the municipality.
Although the directly elected mayor system is becoming popular across the globe with few exceptions, in Indian cities the logic driving the adoption of the “strong mayor” model is even more emphatic.
It is important to mention that a private member’s bill was introduced in Parliament in 2016 seeking to amend the Constitution of India and provide, among other things, for a directly elected mayor.
Private members’ bill was introduced by Shashi Tharoor.
It is high time that we make an honest beginning towards a genuinely democratic and decentralised governance of our urban areas.
Independence of the Speaker
There are numerous instances in our polity where the Speaker of the Assembly has precipitated a political crisis by seemingly political decisions.
In a parliamentary democracy, it is important that the legislature functions effectively and independently rather than being controlled by the government of the day.
Theoretically, the government is answerable to Parliament, but, in practice, the government, which has a comfortable majority, controls Parliament through its sheer strength of numbers.
There is a need for building up systematic neutrality to the Speaker’s position.
Who is the Speaker?
India’s Parliamentary system follows the Westminster Model of UK and the proceedings of the Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly are headed by a presiding officer, who is called the Speaker.
About Speaker
The Lok Sabha, which is the highest legislative body in the country, chooses its Speaker who presides over the day to day functioning of the House.
Similarly, in the state, the Vidhan Sabha which is the highest legislative body of the respective state chooses its speaker.
Electing the Speaker of the House is one of the first acts of a newly constituted House.
The office of the Speaker is a Constitutional Office. The Speaker is guided by the constitutional provisions and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the respective house.
The Speaker is placed very high in the Warrant of Precedence in the country i.e. at rank 6 and the state speakers are placed at rank 14.
Adequate Powers are vested in the office of the Speaker to help her/him in the smooth conduct of proceedings of their respective houses.
To read more about Speaker: Click Here
Historical Developments
After the Tenth Schedule was inserted in our Constitution by way of the 52nd constitutional amendment in 1985, the Speaker was vested with the adjudicatory power in any case concerning defection.
The vesting of adjudicatory power in the Speaker, far from enhancing the dignity of their office, has, in actual practice, made them more partisan.
Since the Speaker is now vested with adjudicatory power, they must always act with detachment and be seen to be non-partisan all the time.
Read more about Anti Defection (10th Schedule) and Role Of Speaker: Click Here
Read about the recent case of Disqualification of 17 MLAs in Karnataka: Click Here
An Example of Neutrality of Speaker
The only salutary example in the last few decades is the tenure of Somnath Chatterjee, the Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha.
There came a time when the duty of Chatterjee as a Speaker of the House and as a constitutional functionary conflicted with the dictate of his party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on the issue of the Indo–US Nuclear Treaty.
But, Chatterjee rose to the occasion and ignored the dictate of his party and performed his constitutional duty with utmost distinction and neutrality for which he was expelled from his party, which effectively marked the end of his political career after he ceased to be a Speaker in 2009.
The neutrality shown by Chatterjee becomes more remarkable in view of almost no precedent in which the Speaker acted completely independent of his party line by shedding his political affiliation.
Significance of Neutrality of Speaker
Parliament is a forum for debate and discussion. The legislature is not only a legislative body, but is also a deliberative body.
Without parliamentary approval, the government cannot pass the budget. The policies of the government should be subjected to close and minute scrutiny by the members of Parliament.
This requires sturdy independence and non-partisan behaviours on the part of the Speaker. It is this neutrality which alone can inspire confidence in the office of the Speaker and impart dignity to the functioning of the august body.
The opposition parties must have the confidence that they will receive a fair hearing from the Speaker at all times. The confidence in the impartiality of the Speaker is an indispensable condition for the successful working of Parliament or state legislature.
Challenges faced by Speaker to be Neutral
Election – The position of the Indian Speaker is paradoxical.
They contest the election for the post on a party ticket.
Yet they are expected to conduct themselves in a non-partisan manner, while being beholden to the party for a ticket for the next election.
Political Aspirations – The position is often used to woo the political parties by favouring them to harbour political ambitions.
The need for re-election also skews incentives for the Speaker.
The fear of losing the position in case of not favouring their political parties also pushes them to compromise neutrality.
Anti-Defection Law – The absoluteness of the Speaker’s decisions can also be an incentive for potential abuse.
The determination of whether a representative has become subject to disqualification, post their defection, is made by the Speaker.
This offers ample scope for Speakers to exercise discretion.
International practices with respect to neutrality of Speaker
Ireland has a parliamentary system close to India.
There the position of Speaker is given to someone who has built up credibility by relinquishing his or her political ambitions.
The Westminster system considers it a taboo to induct a Speaker into the cabinet.
No sitting Speaker of the House of Commons in Britain has lost his or her seat. This is because of the convention of not fielding candidates in the Speaker’s constituency.
In comparison, in India, there are many Speakers who have lost their seats in general elections.
Also, Indian Speakers are not made members of the Rajya Sabha after they demit office.
But the British Parliament automatically elevates the Speaker to the House of Lords.
Only the U.S. allows the Speaker to openly engage in active politics.
But this is compensated to an extent by their rigorous separation of powers between the judiciary, executive and legislature.
Parliament can discharge its role as the watchdog of government policies and hold the government of the day to account for its policies only when its members, particularly those belonging to the opposition groups, are given the opportunity to raise issues, and that can be ensured only through the independent functioning of the Speaker.
The first condition for the proper functioning of Parliament is to ensure order and that can be done only when the Speaker is seen to be above party lines at all times.
If the minority groups have the confidence that the presiding officer will not allow the ruling party to override them without deliberations, the legislative business of the House can be conducted in a smooth manner and its decorum can be maintained.
For achieving this, the first important step is to amend the Constitution by providing for the severance of the association of the Speaker with the party from which they are elected.
For more EPW articles, read “Gist of EPW”
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At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair we offer only the best products to our Albuquerque drivers, that’s why we’re excited to announce the newest offering from Jasper Engines & Transmissions. JASPER is the nation’s leader in remanufactured engines and drivetrain products and now they are offering Ford/International 7.3L/444TE Diesel Cylinder Heads.
At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair we offer only the best products to our Albuquerque drivers, that’s why we’re excited to announce the expanded availability of the Cummins 6.7L ISB/QSB Rear Gear Running Complete engine from our partner Jasper Engines & Transmissions. JASPER is the nation’s leader in remanufactured engines and drivetrain products.
If you are experiencing issues with the current engine on your 2013-2018 medium-duty on-road trucks, agriculture, construction, and industrial applications you now have an affordable option for an engine replacement. This engine is available with and without head studs and is completely remanufactured using a standard set of new parts. At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair, we love JASPER products because we know that our customers can depend on the quality of the product while having peace of mind because of the warranty this great company offers.
At By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair we offer only the best products to our Albuquerque, NM drivers, that’s why we’re excited to announce the availability of the Ford 6.7L Scorpion Running Complete Diesel Engine from our partner Jasper Engines & Transmissions. JASPER is the nation’s leader in remanufactured engines and drivetrain products.
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Here at By The Book Diesel & Auto Repair in Albuquerque, NM we offer only the best products for our Albuquerque, NM drivers and the new GM Gen V 5.3L GDI engine from our partner Jasper Engines & Transmissions, who is the nation’s leader in remanufactured engines and drivetrain products, make no exception.
When you experience issues with your Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, or Sierra (Hybrid) you now have an option to KEEP your vehicle and install a New JASPER GM Gen V 5.3L GDI engine which comes with their 3 yr | 100,000-mile Parts & Labor nationwide warranty which is fully-transferrable. That vehicle you love is now ready for lots of vacation trips and hard work.
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Jasper Engines and Transmissions is proud to announce their expanded availability of the remanufactured Ford 6R140 RWD and 4WD transmissions. These 6-speed transmissions are electronically-controlled and are available for a variety of vehicles. This expanded transmission line is available for the 2015-2019 6R140 F250, F350 6.2L, and F350 6.7L (RWD & 4WD).
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Fictional Characters Wiki 10,248 articles since June 26, 2006
The guide to fictional characters that anyone can edit.
Overview · Editing · Browse · Help
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Welcome to the Fictional Characters Wiki!
The Fictional Characters wiki is devoted to celebrating and maintaining information about the vast world of fictional characters. To qualify for inclusion on this site, the character must have appeared in a published work. However, we aim to accommodate characters from all manner of fiction, whether it be expressed through literature, movies, television, comics, video gaming, theatre or any other medium.
So, if there are any fictional characters or works of fiction that you can't find on the wiki, we encourage you to contribute! Also, have a look at the to-do list ot the right to see what we're currently working on at the wiki.
Also, we have a new Discord server open to all editors of this wiki for discussing –in near-real time– anything related to the wiki (articles, files, templates, rules, etc.). To join, please click on this link.
To add a new page, simply type the name of the article you wish to create below!
Character of the Month (January 2020)
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). Lee and Ditko conceived of the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and as a teenager, having to deal with the normal struggles of youth in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter. Spider-Man's creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his own invention which he called "web-shooters," and react to danger quickly with his "spider-sense", enabling him to combat his foes.
When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a teenage high school student to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate. Unlike previous teen heroes such as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes and Robin, Spider-Man did not benefit from being the protegé of any adult mentors like Captain America and Batman, and thus had to learn for himself that "with great power comes great responsibility" — a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story, but later retroactively attributed to his guardian, the late Uncle Ben.
<< Previously featured characters | Upcoming featured characters >>
Carmen (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
created by Cabutchikas 3 hours ago
New page: Carmen is a character in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Added categories: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters, Transgender
Added photo:
Patrick (American Horror Story)
New page: Patrick is a character from American Horror Story: Murder House.
Added categories: American Horror Story characters, Gay
Categories on Category Pages
comment by Cabutchikas 4 hours ago
RRabbit42
Here's a tip: When a category is added to a Category Page, you have to be really careful about what you put there. A lot of people think t... 4 hours ago
Cabutchikas
There's a differences Egomaniacs in Heroes and Egotist in Villains, which is why I already figure it out. 4 hours ago
edited by Cabutchikas 4 hours ago
Added category: Egotist
Added categories: Egotist, Blonde Hair, Blue eyes
Turbo K.O.
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S.C senator calls PayPal a PedoPal
Senator Lee Bright from Spartanburg, South Carolina introduced a bill on the senate floor saying PayPal supports pedophiles praying on children in bathrooms. Calling the multi-national company PayPal a “PedoPal,” the accusation astonished the San Jose, California-based company as well as other technologists who organized against the so-called Bathroom Bills in recent months. More than 150 companies have already signed protests in North Carolina, and PayPal pulled more than 400 jobs from Charlotte, North Carolina in response to the prejudicial actions of that state.
Supposed “PedoPal” company defends itself
Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal, took decisive action after North Carolina passed their resolution to segregate bathrooms in the state: “The new law perpetuates discrimination and it violates the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal’s mission and culture. As a result, PayPal will not move forward with our planned expansion into Charlotte,” said Shulman.
Now, South Carolina is setting themselves up for failure in business, as leaders propose discriminatory resolutions that are nothing less than scaremongering and will possibly end in loss of business revenue for South Carolina’s growing cities.
Here’s what the South Carolina Senator said on the Senate Floor:
“Apparently, PayPal has shown its support for pedofiles by wanting them to go into bathrooms. Men and women sharing bathrooms in public spaces is beyond me. But the fact that 100 businesses will assault the state of North Carolina. This legislature may not stand with them but I stand with that Lt. Governor. I’ve about had enough of this. Years ago we kept talking about tolerance, tolerance, tolerance, and now they want men who claim to be women to go into the bathroom with children. And now they have corporations who are saying this is okay.” –Sen. Lee Bright
Senator Lee Bright accused PayPal of being a “PedoPal” (Photo Courtesy Wikipedia)
Website managers and technologists have said these states who support segregation are more likely to discriminate against the LGBT community than to protect children from sexual predators. The accusation that PayPal is a “PedoPal” or in anyway encourages pedophilia is utter nonsense.
In North Carolina, the bill was being considered while Dow Chemical, Biogen, and Raleigh-based software company Red Hat all opposed it publicly and have threatened consequences if the bill passes.
Photo Credit: dennizn /Shutterstock.com
–Sen. Lee Bright says that companies who pull business because of LGBT bathroom bills “support pedophiles.”
Lately, the bill is looking more and more likely to fail as the historically “hands-off” Republican state of South Carolina considers the dangers in getting involved with an anti-LGBT agenda that doesn’t seem a problem anyway.
E-mail:(Will not be published)
What to ask for in a WordPress website in Greenville
An engineer's take on the history of railroads in Greenville, SC
How to write a great headline to get clicks
Like it or not, sensationalism is how to write a great headline. As long as you are concise and factual you will not get penalized by Google. The way to a great SEO campaign is to follow this great new headline template policy. You’ll get clicks again and again after and your website manager cred will skyrocket! Template for a good headline … How’d you like to [new great thing] that [creates awesome outcome]? Do you know how [great outcome] with [new remarkable thing]? There’s a way to [great outcome] with this [new great thing]. If you knew about [new great thing] would you be interested? The way to a [great outcome] is to [new great thing]. Write a great headline for links to other blogs Linking to posts on your friend’s blogs or another business website allows you to display their content on your site – and build relevance with Google! Top-10 lists can be quite effective (i.e., North
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← The punchline to a bad night
SEC Power Poll, Week 4 →
Wonderin’, just wonderin’.
What’s Greg McGarity thinking this morning? A month into the job and he’s had the hottest of hot potatoes drop into his lap. And as somebody who got to witness the Rise and Fall of the Zooker up close, the irony of last night’s venue can’t have been lost on him.
How do you get a delay of game penalty when you’re in the hurry up offense?
What genius at Fox thought it was a good idea to put a microphone in front of the grammatically challenged Tim Couch?
How badly is Cam Newton going to carve up this defense running the ball?
Speaking of which, MSU threw the ball a mere fourteen times and Kwame Geathers doesn’t see the field once?
What is Mark Richt’s goal in fielding a punt return team?
Feel free to add your own questions in the comments section.
Tagged as Greg McGarity
98 responses to “Wonderin’, just wonderin’.”
Is he gone now or after the year? Because for me, last night was the point of no return.
ugafan
You’re right. Let’s fire Richt now. And hey, guess who gets to take over & lead us the remainder of the season……Bobo.
JoeDawg
Fire him too, and just have Garner take over. Do you really think our season would be any worse?
yeah, last night was the straw that broke the camels back. Hopefully McGarity has a short list.
Can it really be so simple as to trace things back to Van Gorder leaving, or is there more to it?
This has been sad to watch and the attitude of total resignation means that this year is going to get much worse.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a guy or two transfer. AJ might come up with a “hamstring pull” next week and wind up not playing this season.
There is a thin line between giving kids a chance to become men by learning from their mistakes and flat-out enabling them to be out of control. Unfortunately, CMR crossed the line to enabler some time ago, and once the inmates know they are running the asylum, it is over, and it cannot be gotten back. He had one last chance at respect, but failed to kick Ealey off the team when he should have, and from that point the kids have simply stopped listening altogether.
This is really, really sad.
Al Golden is the next coaching superstar.
It’s partially that and partially an upgrade in coaching talent all around the conference. Richt is the worst gameday coach in the conference (with Les and Nutt close)
rbubp
It can be gotten back. But it takes a renewed commitment, lock-down singularity from the leaders, and willingness to run off or sit those who don’t toe the new/old line.
In short, it takes years.
kick Ealey off the team? Fire everyone, fine, but get a grip man. He didn’t damn rape anyone.
But he did blatantly lie to his coaches.
Ask Zach M. how that works out.
How did he blatantly lie?
How well would this team do if Mark Fox coached it?
H-Town Dawg
For the third straight weeks the Dawgs have made a middle- or lower-tier SEC program feel like a million bucks. New lease on life. In the case of Chris Relf, a nobody into a somebody. The folks at Vandy are now reassuring themselves “If we can just hold on till Georgia, everything will be fine…”
Oh damn! My cynicism shock collar just zapped me again.
Miss State is low tier no doubt about it and losing to them is a complete embarassment but based on what I saw yesterdayI don’t think Arkansas and South Carolina are too bad, they’d probably beat 90% of the teams in D I.
DavetheDawg
Tim Couch is statistically challenged as well. I believe he said Mark Richt has won 90% of his games.
Next time, do a little research.
Only 75%, that blows.
It doesn’t blow, but given the resources available at UGA, ANYONE should be able to win 8 a year. That’s 66%. One more is 75%. So one more win than what most people agree is pretty much a given at UGA. Do we really believe Richt is the only coach in America that can get that 1 extra win a year?
Dawg N Suds
* You know Greg McGarity is thinking it is time to implement “Plan B”. There is no Charlie Strong on this staff, so it is time to get another contract with a search firm. You know he can negotiate a two-for-one discount by adding a baseball coach to the contract.
* You get a delay of game penalty in the hurry up offense when your head coach is so laid back, the rest of the world runs twice as fast.
* You get Bob Rathbun and Tim Couch when you are playing for last place against another winless team.
* You worry more about what our O-Line is going to do to Aaron Murray than anything Cam Newton could do.
* You know Kwame Geathers must be in Coach Garner’s dog house and you know Coach Garner is untouchable.
* You know the approach to the punt return team is the same as the rest of the team. Aggressiveness and pressure is so 2005. We are above that now.
Im concerned McGarity, like UGA administrators of the past, will be more concerned with image than doing now what must be done eventually. Just because he served under Foley, doesntmean he has Foleys sense of urgency. In fact, by appearance he seems to have a very different personality than Foley. I fear we will again see things done “the Georgia Way” a/k/a making sure no matter what the people at the top look good.
Emerson said in his write-up that “the schedule does get easier, with a trip to Colorado on tap, followed by struggling Vanderbilt and Tennessee.”
Which of those teams is struggling any harder than State was (prior to Georgia coming to town, that is)? This is such a strange turn of events that the conventional wisdom absolutely does not apply.
Actually the schedule is a trip across country to play a 2-1 Colorado team at their place when they have arranged their schedule so that THEY had an extra week off to prepare for UGA. Colorado is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of its 1990 MNC team and is having the celebration at halftime of the UGA-CO game. They have invited all the 1990 team back as well as their national championship coach Coach Bill McCartney. Once again DE stepped in sh!t with his “branding” strategy. This is the Oklahoma State fiasco all over again at a time when the UGA program is at its weakest. Damon Evans, gone but not forgotten. Thank goodness for red panties.
SaltLakeDawg
I was unaware that a 1-gap 3-4 defense was just a 4-3 with one guy standing up. Are we so afraid of confusing our own guys that we’re scared to bring any dynamic pressure?
crap sandwich
What type of AD is McGarity? Does anyone outside of Adams and UF know what type of AD he will become? One would have to believe that Richt and the players behavior keeps him awake at night, but who knows!?
In the FBI, they say follow the money and it will tell you all you need to know. Is this happening now at UGA?
What I do know, is the volume of mail received by me, asking for more contributions, leads makes me to believe that there is worry upon the Athletic department as to Alumni and friends charitable giving.
Last week I even received a phone call asking me to give more. That has not happened in my 32 years of giving. This giving is not economy related, and only for (I assume), those that contibute the most to the development funds for the Athletic Department.
I state to this individual (who shall remain nameless), that I wanted to speak to McGarity before any more is given by me. I still await the phone call and will let your readers know if the call is returned.
But as a fan and proud Graduate of the University of Georgia, I am sickened to see what is happening to our once proud Football team. Sorry but money will not be given unless changes are made.
The most amazing thing about the punt returns (I’m way numb to the fair catches by now) is that when the other team kicks from mid-field, our players literally stand around. No attempt at blocking the kick or the punting team’s players are made. The coaching orders are, literally, just stand there and don’t get a penalty. I noticed this last game and it was readily apparent this game. If you think I’m exaggerating, go watch the replay.
I do not know what has happened to Richt since 2004, but something has. The trouble now is that he’s an offensive minded coach. Firing Martinez made sense and never did we think he was calling the defensive plays. Bobo is his pupil and still under the thumb of Richt. For Richt to fire Bobo would be like Saban firing Kirby Smart. It simply wouldn’t make any sense.
I know many will disagree, but I did not see a team lose last night because of players loafing. I saw an offense that was pushed around (looking right at you, Josh Davis) like it has been all year. I saw a team where running backs go down at the first tackle. I saw a weak team with no offensive coaching, no identity, and no swagger. I cannot help but feeling like Richt looks back at his FSU years and early UGA days and says, “we’re doing everything the same as we did then.” He just doesn’t realize that’s the problem.
It’s time for Marc Richt and Georgia to part ways in the near future. Whether that should be at the end of this year or the next is up for debate. Nothing makes me sadder than typing that.
Grantham is having a “D’OH!” moment. You left the NFL for this?
Well, based on the way the Cowboys have started the year, maybe he got out at the right time…
Not the D that's the problem
Or it’s apparent that he was a major part of the great D they’ve been having. I think it’s silly to blame the D. They held SC to 3pts in second half, they got Arkansas three and out giving O the chance to win and kept MS from scoring til the fourth quarter. On the other hand, O keeps turning over the ball, can’t establish run, can’t manage playclock… and most importantly can’t score TDs. Bobo said it well, it’s him that’s to blame. Got no game plan nor real program, just relying on talent all day long.
I almost don’t even give a damn what McGarity, or Richt, or the players, etc., do at this point. We’ve fallen completely off the map, and it’ll be AT LEAST a few years before we’re back in conversations about SEC contenders. I don’t think anyone in the program has the balls to make serious mid-season changes; nor do I really believe that any mid-season changes would make much of a difference at this point.
Aaron Murray, Kris Durham, and a couple guys on defense look like the only people in this football program who hadn’t already conceded the season before last night’s game. I honestly will not be surprised if we lose our next 5 games, and finish the season either 2-10 or 3-9.
I’ve got loose affiliations with a couple other programs that I guess I can follow for the rest of the season. And I’m looking forward to basketball season.
Who would we bring in? And please don’t say Kirby Smart or you should be banished to AJC hell. Chris Peterson? Chip Kelly? Gary Patterson would be a consideration.
Patterson and Harbaugh would be my top two choices, not necessarily in that order. Of course, Harbaugh probably has NFL aspirations.
Biggus Dickus (Biggus Rickus' evil twin)
WTF bro??? Have you finally lost it? Harbaugh has only coached one season in D-IA and only won 8 games in the weak-ass PAC-10, the same amount that you are pissed off at Richt for only winning last year. Before that he was a coach at a D-IAA school with 7,000 students, the University of San Diego (not to be confused with San Diego State). His 2 years there were 7-4 and 11-1. The guy has only had 1 good season and you want to hire HIM! Forget it! Patterson, he might be okay, though. Now let’s go get another beer and watch the NFL game, my brother.
The Dandy Man
Harbaugh won 8 frickin’ games with Stanford! Do you know how many Georgia players could play for Stanford? 0. They would not be admitted academically.
Do you see Vandy winning 8 out there? Not a snowball’s chance in Hades.
Besides, he is a Michigan man, and may just go back there after the RichRod debacle runs its course.
Or go to Northwestern or Purdue, and beat Michigan’s , Ohio State’s and Penn State’s respective rumps.
Why not Leach? His firing was bogus. He’d likely be pleased to have CTG & staff remain. He doesn’t appear to put up with too much ship from players, etc.
O. M. G.
Leach.
Go back to the AJC. Please.
S Forsyth Dawg
Leach is NOT the man to coach at Georgia. Period. If you thought Jim Donnan rubbed the boosters the wrong way, Leach would send the Georgia faithful into cardiac arrest.
I actually agree that Leach should not be HC but when exactly did we start hiring HCs based on whether or not they would be socially acceptable to the alums? that’s the problem right there. The ONLY issue should be winning games.
Defense: Too tired at the end?
Both D squads pretty much faced the same number of plays.
Both squads pretty much faced the same number of possessions from the opposing offenses.
MSU used 23 players [throw out their QB tackle] with 37 solo tackles and 29 assists. Probably says this…good defensive game plan, a full roster of ready players…results…opposing offense gets 2 FG. At the 12:45 mark of the 4th Qtr the game for all purposes was over.
UGA used 17 players with 40 solo tackles and 8 assists…new scheme, not a full roster, players not fully on board with scheme…results barring turnovers by opposing offense…may have trouble stopping teams in the 2nd half.
First 3 SEC games; 1st faced an O scheme with a veteran line, QB, and a good O line coach and offensive HC who more than likely has a good plan of attack…on the road who had spent spring and fall gettting ready for you. Pretty much a balanced passing and running attack. 2nd faced a mature offense with a very good HC with good O sets and a 1st rd NFL QB. They had spring and fall to prepare as this was actually their real first game. Pretty much a passing game offense. 3rd SEC game and 2nd on the road. Facing the spread offense for the first time and this is why you went to the 3-4. For the most part you did well until the last five minutes of the 3 qtr. You gave a quick easy first drive TD…expected on the road against a spread offense…with a big mobile QB. At the 10 minute mark of the 3rd MSU starts at its 20 leading by 1 pt. They reel off 54 yds in 14 plays with 3 on the board. Point wise not bad, because MSU is a much better team than their record and what most believe and understand. There is a reason they play better in the 2nd half. Unfortunatley, Jeff Mullen now understands that his game plan and adjustments are working. He has been here before at Florida and has a QB much in the physical style of Tebow. He does not need a FB or RB to block…in the spread his QB is his FB and his RB. He is one up on you on that side of the ball as to the point of attack [see the ill advised 8 in the box mindset because there is simply noway in hell you can get 8 players at the point of attack or pay the consequences.]
Now that MSU’st D has held you to one O possession and even though UGA’s D has flipped the field, his coaching staff and O starts at their own 7 yd line and proceeds to reel off 93 yds in 10 plays around the 4.5 minute mark of the 4th. His O plan and entire scheme is built around this QB [even though he has used 2 at times this season, now he know what he has] as long as this QB produces positive yds, plays, and no turnovers they win.
The spread offense from UF to MSU. The spread wears down a D because it forces D players to be isolated, to run more to be in position to make the play, and players can not make a mistake in position or assignment are it will be a big play.
Defense: 3 new coaches putting in a scheme with not a complete roster and facing 3 very good and different offensive sets and personnel.
Let’s see where they go after 3 football games. The first was a scrimmage game, but it gave some clues about this squad. We felt that UGA would drop their first 3 SEC games. Two on the road, all 3 opponents more improved than what most thought, all three with different offensive systems, and lack of a roster from spring to fall to first game.
Why are there not more players ready and available on the D side. Late into the recruiting.
Colorado will be the test for where the D is at and where they may go the balance of the season. They have seen most of what the opposing teams offer, except GT with a spread option.
Why did CMR around the 3-4 minute mark of the fourth go it on the Dawgs 21 yd line on 4th? Easy 7 for MSU. 17 – 6 looked better from a D standpoint. Why burn those guys? On the whole they had kept you in the game. If your O can play consistently and productively for 4 qrts games could be different.
We think you did it because you have had it with your offense and you were hoping to save a little from a physical standpoint for your D for their next road game half way across America in a high elevation.
What has got to be a complete surprise to CTG is the lack of quality depth on D. Like you said he is playing with the 1st string and few subs. If RG is holding the DL line out that is on the coaches. I expect to read any day that CTG and CRG are at each others throats.
The whole team has ADD. They can’t focus on their assignments on either side of the ball. Some guys can do it in practice but when the game starts they choke. We are choking big time on both sides of the ball.
Then Garner is the one who needs to go.
Our offense is what it has been the entire Richt tenure, we just don’t have playmakers on either side of the ball with the exception of Aaron Murray. Murray is just not mature enough yet to carry the team. Watching Auburn and Alabama close out their games yesterday I saw player after player making crucial plays that decisively effected the outcome of those games, how about that interception in the endzone to end the Auburn-SC game? Does anybody doubt that no one among our current crop of players would have been able to come up with that INT the Auburn defender did? Offense is always hit or miss, you can’t hang your hat on it, especially in our league. The year we went 13-1 and won the conference and the Sugar Bowl we beat SC 13-7 and the difference was the miracle interception by David Pollack. We have no David Pollack right now. In 1980 we beat SC 13-10 or something like that and the difference was one play where Herschel Walker just outran everybody to the end zone with pure athletic talent, we beat Clemson that same year only because Scott Woerner ran back a punt return and an interception for TD’s (or to the one or two yard line), Clemson kicked our behind physically and statistically even with the great Herschel Walker. The only Georgia team in my life time that could score almost at will was the 1992 team, with Zeier at QB, Andre Hastings at WR, and Garrison Hearst at TB, unfortunately everyone else’s offense could also score at will against us because our defense was terrible and so we had to play a lot of shootouts and ended up losing 2 games, that is still the worst waste of offensive talent I’ve ever seen, though 2005 and 2008 were pretty bad too, thanks Willy (if Richt can be blamed for anything it is letting Willy hang around 3-4 years too long, if he loses his job it will be because he allowed Willy to burn up all of his good will, when it was readily apparent from the WV Sugar Bowl game on that the guy was no DC). I say all that to say this: the ingredients to winning are 1) great defense (because no matter who you have on your team or who is calling the plays there is going to be some nights your offense doesn’t get it done either because they are playing a great D themselves (of which there are many in the SEC) or are just off their game) and 2) you need some playmakers/leaders on the roster, i.e. some guys you can count on to pull your butt out of the fire with great individual effort (A.J. is the only mature playmaker we have right now on either side of the ball, Murray is getting there, our great teams have had 5 or 6 of these types). I am willing to give Grantham the benefit of the doubt this year to shape our defense up and implement his scheme. Murray is going to be great, we need some playmakers to surround him with. As bad as I feel we are not that far off, we have won many an ugly game over the years that we could have easily lost like we did last night (anybody remember a 16-13 win over UAB in 2003??? The year before Herschel came we went 6-5 and two years before that we went 5-6, the line between winning and losing in our conference is ultra thin, it always has been and always will be. Richt has won these league twice and finished No. 2 in the country three years ago, he hasn’t forgotten how to coach, we just need to get our defense back to championship level and find those all important playmakers.
You make a good point, Brandon. It has occurred to me that Bobo has never been an OC with a roster comprised of average players. The plays and schemes are more important than in the past when Stafford, Moreno, Massaquoi, or Green could make a play even if the defense was stacked to stop it.
The other thing I wonder is about Murray’s audibles. What is he is simply too green to audible into the right play? For example, if MSU shows run blitz on a run down, and Murray audibles and they see it and drop into zone coverage, shouldn’t he be audibling, on a run down, into a draw play or toss around the end versus a pass into the zone?
I’ve thought the same thing about the audibling. You just can’t underestimate the problem of having an inexperienced QB creates, he’s going to be really good though, he’s already more mature from a simple decision making standpoint than Ryan Mallet who was forcing passes left and right in the Arkansas and Alabama game. He needs experience running the system in actual game situations and fully grasping all the nuances of the position like getting out of a bad play into a good one (Greene was awesome at checking at the line from his second season on if you remember). We’ll get there.
Show some respect to Kris Durham.
How much would it take to hire Jim Harbaugh away from Stanford?
From what I understand Harbaufh is looking to go to the NFL unless somebody is willing to pay him 4-5 mil.
Yeah, as much as I would love to see him in Athens, he is NFL bound. Unless of course RichRod gets canned in Ann Arbor first.
Harbaugh will never come to this side of the country. For one, he is an academic snob and wants to be at a top academic university. For another, he reputedly is unhappy with Michigan but as a Big Ten guy would love a shot at cleaning their clock at Purdue or Iowa or Northwestern or somewhere not named Ohio State or Michigan St.
Gen. Stoopnagle
I don’t think that’s accurate at all. I think it’s more likely that he thinks it’s b.s. that the eggheads at Stanford are whining about his salary increase when the campus community is facing tighter budgets. If the UGA was open and he was offered, he’s pretty much assured that there are no Nobel Prize winners complaining that he’s making more then they (at 1.25 mil/yr.)
He out-Carrol’d Pete Carrol. That’s sorta saying something right there.
Hey Brandon we agree about the offense and started complaining about it in JAX the last year of Stafford and Moreno. It came home to us back then.
We wanted to point out some observations about D in transition and where it may be. The question is where are they at this time of the season based on the first three games with very different offenses, veteran OCs, and veteran personnel.
What we see is that we do not have enough players. We think that was an issue against MSU and the spread offense which punishes a defense in alot of ways.
Now we hear that a freshman inside linebacker that did no travel was arrested last night for driving and drinking.
We pointed out the number of players MSU used on defense verses UGA. We thought the differential huge. Plus we thought the small number UGA used says something about the recruiting for that side of the ball, player development, game preparation and game plan.
The LBs and DBs are huge in the 3-4. Going into spring and fall the staff was there to have successful 3-4 scheme,or that is what we thought. We think it is good. Several other programs have gone to it. But we are still looking at it. From here out it will give us an answer.
You are short on players, leave one behind, and he gets arresed.
Will he be suspended, dropped or released from the scholarship. The scholarship is critical. Too many players think they are entitled to a scholarship. We differ. You need personnel and can not waste a scholarship with the number of programs out there. So now hold the scholarship, hold him from transferring to another school, and then drop him before signing. Make them earn the scholarship as they go forward.
We’ll comment about the offense latter, but when you see Thomas have the lane he had he should have had more than 12 yards. Good blocking, but blind running. We have seen at least one high school runner from Georgia, one from Alabama, and one from Mississippi this season that would have taken the handoff to the house.
McClendon and Lilly have to go. Their positions are not getting it done and are not productive. Look back at the TEs at FSU while Lilly was there. FSU never utilized the RB and TEs. We saw OU shut out CMR in a national title game. FSU never highly utilized the TE and RB in their system. Now you might begin to understand why we do not have production from these positions and get shut down on offense [ we use the “dial in”]. Even CMR said as much as to Diaz defensive coaching skills and abilities. You saw it last night. Like Evans was never our choice for AD, Diaz would have been our choice for the DC. We think he is a good fit for Mullen and his program.
Again Bobo gets shut down by a good DC.
UGA has the personnel to go to a hybrid spread. Mullen said this week Murray was recruited by UF. He is a little small, his foot work needs some work, but he has the athletic and passing ability to make a spread click well. Plus UGA has the TE. Look at Boise at those positons.
Enough said for now.
Will T. you have some interesting observations that you have obviously put some good thought into, kudos, but drop the “we” it makes you sound kooky like you were Gollum on the Lord of the Rings or something. Miss State beat us and we wept precious we wept.
Notice a senior FB [how many do you have to have at UGA] was moved to ILB shore up depth at that position. Baker, who was arrested, is a FR ILB, but did not travel.
R Samuels has been moved back and forth from offense to defense.
What is going on with the recruiting and the coaches. No wonder players drive and drink.
How long has Murray been in the program. After the MSU you can not say he is inexperienced now. We thought his performance last night was below expectations. But we have been waiting for it. 2 SEC games on the road against quality defenses.
Where are all those 4 and 5 * recruits? Where were all of those for MSU? We are getting out coached right now.
Mike Bobo finally said he did a poor job against MSU. What about those other 3. So far, from last year to this year, other than the last two regular season games of 09 what have the RBs done. Can not pass block, no break away ability, no speed to the edges, can not hold on to the ball, on scholarship but not available and ready for every game.
Go to the spread offense this week.
In Murray’s defense, he has performed far above expectations. It’s the rest of the offense, O-line, RBs, wide receivers, and TEs that have dramatically underperformed.
Lets take a look at the problems UGA is going to have getting a first rate HC leave a school where he has had success. Jim Harbaugh is not leaving Stanford for any place but the Big 10+ or USC when Kiffin gets them through probation. Peterson is not leaving BSU for an East Coast job. We could throw obscene amounts of money at Patterson and maybe he would leave TCU but those Texans have a lot of money. we could I’m sure retread Tubbs from TT but that is an awful idea. Phat Phil would jump at it but I want to shot myself for mentioning it. Kirby has burned bridges. Muschamp is set for like (in spite of the worst loss of the Mac Brown era to UCLA).
So we look a little smaller at some of the FCS coaches but the fear we have with this is that we end up with Donnan II.
I just hope that McGarity has a list of the guys that he thinks would make a great HC. If CMR can’t turn it around next year we will be on the long road back.
A final thought for today.
Thanks Brandon…just a habit because I like to be, don’t know “not outspoken, not noticed”, sort of how our families live. Respect other people and like for them to live as they please.
The thought [and most of you have had it come through too]. Most of CMR’s early success came when these two coaches were on board…Brian Van Gorder and Neil Calloway…both sides of the ball.
3-4 defense and spread offense with the right coaches is the way to go.
Will Q
Neil Callaway? Really? A few years ago everybody was howling for him to go because of the piss-poor shape our o-line was in when Searels was hired.
The only question that needs answering is this:
Who is our next head coach?
Old Dawg 55
I have hurt for the Dawgs and coaching staff for the third straight week. It happens, folks! Somethimes you can’t keep the wheels on the wagon..oft times because the other team is playing better ball. Traditional bottom tier teams can get better just as top teams can play down. There are reasons and I’m sure..if we have time..our coaches will fix the problem. If not, I am heartened by the fact we have so many excellent coaches here on the blog that are willing to step up and coach 120 young men in the ways of the game. Get over it faint hearts and stay the course!! We are GEORGIA and we will find our way back..of course, you may leave the sinking ship at any time and your counterparts are doing. Go DAWGS!!!
Sorry, a grandson called about the game.
Discussed the players and plays.
He pointed this fact out he saw this afternoon on the internet about the states and the number of NFL players they have sent.
Calif…..211
Fl……….177
Georgia.80
La………..68
Pa………..56
SC………..46
When CMR came on board you heard them all say there was enough of talent base within this state for a solid winning team every year. Maybe that is why Texas, Florida, and Ohio State win consistenly…there are enough numbers. But what about Alabama at 50 and South Carolina at 46.
There are only 2 D1 schools in this state. Where are the players lately at UGA? Where are they for the defense. How many players from Georgia do you see on other D1 programs. Too many lately because CMR has allowed it to happen with his system and coaches.
Funny this was my first thought this a.m.
Why not take a risk?
Because the last time we did (Goff) it screwed up the program for years.
I was referring to the original post and I’m thinking more along the lines of the punt team… i.e., I’m asking Mark Richt the question.
Mike Leach for Head Coach.
Don’t have to get rid of Grantham, and you finally have an offensive coach with a track record of making inferior talent play lights out. He would find the athletes in the state of Georgia.
Athens > Lubbock, and he wouldn’t have to recruit against Texas, A&M, Baylor, Houston, TCU, SMU, etc. Not that they’re all great schools, but UGa is a de-facto member of the short list for a lot more talented players than Texas Tech ever was.
How about Mike Leach for OC instead.
Or we could just join the ACC. We might be good there 😉
coladawg
that was my exact thought this morning.
it couldn’t be worse!
imagine a leach offense with a QB who’s not been skipped over by texas and oklahoma.
Long term solutions take a long time, so what can the Dawgs do in the short term to win? 1- Increase point production. The Dawgs are not scoring enough points to win. It’s that simple folks. Defenses are loading the box so play action and the power I aren’t cutting it. Some kind of spread is all I can see that might work. Go with two WRs and split one or two TEs or maybe Chapas out to spread the D and open some running lanes. Keep pass patterns short because any DC worth his salt will blitz a spread with a rookie QB at the helm. 2- I think the D will improve over time but UGA isn’t using all it’s weapons on D. Geathers needs to see the field more and more subs are needed to keep the D line fresh. 3- Malcome needs to play now. Forget about his blocking. Murray needs quick hitting patterns so he can get rid of the ball quicker. UGA has recievers that can run. Dump the ball off and let them make plays. 4- Keep Murray in the shotgun at least 80% of the time and let him roll out. Reading the safetys will tell him to run or throw. Murray ran that kind of spread in HS so it is second nature to him.
How many short dumps to munzenmaier did we have in the first half? 3-4? They all went for 7-9 yards too. Where did that go in the second half?
And same thing with that Ealey screen on like 3rd and 12 or 13. He got 8-9 of it back.
Overly aggressive defense and we try to pound the rock at their face? Why not short passes to make them pay? I don’t get it.
You’ve hit upon what frustrates me about Bobo as a play caller. It’s not that he doesn’t know what will work. It’s that for some reason he won’t stay with what’s successful.
Hope this isn’t ThreadJacking.
As a follow up to my post above, and hopefully to augment the case for Leach, who jsut two years ago was an option for EVERY major opening in America, tell me if you think the combined braintrust of Bobo, Searles, Lilly, etc. is capable of this level of thought:
“The basic idea here is that you have to make the defense cover the whole field,” Leach said as the film rolled. “Not just part of it. If you do it right, it makes life very difficult for them.” Instead of a dense, seemingly impenetrable offensive line, Tech’s linemen are spaced three to four feet apart, twice the norm, leaving enormous gaps that seem to invite tackles and linebackers to stroll right through them. The quarterback operates from the shotgun, and on most plays four or five receivers are spread across the breadth of the field. This creates huge amounts of space between players, making the whole thing look porous and vulnerable, even skeletal, until it swings into action. Which it does between 85 and 90 times a game. A typical offense snaps the ball 65 to 70 times a game, but Tech never huddles. It is all attack, all the time. Leach attempts few field goals and rarely punts, even when he is deep in his own territory. When the ball is snapped, you can see how the magic works. Receivers stretch the field from chalk to chalk, taking the defensive backs with them. The defensive linemen—who are forced to spread out too, lest they lose their rushing angles—must therefore attack from longer range, creating even more room. Suddenly the grid opens up, and the quarterback is looking at what Leach calls “pieces of space.” Lots of them.
See above. How about Mike Leach for OC. He is available and has had his income shut off. the litigation is dragging on and he needs a job. Pay him Grantham money and he’s ours. 1 year contract only. If it works, great. If not, sayonara.
Richt is simply not bringing in a new OC with new ideas. He has his offense, and he is convinced that it works when the players “execute”. Leach, Malzahn, whoever, are not coming here under any circumstance as long as Richt is our coach.
The only way it could happen is if the AD forces his hand, and if that happens he’s on his way out anyway. See Tuberville with Franklin for a perfect example.
I hope you are wrong mdr. In football, like in most things in life, change is inevitable. He who is unwilling or unable to change when circumstances require it is doomed. If CMR is unwilling to evolve, then maybe it is better for the Dawgs for him to be gone.
I actually hope I’m wrong as well.
Leach can’t handle all aspects of the Georgia job. Jim Donnan would have been here longer if he just knew how to be a SEC head coach. It might not be the top job in the league, but Georgia isn’t the hinterlands of Texas Tech. You’ve got to be able to play the glad-hand game here on top of it all.
Last time, I promise, and I apologize in advance:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2009-09-01/feature-3.php
As always, Leach had an uncanny ability to produce brilliant quarterbacks. In his first three years, the lightly recruited Kliff Kingsbury became only the fourth player in college history to throw for 3,000 yards three times. He was followed by fifth-year senior B. J. Symons, who set a single-season college record for passing yards (5,833). Next came a fifth-year walk-on named Sonny Cumbie, who also led the nation in passing. He was followed by Cody Hodges, a quarterback with a below-average arm, who led the nation’s number one offense and threw for 643 yards against Kansas State, the fifth-best performance in NCAA history. Leach’s most recent quarterback, Graham Harrell, was the best of all: In three seasons as a starter he passed for 15,738 yards, second all-time in the NCAA, and set the college record for touchdown passes (134). Those quarterbacks became famous for their ability to put up implausibly large numbers of points very quickly. In the 2006 Insight Bowl, against Minnesota, Tech trailed the Golden Gophers 38—7 with 7:47 to go in the third quarter. Harrell and the offense calmly proceeded to rack up 31 unanswered points in less than twenty minutes, then won the game in overtime, 44-41. In 2004, against a ranked and unbeaten TCU team, Tech trailed 21-0 near the end of the first half. Under Cumbie the Red Raiders scored three times before the half and seven more times in the second, winning 70-35. This was football in the Leach era.
Perhaps most impressive of all was that Leach was doing this with players that most of his rivals did not want. Except for Harrell, his quarterbacks were not courted by other major football schools. Most of his recruits could properly be described as rejects. In fact, Texas Tech was typically fourth in line—at best—for players in the phenomenally fertile Texas market. Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M all took precedence, as did other Big 12 universities.
No. Leach can not build the bridges necessary with the alumni and other constituencies to be productive and successful in Athens.
Leach as OC is interesting though…but don’t see that happening.
You sold me anyway–but for Leach as OC not HC. The problem with Leach was and is he’s a little flaky (I sure wouldn’t want him to be the face and spokesman for the Dawgs) and he’s never won anything because of bad D. Offensive genius though.
A little flaky??? He is like a french pastry flaky. I’ve met him and believe it or not he just seems to be very timid. I spotted him coming out of a restaurant in Key West where he is living (got to do the pirate thing). I spoke to him and he came over and talked to me for a few minutes. He has fond remembrances of Georgia from his time at VSU. When I said I was a UGA fan he said he had gotten to meet Erk Russell and really liked him. Anyway he is quirky but he is a great Offensive mind.
*tongue in cheek* These losses are because we have turned from the path laid out for us:
“Thou shalt select from the bulldogs of the land a firstborn pup, a white male, without infirmity or blemish, and shall sit him upon the field. Do this and thou shalt smite thy foe.”
Replace Russ now! *tongue in cheek*
Ok, in seriousness, a few thoughts:
1) I know people get upset at having Carlton Thomas run between the tackles, but he’s the sort of back that, if you can get any push at all, can pick his way through the lines as your line opens gaps as some push forward further and faster than others. It can certainly work, it just requires a line that pushes people around.
2) Related to 1), my main complaint is that I don’t see any Dawgs pushing anyone around, on offense or defense. I mean, there were plays where they did push people around, it’s just that they were few and far between.
3) Murray is very talented and I’m excited about seeing him long-term. But we need to be running something closer to a spread right now with the meager O-line production. Put White and Charles in the slot every now and then for mismatches, and try to force D’s to stop stacking the box.
“…and try to force D’s to stop stacking the box.”
This. No matter what you can say about the positives (?) and negatives of Bobo and by extension, CMR, this issue is most concerning. How can they not identify this most obvious problem and not deal with it?
Jim Harbaugh. $4 mil. Get. It. Done.
Urban Meyer was a midwesterner w/ another dream job, too, till he got in the SEC and realized how good it is down here. Get it done, McGarity. Save us.
Harbaugh will be in the NFL in three years or less. He ain’t coming.
You don’t know that. That’s the typical dawg thing to say. “Let’s go get who we can get instead of who we should get”, basically. Urban was supposed to be in South Bend by now. He ain’t.
Harbaugh would get down here and realize it’s a gold mine.
Dog in TN
In Tn the talk this season has been about the brutal schedule Tn faces in October. Ga has made October a whole lot easier for the Vols.
Exactly, they are glad they aren’t as bad as us.
Tired Dawg
Brandon Miller, Mudcat Elmore, Kregg Lumpkin, Paul Oliver, Reshard Dudley, Dale Dixson, Preston Pannell, Andy Bailey, Trip Chandler, Richard Cook, Dana Graydon, Zeb McKinzey, Dez Williams, AJ Bryant, Josh Johnson, Seth Watts, Bryan Evans, Branden Sesay, Kade Weston, Kiante Tripp, Tony Wilson, Brandon Wood, Neland Ball, NaDerris Ward, AJ Harmon, Toby Jackson, Dontavious Jackson, Richard Samuel, and Xavier Avery. That is just from 2002 to 2008 recruiting classes. 29 four-star or five-star recruits that he failed to develop past the talent they had when they stepped on campus. this falls on Van Halenger and strength and conditioning….Unacceptable…
You may well have made a very good point.
Er…TD…I really want to agree with you about Van Halenger, but….. trouble is….. several of those names you got listed above are playing for NFL teams now. Kinda undermines the “didn’t develop them” argument, don’tcha think?
Plus, you left off some names like Moreno, Stafford and Reshad Jones, just to name a few. There are others, as well. Those guys are in the NFL, too. “Didn’t develop” at UGA, eh…..
Yeah. They didn’t develop at UGA.
Most of them were so-so at best, and then somehow still managed to make it in the NFL once they started getting S&C outside the UGA program.
That’s a damning indictment of Van Halanger’s incompetence.
I hate to beat the Coach BVG drum again, but it seems like physicality was another thing that left this team when he left. I remember when LSU dominated us physically in the 2003 SEC championship game – that was the exception, not the rule, and it put enough of a chip on the team’s shoulder to where we demolished them in 2004. Now we seem to get softer every year.
Coach Van is a father figure to the boys, what we need is a guy like a USMC drill instructor. He doesn’t need to cuss but he needs to work them till they puke more than once a year in February. I watched the mat drill show on Fox and what a let down that was. My Army Basic Training was worst than that x3 and it was 8 weeks not one. No wonder Richt kept it under wraps so long, what a let down. Coach Van is too senior to put the fear of anything into the boys so he like Mark try to get them to love him. Sorry folks but nobody loves Little Nicky for any thing other than winning. UF loves Urban for the same reason.
Saw the mat drill, too. Saw better work outs at Y.
Seen a few familar words today…devildawg, semperfi…drill instructor.
A suggestion for CMR when it gets rough…the pucker factor ramps up…tight 360…strap it on…take no prisoners…go balls to the walls…time to start rolling hard to the objective…scorch all of them on the way in and out…our will against their will and our will will win.
Semper Fi to all grunts.
Van Gorder and Calloway. They are pretty tough coaches. Awesome position coaches and coordinators.
The meanest and toughest of all time? Coach Wayne McDuffie. A great man and coach. Rest in peace Coach.
Last year, we all talked about the fantasy of BVG as DC.
What about BVG as head coach?
His Falcons are looking damn good.
Any hope?
Don’t gut my Falcons! It’s nice to see them actually good.
Oh yeah, he’s been *great* at that.
Not to mention stays in one place for decades.
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← 3 things I’d like to hear walking out of the Dome tonight.
Observations from the Dome: the morning after →
Honestly, can anyone point to a single area of improvement from last season to tonight? I can’t think of one.
Granted, it’s too early to give up on the season, but that was a very disappointing show we saw in the Dome.
87 responses to “Groundhog Day”
No defending Richt after this…he is clearly not the caliber of coach as his peers.
He has lost it. He used to be, but has slipped.
Without Van Gorder or another top notch DC, he isn’t anything special, never was. A good man, that’s the painful truth unfortunately.
SouthGa Dawg
Hey Coach, Watergirl wants to know – Why exactly is Grantham paid so much?
And he was laughing after the game. I guess when you’re being paid $3,000,000 of season ticket holder money you can affford to laugh.
No need for rash judgments. It’s the first game of the year and Boise may truly be a top 5 or even top 2 or 3 team. Let’s see how this plays out. If our only losses this year are to true top 5 level teams, then things may be ok. Had we just lost to Oklahoma 35-21, noone would be that upset. Had we lost to Miss. State 35-21, I understand everyone’s sentiments. For example, I think the 2002 team would have taken an *ss whooping playing a a top 5 team in their opener. (They won a lot of close games against so-so teams during the first half of the season.) By game 12 they would have kicked the same team’s *ss.
One game does not make a season, let’s GATA next week.
They had eight months to fix what was wrong. They either do not know what is wrong, or they are incapable of fixing it.
What makes you think they are going to fix it in the next six days?
I think everyone thought Boise was a fraud. That may not be the case. Alot of ten win teams lose by two touchdowns to top 5 teams.
The voice of reason in a sea of babble.
Rash? 3 years of consistent underperformance, and now this? There’s nothing rash about it.
Offense looked even worse. Thought the D started out great, but they were obviously outmanned, out-gassed, and eventually…gasp…run…wheeze…over
Honestly? The defense did much better than last year. Our DL wasn’t on roller skates, but our offense is offensive.
The offense left the defense hanging too many times.
Absolutely agree. Many fans will look at final score and put most of the blame on the DEF. Wrong. The OFF didn’t show up till 28-7 and left the DEF out to dry non-stop until then.
This was a pathetic debut for Will Friend’s group. Our OL got served. It’s going to be a long season if they don’t get their act together.
I agree with the Seantor as well. After the first half, I wondered if we were still playing in the Liberty Bowl.
I’m starting to think everyone who has taken our D coordinator position purposely puts on blinders that cover the middle of the field. It’s been wide open since 2005.
1 and throw the wheel route in again
Um, yes there is reason to give up on the season. This is a fucking clown show. Honestly, we could have plucked a couple of transluscent gamers from one of the Dragon-Con lobbies, and they would have had better command of the team than limp-dick Richt and his squadron of ‘ginas. It’s fucking over. It’s fucking over. McGarity can do what is right and wax the idiots tomorrow or suffer the fallout of a 38 season. I say it’s time to go ahead and start the rebuilding. There is a lot of talent in the prgoram, but the fucking buffoon stealing money right now must go. The gig is up.
Bobo the Clown
Did someone say clown?
Haywood Jablome
Is it now illegal to jam a wr coming off the line of scrimmage? All night long our db’s would give a 5 to 10 yd cushion and never once try to impede the boise wr routes. Without a doubt we have the least physical defense in the SEC.
Malcolm Mitchell has some talent, Crowell didn’t light the world on fire (who could with our O-line) but did all right, and Orson Charles can make shit happen IF Bobo and Murray will get the ball to him.
I’m holding on the D until we play a few more games, but I’m through defending Bobo. If Richt wants to keep him, then I’ll be sorry to see Richt go, but it will have to happen.
To be fair, Orson can also turn a 3rd and short into hot wet shit by not noticing THE HUGE FUCKING DEFENSIVE END ACROSS THE LINE!.
Yeah, except the fact it was 4th and short made it worse.
Was the food better?
Rusdawg
I want to puke, and it has nothing to do with the excessive amounts of alcohol I have imbibed today. I went into this game fully expecting us to LOSE but at least to show some improvement and some physical play. Instead I have once again wasted my money on UGA football. Seriously. 3rd and 16 and a draw?!?! Have we learned nothing?!?! Our three touchdowns were fluke bombs. We certainly cannot possibly be relying on that to sustain the team during the season. Can we?!?!
Where were the drives. Do you know how many passes or plays we had into the endzone (one of my biggest problems with Bobo)? That is right. ZERO.
The draw was fine. What I cannot understand is having used the draw to get a 4th and manageable why you send the punter out? It seems to me you call the draw with going for it in mind.
Smblues
Exactly. I was pissed at first with the call, then thought, oh that makes a lot of sense as we are going for it, then I just got really really sad.
It’s like watching a bad NFL team. Some crushing hits, flashes of brilliance but a lot of standing around and waiting for someone else to do something and bail you out. Hey, kind of like the economy…
All of it comes down to sorry line play. The defensive line put zero pressure on kellen and the o line was just plain horrible. The freshman looked promising and Crowell & Mitchell looked promising. But Bobo scored a complete F- on playcalling. Play the violin now…
Zdawg
You mean it all comes down to sorry line play and playcalling. That’s it.
naedoba (@naedoba)
AND THOSE UNIFORMS WERE ABSOLUTE CRAP. Hideous, were we, visually, physically, metaphorically, hypothetically, and, most importantly, positively.
dawg dad
I did not see us winning. Not to an outstanding veteran QB. However, the malaise over the program still seems to be there. Boise looked fresher and smarter, The had the look of a confident, poised team. When have they ever been ranked in the top recruiting classes. When have the been loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits. I do not remember them ever being ranked in the top 20 or so. Then how do they get that type of play out of those guys? We’re supposed to have the players — the athletes. How do we perform like this. Maybe Boise knows how to coach better. Is that possible? Our players rourtinely looked lost, confused and at times frightened. Boise ran their offense, made simple adjustments and we had no answer. Our offense was very predictable. It seemed like we only ran 10 different plays. No end runs, no short slants (of course we had no blocking either) and no real cohesiveness. As I said, I thought Boise was better and that unless we played our best in four or five years, we would come up short. What I did not expect was to see the same old gassed, poor second half performance out of a team so better conditioned ( or so we were told). It looked as if our staff does not have any answer nor any desire to compete. We looked bland, predictable ( did i say that earlier?) and dull. We have an uninspired and unintelligent team that just does not seem to get it — what ever IT is. Sadly, it does seem as if our coach is digging a hole from which there is no escape.
Six sacks to zero.
Sums up the line play on both sides.
diving duck
Jarvis Jones looked good?
Did Ogletree disappear, or was it me?
He got hurt early on and didn’t return. He’ll be fine, he didn’t return cuz he didn’t want to watch anymore of my dying offense.
He got hurt pretty early in the game and had to be taken out.
But the team is being coached by good Dawgs, and that’s what matters. Bobo, McClendon, Ball and Big Joe T definitely earned the jobs they now hold, and the fac that they went to UGa had nothin to do with their hiring.
Things will get better when Kirby Smart is hired, also because he earned it, not because he was a Dawg…
Fwl. ls loses their starting QB and beats last years runner up. We still havent realized that Richard Samuel belongs on the bench.
Samuel actually did a decent job pass blocking but clearly is not an SEC caliber RB. WE got his revenge. His departure hurt the team.
Richt’s sensorium is clouded, his level of consciousness is bordering on comatose, and he has severe retrograde amnesia. He is unaware of his surroundings and has difficulty organizing his thoughts. His speech monotone and lifeless. Events of the external world have not been processed in nearly a decade. Floating in his narcotic-induced dream-world, this loss against Boise State proves that he just doesn’t give a sh*t anymore. I have refrained from writing what has been painfully obvious for years now: The man does not appear to be very smart. Perhaps, however, the issue isn’t below-average intelligence or a closed head injury as I’ve often thought, but a severe and disabling addiction to sedatives. Nearly every decision he makes is poor, and the more our beloved program has been exposed to this slow-learning cadaver, the worse we’ve gotten. Please, Catherine, administer the smelling salts, so that Richt can be aroused enough to resign with dignity.
I can’t look anymore…it’s just too embarrassing.
TimRankine
Geesh…I don’t know what to type…we looked horrid…where is the all-knowing, ever-green poster to pick us up?
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another waste of a season coming.
Another 11 months of looking forward hopefully to “next year.”
Another loss to Florida.
Another pointless defeat of sucky Ga Tech.
I hate sports. 😦
by areas of improvement, i assume you meant areas in which we’ve improved. the defense looked slightly better overall. thats it. otherwise it looked like the same sh!tty offense as last year, minus AJ Green. This clown has to go, and i think you know who i mean.
Not the equipment and pregame film coach.
Not the sweat sock and yoga coach,
the butt-cut tan-man himself, is done, and has to go. we all know it inside somewhere. goodbye.
there is no more defense of this charade.
please, lets end it.
I liked how the defense looked for the first half. They were hitting and swarming to the ball. After that they looked gassed.
The offense was poorly conceived. Once they stopped the runs betweent he tackles we had no answer. Where were the quick slants or other short throws? Where was the power sweep? We used to run those plays.
Richt kept Bobo and now he is going to pay for it.
Also, this game was a perfect example of Bobo putting up great numbers while we suck.
Total yards: Boise 390 UGA 373
First Downs: Boise 24 UGA 13
Yeah, we closed practice to the media to install that offense. Now I know why. We didn’t want them reporting how bad we sucked.
Do we not have a screen pass in our repertoire? On 3rd and 3 why do you hand the ball off 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage? Boise State’s OC did a great job in his 1st game. How many games has Bobo had? How different was our offense from the last time we played these guys? The best line I heard all night was a Boise fan yelling as UGA fans streamed to the exits after their 5th touchdown. He said that must be what they mean by “SEC speed- the speed at which their fans hit the exits”
Evidently Normaltown
Main positive thing I am telling myself: At least McGarity is driving the bus now.
A positive is that maybe those uniforms will never see the light of day?
I took one game and I’m already tired of watching the Dawgs. Granted it was the first game but it’s not the loss that has disappointed me it’s seeing the exact same crap we saw last year take the field again. It all starts with the lines. Both lines were whipped easily. OL line was completely inept even with a 50+ lb advantage. I’m tired of defending Richt. He can’t motivate players or coaches at the SEC level. If we get the same mess we saw yesterday against the chickens then Richt should be fired on the spot.
I told Murray to pump fake while a blitz was coming and that gave him enough time to take the sack. What’d you guys expect. I’m the same inept play caller I’ve always been. (honk, honk)
It’s perfect that we are the Dogs. Real dogs (spaniels, labs, etc.) are charmingly stupid. You fake-throw a tennis ball, and they go for it every time. They chase their tails round and round, but never catch them. They never learn, and as dog owners we are amused by it. As fans, however, it’s sickening to watch a team full of coaches and players that never learns. We have a 270+ pound fullback and hardly ever ask him to lead block on a running play. Instead, we run delayed draws out of one-back sets. Our QB holds the ball in a pocket that collapses quickly. Our O-line can’t run block or pass block effectively against a five man rush. Our offensive coordinator has some form of tourettes that causes him to regularly shout out calls for a bomb to be thrown at inexplicable times (it would be easier if he had the kind that made him shout curse words). Our defensive coach uses a 3-4 scheme and says it’s designed to confuse the opponent. Clearly, our biggest opponent is the one our team sees in the mirror, because they appear to be the only ones confused by the 3-4. The only time I ever saw Kellen Moore do anything bad (as in throw an incomplete pass) was when he was hurried on a couple of occasions. Those were the times when we brought more than the usual pressure. It looks like none of our linebackers ever rush the QB, which I’m sure is wrong, it’s just that’s how it looks. And finally, we are gassed and cramping in the first half of a game where we’ve had all day to hydrate and are playing inside an air-conditioned dome.
I apologize for the long post, but I had to get that out. Stupid dogs.
I went crazy last night. We run the I formation and come down the field in 4 plays with the good old play fake only to go back into the gun and get AM killed. I was on record as saying that Bobo will always try to show that he can do what the other team does rather than do what UGA should d. Bobo has completely taken the run out of AM, he was a pass only QB last night. We are screwed for this year. Steve will take us to the woodshed and Arron better have some good health insurance with that sorry Oline.
I think Blackledge & Nessler had just flashed a stat about how good AM was in play action when we rip up the field doing just that. Then we go back to the shotgun and sputter out. Priceless.
One other thought – 6 sacks times 12 games = Dead QBs.
walter sobchak
what would it take to get boise’s coach?
How ’bout that opening drive? Nothing like taking the ball so you can get three penalties and punt
“single are of improvement…”
How about extinguishing fan hope?
We had 8 months to devise some Offensive plan of attack against a really experienced & thick D-line. Except for the Boykin play, I don’t recall seeing a single unique formation or play call the entire first half. Am I missing something? 8 months to look at BSU and try to find some strategy and they decide to dust off the Central Florida play book?
baltimore dawg
anybody who watched that game and didn’t realize that we were going to lose after the first quarter because our offense couldn’t give our d a chance to catch its breath is as clueless as some of our coaches.
bobo is pure mediocrity–always was. and this has been the worst stretch of o-line play i can remember in almost 40 years of watching uga football.
this is not going to get better, guys. we’re in for some lean, lean times.
Junkyard Dawg '00
damn. I hate it but you’re right. The only hope I’ve got right now is that I can dupe someone into taking my season tickets off my hands for face value and I won’t lose money this year…
not much left to say after what everyone else said. though it does make it worse that Boise was more physical than we were. I was hoping RIcht could turn it around. apparently he cannot.
Dboy
More than make it worse… It was the entirety of the problem
Nike uniforms! No silver britches–haven’t we learned? But, what about the blasted shoes? We could not stand, much less cut, run, or compete. Go back and watch the beginning of the game and notice how many times the shoes appear to be falling off our guys’ feet or the players slipping and sliding–along with our hopes for a good 2011 season. I hope the uniforms–complete with shoes and helmets–were part of a massive bonfire before the stroke of midnight!
helmets too. I’d see a helmet come off every 3 plays.
Thanks Nike Pro Gear!
The fans booing was reprehensible. Leave the game if you must, but don’t boo the team. The booing stopped after so many left in the 3rd qtr.
Stumpy Pepys
I have tried hard not to buy into the “CMR-on-the-hotseat” meme, but after that debacle last night, his a$$ better be burning. Neither players nor coaches were ready to play…absolutely inexcusable.
2011-dante22000
I found, bobo using 2,3-4 tight ends to his advantage brilliant. The off-season work outs are helping (ol is only getting pushed 5 yds. back). The ol seniors moved the whole team (before the snap) . TK is a practice player (at best).
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined our offense being that terrible. Not wild about the defense either (how can the addition of two huge, powerful NTs make no discernible impact?), but the offense was the surprise to me last night. That OL … yikes. This is going to be a long, long season.
John Jenkins getting pushed off the ball by someone 70 lbs lighter than him made me want to puke.
123kid
So that’s that for Richt, right? Two straight losses to non AQC teams, fourth straight year where UGA is out of the mnc race before the UF game.
Oh, and Tavarres King needs to chill with the “Team TK” bullshit on Twitter and learn how to play is damned position. No one expects him to rise to Green’s level, but I do expect him to play like a veteran and leader in the receiving corps.
dawgdayafternoon
Tavarres King is from my hometown. I prayed he would sign with Clemson like his dad did. “Team TK” ran up a bunch of inflated high school numbers playing for Habersham County against a slew of pasty-white North Georgia cracker “talent”. I never thought he would be at an “AJ Green” level, but I was hoping he would at least evolve into a serviceable wideout in the mold of Kenneth Harris or Michael Moore. I can see now that just isn’t going to happen. He will continue to drop passes and come up short in big play situations. I like the kid, but he’s just not a ball player.
+1. He should be restricted to special teams duty from now on, IMHO.
As pissed as I am I have to admit I’m pretty saddened by the fact that the same head coach that blew the lid off of our program now doesn’t know how to win to save his life, or in this case his job. I really wanted to see Richt coach here for another ten or twenty years and win a national championship. I know now beyond a shadow of a doubt that that day will never come and that we need to start looking for his replacement. Sad day indeed.
Man, you guys are depressing me. I felt that there were at least a few positives–special teams, some signs of improvement on D. And well, guess that’s it. Offense was just awful. Still some coaching concerns. Truth be told, by the 2nd half, I was pretty well into the bottle and listening to the radio on my front porch.
Lord….I just don’t know. I guess we’ll pretty much know for sure this time next week.
Special teams didn’t play well last night. Butler outkicked his coverage on the punt that broke our back. Boykin didn’t back up his twitter. We couldn’t line up on punt or returns.
Marshall- not sure how we’re the ones responsible for your depression. I think our coaches can take that responsibility all by themselves. Give credit where credit is due.
Senator, that was awful. Boise was as good as advertised, and we looked like we were running in molasses. I bought into the happy talk and won’t again. I hate it for Richt because I like him. He just has let this get away from him at this point.
!. Same run blocking issue
2. Still cannot apply any pressure on QB
3. Secondary and linebackers are no where near receivers
4. Conditioning issues all over again, winded after 7-8 plays? Dang!
The only difference I see is an easier schedule so revising my prediction to 7-5 or 8-4. (I can still hope for a miracle.) This is to take nothing away from a very good Boise team, they are very experienced and make only minor mistakes in any part of the game. I feel they should be ranked in the Top 10. Peterson is a classy guy, and an excellent coach.
I am thrilled CFB is back and will enjoy the season although my Dawgs will not contend for anything meaningful (SEC title). That said, I am still a fan and will not tear UGA apart, or down. We aren’t the only team that looked inept yesterday, but that doesn’t cover my disappointment.
Also, some people are not fans, just cynical.
I thought the defense was markedly improved. Tackling was better, we were stout up the gut and against the run in general, and their yards after catch wasn’t dramatic. Boise had 5 receivers in the pattern most of the time and was content with short to medium gains. The only way to defend against that many receivers is to get pressure, which was one area we were worse than late last year.
I know the defense got tired but they were constantly playing a short field and got no help. Boise was only 4/12 on third down. Time of possession 33/26 their favor.
We can’t block. We can’t run or pass block. Period. Aaron Murray did as good as he could with a constantly collapsed pocket, and running backs had to make bricks without straw. 6 frigging sacks with guys who weigh 320 across the line. Unacceptable.
I’m rationalizing, but we may have just played an outtanding, more experienced, more skilled team. Remember, it’s the beginning of the SEC season, not the end.
So… it’s the beginning of the end?
Hogbody- I’m an trying to hang on to your same outlook here but I can’t continue to lie to myself. You agree that we can’t run block or pass block so what makes you think that we will figure it out before this season gets out of hand? I don’t have the faith that our coaches will even figure out what kind of identity we want to have as a team much less be able to coach into the players on the field. Sorry, but after 4 years of this kind of reality check, I am more than jaded… I’m mystified. The same questions continuously arise but there is one that I think leads itself to a logically conclusion… How is it that with ALL the abundant resources we have and all the highly rated recruits we continue to bring in, we continue to not only lose, but lose in such a fashion that we look like we don’t belong in big time college football?
When Boise started most of their drives from their 40 I knew it was going to be a long night.
When the game started with a poor return and false starts, I knew it was going to be a long night.
amen. How long are we going to let ourselves beat ourselves. For the love of GOD, can we not field a team that plays smart… We obviously have to try to win the areas that we can control just to give ourselves a chance but we aren’t capable of even handling those things. I feel like we are in a parrallel Universe compared to our teams lead by Vince Dooley. We have all the athletes one could want on a football field but they look like they just drew the play up on the sidelines and are running things for the first time…
View From The Bench
Last spring I posted that the dawgs should move Orson Charles to wide-out, Mitchell to wide-out, Brandon Smith to slot, IC in backfield, and Christian LeMay at quarterback. It would give the best chance to make something happen on offence without any blocking up front. The Ole Miss game will tell where the dawgs are, expect a close game, but not necessarily a win.
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← A Georgia fan’s existential dilemma
“Not a close-knit team.” →
Bad cases make bad law.
I’m beginning to wonder if one day we’re going to look back on this year’s BCS title game, aka The Rematch, as sort of college football’s Bush v. Gore equivalent. Check out this comment from Andy Staples:
This season’s Alabama-LSU national title game was the tipping point for the anti-playoff crowd. Several leagues were already leaning in the direction of a four-team playoff — strategically called a “plus-one” so dim bulbs won’t realize it’s actually a playoff — but when voters passed over Oklahoma State for an all-SEC rematch, the momentum finally swung in the direction of a bracketed tournament, even if it is a small one… [Emphasis added.]
If there is some form of SEC backlash involved in the playoff movement – and I’m not saying Staples is wrong to suggest there is – boy, are some people going to be disappointed when the SEC puts three schools in a plus-one tourney. (Unless, of course, they limit the number of schools one conference can place in a plus-one, which would speak volumes about Andy’s point.)
Then there’s this from playoff proponent Matt Hinton.
… For the sake of argument, let’s say Alabama beats LSU in another generally competitive game, by a margin of anywhere from one point to two touchdowns. In that case, the Crimson Tide will finish the year 12-1 with two or three wins over teams ranked in the final polls (give or take Penn State). LSU will finish 13-1 with four or five wins over teams ranked in the final polls (give or take West Virginia). They’d be be 1-1 against one another, with LSU’s win coming at Alabama. LSU will still be the SEC champion.
Under the circumstances, that’s a formula for a split championship, at worst. (The Coaches’ Poll is contractually obligated to vote the winner of the BCS title game No. 1; as LSU fans are well aware, the Associated Press poll is not.) That wouldn’t be the case if the rematch came as a result of the Tigers and Tide eliminating the competition head-to-head, on the field, leaving no questions and no alternatives. If there happens to be a rematch at the end of a playoff, it’s between two teams who have decisively earned it in a way that Alabama, in the current system, has not. [Emphasis added.]
Don’t you just love that? It’s not the rematch that’s bad; it’s the system which delivered it that’s bad. Nifty bit of circular reasoning there.
Of course the real problem this season isn’t that there’s a rematch in the title game. As Matt backhandedly acknowledges, the real problem is that there’s a debate over which team is the second best.
… That’s not to suggest that Oklahoma State or anyone else has earned a stronger claim on a second chance, either. But as long as that opportunity exists for some teams at the expense of others, the current system belongs in the scrapheap.
And because we can’t decide that issue (and because, let’s not forget, the schools want that TV/BCS money), the solution is to make the clear number one team in the country play more games so that we can all feel better about which school is the runner-up. We’re supposed to take an illogical situation and make it even more illogical.
You can see the slippery slope coming a mile away once this rationale is sanctioned, can’t you? This time it’s about #2 vs. #3. With the plus-one, the next debate will come when the argument is over which team is the nation’s fourth-best and the pressure will return to expand again to solve that debate (even if, say, it comes in a season à la 2005, when there was a clear consensus on the top two teams in the country). In other words, a playoff won’t solve this particular concern any better than what we’ve got now.
My point here isn’t to argue against a plus-one format (even though I expect most to question me on that). I’m okay with one that’s constructed with an eye towards being resistant to further expansion. There’s a convincing case to be made that there should be a better way to deal with the way the 2003 and 2004 seasons played out. But those were situations where the debate centered on more than two teams with a legitimate claim to being considered the best going into the postseason. Now we’re being urged to replace that standard with one that merely asks which teams deserve to show up in a postseason tourney, and that’s a very different animal.
Which means that if this season truly and finally provides the impetus for a D-1 playoff, either the movers and shakers embrace a new, flawed metric for inclusion, or (what I suspect) give it to us with a nudge and a wink that while it’s about what happened in 2011, the facts are unique and they promise with all their hearts that it will never, ever be a factor again. We can believe them, right?
Hey, if you can’t trust the folks who were pushing to expand the basketball tourney to 96 schools until they couldn’t find a broadcast partner willing to pay for the privilege, whom can you trust?
Filed under BCS/Playoffs
Tagged as Plus-one
126 responses to “Bad cases make bad law.”
If we are now pushing to go from a two-team playoff to a four-team playoff without changing how the entrants are determined, then what is to stop an 8, 16, 20-team playoff in the next decade?
Btw, I’ve been pushing for a “conference champs only” rule for the two-team playoff since 2001.
We assume that you took off from that position in the 2007 season.
Exactly. The larger the field, the more teams get left out too. A couple of teams can argue for the two spot, but there are probably eight teams tht would get left out of a sixteen team bracket. Few will admit that college comes closest to getting it right.
I disagree with this sentiment. “Oh, we shouldn’t have a playoff, because while we’ll definitely get teams #1 – #10, people might be unhappy with our selection of teams #11-#16. And because of that, we shouldn’t have a playoff.”
The reason few will admit that college comes closest to getting it right is because they don’t. That would be like me saying, “Hey, few will admit it that Hitler came closest to getting it right.”
So I’m a Jew hater if I’m against a playoff? Well damn, I guess I want a playoff. You win. Great point. I never thought about it that way till now, but wow. What an eye opener. Thanks.
Yes, if you don’t want playoffs, you hate Jews.
Serious as a heart attack
Honey Do!!
Didn’t understand that ‘Jibberish’; talk English, man; and btw, give us a playoff with 8 teams, and pick from the 12 top teams from AP & CP; no computers..
I think Adolf would have been a wishbone man, but aside from that what’s the use of bringing all that up on a college football blog?
To point out the absurdity of the statement in reference by making a similar, but exaggerated claim, to bring attention to and further elaborate my point.
I didn’t find it that exactly. But you brought the Hitler stuff into the football blogosphere, not this Dawg.
You right, Lone. Indian Rights much better topic.
Sorry. “Signed, Tonto”.
The whole point is there is rarely a season where more than 3-4 teams deserve a chance at the National Title after the regular season has been played. Teams 5-?? don’t need to be involved. Ever.
Thanks – that a better way of putting my comment above.
really? Hitler? 3 posts into a discussion? You must not be old enough to buy beer.
That’s my opinion on the issue and ought to be Topic #1 — a prerequisite for a national champ should be a regional championship. Sort of a football pyramid, of sorts.
I read this blog a lot and generally agree with what you have to say, but your anti-playoff stance is becoming increasingly dated. Hinton, who I read and respect, makes great points and I imagine 90% of the people out there would agree with him.
Alabama did not win their league, Alabama had a less impressive resume of wins than OSU, Alabama already lost to LSU at home, and the only thing Alabama had in favor over OSU was their loss was more respectable, but its hard to consider that when their loss is to the very team we’re deciding who Alabama or OSU would play.
The people freaking out about having a 4 or 8 team playoff turning into a NCAA style tournament come off to me as the same people who were scared to give women the right to vote, because whats next, the blacks?! (this is made in jest, but the point remains is you come off as outdated and paranoid).
As Hinton points out had Alabama gone through a playoff and ended up matched with LSU, it is what it is, but that would have left other teams (such as OSU) with good claims to that coveted #2 spot the opportunity to play for it. I’ve increasingly lost interest in the bowls as 8-4 teams, with coaching staffs having been fired, go through the motions. I’d rather see playoff football.
I’d rather see playoff football.
I can respect that. But it means the rest of your comment is irrelevant.
– I like your blog (how is this irrelevant?)
– I think your anti-playoff stance is outdated (how is this irrelevant?)
– Alabama does not deserve to be in national title game, though should be in a playoff with OSU (this relates directly to what I said)
– Not wanting a playoff because you’re afraid of playoff creep is paranoia (this is relevant)
I’m not sure what is not relevant.
You state a personal preference for playoff football. That’s cool. It’s also purely subjective. So turning around and telling me that my fear of playoff expansion is mere paranoia is an opinion on your part, not a factual subject for debate.
It’s pretty much the same for the rest of your commentary. For example, I don’t have an anti-playoff stance, but if I did, it’s outdated only in the sense that you prefer something else. After all, there is no playoff now (unless you consider the BCS title game a one-game playoff).
Though I’ll admit your blog praise isn’t irrelevant. 😉
No, I love your blog. #1 Fan.
I just wish you fell in line with my opinion on this issues.
Jordan – you’re simply blinded by preference. Every argument you make can probably be similarly turned around on you. For example, team A is 13-6, team B is 18-1 and they are 1-1 against each other. Team A is the champion. This is obviously absurd if the question is “Who had the better season”. But in a playoff, Team A is the champ. End of story. And like the Senator says, that’s cool if you prefer that.
But to sit here an call people who prefer the current format over a larger playoff out of date is pretty lame. Simply say “I’m a bracket buy” and you’ll find a lot more respect. Logically, both sides of the argument are reasonably compelling. I personally find the 2 team playoff more compelling simply because it places so much importance on almost every game in the regular season, which I personally favor. Those two last second pass plays broke Wisconsin’s heart this year. And the fans will still talk about it 20 years from now. I like that. This is an odd year where we really don’t need a playoff because LSU is the best team. A playoff wouldn’t change that if LSU and Bama met in the finals. One bit. Of course, playoffs seem to have a lot of odd years lately in the NFL with the wild cards winning it all. Might explain why I skip most of the regular season in the NFL and watch the playoffs.
I believe anything more than a 4 team playoff would severely dampen regular season importance of almost every game. I’ll never know for sure since I haven’t figured out the whole alternate universe thing yet, but looking at almost every other sport, it’s hard for me to argue otherwise.
Again, note I simply state personal preference.
That’s good. So was Jordan. His comments were to the point and no more inflammatory than the Senator’s. For all the reasons you seem to think a playoff has so many holes, I can rip off a littany of reasons why the present BCS system is straight BS, embraced by those who simply want to play a game of who can outbitch the other.
When you lay all the pros and cons end to end, a playoff seems more reasonable than preferential treatment to decide the top two teams to play for a championship out of 120 teams (which is absurd). If we can all get over ourselves, we should proceed as fans who give a shit, to embark on playoff planning.
Fans… playoff planning… wait, what?
You’re not seriously suggesting that we have any input in the process, are you? That would be crazy talk.
If it’s just a “+1” or 4 team playoff, it definitely expands. And it also will assuredly not allow 3 SEC teams out of the 4. It may not even allow 2 and be restricted to just conference champs. At most, I’d see it requiring 3 conference champs with 1 “at large” selection, but no more than 1.
So much for “settling it on the field”, then.
Right – and which conference championship will Notre Dame win?
But how can you be national champ if you’re not a conference champ? That’s settled on the field, right?
Although from past back and forth, I’m thinking you and I are both pretty much lock step in thoughts on this stuff.
By that rationale, Notre Dame could never be a national champ.
Like they were ever gonna be anyway.
Switch on your sarcasm meter…
Fair enough, although they’d try and throw their weight around in the process, and maybe make themselves guaranteed as the at large when they win 10 games. Because you know, there is so much interest nationally in the Notre Dame brand.
I got them “Lockstep Blues”. {(one word. ;-)}
Yeah, you haven’t stalked me enough lately.
Goodness are we cross again? Are things slow over there at the shock blog? Nothing to poor mouth about?? Too much time on your hands? Reaching out? Let me lift up up your spirits.
There … now we can be friends again.
AthensHomerDawg; That really U doing that picking? If so stop fussing bout futball & go out pickin.. Come on & lets get something going rather than what we’ve got, it does not work neither, i cannot decipher just what would be best, but i think most everyone on these “BlogSpots” will agree with me that we need some kind of change; And who said he was going to “Bring About Change”; though it was ‘NOT’ in the realm of ‘Football’; it was about “Government”. And not seen any better; only worse!!.. There i’ve got onto another irrelevant subject.. BTW– Answer– Husan Obama..
And of course that “at large” team would be Notre Dame eight years out of ten.
Jordan,
I could absolutely agree with up to an 8 team playoff. I think that is a bit much because I can’t think of anytime in the history of CFB that 8 teams have “deserved” to be in consideration.
My concern is that 8 will become 12 or 16 because playoff addicts are just like alcoholics. Their motto is MORE IS BETTER. It never stops. MLB going down that path now. It is a mere matter of time before the NCAA Basketball Tourney goes to 90 plus teams. The NHL and NBA are a joke…the regular season is nothing more than extended Spring Training for both.
If we take the step on the playoff, I would want the absolute strictest rules in place to prevent this type of mindless expansion.
I don’t think a concern that an 8 team playoff would turn into a 12 or 16 playoff is adequate reason for adopting a better (in many people’s opinion) system. Sure, it could happen, and if it does, its because the market (the people) demanding it. Would we not be stoked at playing Michigan State right now for the right to move onto the next round of the playoffs? I would love that. I would be there. As of now, while I want UGA to win, I’m apathetic to the game. Its just a bowl game, a glorified scrimmage.
And lets not compare NCAA Basketball to NCAA Football. NCAA basketball has 350+ teams, football has what, 120? Also, NCAA basketball also does not have a lot of disparity. A school like Butler or Gonzaga can compete with schools like Duke or Kentucky, unlike football where there are maybe 2-10 teams that could win the national title each year.
Also, the ADs and conferences have a lot of say in what goes on in college football it appears, whereas the NCAA controls college basketball. It appears the ADs and conference officials all have the same fears as you Bob (and the Senator) and they would most likely check your fears with those rules and regulations to prevent mindless expansion.
But I reiterate, to not move towards a better system that would allow the best 4-8 teams to play for the national title on the field, simply because you’re afraid of what might happen is unjustifiable. Progress can’t be stopped because of fear.
As a card-carrying member of the anti-playoff crowd, I’m willing to listen to the other side.
But I will tune out any argument made by someone who is apathetic
about a UGA football game.
That proves a fundamental difference in the way we view college football, and it’s a gap that won’t be
bridged by any postseason system.
So how should I feel?
You’re telling me you wouldn’t have more invested in a game in which if we win we would move onto the next round to play another game for the opportunity to play for the national title? I’m sorry, but as you said, if you prefer a post season scrimmage than you’re right, there is a fundamental difference in the way we view college football.
I see no reason to set up college football in a way that attempts to crown a national champion. That’s what the NFL is for. Same reason I don’t get worked up when Walton High doesn’t
get to play Mater Dei for a national championship.
That’s the fundamental difference.
And the only good one I’ve seen in this now-volatile discussion.
Jordan has good points and is not trying to be overwhelming in his preferential statement. Others come from an opposite standpoint. We all should be able to subscribe one way or the other and reason past unsubstantiated points. It’s all good. When we have to examine our reasoning, most often we learn.
In an 8 team playoff UGA-Michigan State would still be a “glorified scrimmage” because we would not be in the top 8. Do you really think that the number 8 team in the country, Kansas State, has a legitimate claim to the national championship? If not then including them in a playoff makes it just as much of an exhibition as a bowl game.
Careful Brad,
I understand, I’m just trying to address a UGA crowd by using relevant examples. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be in the playoffs this year.
And Brad, that’s the great thing about a playoff. If Kansas State made the playoffs they don’t need a “claim” to the national championship. They just have to play well and win their games and they’ll be given the national championship. No one needs to make “claims”, they just need to get into the playoffs (by whatever measures are set in place) and then win.
And no, including them in the playoffs is not as much an exhibition as a bowl game. The MSU / UGA game is a post season exhibition game. The Kansas State versus whomever game is a playoff game in which the winner would go on to play another team for the right to play in the national title.
So Kansas State beats LSU and now Kansas State has the opportunity to move on and LSU stays home? After the season that both of those teams have had I don’t see how that seems logical. LSU beat Oregon, Bama, WVU at Morgantown, UGA, and Arkansas while K-State lost a game 56-17. If you think that makes sense then I hope you have no complaints about our home schedule next year. If I’m an AD I am not putting a team on my OOC schedule that does not start with either Eastern, Western, Northern, or Southern, it does me no good. I can beat cupcakes and get at least a number 8 seed, then I’m in!
I appreciate your response.
Yes, if Kansas State beats LSU, they deserve to move on. How could they not? Kansas State is a good team and having beat LSU in a game clearly, and irrefutably, they deserve to move on.
I have no complaints about our schedule this year. I would like to see a marquee out of conference game, but we can’t help what Georgia Tech has become ;-).
If you’re an AD you can schedule how you’d like out of conference, but you’d still (most likely) have to win your conference and in Georgia’s case beat teams like South Carolina, Florida, Auburn, etc. If UGA finished #8 I’m sure they would’ve deserved it, regardless of who they played.
Thanks for the civil debate Jordan. I don’t think either one of us will change the other’s opinion but it’s good to hear some different opinions. The college football regular season is the best and most important of any sport and a playoff would cheapen that. The great thing about college football is you have to be good throughout a four month regular season, not a three week tournament in the post season.
+1, +1
There is the truth. A playoff of too many teams will definitely dilute the CFB season. CBB used to be great. And it still is…in March for 16 days. From December to early March it is a snorefest of utterly unimportant games. #1 plays #2 and no one pays any attention at all. Believe me, it did not used to be that way before every team with a pulse made the tourney.
Be very careful for what we wish for. The CFB season is by far the best regular season going. The ending is like a whimper some times, but we have 3 plus months of great drama in MOST years. There is absolutely none of that in basketball.
+2 – see Bob’s reply above as well. Jordan wants killer post season matchups that he believes will “irrefutably” crown a champion. I still think the Patriots were better than the Giants in 07, but I guess that’s just me. The rest of us like the fact Vandy can ruin someone’s season. It’s really that simple.
Jordan’s case is better than the BCS, no matter the word differences. A playoff champions the best team at that end of the season. Isn’t that what we are discussing? If LSU loses it before the season is over, then they no longer are the best team. Pretty simple with a playoff. When we were relegated to playing Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl instead of playing for the NC at that time, can you honestly not feel we were the best in the country at that time? And wouldn’t you have given anything for the chance for that team to prove it? The BCS rooked us and as long as snarky insinuations by ESPN are taken into consideration, the BCS will remain an indeterminate method of crowning a “NC”. I personally don’t like my alma mater playing in that shitty pool. A playoff deprives the sobs of exercising decisions and provides them with only a minimum amount of power over our great University.
I’m probably being pedantic, but this:
“No one needs to make “claims”, they just need to get into the playoffs (by whatever measures are set in place) and then win.”
Could be describing the BCS. Minus the ‘s’ at the end of playoffs, it’s the entirety of the argument for the creation of the BCS championship game in the first place 13 years ago. You’re just arguing that it should be 4 teams, or 6 or 8 instead of 2. Count me in the camp that doesn’t want that, and that would be fine with scrapping the whole thing. Make the SEC championship and a trip to New Orleans the ultimate goal of Georgia and every team in the SEC. The game I grew up watching and came to love can’t support a huge playoff.
DarrrenRovelll
So if Butler had won the national title in basketball the last two seasons then they would not have had a legitimate claim to the NCAA title?
They were not seeded in the top 8 in either tournament.
Are you really making a basketball-football comparison as if it is apples to apples? Are you advocating a 65 team football playoff? Are you going to put the Horizon League champion in your playoff?
No but your argument is flawed. Are you saying that no team below the 8th seed has any hope of beating a team ranked 8 or higher?
You nailed it Jordan. The anti’s arguments are not just dated and tiring, they are flawed with the “you can’t do what is right to fix it because we would then screw it up”, as if that has ever been a reason for man not striving to make things better. We would never have had cars or planes because someone might use them unsafely. A plus one is a half-assed solution that says we know we don’t have enough entrants with two teams yet doesn’t allow just one more round, to insure the major conferences have representation. It is destined to fail because a plus one would cry out for immediate expansion because it doesn’t solve the problem of legitimate inclusion. 8 teams would do that for all but the weird.
The Senator summarily dismisses Hinton’s point about the rematch, but Hinton’s comments are irrefutable. If Bama could earn their way back to a rematch, more power to them, but to just be awarded another shot is pitiful. We have 120 teams scattered through all geographies, most all of which have not interacted,so it is pretty myopic to think the best way to determine the top team in 2011 is to replay a game we have already seen. Even worse, should Alabama win, they would still have a lesser pedigree than the vanquished LSU. How hollow will that title, or ring, be? I doubt it would bother the Tide fans at all, but who else would recognize them? They are the butt of many jokes about this already.
But this isn’t about the lack of cred of Tide fans, this is about how CFB has gone a century without finding an adequate way to have one team earn it’s way to a title bigger than a regional one. No sport, at any level, does that. But if we are going to ignore that need/desire for a true champion, let’s win it on the field and stop pretending we have a true method of identifying a champ. Let’s just stop at conference titles, they are the highest earned achievements in CFB. As silly as I think that is, I could support that ahead of the disastrous system we currently have in post season play.
Has America gone completely to preferring handouts to actually earning something?
Mac, needless to say I think your argument is overwrought, but one thing in particular stands out:
… it is pretty myopic to think the best way to determine the top team in 2011 is to replay a game we have already seen. Even worse, should Alabama win, they would still have a lesser pedigree than the vanquished LSU. How hollow will that title, or ring, be?
Isn’t that an argument that we don’t need a playoff at all?
As I have said many times before, I would rather have no claims of having a champion than this phony process we now have. I am cool with everyone having their conference champion and nothing beyond…certainly nothing as contrived as what we have now. It is the falseness of it that bothers me most.
How so? In what way does his quote argue that we don’t need a playoff?
He clearly states:
“If Bama could earn their way back to a rematch, more power to them, but to just be awarded another shot is pitiful. We have 120 teams scattered through all geographies, most all of which have not interacted…”
At this point the anti-playoff crowd is like the old man resistant to change, not because of actual, sound reasoning, but because he’s afraid of change itself.
I know you’re an educated man Senator, but I can’t help but feel you’re anti-playoff stance is simply a rabble-rousing maneuver to draw page views. Fess up.
If LSU is the best team, regardless, what’s the point of a playoff?
Also, I’ve got better things to do than write merely to draw page views. That’s Mark Bradley territory, thanks.
In reality, this is a year where LSU deserves the pre-1995 system. The best system for college football is a variable system that is flexible according to the state of things after the regular season. For this year, the pre-bowl alliance system would work as we have one clear top team. For years like 2005, 2006, or 2010, the current regular season plus BCS model is great. For years like 2003, 2004, or 2007, a 4, 6, or 8 team playoff may be needed – though I’ve never seen a season where 8 teams had a legitimate argument that they were number one.
Any playoff should be limited to teams that have a legitimate argument that they are number one. If it’s just one team, nothing is needed. If five teams, then the 4 and 5 play and the winner advances to a 4 team playoff. To determine what is needed, you would need a set metric that qualified all teams within a certain point ranking or score of the number one ranked team. Ideally, this system would contain record, strength of schedule, and a component that gave additional credit to schools from conferences that had won recent national championships.
Although this would only result in at most 3 additional games, I doubt such a system would ever be accepted due to the uncertainty at the end of each year- despite the fact it may be the best way to determine a true national champion and still keep emphasis on the regular season.
Dawgaholic;
I think you may B forgetting about the inclement weather we have at ‘Bowl Playing Time’. If all wining teams playing in Bowls could play in Domed Stadiums, then that would be grand; but reckon that could B the case? Hardly..
Note that the title is ambiguous as to what the subject matter of the post might be, thus negating any chance of increased page views from people who might be “roused” enough to click through to it simply because they disagree with it.
WVMtnDawg
I think its supports the argument that there are too many FBS programs out there. 120 is too many, we should have less, and let conference champs settle it on the field against each other.
It really is that simple WV, If we can just get those mid-majors to step back. That was close to what the BCS founders tried to do but they left the door ajar. The 4 Super Conferences could accomplish this in the next few years but it would be cleaner if there were different divisions established for the have and have-nots.
“No sport, at any level, does that.”
Not true. High school football.
I understand that the money and the stadiums and the TV contracts of CFB resemble the NFL, and that’s great, because it puts UGA on my TV every Saturday. I just don’t want it to copy the NFL on the field, because I find the NFL very boring.
Don’t think Mac’s argument is “overwrought” at all. That would make yours “overbought”, Senator.
The words “National Champion” should be dissected. Some of us put different meanings to the words than do others.
Yeah, I see exactly what you mean.
It may be a leap (but not overwrought) to compare Bammers with the entitlement mentality spreading from the Leftist movement, but the whining and begging for another shot is annoying for similar reasons. Of course, there are those who don’t see a problem with either.
And , as sharp as your vision is with all matters football, I really don’t think you “see exactly” much at all when it comes to what is going on outside the game. JMO.
From Jordan:
Yeah – not overwrought at all…totally logical – after all this isn’t an opinion it is FACT that a playoff will be better for every single person!
I’m a Saints fan, and I hate that the Saints are probably going to have to play the Falcon’s in the first round of the playoffs, for the 3rd time in 8 games. Talk about watering dwon the regular season.The worst the Saints can be this season against the Falcons is 2-1, but if that’s the case, the Falcon’s will have had a better playoff run than the Saints. Nobody has ever complained about the fact that teams that already played in the regular season play again in various playoff formats until the BCS did it.
See the Senator’s circular reasoning in the post.
That’s just a bit over the top. Where do you get off attaching some nasty label on someone who doesn’t agree with you and then ask for a pardon for rude statements because it was supposedly done “Tongue in Cheek”. “One day climate change skeptics will be seen in the same negative light as racists, or so says former Vice President Al Gore.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/28/gore-global-warming-skeptics-are-this-generations-racists/#ixzz1i2oK49tk
Now this from the guy who invented the internet and you both concern me.
I may be outdated but I do enjoy the long standing traditions of college football. The bowls are one of those traditions and I would like to think the athletes enjoyed playing in them as much as I enjoy watching them. It was something we always looked forward to and they do too!
“The BCS was not designed to award the national title to the most deserving team; it was designed to make money for the top-20 or so programs in Division 1.
Football programs need cost certainty; the business model of D1 athletics depends on it. The “revenue” sports (men’s football and basketball) generate millions of dollars in profits that are re-invested into “non-revenue” (Olympic and women’s) sports, as well as various facilities to enhance/solidify recruiting.
Why exactly are poor inner city kids sacrificing their bodies to subsidize suburban kids playing country club sports in college anyway? **
So it doesn’t matter that a playoff system will bring in more money to college athletics. That’s money the NCAA would get its hands on; money that would be spread much more equally around the 100+ Division 1 programs. The big-time programs would rather have bigger cuts of a smaller pie than smaller cuts of a larger one.
That’s the fundamental problem with playoff proponents’ – they think they are talking to a business when they are actually negotiating with a monopoly.
And like all monopolies, the six BCS conferences aren’t looking to give up their power.
The way the system is set up now, if you go undefeated in a BCS conference, you will play for a national title. Except in a rare occasion like 2004, when USC, Auburn and OU all finished undefeated.”
Now unless you are a racist, sexist, Nazi homophobe wife beater…. I’m sure we can agree. (Just kidding..it’s all good!)….right?
or “overwrought”.
I am all for a plus one as long as the College Administrators fix it as a long term contract to stem the voracious appetite that exists for playoff addicts. And make it a requirement that you must win your conference. We know Alabama is inferior to LSU. I would like to KNOW that Oklahoma State was.
And yeah, I am hoping against hope that LSU beats the ever living hell out of Bama just so I can see Herby tell us how this was the right match up. That alone would be worth it.
I like the cut of your jib, Bob … and in a football way. ‘Special interests’ have that certain special habit of nibbling at the edges of issues and exploiting the idea of a utopian solution to common inconvenience. Once the lid is off the ‘playoffs bottle’ the result will be a stampede for profit. And, I think, the inherent unpredictability of semi-amateur football will be gone down the drain.
As opposed to the current state of football where conferences and broadcasting companies ink billion dollar deals and we have 30+ bowls simply because they rake in profit. Yea, playoffs are really going to ruin college football and cause a stampede for profit.
To be a playoff opponent simply because the bowls have existed and that’s “how we’ve always done it” is absurd. Doing something wrong, even if you’ve been doing it wrong all along, is still wrong.
Well, that’s just like your opinion, Man…If and when there is a movement toward a playoff it will only be about one thing —- DOLLARS (or yuan)! Profit is what has proliferated these Belk/Meineke/San Diego Credit Union(?) Bowls and should sponsors be presented with a business plan that increases revenues faster they’ll jump on it like Chuck Berry on a honky girl.
I think you may be confusing what is best for a marketplace of jackal advertisers vs. the maintenance of the most meaningful regular season on the American sports landscape.
I’m not confusing anything. A playoff might be best for the marketplace, but that’s irrelevant, its whats best for college football. The regular season would still be meaningful and please spare me that line when Alabama, who did not win the SEC and lost to LSU at home during the regular season, was selected to rematch LSU for the title game.
Again, I don’t understand why the regular season would all the sudden lose its meaning. Look at this year. In an 8 team playoff, there would only be 8 coveted spots. A single loss could knock you out of the running, just like now. The regular season would maintain its importance. The whole “the regular season would lose its importance” argument is old and holds no water.
I don’t like the prospect that Bama gets another crack at LSU, but sell those goods to the voters. Those Harris Poll grandpas and the Coaches Poll sycophants are the responsible agents for elevating Alabama above OSU.
Strength of schedule, in some form agreeable to every conference, must be sprinkled into this BCS formula or else all manner of subjective bias can creep in.
We think it’s hard deciding who the second best team in America is, wait til we have to decide who the 8th or 16th best is.
But they rake in the profit because the large BCS schools also control the power too.
If they opt for a football in the FBS division, we will see a major shakeup in the NCAA. There will be a big fight and it will be bloody. Non-BCS schools have reasonable representation and revenue sharing from the basketball and they will demand the same from a football playoff.
This probably why the BCS conferences floating the “plus one” are calling it such. Labeling it a playoff will open the Pandora’s box with the potential to completely destroy the NCAA as it is currently structured.
By your reasoning, we KNOW UGA is inferior to South Carolina. Why did UGA make the SECCG? Because of how the rest of the season played out for those two teams and others. Same reason Bama was able to slide into the NCG.
If Bama beats LSU an LSU is voted #1 in the AP, will they claim a national championship? Anybody remember 2003? That would be fun to follow on the LSU boards!
Yeah, I just thought about that. I would really enjoy hearing them debate themselves. I might just start cataloging some of their arguments from 2003 for fun.
Having seen both Bama and Okie State play several times this season, I can tell you I don’t need to watch LSU play Okie State to KNOW LSU is better.
I don’t even need to spend the night at a mid priced motel to know it.
If you don’t KNOW LSU is better, well…maybe you should find some other sport to be interested in.
Scorpio,
I think I have been around long enough to know something about this sport. Do you really know that LSU is better? For fact? I think they are better. Hell, I THINK Alabama is better that OSU. But I do not know that they are not better than Alabama. Don’t need to see that show again.
And no matter how smart you think you are, you don’t know either. Did you assume Utah was better than Alabama? Oh, I thought so. 😉
Bob;
I think we “ALL” should wait until 1/09/12 to see who wins “THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES”;
Alabama OR
LSU ?
If Bama comes up and wins!! Well stranger things have happened.
Wasn’t it not 2 many years ago when LSU was undefeated and came time to play (was it Kentucky, or someone else) whomever? And that whomever beat them handidly. I say “Don’t count your ‘Chicks’ B4 they hatch”. If LSU goes into that game “OverConfident”; well don’t B suprised if BAMA pulls out a win; I Said; “Stranger Things Have Happened”..
The only reason I’d like to see Okie State play LSU is to watch LSU destroy them. Alabama is the only team that has a chance (and a good chance) to beat LSU if they’re both on their games. Ok State, not so much.
As long as the number of SEC teams are not limited in a playoff system and just based it on rankings of some sort. I still can see the SEC dominating and other conferences unhappy.
You can already see the dilemma coming for UGA next year (yes, that’s premature I know but we do have a very easy SOS, i’ve heard…)
Undefeated UGA wins East
Undefeated LSU wins West, beating one-loss Alabama (or vice versa)
West winner beats East winner in SECGC.
Two 1-loss SEC teams remain, both losing only to #1 ranked LSU.
who goes to the BCS CG? The divisional winner? But we just demonstrated that isn’t a criteria this year. Is it the one with the higher ranking? that will likely be the one that lost earlier in the year.
I think this year’s rematch sets bad precedent, and sort of upturns previous precedent from 2007 when some Eastern division team didn’t deserve to go to the Championship because they didn’t win thier division. I forget who that was…
Did I actually see a slippery slope argument?! When I was in school it was not against the conduct code to punch someone for making a slippery slope argument in crim pro.
The bcs is designed to get the two best/most deserving teams in. You can’t make the argument that Osu is better or more deserving than Alabama. Moreover, you can’t justify LSU having go win 2 games to claim the national title when they shouldn’t have to play one. This is ahead in which the old system of choosing a national champ before the bowls makes the most sense. Instead, you have a system where the most accomplished regular season team has to beat a team it beat on the raid to claim a trophy. Rather than acknowledge the stupidity of that process most want to aggravate it by making LSU beat two undeserving opponents. I just can’t make any sense out of that.
so much of this season’s anti-BCS argument seems to be summed up in the following sentence: “We dont like seeing LSU play Alabama again.”
Well, I dont like it either, but anyone who thinks these arent the two best teams this year just hasnt been paying attention. If your point is “Alabama shouldnt be in this game because they already had their shot at home and lost,” I can’t argue against that; however, the BCS rules dont prohibit it. Does anyone really think OK St’s O would do much against the Bama D? Does anyone think a mediocre OK St D would do much to slow down Bama’s O? Substitute Stanford or Oregon for OK St, same conclusion.
I can see the argument that a second place team in its division shouldnt play for the title. Fair enough. But if your goal is to put the two best teams in the title game, this year is your dream game. Makes no sense to me to make LSU play MORE games to get to the title game.
If the BCS title game is to determine which is the best team in the country, everything such as conference titles, affiliations, schedules, who Corso is in love with, who Herbstreet is trying to screw, great traditions, and so on and so on need to be put aside. Let a computer program decide who’s stongest. If it’s two teams from the same conference who have already played….so be it. BUT if it’s about making every region and conference feel needed and building the biggest national audience, figure out a playoff system. Pandora can help arrange it. It will give a lot of people the warm fuzzies to think that their team is “going to the big dance”, or is “on the bubble” (just to use the more boring sports’ tourny lingo).
Just think of the possibilities. If you think the a-holes at espn (just for instance, not to be picking on that wonderful cast) are sickining in their partiality now…just wait until you have a playoff system. Game day will have to start at midnight on Thursdays just so they can get their politicing in….
Keeping it like it is sucks.The subjective, human element has to be removed and this is the time in history where, thanks to technology (computers) it can actually be done. Just don’t let GT write the program.
But even if we finally got it all perfect….with computers or playoffs or whatever, one bad call by a biased referee could sink the whole thing….again. And it WOULD happen…again. Or someone would sue that the computer program wasn’t written perfectly and some quirk left their team out.
Oh, well. It never hurts to try.
Bottom line here…this year the two best teams are playing for it.Next year maybe not…one of them might get stuck playing Hawaii becase Corso says so.
What if you had three polls at the end. If they disagreed, any of the teams could challenge one of the others to a playoff game. They would have to be willing to put up one million dollars and forfeit it and every cent they made on the extra game to charity if they lost. They’d have to be pretty confident, as would the opposing team to accept the challenge. You think OSU would do this against LSU? KSt against Bama?
Yes…I’m crazy. Just fun.
I think you would have the same problems with a play off system that you do now. Somebody’ s going to be left out and will start whining about the unfairness of it all. What if 4 of the top ranked 8 teams are from the SEC? You would again hear how the system is rigged to favor the SEC from all those other conferences that don’t know how to play defence.
Yeah, but the differences in selecting the 16th team (I just used that number because it will piss someone off) are so close that you may settle for a raffle system. Now there we go! Select the top 8-12 teams and throw 8-16 in a pile to raffle off the next placements. These would be called The Future Incoming National Games Raffle and by acronym would be known as the FING Raffle, shortened by some to FING R. By having this Fing Raffle, we can stipulate we are giving the BCS the FING R.
I’ll have to check with corporate to determine the use of the FING R logo since that conflicts with the next model name for Fing Scooters.
Dear 4 Team Playoff Advocates,
Please explain how the argument of Bama vs. OSU is not the same, if perhaps not even more intense, between #4 Stanford and #5 Oregon?
Oregon beat Stanford, Oregon is the Pac (whatever) Champion. Oregon lost to LSU. Stanford has arguable a weaker schedule. Stanford beat USC in triple OT, Oregon lost to USC by 3.
And if you want conference champs only, Bama’s out and Whisky is in (as well as Oregon, so you’ve got #5 and #8 in the playoffs, while #’s 2, 4 , 6, and 7 are out)?
I’m not sure what that would be, but it’s not “progress”.
It’s a clarion call for 8-16 teams in a playoff! Outstanding, AusDawg.
It’s called the pros. They play on Sunday. Check it out sometime.
Every year, without fail, a four team playoff is messier than the two team BCS. Every year. The argument I get is that people won’t care about who is 4 or 5 as long as they ‘know’ that the best teams are in the playoff. But you won’t know that. Look at this year. No one is arguing that LSU shouldn’t be in there. And no one is arguing that Bama or OSU are better than LSU. The quest is whether or not Bama is better than OSU. Move it back, is Stanford Better than Oregon? Move it back, is Kansas State better than South Carolina? Is Michigan State better than UGA? I guess we’ll find that one out, but I assure you if we just got the spot and they were left out (they’re currently 17th in the BCS to our 16th) they’d be screaming mad.
I doubt anyone will be able to give a serious answer to this. Any takers?
The lone voice in the wilderness. I am against the BCS as it now stands.
I am against any team playing in more than 2 bowl games.
I like the bowl system in place now EXCEPT: I am a proponent of a PLUS ONE (4 TEAM PLAYOFF).
That would settle the National Championship issue for me every year.
all great points made by the senator….
I find the most irritating element whenever someone attempts to examine the DI FBS “Champion” is that they do so in a vacuum, completely isolated from causation and rationale. We have a current system in place for post-season play that by-and-large is irrespective of the polls (save the BCS bowls) and is settled by conference ranking. We have large scale exhibition games geared at pitting equal conference opponents against each other.
If we introduce a “+1” system of a 4-team playoff scenario, it would be honest for us also to actually address how the rest of the bowls will be impacted. No, it won’t be “just an extra game”. It will essentially become two post-season seasons; the “haves” and the “have nots”. I think what gets lost in all of this is what bowl games represent to college football. These really aren’t “just games”, they are winter vacations for both the schools and fan bases that travel. Its a big deal and an event (even when teams lose the bowl game). The perspective of the spectator that actually takes part and attends the game is missing from this discussion. The “playoffs or bust” is mainly coming from people who are just casually watching on the tube.
What is ‘broken’ in the current bowl series? Is it JUST determining the National Champion? If thats all it is…then I suppose we have to ask if something could help weight these teams to create a consensus of a team’s ability. We already have it – its the BCS score combing several polls and computer formulas. The “National Champion” isn’t endorsed by the NCAA (it is completely a concoction of the ‘BCS’ collective), so whatever we’re attempting to do here is simply for TV and sponsor revenue.
It would be nice the next time some sportswriter brings up this argument, that he does his homework and actually illustrates what would happen from all perspectives. Is the current bowl system profitable for the bowl, for the hosting city, do the teams actually profit, what impact does being a bowl winner (no matter how trivial the bowl) have on a program – instead of just how making a change to satiate ESPN ratings?
Hilarious to see all the “regular season is so sacred” crowd defend a system that completely ignores the November 5 game between LSU and Alabama. No requirement to earn it, let’s just hand them a do-over. I understand that some prefer no playoff at all, but at least be consistent. If you aren’t gagging about this, then you weren’t sincere about the sanctity of the regular season. This is the worst of all scenarios. It knocks out the “regular season” argument in a way a playoff never could.
And I am a “regular season is sacred” guy who supports a limited playoff because it would enhance the regular season.
This again? It doesn’t ignore the November 5 game. LSU is 1 and Alabama 2 because of that game. The nice thing about the system is that it also factors in the other 11 weeks of the season in arriving at the matchup. In those other 11 weeks Alabama didn’t play a game closer than 16 points. They were also the only team to stay within 13 of LSU. I don’t like the rematch, and I’ve always thought they should have a conference championship requirement for participation (with exemptions for independents). However, Alabama has no embarrassing losses and pretty clearly looks like the second best, if not the best, team in the country by any metric you want to use.
Beyond my other argument, even if I concede that in this one particular instance the regular season is somewhat diminished by this rematch, why in God’s name would I want to switch to a system that would ensure multiple instances of regular season matchups between top teams being only determiners of seeding?
Bogus.
If LSU beat Bama 27-3 on Nov 5, I guarantee you OSU is in the title game.
Bama rightly gets credit for playing LSU very close.
The regular season matters.
Patrick..very important point. The closeness of that game begs for the rematch.
Also, I came away thinking that Alabama was a little better overall. That may no longer be the case with Jefferson playing QB. He certainly gave the LSU offense a spark when he entered that game.
Guys, having a playoff whether it is 2,4 8, 16, or 32 teams does not guarantee you will identify the best team…ever. Each match-up is unique and results are for that day only. We can all make extrapolations based on interwoven five-off game results, but you never really know who is the best…that will always be argumentative. Only the intensity of the argument will vary. You can have a NC though, if you have a representative playoff.
If anyone using the “regular season” stuff isn’t disgusted by what the rematch says about the importance of the regular season results Biggus, I don’t guess we are discussing the same thing. It couldn’t be a more direct assault the foundation of the regular season’s significance.
And a playoff is not an even more fierce assault on the regular season? Seriously, if LSU having to play Bama is a travesty, what is LSU having to play Stanford and then Bama, or K State, Stanford, then Bama? You can’t make an argument that the BCS harms the regular season’s sanctity and argue for a playoff at the same time.
Dude – rematches happen ALL the time in the pros. Giants/Pats anyone? Yes – smaller population granted. We’ve had 2 (that I can remember) maybe 3 rematches in the BCS history. Guarantee playoffs it happens as well. This is a tired argument. A playoff won’t prevent rematches. A 2 team playoff (which the BCS really is when you get down to it) won’t as well. Your first paragraph, with the exception of the last sentence, is the most coherent thing you’ve written on this post. You “can” have a NC either way. But it means different things to different people.
But the regular season will get diminished the larger the playoff gets. Go look at revenue distribution of most (if not all) playoff sports and then look at what we have. Not too difficult to figure that one out, but it’s not something the playoff advocates tend to address.
Dave, first of all I am not a “dude”, nor have I ever been referred to as one unless I traveled from the East to the Old West in another life. Just cannot recall that far back.
Secondly, if you honestly don’t see how a playoff of 8 teams from a group of 120 differs with what the NFL does (or the NBA, NHL, NCAA Basketball, etc) there is simply no way to have a conversation with you on this subject. You seriously don’t think they are relevant do you? I have always said I opposed the 12, 16, 32, or more playoff proposals for many reasons. And, a well designed playoff of 8 would most definitely enhance the regular reason by making each game precious and a step to something very significant, something earned, something never accomplished before (beyond the Conference title, of course, which is actually earned.)
If Oklahoma State had lost twice in the regular season, would you still exclude ‘Bama from the title game?
Yes, if presented with the current “vote them in” option, I would have taken the next best team from a different region of the country….Stanford probably. Let’s face it, Bama is really only in because of a small plane crash involving OSU coaches.
Stanford didn’t win their Conference, or even Division, either. You’d have to take Oregon, right? Wait… they already lost to LSU too.
Oregon 53, Stanford 30. ‘Course, that would be a rematch, too. 😉
That is why I wouldn’t take Oregon. Keep in mind, I am not in favor of a 2, or 4 team playoff…was just answering what I thought would be the best choice if OSU were not available with the resume they have.. I would choose to not pretend that would be a NC at all until we really have a playoff.
While respecting all opinions on a college fotball playoff, have to say we begin to take on fake expertise when we argue points we have conjured up from media info. It just creeps into all our arguments. It all begs for a study of playoffs that are already set in college football transposing over to study such a large number of interests that reside in college ball.
I confess that most of my interest in a playoff comes from negative aspects of the BCS and all the self-serving interests from afar who try to and sometimes impact my alma mater negatively and in a poor spirit of competition. And sometimes what I write as attempted humor somehow begins to look more and more plausible.
It’s time to up the FING R plan for the BCS.
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— Pete Roussel (@coachingsearch) January 11, 2012
(h/t Bryant Denny)
UPDATE: Somewhat remarkably, Grantham (more likely the school in response to panicked inquiries) felt the need to issue a formal response to the rumors.
“This time of year there are a lot of rumors involving coaching openings. Because of the terrific recruiting class we are assembling and the juniors that have communicated to me their desire to come back to Georgia I felt it important to address some of these current and any future rumors. I’ve had discussions with Coach Richt and (AD) Greg McGarity and we are on track to finalizing details on a contract extension. My family enjoys Athens very much. I love the passion and excitement of our fans. We have the program headed in the right direction and I want to be a part of bringing Georgia a championship. My desire is to be at UGA for a very long time. Go Dawgs!”
81 responses to “Because you don’t have enough anxiety in your life already…”
I hope Van Gorder woke up with a horse’s head next to him this morning.
GShock
OMG NO NO NO NO NO!
I already hate the Falcons because they are terrible and Matt Ryan is not the answer but now they are going to send the UGA season down the drain!
Not cool, Atlanta. Did a Tech grad take over their franchise or something while I was away?
Gee, couldn’t see that one coming.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop huffing glue.
Yep, back on my cocktail of Prozac and Oxycontin with a martini chaser until this is all over!
I hope they are reaching out for advice on who to hire.
Meaning other than tg
I hear Willie Martinez is tanned, rested and ready!
Yeah this sounds about right. The Barn & flarda doing good…and now this…
On the upside tho, if I ever needed a reason to totally dismiss the falcons and stop pretending and maybe even hate them or pull against them, this would just about take care of it.
Let’s blame Bobo.
FIREMARKRICHT!!1!
It’s all the bloggers fault. (My personal favorite.)
Believe me, if I thought I COULD blame Bobo I would. Wait a minute, CTG would NEVER leave Athens willingly. I mean, who would? If he goes, it MUST be because of something Bobo did. I just know it.
If the Falcons want to generate even more ill will, this will do it.
Someone needs to get in Mr. Blank’s face and tell him this is baaaad business.
+ infinity
Seriously, Bama puts on one of the best defensive clinics EVER (with the help of some seriously poor planning on LSU’s part) and you decide to pass on Kirby Smart? WTF?!
I think Grantham is fantastic, but you would think Smart would at least get a feeler, regardless of if it really is Saban’s D.
I think he’d have to step down to position coach before an NFL team would give a D-Co job.
Kirby wouldn’t go unless the Falcons hired Saban. He can’t function w/o Nick. Buy into it or not, he’s really a co-coordinator at ‘Bama with the head coach being the other head on the monster.
yurdle
If he goes, we should hire Saban as DC.
It’s highly unlikely that the Falcons would want to switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4 with the personnel in place. That would not lead back to the playoffs next year. Just because someone decided to tweet it doesn’t make it true.
Good Point. Grantham is a 3-4 guy. Not a good fit for Atlanta at this stage. Perhaps this is his agent doing what agents do.
Falcon’s AJC beat writer points out that Falcon’s HC Mike Smith has said the same thing. To quote:
“One thing to keep in mind is that coach Mike Smith pointed out the team has drafted for a 4-3 defense so you can rule out 3-4 guys.”
Thank you for posting this. I was about to flip out.
I thought this too until I saw something TD said about a new system.
But even then… Mike Nolan is much more likely than TG.
The Falcons just paid Ray Edwards a lot of money and he’s a 4-3 DE. Our Defensive line is deep and our only real strength. We barely have 3 LB who can drop into coverage, and with so many FA on the defense and no 1st or 4th round draft picks, it would be a 2 plus year rebuild to change schemes.
Whoever the Falcons hire he almost has to be a 4 – 3 guy.
Grantham’s agent floating rumor to help in current UGA negotiation.
Other SEC schools floating rumor to screw up recruiting at UGA.
Very true. Notice where the h/t comes from.
Yep. That is likely.
Why don’t we all call the Falcons and Blank and tell them we’ll cancel our season ticket packages if they take Grantham from GA. Don’t tell him none of us have season tickets, though.
Well, guess I’ll go ahead and unlock the liquor cabinet.
And put a hit out on BVG: he’s just a gift that keeps on taking.
After reflecting upon my personal interaction with this website over the past 20 minutes, methinks the Senator is simply fishing for page hits.
Someone, please, please, please tell me the Senator is simply a page-hit greedy *******.
This is not H2H
CoastToCoast
Seriously. I wish The Dawgbone would cut them off already.
Amen, plus Sports and Grits.
Amen Again. To/ For both of them.
GreenDawg
I think the Senator creates enough page hits on his own. Plus anyone wanting to link to the tweet would just link straight to twitter, not here.
I think the Falcons will most likely go with an established 4-3 NFL guy; hopefully Jack Del Rio. I can’t see them reshaking the whole defense. (crosses self and whispers prayers)
Just because they may have contacted his agent, it doesn’t mean they’re focused on him or haven’t sent feelers out to other candidates. Point being, this doesn’t mean an offer from the Falcons is imminent, as some of you seem to be concerned about above.
From Grantham’s point of view, he’s shown he can be a fantastic college D coordinator, but he hasn’t shown that he can be a great pro D coordinator (although I think he may have been a victim of bad teams/personnel while at that position in the pros). If his goal is truly to become a head coach, I’d stick with the college gig… but that’s my $.02.
Thank you. Get some perspective people. Who is Pete Roussel anyway?
I asked myself the same thing. Apparently he use to coach. “Those that can’t do teach”. Not everyone can teach though.
http://www.coachingsearch.com/bio.html
Same can be said about BVG
I like Grantham. And I understand the lure of perhaps being a DC in the pros
But, if he convinced Jarvis to stay, and Jordan to come, and then bolted … douchebag near the likes of Junior. Personally, not believing this at all.
Do agree it’s likely his agent is doing his job very well.
This is probably not a real thing, since Grantham’s a proponent of a completely different scheme than Atlanta’s personnel would seem to fit as noted by other commenters. However, if it IS true, then this is solely the Senator’s fault for jinxing us with a “this offseason sure is going to be quiet” post on January 7th.
Sources tell me the Falcons have reached out to the agent of Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Dissect that. Sources? Uh, the agent himself.
Now, why on earth would an agent say something like that right in the middle of an ongoing negotiation? Oh, right. Negotiating 101. I forgot.
Two reasons that this is silly.
1. The Falcons have 4-3 personnel. No real DT’s, two 4-3 prototype DE’s (one of which they just inked last year), practically invisible LB’s and midget CB’s complemented by run-stopping/WR chasing into the endzone safeties. An overhaul would be required.
2. As stated before, it’s bad business. One thing Arthur Blank ain’t is bad at business. Steal Grantham and lose your entire fan base. I don’t think so.
The linebackers are actually pretty good and there are a bunch of them. Lofton, Nicholas, and Spoon are really good. A few other guys still developing.
Atlanta probably could make the 3-4 switch more easily than people think. Abe is a FA now. If the new DC is a 34 guy, letting Abe go frees up a lot of money. Sidbury looks like a prototypical 34 OLB and Kroy Biermann could play that position too. . Lofton and Nicholas (or Dent even) would be ILBs and Spoon could go play OLB. The dlinemen they have can play 34 DE. Babineaux, Cliff Matthews, Peria Jerry, and Corey Peters could figure that out. Babs might even be able to play the nose. There’d have to be a few big signings though. And Ray Edwards probably wouldn’t fit in anywhere.
But… Even then. Grantham has to be behind Mike Nolan, Steve Spagnulo, Jack Del Rio, Mike Zimmer, Mel Tucker, and Eric Mangini anyway. Those guys have better resumes and more experience/success as a pro DC.
Plus, if they were looking a college coaches (they probably aren’t) they’d look at Kirby Smart first.
I’m not a Falcons fan, so I can’t speak much to their personnel, but I wonder if they’re willing to undergo a scheme change if they have to rebuild on personell anyway? I’m not sure a scheme change is as painful for a pro team as it is for a college team, anyway. More opportunities to practice, study, etc.
Plus, Atlanta has 17 players that are FAs. Some of them are players that they could lose/replace in a scheme change. Still think Grantham isn’t in their top 10, though.
hailtogeorgia
From everything I’ve been reading, the Falcons are going hard after Steve Spagnuolo. It’s been said before, but I just can’t see the Falcons making the switch to the 3-4…their personnel doesn’t fit it, it wouldn’t work for their linebackers they’ve drafted, and it sure wouldn’t work with Ray Edwards.
On top of all that, Grantham has made it known that he wants to be a head coach. He seems to like recruiting (he’s said as much from the get-go, and with the Jenkins commit, seems to be good at it), so I have a feeling he stays and parlays the solid defense into a head coaching position somewhere in college, as opposed to a coordinator position in the NFL.
Given their performance in the playoffs, the Falcons should be reaching out to UGA for an offensive coordinator.
That would be too good to be true.
I love the Falcons but would gladly see their O fail for a few years to get Georgia a new OC. That’s a sacrifice I would make to get us headed in the right direction haha.
Other than the gory crime scene that was his stint at the Rams, what’s Spagnuolo’s resume like? I honestly never heard of him before he got a HC gig. What teams’ defenses has he run?
DC for the Jints and worked for 8 years under Jim Johnson, DC for the Iggles.
Has a very solid reputation.
PLEASE SAY IT AINT SO, TODD!
There’s every reason for Grantham and the Atlanta Falcons to immediatly put an end to this if it’s only a rumor. They have to know it will hurt recruiting. I also suspect that this serves many people’s purposes (Grantham’s negotiations, every college in the SE USA for recruiting, news outlets for interest, etc), while it can only hurt UGA.
I hope the rumor is killed very quickly, or we will have to suspect that maybe it IS so, Todd.
Bruce Lauriault Rugby79
Grantham is not going anywhere-no way he would have Jarvis stay then bolt himself–would ruin his credibility for ever as a college coach–what is really better than making close to a million a year and living in Athens ?
Ever hear of Pitino? I would never hope to compare TG to him, but some people don’t know the meaning of loyaty or honor.
Until he denies it, which he needs to do RIGHT NOW, I’m holding my breath.
(loyalty…sp from above post)…
Point is…..For those who have the “mojo” of success sticking to them, lack of past loyalty doesn’t count. Hungry teams and programs will line up to bid for their services. That’s my point above.
Help me out here….yes I’ve heard of PItino. What does Pitino’s knocking up of the equipment managers wife have to do with Coach TG being courted by the Falcons?
( And a “I beg your pardon” to all the lady/wo-person posters here who might take exception to the phase “knocking up”)
I was using Pitino as an example of a coach who never seems to let the fear of losing his credibilty his decisions.
BLR79 was making the point that TG would be risking his credibility if he left Georgia (esp after just signing JJ).
Two completely different individuals and a personal equivalancy is not intended…I’m just saying it happens.
(Was it not Pitino who tried to weasle into Auburn behind TT’s back, then went to the Falcons for a week or so, then left ATL for Arkansas…am I leaving anything out? I wouldn’t let him in my henhouse.
I think that was Bobby Petrino, not Rick Pitino, hence the confusion.
My bad!! My goofy mistake. It is Petrino…. I was wondering about the equipment managers wife remark.
Sorry. I’m sitting here red faced
As if I didn’t already dislike the Falcons enough..
From Coachingsearch.com;
Atlanta Falcons: Sources with knowledge of the situation tell me that a member of the Falcons’ organization has been in contact with Michael Harris, the agent representing University of Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Georgia has been working on a new contract with Grantham’s agent, but don’t be surprised if the new contract is signed in the next few days. With the departure of Brian VanGorder, the Falcons are looking for a new defensive coordinator.
[url]http://coachingsearch.com/coaching-search-ticker.html[/url]
Doesn’t seem like a very reliable source.
I think I see the fine hand of Kirby Smart in this anonymous tip. Anything to derail recruiting momentum for UGA as Grantham gets a commitment from a 5 star anchor for this year’s class. Of course, it could be Chin Gizik or SOD or Spurrier, or Dabo or Flahduh or a host of others. It’s just life in the shark tank known as the SEC.
The Falcons arent a 3-4 team, dont have 3-4 personnel, and dont seem likely to want to wait a couple of years while a new guy comes in and scraps their entire system. Mike Smith worked for Jack Del Rio, you’d think JDR, or any number of 4-3 guys who can tweak a system Smith already knows would be the way the Falcons are going.
Stop posting this stuff. I’m trying to get some work done around here.
Chopper Reid
My sources are telling me that James Franklin just took the Head Coaching position for the Raiders.
Also…Dunwoody’s proudest son, Ryan Seacrest, finally came out of the closet on air this morning.
Matt Chernoff
“Dunwoody’s proudest son”
The hell you say!
Guys — Grantham was…uh….not good as an NFL DC. #BeingNice
That’s kind of being overlooked as a reason this is unlikely to be true. That and the fact that he coaches the wrong system for the Falcons personnel. And Blank isn’t going to hire UGA’s DC. Oh…and it’s not going to happen.
I keep hearing people say Grantham was a DC in the pros. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought he was the D line coach in Dallas, not the DC.
You are correct. But he was DC at Cleveland prior to that. I think he was on butch davis’ staff without checking.
Would not have these issues if we had an Athletic Board and Athletic Department worth a damn. Understand recruting is in full swing, but that is pretty much year round anyway. So when you hear McGarity’s comments last week about extensions, we will sit down after recruiting period, and etc. In essence we have a bunch of over paid idiots, people who can not make decisions, and people who piss away time like it is there forever. Time is money or did they not get any degree in business administration. When the alums demand an Athletic Board and Athletic Department that is more than your local community recreation department…well, just maybe our men’s big three will be men’s programs at the top in the SEC. You can not recruit top players unless you have top coaches. Just maybe McGarity is not the AD we thought along with Adams as president of the University.
He should fire himself and everyone else.
Just maybe you’re not as smart as you think you are, Will Trane.
Orson Charles is gone.
But Rambo is staying!
BulldogBen
Saw that NRBQ. I’ve already received emails from friends where the general theme is “BOBO WASTED HIS TALENT”, etc. He certainly didn’t maximize it but I’m curious, has Bobo ever moved a player from a position he wasn’t familiar with and HAD success?
ie- Donnan moving Robert Edwards from D to RB or Richt putting Pollack at DE.
Wasn’t sure where else to put that question?
Dr. Robert
I have everything you need.
I love Todd Grantham. That is all.
Er….I don’t think I would have told that brother. (Todd is already married anyway. But I hear that Ryan Seacrest may be available.)
Initially, I thought Grantham said, “My desire is to beat UGA for a very long time.”
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“They’re clearly the favorite in the SEC East, PAWWWLLL.”
This is why they pay Seth Emerson the big bucks. (Or at least more than Jeff Dantzler takes in.)
Seriously, I think we’re pretty much at the point where it’s become an established narrative. Seth mentions that Kirby will no doubt try to downplay it, but it will be interesting to watch how he handles rising expectations with the team.
64 responses to ““They’re clearly the favorite in the SEC East, PAWWWLLL.””
I seriously doubt your second sentence.
Just trying to provoke an early morning response. 😉
He could have at least started with “FIRST!”
I’m not sure Kirby can downplay it with the media and the fan base. He was hired to play for and win a championship. We took the lumps of a throwaway season with a QB not ready for prime time and a leaky offensive line. I’m calling BS on the quality of players at wide receiver. It’s hard to get open when you can’t get one-on-one opportunities because backs and tight ends have to stay in to help protect. Assuming Trent Thompson returns ready to play, this defense should be nasty. Of course, who knows what we’ll have on special teams after spring? The East with a trip to a New Year’s 6 bowl game should be the minimum goal for this team.
We certainly should have goals in the range of your final sentence, probably including winning the SEC, but expectations from staff,team, and fans should be the East at a minimum. We have the talent and schedule to say not winning the East would be a fail, but winning the SEC and/or finishing among the top teams looks like a stretch to me. Don’t disagree it isn’t obtainable, just think “expectations” might imply we could be substantially better in 2017 but still consider a 10-4 type season a disappointment. Also think we are better at receiver than many feel.
Nonetheless, I would also be disappointed if KS doesn’t embrace higher expectations after last season. I believe he will, and that he will challenge the players with that.
10-4 will be a disappointment and probably not likely because 3 regular season losses against our schedule probably doesn’t get to Atlanta. I don’t think we’ve had 3 regular season losses in a season where we played in the SECCG. If this season ends with us on the outside looking in at the New Year’s 6, it will be extremely disappointing.
No. Disappointment would be not taking serious steps at improving. We’re going to have a better o-line, a better defence, a better quarterback, CKS has another year of experience, the staff understand how better to work together – it’s all about heading the right direction. Whether or not we win the East this year is not the question; whether we continue to exorcise the spirit of mediocrity lingering from the previous regime and instil an aggressive, smash-mouth, ‘we will run it down your throat just because we want to’ mentality – that’s what will make this year a success. Of course we want to win more games than last year. But winning is merely the fruit; the root is the process CKS is establishing, the culture he is building, the fanatical attention to detail in every dimension of the game approach being instilled across the board. We will win more games than last year, but it will be 2018/2019 before the seeds of excellence being sown really blossom. It will be beautiful in the Classic City again.
So now it’s 2019 … got it. Two more throwaway seasons … sounds great.
I was thinking maybe 10-2 or 9-3 in the regular season but losing the SCCG and, maybe, the bowl. And I am not ruling out that we could be pretty good by the end of the season and perhaps win there if we are heakthy. Not sure this is a championship level team (SEC) unless we really get some positive answers to a few questions we still have but it is possible. That is how I got to 10-4, we don’t have to lose three in the regular season. But we really need to see progress next year, that was what bothered me most about 2016, looked about the same at the end as we did in the beginning.
why wouldn’t Kirby be expected to win the East this year? WTH did we hire him for, if not to win the East? He’s had two “stellar” recruiting classes, he now has a starting QB who’s got a year under his belt (and some pretty good wins, along with a couple of head scratching losses) who was the top QB in the country coming out of HS, and he has a pretty good group of returning starters and talented upper classmen to choose from. Plus, as we’ve heard to no end, the East is pretty mediocre.
Is it fair to expect Kirby to have us in the NC playoff this year? No, we still need depth, better OL play (!), and better game day decisions by the staff. But is it unreasonable to expect UGA to win the East this year? Not even a little bit. If he’s a championship level coach, its time to start proving it. We know he can recruit. Half the team is talent he brought in, the other half has some pretty good players. Quit poormouthing about 5 year plans, and show some of the better coaching/playing/execution he was specifically brought here to provide.
That stellar recruiting class of his first year may not be so stellar. Looks like Ben Cleveland is not going to live up to his billing and Mecole Hardman is still waiting.
Do not remember either getting much opportunity to play last year. Think part of that was coaching not player ability.
Yeah, two 5* “busts” in one class? I’m not seeing it’s the players’ problems, mainly because they haven’t been given any chance.
Hard and played O in HS and was recruited to D at UGA. Huge learning curve. Probably be best in the slot now that iMac is gone but IDK if they’ll move him in the Spring. If they move him in the Fall it probably another year again. Disappointing nonetheless.
Cleveland just turned 18 last August 25…he was simply too young last year.
Cleveland too stiff and too slow. Although he’s the strongest player on the team, if he doesn’t become a yoga-ninja, he won’t play this year either.
And you know this how?
so you’re saying Kirby cant develop 5 star recruits? or that he can’t identify true 5 star recruits? Either way, that isn’t exactly a point in his favor, if you are correct.
why wouldn’t Kirby be expected to win the East this year? WTH did we hire him for, if not to win the East?
Kirby was brought in to be better than the last guy. I’m so sick of this “I won’t judge him until 2018” bullshit that gets thrown around here by some folks. If we’re fine with “throwaway” seasons, then why bother making the change?
And yes – disclaimer to prevent the neverending argument – this wasn’t an endorsement of the previous guy, just pointing out the reason he was replaced.
We’ve got a great long snappah.
It depends (for the lawya’s). We have a qb who showed little improvement, lost starters off a bad o line, special teams are anything but dependable and an offensive coordinator who can’t even find Bobo’s crayons.
MrKnowitAllSec
Sniffer, I agree, offense will be worse especially at line and special teams will be worse without McKenzie. Defense should be better, but that’s not enough to win the East, got to have another unit step up.
Here are my grades for UGA:
Special teams 0
Offense 2
You need offense or defense to score a 9, and then you need another unit to score a 5. And you can’t be last in the conference in the third unit like Special teams. This team overachieved in 2016, they had a 0 special teams, 1 on offense, 8 on defense.
This is the most rigorously applied analytical comment in the history of GTP. Fantastic, my man. Really looking forward to more of your work.
I was too generous on defense, should have scored them a 7, I thought they finished in the top 20 in defensive scoring, they were at 35. Offense finished at 102 in scoring. Special teams were just terrible. So in hindsight:
Without an oline, you can’t run or pass. That’s the crux of the problem for UGA. And losing the 3 on olinemen, means the oline got significantly worse and less experienced in the off season. Inexperienced olines don’t fare well in the SEC East, especially against a Florida team that always finishes in the top 10 under McElwain. There will be some great defensive coordinators on the schedule that will make mincemeat of inexperienced olines: Muschamp, Mason, Grantham, Shoop, Shannon, Elko, Odum at Mizzou, Eliot at Kentucky turned around FSU. Ap St finishe din the top 20 versus the run. Steele at Auburn can stop the run.
Amen Senator. Actually, I would simply call it dumber than dirt.
You’re agreement with sarcasm is breathtaking.
The Qb did not show improvement, he got worse as the season went along. Just doesn’t have “wow” numbers anywhere. You were right on, accident or not, in your assessment of the oline and special teams, both got significantly worse in the offseason, and both were horrific last season. So you feel Chaney is great OC eh, taking out sarcasm, which numbers of his last season impressed you most? This I got to see, someone calling Chaney the best OC in the nation.
You eat at the Varsity too much.
I think Chaney was at least a 6 at OC. Maybe even an 8. Of course, overall, Smart was a 5.5. I think Tucker was an 8. But we need an average of 8 across the board. Maybe even 8.5.
Let me get more granular on Chaney.
UGA ranked in the SEC:
11th in scoring
13th in 6.6 yards per pass (wow).
9th in yards per rush
Also, how’d Chaney do against strong competition?
bottom 3 vs ranked teams in the SEC in:
yards per rush
passer rating
Nothing average about that.
“Granular”?
You’re really bringing your A Game now, boyo.
Speaking of getting granular, here’s something interesting.
1- In 2016:
When Chubb goes for 100+ rush yards, record is 5-0
When Chubb is held to under 100 yard rushing, 3-5
2- Kirby is 3-0 when he finishes +2 or more in turnover margin.
3- Kirby is 4-1 when holding teams to 23 points or less, 0-3 when teams score 28 points or more.
Formula for UGA =
1- Chubb 100+ yards rushing
2- + 2 in turnover margin
3- Hold teams to 23 points or less
Might have a top 25 year just doing:
1- +2 in to margin in games
2- holding teams to 23 points or less
You realize you’re still here only because you have amusement value, right?
Of course, obviously UGA recruited the best oline in the country and will dominate, has the best 2 backs in Chubb & Sony who got 200+ rush yards in last 3 games, UGA recruited some tall talented receivers and db’s which should solve the red zone and Hail Mary woes, the qb outperformed Matt Stafford’s first year which should be the context, and UGA will swap playmaker I McK in a snap with a guy like say Hardman, field goals improved, and UGA returns a defense which should finish near the top, and Head coaches perform best in their 2nd full season. Did I miss anything?
Did you miss anything? Are you referring to the football program, or your upbringing?
My upbringing was rather exotic, started in Europe, long story. I missed out on mentioning the upgrade at dline coach, Tray Scott for Garner was a great move as he is loads better on technique. I thought Beamer did a great job at Special teams, and Chaney really impressed with his use of the tight ends for blocking, and earned their salaries, also, the new indoor field should result in a few more wins, easy.
Fair point on the amusement angle….the first time. But after hearing a joke once, they become irritating quickly. Without an ignore feature, the follow-ups just go downhill. And then there is the the pity angle that dampens my spirits. I suspect SC or TN fan, few else know so little about football but run their mouths anyway. Plus, man, those STs next year have me excited, and now he pissed in my grits.
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Ironic Handle
Turnover margin going from sad face to happy face, along with defense improving from B to A will probably result in more wins. But, if the offense stays with two thumbs down, then it may be all for naught. If Smart/Chaney can’t get from 2 stars to at 4 stars, our team overall stays at a 6 instead of getting all the way to 8. And that’s what we need to be ranked.
I’ve tried to tell Smart this, but he won’t answer my emails.
UGA could win the East with a top defense, average special teams, and terrible offense, just ask Florida.
It seems the players are all in on Kirby so if I were him I’d go badass and embrace being the East favorite. Talking the talent down turns into a self fulfilling prophecy.
“Talking the talent down turns into a self fulfilling prophecy.”
Yes indeed. At some point he HAS to stop complaining about the talent…their HIS picks now. He is going to give these kids complexes in self esteem.
Well, see, that’s where you switch to the “experience” card.
Kirby wants to be the favorite every year…yeah, he will downplay it..that’s just what you do.
I expect UGA to win more games than 2016, but to go from 3rd to first, with a weaker offensive line, which was the main reason for the 7-5 season, is a big stretch. The inexperience on the offensive line, and the wide receiver lack of productivity, and the ineffective quarterback, will put too much pressure on the running backs. Love to see an East Championship, but until someone dethrones Florida, they will remain the favorite of course, and Tenn has been right on their heels as a deserving close 2nd, UGA has lost to both for 2 years. UGA has lost in blowouts to Florida, not even competitive. UGA has lost close ones to Tenn, so it’s really a battle for second between Tenn & UGA.
Red Cup
Ok, I’ll bite. What was the handle you used last week?
Next time just call yourself “Troll”
So another one who feels UGA is the easy first pick to win the East, other than UF & UT, even thought UGA hasn’t won a game against either in 2 years. Hilarious, do you guys even watch SEC football?
Come on, man. You can’t argue with his analysis. Florida is a 7. Tennessee is 3 stars. UGA is one thumb up. If UGA can improve their OLine from a D to a B+, keep their defense at 85%, and improve special teams to a happy face, then Smart will get a gold star.
UGA defensively had serious red zone issues, and the offense did too, one of the worst red zone teams in college football, it’s as if they never practiced red zone on either side of the ball, that’s where I’d focus.
But dline was solid against the run, however not as good as UF against the pass.
Offensively, UGA recruited some big highly rated olinemen, if they produce quickly, it could really help things in the run game and pass pro.
Special teams I don’t expect to get better because you don’t replace I McK and the special teams coach’s career track record on special teams suggest he is clueless.
But UGA was 16th in passing defense and total defense. They were 9th in opponent first downs and 10th in allowing plays over 10 yards.
That kind of production doesn’t just disappear. You can build on that. Analysis shouldn’t be done on a discrete basis. One year obviously influences the next. So I’m not worried about defense. At least a B+ for them, out of 5 stars.
You need to be worried about defense, because unless it rises to a top 10 nationally ranked unit, UGA has no chance at winning the East. It’s the strength of the team, but has to really improve like scoring defense. B+ isn’t good enough, has to be an ‘A’.
B+ out of 5 – that would be great!
UF not going to win it 3 times in a row…my pick would be the either UGA or UT..
UT & UF have both finished in the AP top 25 the last 2 years, UGA has not. That would be a start, and a better goal, which in my opinion, is within reach. UGA’s realistic baby step needs to be finish in the AP top 25.
MrKnowitAllSec Spradlin
Hereinbelow, a condensed version of the troll’s previous comments: We’re worse than dog doo on a shoe.
No dude, I think UGA will win more games in 2017, mainly due to a better defense. Just won’t win the East, not even a chance. But could finish in the AP top 25 which would be a great improvement.
If you had a degree from UF, you could post like this, Mr. Spradlin. You would also have an affinity for jorts.
The off-season must be hard on the trolls as well. This guy came up with an obvious troll name and isn’t even making an attempt to conceal the intent in his comments. I’m too bored to respond to them.
UGA will likely win more games.
Two losses were the result of being outmanned, UF and Ole Miss. In 2017 we may still have two games like that, Auburn with a QB and UF.
3 losses were winable with better execution, Vandy, Tech, and UT. We should only maybe have one of these, but it feels like talent will prevent 3 from happening. ND, Miss State, or one lesser East loss will be the risk here. Point being 3 losses is the likely scenario. Does a 2 SEC loss team win the East? Feels reasonable.
O will be better with Eason having a non freshman understanding of the playbook. Line is a question, as are receivers who did not get separation and dropped passes in 2016. D is solid, and should be better. Nobody talks about how much better they played in 2016 after Ledbetter returned from Betty Ford.
Receives often got separation but in the SEC separation is fleeting..Eason didn’t have a quick enough release to hit them as as they were coming open. Maybe that will improve. If not, there are two more QB’s that may be able to push him…and that will almost certainly be a sign that 17 ain’t going the year the Dawgs will be great again.
Yes, I’m crazy…but if the offensive line is once again pitiful, then we may have the answer in Stetson Bennett… He’s a scrambler with a lightening fast release and though he’s only 6′, he gets outside the pocket where he can see. His scrambling also gets receivers open…he really could be the answer if plans A and B aren’t working. But given last years coaching propensity to stick with a plan even if it isn’t working, I remain worried.
Why wait for next year? Why shouldn’t we just go ahead and win the off-season?
The players will be buying in. We will be seeing great Senior leadership at the volunteer workouts. Eason will be throwing very catchable balls.Chubb will be becoming a more vocal leader. The conditioning program will be really ahead of last year. The players will have reshaped their bodies thanks to S/C and nutrition. Everyone will be holding everyone more accountable. WRs will be getting great technique on route running while our DBs will be great at man coverage. Players will be staying after volunteer workouts to get extra reps in. Kirby will say we’ve got to get better.
Did I forget something we’ll be hearing this off-season?
Oh, The Great Kevin Butler will be working with our kickers.
Not sure where this will show up on the comment timeline, but I am referring to the entire thread until this time stamp:
Damn, that got sideways in a hurry.
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← “We’re just trying to be the best that we can.”
“I don’t think they’re entitled to anything, either.” →
Georgia Tech’s “secret sauce”
According to Tech’s AD, adding majors or lowering the school’s academics standards in the hopes of aiding recruiting is nothing more than “recruiting hype.”
On the one hand, that seems like a convenient excuse for the genius to fall back on in the face of criticism over his recruiting. On the other, does anybody seriously think recruiting on the Flats would significantly improve if Tech’s academic standards were relaxed more?
Filed under Academics? Academics., Georgia Tech Football, Recruiting
44 responses to “Georgia Tech’s “secret sauce””
Fish Fry is living on the 1970s concept that blue chip football players are all dummies. Tech’s administration may believe that too or it is convenient for them to believe it.
Relaxed? No.
A greater variety of majors? Maybe.
A hard science, architecture or management degree probably isn’t attractive to a lot of potential students athletes. Not being a broad based university campus has to hurt at some level no matter what their admissions standards are. Which, truth be told, are pretty much the same as everyone else’s.
The chances that there is a starter at UGA that would have been denied admission at Tech based on academic standards is absurd. Tech’s problem isn’t that people are denied the opportunity to go, its that no one really wants the opportunity to go there and who can blame them?
Other than “my only other offer is Western Carolina”, why would you pick Tech if you had any real choices presented to you?
Irwin R. Fletcher
I’ve met a lot of GT players in my life…some of these guys were great dudes…but those guys getting drafted from Chan’s teams in the 00s were not Rhodes Scholars or Engineers. They were athletes in every streotypical sense of the word.
The idea that Tech needs to ‘relax’ its standards to get football players is absurd. They have and will continue to do that…the problem is that currently, there is no need to do so because nobody wants to play for them.
They have plenty of majors where they stuff athletes. This is the school of Joe Hamilton, Reggie Ball, John DUI-berry, and Stephon Marbury, plus guys that couldn’t hack it at UGA. Sure, majoring in electrical engineering is a real bitch, but lots of athletes around the country are getting real degrees, including guys at Tech. Tech has no monopoly on tough academic standards, and they have ways around them anyway.
Tech sucks. And I hope they continue to suck. But I hope they win just enough to keep (the) Johnson around for a long time.
I could be wrong and without new info, but 30 years ago all the athletes were put into Management. That’s all they had then.
I thought that’s what they did now. I have no idea, but is Mangement the only non-STEM degree they offer?
They have many different areas today, many variations on business and design, plus many liberal arts degrees. Did I say “many” enough times? Hugely?
https://www.gatech.edu/academics/bachelors-degree-programs
That answers my question. If they offer several liberal arts degrees, then they really don’t have anything to complain about.
FisheriesDawg
If you could reboot college football from scratch (or insert us into the early 1960s), he probably has a point. A university in Atlanta with average standards and a broad choice of majors would probably be a top five program (hey, Georgia State!).
But in 2018, the Tech brand is just too unattractive to do much. About the only thing they could do to overcome it would be to hire a superstar coach where players would come in spite of their perception as a program/school. I suppose it’s possible that a super wealthy alum who hasn’t been supporting GT much to date comes in and says “my checkbook is open, go get Dabo”…but I won’t hold my breath.
There are only a select number of skill position players who want to play in Johnson’s option offense. That’s the recruiting snag just as much as tough admission standards.
“Athlete admissions standards” has never been an issue at Georgia Tech. Instead, it provides a convenient excuse for not making the investments needed to be competitive.
I don’t see the alumni buying in until there is a coaching change.
Agreed. Tech had a OL in the 80’s who had a sub 500 on his SAT. And who can forget the UGA TE who failed out yet & ended up playing for Tech. They’re no different in making exceptions to the admission standards.
Yep, exactly this. If Fromm or Fields suddenly decided to go to Tech, they would welcome them with open arms. It wouldn’t matter if their GPA was 4.0 or 2.0. All they’d care about is the 4.4 in the 40.
As a life long Atlantan and graduate of a metropolitan public high school that sent several players to Tech I know what they did….got players into Industrial Management and tutored the hell out of them. The term “tutor” at Tech meant a massive test bank and essentially telling the player very specifically what was going to be on the exam. NEVER forget this Institution took Tyrone “i am not a rocket scientist” Sorrells , who literally flunked out of UGA’s remedial education program and to the best of my knowledge got him a degree but at the very east kept him playing TE through his senior year.
Sylvan High School, representin’!
Definitely. This is the school of Joe Hamilton, Stephon Marbury, and convicted killer Javaris Crittendon(sp?). They’ve never fussed much about getting these basketball recruits in school during their basketball heyday. I remember Johnson going after Nick Marshall as hard as he’s ever recruited. Told him he could go to UGA and play defense, or play qb at Tech and win a Heisman. In case anybody doesn’t remember, this same Nick Marshall:
“I just felt like we needed to see how things play out before getting too hysterical.”
On this, I believe we all can agree.
Stanford is struggling so with football due to the standards they have in place. So no it is not the academic standards. Could it be the old joke, what do you call a good looking girl at Tech?, A visitor?
Doesn’t Tech annually lose to Duke?
As an aside, is there a guy with a better job than David Cutcliffe? $2.2M to win 8-9 games a year and keep the students occupied until basketball season? Basically zero pressure. What a job.
Cutcliffe does a great job with what amounts to both hands tied behind his back. People in Durham love him and really don’t care if he wins 8-9 a year. The fact that he does it speaks volumes. I’m glad Tennessee kept their Jon Gruden obsession alive for multiple head coaching changes and didn’t make a serious attempt to hire him when he was still young enough to be a viable hire.
Oh, I agree. Cutcliffe is a helluva coach. Ole Miss was stupid to fire him, and he’s set for life at Duke.
Absolutely … good guy and a darn good football coach. He is involved in the Durham community especially at Duke Children’s Hospital (with his team). Ole Miss should have never run him off for the Nuttster (if I remember correctly). If Duke cared enough about football, he would have a statue outside Wallace Wade when he retires.
They ran him off for Coach O, rumor was Coach Cutt wouldn’t cheat and they wanted someone that would (or at least allow the boosters to). Nuttster came after Coach O.
That’s right … too lazy to research it myself.
Stanford’s standards for athletes aren’t all they are cracked up to be. If you can throw, catch or hit a ball, they’ll find a spot for you.
So, the same as Tech in other words.
If I’m not mistaken, you still have to get accepted by the same standards as every student before they can offer an athletic scholarship. That’s why you see some kids waiting on that Stanford offer during recruiting season before they commit. They usually find out pretty late in the process. D. Robinson is a good example.
I can tell you there are athletes at Stanford who would not get in if they didn’t have an athletic talent … I’ll just leave it at that.
On Stingtalk they hate the Stanford comparison. They say getting in is the hardest part there, and then the students coast in mainly liberal arts majors. They actually see themselves as M.I.T. with a major athletic program.
LOL! Except for the liberals arts and management programs, they are exactly right. 🙂
I see the bumbles are playing Friday night. Georgia State took Thursday night football away from them.
In the latest US News national university rankings, GT is tied with Florida at #35. Here are the power 5 schools in front of them:
Stanford – 7
Duke – 8
Northwestern – 10
Vanderbilt – 14
Notre Dame – 18
UCLA – 19
Cal – 22
USC – 22
Virginia – 25
Michigan – 27
Wake Forest – 27
North Carolina – 30
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities
This idea that Georgia Tech is the equivalent of MIT needs to die (MIT is 3rd by the way).
Chan Gailey would have been more credible with this excuse. Or George O’Leary. But I don’t get the impression that there’s an army of talented football players clamoring to get an offer to go play triple option offensive football at Georgia Tech, if only they had the ACT score.
Justin Fields is a smart kid with great scores so he’s a bad example, but if a football player with Justin Fields’ talent level and a low-but-qualifying set of academic numbers was begging to play for Paul Johnson, I think we all know that Tech would find a way to get him on campus.
Two words, two simple words………
one name…
SAMMY DRUMMER
Right. It’s the akademiks, stupid. No, it’s not, really. They have limited majors, sure, but they do have history and political science and international affairs and the M-train. None of those are exactly STEM majors.
“But calculus!” Right. Did you know that there is transfer articulation across the University System of Georgia mandated by the Board of Regents? You players can go take the weed-outs at Georgia State. Or Clayton State. Or Atlanta Metro. And Tech has to take the credit. AND your athletic counselors know this and Tech does this.
Tech can give it a rest on the academic standards and programs argument.
Tech’s problem is that everyone associated with Tech is a ginormous asshole.
For a group of supposedly brilliant people, their inability to diagnose the problems sure seems pretty stupid.
Alas, they have no self awareness.
There are five reasons tech has trouble recruiting blue chip talent. tech sucks,sucks,sucks,sucks and fucking sucks.
I sure wish y’all would stop telling the Nerds how to put out their dumpster fire.
Tech can’t recruit talent because of the Genius’s system. What offensive player with a dream of playing in the NFL wants to play in the service academy offense? What defensive player wants to have his legs and knees targeted for 4 or 5 years as Fish Fry teaches his players cut blocking?
John Pournelle
Right on target Derek. In 38 years of coaching I know numerous kids in different sports admitted to Tech with basically a high school transcript. I have listened to Tech assistant coaches and even one former head basketball coach wax and wane on Tech’s tutorial program and ” pre-tests” .
I had one DT who barely got his hs diploma and played 4 years on the Flats… but no degree. Just listened last night to Tom Luginbill et al,
on XM comment to a caller who expoused the Golden Domer’s high admission standards and how it hurt.recruiting…they essentially said that ND was no different and all a kid needed was a viable transcipt. I certainly don’t know what happens at every school…just relating what I have experienced.
Here is my recurring nightmare, they fire Fish Fry and hire the “Lane Train”. It would be crazy.
That would be interesting, and given enough time, I actually think Lane could win there.
But neither side of that marriage would last very long having to put up with the other.
Lane is heading back out West imo, once the right school opens up (one of the Arizona schools or Colorado). Until then, he’ll just chill and continue to slay bored housewives in Boca.
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Around Clarke: Clarke Monthly Calendar
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The Quiet Epidemic
July 20, 2018 /in Health/Wellness /by Jennifer
Loosening the grip of anxiety
by JiJi Russell
Probably more than mere coincidence, the jacked-up pace of our technology-driven lives seems to be traveling alongside a rise in anxiety disorders. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population every year.” You probably don’t have to look too far to find a friend or relative who has suffered or currently suffers from some form of anxiety. In fact, therapists like Colleen Kradel, LICSW, focus the majority of their working hours helping those afflicted with anxiety. Kradel owns and operates a private counseling practice located in Martinsburg, W.Va.
A couple of years ago, I found that my own usual worry about the kids, family, work, and so forth had slowly but significantly expanded to the point that I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. A “perfect storm” of events and physical changes had spun me up into a pattern of worry and exhaustion, common symptoms of anxiety. It took some digging and support for me to work my way out, but the payoff was worth the effort. On the other side, I found myself much lighter and more energetic, a return to my usual self. After this experience, and indeed after continuing to hear stories from so many people in my orbit about their own struggles, I have applied some attention to the sometimes silent issue of anxiety, which often leads to depression and other more severe conditions. Every person’s path home is unique to his or her own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual attributes, of course, but some recognition of common symptoms and remedies can prove helpful to many.
As part of a corporate wellness series addressing mental and emotional well-being, therapist Colleen Kradel presented a primer on anxiety to my colleagues at American Public University System (see webinar link in sidebar). I’ll share the major takeaways with you, in the hopes of shining a light on a worthy cause.
The first step to unraveling the hold of anxiety lies in understanding what it is, Kradel said. Our bodies have natural, and healthy, responses to stress. These mechanisms keep us safe and help to motivate us. The stress responses we are wired with have helped us historically “to deal with intense survival situations,” Kradel said. But nowadays, our bodies haven’t quite adjusted, and we’re often left with a cycle of intense reactions to simple everyday hardships. “We are not being chased by lions…but we do have the 24-hour news cycle, and we do have so many expectations placed on us,” Kradel said, adding that anxiety is both genetic and can come from one’s experience.
Kradel offers an anxiety self-test. If you can check most or all of these conditions, you might have something going on.
Persistent & Disproportionate Feelings of Worry
Restlessness / Difficulty Relaxing
Overthinking / Overanalyzing Plans, Solutions, or
Predicting Worse-Case
Indecisiveness / Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
Beyond the mental and emotional indicators, the physical symptoms one might experience with anxiety run a pretty long gamut, including fatigue; trouble sleeping; muscle tension or aches; trembling; nervousness; nausea; diarrhea; irritable bowel syndrome; and irritability, to name a few. Kradel emphasizes that understanding your body’s physical responses to anxiety can provide you with a powerful tool of awareness that can drive change.
Anxiety can take on many forms, Kradel said, and understanding its manifestations can help both those who might be afflicted, as well as loved ones who want to better understand the condition. Kradel highlighted five major types of anxiety, from general anxiety disorder (GAD) to obsessive-compulsive disorder, to post-traumatic stress disorder, including symptoms of each one. (see webinar for full definitions)
The good news, according to the ADAA, is that anxiety is a highly treatable condition. Indeed, Kradel believes that acceptance and the incorporation of healthy lifestyle practices can go a long way toward managing anxiety. She recommends a breathing technique, specifically for generalized anxiety and panic attacks. The technique goes like this: Inhale and expand your belly while you count to 4. Hold your breath in while you count to 2. Exhale for a count of 6. This technique is effective, she says, because it keeps you in the present moment and calms your sympathetic nervous system, which is what triggers your “fight or flight” responses. Try this out in your car, before meetings, appointments, any difficult situation you might encounter.
Kradel also advocates for yoga as a salve for anxiety, primarily because it increases body awareness. “Anxiety is very physical; it actually lives in your body,” Kradel said. “If you can figure out how to bring some bodily awareness to yourself — connect your mind and body – you will be able to intervene when you’re feeling that anxiety.” Exercise like running, or anything that gets you moving and feels good, can help move one through anxiety, Kradel said.
Relaxation techniques like progressive relaxation and meditation also can provide a shift from one’s conditioned responses to stress. Like yoga, mindfulness and meditation keep one in the present moment. “Any time you can spend in the moment, the better for anxiety, because anxiety is all about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future,” Kradel said. She notes that because meditation is often perceived as “scary or woo-woo,” she tells her clients that the aim of meditation is simply to pay attention to what’s happening right now. “I often will tell people to pay attention to their five senses: What do you hear? What do you see? What do you smell? That can slow you down and put you in the here and now,” Kradel said.
More Tools for Healing
Among Kradel’s other recommendations for managing anxiety are prioritizing social connections and applying some intention behind your nutrition. She recommends foods rich in magnesium, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, and B vitamins. Conversely, foods and drinks that hinder your progress could easily include caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, as all of those have a stimulant and/or
depressant quality.
While Kradel admits to being “a little biased” on the positive impact that therapy can provide, she says she believes it can help people in their healing process. “I give permission for people to be themselves; to be authentic; to really get to the root of some of these anxious patterns and themes, and to re-frame new coping skills and thought patterns that will help to lessen anxiety,” she said.
In addition to the more holistic lifestyle-based practices, Kradel believes that in some cases, medication can be helpful, especially for extreme anxiety. In her webinar, she provides a resource for researching medication but strongly recommends that one connect with his or her general practitioner in order to discuss and determine options.
View Colleen Kradel’s Webinar on Anxiety (30 min):
https://apus.adobeconnect.com/_a795569749/pfxkm96n9v22
Foods and natural remedies for anxiety:
https://draxe.com/natural-remedies-anxiety/
Turiya Yoga + Wellness: turiyayogawellness.com
Barns of Rose Hill: barnsofrosehill.org/classes-workshops
Clarke County Parks and Rec:
clarkecounty.gov/government/parks-and-recreation.html
The Sanctuary: sanctuaryberryville.com
Guided Meditations: free recordings,
including background instruction, are available at the following web sites:
Insight Timer: insighttimer.com
Spotify: search for “Guided Meditation”
Yoga Journal: www.yogajournal.com/meditation
Mindful.org: www.mindful.org/mindfulness-meditation-guided-practices
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Around Clarke County
Environment/Nature
Main Feature
© Copyright - Clarke Monthly
Pine Lake Timothy Johnson, Small Town Lawyer
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Frost days
Canadian Climate Normals (Opens in a new Window)
The Canadian Climate Normals dataset contains 30-year averages of temperature, precipitation, snow depth and extreme climatic conditions at monitoring stations across Canada with at least 15 years of data. Data can be searched by station name, province, or proximity to user. Data are offered for three averaging periods: 1981-2010, 1971-2000 and 1961-1990. The values contained in this dataset are updated at the end of each decade.
Meteorological Service of Canada
CLIMOD 2 (Opens in a new Window)
CLIMOD2 (Climate Information for Management and Operational Decisions) allows for retrieval and presentation of climate data from one or more stations in the Eastern Atlantic. Historical data are available as point data. Available climate products include daily data for a month, daily degree days, calendar day summaries, and daily/normal graphs. Data could be appended in a graphical or tabular time series.
Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC)
Current and Historical Alberta Weather Station Data Viewer (Opens in a new Window)
The Current and Historical Alberta Weather Station data Viewer is a tool which allows users to retrieve, display, graph and/or download observations from climate stations across Alberta. Variables available include precipitation, temperature, wind, soil moisture, soil temperature, Fire Weather Index, Climate Normals, and Almanac values. Single or multiple stations may be selected from an interactive map, and users may specify the time period of interest. Data is available for download in tabular and graphical formats.
Data at NSIDC (Opens in a new Window)
Data at National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is a large repository of datasets that describe historical cryosphere information. Datasets available include temperature, glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, sea ice, sea moisture, and snow. Historical data are available as point and gridded data.
Find local data (Opens in a new Window)
Find local data is a search tool that allows users to find climate data. Users can search by geographic location, municipality, and region across Canada. Data available include several climate variables, projected over 2021-2050 and 2051-2080, under two emission scenarios, and at annual or seasonal resolutions. Future data are available as point data.
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